"Muse" - ings on Rock & Life

So, I tried to divide up my musical day, and while I was successful in the dividing, I was less successful in getting all that much accomplished today. I played some electric before I went to work today, still focusing on the hard rock progression I stumbled across the other day. The verses are coming along nicely from a musical standpoint, but the chorus, not so much. Then tonight, I played a bit of acoustic, deliberately staying away from the writing side of my brain. It was nice to just sit and strum as a way to relax. Back to the writing and plotting tomorrow. Also, my brother wants music for his birthday (which was a couple days ago). It feels like I've gotten him so much music in the last few years that I now need a list of what he has from me and what he doesn't. God forbid I'd repeat something.

The funniest part about this whole hard rock band thing, was that it all started out on acoustic. We would sit in the living room (and later in the back room with the studio) with acoustics, and trade chords and ideas back and forth until something clicked. It usually did, and it was almost always based around the weirdest chord we could find. Because, if you could take some off the wall sounding chord and make a progression out of it, then subconsciously it would be cool. I like to think I've got a pretty good ear for radio, and while a lot of our old demos were extremely rough around the edges, they had some potential. In a real studio, with drums and bass behind them, they could've made a pretty good record. I thought that then, I think it now. It's why I sat down with the acoustic today, and tried to find a way to flesh out the progression I got the other night. I made a little progress, but I think what needs to happen first is a going through of the old demos,

Today's entry follows up directly on yesterday's. As further proof that every time I pick up my electric, I get something for the hard rock band we almost started when I lived in GB, it happened again tonight. If it didn't feel so untrue to the heart of the project, I'd find a vocalist here, figure out a way to get approval from B. and just dive back into that wholeheartedly. And yet, even as I write that, I know that simply slotting someone else in behind the mic and soldiering on isn't possible, because so much of what that project should've been centered around B. and her initial enthusiasm. She had enough to get me in all the way, so that when she faltered, I kept the fire burning. I think maybe I owe it to both of us to finish the musical side of things to the best of my abilities, get some decent recordings nailed down, and then send it off to her for a bit of her musical magic and some lyrics. How long will it take? I'm honestly not sure, but s

Tonight's musical endeavors (aside from checking out CDs at the library) were effectively two-fold. 1) I sat down for a bit with the accumulated notebooks and chord sheets that in theory contain the start of my solo record. and 2) I did some more reading on the whole record label thing... which will in theory end up releasing my solo record. And yet, even after 3 years, every time I pick up my electric, a riff for the hard rock band just tumbles out of it... yes B. that's directed at you, wherever you are out there.

Is it strange that I've gotten so used to doing this every day, and so far into it, that I've forgotten what I've touched on and what I haven't? I hope that's not strange, because that's my reality. I was thinking about it today, and while some small part of me has wanted to start my own record label for the last five years or so, the true genesis of wanting to actually make it happen stems from a conversation I had earlier this year. It started with my wanting to open an independent record store, and ended up as so much more. From that initial idea, things morphed into a club/rehearsal space here in town (affectionately dubbed the "Ingersoll Rock & Roll Theatre & Lounge." It'd be part club & rehearsal space (as I said), part lesson studio, part recording studio, and part indie store. The record label would run out of the offices there, and supply the small indie store with a bulk of its product. It occurred to me that having that

I didn't feel like working today. Instead, I wanted to stay home and spend the day plotting my record label that I've wanted to start for years now... if I'm not mistaken, I've made mention of this fact in this space before. Using my better judgment (and ignoring my feelings), I went to work anyway. It was by no means a terrible day. I found out that I got my Saturday efore off on the 16th for the Brandi Carlile concert in Cedar Falls, and I worked with good people. As usual, there were some good people who came in, and some not so good. About halfway through my shift, it dawns on me that I keep getting ahead of myself. As of right now, I have no other band's music to release on this hypothetical label of mine other than my own... aside, perhaps, from a random project one of my co-workers keeps talking about doing. Anyway, considering that my stuff is nowhere near done, I ought to get that squared away before worrying about the label. Helps to have somethin

Today was a fun hodgepodge of musical goodness. I played some acoustic before heading off to work, picked up a Hendrix magazine and a Guitar World DVD on Zeppelin while I was at work, and read some stuff on record labels once I got home. All in all, not as much playing as I'd hoped for, but still a day filled with any number of musical things. The wide variety of activities was awesome today. It's nice to know that I can fill my day with various musical things, and feel accomplished, even if I've got to work. Some days it's a struggle to feel good about it if I'm scheduled late. Still a process, two months in. In fact, it's been exactly two months to the day! I started on the 24th of July, if I remember correctly.

