Tough Tough Skin: news

It's official - Tough Tough Skin will be joining Brooklyn-based band, The Shondes, at the Triple Rock Social Club on September 14th! This will be Zach's last show with TTS and we're all sad, but very happy that the last show will be a big awesome rock extravaganze with our good friends. Hope to see YOU there too!
xoxoxox tts

We are sad to announce that after 2 years with TTS, Zach is moving out of state. Check out our last few shows before this talented hottie sells his soul to the West Coast! We'll be introducing our new drummer next month.

Our CD, Let It Sink Down, is now available on iTunes!

We're super excited (and a little nervous) to be flying out tonight! We arrive in Portland tomorrow to play the first of 7 shows on the Queer Control Records West Coast Tour, aptly dubbed the PASS THE TORCH TOUR. Check out our show listings for specific times and venues. We'll be sharing the bill with our awesome friends 8" Betsy, Oi! Gays, Pariah Piranha and Fruit Punch. If you're in the area this is not a tour to be missed!

xoxoxox
tts

If you can't get to a live show but you still want our new CD in yr jukebox visit Queer Control Records at www.queercontrolrecords.com!

It's true, the tour dates are in. Join TTS, 8 Inch Betsy, Fruit Punch, Pariah Piranha & the folks at Queer Control Records in our first West Coast Tour:

May 30 - Portland, OR @ Egyptian Club
May 31 - Seattle, WA @ The Doomnest
June 1 - Olympia, WA @ Jake’s at 4th
June 2 - Eureka, CA @ Aunty Mo’s
June 4 - Long Beach, CA @ Que Sera
June 5 - Riverside, CA @ Back to the Grind
June 6 - San Francisco, CA @ El Rio

The fruits of our labor are ripe, and the result is a 17-track whirlwind of queerTastic tastiness! So put yr bibs on and come on down for some hearty rock 'n' roll jamboree featuring:
Tough Tough Skin
Chokecherry
The Hammer Gang
Poor Posture
and
Nancy Drew Crew

The Hexagon Bar - March 22, 10pm

*the premier cd from Tough Tough Skin, Let It Sink Down, will be available online from Queer Control Records and iTunes, and in person at shows and local Minneapolis record shops*
Support Independent Music!

so....tired.

so....happy.

You were probably waiting for this yesterday, but the reason why we made you do that is because a) we're mean like that and b) we like to see you squirm.

No, honestly, I think words to adequately capture our recording experience have been hard to come by. There's "awesome" and "rad" and "sweet" and "fucking exhausting" and "insane" and "holy shit," but you have to say any of those with gestures and great emphasis, and even then it's a couple of syllables pointing to an epic weekend...

...and a triumph. From the top of the tower, it appears that we produced over 40 minutes of music in under 40 hours. That's a minute of music an hour. I wouldn't advise always traveling at this speed, but in this case I think the limits helped us streamline our process, stay focused, behave ourselves (more or less), and get down to brass tacks.

Now, it's not DONE yet in the truest sense. There's a lot of work left to do on this baby--this weekend was just the beginning. But it's MADE. And it's OURS.

We have nothing but great things to say about the experience of working with Mike, and also about working analog as opposed to digital (not to set up a dichotomy here, but...). Our fears of the tape did not bear out in real life, although much of that has to do with (more than) competent engineering and Mike's understanding of the limits and magical powers of his medium and equipment and the parameters of time and other physical nuisances--things we were too full of caffeine to be able to bend.

As a group, I think we also had our limits tested, personally and collectively--and made it out not just unscathed, but improved, more aware of each other, more creatively brave, more musically intelligent, and better able to see ourselves as a group of people that builds music together, instead of four (sexy and awesome) dudes who get together in a basement every week, drink a lot of beer, and bang away on some loud instruments.

Gentlemen of t.t.s. that aren't me, please feel free to chime in. I have said all I can, which is not enough.

The only solution is to get back to work so we can FINISH THIS ONE and then DO IT AGAIN!!! Oh wait, we have to tour and stuff first. It's cool. Somehow, I don't think that enthusiasm, snarl, fart jokes, or fun are going to be in short supply over these next few months.

