Max Bemis Gives Me “Tremors”

Posted by pixie | Filed under Uncategorized

I think I should give up on this site being anything but the every-other-day or so post about Max Bemis. Just call it Maxim and be done with it. Oh, yeah…. That magazine exists.  There really is a ton of other news out there to write about, but I keep getting caught in these Max Bemis hazes when things like this happen:

Somebody who was lucky enough to get to go to one of those amazing Max Bemis acoustic shows that never happen anywhere I am caught this bit of “Tremors,” one of the songs that will be on the Two Tongues album. I’ve swooned, processed, and realized that Max Bemis may well be the most talented songwriter of our generations… and taht he even overtakes From Under the Cork Tree Pete Wentz. This says a lot, as I could point at random to lyrics on that album and probably be fine with having them tattooed on my body.

Max, though… there’s something about him. I’m going with the scruffy beard and lack of Ashlee Simpson. Enjoy… and wait for a post about something other than BEMIS/Say Anything/Two Tongues. It’s coming, I promise.

I Spoke Too Soon on Two Tongues

Posted by pixie | Filed under Uncategorized

Guess what? The Two Tongues album has a release date, and it’s an early birthday present for one miss pixie — the album will be out February 3rd, 2009! The band features EPB’s favorite man, Max Bemis, along with Coby Linder of Say Anything and Chris Conley and David Soloway of Saves The Day. The album will be self-titled and has the lucky number of 13 songs on it. And no, their MySpace has not been updated with anything beyond “Crawl,” which we heard months ago.

Max said:
“Chris has been my favorite songwriter since I was 15. Ten years later he is now is one of my closest friends. The Two Tongues record is really an expression of the yin and yang; how two “opposite” souls stimulate and battle each other in any truly loving relationship. Chris inspired me as a mentor, hero and friend, and I inspired him as someone who truly cherishes his work that he can respect in his own right. Chris sometimes looks down on himself but is inside a very strong, almost Buddha-like centered soul; I have that whole Steven Tyler/Jerry Lewis extrovert personality onstage but I’m a totally neurotic, restless soul inside. We as two people, therefore, express two sides of a coin. Making the record, and it being the first band either of us has ever been in outside of Say Anything or Saves the Day, was sort of like falling in love for the second time; you have to look outside of yourself and learn to communicate with and trust someone who operates in a totally different manner. Ironically, while making this record I met the girl I am now in love with, so I was experiencing the same thing in the form of friendship with Chris as I was in getting to know this female person. So whether you want to look at the record as songs about two people starting a romantic relationship or this dynamic of how inspiration operates between two people, that’s your choice. We hope it functions on both levels. Either way, it’s a dream come true for me, and a true labor of love.
”

pixie said:
Why on earth can I not marry Max Bemis? Because just in case you thought the “girl he is in love with” was me? It’s not. I blame this on not meeting him during my mini-Say Anything tour in March… otherwise, that would be ALL me. Yep. Of course. Naturally. I hope she knows what she has.

I also think it’s funny that Max sees himself as “I have that whole Steven Tyler/Jerry Lewis extrovert personality onstage but I’m a totally neurotic, restless soul inside.” When I saw them in New Haven earlier this year, I was sitting on the stage at Max’s feet. It was one of the greatest moments of my life, but afterwards, I remember saying, “you can really see he’s kind of crazy when you look at him up close.” I don’t mean that in a bad way, but he’s completely in his own head. Extroverted, sure. He’s a lead singer. But the restless, neurotic and completely lost inside his own head thing is palpable. And if I may say so myself, hot. I got smacked with his microphone cord more than once and believe me, I wasn’t complaining.

I like to show off this video because I had no zoom on, and well, it’s a pretty decent representation of their Smashing Pumpkins cover. The sound is a bit weird since I was against a monitor, but hey. Not to brag, but did I mention that was no zoom?

I guess today is Max Bemis day at EPB.

I’m looking forward to the Two Tongues album — how about you?

