Christmas 2011 track and video

And i managed to squeeze out a new Christmas track in 2011 as well. You can download it for free here..
 

Kinda new video - "Life Gets Better" from SOOP #4

This is a fun little video I forgot to post here from a few months back for this track from SOOP #4
 

New album with the Cuban Heels - "By Request Vol 2"

Hey gang..

The next album is just done, just in time for Christmas!! This is album #4 in the series, and the second of the 'By Request' series I've done with my good friends, the alt.country band The Cuban Heels. It even includes requests by the band themselves!

The track listing is..

1.  Our Love (Rhett Miller)
2.  Tapioca Tundra (Mike Nesmith)
3.  Ruby Tuesday (Rolling Stones)
4.  Is It Any Wonder? (The Cowsills)
5.  Barrytown (Steely Dan)
6.  Breakfast In Marin (Sean Tyla)
7.  O Girlfriend (Weezer)
8.  I Don’t Want To Grow Up (Tom Waits)
9.  You Belong To Me (Elvis Costello)
10. Story Of An Artist (Daniel Johnston)
11. Good Morning Irene (Michael Adelsheim)
12. Mercury Blues (David Lindley)
13. Love And Mercy (Brian Wilson)

Of course, you can go to the Bandcamp page to have a listen. There's a few free tracks available there for download also. The CD will ship mid January, and it should be on iTunes etc right at the start of the new year.

New Video - "The Whole Of the Moon" from SOOP #4

New video, capturing the recording of "The Whole Of The Moon", from SOOP #4

Third album for the year - SOOP#4

So, here's the third record for the year, SOOP #4. I'm a little further behind schedule, but the quality is still up there! This is a really interesting collection of tracks... lots of new ones, and few old and REALLY old ones. This is probably the most obscure collection of songs, but there should be enough familiar ones there to make the ones you won't have heard worth the journey!

1. End Of The World (Jonah's Road)
2. Neil Jung (Teenage Fanclub)
3. The Whole Of The Moon (The Waterboys)
4. Life Gets Better (Graham Parker)
5. Getting Closer (Wings)
6. Stagefright (The Band)
7. That's Alright By Me (Gene Clark)
8. Keeping Me Alive (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)
9. Learning To Fly (Kate Lush)
10. Goodbye Angel (Butterfly 9)
11. FM (Steely Dan) 

As usual, head to Bandcamp to have a listen to the album. 

Michael Carpenter & The Cuban Heels - By Request: Volume 1

Hey all..

Here's the track listing to the second of the 5 covers albums i'll be releasing this year. All recorded late last year by The Cuban Heels, in blistering time.

1. Different Drum (Mike Nesmith/Stone Ponys)
2. Tried So Hard (Gene Clark)
3. Everytime She Passes By (George Ducas)
4. It's Only Love (The Beatles)
5. She's Not You (Michael Shelley)
6. Slow Turning (John Hiatt)
7. Lovesong (The Cure)
8. Nature's Way (Spirit)
9. Here Come The Good Times (A House)
10. Mission In Life (Bernie Hayes)
11. She Goes On (Crowded House)
12. Everlong (Foo Fighters) 

To go and have a listen you can go to my Bandcamp site. 

Enjoy!!

SOOP #3 Tracklisting (and original artists)

Hey all...

Here's the tracklisting for SOOP #3. It's available RIGHT NOW by joining the subscription thing below, or by going to my BANDCAMP store. You can preview all tracks at the Bandcamp store also. It should be up on iTunes, Emusic etc in the next day or so.

Tracklisting for SOOP #3.

1. They Don’t Know (Tracey Ullman)
2. What’s So Funny About (Nick Lowe)*
3. Annie Mae (John Kater)
4. Every Little Thing (Jeff Lynne)*
5. Think About Me (Fleetwood Mac)
6. If I Needed Someone (The Beatles)#
7. Sweet Little Sixteen (Chuck Berry)
8. Love Is Like A Bullet (The Shoes)#
9. Junior’s Farm (Paul McCartney)
10. Marcella (The Beach Boys)#
11. Fading Out (Butterfly 9)
12. Time To Change (The Brady Bunch)*

*previously released version

#new mix or recording

The 2011 SOOP Subscriber Plan

Hi all...

Another year, another 5 albums. What?

Yep.. this year, i'm releasing 5 ALBUMS of covers. My plan is to release the next chapter in my Songs Of Other People (SOOP) series.. #3, in the next few weeks. Then after that i'll release the first disc of the Cuban Heels subscriber covers recorded last year as part of the release of the debut Cuban Heels album. Following that will be the next installment of the SOOP series, followed by the second disc of Cuban Heels covers.

But the best part is the content of the last album. You see, following on from the success of the Cuban Heels "pay to have any song recorded" thing from last year, and requests to do something similar again, i'm making an option available for people to pay to have any song recorded by me! They can even be a part of the recording if they like! As many of these as we get will be part of the final album, just before Xmas.. SOOP #5!

So.. how can you help?

Well... i'm boldly trying a 'subscriber' deal for this whole thing, to help keep the thing funded, and achievable. What you'll see below are a whole bunch of 'plans', as generous as i can make them, for you to look over, and perhaps buy into, involving "pre-purchasing" all 5 albums. If you do, you'll get immediate password access to a special project blog with exclusive videos, snapshots, lyrics, extra liner notes, random thoughts, extra bits of audio and whatever else comes to mind, where you'll be able to comment and interact (somewhat) with the project. You'll also get a bonus 6th album of outtakes and alternate mixes at the end of the package.

