The birth of (independent Rock n Roll group) Pointy Cheeks first came about one evening while cooking dinner. My housemate David Garza said to me, “Ace, I got a new name for our band… Pointy Cheeks.” I thought to myself and said out loud, “I don’t really like it.” I couldn’t help but imagine the demonic image of a smiling clown after he spoke the words, “Pointy Cheeks.”
David insisted that the name was a keeper and added, “Just imagine some English radio host saying, “Today, all the way from across the pond, with us in studio, members David and Acey from the American rock n roll group the Cheeks. So… how does it feel to be a cheek?” I think the irony in the name, its vulnerability to be altered as, “The Butt Cheeks” is all apart of David’s unique sense of humor. I was sold on the idea after asking, “how does it look in print?” David scratched the name down in the red Moleskine I keep in my back pocket. We both agreed it looked great. Done deal.
It had to look at least as good as our previous name, Auto-Homo which was a word David and I used to define a self sustaining or an automatic human. What really put the cheery on top was David’s explanation of how he came up with the name Pointy Cheeks. As I recall he had a dream and the name just popped into his head. Actually he asked, “Do you know when you are kissing a girl and look down your nose and see two mountainous humps? Those are Pointy Cheeks.”
Although we have never performed anywhere or have recorded a single track together, I consider David and I as a band named Pointy Cheeks.
On a different evening while having a few friends over for dinner, Katie mentioned that Timothy O’Malley will be recording artists this semester free of charge, and that I should ask him about it. I talked to Tim the next day and scheduled a recording session later the same week. Even though I was under prepared, rushed, and band mate David Garza couldn’t get work off I still went through as planned with the recording session.
With the help of a handful of very supportive friends, and a couple days notice, I was able to get my friend Jonathon DeSoto to come and gather some video for about 30 minutes while Tim and I set up. Next thing I know Rachel Mermaid Pattin showed up and sung her first original tune “Ohio.” Aaron Noble also arrived with his crystal bowels and other instruments of sound healing and laid down some good vibes on the track Nuclear Banana. Katie, Kim and John Manning were also in the control room and in the sound studio singing and enjoying themselves. Overall it was a great experience and a good time. There weren’t many expectations other than hoping for a masterpiece. Just kidding, there weren’t many.
The reality of the experience proved to me that I have a lot of room to grow. It was a worthy first effort but don’t expect to hear my ultra rough first album followed by the words, “that’s pure gold.” When I share it with friends I cringe like when you hear your own voice played back on someone’s answering machine. David and I both agree we need to rerecord the whole thing over again, this time together and create a real work of art.
On the upside, as a result of the whole endeavor I now have a low-fi album, and a pre-preview trailer for the Documentary film I am working on. However, the audience that finds them selves exposed to my work can say with confidence that they are truly supporting ultra-independent-low-fi-art. On the other hand, the artistic value of Pointy Cheeks & Mermaid is at the mercy of subjective opinions, so keep in mind it’s all just for fun.
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