New Christmas music now available

The SNOW DAY ep recorded with Ken Clinger has been remastered and is now avaiable for $5.00 postage paid. Also available is the brand new RAY CARMEN 2008 CHRISTMAS RECORD cd-r single, featuring two tracks: Christmastime Is Here Again, and Listen, The Snow Is Falling. The single also features a third track, which is a rough instrumental mix of Listen, and it's available for $2.00 postage paid. Or, you can buy them both for $5.00 postage paid, basically getting the cd-r single for free.

If you'd rather, you can also go to www.myspace.com/raycarmen and download the Christmas Record single for free, minus the instrumental track. Your choice. Go to http://www.raycarmen.com/ for ordering info at the bottom of the page!

Happy Krimble, and don't forget...O-U-T spelss OUT!!

Ray

Er, here's a blast from my past...

OK, so I googled my name today (don't look at me like that, you know you've googled your own name, too), and came across this:

http://diycassettemusic.blogspot.com/2008/02/ray-carmen-more-than-enough-1991.html

This was from back in the day, when the cassette underground was in full swing. I, like many others, put out tons of cassettes, and this particular one was a bunch of remixes (hence the title) and an unreleased (at that time) track, called More Than Enough. I recorded it for my NOTHING PERSONAL CD, but the record company (Emigre) rejected it (hrummph!--actually, I can't blame them, it's not one of my better songs). Anyway, one of my fave underground bands, Hermanos Guzanos, posted this online back in February. Thanks for the plug, guys!

Ray

PS...one of my friends told me that this track sounded to him like a cross between Badfinger and Sonic Youth...

Wayside Waifs Christmas compilation CD out soon

A great new compilation of Christmas tunes will be released to help benefit the Wayside Waifs Humane Society of Kansas City, Missouri. Arists include R. Stevie Moore, Ken Clinger, Don Campau, ShiSho, Zen Doggies, Larry Garrett, and many more. Also included will be my version of Jingle Bell Rock (from the SNOW DAY ep I did with Ken Clinger). For more info on how to get your copy, go to: http://twelvemonthsofchristmas.blogspot.com/. It sounds like it's gonna be a really cool release, and the money will go to a very good cause!

Happy Krimble!

Ray

New album ULTRA SOUND available right this minute

ULTRA SOUND, my new album of ambient/experimental/instrumental music, is out now and features four solo compositions, and five collaborations with my friends MJB, Don Campau, Ken Clinger, and Belinda Subraman! And here's what's on it:

1. Nassau Ave. (Brooklyn Ambient) (MJB-Carmen) 2:52

2. Over The Hill (Carmen) 5:34

3. The Unexpected Thrill Of Sweat (Clinger-Subraman-Carmen) 2:00

4. Lighthouse (Carmen) 5:53

5. God/Heaven (Carmen) 3:39

6. Duet For Inside Piano And Mixing Bowl (Campau-Carmen) 3:11

7. Traces 4 (Clinger-Carmen-Ethington) 3:17

8. Grace (Carmen) 4:45

9. Driving (Clinger-Carmen) 10:39

And here's who played what on it:

me - guitars, bass, keys, drum machine, wash cymbal, percussion, whirltube, shortwave

MJB - ambient tapes (track 1)

Don Campau - inside piano (track 6)

Ken Clinger - keys (tracks 3 and 7), drone (track 9)

Belinda Subraman - spoken word (track 3)

The cd-r features a color cover, liner notes, and is packaged in a transparent plastic sleeve. And, as always, it's available for $5.00 postage paid. Send a check or money order (payable to Ray Carmen) to Cut And Paste Records POB 152 Green OH 44232 USA. For more info you can contact me at: cutandpasterecords@yahoo.com.

Podcast #9 is now up! Woo hoo!

The Cut And Paste Records Podcast #9 is now up!

On this episode, I played tracks by Sheila Bosco, Bill Retoff, The Fleagles, The Revellers,
The Hummingbird, Robin O'Brien, Andrew Maurer, Joe LaRose, Lazerlove5, Daniel Prendiville,
indian rope burn, Squires Of The Subterrain, Chi-Pig, Don Campau, and Stars And Butter.

