Another great review for MoonTalKing :)

From "Fabtastic Music Blog":

"Unfuzz Days is just a sweet, light, transient, floaty, wispy, pretty number that I really rather adore, and think is absolutely gorgeous, and has something strangely beautiful about it!"

You can check the whole review HERE.

Tiny Steps

Sentireascoltare è stata una delle prime ezine "serie" a credere nel nostro progetto. Ai tempi dei primi demo mi avevano accostato ad Ariel Pink, che non conoscevo e sono corso ad ascoltare recuperando ogni tipo di pubblicazione di uno dei miei futuri eroi. Questa volta è il turno dei The Boo Radleys, su cui mi accingo ad indagare.

Che dire, mi ha fatto veramente piacere leggere questa recensione. Sono stato felice nel trovare un interlocutore in grado di comprendere quello di cui stavo parlando.

"E' da un pezzo che teniamo d'occhio il cesenate Mark Zonda coi suoi progetti sempre meno strampalati e sempre più a fuoco. Tiny Tide è la sua creatura "indie pop arcade rock", un quartetto che mastica neo-neo-psichedelia dalla grana lo-fi ora accomodante e ora sghemba, carezzevole e graffiante, una trottola di marzapane nel cervello guarnita di spezie e canditi, sogno tremolante tra cameretta, marciapiede e il prato delle delizie perdute.

Dopo tre ep e un recentissimo album di cover (Diskovery) omaggiante l'immaginifico bestiario del Nostro (Left Banke e Arcade Fire, Lou Reed e Apples In Stereo, Beatles e Blur...), eccoci al debutto vero e proprio con questo MoonTalkin, divagazioni atmosferiche e smagliature adolescenziali, misticanza John Lennon e Boo Radleys, bozzetti of Montreal e ghirigori Pecksniff, un Jens Lekman tra reminiscenze Aztec Camera e tentazioni Belle And Sebastian. E via discorrendo."

La recensione prosegue qui, su Sentireascoltare.

Christmastime 2010

Hi there. This is our 2010 contribution to the fuckload of Christmas songs waving 'cross the cyberspace this time of the year. The song is called "Left Alone For Chirstmastime". I was asked to do this song by Mike Leffe... right a year ago! It was Christmas 2009 when I wrote "XMARS TIME" - an insane song about Father Christmas and Wayne Coyne celebrating Christmas on Mars - and Mike asked me to write about his sad and mysterious story about him being secuced for Christmas eve by this unknown woman and being left the day after. A year passed (possibly to quickly)... and unfortunately our drummer hasn't forgot my promise!

So here you have this strange indie song, with Mike Leffe on drums, Manuel on Bass and me on keyboards and guitars. You'll find "Left Alone For Christmastime" on a festive compilation by KinGem Records, along with Pasley and Charlie, Stars in Coma, The Clever Square, The Brigadier, Cherry Berry and A Nice Person. Here's the lyrics as well :)

LEFT ALONE FOR CHRISTMASTIME

"Do I have to wait and cry
Till I'll find her by my side
I'll be good and I won't spy
Won't you give me one more try

Left alone
Left alone
left alone for xmas time
I was told
not to stalk
but I couldn't change my mind
Left alone
all alone
no sweets in the tree
Couldn't wait ubtill midnight
so I had to say goodbye


Met the girl outside the door
it was cold and she was hot
melting snow around
Satin bow and leather belt
Dressed in red and all the rest
too good to be true

(I said) I can't say that I've been bad
but I can't tell if I'll behave
step inside and celebrate

I've been said it can't be bad
But we could turn this place to hell
with no need of magic spell


And we had music
sweet music
we did jingled all the bells
making xmas eve a time to celebrate
guess I was wrong



Never met the girl again
Hunting traces anywhere
any crib and church
She was gone and disappeared
was she true or just a dream
guess I'll never found

I keep writing every year
Santa don't you let me"

The Tide Is Awake

"Il gruppo ha inciso due EP ed è ora al suo debutto per KinGem Records con un album chiamato “Moontalking”, inciso veramente in un tempo molto veloce. A Febbraio invece uscirà “Febrero”, un album più curato che è in fase di incisione più o meno da quando si è formata la band."

Mark replies (in Italian) to some stright questions to "Dance Like Shaquilleoneal" bloggetive.

Joyce and Rejoice

It was really stange goin' to The Charlatans show and meeting the drummer of The Smiths Mike Joyce. And abusing of my German sense of humor while he was eating the most horrible pizza ever! Mike was not only so kind to take a funny picture with a fake free entry for the supposed to be overbooked Charlatans concert, but also accepted our pink tiny CD with "The Smiths & The Cure". Everything makes perfect sense now.

Thanks Mike!

El sonido característico

"Tiny Tide son un grupo de Cesena, en Italia enamorado del C-86 y del sonido de Sarah Records. Si no es así no puede interpretarse de otra forma su gusto por la melodía sensible, el sonido característico de sus guitarras y los teclados de corte retro empleados en sus temas. Su primer álbum se titula Moon Talking, y para realizarlo, de manera un tanto pretenciosa, han querido realizar algo así como un disco conceptual. El intento está realizado. Sus temas tienen ese halo, en cualquier caso, de grupo novel mezclado con la inocencia del tipo de Pop al que hacíamos referencia al principio, y no tienen reparo en declarar cuáles son sus filias musicales (The Smiths and The Cure)."

We had a lovely review in Spanish! Check it out on "The Jangle Box" :)

Halloween Reunite

Here's Tiny Tide first attempt to write and record an indie pop Halloween song in... two days! It's really late, and I shouldn't even be here in front of the computer, but... who cares? He's the same since days and days. Or should I say... nights! :)

I couldn't miss this chance to do the Halloween song! The invite came from Kaypea Elizabeth Porsch. Having to contribute to their UK based radio show Protozoa and their Halloween Special for Insanity Radio was a funny and unmissable chance :)

So Saturday I gave up on the idea of going to see One Dimensional Man playing live to write this song called "Halloween Reunite", that I played and screamed out of tune right the day after.

A friend of mine decided that it's Gorillaz meeting Imogen Heap... but I don't really know if I can trust him, especially on the second part of that. The song was inspired by the incoming Halloween Dresden Dolls reunion. I thought:"What's that fuzz about Dresden and not Halloween the band?". And so I started wondering about all these monsters starting gathering for this special night from all over the most obscure creepy places usually hidden from human eyes.

