13 August, 2013

QTN Summer 2013 Newsetter

Hello to you – patient, illustrious correspondents all.
Long time no write though the constant streamdream goes on. Thank you for your interest, your urgings and reminders to continue with these QTN verbosities. A little encouragement goes a long way indeed as I have been at this musiclife for more than 30 years now.

Somehow 2013 is already more than a half-past and although plenty has happened and lots has gotten done, there is always much more to do. Good thing too. If we don't dig in and do the is as does is, who will?

If you want to send email to me, send your address to QTNZYME@yahoo.com. There is news I want to share and mostly email is the best and most direct  way for me.

There are four sections here:

A. 2013 already?
B. A live CD and news!
C. Links to other rare QTN music
D. A note about Facebook



A. 2013 already? – Somehow it's been way over a year (maybe two) since a newsletter from me found you and waylotsa has being going on in this centrifugal spiralling. Winter has come through twice since I've last written and this used to be a quarterly letter. Perhaps the tubas are getting louder in a whole nother way. Shift obviously happens and the little scrolly dollies spinning counter clockwise and time foolish say Summer is a fine time to begin again with the mechanism reset and proceeding outward, evre toward.

B. A live CD and news!
– Projects come forth in fifths and sixths - recording, concerts worded and wordless, making books, buttons and whatever other tiny shells are left upon the shore. Another recording is underway at last and the process is exciting. There are too many tunes to record as it has been many years since Hearthearthearth, still I am open to suggestions for which songs to include in the next installment. Chime in here with song titles as more than once I've completely forgotten songs I used to sing only to be reminded of em by a friend at a most propitious time.

This year was my 25th year performing at Oregon Country Fair. Over the years I've managed to record my sets and have put together a fun CD of performances through the years. It's an energetic peek at what goes on when we play. Mostly I perform solo through the year so it is a different kind of treat to hear a QTN band in front of a crowd. It has already been warmly received and is assisting in funding a new studio recording.

The disc is called QTNTFYOCF (QTN 25 Years OCF), 11 tracks culled from 2000 to 2012 and it is available now and is an energetic collection! I made a limited run for the Fair and there are still some left so you can order a copy too. Send $15 postage paid (cheque, money order or cash made to brian cutean) and I will go postal for you in the best way. You can send renumeration to me as well c/o 85444 Teague Loop, Eugene, OR 97405.

As you know, the process of recording, mixing, mastering and manufacturing is plenty exciting, time-consuming and expensive. I'm always considering new ways of fundraising and certainly there are online sites available to post a campaign like indiego and kickstarter but I am not drawn to those. Folks have written to say they would rather contribute directly to an artist instead of having a percentage taken by whatever the fundraising (crowdsourcing?) website du jour is. For all my previous albums, I've written directly to those who come to listen, to offer something special in a limited run return. Old fashioned word of mouth and email are still my favoured method of communication.

C. Links to other rare QTN music – Visit my new page HERE . Guitarred and Feathered is posted and several other rare recordings with more to come. Especially with the guitar disc, I wanted high res downloads to be available for those of discerning audio tastes. The low res mp3s on iTunes just don't do it for my ears. You can now download these discs in various high res formats to load on your ipod or phone for the same low price as CDbaby or iTunes. Listen to all these tracks in their entirety too, so bookmark the page and come back often. Let me know what you think about this as I plan to eventually post other rare tracks and albums there too.

Sonic treats available there: The long out of print, very electric 45, put out way back in 2000. People Need Food and The Mess Age recorded with Adam East + Kris Deelane and an unreleased bonus track from those sessions too is included, Ride Out, featuring me and Adam. Quite a fun electric tune to be taken regularly for best results.

There's also a 30 year old live recording and psychedelic relic made by me and Ky Hote on Mother's Day, 1983 called Deep in the Heart of Texture, a free downloadable half an hour sound extravaganza and nothing like I've recorded since. Just enter "0" when the amount to pay comes up and it will download right into your computer.

D. In answer to queries, the FB page I maintain is an artist page with no profile attached. When FB first began, artists were offered pages without divulging personal info. That means I can't collect "friends" but I can post news and events there and anyone who "likes" the page will ostensibly get updates from me.

Since FB changed the feed again recently, you may have to ask for regular updates
1) Go to the QTN page
2) Click on the gear to the right of the "Message" button.
3) Click "Add to Interests Lists" 

Since FB messaging doesn't work for me on that page, if you want to get in touch, just reply to this message and that is still the best way to reach me.

Thanks for all the letters, beholdance and for coming to shows wherever we may collide. Stay in touch too as these are precarious and exciting times indeed.

Your corn forest spondent,
bq