Spring is opening up around here and this strange hanging winter will be passed. That’s good! It’s been productive though, I will admit.

I’ve been mixing the tracks on “Redwood Summer” that have drums. Make the kick drum big, make the cellos up front. Make the guitars ring out. Make the voice sound alright.

I like the initial results I’ve been getting from some very rudimentary but helpful tips (rolling off the low end of instruments that don’t carry low end, for example). It’s never been my forte, mixing. Unfortunately it is possibly the most important part of the process. Good albums just FEEL right. That’s mixing. And mastering. I hope I can afford to master these!

The good news is is that the instrument set I’m using for all these is similar. So, in most cases, once I find a cello “sound” that feels right, I can apply it to all these albums.

Also I’m shying away from effects. Maybe here and there, I’ve always loved some weird aspect in the sound, but, I’m finally beginning to appreciate the sound of the room it was recorded in, as opposed to “gothic cathedral” reverb setting.

I’ll post a remix here soon, so that you can hear what is happening…

Thanks for stopping by!

Note to iTunes podcast subscribers… try magic spell Apple + R to show you where the file is… move it to your desktop, and then drag it into iTunes… Thanks!

I happened to make it out of one of the cello songs I’m working on today (need some good wake up music)… I don’t know how other phones work, but it works on my iphone…

For those of you not subscribed to the podcast (click here for that), click the text version “download” below, the icon doesn’t work.

Enjoy!

Also, I’m just testing this out, may make it a feature. Buy this ringtone and support what you get out of this site and podcast. I can only tell you that this ringtone works for iPhones, not for other phones. Feel free to skip down to the free version. I’m planning on putting tracks up for free for a week, and then charging for them (bandwidth you know)… what do you think?

Sometimes I listen back to early drafts of the songs I’ve worked on and since revised. I often post them here, because they say a lot about the process.

I realize today as I am listening to some of those that despite our progression as people towards more and more “well-rounded” and oh so effective professionals, we often get it right the first time. The tendency to rub things down and polish them until blemish free is so tempting, so addictive. And oh so boring.

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Signals

The albums are coming along. I had the pleasure of recording some drums with Molly from Huff This!. She adds such a rock sound to the tracks. It’s perfect for the feel of the album.

So here is a more rounded out version of the song I posted a few weeks ago. This is the sample of the more rock, acoustic guitars and cello based album I’m calling ‘Redwood Summer’. Enjoy!

Remember the earlier version of this song?

Here is my sample from the electro-cello album tentatively called ‘Half Moon’. It’s the stuff I’ve been playing live lately.

Here is a sample of my all cello instrumental album, as yet un-named.

Here is where the electronic-instrumental album will be coming from.

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Fever Saved Me... Let It Save You
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Alela Diane - To Be Still 

I’m heading up to Portland this weekend to play a show with Aaron Ross as a member of the Heirs Of Mystery. 

We’re opening for Alela Diane at Holocene on Sunday, February 15.

I’m looking forward to a return to Portland, hoping to see some friends there. Not looking forward to the drive, as the weather is looking questionable, and it will be 12 hours. Sometimes a long drive is what you need though.

Yes, so I would love to see some friends there, at the show, which will be great, or at the Paradox for breakfast the next morning…

The Heirs Of Mystery, our band with Aaron Ross, will be heading down the mountain to play in Davis tonight. 

This coming Sunday we are trekking up to Portland to play at Alela Diane’s CD Release, at Holocene.

And why should I?

It’s pretty much an inner circle clique gathering once a year to pat themselves on the back. The radio stations are owned by the same people putting out the albums, so where is the competition. We all know there is no innovation there.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Coldplay and a couple of other past Grammy nominees, and they are the nicest, coolest, warmest people you’ll ever meet. It’s nothing personal against the inner circle. But I’m just so sick of it.

What I’m sick of is, in a nutshell: you won’t watch the grammies and discover any music you haven’t already heard force fed to you millions of times before. The industry is collapsing under its own weight, and they go on toasting the same tired formulas.

