A couple weeks ago, I played with Shaimus at the CD release party for our new album, The Sad Thing Is, We Like It Here. The show was great fun—sold out crowd, solid performance, giveaways, videos, and plenty of other good stuff. But above all, it was a celebration marking the culmination of well over a year of hard work.

When all is said and done, this album was about three years in the making. The earliest songs were written and honed during our 2006 summer West Coast tour, including “Turn the Other Way,” “Interview,” and embryonic versions of “Don’t Want the Story” and “While We’re Young.” “Heads or Tails” was written during a time when Phil, Johannes and I were playing acoustic shows in L.A. while Dave and Cam finished up school on the other side of the country. “Tie You Down” was a last second addition that practically didn’t even make it on the album, and recording was pushed back a couple weeks just so we could finish it; good thing, too, as that turned out to be one of the best and most popular songs on the record.

That was around late October/early November of 2007. We tracked all of Cam’s drums in our old Van Nuys rehearsal space that December; imagine his impatience having recorded almost all of his parts over a year before the album would even come out. We followed this with laying down roughly finished versions of five of the strongest tracks which would be used for our demo. Our demo was sorely in need of an update, since the band’s sound had developed so much from our first album that it didn’t accurately represent us anymore. These new songs were far more illustrative of the “Shaimus sound” as it had come to be over the past couple years—a more cohesive, collaborative band effort with more energy and focus than Paper Sun (not to say there isn’t good material on that CD).

We took a brief break from recording after that. Trying to throw high-quality recordings together at a breakneck pace while contending with often-miserable day jobs was very taxing on all of us. During this break, we made a music video for “Turn the Other Way” with Adam Kerpelman. Not only did we feel like the song was a good choice for a single, but its theme of 9 to 5 frustration resonated with all of us. Oh, and of course it gave us an awesome excuse to smash the shit out of some office equipment.

Once summer 2008 rolled around we were antsy to finish what we’d started. We finished up guitars for the remaining five songs in our new West L.A. rehearsal space, recorded real piano in some recording studios to replace the samples that were used on the demo, and got final takes of all vocals, auxiliary percussion, and other odds and ends (mostly recorded in bedroom closets). Finally, Johannes busted his ass mixing the entire thing after it was all edited properly, Phil put the final touches on the artwork, we sent it off to get mastered and replicated, and then sat back and breathed a giant, collective sigh of relief. Oh, and Phil made a music video with a Powershot camera in his underwear.

This album represents a lot of blood, sweat, tears and calluses, and I think it turned out great. It’s certainly the best thing I’ve been a part of musically, and I put so much of myself into it that I can’t help but be nothing but proud. So, get more of a sense of the process of making this record with the next video, take a listen to the samples below and consider buying it. Now is the time for us to spread the word about all our hard work, and you can help!

Available from www.shaimus.com

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I was talking to a friend recently about artists that you just wish would stop releasing albums, if only to preserve their legacy. The conversation started while listening to “You Better You Bet” on the radio; while it’s by no means the worst song in the world, any time I hear it I just wish the Who had stopped recording new music after Keith Moon died. They already had a massive catalog of classic hits, and fans always want to hear their favorite bands go out on top. A large element of this desire is most certainly selfish—I have no place to decide when a band should or should not stop making music, of course (unless maybe I’m in that band). But it’s not that I want the members of the Who to cease all music making, I just don’t want any more Who albums that don’t feel like Who albums.

But of course artists soldier on, often outstaying their welcome for the simple fact that they can still sell records. Bands like U2 and Aerosmith just keep adding faceless releases that do nothing to their discography other than increase its number, often obscuring the fact that, at some point, they were on top of their game and making top-notch music (for me personally this is illustrated much better with Aerosmith as I’m a sort of middle-of-the-road guy with U2, but you get the point). Or, perhaps more frustratingly, bands like Bon Jovi and Def Leppard who have rightfully called it quits that come back for more when no one really wanted them to in the first place. It’s not that these bands shouldn’t get back together and tour again, but the new albums are almost always a huge let down and lack the energy and electricity of their earlier material.

