Nu Shiiit

Here are a couple o' new tracks. They're my half ass attempt at electronic free improv. Psuedo-something-or-other

Something new

I've obviously got a lot of time on my hands, so I tried something new. Instead of all the links on the front page, there is a links page. Instead of all the sound files trying to load up when the page first opens, there's now a sounds page. I put this new one up, but I guess the old ones can be archived since if you wanted to hear them, you've probably already done it. It's all kind of ugly and feel free to fiddle with it if you want, I was just wanting to try something and learn... or whatever.

postings with the mostings

man, i must say I am jealous of you Jeremy. Sounds like things are really kicking ass in Chi-town. Although, I will say I have had a frighteningly great time touring with this band. Everyone is a great person and amazing musician, and I feel as though this experience is really inspiring in the ways of song writing. there are some seriously talented song writers here and I've started dabbling in that dept. lately. its definitely been helping me find my musical voice(s) and i'm going to work in a dave douglas way of moving in a few directions - because that is totally fine goddamnit.

anyway, i've been layering stuff to some material Jeremy has sent me. Courtenay and others, if you are interested in this project of adding and sending, please speak now or forever hold your piece (of equipment...???) I'm hoping when I get home to start writing some of my own material for this type-o-thang. I'm very excited about being a part of the new record label POGO. Lets see if this add and send project can really materialize into the first album. eh?!

ok, i shall now go look at the goodness jeremy has posted up. you guys should tell john N. and Matt Aurand and Josh H. and Adam B. and any of the crevulators and anyone else you want to join this here thing - i feel like it could move in a new direction of creating and collaborating on music projects. what say ye?! if this happen we will build an email list for everyone to send files back and forth (i advise getting a gmail account for the space - even though google is big brother. yay!

current projects.

Hey dudes, so it looks like I'm the only one posting right now... fuck it, though, I gots lots goin on. I wanted to give you guys some info on a couple of groups I'm playing with right now. Interestingly enough, both are headed up by guys that already have all the material together and had put together full albums with them playing all of the instruments. Nice guys to hitch a wagon to (so to speak). I'm playing drumset in one called "Candytown" that will take a performative, theatrical approach (think Tom Waits' "Big Time"). You can check out the leader's style on youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYSCbJDT-Oc
We're not playing that tune, per se, but it gives a bit of a feel for his schtick.
The other group I'm playing with right now is led by Eddie Dixon, who's also a killer songwriter. For this group I'm playing keys (there's two of us, I'll be doing a lot of the organ parts). His myspace is at: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=320824671
Yesterday was my first rehearsal for that, check out the tunes "i sit on coffee" "devil shells the road" and "outta my run". Those are some that we rehearsed.
In addition to all that magic, I've still been checking out the avant garde stuff and met local bad asssss Frank Rosaly. He is very warm and encouraging and a killer on the drumset. He's got a myspace, too and some youtube videos (try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytQiNdYSGbA&feature=related ).
Pease!

oopsy

Apparently, there's some trouble downloading the sound files, because it wants to download them from itunes or amazon.com, neither of which has the files to download. So for now, it looks like we can stream the files onto the blog, but not have them available for download. The solution, is simply to have whoever posted the sound file send it to you via e-mail if you want to download. Not terribly complicated. If I or anyone else come up with something better, we can take it from there. Until then... party on!

Okay- check it

I figured out how to add music files directly on to the blog. Jamison and I had talked about working on tunes together via the internet by sending each other incomplete drafts, and I figured out how we can do it via spiralsonic. I've posted a tune that I was working on and for any of you that have recording to computer capabilities, you can download my tune, add additional layers or tracks to it and repost. Sort of like the Immaculate Corpse or whatever the hell it's called. If you want to post some of your own snippets, what you have to do is upload them to a third party source. I set up an account at imeem.com specifically for the purpose of putting stuff on there to post here and if you want to use the account, shoot me an e-mail and I'll give you the skinny on my password and how you can post it here. Peace(s)!

clarity in the midst of exhausting

hey all (or few rather)

just wanted to say thanks for adding to this. I want to say that I've had some issues that have grown and evolved over the years, but I finally think I'm on the way out of the clouds. I still have some mist around me, but I am seeing the clear. and I speak in metaphor about my feelings towards my musical output, and compositional self-criticality, if thats a word. i feel like all of us are isolataed in a number of ways, but there is no reason why we can't stir things up where we are, and share our experiences. i am planning on breaking throgh my writing shell, slowly but surely, and seeing what happens. Let me just say that I appreciate you guys listening to me about whatever musical issues have come to pass - we all love music and want to experience it in the deepest and most intimate way possible - and that aint easy, - a constant life journey that we love. anyway, i have no battery power left - and Im stoned riding on a bus to NYC. fuckit all and lets make music!

hearing goodness...

Jamison's ear training tips reminded me of this oldie but goodie. You guys probably already know about it but if not dig it!!!

www.good-ear.com

It's good for both ears... and also what's in between.

hexatonic goodness...

Theory Dorks Unite!!!

Alright! I thought I'd share a cool scale that I obtained from the guitarist Jimmy Herring of Aquarium Rescue Unit fame. I'm not exactly sure what the scale is called but for my purposes I have been referring to it as the Herring Scale. The scale is built by combining any two Major triads that are separated by a tritone. All six notes are arranged low to high to form a hexatonic or six note scale. 

For example:

G Major triad - G  B  D

Db Major triad - Db  F  Ab

When all six notes are combined in order they form the following scale:

G   Ab   B   Db   D   F   G

This scale has a very "Eastern" sound to it and sounds very hip over an altered dominant chord. Give it a whirl!!!  

Last night @ the Hungry Brain

Last night was the first show I've been to since my move to Chicago and it was totally out of hand. I haven't been all over the country, but there's something about what's going on here that seems very special and very unique. The leader of the group was Jason Adasiewicz, the vibraphonist (the vibraphonist!), and his tunes were killer. The atmosphere was killer. All of the players were killer. It was perfect. So perfect in fact, that I couldn't even stay for the second set. It was a strange experience, but it was so intense that I just couldn't absorb any more and was sort of freaking out in my head. I had to go home and pray...
-jeremy