Starving Artistry

Music Video

// August 27th, 2010 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Trying to get my butt in gear and get this project launched and into the world. I’m just gonna leave this here…

I’m Yours

// December 10th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Uncategorized

A Radiohead Christmas

// December 1st, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Music, Uncategorized

Well, I’m still tracking some stuff for the EP i’m planning on releasing at some point. I decided on what key to play some of the songs in, tracked some scratch guitars, and tracked bass for one. I even remembered to tape myself playing the bass part so that I can possibly put together one of those “video song” things (don’t know what I’m talking about?).

Anyway, a couple of years ago, Matt and I were talking about recording a Christmas album to release to friends and family as a gift, and I still think it’s a fun idea. We had this pretty awesome version of some song going… but then my hard drive crashed. And now I can’t remember for the life of me what we were doing. So in an effort to recreate whatever we were working on, I started playing some different chords around “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”

Then I realized the progression I was playing was very close to Karma Police by Radiohead, so I tried playing that chord progression on its own with the God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen melody over top. Worked surprisingly well… until the chorus. So maybe I’ll figure it out further, maybe I won’t. But it’s still kinda neat, so I taped it. Here’s Karma Police if you need reference.

Thanksgiving 2009

// November 29th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Uncategorized, Video

So thank goodness for 4 day weekends! We had some family come into town for thanksgiving, so I had a good excuse to get the camera out and get in everyone’s faces. I could tell I made some people uncomfortable. My lens is kind of intimidating. Hiyo.

A lot of the shots are too dark, but I did what I could, and threw together this video. I used “Virginia Moon” by the Foo Fighters, off their acoustic B side of In Your Honor. Seemed appropriate, as this year we were hosting Thanksgiving. In previous years it’s been in Roanoke (also VA), Rochester (not VA), and I think my parents even hosted one up in Ottawa, Canada one year (which I was unable to attend).

It was also amusing getting all of my family to play Beatles rockband. =) Good sports. Anyway, enjoy the video, hopefully I will continue to find time to shoot and edit this kind of stuff!

Jammin w/ da Drumz

// November 24th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Music, Uncategorized

So today started off relatively nice. Met up with Annie for lunch at Panera…. partially for the company, but mostly for the cookies she owed me:

After all my work was said and done for the day though, I came back to get to work on some music. Was sorta workin on some new lyrics but I hit a writers block on that front… I’m afraid of recycling too many melodic themes and whatnot, so I called it quits on that and started working through some of the drum tracks I’ve been putting together.

Part of my “creative process” I guess, is to play along with the drum track after I’ve written it. It helps me feel how authentic it sounds, and gives me a better feel for the tempo and whatnot.  So tonight I taped my process and am sharing a clip of me playing through one of my new songs called “So you Say.” By no means a great performance, but for those of you who care, it’s a little insight into how I work through my songs until the final product is produced.

I’m kinda going for a bit of a retro sound. I dunno. Obviously all the songs on my EP will not be in this particular style, but I kinda dig it. I actually came up with the little melody for the chorus when I was visiting my sister in St. Maarten this past summer. It took until… August I think until I finally developed the rest of it. It came pretty easily to me, and as my Judo Chop guitarist Matt Berry says, “If it doesn’t come to you in 15 minutes, it’s not worth it!” Definitely some truth to that.

Anywho, Enjoy: