Tin Can Valley Publishing

Eggs and Broilers

The Printer — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:21:41 +0000

Brass etchings of a rooster and a chicken. A gift from my mother. Either would look great on your farm fresh eggs.

Chocolate O

ney — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:44:53 +0000

This morning’s breakfast was exceptionally tasteful.

Music on Main

The Printer — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:33:50 +0000

A or B

The Printer — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:56:51 +0000

Tin Can Labs is not just a maker of fine printing and art products. Here, the visual arts depend on a constant supply of new music, and groovy sounds. Occasionally I become obsessed with some new tool of art or music. The creative process that finally manifests these new tools usually follows a strict flowchart or road map. This process has many nodes and options that can completely abort the project or merely delay its progress indefinitely.

Happy Hour!

The Printer — Tue, 20 May 2008 00:17:18 +0000

8.5 x 11, Wausau 24 lb. stock, 70 tan and 70 ivory, two shades of brown ink, handset foundry type and carved linoleum block. Can’t wait to see Jeff James.

Thanks Alice! This one was a lot of fun!

Brr-zzzt-drrr-zzzt-zt

The Printer — Sat, 03 May 2008 14:20:42 +0000

I can play at least a simple song (often improvised) on most any musical instrument, as long as it has strings and frets. I’m way too uncoordinated to manage a drum set, and the utter simplicity of piano keys are baffling. But strings and frets seem to make sense. And that’s just about it. Oh wait: a kazoo. I can play a kazoo.

If I remember right, it was my first instrument. Not including homemade bangy-things like aluminum pots and cardboard oatmeal containers, it was quite possibly my first real music generator.

And now, not including the homemade bangy-things, the old worn out guitar, the hand-me-down drum set, the full-scale electric keyboard, the microphone and amplifier; oh wait, it’s not even close. OK, it’s not my two-year-old’s first musical instrument, but he definitely plays it better than any of the others. He has several, five or six, all plastic.

Even if I was late for a job interview, I couldn’t drive past a guitar store. I know where every single one is south of Minneapolis and north of Mason City. I’m always looking for used, well-worn guitars. I usually don’t buy one, but I always try to buy something. I usually pick up a pack of strings so I always have extras.

Like I said already, five or six plastic kazoos. Every music store has a “candy bin” of plastic kazoos near the front counter. But few have the tin kazoos. Even fewer have more than one model of tin kazoo.

This one does.

And this one’s a gem. There aren’t many small-town music stores left. There aren’t many small town you-name-its left at all. Insert small-town in front of any business description, and it’s probably been closed for ten years. Somehow Waseca Music Co. has held on.

If you are traveling Hwy. 14 between Mankato and Rochester, don’t miss Waseca Music Co. The store is at 111 South State Street, just a half block south of the Hwy. 13 and 14 intersection.

Sunday Afternoon

The Printer — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 03:22:01 +0000

Q: What happens when I sneak out of the house, and into the shop?

A: A proof of a new linoleum carving for a poster I am working on, and finally, new business cards. Thanks for the paper scraps, Tom!

Galley

The Printer — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 03:06:05 +0000

It all starts with type in a galley. Two fun projects are in the works.

Hello iBook

The Printer — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:24:35 +0000

Today the Tin Can Mac Network expanded with the addition of an iBook 300 MHz Blueberry 6 GB 320MB Airport OS 9.2.

I ordered it several weeks ago from mikesbasementmacs.com, and was pleasantly surprised by Mike delivering it personally to my daytime job. He cleaned it up a bit and replaced the keyboard, but was nice enough to leave the reflective fleet identification number on it. I am either in possession of number 01 or 10, depending on which way the original iBook owner defined up: hard tellin’ on the clamshells.

OK, no secret. Ten years ago, Tin Can Publishing was 100% Old-Fi: paper, pencils, some ink, oil and rusty steel presses. The audio division was still recording all new material on 4-track tape. Some of the engineers in the studio were complaining about always having to rewind when comping overdubs. After some thorough research, the board concluded that digital recording had come a long way; not to mention the cost of analog tape was sky-rocketing on account of Jeff Tweedy and Steve Earl stock-piling every reel they could get their hands on.

Anyway, a firewire iBook, in combination with the new Mark of the Unicorn 828, was picked as the most cost-effective, versatile, and portable option. Orders were noted, colors were debated, and money orders were purchased when, “BAM!” Apple introduces the new IceBook 500. Alas, more power and speed was worth the sacrifice of a little character. The minimalistic IceBook is another story (watch here for a link).

But finally ten years later, if only for sake of its AirPort card, this new cherished “vintage” Mac will become a functional node on the Tin Can Network. First up: a new battery and a Tiger install.

What’s Up

The Printer — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:51:21 +0000

It’s official. Two nights from now, Depot Creek will have its Mankato debut performance at the What’s Up Lounge in downtown Mankato.

Friday, February 8, 2005 10 p.m. – What’s Up Lounge, Mankato – Austin Scarlett, The Schmoejoes, Maudlin & Depot Creek – $3 21+

Mucho thanks to The Schmoejoes for setting us up with the gig.

Depot Creek – a return to rock and roll.

In the summer of 2007, former members of the acoustic string band, The Oxbow Boys, returned to their roots.