Show!

Well Letters to the Editor had it's first show in the BAY AREA. I thought it went well I would have to give us a stong C+ on it. My voice has been going IN-N-OUT, but I still fought on like Rocky.

Heres a cool pic of Ryan, and the amps of me and Brad's with a little twinkle to them.

Photo by Tayler

Check her stuff out at www.flickr.com/akelafoto




Merry Christmas


---Shane---

Who Made My Top Ten

Top ten albums of the year for me.



1.Ben Folds- Way to Normal



2.Say Anything-In Defense of the Genre



3.Jack's Mannequin- The Glass Passenger



4.Weezer-The Red Album



5.Death Cab For Cutie -Narrow Stairs



6.Coldplay - Viva La Vida Or Death & All His Friends



7.Jon Foreman- Winter EP



8.UNDERØATH- Lost in the Sound of Separation



9.Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III



10.Katy Perry - One Of The Boys




If you haven't heard any of these go and look them up now.


---Shane---

Photo Shoot

Today was a not so pretty day, but I think we managed to brighten it up with a flas and some smiles. We had half a photo shoot done with a wonderful gal namde Taylor. my favorite time was when i had to get in the water with my clothes on, while the others stayed safe an dry in the canoe.





If you wanna go and check out more of the photos we took and give kudos to the ones you like, then feel free to do so at this site. http://flickr.com/photos/akelafoto

smiles

---Shane---

Having fun stuff to do

Well it's been sometime since I actually wrote a real blog. So I will be doing so on this one. Life is going on the path it takes me. I have mostly been in "poetic" song mode, due to the new ep and album my band Letters to the Editor is working on. It has been pretty stressful since we have a show to play in about a month and we're still writing songs and brainstorming ideas, but I know we will all pull through. On the other side of the band is promotions, we're also in the process of making some of our future merch. So I'm stoked about that cause that's what always separates bands other than their sound. We also have our first photo shoot coming up on Tuesday, with a really nice girl named Taylor with a company called Art is the Cure Check them out...





I have been doing some acting auditions as well. The band got picked up by a production company in L.A at a show to be under their management as actors, so by doing that we go to auditions for roles with musicians needed, cause they don't want actors to fake play. Me Ryan and Aku recently had an audition for a new Movie called Sympathy for Delicious, and it's being directed by one of my favorite actors Mark Ruffalo. James Franco will also be having a lead role in it so that makes it even bigger...
Call backs haven't happened yet but when they do we're hoping to get one. It would be so much fun to be part of a really stories I got the chance to read the script and it was very good. Also it's something that would help pay some bills...ha We'll just see what God has in store for us. I feel blessed to just even audition for a film, and not knowing how to portray as an actor.

That should do it for now. I'll try to be more up to date as the weeks go on.

Music, Movies, and Memories,

---Shane---

My future investment

To wonderful new sounds


---Shane---

Life is Moving

Well Today was a hard one for me, and one of my best friends Eric and Aku. Eric finally said his goodbyes to us to depart on his new journey in life by serving his country. He will be in Chicago for boot camp for two months and then I will hopefully fly out there with Aku after the two months to see him graduate. It was hard because I have mainly spent everyday of my childhood life till now seeing Eric everyday, cause we have been a block a way neighbors even when we both moved we still lived a block from one another.

On a better note I will be waking up tomorrow by 4:00am to leave for Huntington Beach at 4:30am to star recording Letters to the Editor first real produced demo. I am pretty stoked for it, epically to hear what all of the tipple f (fff) aka friends and family and fans think of all our new material. Sorry for that slang or overplayed acronyms. But we're really excited.

Well that's all I can really say for now without boring you and myself. But be sure to keep checking this blog site out and www.myspace.com/deareditor for the up and coming

No Sleep,

---Shane---

How cool my girlfriend is...

Enough shown. I'm proud of her she knows how to ride a sweet green bike

Wish List

I decided to make a wish list for myself on Guitars I would end up buying first if I landed on the Jack pot from the lottery I didn't play. There is really no special order.


Gibson ES-335 Dot Plain-top Electric Guitar with Gloss Finish
Vintage Sunburst



Classic semi-hollowbody design
Dual '57 Gibson humbuckers ( I would switch them with the Gibson dirty finger humbuckers to get more of that pop punk sound.)
Thin tapered '60s neck
Rosewood fingerboard
Nickel hardware
Grover tuners
Tune-O-Matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece
Separate volume and tone controls with 3-way switch

I'm a huge fan of semi hollow guitars and Gibson pretty much has the best to offer from the wood to the clean polish finish, and the wonderful sound of clean Jazz chords to some good rock jams. I'm also really into the sunburst finish.


