Critics have landed!

In ordinance with today's leading operations in the music industry, pay-to-play marketing, and state of the art focus groups - We have received our first load of heightened musical critiques and opinions whether we asked for it or not. Song in question: Shapeless & Round from the album ADVANTAGE. Here we go...

"There is a special kind of rhythm of the singer's voice, the chords are quite echoes and quiet. Shy kind of laid back personality, the really fun and amazing thing about the way this one enters the world of music and sounds like it will do all the world of good but then ends up listening to what the other songs have taught it instead of doing something on it's own and having it's oen spin on it all. There is abland kind of personality to the track, the music seems to be more energetic and powerful than the snging which it leaves behind and kins of over powers in the song. The music is the star of the song and this is just cause the musicians have a more strengthening beat and rhythm. the harmonies and melodies of this artist is just average while the music might be slightly above average which leads me to beleive the experience level here isn't as high as it gets. Wonderful but still leaves you hanging to something that it will still sound better." (Anonymous Female Listener)

"this song has a nice sound but the singer on lead vocals has no pitch or volume it is kind of like Huey Lewis on helium an meth. Its a good song overall but I would not buy it. nor would I recomend it to my friends poor overall." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"offering nice pop/rock music like the big boys this group intend to be at the top chart of the bilaboard nice tender sound like the early 90s small baysment groupws that pop out after the rain." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"fast starting song with a good beat exept the drums seem a little off in the beginning but that changes for the better as the song goes on. The guitarplay is fantastic. the performers voice is soft but the lyrics are very well performed. would like to har other music by this arist" (Anonymous Male Listener)

"The drums sound a little quiet in the mix, particularly the kick. It lacks any real presence in the song and it kind of hurts the song by not giving it the driving beat to match the guitar. The same goes for the bass, the lack of a real low end in the song makes feel a little empty. I like the melody and the vocal style. It's different and good. The guitar work is pretty good, it helps drive the song the solo is solid and fits the song well. Overall it's a solid track just with a couple mix issues." (Anonymous Female Listener)

"This is definitely alternative rock. It has that Dashboard Confessional type of guitar riffs on a good drum line. When I listen to this song, it reminds me of high school. It reminds me of homecoming game and dance. I feel like drinking a beer to this song with some friends after a good dinner. This is a vacation anthem for those who love to enjoy the company of friends." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"this song is very quiet comparing to other songs in this genre, its original, i think. but i think there are too many effects to the voice while singing because i cant understand some part of the lyrics, so i want it to be fixed. this song is very good, except the notes i wrote upwards. (Anonymous Male Listener)

"This song was very relaxing and peaceful. There is something about the main vocals voice that is just very calming. So I think you will be hard pressed to find someone who cannot stand this music. This song is quite pretty and I connected to a lot here interesting stuff!" (Anonymous Male Listener)

"the palm muted riff on the guitar is cool in the begining and sets the song up well and is combined with some decent vocals from the guy here. The tune is energetic but not too much in your face and easy to get into, nice stuff indeed. the composition is very laid back and interesting and enjoyable here." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"The song was superb from the first second for me, it had such a professional gloss for all the musicians, it just sounded really impressive and talented. i loved the guitar play throughout, the rhythm on the verses was awesome and the strummed melody on the chorus was nice and it just sounded cool and fresh and new which was appealing amongst very similar songs. i loved the bass line on the verses which supported the guitar and the subtle drum beat. i thought the music was really nice and upbeat and i thought the song just sounded so pro and interesting. the singer was great vocally and reminded me of some big talented vocalist but he had a mellow and laid back air to his singing style which i thought made him more appealing. the lyrics were enjoyable and well written enough and i just thought it was a laid back but really enjoyable rock song which sounded like the band weren't really trying but their charisma came through. i really enjoyed it and its the best amateur song i have heard in a long time" (Anonymous Male Listener)

"This song would be pretty cool about 20 years ago. Sometimes vintage sounding music works but this seems like it would have been a one hit wonder in 1993. It really has no dynamics and the singer just sounds like he's bored." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"Intro is structured well but no solo, it would be better if it started with one tool. lyric is popular and not unique. though nice but not original. artist voice is good and got his identity. melody is familiar and popular in this refreshing song. audience likes this type of songs for daily use at home. instruments are good and sounded awesome. This is not hit as it has missing things" (Anonymous Female Listener)

"The song is very slow and nice. It has a little base of a strongness, but it does not show and stand out as much as the rest of the things in the song. The singer has a very weak and low voice, which needs to improve a lot if they want to go somewhere in the music business." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"Its a cute song the guy has a good voice I think he could of been a lttle more into singing though but overall its a good song I could totally see this song come out in a movie it just sounds like it." (Anonymous Female Listener)

