The album is dope. Warm vocals, lots of great guitar, atypical drum parts, smooth and balanced production. Good stuff, LL.

I’d been considering taking down this site as it seems a bit off the mark in terms of my vision for it. While it’s kind of funny being the go-to site for all things Animal Sweaters, it isn’t exactly driving traffic to my music or acting sites. But then I thought, at least people are dropping in. Worse would be to have provided 8 years of content that nobody ever visits. So I’m embracing the trend (scroll to the bottom for the latest animal sweaters link). But dammit, when I start doing live shows this Spring, I better see some animal sweaters on you people! That or I Love NY  t-shirts. I suppose what you wear will depend upon the weather at the time. I can’t guarantee that Emma Thompson will be at my shows. I can’t guarantee she won’t be, either. It’s a free country.

Quick update on things. Finally getting the album back to near completion after recovering from my hard drive calamity. The goal is to have everything ready for mastering by the end of February, which would mean an early spring release date. I’m ready to get this thing out there. I’ve enjoyed making it, but I look forward to getting out of the studio and performing and seeing people face to face (or face to face to face if you’re wearing an animal sweater).

Not much has been happening on the acting front. I’ve been getting in front of people when I can and had some good (though one disastrous) auditions and call-backs. I’m having fun at them now, which is something I never thought I’d say. I’ve been considering relocating to LA since I’m thinking more about movies and TV, lately. That’s a major move after 19 years in the Apple, but I’m thinking that a change like that would probably be good for me. Plus I’d be closer to my sister. It depends on how things go here for the next few months.

I’m in week 7 of the P90x workout regimen. Gotta say, it lives up to the hype. I’m having a great time doing it. It’s nice being able to workout at home and avoid the germ infested gym (and I’m not just talking about the meatheads there). Week 7 is basically half way (It’s 90 days) through and I’m still having fun doing it, so that says a lot about how it keeps you engaged (to use a marketing buzz word). By the end of my 90 days, I should be able to join the X-Men or play the Batman in the latest in the series (assuming Christian Bale has grown tired of doing it). I’ve been practicing my gravelly voice for when I wear the Bat costume. “Any one got a Ricola? I’m Batman.”

Big things for 2012. Big things.

Oh, and here’s a link to some (surprisingly tasteful) animal sweaters: CLICK HERE. Just do me a favor and visit my Facebook page, too. I do for you, you do for me…

See you in the streets,

Nathe

The “Other” category covers all kinds of random searches that don’t add up to much on their own. As you can see, I love NY t-shirts is the top specific category, followed by Tarzan, Animal Sweaters, Emma Watson (with 23 of those searches specific to Emma’s ass – for shame!), Amy MacDonald, and me (Nathan Yates) just cracking the “category” criteria at 2%.

This isn’t the whole picture of activity here, of course. Many of you already know where to find me so you aren’t using search engines for info on me. So these aren’t the total traffic stats, only traffic as it relates to searches that led to people visiting the  site. Still, I’m going to make it a goal to increase my category share over this next year. Even if I have to start posting pictures of me wearing animal sweaters. I suppose I could start dating Emma Watson (but I won’t post pictures of her ass, you pervs).

If you did come here looking for info on animal sweaters, CLICK THIS LINK for Style.com’s recent article on them. See? Aren’t you happy you popped in? Now do me a favor and “Like” my FB music page or something. Thanks!

The program description of the event:

Pity City Ballet is a new musical performance by Mateo Tannatt. Using elements of video, text, sound and installation, Ballet is an investigation of the use of sculpture in the public field as well as of the definitions language and our contemporary social experience. Using elements of music and video accompaniment, Ballet is an investigation of the role of language and its use and limits within our everyday experience. This new work will feature a collection of original songs and compositions that have both arranged and played by a band* of 6 musicians formed especially for this occasion.

Pity City Ballet loosely based upon the work of singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen. Cohen who writes and plays in the subjective first person, made music that is both autobiographical and anonymous. Ballet includes original songs and texts written by Tannatt. Of the many concerts Cohen gave, Pity City Ballet is based upon the unique and singular performance that Leonard Cohen gave in the early morning hours at the Isle of Wight Festival in England in 1970.

* The band: Michael Browne, Jeremy Coleman, Lisa Liu, Zoe Sundra, John Weingarten, and Nathan Yates

Last week my external hard-drive bit the dust. Total flatline. Thankfully I had the good sense to have already backed up my album recording files to my dropbox online drive, so I didn’t lose too much of my work. Stupidly, I hadn’t backed anything up for a couple of months (which were, of course, very productive) so I did lose a decent amount of vocal recordings and editing, but nothing earth-shattering. I did, however, manage to lose all of my photos and my entire itunes song collection – over 9,500 songs. Losing the pictures really makes me sad because I had my Dad’s collection in there, too. Pictures he took on his visit to see me here in NYC the summer before he died. I hate losing those. And some other pictures that maybe I shouldn’t have been looking at but that I didn’t want to lose.

I’m not sure what made me protect my  my album but not my photos and music library. It’s weird not having any songs in my itunes after having had so many. Thank god this is the age of Spotify. I do miss the portability of having my collection with me, but my ipod had died the week before anyway. Bad stretch for me with electronics. So, my album is not lost, but now it is delayed – yet again. There will sadly (or perhaps mercifully) never be a From the Vault album of unreleased singles since my body of work prior to this album was completely wiped out with this crash. So, you’ll never hear any of the old tunes recorded by me back when I called myself Hayden Yates, Setay Nedyah (don’t ask), or, simply, Nate. Sad for me, but better to focus on the present rather than the past, probably.

So take Juvi’s advice and Back That Thing Up. Losing precious memories is so not gully.

..and looking forward to sharing it with you soon.

DOWN THIS ROAD

Staged Reading, August 20, 5pm

Studio 54

Shetler Studios & Theatres Inc.
244 West 54th Street, 12th floor
between Broadway & 8th Avenue
New York, NY 10019

Suggested donation: $15

RSVP highly recommended: CHELSEAREPLAB@yahoo.com

Down This Road. Written by Rori Nogee.

Featuring: Lindsey Ireland, Rosa Rodriguez and Greg Cohan.

Directed by Nathan Yates Douglass

Music and lyrics: Rori Nogee

Presented by The Chelsea Rep Theater Company