retroblog.net

Well, it looks like Cooking Vinyl is on the ball in terms of promoting the upcoming release of Todd Rundgren’s latest album, Arena. After recently announcing that they’ll be releasing the CD over in the U.K., they now have promo copies ready to be sent out to radio stations and the press. Pretty impressive. Check out some photos of the new promo CDs.


It’s definitely great to see that the U.K. record label is excited about Rundgren’s new album. U.K. fans can even pre-order the CD right on their website.

But here on the other side of the Atlantic, there hasn’t been any noticeable activity from U.S. record label – HiFi Recordings. Well, actually, that’s not TOTALLY true. The lawyers representing the record company recently banned Todd fans from trading all Rundgren related live recordings on the popular online website – Dime-a-Dozen. For some odd reason, they believe that trading fan-made live recordings will negatively affect the sales of official studio releases. Obviously they’ve been mis-informed.

But other than that, we haven’t seen any type of promotion from the record label as of yet. And it’s less than a month away from the U.S. release date!! Thankfully Rundgren has a great network of fans online where the latest info can still be disseminated in a timely and efficient manner. and that definitely helps when HiFi Recordings won’t step up to the plate. …well, .. they still have some time left to turn it around…

Let’s get the promotion/marketing team up and running, HiFi!! Let’s see some action! and while I’ve got your ear, how about showing the fans a bit more respect?

as always, check out TR Connection for the latest news on all things Todd.

And if you haven’t read it yet, check out my track by track review of Rundgren’s Arena album

Also, catch Rundgren live on tour:
Wed 10/01/08 Seattle, WA Triple Door
Sat 10/04/08 Glen Ellen, CA Cohn Charity Music Festival
Mon 10/06/08 Chicago, IL Park West
Thu 10/09/08 Morristown, NJ Community Theatre
Fri 10/10/08 Pittsburgh, PA The Rex
Sat 10/11/08 Tarrytown, NY Music Hall
Mon 10/13/08 Knoxville, TN Bijou Theatre
Wed 10/15/08 Asheville, NC Orange Peel
Thu 11/06/08 Manchester, UK Academy 2
Fri 11/07/08 Edinburgh, UK The Picture House
Sun 11/09/08 Copenhagen, Denmark Amager Bio
Mon 11/10/08 Helsinki, Finland House of Culture
Wed 11/12/08 Gothenburg, Sweden Traddgaard
Thu 11/13/08 Malmo, Sweden Kulturbolaget
Sat 11/15/08 Eindhoven, Netherlands TROMP International Music Festival
Sun 11/16/08 Bonn, Germany Harmonie
Tue 11/18/08 Milan, Italy Rolling Stone
Thu 11/20/08 Paris, France Trabendo
Sat 11/22/08 Norwich, UK Waterfront
Sun 11/23/08 London, UK The Forum
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my old friend, Craig recently got divorced and is now out on the dating scene again. so, uummm, ladies, you’ve been warned. just kidding. After being married for so long, I can’t imagine going through that whole process again. I’m sure it’s tough finding a compatible person who will accept you for who you are, warts and all. Just think about it, when you’re dating, you put on your best game face but is that actually being fair to the other person? They need to see the real you: the you with bits of spaghetti stuck on the sides of your mouth, the you that whines endlessly when sick, the you that looks like death the morning after a night of heavy drinking. I suppose your partner will find out in due time but why give them a false impression from the very get go. You know, if I was out on the market again, I’d do things a bit differently. Forget the traditional dating dance of making a great first impression. Why not just be daring and present yourself as exactly who you are? I know that’s going against the usual protocol in meeting someone new but take a cue from George Costanza in “the Opposite” episode from the show Seinfield. Remember the episode where he notices an attractive woman at their local hangout and his immediate impulse was to NOT go up to talk to her?
George : So what? What am I supposed to do?
Elaine : Go talk to her.
George : Elaine, bald men, with no jobs, and no money, who live with their parents, don’t approach strange women.
Jerry : Well here’s your chance to try the opposite. Instead of tuna salad and being intimidated by women, chicken salad and going right up to them.
George : Yeah, I should do the opposite, I should.
Jerry : If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right.
George : Yes, I will do the opposite. I used to sit here and do nothing, and regret it for the rest of the day, so now I will do the opposite, and I will do something!
( He goes over to the woman )
George : Excuse me, I couldn’t help but notice that you were looking in my direction.
Victoria : Oh, yes I was, you just ordered the same exact lunch as me.
( George takes a deep breath )
George : My name is George. I’m unemployed and I live with my parents.
And he ends up getting the girl!! So, I say, go against the grain the next time you meet a “new someone”. Be honest from the very get-go and let the person accept you for exactly who you are. In fact, use George’s line from the Seinfeld episode – “My name is George. I’m unemployed and I live with my parents”. If she’s still interested in you after that opening line, you are in like Flynn. As a matter of fact, I tested my theory out in the virtual world with Ultimate Flirting Championship game on the Extreme Style by VO5 website. I put together my own virtual character online and chatted up with the ladies. It’s a fun game but unfortunately none of them took to my George Costanza opening line. But I still stand by my theory and I think the “painfully honest” approach is still the way to go.

