New Site... New Music

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This is a new year and it feels like spring is more the beginning of 2012 than in January. Lots of ups, lots of downs (as the Dude would say), but it has inspired new work. I am getting ready to release my latest album for Ductape Halo entitled FOND OF NIGHT. I recorded 9 songs, some new, some old, some just never recorded. I believe this LP will be very fun to listen to. The production uses some old techniques and combines them, taking what I have liked about past projects.

Speaking of past projects, There will be an anthology of almost 20 years of Ductape Halo recording self-composed music called MASTERS OF EVIL (1995 - 2012). I actually wrote my first song at 12 "Skies on Fire". I ripped off a riff from "Moonlight Sonata" and put this poem I wrote for a literary magazine in middle school. Not saying it's great, and you will never hear it, but it takes many tries to make good stuff. If it was easy, everyone would do it. This will come out after FOND OF NIGHT.

So, in the spirit of renewed creative energy, I redesigned the site. Partially because I lost my domain due to the fact I was unemployed. I just realized that it would be cheaper and just as effective to do it on blogger. There is much to explore because it represents all the media I utilize: music, art, film, cooking. Also has my appearance on People's Court wear my former band-mate (Tight White Jeans) tried to sue me for $5,000.

(give it to at least 1:14)

Please enjoy the media and look out for FOND OF NIGHT in the very near future, featuring songs like "Fools Decide", "My Mutha", "Mojo Hand", "Silk of the Snow" ...  to name a few. While you are waiting why not listen to I AM THE THIRD, getting ready to release a new extended EP and music videos! See us play at Pine Box during Bushwick Open Studios. Thank you for all your continued support!

Under Your Spell - LIVE @ 950 Hart Gallery BOS 6/4/11

 Brandon and I (of Ductape Halo and Noise Administration) treat 950 Hart Gallery 

to an original "pop song" during Bushwick Open Studios.

  Footage is shot by Zachariah Scott (Christmas and New Years of 2010/2011)

  Featuring Dan Victor, Brandon Bujnowski, Sean Alday, Mikki Nylund, Kenly Dillard, 

Antoinette Johnson, Mike Kronenberg, Zachariah Scott, and some cigarettes.

Ductape Halo - Ace of Clubs

Got 4 new Live tracks for you from Ductape Halo, 

the first 4 in the playlist are from the Ace of Clubs show.

 

  Ductape Halo LIVE by ductapealo

Baking with Balz... the cooking show

Mexican Potluck Fiesta and Game Social 12/11/10
Great night of fun & silliness, the wine was flowing and you know the food is good when there is nothing left. When you eat, do it with real Balz!

the food...   We ate chicken-fried rice, chorizo, pan-fried taquitos, soft tacos with all the fixings, Layered bean, cheese & guacamole dip with buffalo meat, breaded cauliflower baked with cheddar cheese, chili con queso, tortillas. Dessert included crumb cake, cookies and other mexican pastries.

the games...  Scategories, Sorry, Spit, Bullshit, Reel Clues and Asshole

we drank...   Water, Ginger ale, Red Wine (Riojo, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Merlot), champagne, beer (tall boys, 40's, Sam Adams), Jose Quervo Tequila, and Puerto Rican Rum.

Shot by Worm Canevale
Food by Dan Victor and Catie Taylor
Booze by everyone!

A cooking show that is getting baked, coming up with ideas to cook, themed nights, arguing about ingredients, picking up food from local spots to eventually having the food with either a few people or a lot, but every time having musical guests. Different locations can make the show exciting, like cooking in crazy places

lots of humor, tongue in cheek, drinking, chilling, games, possibly gambling. all in all, a celebration of life.

My friend Paul is the the real Balz. He originated the idea with me years ago when I lived in San Diego. We would get very into the details of making the food and arguing like brothers with being under the influence. We acted as though there was a camera on us the whole time, from when we came up with what to make, to going shopping for ingredients, then making the food and then everyone enjoying the food... and also get drunk and stoned. The joke was when we came back from commercial, we would be passed out on the floor. We also had the intention of having a live band featured on the show.

It isn't just about how to make the food, it is how to enjoy it and appreciating the fun that surrounds food. New traditions are made every day.

Another friend of mine, Sam, she and I liked to come up with themed nights, parties, etc. the more ridiculous the nature of the party, the more fun it was. making a snappy name for a night of food.

"Step High" Ductape Halo LIVE

Ductape Halo closed out the night with "Step High" at The Parkside Lounge, located in Lower East Side, Manhattan. "Step High" is a classic song about seeking redemption and accepting who we are. Heavy Blues and Rockabilly influence.

Dan Victor: Guitar/Vocals
Shamari Rockca: Keyboards
Michael J. Benham: Bass
Steve Reyes: Drums

Home Sweet Home

Played this at my fathers house in New Jersey.

Very fitting. Was going back to Brooklyn.

Prosulas - plays "the Cloud"

This is an exclusive video, shot by Bob Murray, of PROSULAS, Shamari Rockca's band. I play bass along with Steve Reyes. This was a show on Saturday at "The Cloud". We are playing 2 shows this week, Wednesday and Thursday. Check out the links...here are some stills from the video.

Legend Podcast 08.19.10

Here we go again,with another segment of "Legend in my own Mind". This time I have a great video for you of improv song writing and at the end, an old tune "Dreamer" to close it out. Love the music, tried to make it even more captivating by doing a small amount of editing. Next time, I may impose a more creative  use of editing. My penthouse is featured as second character set in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York, US, Earth...

This excellent portrait is by Worm Carnevale : wormc.com

TROUBLE: After July 4th Blues Video-Cast

I like to over indulge in things. Sometimes uncontrollably. Things do even out. I was worrying about what I was saying in this video-cast you are about to watch because I am vexed. Oh yes folks, got a thought or two on the old brain and if you know me well, isn't such a good thing necessarily. 

The inclination to write something witty is slipping me up. am I hungry or am I needing to heal up more from the debauchery that occurred in the house of Cedric's up across the GW, where 2 girls each, broke one their toes. Plus I ate so much rich food, like Baked Mac and cheese, sausauge, meatballs, pork shoulder, buttermilk pancakes (with blue berries)..... oh yeah bottle of wild turkey, sack of buddah, lots of light beer in the hot tub. and other assorted frech cheese, wine, booze and other stuff I won't go into further detail. you get the idea.

But.. the good news is this. I am on the mend and excited to record some more tomorrow. I mumble alot in this 2 part video-cast about getting Ductape Halo up and running. We have 6 songs almost in the bag. Started recording a few of the songs. Should have some music out soon. Also doing hand-painted T-shirts.

by the way, how do you like my chops? medium well?
enjoy my meanderings.

Amongst the Dead video

of practice at "The Castle" 2010

Legend hangs with Toby Stretch

Chilling back in Philly with my boys and girls down here. So pretty out today. Spent it running around with Toby doing errands. Going to Loewes and the Post Office. We went to a great restaurant called WineO (wineophilly.com) last night. 147 Poplar Street, Phila, PA 19123. The Owner Giovanni was very hospitable and we had a great time. The wine was good, but the food was great! Had mussels and linguini with grilled veggies .... it rivals the best places i go to in NYC. i started talking about the band, and he told me about first fridays. Trying to place at his place possibly in June. He placed a TWJ sticker right on the front of his stage. Thank you!!!!

So I have another video-cast from Toby's place, talking about pushing networking, jim just got here so we are going to rock out ... watch and enjoy.

Day before the night

Here are some updates on what's going on with me and the Potion Collective. Last night we threw a rager at the McKibben Lofts. Beautiful showcase of talent, music and art. Also Tight White Jeans, Hellican, Tobias Stretch....   party on wayne!





Tobias Stretch Reel I from Tobias Stretch on Vimeo.
http://www.tobystretch.com. This is a bit of my animation from the last 2 years set to Richard Einhorn.

