The Jesse Kates Blog

Some press!

2008-05-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

A very favorable review of Kinda Like Fireworks by Pete Dulin from Present Magazine

A plug for our CD Release Show on the Pitch's Wayward Blog.

And a positive, albeit detail-oriented :) review from Steven Garcia at Ink, who thinks we need somebody to whip us.

Don't forget to come out to the Brick TONIGHT at 11pm for our CD Release show. We're giving out free American Apparel T-Shirts to anyone who buys Kinda Like Fireworks!

- Jesse Kates / the Sexy Accident > listen on iTunes

The Sexy Accident - CD Release Weekend

2008-05-07T21:22:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

Beginning on Friday and running through the weekend, we have a series of fortunate events lined up to celebrate the release of our new album, Kinda Like Fireworks.

There should be something for everyone here: sparkly indie pop, kid-friendly / all-ages shows, the usual bar routine, and/or free American Apparel T-Shirts! Here's the info -

Friday May 9
The Brick, 11pm
w/ namelessnumberheadman
21+, FREE T-shirt w/ CD purchase

Saturday May 10
Needmore Discs, 2pm
Jesse solo w/ namelessnumberheadman
FREE all-ages acoustic show

Saturday May 10
The Rendezvous - St. Joseph, 10pm
21+ FREE T-shirt w/CD purchase

Sunday May 11
Zebedees RPM, 2pm
FREE all-ages outdoor show

We hope to see you at one of the shows!

For those who can't wait to get the goods, Kinda Like Fireworks is available NOW on iTunes. As of Friday, it'll also be out on the shelves at Needmore discs, Zebedee's RPM and Prospero's Books in Kansas City. And of course, you can always order direct from sexyaccident.com with free shipping!

All our best,

- Jesse Kates / the Sexy Accident > listen on iTunes

Just talkin' 'bout Shaft

2008-05-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

Well not really. I don't have anything to say about Shaft, 'cept that he's one bad mutha. (Shut yo mouth!)

I figgered I'd just write some stuffs. Let's see - I've gone back to being a usability person / interaction designer, this time on the product side of Sprint's User Experience Design group. So I no longer work in a group with an awesome name like "Human Sciences Research," but it's fun to be back with the peeps I came into the company with. I feel like I'm really part of a team, despite the fact that Sprint is obviously... a little wobbly at the moment? But I think things are on the up. And I'm doing what I can to help with that, and sort of leading or heavily influencing this big important project thing that we're working on that includes the letter X. You know you're doing something important when it was the letter X in it!

This weekend me and the Tobias will chill mano y boyo (which means nothing) as Stephanie travels to a camping event to dance and do that stuff she does at camping events. I'm not much of a camper, myself. I'm a wussy city boy, though I do love "nature." As a kid, it never occurred to me that parks weren't very natural at all. I just liked the trees and fresh air. I never stopped to think that grass doesn't just grow like that. Maybe I'm just not so smart! Or maybe I was right all along and the earth is gravitating towards a natural ecological state where fescue covers 99% of the earth's non-aquatic surface.

Vive la fescue!

I've been packing up a lot of padded mailers and hand signing a lot of letters that I wrote in the third person. It's pretty exciting, actually. The padded mailers, I mean.

Chuckles Whittingtoppolis of NNHM and I played Tennis the other day. He sort of slaughtered me. But I guess I have an excuse since I haven't played tennis in over 15 years. The high point for me was when Chuck would hit these monster serves right into the net (a "fault," technically) and I would say things like "man, that would have been really hard to hit if that net wasn't there." Then we started doing these cartoony windups before we served - like swinging the racket around 5 times in the air before you toss the ball up. It ads a lot of power. I don't know why you don't see the pros doing it more. Decorum, I guess. Or simple incompetence.

The other night I went to a bar and chilled with two of my lady friends while one was groped by this really drunk guy who was at least twenty years older and kept talking about his ex-wife and how rich he was. I mean, I could see where he was coming from. If he had been groping me like that and offering to take me to his summer house in Mexico I don't know how I could have resisted! But for some reason, she wasn't interested. What's up with that? Maybe he was too subtle in his advances. She might have mistaken him as a salesman of some sort, or a financial advisor.

In other news - Steph and I played pinball tonight at Fric and Frac. That was pretty cool. I triggered the multi-ball mode. It lasted for at least 8 seconds, and was pretty awesome. That was a lot of balls!

And on that note.

- Jesse Kates / the Sexy Accident > listen on iTunes

KORRUPTION - Friday April 25

2008-04-24T21:52:00.001-07:00

Thine Sexy Accident rocks the West Bottoms of KC Friday Night! Here are the details.

The WayStation (12:00)
The Weather (11:00)
Ste. Simone (10:00)
The Sexy Accident (9:00)

@ Korruption - 1717 West 9th St - Down in the West Bottoms just north of Kemper Arena. If you get lost - call 816.842.1078

Hope to see you there!

- Jesse Kates / the Sexy Accident > listen on iTunes

New album now on Rhapsody

2008-04-17T08:19:00.001-07:00

For those who use it, Kinda Like Fireworks is now available on Rhapsody.

Enjoy!

- Jesse Kates / the Sexy Accident > listen on iTunes

Wow (Jeremy Enigk)

2008-04-14T12:33:00.001-07:00

So, after posting about him (in passing) last night, I had to go do some youtubing to see if I could find anything by Jeremy Enigk. Still amazing as ever...

- Jesse Kates / the Sexy Accident > listen on iTunes

Night listening 1: Neko Case

2008-04-13T20:51:00.000-07:00

Ever since Toby was born (and even before that, really - maybe ever since Steph and I have been together) it's been hard for me to find the time to just sit down and listen to music. And in general, I have a hard time relaxing. But I can remember going home to my dad's house for winter break after a particularly rough semester at school and lying on the carpeted floor of the spare bedroom listening to Jeremy Enigk and other bands late into the night on a pair of headphones. It was very, very peaceful and soothing.

So tonight after Steph went to bed I stole upstairs to her studio and listened to some music on headphones for the first time in years. Some music is just meant to be heard this way. Neko Case's The Tigers Have Spoken is such music.

I can't believe how talented she is. Her voice is powerful and unassuming. And the selection of songs on that album is just fantastic. The Tigers Have Spoken (the song) is just one of the saddest and most moving songs I've ever heard. And lying there, on the couch, surrounded by the echo of this live recording and the swirl of the guitars and vocal harmonies, I was swept away and just... relaxed more than I have in a long, long time.

So whenever I can, I'm going to do this. And I'm going to write about what I'm listening to here on the blog under the heading "Night listening." So tonight, it's Neko Case. A fine way to start a fine, new tradition. You should check out her website. Her first blog post is great.

- Jesse Kates / the Sexy Accident > listen on iTunes

The Sexy Accident's next drummer?

2008-04-13T15:14:00.000-07:00

I mean, he's pretty frickin' awesome, isn't he?

Daniel better watch his back. :)

- Jesse Kates / the Sexy Accident > listen on iTunes

Fooled you! Album out NOW!

2008-04-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

KINDA LIKE FIREWORKS

On their sophomore release, The Sexy Accident tackles love, lust, loss and infidelity with peculiar panache and tremendous pop sensibility.

The lyrics are sharp, the guitars alternately scathe and soothe, and the drums are blisteringly fast. The songs are intelligent, considered and insightful, but always played and sung with an intensity and urgency that rings of first hand experience.

Recorded by Greg Norman at Electrical Audio, Chicago.

Baby, it's not cheating
Stall
My girl
Gardener, Gibbet, Misery
Flirting with disaster
Hey you
Morning drive
Lonely days
Dancing with my friends
Skies

BUY DIGITALLY from iTunes (no DRM)

BUY THE CD for $12 (free shipping) via Paypal

The Sexy Accident seeks fourth

2008-04-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

The Sexy Accident, Kansas City's Least Complex Pop Band, has operated for the past two+ years as a three piece. In May, we release our second album. You can hear a few tracks on myspace.

