AQUARIUMS | ARCHIVEDNEWS

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May 24th, 2011

If I Were A Bird

If I Were A Bird

If I were a bird
Well I'd unfurl my wings
And fly back north to you
At the first sign of Spring

Never to leave your side
No matter what next winter brings
If I were a bird
Well I'd unfurl my wings

If I were a song
For everyone to sing
Would you sing along
And hum the melody

As the major drifts
To a minor key
If I were a song
For everyone to sing

Won't you join me now
And walk with me a while
Anything to be by you
Anything to see you smile

Each step we take together
Puts behind us miles
Won't you join me now
And walk with me a while

If you were a bird
Flying high and free
I'd gladly watch you glide
And let my mind carry me

Up into the sky
To fly in close proximity
If you were a bird
Flying high and free

If you were a song
You bet that I would sing
At the top of my lungs
Every note would ring

Every word for you
Sung wholeheartedly
If you were a song
Lord, I would sing

Joined together now
In loving harmony
Hand in hand we dance
Cheek to cheek

Sing our song together
Ever since I took a knee
All that's left is us
No longer you or me

May 12th, 2011

New Recordings In Hand

I have been working really hard over the last few months along with the help of my lovely wife and Jeb Morris from Grandpa Egg to record all of the newest Aquariums material. This has resulted in a wealth of songs. These songs will be split up into a series of EPs, the first of which, entitled "Heartache Is A Four Letter Word," was sent off to be mastered a few weeks ago, and will include artwork by my dear friend Joe Silva. I just got the tracks back the other day and can't wait to share them with the world. As soon as the first EP is uploaded I will let you know where you can take a listen, and purchase a download. As for now, I hope this little update has found you all in good health and high spirits. Enjoy the spring while it lasts, for summer is just around the corner.

Take Care,
-m-
Aquariums

February 14th, 2011

A Gentle Evening With Townes Van Zandt

It has been a little while since I have last updated things here on the interwebs, but there has been good reason for that. First off, I have been holed up inside this cold Nashville winter furiously recording the next few releases with my good friend Jeb Morris from 'Grandpa Egg' which I will soon be ready to start sharing some of the fruits of our labor. I am very proud of what has become, and cannot wait for you to hear it. Another new announcement fresh on my mind is the Townes Van Zandt tribute show I will be hosting on the 7th of March here in Nashville. The details are as follows.

"A GENTLE EVENING WITH TOWNES VAN ZANDT"
featuring performances by:

AQUARIUMS
CORTNEY TIDWELL
LYLAS
MAJA
LANCE WHALEN

Monday March 7th
@ The Basement
9pm
$5

On Monday March 7th, 2011 at The Basement there will be a tribute to Townes Van Zandt in honor of his birth some sixty-seven years ago. Come see four special performances by Nashville artists showcasing the songs that made this man the icon he is today. From "Waiting Around To Die" to "The Hole" selections from most every era of his career will be played. There is a special collaborative jam including all performers of the evening planned for the end of the show.

Come on out and pay tribute to the man that Steve Earle once asserted was "the best songwriter in the whole world and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that."

And now a short bit about our performers:

AQUARIUMS - The nom de plume of bearded and bespectacled Texas native Martin Schneider creates a brand of Gothic Western music characterized by large dynamic builds contrasted with desperately quiet passages.

CORTNEY TIDWELL - Darkness inspired music of fascinating beauty: staggering, desolate, country infused laments sprinkled with subtle flourishes of electronics; skeletal, eerie, haunting structures that reach out far beyond their geographical roots.

LYLAS - Like a coffin shaped candy bin, lylas populates its world with bloody nightgowns, suburban dissatisfaction, friendly demons, and pre-teen princesses with a penchant for the macabre.

MAJA - A traditional acoustic quartet showcasing members from Nashville's electric folkestra "Whiskey Whiskey."

LANCE WHALEN - Soulful deep crooning at its best! With a new album in hand, Lance Whalen is ready to sweeten your soul. "On the Tracks" is full of Lance's sincere, whiskeyesque vocals.

December 4th, 2010

I am in a Christmas mood, we're all in a Christmas mood

What better way to put you in Christmas mood than spiced wine and bourbon with egg nog? I will tell you. Add some great Nashville music and a bit from Louisville too.

