04/10/13

It’s finally spring and I spent the last weekend shoveling three truckloads of compost … that’s why I haven’t been posting.

The Revival Tour was awesome and I’m heading out for a few dates with James which you can see here –>

While I’ve been home we’ve released The New Amsterdams final LP “Outroduction” which you can order from the store.  There are some bitchin’ black light posters that go along with the artwork.  Thanks to Mr. Geoff McCann for doing the art.  The “Matt Pryor / James Dewees” split 7″ /  CDEP is in the bag and it’s looking like a May 21st release date for the CD & digital.  The vinyl is going to take a bit longer but I’ll keep you posted.  I’m playing some Terrible Twos songs at the Kindiefest children’s music festival in Brooklyn this month to reintroduce the Twos and talk about the new record “A Pear To Attack” which hopefully will be out this summer or fall.  Finally, my friend Bob Nanna (Of Braid and Hey Mercedes fame) has launched a new site called Downwrite where you can commission personal songs from artists.  I started a couple of days ago and it’s been going crazy so I’m gonna wrap this up and go write some songs for the good folks.

-pryor

 

02/21/13

I’m heading out on the Revival Tour next month.  It something that I’ve always wanted to do and I’m especially excited about our SXSW showcase with Frank Turner.  Dewees and I are doing some more east coast shows.  Check here for tickets to all that fun stuff.  James and I have also been discussing this new record that we’re going to do this summer and adding some mid west dates hopefully in May and some west coast dates after.  Tuesdays With Reggie will be back next week.  We took some time off because James’ house flooded with sewage.  Gross.  The New Amsterdams final record entitled “Outroduction” is coming out in March as well.  You can pre-order the record from our friends at Blue Collar Distro.  Finally, The Terrible Twos third album “A Pear To Attack” is trucking along.  All the basic tracks are done and we’re just adding on some stuff before it goes to mix.  I’m playing at the Kindiefest family music conference this year as well.

Thanks to everyone who has listened to and supported the podcast.  It’s been really fun and the feedback has been great.  If you’d like to donate to help defer the cost of hosting the episodes please do so here.  Keepin’ it free!

busy, busy, busy

-pryor

 

01/31/13

Thank you to everyone (including Evan) who came out to the “Two For The Road” shows that Dewees and I did earlier this month. They were really fun, and funny. Honestly, it’s at least 1/4 stand up comedy once you get James on a roll. We’re planning a mid west run in May and a west coaster in August and we’ve been recording some new tunes. Hopefully, we’ll have something out before the next string of dates. We’ll keep ya posted.

-pryor

12/12/12

11/11/11 was better.

This is a story about what a nerdy weirdo I am.  I’ve been a fan of the filmmaker Kevin Smith since I first saw Clerks at the Tivoli Theater in KC back in the day.  I can’t give myself too much indie film cred because I think the reason we went to see it is because Seaweed was on the soundtrack (doing a Fleetwood Mac cover no less).  Fast forward almost two decades later and I’ve been equally inspired by Mr. Smith in this podcasting realm and with his general philosophy of (and I’m paraphrasing) my passion became my job and now I want to find my passion again.  I relate to that … a lot.

Anyway, yesterday I was listening to Mr. Smith’s “Smodcast” podcast and he was interviewing Gerard and Mikey Way from MCR.  I was intrigued because I’ve been a fan of theirs from before they employed one of my best friends or Gerard did The Umbrella Academy (which is brilliant).  So, imagine my surprise to hear my band name checked in the interview.  I kinda got giddy.  I’m a dork.

The same thing happened probably eleven years ago when the public radio show “Market Place” used our “Mass Pike” as bumper music.  I got sooooooo excited that I called Vagrant only to get a “so what?”.   You don’t understand … this is NPR!  They didn’t get it.

I guess we’re defined by our influences.  View Askew and public radio are some of mine.

I’m not sure why I’m telling you this story.  I usually use this as a forum to promote my projects.  But, I guess I felt I should share the things that are exciting to me.  Even if they are trivial to everyone else (as they probably should be.)

- pryor

 

 

12/06/12

You can listen to Lasorda on Spotify exclusively this week.  It also includes two remixes, one by me and one by Nate Harold.  I’m supposed to start rehearsals with James next week for our upcoming tour and hopefully we can get some in-person “Tuesdays With Reggie” knocked out as well.  We’ve got merch galore in time for the holidays including TGUK shirts for $10 which is crazy cheap.  Not a whole lot else to report right now.  I gotta go buy a hose to fill up the duck pond (kiddie pool).  Talk to ya next week.

-pryor

 

11/29/12

Just got off the phone with Dewees for episode 002 of “Tuesdays with Reggie” which will air on the 4th.  Fun fact: the TWR podcast intro music is a new song called “I’m Failing You” that James and I have been working on.  Not sure what’s going to happen there but the process has been fun.  Interviewing Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory tomorrow then we gotta go get a Christmas tree.  Otherwise here are the finer points…

- “Two For The Road” an evening with myself and James Dewees (with Into It. Over It.) tickets are on sale here.  The plan is to try and do more dates in the future but nothing has been set in stone yet.  We’d love to come to (insert your town here) and we’ll try and make it happen in 2013.  In the meantime the current dates are only on the east coast.

01/16 — Amityville, NY — Ollie’s Point
01/17 — Cambridge, MA — T.T. The Bear’s
01/18 — Brooklyn, NY — Knitting Factory
01/19 — Philadelphia, PA — North Star Bar
01/20 — Baltimore, MD — Ottobar

- The entire Lasorda album (titled “Lasorda”) with two pretty awesome remixes will be exclusively on Spotify starting next week.  You can still order the vinyl and be entered to win a test pressing.  Hopefully we’ll have some Lasorda shirts up there soon as well.

