Amber

Annie recording her new song "Amber's Getting Married" with the 60s Pop, Rock & Soul PBS special on TV.

IKEA bass line

Mark and Steven are working on a new song called "IKEA."

Caffe Frascati

The Tonics discuss their plans to conquer the San Jose music scene.

Air

Is what the new song is going to sound like. Mark and Steven continued to work on the chords and melody. They also practiced some vocal harmonies on several Beatles songs and played through "Amaj7," "I Wish My Name Were Snoopy," and another song Mark wrote recently.

More intriguingly, the band rehearsed some of their old songs, including "Neanderthal," "Mean Song," "Telegraph Avenue," "Mad Men," "Distance," "Apart," and "Love Makes People Stupid." I was particularly pleased when they ran through "Neon Phosphor."

"This is beginning to look like Tonics circa 2005. Are we going to see a new album soon?"----Wrong, the Tonics weren't going to make it circa 2005.

"I heard a rumor that the Tonics are going to turn into an a cappella group."----That's not a rumor. You've confused us with the Harvard Din and Tonics.

Songwriting

Steven and Mark worked on a new song, "South Pasadena." It's going to have tempo changes.

"Are the Tonics going prog?"----No, that's a job for Sculpted Static, who are no longer with us.

"Wait... is there going to be a new Tonics album???"----Actually, it's going to be an old album, from 1989.

"Are you referring to Steven's '1989' album project?"----No, I was referring to Doolittle.

Ten years

"I heard you're playing at your high school reunion!!!!!! Are we finally going to hear a live performance of 'Heart of Darkness'?"----No. You'll probably hear songs like "Music" by Madonna and "Bye Bye Bye" by *NSYNC. It'll trip you down memory lane. And true to the spirit of 2001, we won't be playing.

"If they actually finished Chinese Democracy and released Duke Nukem Forever, that means the mythical second Tonics album shouldn't be far behind, right??"----Wrong. That means we're going to be playing Duke Nukem Forever.

"How about the rumors that you'll be releasing a 10th anniversary edition of 'The Lorax'?"----Actually, it's been 40 years since it was released. And we're not releasing it. It'll probably come from Random House.

Drummer wanted

"Wait, what happened to Ian and Alek?"----Nothing, we just needed a 3rd drummer. Wall of sound.

"I heard you guys are recording again. When can we expect your next album?"----Expect it whenever you want. Doesn't mean we're going to release it.

"Ah-ha! So you admit you're working on an album."----Yes, but I am also a pathological liar.

"I saw you guys at Garfield Park the other day. Are you playing music together again?"

----No, we were just stargazing with the help of a Droid.

"But I saw this video on Facebook with you guys playing music."----Obviously CGI.

"Will the Tonics press record this summer?"

----No. We're going to press charges against whoever spread that baseless rumor.

"I heard you lined up a horn player for the re-recording of 'Lucy.'"----No, we're actually lining up our ducks. In a row. And then we will shoot them with the Nintendo Zapper Light Gun.

"Seriously, when are we going to hear the new version of Get Things Done?"----2019. Our goal is to spend more time working on it than Chinese Democracy. Because Guns N' Roses are our sworn arch rivals and we will beat them in every way possible.

News from the studio

It looks like the Tonics are updating themselves pretty regularly on their Facebook page. They've been recording a bunch of covers to brush up on their recording skills, but I hear that a reworking of Get Things Done is underway.

The Tonics to release a new album!

That's right!!!!!!1 The band that had seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth, the band that had gone the way of the Pixies, Oasis, and many others. THE TONICS (and we're not talking about the Harvard Din & Tonics or the Tonics that own thetonics.com domain name, but the real, rock-and-roll Tonics from South Pasadena) are releasing a brand new album!!! No, not a remix/remaster of songs like this one:



...but a bona-fide album with NEWLY RECORDED MATERIAL, the much-anticipated second LP that will blow away Get Things Done like a gasoline-powered leaf blower. Recording has already begun in studios COAST-TO-COAST. Yes, this is an extraordinarily production and thank your lucky stars it's finally happened! It's literally going to have the GREATEST HITS ON EARTH. Any questions?

"This is great! When will it be released?"----Late December back in '63.

"Excuse me?"----Ain't that a shame, you're the one to blame.

"Are we finally going to hear 'The Whistling Song' and 'Cube'?"----His mother told him "Someday you will be a man, and you will be the leader of a big old band."

"Can you talk more about the sessions? Is it hard to get back in the groove after all this time?"----We ain't fakin' it. Whole lot of shakin' goin' on.

"What are the new recordings going to sound like?"----

"I heard the Tonics are going electronic!"

----That's right. The Tonics are currently producing an album using the PC speaker.

"So, are we finally going to hear the full potential of Steven's MicroKORG?"----No, you already heard that at the end of "Save The Day." What you will be hearing, however, is the latest in monophonic square wave music.

"Will the new songs sound like Kid A-era Radiohead?"----No. It'll sound like QBASIC-era Tonics.

The Tonics press 'record'

Mark and Arta recorded "blue piano," a cover of a very famous hit from the 1990s. I'll take your questions.