Paul Reed Smith Mira Double Cut Electric Guitar with Moon Inlays and Standard Neck
Vintage Mahogany




Body Type: Double Cut
Body Wood: Mahogany
Scale Length: 25.0"
Neck Joint: Set
Neck Wood: Mahogany
Fretboard: East Indian Rosewood
Neck Shape: Standard
Inlay: Moons
Frets: 24
Nut Width: 1-21/32"
Fretboard Radius: 10.0"
Bridge: PRS Stoptail
Pickup Bridge: PRS Mira
Pickup Neck: PRS Mira
Controls: Volume, Tone, Mini Toggle [Coil Tap]
Tuners: PRS Locking Mini's
Hardware Color: Nickel
Pickup Selector: 3-Way Blade
Finish: Gloss


This guitar pretty much explains itself. The sound of this bad boy is flawless, you want clean you get the clean sound you need, and as for rocking sounds it does just as better job. The lock in tunnings are awesome to have as well. I also love the artwork on the fretboards it's very beautiful and gives it a whole new look.


Paul Reed Smith Mira Double Cut Electric Guitar with Moon Inlays and Standard Neck
Wild Mint



This is the same as the one on top I just really like this color of it. So it's a toss up.


Gibson Hummingbird True Vintage Acoustic Guitar



Square shoulder dreadnought body
Premium Sitka spruce top
Mahogany back and sides
6-ply top, 4-ply back
Mahogany neck
24-3/4" scale
Round neck profile
Madagascar rosewood fingerboard
Single-ply binding
Mother-of-pearl parallelogram inlays
Bone nut and saddle
1.725" nut
Mother-of-pearl crown inlay on headstock
Madagascar rosewood bridge
Mother-of-pearl dot bridge inlays
White bridge pins
Vintage "Green Keys" tuners
Tortoise hummingbird pickguard


I love playing songs acoustic, and the sound from this one is so rich and full with energy and emotion on every chord you play. It also caught my eye for it's vintage style.


So if any of you are ever shopping one day, and happen to run across one of these items, don't be shy to buy it...for my Christmas gift


---Shane---

Free Piano...For me?

I just got a free piano, due to one of my managers quest on looking on Craigslist.
Not really the best tune, but it does the job for new writting material.






finger pressing black, and whie keys


---Shane---

Brandon Buck

Brandon Buck was one of my first friends I met at Kindergarten along with Cole " The Bash Bros". I still remember when he first came to my house to play with me, and we were both wearing hats and he had his on backwards, and he told me I should do it too. He taught me how to look cool...ha. I remember when Cole Brandon, and me were all pigs in a school play. (Thanks Mrs. Salano) Eating my mom's brownies with peanut butter and, drinking coke was always a great snack for us after playing in the pool. Oh and those long skate trips we would do just to go skate at certain spots, and gathering up all our money to eat Taco Bell.



The three of us always had each others backs. From baseball games to soccer games to skating and getting in conflicts with other neighbor hood kids. We always had fun together. There are so many memories I have with that kid, from school to sports and just hanging out. Brandon was a total different person, he always did things a little different cause he knew he could do it and he was confident. He was always the more daring one in the group I still remember when he decided to climb on the top roof of the Skipolinis playground, and jump off. He broke his wrist...and then a couple days later he got his cast wet in someones pool. (it may have been mine) He always had the most stylish hair. He was the first to bleach the top of his hair, out of the group of friends we had.




I'm gonna miss those days from going to Yosemite and the Jelly Belly factory, and sleep overs and just seeing your face.


Ever since the Move from cities it seemed like all three of us lost touched but talked to each other when we did. I remember Brandon came to my last birthday when I turned 16 it was fun talking to him cause I remember we went out front on my porch and just talked about the old days as children, and how things changed as we grow up but not liking girls we would always talk about that.

I feel horrible that I thought of getting all three of us to hang out again cause I never made time to sit down and call you. I'm am so sorry for that I wish I could take some of those days back to just hang with you one last time. I just want you to know that you have been a huge part of my child to teen life, and I enjoyed every bit of it

Everything happens for a reason, and we as people should not live with regret, but live with thankfulness with moments we have shared with each other.





I love you Brandon


Your fellow Bash Bro,

---Shane---

The up an coming

Life has been moving very fast these last couple of weeks since tour. The band had a lot of changes happen to it I am sorry to say but Dice in the Icebox is no longer a Band anymore it's just a story to talk about that happened in the past. (RIP DiTiB)

We all had fun playing shows for you guys and with each other, many stories some good some bad, but I will miss those days, but I'm exited to start my new chapters in my life. The band decided to go different ways as music and individual goals. Five of us stayed and started a new band called letters to the Editor. That band is now signed to a management company in L.A Called Stern talent. They have already gotten us so many things such as a new Demo dropping this next spring of 2009 we will be working with a producer of the name of Giovanni Jackson who has help produce many artist/groups from Kid Rock Linkin Park and Nirvana and many others and now Letters to the Editor

We are extremely excited to be working with him and at a wonderful studio called Griffdog records located on the wonderful beach of Huntington. So from the time being I have been living in Brentwood and some weeks and ends in L.A I must say it's pretty fun going back and forth meeting new friends and telling stories to old friends.


I would like to thank everyone who has been there or with me during my Music Journey you all know who you are from my old Deer Valley and Liberty High school days mainly the ones in Liberty sorry I was there longer.

To answer a few questions I seem to be getting a lot.


1. No I will not forget the little people. (as in old friends before this cool thing happened

2. I don't think I will every be famous maybe to some, but i don't think so.

3. I haven't decide when I will be moving down yet, sometime near the end of this year...I think.


I want to inform to who ever is reading this, I am not writing this to brag nor gain attention its all simply from excitement and wanting friends and family to know the down low and anyone else who actually reads these blogs of mine.




---Shane---

Never stop dreaming

So I just back home from my Tour I was on with my band. Now this tour started out like any other little tour a small band would go on. Then became much much more. I say this because at the end of tour we got to be part of a Competition called Hollywood's Next best Talent. It was a very cool event that involved many talented people from singers in every genre and Actors in every style and dancers, and Bands. The Band Category was the one we were in. We had to play one of our songs in two minutes which involved re-writing that song, then we were to perform it in front of only for a panel of judges that consist of record Companies Like Hollywood Records, Columbia Records, producers for some of these companies and some management companies that were connected to these bigger companies...I think I used that word enough now..good thing this isn't being graded.

(Sorry old High school English Teacher Ms. Rod)

So after all that stress and nerves and being done throwing up, which I did by the way. We headed to our room in the Hotel and then enjoyed Denny's with some new friends we met through this event. The next day we found out that we won the Band category, and also found out that we would be performing the next night at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. That was an amazing experience, we also received a trophy from two model gals...and I was also interviewed by a lady after our performance from MTV on the stage, not in front of a camera, but it was still cool.


A lot of great stuff has been happening with me and the band, and I give it all to my Lord and Savior. I would also like to thank all my family, and close friends who have been there through it all. You guys are awesome.

I can't wait to see where the rest of my story goes.


---Shane---

Tour....updates

August,5

Long drive to Arcadia with a few stops here and there. Then we finally arrived at our destination. My aunt and Uncles house. It was some fun in the sun. We went swimming and then had some spaghetti. Watched a show called Wiped Out, I must say that was pretty funny. Finally got some real sleep in a bed, with Erik....no gay jokes please.

August,6

Woke up to Ryan coming in our room saying "wow this bed is way better than the one in my room" then enjoying a wonderful Brunch with some COFFEE. Found out that we MADE WARPED TOUR!!!!!! for Aug 15( you must go)

Anyway we left the house to go to our show at The Whisky A Go Go. We had a long sound check. Took my Mom out to a nice Restaurant in Hollywood. I also got surprised by a certain someone who knows how to make me :).Played a great show, but I would have to give us a B- on lack of sweat. I know weird its a thing we do, well more like competition. We got to meet some new fans, and see some family of ours, that was fun. Chris Ryan, and I later on got lost going to Cisco's house cause that's where we're staying right now. Then ten minutes after our arrival I decided to get some Taco Bell with Aku, but they were closed so we drove to a McDonald's, oh ya we took Austins car and it smelled funny...I wonder why?

Now I'm about to go to bed for our big day tomorrow. I think we may stop by a beach. I hope we do, cause I need to surf.



Peace love and never start a Band.



Just kidding it's a blast


---Shane---

Shoes...

I dont really care that much about shoes until I became in love with Macbeth Shoes. I normally just wear my plain black converse's or plain white ones, but I felt like I needed some change to my footwear.