"Good start off well played. Nice soft voice. Well strung guitar vary chill song vary nice potential. Good for spring or fall even winter to jam out to. Vary mellow dramatic though extreamly realaxing. Nice lyerics with a fine pic up sounds a little old school but once again nice vocals and pitch with realxing monotone." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"The melody of this song is very fitting for the lyrics and the mood of the song in general. The tone of the piece and the feel of the instrumentals created a nice, ambient sound. This song definitely has potential to be a hit." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"This track could jump in a Modern Rock chart with ease. It has all the elements for a KROQ type of station. A solid singer with a recognizable voice, a catchy hook on the "Ooo" before the chorus. Powerful guitar sounds and even some soloing!. It's an enjoyable track worth listening to." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"I like that the you can hear the band together when the drums starts off the song. The artist does have the capability to make sure that his song can go on the radio. The vocals of the artist is excellent I do not hear any trembling. I like the song and I can see myself listening to this on my way to the beach. The harmony and melody for the song and artist come together like it is suppose too. When listening to the song the music it start of light then it gets loud. The artist can probably hear is music on radio or iTunes." (Anonymous Female Listener)

"Interesting start good vocals and music. Sounds peaceful and interesting. Good chorus sounds like the good ol' days. reminds me of a green meadow. i like this song, its got a nice beat, nice vocals nice everything! Im interested. good vocals. and in the end, i liked it a lot." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"The balance of the instrumentals is always present and the melodies create a good connection between the audience and the act.The sound is almost epic and has a good reminiscent with some alternative rock acts from the 90s but still the recording is very professional. The singer's voice is attractive and even if his notes are not so high he has a leading role and his voice is provocative. The lyrics are interesting and perfectly developed. A nice rock anthem" (Anonymous Male Listener)

"I loved this song, the beat and instrumentals were very well put together. The singer was also pretty talented and had a great voice. The song was very well put together, and I believe that this could very well become a hit if it was more well-known. I would listen to this again." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"Right off the bat this song sucks you in with its rhythm and guitar music and is a nice song. However, my only issue with this song is the lead singer. My major issue with that is I cannot understand a word he is saying. And while I mentioned that the tune was catchy I find myself being pulled out of the experience trying to understand what the man is saying. This is all just my opinion, but to me the lyrics are the most important part of the song since they tell what message the song is trying to push. And the other parts of the song, such as the melody and the beat to name a few, are just meant to enhance the message put forth by the lyrics. Now I enjoyed the song I just wish I could understand what they were singing about better." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"This song is slow and relaxing. The tempo is very slow and the artists voice sounds very soothing. I enjoyed the lyrics because they are lighthearted and meaningful. Overall, I enjoyed this track because it is a high quality, well versed song." (Anonymous Female Listener)

"the rhythm and melody seem a little cliched, but also kind of classic, and the vocals are very calming and sweet. the lyrics confuse me, but they mostly sound like they are nice, comforting, and calm." (Anonymous Female Listener)

"Great bass in this song, it's probably my favourite part. The lyrics are hard to make out but I like the vocals, it is very relaxing I could see myself enjoying this if it played on the radio as it seems like a nice song to drive to. It would also make nice background music as it is very dreamy feel to this song, the intro came in strong but not too strong and stays that way. It gets mixed up along the way just when it needs to and I like it, I think it could be a decent hit." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"i actually really enjoyed listening to this song. the guitar was absolutely fantastic. the guitar added a little more emphasis to this song making it more of a rock song which i really liked. the singers voice was very good. he always stayed in pithc tune and range. definitely a very talnted singer that will make it very far in the music industry. i really liked the basis of this song and i could definitely rock out to it. the beats were my favorite part because they made me bob my head back and forth and the singers voice made me want to sing along. overall, a pretty good song and i can see myself listening to it again" (Anonymous Female Listener)

"The tone of this song is really boring and the guitars don't really match anything. The lyrics are kind of good but the singers voice isn't coherent with the flow of the music. If they worked on the flow of their rifts and drum beats, it'll smooth en out there errors and lead them the way to fixing problems." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"Great beginning with the guitar strumming, reminds of abit of bryan adams/ muse. Good quality and this does have alot of potential and alot of greatness for the future. Outstanding and amazing. This could be a future band for the world to view and see." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"love the softness of the vocals and the guitar. great song to chill out on the sofa with. got a feeling this band may one day rival the likes of the foo fighters and red hot chilli peppers.this song has a lot of soul and passion that most other songs these days lack. keep up the excellent work!" (Anonymous Male Listener)

"It had a great opening with a nice "foggy" vocal entrance to entice the audience into listening. The drums didn't drown out the quiet vocalist, and it sounded like the band had harmony. However despite displaying a good array of passion in their voice, they never really broke away into anything stronger to really get a crowd going. On a lighter note they did well to maintain a good rhythm and knew when to pick their music up a notch in terms of tempo." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"sonata, timbre, trio, duet, unison, vibrato, beat, pitch, vocals, lyrics. This song probably wont make it out there in todays music industry." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"I cannot clearly understand what the lyrics are because the instruments are too loud and are playing over the voice. The artist,in my opinion is not very good at singing.He sounds like he is murmuring . The lyrics do not seem very deep. The instruments gives me a headache from all of the loud banging against the drums and strings being pulled by the electric guitar. I like softer tone music." (Anonymous Female Listener)