Tonight at the East Side Coop (the purple building next to the BP station in five points). There will be a show with Grandpa Egg, Ben Traughber (Louisville, KY), and Wes True. Along with the music there will complimentary Little Debbie Snack Cakes, Egg Nog (with or without bourbon and rum), beer, hot spiced wine, and Christmas music played in between sets. All that is asked of you is your presence and a small donation to help with the traveling musician. This will open at 8:30. Hope to see you all there. FREE BOOZE!!!! What better way to enjoy this cold December evening?

-m-
Aquariums

November 7th, 2010

First few days

Just left Louisville this morning and made it to Cincinnati a little while ago. The weather on tour thus far has just been incredible. I am sitting in a park just looking at the leaves in the trees in all the different shades of yellows, reds, and oranges. Fall is truly a wonderful season. Both shows in the Louisville area were a blast, and it was good to see some familiar faces as well as making some new acquaintances. I am not sure what to expect from tonight's show as it is always unknown how things will go over in a foreign city. For now I will just make use of my excellent skills in killing time. I think I might take a nap.

Until next time,
-m-
Aquariums

October 27th, 2010

TOUR TOUR TOUR!!!!!

Hey everyone,

We, being I alone, are heading out for a small tour in a little over a week. I will be playing solo whilst traveling the southeastern region of our fair country. I might be in your neck of the woods, so check below for the dates. There may be a few more added before I leave Nashville as I try to fill the rest of the holes. Well, here they are:

SOLO ACOUSTIC TOUR:

more shows

I hope to see some old and new faces out there in the wild.

Love,
-m-
Aquariums

October 21st, 2010

Last show in Nashville before November solo tour

AQUARIUMS (acoustic guitar and upright bass performance)
Friday October 22nd @ Bongo Java After Hours Theatre
2007 Belmont Blvd. Upstairs
Nashville, TN 37212
Show starts at 9PM sharp
$6

...

This will be our last show before Martin heads out to the near eastern United States for a three week tour starting Nov. 4th (Dates soon to be announced). This performance will consist of acoustic guitar and upright bass. Will and I are very excited to share these songs with you in this very intimate space. Joining us all the way from the Netherlands will be OKIESON.

(Netherlands) www.okieson.com | Okieson is a walk in the late afternoon through a marshy musical landscape in which you will submerge slowly and won't notice. Sounds that embrace the listeners and will take them in. Let them even swoon a little. It's allowed. Also sharing the stage with us tomorrow evening will be Timothy Cushing.

(Louisville, KY) - http://www.myspace.com/timothycushing | No doubt relate-able to everyone living from The Appalachians to the Southwestern mesas, Cushing is able to channel the care-free nature of small-town America and provide a soundtrack to all those relaxed afternoons on the porch with nothing to do except to shoot the breeze and watch the cars slowly go by one-by-one.

Love,
Aquariums

October 5th, 2010

Martin's B-DAY BASH at the Springwater with DJ Tyrannosaurus Copter

Saturday October 9th
The Springwater

Music starts @ 9:30
Bands start @ 10:00
... $5

AQUARIUMS - looking at it
PAPER MACHETE - http://www.myspace.com/thepapermacheteband
JUNKYARD GIRLS - http://www.myspace.com/junkyardgirlsmusic
FUCK SHOW - http://www.myspace.com/fuckshowdammit

and:
DJ TYRANNOSAURUS COPTER
spinning rock & roll, soul, punk, funk, underground jams, glam and a little Waylon & Willie

This show is a celebration to commemorate Martin's Birth, and the conclusion of the year long Aquariums live recording project entitled LIVE AT 25. This project started October 9th 2009, with the recording of Aquariums' set that evening. For the following year, we have recorded all of our live shows, with the exception of a few that were either lost, or the recordings were damaged. The end goal is to provide you, the listener/concertgoer, full access to all of these recordings. They will be made available in a special section of the Aquariums website where you will be able to read, about the ideas going into this endeavor, a little bit about each show, and stream or download .zip files of the entire performances for free. The will be left largely unedited and unadulterated.

If you would like to know as soon as this will be live and available for you to consume, visit www.aquariumsmusic.com and sign up for the mailing list.

August 15th, 2010

Lonely Road

August 12th, 2010

Video for new song

July 26th, 2010

Latest development with the Library of Congress

It never ceases to amaze me how unbelievably inept and inefficiently slow governmental organizations are. Here is the latest development in the ongoing and very frustrating battle to get our first album 'Conceptual Realizations' registered with the LOC. It has taken about a year and more phone calls than you could ever imagine, and still no answer to the question of where along in the process my registration is.