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There’s no denying that Paul McCartney is a rock legend. He has written countless of songs that will continue to be played and enjoyed for generations to come. Having said that, I also have to point out that he has released some utter crap as well. No one can really say if it’s because of some sort of lack of motivation on his part or sheer vanity in thinking he could shit gold, but the fact remains that he has written just as many duds as there are classics in his catalog. so, for today’s RetroBlog mix tape, I thought I’d highlight some of Sir Macca’s lowlights. enjoy.

1) Rockestra Theme – OK, this is actually Duane Eddy’s remake of the Wings song from 1979 with Paul McCartney producing as well as playing on the track. The original song really didn’t merit a remake. It’s a mind-numbingly simple instrumental with the inexplicable vocal line – “Why didn’t I have any dinner?” huh?

2) Press (the Hugh Padgham mix) – McCartney’s 1986 album Press to Play holds a special place in my heart but really, did he actually think this song would be a successful single? come on – “Oklahoma was never like this? oh it was never like this!” groan. Is this really the man that wrote “Yesterday”?

3) Vanilla Sky – this is Macca just being lazy. He ripped off his own minor chord progression from his 1993 single “Biker Like an Icon”. Biker was just plain horrid. and so is this song. I guess Cameron Crowe didn’t have the balls to tell Macca that this song was shit.

4) Spies like Us (the Art of Noise Mix) – ouch. The record label commissioned numerous remixes for this song. obviously they were hoping one of the remixers would know what to do with this song. I think the Art of Noise did a pretty good job considering the source material.

5) Freedom – It was great seeing Macca being so supportive with the rebuilding/healing efforts after 9/11 but he should have spent more time on this song before releasing it. He probably spent less than five minutes writing this lil’ ditty. it’s painful to listen to now.

6) P.S. Love Me Do – yeah, you know dance music and Macca go so well together. not. So recording a dance version of “P.S. I Love You” and “Love Me Do” was an obvious choice, right? right? Bueller? Bueller?

as always, all tracks are hosted on savefile.com. they will only be available for a limited time. so, grab ‘em while you can.
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Album: Traffic
Artist: ABC
label: Borough Music
issued: 2008
review by: retroBlog.net

It’s hard to believe that it has been 11 years since ABC’s last studio release but Martin Fry is indeed back with a brand new album titled, Traffic. I’m one of those fans that faithfully followed them throughout the 80’s but lost track of them after their lackluster album Up back in 1989. So, it’s great to hear that Fry is keeping the flame alive with the new record along with a busy touring schedule to promote it.
Listening to the new album, I was pleased to hear that Fry and company have retained much of the classic sound that the group was known for back in their heyday. The record starts out strong with some well-produced material but by the second half, the songs unfortunately become non-descript with nothing memorable beyond the seventh track. But I have to give Fry, David Palmer and producer/co-writer Chuck Kentis credit for coming up with half an album’s worth of strong material. “Sixteen Seconds to Choose” kicks off Traffic with muscular drum playing and a fun distorted guitar riff. The song sort of harks back to the “That was then, This is Now” -era of the band. “The Very First Time” was wisely chosen as the first single off the album and it sounds very much like an updated reconstruction of “When Smokey Sings” (from the album Alphabet City) with its string arrangements and laidback motown groove. Other notable songs include “Love is Strong”, “Caroline” and “Ride”. The title track, “One Way Traffic”, is my personal favorite off the album. It’s got a Niles Rodgers/Chic-style groove complete with funky rhythm guitar licks and intricate hi-hat work. As a matter of fact, the song reminds me of Duran Duran’s “Notorious” which isn’t that surprising since Nile Rodgers was all over that song as producer and guitar player. But unfortunately Fry and company aren’t able to sustain that high level of songwriting throughout the whole record. as I mentioned earlier, the latter half of the record is pretty lackluster. but that being said, it’s still great to see new material from this ol’ 80’s band. I’m a bit sad that I couldn’t make it to see the Regeneration Tour last night but hopefully Martin Fry/ABC will be back touring the U.S. next summer.