I will be purchasing the following






peace love and getting new socks

---shane---

Almost there

So As of today I have about one week until, I embark on a dream I have had ever since I played my first song on a guitar, and that was to go on a tour with a band I loved playing music with. That dream is finally going to become my reality. I will be leaving on August 4 at nine in the morning, and will be heading home the 12th of August. While we're touring we will be hitting up youth groups venues such as The A Whiskey A GO GO and the Kodak Theater. We also may have some run ins with some big name companies to talk about a full time music career. I hope this blog doesn't seem like I'm bragging, I'm just up late and wanted to tell people about it so that they would keep Dice in the Icebox in their prayers as we go on this tour. We would greatly appreciate that.


While I'm on the road living from host home to Hotel room. I will try to blog everyday to let you guys know how things are going and what we did on our free time. I'm so excited I feel like a little kid going to summer camp for the first time. I don't even know what to pack.


You can also keep checking out www.myspace.com/diceintheicebox

To see how things are going for the band as a whole and listen to some of our tunes and maybe purchase a new shirt.



Thanks to the ones who believed


---Shane---

Stressed, but impressed

Life has ways of turning you upside down like a huge wave would do to a rookie surfer. It's been pretty rocky as well, I'm not writting this to gain any pitty from anyone, just to type it out in some anger and happiness. I say HAPPINESS because we as people need to take all the things that are bad in life, and use them as stepping stones instead of walls. These past few days have been hard on me and some others in my life, but I couldn't be happier that I have a a lord and savoir to go to through these times. Life is to short to dwell and we as people just need to move up and move on.



---Shane---

*Sweet Darts

So this will be a short easy read. I have been pretty busy making some dough from my daytime job, so I'm not that poor when I go on tour/ I still owe band founds like the rest of the guys. TIP don't ever start a band... I've been playing some Darts with a twist to it. Me and my buddy Matt started to get into the dart scene but we mostly play the backside with the baseball game on it cause it's more fun to us. Other than all that Dice in the Icebox will be having a couple more pre-tour shows in June and July so go and try to make it to one or two.


---Shane----

Just use Cover Up

Well not really, cause I have no clue about using make up. Since were on the topic or key word COVER!!! Dice in the Icebox made the Cover of the A&E setion of the Contra costa Times. We were so thrilled to find ourselves on there thank you guys for all your support, and letting us get on there, cause without your views and liking our tunes this wouldn't have happen.

If I could see you face to face I would give you all a HUG.






Shane

Miley Cyrus....or.... Hannah Montana

So today the band recieved a friend request from Miley Cyrus, who plays Hannah Montana. I didn't think it was the real thing, cause how lame people are sometimes with creating phony Myspace's, But it seem pretty real since she had like 1,000,000 friends...

Pain room

Well It has been a long slow six days for me. I have been sick with a really non common virus called Peritonsillar Abscess Tonsil. I'm not writing this to gain symphony I just need to sit and do something for half an hour cause the new meds say so... And I also wanted to tell people about it.

Enjoy

So I thought I would tell you what they had to do to me. I visited the doctor on the 26 of March to see if I had Strep Throat, a day later it still hurts but test results came back negative. So they just put me on some semi powerful meds. Then I was still in pain by Friday night I needed to see them again When I saw the doctor he saw my Tonsils and how swollen they were, he then just sent me straight to E.R or shall I say Grey's Anatomy... anyways I arrived to the E.R they told me that they would need to cut my swollen parts of the mouth open to drain all the puss out. So I had to prepare my body by taking all the best drugs that dealers on the street can't even sell. Then when my blood pressure and all that other E.R stuff was ready two guys a surgeon, and a nurse went in my mouth with needles a scalpel's while I was awake!!!! hacking and poking away at. The good thing is it was like a boxing match it hurt, but I got to take breaks...Thank you Jesus.

So now I am finally home, and feeling better if you actually read all of this Thanks , and keep on praying that my voice come back cause me and the boys of Dice Box have a show this Friday in Modesto at the underground mark the calenders.

Needles Drugs, and Happy


---Shane---

3x+(9-5)=_________

I felt I needed to blog again since some people have told me I have been lagging at it. It's funny how people will actually take time out of their day and read my lame and same everyday life. I thank you though it means you care...I also heard some people have been starting one of theses as well and some say that I have inspired them. So I feel that I have achieved something...I don't know what it is but...I feel good about something.

So We played a show the other day, and mite I say it went swell. We had a lot of people there. Most of them have never seen us live before. So that was cool to gain some new listeners.We played one of our new tunes "Super Nintendo" I thought it went well. We then went to the city of San Francisco for some meeting about a show in the future. We even took a new picture, cause apparently people want to see NEW 1's and by ONE we did only take 1. Sorry if that last sentence confused you I was trying to make it look like one of those MATH..?'s

New shirts are in the making, which we are all stoked about cause we're getting two designs, and I think you will want to BUY!!! them. That was cheap advertisement I apologize.