At the request (or should I say frustration) of someone who actually follows my daily ramblings... here's a belated Top 5... (You Know Who You Are!!!) Top 5 Guitar Solos I'd Like To Learn (as always, in no particular order) 1) Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin 2) Hotel California - The Eagles 3) Wanted It To Be - Sister Hazel 4) Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out - Derek & The Dominos 5) Little Wing - Stevie Ray Vaughan (I know, I know, it's like a 6 minute solo...) and for your bonus... 6) Classical Gas - Mason Williams

Kind of a slow day today. Slower than I had hoped, at any rate. I sat with the acoustic for a little while and tried to work on some original stuff, but it was slow in coming. Got some bummer news that I was expecting today, but that didn't mean it stunk any less, so I'll probably head back to the acoustic before I pass out. Oh, I also finished off a book on The Beatles after the breakup today. It's called "You Never Give Me Your Money," and was a fascinating look at what happened after April of 1970. Not sure what I'm reading next, but it may well be something on starting a record label. I ordered a few books on the subject from work, to add to the ones I already have. I've always wanted to start a label of some kind.

Today has been a great day. In between doing some stuff around the house, I've basically had a guitar in my hands from the moment I woke up. I've gone through some of the Lead tab stuff from yesterday (but not with the DVD yet), paged through the new Guitar World, and done a little bit of stuff in terms of originals. Not as much as I would've liked to yet, but the night is young, and I've still got tomorrow. Haven't gotten in touch with J. yet, but that'll be tomorrow's project. Off to do more playing. Oh, and I forgot to dream up a Top 5 for today, so you'll just have to wait on that one. Hopefully another great one tomorrow!

So, it probably should've been obvious, but the finger exercises that are in that DVD tab book are arranged and structured so that they take you through a logical progression, starting with simpler topics, and then building on them. Each new pattern they introduce starts and ends on a different degree of the scale, to ensure that one gets accustomed to the sound and the feel of the different patterns. I noticed this before work today, and considering that I have the next two days off, I think that both the tab and the DVD definitely warrant some close practice and observation. I'd also like to wade into the newest issue of Guitar World (and likely the past few as well, seeing as those haven't gotten enough attention either). Oh, and I'd like to work on the originals and get in touch with J. It's a daunting schedule, I know, but it'll be fun to try and hit everything! Hmmm, looks like I need a Top 5 for tomorrow too...

The company's gone now, so after work tonight, I sat down with the Strat and tried to get my fingers back in shape. Having played only sporadically in the last few days, it was nice to get back to the routine. I dragged out the tabs that came with one of my Guitar World DVDs (something to do with lead playing), and used that to get my fingers used to moving again. I also messed around (more in theory than in actual practice) with "Keep Your Hands To Yourself" by The Georgia Satellites, one of the tunes I wound up with in the music I got from my company. I always have loved that song.

One of the greatest things about hanging out with friends you haven't seen in a long time is the swapping back and forth of all the new music that you've discovered in the time since you saw each other last. Needless to say, I snagged some new tunes while friends were in town. A little bit of Industrial (KMFDM, Lollipop Lust Kill), a smattering of Caroline's Spine, and a couple of records by the Hot Toddies are the big gains. Aside from that, it was mostly individual tracks. It's always nice to be handed a big thing of music, it's like someone's letting you in on a secret that has been hidden away for years and years. Maybe that's the truth, or maybe I'm still foolish enough to believe that music can save the world.

Back to the acoustic today. Printed off the tab for "Fall Apart Again" by Brandi Carlile. It's a tune from her debut album, and it's quite spectacular. I've got an excellent acoustic version that I downloaded off of iTunes, so I kind of went with a mixture of the two. Turned out kind of cool. I didn't have a TON of time before going off to work, so I only did a cursory run through. This will DEFINITELY require some more work in the next couple of days. Gives me something to shoot for, anyway.

Top 5 time again kids... and in this installment, the "Top 5 Reasons to Buy From Music Stores vs. Downloading." It may be an odd topic, but considering I work in a music store, it's kinda near and dear to my heart, so... 1) Liner Notes. Those amazing, insightful things that give you a small glimpse into the people and the process behind the album. 2) "If You Liked" sections that clue you in to other artists you may not have known about. 3) Listening in Advance - At least where I am, we let you preview things before you buy them. It Rocks. 4) Band Merch. & Free Stuff. That's right, there's usually something. Even if it's just a bookmark hyping an album. Never hurts to ask. 5) The Employees. We're interesting folks, and we can always clue you in to something you haven't heard. and as a bonus... 6) It gets you out of the house! These people who don't need human interaction make me nervous.

I'll preface this by saying that I've got friends in town again, and they'll be here until Saturday night... that being said, I didn't get a whole lot of playing done today, but I did pick up the guitar for a few minutes and run through the stuff J. and I are working on. Felt good to do that two days in a row. Nice to be back in the saddle with the music we've been recording. Hopefully I'll get a chance to do a little bit more tomorrow.

