1/05New Songs, New Dates, New Year!
Happy new year Aristocrats fans!
Bryan here as usual, speaking for Marco and Guthrie, and we’ve got some exciting news for the new year to tell you about some exciting stuff coming up in January for the band:
* We’re heading into the studio in just 10 days to start working on the second Aristocrats studio album. We’ve all been writing like crazy for this, and the new tunes have their usual share of Aristo-madness and room for improvisation. We’ll have some updates on this while it’s going on, which should be fun. Make sure to keep up with our Facebook page and our Twitter feed for the very latest.
* We’ve got some U.S. West Coast tour dates coming up in late January, and we’ll be debuting some of the new material at those shows. Here’s the info in summary form:
January 26 & 27 – San Pedro, CA – Alva’s Showroom
January 29 – San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick (w/special guest Travis Larson Band)
January 31 – San Luis Obispo, CA – SLO Brewing Company (w/special guest Travis Larson Band)
February 1 – San Francisco, CA – Biscuits & Blues
February 2 – Sacramento, CA – The Boardwalk (w/special guest Travis Larson Band)
Full details can be found on our website calendar. We’re excited to play the new stuff!
* For those who might have missed it in the holiday madness, last month Jam Track Central (the folks who re-released Guthrie’s amazing solo album Erotic Cakes) put out bass/drum-only “backing tracks” from The Aristocrats’ debut album, with full transcriptions of all Guthrie Govan’s guitar parts, composed and improvised! For guitarists, it’s a lifetime of learning – and for bassists and drummers, it’s a very revealing focus on the rhythm section interplay.
Just click here to check out JamTrack Central’s Aristocrats “Backing Tracks”.
* We continue to be stunned and super-grateful at the response to our new live album Boing, We’ll Do It Live! The holidays really slowed down delivery for some (even though all orders shipped on time; it was the local post services that fell behind), but it seems everyone’s got theirs now. And we’ve got plenty in stock in case you were waiting for the holidays to blow over. It’s always available at our Aristo-Store, along with some snazzy new “Pig vs. Chicken” t-shirts. Yes, really. :-)
Thanks again everyone, and hope to see you out there in 2013!
Cheers to all,
The Aristocrats
12/15Aristocrats “Backing Tracks” Now Available At JamTrackCentral.com…and Live Album Update
Before we dive into the holiday week, we wanted to let you know about something really cool: Jam Track Central (the fine folks who helped Guthrie re-release his amazing solo album Erotic Cakes) has just released bass/drum-only “backing tracks” from The Aristocrats debut album, with full transcriptions of all Guthrie Govan’s guitar parts, composed and improvised! For guitarists, it’s a lifetime of learning – and for bassists and drummers, it’s a very revealing focus on the rhythm section interplay.
Just click here to check out JamTrack Central’s Aristocrats “Backing Tracks”.
Meanwhile, we wanted to repeat how grateful we are for the response to our new live album Boing, We’ll Do It Live! The Aristocrats At Alva’s Showroom!
All of the pre-orders have now shipped. Some are traveling internationally, so if you haven’t gotten yours yet, it should be there really, really soon. We’ve also sent more to the warehouse so there’s plenty to go around.
Meanwhile we’ve got some shows coming up on the west coast of the U.S. in January, and we’re going to be debuting some new material from the upcoming second studio album, which we’ll start tracking in January as well.
That’s it for now. From all of us at BOING Music and The Aristocrats, thanks so much for a great 2012, and have a wonderful holiday season with you and yours!
-BB
12/10BOING, It’s Out: Our Live DVD/CD “BOING, We’ll Do It Live!” Has Been Released!
At long last, it’s here: BOING, We’ll Do It Live! The Aristocrats At Alva’s Showroom is now out and available for order and ASAP shipment!
That means that, if you pre-ordered, you should have gotten your physical order or you will get your order any minute now, and your digital download links should be active. If you’re one of those folks, THANK YOU from all of us!
If you’re not the pre-ordering type but we were waiting for release day, well, here it is. :-)
Remember, there’s the DVD+2CD Deluxe Edition (with bonus tracks and special features and a 5.1 mix by Steven Wilson), the regular 2CD version, and a download-only version. Sure, we’re live on iTunes now, and we like iTunes, but digital downloads from us are available in super-high-quality Apple Lossless and FLAC formats, so…just sayin’, you can get it from us as well by clicking the link above.
(UPDATE – the download issue has been fixed, thanks everyone for your patience! -BB And a note to anyone who ordered and for whom the digital download link isn’t working – we are ON THE CASE with Topspin and will get it sorted out ASAP. Many apologies for the inconvenience!)
Over 25,000 folks (wow!) have watched our live DVD preview video on YouTube. If you’re not one of them, click here to check it out!
A final note: You have pretty much overwhelmed us with pre-orders, and we thank you for that! In fact we had to re-order more Deluxe Editions in a hurry. We have already sent more to our webstore’s warehouse, and even more are on the way. We still have the DE’s in stock right now as I type this, but if for some reason you get a “backorder” message, do NOT worry. More are literally on the way already from us to the warehouse, and actually, they’re probably there just waiting to be received into stock…and then shipped to you ASAP. All the more reason to order now and not later. :-)
And if you already have it, let the folks know what you think by posting on our Facebook page or on our Twitter feed (@acratsband).
That’s it! Thanks to everyone for helping to create a nice buzz online about this new DVD/CD, and Marco, Guthrie and I all hope you enjoy it as much as we did making it.
Happy holidays,
The Aristocrats
11/22Available For Pre-Order Now: “BOING, We’ll Do It Live! The Aristocrats At Alvas Showroom” – Release Date: December 10
Finally, the moment you’ve been waiting for: The Aristocrats live CD/DVD, BOING, We’ll Do It Live: The Aristocrats At Alvas Showroom, is now available for pre-order, just in time for the holiday season!
Just click here to go to the Aristo-webstore (we ship WORLDWIDE) and pre-order now. The release date is December 10, so you won’t have to wait long to be the first to hear and see it.
Maybe you’re wondering what the DVD looks like? Very well then: check out this 5-minute YouTube preview!
Now for the basics. It’s available in three versions: Deluxe Edition (DVD + 2CD), Regular 2CD Edition, and Digital Download only.
The Deluxe Edition contains a 2-hours-plus DVD of us playing our entire live repertoire to date, plus bonus features like:
* Two additional songs
* 5.1 surround mix by Steven Wilson, 2-channel stereo mix by Mark Niemiec
* Interviews with each band member
* Bonus soundcheck audio and additional between-song banter.
You also get two audio CD’s of the same performance, and an immediate digital download upon purchase.
For those not video-oriented, the 2CD Regular Version is a straight-up double live album, featuring 14 songs totaling two hours of pure Aristocrats musical mayhem. It also includes an immediate digital download upon purchase.
And for the digital-only folks, you can purchase just the digital download of the double album.
We also made a special t-shirt just for the live album release, complete with a new design for the front, and a special Pig vs. Chicken Mortal Kombat scene on the back, with a special message for our Japanese friends. (If you get the DVD, you’ll get the joke. If not, it’s still cool and weird, right?)
In all seriousness: Guthrie, Marco and I (BB) are beyond grateful for the overwhelming positive response and support we’ve received ever since launching The Aristocrats. We’ve tried to get to as many places as possible for live shows, but as you know, it’s hard to get everywhere. Lots of folks asked for a live album. This is our answer to those requests, and it’s our hope that, whether or not you’ve seen us play live before, BOING, We’ll Do It Live! will give you the full live Aristocratic experience, wherever you happen to be.
-BB
11/08“BOING, We’ll Do It Live! The Aristocrats At Alvas Showroom” Release Date Set For DECEMBER 10!
Hey all. BB here, writing from Athens, Greece as we wrap up our European tour. I’ve got some exciting news…
We are proud to finally announce that BOING, We’ll Do It Live! The Aristocrats At Alvas Showroom will be released on Monday, December 10! And pre-sales will begin sometime in the second half of November. I’m thinking 11/20, give or take a day or two. Not far away, right? When that’s ready to fly, we’ll make a big old noise about it. For now, we just wanted to get the word out that, yes, it’s done, it’s being manufactured as I type, and Marco, Guthrie and I can’t wait to share it with you.
And might I add, this fine collection of Aristocratic music and video will make a great holiday gift, IYKWIMAITYD. (Google it if you’re confused.)
If you want to know more, here’s the press release we’re sending out over the next 24 hours. You can also expect a YouTube preview in the coming days. As they say, watch this space! -BB
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ROCK/FUSION POWER TRIO THE ARISTOCRATS
TO RELEASE FIRST LIVE CD/DVD
BOING, WE’LL DO IT LIVE ON DECEMBER 10
Guitarist Guthrie Govan, bassist Bryan Beller, and drummer Marco Minnemann are captured live at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro, CA
LOS ANGELES, CA (November 8, 2012) – The rock/fusion power trio The Aristocrats – featuring Guthrie Govan on guitar, Bryan Beller on bass, and Marco Minnemann on drums – will release BOING, We’ll Do It Live! The Aristocrats At Alvas Showroom onDecember 10, 2012. The release will be in two formats: A standard-edition, 14-track, 2CD album, and a Deluxe EditionDVD + 2CD package featuring two additional bonus tracks, bonus audio from soundcheck, additional candid show footage, and bonus interviews with each band member. The 6-camera video was shot in high definition (UPDATE: It was shot with HD cameras but the product itself is not HD or BluRay. -BB), and the 5.1 surround audio mix was done by Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree. A 2-channel stereo mix is also available.
Formed practically by demand after a single raucously received set at the Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, CAin January of 2011, the trio tracked their debut album The Aristocrats [BOING!] just four months later, and released it that September to universal acclaim. But the core energy of the band from the start was their preternatural live chemistry, which became even more explosive during a year’s worth of worldwide touring.
“We’re all definitely proud of the studio album,” says bassist Beller, “but we were just getting to know each other when we cut it. Now that we’ve traveled the world together, we really get each other musically and personally. Honestly, we spend a lot of time making each other laugh to the point of tears. I think that really comes through live, the sense that we’re friends walking a high wire together musically, but also that, sometimes, we just choose to be extremely silly. Somehow it all works.”
BOING, We’ll Do It Live! was captured over two nights in June of 2012 at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro,CA, and features the entire Aristocrats repertoire, plus select material from the trio’s individual back catalogs, and a brand new, previously unreleased song, “Dance Of The Aristocrats.”
TRACK LISTING
DISC ONE
1. Bad Asteroid
2. Greasy Wheel
3. Boing!…I’m In The Back
4. Flatlands
5. I Want A Parrot
6. Blues Fuckers/Drum Solo
7. Waves
DISC TWO
1. Get It Like That
2. Furtive Jack
3. Train Trax
4. Cave Dweller
5. Mr. Kempinski
6. See You Next Tuesday *
7. Dance Of The Aristocrats
8. A Very Metal Introduction
9. Sweaty Knockers
10. Erotic Cakes *
* on Deluxe Edition only
DVD FEATURES
* Complete show, including bonus tracks & additional between song footage
* 5.1 surround mix by Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree (and 2-channel stereo mix)
* Bonus audio from soundcheck
* Interviews with each band member
11/02Gran Canaria Show Announcement
We are very sorry to announce that we are unable to perform our show tonight in Gran Canaria due to an unforeseeable circumstance with Air Berlin, whose airline we were due to fly today. We were informed upon arrival at the airport that, regardless of how much money we were prepared to pay – even the full cost of another ticket – that Guthrie’s prototype, currently-one-of-a-kind Charvel guitar would need to be checked as regular baggage, even though it was in a soft case that would easily fit into any overhead compartment or airplane coat closet. This has never happened to us before, and while we very much wanted to play in Gran Canaria, we simply could not risk Guthrie’s guitar being damaged and affecting the remainder of the tour.We look forward to rescheduling this date on our next European tour, and again we apologize to our fans and everyone who worked hard to put on this show in Gran Canaria.