P.S. with apologies to the straight boys on here — is that photo not simply male perfection?

EPB Site Darling Max Bemis is… Working on New Say Anything Songs

Posted by pixie | Filed under Uncategorized

Oh, hi. Did you hear that sort of high-pitched squaling sound just now? That was me, upon discovering that Max is heading off to write a new album. The death moan was releated to the closing of the Song Shop, as I missed the cut off every time and didn’t get to have my own personal Max song.

Here’s what our boy had to say:

Hi guys…Max here. lot of say anything announcements coming soon, but i just wanted everyone to know we have now completed about 120 song shop songs! thank you so much for everyone for being involved with the project. however, its coming time to work on a new say anything record, so i have to delay song shop for a while. there are a few people who have paid for songs but haven’t received them yet. we appreciate you buying a song so much and WILL deliver you one as soon as possible, but i have to work on the record now.

120 songs. He wrote 120 songs for people. The vexing part is that means there are 118 Max songs floating around out there that I do not have [I managed to snag two of the Song Shop songs — and they’re amazing. Does anyone have links/copies of any others?]

This leaves me wondering what the status of the Two Tongues album is [earlier this year, word was it would be along by the end of the year and there would also be a tour — but I figured when XO announced theirs and there was no news on Two Tongues, that was off the table.] Are we meant to suffer with just one Two Tongues song?

I guess it doesn’t matter because we’ll most likely be seeing a new Say Anything album in 2009 [meaning nobody else should bother attempting to make it to #1 for the year, because we already know who has that locked down.]

Oh, Max. I, for one, can not wait for new songs from Say Anything, especially since the live videos someone caught over the summer were pretty amazing. For those who missed them:

“Cemetery”

and

“Loathing”

I will end this post saying that Max Bemis is probably the perfect man and I would like if someone would deliver one to my new house. I even have an extra bedroom, so he’d be able to escape my clutches from time to time, I swear. Christmas is coming, he’d make a nice gift.

Good Morning! We have new BEMIS.

Posted by pixie | Filed under Uncategorized

There is only one thing I would like more than this at the moment… and since that is constantly in the back of my mind, percolating, I’ll take these videos of Max Bemis playing acoustic versions of two new Say Anything songs.

The first one is called “Loathing” and from what I can make of the lyrics, it has about 15 quotable lines, particularly if you are sad and lonely in the way that Max seems to be able to perfectly explain. I definitely feel it, anyway:

The second one is “Cemetery,” and there is some supreme Max adorableness in this video that I won’t ruin for the rest of you, who like me, adore the little things he does:

This song is going to be amazing with the full band.

Since there are no more Say Anything dates for the rest of the year, my OCD is compelling me to seek out Two Tongues dates [which are supposed to happen before the end of the year] so I can re-attempt “Operation: Meet Max Bemis [and Use the Awesome Pick-Up Line of ‘Im Over 18, Dude’.”

Also, these two new songs make me so sad that he announced he’d write a personalized, unique song for a mere $150… on the day I moved.  I would have paid that in a heartbeat, and even wrote out what I wanted my song to be about [I would have requested the title be “P.M.”] but I didn’t have the money. Hopefully, he’ll do it again. I’ll sell blood if I must, to get that song.

Anyway, I digress. Enjoy the new songs, because they’re quite good and pretty much guarantee the next Say Anything, supposedly out in 2009, will be album of the year for said year.  [I’m pretty sure that is the earliest prediction for album of the year I have ever made… and it could be weird if MCR roll something out that year… but I’m standing by it.]

Alternative Press Makes Me Sweat

Posted by pixie | Filed under Uncategorized

Why? Because the cover of the next issue features, amongst other people, Max Bemis… tied up with rope.

It’s not that I am some dominant freak [quite the opposite, to be honest] but the way I see it is, if I am ever to have my dream date with Maxim Bemis, it would require him to look just like he does on that cover.

Mrow.

Want to see?

Damn.

Sorry posts have been sporadic… life and the things you have to do sometimes get in the way of the things you want to do and love doing.

Quick Link: Video of Max Bemis on His Pet Peeves

Posted by pixie | Filed under Uncategorized

Okay, here’s what we have:
01. Max in a tank top
02. Max looking a bit scruffy
03. Max explaining his pet peeves, which are really somewhat abnormal pet peeves, as they go.

Naturally, I need to share the link, as I’m pretty sure we’re all in need of some new Bemis content around here:
Max Bemis’ Pet Peeves.

As always, amazing.

Wow, LoveLine Still Exists

Posted by pixie | Filed under Uncategorized

Who knew? Certainly not me, but you know I will make every effort to catch Loveline tomorrow night, as the special guest will be the one and only Max Bemis.  I may not know whether or not popular shows are still aired, but I do know pretty much every single thing Max Bemis does.

I’m pretty sure I should be more disturbed by this admission than I am.

For those who are feeling lazy about the link clicking, it’s on tomorrow, Thursday, from 10pm to 12am.

New MySpace and Song From Two Tongues

Posted by pixie | Filed under Uncategorized

Why do you care about Two Tongues? Because it’s the band made up of Max [who is possibly this site’s favorite person on earth] and Cody of Say Anything, plus Chris and David of Saves The Day. That’s why.

I’m not going to wax poetic here, because let’s face it: you want to hear the song, “Crawl,” right now:
So go do it!

I really, really love this. It combines both bands perfectly, is super-catchy, and just works.  It’s further proof [which wasn’t needed after he nailed a rap song on Punk Goes Crunk] that Max Bemis can do no wrong.  Enjoy!

“Can I Lie With You In Your Grave?”

Posted by pixie | Filed under Uncategorized

Do you see that line above? Why yes, it is a lyric to a new Say Anything song that Max played at an acoustic show in California last week. [Why have I not moved there yet?] The song is called “Ahhh… Men” and will be on the band’s new album, due out next year.

Is it amazing? Of course it is amazing. It’s Max Bemis playing a brand-new Say Anything song. I kind of can’t wait to hear what it sounds like when it’s played by the full band… but this is just plain gorgeous.

I think the thing that fascinates me most about Max is how wildly charismatic he is, in addition to being the writer of brilliant lyrics and the whole stunning good looks thing he has going on. It really is the charisma, though. He just speaks and it’s as if he beams sunlight across a room.

Anyway, enjoy the song!

Oh, and here’s a bonus: it takes a bit of time to buffer, but Max’s whole performance was caught on video and is streaming here.

Say Anything on Conan O’Brien

Posted by pixie | Filed under Uncategorized

They played “Shiksa [Girlfriend]”:

I actually wanted to go see this live, but unlike in the good old days, you have to book Conan O’Brien tickets months in advance.  After seeing it, I’m not that bummed, considering how well I know this band sounds live — also known as “not like this.”  That studio has screwy sound or something, because they own this song live, normally.

I was going to go and wait for standby tickets, and then I realized I just don’t have what it takes to compete with fangirls half my age anymore.  So godspeed to you all, carry on the legacy as I would! Seriously, though: in 1997, I heard The Cure was playing Conan O’Brien’s show, called up the day before, and got tickets.  A lot of people did… Conan even joked he’d never seen so much black clothing in his audience. Those, my friends, were the halcyon days. Stalking bands was significantly easier than it is these days.

I’d also like to let you know that I did actually see this performance on TV, despite not setting my DV-R. Why? Because I have a boyfriend now [no way, no how] who is amazing and even though it was hours after I briefly angsted about missing this performance… remembered I wanted to see it, put the TV on channel 4, and even watched it with me — not once making fun of my taste in music.

You know how “they” say, “It’s the little things?”  Well, it is. Always remember that, guys.

A note on this blog: I’m in the middle of cleaning out, selling things, and have to get out of my current apartment in about a month, while working full time at my day job.  As such, updates will probably be sporadic for a month or so, and then I will really be back full force… with all that stress out of my life.

They pl