"Fantastic tune, good tempo. The song is well put together. Fun and enjoyable. Brilliant voices, they go hand in hand in harmony with the instruments. The length of the song is just right, great statement of talent here, wonderful song. Appeals to all age groups, one word - BRILLIANT!" (Anonymous Female Listener)

"It was too simple in a way and lacked a good intro. The voice was weak and didn't transmit the feelings of the lyrics. The guitar solo was nice though." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"the tune is very good and has some tasteful guitar work even if it is not that complex or technical. the vocals do a decent job here but they still need to be increased in volume so you can hear them properly. in conclusion the track is very different and has some catchy and intriguing ideas in it." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"I really love this song. It's the best. The instrumentals in the background I can kill for any time. I don't know who wouldn't love this songs. The vocals are freaking awesome. The instruments are very compatible with the voice. This if freaking awesome.I would definitely recommend this song to a friend." (Anonymous Female Listener)

"i kind of like the intro of this track,it is nice and enjoyable!‚what surprises me is the vocal harmonies ,which is very tight and balanced!‚ i should say the musicality of this track is wonderful !,the guitar effects and the vocal is the most memorable part of this track‚i will keep this track record.nice job." (Anonymous Female Listener)

"blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhffifhfoshfioshfiohsfshfo sfiohsfiohsfiosfhsf fohfsiosfhiosfhsofisfh siofhfsioshfsfo iosfhfiohsfiosf ishsiofshfioshfsf fioshfiosfhiosfhsof sioh awesome tone great voice outstanding outstand way of life great voicem superb beats i love the way it goes nice track pop out make some noise i love it i love it i love it it is superb awesome track" (Anonymous Female Listener)

"the song is a bit too quiet. lyrics arent really making any sense." (Anonymous Male Listener)

"The intro is very good, the artis's voice is actually great! The melody is enthralling and catchy but there is a little problem, at about 0:30 seconds in the volume of the instrumental goes up and you can't really make the lyrics out anymore which can be a little bit problematic. In my opinion this alternative rock song could be a big hit for the genre, it makes me think of Coldplay mixed with Radiohead! The solo is quite nice (although a bit lenghty) but we meet the same problem of the voice being muted out by the instrumental. The track is noteworthy and good!" (Anonymous Male Listener)

In conlusion: Bass needs to be turned up AND down. Same with drums. Vocals are boring and unintelligible WHILE ALSO BEING clear and meaningful. Song is quiet overall BUT is also way loud. We are not prospect to make a dent in the industry ALTHOUGH we could rival the likes of Coldplay, Radiohead, Ryan Adams, Muse and Foo Fighters. Yes, of course... what were we thinking! Thanks for clearing all this up. We feel SO much better now. TO THE CLEAR PATH OF ACCEPTANCE & VICTORY!

And for all the true haters... New albums in 2013. Imperfections and all.

-the BAND

New shows added!

Hey people. New shows have been added for 2013! RSVP via:

January 12th, 2013 @ Axum Lounge (Washington, DC)

February 23rd, 2013 @ Lucy's ARL (Shirlington, VA)

*All remaining prize pack giveaways will be available at upcoming events. Congrats to Lauren S. for winning the 1st one! See you next year!

GIVEAWAY QUESTION #1

How many times is the word "no" used in the song Favorite Words?

GIVEAWAY CONTEST Questions #1-3

Here's the deal:

We're planning to release 'Extras' in January with A/U & Covers following shortly thereafter. We've been lucky enough to have a few band "extras" hanging around and we'd like to give a few people some prize packs in celebration of the new year and the album release! Check back here for the contest questions to win... all prize packs will include:

1 - Limited edition copy of "Advantage" w/ digital copy
1 - Free digital copy of "Extras" when it's released
2 - Smaller Velvet Ants magnets
1 - Limited edition car magnet
2 - Black & White Oval Velvet Ants stickers (these are weather proof)
1 - Limited edition band flyer & poster! (last 3 we have!)
2 - "Yes, I" Velvet Ants stickers
and 1 - Large bumper sticker (versions vary)

*If there's anything I missed I'll add it to the list. If you'd like anything signed just let us know. Shipping & handling will be taken care of. We will accept the FIRST correct answer given through this site, e-mail, twitter, facebook message (or) reply.

QUESTIONS WILL BE POSTED HERE, AS WELL AS TWITTER & FACEBOOK. CHECK BACK SOON.

