Dirt Road Rock and Roll

Week #3 Song #3 - 2012 Song A Week Challenge

2012-01-23T10:55:00.001-05:00

This week I've got another tune with some dark subject matter. Picture if you will, a murdering, thieving, outlaw who is explaining to a hitchhiker, why he has ended up being the way he is, and warning her against getting into his truck. That's the basic gist of the song. I don't know where this stuff comes from. But I like it.

Another thing I like about this tune is that it is one chord. And it totally works.

Let me know what you think. And be sure to check out Ross Nielsen's blog for his tune.

Lunatic Baby by Tom Savage

stark raving mad
i'm a lunatic baby
but you don't want to get
the wrong impression of me

I'm wanted in 49 and a half states baby
the only place that they don't want me is in southern Tennessee

i was born into a low-budget hollywood movie
my daddy had a six-gun and he did what he pleased

my mama tried to raise me as best as she could
but her best wasn't good enough so you get what you see

we moved from town to town
Daddy'd get himself to workin
But then he'd end up robbing the local liquor store

One day he shot the store clerk
and he ended up in prison
Then all that was left
Was my poor Mama and me

My Daddy got the chair
My mama found religion
I found the keys to his pickup
An '89 Ford

I rolled down the interstate
Lay waste to all that I saw
An angry little boy
My Mama's demon seed

Now you don't have to wonder
why i am the way i am
It's the cards that i was dealt
and that's how it's gotta be

once you step inside this truck
you're world's changed forever
Cause I don't let nobody
take nothin' from me

stark raving mad
i'm a lunatic baby

credits
from 2012 Song-A-Week Challenge (January), track released 23 January 2012
music & lyrics by Tom Savage

Song #2 Week # 2 - 2012 Song A Week Challenge

2012-01-16T12:18:00.001-05:00

For week #2, I've written a song that would do well in an episode of the TV show "Sons Of Anarchy". Perhaps in a scene when Clay finds out that one of the club members is an informant, and takes them for one last ride in the desert.

My computer was giving me fits, and recording kept stopping at the 3:40 mark for some reason, so after about the fifth time trying, I decided to just fade it out. Hopefully, I can figure out what is going on for next week's song.

Let me know what you think on Facebook or send me a tweet @TomSavageTrio

Mercy Killing by Tom Savage

This ain't no mercy killing
you oughta know by now
there'll be no more forgiving
we already tried that out

We aren't gonna make it easy
we're gonna take it nice and slow
gonna go down deeper
then you ever thought you could go

You've done your share of damage
Up and down the west coast
But you were too damn stupid
to know you should never boast

Word gets around
In the circles we keep
One day the shit won't stick
Next thing you know you're in waist deep

this ain't no mercy killing
but you oughta be thanking me
Cause I ain't by far
your worst enemy

this ain't no mercy killing
credits
from 2012 Song-A-Week Challenge (January), track released 16 January 2012
Music and Lyrics by Tom Savage
tags

Song #1 - 2012 Song-A-Week Challenge

2012-01-09T11:03:00.000-05:00

Okay. Here goes nothin'! So far,in the first week, this exercise has accomplished what I thought it might. It's forced me to be thinking a lot more about songwriting ideas, and has made me more diligent about jotting those ideas down, or recording snippets of audio to remind me of melodies.

I welcome suggestions for song ideas. I've got 51 more to go, so I'll need a lot of them. Post your ideas to the Facebook Page or send me a tweet @TomSavageTrio with the hashtag #songaweekchallenge . Thanks to those who have already offered suggestions.

I actually got a chance to test-drive this first song at a gig on Friday night, and it seemed to go over pretty well. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Cheers,
Tom

No Darkness No More by Tom Savage

Song #1, Week #1

2012 Song-A-Week Challenge

No Darkness No More

lyrics

There are scars on the road
where we skidded and we swerved
We never made it far
but we got what we deserved

I don't need to be remembered
but don't want to be forgotten
Next time you see me I’ll still be
try na move this mountain

There are places you can hide
You can't hide from your own mind
Thoughts interspersed
Memories intertwined

A year feels like a week
A week feels like a year
Some days I drive the transport
Other days I am the deer

Sometimes I don't know
which one I'd rather be
the freedom of
not knowing whats in front of me