There are exceptions to every rule, of course, and there are some great artists who continue to release quality music for decades. But this happens so often, I had to ask myself why. Do artists naturally lose their edge with age? Is the rebellious “fuck you” attitude of younger rock-n-rollers inescapably softened as they grow older, wiser, and more successful? Both of these are legitimate possibilities. But what it really seems to come down to is a brand of lethargy that is inevitably allowed after an artist has become established. Emerging artists work against an intimidating tide of opposition: control freak A&R people, seasoned career advisors, and executives with dollar signs in their eyes. The amount of times a young musician is told he can’t, shouldn’t, couldn’t, or won’t do something is about as frequent as Jaleel White is asked to say “Did I do that” in the Urkel voice by strangers on the street.

Conversely, the more success a band has, the more freedom they gain. At first this is extremely liberating, allowing artists to break out of the mold and make some of their best work. But at some point, the pendulum seems destined to start swinging back. You know why Paul McCartney has released a number of terrible albums despite the fact that he spent years establishing himself as one of the finest songwriters in history? Because nobody would ever dare say “no” to Macca. He has almost no choice but to be constantly surrounded by sycophantic well-wishers who just think it’s a great honor to be in the control room when he lays down a track with his viola bass. U2 releases “Get On Your Boots” because nobody is going to tell them it’s a stupid song. Why? “Because they’re fucking U2, man!”

But back to Paul McCartney for my conclusion, because he sums up the point so nicely. A few years ago, he released what was easily one of the best albums he’s ever done as a solo artist, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard. What had come over him when he did it? He had hired producer Nigel Goodrich, who started telling him to make a bunch of changes and drop any songs he didn’t like from the recording. I even read an interview when Paul said he was taken aback by Goodrich’s attitude at first, thinking he didn’t have to take it and could just as easily get rid of him. But he came to realize that attitude was exactly what he needed to make a great record. And it worked.

Now flash back to Paul’s old band, The Beatles. (You’ve heard of them, right?) An extraordinary career to say the least, and they closed it out with Abbey Road, an album that one can make a compelling argument for being their best (or at least pretty damn close). One might wonder what we might have missed out on if they just kept going a few more records, but it wasn’t too long after that when we heard some not-so-par-for-the-course songs from at least one of the principal songwriters of the group. How happy would folks be to add a bad Beatles album to their collection? It sticks out like a sore thumb.

I always have some misgivings when I hear Radiohead is going to release a new album for fear that their creative juices are running low. But with the fact that In Rainbows was so great, I can’t help but wonder: should they go out on top while they still can, or am I at risk of missing out on some incredible music if they stop too early? Maybe a bad album or two isn’t such a bad thing, after all.

Naming a song “Interview” might lead people to believe that the upcoming Shaimus album kicks off with a band interview.  Boy would that be boring.  Talk about all-time album missteps, I think most people would find us supremely lame if we actually put an interview as the first track of our CD.  Or any track, really.

But no.  Lo and behold, “Interview” is actually music.  Prove it, you say?  Fine.  Phil proves it in the video below, underwear and all.  The video is for anyone who’s ever gotten new editing software and decided to freak out their friendly neighborhood epileptic.  The underwear part is for the ladies.  Everyone wins!

I will be very happy when this album is in my hands.  Incidentally, you can pre-order the album from www.shaimus.com now and save two bucks off the normal $10 price tag that will accompany it in a couple weeks.  And while you’re waiting for it to come in the mail, autographs and all, watch this video.

Christmas has always been one of my favorite times of year.  I’m agnostic and not religious, but Christmas has a simple message that I can appreciate.  When it comes down to it, the point of Christmas is peace and goodwill.  How can you go wrong with that?  Yes, it is celebrating the birth of Jesus, but too many non-religious people interpret celebrating Jesus’ birth as a representation of Christians believing everyone else is going to burn in hell.  The holiday, to me anyway, is much less about celebrating the birth of a man than it is about celebrating the simple message the man represented: that we should strive to be good people and care about others.  That’s all.  Forget all that fire and brimstone crap, everyone should be on board with that sentiment.