We are considering adding a fourth member to add more diversity to our sound. This person should be able to play guitar, keyboards and sing and be able to offer arrangement ideas (and possibly song ideas) on their own. Ideally, this person would be a woman for vocal reasons. Any additional instrumental capabilities would be a big plus, as would a willingness to participate in the business side of running a band. Your contributions would help shape the sound of the band in the future.

In terms of commitment, we practice one to two times weekly for ~3 hours and play out about twice per month. Regional jaunts are planned, though extensive touring is not.

If you like our sound, enjoy trying to make the best music you can and have fun while working hard, then this is the band for you.

If you're interested, get in touch!

Jesse Kates * www.sexyaccident.com

New song - lonely days

2008-04-10T22:03:00.001-07:00

We'll have CDs in our hot little hands next week (though YOU can't have one until May 9th - nyah!)

To celebrate, I thought I'd put another song on our myspace page. This one's called "Lonely Days" and it's beautiful and peaceful and sad.

Enjoy! It's the second song on our profile.

Jesse Kates * www.sexyaccident.com

Getting some play

2008-03-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

The superbly curated Musical Justice internet radio station has begun playing a few songs from Kinda Like Fireworks. Check it out! Because life's too short for music that sucks.

Jesse Kates * www.sexyaccident.com

Help Wanted

2008-03-21T17:59:00.000-07:00

There's a whole lot involved in running a band. From booking, to designing posters, to hanging posters, to writing press releases, to procuring merch, to writing songs, to rehearsing, to booking, to performing, to writing blog posts, to mailing newsletters, to booking, etc.

If anyone out there has a fascination with any of this stuff, and if you'd enjoy helping us out and being a part of our story, please drop me a line. There's more than enough work to go around. :) And glory - that, too! We can get you into our shows for free, and maybe buy you a few beers (or soda, if that's what you prefer.)

Jesse Kates * www.sexyaccident.com

Teaser songs!

2008-03-17T17:15:00.000-07:00

In preparation for our new album's release (Kinda Like Fireworks), we've put up two new songs on myspace!

The first, Flirting with disaster, you can also download here (right click, save as).

The second, My girl, is up for play only on myspace.

Enjoy!

Jesse Kates * www.sexyaccident.com

Stone in love

2008-03-15T23:14:00.000-07:00

Wow. Fun evening! Just got back from seeing Stone in Love (Journey tribute band) knock the roof off of the Record Bar. They sold the place out! I was only able to enter because Mr. Chuckles Whittingtoppolis of NNHM was kind enough to guestlist me. I felt pretty hip (certainly much hipper than I am) bypassing the line of people waiting to pay (and being told they couldn't enter until others left.) Obviously, the show was a smashing success. I can't wait for the next one! I had a nice talk with Andrew Sallee and Chris Tolle, too. I am going to make it a goal to get out to more shows. It's just too much fun not to, and every time I go I meet somebody interesting.

And all of this of course is only possible because of my super awesome wife, who willingly postponed her sleep in morning so I could go out to the show. I'll get her back tomorrow night, but nevertheless... all of this music stuff would be more or less impossible with a child and a less supportive wife. Salut the Stephanie!

The earlier part of the evening was also fun - a game night with some coworkers and their spouses (spice?). We played cranium and I tried to sell them T-Shirts like the pseudo-Amway man I am. :) Tobias was in rare form when Lauriann and Jimmy arrived. He tried to do pretty much anything he could think of that would be "bad" in an effort to get attention. Hurling toys, crushing the cat, flinging laundry from the bin, taking books from the shelf, scaling the table, etc... It all worked out, of course. He's really a very good kid. I'd just say "hey buddy, pick up that toy you just threw." He'd spin around a few times, I'd repeat myself, but he'd eventually do it. Each and every time. Salut the Tobias! :)

And now, to bed!

Jesse Kates * www.sexyaccident.com

Album art - check

2008-03-14T19:32:00.000-07:00

Finished 'er up today. 6 Panel digipak. Undeniably sweet.

