Fri, January 21 2005 - 8:05 AM
by: Andy
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Fables of the Reconstruction
Fri, January 21 2005 - 8:05 AM by: Andy |
It's been quiet on the music front for a while. I've been putting my energy into my seminary classes and quietly working on new material on the side. I found myself needing a hiatus at the end of last year; some time to re-evaluate and re-assess things. I've been recording demo tracks for solo songs (piano and vocal) and seeing how those fit together into a collection. Recently, though, I went back and listened to the unfinished second Holden album. The time away from it rekindled my love for that work. So. Time to begin reconstruction of that project.
It occurs to me that the classes I'm taking are building a whole new vocabulary for me. I can just see me trying to use words like homoioarcton or amanuensis into one of the new songs...
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Lazy Daze, Here and Gone
Sat, August 28 2004 - 6:22 PM by: Andy |
This was our first time playing Lazy Daze; we played Spring Daze last year in the middle of a thunderstorm and were all terrified of electricuted. But this was a good festival day (although, seriously, I have to figure out how to adjust to summer heat in the South). Kicking Grass played before us and Brian and I were blown away by their Dobro player. I've got a song called "Beautiful Destruction" that would be great to record with a bluegrass band. I'll have to see if Old Habits (Brian plays fiddle with them) is up for it. See if we can throw that on next year's Windhover CD. Catherine joined us on stage, which was fun (and surprising at times!) and it was cool to play with a honed-down version of the band. Our motto: HOLDEN - you never know WHO you'll see on stage!
So, this nice lady said we should go play on Good Morning, America. Are they booking?
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there are no words
Fri, August 27 2004 - 9:03 PM by: Andy |
Ok, there might be words, but I'm leaving this one alone. Hopefully I'll be forgiven for posting an image of undergarments not my own.
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August Update
Sun, August 1 2004 - 2:34 PM by: Andy |
I'm pleased to report we're making progress on the second album. Despite being incapacitated by a 34-day migraine last month, I've been working on the arrangements for a couple of the new songs while writing a lot of new music on the side. We're experimenting a little more on this release and bringing in a variety of other musicians to get the wall of sound I'm hoping to achieve. Happily, Catherine Cheng (and her wonderful voice) will be back again on this album to sing lead on the trance-inducing track Delirious. There will be a lot more (layered) violin, a horn section for Happy to be Here, guest guitarist(s) -- it's all fun from where I'm sitting. Listeners will find the influences and inspiration for this album a little more surprising this time around.
I've also been working on material for a Plush-inspired solo CD. The songs are just piano and vocal (with some overdubbed backing vocal) and are strung together in a stream from one to the next. Listening to Liam Hayes' "More You Becomes You" (and being impressed with the idea of it) inspired beginning this project, as well as the encouragement of friends who I've subjected to draft versions of the songs. Depending on how things progress, maybe I'll throw in a copy with purchases of the second album. Who knows?
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A Favorite Quote
Fri, May 21 2004 - 12:35 PM by: Andy |
"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back-- Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now."
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The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
Wed, May 12 2004 - 7:42 AM by: Andy |
Apparently my magnetic powers, earning me the dubious title of Magneto, have become the subject of much speculation. To set the record straight, I've never had this physiological anomoly tested or investigated despite the fact that it's caused the loss of much magnetic media data in my lifetime. Honestly, I used to think the floppy disks were just really fragile and couldn't be trusted. Live and learn.
The Brotherhood has inducted new members after a recent recording session. Please welcome: Skunk (aka Carl Blackwell), who has the ability to detect and purchase spoiled beer with 100% accuracy; Phantom Power (aka Brian English), sporting the ability to dwell at -48V; and Ghetto Board (aka Jay Rehm), with McGyver-like powers of constructing musical equipment from scraps of wood, string, and tape. DOUBLE-DEUCE!!!
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Recommended Listening
Wed, April 28 2004 - 8:28 AM by: Andy |
There's a lot of great music that you might not hear elsewhere. Either you're an explorer or have friends who recommend this stuff if you're ever going to end up hearing it. Well, I'll take on the role of recommender today.
Zero 7 - Simple Things: I think F.O. calls this "down tempo trip-hop". Whatever it's category, this is a great album. I went back and re-arranged "Little Did I Know" (which may be a second Holden album release) after hearing Zero 7's "Destiny" on a San Francisco radio station. Good stuff.
The Monolith - Here Comes the Monolith: This is a fun album. These guys sound like they were raised on the Beatles and 80's music. The songs "Ruby" and "Black Box Recorder" are real stand-outs for me.
Ashley Chambliss - naked songs: I'm not even sure this album is still in print. Her second album in this ocean is also very good. Ashley's breathy vocals and talented piano and songwriting skills make both very enjoyable albums to listen to. naked songs is just her with a piano (wonderful), in this ocean is her with a backing band. You can find her at www.ashleychambliss.com.
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Apple Chill
Tue, April 20 2004 - 8:02 AM by: Andy |
Wow. We had beautiful weather for this year's Apple Chill show. One of these days I'm going to learn to wear sunscreen at these events. I'd like to thank Carl, F.O. and Ashley for helping us out on drums, sax, and vocals respectively. You guys sounded great. Now if we could just have a talk with the planners about the Crotch Rocket event that takes place next door...
