The Waystation

Live from the Mancave

noreply@blogger.com (dm) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:41:00 +0000

nikkos posted some great video of a track he's working on called 'Song To The Morning', live from his apartment, affectionately known as the Mancave.

I am into the idea of posting work-in-progress. It's sort of like a mixtape for us acoustic dudes. Yet again, John Mayer leads the way by completely turning his website into a 'mid-action report' on the making of his next album, 'Battle Studies'.

Tracks: Live Video Performance

noreply@blogger.com (dm) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Recorded live at Shirk Music & Sound, Chicago, IL in May 2009. Music and video produced by Steve Shirk. Written and performed by Dave McDowell. Read the story behind 'Tracks' here.

Recording: May 8, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (dm) — Wed, 13 May 2009 07:06:00 +0000

While I was back in the States; nikkos, Bobby, and I got together for a little pickin'. Hopefully we'll have a new tune or two to share shortly.

Here are a few photos from the session:

Red, black & blue: New Music From nikkos & the extraordinary renditions

noreply@blogger.com (nikkos) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:12:00 +0000

Bobby and I just completed a little side project I call nikkos & the extraordinary renditions.You can download our debut record here. Enjoy!

The Future of Album Art

noreply@blogger.com (dm) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:12:00 +0000

This article on designing for shrinking album covers makes some interesting points that we've experienced first hand, specifically how a smaller medium is driving album art towards "simplicity, bold color, stark imagery, and unadorned type." But, I also think it neglects some clear opportunities uniquely available in the digital world.

When we released our first proper album in 1999, manufacturing and distributing music was not easy. Our gold master was digitally mastered from analog tapes, our album art was printed with 4-color press, and it all had to replicated in a big CD manufacturing facility. Making CDs this way was expensive. As I remember, the minimum order was 1000 CDs, which cost over $1000. And, distribution was limited to consignment in records shops or what we sold at shows. Getting online distribution via the now-defunct Aware Records store was a huge step.

By the time our next release came out in 2007, the world had changed for the better. Between Discmakers and CDBaby, it was now possible to take an album from digital master to iTunes for a few hundred dollars. However, when it came to choosing the album cover, I was still thinking about a CD people would hold in their hands -- and learned some lessons about what works best in the new world of shrinking album covers.

In order to make low-cost, short-run duplication possible, Discmakers prints digitally, compromising on quality. To get the album in online stores and iTunes, CDBaby then scans the artwork from Discmakers. Convenient, but also another step down in quality. So, what begins as crisp, intricate design gets a little lost in translation. Combined with shrinking size, a lot of subletly and texture disappears.

For our most recent release in 2008, designing for fans buying on iTunes and listening on iPods was top-of-mind. So, we went with a stark, black-and-white image with simple, bold text, which represented much better at smaller sizes. The only thing I failed to learn from the last release were lessons of punctuation and capitalization. iTunes chokes on symbols like the parentheses in (slight return), capitalizes the first word in a title (downcounting becomes Downcounting), and appends EP with a hyphen. So, if you want your album title displayed consistently -- you have to play by the rules.

Anyway, for all the drawbacks of shrinking album covers, the advantages of both making and consuming digital music are many. But, I think there are some unexplored advantages to digital album art. First, however, let me state that including an awkward pdf version of CD packaging is an exceedingly *bad* idea. Other than portability, it doesn't play to any of the strengths of digital media.

My short-list for digital packaging would look something like this:

Meta-data. Lots, lots more: where the track was recorded, what instruments were used, what amplifiers, notes from the artist, engineer, producer, sidemen
Interactive. For starters, don't use a pdf, so I can at least copy and paste. But, also let me tag, comment, or add reviews. What about listening to snippets of the original music any samples are drawn from?
Searchable. Make the meta-data standard, indexed, and searchable. I would love to be able to search a database (whether online or sitting in iTunes) that would give me a list of songs in my library featuring Art Blakey on drums, produced by Dre, recorded at Electric Ladyland studios, or using the ProCo Rat pedal

"Atlas" Lyrics

noreply@blogger.com (nikkos) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:26:00 +0000

Atlas

Lately I’ve been wondering
What keeps this world from falling
But when I start to think too hard
I hear reality calling

And I just realized
This world is awful heavy
And if Atlas should stumble
Then we’ve got to be ready

Atlas carries the weight of the world on his shoulders

So if this world of ours
Starts getting you down
You just got to tell yourself
Be glad you’re still around