Instinct and survival
Crisp and cool mountain air
No logging miles and making plans
for which I do not care

No darkness no more x 3

oh,oh,wooooh oh etc.

don't hurry to your judgement
i won't hurry to my pain
save me the awkward smile
as you pretend to know my name
there was a time when i meant something
to someone in this town

but one day she stole my pickup
and she never turned around
won't bore you with my stories
we've covered all that ground
somewhere there is a place
for a begger just like me
no more beggin for a dollar
no more beggin to be seen

no darkness no more X 3

oh wowoh

credits
released 09 January 2012
Music & Lyrics By Tom Savage

2012 : The Song-A-Week Challenge

2012-01-03T12:31:00.000-05:00

On New Year's Day, I jokingly posted this tweet (posted on Facebook as well):

New Year's Resolution : Write a new song everyday. [ Resolution will be broken tomorrow ]
— Tom Savage(@TomSavageTrio) January 1, 2012

Got a bunch of responses, but one in particular, from Ross Nielsen, got me thinking. He suggested that perhaps a more realistic resolution would be to write a song every week in 2012. At first, even that sounds like a lot. 52 songs in a year. But when you break it down, that's only just over 4 per month, and that doesn't sound so bad.

So, I've decided I'm going to give it a shot, and I encourage any other songwriters out there to get on board. I think it will be a great way to motivate ideas.

I'll be either posting videos or audio of my songs as I write them. I realize that there is a risk of posting some stuff, that may not quite be ready for prime time, but I reserve the right to alter the songs at a later date. Anyway, it's about having fun, and perhaps allowing non-musician/songwriters a glimpse into the process.

If you are interested in getting on board for the Song-A-Week challenge, post your songs or videos to Twitter with the hashtag #songaweekchallenge , or you can post them on the Tom Savage Trio Facebook page.

Happy writing!
Tom

My two cents : Favourite albums of 2011

2011-12-23T11:43:00.000-05:00

I've been reading a bunch of "Best Of" lists , some with which I agree, and some that I can't comprehend. Anyway, I thought I'd share with you some of the albums released in 2011, that I believe are really worth checking out.

Centro-matic - Candidate Waltz - centro-matic.com Follow @centromatic

A great Rock and Roll record from one of my favourite bands of the past few years. You don't hear much about these guys up in Canada, but if they ever make it up here on tour, I'm going.

My Morning Jacket - Circuital - mymorningjacket.com Follow @mymorningjacket

Took a while for this one to grow on me. Give it a chance and you will be glad that you did.

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues - fleetfoxes.com Follow @fleetfoxes

They've stepped up their game from their previous release.I was hesitant to believe that they could. Lyrics have improved greatly.

David Bazan - Strange Negotiations - davidbazan.com Follow @davidbazan

This guy is a songwriters' songwriter. Crazy the way he weaves his ideas together in a 3 minute pop song.

Wilco - The Whole Love - wilcoworld.net
Follow @wilco

Hey, it's Wilco. They aren't re-inventing the wheel here, but this one is better than their last release (which was still pretty good).

2 for 1 Holiday CD sale

2011-12-07T11:21:00.001-05:00

From now until January 2nd, if you purchase 2 Tom Savage CDs, you will receive a 50% discount. I'm not too good with math, but I think that adds up to a pretty sweet deal. Drop by the CDBaby site, and check it out. We are currently sold-out of "The County Line", but more CDs are on the way to Portland,OR. They should be there this week.

If you wish to download the digital album, please do so from CDBaby or Bandcamp. MP3 albums only cost $5 on these sites, as opposed to the $8.91 you will pay on itunes.

If you're looking for Christmas music, download my single "Christmas Is Here Again". It only costs $0.99, and 50% of proceeds will be donated to OXFAM.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year,
Tom

CD Baby Music Store on Facebook

2011-10-06T13:47:00.000-04:00

Selling music on Facebook has taken, what I think will be, a giant leap forward this week, with introduction of the CD Baby Facebook Music Store. I just installed it on the Tom Savage Trio facebook page, you can check it out here. CD Baby sells more independent music than any other site in the world, and boasts an incredibly diverse catalogue of music, thanks in large part to the artist-friendly policies. The Facebook Store also doubles as a place where fans can listen to an artists music. Artists can choose whether they want to provide partial or full clips, and which songs they want to be made available. They can also choose which titles they want to sell on their Facebook page.

it will be interesting to see how music sales are using the new store. The knock against Facebook is that its users aren't interested in buying things when they use the site. Have you ever bought anything as a result of something you saw on Facebook ?

