This does not bode well.

So, having a jonas brother up there with taylor swift was a smart
idea. Doesn't anyone read us magazine? Then the ball just died. I
predict this as a trend through 09. People will not get all the facts
or consider other peoples feelings before they invite them places with
ex's. Also, everything will break.

30 days

So I was supposed to follow up with some updates about the Ben Folds show and some other junk. Then it was Christmas. I work retail so I have had no time. I didn't even buy presents for my family, but I do have a fantastic gift to give them as soon as we're all together again. I think it will more than make up for it. Kristen has been busy fantastic with her photo stuff and I hope she'll start bringing in some cash soon so she can buy more cool fantastic lenses and maybe a Fender Tele for her supportive husband. I don't really have any new pics to post so... here.

Ben Folds

Me and Ben after the show. I'll write more later along with some video
I have.

The Stickies, The Smallness and The Scar

In 1997.

I was updating myspace today which I haven't done in a year or so and I thought it would be fun to put up some old pics from the early days of rock and roll along with some really bad tunes I used to sing and big clubs filled with screaming 12 year olds. Click the pics for some awesome laughs. Especially the one up above.

In 2003.

In 2005.

easy enough for a two year old

It's good to know that my iphone was unlocked using my password and then playing the Beatles "1" album while he's playing "bubbles."



2 year olds are genius. If I could learn half as fast I'd be twice as smart.

Awesome

I think he thought it was a puzzle. I'm halfway done putting it back
together. I'm pretty disappointed I had to look up a reference keyboard.

Out of gas

Out of all gas tomorrow at shell they say. The trucks gave not been
coming.

Broken

My wife decided that she was done living the way everyone else was and
give it a go with just one good foot. She broke two of her toes when
she kicked the bed in an effort to get out of it this morning.

First Buddy Holly now Travis Barker? I hope not.

I never was the biggest fan of Blink 182. I did listen to them, and I did go see Boxcar Racer a couple of times. I hope Travis goes on to do whatever he can. All I know right now is that he was in there and he is now in a burn unit.

I feel like old school punk rock.. and that reminds me of people getting punched in the face.

Do yourself a favor and scroll to the bottom. Click on The Bumble Bee Tuna.. and have a pleasant day.

the worst that could happen

It seems music is my only solace in a world where I work in a fluorescent cube surrounded by men who are motivated by simply money and where there may be more.

There is more right?

I stare in to the blank screen I pretend to accomplish the minimum to get by and I feel a failure for barely succeeding at a job I don’t want to succeed in. Surpassed by the feeling that a career is something that lasts the rest of my life. In my 29th year I no longer want to waste time. I no longer want to put effort in to something that is not putting me closer to what I want to be doing. What is the worst that could happen?

A little more time

I've been itching to get some more time to lay down some tracks.. I did this in the first few hours I received my new gear and I haven't had any time since then to write or record. It's been almost a month. I think partially because I want a great sound and my guitars aren't really up to it right now.. and partially because I just really haven't had time. I moved.. I work a lot.. I've got a family in there too. And I can't think of a way to post this track and stream it so go to

www.myspace.com/hondasdontbelonginnyc

I don't get on there much any more but it's useful to send people to listen. I really ought to invest in some online storage or server housing someplace but I just can't justify the cost. I hope the tens of people that read the blog will enjoy. I should put a counter on here.

My life is in a box.

We moved today. It's not over. Now the unpacking begins. I argued that
we should just throw everything away and just setup rock band in the
living area. That did not go over as planned.

Fecal matter?

So I was eating and I thought first; isn't a burger supposed to fill
the bun? Then I thought; is there poop in there?

good better best

Good seems to be working two jobs that take up 80 or so hours of my time a week while going to school. Better seems to be laying off my part time job and spending more time with my family and music. Best remains to be seen but I think it's working one full time job while going to school full time for the things I'm interested in. I always hear people complaining about how they hate midi in my studio experience. I'm taking a midi course so I'll let you know in a few months what my opinion is.

Also, I think I will be able to post some new music soon. I know it's been a while but it'll be worth it.

Diabetes

I'm pretty sure this is what causes my fingers to go numb and my face
to tingle.

New gear and twenty minutes.

Ive spent the last week since my birthday playing with some new equipment my wife bought for me. It's called a firebox and I love it. Not because it's the best thing ever made. It's pretty good. But it's just the fact that now I can put my ideas out. Logic pro is an amazing program and soon I hope I can get in to school to learn some more of the technical side of this process. I'll try and get some tracks up soon.

Guitar Hero is my wife's new addiction.

Uploaded by www.cellspin.net

Someday little man

A year ago he couldn't say a word. Two years ago he could fit in a space between my palm and my forearm. Now he's waiving goodbye and ready to take on the world. I hope we taught him well.

Tape Op changed my life

So for those of you who know me, you may find it odd to hear i work at a bank.. that I sit in a cubicle and help people purchase homes and relocate with their companies. You might also find it strange to know that I haven't played my guitar yet this week and it is Saturday.. I haven't played with my band in a month either.. and if this seems all strange to you.. imagine how it feels to me. 

Earlier this month I started a new chapter of soul searching I would call it. I started asking questions about where I should be and now that i've done so much, where do i go from here? The answers have come in strange ways.. but they have come. 

The day after I didn't eat I received a quarterly publication that I had signed up for last year but never received. It's free so it's only sent out to random subscribers each quarter unless you pay for the subscription. I received mine.. and in it are the stories of engineers and producers from the music industry that were expressing their roots and what made them successful. As I took this magazine with me to work, to the bathroom, in the car, I still can't stop reading these articles. It's everything I've ever wanted to do. Record and produce.. If this wasn't enough a letter from my sister came in the mail previous to this. I had expressed to her some of my concerns about where i wanted to be in my life and who I was right now. Her opinion was I was trying to do what I wanted all the time and not listening to the higher power. I took this to mean I was supposed to be giving up my music.. to do "family life" -- turns out maybe the powers that be would have me pursue my dreams and talents and make something of it and quit using my family as an excuse not to do it. So I will.. Music Business and music technology.. 

its been good since i made up my mind and that tells me.. it's all what it's supposed to be.

Old Skool Monday 37337

It's super cool when bands that inspired me release albums around the same time. You think Beck, Weezer, The Foo Fighters would ever play a show together? It's been a while since my last update.. the problem has been that I usually blog from my now defunct iPhone. As of tomorrow this problem should be somewhat abated in that I got a decent bonus in my last paycheck at an old job and I should have the means to purchase a new one. In the mean time.. I picked up two new records these last few weeks that I find pretty interesting. Make that three.. Beck has a new record out. More on that soon as I have not listened to it thoroughly enough to justify writing anything about it.

 

This Alkaline Trio record could be the big one for them. There's a few tracks that are just acoustic renditions of other tracks on the disc so that could have been cooler. I still really like the production and feel of this disc. If you haven't listened to them, you should pick it up and try not to do it when you're depressed.

The Offspring's new record Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace is pretty rad. It has an old school sound reminiscent of Smash, which is pleasant to me due to the fact that Smash and Out Come the Wolves were my first two albums. I'll just say that he is sounding more like Weird Al and less punk rock but if you can get passed that, you've got a pretty good record. We'll ignore the Ace of Base that I had from somewhere in my CD collection.

Other than that I now work for the man at Bank of America, I'm a loan officer. So if you're buying a house, you call me, I feed my baby who has a mohawk. You like babies with mohawks.

I think sometimes, working two jobs, taking 2 accelerated courses, and taking care of a family and church responsibilities will kill me. Like that guy in Japan who just died working on the new Camry. He worked himself to death with 90 hour weeks. Nothing is worth that. So don't work so hard that you can't spend time with your loved ones. Don't cop out because it's hard or you won't ever have what you want. It's a clever game they play. Check this -- Viewzi.com is local grown and it's rad.

NEW MUSIC TUESDAYS!!

I love Tuesdays. New releases come out like the new =w= record, in red. I also realized I have had the Deathcab record for a few weeks and have yet to give it more than a 10 second preview. I have to say it's a lot less the postal service direction as the last two discs but I like it. He took a lot of the effects off his vocals. Still have some songs with the heavy reverb but for the most part it's a lot more natural with less, if any, synthetics. Great to see them back to their roots. Speaking of roots that brings me to the next album.


This album confuses iTunes because it is the third time they've released a record titled "Weezer". The weezer record is great. Would you expect anything less? To be honest I thought I would hate it.. I stopped listening to the =w= after Pinkerton due to creative differences. I know this is a shock to those of you who know I named my son Jonas after the song off the Blue record. This album shows a little growth (as in a lot) since Rivers is all married, graduated from harvard and living the good life. I still miss Matt Sharp now of The Rentals (also a great group.) One thing I noticed that is a little different for Rivers is he let someone else sing a song on the record. He said once and I quote "I write the songs and then get together and tell them what to play and that's pretty much how we write songs." This statement can't be completely true; the last record Matt was on is Pinkerton. After that there is a significant change in songwriting style with the band. Anyway, I digress.. good record. Get it.. BUY it. I don't buy a lot of music but you're better off enjoying the =w= and knowing you're giving your money to a high school drop out who followed his dreams to L.A. and then graduated from Harvard 10 years later.

I think he sees me.

We took Jonas to the zoo today for his birthday and it was mixed emotions. It was 95 degrees so.. needless to say the first hour was cool but after we got through the monkeys and a few birds the trail mix was melting and none of us wanted to be there anymore. 

P.S. the penguin exhibit sucks at the FW Zoo.

Put this in my house.

Torrential Tuesday

Artificial Ice Cream

This was at the table during lunch. I started thinking - Aren’t all ingredients real? Do I eat fake ingredients? If I eat fake ice cream what is it? Even artificial ingredients are real. Is artificial intelligence then real intelligence? Artificial intelligence might be a lie and real might be the truth. So we are at war because of artificial intelligence. My son pushed a girl yesterday, he said he was sorry and then they hugged. They played for an hour and Sunday they’ll never remember it. Wouldn’t it be nice.

This is worth more than my life.

I think this car must have been loved by someone. I also imagine it is worth more than my life insurance policy covers on me. I'm a human, how did that happen?

Life and a soldier.

Hey. It's been a long time and I have no time. I barely have time to keep up with playing an instrument, taking care of a wife and baby or a new outside sales position. I'm completely bummed because I missed the foo fighters, bob dylan, deathcab, the jicks(steve malkmus), and a ton of other acts I would have loved to see. I could blame it on a family or that I'm older and it doesn't matter but the fact is debt. I can't justify spending $20 on a show when I owe $1000 on a card.. or two.. but I have found a purpose so to speak in my music. I was listening to Hurricane, bob dylan.. and the story telling is amazing. In one song he covered an entire life. I want to do that.. then it hit me.. one record for one life. 10 to 12 songs that cover moments in a life from start to end. cradle to the grave to plagiarize a bit. The record I'm writing is a short EP; 3 or 4 songs about the conception, and still birth of a friends child. As sad as that sounds it will easily cover the emotional gamut. Since I wanted to write just 3 songs I chose a short life and now find it more difficult to single in on individual moments when it's such a complicated subject. The B-side so to speak will be a song about a soldier. I had a dream the other night I was in world war 2 and my company was running through a field when they came under fire and I got shot in leg and couldn't walk. Then the man next to me exploded and we were in a mine field. No one could come back for me with out risking explosions.. I couldn't move for fear of explosion or getting shot so I just sat and contemplated what it would have been like if I had made it back home. To kiss my son or to sing him silly songs about life and things that don't matter. It should be good. 

I'm always asked why I write so sad. It's where I put it all.. I'm not a sad individual. I may be pessimistic at times but for the most part I am happy. If I don't write and put it here, I slip into depressions and it takes weeks to get out. It may be sad but it is truth. That is all.