Just to give a little history, the application for registration was recieved by the Library of Congress on the 3rd of December 2007. It was entered into their system January 28th, 2008. It took them until August of 2009, over a year and a half from when it was put in their system to notify me that the copies I submitted were damaged in the screening process and that I needed to send in two replacement copies. I sent those in promptly, and have been inquiring every month or so to no avail as to what the progress is on this registration. I have left several messages with Chris MacRae, the person assigned to review my application, with no response back what so ever until today.

This is the email I received just hours ago.

Dear Martin Schneider:

Please accept our sincerest apologies for this late follow up to your inquiry. Your replacement CDs were recieved in our Office, however, I am embarassed to say that they have been misplaced and we have not been able to locate them at this time.

To help expedite the completion of your registration, please send us two CDs. Please print the attached Reply Sheet and attach it to the CDs before mailing them to the address on the Reply Sheet.

Please alsl reply to this message to confirm the date on which you mailed the CDs to us. When you reply to this e-mail, be sure to include the thread ID given below in the body of your message. We regret the delays and inconveniences caused over this matter.

Please note that if we do not receive a response to this message within 45 days, we will close this case without processing your registration or notifying you further. The fee is not refundable. If you re-apply for registration after the case is closed, you must send a new application, copy and fee. The effective date of registration will be based on the new submission.

Sincerely,

Chris MacRae
Performing Arts Division

When replying to this email, please include the following thread id (entire line) within the body of your response to expedite routing to the correct office.

[THREAD ID:1-7K3NPN]

They lost them ....AGAIN. I wonder how many times I will have to send in copies before these absent-minded jokers actually follow through. I can only hope that the 3rd time is the charm. I just wish this whole thing could be put behind me so I can truly move on to what is next.

Still Pissed,
-m-

July 15th, 2010

...IN LOVE AND DEATH album release

Tonight at the 5 Spot here on the East side of Music City USA we are releasing our second studio album by the name of ...In Love and Death. We will be performing the album in its entirety, and I cannot wait for that moment when we hit the stage. It has been close to two years since Clark and I started tracking for this album. Piece by piece all of the parts came together to now rest in its final form made available to you today for the first time.

I have had perpetual butterflies in my stomach for the past week, and have hardly been able to sleep through the night. The anticipation is like a kid on Christmas. I am very proud of how this album has turned out, and would like to thank everyone who had a hand in it once again. Tonight is going to be a very special show. Claire Adams, The Little Fish, has travelled all the way from Kansas City to play a set of her wonderfully emotionally crafted songs. She will also be joining us on stage to play bass, and lend her beautiful voice to harmonies. A lot of people have worked very hard on this project, and it shows. Come see for yourself tonight at The 5 Spot.

Love,
-m-

July 10th, 2010

TONIGHT: Live Aquariums Performance on the Radio

Tonight I will be performing acoustically and also talking about the new Aquariums release on 88.3FM - WMTS Murfreesboro. This will be from 8-10 pm central time.

You may stream it by clicking the link here: http://wmts.streamon.fm/player/player.php?username=WMTS&stream=32k&type=3

Here is a little announcement about it.

Martin of Nashville band Aquariums will be in the studio talking about his upcoming record release, "...In Love & Death." We're going to give away a couple to fast dialers with big brains, so tune in and you might be that really cool kid who has heard the music before it really exists to the rest of the world.

615.898.5051 is the studio line, beware that there is no call waiting, so it may give you a discouraging message, which you, dear reader of this invite, will know to bypass with a quick redial.

See you on the streets, catch you on the air.

I plan to have it recorded, so I will make it available to those of you that were unable to hear it the first time around.

Love,
Martin

June 22nd, 2010

Things to come

Today we had our first full rehearsal for the ...In Love and Death release show which is a little less than a month away. Full rehearsal with a full band in a room with a full sound system. It is quite an incredible thing. The release show will be an incredible evening with people very near and dear to me.

Claire Adams will be making her way back to Nashville all the way from her new home in Kansas City, MO to join us on stage playing bass as well as to perform a Little Fish set. Lazy Susan and the Dumb Waiters will also perform a set followed by Nashville's own noir folk troupe Lylas. I am excited on more levels than one. I only hope all of you will be there to join in with us in the celebration of this.

