atris's Last.fm Journal

Which songs would you like to see on the album?

Fri, 1 Apr 2011 14:04:55 +0000

a'tris continues with their #songaweek project and the track list for the album is starting to take shape. There are two late arrivals on which they would like your input. You will need to like and/or share the video you prefer. If both are desirable, then comment as such. It makes them feel popular.

a'tris

Fans of radiohead and muse may enjoy said tunes. Or not. Who can say in this crazy tops turvy world?

a'tris continues with their songaweek project.

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 16:46:18 +0000

a'tris has released several more videos as part of their songaweek project. They have posted the videos to YouTube and Facebook. Links to the YouTube videos are below. You can sign up for the a'tris email list on a'tris HQ to receive notification as soon as the videos are posted.

As a Monster [Week 4]

Bird of Prey [Week 3]

It's Too Late [Week 2]

This is for fans of Muse and Radiohead and Elbow.

a’tris is giving away five new albums worth of material for free.

Tue, 4 Jan 2011 16:57:33 +0000

2010 has been a quiet year for a'tris as far as releasing new material goes. Many of you have wondered whether or not we would ever put out something new again. Just to prove you doubters wrong, and for no other reason whatsoever, we have decided to go to the opposite extreme in 2011. [Wait for it.]

For the whole year of 2011, we will put out a new demo each week. These are not-polished/rough drafts of tunes that we will set to video and put out through our social networks. Why do this? Well, we want to have you, the listener, have increased input into our creative process. You can vote/like/stream the demos and let us know which of these little nuggets of coal we should smash up and make into diamonds. Or at least really smashed nuggets of coal. The demos with the best feedback will be re-recorded and released as an album. An album where YOU are the A&R Rep!

Check out this week's video by clicking here.

There is one big caveat to this undertaking. In order to make this really hum, we need you, the listener/fan/critic/family member, to purchase something each week or so. "HEY," you may exclaim. "I already own everything you have released! Including the limited run t-shirt and satirical Star Wars animated short!" This is where Chris Defrancesco and Alphabetica Design step in. They will be producing a new design each week for t-shirts and other such merchandise. Also, we will be putting out a new ringtone each week that is taken from that weeks' demo. So stop exclaiming.

That's it. Go to a'tris HQ each week, listen to/view the new demo, leave us feedback, buy something, and move on with your life. Pretty simple. I would do it Monday during lunch. But that's just me.

Now let the sanity begin.

The a'tris Store

a'trisa'trisDon't Shoot the Messenger

Bigger Than Beyonce

Fri, 9 Apr 2010 21:12:08 +0000

Caitlin Hoffman wrote a fantastic post about us on Bigger Than Beyonce today and I'd highly recommend you check it out. I'm not just writing that because her review of our album, Lensing, is stellar (although, admittedly, that doesn't hurt). Honestly I'm encouraging you to read it because of what a remarkable job she does of articulating everything that we aspire to achieve with our records. Here's a gem of an example:

To read the rest of this entry, please visit a’tris HQ. Thanks!
-Mason

Bands we like:

Coldplay, Radiohead, U2, Muse, R.E.M, Elbow, Doves, Grandaddy, Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, The Tragically Hip, Pinback, Rogue Wave, Bloc Party, MGMT

What are your thoughts on closed captioning?

Thu, 8 Apr 2010 16:53:27 +0000

I just finished reading a post that Ari Herzog wrote on AriWriter.com about a reality TV show that Marlee Martin is producing called "My Deaf Family" about a deaf family living in California.

While you may not know Marlee by name, if you IMDB her, I'm pretty sure you'll recognize her face. Marlee has an incredibly impressive filmography. She's been in everything from "The L Word" to "The West Wing". She even sang the National Anthem at Super Bowl XLI in 2007. However, as Ari writes,

Despite her credentials and expertise on deaf issues, an internalization she can relate, Marlee’s reality show was rejected by television broadcasters because of an assumption that primetime audiences wouldn’t appreciate watching closed captioning. That’s you. Would you appreciate it? Keep reading…
To read the rest of Ari's article (and to see the pilot for Marlee's show) please click here to visit AriWriter.com.

Would you choose not to watch a program because it had subtitles? What are your thoughts on the decision to reject Marlee's show?

I believe in always trying something different and I'm dismayed that a show like this didn't get the green light. I don't own a TV, and I've never watched more than a few minutes of a reality television program, but I'd tune in to catch this one.

