Home

Still in Oklahoma. The resting is nice and very needed. My favorite Christmas present was that it snowed on Christmas Eve :)
And...it snowed again last night!! The best thing ever :)
XO
Rachel

the best usage of pvc pipes

So, my nieces introduced me to their newest favorite game. "Guns" - as they like to call it - god, am I from Oklahoma or what?! But instead of toy guns or nerf guns. They (with the help of their brilliant parents) have made weapons of their own out of PVC pipe and marshmallows. They end up being "blow-dart" marshmallow guns! Ingenious.

All I can say is, I'm bringing 'em on tour.

Going Home for the Holidays

In the Dallas airport, heading back to the land of Tele-evangelists and sod farmers. Quite a change from LA. Haha!

So, my flight was at 6 am this morning... Yeah, I'm not sure what possesed me to do that? Not sure how I thought, "Perfect! Great idea!" And now here I am, running on teeny tiny hours of sleep and (of course, and Kathy, you will totally understand this) Starbucks coffee.

I just feel sorry for my neighbors on the last plane, I'm just sure I drooled on them. At one point I woke up to them laughing at me because me head kept falling over. You know the point of exhaustion where you loose muscle control. Your body is yelling at you "lie the fuck down, dammit".

I don't blame them for laughing. Dude, that shit is hilarious.I only wish it had been flip cammed by Paul! Hahaha! Brilliant.

Actually, though, there may be a good chance of that happening because in January we are off on the road again until the summer basically. Flip cam footage will be bursting at the seams! And I'm sure many histarical, embarrassing, and wonderful moments will be captured for all you lovelies to see :)

Oh and p.s. Pumpkin
Spice?? Best fuckin' coffee on the planet. If you have not done so you must put it on your insides. Do it now!! :)

Off to get on the plane to head to Tulsa. Wonder if the Christmas tree is already up...in the past we have waited until Christmas Eve and the tree ends up being one of those Charlie Brown Christmas trees. You know - "All it needs is a little love." Those are the best:)

Merry Christmas!Happy Chanukkah! Happy Kwanza! The whole nine yards! But more importantly, "Peace on Earth." Xx
Love love love
Rache

kick you in the face awesome grilled cheese

Do it. Do it now. Pete's Cafe and Bar downtown. 400 S. Main St. Mozzerella, cheddar, blue, goat cheese,and sweet sweet caramelized onions. All with an amazing creamy tomatoe soup. I mean, come on!! Put. It. Inside. You. On your insides. Put.

Dance to the Music

Yes, I Google myself from time to time. Don't tell me you haven't. Oftentimes it has led to me discovering something I didn't even expect to find. Just moments ago I was scouring YouTube for Sonos. What follows is the last thing I expected...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9a-7An_vXY

Suffice it to say that was pretty cool. Weird, seeing us out of the context of my iTunes player or live: at rehearsal. I often forget that other people know our music; that strangers have purchased this album and God forbid listen to it once and a while. But here we have people DANCING to it. You hear that world? People are dancing to a cappella!

What marks this as particularly timely is that this ballet class was not the first one with this idea. In the new year, we will be embarking on a live collaboration with the LA Contemporary Dance Co. (lacontemporarydance.org) and stage/opera director David Bridel, part of which will premiere at the Ford Amphitheater in the summer.

Back in my days of cruise ship barbershop or high school jazz choir, the notion of people moving to vocal music was distant. Now it's only a mouse click away.

Protools Shmotools

So here's the thing. I'm gonna own Protools. And by "own" I mean, be the ultimate master Jedi of them. Gabriel Mann and his protege, Christopher GIven Harrison will be proud.

Soooo here's the other thing...i need it...got any hook-ups :) :) :)

Look. I just want to record for all you wonderful people Xxx

Oh and another thing...
I have a passport to Disneyland and I really want to go before we get back on the road again. Anyone wanna come with?? :)

In Its Right Place

I was given the task of editing our first original video. I like editing. Heck, I love it. The basic human instincts of food consumption, relieving oneself or sleeping are put off when deeply entrenched in an editing project. Thus, it took less than 24 total hours (a very concentrated 24 hours) to complete. At the outset I was overwhelmed with the thought of scouring upwards of 200 individual flip cam video files in order to boil them down to a two-and-a-half-minute summation of 'Sonos on the road.' And yet only minutes into the process I discovered something unexpected. Waves of nostalgia flooded over me. Memories of long forgotten moments rushed back reminding me how special these last few months have been. The sights we've seen, the places we've played, the moments we've mustered... I'm grateful. As the year rolls to a stop, I often reflect on the year I've been through and on what's to come. As a group we've hit our share of road bumps, as any creative collective does. But this video provides, to me, a reminder of what is great about being a part of something creative. Even this video is a creative act. As I cut or moved clips around they began landing 'in place.' Footage would line up magically with the track as if it had found its home. It belonged, it fit, until everything was in its right place. The way it should be, or at least the way it's going to be. And really, aren't they the same? In a way I guess I now feel that way about myself in Sonos. We all bring different abilities and perspectives forming us into this collective, each with our own voice. A vocal collective. This video reflects that - us in our own way, as we are. Seeing this surprised me, an effect I didn't foresee. Then again, no one can really notice how great something is in the moment. That is, if they're really living in it.
I'll leave the rest to the flip cam.

Ode to the UK

To all our lovely fans over in the UK - we have two, yes TWO, lovely wintery tracks going up on UK iTunes tomorrow! Here is the link to make it quick & easy for you. We'll be hopping over there in late January for some gigs so stay updated :) Here is the link...

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/white-winter-hymnals-single/id342539662

Show us some love!! Because we love a lot of things about you...

Cooking with Comedy

Julia Child did not become a world famous chef by simply cooking. She did not discover rich recipes by throwing items haphazardly into a pot of water. Rather, in order to create food, she had first to consume it. She spent a large portion of her life sampling the delicacies of various cuisines in order to extend her well-fed palette into the reaches of cultivated variety. Only then could she decipher the complexities of flavor, the aromas of wine, the textures of flour or the nuance of spice. She learned by consuming, by taking in the work of those who had gone before her. She observed with her senses the impact of what was delicious and that which was distasteful. She gained perspective and formed opinions; she earned herself a point of view. She let herself absorb the best ingredients of understanding to then wring the knowledge out of herself like so many sponges used to clean her counter tops. From this, people around the world learned and too became cooks. We can learn from anyone, allowing us their insights into a given field of interest. I make a mean french toast and am known by some for my homemade burritos. But my chosen field of interest is comedy. Humor. Play. I love observing the cooks of comedy. The best comedians induce a feeling in the pit of your stomach not unlike the hunger pangs endured when the waiter passes your table with a simmering chef's special and you've yet to be served. Hunger reaches its peak just before the first bite, and then is gone. But unlike that emptiness of hunger, the comedian offers up a fullness in your stomach. It's rare one can elicit from me a belly laugh, and when it happens it sustains. It is not replaced minutes later with discomfort and the regret of over-indulging. You can never have too much fun. Thus I enjoy consuming what other comedians have dished out; and when I discover something, be it life-changing or simply a wonderful moment, I want to share. No matter how big or small, popular or occult, successful or fleeting, they all are ingredients making up the collective consciousness of comedy.
So may I present to you perhaps the Julia Child and Betty Crocker of humor.
Or at least two morsels of an incredible treat.