- You can now order Nothing To Write Home About coffee mugs.  We currently have white but look for some black ones coming soon.  A great stocking stuffer and it helps support the podcast.

- The Get Up Kids online store has shirts for only $10!  We must be MAD!

- The New Amsterdams “Outroduction” CD/LP is slated for an 03/05/13 release.  For those who have been asking the intro song to the NTWHA podcast is the original version of “Dear Lover” which is the opening track to this forthcoming record.  Fun fact: It’s James Dewees on the piano.

- Took a week off from The Terrible Twos recording to deal with the TFTR tour stuff but it’s back to the grind on Monday.

spin ‘dem plates.

-pryor

 

11/27/12

The big news today is that Mr. James Dewees has come out of hiding to go on tour with me.  We’re going to be doing a series of dates that we’re calling “Two For The Road” where we play songs from all of our various projects from Reggie to New Ams to whatever.  Into It. Over It. Evan will be opening.  Hopefully, if this goes well we can add more dates in other cities.  Currently we’re going to:

1/16 — Amityville, NY — Ollie’s Point
1/17 — Cambridge, MA — T.T. The Bear’s
1/18 — Brooklyn, NY — Knitting Factory
1/19 — Philadelphia, PA — North Star Bar
1/20 — Baltimore, MD — Ottobar

 You can get tickets here.

Also, we are doing a weekly mini podcast to talk about the tour and some other projects we’ve got in the works.  You can either contact us via facebook or twitter or by regular old email to ask either of us questions that we’ll answer on the air.

We’ve also got the NTWHA coffee mugs in the merch store as well as the Lasorda vinyl pre-order contest.  TGUK shirts are all $10 so stock up for your family this holiday.  Look for my interview with Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra / Bad Books / Right Away Great Captain this Thursday.

-pryor

 

11/22/12

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!  I hope that you are spending it with someone you like.  Around here you can pre-order the Lasorda LP and you’ll be entered into a contest to win the test pressing.  If you ordered it from Clifton Motel Records have no fear, they are doing the same contest.  The vinyl is on purple, blue and swirl so if you’re a super vinyl nerd you can get all three.  Didn’t get the coffee mugs in time for Black Friday but hopefully next week.  We got sidetracked by this new project that we are announcing on Tuesday along with a special podcast.  Good good things next week.  Have a good holiday.

-pryor

11/15/12

I shaved the damn beard off.  Couldn’t take Novembeard.  I don’t know how you guys do it.  It itched like mad.  Lasorda is off and running, the LP comes out 12/11/12 on Clifton Motel records.  We’re having a contest to win a test pressing with the pre-order bundles in the merch store soon as well as NTWHA coffee mugs which will be up in the next couple days.  The New Amsterdam’s “Outroduction” is slated for a 03/05/13 release date on my label Nightshoes Syndicate.  Still working on The Terrible Twos record but I’ve been kinda sidetracked by this tour that we are announcing next week.  Look for that Monday or Tuesday.  We got ten chickens and two ducklings from Revolution Mama Ranch that are living in the dining room until I can fix the coop.  They do not smell good.  They are cute though.  Have a good week.

- pryor

11/08/12

The Lasorda record is coming out 12/11/12 on Clifton Motel Records.  We’re gearing up for a contest to win the test pressing of the record so keep your eyes peeled for that.  Also going to be doing pre-order bundles for both Lasorda and The New Amsterdams’ compilation “Outroduction” in time for the holidays.  There is talk of TGUK going to South America next year which is something we’ve never gotten to do so hopefully that will pan out.  In December we’re going to launch a new podcast called “Can You Hear Me?  Beer Me!”  Where my touring companion and beer expert, Darren Fox, and I discuss the fantastic local brews we’ve experienced in our travels in these United States.  Also, working on The Terrible Twos third album starting Monday … so don’t bother me, I’m stressing over music for children.  ha.

Finally, please consider donating some money to the Red Cross to help the east coast recover from Hurricane Sandy.   If you’re in the area go to this benefit.  Say howdy to KD and Bonz for me while you’re there.

-pryor

10/31/2012

Happy Halloween everyone! Welcome to the home of the “Nothing To Write Home About with Matt Pryor” podcast. This is also where you can find out about what is going on with all of my projects musical and otherwise. Today we launch the first episode of NTWHA with producer, engineer and coffee shop magnate Ed Rose. I’m still getting my sea legs in this medium but I think that it’s a pretty good talk.  Especially if you’re interested in the art of making records.

In other news our friends at Clifton Motel Records will releasing the debut album from Lasorda which is a project I did with some friends last summer.  It’s going to come out digitally and on vinyl 12/11/12 so keep your eyes peeled for that.  Further down the pike The New Amsterdams will be releasing “Outroduction” in March 2013.  It’s a compilation of some unreleased material and some things from the “Killed Or Cured Appendix” and “The Companion Of My Rival” EPs that never got a proper release.  It will be coming out on my label Nightshoes Syndicate.  And yes, it will be on vinyl.  Finally, I’m currently recording The Terrible Twos third album titled “A Pear To Attack” and it will be released sometime next spring on Spare The Rock Records.

“busy, busy, busy” – Bokonon

Thanks,

Pryor (scientist)

Oh, and if you dig what we do here kick in a few coins so that we can keep this podcast going.