At any rate, if you are an indie musician, this will be a welcome addition to you Facebook Page.

Free Music for fans = new fans For Musicians

2011-09-21T15:13:00.000-04:00

I've been going by this philosophy for the past couple of years, primarily through the TST Reverbnation site, and it has worked. Of course, the best way to gain new fans, is to get in the van, criss-cross the country, and play yer butt off every night, but right now now I'm speaking of internet marketing. Over the past two years, the TST "online" fanbase has grown by approx. 3000 people, largely due to the offering of free music. An "online' fan is different than a fan who comes to your show ( although there is obviously some crossover), in that they tend to be more of a casual fan. This isn't always the case, but until someone buys your music, or buys a ticket to your show, they are not a "true" fan.

That being said, online fans play an important role in any band's marketing strategy. They "like" your facebook page, they follow you on twitter, they share your music with their friends and followers. This means free advertising for you. So, really you aren't giving music away for free. It's more of a barter system.

There are a couple of sites I've come across recently that give away free music in exchange for email addresses or sharing links:

NoiseTrade - This site offers free albums in exchange for email addresses. There is also a tip system where the listener can pay the artist what they think the music is worth. I've just put up my acoustic EP - Living Room Session. I see this site as having great potential for posting live concerts, studio outtakes, and extra content. I'm kind of against giving away an album for free, and then turning around, and trying to sell it to someone at a live show. I say all free or all pay. But that's just me.

Viinyl - This site offers singles in exchange for email address or for a "like" or tweet ( depending on how the artist sets it up). I've set up our page so you can download "The One" for free in exchange for a like or tweet. Cool design to this site, though they do need to add some sort of search or genre listing.

CD Baby site currently out of stock

2011-06-27T10:31:00.000-04:00

If you've been by the CD Baby site in the past few days, you may have noticed that we are currently sold out of discs (The County Line). We've been waiting out the postal strike here in Canada, so we have not been able to replenish the supply.

I'm not sure what I think about the government forcing them back to work(well actually I'm pretty sure I don't like it at all), but now that they have, CD's will be available on-line again shortly.

If you can't wait, you can buy the digital album for $5 on the CD Baby site, or from a new site that I've set up with Vibedeck. This is a direct-to-fan sale, so if you pay $5, we get $5.

Or you can join the 2000 or so people who have downloaded "The One" for free from our ReverbNation site.

Tour Report week # 4

2011-06-14T21:32:00.000-04:00

The fourth and final week of the tour played out pretty much exactly like the song "Northern Ontario Highway". Wednesday night we were at The Standard in Winnipeg, joining Andrew Neville & The Poor Choices for their weekly foot-stompin', beer-swillin', good time. Steve Brockley was on the bill as well, and it made for a great night of music. Our best Winnipeg show ever actually.

Thursday, we were back in Wabigoon for an acoustic show. John landed his plane to check out a set, and I got to see my old friend Guy Galloway, so it was a lot of fun. The good news is that, even though John has sold the store, the new owner is very enthusiastic about keeping the music going. That means a lot of great entertainment stopping in for folks that live in the area.

Friday, we were back at the Apollo one more time for some of Sheila's famous veggie burgers. Saturday we were at Loplops, which turned out to be a great night. Thanks to Porter for opening, even though they'd already been playing all day ( a series of mini-sets for a fundraiser that was happening).

And Sunday, we were back at the townehouse. The band room may not have felt like the Four points Sheraton, but it has its own unique charm.

Great tour. Good times. Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen.

Tour report - week # 3.2

2011-06-07T21:22:00.000-04:00

We've said goodbye to Alberta, and are now spending a couple of days in Saskatoon on our way back to Ontario.

Alberta shows went great. Big crowds in Banff, and good times in Edmonton and Frank. We finished off with a Rockin show in Calgary at the Palomino. FFWD magazine actually had us as their pick for what to do on Saturday night. Very cool.

