Keep on chooglin’

That being said, i do need to start exploring the open mic circut and playing some of my tunes as well as the bands tunes out live on a more consistent basis. I think that would be important for the band as well as for me. I am not the best at staying focused and determined, i sort of half expect things to just happen after a requisite amount of time. things tend not to work that way however. i have got to change my game around a little bit. Good post dad.

Well, I don’t know if this is really a One Voice entry, or just a long response to Tom’s last blog entry about booking shows.

I absolutely understand his frustration.  These places won’t book him unless he can guarantee a big-enough audience, and the only way to establish a significant fan base is to play shows and get your name known.  It seems to be a vicious cycle.

At the same time, as one of Tom’s fans, I would like to express my hope that he does start to play some solo shows – just Tom, his guitar, his voice and his songs.  The unplugged, acoustic and solo CD Tom gave me for my birthday was far more indicative of what he’s capable of doing than any of the other bands he has played in so far.  Don’t get me wrong – some of the band music is quite good, at least what they have recorded so far.  On stage, though, the songs seem to get buried, and it doesn’t really matter how or why that happens.  I’d like to see the songs just stand on their own because I believe they have enough substance to do so.  Lyrically, they can tend to be somewhat obscure, but Tom’s ability to write a hook and attach a memorable lyric to it is certainly one of his strengths.

There are other reasons why I think Tom should take this approach.  He needs to develop a bit more stage presence.  With limited time to play a set, and with two or three other bandmates on stage, the ability for Tom to connect with the audience, other than with the music, is limited.  And, while I know it’s the music that matters, Bruce Springsteen’s Super Bowl halftime performance is a perfect example of how he grabbed the audience before he sang his first note, regardless of whether they were Springsteen fans or not. Besides, Tom has a lot to say, always has, and, whether you agree with him or not, whether he makes you laugh or not, he usually generates some reaction.  That’s a valuable commodity when trying to reach an audience.

Finally, the more he gets out and plays, the more polished and professional he would become, and, over time, he would start to build that fan base.  I’m sure he’d also start to attract other musicians with whom he could collaborate and possibly expand the opportunities he would have to advance his music into something that could resemble a career.

To be sure, there are no absolutes when it comes to achieving success in the arts.  Luck and being in the right place at the right time often leads to success as much as talent does.  Getting to be in right place, though, requires that you venture out frequently, often into uncharted territories.  I think it would be a worthwhile exercise for Tom on many levels, including the one I saved for last – his mother could actually hear him sing.  Isn’t that reason enough?

I understand that these places want to make money to 1) stay open and 2) turn a profit but how are you supporting local music by turning people away. Maybe that why the whole music scene in CT has become so incestuous and tired becausecertain bands, most of whom arent any good, can get 40 or 50 high school kid’sparents to drive them to shows. I get the money stuff but if you are going to have a music club or whatever you want to call it shouldnt an equally important part of running your establishment be to try and to nurture some kind of scene. The Villains, my psychedelic lounge rock band www.myspace.com/newhavenvillains, has played with the same band maybe 7 out of the last 10 times we have played out. We draw a lot of people, always the same people, but its like 20 people, which is a pretty good number. We dont complain too much because the guys in the other band are our friends but inside i am saying to myself “there is no one else that needs a show, there is no one else we could play with?” And the fact of the matter is that there are dozens of bands that need shows and maybe they wont bring in a significant crowd but maybe thats because no one has had the chance to see them play because no one has given them a chance to play out. I think this is called a vicious circle.

Like i said i dont like the space but if they would have let me play i would have been there with bells on. I count Nicolette, my dad and my friend Andrew as Fans but they arent real fans although i appreciate them very much. They are people who i think really enjoy my music not just the person who is making it but who have access to the vast majority of my music whenever they want it.  at some point its important for other people to hear the music that i play and its hard when places like the space or the webster or the chance loft in Poughkeepsie wont give you shows because you cant promise a booker that X number of people will show up. Im not asking for Radio City or the Oakdale to book me as a headliner, i am asking a place that serves tea and bottled water and bags of plain Lays to let me play last on a bill with three or four other bands on a Friday night. I dont think i am asking too much.

