The National Pool

New Record

2008-06-09T04:29:00.001-07:00

I started writing some new songs and hope to put out a new record later this year. At the latest, it'll happen in November since thats been how it's went down for the past two years. I get about a month and a half off of work in July and August so I hope to do the bulk of recording during that time when my mind is clear and I can take the time needed to record.

At the moment, it's looking like it's going to be quite different from the past two. I don't really feel like making a big fuss out of it nor do I really have the equipment now to do another Electronica-style record. I'd say that it might end up like a cross between David Grey's "White Ladder," Neil Young's "Silver and Gold," and some of the messyness of the Bradley Nowell acoustic record. Change is good so we'll see what happens.

Tomorrow is my birthday and I'll be spending it teaching little kids how to speak English. Haha. Later. Brad

Life In Japan

2008-05-05T18:02:00.001-07:00

It's been a very long time since the last post, but here we go.

Japan:
I moved to Japan in March 2008 and am having a great time. I started up a new blog here: http://yokohamabrad.blogspot.com/ Check it out. I'm playing at a venue in Tokyo at the end of June with some other awesome musicians. After we practice for the show in the coming weeks, we're planning to play in the street so hopefully I'll have some video of that up on the YouTube Page.

Music:
I've been writing a little bit lately. I don't have an electric guitar over here, only acoustic and limited equipment. I'm hoping to release some acoustic stuff later on this year, and possibly a free EP of acoustic cover songs if anybody wants it. Work and play have been keeping me busy but I definitely intend on putting out more music.

Albums:
We still have two records available for sale all over the Internet. Thanks to everybody who's been supporting us and buying the music. Keep it up. I know I have a tendency to go MIA on the Internet sometimes and it's awesome to see people still into the music.

For more detailed info on how Japan is going, again check out the new blog:
http://yokohamabrad.blogspot.com/

Later,

Brad

Home E.P. - New Album Announcement

2007-11-13T18:58:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody,

I'm very happy to announce the arrival of our second album, Home. We've been working really hard on it for quite some time now and it's great to finally set it free. Some of the songs are only a month old while I've toying around with others for about a year now. It contains six songs and is an E.P.

I submitted it into iTunes, Emusic, etc tonight (Nov. 13) and it should be available to buy within the coming weeks. Some stores will get it faster than others and I'll be sure keep everyone updated. At the latest it should be available by mid-December I'd say.

The overall vibe of the record is quite relaxed compared to some of our other songs. The subject matter on the album deals a lot with death and rebirth, combined with a healthy dose of my love for all things science related.

Musically, we used more atmospheric keyboard sounds and I tried to go for slightly more tweaked out guitar sounds.

I may edit this post at a later date to give additional info on the record if I think of anything. If you have any burning questions about it, you can send email to: thenationalpool@gmail.com.

Enjoy the 3 tunes I put up on the Myspace page and I'll keep you posted as to when it's available for sale.

-Brad

www.TheNationalPool.com

Amazon.com - DRM Free

2007-11-05T17:30:00.001-08:00

Hey everybody,

Our music is also available now in the brand new Amazon.com DRM-Free music store. Check it out. You can play those mp3s in any mp3 player and burn as many CDs as you want with them.

We finished the new EP and it should be available for sale in the music stores within the next couple months. I'll posts some songs from it as soon as they're ready.

-Brad

The National Pool on Halo 3!

2007-10-15T17:57:00.000-07:00

hell yes we are!....WE are...not our music...unfortunately...

Add us!! gamer tag: SoiledP

when our day jobs are through crushing our souls for the day
we like to unwind and kick some ass online, teabag a few chins...
who knows!?!?

Anyways, we're ramping up for the release of our NEW EP!!
so check back periodically

i love you

Brad's note: This was originally a Myspace bulletin post by Kyle. I'm also posting it here in case any one missed it.

Aug 23, 2007 - Long Awaited Update

2007-08-23T17:07:00.000-07:00

At long last, here is a full update. I hope it's interesting.

Why no blog posts lately? Things have been very busy and there also wasn't much going on to write about. Any free time I've had was spent studying Japanese, being lazy, or going to the podcast, Modern Music Business.