From the poison (it's just ink and little pieces of metal) fingertips of Mr. River Gordon, on behalf of the band and up to no good.

ALBATROSS * Day 3
or...The Adventures of PIG FAT & VIOLENT HIPPIES

Today consisted of waking up mildly hungover (whether from drink or sheer exhaustion who knows), rolling up sleeping bags and cooking bacon. and eggs. and potatoes. and tempe. and getting to the studio a half hour late.

River would like to state for the record that he was already there and putting vocals on tape.


Thus began another epic day of hard work tempered by an almost constant outpouring of creativity.

Let's talk about recording a full length album in 40 hours.

Today we gained a little perspective on the hours of time and sacrifices that went into the past days, weeks and months.
The first half of the day consisted of recording the vocal tracks on 7 remaining songs. Then, starting at the top we began mixing immediately. For the most part the mixing process has been smooth and the songs seem to grow together, but we're challenging ourselves to hear the songs differently and allow them to develop in an environment where they get a different kind of
musical attention than usual. While it's work, it's also really rewarding. We're discovering the complexities and basic truths of the music. It's exciting to hear the songs come together track by track in smooth succession.

The apparent ease is due in major part to the constant dialogue between the band and Mike. Concepts are discussed (as well as the politics of violent hippies and veganism). We're collaborating and taking risks. When we have a new idea Mike encourages us to try it out. See how we like it. If anything, we've been eclectic in the studio both in the music and in the way we make it. Everyone has gotten the chance to contribute in the ways they want to. We're playing multiple instruments and everyone has recorded vocals. The album is just beginning to take shape.

Taking on the task of recording & mixing 17 songs in 4 days is no small feat and Mike has brought his experience and professionalism, but
also a sense of fun and love for what he does.

We mixed about 1/3 of the album in the remaining half of the day. Pizza was ordered, and we sat on the blue couch reading books,
critiquing the tone of this drum or that string and drinking espresso. It all sounds very posh, doesn't it? But we're working our asses off!
You wouldn't think that listening would be so exhausting...

TTS

The word for the day is: Catharsis!

Crystal-blue outside, hot metal inside. Today we worked our asses off. OK, we worked our asses off yesterday too, but it was a more giddy kind of work, more exploration, more getting our bearings and seeing just what we could accomplish in the magic environment of the studio. Today was about bearing down and putting our teeth almost literally to the strings (or the drums). The freaky ghouls of our set list rose from the darkness and we had no choice but to meet the challenge--with coffee, naps, burritos, detailed notes, many takes, some good bad words, focus (if you know some of us at particular times, you know this is no small feat) and spears of crazy delirious sound.

River's beloved new guitar refused to behave on one track, requiring the aid of a giant wooden monster box with black whirling metal arms and a chorus pedal. Mike once again patiently helped us put our noise on tape, offered timely advice and general rock and roll information galore, and guided us through our artistic...idiosyncracies. We kept the rock at the forefront and made a lot of headway. Maybe more than we think we have, possibly less.

The first half of the day was frantic math on the backs of lyric sheets, requirements, levels, limits, and cigarette breaks. The second half was a slide directly into vocals (that includes handclaps, and will include screaming and acoustic guitars tomorrow. Yeah, that's right. You know you can't wait to hear this shit.). Singing was a relief after the demands of laying down all the live instruments!

All of us are switching up instruments, lead and rhythm lines, and even songwriting and vocal duties. The sound we're hearing is still us, but "us" is changing through this experience, and what's emerging is pretty exciting.

Even if being in the moment is only possible through going outside and standing in the tiny-digit weather before the next take.

Tomorrow, come hell or f*ing high water, we mix. For now, we are all hanging out together (for the first time in....?) and trying to enforce the no-band-conversations-during-social-time rule (so I'm sitting here blogging.).

And, Zach likes beer.

C: What song is next?

R: The Drinking Song.

hRb: What would this song be without Jameson and PBR?!

Z: ...It would just be The Song.


