For musicians
25 June 2009

This update is mostly for musicians and music lovers. The only personal news that I have to report is the near-completion of my compilation album (the new track sounds great thanks to my guitarist Geoff's rhythmic precision and skillful use of a wah pedal). We're also recording three of Geoff's original tracks which will appear on his upcoming website. We're working diligently on booking more performances. A non-sensical aside: check out this hilarious story from the BBC entitled 'Stoned wallabies make crop circles' - Australia sounds fun!

For the music lovers a 35,000-year-old flute was found, making it the oldest musical instrument on record. From the article: The wing bone of a griffon vulture with five precisely drilled holes in it is the oldest known musical instrument, a 35,000-year-old relic of an early human society that drank beer, played flute and drums and danced around the campfire on cold winter evenings, researchers said Wednesday. Legendary.

For the music makers, you might want to check out Twitter. Twitter users are apparently big music lovers. In case you haven't been paying attention to the news recently and don't know what Twitter is, Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read each others' updates, known as tweets. The internet is an invaluable resource for musicians, especially forums such as the HomeRecording.com board. A recent thread on Reddit details some great ideas about booking live shows as a new act.


Florida follow up
10 June 2009

Geoffrey and I have already begun booking more performances in the past two days. We've also begun recording several of Geoff's original songs which will be posted on his new website once it's complete. This week should be the last week of recording for my compilation album as well.

Before the Florida tour began Geoffrey and I hit the mean streets of downtown Lynchburg, Virginia late one night and ended up doing an impromptu performance at the Farmer's Market. So if you've never seen us perform live before then definitely click here to watch it - it was pretty windy that night!

As for the Florida tour check out the freshly uploaded pictures on my Flickr photostream. Again I'd like to thank everyone who helped us out along the way during this past tour. It was the best tour I've ever been on.


Florida tour a success
8 June 2009

I had such an awesome week in Florida. The gig in Orlando was great and everyone at Meridian Hookah rocks. We spent the entire day Friday walking around Epcot and Hollywood Studios at Disney World! The following day we traveled up to Tallahassee where we performed at the Crawfish Festival at Po Boys with the Drew Tillman Band. There was a great crowd and good food. We met some extremely cool folks that are into music as much as we are (hi Linda and Kevin). Thanks to everyone involved for a great time. Geoffrey and I plan on going back to Florida again, but now we're back in Virginia getting ready to record and do more performances around the area. I'll try to get some more pictures posted soon.


A hookah smoking caterpillar
5 June 2009

Yesterday Geoff and I ate Italian food in Orlando for lunch before heading to Downtown Disney where we walked around for awhile before it started raining. Afterwards we went to Pei Wei and ate some delicious Asian cuisine. Last night we played our best show during this tour at Meridian Hookah in Tampa. We met some great people (hey Kate, Amanda, and Kim!) and everyone working there was amazing. Tonight we play the Meridian Hookah in Orlando and if last night is any indication then tonight is going to be incredible.


St. Augustine
4 June 2009

Yesterday we spent the better half of the morning searching for a PA rental and after much frustration we found someone who would rent us a PA and it sounds amazing! I don't know why we didn't rent one before. Afterwards we traveled for about two hours over to St. Augustine and according to the wholly unreliable Wikipedia it is the oldest continuously occupied European city and oldest port in the continental U.S.

We saw the Castillo de San Marcos, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse, the St. Augustine Lighthouse, and we walked around Flagler College. It was great - we had no real plans until our performance later that night so we stumbled upon all of these great sites by chance. It felt like we walked everywhere in St. Augustine! Pictures will be forthcoming.

Later we played a rockin' concert at Zhanras, perhaps one of our best. Everyone was great and following our show we made our way to Orlando to cut down the drive time to Tampa. Now we're relaxing in Orlando before we head over to perform at the Meridian Hookah lounge in Tampa. Then we'll be back in Orlando tomorrow playing the Meridian Hookah lounge here.


Is this thing on?
3 June 2009

Last night was our first foray into the cultural lives of Floridians and all things considered it wasn't bad for a Tuesday night. Our PA broke though, so we had to play the entire show without amplification, but it was an intimate crowd so it worked out. Everyone was really great last night - thanks to Sharab Lounge, Shimal, and Eric for letting us do our thing. Our mission today is to have a working PA by 9pm, or at least amplification for our vocals. Now we're off to St. Augustine and then Tampa!