After several weeks of trying to upload it to no avail, my friend Ken Clinger was finally able to get it online--so kudos to Ken (next time I'm in Pittsburgh, Ken, I owe you lunch!). :)

Have a listen at: www.cap_records.podomatic.com.

Ray

The Chick Wowser Show, Podcast #9, and the Cut And Paste Singles Club

I will be a guest on the Chick Wowser Show this Sunday August 10th from 10-11 PM on WAPS-FM 91.3 in Akron, Ohio. This was taped a couple of weeks ago (Chick's on vacation this week, the lucky bastard), and I have to say I sound like a dork (as usual), but I had a lot of fun bugging Chick and constantly pestering him to play Neko Case. You can also listen online at www.913thesummit.com.

In other news...I have tried three times to upload my latest home made podcast (that's podcast #9 for those of you keeping score at home), but to no avail. So, I'm sending it off to my pal Ken Clinger, and he's going to give it a shot. I'll keep yas posted...

Starting January 2009 I will unleash The Cut And Paste Records Singles Club. How this works is, you sign up via email, and every month in 2009 I will email you two mp3 tracks of my music. It will be a mix of various album tracks, new stuff, rough mixes, alternate takes, instrumental versions, etc. Sometimes I might send out three tracks, for a sort of email ep. I'm debating whether or not to mock up covers to go with each month's selections--it depends on how much time I have. It's free, and all you have to do is send me an email at cutandpasterecords@yahoo.com, and put "Cut And Paste Singles Club" in the subject heading.

Hope you're all having a great summer.

Podcasts now available for purchase.

Just wanted to let you know that episodes 2 through 8 of the Cut And Paste Records online podcasts are now available for purchase through me, for $2.00 each postage paid. Each episode is available on as a 1-track cdr, with no artwork except for a list of what is played on that episode (episode 1 was an online preview of my album Old School, Old Fool minus one song).

Keep in mind, episodes 5 through 8 are still available for listening and free downloading at http://www.cap_records.podomatic.com/. I can only make four episodes available for downloading at a time, so when the next podcast is uploaded episode 5 will be taken down. Podcast number 9 should be recorded and posted online within the next couple of weeks (I hope...).

If ya'd like to buy one (or a bunch) make checks or money orders payable to Ray Carmen, and send it to Cut And Paste Records POB 152 Green OH 44232. Thanks.

Check out the brand new tracks by The Graveyard Rockers!

The Graveyard Rockers have just posted two brand spankin new tracks on their MySpace page, and they're guarenteed to rock your capes off!! Goo Goo Muck is a cover of an old 1950s tune infamously covered by our heros The Cramps, and Werewolf Wiggle is a rockin' new original. The Graveyard Rockers are: Michael "Zombo" Devine on bass and vocals, Doug "Kessler" Wofsey on guitar and vocals, Ray "Sputnik" Carmen (uh, that's me. Hi!) on drums and vocals, Rhonda "Witch Hazel" Williamson on percussion, harp and vocals, and Michael Lenz on lead guitar. So click on over to: www.myspace.com/thegraveyardrockers, and crank up your computer speakers!

Fangs for your support!
Sputnik

HANGER 18 2-disc reissue available now dammit.

Originally released as a five track cassette in 1991 under the monkier "Mayhem Steamroller" (ha ha ha), HANGER 18 eventually found its' way to cdr in 1998 with eight additional tracks. Now I've expanded it to two discs, with the original release on disc one, and five instrumental mixes on disc two.

My original intention was to make an instumental mix of the entire release, but that wasn't possible for several reasons. Instrumental mixes for both CPL and What It Was About could not be located--if, in fact, they even exist. The work tapes for those tracks, as well as Voice Of Free China, seem to have disappeared.

Some of the tracks would sound ludicrous without their samples. For example, the backing track for Fat Bottomed Bulgarians is nothing more than a drum sample played on a cheap Casio sampler. Numbers doesn't have a backing track. Kick 'Em In The Ass has a backing track, but my guitar playing is so bad on that track I decided not to inflict it on anyone anymore than I already have. The radio samples on Kathie Davis were inadvertently (ie. accidentally) bounced onto the music tracks, and could not be seperated.