Everywhere you turn there is something new to look at. A ceiling of polaroid photos...vintage toys & tins...dozens of band posters framing the stacks of guitar amps, cases, microphones and sound cables. Day 1 of recording at Albatross Studio in South Minneapolis.

We showed up at noon. Okay, it was more of an *around* noon thing with 2 cars full of equipment and a city bus. It's january in Minnesota so our instruments took some time to warm up, even to the somewhat chilly basement. Mike Wisti graciously met us with fresh coffee and a plethora of equipment to pick and choose from. Drums and amps were mic'd. Guitars were plugged in and out of Epiphones, Marshalls, Fenders and a couple gain and overdrive pedals searching for that perfect sound. The fact that 2/3 of our guitar section consists of a Telcaster and a Danelectro, finding a spot to stand where the amps didn't buzz at obnoxious levels was particularly challenging.

The day progressed smoothly and the occassional hiccup or false start only served to the multiple songs completed in just one or two takes. Mike showed good intuition as to where our music wants to go and how to get it there. Never overbearing, he offered suggestions and guidance in just the right amount.

Recording live to Analog (using tape as opposed to a digital recording format) the goal is to play a song from start to finish with as few mistakes as possible. True there is a little flexibility in "fixing" things, but ultimately you want to play as well as you possibly can. Today we worked on laying down Guitar1, Guitar2, bass and drums. The 4 of us have never recorded together before so it was hard to know what to expect, but 10 hours and 14 songs later we have a pretty good idea, some sore muscles and a lot of excitement to go back into the studio tomorrow!

Tomorrow we tackle the last 3 songs and all the vocals.

Tough Tough Skin

We're busy as ever preparing to start recording January 17th. Scrambling to finish the last couple new songs, tighten up the old stuff, dreaming up CD artwork and such. TSHIRTS ARE IN! A great design by Jake Gushue at Project TransAction. Currently only available at shows, shirts will be available online at www.queercontrol.com soon.
We'll keep you posted on our studio experience as it happens, so STAY TUNED.
cheers in the new year.

Our new t-shirts are designed and being printed as you read this! We hope to have them at the December 2nd show for your viewing (and purchasing) pleasure. Designed by Jake Vaughn Gushue of Project-Transaction located in Boston, Mass, and hand-printed by the same, these t-shirts are going to rock your pants off! Only $10, variety of sizes available. Check out our myspace profile for the current design.

Yup, how could we say no to sharing the stage with our friends The Shondes again?! We couldn't. So we will make an appearance at Big V's Sunday December 2nd. Got those winter blues? Come shake it with The Shondes, Hey There Cowboy, This Again & Tough Tough Skin!!!!!

Hey kids,

October 25th @ PI will most likely be our last show until February so check it out! We will be taking the next couple months to travel, practice, write new songs and prepare for going into the studio in January 2008. So come to the show, support yr local gay bar (and all 5 of our drummer's bands!!!) and then hover over your computers for updates.

Love,
TTS

Yep, it's true. Tough Tough Skin is one of 4 bands signed to the brand new Queer Control Records out of San Francisco, CA! You can link to them under "Our Friends". QCR also represents Fruit Punch (Philadelphia, PA), Oi! Gays (San Francisco/Long Beach, CA), and Pariah Piranah (York, PA).

We are here to celebrate all of those musicians, artists, and labels of yesterday who believed in themselves and got a nation of queer youth to believe too. Those who came before have enabled us to expand our minds, believe, and create. They are a big reason in why we started this label and we are very excited to continue carrying the torch.

About 6 months ago we started realizing there are a hella lot of random bands around the country calling themselves "Running On Empty". We agree, it's an attractive name. Originally we picked R.O.E. based on a 1980's River Phoenix movie of the same name. After hours of tearing out our hair, harrassing friends and neighbors to scour obscure books for catchy phrases, and smoky arguments in cars we've reached a consensus. If yer looking up our number for a hot date you'll have to look under "T" for TOUGH TOUGH SKIN ("t" stands for many other fun things too). Interpret as you will, or ask a band member at the next show.