Tracklist:
1 Sixteen Seconds to Choose 3:11
2 The Very First Time 3:38
3 Ride 3:37
4 Love Is Strong 4:06
5 Caroline 4:45
6 Life Shapes You 3:49
7 One Way Traffic 3:44
8 Way Back When 4:12
9 Validation 3:57
10 Lose Yourself 4:02
11 Fugitives 4:02
12 Minus Love 4:07
all tracks composed by Martin Fry, Chuck Kentis and David Palmer

listen to an excerpt of ABC’s “The Very First Time”:

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for more info, check out the official ABC website.
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the forecast calls for rain on wednesday which means that I probably won’t go see the Regeneration Tour at the local amphitheater. The outdoor venue isn’t covered so if it rains, the audience WILL most definitely get soaked. and even though I was looking forward to seeing all those retro 80’s bands- ABC, Human League, Belinda Carlisle, Naked Eyes and Flock of Seagulls, they’re not really worth the trouble of standing out in the pouring rain for four hours. ABC and the Human League are the main reasons why I’d want to see the show. Hopefully I’ll get another chance to see them live sometime in the near future.

ABC performing Poison Arrow at the NEC 17May08

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Took the kids to watch the new Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie this weekend. I wasn’t expecting much since the overall rotten tomatoes score for the movie is at a lowly 4%. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the “tomatometer” that low before!! Anyway, my kids wanted to see the movie no matter what the critics said so we went. And not surprisingly, the kids ended up liking it and I was left wondering if there was anything noteworthy to write about in the flick. and that’s just it. all I felt about it was: “meh”. The battle scenes were pretty cool I must say but the story and character interactions weren’t all that memorable. I still can’t recall what went on in the story except for some deception by Count Dooku and some kidnapped slimy Hutt baby. Oh and I can confirm that the character animation in the film definitely has an eerie “Thunderbirds” marionettes feel to them. I’m not sure if it was a knowing “wink” to the old 60’s TV show but it made the characters a bit stiff and odd looking. It’s sad to see that George Lucas has to continue to milk this cash cow but … hey, my kids don’t seem to mind..

Star Wars: The Clone Wars trailer

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boy, that Todd Rundgren review took a lot out of me. That was probably the most extensive review I’ve posted here. I’m not sure I can be THAT detailed for every album review but for the ones I find special, I probably will. Here’s what I got coming soon here on retroblog: ABC’s Traffic, Rick Springfield’s latest, Extreme, Guthrie Guvan, Fiction Plane and Sam Phillips.
so stay tuned! and please feel free to leave me some feedback. How am I doing so far? the good, the bad. anything you’d like to see on the blog? let me know.

Ahh, it’s back to school time again. I can’t believe the summer’s already over. It just all went by so fast. I’m sure the kids would agree as well. We’re almost finished getting all the school supplies off of the kids’ lists. It’s SO inconvenient when the teachers send the classroom supplies lists just a week before school starts. It really doesn’t give us parents a lot of time to get things together. plus, the local stores are just mobbed with kids and parents, all fighting over the last trapper keeper. One thing, I do want to do before school starts is to upgrade to a faster internet connection. I’m finding that more and more homework assignments are requiring the kids to link up to the school servers from home. I suppose it’s inevitable since broadband internet has become so integrated into our daily lives.
and as luck would have it, Charter Communications is currently running a new promotion for their customers called the Charter Laptop-a-Day Giveaway. Folks that sign up for their high speed internet service from now until Sept. 22nd are eligible to win one of 30 brand new HP Compaq Presario C770US Laptops. Man, winning one of these would be fantastic especially since my oldest is entering middle school this school year. Another cool thing Charter is doing is giving away free Shell gas cards on all online orders. So, not only are you getting the best prices on high speed internet and digital phone services but you get free gas PLUS a chance to win a new laptop. Sounds like a great deal to me. To find out more, head on over the Charter Communications today.

Album: Arena
Artist: Todd Rundgren
label: Hi Fi Recordings (U.S.), Cooking Vinyl (U.K.)
release date: September 30th (U.S.), September 29th (U.K.)
review by: retroBlog.net

Back in the early nineties, Todd Rundgren once sang about “the old rocking chair” and how it beckoned him “like a junkie’s needle.” Well, thank goodness he never succumbed to that middle-aged temptation. This year, Rundgren has been busier than ever, touring almost non-stop with his own band as well as heading up a Beatles’ Sgt. Peppers tribute tour. He even managed to find time to record his twentieth solo album, Arena, which will be making its way to stores by the end of September. Arena is probably the most accessible sounding record Rundgren has made since the Nearly Human days. It’s essentially the guitar-rock album fans have long been asking for. You’ll find no church-bashing (i.e. Fascist Christ, Mammon), pseudo-rapping (i.e. No World Order, Individualist) or show tunes (i.e. The Smell of Money) here. You’ll even notice simpler chord progressions just by the fact that the songs are guitar-based rather than keyboard-based. So, those typical Rundgren-esque tone-clusters which are normally an integral part of the Rundgren sound aren’t as plentiful although they do pop up now and then like in the middle section of Afraid or the bridge in the song Today. But don’t get me wrong when I say “simpler” chords. This just means that the songs will have a more immediate impact on a wider range of listeners. Hopefully this new accessible version of Rundgren will allow him to reach a larger audience this time around which unfortunately didn’t happen the last go-round with his critically acclaimed Liars album in 2004.

As with most of his albums, Rundgren focused his material on a particular concept which, on Arena, is all about conflict and how we (men in particular) react to them. Rundgren was quoted in a recent interview that “this record is more about action. Time for talk is over. Now it’s time to actually do something.”

1. Mad
The album opens with a guitar arpeggio reminiscent of Rundgren’s “Buffalo Grass” but then kicks into a straight ahead rocker a la “Black and White”. “This is more than upset, it’s as enraged as I get and you ain’t seen me mad yet, and now I’m mad!” screams Rundgren in the chorus. His vocal performance is amazing here. Is this man truly 60 years old??!?!!?? The energetic performance on this song is that of a man half his age. it’s awe-inspiring. the song also features a tasty guitar solo that recalls the solo from Utopia’s “The Very Last Time”, which in itself was a nod to Tom Scholz/Boston. sweet. The strong album opener is also the first single off the album.

2. Afraid
“Mad” segues right into “Afraid”, one of the more typical “Todd” sounding songs on the album that could have fit right into his previous albums like The Individualist. The highlight is the middle section where Rundgren repeatedly asks “Why suffer for nothing? Suffer for something.” Then the song builds to a nice, restrained David Gilmour-ish guitar solo.

3. Mercenary
The opening metal guitar intro would work perfectly as some wrestler’s theme music on WWE monday night RAW. No one would ever recognize that this is the same dude that came up with “Bang on the Drum”. Rundgren even manages to sound pretty menacing with that Trent Reznor-type distortion on his vocals during the verses. The distortion effect goes away just in time to clearly hear Rundgren scream at the top of his lungs – “How do you like me now that I’ve done your dirty work? How do you like me NOW???” The song is obviously about the Iraq War but Rundgren leaves the door open to let it be just about any type of work being contracted out. You can even take it as some sort of statement about Rundgren’s work with The New Cars, being a “hired gun” and all. OK, that’s stretching it a bit but you get the gist. Oh, and I love the nod to Boston’s “More than a Feeling” in the acoustic-led bridge section. hhmmm, another reference to Boston? Maybe concert promoters should take note of this and somehow arrange a tour package next summer with Rundgren and Boston together? *hint, hint*.

4. Gun
“Gun” just screams ZZ Top with Texas blues riffs galore. Rundgren would say before playing this song at his shows that this is “a FUN song about something really CREEPY”. His stance on gun control is pretty clear with the chorus: “You better run ’cause I’m young, dumb and I’ve got a gun, public idiot number one, ’cause I’m young, dumb and I’ve got a gun!” and the reference to Full Metal Jacket is genius – “This is my rifle, this is my gun, this is for fighting, this is for fun!” and again, another great guitar break in the middle of this song. love it.

