Like Trains & Taxis

Inspirations: Street Art

2011-01-19T16:26:00.000-08:00

On my recent trip to L.A. I got a chance to check out the Carmichael Gallery (www.carmichaelgallery.com). Besides the stimulating and thought provoking works in their "After the Rain" exhibit, they also have some interesting books on street art. One of them had a quote from a professor about how anything that goes on public display that doesn't promote buying and selling is, by nature, subversive. That's what I like about street art - it's out there for everyone to see (often unexpectedly) and it provides an opportunity for awareness of a world beyond consumerism and materialism. Enjoy some photos from my adventures!

Summertime!

2010-08-02T14:49:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone. Hope you're enjoying your summer. Sorry for the lack of communication as of late. We've been busy writing the next album and trying to plot the way forward as a band; a slow and arduous process indeed. Can't wait to share the new material with you all. Stay tuned!

Conversations with Locals: Tour Journal Week 1

2010-05-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

When you’re on a long tour like we are, it’s difficult to appreciate each place. Drive. Eat. Load in. Show. Load out. Party. Sleep. Time rolls by faster than our minivan eats up stretches of American highway. Throw in a hundred names of bands and venues, a little sleep deprivation, some time zone shifts and you start forgetting where you are. For me, every place has a strange sense of familiarity and I often have to remind myself I’m somewhere new.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to appreciate about the places we’re visiting – but it’s like what Vincent Vega says in Pulp Fiction about how Europe is cool because of the little differences. Any cross-country traveler with a keen and experienced sensibility will detect a great diversity of food, accents, architecture, etc., but those are little differences.

In my experience so far on this tour, I think a lot of the bigger, more important stuff is the same for most people of our generation all over the country. The same topics – like figuring out life after college, trying to improve the hometown, fighting social pressure to retain personal integrity – keep coming up in conversations with locals and I don’t think it’s a coincidence. It's a camaraderie I have with other members of my generation facing similar issues and striving to reach similar goals that makes places I’ve never been before seem familiar.

Anyway, we’re a little over a week into the second leg, so check out the dates below or visit www.liketrainsandtaxis.com and come out to a Like Trains & Taxis show near you! Speaking of familiar places, If you’re in Seattle, we’ll be playing at Café Venus, Mars Bar tomorrow night at 9 p.m.

Tour! (Round 2)

2010-05-12T09:25:00.000-07:00

The second leg of our tour kicks off Saturday night in Pittsburgh. West Coast here we come! Check out the dates:

Saturday May 15th: Howler’s Coyote Cafe, Pittsburgh, PA
Sunday May 16th: The Summit, Columbus OH
Monday May 17th: The Greenwich, Cincinnati, OH
Tuesday May 18th: The Gramophone, St Louis, MO
Wednesday May 19th: The Dark Room, Chicago, IL
Thursday May 20th: TBA, Iowa City, IA
Friday May 21st: The Beauty Shop, Fairfield, IA
Saturday May 22nd: Acadia Cafe, Minneapolis, MN
Sunday May 23rd: Barley Street Tavern, Omaha, NE
Tuesday May 25th: Rex Lounge, Denver Colorado
Wednesday May 26th: Terrapin Station, Boise, ID
Thursday May 27th: Cafe Venus, Mars Bar Seattle, WA
Friday May 28th: In Other Words, Portland, OR
Saturday May 29th: The Connecticut Yankee, San Francisco, CA
Sunday May 30th: The Bootleg, Los Angeles, CA
Tuesday June 1st: Lightning Bear, Las Cruces, NM
Wednesday June 2nd: The Deli, Norman, OK
Thursday June 3rd: Scissortail Social Club, Oklahoma City, OK
Friday June 4th: The Ghost Room, Austin, TX
Saturday June 5th: The Circle Bar, New Orleans, LA
Monday June 7th: TBA, Little Rock, AR
Tuesday June 8th: P & H Cafe, Memphis, TN
Thursday June 10th: Sapphire, Knoxville, TN

As was the case on the first leg, we're waiting on more details for a couple shows. We're also trying to fill in a few open dates. You can find more details and get updates on our myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/liketrainsandtaxis

Also, if you haven't voted for us in Deli Magazine's NYC Artist of the Month poll, or have access to a second computer, smart phone, etc, please vote; we're in a really close race: http://nyc.thedelimagazine.com/

The poll is on the upper right hand side.