Really glad I took some time to play before work today, because as crazy as the rest of my night was, it may have been most of my opportunity for the day! I heard from J. earlier in the week.. he was asking what I've been playing. After I got his message, it dawned on me that the only thing I hadn't been playing much of was the stuff he and I were working on. So today I did. Played through the song on both acoustic and electric. Went well, felt good, but I'm still struggling with solo ideas for this song. Wish I had some clue as to why that is.

Not all that much to report today... and with a day off to boot. It's days like today that I'm grateful I made the pledge to pick up the guitar every day this year, even if it's only for a little bit. Between all of the stuff I needed to do on my day off, and all of the odd things that tried to get in the way of getting everything done, I was lucky to find a few minutes here and there to pick up the guitar and play, just as a way to break up everything else that happened. Did I accomplish much today? Not terribly, but it was nice to just have a few moments today when the music was exactly what I needed it to be: a respite from everything else going on in my day.

Every once in a while, I hear a voice in my head that whispers to me that I'm focusing on too much. It's usually late at night, and it says that if I would focus on one thing, on one aspect of this whole project, and then work it until it's perfect before moving on to something else, that I'd get more out of it. Sometimes I agree with the voice, and sometimes, like tonight, I feel that the variety of things I work on during the week is what keeps it interesting for me, what keeps me going, even on nights like tonight when I'm amazingly exhausted after work. That being said, I waded my way through more of the multitude of ideas that have cropped up in the last year or so. Stumbled across the start of a chord progression I really love that has continually mystified me since 2008... man oh man would I love to finally have something that finishes that off. Also, it dawned on me that I can't find written copies of a few of the more recent musical ideas I've be

So, I'm resisting the temptation to do another "Top 5" so quickly. Check back on Day 55 for the next one of those. That aside, it'll be a short one today. The other day, when the whole acoustic bass thing first came about, I found the couple of notebooks that had my recent lyrical bits in them. I was, however, unable to find the musical bits that I've been accumulating as well... until tonight, that is. Now, I haven't exactly gone through and started matching up pieces or anything, but I suspect that some of that may go on soon. The musical ideas tend to hold up better than the lyrical ones upon further review. Not sure why that is exactly, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that I could write music all day long, but lyrics have always been a bit tougher sell. It's definitely another thing that needs improvement this year. Go me, I just added something NEW to the list...

One of the coolest things about working where I do is that being there exposes me to all kinds of music I never would've heard otherwise. Between Fun, Back Door Slam, and The New Pornographers, there's so much great stuff that I wouldn't have found without the people (both co-workers and customers) I see every day. There's no way I would've given Grace Potter another shot (having pigeon-holed her two years ago), but I did, and she's amazing. I just picked up her first indie record, made without the Nocturnals. It's very jazzy, but it's her, and it follows the progression of all her other work. My other purchase was a couple of records by Jukebox The Ghost. They're piano-based indie pop awesomeness. And on top of that, their CD came with a code for a bunch of free downloads! Part of this whole thing is listening, sod sometimes to what you already know and love, and sometimes to what you've never heard before. Most of the time it fits nicel

Finally... at long last, here's the Top 5. As always, they're in no particular order. 1) Gonna Get Over You - Sara Bareilles 2) All The Pretty Girls - Fun 3) Medicine - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals 4) You Belong With Me - Butch Walker 5) Hey Soul Sister - Train and for the bonus... 6) Last Of The American Girls - Green Day There you have it.... I'm going to go play now.

I did it again... by two days this time. Apparently I've gotten so caught up in the stuff I've been working on that I missed another Top 5. And now that I've acknowledged it, I'm going to put it off for one more day, because what I want to use as my topic will take a bit of research, and as of right now I'm not prepared for it. That being said, I'm still going to take a bit of time and discuss said topic anyway... Normally, I'm not a huge fan of anything that could be considered "top 40 radio," but every so often, the things I do enjoy (good lyrics, solid musicianship, etc.) manage to wrap themselves around an exceedingly catchy hook that screams RADIO. The last time it happened in a really big way was six months or so ago with a song called "All The Pretty Girls." That song was by a band called Fun. And they are. The long and the short of it is this: it's happened again. This time around it's "Gonna Get Over You"

Interesting conversation today with a regular customer. He was lamenting the fact that a member of his family wasn't doing as much with their musical instruments as he had hoped they would. I got curious about what they weren't using. Somewhere among the litany of instruments (which included a Les Paul, by the way), was an acoustic bass. Now, I've secretly been wanting to get my hands on an acoustic bass for about a decade. Ever since those early demos, which really need to get worked on by the way, when J. and I kicked around the notion of doing something entirely acoustic. Needless to say, just the mention of an acoustic bass, followed up shortly thereafter by an "I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you borrowed it... I know I'd be fine with it." got my creative juices flowing again. So tonight, I'm going through all of the snippets of song (both lyrical and musical) that have either accumulated over the last year, or stayed around from years pas