Our last Alberta show was , as usual, an afternoon matinee at the last chance saloon, in Wayne. This time, however, we went for a full on rock show, on a rickety old stage behind the saloon. What an incredible backdrop. I'll post video when we get back home.

Final week of the tour sees us in Winnipeg on Wednesday , with Andrew Neville & The Poor Choices, at the Standard. Then back to Ontario for shows in Wabigoon , thunder bay. Sault Ste Marie, and Sudbury.

Tour report - week 2.5

2011-06-01T16:21:00.000-04:00

It's been a crazy week out here in Alberta( and one show in Fernie BC ). We've had sun, we've had rain, we've had snow. Actually, for a second there, I thought that Jeff might not get a chance to see the mountains, with the 6 days of precipitation.

Shows are Rockin as usual. Had a great time in a couple of our favourite spots. We spent the weekend at the auditorium hotel in Nanton. Barb and Larry ( and Bandit) are always such great hosts. On the Saturday night, we had Lance Loree up playing a set with us. Good times. And we recorded it too. Geoff has this new zoom recorder thing, so we have been recording a lot of our shows.

Sunday night we made our return to the twin butte general store. Such an amazing place. And we managed to pull off an electric show in the tiny 47-cap venue. After the gig, we were driving back to our accommodations, and we almost hit a bear! Geoff had to swerve out of its way, as the bear jumped onto the road, and proceeded to run alongside the van. Crazy!

We're in Banff right now playing at the rose and crown, then the rest of the week consists of shows in edmonton, frank, Calgary, and wayne.

Check the show schedule for the details.

Tour report week 1

2011-05-26T23:25:00.000-04:00

Well, it's actually day #9, but who's counting. Shows have been going well so far, the band is Rockin , and the merch is selling. All good so far.

No major mishaps with the tour van. The weather could be better. We drove through snow to get to Fernie today, but that is our 3rd consecutive spring tour with snow in late may or early June.

This weekend we are back at one of our favourite places, the auditorium hotel in Nanton, AB.

Then next week we've got shows in Twin Butte(Sunday), Lethbridge, Banff, Edmonton, Frank, and Calgary.

Thanks to Mark and Mel in Selkirk, and Garry ( and room mates) in Calgary, for helping us out with accommodations.

Tell all tour Alberta friends to get out to a show!

Cheers
Tom

New Music From Tom Savage - "Living Room Session" available Feb. 1st

2011-01-26T15:15:00.000-05:00

Blame it on cabin fever, but this winter I've gotten it into my head that I would start a record label. Myself, along with Geoff Chown and Vanessa Longul, have basically been running a label for a decade. We just didn't put a name to it.

Now that my music has branched off into different directions with The Aldous Huxters coming into the mix, it seemed like a good time to make this move. The label is called Rabid Ear Music, and we are hoping to have 3 or 4 releases this year. The first of which will be "Tom Savage - Living Room Session".

"Living Room Session" signifies the different way in which this label will operate. We'll have a combination of digital-only releases, physical releases, lo-fi, and live recordings. Some of which will be available for free download.

"Living Room Session" falls into the lo-fi category. The songs were recorded in my living room, with just vocal and guitar, into one microphone. Initially just meant to be demos, I liked the way the songs worked with such a rudimentary recording style. I think they are worth putting out there.

I'll let you decide on February 1st. The EP will be available for free download to the first 200 people on bandcamp, so check it out, and leave a comment on the blog or facebook page, to let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Tom

Holiday CD Sale

2010-12-17T11:37:00.000-05:00

Until Jan.1, all Tom Savage Cd's will be on sale for $10 (online). Go to my CDBaby page to check out the selection. Mp3 album downloads are $5 (and are always $5).

We are currently sold out of " The County Line" through CD Baby, but you can send me a message if you want that album, and we can do it old-fashioned mail-order style.

Happy Holidays,
Tom

RIP Zeke Mazurek

2010-11-01T12:52:00.000-04:00

Readers of this blog know about Zeke, and his struggle with cancer. Unfortunately, as some of you may already know, Zeke passed away on Saturday, October 30th. Although we knew this was the most likely outcome, the speed with which it happened, was a shock to the system.