Thanks!!!

Deli Magazine Artist of the Month?

2010-05-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

We've been nominated for Deli Magazine's artist of the month! NYC can be a hard place to crack and this may be a sign that things are starting to give a little bit. Please take a moment and vote for us on their NYC homepage:

http://nyc.thedelimagazine.com.

The poll is on the upper right hand side. We really appreciate the support!!!

Update:

Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote for us and help spread the word to others. We were able to amass 816 votes; an unfathomable number to me when I originally created the event.
The three of us are extremely grateful for all the support!

Unfortunately, we fell just short of the other band's 836.

We're all smiles nonetheless!

"Tales from a Revolving Door," out now!

2010-04-07T09:16:00.000-07:00

As of yesterday, our debut full length album, "Tales from a Revolving Door," is officially available!

You can get a copy on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tales-from-a-revolving-door/id359166377, as well as various other online retailers, or at any of our shows.

Speaking of which, the first leg of our tour kicks off tonight in Newark, NJ!

Tour! (round one)

2010-03-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

Well it's that time again. We're preparing to hit the road in support of our new record, due out April 6th. Here's a list of dates:

Wednesday April 7th: The Spot, Newark, NJ---8pm
Friday April 9th: The Khyber, Philadelphia, PA---9pm
Saturday April 10th: Bowery Electric, New York, NY---7pm
Sunday April 11th: Cousin Larry’s, Danbury, CT---9pm
Monday April 12: The SAC @ Rutgers University, New Brunswick---8pm
Tuesday April 13: The Savant Project, Boston, MA---9pm (solo)
Wednesday April 14th: Langdon Street Cafe, Montpelier, VT---7pm
Thursday April 15th: Manhattan Pizza, Burlington, VT---10pm
Friday April 16th: Penn State University, State College, PA---12pm
Friday April 16th: House Party, Syracuse, NY---10pm
Saturday April 17th: Longitude Global Headquarters, Fredonia, NY---8pm
Monday April 19th: Wilbert’s, Cleveland, OH---8pm
Tuesday April 20th: Elbo Room, Chicago, IL---8:30pm
Wednesday, April 21st: The Vollrath, Indianapolis, IN---9pm
Thursday, April 22nd: ACAC, Little Rock, AR---9:30pm
Friday, April 23rd: The Lounge on Elm St, Dallas, TX---8pm
Saturday, April 24th: TBA, Austin, TX
Sunday, April 25th: Dean’s Credit Clothing, Houston, TX---9pm
Monday, April 26th: The Red Star, Baton Rouge, LA---10pm
Tuesday, April 27th: Cafe Prytania, New Orleans, LA---10pm
Wednesday, April 28th: Smith’s Olde Bar(Atlanta Room), Atlanta, GA---8pm
Thursday April 29th: Manhattan’s Club, Knoxville, TN---9pm
Friday April 30th: TBA, Asheville/Charlotte, NC
Saturday, May 1st: Broad Street Cafe, Durham NC---10pm
Sunday, May 2nd: Diven House, Norfolk, VA--6:30pm

We're still finalizing some info on a few dates. That should be up soon. If you or anyone you know are in or around these areas, please spread the word and come out to support. We can't do it without you!

In another month or so we should have info regarding the second leg of the tour. Look out West Coast.

For further details visit: http://www.myspace.com/liketrainsandtaxis

Here's a look at our fall 2009 tour:

Inspirations: Wilco

2010-03-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

When I listen to Wilco, the first thing I notice are the layers of rich guitar tone, then Tweedy’s rhythmic wordplay entices me with its imagery, but eventually I end up focusing on Glen Kotche’s drumming. Playing in a lyrically driven band with 3 guitars, bass, and keyboards means knowing how to leave space—and Kotche shines at doing more with less. His talent lies in his time, his feel, and a keenly developed sense of his “voice” on his instrument. Check out the artful way he drives the beat in “Side With the Seeds”

Inspirations: Leonard Cohen

2010-03-12T05:13:00.001-08:00

Beneath My Hands

Beneath my hands
your small breasts
are the upturned bellies
of breathing fallen sparrows.

