widows live from the "black lodge" video

some of you may have noticed a new video on the main page.

well, this video is of the widows playing "to set you free" in what seems to be "the black lodge" from david lynch's twin peaks! notice the red curtain behind the boys/girl as they turn out a live favorite. its a great red curtain and behind that curtain rests who knows what and other things. perhaps a backwards talking small man who says things like "cooooooper, or black loddddgggee."

A song about guilt and abandonment set in the black lodge! could things be any more appropriate for the widows as they climb up the charts of unknownedness? is unknownedness even a word? cant the widows use unknownedness as an artisitic choice?

its all up to you...the fan...the voter in the 2008 election.

dont forget to write home about it.

m-diddy-





oh...and remember kids...subsribe to the widows blog and sign up on the mailing list on the main page for other tidbits of confusing dialog amongst ourselves while we tell you...thats right YOU! about upcoming shows and events.

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the return of the widows this saturday

hi everyone...i am writing to you because this weekend marks the return of the widows as a full band again. the guys and gal had a nice summer break while working on the debut record as "the widows". but alas! the time has come to play some live rock n roll once again. we'll be playing our first set in a while at hotel cafe this weekend. and as a side note of strange occurences mandy moore will be playing before us at 9pm. perfect match right?

here are the details and we hope to see lots of you fun loving rock n rollers out saturday night.

The Widows
@ Hotel Cafe
11 pm
Saturday August 23rd
10$

see you there!

michael mazochi-

8:56 PM - 3 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

thoughts on the music industry
Current mood: artistic

the music industry...

about a year and half ago our band came into a bit of good press...won a few awards had a feature in billboard magazine etc...well about 2 weeks after the article came out in billboard i was driving across the country with josh oxford...our phantom keyboard player...(he'll be joining us in jan)...i got a call from mike miller midday somewhere in kansas...he sounded a bit frantic so i called him back. he called to tell me that i got a call from someone over at rolling stone magazine...i thought to myself "finally...our break"...

so i called back promptly to see what the call was about. i spoke with a very nice young lady named tika. she said that rolling stone took note of what we were doing and wanted to possibly do a story about us as a young indie act on the way up.  

She continued to ask questions. "who have you worked with? are you signed? do you have the prospect of a record deal? who are you associated with?" and so forth. I answered each question nervously but with a steady tongue. "we work on our songs ourselves...we are not signed...we haven't dealt with labels in fear of losing our creative control...we are associated only with each other..." she then continued to tell me that the magazine would not do a story unless we were signed or about to sign a deal. haha...and i thought they wanted to do a story about an "indie" band...

So here we are coming up on 2 years later and ive never heard from tika or anyone at rolling stone again.  cd sales go down every year and downloads are always on the rise...bands are going independent after being with labels and the labels are fighting to stay alive.

i am struck today with a strange realization.  we as the widows have worked very hard to make the best music we can...we never claim to be anything other than a hard working rock n roll band. as indie as it gets. and i am thinking to myself...wouldnt a story in rolling stone have gotten us the attention needed to have a career?  to gain an audience? and it hits me...

the magazine was afraid that no one would care about us...THEY loved the music....but were afraid they could be called wrong...they couldnt' guarantee that we had the money (label) behind us to sell a million cds regardless of how good we were. They weren't willing to take that chance. The music industry is afraid of losing their jobs...if they stand up for something unsure they might be slapped on the wrist...they might lose their paychecks...

i feel a little relieved today by the fact that the industry is falling on its face. they cant sell the albums...they cant make the money...and though i fear the death of the album...i enjoy the idea of the industry realizing that they dont know everything about music. they dont know how to market soul...they cant sell a feeling. they cant create a meaningful relationship between an artist and their audience...they can get together the most financially secure artists in the world but they still cant be sure anymore if they will have a job come 6 months from now.  

Now, i am by no means an expert but i think the problem is that the industry is thinking about the short term....about how the choices they make effect them right now...they want to sell a million albums in the first week of the newest million dollar band. the fact these days is that i am finding more and more independent minded artists who are willing to do what it takes to make the best record they can. they may not be million dollar bands but they make million dollar music...they put in the time and the effort...and for most of them its got nothing to do with anarchy or the conscious destruction of the industry...its just about making great records...none of them are making music so they can call themselves "indie".