"Wow! I want to hear it."----You'll have to wait until we release the Tonics Anthology near the end of our careers.

"Why isn't Steven on this recording? Is he still in the band?"----I'm afraid the traitor's still counting money and playing with that flower power psych folk band in Berkeley.

"I heard there are plans to finally record the 'Whistling Song.'"----Actually, you didn't hear it. You read it on this blog entry.

"Hey, are you guys on Twitter?"----No, we're on acid.

The Whistling Song

On Friday, Arta, Mark and Steven reconvened in South Pasadena and worked on harmonies and instrumental arrangements for "The Whistling Song." This was the band's first time in the studio since the ill-fated sessions for "Our House" and "Radio" in 2006.

"No way! Are you going to release this song? I thought the Tonics were done."----No, we're just recording the song for fun and not-for-profit. Just like all the others.

"Is it true that the Tonics are planning to release an authorized, remixed, remastered version of Get Things Done?"----Yes, and we're going to call it Got Things Done.

"Happy New Year, Neon!"----What's with all the joy? Go listen to "Hamlet."

"Anne Bancroft" still an Internet favorite

Just over a month ago, British indie folk-rock artist Steve Ison left us this commentary on "Elegy For Anne Bancroft" on IACmusic.com:

Sept 11th 2008.....Its weird,in my alternate universe i see this as a classic psychefolk song everyone knows and loves -It just sounds like its always been around.Maybe i love it so much because THe Graduate might well be my favourite film of all time-Tucked in amongst all those timeless,melancholic Simon and Garfunkel soundtrack songs,this would fit perfectly on every level,qualitively and atmospherically..What a beautifully elegant title too.. 'ELEGY for Anne Bancroft'-i could love it just for that! The lyrics are so naturally poetic,imaginative and suggestive as well,creating all that space to open up your imagination..DElightful track..........................

Thanks, man.

I suppose we should try to get more comments by uploading our songs to garageband.com or sending out the Get Things Done album to radio stations. But then we wouldn't be the best kept secret in rock-and-roll, would we?

Notes from the studio

Steven recorded some vocals for "Lucy" and remixed the song with a louder bass line. We caught up with Steven as he left the studio this afternoon:

NP: I AM NEON PHOSPHOR.

SC: oh yeah?

NP: WHAT WERE YOU DOING IN THE STUDIO?

SC: auditing.

NP: ARE WE GOING TO REISSUE "LUCY?"

SC: no, why would we do that?

NP: WHAT ABOUT THE REPORTS THAT YOU'VE BEEN SPOTTED WITH ANOTHER BAND UP NORTH?

SC: i don't know what you're talking about.

NP: WILL THERE BE ANOTHER TONICS ALBUM?

SC: sure, we'll make some more get things done if we ever run out, and at this rate it'll be never

"I heard that the Tonics are planning to reunite at the Outside Lands festival this year!"

----Then you must be schizophrenic.

"Why aren't you guys famous yet? The album is fantastic."----We do not wish to relinquish our title of 'best-kept secret in rock-and-roll' to The Marvelettes.

"Wow! 'Bartleby' is a great song. Why is it called 'Bartleby?'"----We were looking for an anagram of "Try Babel."

"What's your second album going to be like? Will it be more rock-and-roll?"----No way. Guitar groups are on their way out.

"Where did all those bonus tracks come from??"----The Japan-only version of Get Things Done.

"Lucy, who's that?"----It's Saint Lucy, patron saint of eye conditions. She tricked Steven's eye into the path of a tennis ball.

"When is your next record coming out?"

----Tomorrow, when we extend our record of most consecutive days not playing a single note to 404.

"But I heard that Steven's been playing with a bunch of street musicians."----Not true. The traitor is currently playing with Excel formulas and pivot tables.

"How's the rest of the band doing?"----Since 2006, we've been holding a multiple measure rest at 120 bpm, currently at 17,452,800 measures and counting. At the conclusion of this rest will be a Dm.

"How much longer do we have to wait?"----I'm not going to ruin it, man.

The Tonics at the recording studio?

"My source from the paparazzi told me that three Tonics visited the studio where most of the album was recorded. Did you guys record something?"----Yes, we recorded a new high score on Commander Keen IV: Secret of the Oracle.

"No, really. Did you guys at least play through your old songs, just to break the ice?"----Almost. We played through some missions on Jetfighter I, in order to blow up some buildings being used by our Soviet enemies.

"Our long-range microphone picked up some strange electronic music emanating from the studio. Are you guys switching genres, like Radiohead with Kid A?"----No, what you heard was the SimCity Classic theme song being played on the PC speakers.

"How about the fact that a PA was spotted in your car, while you guys were in the studio?"----Who the hell are you? Quit snooping around! We are going to incorporate that PA into the ultimate video gaming system.

You're Only Human (Do You Know What You're Doing?)

The Tonics have released the promotional video for "You're Only Human (Do You Know What You're Doing?)", a song that was recorded back in 2005, but was left off the album because it didn't fit. Enjoy.