Once more unto the breach
29 May 2009

Dear friends, it is with great pleasure that I announce a tour of Florida in the coming week. It will be acoustic and I will be accompanied by my friend Geoffrey Osborne. Here are the dates and times:

I'll be updating this website from the road and when we return we will continue performing indefinitely within a 200 to 300 mile radius. We'll also begin recording.

Often creativity is stifled when money gets involved, listen to this heartbreaking phone call between Buddy Holly and his former record label essentially revealing that Holly's contract won't allow him to make use of his own songs even though the label won't release them. At the moment I am label hunting and stories like these are frightening. For now though I need not worry about what I do with my own music and as such I can give it away for free or allow others to modify my work. Geoffrey Osborne, who will be touring with me, arranged a song of mine called 1952 in the style of a Super Mario Bros. video game. It rocks! Download the original song as well as Geoffrey's arrangement (chronologically titled 1982) below.


Cognitive Dissonance
19 May 2009

Geoffrey and I are rehearsing for our upcoming tour in the South. He and I will be doing more performances regionally in the coming months. That compilation CD of mine is still in the works and I've got plenty of original material too. I finally have more time to work on music! I also updated this website in a subtle way - on the "Events" page it is now possible to view pictures that were taken. Below is a demo song I recorded recently, but don't think I'll use, although I would love to hear some feedback about it. I think I'll post a Mario Bros.-themed cover of one of my own songs next time.


The White Hart
28 April 2009

Not much of an update other than to announce that I will be playing a show at The White Hart this Saturday, May 2nd at 7:30 pm. It's going to be fun. Other than that I'm ridiculously busy finishing a thesis. I have had a dry spell lately in finding new music that really excites me, but that dry spell is over! I have found Dr. Dog! And they've only been around since 1999. ;)


I speak in codes
20 April 2009

One of my friends suggested I discuss what it is that I actually do as far as the business of music goes... how I write songs, how I organize concerts, how I record, etc. I ruminated on the subject for some time before I realized how difficult it would be to describe, almost as difficult as maintaining the discipline necessary to be a modern musician. I hear "no" a lot, which is why persistence is vital. Persistence does pay off - I just got an email from MTV asking me to send in my albums.

I could go on about how I have been involved with music since before I can remember being conscious. Although without the Internet I wouldn't have been able to teach myself how to play guitar. I could go on about how every song I write originates from my environment rather than my imagination and I steal quite liberally - "Fall in love again" is a rip off of The Beatles song "If I fell" in my mind. Likewise "Go back" is a cheap rip off of "Hey Jude". They may sound nothing alike, but to me they've got the same essence. Booking a live show is very tedious. I set up a database of venues and make cold calls all day, follow up with a demo and literature I put together and hope I get someone that knows what they're doing and has the authority to schedule live music at their venue.

Essentially it comes down to good old fashioned hard work. I put in the hours practicing, I put in the hours learning how to record, I saved up my money and got the equipment I needed, I put hours upon hours into research about booking, marketing, and promotion. The whole time I have to be able to separate the art (writing, recording, performing) from the business (booking, distribution, promotion, and marketing). It's just a lot of work - like starting a new business, I have to put in about 80 hours a week to make a living at it and must think of clever new ways to bring in money. CDs just aren't enough anymore. It's doable if you are dedicated and disciplined. I would love to focus solely on the music though.

These days it's difficult to give your music away, but I am doing just that. You may have noticed a place to enter a "code" on the left-hand side of this website. I am doing a social experiment of sorts - at Lynchburg Music, The White Hart, and Speakertree Records you can pick up a code card which will allow you to download an advance copy of my upcoming album for free. The code works five times so you can share it with a friend. Sign up for my mailing list (top right) and get even more free music!


Charity gone Mad Hatter
9 April 2009

Last weekend was a blur. We started the weekend by performing at a charity show on Friday night. It was held downtown in an old Firehouse. Several hundred people showed up and we opened the night, rockin' out with the likes of Blake Reams and Spuknof. The next day I made my way to Farmville and played to the most intimate, yet attentive audience ever at the Mad Hatter. The manager, Seth, was awesome too. Afterward Geoff and I were invited to a grand Sunchase party. If any photographs make their way to me from either event I'll post them on Flickr.