-Ants

How to play "Yours To Keep"

In preparation for the next release (which will probably be Extras) ...and the fact that I even remembered it... here's how to play "Yours To Keep"

You can listen to the song here

"Yours To Keep" (demo)

VERSE 1:
(X02210) (X20210) (X32010) (X54030)
With no distractions here at hand

(X02210) (X20210) (X32010) (X33210)
I should be happy where I am

(X02210) (X20210) (X32010) (X54030)
And when I'm in this state of mind, I'm far

(X02210) (X20210) (X32010) (X33210)
away, I'm far... away

CHORUS:
(320022) (X33210)
I'll bite the knife and dive in time to save you (4x)

VERSE 2:
The words that fail me once again
Could offer something then it ends
And when I'm in this slow decline
They fall away, They fall away

CHORUS:
(320022) (X33210)
I'll bite the knife and dive in time to save you (4x)

BRIDGE:
Am Em G D

MAIN CHORDS:
(X02210) (X20210) (X32010) (X54030)
(X02210) (X20210) (X32010) (X33210)

CHORUS CHORDS:
G F
(out)

There it is, remembered most of the song... had the chords above the words but they wouldn't stay put. I'm not sure I even wrote the lyrics out for this one so I had to decipher my own mumblings from the recording (good times). The music was written in the winter of '09 and the words last year. Like most, I have no idea what it's about. Usually takes on different meanings over time. Enjoy.

Extras should be out sometime next year!

-Ian

AU & Extras UPDATE

To all the decomposing trees out there:

Still no news on shows but I have made some headway on some of AU & Extras. This past week we featured 2 never-before-heard tracks from the upcoming AU release on bandcamp. AU was started back in 2007 shortly after we finished Lunatic Frame but was basically abandoned until now. Depending on how the next few sessions go I might put a few of these in the "free bin" over at the site. Besides that I've also started narrowing down contenders for the Extras release. Right now it's really just a matter of a couple more drum takes, some unfinished vocals and mixing, ahh good old mixing... what every musician loves doing with time he or she could be spending elsewhere. I guess when it comes to the recording process it's the tediousness that drives me nuts sometimes, cause after all... a song can not only be written and arranged an infinite amount of ways but you can also get carried away with post-production. For me at this point, I've been able to learn how to get things sounding alright but God, if it isn't nice to have someone else listening and making decisions too. So far, about half of the Extras album is complete and a third of AU is done - we weren't even planning to work on the latter. For all it's worth some progress is better than none! Got a chance to mix a new version of "Shebore" that features Youlee Park on piano and 2 more tracks that Trevor was originally going to write words to and sing on. "Digitalis" is sort of a silly, punk-country b-side, and "Save Room For the Water" is basically a bad Weiland/Morrison impression with a dash of Cobain. The tracks are about as bipolar as the songs on Advantage too... but in a way that pretty much sums us up at this point. I'd like to think that seriousness/quirkiness is what makes us us.

I'll leave you with a few cover designs I cam up with for the AU cover. Still no release dates on either of these, and the Covers album looks like it's just gonna have to wait.

-Ian


Image credits: digital art and photo by Ian, papyrus image by Olivia [hauntingmewithsmiles]

11.13.12

Hi folks,

Ian here. As November rolls on I'm not sure if we'll reach our deadline for the next two releases being out this year. At first I thought we'd at least have the b-sides out but of course things never go as planned, right?

We have ordered, or were rather granted, a brand-new limited edition of 'Advantage' (due a few things being askew on the first batch). They are pretty much the same album, although I did make a few minor adjustments we hadn't allowed ourselves the first go around.

Here's a glance at the new disc layout:



I'd like to have a few more giveaways between now and the the release of 'Extras' and the covers album so if you'd like a copy of one of these new bad boys, and maybe a few other items we have laying around stay tuned to our twitter/facebook posts in the upcoming weeks.

We're also still on the fence regarding any new performances... I think we'll have to see where the rest of the year leads us before making any new commitments. It takes a lot of time and patience (at least in this band) to make sure things are right for the taking.

Plus I'd like to see us in the best shape to do so. Maybe a short tour here or there would be better, but again we'll have to discuss these things and sort out the options well before hand.

The venues we were able to play over the past year, for the most part, acquired us the luxury of keeping things afloat. Hopefully we'll have these and other things squared away in the next few months. I don't think we're done just yet.

-Ian

ps. Found a new distributor for the first album so you'll see that flying around a bit more.

New guitarist + other updates

We`re pleased to announce that as of September we`ve added Nate Perez on guitar! Nate played in ALLDAY MORI with Trevor over the last couple of years and we are psyched to have him on board

At the other side of the spectrum, we`ve unfortunately had to cancel some of our upcoming events including this weekend's STPP Festival in D.C. (we were really looking forward to this one). Instead, we will continue work on the `Extras` album (which includes outtakes and b-sides from `Advantage` as well as the `Covers` album

We want to thank everyone who made this year possible. Especially all of the people who made it out to shows and supported us through out! If you happened to miss our last performance visit http://youtube.com/velvetants for a special clip

Take care everyone, we hope to see you soon

-TVA

ON STAGE with the Velvet Ants

Here's a review of the show by DC Rock LIVE:
http://dcrocklive.blogspot.com/2012/09/thaylobleu-good-fight-unlikely-hero.html

Thanks to everyone who came out to see us and Thaylobleu for having us on the bill.