Wherever you move
I hear the sounds of closing wings
of falling wings.

I am speechless
because you have fallen beside me
because your eyelashes
are the spines of tiny fragile animals.

I dread the time
when your mouth
begins to call me hunter.

When you call me close
to tell me
your body is not beautiful
I want to summon
the eyes and hidden mouths
of stone and light and water
to testify against you.

I want them
to surrender before you
the trembling rhyme of your face
from their deep caskets.

When you call me close
to tell me
your body is not beautiful
I want my body and my hands
to be pools
for your looking and laughing.

-from The Spice-Box of Earth

I suppose when most people think of Leonard Cohen the first thing that comes to mind is his music, and with all time classic songs like "Hallelujah" in his repertoire, it's no surprise. Recently though, I encountered a collection of selected poems and songs dating back to his first book of poetry called "Let us Compare Mythologies," which was published in 1956 when Cohen was twenty two. There are several things that have impressed me about this collection so far, but for the sake of brevity, I'll simply offer the above poem for your rumination.

Inspirations: Phil Spector

2010-03-04T22:56:00.001-08:00

This week I've been listening to music produced by Phil Spector in order to study the "wall of sound" he achieved in the 1960s. That huge sound of guitars strumming in unison, drums recorded in an echo chamber, and full orchestras accompanying lush textures of vocal harmonies is why I still love the oldies station on the radio. Check out this prime example of the "wall of sound" - "Be My Baby" by the Ronettes - used to full effect here in Matin Scorsese's 1973 film "Mean Streets" (song starts at 0:40) :

Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys were also influenced by Phil Spector's production techniques, although they never worked together. In fact, Brian Wilson said that "Be My Baby" is "the greatest pop record ever made" and he considers the Beach Boy's song "Don't Worry Baby" to be the "male answer" to it:

"Charlie" Video!

2010-03-01T07:30:00.000-08:00

Here's the video for our song "Charlie," which was the featured track on the teaser EP of the same name we released in November, and is the default lead single from our upcoming album "Tales from a Revolving Door." The video was directed by Robbie Barclay who we met back in December at a Beatles festival we played in Brooklyn. After our performance, Robbie approached us about collaborating on a project. We quickly agreed. I told him that he could choose from any of the songs off of our new record to work with and "Charlie" was his pick, which was somewhat serendipitous since the consensus amongst the people around us when making the album was that "Charlie" was the song we should lead with. Funny how things work out. Enjoy!

Inspirations: Serge Gainsbourg

2010-02-26T08:02:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact our album hasn't officially been released yet, we're already busy laying the foundation for the next one. We're all really excited about the new songs that are brewing, some of which you can expect to hear on our upcoming tour. This time around, we've decided to have something more concrete to reference when attempting to make our demos so we can experiment with different modes of arrangement and production. With that in mind, every Friday (or so) one of us will be sharing something that is, in one way or another, influencing the process and the way we think about our songs, as well as music and art in general.

Recently I've been exploring the work of Serge Gainsbourg. His music encapsulates one of the main goals I have for the next album, and really moving forward as a songwriter in general; eclectic arrangements informed by forward thinking production.

"Tales from a Revolving Door" out April 6th!

2010-02-22T04:01:00.000-08:00

We're happy to announce that our debut full length album, "Tales from a Revolving Door" will finally be available on Tuesday April 6th. In the meantime, you can pick up an advance copy at any of our upcoming shows.

As with our two other releases, the artwork was done by the wonderfully talented Christina Entcheva. Check out more of her work here: http://www.christinaentcheva.com/

Haiti Benefit Show this Friday!

2010-02-15T12:22:00.001-08:00

It's going to be a great show for a great cause. Come out!

Update: We were able to raise $1000 for the relief effort in Haiti. Thanks to everyone who came out!

