The OBW Tapes

Mise en Place visited the studio last weekend to record a healthy sample of the material that will likely comprise the band's second record, Capiche.. [The title includes a period.] 75 percent of the band were in tip-top shape for the session.

Old Blackberry Way, located in Minneapolis a/k/a Murderapolis, served as the location of the demonstration recording. The OBW is a legendary studio at which numerous seminal Minneapolis bands (e.g., Husker Du, The Replacements, The Suburbs, and others) have made great recordings of their music.* While an increasing number of hip Minny acts have re-discovered this wonderful place, whose roof is featured on the cover the Replacements' Let it Be, Mise en Place became the first known Edina band to venture into the OBW's hallowed halls. And, by "hallowed halls," we mean "humble and comfortable rooms in a converted house."

The 'Place boys recorded about two hours' worth of music, failing to even reach the point where Drew Patrick says stuff into a microphone so that you, the listener, are bored with more than just the music. Old Blackberry Way proprietor Neil Weir assisted the band in the endeavor and tolerated intra-band arguments about GMail shorthand (e.g., GIT), the era of Mena Suvari and other such . . . people, whether Shaun Westphal should read books during recording sessions, and which members of the band would Trek to the movies with Cory "Fuzzy Bear" Rath to see a certain film in the near future. During all of this banter, somehow the band agreed to record the playful "Breeders Song" and the controversial "'Man in the Box' Song," along with 14 other "songs." M. Forrester's guitar was effective throughout, even as he discovered he is somehow in a prog-rock band.

Speaking of which, based on what happened at Old Blackberry Way, preliminary indications are that Capiche. is probably going to be a double- or triple-album (the Japanese edition will include alternate takes of hits like "On Ravioli" and "The Hit"). Mise en Place will keep you updated as things progress.

*SOUL ASYLUM ALSO RECORDED AT THE OL' B-DUB.

New Videos on YouTube!

Check out some videos from the show on Friday and hear some new stuff that will make it's way onto Innit's follow up Capiche sometime this summer:

The videos were shot by Karla.

"I Killed You 23 Times on that Board and You Only Killed Me Nonce, Diet Pepsi" (excerpt)

"On Ravioli" (excerpt, Part I)
"On Ravioli" (excerpt, Part II)
"On Ravioli" (excerpt, Part III)
"On Ravioli" (excerpt, Part IV)

Capiche,
MeP

Updatecore

START

Cory "Fuzzy Bear" Rath still loves trilogies.

S. Westphal is down wit' the new Moz joint.

M. Forrester is down wit' The (New) Spike.

Drew Patrick is down wit' LSF.

END

OH HAI

In the words of Drew I say:

Mise en Place go on tour fairly soon, focusing their efforts on the Rust Belt and the Atlantic regions of 'Merica.

Here are the dates:

04.02.2008 Minneapolis @ Triple Rock Social Club w/Kill to Kill, Teenage Strangler

04.04.2008 Madison @ The Annex w/Sleeping in the Aviary, The Box Social, and IfIHadAHiFi

04.05.2008 Milwaukee @ The Borg Ward w/Sleeping in the Aviary, The Box Social, and IfIHadAHiFi

04.06.2008 Chicago @ The Darkroom w/TBD

04.07.2008 Fort Wayne (IN) @ Mid City Bar & Grill w/TBD

04.08.2008 Cleveland @ The Davenport w/TBD

04.09.2008 Boston @ P.A.'s Lounge w/Arms and Sleepers

04.10.2008 Brunswick (ME) @ Bowdoin College w/Arms and Sleepers

04.11.2008 New York City @ Fontana's w/Gutbucket and Jerseyband

04.12.2008 Detroit @ Bohemian National Home w/Big Black Cloud

Spread the word to your friends around the midwestern and northeastern United States.

ALSO, PLEASE COME BID US ADIEU AT THE TRIPLE ROCK HERE IN MINNEAPOLIS TOWN ON APRIL 2ND.

We'll also have a new 2 or 3 song ep available at the Triple Rock show and on tour. It's gonna have awesome packaging ok.

Keep your eyes on this here blog during the week of the tour. I'm coming up with ideas for funny things to post. Some of those things may include:

Cleanest gas station bathroom so far.

Funny convenience store bumper stickers.

The Fuzzy Bear SA sunglasses tracker.

The Official Mise en Place 2008 Tour Whist Tournament Standings.

Etc.

If you have any ideas for other funny shit to post, let me know.

Ok.

Hello, then.

It is now 2008 exactly.

Mise en Place are planning a series of events around the United States of America. There have been rumblings about Bowdoin College, Charleston of West Virginia, and perhaps even New York City. A lot is unclear at this point, but the events will occur between 04.04.2008 and 04.13.2008 in various places at various times.

Additionally, Mise en Place are planning on celebrating Super Bowl Weekender in Wisconsin at City Limits in the hamlet of Hudson, home of Cory "Fuzzy Bear" (W)Rath (of 'Scon). It "goes off" (using the local parlance) on Saturday night, 02.02.2008, and ends badly in the early morning hours of Sunday, 02.03.2008. This is sure to be entertaining.

There will be more shows, recording, news, photographs, blah, blah, blah, etc.

Cheers.

Special Event at The Hexagon Bar

Mise en Place announce a special early celebration of freedom at The Hexagon Bar on Friday night, June 29th, 2007. The Hexagon Bar is located at 2600 27th Avenue South in the City of Minneapolis. Music starts at 10:00 p.m., for this FREE special event.

Mise en Place have been treating their debut full-length record Innit like an enemy combatant since the band finished the record last autumn at Electrical Audio in Chicago. Split Decision Records will officially release Innit on a date to be determined later this summer, complete with the bells and whistles of a record release party. However, Friday night at The Hex will double as a special pre-release event for Innit, with copies of the record available for one night only before the official release date later this summer.

Freedom isn't free. But it's cheap on Friday night, June 29th, at The Hex. You can liberate your copy of Innit from Mise en Place for the humble price of 10 U.S. dollars. Again, The Hex charges no cover and allows the drinks to flow cheaply and, shall we say, stiffly. In other words, do join.

New Record Out Soon!

Mise en Place have not blogged for months. How come.

The last time you heard anything here was back when Mise en Place were in the process of recording at Electrical Audio in Chicago with Steve Albini. Steve had just tricked Cory into tricking a pizza place into giving Mise en Place free Coke with the band's pizza order. Cory eventually drank the Coke (and ate the pizza), just in case you felt like you were left at a cliffhanger moment.

The record is now complete. The title is Innit. Mise en Place managed to finish the recording and mixing of Innit between roughly 2:00 p.m., 09.29.2006, and roughly 11:59 p.m., 10.01.2006, with kind assistance from Mr. Albini. The good folks at Golden Mastering in Ventura, CA, mastered the record this spring. Mise en Place cordially thank everyone at Electrical Audio and Golden Mastering for their stellar work on Innit.

Mise en Place also owe a special debt of gratitude to A. Bill Miller, an extraordinary individual who has channeled the magic of the grid as his contribution to Innit. And soon you can enjoy his work with the record.

Innit is a raw and immediate 11-track record that essentially captures Mise en Place playing their version of minimalist rock music in the glorious rooms that comprise Studio B at Electrical Audio. Mise en Place hope you enjoy hearing the record as much as the band enjoyed making it.