GROOVY NOODLES
THE ELM TREASON NEWSLETTER NUMBER 101
MAY 12, 2023
TREASON NOODLES
– All recording and mixing for our next studio album “WITHOUT A TRIBE” has officially been completed! FINALLY! The next step is mastering, then manufacturing of vinyl and CDs. The band is shooting for an official release date of July 9th – Bobby’s birthday. (That tentative release date is breaking news, by the way!)
OTHER NOODLES
– Artist Frank Kozik, who designed posters and other materials for Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Melvins, the Offspring and many others died at the age of 61.
– Dolly Parton has announced that her upcoming rock album, “Rockstar,” will arrive on Nov. 17. The album’s full list of guest contributors has also been confirmed: Sting, Steve Perry, Ann Wilson, Kevin Cronin, Michael McDonald, Debbie Harry, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Mick Fleetwood, Peter Frampton, and Elton John are among the collaborators on Parton’s first rock album.
– Chicago has announced more than 60 new U.S. tour dates. The trek is underway now and will last trough the fall. The tour will conclude in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 11.
– Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band will hit the road this fall for a U.S. tour throughout September and October. The monthlong trek will begin on Sept. 17 in Ontario, California, and run through Oct. 13 in Thackerville, Oklahoma. The current band lineup features Steve Lukather, Colin Hay, Edgar Winter, Warren Ham, Hamish Stuart and Gregg Bissonette.
– Pop-Pink veterans Sum 41 announced their breakup after 27 years together.
– Kix singer Steve Whiteman announced that the band will play its final show in September.
You Say: Ask Us Anything!
Hello Treasonites!
A couple of times a year we open up the “YOU SAY” forum so you can ask us ANYTHING you like or leave a comment on anything that moves you.
Here’s your chance to get down to the Treason Nitty-Gritty. What would you like to know? What can we shed light on?
“What’s Bobby’s favorite seeded fruit?”
“When did Andy use his first battery powered toothbrush?”
“Hey, I dig your stuff, but why do you NOT do more polka-flavored material?”
“Will you guys be doing solo albums?”
“Does this shirt make me look fat?”
Whatever you like, we’re here to answer, clarify, testify…
Let it rip! Please HIT that comments section… hard!
Birthdays This Past Week
Some birthdays we did not mention on our Facebook page…
Toni Tennille of Captain and Tennille fame turned 83 on Monday
Turning 52 last Saturday was Chris Shiflett, lead guitarist for Foo Fighters
Happy 46th birthday to blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa (Monday)
Eric Burdon, lead singer for the Animals, had birthday 82 on Thursday
Ian McCulloch, frontman for Echo and the Bunnymen, celebrated his 64th birthday last Friday
Singer-songwriter Donovan had birthday number 77 on Wednesday
Guitarist Dave Mason of Traffic celebrated his 77th birthday on Wednesday
Bill Ward, drummer for Black Sabbath, had his 75th birthday last Friday
Singer songwriter Adele turned 35 last Friday
Double Your Pleasure
Some of our favorite double albums ever…
There are SO SO SO SO SO MANY! Do you own any of these?
– LONDON CALLING, The Clash (1979)
– ELECTRIC LADYLAND, The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1968)
– BITCHES BREW, Miles Davis (1970)
– AT FILLMORE EAST, Allman Brothers Band (1971)
– PHYSICAL GRAFFITI, Led Zeppelin (1975)
– SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE, Stevie Wonder (1976)
– THE WALL, Pink Floyd (1979)
– BLONDE ON BLONDE, Bob Dylan (1966)
– EXILE ON MAIN STREET, Rolling Stones (1972)
– QUADROPHENIA, The Who (1973)
– THE BEATLES, Beatles (1968)
– THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY, Genesis (1974)
Groovy Noodles Extra: From the Pen of Andy Roman
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
The boys in the band in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Summer 2015
The word “OTTO” spelled backwards … and why not?