1. See These Bones -A little darker than the stuff off of their freaking great Let Go and the Weight is a Gift. Its the same kind of thing though. Poppy. While it is slightly darker, it is still pretty darned sunny. Doesnt compare as an opener to the above mentioned respective openers, Blizzard of  ‘77 and Concrete Bed. It doesnt get a lot better song wise though than concrete bed.

2. Whose Authority - A requisite mid-tempo rocker. Pretty good. Nice pop harmonies nice lyrics. nada Surf are making some of the nicest pop music out there these days. I would be interested to hear how Popular would sound mixed into the middle of one of these records. Maybe i will do that a little later. I would really have to be bored then.

3. Beautiful Beat - Nada Surf obviously likes Crowded House. It occurs to me that i should be tracking the time that i am listening to these songs to prove that i am really writing this while i listen to the record but i keep having to stop the music everytime the phone rings. You are just going to have to trust me i guess. “beautiful beat/ get me out of this mess” i suppose i could read something into these lyrics but i dont know what. The power of music to make people feel happy. Seems legitimate enough but the high pitched vocal performance makes it sound kind of hokey.

4. Here Goes Something - A little country-ish ditty. The chorus is actually “here goes something.” The rest of the lyrics make it seem like it might be about Obama but i might be over analyzing. Short tune, wow just when i was starting to hate it.

5. Weightless - 90’s-y alternative rocker. I forgot to brush my teeth today. I better take care of that. I brought my toot brush to work because i didnt have time to do it before i left but then i got busy and forgot. Kind of gross. All better. This song is essentially just 4 chords which i enjoy. Kind of an annoying ending but they are forgiven. beach boys-esque. bands seem to be insecure about writing songs under two minutes so they tack on additional parts to draw them out.

6. Are You Lightning? - This records Inside of Love the third track off of Let Go which is a great song even if it was featured on the Hills or the OC when it first came out. Kind of boring. lyrics as a whole for the record seem to be approaching some kind of confessional quality but arent confessional enough so they are in one ear and out the other, nothing sticks like ” i want to know what its like/ on the inside of love/ looking at the gates/ i see the beauty above.” cant compete!

7. I Like What You Say - The single. stereotypically new era Nada Surf which is not a specific genre but it kind of is. Sunshine Pop lets call it, you all know what that is. again no Concrete Bed or Happy Kid or Always Love or Hi Speed Soul but a pretty good tune none the less. Am i using the term none the less correctly? I am going to try to never use it again because i dont really understand its meaning. I am sure it has a very simple one but at the moment it is beyond me. The song is over I got the impression of laziness…

8. From Now On - Much like i do with this song. a little generic. is making no impression on me, lots of lyrics going by in a sort of blur. dont seem to belong to a chorus or a bridge or coda just a lot. (tom is shruging)

9. Ice on the Wing - I like the title. another bland rocker. This record has bad choruses, “baby, ice is growing on the wing/rolled the dice but didnt know anything.” (tom makes barfing noise). Ending has a horn section playing a waltz version of the songs main melody. stupid.

10. The Fox - has the misfortune of having the same title as a freaking killer Sleater Kinney song off of the Woods. Tremolo is cool. tremolo while picking some minor chords is very cool. Dig the beat. Good melody and harmonies. does the title justice though not as bone splinteringly great as the Sleater Kinney song. Chorus comes in and ruins everything. Sleater Kinney song holds this song down and stomps on its throat and feeds the lifeless carcass to real pack of foxes.

11. The Film Did Not Go ‘Round - still not over the travesty that became of the last song and i am not enjoying the nursery rhyme blues feel to the opening of this song. we are 2 minutes in and the song has yet to rise above a whisper which can be good but is not good here.

12. Every one’s On Tour - Rocker, this song is terrible. Everything about it. lyrics, music everything. disappointing ending to an album that i realize now is not that great. Good rock background music i guess but compared to their previous two records does not even compare. Well that was a short song. I have my iPod plugged in and the next song is Concrete Bed the first song of their previous album Th Weight is Gift. This song is great in every way. I wish I could say the same about Lucky but sadly i cannot.

Alright well that was my first live blog of any kind. Let me know what you think. I had fun. Keep on chooglin’

This new Michael Phelps thing relates in some ways. I dont care if he smokes weed, smoke all the weed you want. dont let people take pictures of you smoking weed. be smart. On a different but related Michael Phelps topic, all of you fathers out their who are calling up WFAN and telling Mike or whatever personality is on the air that you dont know how to talk to your kids, who used to look up to Michael Phelps, about what he did and how could he do this, role model this and role model that blah blah blah, if your kids arent old enough to know what he did all by themselves, how is this for a solution: dont tell them. You dont need to sit your 5 year old little swimmer down and explain the mechanics of a bong to them. When they get older and you find some rolling papers or a pipe in their underwear drawer you can then have a heart to heart about smoking weed but until then if they happen to find out for themselves and ask you “Daddy whats a bong and why was it bad that Michael Phelps was smoking one?” Just tell them you dont know and then send them to their room for having a sports role model who only matters every four years. Tell them to go put up some derek jeter or david wright or kevin garnett posters.

a 23 year old was smoking weed…i have been having this feeling for a while but it is now obvious that my suspicions are correct…its the end of the world.

If it seems that i am a little bitter about my sleeping habits well then i am giving you the wrong impression. I am quite comfortable with it as i have been doing this for a while. If i slept later when i was living at my parents house it was only because i generally didnt go to bed until 5 or 6 depending on the season. If i saw the sun staring to come up then i wasnt sleeping that day so i forced myself to at least make a go of it just before the sun would rise. What was the reason for my late hours? 1 am trips to the diner and reading. i have got a lot of books in my apartment and i read most of them during this period of my life. it is also how i managed to read the first four harry potter books 3 time consecutively in the week before the 5th book came out. I was working at the book store then. those were good times.

Anyway, today i am well rested. I was up late and drinking and rocking and watching football this weekend so i went to bed early and i woke up this morning clear eyed and suspicious. Its a good way to be. I much prefer this way to slightly groggy and pissed off. Not pissed off that i didnt sleep well but because i dont get to go to a bookstore for work, i have to come to this loathsome sign shop after not sleeping well and then not stay up until all hours of the night reading and eating gravy fries and drinking coffee.

Oscar nominations came out today. I will have more to say about these later.

A great album that came out last year that i left off my list for some unknown reason, Rook by Shearwater. Check it out. Awesome.

You know what i really like, when say 4:37pm sneaks up on you and you realize that for no explainable reason you had a good day. These feelings, for me anyway, are few and far between. I usually know when i wake up whether or not my day will be a good one or a bad one, they are usually bad, but i was surprised yesterday afternoon when i looked at the clock and it was almost time to go home and i said to myself, “i was relatively happy all day.” It was weird. Maybe it was because i knew i was going to have band practice but i think some times good days just sneak up on you.

I have been a Mets fan for a long time. I think its the only sport team that i have never waivered on. I was Bulls fan for a while because they played good basketball and i liked watching good basketball. I still follow them pretty closely but i was raised a Celtics fan and I have retaken my seat at that big green table. I dont remember if i ever officially pledged my allegiance to the Giants. There are a lot of team in the NFL that i like that play or used to play similarly to how the Giants used to play when i started taking football seriously. My buddy and I started liking the Penguins because when we started watching hockey they were the best team in the league and had its two best players. I will totally admit to being a front runner when it comes to hockey although i have stuck by my Pens since then as my frequently adorned ’90s logo jersey cant attest to. If you cut me open though and i were forced at gun point to bleed a specific combination of sports team’s colors it would be orange and blue. March through October I am in full baseball mode. I cant even be in the same room as my brother, a braves fan so obviously a loser, without having a semi heated discussion about who on our respective teams is more terrible and which one of our managers should be fired first and who is going to get what players in what ludicrous rumored deal we heard on FAN or some blog. As i have gotten older my dad, my brother and me have made sure to go to few games every year. i have seen more baseball games in the last 3-4 years than i had in my previous 22 years of existence combined. This is a great thing because there is nothing in the world like going to a baseball game. I like everything about it. My brother bought us three tickets to a Mets and Braves game at the new Citi Field in May and that it going to be awesome.

