Upcoming Show - Monday, October 21st

Our last Our Offering Plate/Acoustic Explosion combo show was such a success that the organizers requested that we schedule another one ASAP, so here it is, our next marriage of music, food and fellowship will be on October 21st. Come out, rock out, pig out (bring something to share) and partake in the glorious fellowship that has become the high water mark of the Logan Square social scene.
There is also a good possibility that I'll be reunited with some musical partners from my past (Think Fuzzy Stone) as well as the possibility that some very special guests will be joining me onstage for some duets/jams.
Love, peace and eats! What more could you ask for? (Besides good sex and good weather, I mean...)
See you there!
XOX

Upcoming Show - July 15th at Silvie's

It's a terrible love and I'm walking with spiders

It's a terrible love and I'm walking in

This quiet company

It takes an ocean not to break...

This quiet company

"Terrible Love" - The National

Only a month Away!

There might even be T-Shirts! See you there, and if you're gonna eat something, you'd better bring something! (E-mail me if the details are too fuzzy for you)

First five of Shuffle Mode today:

"My Only One" - Plain White T's
"Crazy" - Seal
"When The Sun Don't Shine" - Best Coast
"When You Wake Up Feeling Old" - Wilco
"Yesterday" - The Beatles

Soundcloud

I put some selections from my musical catalogue up on Soundcloud so people could listen and download if they would like. You can find my soundcloud page HERE.

Thanks for listening!

FAWM Song #7 - "Mailing It In"

The last song I submitted for FAWM 2013 was this little number, "Mailing It In" which is as much a commentary about my FAWM output as it is (sometimes) about my life. Despite the premise and the impetus behind it, it's actually one of my favorites from this year's go-round.
Again, I remind you, these are very rough demos (most of them recorded on the voice memo thingy on my iPhone) so please keep that in mind when listening.
Anyways, you can stream or download "Mailing It In" here. 

Well I’ve gone and done it again
Made a mess out of a simple thing
And I swore that I wouldn’t do
A thing like that to me and you
But I’m selfish and I’m weak
And I’m doing it now even as we speak
And I wish I could pretend
And lie to myself like I lie to my friends

But I’m mailing it in
Mailing it in
And I hope that no one’s noticin’
Cause I’m mailing it in
mailing it in
And I think I’ve always been
Mailing it in

And whats the greater sin?
To fail or not to try again?
Oh is it even fair
That I don’t feel enough to care
Yeah I wish that I could say
That it mattered to me either way
But it seems my apathy
Is finally catching up with me

‘cause I’m mailing it in
Mailing it in
And I hope that no one’s noticin’
Cause I’m mailing it in
mailing it in
And I think I’ve always been
Mailing it in

And whats the greater sin?
To fail or not to try again?

‘cause I’m mailing it in
Mailing it in
And I hope that no one’s noticin’
Cause I’m mailing it in
mailing it in
And I think I’ve always been
Mailing it in

All of my FAWM 2013 submissions can be viewed/streamed HERE and if you are a member of their site, you can comment/hurl insults/heap praises upon me.  

FAWM Song #6 - "Feel Like Standing Up"

FAWM Song #6  "Feel Like Standing Up" can be streamed or downloaded here.

Well I feel like standing up
Then I feel like sitting down
Well I feel like I’m going nowhere
Whenever you’re around
(Whenever you’re around)

Well I feel like I never knew you
It feels like we were never friends
It feels like I’m wondering
If we’ll ever be again
(Will we ever be again?)

What came between us?
Was it too many people? Or too many miles?
I haven’t seen us
Could it be that I’ve been losing you all the while?

Well I feel like Sammy Hagar
After leaving Van Halen
I feel like I’ve gotta prove
Something to the world again

You used to be my strongest ally
Used to shield me from attack
Used to be we were in the trenches
Fightin’ back to back

What came between us?
A couple of words? Or a couple of miles?
We once were dreamers
I guess dreams only last for a little while

(Chorus - which I omitted on the demo for brevity and because I hate it)
But when the day is through
I’d still be there for you
I’m still on your side
And when it’s said and done
our friendship isn’t gone
Til one of us has died

(bridge)
Where did we go wrong?
Haven’t seen you for so long…

Well I feel like standing up
Then I feel like sitting down
Well I feel like I’m going nowhere
Whenever you’re around
(Whenever you’re around?)

Well I feel like I’ve lost a brother
Like I’m losing my best friend
And I feel like I’m wondering
If we’ll ever be again
Will we ever be again?
Will we ever be again?

FAWM Song #5 - "Even The Sky Has Given Up On Me"

FAWM Song #5 - "Even The Sky Has Given Up On Me" can be streamed or downloaded here. 

