Umphrey's McGee: "The Floor"

Spires (radio edit)

Kevin — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:32:00 GMT

In the interest of making sure that everyone has the chance to hear the last of the 3 Mantis radio edits, we've just added Spires to the sidebar on your left. You can now stream it (and we're quite certain that some of you have "borrowed" it) for your listening pleasure right here on The Floor. Again, this is an incomplete version at this point but hopefully enough to keep that proverbial whistle wet and persuade those fence sitting friends of yours to Pre-Order Mantis.

Mantis: Track Listing and Album Cover

Kevin — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:56:00 GMT

In the ever revealing strip tease that is Mantis, we figured it was about time to release the full track listing with song times and a larger version of the album cover itself. Go to the Mantis site and download free wallpapers of much of the album art.

1. Made to Measure 3:12

2. Preamble 0:36

3. Mantis 11:49

4. Cemetery Walk 7:30

5. Cemetery Walk II 2:19

6. Turn & Run 7:25

7. Spires 7:41

8. Prophecy Now 2:47

9. Red Tape 5:43

10. 1348 4:49

Total Running Time: 54:04

The Evolution of Cemetery Walk

Joel — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:35:00 GMT

We started creating the song back in the summer of 2006. Sitting at home at my piano, I fleshed out some chords and melodies and put them down to my trusty Tascam 4 track (old school, I know). Initially, I was thinking that we needed something darker for our musical palette. Funnily enough, most of that vibe was realized in the parts of the song you don’t currently hear! But shortly after starting the process, I took the tape up to Jake’s Boondock Studio in rural Michigan, out behind the house he grew up in. Jake and I have gotten together numerous times over the years and have come up with a pretty good formula to realize songs. We’ll typically work on the arrangements of the songs, then he’ll play live drums while I play the keyboard part. Being the multi-instrumentalist that he is, Jake will then overdub bass and guitar to the sections after the 1^st live pass on keys and drums is done. We’ve worked on pieces such as 13 Days, Words, Higgins, Cemetery Walk and the yet-to-be-heard Mantis using this technique.

One of the crucial alterations we made once we convened at Jake’s was rewriting the piano phrase (and now guitar line) under the vocal “and I called for you” in 7/8 as opposed to 4/4. I told him that I liked the voicing and melody, but didn’t like the meter. This was Jake’s idea and it was a great one, it gave the piece a bit more of a lively feel. Jake also added the chorus progression at this point, as well as some beautiful and haunting guitar work that you have yet to hear on the non-radio edit version of Cemetery Walk. We practiced the form through a few times and then after some false starts, got the version we wanted to tape. So we had a basic track and were ready to present it to the band.

Fast forward to January of 2007, when pre-production for Mantis began at IV Labs in Chicago. We had a dry erase board with markers in hand and started a very organic process of arranging the songs, with everyone in the band there and contributing. We’ve often found that we can capture the more “macro” ideas and flow by writing them down. The more detail-oriented stuff is then a bit easier to focus on once its not a sort of Simon Says memory game. But the only way to really see how sections work together and how the transitions serve the song is by actually playing them and executing them well. That’s tough to do when you’re simultaneously trying to remember what comes next, thus the brilliance of the dry erase board.

Also keep in mind that as of January 2007, we were only dealing with the instrumental sections, Brendan had yet to put down the vocal melodies and lyrics. So at this point, we ditched what I had written as the verse structure and added what you now hear under “I’ve got a secret but its longer than a paragraph…” In the interest of keeping things interesting, we took the 7/8 phrase and made it into a half-time 4/4 feel about half-way through the piece. Funnily enough, it seemed to work in this spot. You never know what’s going to happen once a piece of music starts to evolve and take on a life of its own. Jake’s chorus progression (under “Time won’t change you….”) was in place, and we put his guitar solo between the two times the chorus happens, another rather unconventional move. But it seemed to serve the song, and that’s what we’ve always been interested in first and foremost. One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about creating an Umphrey’s McGee song together is that we try to achieve interesting results by not adhering to the standard pop song format or expectations. With Cemetery Walk, I think we’ve achieved another unique arrangement.