Insomnia, Bellvue & Blues

Do you ever get it? i have it now, maybe because i smoked a couple fatties with some friends and now am wired. or was looking at the sites i have been working on. listening to the new tracks i put on the blog. i was cleaning my room earlier. looking much more organized. seems like it is going well, but there can always be more to do. Always. if i think about it too much i can't sleep and have to "distract my mind" to fall asleep. these 42 tricks may help insomnia.  see video at the end. tapping.com

by distract my mind, i don't mean drugs or booze (although it can help, it can also work against me). i mean, listening to a book on tape, or watching a movie i have seen many times, or read. i never get online, for obvious reasons... the internet doesn't want you to sleep. EVER! :)

reading can put me out something fierce, which is good, but can also frustrating. for instance, when i really like the book and can't put it down. then it doesn't do it's job. but if i read a book i don't like, i can't get into it enough to "distract my mind". it's an in-just world. sort of reminds me of some of my past relationships.

so i don't know what to do now, so i am writing about what i am currently writing... right now. like i am not thinking about it, just writing. love, man.

got some cool ideas about ductape halo. was listening to the Scratch Music page and found myself liking quite a few i forgot about. i was thinking, "what cool stoner tunes". not that i ever thought about it that way, but as a result of it being a common practice, it makes sense.

thing is, i have these great songs i am ready to record for ductape halo new album. now ductape halo doe not put out crap. it is going to be a well done thing. aggressive acoustic blues. possibly with some beats from a casio keyboard. by the way, casio is the only brand keyboard i use. love the casiotone 405.

was thinking of trying to bring in some ideas i had in the past to fuel the new songs, but realized it needed to all be fresh. this will be the most fun ductape halo album yet entitled:
  "Get Lit, Get Laid, 
    Get Stoned, Get Paid"
i realize you must go out on limbs, so i have lost my mind and what a great thing it is when we finally do. i am actually not afraid of being tossed in a mental hospital any more after i tried to have myself committed to Bellvue. I went through the intake, but they wouldn't take me because i wasn't a "threat" to myself or anyone else. i begged to differ, but what do doctors know?

that was the reason i was cleaning my room, in order to get all my gear in order to have a nice recording environment set to my liking. got to get the planets aligned, ya know? a clear living space is a reflection of a clear mind. i'll leave you with this last thought.....

 i believe in the healing power of crystals, but i'm not a fucking hippy!

EXPLOSION!!! Brooklyn is on Fire (in a good way)

what's up? i tell you what's up.... i am fired up about the spring and summer not far behind. with this nice weather rollin in, the vital energy of Brooklyn, especially Bushwick seems eminent. The pieces are and have been in place. I see it as a powder keg that has been letting off steam, but it's ready to EXPLODE!



I am updating this blog with a Podcast from the Legend himself. lol. Been very busy with this great group of people i was just introduced to called the Potion Collective. They formed as a result of an ongoing open mic every monday night at 1G. But there are only 2 mondays left and Ductape Halo and Tight White Jeans are attending! It is hosted by Alec Stephens III and has a great line-up of regular performers ranging from acoustic folk to metal, and electric blues to free-style hip hop, as well as many songwriters and artists. So come by to 1G this monday night. signups and 7:30. starts at 8.

Dan Victor interview on Tight White Jeans

this is a rare interview of dan talking about mega bad-boy superstars of rock, Tight White Jeans. he speaks frankly about the flood of success that is sure to follow the much anticipated album, "An American Classic". Which this album is sure to become a household name. Screaming fans already have to be physically restrained during shows. mostly because they are sweating, drunk and out of their minds, blown away by the awesome sound blasting at top volumes just to play as loud as Dave slams the drums. it is about rhythm. is it a new genre? maybe. "rhythm". for some reason people have called out some funny things at shows, like "Tight White Mom" or "Are you on LSD?" The answer is: not at the moment. please enjoy this exclusive footage. 
 


Interview August 2009