Spinal Tap has announced a one date world tour! I also found an interesting, albeit brief article called "Why do songs get stuck in my head?".

Haven't been paying attention to the music scene lately? Check out this article detailing how to fake being a music expert. For every musician and musician-to-be out there I found a great tutorial outlining a step-by-step approach to songwriting - follow this guide and you'll be writing hit songs in no time. My own approach to songwriting was very similar when I began, although I doubt I could have articulated it as well as this guide does.


Music videos and Virgins
3 April 2009

Below is a music video for the song "Love you". Many thanks to Dustin West for making the video and a thousand thanks to Sarah's boyfriend for letting me borrow her.

While relaxing in the new MGM Grand Hotel at Foxwoods Casino a few weeks ago I caught an episode of Jimmy Fallon's late night show. Russell Brand caught my attention, but as I am a musician my attention was quickly usurped by The Virgins. They played "One Week of Danger" and I have been hooked ever since.


The Firehouse
28 March 2009

I'm a big proponent of free. I like free. So when I stumbled upon this list of 29 music-making applications for Linux, I had to share it. Click here to see the list. I also found a fascinating sociological experiment done with one Joshua Bell - he is one of the best classical violinists in the world. The Washington Post wondered what would happen if he did a little busking. Click here to read the article. I'll leave you to your own conclusions.

Surprise! I'm DJing a show at 7 PM this Friday, April 3rd at the Firehouse downtown in Lynchburg for charity. A good time will be had by all. The next day I'm performing at the Mad Hatter in Farmville at 8 PM.


Well we all shine on
18 March 2009

Ten thousand thanks to The Critograph for printing a photograph of my last performance. This evening I needed a stress reliever so I went to see Vector. Vector is a brass quintet (plus one amazing drummer) from the USAF Heritage of America Band. I fancied the swing tunes and drum solos.

Booking is well under way for my next East Coast tour. Geoff and I have already confirmed several dates in Florida. I am most looking forward to travelling across this great country and meeting all sorts of new and interesting people, although I know that the tour itself will be a lot of work. Speaking of hard-working bands, check out Emanuel and the Fear. They are an eleven-piece extravaganza and group members have toured with the likes of Sufjan Stevens, Spoon, The National, and a personal favorite of mine - Bryan Scary & The Shredding Tears. I recently received an EP with some fantastic sounds crafted by divine songsmiths. Listen below and be sure to purchase their self-titled debut EP from Paper Garden Records!

For everyone in the lovely metropolis of Richmond, Virginia: don't forget I'll be performing there next week. The show begins at 9:30pm (or earlier if you feel like getting sauced) on Friday, March 27th at Poe's Pub. I can feel the tides turning and the winds changing already - this will be a happening, an adventure, and an occasion to remember.


Steady as she goes
14 March 2009

Did you see this one? Pitchfork gives music a 6.8 out of 10. If you don't care for reading, check out this amazing mash-up of YouTube videos on... YouTube - really, it's worth it. Although if you don't care for reading then you probably don't understand why The Great Gatsby inspired the pink and black garb I wear whilst performing.

Speaking of performing, the show last week went very well despite a slight mix up with the venue. My next show is at the end of this month in Richmond and I can't wait.

In honor of Thom Yorke doing nothing and managing to piss off both Miley Cyrus and Kanye West, below is the first single from In Rainbows.


Bits and pieces
7 March 2009

One last reminder that I'm going to be performing tonight at 8pm at Big Lick Tropical Grill!

Everyone listens to music differently and this is especially true during different periods of our lives. Infants don't understand language and are most probably attracted to changes in sound rather than the meaning behind sound. For instance, a bird's song or even more specifically organized changes in pitch grab their attention more than lyrics would. We take sound for granted every day. While many people love the poetry inherent in lyrics, I'm in love with melody. Suzanne Vega wrote a particularly interesting article called "What's a Melody For?". Click here to read it.

