FAREWELL to Secret Solution
Current mood: nostalgic
Category: Music

I'm very sad to announce that Saturday, January 6th will be the last show for Secret Solution. We've chosen to have our farewell show at Bunker's, the place where we started almost 5 years ago and which has been home ever since. We hope you can come out and celebrate those five years with us and to bid farewell.

We want to sincerely thank you and everyone who has supported and encouraged us through an amazing time and through many great memories, albums...and yes, band names. As Secret Solution and Flavor, we were fortunate enough to visit many places we would have never seen otherwise, meet many amazing people, and fulfill our passion for music by performing and recording to fans that appreciated our music. We were able to visit both coasts and play with a lot of excellent artists. I consider myself blessed to have been given the opportunities that I have and my only regret is that we weren't able to be heard by as many people outside of Minnesota.

Please help spread the word to those who would care to know and I hope you can make it out for our FAREWELL SHOW. It's also a chance to grab any of the cds of ours that you don't have, including our last one.

If you'd like any cds (including the unreleased/rereleased Secret Solution: Flavor album), grab them while you can at:

http://www.cdbaby.com/genuineflavor3
http://www.cdbaby.com/genuineflavor2
http://www.cdbaby.com/genuineflavor
http://www.cdbaby.com/linkert

I suppose you may be wondering why it's all ending...

We've parted ways with our label, Bluhammock Records, who've proven themselves incompetent, novice, and inadequately staffed to break an indie band such as ourselves. About the only thing they've had going for them is the fact the label's president (she carries around a little ugly dog in designer clothing to give you a picture) had a lot of family money to satisfy a whimsical hobby that she, along with her henchwomen, has tried to pass off as a legitimate record label. They refused to release our album, wasting our precious time, and their money on trivial things and second rate publicity. With zero clout and no experience, they weren't able to help us get radio promotion, a manager, a competent booking agent, or anything else that may be expected from signing one's music away with a label, except a few contrived, shiny pictures in New York. But I'm not bitter.... :)

Being in Secret Solution has been a blast, but the time has come to explore other things as individuals. Speaking for myself, I'd like something to show for the hard work that has gone into establishing a band, and without the backing of a legitimate label, it's not very feasible to make a living as an original band, especially with the current state of the music industry. I will always play music and plan on releasing more material in the future. Music will remain my passion and I look forward to not having to rely on it for income, but rather for a source of inspiration, purpose, and fulfillment. I believe I can speak for the rest of the band when I say they feel the same.

Until then, I hope to see you all at Bunker's and I'll talk to you soon!

Wade

P.S. You can definitely expect some more music from me in the future...and that goes for the other fellas too!

11:52 AM - 30 Comments - 15 Kudos - Add Comment

the second shortest blog ever
Current mood: bored

Hey friendz...

I'm at Bunker's right now on Ian's (the infamous hip hopper, soundfellar) computer before we soundcheck for our show tonight.  I thought I'd take a second to let you know we're in the studio tomorrow and monday to record the song "June" to put on our forthcoming album.  If we have time we might record "Tipping Over" and a Christmas song??   It's at Pachyderm studios where spending the next two nights...I'll let you know what comes out of it.  I'm now going to indulge myself with a delicious Bunker's burger and a mini resus' butter cup (why do you care?  you don't...I'm just bored)

have yo'self a great weekend y'all

Wade

6:14 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

the shortest blog ever

Yeah, I did set myself up there...let me rephrase

Don't put your tongue on anything made of metal in the winter time no matter how curious you may be!  And don't run with scissors! 

8:30 AM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

How SECRET SOLUTION came to be (part 2)
Current mood: contemplative

The irony never ceases...I'm currently getting serenaded by one of my favorite bands I've heard this decade, Muse, who's playing the song "Time is Running Out."  (I'll comment on their amazing performance at the State Theater at the end of this Blog).  Indeed, when it comes to our record, I feel the ticking clock of it's postponement and thought I'd take this opportunity to continue the story.

In the movie "Signs," they broke people down into two categories...basically those who felt events happened for a reason and those who felt life just happened in a random series of events.  Well, gosh darnit, wrong or right, I'm going to endorse the former outlook as well as the idea that our long-awaited RELEASE of our yet-to-be released album has been postponed for some purpose even though it's been a frustrating year for us and our fans who have been patiently waiting.

A new leaf is turning as I'm writing this...SECRET SOLUTION is a little over month old, a fetus-turned baby-turned toddler who is starting to get a little hair on its head and taking its first steps.  Same members but new name, new booking agent, new songs, with over 300 shows under our belts and a CD that we're anxiously awaiting the right circumstances for which to garner its release.  Why the inexplicable wait? We cursed ourselves with an unpronouncable name (hey it worked for Prince), an inadequate booking agent, and and couldn't get out on the road.  In the meantime we've written an album's worth of new material for a future release (I've been trying to put a demo version of a new song up on our myspace page every so often).

