Musician, Freak, Dayjobber, Etc.

Once again, I let another two weeks slip by with nary a blog. Shit me blind – I’ve been both busy AND lazy. No apologies – just dress me up in a pink tutu and we’ll forget about the whole thing. M’kay?

I had a great holiday weekend with Nipper and a few close friends; I made one of those Ralphs’ “holiday home” meals (aka Turkey Dinner in a Box), which, as usual, turned out just fine. The rest of the weekend was spent mostly snuggling in bed – it was FREEZING here in Sunny Southern – and just hanging out here and there. Good times. I got a hell of a lot of rest, which was nice. We also caught a rockin’ performance by The Shakes, which was cool because we hadn’t caught them live in almost a year. They totally smoked and we had ourselves a great time, hanging out with some old friends and just being social butterfrogs.

I also spent a little time messing around with some guitar solos for a song written by the world’s biggest Mike Keneally supporter, a gentleman by the name of Ron Moses (he runs the official Keneally music-trade group). He wrote a cool song called ”Baby Cup” (right click and “save as” for the MP3) that I wanked over. We’re currently trading emails and MP3’s and just messing around with ideas – again, good times.

I’ve been doing the same thing – guitar solos – for a couple of Tribeca songs that are *this* close to being finalized, which is always fun. I don’t know if these solos will make the final cut, but, hey, we do our best here at kOMpOsT central. I’ve also been cracking the big black whip across the hairy back of Mike Simmons, who is currently hard at work (hopefully!) remixing my song “Vanish”; I’m hoping to hear something from him this week – I’m keeping my testes crossed (which, actually, is quite painful now that I think about it).

The Abe Lincoln Story continues rehearsing and breaking in (emphasis on ‘break’) our new keyboard player, with a gig coming up on December 15th at King King. We’re playing a short set as part of some kind of freaky holiday extravaganza. Check the official website for updates and, if it’s not updated, check back here next week. Loving you!

Later this week I’m back in the studio with The Ultra Suede (don’t bother clicking, website coming soon), doing some bass overdubs – should be fun. Here’s hoping there’s not a whole hell of a lot of overdubs to be done – I thought I pretty much nailed most of the stuff during the initial sessions a few weeks ago. Whatever -- as if you cared.

My fishin’ musician buddy Bernard Yin and I were planning a trip to the Bishop area this weekend for a little brown trout action, but the weather is abnormally – hell, freakishly -- cold, so we’ve decided to blow it off. With weather like this, we figured why bother? So, instead we’re going to try something a little more local, which should be fun. Bernard has a few days off between El Vez tour legs, so now is the time.

Oh and by the way, I will NOT be getting a chance to audition for the bass slot for the upcoming leg of the El Vez tour. Their last bassist – who was brought on board by Bernard – turned out to be a little bit on the weird side, so El Vez has rescinded Bernard’s position as music director and has taken on the hiring of the new bassist himself. There goes my connection, my ‘in’, my chance at stardom. So be it, it’s too fucking cold to be on the road right now anyway.

That’s me, always looking on the bright side of the bong.

And that, my little Bobby’s and Cindy’s, brings this blogasm to a shuddering climax. Was it good for you? Me neither. Until next time, rock your dirty little selves silly, be kind to animals and one another, and remember: architecture is frozen music, so build yourself an igloo today. xoxox kErrY xoxox

Hey. Food. Wow. Welcome to my weekly blog (yawn, fondle); thank you for your order. No, I’m sorry, we don’t serve curly-fries; would you like some boiled peanuts with that instead? I didn’t think so. I’m sorry.

So, last week I started – and, more importantly -- finished my contribution for an upcoming Kevin Gilbert tribute CD (featuring members of Marillion, Asia and Simon Apple, among many other internationally famous pop recording groups). As per my plan, I recorded the track at the esteemed Scott Halper's place (aka “The Classic Studio”) in the heart o’ hOllYwOOd. With Scott’s help, we quickly nailed a handful of acoustic guitar tracks, a rain effect, and a doubled vocal, all without the benefit of cocaine. “Stay golden, Ponyboy”. As befits a simple song, I kept my recording clean and didn’t really vary all that much from Kevin’s version. Well, I added a little fingerpicked thing-a-ma-bob at the very end, just to be an asshole, but, basically, it’s pretty much like the original. Hopefully, my vocal doesn’t come across as deliberately trying to fake Kevin’s distinctive vocal style – honestly, I just sang it the way I would sing anything of my own. The tribute is scheduled to be released sometime next year – here’s hoping it happens. I’ve been known to frown on tribute CD’s – I mean, come on, we’re artists here, let’s do our OWN music and leave the classics where they rightly belong: in the PAST – but, for Kevin Gilbert, well, I gladly made an exception. If you’re not familiar with Kevin and his music, you should be.

Period, paragraph.

What else? Well, suddenly, salad: seemingly out of nowhere, The Abe Lincoln Story has a couple of gigs coming up in December, one at local Los Angeles club King King (on December 15th) and a private party on December 17th. Imagine that – gigs. We haven’t played live since last September; however, the past couple of rehearsals have indicated that the band still rocks like Ovaltine, so all systems are go-go. Watch this space for details and other sordid information. The Abe’s are also fastidiously rehearsing material for some upcoming recording sessions; we already recorded eight or nine songs earlier this year, and we’ve got another half-dozen or so to go before we miraculously have an album in the can. Love is a warm potato bug.

Speaking of the Abe's, check this out. Namedropped!