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Aside from this unfortunate turn of events, we’re having a stellar time touring Europe. Our Benelux shows were all great, and we’re very much looking forward to playing in Germany, Poland and Greece. Thanks so much to all the fans who’ve come out so far, and stay tuned for news on the release date of the live CD/DVD very soon.
-The Aristocrats
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UPDATE: At the request of our friends at Salan Prosucciones, the show promoters who had no fault in this unfortunate circumstance, here is our Gran Canaria show cancellation announcement in Spanish:
Sentimos mucho de comunicar que esta noche no podremos tocar el nuestro concierto en Gran Canaria debido a imprevisibles circunstancias con Air Berlin, la aerolinea con la cual teniamos que volar hoy.
– The Aristocrats
9/20Europe Tour Date Updates, Plus Live CD/DVD Update
Hey all – BB here. It’s about time we had a new post up here, so first, here’s a live CD/DVD update:
* It’s going to be called Boing, We’ll Do It Live! The Aristocrats At Alvas Showroom.
* There will be a regular 2CD version with 14 songs, and a deluxe 2CD + DVD version with 16 songs, and plenty of bonus material on the DVD itself
* The audio is mixed and sounds killer; the video is about 60-70% done
* We’re shooting for a December release
We’re proud of the studio album of course, but playing live is what this band is all about, so we’re very excited to have this thing close to done so we can share it with the world.
Also, our European tour is now under three weeks away. There’s been a couple of updates to the itinerary. Here’s the latest summary:
10/9 – Uppsala, Sweden – Uppsala Guitar Festival
10/11 – Ascoli Piceno, Italy – Break Live Club
10/13 – Quartu Sant’Elena – Cagliari (Sardinia), Italy – FBI Club
10/14 – Cassibile – Siracusa (Sicily), Italy – Anfiteatro Hotel Fontane Bianche
10/15 – Jesolo (VE), Italy – Scuola di Musica JAM c/o aula magna istituto “I. Calvino”
10/16 – Udine, Italy – Teatro Palamostre
10/17 – Prato, Italy – Keller Platz
10/19 – Caserta, Italy – Black Cat Club
10/20 – Rome, Italy – Guitar Legends Festival c/o Centrale Montemartini
10/21 – Molvena (VI), Italy – Revolution Studios
10/23 – Nice, France – Forum Nice Nord
10/24 – Legnano (MI), Italy – Land Of Live
10/25 – Milano, Italy – Accademia del Suono (Marco Minnemann clinic)
10/26 – Frankfurt, Germany – Frankfurt Jazz Festival (Sendesaal des hessischen Rundfunks)
10/27 – Zagreb, Croatia – Zagreb Guitar Show (VIP Club)
10/28 – Zoetermeer, Netherlands – De Boerderij
10/29 – Verviers, Belgium – Spirit Of 66
10/31 – Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg – Kulturfabrik
11/2 – Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands – Teatro Felo Monzon
11/3 – Unna, Germany – Kuhlschiff
11/5 – Reichenbach, Germany – Bergkeller
11/6 – Poznan, Poland – Blue Note
11/7 – Berlin, Germany – Crystal Club
11/9 & 11/10 – Athens, Greece – Athina Live
As always, the full details are available on the Tours page.
Ciao for now – see you soon, Europe!
-BB