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Thoughts on Intensity and Relationships
Tue, March 23 2004 - 8:20 AM by: Andy |
A long time ago I was watching a show about Paul Simon. A friend or relative was discussing Paul's (failed) marriage with Carrie Fisher saying that relationships need a gardener and a flower (one that tends, one that blooms) and that it didn't work because they were both flowers.
Hm.
When I wrote the song "Don't Slow Down" I wondered to myself if there was any way two intense people could have a relationship. More often than not you see an intense person with an even ("stable") person (eg. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). But I know that as an intense person I desired the company of another intense person. Could it work?
I think the problem is that knowing someone is intense isn't enough. The real question is: do they have a steering wheel? I don't know if any intense person is born with a steering wheel. I have one now. I certainly didn't when I was younger (and it nearly cost me my life). Without the steering wheel you don't know what to do with the intensity. You can try to quiet it with alcohol abuse or talk over it with promiscuous sex or end it with suicide or go crazy with thinking you're a nut for feeling things too strongly. There are any number of ways to deal with it poorly. But the steering wheel makes the difference.
Even Person + Even Person = happy
Intense Person (w/o wheel) + Even Person = equilibrium
Intense Person (w/wheel) + Even Person = struggle between boredom and vicarious living
Intense Person (w/o wheel) + Intense Person (w/o wheel) = mutual self-destruction
Intense Person (w/wheel) + Intense Person (w/o wheel) = amplified wheel-less member self-destruction
Intense Person (w/wheel) + Intense Person (w/wheel) = happy
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Diversion
Sat, March 13 2004 - 11:11 AM by: Andy |
My girlfriend lent me her copy of Douglas Coupland's microserfs knowing I'd probably get a kick out of it. She was right. In the spirit of the book, here are my seven Jeopardy! dream categories:
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Back to the Drawing Board
Mon, February 16 2004 - 4:00 PM by: Andy |
Songwriting is a mysterious process. I can't speak for other writers out there, but songs seem to visit me and then harass me until I wrestle them to the ground and throw a collar on them. Sometimes they write themselves ("The Navigator", for example) and I'm just there to put them on paper. Other times (like now, for instance) they seem to force me to work something out before they can be called complete. Every now and then I'm tempted to say, "ok, enough!" and walk away, but they're never satisfied with that.
I remember reading an interview with Paul McCartney once where he talked about dreaming that he was watching the Rolling Stones play this song "No Values". When he woke up he realized that the Stones had never written any such song, so he quickly recorded it before he forgot it. Lucky dog.
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American Pride
Thu, January 15 2004 - 11:18 PM by: Keith |
Greetings to everyone, and yes, this is proof that people in the band can write besides Andy. I decided that my first entry would be about a debate/poll/survey/argument that I've been having with fellow musicians for about 3 years. It started with a conversation with a bass player, and was something that just stuck under my skin. Who are the best "AMERICAN" bands of all time? So I started to ask people (mostly musicians) and it turned into a sort of game. Every time I got into a conversation, I'd ask them to name their favorite 3 American bands. Well I got quite a range of answers, but I've added up the votes and here are the results. I welcome all rebuttals and arguments to this. Take Care. Top 5: #5-The Allman Brothers #4-The Eagles #3-Chicago #2-Aerosmith and #1---The Beach Boys.
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New Favorite Word
Tue, January 6 2004 - 12:25 PM by: Andy |
As a good number of my friends are a little... unusual... I was reading about different phobias and came across my new favorite word: arachibutyrophobia (the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth). There HAS to be a way to work that into a song. Other runners-up include: atomosophobia (fear of atomic explosions; a healthy wariness must not count), hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (fear of long words), and proctophobia (fear of rectums).
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Merry Christmas!
Wed, December 24 2003 - 4:15 PM by: Andy |
The end of the year is rapidly approaching; it's been an interesting first year for this band. We went through three incarnations in the process of sorting everything out! But the end products - the underscore, the new songs, and the first album - are all pretty slick. Despite my "sleep til January" talk, I've been talking to Keith about getting together to start recording some more material soon. Several songs that we play live (Killing Time, I Will Wait for the Rain, Delirious, Perfect World) are ready for production as well as a few more songs that are finally seeing the light of day. We had industry people waiting on us to finish up "Thinking About Tomorrow" and being under the gun was a little stressful; for the new material we're free to get up and move about the cabin. That's a good thing.
While I'm here I'd like to congratulate former Holden drummer Blake Crouch on the publication of his first book "Desert Places". I've read the galley and it's a good read, so check it out at your local book stores on or before January 28th. And no, the main character Andy is not modeled after me. At least I hope not.
Have a safe and merry Christmas, everyone!
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Where IS the Grace in Gravity?
Sat, December 13 2003 - 10:00 AM by: Andy |
There was this song written by a friend called "Should Have Known"; a song that I loved and considered recording with the band. Last night I discover that apparently it's largely plagiarized from a Jonatha Brooke song called "Land Mine". Suddenly audacity has new meaning. There is no emoticon for what I am feeling!
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Holden Band Journal Kick-0ff
Fri, December 05 2003 - 12:19 PM by: Andy |
Since we've added this band journal, I'd like to take a moment to publicly thank all the people that have been involved in the making of our CD that is being released later this month (12/19/03). All the vision, talent, and long hours that went into making "Thinking About Tomorrow" a reality just makes me grin from ear to ear - you guys seriously rock. There were a lot of growing pains involved in pulling the project together, but the end result is remarkable. We deliver the final masters to the printer in three days! After that I think I'll sleep until January...