Now that I write this though, I am not afraid to admit that I am terribly out of the loop. I’m also too old for the grammies, and have no expendable income to spend on money anymore. So I guess it’s not up to me! Which is fine.

My point is: let’s have a yearly awards ceremony that actually salutes the innovative music that has come about this year. Let’s take the airwaves back. Let’s push the real music that we care about out beyond the shadows of indie-land. The music industry is seriously in need of a breath of fresh air (which I think we will be seeing in the next couple of years… I can kind of sense it…).

That’s all. Not that it matters what I think. I wish I cared. I love music… I should care about the Grammies… right?

Luke Janela - Live @ Sac State 

I’m probably not going to code a photo gallery in here anytime soon, especially when I have Flickr!

I’ve finally put together a small and ever growing gallery of music related pics here.

Post your photos from my shows here.

Thanks!

Uploaded by www.cellspin.net

Just wanted to thank everyone who came by my show earlier today (the earliest show I’ve played in years by the way). It was great fun to play in that room with its sound, and I really appreciated people taking a moment out of their days to listen. I also enjoyed talking with many of you after the show. Thanks for the kind words and for checking in…

Keep checking back or sign up for the RSS feed to be notified of what’s new.

Be my friend on MySpace, check out my Facebook Page, and find my music on iTunes.

See you soon…

So I have been hell of out of the loop, removed from reality in so many ways, both living out in the woods and absolutely inundated with work. I’ve been thinking of the big posting I would put here, announcing the fantastic things going on, but just haven’t had the seconds.

The house I was staying in was outside Nevada City in Northern California, totally beautiful views of stars and wooded hillsides… it was a perfect place to get to work on the album that I’ve been wanting to do for a long long time. I call it my “old Luke” album. It’s basically like, no electronics, no avant attempts. Just simple songs, like the ones I used to rock over the hills and dales of Ukiah and Santa Cruz. And the open mics of Portland.

No concept per se, but I intend to have at most on each track the same instrumentation: cello, acoustic guitar, and vocals. I have an inkling to put drums on a couple of tracks, like the one I’m posting here, but if I do, they will be straightforward rock drums, etc.

It for me is a return to my roots: a certain Northern California sound. Not hippie, not punk, not folk, not really in between. Just who we were and are in that wooded corner of the world.

The album is tentatively titled “Redwood Summer” and is set for release April 14, 2009.

This track is called ‘Fever Saved Me’

Thanks for stopping by!

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Alela’s beautiful new album ‘To Be Still’ is due to be released February 17, 2009. I’m planning on playing with Aaron Ross at her cd release party in Portland, Feb 15th…

She’s been getting a lot of well deserved attention lately. Here’s a pitchfork post of her new video… I play a little cello on this track…

Hello, are you looking for the moon?

December and November were such a crazy wash for me I was feeling burnt out. Right now we’re house sitting a really beautiful house outside Nevada City and I feel life returning to something better than it was.

I’ve strangely writ a good part of 4 new songs since being here three days ago, and feel like I might have more. Starting to flesh out the lyrics etc.

Other music life has been busy too… recently:

Traveled to record with Huff This! at a former 60’s rock star’s LA estate. Obviously fun to the max.

Added bass tracks to Aaron Ross’ new record and therefore we are sending it off to be mixed and mastered.

Scheduled a few gigs, with Aaron and solo action… I’ll keep you posted.

Thanks for stopping by, I’ll put a new track up here pretty soon…

Dec 14, 2008 
I’ve been working like mad lately and in my late night hours I’ve been burning through my music list. One of the tracks from my old band “The Key” came up and I decided I’m really proud of this whole album, especially in retrospect. Especially in retrospect because I wrote this song about the approach of the US warplanes at the beginning of the Iraq war from the point of view of an innocent kid. Maybe my age, maybe in Baghdad… I still think it fits. The sounds at the end are from a giant (80,000 plus people) anti-war rally on the eve of the war. Before that scumbag W. pulled the trigger. Listen and enjoy…

In other news, I’m super busy in life and otherwise.