5. Courage
There’s a significant shift in the sonic palette once track 5 starts up. With “Courage”, Rundgren channels the 70’s version of himself, complete with jangly acoustic/electric strumming and sugary sweet harmonies. It’s interesting to note that the instrumental intro featuring the flang-y lead guitar seems to be a knowing nod to Moe Berg and the Pursuit of Happiness. A nice change of pace after the first four “heavy” sounding songs.

6. Weakness
“Weakness” is definitely one of the featured tracks on Arena especially after Rundgren dedicated the song to his wife, Michele, when he debuted the song live in Kauai at his 60th birthday bash. The song is a great hybrid of a bluesy guitar-riffed verse (a la Rundgren’s “Mystified”) mashed up with a soaring ballad of a chorus not unlike Rundgren’s “Hawking” (off of Nearly Human). His vocal performance is spectacular here which helps make those clunky superman references in the lyrics go down easier. Unfortunately the weak (yes, had to say it) part about the song is the stiff high-hat that gets pushed to the fore during the verses. It’s too bad Rundgren didn’t get Prairie Prince to overdub the cymbal work on the song because he would have been able to add that extra groove during those sparsely arranged moments in the song.

7. Strike
“Strike” is Rundgren doing his best AC/DC interpretation. There’s not a lot of substance in the lyrics here but it’s a fun song nevertheless with a lot of musical elements added into the pot to keep things interesting. The guitar solo isn’t all that striking (ouch, sorry. it was there.) here but man, that repetitive chorus will burn into your brain and last for days and days. It’s relentless! Listen to Rundgren screaming “Time to STRIKE while the iron is HOT!!” and tell me this guy ain’t 60 years old!!??!!

8. Pissin
“Pissin” is the required novelty track on the album. Rundgren always seems to include one on each of his records. It’s definitely not one of the better songs on Arena but it’s still pretty memorable. I mean, where else are you going to find someone singing the line “and now your dick is in the mayonnaise“??? The modulation into the instrumental section of the song is a nice touch.

9. Today
“Today” sounds almost like a leftover from the Liars sessions with the sequenced keyboard part and the pseudo-techno drum patterns. Here, Rundgren exhorts his listeners to resolve their differences with others, TODAY! It’s a great message and the song is a definite standout on the record.

10. Bardo
“Bardo” has Robin Trower’s “Bridge of Sighs” written all over it. I love the guitar work on this one and the mood that is set here. Rundgren expands on the message from “Today” and brings in a Buddhist concept of transition where you need to confront your own issues in order for you to move on. “You can’t go back from where you came, you must move on and face the flame of the last Bardo.” Rundgren interestingly adds some white noise during the ending guitar solo to create some tension a la the Beatles’ “I Want You (She’s so Heavy)”.

11. Mountaintop
Rundgren has already stated that he would love “Mountaintop” to replace “Bang on the Drum” as a sporting event favorite. and it has potential with the ever so catchy “higher-higher” refrain during the chorus.
Rundgren uses an interesting reverb effect on his vocals (during the verses) as well as on the bass drum that kind of recalls John Lennon’s use of the echo effect on songs like “Instant Karma”. The reverb effect on the bass drum is particularly distracting for me. I’m not sure if the general audience will pick up on it but since I’m a drummer, I notice it. basically, the digital delay on the bass drum is not in time with the overall tempo. I’m not sure if it’s intentional or not but it sure is distracting.

12. Panic
“Panic” is a great song that recalls both Rundgren’s “Yer Fast” and Utopia’s “Itch in My Brain”. Probably one of my favorites at the moment. His sense of humor shines through with lines like: “The zombies awake but it won’t help to panic… your boner goes soft but it don’t help to panic… and you just made a stinky…” classic!! heh.

13. Manup
“Manup” is a strong closer. It pretty much sums up what Rundgren wants us all to do which is essentially to stop our complaining, get up off our asses and do something! The ending guitar solo is sweet but stops short. In fact most of the guitar solos on the album are short and concise but as he has mentioned in previous interviews, that’s how Rundgren views “Arena rock”: very melodic with big hooks and concise to the point guitar solos. I would have given him more leeway with the guitar solos but that’s just me.

