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The weekly musings of one kErrY kOMpOsT, (financially) struggling musician, freak, whatever.

Wednesday, September 29, 2004

Happy again. Thanks, everyone, for your love and support. xoxox kErrY xoxox P.S. See you at the Eugene Edwards CD release party this Saturday, October 2nd (see website for details).

Monday, September 27, 2004

Depression.

Yeah, I could tell you about the amazing fishing trip Bernard Yin and I took last week, to the amazing Sierra’s; see my myspace page (under PHOTOS) for a picture of me – looking happy – and holding a rather large brown trout that I caught and released.

Depression.

Yeah, I could tell you about how the significant whatever and I hung out at the House of Blues last Friday night, guests of Jello Biafra, hanging backstage with Ministry and playing rockstar all night long (and I could mention the cute english girl who was flirting with me and whose phone number I somehow wound up with, gee, how did that happen?).

Depression.

Yeah, I could tell you about the great weekend the significant whatever and I had, her telling me over and over that it was the best birthday weekend she’d EVER had. I could tell you about the great time we had on her birthday (Saturday), hanging out with Dan West and his cool friends, or the great time we had at Adam Marsland’s CD release party, or the excellent dinner we had with her Dad and step-monster at the Rainbow on Sunday night.

Depression.

I could tell you how Tribeca found a drummer -- the awesome Chris G -- then lost him again, unexpectedly, a week later when he chose to back out due to some fairly extreme personal circumstances (which I totally, totally understand and empathize with).

Depression.

Yeah, I could tell you how I took the significant whatever to see Todd Rundgren the other week, or how I bought her tickets for an upcoming Hanson show.

Depression.

I could tell you about my amazing day-job and how they have agreed to allow me to take extended leaves of absence should I decide to accept a position with a touring band. How cool is that? And yet....

Depression.

I’d love to tell you about all of these things, but I can’t – I’m too damned depressed. I am so sad it sucks. I hate this. I know that I am an intrinsically optimistic man, and a good person, and that this aching feeling in my soul will pass, but, until it does, I am hating life. I hate crying. I hate wondering. I hate questioning other’s motives. Fuck that shit.

Depression.

At the very least, I still have that cute english girl’s phone number. Take care. Until the depression passes, I remain faithfully yours. xoxox kErrY xoxox

Thursday, September 16, 2004

Damn it, I finally did it. I uploaded a rough mix of a rough home demo called Changed My Mind. Yeah, it's rough. You wanna do better? Cool! Call me. 800.WRITE.MY.TUNES.

Love means never having to say you're fondled. Now, go and wipe yourself off.

K-loaded

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Hi there, kittens-n-kaboodles. Life has been very good of late, indeed. Despite the fact that the dayjob has been as frenzied as a microwave full of miniature daschunds, I have been getting things done. Unfortunately, this will be a brief blog so that I can get busy and do some more/again.

The big news is that Tribeca has found a drummer -- the awesome Chris G. We auditioned no less than seven kick-ass drummers last weekend, and, thankfully, Chris G -- our first choice, incidentally -- has agreed to join forces. Of course, all of this is subject to change in an instant -- this is Los Angeles, after all. Regardless, we're stoked about having this brother on board. Chris is an AMAZING drummer -- he's occasionally played with Spock's Beard, Yogi, and was a key player in Nick D'Virgilio's "Shaming of the True" performance last year (featuring the one, the only, the robust Mike Keneally), among many other progrock notables)-- and his groove is so sick, it's almost stupid. I can't seem to wipe this grin off of my silly face. Trust me, Tribeca is going to flippin' RULE!!!