And then there’s the nostalgia factor.  Remember how exciting and magical Christmas was as a child?  Sleepless nights thinking about Santa Claus, wondering whether or not it would snow (it did every once in a while for me growing up), listening to holiday music (the John Denver and the Muppets Christmas album was a staple in my household).  Family, friends, parties full of cheer and trees decked out with multicolored lights and clever ornaments.

Some of my most vivid memories are waking up early on Christmas morning while it was still dark and tiptoeing downstairs to see if Santa had come.  Then I’d grab my stocking and wait very impatiently for my parents to get out of bed.

I hope you create some lasting memories yourself this year and for years to come.

Merry Christmas!

1. A Charlie Brown Christmas
This is it: the special that epitomizes the Christmas season. A classic that children and adults alike still look forward to watching every year. Charlie Brown doesn’t understand why everyone is happy at Christmas except for him; he likes getting presents and everything, but he just can’t put his finger on what the whole thing is all about and why he should be so damn jolly like everyone else. Linus comes to the rescue by doing something you aren’t likely to find in most Christmas movies or specials: he recites a verse or two from, *gasp*, The Bible! (What were they thinking? How dare you remind anyone that this is a religious holiday???)

But then Charlie Brown gets it for the first time. It isn’t about lights displays or Christmas plays. It isn’t about ice skating or catching snowflakes on your tongue (even if they’re not quite ripe enough yet). It’s about a simple message of love, peace, and hope.

The immortal soundtrack of Vince Guaraldi added a new song or two to the seasonal canon, particularly with “Christmas Time Is Here.” And this is still the best Christmas special ever made.

Honorable Mentions
There are plenty of quality films and specials that didn’t make my top 10, and I’d like to reassure them that they haven’t been lumped in the same category as “Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey.” Because that’s a special that makes me want coal in my stocking. And by that I mean hot coals in stockings that are actually on my feet.

Elf (Because smiling’s my favorite, too)
A Garfield Christmas (There are some amazingly cheesy moments, but it’s good)
South Park (Any X-mas episode is good. Mr. Hanky is the perfect mix of holiday cheer and shit)
The Muppet Christmas Carol
The Santa Clause
Bad Santa (Thurman Merman fills my heart with cheer)
Christmas Vacation
Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas
Mickey’s Christmas Carol
Die Hard (It counts. It’s also the best action movie ever)
Beavis and Butthead Do Christmas (Seriously, it’s actually pretty funny)

4. Home Alone
I’m pretty sure one of the first VHS tapes I ever owned was Home Alone. As much as I loved the movie when I was little, I can say with quite a bit of confidence that I love it just as much as an adult. The perfect cast and a great score definitely help it stand the test of time. So many memorable lines are delivered throughout. “Don’t you know how to knock, phlegm-wad?”

3. A Christmas Story
Another great example of how the right cast can take a good movie to the next level, A Christmas Story is not as goofy as Home Alone, but instead goes straight for the nostalgia jugular. I’ve found that some people can’t really get on board with this movie unless they grew up watching it, and that’s always a little sad. If you can fully appreciate this film, you know exactly why it is such a holiday essential for so many people. You also know that “fra-gee-lay” must be Italian.

2. A Claymation Christmas
This is probably the most obscure selection on my list, particularly for being placed all the way up at #2. It used to air on the Disney Channel every year when I was a kid, and I’m not sure if it still gets played anymore (I have it on DVD so I don’t have to worry about it). But for all the specials I looked forward to, this one might have been the most anticipated of all of them by my family and me. The concept is pretty simple: claymation characters (created by Will Vinton) provide visual interpretations of various Christmas carols, with commentary provided in between by our two talking dinosaur hosts. But the result is almost my favorite Christmas special of all time.