This Thursday I’m playing a show in Sacramento with Aaron Ross & The Heirs Of Mystery at a new club. Go to his myspace page for more details…

After that I’m driving down to Los Angeles to do some cello recording with Huff This! They’re putting together their album and I’m super glad to be able to contribute perhaps.

In the meantime, good progress is made on the solo cello album, the new cello/beats/vocals album. Those two will probably be released at the same time, in early spring.

Yes. That is what is. Hope you’re doing well…

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Nightfall, Waterfall
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I’m looking forward to this awesome show that Huff This! from NYC put together in Nevada City… I’m playing cello with Huff on a few songs. Their music is really haunting and beautiful, passionate and well written. Piano, and drums, and sometimes guitar. 

Black Bear, who also are really so great will also be playing, and there will be an art installation from Matthew Gottschalk… seriously this will be fun, come out!

“Huff This! with Black Bear and Dolli Melaine Huff This will be accompanied by Luke Janela on a few songs, Thad Stoener-guitar/bass, Dolli Melaine-vocals, Pete Newsom-drums and there are gonna be dancers! also Black Bear is going to be in its full six person formation which is totally dope. Matthew Gottschalk is going to be do a crazy string vortex istallation. and Dollie Melaine (back from Vienna) is going to kick off the evening with her dramatic vocals. we will not be selling alcohol.”

Live Oct. 24 - GVCFA 

This has been one of those clusters of time where big things happen and there isn’t really even a way to gauge how much it impacted. To see Barack Obama elected was something I never thought I’d witness in my youthful days, and not for the reasons the media is obsessed with. I know it meant a lot to me to see this, as halfway through the minute after MSNBC announced he had won I was calling all my family quite emotional. That happened. It was beautiful.

Now here in the whirlpool or resilient aftermath, whatever it’s called. Things have been quaking a bit. I’m listening to old music and catching up on some long overdue chores, generally putting things into categories and then evaluating each and every one. Like: for instance: music. The album of songs I’ve been playing live is getting to the point of “ok, well, let’s put it out!”… though I’d like to have a sudden revelation and record another song or two with it. The other albums are floundering, and have taken far too long to put together. But it’s all organization at this point… a lot of the material is there… just waiting to be shaped up.

And then there is Aaron Ross’ new project, The Heirs Of Mystery. That album is almost done. A trio: Aaron singing playing guitar, Cody Feiler on electric guitar and backup vocals, me on cello and backup vocals. It’s a fun mix, it’s a good mix, it’s the kind of mix that doesn’t happen often, musically or personally… I really admire and respect those guys on all levels and I think that what we end up putting out, such as this last Sunday at the Crazy Horse Saloon in downtown Nevada City, while the sweaty pre-election crowd sat waitingwise under the redlights hearing for the first time… I think it is good. It is good music.

So tomorrow evening downtown Nevada City again, playing cello for an art opening at the Mekka… will be an interesting thing… fun I hope. And lately that’s what I mean, just a constant waterfall of these types of opportunities, crossing paths with really cool people. Nevada City has opened a bit, and yet…

now winter is upon us in it’s own way

and who knows… I just feel that of course, as always, as usual, it is not enough to be sitting here waiting for the next page to turn, waiting for the blind spot to become defogged, and perhaps even waiting for some approval to crop up out of the ether, because you know, we all want that. And, as it is shown, we are all getting there, older, and wiser, and closer to our fate, whatever it may be.

So, in short, things roll forward. I’m moving this more into journal form again by the way. I don’t really mind if it offends anyone that I shall tell of my days and nights and life in a truly vain manner on these pages. It’s what it is. I don’t need no excuses…

“The darkness has got the best of us… there’s a darkness in this town that’s got us too…
they can’t touch me now… you can’t touch me now… they aint goin’ to do to me what I watched them do to you… ” – Independence Day you should know perhaps who by

So yes, thanks in the air, the full fall leaves weighting down just enough. Enough passing by in a blur to become one with each exhale, the days. The sharpness of breath, the long-ness of the night. The books to read, the family to see, the projects to complete. The holy arena of reflection. It always happens, thank goodness.