In any case, HANGER 18 is not an album of pop songs. It's an album of atmospheric tracks with found sounds as "vocals". It's goofy, and definitely not for everyone, but I do think it's kinda fun to listen to...

Tracks:

DISC ONE
(original release)
CPL (6:55)
Lead Zeppelin (5:05)
7-1-90 (4:24)
Abducted (3:29)
Fat Bottomed Bulgarians (2:56)
Hanoi Hanna (6:04)
Numbers (1:32)
Kathie Davis (3:18)
Kick 'Em In The Ass! (2:14)
Voice Of Free China (2:18)
What It Was About (4:44)
Elizabeth Appears (12:40)
In The Last Days (3:51)

DISC TWO
(instrumental mixes)
7-1-90 (4:14)
Abducted (2:52)
Lead Zeppelin (5:05)
Hanoi Hanna (basic backing track) (5:50)
Elizabeth Appears (excerpt of Ken Clinger backing track) (5:05)

And, even though it's a 2-cd set, it's still only five bucks postage paid.

Also available in the reissue series:
NAIVE ASSUMPTIONS, DUET YOURSELF, BUBBLEGUM BUDDHA,
and HOPES AND FEARS.

"Grace" gets airplay on Europe's Radio Marabu

Hey folks,

My instrumental tune Grace recently received
airplay on Europe's Radio Marabu, courtesy of my
friend (and musical collaborator), DJ Don Campau. He
also played a track we wrote together called Trial By
Fire (he wrote the lyrics, I wrote the music).
Anyway, if you'd like to hear the broadcast, go to:

http://doncampau.podomatic.com/ (when you get to the
page, scroll down. It's the third show listed).

It's the Eurpoean edition of his show No
Pigeonholes, where he plays unsigned artists and
small studio productions, in all styles. It's a fun
show to listen to (and not just because he plays my
music).

;)
Ray

Jim Jones, 1950-2008

I found out yesterday that longtime Pere Ubu and Home And Garden guitarist Jim Jones died at home on Monday, February 18, 2008.

I never knew him, but I saw him play live, not just with Pere Ubu but also with Home And Garden, and as a guest guitarist with the Peter Blegvad Trio when they played a club in Lakewood, OH several years ago.

I emailed him afterwards and he responded right away and talked as if we had known
each other for years. He was a sweetheart of a guy, and I'll miss him.

Here's the obituary from today's Cleveland Plain Dealer:
http://www.cleveland.com/music/index.ssf/2008/02/longtime_cleveland_musician_ji.html

-- Ray

Cut And Paste Records Podcast #8 is now online

The Cut And Paste Records Podcast #8 is now online at:
http://cap_records.podomatic.com or www.myspace.com/cutandpasterecordspodcast.

I play tracks by The Kitchen Cycnics, ice cream blisters, Rob Christensen, LMNOP, Lawrence Salvatore, The Bill Jones Show, MJB, Daniel Prendiville, CD Truth, The House Of Sectionals,
Duff Davis & The Book Club, Bryan Baker, Rich Arithmetic, Squires Of The Subterrain, and The Breetles.

NOTE: The track by LMNOP has the "f" word in it...in case you're listening at work. ;)

BUBBLEGUM BUDDHA and HOPES AND FEARS reissues now available

I know. Just what you've been waiting for. :)

Remastered/reissued versions of BUBBLEGUM BUDDHA and HOPES AND FEARS are now available, with color covers, lyric sheets included, and packaged in clear plastic sleeves.

BUBBLEGUM BUDDHA actually had to be remixed and then remastered (three times) before I finally got it sounding...ok. Even so, My cover of Jackie DeShannon's When You Walk In The Room still sounds like crap, although I managed to somehow make it sound less like crap than it did. Now it just sounds like it was mixed through a very tiny early 60s transistor radio. :) For some reason my engineering skills during this period were less than perfect, let's just say...

It was originally released as a 9-song cassette in 1993, and then issued as a 15 song cdr several years later. BUBBUD still features all 15 songs, but has been totally remixed--almost radically so on a couple of songs.

Track listing:

1. Rise And Shine (Carmen)

2. Out Of Your Hair (Carmen)

3. Jealousy (Carmen)

4. When You Walk In The Room (Jackie DeShannon)

5. Too Much Coffee (Carmen)

6. Rain On The Road (Carmen)

7. Between You And Me (Carmen)

8. More Than Enough (Carmen)

9. I Knew You So Well (Carmen-Clinger)

10. Beach Blanket Bookmobile (Carmen)

11. Vanquished (Carmen-James St. Vrrain)

12. Leaf Of Absence (Carmen)

13. Black Cloud (Carmen)

14. Going Home (Carmen)

15. Rain Reprise (Carmen)

HOPES AND FEARS was written and recorded with my friend Ken Clinger. It didn't present any problems soundwise since it was recorded and produced by Clinger at his Bovine Studios set-up. The only difference is that our Beatles cover Here There And Everywhere was taken off when it was first issued on cdr (I thought my vocals were too schmaltzy, and I was right--they are). I have added it back to the track listing, although it is now track number five instead of eleven (figuring let's just get it over with sooner rather than later :) ). The only other difference is that the sound bites of my late grandmother have been removed from the track Open Your Eyes (I had edited them in very sloppily on the original master. I cannot find the original source tape to re-edit them back in).

Track listing:

1. When Will I Ever Learn (Carmen-Clinger)

2. Better Off Alone (Carmen-Clinger)

3. Fly (Nick Drake)

4. I Knew You So Well (Carmen-Clinger)

5. Here There And Everywhere (Lennon-McCartney)

6. She Says (Carmen-Clinger)

7. Open Your Eyes (Carmen-Clinger)

8. I Know You Know (Carmen-Clinger)

9. Junk (McCartney)

10. I Enjoy Being A Boy (In Love With You) (Levine-Bellack)

11. Train Loop (Clinger)

12. One More Day (Carmen-Clinger)

Both releases are now available for $5.00 each postage paid. Send cash, check or money order to the usual place: Cut And Paste Records, POB 152, Green, OH 44232. Please make checks payable to Ray Carmen, NOT Cut And Paste Records.

Up next will be the 2-disc reissue of HANGER 18. Disc one will be the original album, and disc two will be instrumental remixes without the samples and found sounds. H18 should be ready within the next month or so, I hope.

New 3-track ep and 18-track best-of available now dammit!!

Out right this minute is a brand new 3-track ep called BIRTHDAY. This twenty minute release features two tracks from my forthcoming ambient/experimental release to be called ULTRASOUND. Grace is a Cocteau Twins-inspired shoe-gazing instrumental with audio excerpts from my daughter's sixth birthday party. Driving is a ten minute-plus piece written and performed with my pal Ken Clinger. Think of it as a movie soundtrack to listen to while rolling down the turnpike late at night. The third track is an early instrumental mix I made of Grace while I was working on it.

The other new release is an 18-track best-of entitled AFTER WORK AND ON WEEKENDS: TWENTY YEARS OF HOME RECORDING, 1986-2006. This release picks up where OBSCURITY KNOCKS left off, and covers a wider time-span. It was supposed to have been released last year but I didn't have time to compile it until now.

Here's what's on it:

1. It Must Be Hard (Carmen) 2:07
2. Pure Love (Campau) 2:20
3. Still In Love With You (Bowman) 3:08
4. Mama Talkin’ Blues (Carmen-Schmitz) 0:53
5. Big Mistake (Carmen-Moore) 5:15
6. 7-1-90 (Carmen) 4:18
7. I’ll Get You For That (Carmen) 2:57
8. I Told Her Everything (Carmen) 3:28
9. Strawberries (Carmen) 1:03
10. I Was Expecting It To Be A Scam (Carmen-Woolson) 2:31
11. Dopey Smiles (Clinger) 2:22
12. Spinning In My Grave (Carmen-Campau) 2:58
13. I Know You Know (Carmen-Clinger) 2:50
14. Jealousy (Carmen) 2:37
15. Brand New Boyfriend (Carmen) 3:37
16. My Own Company (Carmen) 2:46
17. Bubblegum Buddha (Carmen-Schmitz) 1:47
18. Trial By Fire (Carmen-Campau) 3:15

Coming up (and hopefully soon) will be the remastered re-releases of BUBBLEGUM BUDDHA, HOPES AND FEARS, and HANGER 18. Cross yer fingers.