Music Mind

Today I'd like to feature the music of Nik Bartsch and the collaborting quintent, Ronin. They call it zen funk, and I think that is a great description of what they do. I don't even remember where I came across this music, but it's positively magical I think. So creative rythmically and timing wise they make very odd time signatures so effortless in these compositions. This music feels very grey, and very winter and matches the day perfectly. Please enjoy.

An excerpt from their website:

"There are two paths a samurai can walk: that of a clan member, and that of a ronin, a lonely warrior. The former is highly esteemed in Japan, the latter is bitterly detested"

Matt and Kim

Yes it has been a while, but here I sit again, now in the summer heat, prepared to write again. Thanks to my leaving my headlights on all day, and now my waiting to get a jump, and my being in a place with a computer, this opportunity has extended itself to me.

I feel that I am perhaps a bit late in this discovery because this band I was just told about is nothing near infancy, they seem to have quite the following. Check out Matt and Kim. Catchy pop hooks and vocals, simplistic yet slamming drumming, it all adds up to a good car trip in the hot sun. I heard these two on the car ride that led me here.

Click on the picture, it'll take you to their myspace and their music!

Baloji

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite new musical sharing's that made it's way to me in the past couple weeks. A Congolese born, and Belgian bred rapper with a lot of style. Even if you don't understand the words, you can tell the amount of soul and effort hat he puts into the music. I think this video is great, I hope you enjoy

Baloji.com

Slipping into spring

Brad Barr

Andrew Barr

Sarah Page

I am attempting today to organize and create. Tomorrow the Red Velvet Art girls are beginning their second class installment of Indie Business 2.0 I'm not really prepared for it at all, but I'm excited for it to start. I want to work on the workbook (one of our first inspirational projects to help keep ourselves organized and inspired) so I'm trying to gather supplies for that.

I was supposed to go and work today doing my catering job that is intermittent but a lot of fun. I've never done any food service, or restaurant work, but I have a good time in all of the hustle and bustle of events, and my part in it, usually, is to make people comfortable, give them food, or whatever they ask for. I used to think that I wouldn't really make a good waitress, but I'm better at it than I thought it was.

I wanted to share with you all today a new musical collaboration of one of my favorite bands of all time, The Slip. A Jazz trio, hard to categorize because they really play, rock, funk jazz, folk a whole big mix. In recent years I think they've gained some more popularity, but I've been a fan of theirs for about 10 years now, and they are always all doing something creative and interesting. About five years ago the two brothers in the band, Brad and Andrew Barr moved to Montreal, (they used to live in Boston and Providence) so they don't tour the east coast as much anymore, and Marc Friedman moved to NYC. They also play in a group called Surprise me Mr Davis. Check them out too. Brad did a really great acoustic album last year, just solo, which is one of my favorite albums in the past few years. So the latest is their project called

The Barr Brothers, starring Andrew and Brad and harpist Sarah Page. The album isn't out yet but the tracks on the website are beautiful.

They are probably musically one of the most important bands for me, for lots of reasons, some easier to explain than others. I could probably write a small novel about the number of shows of theirs that I've been to, or why Marc is one of the best bass players around, or why Brad made me pick up the guitar and learn to play in the first place, but I'll save that for my future music blog, the inspiration for which I'm having everyday! All that really matters is that they've got poignant lyrics, great musicians, and most importantly, there is soul in whatever they do. Follow the band links when you have some time and Enjoy!

New Crafts! and the woes of no photos

So I just signed in to flickr and since I don't have the pro account I can no longer add photos (until next month) to any flickr pools, the main one of concern being style school. So I'm a little disappointed, but I'm just going to keep creating things and worry about it later. Here are a couple photos of one of the pairs of earrings I've made, and also my stamp. I'm going to use my stamp for music related products to distribute at gigs and what have you. Maybe fabric patches if I could get that to work, or just large business cards.

Guitar stamp and sample prints. I was so excited to use my linoleum that proclaims on the package that it "Cuts like butter!" How could you not chose that brand. I have to tell ya, it really does.

My earrings, on an old book, on top of an even older apron that I was wearing that I got at the flea market this past summer. It was handmade and you there are an incredible amount of pleats in it. I have yet to sew a pleat in something.

