Official 'The Changing Of The Guard' Thread

[Jono]

Come to think of it, my late grandfather probably really would've enjoyed that song with the western allusion and all. I wonder if Jason's dad liked westerns? In "Time Machine" he mentions watching old movies.

[bigideas]

I wonder if I'll ever be able to hear Follow Me.
Sonically is it pretty similar to the rest of the album?

I didn't buy the vinyl, but did buy the CD the day it came out.

If this ever is put up for digital download, someone give me a heads up please.

Sad that they never made an official video for any songs on the album.

[pacifimatt]

yea i want it too - i love Jason's B-sides and want them all

[bigideas]

 Looking at the Home page for the first time in a while, I noticed the Review item asked for any more reviews. I didn't see any mention of the All Music one. The guy seems to be a long time fan:

http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-changing-of-the-guard-r1842886/review

Review

by Tim Sendra (3.5 out 5 stars)

Since the release of the modern shoegaze classic Leave Here a Stranger, Jason Martin and Starflyer 59 have been slowing stripping back the layered and processed sound they utilized so perfectly on that album. Moving to a simpler and more direct sonic approach can cause problems if the songs are weak. Martin has proven again and again that he’s equal to the challenge of writing memorable, emotional songs that would sound good no matter how they are arranged or recorded. On The Changing of the Guard, he delivers another batch of low-key melodic and hooky tunes that will satisfy SF59 fans who are used to the high-quality output that’s been established over the past 17 (!) years. The changes since 2008’s Dial M are subtle, mostly in the sound of Martin’s voice, which is a little deeper and less bathed in reverb than in the past. It’s a little disconcerting at first to hear him sounding manly and high in the mix, but he can pull it off easily. The voice fits well with the slight country-rock influence heard in songs like “Truckers Son” and the almost boogying rocker “C.M.A.R.," which needs a bit of a sneer to succeed. While the bulk of the album stays firmly in the midtempo ballad mode, the handful of songs that bump the energy level a little (like the chiming “I Had a Song for the Ages” and the almost jaunty “Kick the Can”) help break up the melancholy some. So does the almost danceable “Time Machine,” which has the album’s best chorus and features Martin crooning like a less worldly Stephin Merritt. Fans of the band know by now that you don’t come looking to SF59 for thrills, you come looking for a warm and welcoming embrace. The Changing of the Guard is exactly the kind of sonic comfort food that the band has been cooking up lately, and even if it doesn’t improve on recent efforts, there are no signs of wear either.


================unrelated bit===============
BTW - does anyone here have knowledge of creating stop-motion videos? Since people here made videos for various COTG tracks, I have had a very strong idea in my head for a C.M.A.R stop-motion video. I think most film/movies consist of 30 frames per second, right (or maybe 24)? So does that mean you literally must take 30 still pictures with only small variances to get one second of stop-motion animation? Even for a 3 minute or so clip that would take a loooong time to do. I think I will need a good color picture of Jason's head. But wow, thinking of how to sync up lips moving to the words you would really have to use some mathematics I guess. I have no job right now, so I thought this would be a great way to have fun and pass some time.

[Metaphizzle]

Oh snap, I can't believe I didn't notice this before. That synth from the bridge of "Lose My Mind" is playing the vocal melody from the chorus of "Shane".

[Spirit Flyer]

================unrelated bit===============
BTW - does anyone here have knowledge of creating stop-motion videos? Since people here made videos for various COTG tracks, I have had a very strong idea in my head for a C.M.A.R stop-motion video. I think most film/movies consist of 30 frames per second, right (or maybe 24)? So does that mean you literally must take 30 still pictures with only small variances to get one second of stop-motion animation? Even for a 3 minute or so clip that would take a loooong time to do. I think I will need a good color picture of Jason's head. But wow, thinking of how to sync up lips moving to the words you would really have to use some mathematics I guess. I have no job right now, so I thought this would be a great way to have fun and pass some time.

Yes standard video is just under 30 frames per second. That does mean 30 still images. There are other frame rates such as 15 fps, but frame rate is not adjustable on the most basic video programs.

An easier feat would be to lipsync the words yourself on camera and then crop your mouth onto his face.

[bigideas]

================unrelated bit===============
BTW - does anyone here have knowledge of creating stop-motion videos?

Yes standard video is just under 30 frames per second. That does mean 30 still images. There are other frame rates such as 15 fps, but frame rate is not adjustable on the most basic video programs.

An easier feat would be to lipsync the words yourself on camera and then crop your mouth onto his face.

Don't know how or have the equipment to do it, I'm sure, but the video looks cool in my head.

[Spirit Flyer]

The idea with animation is that you're taking still frames and making them seem like they are moving even though it's just a series of stills. It can be done, but it's a very tedious and time consuming process, even for just a two or three minute video. It shows how difficult it is to make a show like the Simpsons where they draw every frame by hand.

[Metaphizzle]

Which is why professional animation studios have dozens or hundreds of animators.

[bigideas]

There was a point where I was a really huge Family Guy fan*, so I would read some of the writers' blogs. At that time they sent it overseas and I believe it would take at least six months to come back. That's about a 22 min. show, so a full length movie must be insane. Then you have the opposite with South Park which I think is written and computer animated in a week.

If I ever do my video it will be very lo fi, probably construction paper, very homemade. Probably won't worry too much about moving the mouth to words.

There was a funny video someone named Emily Geancopulous(sp?) made where she took studio chatter of Brian Wilson and his dad Murray arguing and had photo cutouts of The Beach Boys moving around. 

*I stopped keeping up with Fox cartoons after King of the Hill ended.

[Spirit Flyer]

*I stopped keeping up with Fox cartoons after King of the Hill ended.

King of the Hill had a certain charm to it. It was significantly more likeable than Mike Judge's Beavis and Butthead.

[digory]

Does anyone know what the two changing of the guard bonus tracks from the 7 inch are called?

[Metaphizzle]

"Follow Me" and "Coconut Trees (Acoustic Version)".

[bigideas]

*I stopped keeping up with Fox cartoons after King of the Hill ended.

King of the Hill had a certain charm to it. It was significantly more likeable than Mike Judge's Beavis and Butthead.

KOTH was mostly like a live action sitcom that was animated. Nothing too unbelievable happened and it stayed pretty true to a part of Texas lifestyle. I was happy when B&B came back and enjoyed it. I couldn't watch the shortlived Judge show he did for Fox after KOTH.