- Overall Sound – If you’re familiar with Rundgren’s output over the last decade then you basically know how he operates in terms of recording his albums. Arena was essentially recorded with protools on his macbook utilizing programmed/sequenced bass and drum tracks, virtual guitar amp emulators, etc. Personally I would have preferred real drums over the “canned” drum sounds but that just might be the drummer side of me talking. Those sampled drum sounds just don’t give songs like “Mercenary”, “Strike” and “Mountaintop” the visceral power they need to take ‘em over the top, you know what I mean? Aside from the guitars, the “virtual band” made some of the songs sound a bit more restrained than I would have liked. Not really sure if it was a time or budget limitation but I suppose that’s Todd’s call and who am I to argue, right? And I guess, in the overall scheme of things, the sound of the record isn’t as important as the songs themselves. As long as the songs are well written it really doesn’t matter how their recorded. Just take the timeless Beatles catalog as one example of that. And it’s safe to say with these 13 songs on Arena, Rundgren delivers! It’s definitely the perfect follow up to his 2004 Liars album.

Oh, and for those of us sticklers that still grumble over the use of drum machines and such, Rundgren’s got us covered by bundling the new album with a DVD and CD of Rundgren’s live performance of the new album from the July 14th Boulder Theater show. So the packaged bundle sounds like a great deal. Look for it in stores beginning September 30th.

[update: 10Sep08]
It seems that the production company responsible for the live DVD wasn’t able to finish the project in time to get it bundled with the initial release of the CD. So fans will have to decide on either purchasing the CD-only release at the end of september or wait for the DVD/CD combo which will be released later in the year (no word on an actual date for the combo release). I suppose Todd Fans will pick up both and I’m sure that’s what HI FI Recordings will be counting on so they could essentially “double-dip” their product.
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listen to an excerpt of Rundgren’s lead off single from the new album Arena – “Mad” (for streaming only):

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purchase Todd Rundgren CDs on Amazon:

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For all things Todd, check out Rundgren on myspace as well as over on the TR Connection. For detailed info on the U.K. Rundgren dates, head on over to the NoblePR Arena page. And be sure to catch Rundgren (along with Rachel Haden, Prairie Prince, Kasim Sulton and Jesse Gress) on tour which starts back up in October.
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With Todd Rundgren’s initial U.S. leg of his “Arena” tour finished, I caught up with Rundgren’s current bassist Rachel Haden to find out her thoughts on the tour and to see what she’s got next on her plate. Rachel is the daughter of jazz musician Charlie Haden and one of the Haden Triplets (along with Petra and Tanya of course). Being from a family overflowing with musical talent, it was pretty much a no-brainer for Rachel to become a musician herself. She has been involved in a variety of different projects over the years including being a member of The Rentals, that dog. and has recently recorded with Neil Hamberger on his album Neil Hamberger sings Country Winners.

So here’s the RetroBlog Q&A with Rachel Haden -

retroDan: Rachel, you’ve spent the summer touring the U.S. with rock icon Todd Rundgren who has been known to tour only with a short list of “regulars” (i.e. Prairie Prince, Jesse Gress, Kasim Sulton). How did you wind up becoming his bassist?
Rachel Haden: That’s a good question. I’m still asking myself that! Prairie is a good friend and recommended me. Thanks Prairie!

retroDan: What has it been like for you touring with Rundgren? any highlights? lowlights? funny stories?
Rachel: It’s been a very challenging and positive experience. I have grown so much as a person and musician on this last tour. Todd has been such a mentor to me. He pushes me out of my comfort zone. He encourages me like no one else has; not only to be the best bass player I can be but also the best person I can be. There has been nothing but highlights and lowlights and funny stories. One time Prairie and I went jogging in what we didn’t know was a swamp full of mosquitos…don’t ask. We turned around quickly.

retroDan: Any favorites off the current setlist?
Rachel: Yes. I would say “Today” and “Weakness” are my favorites thus far…

retroDan: I’m curious – while on tour, what do you do with your time when you’re not on stage?
Rachel: I like to work out in the Hotel gym (if there is one), have a shrimp cocktail with Prairie and watch a lot of TV Land and The Food Network. I also like to take walks and people watch.

retroDan: Rundgren’s summer U.S. leg of his tour ended earlier this month. Will you continue with Rundgren when he heads over to the U.K. in November? What are your plans in the meantime?
Rachel: I will be continuing with the band over in Europe and the U.K. in November. In the meantime I am continuing to write and record on Garageband in my kitchen; with the hopes of putting out a record of my own. My sisters and my brother and I are preparing for the up and coming Haden Family show August 24th at Lincoln Center.