Sporting my fabric covered earrings via the Style School ladies. Quick and colorful project.

So I just signed in to flickr and since I don't have the pro account I can no longer add photos (until next month) to any flickr pools, the main one of concern being style school. So I'm a little disappointed, but I'm just going to keep creating things and worry about it later. Here are a couple photos of one of the pairs of earrings I've made, and also my stamp. I'm going to use my stamp for music related activities products to distribute at gigs and what have you.

Blues for breakfast please. And for dinner too.

This photo was taken a few weeks ago. My feet and my dog play a starring roll you can tell. No, the frog takes center stage in this frame, panting heavily in the afternoon sun, un-able to move itself from its resting place in the middle of a local forest road. We placed it safely near its contemporarys on the other side of the road in the direction that it was heading. There was a small woods pond filled with these creatuers screaching away as they do so well, and lets just say, this frog had a mate waiting. Maybe several. That day every frog had 8 legs...

     I have begun playing guitar with a friend of mine who plays in severals bands, performing regularly. Playing guitar is nothing new for me, but playing with others is not something that always happens frequently. He is very talented and it makes me want to be so much better! That is exciting, to do well with your playing, but at the same time be inspired to play more, and to play better than you do. He is making his living playing music which is also inspiring because this is one of my life goals. We are hoping to write some material over the summer and play some shows together.

    We have been having some conversations admist our practicing about playing and performing music as a business. It is decided that one of the major social challenges that arises, is being accepted by people as having a "real" or "legitimate" job. The skill that goes into being a musician takes years of hard work and effort, just as much as everyone elses profession, even more so than some! I find it hard to tell people often times that I'm a musician and want this to be my money making living, and not getting laughed at, or criticized, even by people who you would normally thing of as supportive of creative endevors. This criticisim also comes from people of every age and backround, not that I'm continually faced with it, but the memories of these negative encounters has built up over the years. My friend has had similiar experiences, and he's the one out of the two of us that is actually doing what I want to be doing!

     So don't go harpin on those that play the blues for their bread! They are a hardworking kind. And if you're the one doing the trashtalking, your almost guaranteed to be immortalized in song at some point in time. And remember too, that those songs are the ones you turn on the sterio when you're driving down the road sad as hell, or having a rocking good time on a Saturday night, and that those songs were written by the hardworking musicians that surround us everday. And till 2:00 am too.

Heat Wave

This weekend has been un-real for nice weather. A dunking (somewhat forcedely) in a local river completed the albeit short transition to summertime for me. It seems we still have a little while till we can really call it summer around here. Went to some good music yesterday with my folks to a show that a friend of mine helped to put on, a great southern appalichian band Heres to the Long Haul. There were uppbeat, and fun to move to, I finally learned how to clog about a year ago and was dissapointed at having a temporarty ankle injury that prevented me in partaking in my foot stomping good time. Friendly and talented fellows that are certainly worth the time to listen to. Once you do you'll be addicted. I promise.

     There is a dreaded day each year when the farmers that live on either side of our property spread chicken shit out on their fields to get them ready for planting corn, and of course if you've ever come into even remote contact with chicken poop you know of the foulness that it emits when spread in large quanitities in hot sun...So it's 75/80 degress out at 9:45 at night and the windows are shut to prevent our selves and all of our belongings to smell horridly of chicken droppings...Oh the suffering. At least the cows who eat the corn will be well fed.

Heart Shapes

Just found out some rather disturbing news, I feel that this should have been heard about earlier, Ticketmaster and Livenation entertainment industries that are huge with ticket sales promotion, and overall large companies that charge large sums for tickets, (not to mention that Ticketmaster is pretty much one of the only companies to get tickets from if you're going to a larger music venue) are now merging into one giant super company!

Here it is. A little info to brighten the day...

   On another note, check out the cool earth heart. I love finding hearts in nature, in stones, trees, cloud shapes etc. I think it is one of those universal shapes, not just because the heart shape symolizes love and unity and all of the valentines we made when we were little, but it seems to be a very organic free flowing shape that is inherent in alot of formations in nature and the things we make. My favorite new heart is the one that my dog friend Olie's rump makes when he lays on his stomach smelling the manure pile. The true picture of contentment and love. Happy Earth day.