Home Stretch

2009-12-01T21:34:00.000-08:00

It was about 8 p.m. when we were passing through a random town somewhere in western Montana. We were thinking of getting dinner as we drove by a good selection of restaurants but we weren't quite hungry yet and we decided to wait until the next town to eat. Little did we know that we wouldn't come across anything but open prairie for the next six hours. . . so when we got to Bismarck, North Dakota, the soft yellow glow of the Denny’s sign felt particularly welcoming at 2:30 a.m.

The next day in Minneapolis, we got so excited to see city lights after hundreds of miles of darkness that we took a gamble on what locals were calling “the best pizza in Minnesota” and wound up feeling homesick for authentic east coast pie. The gig that night was at Lee’s Liquor Lounge, which is an awesome nostalgic country music bar with a shrine to Elvis on the wall, an old lady sewing in the corner, and Chuck Berry as the house music. Although the couch surfer we were staying with claimed to have acquired his house for free (it needed work and he knew how to take advantage of some government program), it was a great little place and he made us feel at home.

Compared to the previous couple of days, the drive to Chicago was a breeze and we ended up staying at Semaphore studio where we recorded our new album. There was some issue with the couch surfer we planned to stay with and when we met up with Eric, the engineer who did our album, he offered us to stay in the studio. As if things weren’t ironic enough, Owen ends up finding us a couch surfer to stay with the following night named Andre who Eric happens to know from work. We ended up getting comp drink tickets from the club where Andre works and became captivated by the movie Snakes on a Plane, which was being projected above the bar with the sound off. Back at Andre’s apartment we had to maneuver around his various art projects and homemade furniture but once we got settled, he had us in stitches with a hilarious obscure comedy show he found on YouTube.

In Pittsburgh, we stayed with a tight-knit house of film students who cooked us some kick ass ribs and potatoes for dinner and afterward, shared their hookah and one of their favorite films, Natural Born Killers. The next day we spent hanging out at one of the couch surfers’ uncle’s house, which was a state-of-the-art custom-built villa perched on a hillside overlooking downtown Pittsburgh. We had a great time playing pool next to the fireplace, perusing the impressive wine seller, and admiring the view from the ballroom floor. All this put us into a relaxed mood for the last show of the tour and we were happy to get to play for some people at Ava Lounge.

Now, we’re back home after an amazing trip. Come check us out this weekend! We’re playing at the Arthouse in New Brunswick this Friday at 7 p.m. and on Sunday we’re going to be part of an all-day benefit show for Yoko Ono at the Brooklyn Bowl in NY, starting at noon. More info at www.liketrainsandtaxis.com

Anniversary

2009-11-17T03:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we celebrated the two-year anniversary of the current lineup of Like Trains & Taxis. Although completely unintentional, I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than by setting two band records. The first was playing a show in Seattle, which is the farthest from home we've ever played—and the second was playing our eighth consecutive show, which is the most shows we've ever done back to back. I think of these coincidences as an auspicious sign of what's in store and, as we start to head east, I am reminded of how lucky we've been so far.

The people we stayed with in Scottsdale, AZ took us to dinner at the restaurant where one of them works and we were treated to nachos, mixed shots, and an audacious pink tower of cotton candy. The two lovely girls came out to support us at our show and even made breakfast in the morning.

We met up with some old friends at our show in Long Beach, CA and in L.A. we rode beach cruiser bikes alongside the Pacific while admiring shorefront houses with their enormous tinted picture windows and stylish outdoor patios. After a breathtaking drive north through the mountains and vast windmill farms, we arrived in Berkeley to give an intimate show at a local student's house / D.I.Y. venue. Playing in his living room for a handful of attentive listeners sitting just an arm's length away reminded me of what music must have been like before it was turned into a billion dollar industry.

The next morning, we left early to tackle the ten hour drive to Portland where we played two shows in the same night. Now, without a moment to digest the whirlwind of recent activity, we press on toward Minneapolis. It won't be long now...

Pass here and move on . . .