7 YEARS AGO THIS PAST WEEK
After completing a tour with Guns N’ Roses, Axl Rose takes over as lead singer for AC/DC, filling in for Brian Johnson at a show in Lisbon after Johnson is told that continuing the tour could result in permanent hearing loss.
8 YEARS AGO THIS PAST WEEK
In Tulsa, Oklahoma Rush begin their R40 Live tour, playing their newer songs first and working backward to “Working Man,” the song that launched them in America. It ends up being their last tour, as drummer Neil Peart develops brain cancer and dies in 2020.
16 YEARS AGO THIS PAST WEEK
Sammy Hagar sells an 80% stake in his Cabo Wabo tequila company to Gruppo Campari for $80 million.
18 YEARS AGO THIS PAST WEEK
Audioslave becomes the first US rock act to perform a free outdoor concert in Cuba when the group performs at La Tribuna in Havana.
30 YEARS AGO THIS PAST WEEK
The IRS confiscates personal property from Jerry Lee Lewis’ home in Mississippi and later auctions it off to help pay the $1.6 million he owes in back taxes.
37 YEARS AGO THIS PAST WEEK
Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe marries actress Heather Locklear. They divorce seven years later.
39 YEARS AGO THIS PAST WEEK
Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders marries Jim Kerr of Simple Minds.
51 YEARS AGO THIS PAST WEEK
In an effort to shed his teenybopper image, David Cassidy appears shirtless (and pantless) on the cover of Rolling Stone.
58 YEARS AGO THIS PAST WEEK
At a hotel in Clearwater, Florida, Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones can’t sleep because there’s a guitar riff running through his head. He rolls a tape, falls asleep and wakes up the next morning to find he’s recorded the riff to “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”
58 YEARS AGO THIS PAST WEEK
D.A. Pennebaker films Bob Dylan in one of the earliest music videos ever shot, the famous “flashcard” clip for “Subterranean Homesick Blues.”
NO Argument
They Got it Covered (mostly)
True Heartbreak
Some Truths are Self-Evident
It Took Us a Minute
We’ll Be Here All Week…
Busted
OUR FACEBOOK GROUP
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We will be posting more behind-the-scenes band stuff, exclusive previews, performances available nowhere else… plus all the stuff that people dig about our regular page.
If you join, grab a free WELCOME PACK… and don’t forget to watch the introductory video at the top of the page.
Interested?
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CONTACT US
Want to contact us directly with a guaranteed direct response via email? —> andy@elmtreason.com
NOODLES ARCHIVE
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Copyright 2022 Groovy Noodles, LLC
I’m trying to learn the violin, I think my hands are too small…any tips on how to stretch my fingers? Or shall I go back to drums?
How small you ask? Well, past boyfriends have loved them 🤣
are you playing a full size violin? you can try a 3/4 size and see how that works out. I think the more you play and get used to the layout of the instrument, your finger strength will increase and your hands will naturally stretch. You’d be surprised how far. Plus small hands are built for speed. Best of success to you!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 No comment on the past reactions of boyfriends.
A great way to loosen your fingers to play the violin (or really any instrument that requires dexterity and fluidity in the fingers) is to place your left forearm on a flat surface and gently pulling up on each finger, one at a time, with your other hand. Only bend each finger enough to feel a gentle stretch, but NOT to the point of discomfort.
Ha love all the pictures especially the Star Trek one. I’ll share with my Jersey wife who’s a huge Bruce fan haha.
Hey Gary!
So pleased you dig the pictures!
And please do share!
I am so glad Dolly Parton is putting out an awesome rock album! It’s too bad it came about since she was inducted into the RRHOF.
MAYBE Rob Halford will get inducted into the CMHOF so he can do a country album!😂🤣😅
Thanks for the entertainment!
Groovy
Hey Cliff! Andy here.
I was among those who FULLY ACKNOWLEDGED Dolly Parton’s status as a trailblazer and music legend. Without question. She deserves the accolades she gets and she has influenced countless.
But she is NOT a rock and roller, and thusly should NOT be in the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME.
Just my humblest opinion.