I failed to mention this before, but last Friday, February 27th, I was filmed for a test pilot that is being pitched to PBS. Regardless of whether or not this particular version of the television program makes the cut (and hundreds of pilots are made every day that fall by the wayside), I had a great time and it will be great to see a high quality recording of a live performance. Like a sports team analyzing game footage, I can't wait to get in there and see what I can do to improve my stagecraft. I'm sure a song or two from the show will make it on to this website. Many thanks to Lynchburg College, especially the students and faculty involved in making this happen!


Big Lick Tropical Grill
2 March 2009

Just a reminder that I will be performing on March 7th at 9pm at Big Lick Tropical Grill. Come out and have a drink with me, it will be a great time!

In other music news, see how listening to certain artists relates to SAT scores or more simply check out this Wall Street Journal article on music that makes you dumb. Click here to view the chart. Speaking of music that makes you dumb, the Jonas Brothers' new movie did much worse than expected. I saw Nick Jonas on the cover of "Diabetes Today" while I was in the grocery store the other day - the sad part is I'm serious - and that about sums up my opinion of their music.

To end on a more humorous note, check out these graphs and charts representing various popular songs.


Second City
21 February 2009

Last night I got to see a touring group representing Second City, which is a long-running improvisational theatre based in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood. It is very similar to Saturday Night Live and many SNL alums went through Second City before making their way to New York. The show featured sketch comedy, topical humor, and improvisation. It was hosted by The Academy Of Fine Arts here in Lynchburg. It was a great escape for several hours and what better way to deal with an economic recession than to make fun of it?

As I was driving home listening to WNRN I heard a tune from The Guggenheim Grotto. Every once in awhile a new song will really excite me and this one did it. It's called "Her Beautiful Ideas" - listen below!

Oh and don't forget that on March 7th at 9pm I will be performing live at Big Lick Tropical Grill (4001 Murray Place) for free! Come have a drink with me!


The White Stripes v. The Von Bondies
16 February 2009

This is why touring is more important than attacking poor file sharers on the interwebs. Speaking of illegal file sharing, I've been at odds about posting anything about The White Stripes because their record label frowns upon it and sends legal threats. Instead of promoting a band I like a lot I decided to post some music by their arch nemesis The Von Bondies. Okay, so clearly they aren't as good as The White Stripes, but at least they don't use auto-tune like every other artist out there...the Stripes don't either - too bad their record label doesn't have any common sense.

On a darker note, Limp Bizkit announced on their website last Thursday via Twitter that they are getting back together. This is truly a sad day, especially since Blink-182 also announced that they were reforming (9:15) at the Grammy's.


In my prime
13 February 2009

This past Monday marked my 23rd year here on Earth. So far it's been a pretty interesting ride... although I don't care for Pottery Barn.

The Grammy Awards were held recently and while they have always been a huge joke (see Jethro Tull), the ridiculous coverage of Chris Brown being a complete dick made them even more painful to watch. (Seriously, anyone who didn't know he was a bad person must not have been listening to his horrible music). So instead of watching The Grammy's I just waited for the list of winner's to come out. It's always good for a laugh. Although I must say I am glad Adele beat out The Jonas Brothers for Best New Artist. The Jonas Brothers have never experienced anything in life and their music reveals as much. I gotta give it to Disney for manufacturing their career - they are brilliant marketers.

Coldplay won for Song of the Year with "Viva La Vida", which is hilarious (not the song, the fact that it won - the song is mediocre, but it's not trip the light fantastic good). They could have at least gone with "Violet Hill". And what does Death Cab for Cutie have to do with rock music? Who did they bribe to get nominated for Best Rock Song? Oh well, at least Rufus Wainwright was nominated for something. Li'l Wayne should've won album of the year though... at least from that list of nominees.

