The Boxer Is Gone

First off, the Green Bay Packers get to play at home against the Giants for the Conference Championship - hell yes! I am so excited about that.

I went out tonight to the FAA show (Dylan Gilbert, The Bronze Episode, Bottle Up and Go, Tereu Tereu) and hung around for most of it. I didn't take anybody along for the ride, which could have been pretty weird, but I guess I'm sort of used to it. I saw some familiar faces and it wasn't so bad hanging out by myself at a show. It would have been way better but I wasn't way into the first two acts. I would have been interested to see Dylan Gilbert with a full band - he had lots of presence and energy - but, The Bronze Episode just wasn't my cup of tea (though the lead vocalist did play the Palo Escrito Tele that I'm going to get next week). Bottle Up and Go were exciting to watch - loud, bluesy, gutsy, and just fun. I don't think I could listen to it at home, but for a live show it was some cool shit. I left during their last song mainly I think because Mark called and I walked out to answer, but also because I felt sort of old and sort of tired.

I talked to Phelan (Bassist, Rocky's Revival) and we'll probably be getting started with recordings in a few weeks. I'm really excited. These guys are an extremely gifted band...and SO YOUNG! I think Phelan said he was the oldest and a junior in high school(?!). Insane! It should be a lot of fun to work with them, plus I could use a little extra butter.

In other news, I wrote a song a couple days ago to solidify the fact that I am over my writer's block (knock on wood). I went old school with it and went down to Hyperion with a pack of cigarettes (gasp!) and a notebook and wrote all the lyrics. I came back and it just shot out. Mark really liked it and I'll probably get down to recording it this week, along with 'Brilliant Moon'. I really need to get some work done. It's called 'The Boxer is Gone'.

I'll post the lyrics:

I feel like the fog
Rolling over everything
I feel like the fog
Rolling over everything
Never changing anything

I don’t know what’s wrong with me
Watching cars on William Street
Nobody wants my company

In this town, in this shape, out of tune
I’m waiting for my noon
I’m waiting for high noon

Got marks on my hands
I’m the hole in my plans
I’m cut at the lip
Cos I froze in the snow
The boxer is gone, I know

I don’t know how to take this light
Everything gets washed to white
The exposure’s never right

In this town, in this shape, out of tune
I’m waiting for my noon
I’m waiting for high noon
I’m a shout in a wave crashing soon
I’m waiting for my noon
I’m waiting for high noon

Quick Update

I just wanted to post real quick and let everybody know that, until they aren't, all of my songs on myspace will be available for free download. Isn't that a teaser!?! I also updated them to show the lyrics if you're about that.

So go download the fab four and plaster them everywhere and in every form of digital media you can muster!

A Lover's Lie

I finished mixing 'A Lover's Lie' last night and posted it on myspace/facebook. I think its sort of a big step for me production-wise; it constantly changes, yet still retains some continuity. When songs turn out like this it makes me feel like I'm doing something worthwhile.

I hope it's received well by my more critical friends, but I'm going to try and remember not to think about the expectations. I want to keep my music pure and innocent. I still can't believe it when people tell me that they still love and listen to 'In Retrospect' (my first ever recording project). It came up the other day with some friends and they explained it really well. They told me that the thing that made the album great was the fact that it was so naive and innocent. It was dark lyrically, but somehow retained this light, youthful feeling that made it very representative of our demographic. Someone mentioned that I need to be careful not to overthink things now that I've been doing this awhile, and they're probably right. If I let my music become too high-strung or mechanical I'll lose what made it good to begin with.

I know I can't write those light and youthful songs anymore, because I don't feel light or youthful. I feel tired and somewhat stricken by the things that I do to myself. I feel like if I left myself alone for too long I would destroy what was left of me - not in a suicidal sense, but like I'm constantly tearing at the fiber that holds me together. I think the only reason I'm not unstable and fraying is because I refuse to believe its so. I'm older than I am but I've yet to do anything. I hope after I get away from the stagnancy of Fredericksburg I might recapture my spirit - I think that's really the only hope I have.

The song is here:

"The last time I saw you you were on a missing sign..."

I saw someone I haven't seen in 4, maybe 5 years and it doesn't cease to amaze me or weird me out. You know how whenever you see a long lost friend-type, one of the people never remembers the other? I'm always that guy. I always remember somewhere between halfway between the chance encounter and 5 minutes after its over. Today, fortunately (maybe?), I remembered at about the halfway point. I think we'll be in touch, but I don't really know what for. It feels like one of those fated encounters that are the result of a string of seemingly coincidental events and lead to anything from a life-long relationship to another seemingly coincidental event. At this point in my life I’m sort of hoping for the latter. I feel like that’s kind of a sad thing to hope for, but I guess its okay to desire solitude. Sam goes back in a few days; I’ll record, I’ll write - it’ll be good to get back to work after this sort of social holiday I’ve been taking.

In other news, I finished the song based on the below-mentioned haiku by Issa. Its called ‘Brilliant Moon’. I suppose I’ll post the lyrics.

She sat in her room with all of the others
I sat in my room
We’re acting like love for all of our lovers
We’re acting like love
It’s growing like her cancer
Locked away but loose again, buying time

Brilliant moon, tell me it’s not true
That, you too, must pass in a hurry

I packed all my things and headed for the depot
I packed all my things
I left them behind, but now they overtake me
I left them behind
I fought it like a cancer
But I can’t seem to pass it like the time, she's on my mind

Brilliant moon, tell me it’s not true
That, you too, must pass in a hurry
Brilliant moon, the hand that keeps me down
Is the hand that keeps you coming round