In automotive news, my trusty old 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Sierra (read the article!) -- with all 200,000+ miles on her -- died in my hands last weekend. The steering column basically fell apart in my hands, rendering the iginition and transmission controls (not to mention the ability to steer, cough, sputter) virtually useless. Luckily, it died in a relatively convenient location (close to Nipper's house) and I got a very quick tow, stashing the lifeless body in Nipper's garage. I had a second junker -- a
1986 Chrysler LeBaron with 75,000+ miles on it, bought it from an old lady, seriously -- sitting in the driveway waiting to be activated. Nipper bought me an early birthday present -- a new battery -- and the Chrysler started right up! Awesome. So, I have wheels again (nevermind that I need to register and smog it -- I'm saving that happiness for after my upcoming trout fishing vacation). The only real inconvenience the whole episode created was that I had to cancel my recording session with Scott Halper on Monday night; that's how the baby bounces. Things could've been a LOT worse. I am a happy pink-haired boy.

Yeah, it's pink. Last weekend, Nipper bleached me up, and I decided -- spur of the moment -- to go directly from bleach-blond to full-on strawberry pink. I love it. And, unlike what my friend Mike Simmons has said, I did NOT do this to attract attention to myself. Sure, that's a side-effect, but I do my hair in weird colors because I think it looks cool. Period, paragraph. As for Mike? I love that little rascal even if he thinks I'm an attention whore. I'm not, really! :)

Anyway, last weekend found Nipper and me at a party hosted by the lovely folks from Spooky Pie. Several people were celebrating birthdays, and the party was, in a word, excellent (from what I can remember of it, anyway). Many friends were seen, bands were playing, and cake was eaten. Beers were consumed, then discarded. Heads were fuzzy. Sleep followed soon thereafter.

The next day found us at a screening of the awesome movie Performance, where we ran into a couple of friends, hung out, and enjoyed the flick. Damn, Mick Jagger had an INCREDIBLE look during this timeframe (the movie was shot in 1968). Catch it if you get a chance, you'll probably dig it.

What else? Tomorrow night is my second rehearsal with the powerpop band, tentatively called The Ultra Suede. Again, I must say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the material, and the guys in the band are so much fun to hang around with it's retarded. Last night I practiced the material again, and, all modesty aside, I was s-m-o-k-i-n-g. I mean, I've never played bass like that before. Maybe playing for 8 hours straight at last weekend's Tribeca drum rehearsals made me extra sharp or something. Whatever, I ain't complaining! Rather, I am having fun. Serious fun.

Then, Friday night, I'm taking Nipper to see Todd Rundgren and his band of Liars. That will be a blast. It's one of my birthday presents for her. Aww, shucks. Anyway, we're looking forward to a nice evening with the Toddster. It'll be my first time ever seeing the incredible Kasim Sulton perform. I practically worship Kasim, so, for me, this should be a gratifyingly humbling experience.

This Saturday, everything comes to a standstill -- no music, no phones, no work, no cars, no girlfriend, no family, no house to take care of, no pets to attend to, nothing. My fishing buddy Bernard Yin and I are off to the Mono Creek area of the beautiful Sierra's for five -- yes, FIVE -- straight days of trout fishing. We're after early spawning brown trout, actually, although I, personally, will be vying for a Sierra Slam: catching brown trout, rainbow trout, golden trout, and brook char. To say I'm looking forward to this trip would be the understatement of the century. We're gonna be doing a combination backpacking and car camping trip -- depending on our whims -- so wish us luck and safety. When I'm standing, thigh-deep, in Bear Creek, I'll be thinkin' 'bout 'cha.

Okay, so, hopefully I can write again next week if I'm not totally swamped with work. I will try -- that's all an attention whore can do, right? Until then, my little Spaghetti-O's, remember: life is a basket of warm, soft kittens, one of which is bleeding from the anus. Trout out! xoxox kErrY xoxox

Wednesday, September 08, 2004

Okay, shit, here goes. Thanks for tuning in! I am super-busy of late, so, sadly, I must keep this blog ultra-brief.

Last weekend, the Abe Lincoln Story played a FUN show down in San Diego -- thanks to everyone who came down (that means you, Ellen!). I, personally, feel it was one of the best shows yet; I was relaxed, comfortable, playing well, and the rest of the band was great as always. Nipper said the sound in the room was pristine; she said we sounded like an album. Cool! Meanwhile, we'll be taking it a little easy over the next month or so as Steve Moramarco works on a film out of town, and we search for a new keyboard player. Any ideas? Email me!