The only thing the Grammy's got right was giving Kings of Leon Best Rock Performance by a Group with Vocals. I'm sure many will disagree with me because in order to fully appreciate the single "Sex on Fire" it needs to be heard within the context of the entire album. The aesthetic and production is what makes their latest album great as a whole work of art rather than the individual sound bytes and singles everyone is used to now. (It's okay Pitchfork, Rolling Stone got it wrong when they said Pinkerton was the worst album of the year upon its release; they still had a few more years before they were completely out of touch with music.) So rather than post a song from their most recent album I'll post the first song that got me into Kings of Leon.


the drums
2 February 2009

the drums the drums the drums the drums the drums the drums the drums the drums the drums the drums the drums


Anyone can be The Beatles
31 January 2009

I came across an interesting video with the author of a book entitled "Outliers". He explores where genius comes from and in doing so he researched The Beatles. Apparently they did not have any innate musical talent, but instead became known as the best band in the world because of their long hours practicing their craft during their early years in Hamburg. Considering they played 8 hours a night for many months, it is no wonder they got good! Click here to watch the video with Malcolm Gladwell explaining. While this may be a revelation to some, even The Beatles claimed they didn't believe in talent.

On a side note February 2nd will have been 50 years since the day a plane crashed with musicians Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valens. While it certainly wasn't America's first foray into celebrity fascination, it had quite a cultural impact at the time, perhaps marking the end of the innocence of the '50s. A popular song called "American Pie" was written about it.


Classical musicians fake it
23 January 2009

Anybody who watched the inauguration this past Tuesday may have seen an amazing performance by Yo-Yo Ma (known for playing cello) and Itzhak Perlman (known for playing violin). These men are considered virtuoso's and some consider them the best in the world at their respective instruments. What you didn't know is that you weren't actually listening to them play. According to an article by the New York Times, Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman performed in sync with a recording due to weather conditions, although it was a recording they made. The tune they played was called "Air and Simple Gifts" and was written specifically for the inauguration by John Williams (the guy that did the music for Star Wars). Good thing they didn't get Danny Elfman.

Speaking of Yo-Yo Ma, check out this amazing performance of 'Panxolina'. Last night I heard Stephen Colbert suggest Yo-Yo Ma use more vibrato during these troubled times and I have to say, I concur.

Lastly, Geoffrey and I have yet another show. This time it will be at the Mad Hatter in Farmville on April 4th at 8pm. More information regarding our upcoming performances will be forthcoming and as always check out the 'Events' section on the left.


Major labels v. Rock and Roll
19 January 2009

Well, the major labels have finally caught on. According to Reuters, Warner Music is adding social networking to its websites, click here to read more. Unfortunately it looks like they're trying to create their own platforms for sharing multimedia rather than plug into existing services like MySpace, Facebook, and Flickr. It may be too little too late for major labels that aren't embracing technology.

Speaking of technology, click here to check out a cool flash-based piano; it's a pretty interesting way of visualizing an instrument.

The list of 2009 inductees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in! Now I have mad respect and appreciation for artists like Run-D.M.C., but Rock and Roll? I even enjoy "Run's House" on MTV. They definitely have a spot in the annals of music history and if there were an overall music hall of fame, I would understand. But aside from the Aerosmith collaboration, what Rock and Roll? This is not exclusive to Run-D.M.C.

Lastly, Geoffrey and I have another show coming up March 27th in Richmond, Virginia at Poe's Pub, so get ready Richmond!


The future
16 January 2009

Think you have good taste in music? Think you can predict the next big thing? A Tel Aviv University Professor thinks he can. Click here to read more. Don't care who the next big thing is unless it's you? Well look at this - it's like guitar hero, except you use a real guitar! For those who just can't get enough of 2008, here is a list of the top 50 artists, albums, and songs on the Internet according to The Hype Machine.

Just in case anyone felt like inducing hallucinations without the nasty side effects of illicit substances, the Boston Globe has an interesting article on hacking your brain.


Live music, decadence, and revolution
12 January 2009

It sure would be swell to receive one of Jimi Hendrix's guitar as a gift. Speaking of gifts, I hope everyone had a good break over the holiday's. During the past few weeks Geoffrey and I have begun booking shows for the semester and we have two new shows to report. We'll be playing:

Geoff and I will promote these more as the dates draw near.

In completely unrelated news, Trent Reznor just won the Internet. And for those of us excited about the re-release of Dark Knight in theaters, there is an interesting piece on what went into composing for the film. I also came across a great video of John Lee Hooker singing "Boom Boom", check it out. The song I'm posting below is called "Know" and it's by one of my favorite artists, Nick Drake. I don't often hear Drake's music outside of my car or house, most notably "Pink Moon" was used in a national car commercial, but the song I'm posting was used for the "Revolutionary Road" trailer.


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