---Shane---

The Roots.......not of a tree

It has been awhile since I have been on this here BLOGSPOT. SO I thought I stop by an pay my dues. Where to start well the other day was my buddy Johns 18 Birthday so I went to my old town where I grew up most of my life until sophomore year of high school. WE had a blast I haven't seen some of those people in awhile and it was really a blast from the past with all the stories we remembered growing up and it was different this time cause instead of roasting mallows in the open flames of the fire like children we all had cigars so I guess we grew up. I don't encourage smoking, and I don't consider myself a smoker. We later watched films that we as neighbor kids made and had a few laughs along the way... I realized I wasn't that good of a Guitar player back then... I believe it is always good to visit old family and friends. You will always have a good



HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! Johny Boy


Campfire, Cigars, and Films


---Shane---

Ryan TV "What are you watchin"

So I have been enjoying watching what Ryan Wood has been watching. This probably sounds weird, but just hear me out. So every time I check the good ole Myspace he has a new video clip or show on his video section on HISspace. So I watch everyone he puts up for some reason, it’s like he’s my new Direct TV.

Thanks, Ryan (rye rye)



Lights camera action

---Shane---

Lost....Happy...DemoListen

I have finally got HOOKED on another T.V. Show LOST!!!! It is amazing how they make you want to never stop watching it. Aku got me to start watching it. I have always wanted to get in to it I don’t have T-VO, and I never really had the time So me and Eric started to watch season one on NetFlix. Now we have been on different episodes cause of our schedules. So now we have been watching them on ABC.com I have been so into it I even made my own laying device with a couple of pillows and blankets and a chair put laying down. I know sounds pretty nerdy and Lokish… if you know what I mean. So I think I will be caught up before Season four starts.



HAPPY
__________________________________________________________________________________
This last weekend was quit splendid. Sharla came up for three days and we had tons of fun. We went to the movies to see that recently new film JUNO. I would have to say I enjoyed it. I can’t wait to see her again she just always makes my day even I don’t see her, cause she still makes it when I think about her. (Shout out) MISS YOU girl.


The DemoListen should be out by the end of next week…We have been getting some paper cuts from all the CD stuffing we have been through…ha The art work on it is a comic and Austin feel, He drew the cover here is the picture. We have been playing a lot of shows as well so that is a somewhat good excuse to be behind. I have been I a work out plan. I call it the Ryan Work Out. He has been telling me I should do some certain work out’s. So I told him I would try my best. I just think he doesn’t like my lanky pale body.





Shane Jones

First of 08

So I haven't been on here in awhile. So I felt the urge to get back on the bloging life. Well I know that Christmas has been gone for some time now...but I had a wonderful Christmas. I got to hang out with a certain blonde haired girl I like talking to all the time...wink She has these shoes she has been wearing that drove me crazy. They were FAKE uggs. I know I sound Materialistic, but they were Ecko brand so, they were very Hip Hopish. I just thought they were so ridiculous, but I loved that they kept her warm, mainly her toes. She did happen to get some new shoes she is very proud of though. She got the shoes everyone else has, but wait she got a deal, only $19.00. Woot Woot!!! Maybe that’s why I like her. So any ways the band has finally finished our part of the DEMO. We have been done for about a week now, and we’re just waiting for it to be mixed. The name of it is called DemoListen. a little play on word action we got going for you kids. I'm proud of it. We have been playing a couple of shows, and they keep getting better each time. We also have a lot more to do. I started school again. I only go four days out of the week, and all my classes start around five in the afternoon. So I guess I can't really complain. My sleep schedule has changed a bit due to the recording process of staying up late, and I have been living with my buddy Eric. So we basically we stay up, and watch movies cause we can't hang with our gals, cause there both down in So Cal.TEAR thank God for those Strawberry Daiquiri's (don’t worry non alcoholic). It does suck that I haven't seen my girl in a while, but I have been thinking of just taking a trip down there. I really want to take the train though, cause it will be cheaper, and I have never taken a train anywhere. Other news is that Dice in the Icebox will be playing at the Kodak theater. So that shall be fun along with some other shows along the way there as well. i just really want to say and Big thank you to all of you who have come to a show or have bought something from us. We really appreciate it. I hope you will enjoy the DemoListen.



---Shane---