Also, the album release date is set. We'll set 'er free on Friday, May 9th, at the Brick!

Jesse Kates * www.sexyaccident.com

bah, humbug

2008-03-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

I'm never very truthful, or at least very detailed, in this thing. I'm too keenly aware that my real name is attached to it, and that people who I work with, etc., may read it. And in fact I know some of them do.

But let me just say that today was a frustrating day, and that in general I'm a little bit adrift. It happens I guess. The themes are: responsibility and conflict.

I find several areas of my life in conflict. All important, all valuable. Some seemingly impossibly at odds.

I find myself increasingly responsible, and I've always felt responsible. I crave irresponsibility. I don't think I'm really capable of being that way though. I never have been. Sometimes I wish I was.

It all started pretty young for me. I was cooking my younger brother lunch at the age of 8 or 9, if I remember. Letting us in the door and watching him after school while my mom kept working. I started helping her clean houses at 13 or 14. Nothing inspires ambition like cleaning the houses of the wealthy.

I'm sure there are stories of much greater responsibility, etc., people who have gone through much more than I have. But I just get tired sometimes. I was in such a big hurry to do so many big things... and now I find myself thinking "what was the rush?" Here I am. All done. Now what?

I know I live a great life. I just wish I could find a way to shake it up a bit, without hurting anyone or messing anything up.

Jesse Kates * www.sexyaccident.com

Stupid Cray

2008-03-07T09:51:00.001-08:00

me: so would you be willing to give me a yay/nay on the champ sometime next week?

i will dump it in another fashion if you don't want it

chuck: yes, by next week I can tell ya

me: rocks

chuck: say, by friday

gives me a week to assess

11:48 AM me: perfecto

chuck: send it through the Cray and see what comes out on the other side

me: i would expect:

11001101010100010101001110010001010010101001110010101001010100010101001001001011111100101001001110000011101000111001010110101001110011000110101

a very complicated conclusion

chuck: yes, very

11:50 AM Error: Malformed binary. Your binary code must be divisible by 8.

me: stupid Cray

Jesse Kates * www.sexyaccident.com

Photos from Electrical Audio

2008-03-05T20:43:00.001-08:00

I've put some up on our Flickr page. Enjoy!

Jesse Kates * www.sexyaccident.com

electrical audio recording diary day 2-4

2008-03-04T01:07:00.000-08:00

ok, so I've been a little slack with the updates, but with good reason! we're done! three days early!

after four ten hour days of non-stop action, i'm sitting in a hotel in des moines with four guitars, a bass, some snacks and two reels of two inch twenty-four track tape. the half-inch master reels are being shipped to john golden.

now, despite the fact that I am in possession of one of the greatest acts of rock of our time, all was not pudding and crumpets (though celebratory martinis and tarts await me at home, thanks to the lovely ladies in my life). we hit the high stress point on saturday after a grueling day of tracking. daniel's arms were shot and I was losing perspective despite our rapid progress. we turned the tide by moving to a hotel rather than sleep another night on electrical's futons. on sunday everyone was better rested and we completed our final band take - flirting with disaster. then I sang the remaining three tunes (i finished seven on saturday) and we began mixing.

this morning we mixed the rest of the album, sequenced it and high tailed it to des moines, cutting tomorrow's drive time in half.

we listened to a reference cd in the car and I must say this album is very, very good. it's incredibly live and energetic. we really ripped the takes. tracking live, as a band, was clearly the right approach. these songs just ooze gusto and passion. i'm pumped to hear the mastered version.

be that as it may, it's three am and this rock star is pooped. more soon!