2009-11-09T13:28:00.000-08:00

I just listened to the Simon and Garfunkel song "America" so I'm feeling the spirit of cross country travel and I figured I'd take a moment to catch you up on the past few days. The people we stayed with in Lafayette were super cool and they gave us a good taste of the local flavor by getting us fried shrip po' boys for dinner and syrup drenched buiscuits for breakfast. We talked about creole traditions like chicken chasing and about the french music festivals they have in town. Learning the difference between cajun music and zydeco music was only a matter of listening to the sounds floating in the air. Fast forward to Austin where we enjoyed some authentic bbq the first night and the best blackened catfish and collard greens in recent memory the second night. In between, we took a peak into the local indie music scene and followed some friends to a raucous high energy show at a local record store. Later we ened up at somebody's house, drinking mexican beer and watching people dance to Creedence and Steely Dan in the soft glow of Christmas lights strung along the cieling. Last night, our couch surfing host in Las Cruces, New Mexico took us for a hike to a waterfall in the surrounding mountains and the stars were so bright that we felt we could reach up and touch them. As I write this we're driving through the badlands of New Mexico on our way to a show in Scottsdale and I'm reminded of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by the dusty ramshackle roadside towns and the rugged mountain terrain all around us. Full speed ahead.

Pollifax

2009-11-07T14:18:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back we played a few songs for Pollifax's "The Wanderer Sessions." I love what Christine and Kevin are doing and we had a great time hanging out with them that night.

Check it out:

[Pollifax] Like Trains & Taxis "Day Wrecker"
by Pollifax

[Pollifax] Like Trains & Taxis "Cold Shoulder"
by Pollifax

[Pollifax] Like Trains & Taxis "Girls, Be Mysterious"
by Pollifax

In their own words:

pollifax is an online publication founded by christine tran and kevin olitan to feature the creative works of artists in its home community of new brunswick, new jersey. the publication would like to create a space for which to showcase the creative talents of the town's artists, writers, and musicians. amidst issues of finding and keeping proper spaces for artists, the founders created the site as a medium for local talent to be showcased to the world; a medium that is completely immune from the threat of being turned into a pizzeria.

http://www.vajrtennis.com/pollifax/

What a Day...

2009-11-03T01:31:00.001-08:00

So I was going to complain about all the bullshit we had to go through to get the minivan we reserved for the tour and the late start we got because of it; but after the 12 hour drive to get us within striking distance of New Orleans (where we'll be playing later this evening), I actually feel pretty damn good. It's beyond cliche, but you can't sweat the small stuff, and at the end of the day, we should be grateful for the opportunity to travel around the country doing what we love, regardless of the hassles and set backs that go along with it.

Anyway, cheers to Lillyan and all the folks over at Princess Palace for hosting a fun show on Sunday night. Hope to do it again sometime.

If you're in the New Orleans area, we'll be playing at Cafe Prytania. Show starts at 9pm.

Here's a link to an interview we did for The Rapt Magazine:
http://www.theraptmagazine.com/component/content/article/38-featuresmusic/166-like-trains-a-taxis.html

Check it out when you get the chance.

Fall Tour!

2009-10-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time again. We'll be hitting the road in a few days for a string of shows that will take us out to the west coast for the first time. Things kick off this Sunday in New Brunswick. Dates are listed below:

11/1 Princess Palace - New Brunswick, NJ
11/3 Cafe Prytania - New Orleans, LA
11/4 Artmosphere - Lafayette, LA
11/5 Bohemeo's - Houston, TX
11/6 tba - Austin TX
11/7 Ghost Room - Austin, TX
11/9 The Rogue Bar - Scottsdale, AZ
11/10 Dipiazza's - Long Beach, CA
11/11 Molly Malone's - Los Angeles, CA
11/12 The Carpentry - Berkeley, CA
11/13 Rockit Room - San Francisco, CA
11/14 tba - Portland, OR
11/15 Skylark Cafe & Lounge - Seattle, WA
11/17 Lee's Liquor Lounge - Minneapolis, MN
11/18 Martyrs' - Chicago, IL
11/21 Shadow Lounge - Pittsburgh, PA

For more details you can visit our myspace page here:

http://www.myspace.com/liketrainsandtaxis

Still working on filling in a few gaps, as well as finalizing the details for the tba dates, so check in for the most up to date info. We plan to do our best to catalog our experiences traveling across (more accurately around) the country on this blog, but you know how those things can go.

