SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2017:
NEW SMEDLEY'S RACKET RELEASED: "NEVER LET A GOOD CRISIS GO TO WASTE" EP: Recorded in September of 2017 at Frumunda Studio. Max Brody-all performances/production/mash-ups The rig: Nintendo DS w/ Korg synth/sequencer 'game', Korg Elektribe EA-1, Noise mash-ups on CD via Kaos pad, Roland TD-30 v-drum module w/ mini-setup. There are occasional vocal sample nuggets from cassette tapes and snippets of me playing instruments. These tracks are for sale as a download via my bandcamp page: CLICK HERE TO GO THERE |
In 2012, shortly before I moved away from Austin, I began a recording project with Mr. John Hawkins (CRUST) that we called SMEDLEY'S RACKET. I was not able to finish it before departing.
Shortly thereafter, he got together with Jeff Campbell to form the 80's-esque MASQUERADE AS ANGELS. He asked me to be a long-distance member of that, which I am.
Check us out at: masqueradeasangels.bandcamp.com
Nevertheless, I finished and released the Smedley's Racket LP ...and considered it a done deal -- basically a one-off...
(available on my bandcamp page, here: maxbrodyworld.bandcamp.com/album/max-brody-smedleys-racket)
Until recently, that is. My buddy Dan Dyckman asked me to perform a solo set at his club, DARRELL'S TAVERN. When he did, I was reminded of an idea that I had had several years back of creating music with cheap analog synthesizers & sequencers while playing v-drums as fakey sounds...to get all boopy.
"MAX BRODY" performed at Darrell's Tavern August 10th, 2017.
Since that gig, I've felt like there was more interest for me there than I had realized at first. It was fun and I saw ways to improve things. I decided to get a bit more into it.
So, developing the set further...one day I decided to attempt a couple songs from the Smedley's Racket LP in the set. For some reason I sensed that I was going for a similar vibe and it worked.
Not wanting to play shows under my own name anyway, I asked Hawkins if he would be ok with me taking over the Smedley's moniker and he said, "Totally okay!"
May the ensuing army of fans be called, "DARLINGTONS"-HA!! (after Maj. Gen. Butler's actual middle name--really--look it up!).
Anyway, that's what I'm going to do. ...and that's what I've been busy doing: getting ready for performances . These shows are rather like a DJ/VJ kind of thing, however, I use no laptop computers or turntables. Thats the rule.
Its essentially live electronic drumming and noise mashup manipulation over synthesizer sequences and visuals...
Shortly thereafter, he got together with Jeff Campbell to form the 80's-esque MASQUERADE AS ANGELS. He asked me to be a long-distance member of that, which I am.
Check us out at: masqueradeasangels.bandcamp.com
Nevertheless, I finished and released the Smedley's Racket LP ...and considered it a done deal -- basically a one-off...
(available on my bandcamp page, here: maxbrodyworld.bandcamp.com/album/max-brody-smedleys-racket)
Until recently, that is. My buddy Dan Dyckman asked me to perform a solo set at his club, DARRELL'S TAVERN. When he did, I was reminded of an idea that I had had several years back of creating music with cheap analog synthesizers & sequencers while playing v-drums as fakey sounds...to get all boopy.
"MAX BRODY" performed at Darrell's Tavern August 10th, 2017.
Since that gig, I've felt like there was more interest for me there than I had realized at first. It was fun and I saw ways to improve things. I decided to get a bit more into it.
So, developing the set further...one day I decided to attempt a couple songs from the Smedley's Racket LP in the set. For some reason I sensed that I was going for a similar vibe and it worked.
Not wanting to play shows under my own name anyway, I asked Hawkins if he would be ok with me taking over the Smedley's moniker and he said, "Totally okay!"
May the ensuing army of fans be called, "DARLINGTONS"-HA!! (after Maj. Gen. Butler's actual middle name--really--look it up!).
Anyway, that's what I'm going to do. ...and that's what I've been busy doing: getting ready for performances . These shows are rather like a DJ/VJ kind of thing, however, I use no laptop computers or turntables. Thats the rule.
Its essentially live electronic drumming and noise mashup manipulation over synthesizer sequences and visuals...

Credit:
Max Brody- Samples, Horns, Keyboards, Drums, Guitar, Cello, Production
John Hawkins-Lobro, Electric Kalimba, Samples, Analog Synth, Vocals on “Rest of the Animals”
Jason Craig-Bass
Created at Frumunda Studio Austin, TX 2012, with acoustic drum tracks at Jeff Hoskins’ Studio, Austin, TX. 2012. Finished and Mastered at Frumunda Studio, 2014 which had moved to Shoreline, WA.
Copyright 2014 Smedley’s Racket
Max Brody- Samples, Horns, Keyboards, Drums, Guitar, Cello, Production
John Hawkins-Lobro, Electric Kalimba, Samples, Analog Synth, Vocals on “Rest of the Animals”
Jason Craig-Bass
Created at Frumunda Studio Austin, TX 2012, with acoustic drum tracks at Jeff Hoskins’ Studio, Austin, TX. 2012. Finished and Mastered at Frumunda Studio, 2014 which had moved to Shoreline, WA.
Copyright 2014 Smedley’s Racket
DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF
Smedley Butler
(from Wiki...)
"Smedley Darlington Butler (July 30, 1881 – June 21, 1940)
was a United States Marine Corps major general, the highest rank authorized at that time, and at the time of his death the most decorated Marine in U.S. history. During his 34-year career as a Marine, he participated in military actions in the Philippines, China, in Central America and the Caribbean during the Banana Wars, and France in World War I. Butler is well known for having later become an outspoken critic of U.S. wars and their consequences, as well as exposing the Business Plot, a purported plan to overthrow the U.S. government."
Smedley Butler
(from Wiki...)
"Smedley Darlington Butler (July 30, 1881 – June 21, 1940)
was a United States Marine Corps major general, the highest rank authorized at that time, and at the time of his death the most decorated Marine in U.S. history. During his 34-year career as a Marine, he participated in military actions in the Philippines, China, in Central America and the Caribbean during the Banana Wars, and France in World War I. Butler is well known for having later become an outspoken critic of U.S. wars and their consequences, as well as exposing the Business Plot, a purported plan to overthrow the U.S. government."