It is now less than ten minutes away from February 1st here on the east coast and with that comes a new challenge: the RPM Challenge. What is that you ask? It seems to be a challenge to musicians everywhere to create an album of music in 28 days…that is 10 songs or [...]

Hello friends, family, fans, and mortal enemies! Though you may have heard these tracks in their formative days, join us in celebrating the official release of our first monthly EP, Temporary Setback.
“Monthly EP,” you say?
Here’s how this thing works. Each weekish, we like to post on the blog tidbits of music that we have each [...]

Finally… I took some time last night to finalize We Sang Modern English version FOUR.

The delays came from visiting guests (damn you Aryn!) and simple writer’s block. I have tracked any number of combinations of lyrics and melodies for the choruses (those really long gaps between verses)…but have yet to find anything [...]

So I stumbled onto these “viral” videos awhile back and thought since we are increasingly being innundated with short internet ad campaigns, I should do my part in spreading the word. This is a series of “Will it Blend?” testing by the company BlendTec to show off how neat their blenders are in how [...]

Once again, a short Song of the Day essay on NPR. This one is from Lawrence, Kansas…hooray for hometown local musician. To listen to the song…
Finding Songs Amid Clutter and Chaos by Michael Katzif
“Pastora Divine” by White Flight

NPR.org, January 19, 2007 · White Flight, a.k.a. Justin Roelofs, is all about deconstructing [...]

With no further introduction, I proudly present:
By Looking Out of My Window (The Concertina Song).

Be on the lookout for posts coming soon about the refurbishment of my ebay concertina, which for me involves using a craft store hot glue gun on rattling surfaces.

So what do you think of the new Arcade Fire song, “Intervention“? It seems the bloggy world is anxiously waiting this band’s follow up to the indie classic, Funeral: the sophomore effort Neon Bible has people worked up to the point of near giddiness. And though everyone thinks the first single is amazing, [...]

I have a new article up on NPR’s Five For Friday. You can also find it as a stand alone feature as well. Enjoy.

How ‘American Idol’ Uses (and Abuses) Melisma by Michael Katzif
NPR.org, January 11, 2007 · Jennifer Hudson’s Golden Globe-winning turn in Dreamgirls has critics raving about her stunning vocals. But fans [...]

This one was created from a drum track that I laid down a few months ago and recenty rediscovered. After playing around with the bass track I felt like it had a very live feel to it, and decided to (after also discovering the g-band audience noise) try and simulate a live show sound. [...]

Once more, a Song of the Day essay on NPR. Read on…
An Indie Supergroup Gets Experimental by Michael Katzif
“Widows Walk” by Swan Lake from Beast Moans

NPR.org, January 5, 2007 · The debut of a so-called “supergroup” can be a double-edged sword for fans: It’s easy to get excited by the musical possibilities, but lofty [...]