(The individual albums will also be available from my Bandcamp store, and iTunes/Emusic etc.)

OK.. So, here goes!

The 2011 SOOP subscriber plan 
Package 1 - $70 (All prices in Australian dollars) 

All content available through special login access for plan subscribers

5 albums of covers (3 by MC, 2 by MC & The Cuban Heels) by download only in a selection of either 320 kbps mp3s or 44.1/16 bit .wav files

1 bonus disk at the end of the project with outtakes, alt mixes, acoustic versions

Regular subscriber videos with news/info/fun content

Extensive downloadable artwork/liner notes for each release

Notifications of new content via exclusive emails.

Package 2 - $120 

 

All content from package 1, including immediate download of albums as they’re released

CDR in slimline case or plastic wallet with basic artwork for each release

Postage included for all 5 releases

Package 3 (limit of 15 packages) - $450 

 

$400 for download only

All content from packages 1 & 2 (package 1 for download only)

Subscriber selects any song for MC to record, in MC’s own style, with basic creative input encouraged from subscriber.

If subscriber is interested in being part of the recording process, this can be arranged at the subscribers cost (if not located in the proximity of MC)

Subscriber will receive a demo of the track, progress emails, videos and a final mix before the track is included on album #5 for the year.

MC will aim to do a completed studio video for each subscriber for this package.

Subscriber receives credit for selection of the song on all artworks.

(Note: For people who subscribed to the Cuban Heels pay for a song package last year, please contact me directly for a discount price for the remaining discs.)

Loose schedule of releases

April – SOOP #3

June – The Cuban Heels: By Request – Volume 1

August – SOOP #4

October – The Cuban Heels: By Request – Volume 2

December – SOOP #5

Ok.. over to you. Any thoughts/comment, please let me know.

I need your help completing the new Cuban Heels album!!!

So, the new Cuban Heels album is more or less completed. You can see the wonderful front cover as designed by my good friend James Cooper

However, we've decided to have some fun with this release, and try to make it a more personal experience. Plus, we need your help in pre-ordering to get us over the finish line!

Below is an outline of the 3 packages available, prices and a Paypal link for those willing to pre-order. The expected physical release date isn't til the start of September, but the download version should be available in the next few weeks. The idea is that you can get the basic version, the special version and the super special version!

All pre-orderers will also get their name in the "thank you" section of the pdf booklet that comes with the silver and gold packages. 

For those that do take up the Gold offer, the requested track we record for you will need to be approved for suitability and viability!

You can have a listen to two of the newest tracks at my My Space. The track listing for both discs is down below also.

So that's it. Any questions, let me know!!

Bronze subscription - $25 AU

Single CD, postage included, and advance download of album

Silver subscription - $55 AU

2 CD pack including album and bonus disc, with advanced download of albums, an autographed Cuban Heels caricature, postage included, downloadable pdf 'booklet' of extra material, including scans of session documents, lyric sheets, song by song notes by Michael Carpenter, written thoughts from personnel and band members, extensive session photos

Gold subscription - $110 AU (SOLD OUT!!)

2 CD pack including album and bonus disc, with advanced download of albums, postage included, downloadable pdf 'booklet' of extra material, including scans of session documents, lyric sheets, song by song notes by Michael Carpenter, written thoughts from personnel and band members, extensive session photos, personalised autographed Cuban Heels caricature, bonus DVD of 3-4 Cuban Heels videos, and a personally recorded cover track by request* (track needs to be approved by Michael Carpenter before recording. Limit of 20 track by requests available.)

*Pending amount of Gold Subscriptions, the requested tracks may be compiled to a bonus disk for Gold Subscription members only. 

Cuban Heels Packages

Bronze $25.00 Silver $55.00

(you will be sent a link to download the appropriate album as soon as it is available.)

The Incomplete Cuban Heels 

1. The Ballad Of Ambivalence
2. Your Superman
3. The Bigger They Are
4. Heaven Knows
5. Bad Poetry
6. If You Ask Me
7. That Song
8. Oh No Not You Again
9. Going Home
10. Some Days Are Worse Than Others
11. Different With You

 The Completed Cuban Heels (bonus disc) 

1. I Love You Period
2. Almost Saturday Night
3. Joanne
4. Wonder Why
5. Aint No Coming Around Here
6. It's Not That Simple
7. Bleeding Money
8. Jambalaya
9. Working For A Living

Update on Monday, July 19, 2010 at 9:18AM by Michael Carpenter

Gold packages sold out!!!

Wow. I can't believe it. I jokingly put a figure of 20 Gold packages up, not expecting that that many people would be interested. But as of this morning, they're all sold out! Thank you to all who have subscribed in whatever package you purchased. The silver and bronze packages are still available, and appreciated.

It's certainly given me a lot to think about in terms of things that people can be offered/interested in. I really believe there is more to the idea of releasing records than the traditional model allows, and this has proven it!

So, we've got a lot of recording to do. Can't wait!!

New MC Site Underway

Michael recording the new Cuban's projectWelcome to the new site. It’s been long overdue for an overhaul, and has been given one thanks to the talented folks at Dreamer. Check out their other work and try to find ways that they could make your life better..

The plan is to make this site more of a place that I feel comfortable with interacting with and updating regularly with news as it comes. This new fandangled technology has caught up with itself, and it should be a nice central place where you can find out what’s happening, as it happens.

So, have a look around and say hi every once in a while!

MC