Until next time

GET A COPY OF ADVANTAGE @ DULLES EXPO THIS SAT.

We're pleased to announce the first 300 admitted into The Dulles EXPO Center this Saturday will get a FREE digital copy of the new album "Advantage" at this weekend's sale hosted by Dani's Duds.

Hours are 9-5, but keep in mind ONLY THE FIRST 300 ARE ELIGIBLE.

Here's a different idea we had for the album's cover:

We want to thank Dani's Duds & the Dulles EXPO Center for teaming up with us to promote the new release! While your there shop around, you're bound to find something at a bargain.

Next show is 9/10 @ Jammin Java (show starts at 7pm and we're on first).

-The Velvet Ants
www.Velvet-Ants.com

And now something we hope you really enjoy!

Hey guys,

Just thought I'd pop in and let you know the latest and greatest.  Thank you to everyone who came out to Sully's on sept/31,  you made that night a great time and I hope we can get together again really soon.  TheyloBleu started the night off with a bang, and played a great set, you can tell they love what they do and are an awesome group to share a stage with.  Our set was a nice combination of some new, some old, some covers, a few crowd favorites, and we even had a debut of a brand new song called "Cardigan's Fable".  All in all, a real fun time, and got some vids and sound clips of the night to boot...

Did I mention we have a newly renovated and running website, It's got some rare songs, "unreleased demos, outtakes, and future projects" that are FREE to download. Just go to www.velvet-ants.com and check everything out for yourself...

We also have a couple live shows comming up soon, We love your support and hope to see you if we're on your side of town.

Aug/11 @ Lucy's
2620 S.Shirlington Rd
Arlington

Sept/10 @ Jammin Java
227 Maple Ave E
Vienna

Well it's been real, It's been fun... but I'm off...

Trev

New Demos & Advantage: Extras (details)

Here we are at the end of July ALREADY. Got a few more shows lined up: the first being Tuesday (7.31) @ Sully's in Chantilly w/ Thaylobleu and the one after we'll be @ Lucy's in Arlington on August 11th w/ WorstKase Scenario. Hope to see you out there.

Aside from shows, we've been writing a little and compiling some tracks for the 'Extras' album. We've posted some of these demos (in their earliest stages) as well as some ideas we had for tracks that might end up on the bonus disc to Advantage or the 'Extras' album (whatever you'd like to call it!)

Here's a rundown of the tracks: 

New songs/Demos

01 Barricada Rota (Cassette Recording) *this is the first time we ever played this and same with the next track.

02 Cardigan's Fable (Cassette Recording) *still in the most basic of basics... but you get the idea. fast, wild, crunchy.