Finally, at some point in early 2007, Brendan took the song home and created the vocal sections you now hear. What would a song be without memorable melodies and lyrics that provide key moments and hooks? Without a doubt, Brendan’s work tied all of the disparate sections of the piece together. There are countless additions and layers that I haven’t described, but that was also part of the fun of creating this album: as we gave ourselves lots of time to work with, we could add layers and ideas as they came up. I added the final vocal on the track, which happens only once during the last chorus, in August of 2008 (per Manny’s suggestion!). And in a nutshell, that is how Cemetery Walk came to be. As Kevin has mentioned in the previous blog, there are some essential parts of the tune that you haven’t heard, and that’s almost as exciting to me as what you have already heard. Happy listening….hope you enjoy the tune as much as we do.

Cemetery Walk: A Brand New Track For You!

Kevin — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:38:00 GMT

So we trimmed a couple of tunes for potential radio play and those discs are starting to pop up at stations across the Country. We figure that it's probably driving some of you nuts that some DJ who has never heard of UM to has a sampler while the die hards wait in anticipation. So we've decided that to share another album track with you, although this version is missing a few significant parts that you will hear later on the uncut Cemetery Walk.

This is the radio edit, UM style. Enjoy!

Paul Reed Smith

Brendan — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:10:00 GMT

I bought my first PRS guitar in 1997 because Mike Nolan played one and I thought that was reason enough. My dad took me to the store and loaned me the cash, and i still have it (many thanks to Kevin Browning for talking me out of selling the old one for a new one). When the band played the first Bonnaroo, Jim Smith was running the recording trailer for the show and he called his brother, Paul to tell him about Umphrey's and how I was using his guitar. I got a call later that summer - from Paul himself - and I've been sponsored ever since.

The last Friday of our east coast tour, I was invited to take a tour of the PRS factory. Winn Krozack, the best artist rep in the world, was gracious enough to take me around for the day and let me follow the process from beginning to end. Being able to see blocks of wood transformed into the beautiful feminine shape that is the guitar, I gained a new respect for the company as well as the art of guitar making. Every single employee I came across was genuinely happy and passionate about their respective jobs, and the whole place really seemed like a great place to work.

The drive there took me through my birthplace, Annapolis, MD...so the whole day meant a lot to me. I was feeling the thanksgiving vibe early this year....we here at Umphrey's Mcgee truly have so much to be thankful for.
And I'm thankful for PRS being so good to me...

(To give you an idea of the sheer perfection of PRS guitars, Winn is holding a destroyed body. Apparently something was wrong with it, but it looked fantastic to me)

9:30 Club Audience Stream

Kevin — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:30:00 GMT

The tour is over and we are all enjoying the comfort of home. There is truly nothing like your own bed. Aahh.

(We have removed the stream of the 9:30 club due to Abraham Lincoln's request. Sorry for the inconvenience.)

Abe

Dogs

Ryan Dances His Pants Off, Literally

Kevin — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:11:00 GMT

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Umphrey's You Can Believe In

Kevin — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 03:10:00 GMT

The first of many installments of "Guest Bloggins"

Light a bolt of lightning from the heavens, Umphrey's McGee has thrust itself down upon a city torn asunder by political transition. Our heros find themselves swimming amidst a sea of sharks who know but one quest, and that quest is blood. Shall they prevail and vanquish the naysayers? Repudiate the critics? Quiet the nattering nabobs? Take the our nation's capital by storm and tame its wildest beasts? Finally get a goddamned profile in the Washington Post's Friday Weekend section? This humble reporter believes that they will. Not by luck, nor by chance, but by by sheer force of will, with a dash of prog-funk for dat ass.

Represent D.C. style at the 9:30 Club. Much respek. The fellas are coming pretty hard tonight with some electronica at times, offset with that trademark Umph-funk. It may be the penultimate night of the tour, but the energy is just as good as it's ever been. KTB on the ones and two and Budney Lights mixin' it up doesn't hurt. That and Stasik's bass line is making my pants shake. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I would be remiss if I didn't mention Jake's solo in 40's Theme- it brought the house down. 9:30 is always a good venue, a good crew and a good show. I just wish it wasn't so damn cold.

A good man once said, "Axl Rose? F-ck Axl Rose." I thought I knew this man. I was wrong.

-Johnny Buick

Backstage at setbreak: Foot Breathe

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Soundcheck Wizard

Budney Lights

Lick My Love Pump

Kevin — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:30:00 GMT

Kris Myers explores the world of free form Jazz Blues backstage at The National in Richmond, VA, one of the few glorious theaters with a hot tub in the dressing room.

