The Music is groovy

So the songs are finally to a point that I am going to let myself get excited. They sound good. Tony is a GOD and a really good engineer too. This is going to be a beautiful album that I will be so proud to release. We are enjoying this process too much I think- it is the layers of recording that just blows my mind. We have finished all the basic instruments, some vocals and now comes the fun. A little peppering of piano, and little shaker of salt- and we got us an album. I am very quiet at times and concentrated so if I go for a bit, and I don't make a post... it doesn't mean I wont be back soon.

Don't forget to rock that side ponytail.

oh that reminds me. I got into a conversation this evening while I was doing my 'side job' of supporting myself so I can live and create music. The conversation consisted of 'items' being called a Rock Star. Hmmmmmmmm I feel A Rock star cannot be a wine, or a restaurant, an inanimate object... or even an exceptional person. Unless that person has worn some form of spandex- or three week old jeans on stage in front of over 5,000 people and played their ass off, broke a string the second song in and some guy runs on stage and gives you another perfectly tuned guitar, Toured the world and the USA of a couple times, broke down in a van or bus 6-7 times, and of course the screwing of lots of ugly people. That is a Rock Star. Please do not use that term loosely. We all strive to get there but some of us just sing the blues.

Ha!

boy I am sassy tonight. Must be the ponytail.

For the month of May- I am planning to single-handedly bring back the side ponytail... or the side/ braid- what ever you choose. Keep your eyes on the trash mags.- this just in... Mariah Carey is the first side ponytail victim.

Busy Busy Bee's

So much going on. Sorry it has been awhile but I just get busy and I forget. We have been traveling the last couple weeks- Arizona and Santa Barbara. Mostly for fun, some for research.

If you didn't know- Tony and I are engaged. Yep. We broke the band rule. Broke it hard. And yes we know it didn't work out for Fleetwood Mac- but they sure did get a lot of great songs out of that romance huh! So yeah, we have been together for almost six years now and Tony finally convinced me that we should make this groovy thing legal. While I have a hard time believing in marriage I really believe in love, and I really believe in our love.

So the process has begun to find the perfect spot for T-n-T to tie the knot. I am really out of my league here and for the longest time I have been putting this off for even the thought of it makes me queasy. I just am not that type of girl. All the flowers and the fluff makes me break out in hives. I just want to play a show. I have no problem booking, promoting, finding a great inexpensive vintage dress, and singing onstage for a show... so for a while there I was trying to convince myself that this was just a fancy show at a fancy venue. Hmmmmm...
Tony has had to stop me many times to not just hit the drive through Elvis in Vegas. So I still have made no solid plans and still have no clue- even though I did break down and buy a 'Brides' Magazine.(not the best idea I have ever had) It just reminds me that I need to book a show for Wall of Tom because I need something else to work on! I am the worst fiance ever!!!

Speaking of work! The album continues to amaze me and even though this is the slowest process in the world it is really taking shape and sounding wonderful. Another project in the works is our bass man Dave's pilot for 'XPC' and it looks amazing- Dave is gonna be a big time Director soon! Tony is doing all the sound for the show and the boys are real excited about getting it finished. Again I will fill you in as much as I can when I can but for now just dust off your pillows and get ready to rumble!

;) Tv

Strings

He sits near
I feel the warmth at my side
And within
A guitar fret that suspends over my soul
Hands slide up and down over the neck
Touching
Resting
Moving quickly as the melody
Your song vibrations passing between the frets
While the other hand
Gently plucks
At my heart strings

~Tv


I love recording. It is such a quiet yet loud process. Songs that you have created within your mind, songs that you have played on stage, suddenly play without you. You press a button and there you are- but you are actually sitting with your mouth closed in another room. Odd. It really is the coolest thing about music. I could pass away tomorrow but I will still be here- for you to play over and over in your car or on your ipod.

I get impatient in the process of recording it is true. I hear what it should sound like in my head but I know it will take days or maybe a month for that to happen. I think I should do some painting because I am sure I will drive Tony crazy with my impatience. He is doing such a wonderful job as our engineer and producer- he is such a talented man with such gifts, his biggest one being patience and dealing so sweetly with a cold and my impatience. To do what he does takes knowledge and skill and so much time and yes... patience. But his love for the music is strong and we all know that we are creating an album that we can be very proud of, something we did all by ourselves.

Tomorrow we take a break from all this as Tony is doing sound and Dave has his directing debut for a new TV pilot- should be great fun for them... something I will pass along to you after they have finished it. To say that we are just musicians would be a lie because we all do so much more, and the creative outlets are just endless in Los Angeles.

So as I listen to the click and the never ending edits that Tony has had to do on the drums, I realize how lucky I am to have such wonderful creative friends and band mates. The road to the finished album may seem long but I would not change a bit of it.

Wall of Tom's song 'TRUE' on MTV's Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory!!

Hey there everybody!! Cool news for Wall of Tom- our song 'True' was picked to be on MTV's 'Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory'! If you have not seen the show it is pretty funny and super cool every Sunday night on MTV. You can download the episode 'extreme Timmy' on iTunes for $1.99 and watch the fun unravel on the show... wait until the last 2 minutes of the show and there is our song- 'True'! It is actually the funniest part of the show and they really use the song well- it is a great showcase for our music!
Unfortunately buying the episode is the only way for you to hear it- or you can wait until the season comes out on DVD... but don't worry- with every purchase on iTunes we are getting paid too so every penny counts!!

Fun news for us as we are working on the new album- Thanks MTV!! Remember you can check in with us on our blogspot 'the Walls of Tom' for weekly updates on the makings of our new album!

Thanks so much to everyone... and yes we have been getting your messages about our live shows for the Hollywood Speakeasy- don't worry we will be back out there playing live VERY soon!!

xoxoxox,
Tommie V
Wall of Tom

Another rainy day in Hollywood

Yep it is another rainy day in Hollywood. We seem to be having a lot of these lately. Funny too because yesterday was the most beautiful spring day. I was so fooled that all our rainy days were behind us. Now I know that Los Angeles needs its rain fall and I am pretty sure we are in a drought but hey.... I like sunny days. I grew up in Oregon. It rained a lot. I mean a lot. Like sideways rain... that is actually my favorite.
So thankfully on Rainy days we can still do some recording.
We have the best assistant engineer... he is very fuzzy.

Quote from Martha...

This is my all time favorite quote:

There is a vitality- a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is Unique.
And if you block it, it will never exist though any other medium and will be lost.
~Martha Graham


What that means to me? Go out and get the mother f*cker!!!

A guest stopped by...

On Monday we got a call from our old friend Pat Harrington from the band 'Kill Code' and 'Slunt'.. he was in town from NYC and just happened to bring his guitar a long with him. When I told him we were recording at the studio all day he offered up his skills on slide guitar for our new blues song called 'Deep'. It turned out so damn cool- we could not be more excited with Pat's guitar track- it adds such a dirty blues aspect to the song, we got really excited! We of course had to go get a drink after that one and met up some more of our pals at a cool little bar in the valley called 'The Fifth'
In the picture is myself with Pat and Charles Ruggerio- the drummer for Slunt and many many other super cool bands.

Guitar Work

On Sunday we started working on recording guitars and I snapped a few photos of Tony in action...













Grimey-Potts Studios Rocks!!

Some of the nonsense...

.

So yes it is late.. and yes I had a glass of wine.
But i just love this video..
She's got some legs.

Somewhere

Somewhere he lies bleeding…

Can you hear it when he sings?

A madness descending

To a room of deaf ears

I feel the blade upon his wrists

Slicing through the stillness

That somewhere held a memory

No longer in his hands

But deeper to center

With a knife too short

To cut out the pain


~Tv

Blood or Wine

This glass of wine
I drink alone
To fill and warm
My weary bones
To virgin lips
This red liquid passed
For true loves kiss
Shall never last
If only poison it could be blood
In nights of darkness
My body is numb
This twist of fates
A drunken gloom
So upon this cloud I sit
Talking to the moon

by: Tv
lyrics to new Wall of Tom song 'Blood or Wine' off the upcoming album!

This is a copy of our poster board so you can see the progress of the album- when the album is done all the boxes will be filled!! Wow this is gonna take forever!!!! No- not really but it is a lot of fun as well as being a lot of work. So the next time you text me and ask what I am doing... just take a look at the board!!!




Last night we began adding the Bass to all the songs on the new album... Here is a little video behind the scenes of Dave Wadsworth and Tony Grimes of Wall of Tom doing what they do:

Candy Bar Kisses

Moonlight kisses fade to black
A desire that overcame the denial
Two lovers in a chocolate fantasy
The sweetness passed between lips
If only by day their love could last
But this fairytale love is like a candy bar
It can only be savored in broken minutes
And theirs is melting in the mouths
That hunger for more
Eyes, nose, ears are all crying out for oneness
To be human is so utterly wrong
When the heart cannot overcome the brain
That will speak such nonsense
And so the moonlight kisses
Will melt inside the wrapper

by:Tv

Well I am going to give this whole blog thing a go... since we are in the studio about 8 hours a day I will have unlimited access to a computer and lots of time on my hands. I will post pictures, poetry and even video- just about anything I feel like posting really. Yes some of it will be nonsense but that is just me anyways! That being said here is an update recently posted about the band and what we are doing currently::

We are heading back into the studio to finish up the songs for our 09' release 'Universal Attraction'... And we couldn't be more excited! These are the songs we have been playing at the Hollywood Speakeasy nights and they are hot hot hot! The drums have been recorded and now comes the layering process of bass, guitars, trumpet, vocals, keys, cello... and whatever other instrument we feel like adding! (I am fond of the cowbell)

If all goes well we should be right on track for our release date in May. We are planning a big Cd release party in Hollywood so the closer we get to the release date more info will follow!

Groovy new tunes coming sooon!

xoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxo-box,

Tommie V
Wall of Tom

Eyes Closed

I’ve almost forgotten you
But that’s when my eyes are open
When they are closed
I see you clearly
Every out line of your face
Every dimple in your smile
I can even hear your laughter mocking me
Haunting me
Some days I don’t want to open my eyes
To see the mist that is my tear
Washing away your memory