German Cars vs. American Homes: news - what's going on in the James Call universe?

NEWS Settle for less

Man oh man oh man. What a busy little summer for the Missing Teens. We've got 3 - count 'em, 3 shows lined up for July, August and September. A show a month may not sound like a lot to you guys out there in internetland, but remember, that's more rock shows that George Washington saw in his entire LIFE.

You should check out our shows page for more info on each, but the first one to check out is at Ace of Clubs on Friday, July 21st ; then Kenny's Castaways on August 17 ; and finally the Knitting Factory (!) on Sept. 8.

We'll be adding Darren Jones to our backing band for these shows. Doesn't that make you feel better about yourself? Nothing like some live drums to make your pre-recorded drums sound more "drummy".

Also, please go be our friends on myspace. Myspace is (sadly) more important than ever.

Look, kids! It's the official Missing Teens press release by Mike Weber! Isn't that EXCITING? And it's just in time for the Missing Teen's first show in ages: July 8th at the Sputnik Bar in Brooklyn! We'll be playing all the groovy hits from "Music For Young Adults," which is still underway, as summer affords James and his 90 guitarist friends plenty of time to track.

Speaking of which, head on over to the music section and check out some of the new mixes. The reliable (if drunk) Darren Jones added some solid drum tracks to beef up the samples, and Mr. Dave Tirolo, Professor Emiritus of Lite Studies at the Steve Winwood School of White Funk, added bass to a few tunes, with more to come. Now if only I can get the PORN HORNS to add some spice to these tracks. They certainly did a great job with "Back To Reality" by the Bosch, a mix of which should be up on this site soon...

Oh, and hey, if any of you are gonna be in the Bay Area this coming 1st of July, be sure to check out the 3rd annual Mishap Prom. The Missing Teens will be playing with a few other top-notch acts: the Gomorrans, TopR, Justus Bends and others.

Wow! It's been a long time since anyone updated this 'news' section. Well, since 2005, the Missing Teens have sprung, or rather, lurched into action, playing numerous times at the now-defunct Artland, in uglyful but hip Williamsburg, as well as the insane refuge known as the Glass House, now also headed the way of the dodo. But recent months have nonetheless been mutherfuckin' productive: the first full-length Missing Teens album, "Music For Young Adults," is well on its way to completion and will be done afore the summer has passed. James and Spencer Chakedis are bringing their 'Z Game' to this production; expect the hits to smash.

Also, James is busy (sorta) working on the next mini-release by friends and top-notch surf rock group, the Bosch. All the songs on this demo are catchy as heck, but 'Quarter Life Crisis' stands out for its angry guitar-rock power and elegance.

Oh! And last and perhaps also least, James has been doing a bit of work here and there for various choreographers including Andrew Dinwiddie and the talented (and naked) Alie Vidich, for her piece "Rosea On The Flesh". Choreographers have a thing for bizarre sound effects and BOY has James heard some nature samples thrown through various odd filters in the last year. But Rosea features at least one pseudo-bumpin' R&B tune, to be up on the web quite soon.

News from 2005:

While we all wait on the edge of the seat of our pants, or whatever the hell that expression is, for the band to get back together, mann!!!!, the real James has just reentered the performing arts with his smash success at the Mishap Prom 2005. Joining him on stage for the first time ever was Josh Howell-Davis, as well as two hippy chicks, a barking dog, and some asshole who decided to kick James in the nuts while he danced. The chicks, dog and asshole were uninvited.

James had the pleasure of debuting “Role Reversal” and “Round of Applause” at the Prom, as well as the pleasure of performing alongside TopR the Underground Rockstar and the Gomorrans for the first time. James is currently working on not only the long-awaited second German Cars release, but also Songs For Young Adults Vol. 1, an album of his solo tunes including “Fernando and Louise” and “Drive Uphill”. Completion of these records is expected soon, along with a continuation of the drink-half-a-bottle-of-vodka-every-night policy.

The big news on the horizon is that, after a hiatus of about 2 years, we’re getting the band back together, mann!!! HOWEVER, like all good news, this glorious event lingers on a distant horizon. We’re still getting together the funding we need to put on a show that will put all nearby bands to shame. No half-assed gigs for the new German Cars vs. American Homes!

The big, IMMEDIATE news is that the Earth From Space is nearly finished with their production of Peter And the Wolf! Chock full of your favorite motives from youth, including all the classic themes of Peter and his animal friends, the Zelda and Tetris music, a little bit of the Dan for good taste, plus tons of “fresh beats”, this far-out gem is geared to please anyone who can sit down and listen to two hours of consecutive music. Firesign Theatre and Frank Zappa fans need apply. We’re in the final stages of mixing now, so stay tuned for downloads.

The second GCVAH full-length release, Magna Carta Cum Shot, is still under production. Unlike One in a Million, which was funded by Mishap’s Skinny D Kalish and co-produced by Spencer Chakedis of Balloon Heaven studios, MCCS is being produced without a budget of any kind, entirely by the real James with a little help from his friends. Mixing is mostly taking place at the Sonic Arts Center at City College of New York, and James’ home studio, Kick ’Em While They re Down, which is currently under renovation.

In the meantime, check out our current downloads!