Take it as it comes babe
And just do what you can
Become what you are
Then you’ll understand

Atlas carries the weight of the world on his shoulders

We’ve all got some weight to bear…

"Make No Mistake," Live At Lilly's, 12.29.99

noreply@blogger.com (nikkos) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:48:00 +0000

Yes, I went deep into the archives for this one...I just knew we had to have a recording of our take on John Martyn's "Make No Mistake" (see Mr. Martyn's version below), and guess what? We do! All of the versions in Dave's possession are on cassette (yes- we're old!) and thus difficult to share, so it was a real shot in the dark to see if there was anything in my archives. I was thrilled when I found this take from our Wednesday night residency at Lilly's. Ah memories...if I could only remember them.

Personnel on this track includes Bob, Dave and myself, as well as Alex Rea on percussion, and this was recorded, I'm guessing, on Alex's portable mini-disc recorder. Folks, this is a live Waystation classic: an obscure cover of an obscure artist, a "cringeworthy introduction" (Dave's words) and overwrought vocals redeemed by fat bass grooving on your face, a swinging, lyrical guitar solo and pure, ethanol-fueled enthusiasm.

The other day, our friend Aimee told me she could still hear our version of this tune in her head. Well Aimee, I hope this version is as sweet as your memories. Enjoy!

To download, right-click and so forth: The Waystation, "Make No Mistake," Live At Lilly's, 12.29.99

John Martyn: We Couldn't Love You More.

noreply@blogger.com (nikkos) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:40:00 +0000

You will be missed.

I am incredibly thankful that I was introduced to the music of John Martyn. Music producer Jim Tullio introduced me to his music, and, to my bottomless gratitude, the man himself.

I was in Jim's studio late one night back in high school (a good friend had an internship with Jim and I was merely tagging along, trying to soak up some knowledge) and the phone rang. Jim talked to whomever was on the line for a minute and then said into the phone, "Hang on, there's someone here that wants to talk to you," and then he handed the phone to me. Perpelexed, i took the phone and was greeted by the deep and gregarious Scottish burr of John Martyn himself. I can't remember what I said- probably nothing of much import. But the moment was thrilling- I was talking to John Martyn! All the way from London! (Or somewhere)!

Thank you Jim, for the literally once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

And John, I think I can speak for myself, Dave and Bobby when I say: thank you for the music, every glorious note of it.

(Sorry, but the really good performance of this tune on YouTube has embedding disabled.)

Tom Browning Is My Guitar Hero

noreply@blogger.com (nikkos) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:00:00 +0000

If you're anything like me, you have an insatiable appetite for information. This has led me to follow, oh, about 200 blogs in my Google Reader. A couple of those blogs follow the music scene in Louisville, KY, my hometown. Even though I recognize very few of the bands and venues these days, every once in a while something will pop up that sends me careening down memory lane.

Well, this morning, I happened across this post on "Backseat Sandbar," about the 'ville's very own "Merry Pranksters" band. They've been playing a Sunday gig every week for TWENTY TWO years, a truly epic accomplishment.

But what really caught my eye is the gentleman at the far left of the photo above. His name is Tom Browning, and he taught me how to play the guitar (or, in his defense, perhaps I should say he did everything he could to teach me how to play the guitar!). I guess I was about 14 or 15 when I first began taking lessons from Tom, in the unbelievably tiny back room of the music store where he worked (man, I wish I could remember the name of that music store).

I think Tom gave up pretty quickly teaching me the fundamentals of music- chords, notes, scales and such, because my method of learning guitar was to bring in a (cassette tape of a) song I wanted to learn (usually something a beginner had absolutely no business attempting, like the multiple, entwined guitar lines of "The Song Remains The Same"). Then, I would sit back and watch Tom listen to the tune once, twang a string or two, hit "stop" on the cassette player, and then proceed to play the holy shit out of the tune. No matter what the tune was, he could play it.

Perhaps more amazing, when Tom played his acoustic guitar, it seemed like he could make it sound like anything. If he was chugging through a meaty Zeppelin riff, the guitar sounded thick and heavy, almost electrified. If he was playing a flamenco passage (I remember wanting to learn The Doors' "Spanish Caravan") his beat-up acoustic sounded for all the world like the classical guitar of a flamenco master. To this day I can hear Tom in my mind, playing that descending Fender Rhodes line from "Riders On The Storm." (for some reason, I was always trying to learn songs with little to no guitar in them. See Hubbard, Freddie, below for confirmation of this pattern) Anyways, somehow, when Tom played it, his acoustic chimed and rang out like he was tickling the ivories on a vintage electric piano. I swear I could even hear the Leslie speaker.