I wanted to take some time to thank everyone who was there for Zeke in his time of need. The Zeke Aid concerts were expressions of love that I will not soon forget, and I am very thankful that Zeke was able to see how much people cared for him, and remind him of the mark he made on the Canadian music industry.

On a personal note, I am saddened that he will not be around to see his grandchildren, Zach, Bella, and Gabriel, grow up. He was such a good "Bubba Zeke", and the kids will definitely miss the crazy faces he used to make.

I will also miss the kitchen table chats we used to have about the ups-and-downs of the music business, the next gig, the struggle to continue on in an unforgiving industry. It seems like we always ended up touching on those points(with a healthy dose of humour). Rest assured Zeke, I will carry on, and I will take your words of wisdom with me as I go.

And every time we are in some motel room after the gig, and Geoff & I pull out the dice for a round of "Valdez", I'll be thinking of you.

[At Zeke's request there will be no funeral service, just a private memorial in the spring. He suggested that donations in his memory be made to the Blue Skies Youth Fiddle Orchestra. The address is Blue Skies in the Community, c/o Elinor Rush, 4515 Wildlife Lane, R.R. # 1, Battersea ON K0H 1H0]

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-10-07T12:17:00.000-04:00

[If you're on the mailing list, you may have read this already, but I figured I'd share with folks out there in cyberspace.]

Wanted to wish everyone out there a Happy Thanksgiving weekend. Even if you're not fom Canada you can celebrate with us. A great time to reflect on the year and spend some time with friends and family. Enjoy!

Zeke Aid II

This past Monday, Kevin Davidson and myself performed at Zeke Aid II. It took place at the Mt. Tabor playhouse in Milford (incredible venue).Hosted by Sneezy Waters, the event featured a who's who of Prince Edward County talent, and raised another $3000 to help Zeke Mazurek in his fight with cancer.

Thanks to Mark Despault for organizing the event, and to all those who took part.

The Aldous Huxters

If you recall my last newsletter, I had said the new band's name was "Pot Kettle Black". Well, we had to change that. It is now "The Aldous Huxters". We have had more band names than we have had gigs (or rehearsals for that matter) but we're having lots of fun.

Next Thursday Oct. 14th, we will be performing our first "official" show at The Mansion in Kingston. We are all incredibly excited about it. The tunes are rockin', so if you're in the Kingston area, don't miss it.

Also on the bill is Brian Dunn (Sudbury songwriter from the band OX) and Kingston's own Allowable Avenue (featuring TST's Geoff Chown on the bass).

Invite your friends through Facebook

That's all for now,
Tom

Zeke Aid

2010-08-18T10:50:00.000-04:00

This summer we received the terrible news that my Father-in-law, friend, and musical mentor, Zeke Mazurek, has been diagnosed with cancer. The effects of the illness have left him without the ability to play his violin, putting an abrupt stop to a 40 year long music career.

When something like this happens it helps to focus on the positive. And that would be the love and support that Zeke's local community and the Canadian music community have shown towards him during this trying time.

Zeke Aid - a benefit concert taking place at the Regent Theatre in Picton on Monday, August 23rd, is an example of that support.

Here is some info from the facebook page :
Zeke Mazurek has been stricken with cancer and is unable to continue his lifelong career as a professional musician. Please help us raise the funds needed to help Zeke and his family fight back against the devastating consequences of cancer.

Benefit concert will feature Sylvia Tyson, Prairie Oyster, Cindy Church, Marie Lynn Hammond Sneezy Waters, Georgette Fry & Shout Sister, Tom Leighton, Tom Savage, Ken Ramsden, Lenni Stewart, Jeanette Arsenault, The Frere Brothers.

Silent auction opens at 4 PM. Concert at 7:30

This concert is sold out, but you can still help by attending the silent auction if you are in the area. If you are living outside of Southeastern Ontario , but still want to show your support, you can write out a cheque made payable to "Zeke Mazurek" and send it to: Zeke c/o Kellough, 1736 Co. Rd. 8, R.R. # 4 Picton On KOK 2TO and it will be added to the fund.

I've also set up online donations through Paypal.

Cool new website design

2010-06-28T09:50:00.000-04:00

We've got a super-cool face lift to our website, thanks to Purely interactive design.

Stop by and check it out . The best thing is its simplicity.We've got a homepage that points to our social networking and music sites,a music player, a list of upcoming shows, and a "What's New" section. That's it.