You know what else would be awesome? To, just for a moment, feel like Bill Simmons and the fans at Fenway felt that day about the New York Mets. That would be great. To know that something good is about to happen. To know that Luis Castillo is not going to hit into a double play but instead drive one up the middle. To know that Carlos Beltran wont just look at a perfect pitch when its a 3-2 count in the bottom of the 9th but will instead take the freaking bat off of his shoulder at least make an attempt to hit it. I want my formerly pitiful baseball team to suddenly not be so pitiful and do something great for their fans as well as themselves. Look what happened to the Red Sox. Dave Roberts steals a base and they win that title and another one a couple years later. great things lead to great things in the same way that losing leads to more and more pitiful versions of losing. I dont know any legitimate Rays fans but i am sure they were going crazy last year during their weirdo run to the playoffs. Imagine if a annually pitiful team like the Pirates or Cubs or something actually made some kind of playoff run or even, god forbid, made the playoffs? We would be able hear their constant cheering and celebrating and unquenchable joy from every corner of the united states. I would like to know that feeling.

My worry is that if that did every to happen us, we Met fans would be too cynical and be forced, by the fact that our team is from New York, to act super entitled instead of simply happy. I would like to experience the phenomenon however: when your favorite sports team goes suddenly stops being pitiful and starts being great. Its must be what Celtics fans felt like all last season, perhaps Blackhawk fans this year. Knick fans however will never get to feel this way ever because they will always be terrible.

If the Knicks win a title before the Mets i am turing all of my sporting attention to cricket and pickle ball.

It is 2008 and honestly i dont know what happened. At some point, 2004, 2005, i dont know, everything that used to sound interesting started sounding the same. Around the same time the “media” started telling me that certain bands were interesting when they most certainly were not. Coldplay for example, or Franz Ferdinand. What happened was that to find a good record you had to sort through a lot of same sounding crap and most of the time that record wasnt the greatest thing in the world but it was better than everything else that was out there. Dont get me wrong a lot of really great records by legitimately interesting bands came out during this time, pretty much every Spoon record is great, The Hold Steady started releasing stuff, Iron and Wine, BRMC, Mogwai, My Morning Jacket, The National, (I am reading off of my iPod) but you also had to suffer through those Talking Heads soundalike bands and then someone thought it would be a good idea to pretend it was the 80’s again, and one thing led to another and we are where we are.

The ending to this story is that at this time every year i scan though dozens of best of lists on a hunt for something new or interesting or something that i might have missed. There is a lot of limp indie rock on this years best of lists adding to the overall feeling of disorientation and pain i was already feeling in regards to 2008s music crop. 85% of the music that was released this year is terrible and some of the best stuff that got released isnt even new. I never thought i would live through a time when i got more excited about re-issues or live cds than i am about hearing new music but like i said, here we are.

Here are some albums that came out last year that i really like. Let me know if I am missing anything:

Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (reissue)
Neil Young - Sugar Mountain: Live at the Canterbury House 1968
Bob Dylan - Bootleg Series Volume 8: Tell-Tale Signs
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig!!!
Stephen Malkmus - Real Emotional Trash
The Black Crowes - Warpaint
Deerhunter - Microcastles
Paul Weller - 22 Dreams
No Age - Nouns
Lindsey Buckingham - Gift of Screws
Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal
Parts and Labour - Recievers