In concert August 28th

2x the Mono in concert with Terns and Taffy
August 28th, 8:00pm
At The Freeway Coffee House
333 King Street East, Hamilton ON
$5 cover (Kids under 12 are free)

2x the Mono got an Honourable Mention In H!

So last month you may have gotten an email about H-Magazine's Greatest of Hamilton Readers Choice Poll. Well the results are in and it is confirmed that there is a lot of cool places, people and things in this great city. Now even though I didn't win first place I did get some honourable Mentions (which is very cool). I don't know how you all feel about a little mild campaigning for votes but I think if we have to vote in a federal election every year it is good practice to rally the troops for something fun and less stressful then deciding the fate of our country.

So if you haven't heard here are some highlights that I know some of you might be interested in:

2x the Mono received an honourable mention in the Local Band Category
Randell Neudorf received an honourable mention in the Local Visual Artist Category

So I think that is great! As of almost today I have been a Hamiltonian for 3 years exactly, and I feel 100% at home with that label. I may even have to go out and buy a Tiger-Cats t-shirt to make the transformation complete.

Now as most of you know I managed The Freeway Coffee House for 2 years, and I was very proud to see The Freeway get an honourable mention in a number of categories:
Greatest Coffee, Greatest Cafe, Greatest Live Music Venue, Greatest All-Around Staff
For a venue that is also only 3 years old this is a terrific response, and validation, one that I will take lots of credit for when Pernell and the other baristas aren't around (just kidding you guys are awesome)

One other category you might also be interested in knowing the results to is that The Freeway Church community's own Krista Jefferson won Greatest Photographer. Congratulations, no honourable mentions for you, you won the grand prize.

In Closing...

I would like to just say upon recieving an honourable mention myelf (this is my exceptance speach) for "also being pretty great" (that is H Mag's wording for honourable mentions) as both a local visual artist and as a local band that I have never desired to be the greatest, rather I have always wanted to be considered also pretty great by Very Great People. So thank you H, you are the "Greatest" and now I'm acnkowledged to also be "pretty great" with in your pages.

Now if you haven't read your latest copy of H, what are you waiting for? Go out there into this great city and find a place to get your copy and fall in love with the beauty that makes up Hamilton.

Sound Sketches Nomninated for a Hamilton Music Award

So yesterday I was at The Freeway talking to Matt Thompson and he told me that my 2x the Mono album Sound Sketches was nominated for a Hamilton Music Award for best electronic album. I was so happy! I even had some hints that I might be nominated but that didn't take anything away from the surprise of hearing about the nomination in such a random way.

I don't know about you but until now I have always thought it is cheesy when someone on TV says "it was an honor to just be nominated." Well I will never think that again let me tell you, it IS an honor to just be nominated!!!! And on top of that it is Freaking Awesome!

If you want to check out the listings of all the other great acts being nominated for a Hamilton Music Award go to: http://www.hamiltonmusicawards.com/music.html

I would also like congratulate some friends who have also been nominated for some well deserved awards:

The Heartbroken Souls – Best Roots Recording. Fred your stuff is great, and your performances just keep getting better and better.

Thomas Wilson and Sarah Stewart-Kroeker, nominated for best alternative country recording for their amazing CD Love Songs and Sinner Ballads. Tom your songwriting is spectacular, and it has been fun working on so many projects with you this year, playing in The Wilson Family Forgery, The Forge Songwriting Workshop and appearing on your Radio Forge show helping me promote the Sound Sketches album.

Hunter Eves – The Unagi EP is also nominated for best electronic recording. Hunter, I am a huge fan of your music and I am overjoyed to have my music be in the same category as yours. I'm so glad I got to have you play some shows at The Freeway this year.

All three of these acts are great local bands that anyone should check out if they get a chance.

2x the Mono Live at the release party for Sound Sketches

You can hear a number of the songs from Sound Sketches by going to my CBC radio 3 page: http://radio3.cbc.ca/bands/2x-the-Mono

You can purchase your own copy of the album by buying a dowload card from me or by going to: http://www.discrevolt.com/2xthemono click on "albums" and then on "Buy Album"

The Christmas Band

Introducing the Lo-Fi Christmas Band:

Randell Neudorf: Vocals, Guitars, Keys...

Regan Neudorf: Bass Guitar, Glockenspiel

Adrian Mcfarlane: Drums, Tambourine

Lo-Fi Christmas

So things are on schedule for a November release of the 2x the Mono Christmas CD entitled: "Lo-Fi Christmas"

I began writing 2x the Mono Christmas songs six years ago in response to what I saw as a general humbug attitude towards Christmas.

Here is my humbug Christmas List:

1. People complaining that Christmas music all sounds the same and that the same old songs get sung over and over again.
2. People complaining that the season is too commercialized.
3. People complaining that Christmas is too expensive.
4. People complaining that the season is too religious.
5. People complaining that Christmas isn't religious enough.
6. People complaining that Christmas is too busy.
7. People complain, complain, complain...

I love Christmas time! It sounds cliche but it is my favourite time of the whole year. I'm like a little kid when it comes to Christmas presents. The feasting almost brings tears of joy to my eyes (in my family growing up not only did we have turkey with all the fixings, we would have traditional Ukrainian and Mennonite dishes as well). My tree is up for a good month and a half of every year. Spending time with family is an exciting marathon spread over an entire week. And all this is used to mark the birth of Jesus, a little taste of the heavenly celebration on Earth.

So how does one more Christmas CD answer the Humbug's complaints?:

1. Lo-Fi Christmas contains no covers or traditional songs. That's right I am adding to the Christmas Canon of Songs, giving you some new words and melodies to play in your iPod. I'm helping you fight off the mall's Christmas loop of jingle bells.
2. As for commercialization... I know my heart is in the right place making this album, but CDs aren't free to make so I'll be selling them for around $10 each (quite a deal I think).
3. Don't let Christmas be too expensive. If $10 is too much for a present, download one of my free songs on Myspace (along with all your other favourite indie bands) and make a mix CD with a hand made cover as a present. 2x the Mono will even have one Christmas song posted for you to download for free.
4. Christmas isn't religious it is irreligious, it has all the taboos in it and so does Lo-Fi Christmas. Take for example the slaughter of the innocents, a little talked about Christmas Story that is left out of the manger scene. Well never fear 2x the Mono doesn't leave such perplexing details out of the mix.
5. For those of you who think Christmas isn't religious enough, I don't quite know what to say? Christmas means "Messiah Church Service", that sounds pretty religious to me. I even kept the work Christmas in the album title.
6. To help not add to the busyness of Christmas, the Lo-Fi Christmas CD will be released in November.
7. If you feel the need to complain about something, don't take it out on Christmas, rather take it out on 2x the Mono. I would rather people said bad things about my music then nothing at all.

Like my father before me I am a Christmas Nut, and I hope that even if you are a humbug at heart that a little of my excitement about Christmas would spill out into your experience of the Holidays. If you are a music fan I hope you are able to appreciate the tunes all year round. My intent was to create music about Christmas in a way that wasn't just tied to December.

Under Construction

This Blog/Website is under construction.

2x the Mono is my musical project, I'm just working on getting this site up and ready to use. For more info go to www.myspace.com/2xthemono

Concerts

CD release party TBA for Nov 2008 in Hamilton