We really need to get into the studio

It's frustrating, as the only songs currently on the minor coles myspace are two acoustic demos hastily bashed out on cubase - one at ruben's grandparents house and one in my bedroom. Although they give a little hint as to what are songs are like, in reality they don't sound anything like the full band. Some people seem to like them, which is great, but it's akin to preferring lambrini over a veuve-cliquot. Not that I happen to spend my days quaffing veuve-cliquot.

So we are all itching like flea ridden dogs to get into a studio and lay down some songs with the full band as soon as possible, partly so that those of us who haven't seen us live yet can actually know what we're all about, and aren't misled by the songs on myspace. I can't help but feel they lack a lot of energy and feeling, and generally are a little weak. We are hoping to enter the studio sometime in June. We will probably record 3 songs if time permits.

We have 9 finished songs now. One of those will probably never be played again though, due to an infamous outing at the Bully at our second gig - so technically we have 8 songs. At our 4 gigs so far we have only been able to play six song sets each time, so this bodes well for our next gig. We might be able to play for longer than 20 minutes without having to resort to stringing out faintly witty banter and trying to sound like we're comedians. Or resorting to me talking about the Villa. And ruben complaining about me talking about the Villa.

At last weeks practice we wrote our second 'ballad'. I can't wait to get in the Coldroom's up in sleepy Cumnor again tonight to give it another run through. It seems to have stuck in my head at least, which is always a positive thing with new songs. If you forget them, it's generally for a reason: they are probably shit and not worth remembering. The ballad is not so straightforward, at least it doesnt sound like Snow Fucking Patrol, it's not overly cheesy and doesnt follow a verse chorus verse chorus structure. It also involves both Ruben and I singing different sections of the song, which has actually become quite a useful feature of our band on a lot of our songs.

On a secondary note, i have managed to see Jonquil again, so I am now not quite so crushingly disappointed about not being able to attend their June 12th gig. Jody managed to get myself and my housemate Laura onto the guest list for Wood festival to see them (big thank you Jody), and Laura has wheels unlike I so kindly drove us up there, and we watched their set in amongst the beautiful surrounds of Braziers Park and (unfortunately) the cold and sodden ground. It had lashed down with rain for a good hour or two before the set. I think the festival is a little early in the year - although had it happened the weekend before when the weather was much kinder, then perhaps that would prove that theory wrong. All in all it was a really good show and it was a pleasure to see 4 new Jonquil songs being aired. I'm convinced they will shift some units with songs like those on their next album. Vibrant, quite poppy, summery, and exciting.

Tra for now
Mark x

Old stuff - Goodbyehigh Fives



So there's a few old songs (well more than a few) knocking about on my pc, mainly of me and james from Alphabet Backwards, from a time in yonder past when we wrote many a tune together. This was probably about 3 years ago or so now.

I've put a few up here. Some are recorded fairly well, others are just little jam session songs.

6am Morning Walk (New York)

A little jam session jingle:
The Day Buddy Holly Died

This song was written i think on the day England got knocked out of the World Cup to Portugal back in 2006. World cup themed. As you do:
Defence Defense

This next song is one of my favourites of the goodbye high five era, the chorus could have been improved but the ending is definitely a winner:
Lung Capacity

Gigs I am looking forward to:

On July 11th we Minor Coles are playing at the Bullingdon Arms with the amazing We Aeronauts (yes yes yes!) and Alphabet Backwards (double yes!). It should serve, potentially, as a release party for Alphabet Backwards mini album too. It should be great fun playing with them two bands. Mainly since we generally know most of one another and will no doubt get our party pants on afterwards.

Then on August 22nd at The Wheatsheaf we are playing with the Backwards again, as main support. Yipeeeiii ayyy, yippeeeiii ohhh.

I would also say i am looking forward to Jonquil at the Zo2diac on the 12th June, but I have now realised I can't attend that, as we Coles are playing at the Jericho Tavern that night. I do wish I could see Jonquil again though, I haven't seen them since they supported Foals in December. And that's 5 months now without a Jonquil fix. I'm gettin tetchy. I have resorted to drunkenly singing Lions with Jody Jonquil and James Aeronaut whilst walking the streets of Oxford in order to get my kick.

Also looking forward to seeing The Gullivers again at the Jericho Tavern on 3rd June.

I've just realised i have a tetleys teabag in my pocket. That's a bit random.

More photos from the party, including one of Ruben doing his ghost impression. Something strange was going on in the neighbourhood. I was tempted to call ghostbusters.

Hi there

I think i must have been in a funny mood this morning, because it's a Saturday and I woke up at 6:30am and I decided to start a blog for the band Minor Coles. That doesnt happen every day. Especially days when i actually have to get up and drag my arse into work. I have barely seen 6:30am on them days.

This photo above is from a house party we played last weekend, at our bassist Martin's hobbit hole. It was a great evening. His house is detached, so we didnt disturb the neighbours too much. We had forewarned them, and also invited them, so I think on the whole they were kept appeased. Playing house parties is a dangerous but exciting thing. Like an extreme sport.

We played our set and it was really good fun. Our friend Olly had brought a PA around (many thanks to Olly) so the sound was really decent for playing amongst the sofas and tv sets. Apart from the tingly sensation on my lips whenever i moved my mouth to the electrically charged microphone. That was slightly unnerving. I half expected to be fried alive mid-set, charged by 240 of your finest english volts. In the end though I kind of enjoyed the random tingly sensation. It was a bit like that lip balm, out there on the lip balm market, which gives you an instant botox. Not that I have ever used that on my lips. Not when I was down the pub and had had a few and thought it would be fun to play with my friends instant botox lip balm. I've honestly never done that. Honest.

So it was a great set and we played the songs we have nailed down pretty well on the whole.

Our friends The Gullivers followed us onto the carpeted living room stage. I was really glad they played. They had already played a set earlier in the day, at an all day outside gig so it was in fact their second show of the day. They have a really great, sheogazy sound and some beautiful songs. The assembled throng lapped them up. You can listen to them here www.myspace.com/thegullivers

Alphabet Backwards, well, my friend James (who basically is Mr Alphabet Backwards), then rounded things off with a solo acoustic set. There were singalongs to polar bears and 80's pop video (the hideously infectious 'na na na naa na' song). Ruben and I tried to mimic the sound of the absent Bob Tom's keyboard synth with our voices, at one point. It actually worked quite well. Bob tom should be concerned he might be out of a job soon, with skills like that. I of course am only jesting, because bob tom is the synth-whiz-king of all the world. I saw Black Kids at the Zodiac last year and they couldnt do with two synths what Bob Tom can do with his little finger on one synth. Fact. www.myspace.com/alphabetbackwards

We all then had a bit of a drink and indulged in various other associated vices. Some people did a bit of dancing. Martin's chilli was devoured by a half dozen or so liquored up hungry vultures at about 1am. There was a giant pan of the stuff but it all disappeared at frantic speed. It was the nicest chilli I have ever had the pleasure of eating. I have to also reveal that I had double helpings. The secret ingredient was....well I can't say can I. it's a secret. It wasn't banana though.

Special thanks must go to Beth, whose house this was also at. Beth was a very kind and good host.

We hope to do more exciting little shows soon, perhaps another in the summer, and hopefully we can get some more of Oxford's bands playing too.