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/03b4a86265/between-two-ferns-with-zach-galifianakis

we're baaaaack!

Not only are we back to the blog, but we're back from our first tour - an incredibly successful one at that! No we are not millionaires yet, but we had SO much fun traveling around the country singing for all sorts of lovely people...high school kids, moms & dads, old teachers and friends, complete strangers, water taxi drivers, magicians, hippies, horses (seriously), dogs (seriously), record label execs, Studio360 audiences, XM/Sirius audiences, NPR audiences, BBC audiences, gas station attendants..you name it. We came, we sang, we conquered!

Big, big thanks to EVERYONE who came out to support us in whatever city we hit up in our rented mini-vans. Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, NYC, Kentucky, Virginia, D.C., Nashville and as always LA - you all freakin rock. Thank you for making this tour an amazing experience for us all. We are proud of the music we make, but without all of you we'd REALLY be on the streets.

Hampton Inns across America - thank god for you. You really pulled weight on this one. Many comfy nights to remember. Listen up everyone, this place has yummy free breakfast and free internet (unlike some other hotels which shall not be named), not to mention it was also the hotel that smelled the least of old cigarettes. No hot tub, but we love you anyways. Please sponsor us!!

Avis - thank you for providing us with about 10 mini-vans of different sizes, colors and origins, and for charging us obscene amounts of money to drop them off in a different place than we started. While we would've saved more money without you, we would've been backpacking through the rainy northwestern wilderness & cow covered corn fields of Kentucky. Thank you for a safe, accident free ride. And for sometimes being red so we got speeding tickets.

American Airlines - boy oh boy. While you upped our mileage points bigtime & got us around the country relatively quickly, you have some lessons to learn. First of all, stop charging people to check bags & start offering complimentary alcohol. Also, turn down the volume on the safety video - we all know how to fasten our seatbelts. Smoother landings would be appreciated, as would fewer computer malfunctions, and more editions of SkyMall. Thank you for breaking Chris' pedal board, for re-routing us to Boston, and for all the comfy separated middle seats. Jet Blue is totally kicking your ass. GET IT TOGETHER!!! Ok, ok I'm being a little harsh - thank you for at least keeping us alive & for the free breakfast buffet & hotel (though you only had to give that to us because you messed up).

Cracker Barrel - You are really sweet but we shouldn't see each other any more. Two meals with you in 24 hours was a little much. We need some space. P.S. Cornbread stuffing is not a vegetable. P.P.S. Thanks for the awesome candy & toys though.

Kentucky - you really made our Halloween a memorable one (at least the parts we can remember). Good times in downtown Maysville!!

Thank you for the $3 cocktails and late night fried food (and for that second grilled cheese we ordered but didn't stick around for). Big thanks to the Watts Family for their generosity & for sharing their beautiful home with us. We had some fun with the ghosts in the attic.

Katharine Hoye - what a great roomie.

Our manager Hugo & his accomplice Haylisha - you are both ninjas. We love you. I'll have the world know that these two people are the most kickass managers & booking agents in the KNOWN UNIVERSE. We apologize on behalf of all the "challenged" front desk people that you had to deal with for two months.

Well, that was the brief summary of our tour & all the people we met along the way. After the New Year, things will get crazy and we'll do it all over again. Much love! xo jess

Mayslick, KY

we're in a gigantic beautiful haunted farm/mansion in Mayslick, Kentucky. (May's Lick?)
it's awesome. you can see for miles in every direction. "town" is like 15 miles away. it get's so quiet here, it freaks me out. Simon and Laurie (our homestays) are benevolent and hilarious, and they feed us into food comas every night.

the local folks shared with us a loud and tipsy halloween at a bar called "the Bank", then on to a late night diner where delicious hangover-prevention food was like 3 bucks a pop.

i hope we come here for a week every year. if they'll put up with us.

Ode to the van.

Van, oh van,
your music is love.
Your AC is sent
from the heavens above.

I wish in your trunk
I could stuff one more purse,
but I tried and was hurt
and got sent to a nurse.

Your windows have heard many
blaring rock anthems
Your passengers have many
fun, cute, short, tantrums.

If just seven hours were
spent in your court,
that journey would be
seven hours too short.

Go Bay Side!

Just sang "White Winter Hymnal" with Mr. Belding.

We've made it.

airport jackass

so the TSA dude just fucked up one of the buckles on my pedal board.
awesome. i love that.

he explained briefly that he didn't know there were buckles on the back
which is weird
because Rach was emphatically repeating "ah, it doesn't open like that. there are buckles on the back"
so, yeah. i guess i feel like it's weird that he didn't know.

to take off my pouting hat for a sec, his job is a lot less fun than mine, so i suppose i should get over myself.

moody,
-chris

and...

blonde brownies....

blondes are the best ;)

wonderdinner

the band are all gathered at Jess's parents' house where we've just eaten what is certainly one of the best dinners of my life.
fancyschmancy cheeses
crackers
grapes
hummus
carrots
chips
bbq chicken
awesome noodles with peanut stuff goin on
green beans
vanilla ice cream
raspberries
brownie/cookies

...the list goes on.

thank you mama and papa Freedman

You know what I just love...people that don't signal when they are driving. They are my FAVORITE. EVER! Did you know that it has been statistically proven that they also have a lower IQ...? I mean, I'm jusy sayin...

Three cheers for the dumbass drivers of the world!
XOXO,
Your true friend,
Bachel Rearer

10 minutes into the drive

Sonos is officially on tour. We're on our way to NoCal, then more NorCal, then North Carolina, thwn I have no idea.

If you haven't, check the myspace to see if we'll be in your neighborhood. If we are, come see us and say hi. We'll hang out with you and it will be awesome.

elliptical movie review #2

watched "The TV Set".
that one's pretty good. David DuExfiles is funny.
easy to appreciate if you've lived in LA surrounded by creatives-for-hire.

check it out!

88 minutes

watched it today while on the elliptical.
every minute of it, sucked.
don't waste your time.

=)

Lying on my sick bed and a friend sends me this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ1HKCYJM5U&feature=related&ytsession=5msaYa8DqaVSXSeeEVDY95Yk7LeGKpVrIMMFq_zI-vy8Q7_uR0b1Y8se8ySfYIyUkPSuvL-u7OJTfpp3971IpWiJxRzLoKl6lUff1uh52Tyedpzi738KL7NoaYD6G0Ozhdf18oPGX8sMB0PqoEi4YJixJjlKxwQTb8cAxGowbHvbIOpZDb1EyPr0yHjcnLXQ1T9k7opCCaSrY0ARPJqUmnCgPUgRDCq4o5XbVTqoSwtX-31SL8qWQI1hZjyUeBQMnkbkCHLCAQHVaubsu5LLgZae97weVz2ef-PQk6_j7UQEzk55B47CevxaBteY47Pgvhhh9HjxiwHorj1JHCvRwI02vQUVaqc9JeCyqUBpBK5_qnp7HaMbxdWjho9mElCw

youtube is one of the best inventions ever.

Everything that happens is from now on :)

Tomorrow is the big day!! Album release + giant celebratory extravaganza show at the Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles. We've been busting our tails in the past few weeks to prepare for this show & make it a fun and truly special evening. WE ARE STOKED, ARE YOU!? 

tix - $8 presale/$10 door - lots of people coming, get yours in advance!

https://www.hotelcafe.com/tickets/?s=events_view&id=265

merch - CDs, vinyl, t-shirts, tote bags, autographs on your booty

tunes - nearly everything on the album plus two brand new songs & special guest artists

Can't wait to see you all there! Tomorrow marks the end of one very awesome chapter, and the beginning of an even MORE AWESOME one :)

xo jess

P.S. Cool new Sonos interview --> 

https://www.hotelcafe.com/tickets/?s=events_view&id=265

thomas edison said....

Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration

on the road [again]

Ben and I were driving home from NorCal yesterday and it got me thinking. In a couple weeks, we're going to be doing this for the next couple months... next couple YEARS... with four other people... all across the country. The idea of touring was always this distant dream, this far away experience that I talked and fantasized about. But Sonos went ahead and did some good work backed by an amazing team and here we are, on the brink of a life-changing road ahead - literally. I'm not scared, but I'm anxious. You put six people in a room together, after a while there'll be some difference of opinion; tension rises and people need their personal space. Imagine that in an oversized van in the middle of Iowa. I hope I don't sound like I'm complaing, cuz I'm not. In fact, it excites me to write it down. We've been through our rough patches but the six of us have always found a way to get through it for the better; plus we all know how to party together. There will be parties on the road. Work, interviews, performances - yes, but also parties. Sonos hits the road in two weeks. To quote internet savvy teenagers across the world: OMG.

jonah the pup

so i'm sitting here at Rachel's place (Rachel Bearer, a.k.a. Bachel Rearer) looking at the neighbor's dog. no, puppy.
i can't believe he's real.

seriously. look.

i think instead of (or at least, in addition to) the pictures of us on our myspace page, there should be pictures of jonah.

A Little Help from our Friends!

So in anticipation for our album release on September 15, we wanted to reach out to our friends, family, and of course our FANS with some reminders :)

Most importantly, our newest single, "Everything in its Right Place" is available on itunes! I know it's a little confusing because it was available a while ago, then was taken down, and is now back up again! Wooooooohooooooooo! We REALLY need as many ratings & reviews as possible, so if you all could take the time to buy, rate, & review, we would appreciate it sooooooo much! Here is the link:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=326887781&s=143441

Also, "I Want You Back" is still up there, so if you haven't bought, rated, & reviewed it, please don't hesitate to do that as well :) So many requests I know, but so worth it!

AND don't forget to keep up with everything Sonos & follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/sonosings). You'll be able to read fascinating things like how I think we should be on True Blood as the Bon Temps a cappella group, or see funny pictures of pedal boards & feet. HOW LOVELY!

Let's seeeeeeee........... can't think of anything else right now. BUT I promise everyone who rates & reviews EIIRP a BIG FAT KISS! How's that?

pedals, again

so... i'm addicted to pedal hunting.
here's what i'm obsessed with these days:

Electro-Harmonix XO Stereo Pulsar Tremolo Guitar Effects Pedal

DigiTech HM2 HarmonyMan Intelligent Pitch Shifter Guitar Effects Pedal

(already have one, want another one)

DigiTech JamMan Looper Pedal

Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor Pedal

(have two of these, need one for every singer using a distortion pedal. plus they also function as a multi-pedal power supply, so, ya know, that's awesome.)

please feel free to donate to the sonos cause/one man's addiction to small, durable, sound-related electronics. =)

ben is a ninja

we're doing a song called "club thing" originally by a dude named Yoav.
it's probably already been written about in the blog.
i don't know. i don't read our blog. because i'm illiterate.

=)

the point is, Ben is a creative ninja and it need be said. he does things in the realm of vocal percussion that blow my mind on a regular basis, and he's somehow figured out how to spread the responsibility across the other five of us and keeping it sounding very cool/not lame.

G J ben.

Yes we actually like each other

So last Tuesday night the six of us decided to have a little get together :) My parents were out of town, so we had a sleepover. A SonoSleepover if you will. OR a SonoSlumberparty. You can have either one ;) Anyways, my parents live (& I used to live) in Topanga Canyon, which for those who are unfamiliar is just before Malibu, 10 minutes up the mountains from the ocean. haha don't I sound like I'm giving weird treasure map directions? It was very quiet (although we soon changed that with our arrival). We cooked dinner together! Well.... I made the salad dressing :). We had yummy pasta with portabella mushrooms (did I spell that right?)& other veggies, and salad, & chicken. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Then we did stupid shit like drink wine & play games because we are so mature & grown-up. The next day we planned our set list for our CD Release partyshowthing which is on TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15 9PM @ THE HOTEL CAFE. There, I promise I won't plug anything else. BUT it's gonna be awesome so you should all make sure you come. New songs + special guests = extra special.

harry potter and the failure of film

this is far from a unique or original complaint, but i'm pretty disappointed in the discrepancy between the level of detail in the books and the presentation on the screen. for the last month, i've been listening to the books on my ipod while driving (living in Los Angeles gives you abundant drive time) and i'm shocked to find that the films leave out entire characters and pretty significant sub-plots.

the movies already run over the designated "safe" 2 hours. why not leave more stuff in? afraid our attention spans can't handle it? i mean, come on hollywood. get your shit together.

UCLA Live w/ Margaret Atwood

some pretty cool happenings lately...

We'll be performing at Royce Hall on Oct. 9th as part of a special event with celebrated author Margaret Atwood! She'll be reading excerpts from her next novel "Year of the Flood" and we will be acting as a chorus of sorts, expanding upon the narration in song. An incredible musician named Orville Stoeber (www.orvillestoeber.com) has composed 14 hymns, which in the book serve as poems that break up each chapter. We'll be performing 7 of these hymns along w/ Orville and some other great musicians. We'll also be performing in the New York performance of the show in late October. This is a huge honor & amazing opportunity for us - all involved are very excited.

Ms. Atwood even "tweeted" about it :) Woo!

http://twitter.com/MargaretAtwood

Other exciting news includes a rapidly growing tour schedule!! Be sure to check in with www.myspace.com/sonosings to stay updated on our whereabouts!

ALSO! Just this morning we made the home page of thesixtyone in the new artists category. THANKS TO ALL THE LISTENERS - we are at 600something hearts. We heart you :) If you aren't familiar with thesixtyone, or "t61" as all the cool kids are apparently spelling it out, you should join...a fun, interactive way to discover, rate & share new music. There are so many crazy music sharing sites out there now...way to go first decade of the new millenium!

don't forget about our album release show @ hotel cafe on 9/15!

xox jess

game night with the boys

So....

Every now and then I have the priviledge of escaping to Orange County for game night with the old college boys. I just got back yesterday from one of these particular nights and felt compelled to right about my undying love for the boardgame Risk. THIS GAME IS SUCH GOOD TIMES!! You get like 3 dudes together and like....12 beers and then......you. try. to. take. over. the. world. What, I ask you, could be more fun? (nothing. is the correct answer to that retorical question)
On another note....we recently started work on a song I arranged by Yoav called "Club Thing." For the majority of this song all 6 of us are doing vocal percussion....If you like dirty club funk....you will like this song. Can't wait to perform it.

PS Risk is sick.

Benji

Risk....

So...what's up with the game Risk??? It's a game that promotes world domination...and why is it still on the market. Why can't we all just get along. Make love, not war. Man, more people need to get laid.

what we do what we do

Hello! Can't believe it is mid-August already...???! The six of us have been enjoying a productive start to this week with a 9-hour day in the studio yesterday, and a great rehearsal of some new material this morning! Ben recently finished a VERY cool and innovative arrangement of "Club Thing" by Yoav - an extremely fresh & talented musician and labelmate of ours :) I don't want to give away too much, but I will say that it involves all of us doing vocal percussion of sorts so that Ben can take a break and show of his incredible voice (a rarity these days since he's such an insane beatboxer we would be fools to let him do otherwise :) All in all it's super sexy, upbeat & different than anything else in our rep so far. It's going to be a great addition to our live show, hopefully with the addition of some more effects pedals...and I cannot WAIT to get in the studio with it so we can add all sorts of fun magic to it!

In other news, another recent addition to our rep was added to the album last minute - so get excited!! Unless you live with one of us or are attached to us at the hip, you have definitely not heard this yet. Don't want to give it away, but think dark, british, sexy, 80s dudes who wore sunglasses a lot...

Only about one month until the release! Thanks to all for following us on this journey :) See you at the Hotel Cafe on 9/15!

afterthought/rant

i'd like to take a quick sec to complain about how, in recent photo shoots, Paul looks way cooler than the rest of us.

not cool, Peglar. knock it off.

long days, curse words, and bright eyes

yesterday we recorded:
-"One Day Like This" (a song by Elbow that we perform with a badass young lady called Laura who normally fronts a Mariachi band with her voice and violin)
-an awesome reworking of an NPR theme by Kath.
-a short-but-sweet reworking of the same NPR theme by me.

t'was a busy day/night! lots of fun, quite a bit of silly video'ing, perhaps none of it suitable for posting.

been thinking a lot recently about asking fans to suggest songs they might like to hear us cover/rework/whathaveyou...?

or maybe in the interests of time/energy/slashmarks-in-blogs, posting a list of songs we'd like to cover and having y'all choose. =)

so... if we were to cover a song by "Bright Eyes", a song from the record "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" or "Cassadaga", what would a listener suggest?

speak up!
love,
-harrison

blogs do a body good

In totally unrelated Sonos news, I urge you to check out these two really awesome blogs!!

www.soulpancake.com

www.superforest.org

thought provoking, inspiring, entertaining...a lovely alternative to facebook whilst sitting on your computer & procrastinating for hours

check out www.spezify.com for a really awesome way to waste time! ha but no really...search "sonos a cappella" and see what you find :)

**SONOS NEWS** Our cover of the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" is now available as a single on iTunes. Buy it, hear it, rate it, review it!

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=322847921&s=143441

tracy jordan

i've been watching episodes of 30 Rock, seasons 1 and 2 over and over again while on the eliptical, falling asleep, or on the freeway, and i've come to the conclusion that Tracy Morgan is a genius.
always thought he was funny, but at this point, i'm quite certain he's an absolute genius.
see for yourself.

MJ

Today made me very sad :(

I wanted to write a little something about Michael Jackson, because it seemed appropriate, if not necessary. Obviously we (Sonos) have a special place for Michael & co. because of our cover of "I Want You Back", but I think I speak for everyone when I say that he was a huge inspiration to all of us even before we did that cover. It's been a really weird day to say the least, and figuring out how to deal with this surely is a struggle for everybody. I thought it would be best to share a few of my favorite songs, etc., and remember and realize that he was so so wonderful.

Believe it or not, my first concert ever was a Michael Jackson concert. I was probably about 5 or 6, and my family lived in London at the time. My mother took me to the concert, and although I don't remember much, I do remember having an amazing time, not only watching the show, but also realizing for the first time the majestic level of grandeur that a live musical event could rise to (although I'm sure at 6 years old it didn't quite go through my brain like that). We were sitting so far away, and the guy next to us gave us some binoculars to look through. I'm sure somewhere my mom as photos or a ticket stub that it would be so cool to get my hands on.

I think Michael Jackson is one of the few people/artists whose music is known & loved by LITERALLY everybody in the world. How cool is that? At a club or a party, everybody wants to dance to his songs. I really feel like he created undeniable magic through his music, and especially when he performed.

There are obviously sooooooooooooo many amazing MJ songs, but here are some of my favs (in no particular order):

- Thriller: Duh. This is every one's favorite. One thing that goes unnoticed in this song is the series of crazy harmonic changes that happen towards the end, at the end of one of the choruses. They are SO COOL! Seriously go listen if you have never noticed.

- Man in the Mirror: So so wonderful. It would be nice to give this a listen again, especially today. I think this song is especially inspiring.

- Rock With You: One of the first MJ songs I fell in love with, but again didn't realize its complexity until later on. It's such good pop music, and I love love love all the complex chords - I know that sounds nerdy but come one. It's all so tasty.

I guess that is one of the main reasons why I love MJ. All my life I've mainly listened to two kinds of music: Pop and Jazz (separately, not my fav when they are distastefully combined). One thing that is so often lacking in pop music is musical complexity - Sometimes it seems like writers get lazy, and in so many pop songs it seems like there is just a plain lack of creativity. BUT NEVER in Michael's songs. Instead I feel like every single one is bursting with creativity, and not just any kind of creativity - His songs are all bright and energetic and brilliant in all the right ways. I love recordings with little subtleties and surprises, and all his music that he made all throughout his life has both.

Anyways, I don't want to ramble at all. Just wanted to remember and realize. Thanks for reading :)

love u mj

slappiddy slap chop guy

anyone seen this fucker?
"Making America skinny again...one slap at a time"
"Stop eating boring tuna. Start having a boring life."

perspective

Currently at home in northern california for a relaxing little break and river rafting trip with the family. It's always nice to come home, but given how fast the Sonos train is moving right now, it's hard not to feel a little bit antsy....asdl;fkjas;ldfjka

Yesterday we got to put our best "hello mirror, i'm going to pretend to be a model now" faces to use in an insane, amazing, super professional photo shoot. I really think the six of us looked and felt our best, thanks in huge part to the incredible team working with us....big thanks to Beth, Caitie, Hayley, Huge & the lovely hair & make-up ladies. We got to strut our stuff in some very beautiful and very expensive clothing and take all sorts of photos, group & individual, in an insane studio here in LA. Crazy hair, crazy make-up, designer clothes, coffee, bagels, Hugo's adorable kids stopping by to say hi and marvel at what the hell we were doing....what more could you ask for?