On the Tribeca front, well, it pains me to say that we have been dealt yet another blow in the drummer department. Sigh. I’m beginning to hate this, can’t you tell? Anyway, after a few weeks of everything being crushed glass and cocaine shampoos, drummer extraordinare Jason Harrison Smith(pictured with the never-malfeasant Mike Keneally ) has decided to bow out, at least as far as being the full-time drummer for Tribeca is concerned. Well shit all over me and call me Mr. Hanky. Oh well, shit happens, right? I mean, Jason is busier than hell right now, what with recording a piano-based jazz album with the one and only Gary Husband (Jason played me some snippets of his material the other night and it was so good, and so fucking weird, that it just sent me into a deep, impotence-inducing depression), so of course I totally understand his need to prioritize his time and financial resources at this critical juncture in his career. Hell, we can’t even afford to pay the dude and, if anyone deserves to be paid for being a SICK ASS musician, it’s Jason. On the bright side, Jason is DOWN DOWN DOWN with being the on-call Tribeca drummer, so that’s a blessing for sure. Meanwhile, we have another awesome drummer – Courtney – in the wings, and he’s been kicking ass in rehearsals, so all is good. Courtney has a much more flexible schedule than Jason, and so we’re all thinking that this is what the music gods have wanted all along. Here’s hoping!

Meanwhile, Tribeca has been getting a little airplay here and there, and we’ve had numerous positive reviews, so I can’t complain (although sometimes I still do). We’re taking just a little bit of a break from rehearsing over the upcoming holidays to focus on getting the album finished and wrapping up some other loose ends, all in anticipation of a CD release party early next year (we’ve even talked about having a joint CD-release party with Rick Musallem’s new band SMUG, which would be cooler than cool). Patience – it’s what I need – NOW!!!

On the sunshine-powerpop tip, my band The Ultra Suede is hooking up this week to discuss some business matters and to get some kind of a recording schedule in place, as we, too, are anticipating having an album in the can by early next year. That’s three full albums I’ve recorded for/on this year (four, counting the Kevin Gilbert tribute) – a new record for me (pun intended, all you naked people). We (The Ultra Suede, that is) are looking to have a website up soon, and some photos and MP3’s and bios and all that happy horseshit that goes along with having an internet presence. We’ll be meeting this week to sip some tequila and formulate a plan to make all this stuff happen. I can’t wait to start overdubs on all of the material we recorded the other week in Studio 1 at Western and Union Recorders -- I really want to hear how this record is going to turn out – if you like soaring, happy major-seventh melodies and lots of vocal harmonies, you won’t be disappointed.

On a different matter altogether, my friend John Borack is currently writing and compiling a book on a subject near and dear to his heart: melodic pop music. John was kind enough to ask yours truly to – perhaps – contribute a piece for the book; how cool is that? So I’ve been working on my piece over the last couple of weeks and I am about 50% of the way finished. I hope to have everything wrapped up early next week at the latest (depending on how much writing I can squeeze in at the day job!). I am looking forward to John’s critique, and to the book in general – a few of my friends are also contributing material. Knowing John Borack, the book should be a blast.

That’s about it for now. Whew. I tell you, being in three bands -- with three pending albums – can sometimes be tough work. This heavy band workload – plus the fact that I have spent many weekends and vacation days this year out in the field in pursuit of wild trout – has really taken a toll on my songwriting. Meaning, I’ve only written one full song this year -- "Changed My Mind" -- a new low for me. Add to that a wonderfully intense relationship (that’s my baby of the last five and a half years, Nipper Seaturtle; ain’t she cute?), a full-time 40 hours a week job, a cat, ten chinchillas and not one but TWO houses to maintain (mine and Nipper’s), and, well, it’s no fucking wonder I’ve only written one song this year. There, I feel better now having written that. I mean, I LOVE writing songs, so I’ve been a bit, shall we say, concerned with my output this year. Well, I do have – I swear it, I am serious here – a 30-minute progressive rock epic that I am, like, 85% finished with -- most of the music is demo’d, and a few lyrics remain to be written and recorded, but it is basically done -- I just cannot, for the life of me, find the motivation to wrap this monster up. Damn these eyes!!! It’s a cool epic, too, I swear it!!! Sigh. One of these days I will finish this beast and move on.

On the positive side, being so busy with all the things I mentioned above absolutely, 100% adds to my life experiences which, in turn, should manifest itself in whatever form of self-expression I choose to do in the future, so, again, all is golden. Sometimes it’s perspective that I find lacking in my life.

Hey, our friend Sabrina is hosting her annual pre-Doodah Parade party this Friday; email me if you’re interested in details. Sabrina’s parties always rule!

Okay, that’s all I have time for now. Thanks to you and your lively spleen for reading this (I meant to type “lovely spleen” but I think “lively spleen” is much funnier). Speaking of funny, tonight the girlfish and I are off to see the inseparable George Carlin -- it’s a book signing thing – should be fun! Coincidentally, we’re friends with George Carlin’s nephew Dennis Carlin, who used to be in The Leaving Trains with Nipper years ago. Hooray for hoagie sandwiches! That’s all for now. Until next week, remember: architecture is frozen music, so build yourself a motel in the desert today. xoxox kErrY xoxox

Sorry I haven’t blogged in a week. So, am I the only one around here who feels sad? Listen: I voted. I have served in the armed forces. I work. I pay taxes. I have done my part, and, still, THIS. Whatever. Just don’t force your – or anyone else’s – religion on me. That’s all I ask. So, I’ve been keeping busy, with lots of stuff happening – as per usual. I just don’t feel motivated to write about it, is all. Are you mad at me? Please, don’t be – it’s not your fault. It’s mine. All mine. I promise I will write when I get motivated. Maybe I need to go listen to some Dream Theater to fire me up. Who knows? I just feel a little less like laughing lately. I think you feel the same way too. You never return my calls anymore. I need Botox. Steve Lukather rules. Bye for now. My parents said “hi”. Until next week – oh, forget it. xoxox kErrY xoxox