Here's the song:

Halloween Reunite by tinytide

And here's the link to the Protozoa show audio clip:
link on which you click and you get to listen to that :)

Oh! Here's the lyrics of the song in case you wanna suddenly shout in a totally random circumstance:

Halloween Reunite
"Trick or treat
let's drop the cheat
your costume indiscreet
Dreadful doll
don't look at me

it's making me uncomfortable
It's giving me the thrills
cause you're about to carve
a wider smile from me
the twinkle in your eye
a haunted place to hide
the string behind the door
still ready for a trap

Joke or coke
the story goes
it's frighting me no more
I'm a killer for your love

because you're so adorable girl
you know you're such a Goth
And Frank don't stand a chance
this evil magic night
Will hide us from their sight
it's entertainment time
the moon is my delight
it's calling your arise

Almost died
sweet vampire
i can't wait

for Halloween reunite
the ghosts will dance aside
with skeletons and bats
and demons out of luck
it's Halloween reunite
the black cats are all back
they're coming into town
they run for miles and miles
it's Halloween

Trash, rewrite
Show your invite
Stay or hide
just turn around a while
For I can't tell myself
I can't tell myself

Bliss or mess
we're still the best
with forks between our teeth
it's so hard to understand

we're mumbling unbelievable lies
we're hanging up your mind
don't be afraid to try
to roll with all these nuts
we're serving razor blades
to sing your name with blood
the witch will trick you blind
and hold you in her straps."

Radio Halloween

Goodmorning Transilvania!

Tomorrow I'll make a brief featurette for the London based radio show PROTOZOA @ Insanity Radio. Stay tuned at 5:00 PM to listen to Tiny Tide new Halloween Show for the spooky radio show special. Keep in touch! Tune in on 1287AM or listen from the site :)

Next Live

Cosa: Concerto di musica indie pop

Dove: Diagonal Loft-Club

In che città? Forlì
Quando?24 Aprile 2011

E' Pasqua? No, è il giorno prima
Con chi? Stars in Coma dalla Svezia e tanti altri amici

The Drums, The Drums, The Drums

Yesterday I went with Mike Leffe to the studio to record the drums for our next tiny little Xmas song and two tracks for TenneT, the second not awaited album from the band that will actually be the third.

It was really fun, and we also took our time to take come pics & clips (as you can probably see).

"It's really intense, I think", said Mike Leffe on the drums recording for Left alone for Christmass Time. It was quite rocky indeed, also if probably we weren't so close to the click in many parts. I really love how we worked on the construction of that song. It's not that genius, wanting to be a silly simple Xmas tune based on a real Mike Leffe experience, but it has a lot of clever variations.

All my heart went to the recording of "FIX", "TenneT" opening. This song is probably my Life on Mars. I carried on the melody since I was 16 y.o., added another part I wrote when I was 24, and worked on the lyrics a year ago based on some childhood memories. I was really happy to work on that song with Mike Leffe, because a lot of other interesting stuff came out on the arrangement, pushing the song in a very prog-pop direction slightly becoming a cross between Genesis and Beatles.

Let's see what will become of these tracks in the future :)

Parlando della Luna

Così. Ci tenevo a usare il blog per la funzione che aveva ai primordi del web sociale: usarlo come diario personale per dire due cagate con qualche idioma italiano sulle pagine di questo blog di idee piccole piccole.

È da poco uscito il primo album "long playing" dei Tiny Tide a titolo "Moontalking", che poi anche i bambini dell'asilo e i nonni capiscono che vuol dire "Parlando alla Luna". Con la L maiuscola. Quella che si trova anche nella parola lunatico, come in Larry David, Lisa Kudrow, Lisa Marie Presley, Liz Phair, Leo Sayer. La stessa L maiuscola sulle labbra dei Flaming Lips.

La Luna. Protagonista di uno degli ultimi film di Fellini, da sempre la voce di pazzi e innamorati. Fissandola dal terrazzo di casa fin da piccolo più che la follia o l'innamoramento mi ha fatto sempre pensare ad un altro sentimento: la solitudine. Nel caso di questo album una solitudine aliena, l'impossibilità quasi fisica di trovare un interlocutore per i propri messaggi, o potersi rispecchiare in qualcuno che non sia un'immagine riflessa su un pozzo.

Bizzarro come esordio? In realtà non è neppure un esordio. La band è impegnata da due anni alla preparazione di un album chiamato "Febrero" (ma è già noto ai fan storici :) ) e Andrè degli Stars in Coma sta mettendo mano a mixing ed editing, i brani per il secondo sono già pronti, e sentivo semplicemente l'urgenza di fare parlare nuovi brani prima che si trasformassero in eco fossili già nate per suonare dal passato.

La possibilità di farli uscire per KinGem non poteva che essere una ghiotta occasione per chiedere a Naniiebim Studio di realizzare un artwork ad hoc e racchiudere il tutto sotto forma di concept album per distribuirlo su iTunes, Amazon, Spotify e compagnia bella :)

Bella lì

Left Off

Che in Ingleso quando un razzo parte o un album decolla si dice "Lift Off", se non fosse per il fatto che il razzo può anche partire senza di te e lasciarti a Terra. Magari se ne sono andati tutti... da qui "LEFT Off". Ragazzo solo/ Ragazza sola. Chitarre distorte e un countdown di Space Odditiana memoria ci introducono a...

We Are Animals

... una sorta di Phil Collins in versione Space Ace prende una sorta di aereo spaziale per recarsi sulla Luna, dove deve raggiungere suoi illustri colleghi musicisti per unirsi al coro di "We Are Animals", una canzone umanitaria di portata universale rivolta al cosmo.

Cosa mi ha portato a scrivere una canzone così assurda? Da tempo mi aveva affascinato l'idea di scrivere una canzone di protesta. Avevo provato con "Revolution#2", di cui esiste ancora una indecentissima demo, e avevo in mente uno spunto che forse utilizzerò più avanti. Parlandone con alcuni amici sono nati alcuni spunti molto interessanti. Perchè parlare di una causa specifica e non radunare tutto il male che l'uomo arreca alla Terra e alla natura? E perchè non rovesciare la prospettiva e ammettere onestamente quanto sia figo consumare, bruciare, sfruttare, nutrirsi in modo irresponsabile, selvaggio ed in modo appagante per il proprio ego? Non fanno così tutti gli animali? "We Are Animal" è una "We Are The World" rovesciata.