03 The Hornet's Eye is Gray (Acoustic Demo) *haven't played this one as a group yet, might be too delicate. never know.

04 Bed of Black Roses (Acoustic Demo) *we've jammed on this, but again: still in the earliest stage of the writing

process

05 Barricada Rota (Acoustic Demo) *probably everyone's favorite of the new songs right now, has the best feel right now.

~~~~~~~~~~

Potential "extras" 

06 Let's Go With Alice (Vocal Demo) *an early mix of the song that would end up on Advantage (but w/ out drums yet)

07 Interference 2 (Vocal Demo) *a completely different version of what ended up on the record, more chilled out

08 Across The Waves (Vocal Demo) *pretty self-explanatory... an early mix minus the drum tracks and synths

08 Digitalis (Unfinished B-Side) *for whatever reason, this one didn't have words so it got put aside. to be continued!

09 Solar Bear (Unfinished B-Side) *same with this one, we're hoping Trevor takes the reigns on these.

10 Yours To Keep (Abandoned Track) *an abandoned track from Ian's Post Exchange demos right before recording began for Advantage (previously unreleased)

11 Interference 1 (Alternate Session Mix) *a crunchier, fuzzier version of the original mix (w/ different lead)

You can stream (or) download these right now @ http://thevelvetants.get-ctrl.com

Take care people.

-Ian

What a mess

Our thoughts go out to all the families affected by last nights storms. Turns out more than a few people lost their lives during the event. I can't imagine what their families are going through. There was no question about the rain coming through but I didn't hear once about hurricane winds, tornadoes and the rest of the destruction headed this way. What happened there? Why is the state of emergency always after the incidents occur... did we not see this coming? I know the weather's inconsistent these days but to be so far off in predictions and forecasts; we're better off looking at the satellite images ourselves. Or, we need to alert each other in a more efficient manor.

We left the venue at a little after 1am and hit several road blocks, detours and flooded areas... at one point I saw section of guard rail totally ripped off and missing. Up the road a driver was being checked out in his car (after hitting the guard rail or a tree? I'm not sure) but it didn't look good. There were trees, leaves and debris everywhere and it sounds like millions of people have lost power completely. Just hope that people get the help they need at this point.

Here's a setlist from last night's show. We wanna thank Thaylobleu for playing an amazing set. They put on one incredible performance and sounded insanely good (yours truly got to run sound). They are professional dudes with some crazy talent. We're looking forward to playing more shows with them and can't wait to hear their upcoming LP. We'd also like to thank Mr. Kevin Brown (writer for Examiner.com) for checking out the show.

At the end of our set we jammed on a few tunes together and swapped instruments for even a few more songs. Thanks to everyone who made it out to the show, you guys are why we do this. We hope you all had a good time. I kept seeing the lights flicker during both sets thinking... is the power about to go? Luckily, we made it through both band's sets without any technical difficulties.

Was sort of wild seeing the storm barreling around behind us while we played. But in hindsight, probably not the safest thing to have been doing at that time.

So here's the list of songs we actually played. The original setlist was similar but we dropped a few of the slower, quieter songs. I'm including the extra songs we played at the end, although I don't know the names (the guys in Thaylobleu might remember) and if anyone remembers the correct order let us know... we were in a trance.

Next to You - Police
Anyone
Colorblind
9th Song
Pin on a Dime
Do You Wanna Dance - Bobby Freeman (Beach Boys version)
Kitsch
Creature in the Sky
Turning Glass to Sand
Favorite Words
At The Gazebo
Telepathic Love - Wipers
Evil Twin
Kegan Leonard (w/ Thaylobleu)
Lonely (w/ Thaylobleu)
Nobody (w/ Thaylobleu)
Pulse - Psychedelic Furs

unknown jam (Thaylobleu w/ The Velvet Ants)
unknown jam 2 (Thaylobleu w/ The Velvet Ants)
freestyle (Thaylobleu w/ The Velvet Ants)

Chipmunk King/Drop a Bomb on Hollywood (w/ Thaylobleu)

corrections welcome! Thanks for coming out.
[We'll try to post some pictures soon.]

Here's the deal (#1)

So, a few months back we posted tracks from our new album 'Advantage' on Noisehead and got around 300 plays (for each track!) within a week or so. This is probably the biggest spike we've seen since joining the site. We went and re-uploaded mastered versions when they came back from SoundLAB (so they'd be the same quality all around).

Here's the deal: If you can help us reach 300 plays or over (on each track) by the end of June we'll giveaway a free covers track in July.

Deal?

We've got a head start today because Noisehead.com has made us featured artist for the day! We're right on the homepage!

Click here to visit the Velvet Ants on Noisehead...

Click here to just visit Noisehead

We'd like send our thanks to Todd at Noisehead for making this possible.

Let's go!

One hell of a weekend.

Congratulations to Roscoe and Jessica, they tied the knot and had a big old shindig this past weekend. The weather couldn't have been better and the air was full of bubbles. Later in the night we ran through some old songs in the pavilion. There was only 2 guitars laying around so we constructed a drum set out of tubs, used a couple of snapped branches for sticks and mic'd everything else. As the night went on, the DJ (who turned out to be an avid Doors fan) sang and Ian went to the drums. We played 'Love Me Two Times' & 'Roadhouse Blue' before going into a jam for the next 10 minutes. Good times, hope to have more of those. Maybe we'll record it next time. As for the covers album, our schedules (which are now almost completely opposite) haven't allowed much time for completion but most of what's left is done. I think (with fingers crossed) we'll have something finished by the end of the summer. Shows are being booked though so maybe things aren't so bad. Either way, here's to Jess & Roscoe and hope to see you soon. Next show is June 29th @ Axum Lounge in DC to RSVP visit http://facebook.com/events/319636841449889/