Jesse Kates * www.sexyaccident.com

electrical audio recording diary - day 1

2008-02-29T20:54:00.000-08:00

wow. we began the day by meeting pat at a greasy spoon a few blocks from the studio. then we arrived at electrical. it was surreal suddenly finding myself standing in rooms that i've looked at in photos for years. i've wanted to record here since the whitford days.

greg norman is super efficient and extremely skilled. the sounds we're getting are excellent and all of the rehearsing has more than paid off.

track wise we knocked out complete takes of at least six songs. possibly seven. we hit many of them on the first or second take! as of now we're ahead of schedule, which could save me thousands of dollars. but we will stay as long as is needed (up to seven days) to get the job done right.

tomorrow we start by grocery shopping and then resume the rock at ten am.
I also just had te odd experience of setting in a room watching family guy with steve albini, todd trainer and bob weston of shellac fame. I sort of wanted to talk to them and tried a bit but didn't really have anything worthwhile to say on the topics at hand. conversation was sparse anyway as steve was engrossed on his laptop. anyway, it was certainly cool to share some space with such talented peeps. bob and steve have recorded some of my favorite albums. and obviously shellac is a great band. I really admire this whole operation. greg was telling me that he helped dig the foundation for the studio walls! how amazing to have built the place where you work, and to work in a field you're passionate about, in the manner you believe in.

anyway, I should sleep and this thumb typing stuff sucks. goodnight!

Jesse Kates * www.sexyaccident.com

viva chicago

2008-02-28T19:55:00.000-08:00

well, here I am in a little comfortable hotel room in chicago, right next to o'hare! i'm writing this from a semi awkward thumb keyboard device thingy that I got from work. it actually works fairly well.
tomorrow we hit the studio around eleven. daniel and I drove up this morning and pat arrives by air tomorrow like the rock star he is.

tonight daniel and I ate at a random turkish place. the food and the belly dancer were both yummy. :)

the ride up was more or less uneventful save for the six whole cloves of garlic I ate as part of a delicious thai dish in st louis and the subsequent suffering of daniel as he rode in close proximity to me for the remaining five hours to chicago. what can I say? daniel's a trooper. and I likes the garlic.

more tomorrow when the rock begins fo reals.

Jesse Kates * www.sexyaccident.com

Ah the Chicago

2008-02-23T19:54:00.001-08:00

Coming up in four days... we drive up to Electrical Audio to record album 2. I'm nervous, of course. This is a big deal! I've been working towards this session for almost two years. I think we're ready. I hope nothing major goes wrong, though something unavoidably will.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Record Bar show. It was a blast and I enjoyed wearing my new stage suit. And thanks to the kind peeps at the Roasterie on Thursday night. I had a great time - my first acoustic show without a PA or amplification of any kind. It was fun to just sing and let my voice carry itself.

There's not much else to say, though there's a lot going on in the land of the Jesse. I can't really talk about it here, though.

I googled myself today, which is always a little... lame. And by jove, I'm easy to find on this here internets. For the record, if Mr. Robbie Simkins (aka Pepe) stumbles upon this page, wtf? Let's get in touch. It's been way too long.

Jesse Kates * www.sexyaccident.com

This Wednesday Feb 20!

2008-02-17T07:25:00.000-08:00

People Noise (ex-VHS or Beta)
The Noise FM
The Sexy Accident
Record Bar (map)
10pm
$7

This is our pre-recording send-off show. We leave for Chicago shortly after this gig. Please come out to support us!

We're going to be playing our new album (the one we're about to record) in its entirety. For now, listen to a demo version of Stall

Jesse Kates * www.sexyaccident.com

The morality of Whitford

2008-02-14T07:45:00.000-08:00

Adam Perry, former Whitford drummer and general musical genious, asserted today that he acquired his sense of morality from our short-lived instrumental band. As a result of that statement, I assume that these are his beliefs -

- Song titles should be long and should reference nerdy movies
- A bass is better with eight strings on it
- For an audience, suffering is a valid musical experience
- Saxophone should be used in every song, unless your sax player is feeling pissy
- All public performances should occur in spaces that are 1. cold, 2. unfit for human occupancy or 3. covered with mirrors.
- No show should ever be attended by more than six people, some of whom will be drunk and will sing along to your instrumental tunes
- When somebody says "I made this for you" and hands you a wad of garbage, you should accept it

Jesse Kates * www.sexyaccident.com