Today seems much like yesterday, except that the Springsteen was replaced by Brandi Carlile. The Brandi tune was off of her online EP, XOBC, and is called "Love Songs." It's a really sweet little song, and I honestly have no idea why it was left off of her last studio record. Here's hoping she plays it when I see her live in October! As for the electric side of things, I paired the Vai with another article by Zakk Wylde, and a bit of information from GIT & Berklee. If all of this electric stuff comes together the way I hope it will, this is going to be spectacular. I'll also be the first to admit that the acoustic feels better than the electric in the last few weeks. Really need to get better at balancing the two sides. It's improving, but it's still not where I'd like it to be.

Springsteen and Steve Vai today. What's that? Strange combination you say? Right you are, but it was most fun. I found a cool acoustic version of "Dancing in the Dark" done by Jason Ross of Seven Mary Three. Needless to say, I ran through that, and tossed it in the pile of acoustic stuff to play at gigs. As for the Vai? Well, that would be the electric side of things. I've told myself for years now (5, maybe 6) that I would take a shot at his 30 Hour Guitar Workout. Tonight was the night I finally grabbed the magazine off the shelf and looked into how crazy that idea really is. In retrospect, it's not as crazy as this year-long thing seemed initially. Whether I'll do it exactly as he lays it out, I'm not sure, but I am DEFINITELY incorporating at least some of the ideas into my practice regimen. All for now. Off tomorrow (holds breath).

Slow day today. Nothing even remotely "Stonesy" happened. That being said, I'm still obsessing over Seven Mary Three's version of "Dead Flowers." The one cool thing I DID come across is the videos (on YouTube) from Richard Lloyd's Guitar World column from a couple of years ago. The columns themselves were awesome, but I've never been able to hunt down the DVD. I suppose it's available from their website, but now that I know I can find at least part of it, though, that ought to be a helpful tool. Aside from that, not much to report. I'm hoping that I can get up early enough tomorrow to play for a while before work, so we shall see how that experiment goes.

It must be Stones week in my life or something. A month or so back I was having a rough day inspiration-wise. I happened to mention this to a friend of mine. The sort of guy who can find anything, and shall therefore remain nameless. He promised me that "inspiration" would arrive shortly thereafter. The weeks rolled by, and when nothing arrived, I began to have doubts. Needless to say, my doubts were unfounded. I got the mail today, and there was a mysterious envelope from said friend. I ripped into it, and out fell a DVD. What, you ask, was on it? A rare documentary the Stones had produced in '72, right around the time of "Exile." All in all, a really cool piece of inspiration. The timing of Stones week is odd, considering that I had a conversation with a stranger the other day who admitted that they can't decide between The Beatles & The Stones. This strikes me as particularly insane. I've never met ANYONE who can't answer that que

I love the days when three things happen, seemingly at random, that tie together musically. First, we got new in-store plays at work the other day, one of which is "Mean Old Man," the new record by Jerry Lee Lewis. It comes out on the 7th. Anyway, the record is a who's who of stars. Apparently when you're a legend of rock & roll, everyone wants to guest on your album. Honestly, I can't blame them, the record has more of his 70's revival country feel than it does his early rock stuff, but it is a truly spectacular record. One of the songs he covers is "Dead Flowers" by the Stones. Then today I open my e-mail to find my monthly Seven Mary Three cover song, and it's... "Dead Flowers." Anyway, Jason Ross of 7M3 does an amazing cover of it, based on the version recorded by Townes Van Zant. So, needless to say, I learned it. Not only is it a great song, but if I play it in C, it lets me drag up some of the gravel in my voice. G

So, I just realized that today is day 40. And that since 40 is a multiple of 5, it's time for another of my lists. I've gotta be honest, I was completely un-prepared for this. That being said, we're going to do the Top 5 songs in my iTunes with the highest number of plays. Who knows, maybe there's some major insight into my psyche since I got my new computer last year. Number of plays will be in parentheses next to the song. Anyway, here goes. 1) Fine (acoustic) - Alkaline Trio (59) 2) Folsom Prison Blues - Brandi Carlile (53) 3) Preacher's Daughter - The Refreshments (51) 4) Kiss Catastrophe - The Damnwells (47) 5) Love Love Kiss Kiss - Alkaline Trio (42) and for the bonus... 6) Closer Than We Are - The Damnwells (40) Initial reaction, I'm surprised that there are two artists with multiple songs in the top 6. All good tunes, though, as I would hope if they're the top 6 in my list.