Lending A Hand: Since The National Pool is only a studio project for the moment, getting the word out can be a bit tough. So if you like our music, please lets your friends know about it. I've also uploaded the AO1 single to a torrent. Click here for our listing on The Pirate Bay. If the download goes slow at first, blame Comcast and be patient. I will be seeding this torrent forever and rest assured you'll get it.

New E.P.: We will be done recording by the end of September at the latest. From there, we master the record and submit it into iTunes which could take some time. The album has a very chilled out vibe to it. The single from the record is called "Home" and my favorite song title is called "We Want You Dead." As of now, the record is untitled.

Once we have the record back from being mastered, we'll be sure to post songs to the page. I also plan to start work on at least one full length album to release by early next year.

Here is the current track listing:
1. We Want You Dead
2. Walking Down The Hall
3. Aurora
4. Home
5. Changing Tides
6. ???

Design: Within the next month or so I hope to do a full redesign of our "site." I say "site" because it's really just a Myspace page. Nonetheless, it will look different.

I suppose that's all for now. If you want to say hi, email thenationalpool@gmail.com or Skype: thenationalpool

-Brad

8.1.07 - Quick Update

2007-08-01T05:19:00.000-07:00

This is more of a half-blog post.

1. Real blog post with news and things is coming this weekend.
2. EP almost finished recording. Should be out in a couple months.

Talk soon.

Brad.

5.6.2007 - A New Podcast, A New Planet

2007-05-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

Brad here. It's blog time.

Podcast: I started up a new podcast called Modern Music Business. If you've always wanted to hear me talk about the recording industry for ten minutes every week, then your dreams just came true. Stop by the site and subscribe in iTunes.

Also, check out the ever-growing list of podcasts that have been playing our music. I'd like to say thanks again to everyone thats been supporting what we're doing.

General News: I'm pretty excited about the new Earth-like planet that was discovered. I suppose I won't ever get to go there though...it's a damn shame. I guess I'll just have to keep watching Sci-Fi for now.

I'm planning on taking the JLPT later this year. If you have any tips, feel free to get in touch. Also, if you speak Japanese and have Skype say hi too. Our tag is: thenationalpool.

Also looking forward to the new Ataxia record and Laura Veirs coming to Nashville.

What I'm Into Lately: Letters From Iwo Jima, Father Ted Season 3, Bebel Gilberto, and Gregory Issacs.

Mata ne.

Brad

4.27.07 - Napster, TWIS, and Interview

2007-04-27T04:57:00.000-07:00

Brad here.

Napster: The big news I mentioned earlier this month happened yesterday. I was too busy to post a blog up until now, but we did manage to post up a bulletin. I believe that the free download will up on another page of Napster for about six days so you can still check it out. Here is a screen shot.

Interview: The interview I did with Dave Rabbit last week turned out pretty good. The podcast is available in the iTunes directory, but you should be able to download it directly by saving this file. It turned out pretty good so give it a listen.

This Week In Science: "Arecibo" will be featured on the 2007 compilation of T.W.I.S. I don't think that there is anything up on their site now, but check back later for more details.

General Things I'm Liking Lately: Father Ted Season 2, Sam's Sushi, the new Laura Veirs record, Wasting Time At Work, Blood Diamond, Elephant Larry.

Thats all I can think of for now. Mata ne...

Brad

4.10.07 - Banner, Interview, and Movies

2007-04-09T19:14:00.000-07:00

Brad here. Got some things.

Freeskier Magazine: Thanks to the great folks at Freeskier Magazine for using our song "AO1" for their video coverage of the 2007 Jon Olsson Invitational. You can check out the video here on their site, as well as on their podcast.

Lyrics and a Banner: I posted up the original lyric sheet to "Everywhere You Look" in our photos section. I also made a new banner...but I can't figure out how to put the code in the blog, without the picture appearing again.

New Star Trek: I'm pretty hyped up after hearing about the possibility of a new Star Trek coming soon, especially after LOST is just takin' dumps lately.

Interview: We might be interviewed by a Vietnam vet for his podcast, in which case I will be sure to let everyone know how to get the show when it's released. Should be fun.