My lessons with Tom only lasted for a year or so. Soon I would leave Kentucky for the bright lights of big city Chicago. But Tom, to you I offer my most sincere and heartfelt thanks for helping me discover and nurture what has become a lifelong love of music...even though I still can't play "The Song Remains The Same."

This aint no obit: Keep rockin' Tom!

The Wedding Singer

noreply@blogger.com (nikkos) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:00:00 +0000

No, I'm not sad- I'm concentrating!

I was saying the other day that there are few things in life more gratifying for a musician than to have someone else learn/play one's songs. One of those "few things" is being asked to play in the wedding of one's dear, dear friends. A couple summers ago, I was asked to compose and play a tune in a beautiful, beachfront wedding (perhaps I'll share that tune in the future) and just this past summer, Dave and Lauren asked me to play the James Taylor chestnut, "Something In The Way She Moves" at their absolutely incredible wedding in France. Needless to say, I had a blast learning and playing the tune...and traveling to France to perform it in the wedding!

What Dave and Lo didn't know until very recently was that Lo's uncle was putting together a wedding video, and that I had recorded the tune in the studio for that very purpose (with thanks, once again, to Steve Shirk at Shirk Music!). I recorded this the same day I recorded "Oh It's Festival Time!" Not bad for four hours' work.

I will admit, it was hard keeping it a secret. Usually, Dave is one of the first people that hears my recorded work (Bob is usually right there in the studio with me). But in this case, I had to bide my time, and now that the wedding video has been wrapped, I can share with you my version of "Something In The Way She Moves." I hope you like it.

To download, right-click and 'Save Target As' (Internet Explorer) or 'Save Link As' (Firefox): Something In The Way She Moves

There's A First Time For Everything...

noreply@blogger.com (nikkos) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:13:00 +0000

...in this case, it's the first-ever Waystation-related Facebook status update:

Doug is a long-time friend, fan, guitar hero and Soundboard Master, and I was happy to honor his request for some pointers regarding how to play our tune "Atlas." Really, there are few things more gratifying and flattering to a musician than to have someone want to learn their tune.

Now, I suppose a "real" musician might have responded to Doug's request with sheet music. That's not my style (or part of my skill-set) so I made this video instead:

Any other requests?

I'll Probably Regret This...

noreply@blogger.com (nikkos) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:15:00 +0000

...what am I saying? No I won't. Having friends and fans on Facebook is awesome- they have all the best, and worst, photos. Thanks Carrie!

Custom

noreply@blogger.com (nikkos) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:41:00 +0000

Reading about the new Eddie Van Halen custom geetar got me wondering: other than a secret JBC compartment, what features might your dream guitar have, Dave? Bob? What would you call your custom "axe?" (Gah, I hate that term.)

Mine, of course, would have little lights on the neck which would allow me to play solos- and this is totally unprecedented- outside the usual pentatonic scale. A man can dream.

Happy New Year From The Waystation

noreply@blogger.com (nikkos) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:35:00 +0000

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace."

- Jimi Hendrix

Freddie Hubbard (1938-2008)

noreply@blogger.com (nikkos) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:25:00 +0000

We just lost another of the greats. Dudes, how many nights did we spend listening to Red Clay? I even seem to recall an ill-advised attempt at covering it- no small feat for a band with no horns and only one member that could actually play jazz! But such was the musical inspiration embodied by Freddie Hubbard. Freddie, thank you for the music.

Semi-Finalist in UK Songwriting Contest

noreply@blogger.com (dm) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:05:00 +0000

Perfect was selected as a semi-finalist in the UK Songwriting Contest, in the Folk and Country category.

What's in a Name?

noreply@blogger.com (dm) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 10:44:00 +0000

When Nick and I met in 1994, I was actively trying to put a band together, jamming with anyone that would have me. And, Nick was playing pied piper to the various musicians of Scott Hall. Almost immediately, we started recording songs with a four-track Nick borrowed from a neighbor in the dorm. Within a few weeks, another buddy booked us a gig as an acoustic duo, which we cleverly called 'Nick and Dave'. We opened for a more established band called Promenade in the Scott Hall multipurpose room and then at a local bar called The StadiUm. From there, we started lugging our acoustic guitars to every songwriter night on campus. And, by virtue of our persistent cold calls as much our musicianship, became regular openers at The StadiUm.