The rest of last weekend, I swear, Nipper and I kicked it by the pool. That was IT. Totally relaxing and a well-needed end-of-summer weekend.

Last night I auditioned for -- and nailed! -- the bass spot for a new power-pop collaborative with the working title of The Ultra Suede. Featuring members of The Stand, Aguafantastica and Kenny Howes and the Yeah!, Ultra Suede aims to provide the ultimate in melodic pop music. Think The Turtles meets Wondermints and you'll have a fair idea of the direction of the band. The audition was a blast, we all had a great time, and all of my bass noodling was not only acknowledged, but actually encouraged! Imagine that! They want me to wank! Yeah! Anyway, rehearsals are scheduled, recording dates are being lined up, gigs are being scoped out, and all looks good. Wish me luck!

I'm continuing recording at Scott Halper's, not much to report there, except we are moving forward -- slowly, but surely. Perfection takes time (insert smiling penis here).

Also last week, I did a lot of overdubs on my new song ("Changed My Mind"); I promise I will post it soon!

My friend Nelson Bragg (of Brian Wilson's band) had asked me to help him out on a recording last week, but he ended up having to shuffle the dates around, so I am on hold with this project for the moment. Here's hoping it happens soon, the song he wants me to work on is awesome.

This weekend is the big drum audition for Tribeca; here's hoping we find someone. I don't know what to expect -- I've never been part of a formal drum audition. Some of these guys will most likely be amazing players, and I just hope I can keep my end of the music happening. I'll let you know how it goes next week.

Also this Saturday is a big-ass party at the Spooky Pie house; lots of bands, lots of people, lots of fun! Email me for info, we'd love to see you there.

Okay, gotta run! Thanks for reading. Until next week, just do your own thing, and love one another. Hike your own hike! xoxox kErrY xoxox

Wednesday, September 01, 2004

September! I once wrote a lyric that goes "No one ever sees September in cyberspace." How laughably banal. Anyway, thanks for stopping by the old weekly blog. Heeerrrreeeee's Johnny....(cue Jack Nicholson weilding an axe (a real axe, not a guitar)).

Last weekend's party at our friend Sabrina's was INCREDIBLE. Nipper and I got there early -- like, around 8:00PM -- and we ended up partying until after 4:00AM, a marathon session to say the least. I got to jam out with my friend Pooch of the excellent band The Condors, and a bunch of other guys who I'd never met before, and it was a lot of fun. Pooch is a kickass guitarist! Thanks, Sabrina, for an awesome evening.

The next day was spent checking out open houses on the West Side; we caught two amazing old homes, and one kind of half-assed newer place. It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny, and the sun was sparkling on the ocean blue, and life was good. Very good, in fact. We relaxed most of the day, and all was love and blankets.

Last week I wrote a new song called "Changed My Mind" (how banal; maybe I should call it "And/Or Ryan Seacrest" or something equally stupid), and I spent a couple of nights demoing out all of the parts; then, over the weekend, I recorded vocals and drums over at Nipper's place. I will post the song over at Soundclick as soon as I get a moment (the day job is in high gear again -- busy!!!). It's got sort of a Beatle-y vibe, but more '70's-ish. Gee, ain't I eloquent?

Also last week, I spent some time over at Scott Halper's The Classic Studio and recorded some guitar and percussion tracks for an older song of mine called Sixteen Ways (link goes to old, shitty demo). The one and only Mike Randle recently recorded his album "Barstool Blues" there, for whatever that's worth. We'll be hooking up over the next few weeks recording this thing. I'm hoping to acheive a Crowded House-y "Weather With You" vibe. Here's hoping. By the way, we're recording on Scott's Akai 12-track -- which used to belong to my friend Ward Dotson of the awesome Gun Club. Pretty cool.

Then I got a phone call from Brian Wilson percussionist/vocalist Nelson Bragg (who plays with, oh, about sixty-five other bands at the moment), asking me to help out recording a song of his that we demo'd together about a year ago to the month, as a matter of fractals. That's supposed to happen later this week -- better get the demo out and start re-learning my parts! I remember overdubbing the demo with a TON of acoustic guitars, and ending up with sort of a Zepplin III vibe. This will be a fun project, I've been wanting to record again with Nelson ever since our sessions last winter when he co-produced a Tribeca track with me (and Cloud Eleven mastermind Rick Gallego, who, by the way, happens to have a groovy new album out called "Terrestrial Ballet"; check it out at his website and let me know what you think). It's nice to be asked to do this stuff!

And the calls keep coming. An old acquaintance of mine, Tony Valenziano, called me out of the blue, asking if I'd be interested in playing bass (I've been playing a lot of bass lately!) in a band with him, along with a couple of musicians I really dig and admire: Dan West and Kenny Howes. Tony sent me a CD of the tunes, and I really loved about 90% of what I heard. It's very The Turtles, very Wondermints; right up my alley. If I get the gig, I'll be replacing the incredible Prescott Niles of The Knack. Big shoes to fill, no doubt, but I've been getting comfy with the material and am digging learning all the crazy-ass changes I get to shred over (insert smile here).

In Tribeca news, Dave and I have been rehearsing (with me now on bass and loving, I said LOVING, it!), and we will be auditioning drummers within the next two weeks. We've gotten LOTS of interest in this slot, and I'm looking forward to the auditions. I personally contacted an incredible drummer, Jason Harrison Smith (formerly of Mike Keneally and Beer for Dolphins), and he actually called me back, expressing interest and downright enthusiasm for the project. I sneakily put my rejected Tribeca offering "Mourning Would?" as the opening cut on the disk I sent him, so that's kind of cool, I guess. Or lame. Take your pick! I'll let you know how everything turns out.

Speaking of Mike Keneally, why don't you dial in Radio Keneally for 24/7 streaming all-Keneally audio. It's awesome; lots of amazing, amazing music there. It's been keeping me happy for the last week or so. Check it out!

In Abe Lincoln Story news, well, we're hitting the road for a little Labor Day holiday weekend gig (on September 4th) at The Casbah in beautiful San Diego; please, join us, won't you? We're on at 6:30PM sharp, opening for oddball comedian Neil Hamburger, of all the freaky things. The band is rehearsing this week as well; gotta dust off those cobwebs and get the rock on! For those who care about such things, this will be a smaller, more compact Abe Lincoln Story than the 10-piece monster you've come to know, love, and, frankly, expect. Regardless, we will, we will, rock you.

You know, fall is just around the corner, and a young (well, I don't know about you, but I consider 41 to be young) musician's fancy turns to brown trout. You know what that means: my fishin' musician buddy Bernard Yin and I are planning a trip to the Sierra Nevada for a 5-day combination car-camp/backpack trip. Fucking awesome. I can't wait. We are toying -- emphasis on "toy" -- with the idea of making the Holy Grail of trout fishing backpacks: Tehipite Valley (said in hushed, dulcet tones of deep spirituality and resonance). It's a 36-mile round-trip hike. Yes, you read that right: 36 miles. If we don't undertake this insane trip, we plan on exploring the general Mono Creek area; there's a lot to do in this region and I'm ultra-stoked about spending some outdoor time up there. Here's hoping we get a chance to soak in the kick-ass hot springs (I have fond memories of spending a week in the area in 1998, and hanging out almost every night in the hot springs with a bunch of co-eds from CSU Fresno; grin, shuffle). Of course, I've got a million things to do in preparation, so I'd better get going.

Hey, thanks for reading this far. Have yourself a great labor day weekend. Party like you mean it. And always remember: architecture is frozen music, so build yourself a log cabin in a Sierra meadow today. Ciao! xoxox kErrY xoxox

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