Movies I've Seen Lately: The Island, Inconvient Truth, V For Vendetta, Lucky Number Slevin, 300, Star Trek: Generations, Casino Royale, Children Of Men, and The Departed. I've also been really digging Father Ted Season 1 too. Yep, I've been watching a ton of movies.

We've got some cool news coming at the end of this month. In the meantime, get them iTunes kid! Thank you as always for the comments and to the podcasters for jammin' out our tunes.

Best,

Brad

The Podcast List

2007-04-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

Here is the definitive list of Podcasts that have played songs by The National Pool on their shows. We would like to extend our greatest thanks for the airplay. We can't do it without you guys!

This list will updated as new shows play our songs.

Jersey Todd Show - Ep. 63
GD's Bite Size Bonus - Ep. 236
The Stam Podcast - Ep. 38
The Broad Cast - Ep. 13
Music From The Other Side - Ep. 2
Learn Japanese - Ep. 40
Joyrise - Ep. 156 and 186
Radio QRM - Ep. Disjointed
News From The Other Side - Talk Ep. 20
144oz - Ep. 198
Suburban Transpondency - Ep. 44
My Cup Of Tea (In Japanese) - 1/17/07
Most People Are DJs - Ep. 80
The M Show - Ep. 133
Hawaii Surf Session Report - Ep. 122
Music Business Radio - Ep. 21
This Week In Science - 1/16/07
Evil Genius Chronicles - 1/16/07
Hot Buttered Pop Culture - Ep. 220
Robot 40 - Ep. 16
Is This Thing On? - Ep. 33
A Weekly Fix - Ep. 21
Gatorcast - Ep. 33
Way Past Bedtime with Gustav Bertha - Ep. 28
Startled Bunny: Global Edition - Ep. 6
Not Another Local Band - Ep. 21
Next Big Hit - 2/9/07 - Ep. 201
Contrast Podcast - Ep. 46
Bald Guy Show - Ep. 156
Japanese Pod101.com - News #41 2/17/07
America Unsigned - Ep. 5
Radio QRM - Which Way To Peterborough?
Dropshock Radio - Ep. 32
Candid Radio - Ep. 202
Regional Music Show - Ep. 1
Sourcetrunk - Ep. 19
Freeskier Magazine Podcast - 2007 Jon Olsson Invitational
Crankcast - Ep. 79
The Big Ugly Podcast - 2k7 04/12
Radio Orphans Podcast - Ep. 94
Big Phil's Love Parade - Ep. 77 and Ep. 80
Confessions Of A DJ - Bonus Traxx Ep. 3
Suitcase Full Of Dimes - Ep. 37
Japan Talk - Ep. 65
That Blue Jeans Guy - Ep. 63 and 96
Dark Compass - Ep. 261
Top Of The Podsafes - Ep. 83
Journey Inside My Mind - Ep. 83
Borderline - Ep. 77
Dave Rabbit's 1st Termer Exp. - 4/20/07
Indie Music Sampler - Ep. 42
Brunchohol - Ep. 31
Notes Underground - Ep. 58
Lip Gloss and Laptops - Ep. 56
The FredCast Cycling Podcast - Ep. 67
64mm Vlog - Ep. 54
Get Jacked! - Ep. 270
The Second Floor Lounge - Ep. 14
Get Busy Radio - 4/20/07
Endless Shouting Matches With Yourself - Ep. 9
Alt.Cast - Ep. 111
Chub Creek - Ep. 91
Wasting Time Podcast - Ep. 15
Ambient Falls - Ep. 5
Joe's Podhole - Ep. 95
The Sunday Showdown - Ep. 24
Lip Gloss and Laptops - Ep. 56
Startled Bunny Podcast - Aug 25, 2007
JogTunes Indie Podcast - Ep. 14
On Hold Podcast - Ep. 65

-The National Pool

3.29.07 - Visual Art, Acoustic, Etc.

2007-03-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

Brad here. Feels like it's been awhile since I posted, so here we go...

Visual Art:
In the past couple weeks I've been really into the Cool Hunting podcast. It's very interesting as a musician to see experimental visual artists at work. For the creative people out there, you may also enjoy this post from The Gaping Void. It's quite an old post, but it's how I first found out about this incredible blog.

