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Editorial
From late February through mid-April, Buckyball toured 10 states. We played the southeast with Tunnels, going as far as Atlanta, where we had one of our best shows. Then a criss-crossing of Pensylvannia with Sarahıs jazz quartet in March and April, to be joined midway by Herbie Mainlandt on guitar for more double dates with the Nuove Musiche Project and Tunnels. The three different groups played a total of 22 shows (anyone interested in a close-up look at life on the road can visit our tourbook at buckyballmusic.com). Once we got back in town the Brand X Trilogy came out, with all the sending, contacting, and coordinating that a new release necessitates. As we were doing this we also finished the tracks for Sarahıs new CD ³Remixes², leading to weeks of marathon mixing and editing. I am now sitting on the couch at the mastering studio, and feel eerily calm, probably the first time in a long while, allowing me to reflect and write this editorial. Our ³article de fond² (front page article) is about the proposed changing of the FCC rules, when you receive this the date of June 2nd will have passed, when Congress decides whether to open the floor to discussion on the date FCC regulations. You should either be breathing a sigh of relief, or bracing yourself for more action. No matter your beliefs or interests, this possible FCC loosening of regulation will affect you. Also in this newsletter is a word about college radio; in Buckyıs corner we would like to find a home for the Dome; Trilogy is the most exciting Brand X release in many years; and good food makes for good music. Now I think Iıll go for a well-chilled one, cheers. M.W.
FCC Legislation Aggravation
I think the best way one can describe the mood in the art community about current events is hopelessness and frustration due to our inability to have our concerns heard and acted upon by our representatives in Congress.
In the 90's "liberal" became a dirty word and in the new millennium it has been annihilated. But the king is dead - long live the king! There are grave issues of overwhelming concern to everyone and to which the music community has a unique interest. We have an opportunity to play a vital role in influencing the decision makers. The bottom line is voting and if a concerted effort is made to voice our concerns as a lobby, it will make an impact. The music community is, by nature,a scattered menagerie of strong and independent minds. Our collective cooperation is needed to succeed in this, even though the notion of working together as a group might infringe on our independent tendencies. This is chiefly because access to media is something we cannot do without.
In the last decade there has been a dwindling outlet for us independents to make our music heard. This is mainly a result of the diminishing variety of radio ownership due to the loosening of the FCC rules in 1996. Now a second and frightening final wave of deregulation is on the way. Congress will decide if this is going to be looked at seriously on June 2nd. Anyone who writes, performs, is a fan of, or is otherwise involved with independent music needs to make their voices heard. These are our airwaves - not theirs to squander to large corporations. These airwaves are public domain so we have to make sure they serve all of us and not some narrow minded economic concerns. If you want to help, find out who your representatives are, the link is:
http://action.eff.org/legdirectory/index.asp and voice your opinion. In the end we will find ourselves in a better place, by simply exercising our all-too-often neglected power of simply speaking up. M.W..
Buckminster's Corner
As you may know, Buckyballs were named after their resemblance to the structure of geodesic domes, designed by Buckminster Fuller. Domes were built in many places in the world, and one has been sitting at the bottom/top (depending on your ethno-centric bent) of the earth. Completed in the summer of 1975, the South Pole geodesic dome has become the most recognizable feature regarding human exploration and habitability on the continent of Antarctica. For over 25 years this protective shell has been the epicenter of all life, science and community for any "Polie" who has ever spent a season living upon the frozen tundra of the Antarctic Polar Plateau.
Within the annals of this structure's history lies the heart of the human endeavor to advance and overcome the adversities of surviving and excelling within the most treacherous and unpredictable climate on earth. The South Pole Dome has provided the shelter and the sense of close community that is the core of life in Antarctica. Unfortunately, the dome has reached the end of its scheduled productive lifespan and is set to be disassembled in a couple of years , to be sold as scrap. We would like to be a part of creating a better end to this august structure. We want to find a home for the dome...any suggestion? M.W&S.B!
Not so dazed in the sun
My assignment was to oversee the safety (i.e. lots of fast but safe driving and shooing off big mean drunk guys at the bar) and spiritual well-being (i.e. friendly banter, some mediation in times of disagreement, playing soothing music, and of course finding and driving to restaurants where they could be fed a well-balanced meal made with plenty of love, protein and vegetables) of the members of TUNNELS, as well as to document their nightly performances (i.e. recording, taking photos, video-taping,). Fun, yes but definitely not all play. They performed in six cities, some nights better than others. I learned a lot from this tour: Donıt take things personally, keep your chin up and keep playing. We befriended many, fans and fellow musicians alike, convinced many new ears to spontaneously put their dancing shoes on, and were invited back by our generous hosts to come back for another shakedown party.