Love,
-m-

June 8th, 2010

...In Love and Death CD RELEASE

Well here it is. There is finally an official release show for our second full length album ...In Love and Death. Mark and clear your calendars for Thursday the 15th of July.

On July 15th at The 5 Spot here in glorious East Nashville there will be an incredible celebration for the release of ...In Love and Death. It has been a long journey to get this album finished and it will be available that evening for purchase as well as all sorts of other goodies for sale. Claire Adams will be making a return to Music City to not only play a Little Fish set, but to also play bass for us in a FULL BAND performance of songs off of the album. Lylas will follow her with a beautiful set of folk songs. We will close out the night with a set of material from ...In Love and Death to share with all of your lovely faces.

Come join us for this momentous occasion.

Love,
-m-
Aquariums

P.S. if you cannot wait until then, don't. Visit the Music Store to pre-order a copy of the SPECIAL EDITION that will ship to you on the 22nd of this month.

May 28th, 2010

Pre-order "...In Love and Death" SPECIAL EDITION

The special edition of "...In Love and Death" is now available for pre-order. Click the album cover below to go to the album page for more information on its contents and what extra goodies lie in store. You can also visit the Music Store to order. All sales are securely handled through Paypal and you will be dealing with us so there is no middle man.

When you order you will receive an immediate digital download of the album, and the physical goods will ship out the 22nd of June, two weeks before its official release.

This album is very near and dear to me. It has taken a long time to finalize everything. I am proud of the result, and want to share it with everyone. If you haven't heard any of the songs, visit the link below and you may stream full-length versions of all of the tracks.

Enjoy Listening,
-m-

P.S. I would love to hear what you think of the album.

...In Love and Death

May 28th, 2010

Audiences

Sometimes amazing things happen in the most unlikely places. Monday's show at The Springwater was definitely one of those times. Playing to another band's crowd is always fascinating as you never know how they will react, especially in Nashville with their notoriously uninterested audiences. But for me, when the response is a very warm and positive one, there is no greater feeling. My job as an entertainer had been done.

May 21st, 2010

Short notice shows

We are playing two shows this weekend and next week. Saturday's show is in the middle of the day for a benefit for the Tennessee Teens Rock N' Roll Camp. We are playing around 4pm and it is a free show at Little Hamilton Cooperative. The show is free, but there is an entire carnival filled with games and such planned, so bring some money for tickets.

Monday night we are playing a set at the Springwater. The cover is $5, and I am not sure who is playing with us or in what order. It should be a nice show with some friends, so come out for a few beers at the beginning of the week.

-m-

May 19th, 2010

Horoscopes

Yesterday my horoscope was read to me, and here is the gist of it. It essentially told me that I am not good enough and that my expectations and goals should be lowered in order to be fulfilled in life. I thought it was completely bogus, as I usually do, but obviously I cannot stop thinking about it as I am writing this today.

Music creation, especially when the songs are personal, is a deeply emotional endeavor and to be told basically that you should give up is quite disheartening. I think the stars should stay out of my life and talk to themselves.

May 9th, 2010

New website

It has taken months of hand coding and text book immersion, but the new website is finally up and running. Looking pretty good, huh? There is a lot of new content and more features will be introduced in the coming weeks. For now, just take a minute to look around at the pictures, or maybe you would rather stream all of our albums in the Music Store. Either way I hope you enjoy it, and please contact us to let us know what you think.

-m-

January 20th, 2009

Live @ the Springwater

This is the first in a series of live shows made available as a download free of charge. They will include original artwork, both for print and for viewing on your computer. This first release comes from our set at The Springwater on November 23, 2oo8. It includes tracks off of the upcoming album ...In Love and Death as well as an adaptation of Escape from our first album Conceptual Realizations.

Click the image below and the download page will load in a new window.

Enjoy,
-m-
Aquariums

January 14th, 2009

November till now

This past Thanksgiving I went back to Houston to see my family and for the first time my niece. I played a few shows while in town to a few people. The first show was at the apartment of Gretchen Schmaltz where people sandwiched into the living room sitting where ever they could. I would like to thank Gretchen and Reggie for being so hospitable and for the first time in a long time making me feel at home while in Houston.