Hope this finds you feeling healthy!
-Mason
a'tris

Bands we like:

Coldplay, Radiohead, U2, Muse, R.E.M, Elbow, Doves, Grandaddy, Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, The Tragically Hip, Pinback, Rogue Wave, Bloc Party, MGMT

Chat Roulette Improv

Wed, 7 Apr 2010 18:01:57 +0000

Meet Merton. He improvises songs about people on Chat Roulette. I've included one of his videos below. You're in for a real treat!

Thanks to Bob Baker from Music Think Tank for the heads up.

Hope this finds you feeling healthy!

-Mason
a'tris

Bands we like:

Coldplay, Radiohead, U2, Muse, R.E.M, Elbow, Doves, Grandaddy, Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, The Tragically Hip, Pinback, Rogue Wave, Bloc Party, MGMT

Facebook Event

Tue, 6 Apr 2010 23:44:23 +0000

Hey everyone,

Hope this finds you feeling well! If you're reading this message on one of our social networking website's blogs, there's a good chance I didn't get an opportunity to share some posts with you here. If you'd like to see what you missed, please visit http://atris.wordpress.com.

You can also find out how to subscribe to our feed in order to always stay up-to date with the latest posts by clicking here.

Thanks!
-Mason

Facebook Event

In case you don't follow us on Twitter, I thought I'd take this opportunity to let you know that I created a Facebook Event to make it super easy for you to share some info about Fame Games with your friends. Can you think of any other ways I could help encourage people to vote and review? Drop us a line!

Click the above screen shot to visit the event. Hope to see you attending!

-Mason
a'tris

Bands we like:

Coldplay, Radiohead, U2, Muse, R.E.M, Elbow, Doves, Grandaddy, Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, The Tragically Hip, Pinback, Rogue Wave, Bloc Party, MGMT

Meet Our Friend: Brian Hazard

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:02:54 +0000

After another day of apartment hunting in NYC, I was stoked to return to Nate's place to find a message from Brian Hazard in my inbox. For those of you who don't know, Brian is the creative force behind the electronic indie piano-pop band, Color Theory [Official, MySpace, Facebook]. I write that because he does everything, and I mean everything: Songwriting, recording, programming - the whole nine yards. In a recent phone conversation, I asked Brian what he didn't do. I'm pretty sure he said he had a little help with graphic art :)

While I was first officially introduced to Brian by Kevin English from eleetmusic, I realized that I'd bumped into his work on several occasions before we first met. Color Theory was a fellow Microsoft sponsored songs artist and Brian's music was featured on Playlist 7 as well [See: How You've Helped us Share Our Music]. Color Theory was also recently named the grand prize winner in the annual John Lennon Songwriting Contest. I think, once you listen to his tunes, you'll immediately see why.

To read the rest of this entry, please visit a’tris HQ. Thanks!

-Mason
a'tris

Bands we like:

Coldplay, Radiohead, U2, Muse, R.E.M, Elbow, Doves, Grandaddy, Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, The Tragically Hip, Pinback, Rogue Wave, Bloc Party, MGMT

a’tris’ Next Album to be Recorded by Birds

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 01:33:13 +0000

Seriously. These ones:

(Via OK Go)

Hope this finds you feeling healthy!

-Mason
a'tris

Bands we like:

Coldplay, Radiohead, U2, Muse, R.E.M, Elbow, Doves, Grandaddy, Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, The Tragically Hip, Pinback, Rogue Wave, Bloc Party, MGMT

New York State Of Mind

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 18:24:31 +0000

Yesterday I arrived in NYC. The first thing I did was head over to Nate's place. I brought him a bottle of local wine from Barboursville, VA, but there was no time to enjoy it. I had lined up a couple of apartment viewings and, as soon as I got in, it time to leave to start checking them out. I'm glad that Nate had kindly rearranged his schedule for the day. The NY subway system is decidedly far more sprawling than Boston's and I would have had a difficult time navigating it by myself.

Everything was going well. Nate and I checked out the first place. The weather was great. It was probably around 60 degrees or so. And then suddenly the clouds rolled in and started to rain. Neither of us had brought an umbrella and boy did we get soaked. We walked nearly twenty blocks as the raindrops gathered en mass and, what began as a relatively mild shower, turned into a torrential down poor. After stopping by the last apartment, we sought shelter in a kosher Japanese restaurant. I don't think it was our celebrity that caused everyone in his suit or her evening dress to turn their heads... I'm pretty sure we must have looked like two strays out of Benji the Hunted as we walked through the doors :)

To read the rest of this entry, please visit a’tris HQ. Thanks!-Mason

Bands we like:

Coldplay, Radiohead, U2, Muse, R.E.M, Elbow, Doves, Grandaddy, Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, The Tragically Hip, Pinback, Rogue Wave, Bloc Party, MGMT