Please don’t turn away
I’m not the man (that) I was yesterday
I know you don’t believe that I ain’t like that no more
& I’ve not given you much to believe in me for

(But) please don’t leave me in the cold
I need redemption, before I’m too old.
I know I’ve let you down, so foolishly
and even the sky 
Has given up on me

Please don’t write me off
I know your first inclination is to scoff
I know I’ve let you down so carelessly
And now even the sky 
Has given up on me
Yeah, even the sky
Has given up on me

“Forgive yourself”, the sidewalk says
And it will set you free
But how can I forgive myself 
When no one forgives me

Please don’t push me away
‘cause I need to believe that things will be okay
I know I’ve let you down so foolishly
but now even the sky 
has given up on me
yeah now even the sky
has given up on me
oh, even the sky 
has given up on me
yeah even the sky 
has given up on me

FAWM 2013 Song #4 - Sweet Daisy May

Apologies for being slow to post my FAWM results, but this year the yield was kind of thin. How lean? Song #4 is about my dog, Daisy May.
Well, not every fucking song is going to be "Hotel California", what can I tell you?
Please keep in mind that these are extremely rough demos.

"Sweet Daisy May" can be streamed or downloaded from here.

Sweet Daisy May
Is nipping at my heels
She can’t talk
So she can’t tell me how she feels
She might be hungry
Might want to play
Either way
My slipper’s gonna pay

Sweet Daisy May
Is like lightning in a bottle
Everything she does
she does at full throttle
She’ll bark at oxygen
Run circles in the snow
And chase that old hound dog
Everywhere he goes

Sweet Daisy May
Sweet Daisy May
What did we ever
Do before the day 
You came our way?
Sweet Daisy May
Daisy May
What did we ever 
Do before that day?

Sweet Daisy May
is voicing her objection
See she’s sensitive 
to any (kind of) rejection
She’s telling me
to put that damn guitar away
And get on the ground
Cause Daisy May she want to play

Sweet Daisy May
Sweet Daisy May
What did we ever
Do before the day 
You came our way?
Sweet Daisy May
Daisy May
What did we ever 
Do before that day?

FAWM 2013 Song #3 - Gutter

I actually finished this over a week ago, but have been so distracted that I forgot to post it. Sorry. Here it is, song #3 "Gutter"

Loving you
Is a job for two
But only one of us
Wishes that weren’t true
You need a place to hide those things
You don’t want him to see
Unfortunately for me
That place is me

He gets your laughter
I get your pain
He gets your sunshine
But I’m just
The gutter for your rain
Gutter for your rain

How hard it must be
Emotionally
To keep things from him
That you don’t keep from me
But he don’t need
My bullshit sympathy
Cause all the best of you
Goes to him, you see

He gets your good times
I get your pain
He gets your laughter
And I’m just the gutter for your rain
For your rain

But there are other
Hands on your time
And as much as I
Wish those hands were mine
The only thing I want from you
Is to know I wish you well
The more you made me miss you
The farther that I fell

He gets your laughter
I get your pain
He gets your sunshine
But I’m just
The gutter for your rain
Gutter for your rain

FAWM 2013 Song #2 - Reverser

FAWM 2013 Song #2 is now complete. A synth-ey little number called "Reverser".  

You can download or stream "Reverser" here, or check out my FAWM Page to see all of my FAWM songs and check on my progress throughout the month.

I give her love
I give her laughter
I give her everything
I give her time
Forever and after
Never ask for anything

I make my plans
Without her
She never shows up anyways
But there’s something
About her
That keeps me waiting for that day

Reverser (She don’t want it so she sends it right back to me)
Reverser (She don’t want it so she sends it right back to me)
Reverser (She don’t want it so she sends it right back to me)
Reverser(She don’t want it so she sends it right back to me)

(Bridgey Widgey)
…and this is the saddest part…

I try to call
Leave her a message
She never gets back to me
Returned unopened
All my love letters
Full of desperate poetry

Reverser (She don’t want it so she sends it right back to me)
Reverser (She don’t want it so she sends it right back to me)
Reverser (She don’t want it so she sends it right back to me)
Reverser(She don’t want it so she sends it right back to me)

She don’t want my love…

FAWM 2013 Song #1 - Sad Song on Green Guitar

If only it said "Sad Bastard"...

My first FAWM submission of 2013 is now online. I was having trouble getting my writing mojo going, so it almost didn't happen, but I managed to squeeze this one out today. It's not my best, but certainly not my worst. 

