Real to Reel

I have been recording music again lately.

I also wrote another feature-length screenplay, which is now in the revision stage.

Over this past week, I worked out some technical issues in my updated recording setup and spent some time getting myself better acquainted with the software. In doing so, I recorded a very rough version of a new song. 

This is the first step. I expect that by the time get through recording another full album worth of material, I'll go back and re-record a lot of it, just because I will likely have learned quite a bit in the process. This is how it goes. Still, having something recorded at this point, even if it's not perfect, is infinitely better than nothing.

With all six of my other self-produced albums, I used GarageBand on an old MacBook Pro. Unfortunately, ever since the most recent update that I did of the operating system, that computer has been ridiculously slow. I suspect that this is part of Apple's planned obsolescence, intended to make people think that they need to invest in a new computer.

Rather that play into that nonsense, I bought a refurbished desktop PC that I can upgrade myself as necessary. However, it has taken some time and effort to get everything working properly, and I'm still trying to figure how to do a lot of the stuff that I was able to do in GarageBand, namely the sequencing of realistic-sounding drum tracks.

It has been a rather steep learning curve so far, but my recordings on the PC are gradually getting better. The song that I recorded this past week is the first one that I've done on there that sounds like a complete song, albeit rather unpolished at this point.

Once I have something from the work-in-progress album that seems worthy to share, I'll post a link to it on this site. 

As always, thank you for supporting independent art.

Write On

I may have finished writing two songs today. Each had a verse or two left to compose, plus some polishing, and I think that I worked them out this afternoon. They are tentatively called In the Meantime and Pablo Fiasco. We shall see if I still like them as I incorporate them into my practice setlists over the next few weeks. 

If all is good, then I might be a little closer to the completion of the album that I've been chipping away at for quite some time now. I also started putting lyrics to another song today. All in all, it was a productive Friday.

Once I have recorded versions that I like of the new songs, I will post them somewhere. 

Stay tuned...

All-In

Human beings are social animals, and for tens of thousands of years, cooperation has been the key to our survival. When we work together toward a common good, we are all better off (including you). 

 

These songs are rooted in a fundamental belief in the intrinsic benevolence of humanity and our collective will to overcome obstacles and obstinance:

Be Civilized

 

Panic Attack

 

Weather Patterns

 

Hand-Me-Down

 

Gravity

Modern Inconveniences

 

Now or Forever?

 

Better Days

 

Entropy

 

Do or Die

 

Fever Dream

Wake Up!

 

Living in Oblivion

 

Plastic Flowers

 

Light Pollution

 

Tunnel Vision (Out of Habit)

 

Shine...

 

Begin

 

Civilization is built upon the idea that together, we are more than the sum of our parts. Optimism fuels progress, which is how we build a better future. 

Don't let cynicism and hatred destroy us. Resist fascism.

Sunday Best

I just played another set at the Buzzard's Roost. If you were there, thank you. I hope that you enjoyed the music. If you dug my songs and want to know what they were, my setlist went something like this:

 

1. Fireflies

2. Dandelion Wine (If Only...)

3. Baby Blue

4. Don't Forget Who You Are

5. Life Preserver

6. Be Civilized 

7. Antidote

8. Haunted

9. Gravel Roads

10. Mixtape

11. Signs

12. Go It Alone

13. Turn the Page

14. Particle

15. Quicksand

16. Imperfect Creatures

17. Goodbye

18. Screen Memories

19. The Fool

20.  Begin

21. The Limits of Man

Thank you for supporting local, original, independent music. 

 

Inside Music

There are certain songs that I have never performed live. This is because whenever I play a gig, it is always on guitar, despite there being plenty of other songs that I have written that were built around other instruments. I quite like these songs, even though very few people have ever heard them. That in mind, I thought that I would share a handful of them with you here today.

 

The first is called Petals in the Grass. I have never gigged with my baritone, and in my semi-professional opinion, this song doesn't really work without that low-end thump. I also kind of dig the vocal harmonies, which I have thus far been ill-equipped to reproduce live, as sadly, I was born with only one larynx.

Holiday is a good piano song. I have also never brought a keyboard to a performance space, although I have imposed my performances upon pianos in public spaces. But pretty much only my neighbors, friends and family members have heard this song.

Black Ribbon Day was written on my banjo, which seldom leaves the dining room and has never been used on stage, despite it being a very enjoyable instrument to play.

Most of my gigs are in bars. I have never played Wasted before a live audience, as it seems an inappropriate place to sing about poisoning oneself. It has one of my favorite endings to a song and album. I like to think of it like musical fireworks.

As for the last track that I would like to recommend for today, I have played it exactly once. Of my sixty-five released songs, it is my only instrumental track. It is called Shadow Puppets. I put it at the beginning of the album as a nod to the first Pixies album that I ever got into. I leave it to you to find your own words in the improvised, ebow-riddled composition. I did, and the "ghost lyrics" that I perceived inspired the song's title.

Thank you for listening. Music is meant to be heard. If you like my songs, like my songs. If you really like them, then I encourage you to share my music, if only to prove to your friends once and for all how fucking cool you are.