Del Live Aid mi aveva colpito molto l'episodio iperbole di Phil Collins, che ha suonato con i Genesis a Londra correndo a prendere un super jet alla fine del concerto per fare in tempo ad arrivare in America a cantare in coro con Michael Jackson, Lionel Ritchie e soci. Ecco perchè Phil è diventato di fatto protagonista di questo assurdo brano visionario, che per essere ancora più esagerato doveva includere più generi e variazioni possibile, dal Rap ad un coro di bambini alla fine del brano. I bambini non li ho trovati, vi dovete accontentare dei miei indecenti falsetti.

Musicalmente il brano risente molto degli ascolti di John Mellencamp, Grandaddy, Charlotte Hatlerley, Alice Cooper. Basso Stagg, chitarra Gretsch, Alesis Micron, come quasi per tutto il resto dell'album.

Questa canzone ha veramente diviso tra sostenitori entusiastici e persone che preferiscono quando scrivo canzoni semplici da meno di 3 minuti solo con la chitarra acustica.

Rock in the Empire

Questo brano ha un paio di estati alle spalle. Il brano è stato inciso e mixato da Phillip Lockwood-Holmes dei LeBleu, ed hanno partecipato Ricky Beatley alla chitarra elettica e Ian Braitheaite al contrabbasso. Il brano è un vero e proprio poema epico moderno, tra Brian Wilson (almeno nelle intenzioni di Phil) Roger Waters e Iggy Pop. Il brano parla di un ragazzo che parte in moto verso una discoteca in Germania trovandosi ad immaginare come dovesse essere stata la vita ai tempi dell'Impero Romano osservando la decadenza dei giorni notri. È stato realizzato un montaggio video con spezzoni di "Roma" di Fellini.

Manga Nurse

Ero veramente indeciso sul nome da dare a questa canzone. Alla fine un'amica, vagliando le proposte che le avevo paventato, ha detto che non potevo assolutamente esimermi dal chiamare il brano "Manga Nurse", il nome su cui avevo più perplessità. La motivazione? "Devi ASSOLUTAMENTE chiamarlo così! Sono convinta che NESSUNO ha mai fatto una canzone con un titolo del genere!". È un brano pieno di entusiasmo ed energia, con effetti molto particolari sulle chitarre. Risente molto degli ascolti di brani anni 50 su testo, intenzione e giro di basso. La nostra cover di "Jonie don't u worrie" degli Apples in Stereo nel cantato. Il brano, dedicato ad un'amica, è il ritratto di questo autentico personaggio surreale da fumetto capace di cose impossibili e di catalizzare l'attenzione su di se in tutte le maniere possibili. Il finale ricorda involontariamente un po' i Talking Head e il Bowie di Alladin Sane/Pin Up. Sono molto soddisfatto delle batterie, e in linea di massima di tutta la canzone.

Lust for Club

Giulia Gianni potrebbe essere il nome di un film di Cameron Crowe. Invece si dà il caso che sia una vera e propria persona in carne ed ossa e faccia la DJ per una radio di Roma. Durante uno sfogo su un popolare social network (chissà quale) spiattella una lapidaria incazzatura contro non precisati figuri legati al mondo universitario. Il che mi da da pensare: "Se tradotto in Inglese sarebbe un attacco perfetto per una canzone di Iggy Pop". L'idea è subito piaciuta a Giulia, e ho proceduto in modo molto convinto e spedito al resto della canzone, con mille citazioni e riferimenti a oscuri fatti di cronaca e indie club ancora più bui. Non c'è una frase di questa canzone di cui non sia soddisfatto. Il crescendo del cantato e dell'esecuzione ed il cambio finale raggiungono sia nella prima versione che nella reprise una coralità e una dinamica che difficilmente sono riuscito a raggiungere in altre canzoni. Iggy Pop nelle intenzioni, ma a detta di tutti di fatto i Pulp. Propbabilmente sono l'unica persona a preferire la prima parte alla reprise, incisa una sera di getto in modo misterioso e quasi innaturale. Eccezionale la parte di Manuel Magnani al violino, molto sentita e ispirata, in grado di dare maggiore spessore ed epicità al brano. Bravo Manuel!

Unfuzz Days

Questa canzone nasce musicalmente da un esperimento di "drop down" sulle corde della chitarra e da una strano stato d'animo da cui ero stato pervaso durante l'estate del 2010. Alla fine è venuto fuori un brano sospeso tra Eels, Elliott Smith, Tiger Tiger e Beatles. Il testo e il sentimento della canzone nasce dal mio vagare in una Cesena completamente deserta durante le domeniche estive. Ero rimasto particolarmente colpito dall'allestimento di una festa dedicata a disabili e ragazzi con gravi handicap. Cosa c'era da festeggiare? Che senso poteva avere per loro? Molti pensano ad Unfuzz come imprecisione grammaticale, in realtà "Unfuzz" non viene usato come aggettivo ma come attributo legato alla sottocorrente musicale, un po' come diventerebbe impreciso scrivere "Poppy Nights" al posto di "Pop Nights".

A Great Indie Nights

Una canzone scritta di getto per un amore lontano, immaginandomi già direttamente il momento dell'addio. Solo una chitarra, un basso e la batteria. Le melodie probabilmente risentono degli ascolti di Simon & Gartfunkel e The La's. Chiaramente piace a tutti quelli che non sopportano "We Are Animals" e viceversa. Un brano molto semplice e viscerale. La sera in cui l'ho scritto c'era la chiusura stagionale del Covo Club di Bologna. Il flyer prometteva "Una grande serata indie" per tutti quanti.

I Would Say

Già apparsa nel "Wildheart EP" il brano vede il supporto di un sontuoso arrangiamento elettronico da parte di Stefano Lanzavecchia e un assolo epico di Dendrix degno di David Gilmour nel finale. Il brano originale risale addirittura al 1996. E' presene nell'album a nome Mark Zonda "Feel the Blank" con il nome "Io Vorrei", composto in un pomeriggio dopo una folgorante visione televisiva di un entusiasmente match di Anna Kournikova.