Acoustic Shows/Video:
I've been getting ready to play out live, most likely just a couple solo acoustic shows at first. I'll most likely be posting some video of the performances on the Myspace page. I'm also planning on posting some pictures of one of the lyrics sheets from the first album. You can subscribe to this blog to be the first to find out whats new.

General Things:
Here are some random things I've been into lately: Firefox extensions, Carl Sagan, World Music, The Cranberries, Pantera, Kaskade, Laura Veirs, BBC's Extras, Frank Wit, and Idiocracy. Just felt like I should put that out there.

I've also recently taken to blasting Dancehall Reggae and Drum n' Bass as I drive around town. I fully recommend trying it. Within those genres, I've been listening to Buju Banton, Capleton, DJ Marky, and Pendullum.

Thanks again from both of us for all of the comments and messages. More posts to come soon. Also, feel free to say hi on IM, SN: thenationalpool. Our screen name is the same for Skype as well. Our record is now available in iTunes Worldwide! Get your copy today.

Best,

Brad

3.05.07 - Sentient City, Etc.

2007-03-05T16:50:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody,

Brad here. Things have been pretty busy, so this will be another quick one.

Sentient City:
We're honored to have our song "Walls" be a part of the first issue of Sentient City. It's an e-zine from a group called The Interdependence Project based out of NYC. They also run a great weekly podcast called 21st Century Buddhism. Be sure to go visit their site.

The Request Line:
If you have a second, please request our song "AO1" on Sirius. Heres the link! Thank you.

Album Two:
We plan on releasing a new album by mid to late Summer 07. Stay tuned to the blog for pictures, video, etc.

I'll try and post again soon, hopefully it won't be another month between posts this time.

-Brad

2.13.07 - Update

2007-02-13T05:20:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

Brad here with an update. Here we go...

Subscribe:
We still have some cool news to share with everyone pretty soon, so unless you check our page compulsively, it might be a good idea to subscribe to the blog here. We should be posting it within the next couple weeks...

You:
We would like to put some new content on the site to say thanks for buying our record, but we can't quite decide on what to do. You can post comments on this blog and let us know what you'd like.

Zune and MTV Urge Users:
You will soon be able to get The National Pool in the Zune Store and through MTV's Urge Network. We'll keep ya posted.

New Music:
We are in the first stages of working on a second album and it's going great. It feels very good to be writing again. I could go into more depth about the whole process, perhaps at a later time. Again, our first record is available in iTunes Worldwide.

Stay Tuned,

Brad

Album Reviews

2007-01-29T05:09:00.000-08:00

So this is the first "real" post on the new blog and it's gonna be a quick one. Our first album was reviewed in England's Room Thirteen.com. Check it out. You can also buy that very same record here.

We are also starting to write some new material, albeit slowly. We're certainly in no rush, but we plan on having a new record out by mid-summer. Stay tuned, this should be quite a year.

Also, thanks again to all of the podcasters playing our music.

Talk soon,

Brad

Quick Update

2007-01-28T09:12:00.001-08:00

Hey world,

The Blog: Please subscribe to this blog to find out what we're up to as it happens. We have some very cool news to tell everyone about soon.

Feedback: Thank you to everyone for the messages and comments. We worked very hard on the album and it's great to see people enjoying it. Thats what it's all about for us. Again, please email us (address on front page) if you want a reply. The Myspace messaging feature has been acting up for us lately.

Photos: We just put up a new pic. Enjoy.

iTunes: The debut album is available in iTunes Worldwide. Please get it.

We'll leave the light on for ya.

-T.N.P.

WRLT and iTunes

2007-01-28T08:28:00.000-08:00

Hey Everybody,

Just a couple updates we'd like to let you know about:

AIRPLAY:
We'll be featured on WRLT, Lightning 100's Local Lightning Spotlight from Jan 8 - Jan 12. Each day throughout the week, at 2:40 pm and 8:40 pm they'll be playing "AO1."

If you're in the Nashville area try to tune in and check us out! Thanks again to the great folks at WRLT for supporting local music.

iTUNES:
Our self-titled debut album is also now officially available through iTunes Worldwide and there are links on the front page. Whether you're in the U.S., Ireland, Japan, and beyond, you can now get the album and we couldn't be more exicited about it. Be sure to check it out and review the album.

More great news to come...

-T.N.P.