Rosetta

Oh, Mr. Matt! Why not? I have a friend, if you are interested. :)

Wed, 23 May 2012 14:44:58 -0400

Nope. I’m already married. And Armine is already in a committed relationship — with psychologically unstable pit bulls. He’ll be allowed to start dating when he’s 55, which is in about three years.

(Previously)

For Matt: I'm pretty sure I saw somewhere you play in Drop Bb. Do you use baritone guitars ? Wouldn't regular 25" scale guitars be out of tune when tuned this low ?

Wed, 23 May 2012 09:05:08 -0400

Both of the guitars I use with Rosetta are normal 24.75” scale Gibsons. The low tuning works because the guitars use heavier (.013-.062) strings and have been set up specifically for that tuning. Action is a little higher than normal, but that’s just a necessary tradeoff.

Are there any plans for a new production?

Tue, 22 May 2012 22:58:58 -0400

Right now we’re working on new songs for what will probably be a 4-song EP. We still don’t know what the timeline will be for this release, but we’d tentatively like to record it before the end of the year.

We’ve been in a holding pattern for a while now, largely due to various life complications and the horrendous saga of our van. That’s beginning to change; after this summer’s touring, we’ll be getting to work on lots of new stuff.

which would be your demands to come to south america?

Tue, 22 May 2012 22:50:17 -0400

We don’t really have any demands. We WANT to come to South America very very much. The main thing is finding the right people for booking, backline, and transportation. That stuff seems stupid but it’s important to ensure that the shows are worthwhile for the people who come.

Does the band ever get writer's block musically? If so, how do you overcome it? Also, I would like to see y'all come to Memphis one day.

Sun, 20 May 2012 23:54:41 -0400

Yeah it happens all the time. Tonight at practice we overcame it by shifting the key of a new but underwhelming song up a major 3rd, and it totally transformed it. Opened it up. Then we wrote yet another 4 minute hardcore song.

Did you ever seen somebody with tattoo with your lyrics, or band name, or something like this?

Sun, 20 May 2012 23:39:09 -0400

All the time. We don’t recommend it, but if people feel they need to do it, that’s their call.

How do you come up with the set list for when you play live; moreover, is it the same set list for the entire tour or do you change it nightly to keep things interesting for the guys in the band? Is there more of an emphesis on the latest releases or does everyone have a personal favorite? I've read of your reluctance to play some of the older stuff; however, do you think that would change with time?

Sun, 20 May 2012 23:38:06 -0400

We almost always decide the set about 5 minutes before we go on. In between songs, you’ll often see us reminding each other of what’s next. We try to pick songs that we think the particular crowd will like, and usually play material from at least two or three different releases. We won’t play certain songs at all, but if someone asks for a song that is in our rotation, we’ll usually play it for them.

I don’t think we necessarily have personal favorites, most songs are what you make them as you perform them — they can almost be remade every time they’re played.

Mr. Armine, you're so awesome and gorgeous! Please, marry me?!

Sun, 20 May 2012 23:37:54 -0400

As “band dad”, I (Matt) am going to have to put my foot down here and not allow this. Nothing personal.

Besides, you didn’t include your contact info.

Another live video from Russia

Fri, 04 May 2012 07:16:47 -0400

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2Kj1IBLcgQ&feature=related

What are the birthdates of Rosetta members?

Thu, 03 May 2012 13:24:21 -0400

Haha, we’re not giving this information out (although it should be readily accessible on Facebook…). But I can tell you that Dave, BJ, and Matt were all born in 1983, and Armine was born sometime between 1935 and 1960. We keep asking to see the birth certificate, but he won’t show it. Probably because he was born in Kenya.

I've never been close enough to notice, but do you all wear earplugs at shows? What kind do you use?

Thu, 03 May 2012 13:22:06 -0400

Yes, absolutely. To my knowledge we’ve never played a show without them. Hearing loss is not a joke and even having used plugs so diligently, some of us do have a little bit of tinnitus.

Armine uses the Etymotic ER20 plugs, Dave and BJ use foamies, and Matt uses Etymotic ER25 earmolds. We have no affiliation with Etymotics but they deserve a shout-out for making really decent, helpful stuff for people who play music.

thefatkidillustration: hey kids- it’s been a while, but i’m...

Thu, 03 May 2012 13:15:14 -0400

thefatkidillustration:

hey kids-

it’s been a while, but i’m back with a new print for super best friends ROSETTA. it’s a two color (glow in the dark white ink and black ink) print on 6” x 6” white stock.

the idea comes from the original lyrical content when a determinism of morality was still being written. armine and i sat down a while ago and he told me that fireflies factored into what he was writing, but after a while they didn’t really remain a part of the project. fast forward to a few weeks ago: i was asked to come up with a new print for them, something that would be 6” x 6”. it was suggested that i take the firefly idea to completion, which gave me an interesting idea. i bought some glow in the dark white ink and factored it into the design. the idea is that when you look at the print in the light all you notice is the black lineart of the firefly, but when you look at it in the dark the bulb starts to glow which highlights the lower parts of the design. the left image shows a mock up of the print in the light, the right image mocked up for appearing in the dark.

these will be available tomorrow at rosetta’s performance at the first unitarian church with old man gloom, james plotkin and argonauts. info for the show can be found here. even if you don’t pick up a print you should be at that show because it will more than likely melt a few faces. i’ll more than likely be hanging around the rosetta merch table.

more to come!

<3tFk!

ps. for slightly more regular but far more vague updates as to what i’m up to, please follow me on instagram, username @thefatkidillus. there you can find teasers and works in progress, as well as lots of pictures of my dog sleeping. you won’t regret it.

From Montreal, March 2012. Taken by Mikaël Cardin.

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 23:29:06 -0400

From Montreal, March 2012. Taken by Mikaël Cardin.

What are your impressions of visiting Russia? Hope to see you again in future. Best wishes

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 23:27:26 -0400

We had a fantastic time in both Russia and Ukraine. There seem to be a lot of negative stereotypes about Russia, but our experience was completely positive. Everyone we met was warm and friendly; we especially enjoyed seeing the cities and traveling by train. If all goes well, we’re hoping to come back soon.

Live Video From Russia

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:16:01 -0400

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3LWIzcw8mQ&feature=related

This question is for Armine: what level of formal education did you complete to become a school teacher? What areas of study really piqued your interest? It seems from some of the lyrics a lot of Philosophy and possibly Psychology. Lastly, what do you find the most enriching and rewarding part about being a teacher? I am considering becoming a teacher and would really enjoy your input from experience.

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:02:42 -0400

I(Armine) graduated Temple University with a BA in Education, focus in Social Sciences. I was one credit short of a minor in Psychology. I also hold a certification allowing me to case manage students in crisis.

Currently I’m working on a masters degree in education. I’d like to teach at the university level one day.
However after I’m finished my masters program in the spring, I’ll be going to school for veterinarian technology(Just because).

In terms of how rewarding the teaching profession is, my advice is to look at it this way: Take pride in all your small victories(smiles, hellos, high fives, jokes and “oh man I can’t believe I understand this”.
No one tells you at the end of the day “hey that was really inspiring”, or “thanks for being there when I needed help”, or even “Thanks for working 70hrs a week and smiling the entire time”. In fact no one tells you “I’m going to be a congressmen and work for the people, not the lobbyist, because of your class”. Those thank youse come 6-7 years after the students have entered the real world, after they can see outside themselves. Long after they’ve, in many cases, have forgotten all about you, will you finally reap those returns.

I’ve had several students return to pay their respect and give their thanks and praise. Those energizing moments carry you on. Those moments make you remember why you do the most under rated and under appreciated job out there.

what do you guys think about free music downloads?

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:40:51 -0400

We will provide you with the best quality mediafire links.

Go get it!

This question is for Mike: how bad is your eyesight without your glasses? Do you ever have trouble keeping them on at shows?

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:40:02 -0400

Wow. I (Armine) love this question. My eye sight is very poor. Without my glasses I can only see clearly 2.5inches from my face. The world without my glasses looks like a picture out of focus. Everything is soft and shapeless.

any chance we could ever see a re-release of the Galilean Satellites where the two discs are combined onto one so we no longer have to sync up two stereos?

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:19:40 -0400

The chances are very slim. It’s my opinion(Armine) that for the most part we’ve put that record behind us.

Is the space man from Galilean Satellites an INFP or INFJ? He seems to pessimistic to be an INFP but too self-aware to be an INFJ. Or perhaps he's just a really stressed out INTP?

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:27:42 -0400

ESTJ. Weird right?