Tag: acoustic

We’re Back, New Tracks and Grimsby Flack

Where’s My Whiskey???

I know that we have been silent for quite some time and you have our deepest apologies.  Going forward, we will be adjusting the blog post dates to Mondays to avoid ‘life getting in the way’ issues.  This will serve as the post for this Monday, and then starting Monday May 9th, we will get back to doing this on the regular – I mean it this time.

News From The Week That Was

We’ve been making progress on all fronts across the previous few weeks.  Songs About Crying is nearly locked in – we don’t have an exact release date at the moment, but you can expect that it will be released by early summer.  On the acoustic performance front, we are putting together a set that we are pretty proud of – it will be arriving at a fine establishment near you very soon.  For any fine establishments looking to book us, please email booking@fightingwhiskey.ca and we can discuss.  Additionally, we have the bones of 8 songs written for the 3rd album, which again will be a complete left turn from everything that we have done up until now.  Lastly, in the spirit of ‘Get To Know Your Whiskey’ and ‘Fighting Whiskey Recommends”, we will be starting a new feature next week “History of . . .” wherein we will look at the history of all things Fighting Whiskey.  Next week will be part one of “History of The Cube”.

Three Things I’ve Learned This Week

  1. It appears that I have unfairly besmirched the reputation of Grimsby, Ontario.  I apologize to all Grimsbians.
  2. It is possible to, in the same day, get high and mighty about a child getting spaghetti sauce in his eyebrow while later not noticing a glob of icing in your beard.  Humbling.
  3. I drastically under promote the awesome relationship I have with my mom.  Sorry mom.

Cats, Whales and Hamsters

News From The Week That Was

As things start to open up again here in Ontario, the focus in The Cube this week went back to bringing up our acoustic chops.  We saw Puffer return after beating COVID and made some serious strides in terms of being able to perform live.  I didn’t take any pictures this week in The Cube, so the side picture this week is Sam, Scarfo and Linz’s brave boy who suffered an injury this week.  Sorry for the goofy lookin cone, dude.  Glad you’re gonna be okay.

Get to know your Whiskey!

What is something you have accomplished as an adult that your younger self would be proud of?

Boyne: I broke some cycles.

Scarfo: My younger self was kind of a prick and wouldn’t appreciate who I am now.  But he’d be into Dandelions and Failure.

Puff: My younger self was pretty blasé, but he’d probably be pretty stoked that I got a driver’s license… And still have all my hair. (A hearty middle finger from Scarfo on this one).

Who is your hero?

Boyne: Blindboy Boatclub.

Scarfo: Well, in second place for my hero is Chris Boyne.  The rest of humanity is tied for first***.  Joking aside, there are 3 people that I look to in terms of how to be a good man – my late grandfather, my dad and Steve Strohack.

Puff: Ringo Starr, cuz he’s to them good music skills and ye never seen him be a dick about anything to anyone.  Just seems like a gracious and kind person, which is something to aspire to. (Scarfo suggests starting by not maligning the follicly challenged).  

What did you want to be when you were small?

Boyne: The first thing that I can remember wanting to be was a Marine Biologist – that did not last long.

Scarfo: A garbage man.  I think they call it ‘sanitation engineer’ now, but when I was a kid, it was garbage man.  Hanging off the big truck, lifting the dumpsters with the truck forks – it was like working inside of a transformer.

Puff: An artist, cause I wanted to spend as much time as possible drawing.  I’d like to spend more time drawing now … 

***Note: Line borrowed from the late, great Bobby “The Brain” Heenan

Three Things I’ve Learned This Week

  1. Boyne isn’t shy about telling you when you look orange.
  2. Hamsters are nocturnal. (Not funny, just didn’t know that and learned it this week.)
  3. There are some people out there who have a real disdain for Grimsby, Ontario.

News, Reviews and Survey Blues

News From The Week That Was

A few notes before the holiday season from your barrel aged friends with punchable faces.  First off, a huge thank you to Divide and Conquer music for their in depth review of Dandelions and Failure.  You can read it here!

Another ‘acoustifying’ week in The Cube as the set list grows. As you can see from the picture, Scarfo tends to ham it up whenever cameras are around, Boyne gives zero shits.  This coming week will likely be quiet on the productive front as we are all taken over by family obligations, but never fear, 2022 will soon be here.

Additionally, while we have finished our current round of “Fighting Whiskey Recommends”, we will be bringing out a new ‘Get to Know Your Whiskeys” feature in the new year.  Learn about the madness beyond the method to our madness.

Finally, we officially exist on Facebook.  You can search Fighting Whiskey and give us a like.  We gave you a free album, c’mon, give us a like.  Once the page has its own URL, I will post both here and as a button at the bottom of the site.

Three Things I’ve Learned This Week

  1. What REM sounds like is very subjective.
  2. Random surveys can hurt my feelings.
  3. When my girlfriend is making a gingerbread house, shouting “Push it!!!” over and over again at her is not considered moral support.

Fingers, Mouths and Joy

News From The Week That Was

The fingers have taken a real beating this week as we continue to ‘acoustify’ a lot of the Dandelions and Failure songs.  “Stay the Same” was a challenge, but this week we were able to create a version that we think may very much work in a live acoustic setting. 

Fighting Whiskey Recommends

Who? Murder By Death

What? In Bocca Al Lupo

Why?

One of the most overlooked albums from one of the most overlooked bands you can imagine – even the band themselves ranked it low among their own list of albums.  Still, this was an absolute game changer for me.  It was one of those records that I listened to multiple times a day everyday for years.  Story songs, heavy themes of outlaws and a voice like Johnny Cash – it grabs you a little on the first listen and gets better and better with every subsequent listen.  It can be hard to find on streaming services, but there are videos of “Sometime the Line Walks You” and “Brother” kicking around on Youtube.  This is it, this is the record.  I will never dream of making anything this great. 