The sad truth about most of us is that we'll never have deals...we'll never sell a million records...and its got nothing to do with talent or charm or whatever people think sells records.  The problem is that britney is one big nervous break down. im using that as a metaphor. The music industry cant guarantee that anyone will give a flying fuck about their next big popstar in 2 years...so they sell as much as they can as fast as they can....there is no growth...no hope for a true masterwork...no fire...if the industry were to sign 1/10 of the great songwriters and bands ive encountered theyd have a chance at creating something wonderful. if every label signed 5 bands they thought could grow and improve they'd have a chance at longevity. the kind of band that is actually in it to make music.  

I can honestly say that i do not believe the beatles would be selling a million albums if they came out today...Bob Dylan....nope...his voice is too hoarse and hes not cute enough...but if these bands came out today and were given 5 albums with a label that cared about them and believed in them they would get right back to where they should be...regarded the greatest and most important acts in popular music....and i guarantee...then they'd sell a million albums...

the truth is that most people really do like good music when they hear it...im not of the opinion that people like shitty music...most people however aren't given the opportunity to hear good indie music...take a kid in a small town in upstate ny with only a walmart as a record store...its all exposure...and for the record, that kid was me.

i am going to name a few acts i think are great..and there are many more i think are well worth the time to listen to...i urge you all to support independent music...whether it be us or any band you love....it doesn't matter...if you love it, help it survive...tell your friends about the music you love...go to shows...buy the album...if you dont have the money then just tell 5 friends about the band...whatever...these bands cant stick around forever if there is no support for them...in the meantime, i can assure you that my friends and i will be doing everything in our power to attain the status of "career" in music.

ill try to give a brief description of some bands ive met and like...if it sounds interesting...check out their music...and feel free to post bands you like here and maybe you'll turn us on to some new acts.

thank you.

michael mazochi-


Ian Thomas : www.myspace.com/ianthomas - in my opinion ian is the worlds greatest folk-blues singer songwriter under 30...id run ian for president if i could but hed be too humble to do anything like that.

The Karabal Nightlife : www.myspace.com/thekarabalnightlife - We've had the pleasure of sharing the stage with the Karabal a number of times and its always a blast. Jesse Davis writes Indie-Glam songs that give you a look into his twisted brain...and by twisted i mean like if lou reed and david bowie finally had the kid they should have had all those years ago.

Sandra Lichter : www.myspace.com/sandralaurenscholz - sandra is my best friend...so call me biased, but she's the musical child of townes van zandt and loretta lynn...this is REAL country music...not the shit on the radio.

Mike Miller : www.myspace.com/mikehmiller - yeah yeah...i know...hes in our band...but still...i think miller is the new mccartney...or lennon...doesn't matter...he writes pop music and its great.

The Distortions : www.myspace.com/thedistortions - Influenced by Jesus and mary chain, the distortions write psychedelic shoegaze music. i guarantee you'll be hearing about these guys soon anyway if you are in the LA area.

Eric Lichter : www.myspace.com/ericlichtermusic - Eric is the son of neil young...or is it prince? either way...check him out and listen to some funky ass folk country.

Cydney Robinson: www.myspace.com/cydneyrobinson - cydney has one of the most incredible voices ive ever heard...and that includes the staple singers...

Quinn Allan : www.myspace.com/quinnallan - quinn loves bob dylan...he told me so...check out "man with the blackbird" for some dirty folk.

Julie Mintz : www.myspace.com/juliemintz - i had the pleasure of producing an ep for julie. Julie is for folks who love emmylou and joni...country princess.

Ghosttown: www.myspace.com/ghosttownca - kicking out the beck influenced country rock tunes the folks over at cranes tavern in hollywood have come to love.

The Denim Family Band : www.myspace.com/thedenimfamilyband - No songs on the page but they play shitkicking booze drinking americana...led by tim jones the family band is larger than any stage in la and they sound like it.

