Something Old
Waiting for Somebody by Paul Westerberg
Something New
Holocene by Bon Iver
Something Borrowed
Ryan Adams' version of Wonderwall originally done by Oasis
Something Blue(s-based)
Jeff Beck featuring Imogen Heap, Rollin' and Tumblin'
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Rockomendations 2.0
The Rockomendation list is back. Get your boots on because this list is legit!!
Something Old
Waiting for Somebody by Paul Westerberg
A while back my iPod did me a favor and reminded me (via shuffle) that Paul Westerberg is awesome. This is one of his two tunes off the soundtrack for Singles, which is not all that great of a movie, but it does have one of the best soundtracks EVER. Westerberg's tunes on that soundtrack are just straight fun to listen to, no doubt about it.
Something New
Holocene by Bon Iver
When a band gets a gig on a late-night talk show, they usually pick the upbeat, three-minute single they're going to be tossing to radio or whatever channel started airing music when MTV stopped. That's what you do unless you are Bon Iver and you actually don't have any upbeat radio singles. I tweeted this vid a while back and I stand by the statement that songs this beautiful don't grace television often enough.
Something Borrowed
Ryan Adams' version of Wonderwall originally done by Oasis
The original tune by Oasis is pretty much an iconic late 90's tune that came out during my high school years and immediately takes me back, for better and for worse, to those days. It was a great song in its original form, but Ryan Adams' take adds a lot more feeling and urgency to the whole thing even though he actually strips it down. In all honesty, though, I'm such a Ryan Adams fan that he could probably sing "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" and I'd put it on here.
Something Blue(s-based)
Jeff Beck featuring Imogen Heap, Rollin' and Tumblin'
This is so stinkin' awesome I don't even know what to say. Jeff Beck, legendary since the days of the Yardbirds + a musical innovator like Imogen Heap = yes. 'Nuff said.
Something Old
Waiting for Somebody by Paul Westerberg
Something New
Holocene by Bon Iver
Something Borrowed
Ryan Adams' version of Wonderwall originally done by Oasis
Something Blue(s-based)
Jeff Beck featuring Imogen Heap, Rollin' and Tumblin'
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Rain
Most of you who know me know that I spent my early twenties rolling around with a band called The Pedestrians. I played guitar, wrote, and provided the occasional sour note on background vocals. We weren't amazing, but it was a great time and we got to see a lot of cool places while meeting some lifelong friends along the way. One of those friends is Tony Brown. We first met Tony when he was booking for a great little club in Texas called The Underground. Throughout the latter years of the band's tenure, Tony became a close friend who was a huge help in managing, promoting, and mentoring the group.
A few months back, Tony and I cooked up a crazy idea. What if we got back together for one more show six years later? If I remember correctly, I think I just shot it to Tony as a joke, but lo and behold, he has us booked within a day. If it started as a joke, it became a reality pretty quick.
Once it was settled that all of us except our rhythm guitarist Noble was in (schedule conflicts), I knew we had to get some fresh material going. Of course we'll play our old tunes that people know, but there was no way I was going out there without some new songs superior to those that were recorded back in like 2000-2003. Luckily, the songs just seemed to come. Sometimes they don't and it frustrates the crap out you as a songwriter. This wasn't one of those times.
Within about three weeks, I think we had five or six potential new tunes for the show. At this point, we have four that have made the cut for the reunion show this week. We could have worked up more, but practice time has been at a premium and we'd rather focus on a few and nail them than a bunch and sound like a bad cover band covering our own songs. One of my faves is a tune called Rain.
When I was working on new songs, I thought back to a song called Reach off one of our previous albums. That song was inspired out of an instance in which something dumb (but harmless) I said set off a little controversy among some pretty conservative folks who we were networked with for promotion/booking purposes. We basically felt like they were making a big deal out of nothing and wrote the song about how quick people are to tear others down rather than to extend grace and overlook things that are not of eternal significance anyway.
Rain kind of hits on a similar idea, but is more personal in that it points the finger back at me. In the years after the band, I got a real job and a house, joined a local church, and basically "grew up" as some would define it. However, as I looked at my life since the band, I realized that I'd actually become much like the folks I was calling out in Reach. I noticed that I often tended to speak out against situations, groups, institutions, or individuals who frustrated me with the self-righteous attitude that I was honorably "standing up for what's right" or even "proving that I loved others by speaking brutal truth." In all honesty, I'd just become pridefully negative. Rather than being an encourager who spoke words of life and blessing to others, I typically saw folks as on my side (right) or on the other side (wrong) and endeared myself to them or bemoaned them accordingly. I'm not saying we shouldn't confront people with truth (if that were true, Paul would be in serious trouble), but the problem was the ugly motives that were hiding behind my words. I felt I could throw what I saw as truth in people's faces without actually having a God-inspired love for them in my heart. I thought I could convert them to my way of thinking without really giving a rip about them. Thus, I found myself tearing others down instead of building them up. As James says, salt water and fresh water don't flow out of the same spring, and as I look back, I just see too many times my mouth was spewing salt water pretty dang liberally.
I could explain further, but I'll just let the song speak for itself. Here 'tis.
-->
When all we hear is rain…
The good news is that in my age I've learned enough humility to admit things like this. I'm not always right and every little frustration is not worth drawing a line in the sand and polarizing all those around me. It's my prayer that when people speak of me, they'd call me an encourager, not a firestarter. I pray that I could live out the following words:
Ephesians 4:29-- Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
James 4:11-- Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
Matthew 5:9-- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Oh, and if you're in Texas this Friday, you should definitely come see the show (or just make a sweet road trip that you hadn't planned on until right now). I'm totally biased, but the new songs are really strong...strong enough that it's hard to get fired up to play the old stuff. The back catalog kind of pales in comparison musically and lyrically. Kim Scowden, our keys player and co-vocalist has written one of the most beautiful tunes we've ever played and I'm chomping at the bit to perform it live. Will post some vids from the show next week. Wish us luck!!!
A few months back, Tony and I cooked up a crazy idea. What if we got back together for one more show six years later? If I remember correctly, I think I just shot it to Tony as a joke, but lo and behold, he has us booked within a day. If it started as a joke, it became a reality pretty quick.
Once it was settled that all of us except our rhythm guitarist Noble was in (schedule conflicts), I knew we had to get some fresh material going. Of course we'll play our old tunes that people know, but there was no way I was going out there without some new songs superior to those that were recorded back in like 2000-2003. Luckily, the songs just seemed to come. Sometimes they don't and it frustrates the crap out you as a songwriter. This wasn't one of those times.
Within about three weeks, I think we had five or six potential new tunes for the show. At this point, we have four that have made the cut for the reunion show this week. We could have worked up more, but practice time has been at a premium and we'd rather focus on a few and nail them than a bunch and sound like a bad cover band covering our own songs. One of my faves is a tune called Rain.
When I was working on new songs, I thought back to a song called Reach off one of our previous albums. That song was inspired out of an instance in which something dumb (but harmless) I said set off a little controversy among some pretty conservative folks who we were networked with for promotion/booking purposes. We basically felt like they were making a big deal out of nothing and wrote the song about how quick people are to tear others down rather than to extend grace and overlook things that are not of eternal significance anyway.
Rain kind of hits on a similar idea, but is more personal in that it points the finger back at me. In the years after the band, I got a real job and a house, joined a local church, and basically "grew up" as some would define it. However, as I looked at my life since the band, I realized that I'd actually become much like the folks I was calling out in Reach. I noticed that I often tended to speak out against situations, groups, institutions, or individuals who frustrated me with the self-righteous attitude that I was honorably "standing up for what's right" or even "proving that I loved others by speaking brutal truth." In all honesty, I'd just become pridefully negative. Rather than being an encourager who spoke words of life and blessing to others, I typically saw folks as on my side (right) or on the other side (wrong) and endeared myself to them or bemoaned them accordingly. I'm not saying we shouldn't confront people with truth (if that were true, Paul would be in serious trouble), but the problem was the ugly motives that were hiding behind my words. I felt I could throw what I saw as truth in people's faces without actually having a God-inspired love for them in my heart. I thought I could convert them to my way of thinking without really giving a rip about them. Thus, I found myself tearing others down instead of building them up. As James says, salt water and fresh water don't flow out of the same spring, and as I look back, I just see too many times my mouth was spewing salt water pretty dang liberally.
I could explain further, but I'll just let the song speak for itself. Here 'tis.
-->
Rain (The All-Too-Familiar Saga of Debbie Downers and Negative Nancies Everywhere)
God bless your soul
A good man is hard to find
Critics come a dime a dozen
When will you learn
Throwing stones is not a hobby
Every bridge is not to burn
Your compassion-colored wine tastes like blame
Do my ears deceive me
When all I hear is rain
Pouring down
We’re all clinging to the raft
While you’re flooding the whole town
The clouds roll in whenever you do
And everyone is wishing that you
would come in from the rain…
Another tongue untamed
Why bother holding back when
Sticks and stones just come so easy
Such a cute little game
Sounds so bad to call it discord
Let’s just call it “honesty”
You preach love but in your wake you leave pain
Do my ears deceive me
When all I hear is rain
Pouring down
We’re all clinging to the raft
While you’re flooding the whole town
The clouds roll in whenever you do
And everyone is wishing that you
would come in from the rain…
Please know I’m listening,
But it’s so hard to hear you
The good news is that in my age I've learned enough humility to admit things like this. I'm not always right and every little frustration is not worth drawing a line in the sand and polarizing all those around me. It's my prayer that when people speak of me, they'd call me an encourager, not a firestarter. I pray that I could live out the following words:
Ephesians 4:29-- Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
James 4:11-- Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
Matthew 5:9-- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Oh, and if you're in Texas this Friday, you should definitely come see the show (or just make a sweet road trip that you hadn't planned on until right now). I'm totally biased, but the new songs are really strong...strong enough that it's hard to get fired up to play the old stuff. The back catalog kind of pales in comparison musically and lyrically. Kim Scowden, our keys player and co-vocalist has written one of the most beautiful tunes we've ever played and I'm chomping at the bit to perform it live. Will post some vids from the show next week. Wish us luck!!!
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