Andy, I enjoyed your “Extra” Texas story.
My question: Rock and Roll and comedy, seem to go hand in hand.
You two both have good senses of humors.
Who are your favorite comedians?
Favorite comedy movies?
Favorite comedy TV shows?
Favorite funny talk show hosts?
Answer all or any one, please.
Hi Bill! Andy here.
I dig your questions… so let me see…
My favorite comedians include (somewhat chronologically) … Buster Keaton… Laurel and Hardy… Abbott and Costello… Jackie Gleason… Redd Foxx … Don Rickels… Rodney Dangerfield… George Carlin (pre-1992, let’s say)… Sam Kinison
My favorite Comedy Movies include: Duck Soup… Bringing Up Baby… Animal House… Airplane… Airplane II… This is Spinal Tap… Annie Hall…Monty Python and the Holy Grail… The Naked Gun… Some Like it Hot… Dr. Strangelove … Blazing Saddles… The Odd Couple
My favorite comedy TV shows: I Love Lucy… The Honeymooners… Seinfeld (seasons 1-6)… Simpsons (seasons 1-8)… The Office (US version) (seasons 1-5)… M*A*S*H (seasons 1-5, scattered episodes thereafter)
My favorite talk show host of all time is Johnny Carson… in second place, the NBC era of David Letterman
There’s more… but off the top of the noggin, there you go..
I think Carlin might be the best, although I believe that Bill Burr may take that over someday, in my mind. Loved Annie Hall, Airplane and Airplane two. Loved Spinal Tap and then Chris Guest went on to do, A Mighty Wind, Best in Show and others. Those movies are amazing and hilarious and filled with brilliant improvisors. Recently binged Seinfeld and it was better the second time around. Loved Caddyshack, and Rodney was hilarious. Loved the Zucker Brother’s Police Squad and every once in a while, I’ll go back and watch those six episodes. You have to keep your eyes on it, because while the dialog is hilarious, what’s going on in the background is even funnier. Never got into the Honeymooners but Gleason was a genius. I like your one and two talk show host. I just reversed the order. I always watched Letterman, but I felt like he was a little freer to be himself on NBC. I loved Craig Ferguson and was sorry to see him go but he did the right thing. Loved Simpsons, but stopped watching in and I don’t really know why. Same with the office, but it was an incredible show. I loved MASH but tried to watch it recently and couldn’t get back into it. Not sure why.
wow so many. I’d say the two TV shows that made me laugh the most were Seinfeld and The Honeymooners. I’ve seen so many great comedians and I can’t remember them all. Right now a current favorite is Mitch Hedberg. Silly humor. Not too much profanity. I also love Jim Breuer. He’s hilarious. Key and Peele are brilliant comedians and sketch writers. I enjoyed the early SNL casts. Chris Farley was fantastic. That’s all I can think of right now.
I’m a huge fan of Hedberg. Wish he was still around. Loved Seinfeld. I think Key and Peele are great sketch writers too. Plus their totally commitment to being great actors (and they are) takes their work to a new level.
Great story about the cop in Texas catching you guys “taking Pictures”
HAHA! Thanks, Gary!
There were a few other details I left out, but that'[s the gist of it… and hopefully he has been organically spreading the word about the band!
Appreciate you reading it, brother!
Definitely a worthy journal entry! Thanks Gary!
That July release date seems so far away. Ask Bobby if he can have his birthday a month early. Lol. You can’t rush perfection.
Hi Bob!
On this topic, Bobby is a tad stubborn. He insists on July 9th.
And since I won’t let this disagreement come to physical blows, I have relented to allow him another July 9th birthday.
Unfortunately.
Having my birthday earlier? Out of the question. If I could delay getting older I’d push my birthday off until next year. But unfortunately time doesn’t work that way. Time knows I don’t want to get older and it just laughs at me. That bastard!
But Bobby if you had your birthday a month earlier then you and I would have the same birthday and share it with the wedding anniversary with Andy’s daughter…wouldn’t that be worth it? after all you are going to get older no matter what!!
