This week, Michael Rudolph Cummings releases his new recorded-live-to-two-track EP, mRc, and begins a weekender of shows in Los Angeles, which is not a minor trip for someone based in Pennsylvania. The new release is, well, not really new. It was recorded 10 years ago by Cummings on an old tape machine and it’s been mastered and all that happy whatnot, but you can still hear the songs are plenty raw. It sounds like, oh, say, a guy recording onto a tape machine he found at somebody’s garage sale.

That barebones-ness gives a sense of intimacy to a track like “1993” or the twang-grunge of “The Meaning Of” (premiering below) and as with Cummings‘ more recent work in the trio Boozewa alongside fellow former members of Backwoods Payback, the lo-fi aspect across mRc becomes a crucial part of the aesthetic. For about 15 minutes, then it’s done. It’s a very quick release.

As to what else Cummings might have in store for the year, I don’t know, but he’s dropping hints of more to come, so who knows what else may be in the proverbial vault, which one imagines as actually a disorganized closet or one of those plastic bins you get at the Costco. At least that’s how I’m living these days.

Cummings is playing with Bob Wayne, IV and the Strange Band (which is Hank Williams III‘s kid? fuck I’m old) and Desert Danish and Sammy Ruiz. Looks like a cool couple of shows. And the EP’s right on. I guess that’s the depth of insight I have to offer here. Dude does cool shit. I should rewrite the headline.

Audio and info and dates and so on:

These two LA shows will mark my first time playing on the west coast in close to a decade. To say I’m excited for them is the understatement of the year (it’s still early!).

Add in the release of this new/old long lost ep and it’s safe to say 2022 is already shaping up to be quite productive…and it’s only getting started.”

some info on the ep:

It was recorded sometime in 2012 (I think?) here at the compound in an old 2 track tape machine I bought at a yard sale. It had one reel of tape with it and I recorded the songs live. It was then mastered by Mike Bardzik at Noisy Little Critter and given back to me on a master CD. The CD was lost in the shuffle of tours and bands and vans up until the lockdown of 2020 when it found its way back to me. Now it’s out, 10 or so years after it was intended, but it feels good to share it finally.

Michael Rudolph Cummings “mRc”
Release date: Feb 1 2022

1. Beltdrive
2. 1993
3. Healer
4. The Meaning Of
5. Hurdles

SHOWS
Feb 4th Bourbon Room Hollywood CA w/ Desert Danish, Sammy Ruiz
Feb 6th Alex’s Bar Long Beach CA 2pm MATINEE w/ Bob Wayne, IV & The Strange Band

http://www.boozewa.com/
http://twitter.com/bckwoodspayback
http://instagram.com/backwoodspayback
https://michaelrudolphcummings.bandcamp.com/

Michael Rudolph Cummings, mRc (2022)