The Smiths And The Cure

Questa è apparsa anche come singolo per l'americana Vulpiano Records, e vede la mastodontica presenza di tutti i Tiny compreso Porlock e Mike Leffe: penso che tra me e Dendrix ci siano 6 livelli solo di chitarre ritmiche. Esiste anche una versione remixata da Andrè degli Stars in Coma e un'assurda versione che supera il wall of sound chiamata "TS&TC#9", una vera e propria cascata di suoni.

Il brano nasce dall'idea di dare una risposta a "The Beatles & The Stones" degli House of Love. Se musicalmente è stata definita "Gli Smiths suonati dai Cure che suonano come i Tiny Tide" e qualcuno l'ha perfino accostata ai "Man at works", i testi partono dal mio tentativo di rievocare la sensazione di claustrofobico timore che mi trasmettevano i video dei Cure dal televisore quando ero piccolo trasformandoli in un incubo sci-fi dove i mostri dei loro clip escono fuori dallo schermo per colpire come una piaga letale tutti i giovani alternativi che li seguivano dalla televisione. L'unica speranza di sopravvivenza e riscatto viene dalle persone anonime e conformiste, che con l'aiuto dei grandi eroi romantici del passato trovano una via per debellare la piaga e crare un ordine nuovo. La parte centrale del brano, la più Smithiana, mi è stata ispirata da un articolo di giornale. Sembra che i cittadini londinesi avessero protestato contro l'oscena proposta di ricorrere a "bare a castello" per raddoppiare lo spazio del cimitero centrale. Inevitabilmente il trafiletto mi ha ricordato i morrisseiani "Double-Decked Buss".

Tutti i Tiny insuperabili in questo brano. Una buona anteprima del prossimo "Febrero". L'assolo di Dendrix irripetibile.

Moontalking

Era notte fonda, c'era freddo, tanta neve, ascoltavo la radio. Ripetutamente. Come una costante. La costante di un inverno in cui avevo trovato riparo da ogni cattivo pensiero, isolato nel mio guscio come un rifugio soprannaturale. Innamorato di fantasmi, come sempre. Sono riuscito a raccogliere uno stato d'animo ben preciso con questo brano strumentale. Almeno per quanto mi riguarda. Sono partito con un'intenzione ben precisa. Utilizzare un accompagnamento di batteria più cadenzato possibile, una chitarra pulita arpeggiata con accordi difficilmente prevedibili e nientaltro che synth. In testa c'erano i Beach House, ma il brano è venuto fuori talmente berlinese da sembrare quasi un Bowie d'autore! Probabilmente il brano migliore dell'album. Forse perchè non canto.

Plain Little Game

È stato un assoluto piacere collaborare a questo brano con Marilyn Roxie, e potermi avantaggiare della sua preziosa collezione di synth vintage. Ho improvvisato un tema sul suo tappeto sonoro che è stato in grado di sfruttare una tonalità della mia voce molto più dark wave che ancora non avevo cominciato ad esplorare, e mi diverte veramente un sacco usare. Il brano parla di due figure immortali che si fronteggiano nel gioco degli scacci, lasciando adito a diverse ambiguità interpretative. Giuro che ancora Jacob non aveva fatto la sua comparsa su Lost!

FOG

La prima stesura di questo brano risale a quando avevo 18 anni. Una delle prime cose che ho scritto avvalendomi solo di due registratori mono e una tastiera Casio con 4 spazi sampler. Forse in qualche cassetta ho ancora quella demo assurda. Non che questa versione psy-folck sia da meno. Il brano era stato inizialmente concepito per il secondo album di futura futura pubblicazione "TenneT", sotto incitazione del nostro batterista Mike Leffe di scrivere un brano sulla nebbia.

"Ma io l'ho già scritto!", fu la mia pronta risposta.

Ancora una volta Iggy Pop il punto di riferimento principale nel cantato. L'arrangiamento molto complesso e articolato fa in modo che a tutte le persone a cui è piaciuta questa abbiano gradito anche "We Are Animal" e compagnia bella... Nebbia sulla Luna. Come le fasi lunari che accompagnano le indicazioni dei brani sulla copertina al posto dei classici numeri delle tracce, alla fine scompare tutto, dissolto in un mare indistinto di nebbia su un mondo deserto e alieno. Rimane l'ultima trccia. Il silenzio.

U.N.DISCO & Spotify

Tiny Tide are now available on Spotify!

Tiny Tide took part to the Neo Italo Disco compilation "U.N.DISCO" (by KinGem Records) with the song "Mumarcord". Mark Zonda also features on the song "King of The Parking" along with Anthony Rochester and Ildy Minardi and "Astro Fille" by Les Petit Chenilles.

Here's a nice review of the album and "Astro Fille" video.

Baltic Avenue

How I spent last summer? Making an EP for Vulpiano Records inspired on the lives and career of a band called... The Beatles :)

Thanks to Marilyn Roxie now the album is out. You can read notes and download the EP for free... here! :)

Here's the unchecked songs lyrics

1) RIGHT NOW

Despite the fuss and strife

and bitterness between us

we sit and play the game

to hit the hall of fame

death rattles in the stores of Balcan Evenue

Mustache and morning dress

Charle's ready for the clue

Dark skyes, no stars at all

to break and turn me on

Roll the dice and rock the doll

to move along the board

RIGHT NOW

WE're leaving from the same way we arrived

RIGHT NOW

The greatest rock'n'roll of all the town

RIGHT NOW

Obituary already on the go

RIGHT NOW

The biggest selling prayer for our souls

Flat rates and income tax

won't fit my paying card

look-ma-no-overdubs we're working for the clubs

Small metal token moveing all around the world

Wheelbarros on the rails never losing charm

Retreat to prove we're strong

the lesson we have learned

TInes turning little rooms into their own stage

RIGHT NOW

We're nailing Woodo Swaggers on the tracks

RIGHT NOW

We come together in a single cross

RIGHT NOW

WE try to get away from our hopes

RIGHT NOW

WE're walking barefoot giving cars the halt

***

2) I NEED SOMEBODY

Hey You! I need somebody

To stop my crying

I need somebody now

Hey You! I need somebody

To carry hard weights

I need somebody now

(To take my love away)

It's time for new directions

Despite Exotic Lands

It's the beginning of the end

An evening of december

I'm struggling to adapt

New York is murdering good taste

Commemorating heroes

for grief-stricken fan

it's a comforting understand

It's an ironic movie

designed for afterlife

and now I'm struggling to escape

So Hey Now...