Sad Song on Green Guitar can be downloaded here

You can also follow all of my FAWM progress HERE (If you're interested) 

Staring at the photographs
Remembering all the love and laughs
And wondering why it goes so fast
When we want it to go slow
Staring at an empty page
With all the things I wanna say
But words don’t wanna come today
So I have to let ‘em go
All these things
I have 
In my heart
But I can’t 
Figure out
Where to start

Sitting in an empty room
On this lonely Friday afternoon
Thinking you were gone to soon
When I wanted you to stay
We were Having dreams and making plans
We had it all here in our hands
no one else would understand
And we wanted it that way
These things
We had 
In our hearts
And now 
We are so
Far apart

Back now in the world I know
Outside it feels like ten below
Funny how things go so slow
When we want them to go fast
All the things I’ve yet to say
It’s like a movie scene we can’t replay
(And you go your own way)
Funny how things go away 
When we want them all to last
All these things
That remain
In my heart
Even though 
We are so
Far apart
All these things
Still remain
In my heart
Even though 
We are so
Far apart

Best Music of 2012 (Updated)

This is kind of a lame way to get things started, but it is a start nonetheless. Making this list showed me that I discover a lot of “new” music about a year or two after it has actually been released (further proof, if any was needed, that I never was, and never will be cool)  Still, it wouldn’t be much of a “2012” list if I just told you my favorite stuff to listen to regardless of when it came out, so I’ve tried to keep in all 2012, although some late 2011 stuff snuck in because, gimme a break, it was late 2011….

Best Albums 2012

1) Scott Lucas and the Married Men – “Blood Half Moon” – this took a while to grow on me for some reason, but after I saw them perform most of this CD in concert, I fell in love with the whole record. Highlights = “There You Are”, “Steady Gaze”, and “Blood Half Moon”

2) Best Coast – “The Only Place” – There’s nothing complicated about Bethany Cosentino’s songs, they’re mostly 3 chord pop vehicles for her gorgeous voice and reverb-y guitars, and I fucking love it.

3) Local H – “Hallelujah, I’m a Bum” – If it seems kind of biased that 2 of my top 5 are from essentially the same dude (Scott Lucas)  and a  fellow Chicagoan, well tough shit.

4) Stars – "The North" 

5) Richard Hawley - "Standing at the Sky’s Edge"

6) Kathleen Edwards – "Voyageur"

Best Songs of 2012

1) “The North” – Stars – Aside from Pete Yorn’s “On Your Side”, I listened to this song more than any other this year. I loved it so much that I incorporated it into my own sets in the latter part of the year, and I’m still not sick of it.

2) “Up All Night” – Best Coast – When she gets to the chorus, her voice just breaks my heart.

3) “Big Machine” - Ryan Miller – very cool tune from the film “Safety Not Guaranteed”, it was also my gateway drug to Guster.

4) “Spiral” and “(Title Unknown)”  (Tie) – Wye Oak – The former was released as part of the Adult Swim Singles series, and is a really cool departure for them,  very electronic and funky. The latter was the song they kicked their set off with at the 930 Club (The video of their performance can be streamed on NPR) and I have no idea what it’s called, but I love it, and listened to it obsessively for several weeks.

5) "There You Are" - Scott Lucas and the Married Men - This is the most beautiful, melodic thing that I've heard Scott Lucas do, and it really stuck with me throughout the year. From the harmonized vocals to the hooky, dirty, feedback laced guitar solo, this song is damn near perfect. My one disappointment in seeing The Married Men live was they didn't include this in their set. Boo!

6) "Wapusk" – Kathleen Edwards – The reverb drenched harmonies on this song give me shivers.

7) “Farther to Fall” – Chris Quigley – Is it egotistical to include one of my own songs? Probably! But it’s a fucking fantastic song, so why not?
8) "Steady Gaze" - Scott Lucas and the Married Men - When I first heard this, I thought it was a Stones cover, but apparently it isnt. The song grabs you right out of the gate and throttles you like a wolf throttling a rabbit in its jaws (How's that for ponce-ey douche music journospeak, Pitchfork?)
9) "Say The Word" - Local H - Sorry if this list is Scott Lucas heavy, but he simply put out the best music this year. Sorry to the other chumps I've overlooked with this list.
10) "Midnight City" – M83 (I know, I know! It’s from 2011, but it’s late 2011, and I shook my ass to this so much in 2012, it would be a crime not to include it)

As far as the year ahead, I am very excited about it. I am currently enrolled in Improv Classes at Second City and in a couple of weeks, will be once again participating in FAWM (February Album Writing Month), which, if you'll recall, involves writing and recording 14 songs in 24 days. Last year was my first time participating, and I was so inspired by the spirit and community that I ended up writing 16 songs for it. I have quite a few ideas bouncing around in my noggin, so I am confident that I can meet or exceed the 14 song goal again this year. Between the music, the improv, and the other delightful miscellanites of my life, 2013 should be a busy and fruitful year. 

The first five of shuffle mode today:

"Turning Japanese" - The Vapors

"Malibu Love Nest (Demo)" - Luna

"Manic Monday" - The Bangles

"Have You Forgotten?" - Red House Painters

"Life on a Chain" - Pete Yorn