Around this time, another friend posted a classic note to the whiteboard affixed to Nick's door. It went something like this...

"Dear Nick,

I have decided to change the name of the band from 'Nick and Dave' to 'Dave and Nick'.

Or better yet, just 'Dave'.

Yours truly,

-Dave"

Meanwhile, Nick met another Scott Hall musician, bass player extraordinaire, Bobby Love. Bob came from a jazz background -- he had never even heard Led Zep! So, coming from a rock background, our styles did not mesh immediately. But, Nick insisted he was the man for the job -- and, thankfully, I agreed. And, with the addition of a drummer Nick knew from Louisville, our first line-up was complete.
With only a few weeks to go in the semester, I lined up a few gigs. I'm not even sure where we rehearsed (we probably didn't rehearse much anyway.) But, since we had gigs, we needed signs, and we needed a name. Nick suggested, 'The Dallas-Arbiter Band', after the effects pedal made famous by Jimi Hendrix.

After summer break in 1995, we rehearsed at 21 W. Vine, Nick & my house off-campus, much to the chagrin of our roommates. We continued to play gigs and even recorded a demo as 'The Dallas-Arbiter Band', but after a falling-out with our drummer, decided to signal a new start with a new drummer and a new name. A few candidates were 'Gravity' and 'The Last Day on Earth Band', but when Nick suggested 'The Waystation' -- it clicked immediately.

The name comes from a concept in Joseph Campbell's comparative mythology -- the idea that parallel myths exist in many different cultures. Specifically, there is a common story about a hero, that goes forward on the paths of others, until he comes to the last outpost -- The Waystation -- where he goes out on his own.

Just Google Us

noreply@blogger.com (nikkos) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:26:00 +0000

I was filling up the tank on Waystation 1 (1997 black Toyota Tacoma = baller status) yesterday at the ol' Costco when the gentleman in the adjacent petrol bay inquired, gesturing toward the vintage sticker on said truck, "What is The Waystation?" "Oh, it's my band," I replied. "I see," he said. "Actually," he went on, "it's kinda funny; I work at McDonald's corporate offices, and we have a server in our office that we call "The Waystation." "That s funny," I replied, "but I bet your server doesn't have a sticker featuring a nekkid woman, now does it!"

He smiled, and asked, "Do you have a website?"

'Perfect' is Track of the Day at Garageband

noreply@blogger.com (dm) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:42:00 +0000

Garageband is a site where musicians and music fans review songs from unsigned artists. As a song gets good reviews, it moves up the charts. We've had great success in the past, with 'Something About You' reaching as high as #10 on the folk-rock charts and 'A Way Out' ranking #8 of 17,464 songs in pop-rock. And now, Perfect will be Track of the Day on Oct 5.

Speaking Of "Goin' Country"...

noreply@blogger.com (nikkos) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:25:00 +0000

...here's a twangy little confection I recently whipped up with help from Bob, "Dobro" Dan Fuchs and a supporting cast of friends and characters. Recorded in Chicago, IL at Shirk Music by Steve Shirk.

Download: nikkos & friends, "Oh! It's Festival Time" To download, right-click and 'Save Target As' (Internet Explorer) or 'Save Link As' (Firefox).

Enjoy!

(...and since this is the first time I've attempted to post music to this blog, please let me know in the comments if you have any problems...thanks!)

(slight return) EP on iTunes

noreply@blogger.com (dm) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:46:00 +0000

Our new EP is now available on iTunes. Although it looks like the title has a typo (a capital R in return.) I guess I will have to take that up with Steve Jobs...

Also, it's interesting that the top 5 artists that 'Listeners also bought' are:

The Weepies
Augustana
Alan Jackson
Brooks & Dunn
Dierks Bentley

I always knew we shoulda gone country...

Top 5 at Singer Universe

noreply@blogger.com (dm) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:04:00 +0000

Dave was selected as a Top 5 singer of the month for July at Singer Universe. Check it out...

The Waystation (slight return)

noreply@blogger.com (dm) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:58:00 +0000

Continuing the creative journey we began 14 years ago, I am proud to officially announce Nick's return to the band and a new 5-song EP, called The Waystation (slight return), available now at CD Baby.

