Christmas song, Christmas show, SOFAR songs, Radio interview

*** Numbers And Letters has completed our sixth annual Christmas song, “In the Bleak Midwinter.” The main guitar arrangement is performed by my dad, Herndon Hasty, inspired by James Taylors’ version. The words to this hymn are by English poet Christina Rosetti. Earlier this year, my grandmother (dad’s mom) passed away; she had given me a volume of poems by Rosetti — which included “Midwinter” — on my 16th birthday. This song is released with loving rememberence. Thank you to Admiral Fallow’s Sarah Hayes and Joe Rattray for singing and playing bass on the track, respectively.

You can download “In the Bleak Midwinter” plus all our other Christmas songs here: http://numbersandletters.bandcamp.com/album/merry-christmas-songs

*** N&L is playing a big show on Wednesday (Dec. 21). We’re the meat in a Racing Heart and Pony Of Good Tidings sandwich. We play at 9pm and, yes, there will be Christmas songs, you betcha. More information and tickets can be found at the Union Hall website. The lineup this time includes me, Joe “Dasher” Lops, Justin “Dancer” Keller, Zachary “Prancer” Eichenhorn and Pete “Bruiser” Maness.

*** I will be interviewed live on Conversations LIVE/Conversations Magazine radio tomorrow (Dec. 20) at 6pm. Cyrus and I will be talking about the music industry, Christmas music, splitting time between being a critic and a musician and, probably, dinosaurs. More info here: www.blogtalkradio.com/conversationswithmusic

*** Sounds From A Room has posted their recording of N&L, live and live-streaming from Glasgow, Scotland in October. Check out four N&L songs, performed with the help of Joe Rattray and James Apollo. Jamesy also plays a set of his songs at the end. Video from that performance is forthcoming. Download or stream it here: http://8tracks.com/sofarsounds/sofarsounds-glasgow-oct-11-mix

*** Many thanks to NYC’s Church of the Advent Hope, who invited us to play their Holiday Benefit Concert again this year. The event raised thousands and thousands of dollars, to go toward the Tropical Health Alliance Foundation’s Visually Impaired Persons Project. That organization literally gives sight to the blind. Read more and donate here: http://www.thaf.org/WWW.THAF.ORG/OUR_PROJECTS.html

*** We’re trying very, very hard to finish the album. Just recently, Mike Brenner (Marah, Badly Drawn Boy, Magnolia Electric Co.) contributed some pedal steel tracks to “Run Downhill” and “Don’t Say It Was Me.” Joe Peretore has started mixing. It’s all still kinda exciting.

Listen to Numbers And Letters on SoFar (Sounds from a Room)

N&L was lucky enough to be tapped for the premier Glasgow edition of SoFar — Sounds From A Room, the video/podcast live music hub for and from audiences around the world.

SoFar selects musicians to perform in stripped-down settings, each act playing a handful of songs. What we love about them is that these shows are performed in living rooms, not loud clubs, for fans that just want to enjoy acoustic music in a non-traditional setting.

Numbers And Letters played some new and old songs, including “Ghost,” “Dark Adam,” “Canyon or a Mountain” and “Run Downhill.” N&L’s Scotland tourmate James Apollo also did his own set. It was awesome. We did some drankin’.

Thanks a million again to SoFar, who will be posting the video companion soon!

http://8tracks.com/mixes/433348/player_v3

Autumn is a time to harvest: Show tonight, Scotland tour, T-shirts, recording

For some, the passing season was one of leisure, of blistering our favorite jeans with grass stains, our favorite t-shirts exposing the wet imprint of the swimsuit underneath. For others, these summer months were dotted with the sharp refrain from our mothers that we work too much. If we’re lucky, there was both.

Numbers And Letters took a break from shows so that we could breathe, and make some headway on recording and other projects. Now, it’s a time to sow…

Numbers And Letters + ThunderHead Improv = Prov-Rock

N&L has been invited to play an acoustic set during the newest installment of Prov-Rock on Friday, Sept. 23.

What is Prov-Rock? It’s improv comedy meeting teh rock. ThunderHead — helmed in part by Joe’s newly minted wife (and funniest person on the planet) Beth White — is the group and Peoples Improv Theater is the place.

Joe, Katie and Pete will take the stage around 11pm for a few songs, then there’s comedy, then there’s more music. It all goes ’til midnight, and if you’re lucky, you’ll see our new T-SHIRTS. Holy crap.

The PIT is at 123 24th Street, between Lexington and Park in Manhattan.

New(ish) Song – “If You Say the Words (Live)”

Here’s a sample of things to come… “If You Say the Words” is performed here live from Mercury Lounge.

The track was made out of a dare, sort of: Clifton said I should try writing a straight-forward tune, for once. Joe told me I should try writing a love song where I don’t kill anybody.

This is a result. It’s for all the various.

Ward Williams (Jump Little Children) on cello and Pete Maness on bass are featured.

Midsummers’ update

It’s been a minute, and with good cause.

Since the tour in May, N&L has been focusing almost solely on finishing the album. Just this past weekend, them Tin Pan boys came in and slapped some stank onto “Broken Road.” Stefan also stepped up to the plate on “Sad Ocean Song” and brought the creepiest noises. It pleased me so.

We’ll continue that track until late August, then off to mixing she goes.

I think we’ve settled on an album title, which we’re not ready to reveal yet…

But some of the imagery will be utilized in some new merch…

That will join us in SCOTLAND.

Yes, N&L is going international for the first time this October. We’ve been brushing up our brogue and upping our tolerance. Justin said he may learn to dance. Bless him.

New video (Tom Waits cover), prepping for BK, NY and Boston

Well we’ve finally made a YouTube channel. You’ll see a favorited live version of “Tell Me” in there, filmed at Columbia City Theater last year and featuring James Apollo.

But you’ll also see a new puppy, adopted from Mercury Lounge on March 20. It’s a cover of Tom Waits’ “Chocolate Jesus,” and featuring the Tin Pan Boys:

North Carolina was fantastic and just the kind of sorta-solo tour I needed. Thanks for the level pool table, Asheville, and the BBQ, Charlotte, and the burrito, Johnson City, and the good company Black Mountain, and the impressive beer lists, Greensboro, and…

Numbers And Letters plays a small acoustic show in Brooklyn on May 27 at the Way Station, then at the Cake Shop in Manhattan on June 3. Our first Boston show is on June 6 and will feature guest bassist Kendall Eddy! We are borrowing him from Racing Heart, thanks boys.

Carolina In My Mind, and Body…

Checking in from North Carolina, showing off N&L songs down here for the first time.

One fun fact is my little cousin Ryan Hasty is joining me for each night, playing a little guitar. Ladies: he’s a Death Cab fan (so sensitive!) and is rather tall and is single, single, single.

Tonight (May 16) is Johnston City, Tenn., tomorrow (Tuesday) is Black Mountain, NC and Thursday is Greensboro.

All dates and locales and other information can be found here:
http://www.numbersandlettersmusic.com/shows.html

If anybody in Asheville knows a fun open music night on Wednesday, we’re flexible: because we’re staying here.

Save the date, New York: June 3 at the Cake Shop

Super excited to announce that N&L will be hitting the Cake Shop for the very first time on June 3, courtesy of J. Edward Keyes’ most-excellent Universal Melody band and DJ night. Joe’s the sh*t. Details to come.

Good Friday (2011 demo)

I wrote this song back in 2007, but never made a full fleshy demo of it until now.

Happy Holy Week, this one’s for Friday and the weekend.

Thanks to Justin Keller and Joe Lops for making me sound good.