If you or someone you know is in or around the places we'll be stopping, come out and say hello!

A damn good show...

2009-10-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Great show tonight at the Saint in Asbury Park, NJ.

Elizabeth and the Catapult
Christina Courtin
Paul Rosevear (from Readymade Breakup)

and us!

Doors at 9pm.

Oh, and check out a discussion about our latest EP here:

http://jerseyshore.metromix.com/music/article/cd-review-like-trains/1550650/content

Indie Soul and Nu Jazz Tonight in Trenton

2009-10-12T21:57:00.000-07:00

We were asked to play a set with Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey at The Mill Hill Saloon in Trenton later tonight. The show actually starts at 7pm with a cool opening act. We'll be playing around 9pm.

Philly Fashion Week!

2009-10-08T11:30:00.001-07:00

We'll be playing at the philly fashion week opening night party. If you're in the area, come out!

Charlie EP available for download now!

2009-10-06T18:40:00.000-07:00

Our latest release, the "Charlie EP," is available today on CD Baby!
http://cdbaby.com/cd/ltataxis2
It will also be available on iTunes and other Internet outlets in the coming days.

New York City

2009-08-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

This will be our first NYC show in quite some time and it should be a good one. We need all the NYC support we can get so if you're around come out to this one.

Breakthrough Arts Fest!

2009-07-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

We helped kick things off Saturday night, and as you can see, there's plenty more to come.

The Making of our New Album

2009-07-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

Tonight!

2009-06-17T23:34:00.001-07:00

We'll be playing at this evening's kickoff event, which takes place at Tierney's Tavern. Doors at 9pm.

Twitter

2009-06-17T22:02:00.001-07:00

So we've broken down and joined twitter. You can follow us at www.twitter.com/trainsandtaxis.

Yes!?!?

Late Night/Early Morning Hilarity

2009-05-21T02:56:00.000-07:00

Police Slog Through 40,000 Insipid Party Pics To Find Cause Of Dorm Fire

The Lab

2009-05-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

So for the last couple of days (and for the next two weeks) we've been/will be in Chicago at Semaphore Recording Studio with Derrick "Drop" Braxton (Lupe Fiasco) working on our first full length record, which should be out this fall.

We'll have pictures and more updates in the coming days.

Also, we're now being spun on KGFN 89.1 in San Diego, CA, WRPI 91.5 in Troy, NY, and KSYM in San Antonio, TX. If you happen to live in these areas be sure to call in and request us!

Chapter 3: Austin / SXSW, New Orleans, Charleston, Charlotte

2009-04-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

WXVU-Villanova University Radio

2009-04-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

We've been added to the rotation at 89.1 WXVU, which is Villanova University's radio station in Pennsylvania.

If you pick up WXVU, be sure to call in and request us!

610-519-4340

www.wxvufm.com

Chapter 2: Denton, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio

2009-03-28T22:20:00.001-07:00

The Mikerophone

2009-03-23T22:21:00.000-07:00

Being a musician on tour is like hearing a laugh in the distance . . . you’re not sure what it means, but it definitely makes you feel good.

There’s nothing like staying in a different house every night with people you’ve never met before and probably will never meet again. There’s nothing like driving into a new place and seeing its profile appear like magic out of the horizon. There’s nothing like staying up too late, eating too little, and sweating too much over creating an occasion for celebrating art. There’s nothing like being out on the road, so how does one begin to give a sense of it—to share the experience with others?

So far, I’ve stayed with seekers of social justice at a hippie commune, I’ve discussed the bible with native Texans who attend a Baptist college, I’ve eaten Memphis Barbecue, I’ve seen where Kennedy was shot in Dallas, I’ve met a man who thought his ancestors were descended from Atlantis, and I’ve remembered the Alamo. Somewhere along the way I also learned about this country and myself and, hopefully, I left something of myself behind worth remembering.

With a lot more left to look forward to, I want to take advantage of every opportunity and savor every moment.

-Mike

Chapter 1: Columbus, Bloomington, and Memphis

2009-03-12T00:32:00.001-07:00