After Thanksgiving my brother Walter and I drove 900 miles to Stanley, New Mexico. Stanley is an itty-bitty town half-way between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. It is about the length of two blocks on state highway 42 and has a dirt road and a post office in a single wide trailer. We were there to build a set for a student film directed by one of Walter's friends. We stayed in a tent on the King Ranch for nine days and rebuilt an existing shack. It was an incredible experience to be basically alone for a week with no electricity, running water, or any of the comforts I enjoy in daily life, but it is good to be back here in Nashville and to see some familiar faces.

2009 is finally here and with it many new and great things have come. ...In Love and Death is in the works and coming along nicely. Claire and I finished up all of the bass parts this past weekend, and me and Bart will be overdubbing the last of his banjo and guitar this weekend. I am very anxious for people to hear it, but I really want to wait until it is all finished to play it for anyone. That is why I have decided to release some live material in the meantime. These will all be made available via free download directly from the website. The first recordings will come from our set at The Springwater on November 23rd of last year. Some of the material played that evening will be on ...In Love and Death while there is one song off of Conceptual Realizations that we have reworked. It will be available for download here on January 20th.

Happy Listening,
-m-
Aquariums

October 20th, 2008

...In Love and Death

This past Friday Clark and I broke ground on the recording of the follow up to Conceptual Realizations with the help of Patrick Himes. We got all of the drum tracks recorded and they sound fantastic. It could not have been a more productive day, and a great start to the record. I am excited to be able to work with Patrick more in the future.

To give you all a small taste of what to expect from the next record I have posted a demo of 'Far Side of the World' that I recorded in my bedroom a few weeks ago on my Myspace page. It is available for download, although I am not sure how that works since the introduction of their new player. I couldn't be more motivated right now. Fall is my favorite season, and October my favorite month. I am about to leave the house to go put some final touches on the Six Gun Recordings with the ladies, but I wanted to sit down and write something since it has been so long since the last post. I feel as though I am rambling, so I will say goodbye.

Goodbye,
-m-
Aquariums

May 10th, 2008

Louisville, KY

Tonight is going to be great fun. Six Gun Lullaby is playing at the Springwater with Mr. Gnome (Cleveland, OH) and The Moaners (Chapel Hill, NC). Tomorrow I leave on a Greyhound bus on my way up to Louisville to play at the Old Louisville Coffeehouse with Miguel and Rebecca. This coming week I will be in transition, and everything is up in the air. Claire leaves town tomorrow for a month, so that makes a long time with no full band. She will be back in mid June and we will be stronger than ever.

The other morning as I awoke, I was struck by an intense urge to record. I set up one mic in my room; and with the windows open from the hours of 9 to 10 in the morning I recorded all five songs to be on the upcoming Aquariums' mini album "...In Love and Death." As soon as I get back in town I will post, together with some sketched artwork, the five tracks for download in a zip file. The link to the download page will be posted here in the news section once it is all ready. If you are eager to hear it sooner, just email and bug me to finish it up. Well, I must be on my way.

-m-
Aquariums

April 7th, 2008

...In the future...

This May I will be heading out on the road for a week with Miguel. The plan is to take a bus up to Louisville, meet up with him there, and play all the way back to Nashville where we will be performing at the Springwater with the wonderfully talented Jordan Caress. After this Miguel will head on his way. All of the shows will be acoustic performances with a focus on lyrical content. Check the shows page to see specific dates and lineups.

I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by some excellent musicians here in Nashville, and a full band has been formed. The lineup is a collective of musicians from other bands I perform in. I am proud to call Clark Simmons, Bart Morris, and Claire Adams my band mates two times over, and feel what they bring to the sound is more than I could ever have imagined. They have added drums, electric guitar, and bass respectively. Songs have been rearranged, new songs have been written, but more importantly everything feels right. In the future, as many shows as our schedules will allow will be full band performances. Be on the lookout, and as always:

Enjoy listening,
-m-
Aquariums

March 28th, 2007

No job, but never been busier.

Ever since I arrived back in Nashville after a six hundred mile drive from Shreveport, LA, I have had no job. This being said, I have never been busier and more productive before in my life. I have been working on new material for an EP that is in the works. It will be entitled “In Love and Death,” and will contain 5 new songs which are easily the best of mine to date. I may release some of the demo recordings of them here in the next few weeks, so be on the lookout. Oh yeah, and enjoy the new site.

-m-
Aquariums

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