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Acoustic Bijou

Kevin — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:24:00 GMT

In the interest of switching it up...

Bijou Theater, Knoxville, TN - Acoustic Set One:

August > Visions > Morning Song, Crooked > Great American > Down Under > Great American, Black Water

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Smoky Mountain National Park

Kevin — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:03:00 GMT

Yesterday's much needed day off took us off the beaten path to the hills of the Smoky Mountains. The rainbow falls trail gave us plenty of room to stretch our 'bus' legs and ingest some glorious crisp autumn air.

Joel ponders the ramifications of losing his step on this snow covered bridge

Icicles donned the landscape as we gained elevation

Kevin, Andy, Joel, Wade, Don, & Jake at the base of Rainbow Falls

Rainbow Falls in all its glory. 80 feet of free fall

Wicked ice formations at the base of the falls

If a tree falls in the woods....

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Brendan perched atop Gatlinburg, TN overlooking the Smokies

Cold & Grey

Kevin — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:05:00 GMT

I snagged this this short solo piece from Jake while he warmed up his gear, unbeknownst to him. The mood parallels the weather here in Nashville today.

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Crew Jam

Kevin — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:18:00 GMT

Darth Kimble

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After all, it was Pony's birthday. You hate to deny to the birthday boy a request whenever it is remotely possible. So it pained us to see the look of disappointment on Ryan's face when he learned that the crew just didn't have time to put together a ballad for his 32nd. The first day of any tour is always full of unexpected surprises, miscellaneous repairs and general tail chasing. Finding time to work up a crew inspired masterpiece just wasn't possible.

Until we decided it was. 30 minutes before show time we kicked the band off their practice gear to work up a fresh and innovative arrangement laden with complex rhythms while showcasing soaring melodies.

Under the chordal leadership of stage manager and showman Robbie Williams and behind the steady pocket grooves of monitor magician Bob Ston, A minor never sounded so hot. While illumination specialist Adam Budney layed down a Queen Latifa thick bottom end that rattled the mold infested Canopy Club, lighting guru Wade Wilby flawlessly executed a percussion routine that was part Sonny Ortiz, part Barnum & Bailey. The stoic but heroic tour guide Don Richards gently fingered the B-3 organ in a way that left a mesmerized Joel staring over his shoulder furiously taking notes. And after my blazing tap solo left the sold out crowd speechless, they instantly realized that Jake must be getting all those face melting licks from none other than his sound caresser.

The rest of the UM show seemed dismal and relatively lackluster as the band repeatedly tried to top the now legendary performance of it's loyal crew. Fans slowly trickled for the exit as clearly that had gotten what they came for. Even the toughest critics have unanimously agreed that this jam was nothing short of "epic".

Stay tuned for information regarding our forthcoming album "It's Always Raining at Loadout" and tour dates for our upcoming 6 continent tour. Globalization never sounded so good.

The view from the stage and then back to front of house as captured with our flip camera. Apologies for the shaky clip as I was so spent from the raging solo that I little left in the tank to focus on visual pleasantries.

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Dobro for Dollars

Kevin — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:56:00 GMT

Champaign, IL

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The Art of Tanning

Ryan — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:56:00 GMT

To lots of people, summer means hanging out at the pool or the beach, soaking up rays and baking in the sun in pursuit of the perfect golden tan. Indeed, most Americans, including up to 80% of people under age 25, think they look better with a tan. But before you don your bathing suit and head to the pool — or into a "John Wilkes tanning Booth" (not recommended) — spend a few minutes finding out about your skin and sun exposure. These facts can help you get the look you want without stressing your skin.

Not to mention skin caner!!! Always protect yourself. Sunscreens or sunblocks, which block the sun's harmful rays, are one of your best defenses against sun damage because they protect you without interfering with your comfort and activity levels. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Ideally, it should also be hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic so it doesn't cause a rash or clog your pores and give you acne.

Staying out of the sun altogether may see to be the only logical answer. But who wants to live like a hermit? The key is to enjoy the sun sensibly, finding a balance between sun protection and those great summer activities like drinking, volleyball, triathlons, and swimming. So these are just a few tips/facts about fun in the sun!

Yours truly,

Chuck Tanner

"Stay golden Ponyboy!"

Don = afraid of the sun Pony = loves the sun

Too much sun!!!

Always protect your skin.

Just working on my bronze, man!

Bad spray tan = orange embarassment. Stay natural.