And most importantly, I bared witness to an amazing phenomenon: the music of TUNNELS breaking that little latch that keeps your mind from flexing as freely as it is supposed to. I saw it myself in many of the audience members that heard them for the first time. It starts with a nod and lip perk, sometimes a frown, maybe a little foot-tap.But it all ends with definite wild head shaking, tapping hands against the thighs, and a look of deep confusion and inexplicable warmth and energy, seen in the eyes of the new fans as they put the newly purchased CDs in their coat pocket. S.T.
College Radio - Clear Channel Light?
A word about college radio, which is the last hope for us independent musicians. I have some concern about the state of affairs in these stations. I would not make a blanket statement, but I was astonished at how little support we got from these students when we needed them the most. Recently, three stations that had the last Tunnels CD "Progressivity" on a steady rotation simply ³flaked out² to help promote the gigs we had in their areas. They did this by simply never answering our repeated requests about getting an interview or by not responding out at the last minute after they had agreed to do one. I understand that this is somehow anequedotal, but these are the people that are supposed to be the future DJ, music or program directors at public or commercial radio. I am wondering what kind of lesson is being thaught to these budding media wanna-be, that kind of behavior shows a complete ignorance of what their role is in this industy. Perhaps they should be reminded that the airwaves belong to the people, meaning in this case us musicians trying to make our unique voice heard in the 5% (at best) of the airwaves that are accessible to us,
Oh- this just in: more and more NPR stations (one of our last access to the mainstream) are now giving up jazz for triple A (album adult alternative) a term that means nothing and sounds about as good. M.W.
Buckyball News
Spring is the season for all things new, and in turn, it is bringing new things from all of your favorites on the Buckyball roster.
June will see the release of a new three disc CD set by Brand X. This set will include two re-releases of the early 1990s albums Manifest Destiny and X Communication. The third disc contains previously unreleased live tracks from a late 1970s performance featuring the Brand X lineup of the era, and including none other than Phil Collins on drums and vocals.
The last month has also seen everyone involved in Sarah Pillowıs Nuove Musiche Project putting in double and triple time in the studio with tracking, mixing, mastering, and all of those other fun ³ing² studio catch phrases that can mean only one thing: the Nuove ³Remixes² will be out this fall and will have one-of-a-kind vocalist Sarah Pillow singing both traditional 17th century arrangements of songs, as well as revamped versions of the same songs featuring more modern music performed by more contemporary musicians. It promises to be a veritable before and after of music done in good taste, and then re-done in even better taste. And that will be sure to leave a good taste in your mouth.
Also coming up in Buckyball Land, Tunnels are set to perform at NEARFest (thatıs NorthEast Art Rock Festival for those who wish to keep their fingers on the pulse and out of their noses) on Saturday June 28th in Trenton, NJ. This is going to be a really huge gig for Tunnels and we hope to see as many of you (ie: The Reader) out there as possible to support the guys.
Until the next issue of the newsletter, weıll leave the light on for ya. S.B.
The well fed starving artist
I tried this out in the Buckyball test kitchen and itıs very tasty and easy to make. The recipe comes from Eating Well magazine (la crème de la crème of food magazines, in my opinion) and I made a few changes like grating the zucchini instead of chopping it, so you get more flavor and can use more of the vegetable without interrupting the smoothness of the frittata (I like vegetables). As certain buckyballers gear up for the NY Marathon, a change in eating habits is in order! Besides, vitamin
pills donıt do you any good- itıs all in the food, baby! S.P.
Zucchini Frittata
1 tbsp. Really Good olive oil - 1 cup grated zucchini (1 small) - 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion - 1/4 cup slivered basil leaves
salt and freshly ground pepper (itıs got to come from a mill) - 4 large eggs - 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese (2 oz.)
1. Heat 1/2 tbsp. oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and zucchini, stirring often for 3-5 minutes until the zucchini is tender but not mushy. Add the basil, salt and pepper and cook an additional 1-2 minutes at medium high heat.
2. Whisk the eggs in a bowl with additional salt and pepper; add the zucchini mixture and cheese, stirring to combine. Wipe out the skillet.
3. Rub the remaining olive oil in the skillet, and heat over medium-low heat. Pour in the frittata mixture, and cook until the bottom is golden brown, 2-4 minutes. As it cooks, lift the edges and tilt the pan so raw egg will flow to the edges.
4. Place the skillet under the broiler for 1 1/2 2 1/2 minutes, until the top is set (watch carefully!) Loosen the edges and slide onto a platter. Cut into wedges and serve.
Makes 2 servings; 375 calories; 28 G total fat (10 grams sat, 13 mono) 447 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrate, 21 g protein, 3 gr fiber; 863 mg sodium.
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