Featuring diverse rhythms & eclectic arrangements, but rooted in the singer-songwriter tradition, The Waystation (slight return) is more organic than 2007's downcounting. The new EP opens with Leave Me Be, a song written and originally recorded in 2001, but never released. The new version, re-worked from electric, bass, drums to a taut, acoustic number, exemplifies the old-is-new feeling of the EP. In addition, The Waystation (slight return) features Keep it to Yourself, Holding Pattern and Help Me to Fly, which are songs we have played live hundreds of times. And, the brand-new song, Perfect.

New touches for the EP include bluegrass-inspired dobro work from Dan Fuchs as well as Hammond organ & Wurlitzer electric piano from one of Chicago's hot, young jazz players, Rob Clearfield. Also, two tracks were recorded and mixed by our college buddy and studio owner Steve Shirk, with longtime engineer Scott Ramsayer on-board for the other mixes and overall mastering.

Be sure to check out photos from the release party, see photos of us recording the new EP, or listen to a few of the tracks. And, pick up the MP3s or a CD at CD Baby!

Influences

noreply@blogger.com (dm) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:14:00 +0000

Was downloading a bunch of old tunes this morning and got to thinking about my influences...

When learning to play guitar, my repertoire consisted of whatever I could cull from my monthly Guitar World, a subscription I got from my Mom every year for Christmas. I learned classics like Stairway and Sweet Home, The Joker and Carry on Wayward Son, and mid-nineties rock like Nirvana and Pearl Jam. My high-school band also shared a rehearsal space with some older guys who played a lot of R.E.M. and U2, so I learned some of that material as well. I also used to jam with a drummer that let me dub a bunch of his alternative rock like The Connells, Live's Mental Jewelry, Fishbone, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Collectively, this all drove my early songwriting: anthemic song structure, intricate guitar parts, and a bit of lyrical angst.

In college, Nick introduced me to the folkier side of classic rock in the form of Richie Havens, John Martyn, and CSN&Y. Richie Havens, in particular, influenced my live acoustic playing -- The Waystation covered many of the songs Richie covered, using the same ringing, rhythmic style. I also spent a lot of time playing along with The Allman Brothers Band trying to solo like Dickey Betts. And, I couldn't help but be influenced by collegiate staples like The Grateful Dead and Phish.

Although I bought Wilco's A.M. in college, I didn't think much of the band until I heard Being There, which remains a huge influence. I suddenly heard a style that wasn't alternative, wasn't made-for-jamming, and wasn't metal. I heard folk & classic rock influences, but it still sounded fresh. And, it opened me up to incorporating country music, something I had dabbled with, more confidently into my own sound.

Lyrically, my biggest influence is John Mayer. I discovered his music on MP3.com, before he released his self-produced debut, Inside Wants Out. I remember seeing him in Chicago, with literally 5 or 6 other people that knew his music, and introduced myself. My best lyrics share something with his style; blending syncopation, observation & detail, and a self-effacing quality. And looking back, I think all my best songs connect with people for the same reason John Mayer's songs connect with people, they are true to self.

In terms of production, I cite Guster's Lost and Gone Forever, which was produced by Steve Lillywhite. This album took Guster's unique format (two acoustic guitars and a percussionist) to its pinnacle. After the album, Guster started incorporating a standard drum kit and writing more straightforward (but enjoyable) alterna-pop. Since The Waystation employs a similar lineup to Lost and Gone Forever when playing with Alexander Rea, that album remains a standing reference for me.

In the last few years, both The Killers and Cake have influenced my production style. The Killers Hot Fuss is probably the loudest and most compressed record I've heard, and Cake's records are just incredibly dry. A compressed, dry, right-in-your-ear sound is what I have pushed for on the last few records.

Boiling it all down, the five albums most influential albums to me are:

Wilco, Being There
John Mayer, Inside Wants Out
Guster, Lost and Gone Forever
Richie Havens, Live at the Cellar Door
CSN, Crosby, Stills & Nash

Nick? Bob?

$5 Credit for Downloads

noreply@blogger.com (dm) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:46:00 +0000

Amie Street is a MP3 download Web site with a unique pricing model -- downloads from unknown artists are priced as low as FREE and gradually increase in price to as much as $.98 as an artist becomes more popular. Amie Street was made famous because it hosted downloads for Ashley Alexandra Dupre, otherwise known as Eliot Spitzer's high-priced call girl. Needless to say, after the news broke, her downloads quickly rose to the $.98 ceiling.

Coincidentally, Amie Street also hosts downloads from The Waystation (although I have to contact them because our album covers look all compressed and shitty on their site). And, they are offering a special $5 credit for all new customers. Just use this link and you can download $5 worth of free music, including The Waystation back catalog.