Shortly after I arrived home in Santa Rosa this morning, I dialed into a conference call with the rest of the gang for a very cool & detailed interview. The whole interview/talking/public speaking thing used to make me extremely nervous, but we're getting some great practice as a group and as individuals. I think we're all steadily improving & learning the more experience we have under our belts. It's an interesting process for us to discover what types of things people want to know, what's the best way to answer, and who's the best person to respond. Apart from common questions re: how we got together, how we choose the songs, what's the deal with the effects pedals, etc., we were asked some more detailed questions that made me really marvel at how far we've come. The fact that our album, due out Sept 15th, literally spans from songs recorded nearly three years ago, to songs recorded two weeks ago, is so crazy to me. It's like every song is a snapshot of a phase we have gone through...kind of like when you read old journal entries or look at old photos or read letters from old friends. Of course we still perform all of these songs, but many of them were recorded when we were a much different group. Some of the earliest tracks were recorded before we had ever performed, traveled overseas, recorded a music video, had crazy photoshoots, sung for record labels or even discussed the possibility of signing with a major label.

Though it feels like a long journey in ways, we have accomplished so much in what is relatively a very short time for a new band, or any serious project really. It makes me beyond excited to think about the next week, next few months, the next year. We have spent a long time developing this group, growing as artists together & honing our craft...slow & steady wins the race (go tortoise!!) We now have a finished album that we are all extremely proud of, and THAT is an incredible feeling.

playing dress-up

the six of us (now five of us... ben and his brother went for dinner) are in a little pink house in echo park, trying on all kinds of cloths. garments range from thrift store to "wow this jacket and my rent have the same price tag". all of it looks completely great and nothing like the contents of my closet.
strange and interesting fun.

Party Time

Last night was AMAZING. A big, sweaty dance party to celebrate our manager's wife's birthday. Studio 54 themed. It was great simply because it was a good party where the beer and wine flowed, the Goldfish and cookies crumbled and the music resounded through the Hollywood Hills. But more than that it was such a release for all of us Sonosians. The album is done. Liz got to be with her hubby, Hugo was able to stop working for few a hours, the band could replace working with each other with playing for the night. We all got to bond in the knowledge the the hard work as paid off. PS, Michael Jackson is f-ing amazing to dance to.

We start touring in a month. Kinda can't wait. Let the games begin.

Just finished Record

Just finished the final touches on the record and we're sending it away to the mastering people. (insert big sigh of relief here) I am sure I can speak for the rest of the peeps when I say that we are all incredibly proud of this record. Blood, sweat, and lots of Chipotle went into the making of this album. There will be a few surprises that freak you out on the record...in a good way. Some new surprise songs that you will totally dig. We have a big photo shoot coming up this Mon. and that means SHOPPING! .......woot......Actually, I am totally into someone telling me what to wear. Stylists need to style my life, then my life would be complete....not quite sure what that means....anyways, it's good times!!

Success

So, if you haven't heard of failblog.org you are missing out of the best way to waste your time on the world wide interweb. best website of all time. i dare you not to pee yourself from laughter.

one of personal faves: http://failblog.org/page/2/

A Week Away

This'll be short cuz I have to be up in 6 hours to hop on a flight to go home. It's a few days of family time up in wine country. But let me let you in on what's going downtown Sonos-wise whilst I'm away.

Tonight. I recorded my part of our new secret (and final!) track of the album. Jess and Rach are probably still recording as I type this.

Tomorrow. The rest of the band lays down their shiz. Papa Huge, Hayley and the gang have a biz meeting to discuss biz. I'll be caught up via phone conference. (How CEO is that??)

Tuesday & Wednesday. Chris mixes the few remaining unmixed tracks for said album.

Thursday. Album is shipped off to be mastered by friend/amazing masterer (Mister Master, if you will) Ron.

Friday. ALBUM. COMPLETE. OFFICIALLY.

That's right folks, in less than a week the Sonos debut album will be completely finished! You have no idea how long this has actually taken. It'll be an emotional thing for us all. This whole project started two years ago as a seed in the vegetable garden of our collective mind. Making it up as we went, Sonos realized itself over time into a legitimate band that has crossed county lines and international borders; we've been broadcast on air and on camera; we've shared stages and disc space with phenomenal artists. I'm super proud to have it all under our belt and can't wait to hop in the party van and share it with everyone on the road! I hope other people get excited too, I think that you will. Excitement is contagious. So is malaria, but not as fun.

Thanks for staying up on all things Sonos. I'll drink some wine for you!

Exciting times.

Looks like July is gonna be pretty full (tour dates to come) and I....can't.....wait. Paul and I are both....sick :( but clouds have silver lining. Being shut in has given me an opportunity to spend a little more time arranging. I hope the group is ready to do some beatboxing of their own, cuz it's gonna go down. On a side note......WHY IS EVERY ONE GETTING MARRIED!. Holy crap, I guess it's the season and all, but coming from someone who's been single for...ever.. it wears on the soul a bit. Anyways....get ready for some rad songs. Katerine and Jess sound re-diculous on Re: Stacks. You guys will pee.

Ben

blogging

so, i think i'm getting the hang of this :)

working a lot

these last few days, i've been working a lot.

a lot.

it's been great, but i'm starting to forget to do simple everyday things.

like eating.

or going to bed before it's light out.

looking forward to a break. =)

Sonos is on the brink of finishing like 3 new songs. They're gonna be awesome. So lookout!

Back in the studio.

Today we spent in the studio chillin' and recording Stacks by Bon Iver.  The end of this song is.....so.....beautiful.   You will die.  It is rediculous.  We also got to spend the day with friends we made in West Virginia Laurel and Ryan.  The studio experience is always better when good vibes abound, and this sesh was awesome.   Paul wants to have a party and is telling me to put it in the blog.  We are grubbing on otter pops brought by the lovely Katie Horwitch.  Life......is good.

Ben

Lyrics

Listening to some new music today and it made me think about how great certain lyrics can be, especially when they are simple. I love poetic lyrics, but sometimes an explanatory lyric that gets right to the point is so refreshing. Here are some lyrics from songs/artists that I'm into right now, as well as some classic favorites:

... I call you up by the lamplight, confess to you like a sister...
- Gabriel Mann, from "When We Are One"

... Let me speak, let me spit out my bitterness. Born of grief and nights without sleep, and festering flesh...
- Joni Mitchell, from "The Sire of Sorrow"

... Was it something I said or that I didn't do? Was all I had not enough for you?
- Martin Sexton, from "Where did I go Wrong"

That's all for now. Possibly I'll post some more when they dawn on me. By the way, if you've never heard that Joni Mitchell song, it's out of this world, and the rest of the lyrics are breathtaking.

Goodnight!

Be Prepared*

We got a lot done today. Delved in to a couple of our songs, really found out what we're trying to convey, what story we're telling. Today was my day. I got to create a visual landscape for the Rufus song, elucidate the origin of the song and what I'm trying to bring to the performance of it. The group got a lot out of just discussing what we all hear, see, feel about the song. Immediately after the creative discourse, our performance felt enhanced by at least 50%. I felt more connected to it; I could better communicate out because I had something actual to say. We're not just a band of musicians; we're not dazzling, theatrical spectacle either We're an odd entity meant to live in between incredible musicianship and entertaining performance. The six of us have only been together six or so months and have done less than 20 gigs. It was a good ramp up to the place we strive to be now - uber prepared and uber polished. We've purposefully remained off stage for a month to take our time with this next step. But I think we're ready to get back in front of what always seems to be an enthusiastic crowd and do what we love to do.

I love our audiences because they're supportive as balls, yes, but also because they're never the same. We have people who've seen almost every gig and yet we meet new fans after every show. For me, it's a blessing to get to reach out to new people and connect with them, both on stage and off. It's a chance to reengage the familiar faces and entice the new ones. If you're ever at a show, say hello afterward - it's a real treat.

*The Lion King is an excellent movie.

nerds.

are hot. :)
there, I said it.

Katharine the Nerd

So I (finally) saw Star Trek tonight, and as a certifiable "girl nerd", I'd say my opinion matters. What is a "girl nerd" Kathy? Well, girl nerds are young ladies like myself who manage to encompass many nerd-like affections while at the same time are not completely clueless when it comes to hair and make-up. I'm kind of being sarcastic, but these days "girl nerds" are way cooler than they used to be (I think). I'm a "girl nerd" because I like to play video games.... okay I reeeeeally like to play video games. I play Left 4 Dead on Xbox, and was a total World of Warcraft player for a good two years (*ahem am I alone here?). I also reeeeeeally enjoy "nerdy boy movies", like Star Trek, also including all the Lord of the Rings movies which I saw at midnight showings, and also including anything and everything Harry Potter. FYI the next Harry Potter movie comes out on July 15, and there's a chance we're gonna be traveling during that time, but I plan on seeing it at midnight wherever we are. If you've read the books, you know that this movie is gonna be RIDICULOUS!!! Go watch the trailers, specifically trailer 4b, at the apple website:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/harrypotterandthehalfbloodprince/

Anyways.... back to Star Trek. In the past 10 or so years there have been a slew of action/comic book/sci-fi /fantasy movies that have come out. Some have been awesome, and some have been... well, trash. Some of the good ones: The first two X-Men movies, but not the third, which had different writers and director. Bryan Singer made the first two awesome movies, but then went on to make Superman Returns, which was disappointing. Last year's Iron Man - another good one plus Robert Downey Jr..... enough said. I already mentioned Harry Potter & LOTR - very much worth it, plus my second cousin, Orlando Bloom, is in LOTR so that adds an extra bonus! The newest Batman movies, Batman Begins and The Dark Night, stand out at the top of the list for me. It was obvious that The Dark Night was one of the best movies of last year. It's those films with characters that feel like real people that succeed.... and the ones that have good music. I won't list the bad ones... that's mean, but again BACK to Star Trek...

The survey says: It was good, BUT because it got WAY to hyped up, I was expecting a tiny bit more. I say that with caution because I know a lot of people will disagree with me. I did enjoy the movie, but it didn't absolutely knock my socks off like The Dark Knight did last year. But I still liked it - Kirk and Spock seemed like real people who I liked and cared about. AND the music was composed by Michael Giacchino, who composed the amazing big band score to The Incredibles, and composes pretty much everything that J.J. Abrams does. He is very very cool.

Anyways, thanks for reading this ridiculous blog and letting me talk about nerdy stuff. I'm sure there are some super nerds out there who could trump my knowledge and opinions, but hopefully they won't be too harsh :)

If I've put you off going to see Star Trek, then I am sad. It is good. Go see it. If for no other reason that Spock it hot. There I said it.

Haley Andrus

I'd just like to give a shout out to Haley - our new amazingly awesome and beautiful assistant who makes sure we all blog/twitter and keeps us from going insane by coordinating our schedules - point is...she brought us bagels this morning. They were awesome. She is the best. :)

smog

my car didn't pass its smog test. =(
"bessy" or more recently, "bessy big luscious" as she is called, is a nineteenninetysomething white plymouth voyager. she's been good to me, but it may soon be her time...

goodnight

Lately I've been super into reading interviews with artists whose music I love. Usually I search around for blogs, journals, magazine interviews, whatever, with my favorite artists, and spend time reading some incredibly inspirational & insightful stuff. It's comforting to hear people who are where you want to be talking about what their life is like, what they struggle with, how they stay inspired, how they got to where they are, etc. Often the artists I admire most are dealing with some of the same thoughts & emotions we are going through as we enter into this crazy, exhilarating lifestyle of being professional artists. 

Anyone who knows me remotely well is aware of my healthy obsession with Kurt Elling. He is THE modern jazz singer, and both his music & his insight into his own artistic process & influences astounds me. To me he is one of those rare artists you may come across in your life, who you feel is truly singing & saying everything you feel deep down but can't express on your own. I read this little snippet tonight in regards to advice for aspiring musicians & I felt it an appropriate response to Paul's blog earlier this evening....

"As with any art form, I feel strongly that people do not "choose" to be artists. They are chosen to be - they have no choice. If this is so for any person, then that person will do whatever work it takes, engage whatever discipline, and overcome any obstacles in life to become what they are called to be. Above all that person will believe in the work, will accept the difficulties, and will be rewarded by the creation of whatever they are called to make. To be a professional is to have already crossed the finish line; it is to have already won." - ke

** if you're interested in reading more of what he has to say about his background, influences & INCREDIBLE music, check out his Q&A section HERE!    http://kurtelling.com/news/faq.html   *****

thank you for indulging me :)

All in a day's work

We just got done backing up our friend Laura for a label showcase. Aaaaand it's safe to say she rocked it. In the few hours leading up to the big show, I had a moment while Chris and I were sharing a Corona.* (Not true, we each had our own, but the word 'sharing' indicates camaraderie, of which this particular moment had much). I saw the six of us hanging around enjoying each other's company and the delectable day and realized, "We are at work." This is our job. These are the appointments we have to keep clear in our calendar. I'm not saying all that we do is 'easy' or 'simple' but I'd be remiss in saying it sucks. I love my job; I love that Sonos takes up most of my time. I love sharing music and moments with this bunch of humans. I am grateful. That is all. Message stop.

*This anecdote does not condone performing under the influence. But c'mon, one beer.

Aloha :)

Aloha Everyone, and greetings from the beautiful town of Kihei, on the island of Maui. I've been vacationing here since Tuesday night with my boyfriend, and we've been staying with a couple of friends of ours in a condo right across the street from the beach. I've never been to Hawaii before, and I'm very very glad that I was able to have a small getaway in this amazing place. We've been at the beach almost everyday, and got some great snorkeling in - Yesterday was the best snorkeling day, because we saw tons of little colorful fish, AND we saw a turtle, which was definitely on my to-do list. He was sooooooo cute! We watched him for a little bit while he chilled on the sand next to a rock with coral all over it. Awesome.

Earlier this week we went to this crazy bamboo forrest for a hike. We hiked the two miles to this huge damn with a waterfall that we jumped off of. It took me a little while to grow the balls to jump - I don't like heights, and granted this wasn't that high, but I'm a wuss. Finally I jumped and it was awesome but FREEZING! These bottom two pictures are from the bamboo forrest.

Yesterday we took a drive up to Lahaina, had lunch, and then continued driving to the north coast. One of the things that has really fascinated me about Maui is that both the weather and the climate and countryside can change so much depending on the time of day and where you are on the island. Kihei is on the western coast of the large half of the island, and its description would match what you'd immediately think of when imagining Hawaii. Lahaina is on the western coast of the smaller half of the island (northwest of Kihea), and it's a cool little town with shops and restaurants. After lunch we drove up the coast and around to the north, which honestly looked like Ireland - It was cloudy, and it's tall cliffs dropped off to a much more rough sea than what we found down in Kihei. Maui's weather changes throughout the day - it may be sunny in the morning, but could be super cloudy at night - Everything is full of surprises. That third picture was from our drive up north - Doesn't it look just like Jurassic Park!?!