Most of the songs are pretty goofy and funny, but “Joy to the World” is one of the more serious ones. It’s also one of my favorites because of how cool the visuals are:

Here I am in my first appearance in a real, genuine music video for “Turn the Other Way” by Shaimus. You can download the song for free currently from our website (shaimus.com). My brother Spencer also makes a brief appearance as a fellow office worker. If you’d like to send him some fan mail, I will forward it to him.

If you’ve ever worked in an office, you’ll appreciate this video. Let the catharsis begin:

7. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
I’m not gonna lie, I can more or less recite this entire special line for line. I’ve seen it so many times, but I still love it… The main reason: the majority of the characters act like complete douchebags throughout the entire thing. I’m talking about the head Elf, Rudolph’s father Donner, and old Kris Kringle himself. Complete assholes. And I will admit that when I was very little I used to cry when the Abominable Snow Monster came on screen. But I grew out of that a couple years ago.

Anyway, here’s proof that Santa acts like a jerk:

6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Talk about a timeless classic… I still get so wrapped up in this when I watch that I am genuinely excited when his heart finally grows at the end. Great music of course, but my favorite part is when the circle of Whos swings open like a gate at the end when the Grinch “whizzes” with his load to give all the toys back. Also, I can’t help but think of Monty Python when I hear the music play as he lifts the sleigh above his head.

5. Rocko’s Modern Christmas
I always felt like this show was overlooked and underrated. The Christmas episode, also titled “Can’t Squeeze Cheer from a Cheeselog,” finds our wallaby protagonist searching for a little Christmas cheer in a world seemingly gone mad. This fits in very well with the show, which was often about Rocko looking for a little sanity in a crazy world anyway. But it especially fits in with the spirit of the holiday season, so this episode ends up being one of my favorite X-mas moments.

It seems pretty much impossible to find a good clip online, so this is all you get:

Every year, TV shows give us an attempt at a heartwarming holiday episode. Every year, movie studios crank out countless Christmas-themed movies, hoping to stumble upon another classic. We, their audience, have to endure the sappiness, the stupidity, and the embarrassments that are the vast majority of them. Luckily, every once in a while someone really does manage to squeeze a little Christmas cheer into a TV special or film, and I appreciate these moments by celebrating them annually. Here’s a list of some of these instances: ten Christmas specials and movies that don’t suck.

10. The Snowman
No dialog in this one, just beautiful colored pencil-style animation, a great soundtrack, and the story of a boy and his snowman. Sure, the snowman comes to life, but this is no Frosty. The whole thing feels like the kind of vivid dream you’d have as a child, and the ending will stick with you long after its 25-minute run time.

9. Merry Christmas Mr. Bean
I’m a big fan of the whole Mr. Bean series, but this is one of the finest episodes. I always loved the scene where he conducts the brass quartet playing Christmas carols in a variety of styles (all depending on how he swings the conducting baton, of course). Later, Bean gets his head stuck in a turkey so big that it could feed the entire country of Turkey for a day, and he has one final mishap that drives his “girlfriend” away, despite the fact that it was a rare display of good intentions on his part.

8. A Muppet Family Christmas
This one used to play on TV when I was a kid. It features the whole Muppet gang shacking up at Fozzy’s mother’s house for a big family-style Christmas. It’s hard not to get caught up in their puppety good will, and the hour-long special is topped off with a singing snowman, the Swedish chef trying to cook Big Bird, and appearances from the Fraggles and Jim Henson himself.

But that doesn’t stop me from pretending to play it every once in a while. Luckily, unless you’re an actual jazz listener/connoisseur, you probably won’t tell much difference, as I am at least half decent at faking the skill.

So in the spirit of the season, I’ve made you this video with my jazz guitar version of “Oh Christmas Tree.”

Additionally, with the playlist below you can hear the awesome full version I recorded a couple years ago (complete with solo section) and my acoustic recording of “Walking in the Air,” the main theme to the Christmas film classic “The Snowman.” If you’ve never seen that one, well… It’s never too late!