[update: Rundgren will be touring in October as well. Dates are currently in the works. Check the TR Connection for the latest updates.]

retroDan: With your dad being a famous Jazz musician, and you and your siblings being all musically gifted, what was it like growing up with such a musical family? Was it anything like the Partridge family?
Rachel: It was very fun. There was always music being played. We really enjoy singing 3 part harmony and we did that a lot. It was just part of our life, and still is!

retroDan: How often do you get to see your family nowadays?
Rachel: We are all busy with various projects, so not as often as I would like.

retroDan: what were your early musical influences growing up?
Rachel: I listened to a lot of 4AD artists: The Pixies, The Cocteau Twins, The Throwing Muses, Dead Can Dance, Lush, Mark kozelek, His Name Is Alive…the list will go on forever if I don’t stop here!!

retroDan: Aside from all your musical endeavors, what else do you enjoy doing?
Rachel: I enjoy making salads and watching I Love Lucy. I would also like to get out a bit more. I could be a hermit at times.

retroDan: As you’ve mentioned earlier, you’re currently working on new material for your very own solo project. You have a fantastic voice. Even Matt Sharp (The Rentals) has been quoted in the past stating that your voice is the purest that he’s ever heard. Why has it taken this long for you to finally decide to record an album of your own?
Rachel: I’ve been wanting to put out my own music for quite some time now. I’ve worked with various people throughout the years and no one has really stuck with me. Aside from my sisters, it’s not easy to meet musical soul mates. That’s what I want and this takes time.

retroDan: Are those demos on myspace, material for the new album? I’m really fond of the tracks “My Valentine” and “I’m Away”, by the way.
Rachel: Yes. I’m hoping to re-record “My Valentine”…the production is not exactly what I had in my mind…”I’m Away” came out exactly how I imagined. I worked on that one with Jacob Holm-Lupo from Norway. I was lucky enough to be able to fly out there this past year and stay with he and his family. What a magical experience. I’d like to do a whole record there. The musicians I met were outstanding and real. Not to mention the country too.
Listen to Rachel Haden’s “I’m Away”:

retroDan: What’s your typical approach to writing songs? Do you start with a musical phrase? chord progression? lyrical idea?
Rachel: I start with a melody that is inspired by my surroundings or by sounds, like traffic or the drone of the refrigerator. Movies also inspire me. Then I just expand from there with chord progressions. . Lyrics usually come last.

retroDan: What’s the status of the Rentals? Will you be back with them after this stint with Rundgren?
Rachel: I’m not sure what the status of The Rentals is. I have not spoken with Matt for almost a year! Let me know if you find anything out.

retroDan: Any hope for a that dog. reunion?
Rachel: I would love that.

retroDan: I love your Magic Salad video on youtube. But, Rachel, is the liquid from the tuna-can really necessary???
Rachel: I know, but to each his/her own. I like it!!

retroDan: Of all the projects that you’ve been involved with, which ones are you most proud of?
Rachel: All of them.

OK, and lastly, the speed round…

- What’s currently playing on your iPod?
Rachel: Sun Kil Moon, Thomas Newman, Invisible Animals, Buffalo Daughter, Yann Tiersen, Ennio Morricone…

- Read any good books lately?
Rachel: Not lately..I was on a kind of reading kick last year. I read like 5 books in a month! The Bell Jar, The Stranger, Steppenwolf…those were a few of my favorites.

- Favorite movie?
Rachel: No one favorite movie, but I really love Fellini and Jim Jarmusch.

- Your pick: Pro tools or A tascam 4-track cassette recorder?
Rachel: I’m not good at working with programs like Pro-tools and Logic. I’d prefer to work with other people if I’m going to be doing that. I do love Garageband…and of course it all started with my Tascam 4-track. How I still love her!

- A favorite quote?
Rachel: All I know is I know nothing.

Thanks Rachel!
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- See Rachel Haden along with the rest of the Haden family at:
Lincoln Center’s 25th Annual Roots of American Music Festival on Sunday, August 24th, 2008.

- and catch Rundgren (along with Rachel, Prairie Prince, Jesse Gress and Kasim Sulton) on tour this fall/winter. for more information about the new album Arena, visit Rundgren’s official myspace page

Credit: All photos of Rachel Haden and Todd Rundgren are by Jaime Butler. used with permission.

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