"One Stranger" Blog from 12-20-06

Interesting snippets from the past have recently turned up including this blog from December 2006 just before releasing Lunatic Frame:

"one stranger (title)

Before “LF” is released I want everybody to know that these new Velvet Ants recordings are in no way intended to be polished studio demos. We started with one thing in mind: to create a prototype for new song formats and a generally fresh sound, for us at least. 10 songs have narrowed down a bank of around 19 tracks that we were originally planning on. I don’t think this will hurt the idea of “LF” in any way. These songs are some of the greatest I’ve worked on, and I don’t even feel like it’s been a whole lot of work The instruments and song structures were laid down without much of a hassle at all. Even amidst the constraints of not having a great amount of time to work on anything, things have gone smoothly. Now it’s a matter of a week or two until a final mix. I say ‘final’ but any dedicated artist can relate to a piece that is never finished. This is why I wrote this. It may not be everyone’s experience but I could literally spend a lifetime honing in on all these little things that could improve the song, eventually ruining it. Taking away, replacing, overdubbing and so on. I’m so sick of hearing records that have been polished to a point where no real performance is evident. There’s a lot of slick sounding bands out there who lose a lot by releasing these over-glossed songs. Lacquered and buffed like some false hope in being the next great band or something. “LF” will be done soon, and out for scrutinizing, so it’s a little nerve racking. Like I said these sessions could last forever, but that wouldn’t produce anything but a ton of headaches. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone so I’ll leave it at that, I just hope at least one stranger enjoys it. -Ian"

I guess you could say the same goes for Advantage.

Off to work on some covers!

Velvet Covers

Hello everyone! We're still alive and kickin'. Just wanted to give an update on what's going on. Weeee are in the midst of recording some covers and hopefully finishing some soon as well. They should all be finished by late July/early August. We plan to book some shows throughout the summer & we'll definitely post those dates and locations as soon as that happens. There is also a fan mail set up now for anyone that wants to keep up on show dates, when new material is released, or to tell us whatever is on your mind! Just send an e-mail to VelvetAntFans@live.com and we'll add you to the list. Don't forget we also have t-shirts and CD's for sale! -RT

"Out of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most." - Mark Twain

CHIT!

Workin on some Cars tunes

Going Nowhere

So much for all the stress! We've fixed the issues with the recording interface!!! And also figured out how to manage the files in better ways. (Was getting a bit crowded on the old hard drive with all the projects coming and going). Weren't sure whether we'd be able to finish anything at this point so this is all a bit of a relief. We've got a ton of stuff to work on (covers/b-sides...). I'll let the others update as we progress, but funny enough... everything that was holding us back is now back to working in our favor.

I'm afraid we'll be holed up for a while getting these takes laid out for their release but we'll try to keep you posted as we go.

-IAN

Malformations

Just wanted to write a quick line to let everyone know we're still here. In a bit of a different structure than before but here none the less. We've gone through a few changes lately and have been toggling through options like there's no tomorrow. Just a matter of finding out what will work for now and how we can sound our best while addressing the unfinished material we have. There are some b-sides and covers we're going to be working on as well as figuring out who or what might be playing bass. Auditions went well, but were not sure that to be the best direction at this place and time. We sort of stormed back into things, and it was fun... but we need to reconfigure and ready ourselves for the next round of performances and do it in a way that we're all satisfied with. Who knows what will come of the next sessions, or rehearsals but as long as we're progressing it's worth it. So for now, we center ourselves and possibly emerge on the other end with an even better version of ourselves. After all, Velvet Ants never had a predetermined 'anything' to begin with.

Here are some photos a friend took at the last show:

Still searching... (Open auditions!)

Open auditions for Bassist/Vocalist! (Fairfax/DC)

Hi! If you're in the area and have:

-transportation
-decent equip.
-time to commit and are ready to practice and play shows
...contact us immediately.

Here our some of our tunes: http://www.reverbnation.com/thevelvetants

Auditions will be held in late April, this is an open call... no age/sex/other requirements just looking for enthusiastic & motivated talent

The sooner the better as we're planning to book more shows, thanks!!!

Strange Days

Before there was Lost in Stereo, or Allday Mori, or even Dream LAX, there was a band called Malfunction of the Head. We were the first to sign with indie UK label $talker Records in 2004 and within a year we were done…