Do you have any tips for playing solos/single notes on guitar? I’m ok with chords but I can’t figure out how to go note to note quickly. Can’t wait to get the new album! You guys are mega rad. ❤
Hi Jake! Andy here.
My advice for trying to develop your lead guitar skills is to simply play phrases that are easy at a slow tempo at first. So, for instance, get yourself a metronome and set a fairly slow tempo. Then, run through a simple pentatonic scale (you can find guitar scales online). Go through each note in time with the metronome. If the tempo is too fast, slow it down until it is at a speed where you can hit each note clearly.
It doesn’t matter the speed… and really, it doesn’t matter the scale… but I would use a simple pentatonic scale (a basic blues scale)… but just run through it at whatever tempo yields clean results. Do it over and over again. Try different picking techniques to see what works for you. Try all downstrokes first… then try alternating.
Master it a slow tempo and THEN SLOWLY… SLOWLY up the speed of the metronome.
ACCURACY FIRST. ALWAYS.
SPEED LATER.
Using a metronome and gradually increasing the speed has always worked well for me. Another method is play the notes in quarter notes, then double the speed to eighth notes then double the speed again to sixteenths. . it’s going to take time so be patient with yourself. You have to do it until you develop muscle memory and it becomes automatic. Also, focus on your choice of notes and accuracy. Speed will come naturally with repetition. Best of success to you!
the only question that really matters (other than boxers, briefs, or please no visuals) dog or cat people?
Hi Cindy! Andy here.
I’ve had cats before, but in this family, we are first and foremost dog people. I have a Boston terrier and a Cocker Spaniel. For years, I had an Old English Sheepdog (Harry) to was present at just about EVERY Elm Treason session.
I do like cats, though.
And… boxers always.
i grew up with both. But right now I have birds.
Do songs come to you pieces or all at once? Music or lyrics first?
Hi Kim! Andy here.
For me, usually a song idea will begin with me tinkering on the guitar or piano until something catches my interest. Then, I may start playing it over and over until it’s in my DNA.
Sometimes, a lyrical phrase will come to mind that seems to fit fairly well while tinkering. It may wind up being just a placeholder until better words come along… or sometimes the words spark an idea that I try to develop.
So, the short answer is… the music almost always comes first for me.
I can think of only one or two instances where I had fully developed words FIRST and then put music together to try to accommodate it… and even then, things had to be changed to fit rhythmically.
Having Bobby to bounce ideas off of – and to finish ideas that have not been fully developed – is the godsend in a writing partnership. I do the same for him.
All of the above. Often it comes in pieces which I piece together like a puzzle. Most of the time it’s music first, but i have had a few times where lyrics came in my head and i would write them down and save for later when i have the “right music” to fit. And occasionally I get all of it at once. A complete song, music and lyrics. It has happened. We call that a gift from the universe.
What are your favorite cheeses? Inquiring minds wanna know.
Mozerella, Ricotta, Parmaggiano, Romano , sometimes a nice hard Cheddar. But i don’t really eat any dairy products anymore. But if I did. I’d go for those.
Cheddar, Mozzarella, Provolone, Swiss… my top four… and I still munch of them to this day… regularly.
Hey guys! Sorry for the late response! Just to say that I reallylove you both and your collaboration known as Elm Treason! So would I have to sell a kidney to be able to afford getting the band to play my 60th birthdayLOL I will be heading to N.C in JUNe to celebrate and that is pretty close, isn’t it? You would be in awesome company as I saw the Stranglers for my 30th; Tea Party on my 40th and Toronto guitar miester, Jack deKaiser for my 50th! No pressureLOL but you could play during my tattoo party and maybe then I won’t chicken out and run screaming like a little girl!!P.S I love that Texas story so happy you re shared it and I always thought it would be an awesome story to tell the grandkids and now Andy, you have Oliver to shar it with when he gets a bit older. Hugs, hugs, hugs
we’d love to play in NC but just not physically possible. Sorry. But we hope you have a fantastic time anyway!