Ambition is the answer to the vanity that tears me apart. I know I want to do more, and I believe that it will come about, the restless dreams of each and every night meaning something, meaning that indeed there is meaning. Simple tasks like homework pull me into two halves, the perfectly numb and the perfectly distraught. That’s where I’m at… You?

No, I haven’t been drinking. I just get this from the crisp air, from being on the cusp of change. From being a part of this second that said: write.

Cody Feiler practices a guitar part in this picture during an off moment of practice. Me, Aaron Ross, and Cody are playing together on Friday night at The Center For The Arts in Grass Valley. The show is pretty exciting because this set is really complex and unique music. The rhythms are in strange timings and the harmonies are pretty crazy. I play cello, Cody plays electric guitar, Aaron sings and plays acoustic guitar. We pitch in backup vocals… It’s really fun to be a part of such a great project.

As a band we’re the “Heirs Of Mystery”. (We might go with the “Ayers Of Mystery” for the next month however…)

I’m also playing that night, is going to be a big, rad show.

Picture uploaded by www.cellspin.net

well I’ve always wanted to play a show in new York, and that was fun… Good sound, people at Pete’s were cool… What I should have realized though is that what thisnwas really about was being here, wandering the MET in awe of Warhol and Okeefe… Gotta get on the plane now…

IMG 2224 

Well the truth is I’ve reached this certain critical mass of things happening, they may very well spontaneously combust. I’m trying to figure out NYC still, but I’m determined that it will be a great show. I guess what I’m saying is that, everything is there, happening, with strange mutations. But they do move ever-forward of course…

September is here, and the air has cooled almost imperceptibly. I’m still looking for a long summer. Yes I have been very busy lately, hence the lack of a voice here in website land.

This weekend I had so much fun it’s hard to put into words recording Aaron Ross‘ new album with him and Cody Feiler in the old church at St. Joseph’s in Grass Valley. Last night was the last of three nights recording there, and we were all banging on drums at midnight. It was some of the finishing touches on the most productive recording weekend I’ve ever been a part of. His album is so amazing, I’m listening to the roughs of it right now and it is so amazingly complex, varied, smart and moving I can’t wait for it to get out in the world.

Melora Creagan
I’m already also excited about the Mondo Cello Fest, which is coming around sooner than I’ll know I’m sure. The bottom line is that this touring show is so packed full of incredible cellists and is like, going to be the best show ever when it comes through your town… I’m going to post all the info here for your reading pleasure, and in the meantime be sure to go to the

Click here to visit the MySpace Page for the Mondo Cello Fest for info on tickets and the performers

October 15th—Broadway Performance Hall Seattle, WA

October 16th—Aladdin Theater Portland, OR

October 17th—Slim’s San Francisco, CA

October 18th—The Unknown Theater Los Angeles, CA

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I love New York City, having had Oh So Much Experience there (I’ve spent a total of like, two weeks there). But it is super amazing. And I’ve been wanting to play this place Pete’s Candy Store for a long time. Much respect to it, a lot of my musical heroes have passed through there at one time or another.

And so, I’ll be there September 21, a Sunday evening, playing at 10:30. NYC People, come out and be there. Spread the word if you have friends there (it seems like we all do!).

It’s been fast and cool and full of nostalgia and crazy weather and we are headed south again, leaving portland, and the bridges behind… again.

It’s the best city, and the rain settled in on us, and the lightning was everywhere, and so were our friends, and places to eat, and to get coffee. Now we camp our way back to Northern California… “home”…

Here I am in Powell’s books in my former city Portland. It’s not rainy, or cold, it is really really hot. People are flocked to the indoor spots, and here, books are being flipped through with indifferent non-commitment.