When you’re in a trio and you lose a member, it’s next to impossible to fill that void. Especially when the chemistry is right. In early 2005 Roscoe had left the band and Trevor and I realized we weren’t going to be able to continue on as MOTH . We started work on some of my demos (called Dream LAX, which then led to a full album, and forming The Velvet Ants). For a couple of years we wrote, recorded and worked on pressing our first self-released album “Lunatic Frame”. In late 2007 though, the winds of change hit once again and we went on to separate projects. Another two years passed and my band up in Boston, Lost in Stereo had broken up… I’d worked on demoing some new material but nothing really came as close to feeling the same as when you’re actually collaborating. So, in Summer of 2011 I started roughing out sketches for a new Velvet Ants album that would eventually become Advantage. I figured it’d be similar to the first collection of songs, but little did I know… About a month or two went by and just as I was finishing vocals and lead we started talking with Ken Stringfellow (of The Posies) about possibly mixing it. Now, this was a pretty big deal considering The Posies along with a handful of other artists were some of my biggest influences growing up… not only that but we’d also never worked with someone that professional before. So aside from trying to keep our stuff together long enough to work things out, we tried finishing all of the drum takes in the next few weeks of my moving back to Virginia. (This all took place in about a span of a month and a half.) We got most of what we wanted to accomplish done before the mixing process, but we also left little to no time for any major errors. It was at about this point where we didn’t know whether we’d be able to finish or release what we had worked on with Ken… Should we release the original mixes and release Ken’s as b-sides/alternates, the other way around?

Luckily, by slimming down the original track listing, focusing on a select number of tracks, and after a little bit of editing and some mastering we were able to pull it all together. Sure, we could’ve spent another 3 months (and it probably would’ve help out a lot) but we’d also basically worked backwards from the beginning and there was no turning back.

All of the head spins aside, the album is finally out and it’s time to get back to focusing on shows and everything else you don’t necessarily think about when you’re buzzing around. Of course the news doesn’t stop there… as a bit of an added bonus we’ve learned that Roscoe will be returning to the stage with us in March. Yep, that’s right folks… 7 years after the MOTH split, the 3 of us will be back up on stage together bashing it out. The other strange thing?? It will be almost exactly 9 years to the day that we had our first jam in March of 2003 at the beginning of it all.

So there it is… the album (on which both Roscoe & Ken are featured)… the show… and Roscoe’s return!

We’re looking forward to seeing where it all leads, and hopefully it’s a packed venue somewhere around the corner.

Hope you all enjoy the album, may there be more songs and good times ahead,

Ian

More info on the upcoming show will be announced soon. To purchase the new album visit: http://thevelvetants.bandcamp.com or http://reverbnation.com/thevelvetants

LIVE Mp3's

In preparation for the release of "Advantage" this Thursday, we've put together a few free downloads for you all. Some are of higher quality than others.

The Velvet Ants - Live @ Rock & Roll Hotel [Audio Quality: Medium]

The Velvet Ants - Live @ Velvet Lounge [Audio Quality: Low]

The Velvet Ants - Live in Vienna [Audio Quality: High]

Feel free to share these and Enjoy!

Make sure to pre-order the new album HERE You'll get 'Favorite Words' immediately and the rest of the album the moment it's released! + You'll be able to download in the format of your choice.

At The Gazebo LIVE

Preview the new album!

More @ http://youtube.com/velvetants

Out on 2/16!

Hard Rock Calling 2012 @ London's Hyde Park

The Velvet Ants are competing for a chance to play Hard Rock Calling 2012, a three day music festival in London's historic Hyde Park!

TO VOTE JUST DOWNLOAD THE FEATURED TRACK (IT'S FREE) Votes are based on downloads so share the page with your friends if you can!

Thanks everyone -tva

https://www.facebook.com/hardrockcafewashingtondc?sk=app_205164529573076

CD Release

There was an amazing turnout last night and we had a great time playing for everyone. We met some pretty cool people and the sound was the best we've had to date from what people were saying. The last time Trevor and I played there it was much more low-key and had a totally different vibe going. They've really changed things up since then.. much more rock oriented and we love it. We'd also like to thank DC101 for helping us get the word out on the show.

Next month we'll be having a CD release show @ Fat Tuesday's in Fairfax. You can RSVP here:
http://www.facebook.com/events/336482469705077/

We'll also be releasing another track from "Advantage" on the 29th (next Sunday) so keep your dial @ http://thevelvetants.bandcamp.com for that! The full album will be released digitally on February 16th via Bandcamp, Noisehead, and Reverbnation. Here's a clip of a new song we played live for the first time last night.. it's called "Anyone"

Jan. 21st in Vienna!

We will be opening for Along Those Lines + Chuck Shaffer Picture Show at Jammin Java next Saturday at 10pm - Tickets are: $10 adv/$13 day of

You can contact us for advance tickets, or purchase them online @ http://jamminjava.3dcartstores.com/product.asp?itemid=1757

We will have new merchandise at this show!!

See you in Vienna

Wanna thank Yip Deceiver, Drawbridges, and The Absent Center for the show last night.. MUSIC WAS GREAT, PLACE WAS PACKED. We debuted a new song called Idle Tears. Excuse the poor audio on the EP (it was loud in there!) Oh, and many thanks to Adam @ Ontology Promotions for putting it all together! 

Both Live EP's are now available @ http://thevelvetants.bandcamp.com

See you in Vienna.

Live @ Rock & Roll Hotel (FREE EP)

We're gonna have this up at our Bandcamp page as soon as possible.. (they'll have it in all sorts of formats) ..RN has it but they made us charge for it. So until then..

Live @ Rock & Roll Hotel (FREE EP) @ http://www.mediafire.com/?5fdezm75ch2wbbm ENJOY!!

We had a blast opening for Chappo, Hiding Places, and Dance for the Dying who each played amazing sets!!! ..wasn't our greatest performance but I think we had fun with it. Hope to see you at the next show! It's sure to be just as good, if not way better!

Special thanks to Dance for the Dying for asking us to play, and the Rock and Roll Hotel staff for their hospitality. Great people, great venue...

-TVA

oh, in case anyone's into makin' their own hard copy, we found this circulating within 48 hrs. of the gig: