Multitasking
There’s a long boring story about the many things going on behind the scenes as I move through the strange netherworld between album completion and album release. In one chapter of that story, I was on Cape Cod with my family, enjoying the beach and a lot of lobster rolls just prior to when everything started really churning. At that point, the plan was to release Good Morning Tucson as the first track shortly after my return to NYC. I thought it would be fun to have a video for it, but of course there I was on vacation with no video directors in sight. What I did have was a couple of iPhones, some duct tape, a kite, a rocket, an RC airplane, two children, a wife, a giant inflatable sphere, and a 2004 Volkswagen Jetta. Which was close enough, I figured. It helped that I had a great editor I could send the footage to – his name is Chris Dillon and you will no doubt recognized his work from my concert DVD, “Best. Concert. Ever.”, which he also edited.
You can take this as evidence of my efficiency and ability to multitask, or you can take it as an example of the many ways in which I often fail to draw a clear line between work and not-work. Mostly you can take it as a demonstration of what a FANTASTIC skim boarding technique I have, and how I need to lose about 15 pounds and maybe get a spray tan.
The song Good Morning Tucson is obviously not about going to the beach. At least, it didn’t used to be!
You can download this slightly higher quality, pre-YouTube-Compression version if you like, and well looky here, there’s the song itself, free to all. Those links will be live for a couple of weeks at which point they are timed to expire so that robots crawling the web of the future do not destroy my bandwidth. Get em while they’re hot.
Comments
keebs says
Cripes if that is multitasking, I have seriously overestimated my own ability to do more than one thing at a time. Seriously good video.... Actually would like to suggest you do more of these.... I know! You should totally sign up to create a video. like every week. you could make it kinda a thing, no? :)
AverageJon says
It needed more rocket (but other than that it was great)
Ed Marshall says
May I say how wonderful it is to hear *you* singing this time?
No offense meant toward Mr. Roderick's fine vocal stylings, but I prefer to be soft-rocked by the original, thankyouverymuch. :)
Awesome stuff, as always, and the home-video style is perfect for this song.
Stephen S. says
aaaahh!!! Video is awesome!
This is like, the first major official live-video for you!!
Neilios says
Re: Still sort of amazed that you can be born in the 90s.
I thought that was just me!
Electric Chris says
I love the video, can't wait for the album.
Craig says
Nice job, sir! But are we to assume your release plan for Artificial Heart is "Thing a Month"? ;)
Oscar Ramos says
Delightful! After hearing the live acoustic version it's nice to hear the finished product. And, might I add, it's a pleasure to have the honor of viewing a tiny glimpse of your personal life.
Marshall says
Nice video! One of my favourite bands, Wide Mouth Mason, just finished making a video using the camera on a Macbook, along with some sort of post-processing to give it a toon shader/rotoscoping effect. You can definitely do a lot with a little these days.
Haplo says
Thanks for the slice-of-life video! Your skim-boarding technique is indeed excellent; I especially enjoyed the backwards shot.
What're you drinking there on the porch while reading?
Jason says
Nice to see you finally shared this officially. I saw it last week (apparently by accident) when it showed up in my YouTube subscriptions from you. It was subsequently made price, but now once again released to the wilds of the Internet. Roam free GMT!
Also, once again, thank you for the pleasant surprise that is Artificial Heart and your wonderful PAX performance!
TheAppleFreak says
Nice video; probably more than my attention span would allow me to do on frickin vacation, no less. But while this is a very nice song and all, when are we going to get Artificial Heart as a whole?
David says
Hey, I have a 2003 Golf! Small world.
Rachel says
Really enjoyed the song and the video! I feel inspired to use the phone camera more and get the Artificial Heart album. Thanks for sharing!
Craig says
Two more things I'd like to add:
A.) To repeat @Haplo's question, what beer are you drinking?
B.) JoCo Brew totally needs to be a thing. Maybe we could pitch the idea to Brooklyn Brewery.
Craig says
Ok, after a quick search I found out that JoCo Brew is already somebody else's thing (see jocobrew.com).
Darrell says
I do not think this sounds like TMBG as so many have inferred. There's not even an accordion in it.
Nathan says
OK, what does it have to do with Tucson? Was a little disappointed since I was hoping it had something to do with Tucson, Arizona.
Gle3nn says
"Here I come World!"
Great tag line for the new album promotion.
Fun video and another great song.
Grant says
Wonderful song. You have my money the moment I can buy the album digitally. :-)
Jason says
Awesome video!
If you're ever in New York or Philadelphia, I hope you consider me a "director in sight!" I work for pizza! Or, y'know... Free!
Angelastic says
Since you provided a download link, I'm wondering whether the video (and indeed, the album) is released under your usual Creative Commons license. Maybe somebody could use bits of it for a Summer's Over or I Crush Everything video or something. I notice that the YouTube video is under the 'Standard YouTube License'. Did you notice they allow you to mark videos as Creative Commons, now? :)
Do not get a spray tan.
Paul says
But...you said a wife...where's the wife?
Fata Morgana says
This video is amazing. A lot better than I was expecting from your description. Wow!
Purplepooki says
Love the video very very good! Hope to see more of them. Simply made like that too, that is what makes them good.
Andrew "The Clinger" Coleman says
@Angelastic I don't know about the video, but he confirmed (as does the cover of the album) that his newest album (sans Still Alive and Want You Gone) is creative commons.
DJ Particle says
I never knew you had family on the Cape! I grew up in P-town :)
rozwarren says
As far as I'm concerned, ALL good music is about going to the beach. Great video! See you (for the 26th time!) in Atlanta tomorrow.
rozwarren says
And I assume this video means you'll be writing off the cost of your entire vacation? (When the IRS comes after you, show them this email which constitutes Official Tax Advice from an actual retired lawyer.)
Joe says
LITERALLY my favorite song by Joco
Robert McTavish says
Haha, of all the songs to set against idyllic beach/driving/etc. scenes... Still, the song is phenomenal and the video is highly amusing, even if they don't quite mesh. :p
Oh, also, maybe I'm blind or dense or something, but shouldn't there be some kind of big blinking BUY NEW ALBUM >HERE< post on this site somewhere? I saw the twitter update and already bought myself a copy, but not everyone is on "the tweets" after all.
(Also, an update to my comment on Nemeses: I have done a 180 on my previous position and now really like Roderick's vocals on the song. I think I needed to hear it in context of the album for it to really click.)
Lawrence says
YEAH where is thaT button!?
Mose says
Are you actually reading "Memoirs of a Geisha" or was that just a prop for the video? Great book. (I liked the book enough that I fear the movie.)
Oh, yeah, looking forward to that album thing too.
AB says
I had the same idea, film the beach, instant videos!
beth berkland says
love the video, love the album, but kinda sad that there was no email to announce the album's release...came here to the site yesterday and got the happy news! been playing it nonstop, looking tremendously forward to the show with TMBG at the Orange Peel later this month!
DN says
Loved the video, though it did clash with the material a bit. I LOVE that song. It's what made me buy the album, actually the $100 "I Frickin Love Joco" pack. It's for the whole family, we all love Joco, at least, that's how I rationalized the purchase....
Anyway, back to the song, I saw you perform it live at some place in Asheville, may have been the Orange Peel... you were there with your band, had some guy opening for you... I'm sure you remember it. ;)
And to Beth Berkland whoever you are, I'll see you at the Orange Peel!
Dan Dan says
Sweet song, cool video. I lived in Tucson for a long time. Could you put out some karaoke for the new album, starting with this song?