Three Things I’ve Learned This Week

  1. Impersonating a dead celebrity can bring joy to a joyless man.
  2. My cat can accurately predict the outcome of a football game within 3 points.
  3. When someone says, “the person who baked these cookies said you couldn’t have any,” there is a good chance that they are lying, cookie thieving jerks.

Bank, Bush and Miller Time

News From The Week That Was

We made up for lost time from last week and went hard on the acoustic conversion front this week.  There is a set that is really coming together well and we are pretty pumped about it.  Also, another newer skeleton of a song in the bank – the creative process keeps on rolling.  Going forward, we are going to have some exciting announcements about merch and a special ‘outtake’ real for those who have downloaded the record in the coming weeks.  Stay tuned!

Fighting Whiskey Recommends

Scarfo’s #3 – Rock Against Bush, Volume I

Who?  Various Artists

What? Rock Against Bush, Volume I

Why?

Okay, so I cheated a little bit with this one.  In the before times, the long, long ago, when you were looking for new bands, one of the best approaches was compilation albums.  A record label would release a ‘comp’ with tracks from different artists – you could hear 20 different bands in one place and figure out whose sound you were interested in before the days of Spotify.  

This was one of the all time great comps – usually you would get 2 or 3 tracks that worked for you.  Of the 26 songs on this comp, there are more than 20 absolute bangers.  There were heavy hitters like The Offspring (when they were still punk), Sum 41 and Rise Against, but a lot of the heavy lifting is done by bands like Alkaline Trio and an amazing Less Than Jake tune that has Billy Bragg singing on a verse.  We may be well beyond being concerned about the election of George W. Bush (seems quaint in hindsight, doesn’t it??), but the tunes are well worth a listen.

Three Things I’ve Learned This Week

  1. When seeing someone on a kids tv show get hit in the junk, I laugh harder than the 10 year old in the room.  I may need help.
  2. If your boss calls at 11am and asks if you are napping, “No, but I am planning to go down soon, so, ya know, tick tock . . .” is apparently an acceptable response.
  3. It may be worth paying extra for Miller Lite simply for the joy of shouting ‘it’s Miller time!’ in The Cube.  We all need help.

Stripping Down, Tearing Out and Throwing Up

News From The Week That Was

Another week of acoustic practice this week – we are looking to get ourselves into a position where we can play sets not only as a full band, but broken down to just acoustic as well.  As we’ve worked on them, we feel that we are really rediscovering these songs and getting to know them on a new level.  There are acoustic versions of Dandelions songs and a smattering from what will eventually become “Songs About Crying” (working title).

Fighting Whiskey Recommends

Scarfo’s #4 – Has Disappeared Into The Mystic Dawn

Who? SexDwarf

What? Has Disappeared Into The Mystic Dawn

Why? 

I suppose we are about to find out if Boyne actually reads these as I am gonna get yelled at tomorrow if he does… 

Still, I don’t care.  One of the best records to come out of the 519 this century, Has Disappeared Into The Mystic Dawn is an absolute masterpiece, growing on you with every listen.  “Tear it Out” is usually the track that grabs people first, but the more and more you listen, the more songs reach out and get hold of you.  Give this a go, and give it more than one go.  Now, go!  (After reading the 3 things …)

Three Things I’ve Learned This Week

  1. “Grandma, we have to stop and get a glockenspiel” is making a case for being one of the greatest sentences that I have ever heard.
  2. For never having played piano before, Puff can be pretty territorial about his piano part in Old Gil.
  3. When leaving the cube after 3am, you may have to step over vomited jello shooters and 20 year olds.

Live Acoustic “Old Gil”

News About News

We are aiming to get a news update to you once per week.  There will be updates on the writing and recording of the follow up record to “Dandelions and Failure”, any video and pics that come along.  Also, starting next week, Boyne and I will begin a series sharing from our lists of albums you may not have heard but will totally fall in love with.  Finally, there will be the resurrection of the infamous “Three Things I’ve Learned This Week”.

Live from The Cube

“Old Gil” Acoustic, Live from The Cube

As you can see above, we recorded a live acoustic version of “Old Gil” from Dandelions and Failure.  It certainly varies from the original – Boyne has referred to it as the “Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack” version – I assume that is derogatory, but luckily, I have never seen the show.

A huge thank you to two great guests – first off, Puff working the piano.  Puff arrived as we were setting up for this, and being that he played the acoustic guitar on the album version, we really wanted him to get involved.  I asked Boyne what he thought would work and he said ‘Piano’.  When Puff explained to Boyne that he didn’t play the piano, Boyne was not going to let that get in the way.  We taught him a couple of quick chords and not only did he nail it, he threw in some subtle (but kickass) harmony vocals on a chorus or two.  Additionally, Linz joined us playing her foot tambo – a really great percussive addition.

Enjoy, share, like, subscribe, all that good stuff.

Three Things I’ve Learned This Week

As a throwback to the FTHW days, with each of these posts, I will be adding three things that I’ve learned in the previous week.  They are completely out of context lessons, but we aim to educate and entertain here at Fighting Whiskey headquarters.  Without further ado…

  1. Meeting a man you immediately nickname “Heart Attack Santa” is not the funniest thing that will happen in a day.  Watching him fall out of the back of a pickup truck is.
  2. Eating healthier leads to tiny poops.  Not cool.
  3. We are all living in the shadow of Dale Dorado.