Loads fast and looks pretty. I like it.

Thanks to Andrew Comber from purely interactive for helping us out.

Another Successful Tour!

2010-06-17T10:37:00.000-04:00

Having just gotten back home from our Western swing, I thought I'd share a few thoughts with you on the tour, which just so happened to be our most successful to date.

As usual, we met lots of great folks on our travels, and played with some talented musicians. Porter, Chris Carmichael, Bad House Highway, Mark Waterman, Wheat and Water, and JD Edwards. Great to be able to share the stage with you guys. Also, thanks to Mark and JD for letting us crash at your houses.

Highlights of the tour included our stop in Twin Butte (I still can't get over how amazing that place is), our show at the Palomino in Calgary (which showed indicators of all of our hard work beginning to pay off in that city), climbing the big hill behind the Last Chance Saloon (I wasn't too crazy about doing at the time, but now at least I can say that I've done it), and drinking whiskey shots through the crazy ice sculpture thing at JD Edwards house (too funny).

Performance-wise, this tour went well. With Chris McDonald (Liquorbox) on drums, we seemed to veer into more of the jam band tendencies, that we were already developing. It makes more for a good live show, and makes me think that the next TST album will be an interesting process.

Also had the thought of releasing a series of live bootleg albums.

Thanks to all of the newspapers that helped to promote the shows, as well as CKUA radio for getting behind us. Also, big thanks to Al at CFNO radio in Marathon, ON.

Alberta : So many great venues

2010-06-09T21:51:00.001-04:00

It was another great visit to Alberta. We had a lot of fun and played some awesome shows. It always nice to visit our favourite spots : the Auditorium Hotel in Nanton, The Last Chance Saloon in Wayne, and the Banff Rose and Crown. It was also nice to play some new venues ( for us that is ).

Twin Butte was amazing, and the Blackbird Coffeehouse is a really nice sounding room. We had a really great time at the Palomino. Folks in Calgary had been telling us to play there, and that we'd fit right in, and they were right.

Good times! On to Winnipeg.

Twin Butte

2010-05-31T17:46:00.001-04:00

It is easy to see why this place inspired songs from Luther Wright and NQ Arbuckle. Such an incredibly beautiful place. Not to mention how welcoming the people were, and how enthhusiastic they are about live music.

Glad we finally had the opportunity to perform there.

It was hilarious, as we were playing "Northern Ontario highway" the power went off in the venue ( about the 3rd verse).
We soldiered on, and continued playing the song "unplugged". The power clicked back on for the final chorus. Talk about a dynamic lift. It certainly got the crowd riled up.

Oh yeah, I had a really awesome burrito there too.

Tour report # 1

2010-05-27T17:39:00.001-04:00

I am typing this on my iPod, while sitting in the back of the van, on our way through a rainy Saskatchewan day. The shows have been going well so far. Lots of nice folks, and some good performances. We've been switching back and forth between acoustic and electric sets, so it is keeping every night fresh( and keeping Chris on his toes).

Had a great time at our show last night at the club in Regina. Such a nice room to perform in. Big thanks to Rob and all the folks at Grass Roots Regina for setting up the show.

It was funny. Across the hall in the other venue(the exchange) JD Edwards was performing. We had never met in person, but have set up a show for June 9th in winnipeg at the Academy.

A neat coincidence, and an opportunity to introduce ourselves in "real life". I think that show is going to be a barn burner.

Looking forward to our weekend in Nanton. Always a great time...and a chance to do some laundry.

Tour starts tomorrow...

2010-05-19T14:01:00.000-04:00

...with the driving. We don't actually have a show on Thursday, just packing up the van, and putting in some hours on the road.

First show is Friday at Loplops in Sault Ste. Marie, ON. One of the coolest venues in the country, in my opinion, and a great way to start things off.

Check out our schedule. If were passing through your town, please stop by and say hello. Feel free to let your friends know as well.

Cheers,
Tom

Evolution Of A Band : Help pick our band name

2010-04-22T20:03:00.000-04:00

We have been pondering band names for awhile now for this project. Hope you can take a moment to vote on the one on this list that you like the best. Most of these names were provided by folks on Facebook or twitter.