Such a great city, and so much happening here. Easy to deal with, comparatively, and vibrant. The energy of youth is off the charts, and the ambience registers thickly.

I miss writing music here, but it’s good to see that it is a time that has indeed passed. In other words, I’m also glad that I have moved along, done cool things… writ new stuff.

Speaking of which, keep an eye out for new material on its way, it basically is all going to arrive at once in a flood, most likely by mid-October.

Just checking in, have been out of touch. Thanks for stopping by!

Live at Amnesia - 07)31(08

Pre-PS… if you have any pictures that you’d like to share via flickr, go to http://www.flickr.com/groups/lukejanelalive and join in…

It was, indeed, the best show ever, and, though I can’t really sum up why, here are some of the elements:

1. My family was there. My cousin, two of my brothers, my sister in law, and my girlfriend were there, and it made me happy that they made it. I felt more at ease and comfortable pre-show (I am usually freaking out feeling ill with nerves) then I have in a long long time. I’m so glad that after all these years they’re not sick of my music (or me) yet!

2. My friends were there. A lot of my brothers’ friends showed up and it really meant a lot to me to see them there. They’ve been coming to my shows in SF for several years now, and I really can’t begin to say how much it rules that were there. I really respect them in general, and so it meant a lot to me.

On top of that, amazingly, some friends whom I had not seen in literally 7 years showed up. (One of them brilliantly sang for the headlining band SEAQUENCER). When I saw them in the audience (I didn’t know they were coming) I had to do a double take to believe that it was actually them. It was so good to reconnect. It kind of blew me away. It made me appreciate what real friendship is (you know… it stands the test of time, no words necessary to catch up, et cetera).

3. The venue/sound was perfect. Amnesia is a really cool bar, the ambience is dark and bohemian, the drinks are strong, the velvet plush, and the sound guy (thanks mike!) did a fantastic job with my absurdly over the top setup (two drum machines via midi, two cello pickups, vocals, and effects!). I felt really at home there, and the room glowed a cool red.

4. The crowd was really cool, and totally into it. Looking out over the crowd, the room was packed, some people were dancing (which I love), and everyone was just… into it. It was great… really great!

5. Things went right. I was playing all new material, and any number of things could have gone wrong… forgetting parts, pressing the wrong button, falling out of tune… it certainly wasn’t perfectly in tune (it is still a cello after all) but really, it was fun to play new stuff.

6. The SF Weekly review, and a blurb in the SF Ist… Honestly, I can’t say enough about the insightful, kind, and, I felt, poignant review in the SF Weekly. It did a lot to bring people out, and it did a lot to kind of affirm the sound I’m going for now…

7. On and on. I just really can’t sum up how much I enjoyed this show. Here is to many more. As a friend toasted at the end of the night:

“May the best of your past be the worst of your future.”

SEAQUENCER, Luke Janela, Round Mountain
Date/Time:Thu., July 31, 9:00pm
Price: $7-$10

Dreamy Cello + Dark Beats + Smart Emotional Vocals
“Elliott Smith with a cello” would be a lazy and reductionist way to introduce the music of Luke Janela, despite the parallels between the two songwriters — namely, their intimate, minimalist, melancholy acoustic elegies originally born in the bedrooms of gray and rainy Portland, Oregon. Janela’s inclusion of a drum machine and effects pedals, combined with the rich, deep, sonorous tone of his cello, gives his performances the time-collapsing atmosphere of ancient eras meeting the future. This is no mere gimmick at work, though: Janela’s welding of words to melodies is as accomplished as any erudite troubadour. That Janela left Portland for Nevada City, CA, hasn’t altered his desolate atmospheres, either — it merely means that maybe he’ll wheel his way into the city more often. Good news for us indeed. — J. Graham

Read the original review here.

This is a really nice, and amazingly insightful review of my music in the SF Weekly. I wish that I could write these words, the way that it so respectfully and accurately conveys what I am attempting to do musically really blows my mind!