11:49 PM - 7 Comments - 12 Kudos - Add Comment

wednesday july 30 @ cranes tavern

hello boys and girls...

michael mazochi (the widows) will be playing a show tomorrow night at Cranes Tavern in Hollywood with members of the Widows. As the summer moves on there wont be many more of these shows before the full band is back so come enjoy the set and have a drink or 2.

Michael Mazochi & Friends
Cranes Tavern
July 30th @ 8:45pm
1611 n. el centro ave.

its also our friend Andrew Garvin (from Ghost town)'s birthday show.

come have fun and celebrate with us.

- the widows team.

3:22 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

NEW SINGLE UP!!!!!
Current mood: pretty

hello friends.

we just wanted to give the heads up that we have uploaded the new single.

the trick is that its a double single.

we call that a "double a-side" because neither song felt like it should be the "b-side".

Come by and have a sneak listen to the upcoming Widows debut! Its pop music as you wished it would be. lots of ooohs and aaaahhs! its cute, we know.

we're proud of our boys (and girl)!

Lindsey Madchen (widows insider)

10:19 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

July 7th and a cupcake

Hey everyone. Since the Widows are on a bit of a break this summer Mike Miller and I will be playing a few shows. Some shows will be both of us and others will be just me. Mike will be gone for part of the summer as well. Each show will be different and each show may consist of different members of The Widows. There will be new songs, old songs, and medium songs...wondering what a medium song is? me too...come find out!

Here is the first of those shows...it also happens to be my birthday show.

Michael Mazochi & Mike Miller w. guests
@ The Derby (4500 Los Feliz Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90027)
July 7th at 8:45pm
8$

Also playing that night are our friends The Karabal Nightlife. So come enjoy a night of music and a rare mazochi/miller show. birthday cupcakes will also be allowed. :-)

michael-

12:53 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Roving Gambler Recording Studio!!!
Current mood: adventurous

hello everyone...i just wanted to let you guys know that i am opening my studio to taking in songwriters to make records for. I have been making my own records for the last 6 years now and i have decided to make my space available to record other artists. Anything you have heard on this page was recorded in my studio space. The whole deal with the studio is available for viewing at the studio page. Feel free to add us and say hello. Its a studio in promotion of being anti-studio.  Its a relaxed environment where you can make a record with people who actually give a shit about it.  We love making music.

If you or anyone you know is interested in making a record please feel free to ask any questions you need to. Im in the Angeles National Forest so if that seems interesting come on by the myspace. There are photos and songs on the page.

The Studio page is here...

www.myspace.com/rovinggamblerrecordingstudio

i hope to get to work with some of you guys soon.

Michael-

8:07 AM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Review of the Widows Live Show!!!

hey folks,

Phil Capone over at GiantRealm.com gave us a really nice write up based on accidentally catching our show over at Molly Malones the other night. Cheers to Phil for supporting us Widows. Heres a quote from the review, but you have to click the link to read the full article.

"And it was inside Malone's I found The Widows. Their blend of honky tonk, country blues and folk music blew me away. The rhythm section just plowed through everyone in the room, and the guitars and vocals sealed the deal. They had a raw energy that was on par with a screamo band, but the music, with its down tempo and acoustic core, couldn't be more different."

The Full Review is HERE!!!

1:30 AM - 2 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

TONIGHT!!! (SUNDAY)

hey folks....just wanted to send a heads up for tonight

The Widows
Live @ Molly Malones
June 1st (sunday)
on at 9pm
6$

Come on down and hang out tonight! we hear molly malones is a cool place to be.

michael-

3:59 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

SATURDAY NIGHT SHENANNIGANS!!!!

Hello Everyone,

So we will be playing a show this Saturday Night at Hotel Cafe. Saturdays are really great over at Hotel Cafe and thus we have allowed for there to be a discount deal for this show!!!

If you bring one of the flyers on the main page (www.myspace.com/thewidowsmusic) for the show you get in for 8$. Now just think, everyone can be one drink further in a this show. That 2$ can afford more booze.

The Widows
Saturday May 24th
9pm
@ Hotel Cafe

Oh and if you didn't notice there are 3 song changeups on the page as well...enjoy!!!

michael-

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