I did the record mostly by myself, but a few of my friends came in to help out. For shows, I'm backed by White Belt:
Mark Noseworthy, Guitar
Scott Seiver, Drums
Josh Lopez, Guitar
Influences
I like music that's simple but sophisticated. I came from a pretty wacky family, so I tend to listen to stuff that's orderly. So, not a lot of free jazz.
I got really into the Beatles when I was eight. The Cars when I was ten. The Police when I was 12. Just about everything sucked in the eighties, except Prince. I went through a long XTC phase at the end of the decade. Then Nirvana came along and gave us all hope.
In the early nineties I got really into super violent movies like Bad Lieutenant, Man Bites Dog, and Laws of Gravity. With that, came Steve Albini records like PJ Harvey's Rid of Me and The Jesus Lizard's Goat. Around that time I also developed a new found respect for AC/DC. God, those guys are tough.
But I knew there was more to life than music by and for angry white men, and Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Al Green got quite a few spins over at Club Schaffer. And Charles Mingus showed me that there is jazz out there for pop fascists like me.
I was, like most Earthlings, seduced by Radiohead toward the end of the nineties. Around that time, Pet Sounds, First Band on the Moon, I Should Coco really pulled me back into Smart Pop. I've kind of been there ever since.
In the last couple years, Wilco and Gillian Welch have allowed me to rejoice in my folky roots. Like most children of the seventies my dad taught us to play pretty young, and I grew up listening to him sing folk and blues (not to mention Neapolitan arias and Bob Dylan).
Lately, I've discovered the joys of Cole Porter and Rogers and Hart. I figured that there had to be some good songwriters before the Beatles, right?
Whatever it is I'm listening to, it's probably a few minutes in length, contains more than four chords, has a few cool lyrics, some emotional content and is played by decent musicians. Things just haven't changed that much.
Sounds Like
I think the ingredient list is something like this
Beatles White Album
Elliot Smith, XO
Ben Folds Five, Whatever and Ever Amen
Todd Rundgren, Something/Anything
Beach Boys, Pet Sounds
Wilco, Being There
Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life
My debut album "Maybe It's Me" is available for download at www.fonogenic.com. Why listen to some lame stream when you can have it on your Ipod?
Also, you can now go Here to watch "Why is Zak Schaffer Making the Great American Rock Album?"
It took us a while, but the entire movie is viewable at google videos. Watch it with someone you love.
Furthermore, go Here to listen to the 2005 Holiday CD. All your favorite hits of the eighties done with out all those stupid drum machines and synthesizers!
Anyway...
For the last five years or so, I've been a bassist, guitarist, drummer, vocalist, songwriter, producer, engineer, whateverer. I've worked with Richard Butler, Pete Yorn, Minnie Driver, Peter Himmelman, Minibar, Jukebox Junkies, and a bunch of other folks.
I have made one of the great works of American Pop Music. Bar Talk is 11 songs of pure pop mastery. Clever songs, impeccable musicianship, lush harmonies, full tilt rockers, eight minute epics, jazz-pop for your parents. There is no better record recorded in a garage mostly by one dude during 2005.
I've recently started gracing the stages of the Southland. Josh Lopez, Scott Siever, and Mark Noseworthy are my partners in crime. Stay posted.
Loved your message! We miss you & think you should bring the girls up here for a weekend this summer. Wading pools! Zweiback toast! We've even got a portable crib and a highchair! Think about it...
hey Zak - Hope all's going well man...just wanted to drop by and say hello. Recording w/ Evan and Doc and things are sounding great...will keep you posted and hope to see you soon man.
Hi Zak! It's been a while - how's everything going? Get lucky on any of those exacta boxes? Man, I gotta get Gail and the kids out for another day at the track!
Hiii zak, thanks for add our band, Ascuse me, because I heard the 4 music and I want to do comments with whole the respect, well I began hearing "Silicon Chip" beautiful melody, excellent drums, beautiful steel-guitar, she is all beautiful, the singer in that music has something half David Crosby, very cool; "Amelia" is a very pleasant, melodic music and dancing, very strong that music; "Bar talk" beautiful intro, that it sounds me more intimate, very good also, beautiful combination of voices and the excellent isntrumental; "Awekining" already sounds me one more lament, but in the second part of song, he grew majesty,,, my interesting favorite também,a of the moment is "Silicon Chip", congratulations for the high-level sound, Cheer from Brazil
ps - You need to mention in your (great) musical loves story that your friend since 3rd grade has always been right about Zeppelin, but you just didn't get it til recently. Also, that you left out Look Sharp, Beat Crazy, 10,9,8.. and Red Sails..., after all of those stoned, tennis-ball karaoke evenings (afternoons? mornings?) is sort of wrong.
Happy b-day. Sorry I didn't get in touch yesterday, I plead Houston.
Turns out a guy called Jason that's on this tour (Hotel Cafe tour, on for a few days) knows you, Holmes, Norbert, etc. Nice. Talk soon - Love, Jonah
Thanks Zak!
A great show last night!!! (yes, I made the trip to Chicago!)
You guys sounded like you been playing those songs forever!!!
See you again over the weekend!
DiP
I know you rocked the house tonight. I wish I could have been there, but I have a strict policy of never supporting my friends. If I make an exception for your show, I've got to do it for everyone. I'm sure you understand.