Celebrity and pressure

are stealing charm from fame

rip-roaring tracks to get acclaimed

A life in technicolor

emerged from black and white

still it's o use with my closed eyes

In search for idealism

on national affairs

I'm singing sad songs to myself

An oddball sens of humor

is what I'm looking for

but now I'm lying on the floor

***

3) TIMES OF TROUBLES

Time of disagreement

Duties and good deals

late night rough opinions

into stratosphere

Womb-like freezing concepts

Every cough we got

must have been a wonder

Dominos at fall

And then

times of troubles

proved we lost

and then

times of troubles

got us wrong

Hope we passed the audition

said the black swan son

grinning from the stair well

looking down for shots

Long hair's string arrangement

seemed totally weird

Few weeks after summer

in a real dream world

got lost

at fall

***

4) ... AND THE STARS

Marylin and Audrey counting

all dalmatians' spots

and the stars

Blessed with a couple of b-sides

Old brown shoes now shine by inner light

Something surfacing from the whi-ite

Harpischords turned out to be alright

Guess that all the planets

were perfectly alligned

Milkyway a river

floating in the night

Moon is taking over

with Jupiter and Mars

and the stars

All the love songs sang on the decade

waits on jukebox money to get payed

Ro-yalties flowting on air-pla-ay

are - the best thing - I'll get from Fra-ank

Carol, Bob and Alice

and the graduate

Sings alongs with cowboys

tuning to F.M.

Amstrong and Grace Kelly

among our friends

and the stars

Fine Fine Fine

Do you think it is good now?

Fine Fine Fine

Is it good for you now?

Elvis, Bobby Darin

Jerry Lee and Paul

Gladys Knight and Martha

Frankie Avalon

Look out for Aretha

Smokey Astair Fred

And the stars

***

5) FAR AWAY

Far Away

I never meant to stay

any way

there's no one left these days

From

the lane

some music moving through my head

I woke up

with your notes on my bed

I stood up

begun to

play

chords

from the dream I got

it's no surprise

that I recalled

you

mad

at my blood songs

where them my own, anyway?

Far away

my wait seemed inappropriate

here and now

no one comes my way

Getting out

won't make my jailers very proud

all I need's a stage

to play my show

send the crowd

away

Diskovery

Once upon a time in America, a friend of mine named Jo Sharkey, asked me to work on a glorious cover album mixing popular and indie songs. Time passed... and here it is! I named the album "Diskovery" thinking it would have been a baby companion to our first KinGem Records release called "Moontalking".

So... here it is! Most of the songs were just improvised for fun, while others are really experimental. Here's the playlist:

1. Real Love (John Lennon)
2. Song 2 (Blur)
3. Girlfriend (Bellanova)
4. Go Ego Go (Lacrosse)
5. Jonie, don't u worrie (Apples in Stereo)
6. Night Fever (Bee Gees)
7. Fantasy (Mariah Carrey)
8. No Cars Go (Arcade Fire)
9. Norwegian Wood (The Beatles)
10. Sweet Jane (Lou Reed)
11. Rain Rain Rain (Roxie Music)
12. Walk Away Renee w/Fabio Benni (Left Banke)

You can download the album here

Here comes the album!

It's called "MoonTalking". The marvellous art is from our faithful Naniiebim Studio artist Lou Ho. Actually meant to be a third album, since we're still buisy working on the first one and the second is right on line, this pink alien spooky concept work happened to be a our lo-fi debut on a long playing distance.

The album is released as CDR by Kingem Records. You can check further details there and in the CD art.

The album features some collaborations with WildHeart, Phillip Lockwood-Holmes from LeBleu and the american artist Marilyn Roxie, owner of Vulpiano Records.

Here's the tracklist:

Tiny Tide
“MoonTalking”

01 – Left Off

02 – We Are Animals

03 – Rock In The Empire

04 – Manga Nurse

05 – Lust for Clubs

06 – Unfuzz Days

07 – A Great Indie Night

08 – I Would Say

09 – The Smiths and The Cure

10 – Moontalking

11 – Lust for Clubs (reprise)

12 – Plain Little Game

13 – Fog

You can check some previews on Kingem Soundcloud, The Last.FM Page, and soon on OurSpace and iTunes.

I really love the songs. Hope you'll go on the Moon for them too. See ya on the other side.

Coming Moon...

Who knows, not me

It's been a lot since I haven't update this tiny blog :)

It's been quite a long summer vacation for me, and I felt the urge to split myself between music and the sea. Not that I managed to get that tan, but I've been writing and playing quite a lot.

While Mike Leffe is enjoying his side folk project with Fiore, I'm buisy as well working a long a girl singing in one of my favourite Italian bands :)

She made my summer, and I'm really superglad about the material we're putting together. (We already recorded 5 demos in 2 weeks leaving out 2 songs and I'm already writing a new one). Doin' a succesful he/she project had always been one of my dreams, and it's really nice writing songs for two parts à-la-brunettes. Our intention is to bring you the finest indie pop album of 2012... We already thought about the title, but we're still unsure on the name of the band... so any suggestion is really appreciated :)

Not only that. Vulpiano Records asked me to work on a new Ep. It will be a really nice surprise (I hope) as well. I've already written and recorded 4 songs out of 5, and I'm totally proud about the lyrics. Simone Cecchetti also provided me a fantastic picture for the cover. I couldn't have asked for more!

We're also out for a Kingem Records compilation for the Neo Italo Disco project called "U.N.DISCO", with a song called "Mumarcord" and a few bit of other collaborations on another couple of songs.




We also find the time for some very hot (it's summer in the Tropics) band practicing and Matt Share was so cool to shoot some videos:

• FIX
• BYE
• Scrambled Eggs
  
• Mask Me Mask Me Mask Me
• Tiny Trains
  
• The Smiths and the cure
• S♥L

Why we are practising so bad? We're trying to set up an Italian tour with The Cavalcade, still seems we're failing in finding dates. Anybody wants to adopt two indie pop bands? Check this link!

What else? Andrè Brorsson from Stars In Coma (he just released his new work for Kingem Records) he's doin' a great GENIUS job with the editing and mixing of our album Februero (he was surprising on making "The Psychopath At The Club" looking like the new Boys Keep Swinging) that we decided to finish and present - guess what - on February!

Anyway guess our third album will be ready before the first. Stay in tune! :)

Ukulele O'Clock

They told me I had to learn at least some of my songs with that stuff... so I finally decided to give it a try, starting with a new one. Have fun!

Tweening Every Lyrics

Here's the lyrics of the "Tweening Everyday" EP. Enjoy

1) TWEENING EVERYDAY

Stop. Look. Listen to the sound of what you found behind your far old town
Step out. Hills are all around and the surrounds are filled with all that counts.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner
I want Tweening everyday
Taste a piece of country
I need Tweening everyday

Nazi songs with jam on bread won't take away the chico zingers from the train
See the girls wide their blue eyes
Here comes the band
We'll love them blind

Breakfast, lunch and dinner
I want Tweening everyday
Taste a piece of country
I need Tweening everyday

2) THE LAST LIVING LADS IN THE MIDLANDS

We're the last living lads in the Midlands
We're just looking for some fun
We don't know how to drive
Your attention falls completely
while the sun and all those clouds
spy those kids upon the ground
We're confused, but not that silly!
And we're still holding on

The last living lads
The last living lads
The last living lads in the Midlands

Ain't no use to ask around
You just follow the sound
The last living lads in the Midlands

And they'll tell you that is over
That you came here a bit to late
They have already played
Not a sign to spot the right place
You're just hanging around
Between hills and those small towns

The last living lads
The last living lads
The last living lads in the Midlands

3) THE LINE TO THE CHURCH

The Line to the church
seemed endless and confused
never seen so many people here before
Although the're here looking all around hills to pop and roll
seems we're still still caring for our souls

Do they think it just won't hold
and they'll be spared by rain and cold.
Are you? Are you here for werewolves too?
Hope to be. Hope to be welcomed soon.

She got butterflies, sweet butterflies and badges on a bag of magazines
holding hands with her new boyfriend just arrived from Butterley
He got lost on Swanwick
Now he's found. He's at home, babe, and he's our way to be free.

4) THE DANCING TENT

I really tried 'though
I'm really tired 'though
I really tried to change my mind
I should give it up now
I should get at home now
But it's so hard to step out and go away

So come and cheer now
just step inside now
start to move and have no fear
and you'll have no rest
come and take a chance
Shake your head and clap your hands for real.

DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DANCING
DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DANCING
DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DANCING
Dance until the end
It's the Dancing Tent
Allright!

The lightbulbs of the scene are coloured fantasies
to turn our sweetest memories
They call for dancing feet

Cute smiles and cheeks to kiss
before we'll walk on different streets
It's all quiet and so unreal
That's the real big deal
Be a star and shine on near
You'll have no time to fall
to take me out of stall
first strobe dancing girl
we're sitting near
Just to be clear to see


DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DANCING
DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DANCING
DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DANCING
Dance until the end
It's the Dancing Tent
Allright!

5) ONE TWO YEP MIC CHECK

Protest signs
Can't count
On a World that's cool and proud
There's no way to say
How our love is here to stay
Just be brave and shout
That's what it's all about
You hit your test
and we're never gonna fail
One Two Yep... Mic Check

That's all
In line
Can't you see it in the stars
The sound is right
Couldn't fit no other night
Step on and smile
Make this your final sight
Your special time
Go on and try
It will never gonna die
One Two Yep... Mic Check

Are we ever gonna fail?
One Two Yep... Mic Check

You hit your test
and we're never gonna fail
One Two Yep... Mic Check
We'll never gonna fade
One Two Yep... Mic Check
Are we ever gonna fail?
One Two Yep... Mic Check

Back from... IndieTracks!

The concept of this EP was born somewhere somehow at a certain point of history durning my permanence at IndieTracks Festival 2010. After so many inspirations only 5 ideas, some sort of ghost-songs survived on a little space of my moleskine agenda, to become real songs right the very day after my arrival at home from London.

Everything was written, recorded and edited in 8 hours. I felt the urge to share the spirit of twee music, my experience in the festival, and the gist of what I believe writing songs shoul be: let your soul out to play in the yard with some friends.

Here you are. You can download the EP from here...

Tiny Tide - Tweening Everyday

Enjoy

The Hot Spoto

Beside me and Porlock talking about anarchy and suicide in music like philosophers on pizzerias, these were important days for our bands. Last week we had our first meeting with a new Tiny crewmate called Franz Spoto. Double bass and BRILLIANT guitar player, not only he's ace in playing both instruments, but he REALLY like our songs, he enjoy playin... and he LOVES Brit Pop! Too good to be truth!

I was smiling my heart out when we played "BYE" for the first time like we were on your for months, and "ONE" had a whole new relevance with the deep double bass notes. In other words: with Mike Leffe new genius inventions on his attempts to be like Case (from Les Fauves) and Manuel getting better and better on bass (and now back to violin too) do expect great surprises from us! That is true unless what told my friend Robbie Pop happens to be true and it was all in my head. Time will tell. Hopefully the New York one :)

Ventriloquists And Covers

I know I know. I should keep my head down, pull my socks up and work hard on "Febrero" pre-editing, but people around me got so enthusiastic when I suggest I could have worked on a cover of Lou Reed "Sweet Jane" that I really couldn't resist but givin'it a try!

Of course, since ever version I heard, even from Lou, seemed to be different in some unique way, I changed the lyrics trying to picture our days through the eyes of me living with this band and stuff, and here's the result:

Sweet Jane (Lou Reed Cover) by tinytide

"'was waiting for the big time
No money for a Leffe
in case you forgot it
you're playing in a band
while the World outside is freezin'
nobody seems to care
you had your little husband
I've got my heap of sand

Takes patience to be no one
can't tell you never tried
still nothing on the broadcast
you hope you're still in time
she's sharing smiles to socials
and sex to other guys
and yes another promise
pronounced just for fun

Your leather jacket replaced for white
turning shoulders to crowds
Lysergic rainbows on junks
made the femme fatal sing

I reall loved your whispers
did never need a whisp
avoiding rotten places
will keep us out of reach
the song is nearly over
your ordinary trip
by killing all the dealers
she's still my heroine"

We Are The Animals (We Are The Hipsters)

I was always fascinated by the useless effort of Phill Collins on 1985 Live Aid on trying to play on both sides of the World flying from Europe to America just to be in time to singing in the choir of relevant artists chosen for "We Are The World" big choir.

Having in mind to do a protest song to defend a cause (I was trying to write a tune against the killing of the animals "just for fur"), some friends of mine suggested me:"Why not trying to justify all the worst things in the World we keep on doin' just because it's fun?".

So I did! The song is a clear response to "We Are The World" kind of dysneian hypocrisy, trying also to include all the possible musical genres into less than 4 minutes just like different animals on a crazy zoo.

Thast's what you get.

We Are Animals by tinytide

"I think I'll take my learjet
and fly to the Moon
fly high fly got to be there soon
gotta run
There's nothing left on Earth to hold me back
Not just a toy, not just a girl or good
I could use

I clutch my bloody fur
'cause your heart is cold and you just couldn't wait
goin' head on your way like not knowing

We are them all
we are them all
Dead meet in the mall

We are the animals
Everyday we shit on Earth
We are the animals
Unevolved wild life forms

We are the animals
Everyday we kill our hopes
We are the animals
Savages without a cause

The planet just a grey ball
with zillion of lights
new clear sights still to feed
An educated wildlife
grew leaders of change
waiting for us
to trade aids
I think I'll start to warm
'cause the heat will rise as I will join the choir
and pretend I'm good as we'll start singing

We are them all
we are them all
Meet them in the mall

We are the animals
Everyday we pee on Earth
We are the animals
Unevolved wild life forms

Come on come on you farmville freak
Got a brand new dance called poison leak
let the river know that you're in the flow
be the illest bloke of this dying world
Gotta wake up now to the alarm clock
Hear this nature call from volcanic rocks
it's the requiem for the Sir Sebastian Bach"

ONE Video

Some weeks ago my grandmother died. I soon became aware that since she was the last person living in her house soon I wouldn't have the chance to come back there no more. That house was very important to me. It still is. I spent all my childhood in there, and after my grandparents moved my huncle went to stay in there still the rest of his days (Gino died very young, he was a great huncle, always ready to play, talk and take care of us). After he died my partents moved back to there, and I still had other great memories on that house although I didn't go there so often anymore.

Don't know what will happen now. That house is empty at the moment. I had to shoot a video in there, to preserve and celebrate the memory. So here we are. Thanks to Matt Share for the shootings. Enjoy the show.

Cast-a-Sleep

Hi there! By the gently request of an American DJ friend of mine... I started my own radio show! Quite inevitably a new and defenitive version of the smash hit "Girls From Ronta" leaked out and sneaked into the program on Episode number one!

SleepCast #001 by SleepWalking Radio

Manuel on Bass+Violin, Dendrix on solo guitar and Andrè "Stars in Coma" Brorsson on mixing and editing. First episode theme was about Byrds and the influences of that band had in music so far.

Go to http://soundcloud.com/sleepwalkingradio and follow our adventures weekly :)

Unfuzz Days

This summer fashion is to avoid other people, especially not going seaside on the beach. At least for me! That's why I'm taking long walks on the desert city on sundays picking any detail hits my sensitivity on my iPod sunny jogging. This new demo is called "Unfuzz Days", and it's partially dealing with my little adventures. As for the melody for once in a while I decided to start avoiding trying to imagine the song in my head before writing it down and finding the chords, but experimenting with the guitar and changing the notes in some of the strings.

Matthew from Charlie Big Time told me it's a bit Sean Leannonesque. I had in mind Elliott Smith meeting Brian Wilson trying to stay in tune after getting stoned and having had a fight!

Anyway... here it is...

Tiny Tide - "Unfuzz Days"

Here's the lyrics in case you need :)

"Don't know why you had to bring me here
I'm quite scared it's a beautiful day
People all aroud, they're the same
Not ok. They just wait and stay
For a show is meant to celebrate. Even though the guest run away
Without taking care of present days
with no future left or just a cake
there's no bride at all to call and calm
neither a trace
on unfuzz days

You don't care for Buddah and his nun
someone else will pay your alm
Trees will shake the ground like fallen crows
Not today, not for this crowd
There's no turning back from this old park
Guess no one else wilk take my crown
Without taking care or give a damn
With no money left or time to spend
There's no space at home to call your place
it's all so lame
this unfuzz days

All your arms are set to pray
I can't even sign ok
You don't have to be afraid
I can't even kill myself
So come here and bring me home
push my little iron throne
Bare your brest and get undressed
Give this child your last caress
Free my body and my soul
Cut my head and clean your sword
There's nothing left Sweet golden mess
neither a trace
of unfuzz days"

E ritorno da te

Un ringraziamento particolare a Fabio del Magazzino Parallelo. Conoscevo Fabio ai tempi delle superiori. Era una sorta di leggenda vivente un po' oscura. E' stato bello reincontrarlo dopo tanto tempo qualche anno fa. Ora gestisce uno spazio aggregativo importante per Cesena, e ci ritroviamo più o meno tutte le settimane lì a suonare. Siamo ormai, come si suol dire, di famiglia. Un po' come i topi portatori sani di colera che infestano le case.

Questa sera mi sono fermato a fare due chiacchiere con lui finite le prove. Da perenne cinisco insicuro disadattato quale sono mi ha fatto molto piacere sapere che gli siamo molto piaciuti, e soprattutto che a visto nel nostro modo di fare musica qualcosa di molto personale e originale e nella nostra sinergia con i N.M.A. delle sensazioni positive.

Abbiamo sempre girato attorno all'argomento live in maniera molto circostanziata con "Il padrone di casa", proprio dall'etimo della parola "girarci attorno" o "è meglio andare a fare un giro", e ci siamo ritrovati a suonare dal vivo su invito dei N.M.A.. Il fatto che non solo Biagio non sia diventato verde e svenuto ma che gli siamo addirittura piaciuti mi ha donato una carica forte che penso continuerà a darmi una bella spinta per una bel po' di giorni. Grazie Biagio :)

PS: La cosa veramente inaspettata? Che Biagio conoscesse Circus2000 e Le Streghe! Ora tocca a Serge Gainsbourg :)

Lust for Songs

Giulia is a speaker from a radio show in Rome. I listen to her show from time to time, and when we're synchronized we use to exchange few comments on Facebook in real time. 'bout a week ago Giulia left a shout with some vague notes referring to a blurry and quite generic protest. Just for fun I told her that it would have been a great stuff if Iggy Pop would ever should decided to turn those writings into lyrics, so it happened that it was me instead of Mr. Iguana to start putting down that song. In a first time it was an impressive amount of shit-gaze and noise, but some friends persuaded me to turn down around the 3000% of the volumes of those fuzzy guitars. Since it ended with me really being satisfied with the lyrics, but not with the drums, I decided to go for a more relaxed and genuine version of the song with an acoustic version of it.

