wintertime/mega update

hello everyone,

I've been slacking hard on this blog and it's been an insane semester for me at school, but that is finally done now. Got a bunch of stuff to post about! I know there are a million links in here, but I encourage you to check them all out if you get a chance.

- Redbeard Records and I have teamed up to launch a Kickstarter to fund the pressing of Little Victories on 150g Vinyl! We just passed the $500 mark which is totally incredible, but are shooting for $1500. If you would like to donate or know anyone who might be interested in helping the cause, PLEASE check out the kickstarter here: http://kck.st/stjZ5b. Even if you don't have any money, check out two videos of me and Bryan Kingsley (Cage Match) play Waterfall and Mind It with acoustic guitars.

- Options the Band will be going on two short tours this January. We'll be traveling around the Midwest, so make sure to keep an eye out for us. The dates seem to be January 11th-15th and January 19th-21st. I will post dates the second they're confirmed. This is the first tour Options has ever done, and I'm lucky enough to have some of the best musicians I know playing with me. If you were not already aware, Bryan Kingsley (Cage Match, Guillemet, They Face Reaction) is playing guitar, Mike Nardone (Stereophage, You Me & The People) is playing bass and singing, and Evan Loritsch (Island of Misfit Toys, a million other bands) is playing drums. We are planning on recording a tour-only EP which I will post about more in the future.

- On Tuesday, I'm heading back to my native Pennsylvania to hole myself up in my room and write for my next full length. So far, I have 15 songs written (and counting). They're mostly shorter than most of my previous songs (around 1-2 minutes for most of them), but I'm more excited about these than I've been in a long time. I'm tentatively planning on recording the album in the beginning of January, but we'll see how the writing process goes. Hopefully the band will begin playing some of these songs live, too.

- I have a new EP that I recorded on a four track tape recorder over the summer. If anyone wants to put it out on tape, please email me at optionstheband @ gmail dot com. I'm going to be mixing it onto 1/4" tape with Adam Salsberg at Space Jam Chicago.

- While I'm back in PA, I'm also going to be finishing an album with Young Bull and playing drums on a new LP from About a Million. Hopefully playing a couple shows with both projects, too.

After a promising, yet false start, Options the Live Band will be back up and running soon. We have a new drummer and I'm very excited to start playing shows again!

I will be playing a stripped down set at North Shore Pharmacy this Friday. Also playing are Sharpless, Idealist, and other cool bands!

RSVP/Address

I have been sitting on a new EP for months and have not had time to finish it. I recorded it entirely on a Tascam 414 four track tape recorder. I believe I will be mixing it with Adam Salsberg at Space Jam soon - we just have a couple more pieces of equipment to purchase and we'll be good to go! If you'd like to help expedite the process, please consider purchasing one of my albums.

Guillemet has been working hard on new music, and are getting closer and closer to being show-ready. We recently acquired a new bassist, Dylan Piskula from the Para-medics.

Check out Space Jam, my studio with Adam and Bryan from Cage Match! We can record your band on the cheap and it will sound really good. We just put up new pictures of the space, and it is improving every day. Book time at Spacejamchicago at gmail dot com.

Little Victories is out now

You can now stream/download Little Victories on Bandcamp.

Options will be playing the whole album tonight at the Fireside Bowl. 8pm, $8, four bands.

RSVP/Info

Artwork for Little Victories/tracklist/new song

Check out Moving Song from Little Victories!

01. Too Scared to Shake

02. Yours Truly

03. Moving Song

04. Waterfall

05. Line

06. Mind It

You will be able to purchase it for $3 via Bandcamp.

Little Victories CD release show!

Options will be playing a full band show to celebrate the completion and release of Little Victories on 9/27 at the legendary Fireside Bowl. This will be the first place you can hear and purchase the album.

RVSP

introducing Guillemet!

Over the spring/early summer, some friends and I got together and wrote 3 songs (mostly under the direction of our guitarist Lucio). We recorded them and now you can download them on Bandcamp! We're working on new songs and will hopefully be playing shows very soon. Bryan from Cage Match does vocals in this band, pretty ill.

Little Victories update!

Little Victories has officially entered the mastering stage. Carl Saff has taken on the job and I couldn't be more excited to hear the results! I am also getting a band together in Chicago, and I'm hoping to have a release show for the album in mid-September. New songs are coming slowly, mostly due to working like a maniac all summer, but now that's done and I'm going back to Chicago this Wednesday, so hopefully things'll pick up.
The art for the album is coming along really nicely, Connor is doing a badass job. I don't have a final cover yet, but everything he's sent me rules and I'm stoked to have such good lookin' art to attach to this album! It won't be long now...

I'm Only Gonna Be Here Now CDs

I made 5 copies of I'm Only Gonna Be Here Now for the last show I played. I drew something on each of the CDs, and I figured I should probably put them up here for sale. If you're interested in one, email me at optionstheband @ gmail dot com and we can work something out.

$4 ppd

Options / Show - 7.21.11

I'm playing a solo set at Milkboy Coffee this Thursday the 21st. It'll be neat. $5.

RSVP on Facebook

little victories has been mixed

My new solo record Little Victories got finished being mixed today. I'm unbelievably happy with how it sounds and cannot thank Jonah enough for everything that he did to make this record happen. I'm so excited to get this thing mastered and then put it up for everyone to hear.

Options // Odd Ends

I'm working on an album called Odd Ends. Some of these songs are a month old, some of these songs are two years old. I recorded them all on my four track in my apartment, and hopefully it'll be out kinda soon.

Options shirts are available now!

You can buy these here:

Swag

Options / Show - 6.19.11

RSVP/Information on Facebook

Options / from the archives / youtube channel

I have a YouTube page now. You should probably subscribe or check there occasionally or something, as I will be posting videos of new songs or ideas or shows or whatever I feel like.

To celebrate, I uploaded two recordings of Options the live band practicing in my Dad's basement to soundcloud as well as two live videos with that same band. This is from 2009, and is (as far as I know) the only existing footage of Options from PA.

YouTube:

I'd Rather

Gift Card

Soundcloud:

5212

Times Like These

Like So/Cage Match show

Like So's first show in over a year. Cage Match is playing too!

RSVP on Facebook

Mantra

I played drums on a song for my friends You Me and The People. I'm really stoked on how it turned out. Check it out on their Bandcamp.

download this

The second Like So release, entitled Has a Pajama Party, has been completed. Download it here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?c4rb472xn6jtwlc

woah, oops.

Wow it's been a while since I've posted here. Not sure if anybody even reads this thing, but whatever. The end of the semester is always a terribly busy time, and I'm looking forward to the summer and working on a million things at once. Here's what I've been doing and what's going on:

- I played drums on a song by Beasty Eyes which you can hear here:

You can download it for free if you'd like. We will be playing at Biggest Mouth (a Columbia College "battle of the bands" thing) at The Metro this Wednesday (4/27) for free. Just say "Beasty Eyes" at the door to vote for us if you come (which you should).

- The new Like So EP has been completed and will be available for free download very, very soon.

- Cage Match's upcoming 3 song EP is currently being mixed.

- Myself, Adam Salsberg, and Bryan Kingsley (both from Cage Match/Options live band) have started a recording studio called SPACE JAM. More info to come soon!

- I finished recording the new Options EP. Jonah Kort will be mixing it. Exciting? Yup.

- Always writing for a new Options thing. I have too many ideas and not enough time. Hopefully that will change soon.

That's all for now.

Options the BAND just played our first show since may on saturday, and it went really well! We all had an exceptionally good time, and will be doing this more often.

We just got confirmed for a show on March 13th and Pancho's! I'm super excited for it, and you can RSVP on Facebook here. Swag.

Like So is really almost done...

and now I've got some proof! Ladies and Gentlemen, two songs from the forthcoming Like So EP:

Teen Sensation

I Wanna Go To Japan!

enjoy!

Like So almost done

I finally got to hear some final mixes of the almost-long-lost Like So EP that we recorded last May. They sound really great, and I am excited for it to come out. There's been a ton of snow in Chicago and I've been getting a lot accomplished on my days off. Today, I'm (hopefully) finishing re-mixing Like So's demo, and then I'm rehearsing for a few shows I've got coming up. Gotta get back to work. Stay warm!

I'm Only Gonna Be Here Now

Here is a new album I've been working on for a bit. I just finished mixing + "mastering" it tonight. Hope you enjoy it!

Stream/Buy

Download for Free

new year

I am packing for Chicago right now, so I'm gonna keep this brief. I am nearing the completion of two options projects, getting ready to begin a third, and having my first Options the Live Band rehearsal on Sunday. Good things are happening! Young Bull's LP is halfway done, and will hopefully be out in the next couple weeks (keep your fingers crossed!). Cage Match has been on break cause we've all been in different states, but we have a free show coming up next week and I'm super excited for it! We've also recorded 3/4 of a new EP. Like So's EP is actually getting mixed and we will be announcing some cool plans for the release soon. This year is already more exciting than 2010.