That second picture is the beautiful sunset here in Kihei, and the top one of course was sent to my Mum for Mother's Day - Happy Mother's Day to all the Mommies!!!

Anyways.... I'm flying home tonight to continue with Xmas work this week. Yes. I know you're all sick of us talking about Xmas in May, but it's gonna be awesome I promise. I arranged the carol "I Wonder as I Wander", but it's got a little surprise in it that I won't tell at the this time - You'll just have to buy the Xmas album to find out ;)

much love, Kath

Xmas in May? Yes.

It's that time of year, and the focus has now turned big-time to the xmas album. Time is tight, and we have a small window to punch this out before touring of some sorts begins this summer. We set today as a deadline for most of us to have xmas arrangements done, and Paul and I have been hermits this past week trying to meet it. I think I left the house just to go to the gym (infrequently.......ok once.) BUT, it is done. Paul, my roommate, is stir crazy and loopy. (to which he will attest) I will try to drag him tonight to go shee Shtar Trek....sorry let me take out my retainer.....Star Trek. I hope it lives up to my nerdy ass expectations.

Benjamin Bunny

my room/mind clutter

ever notice how the state of your bedroom reflects the state of your mind?
insofar as clarity, organization, etc?
well, if you haven't noticed, go notice it. it's true.
my room is unbelievably messy. like there was an explosion. or a hurricane. or like a hurricane exploded.
my brain = same way.
if they're actually linked, i should probably clean my room to attain some peace of mind.
or better yet! i should see a shrink and get my mind clear and maybe my room will miraculously become clean!

at any rate, i arranged a wordless version of "greensleeves" yesterday.
it's weird. i think i like it.

Steps forward

We had our first Santa Barbara gig tonight. For being out of town, we managed a good sized crowd; made a lot of new friends. It was a good check point for me. The car ride home allowed us lots of conversation about the next steps. I feel like we've been taking "next steps" for a while now, but we've cleared the brush from the path and it's clear where we need to go.

I never thought I'd be in a band. Can I say that? Is this thing on? Acting was my passion, that's the road I was taking when Sonos hopped up in my lap and starting panting. Its face was too cute to deny, but it has since brought to my attention a string of challenges I never thought of before. What I'm saying is Sonos is a new puppy. A puppy that sometimes pees on my carpet, but that also brings me great joy. Being a musician, a performer, a new dog owner - requires a lot of a person. New challenges all the time.

First step: Time for a haircut.

Actually, the first step is to finish my new arrangement. Haircut can be fourth step.

Katherine's Bday Bash

Last night.....was good times. Sonos, and some amazing friends, hit the town in a limo (what?) to celebrate Katherine's B day. I don't know if you're like me, but I feel cool just seeing a limo. I've come to the conclusion, via last night, that alcohal brings people together. We are constantly working so hard together that we rarely get to spend time playing. I sometimes forget what cool people I get to sing with :D Anyways...last night was rad, and I hope there will be many more opportunities to party hard with the Sonos brethren.

Benja

pedals

my pedal/gadget wishlist:

Digitech JamMan

Boss SL-20 Slicer

Boss TR-2 Tremolo

Roland SP-404

Line 6 DL4

Line 6 POD X3

Electro-Harmonix Voice Box Harmony Machine

EBS Octabase Triple Mode Octave Divider

so... ya know... if you're like, throwing any of these out, don't. let me have 'em instead.

eating don'ts

k, so i was thinking today...who the hell thought that hominy was a good idea? it tastes like chalk. eeeuuullch!

sonos train moving at super sonospeed

Hello all! Oh boy, have we had an exciting few weeks....finishing up some bonus tracks, writing & arranging for our future ChristmaHannuKwanza album, moving forward with album art, brainstorming about merchandise, learning three new tunes to add to the set, doing two gigs @ Home Restaurant in Silverlake, drinking lots of coffee, laughing quite a lot, sleeping very little, etc. etc. 

Somewhere in the midst of all this hullabaloo, we flew to Charleston, West Virginia for a performance at Mountain Stage w/ Neko Case. She was amazing, of course, and we also got to share the stage with some other incredible artists - Crooked Fingers, Vic Chesnutt & Greg Brown. Everyone was super nice & we had a great time celebrating & enjoying some margaritas together after the gig. The whole show was recorded & will be broadcast on your local NPR station soon.

*In case you miss when it airs, it'll soon be in the archives on www.mountainstage.org. 

*Also, for a great written review of the show, go...HERE!

http://www.muruch.com/2009/04/mountain-stage-neko-case-crooked-fingers-vic-chesnutt-greg-brown-sonos.html

One of the new songs that we've been working on since returning from WV is an arrangement of my own - Bon Iver's "Re: Stacks". The name of the band, which is actually just one insanely talented folk singer-songwriter named Justin Vernon, was taken from bon hiver which in French means good winter. If you haven't heard Bon Iver, you serrrrriiiouuuuussslyyy need to download his album For Emma, Forever Ago, like yesterday. His music is like nothing else I've ever heard, and the backstory is something as well. After the devastating breakups of a band, a relationship & a bout with a serious illness, Vernon left home & spent several months completely alone in a cabin in the remote northern woods of Wisconsin. He didn't go there with the intention of writing music, but rather to be alone, to rebuild, to heal himself....

"It's been painted in the reviews of the record as this magical four months of hunkering down and writing a record. In reality I headed out to the cabin because I just didn't know what to do next in my life. Once I got there though it just felt like all the blocks that I had put in my brain and heart in terms of musical expression started to loosen. They had been there for so long and the only thing that was able to loosen them up, and loosen me up, was having that much space...." - justin vernon

He arrived at the cabin with little but some guitars, a microphone and a desire to find some peace of mind, and left with complete recordings of the songs that became For Emma, Forever Ago. His music is beautiful yet tragic, haunting yet uplifting, cold and dark, yet warm and comforting, all at the same time. I first heard his story & his music at a point in my life when I really needed to hear it, and it has resonated with me since the first time I heard it. Thus I was inspired to do an arrangement of one of his songs for Sonos. 

Okayyyyy wow so I have basically just written a small essay about Bon Iver. I could probably go on forever but now I'll leave him for to you to discover on your own if you are so intrigued. If you want to check out some tracks to decide if it is your cup of tea, I'd recommend downloading Blindsided, Lump Sum and Re:Stacks. I was particularly inspired to do an arrangement of Re:Stacks for us for many reasons, but I think I'll wait to go into that until my next blog...for now, check out the original & get excited to hear our take on it at a future Sonos show :) 

If you are still reading this, I am truly shocked. Goodnight!

xox, jess

Ouch

Ok. Opened a wine bottle with a key last night. Don't try it at home. Ouch. My hands. Pain.

It's been a while

But that's kind of a good thing. It means we've been busy. We recorded two new songs, arranged three others and leave in 6 hours for West Virginia to open for Neko Case. In fact, I shouldn't be up blogging right now, but here I am procrastinating even from sleep; the very little sleep I would otherwise get before waking up in 4 hours to head to LAX. My guilty conscious coerced me into writing since April had almost come and gone with but one sarcastic posting from us. (Well, me.) Record deal negotiations are still happening, and all future plans are lilting above us in an air of uncertainty. But it's exciting living in the unknown. A sense of freedom blended tastily with a tinge of eagerness. Is anyone watching 24, btw? Shit goes down in last week's episode. Tonight's episode just aired, but since I watch all my TV on Hulu.com I won't see it until we get back from the trip. No one say anything!

Good night.

Bad News

Sonos is over.






April Fools.





But seriously, I'm looking forward to our gig at HOME. Seems like it's going to be a cool venue and a lot of people will be in attendance. It's special for me because my birthday is at midnight. I'm ready for a night of music (my friend's band plays after us) and then a night out with my band and friends. Bev's birthday is midnight after our Royce Hall gig, so we'll get to celebrate the same for him a week from tonight. After that, many of our plans have changed. We're "in talks" with a major label right now, and a deal may be "in the offing" soon.

back in elementary school

i used to win spelling b's. apparently some things do change.

stduio time

My face is concave now. Thanks, Chris.

Checking in

Another crazy night in the studio. Chris is right about elbowing Rachel in the face. She's fine.

Ben and I just arrived after seeing m-pact at Vitello's. If you don't know who they are, please check them out: http://m-pact.com/

Prior to this, we recorded a live session at KCRW. Prior to that, we were in London. A brief summary: double-decker buses, getting lost in Cockfosters on a double-decker bus, Cornish pasties, an old church, drinking wine in an old church, reconnecting with friends, meeting new ones, singing on the tube to a little Indian boy and rocking out on stage to Cutting Crew's "I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight" with Tony Moore, the original keyboard player from the band. It was my first time overseas, and I could not have asked for a better experience.

I can't wait to be singing on stage at Royce Hall! It will be a little full circle for me. The first show I saw there as a UCLA student was a bizarre Halloween show starring, among others, Will Ferrell reading an Edgar Allan Poe story.

All this being said, I'm high on Sonos.

we're back in the studio working on "little bird"

and i accidentally elbow'd rachel in the face

sorry rach

KCRW

did five songs today with Chris Douridas.

lots of fun and moved very quickly.

airs April 4th. enjoy!

Where'd the Gecko go?

So, I was watching TV the other night and a Geico commercial came on. No more gecko. Uh-uh. Just a stack of bills with two eyeballs on it. WTF?

2 Pence

This is my first contribution to this blog. Boo-ya-ka-sha! :)

If you care. Please, put this inside you. And by inside you, i mean, on your insides.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h05ZQ7WHw8Y&feature=related

back to la la land

My first bloggyblog! Currently sitting outside on my balcony in sunny Los Angeles....two plane rides, a six hour delay, four glasses of wine, a drunken jog through the airport, new friends and two technical difficulties later - we are back from the UK. The end of a trip is always bittersweet for me...good to be home of course, but already missing red double decker buses & tea time. Probably one of the most charming & adorable places I've ever been.

Oh, and being on tour with my band for a week was pretty cool too??!!?

We were fortunate to have a variety of diverse gigs lined up - coffee shop, 17th century church, Shakespeare-esque globe theater, pubs - and had a blast performing throughout the week. Thank you so much to everyone who came out to support a group of random American kids you had never heard of :) It was lovely to share our music with an entirely new audience, and to experience so much great music & company in meeting new friends, fans and awesome UK-based bands. Overall, an insanely fun, inspiring trip. I am sooo looking forward to heading back there later this year. 

Now I'm going to try to tune out the techno music blasting from my neighbor's window & get to work on finishing a new Sonos arrangement of ___________ :)

much love, jess

oh Hello

My first blog entry.... think of something brilliant.... le sigh....

Sonos just arrived back in the US after a week of London adventures. I feel confident saying that all of us had a ridiculous time - Even though I got sick for the first time in about 8 months :) After about 6 performances & many many hours of travel time (including the 24 hours straight of travel time it took for Jess and I to get home), I'm exhausted, but always ready to get back to work, once my voice comes back of course. Excited to get back in the studio this week to finish "LB" - think it's gonna be a good one.

FYI when stuck in an airport for an extra five hours, 3 glasses of wine & new friends are mandatory to pass the time!

So much to say, so little time

I have tons to say, but as it is 430am, suffice it to say that this week in London has been among the best in my lifetime. Please enjoy the following 2 links and know that I (and hopefully other Sonosians... ?) will chime in with more soon.

1) Our first UK article

2) Our first music video

The birds outside my bedroom window are chirping. It's time to sleep.

Halfway through

Sitting in a quaint two-story home in the Turnpike Lane area of London, I sat down for a scrambled eggs/baked beans breakfast with some hot PG Tips and conversation about the loose immigration policy of Britain and the pros and cons of the Twilight series.

Three performances down, four or so left to go. The weather has been incredible- so blessed! It's rained only when we've been inside and hasn't been unbearably cold. Already, we've met incredibly gracious people who've all had wonderful things to say about Sonos. I'm staying with cruise ship friends (thank you Hannah and Kate!) and ran into someone I haven't seen in 11 years!

I've seen the Buckingham guards do their walk, I've rode (ridden?) a double decker bus, walked Holland Park night #1 had a pint of London Pride ale. I'm off to lunch and load-in for our second public gig at St. Giles Church near legendary Tin Pan Alley. More later.

sonos in london

just shy of 9am, i'm lying on the floor on a fourth story of a house of a friend of our manager's. looking out the window, it seems we brought the southern california weather with us, thank god. london looks just like the beginning of Peter Pan. "the tube" is a great deal more charming than the NY subway (sorry, NY) and no one can possibly make out what the attendant is saying over the quite soft "loud speaker". the Tesco is like a Rite-Aid with vegetables and very friendly cashiers. the coffee is strong. the air is cold. i'm looking forward to coming back again.

London

In less than 24 hours I'll be boarding a plane with the rest of Sonos and our ninja manager Hugo on route to London. I've never been overseas before and I'm way stoked. We spent this week rehearsing, shopping and singing for some amazing companies -- Fox, Paramount, and ASCAP -- who've all been incredibly fun and supportive of what we do.

We'll be singing in London at St. Giles church where, according to history, the plague started. Beginning in early 15th century, the church was the last stop between the town's prison and the gallows, so "churchwardens paid for the condemned to have a drink (popularly named "St Giles' Bowl") at the next door pub, the Angel, before they went to be hanged." So according to Wikipedia, we'll either be drunk or dead following our gig.

I got a camera, a passport, a plug adapter and a lot of Sudoku. I'm ready to go.

tuesday, march third, two thousand nine

and now...

we have a Blog! (i love every word invented to accommodate the internet)

last night we tracked most of Kathy's arrangement of "Little Bird" by Jazzanova. it's effing awesome. be excited.

more to come...

First blog

Welcome to the Sonos Blog: sonospeaks. Get it? We're just trying this whole blog thing out, like the cast of The Office. An inside look into who we are and what we're up to. Going into the studio tomorrow to record a new song. We're very excited to be going to London in 7 days! We'll update more this week.
-Paul and Kathy