Which one is better? You tell me!

• Tiny Tide - Lust for Clubs
• Tiny Tide - Lust for Clubs (Acoustic Version)

Here's the lyrics so far...

Lust for clubs


"Is there anyone here relly dying to tie the corps.Rise your hand.
Is there any hand layed by keepers trying to make you slave. Nothing saved.

I would rather have had no chance to get your brains impressed. It's a smash
from a leggin with a low-cut boot to a blue platoon. Clean your shoe.

Crush your hana-bi on a retro beat of a parallel magazine
Cut some extra grass from your indie tracks
throw the rice on a house of glass

We'll be fab
We'll be fabric
over 45 vynils
Shake that ass
Make a mess
WE'll be nazi downunder

We'll be fast
We'll burn fabric
over ballrooms and tarverns
Come and fuck
That's a fact
Thas's a factory girl and she's lust for clubs



TWelve died in a gun maniac act down in temple pub.
Tried to save some time but the clock just went' out of luck.

Now you need a man to attend your cheerleader burst
But "Let's not make a fuss" it's the ad of my midnight crush.


Cross the police line triple murder child, cover your social life suicide
Wed your lesbian love, drive your mother nut
smuggle all you've been deined

We'll be fab
We'll be fabric
over 45 hot guns
Shot your eyes
Walk on blind
WE'll be zombie downunder

We'll be fast
We'll burn fabric
over ballrooms and tarverns
Come and fuck
That's a fact
Thas's a factory girl and she's lust for clubs


She' a factory girl She's a super star"

Parallel Floors

It was a real pleasure playing at Magazzino Parallelo after the place guest our rehearsals for such a long peridod. It was even better getting to know Nothing Meets All, an exquisite bunch of musicians and well mannered human beings.

Magazzino Parallelo is a strange place, looking very close to Top Cat head quaters rather than a venue, but not so few people find themselves so comfortable in there that you can find people just hanging around quite any time of the day. It was suddenly raining when I came to the place for the soundcheck, and I found those guys relaxed and chatting under something we could easily roughly call a gazebo, making me quite confuse rather they were from the band or not.

It happen... most of them they were! Soundcheck O'Clock for us.

Mike Leffe (Oh, yes. He changed his name again) was busy setting the sound for another side project he had to play in after our show, so Alessandro, N.M.A. drummer, was so kind to play drums with me in order to adjust the right amount of noise of it all.

I planned to do a new track called "ONE" alone. Since I didn't ever play that one live, I asked Alessandro if he minded trying that one, so I would have had a chance to check if all the chords were right. Well. Alessandro never heard that song before, but the result was SO good that I asked if he would have agreed to join me on the stage to do that number.

Time passed really quickly from 07:00 PM to 10:00 PM. So quickly that I was wondering what Porlock was doin' in there when he arrived. He was in to watch the show, of course!

They say... we did great! The sound of the guitar was excellent, or at least how I like it, and was so deep that these two men managed somehow to sound like a band.

Playing alone with Mike gave me the chance to improvise a little bit more, and "Bye Bye Love" cover seems to have improved a lot! (now I've got only to learn the lyrics properly!). With Alessandro on stage we went even further on what we have tried during the evening. The jam seemed not to have an end, evolving in and out and always fading into something new. It was really cool! Hope we'll play with that band again.

• Some pics of the show
• Mask Me Mask Me Mask Me
• February
• Bye Bye Love (Everly Brothers Cover)
• ONE / Satellite Of Love (Lou Reed cover) / A Song for EMI
• February (Backstage with Porlock)

I Magazines Paralleli

Ciao tutti amici gatti. Dopo anni che il Magazzino Parallelo ci ha adottato prendendosi cura di noi come mici randagi quasi ogni settimana per più di due anni, è un grande onore che vi annunciamo il prossimo live. Proprio Sabato prossimo, presso di loro!

Sabato 29 Maggio Ore 22.00

Saremo io e Mic ad aprire per gli amici Nothing Meets All (che nome LOSTiano!) e speriamo di vedere tanti amici che cominciavano a chiederci se fossimo stati divorati da qualche pacman energizzato. Mic proseguirà la serata al Notturno esibendosi con Fiore.

See ya there! Miao! :)

Right Lane Free

I've got this song in my head for more than a year. I keep on singing it to myself since months. It's practically already recorded in my head, especially any time I find myself on some highways during trips heading to a faraway gig. Such a shame I discovered, with my great disappointment, I wasn't the first person having thought at that melody line for the choir. Blame it on my. I have to admit AC/DC is not my cup of tea, and when I heard that song on the radio I felt like swallowing frogs. Fortunately Andrea, a friend of mine, insisted for me not giving a crap and goin' head for it, so I gave it a try. Hope Angus won't get angry with me.

Here's the lyrics. The song is called "Right Lane Free"

"Oh yeah, we were just buisy driving
running in the streets
confiding in some good time
escaping at full speed
the city just a rumor
we're gonna leave behind
I'm sitting in the backseat
and shouting at those cars

KEEP THE RIGHT LANE FREE

It's sunny in the highway
the perfect day to ride
get ready Montecarlo
It's gonna be so nice
We're fighting with the mix-tapes
The soundtrack of our lives
Don't wanna see you sleepy
wide up your eyes and see

KEEP THE RIGHT LANE FREE

The World that we are living
is such a pile of crap
It's sinking in confusion
nobody gives a damn
We're killing one another
Just dying to be first
Have you lost your direction?
Please hold on calm and still

KEEP THE RIGHT LANE FREE

Leave it to the jackass
move over Mr. Safe
Be sure to take a good breath
and flow into the jam
Accidents will happen
to those who drive in fear
avoiding any conflict
is reasonalby smart for me

KEEP THE RIGHT LANE FREE"