If it was only us on the team, we would have released it long ago, but our label is also part of the equation and basically gets to decide when the timing is right, which in all fairness, it hasn't been to produce a splash on a regional if not national level yet.  They've got their finger on the button for radio, publicity, and marketing, but it's not until we tour that the trigger can be pulled.  It's a terribly intricate orchestration of music, timing, current trends, money, exposure, and hundreds of other factors that go into breaking a band and AC/DC had it right..."it's a long way to the top if you wanna rock n' roll."

On a seperate note, the Muse show was amazing...hard to believe so much sound comes from three fellas (well, and a keyboardist and sequencer).  It' a bit cynical and dark but very musical and energetically authentic.  They're best album is "Absolution."  I'm going to see Gnarles Barkley tonight!

And if you get the chance to read Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons," it's an amazing book.

And wait for Pirates of the Carribean 2 to come out on video! (since when do I think I can give advice?)

And don't lick large metal objects during the winter and listen to your mother

Wade

7:45 AM - 3 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

SECRET SOLUTION signs with IN THE POCKET ARTISTS!
Current mood: anxious
Category: News and Politics

We're excited to announce that ITPA, a premier national booking agency based in Massachussets, has recently signed SS to their roster...check 'em out at http://www.inthepocketartists.com
So we expect to have a fat and bountiful tour schedule by the year's end.

Last weekend at Bunker's in Minneapolis and The Red Carpet in St. Cloud went great, so thanks to all of those that came out!

This Saturday, I'm getting out of Dodge and jumping on a plane to visit beautiful Ireland for a couple o' weeks to attempt to get some culture in me...yes, I'll come back with an annoying Irish accent.
Alex is going to Chile, where he was actually born...so after we play a short performance at a Radio Exposition called The Conclave at the Marriot in Minneapolis, we're off to see the world. We wish you a great rest of July and we'll be back at Bunker's on August 5th!

Then we're in the studio to record "June" on August 6th and 7th at Pachyderm Studios (where Nirvana recorded...am i name dropping?) to add to our album that we hope to release at the end of August.  But I didn't just say that...I've falsely promised too many releases already :) Not my fault!

I suppose I should go practice driving on the other side of the road and aclimating to Guiness, which has always reminded me of motor oil.

Peeeeece!
Wade

Currently reading : Angels & Demons, Special Illustrated Edition By Dan Brown Release date: 03 May, 2005

8:38 AM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

How SECRET SOLUTION came to be (part 1)
Current mood: bouncy
Category: Life

GREETINGS FREINDS!

Ironically, I'm listening to John Legend's "I can Change" right now.  Awe, I can't think of a more apt tune for the times. 

Change, afterall, is exactley what we're a victim of at this moment.  But aren't we all?  Welcome to the new band myspace page and the new band name SECRET SOLUTION!   I don't apologize for quoting an Arby's commercial when I say:  Change is good.   Please stop by often and write to us and leave cute or obnoxious or friendly messages.  It will take a little time, but we'll get this page up and running in the next month.  Until then, be patient with us please and excuse me if I can't reply right away!

Once upon a time, a solo project of Wade's called Flavor valmorpinized into the band FLAVOR.  Three years whizzed by, many songs were written, and many genres were explored.  Flamenco guitar, funky rhythms, and many things were visited in the quest for a new approach to rock and roll.  Then FLAVOR found out there were other FLAVOR's in the U.S. of A and sadley the name that was home to them, had to be abandoned.  Our hearts will always remember (sob-sob).  If Flavor was a home, the replacement name was more like an unrenovated apartment in a suburban Moroccan town.  It proved to be a tough transition and many saw an imaginary 'N', with countless clubs and publications calling us TANGINE or TAGLINE.  After feeling like a Stew from Morocco didn't exactley "represent our shizzle," we made yet another transition:  TAGINE was put to sleep shortly after giving birth to the vibrant and healthy SECRET SOLUTION.  Many adventures have happened along the way, many cities have been visited, and now we have a name that feels like home again.  All of which will be explained in sequel blogs!  For now, maybe you can help us spread the word and make this CHANGE with us.  If we can turn that home into a mansion, we're asking you all to move in with us.  Let's party...

...to be continued

Wade

Currently listening : St. Elsewhere By Gnarls Barkley Release date: 09 May, 2006

11:35 AM - 7 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment