GrooveLily

blog entry at Milburn-Vigoda.com – “Every Seven” Hiatus

Valerie — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:32:00 +0000

Check out the new blog entry up at Milburn & Vigoda – we’re putting our beloved “Every Seven” project on a hiatus for a bit, due to…lots of songwriting.

BROWSERS (Amazon musical web series featuring Brendan’s music) pilot is OUT! Please watch/review.

Valerie — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:13:32 +0000

BROWSERS, the Amazon musical-sitcom web series on which Brendan is music supervisor as well as co-composer, is HERE! (At least the pilot is…and we have all fingers and toes crossed for the rest of the season to be greenlighted.)
It’s 22 minutes long, hilarious, smart, slightly profane (don’t let the little kids watch), and REALLY REALLY WORTHY. As a lyricist, I am highly judgy about *other* lyricists, and David Javerbaum (creator of BROWSERS), is nothing less than fabulous.

The pilot is available HERE, on Amazon Instant Video – Pilot Season. Please check it out, and all-importantly, GIVE FEEDBACK! This aspect is crucial to the future of the show.

BROWSERS takes place in a fictitious company called “The Daily Gush.” It features four unpaid interns (they are, of course, the browsers)…and the boss of the company is played by the wonderful Bebe Neuwirth. Think Mary Tyler Moore meets the Huffington Post, where everyone sings their innermost thoughts.

LEARNINGTOWN (one of two web series featuring Brendan’s music)

Valerie — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:05:26 +0000

LEARNINGTOWN, one of two musical-sitcom web series on which Brendan is music supervisor as well as co-composer, is out and available! Written by and starring our great friends Paul & Storm, it is 10 8-minute episodes of hysterical geeky fun.

The premise of LEARNINGTOWN is that comedy duo Paul and Storm take over a legendary kids’ TV show, and with the help of timid producer Cookie and super fan Teddy, try to keep from completely screwing everything up.

Gene performing with Audra McDonald on her new record, “Go Back Home,” and PBS Live from Lincoln Center

Valerie — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:02:22 +0000

Gene writes: I’m thrilled and honored to be playing drums on Audra’s new record. It features some of the music we’ve been touring with for years, as well as some amazing new material. We recorded at NYC’s legendary Avatar Studios, with a stellar orchestra. On Friday, May 24, three days after the album’s release, I’ll be in my tux behind the drums joining Audra when she headlines and hosts “Audra McDonald In Concert: Go Back Home,” a national PBS telecast presented by the Emmy Award-winning series Live From Lincoln Center (check local listings). We’ve also got a bunch of tour dates in the summer and fall. You can read more and preview a track from the album here.

American Theatre Magazine article featuring us: “It’s Better With A Band”

Valerie — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 23:40:25 +0000

“The American musical’s next wave isn’t jukebox shows and rock stars—it’s a jam session between indie bands and theatre artists making vital new music together.

…the most heartening and transformative trend in American musicals—and we might as well reclaim the word, all the better to broaden its purview—is a swelling wave of hybrid shows created, and often performed, by indie bands and singer/songwriters.”

Full story here!

blog entry at Milburn-Vigoda.com – “Every Seven” #12

Valerie — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 23:11:47 +0000

Check out the new blog entry up at Milburn & Vigoda – which includes this week’s “Every Seven” video + download: “Money & Musicians & Explorers,” the song Ernest and Kat sing together about the financial woes they have in common. It’s a hootenanny!

“Every Seven” #11: Giving It All Away (Live)

Valerie — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 20:41:39 +0000

Intro to WHEELHOUSE: Years ago, we made our most exciting mistake – buying and attempting to live and tour in a used RV. The experience almost broke up the band, almost broke up Brendan and Val’s marriage…but as you are probably aware, we did survive and are still here to sing about it. We wrote an autobiographical show based on our RV adventures called WHEELHOUSE, which premiered in spring 2012 at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley; and we are delighted to bring you songs from WHEELHOUSE all year long.

Brendan’s keytar and dance debut! This song happens at the moment in the show when Brendan has the big idea about the RV. He rushes home from his uninspiring day job, and convinces Val that they should give up their apartment and all their possessions in order to take the band on the road.

blog entry at Milburn-Vigoda.com – “Every Seven” #10

Valerie — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 02:53:10 +0000

Check out the new blog entry up at Milburn & Vigoda – which includes this week’s “Every Seven” video: “In The Forest” (Live), our nearly-through-composed, everybody suddenly-in-love-with-the-wrong-person central scene in our rock-festival musical adaptation of Shakespeare: A LITTLE MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, filmed during our workshop production in LA in December of 2012.

“Every Seven” #9: Take On The World

Valerie — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 18:09:55 +0000

We had a blast making this new track and video of “Take On The World,” one of our favorite songs from the show. This version is our first official bicoastal recording, featuring Gene’s drum footage from his basement with overhead camera, and a big learning curve for me and Brendan on Final Cut Pro. We’ve got Sunday morning video from an abandoned parking lot near our place in Glendale, as well as a momentary unplanned appearance by our 7-year-old son, who was our 2nd cameraman. (Extra credit if you can spot Mose in the frame for a split second: hint – it’s in one of the “4-quadrant” sections of the video.)

Context: the song fits in at the moment before Brendan has the disastrous idea to move into an RV. Val is home, booking the band and trying to roll the boulder up the hill while Brendan and Gene have focused their attention elsewhere.

blog entry at Milburn-Vigoda.com – “Every Seven” #7 & #8

Valerie — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:30:04 +0000

Check out the new blog entry up at Milburn & Vigoda – which includes two weeks’ worth of “Every Seven”: these are songs we wrote long ago for Hooked on Phonics’ “Hooked on Bible Stories” project.