Musical – Page 5 – Headthegong.com

May 2, 2009July 10, 2009

Music Spotlight: Minor Stars

It’s been nearly six years since I’ve performed live on stage. That’s all going to change one week from today when Eric, Matt and I make our debut as Minor Stars at the Pinhook in Durham, NC.

Am I excited? Yes.

Am I feeling a little anxious? Yes.

Did I just poop my pants?

Hold on a minute…

Yes.

Rock!!!!!!

Here are the details:

MINOR STARS

5/9/2009 10:00 PM at The Pinhook
117 Main Street, Durham, North Carolina 27701

Grappling Hook Record Release Party: Grappling Hook (12pm), Minor Stars (11pm), Le Weekend (10pm)

March 22, 2009June 17, 2019

Music Spotlight: Transportation

Stephen Murtaugh, Robbie Scruggs and Ben Dunlap have been rocking the Chapel Hill music scene as the power trio Transportation since the turn of the century. The first time I saw these guys at The Cave, circa 2000, I was hooked. They crank out a big, 70’s Rock sound, with killer harmonies and a loose, having-a-great-time stage presence that is positively infectious.

I thoroughly enjoyed their show in September at the Local 506, as they celebrated the release of their new CD, Daydreams. Check it out on their MySpace page. You can also listen to and download an earlier record, The Transportation Hour (free, for a limited time only), which includes the crowd favorite “Stormbringer”.

November 5, 2008December 19, 2009

Isaac’s Dustbin: Love ain’t for keepin’

I used to do a weekly thing on my MySpace page called “Dustcast,” to motivate myself to create on a regular basis. I pumped out maybe nine or so “episodes” before it slipped my mind—for the next couple of years.

But hey, what can you do except get back on the horse. And if the horse wandered off a long time ago and starved to death, or got eaten by a bear or something, well then I guess there’s nothing to do but walk. Or you could always take the bus, but that is neither here nor there.

The point is, I want to engage in the creative process more often, at least once a week, and I’m more likely to do it in earnest (and it’s more fun) if I share the results with my fellow gong-headers.

I spent most of my studio time this weekend trying to remember how to use my equipment, and by the time I figured out how to get my microphone to stop buzzing, I only had time for a quick cover. But hey, it’s a start.

The Who was the first rock band I fell head-over-heels in love with, back in 1982 when HBO aired their first “Final Tour.” Love ain’t for keepin’ off the Who’s Next album has always been one of my favorites, and here’s my take on the tune, as it came back to me on a quiet Sunday evening:

Love ain’t for keepin’.mp3

November 1, 2008

Music Spotlight: My Dear Ella’s Blonde Baby

One minute I’m home winding down in my PJ’s and the next I’m wearing a blond wig, standing next to Eric Wallen, and head-banging to a Black Sabbath cover band.

That can happen on Halloween in Carrboro, NC. Of course, Eric’s hair is the real rock n’ roll deal, and he’s known all about town for that and for being the creative force behind the bands Death of the Sun and My Dear Ella.

For this week’s Music Spotlight, we’ll pay tribute to both Eric and blond hair by traveling back to yesteryear and the My Dear Ella mellow-groove masterpiece, Blonde Baby. This super-chill tune was recorded at the legendary Music House, back when MDE was a four-piece, all of us housemates. I’m playing bass on this track (although I was merely mimicking the original MDE bassist, Bill “Hussein” Dechand), along with Eric on guitars and vocals, Doug White on keys, and Jeff DeWitte on drums.

Grab the mp3 below, pop it in your iPod, and get mellow. It’s free, so next time you see Wallen out on the town, buy him a shot of Jägermeister.

Blonde Baby.mp3

October 25, 2008

Music Spotlight: Brian Hall – Carnival tricks in the flatland darkness

Last month, my good buddy Brian Hall quietly released yet another gem of a record, Carnival tricks in the flatland darkness. We call him a “laser beam of soul,” and if you go to Outside Records and order a copy of the record, you’ll understand why.

Brian creates these wonderful portraits of life in small-town America, and he does it with such a big heart, such authenticity and depth of feeling—it’s just wonderful, soulful music and I’m really grateful Brian continues to share his gift with all of us. Here’s one of my favorite tracks. Enjoy, and then go buy the record!

3:30 Whistle (July 14, 15 and 16, 1999)

Burning out
burning out
burning out
where are they now

Voices inside my head voices on the radio
say the same old things on the same old streets
nowhere to go
got a different car but baby babe we’re in the same old town
it can make you proud when the big parade comes
and buddy it can bring you down

Burning out
burning out
burning out
where are they now

Half awake streets and churches marking every block
get the local news and the high school blues at the Main Street barber shop
they say going twenty five will keep you safe and alive
but all the pretty girls they don’t slow down
so check out those tail lights

Burning out (3:30 whistle blows)
burning out (3:30 cries)
burning out (3:30 whistle knows)
where are they now (baby we’ll be here for life)

Your childhood dreams were getting sold
packed em on a truck and they sent em all

Burning out (3:30 whistle blows)
burning out (3:30 cries)
burning out (3:30 whistle knows)
where are they now (we’ve got a wonderful life)

August 17, 2008December 19, 2009

Seventh time’s a charm

Who knows why certain things capture our imaginations. A few weeks ago my friend Bill posted a Joan Halifax essay on his blog called “The Lucky Dark.” The phrase comes from a translation of a St. John of the Cross poem, and basically it refers to all the dark, scary shit that we hate—like suffering, death, loss, and fear—but that also can be deeply transformative when embraced. Just as the phrase “Waiting for the miracle” captured my attention and guided my creative process for years, “The Lucky Dark” seized hold of me right away, and I knew it would be the title of my next album.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I do musically, what it means to me, and how I see the process unfolding now that I’m back in Carrboro, NC. There’s quite a music scene here, and I had a great time being a part of it a few years ago when I played bass for My Dear Ella. My buddy Eric—the heart and soul of MDE—is still playing music here, fronting a new band called Death of the Sun, and presently putting the finishing touches on a new record that is going to be absolutely fantastic.

I’m not sure how I fit in to the music scene right now, or even that I fit in at all. When I settle in to my little studio on a Saturday evening, I’m just looking to open up and see what happens. The process is so wonderful, so enlivening, that the end result is almost beside the point. I share it here on my blog for a lot of reasons. Of course, I get a thrill when a little praise is thrown my way. But really my music is part of a bigger picture I’ve been sloppily painting for years now. For lack of a better word, it’s a spiritual practice, a way to connect with others and the depths of myself.

Last night I intended to record a song I’ve been kicking around for a few years. But when I went searching for drum beats, I tickled the virtual ivories a little on the way, and got lost there for the whole evening. Here’s what happened:

Seventh time’s a charm.mp3
I will pack my things
I will hit the road
I will not look back
Then I always look back
I will wait all night
for the words to come
Set them free like tears
Let them go like tears
Take me to the edge
This time I’ll jump right in
I won’t change my mind
for the seventh time

August 3, 2008December 19, 2009

Goodbye Allison

So I woke up from a nap yesterday, shuffled into my little studio, and dazedly recorded this little song before it drifted back into the ether.

Goodbye Allison.mp3

No, I don’t know anyone named Allison, and yeah, I suppose taking a picture of myself immediately after each new recording is pretty weird. Given the sad look on my face and sad tone of the song, I imagine folks might think I’m hopelessly depressed. I actually feel great at the moment, but admittedly there’s been an undercurrent of sadness this past week. My Mom has been in the hospital with heart trouble (she’s okay) and I miss my wife to an almost unbearable extent (she’s returning to the US in four weeks!). And besides, the creative process for me always seems to kick in during the dark times. When I’m happy I just enjoy the moment, and rarely feel like writing a song. Whatever — Here’s a happy photo I snapped about an hour later, after I spoke with my Mom on the phone.

When I’m alone too much I start to develop a peculiar relationship with myself, one that manifests in some peculiar ways. Taking photos of myself is just the tip of the iceberg people. The tip of the iceberg.

June 29, 2008December 19, 2009

Godspeed

I felt like crap today after a late night out reacquainting myself with the Carrboro music scene. However, I promised myself I would record something this weekend, come hell or high water, so I pushed through the fog and pushed out the following piece of strangeness.

Green Desk Studios is back in business.

Godspeed.mp3
The question that eats you like cancer
I have the answer
Are you ready to hear it?

Godspeed through all your dreams
You’re such a lonely animal
So spread your seed
Godspeed through all your dreams
You’re crawling back from Mexico
On hands and knees
Godspeed through all your dreams
You’re finally on the radio
But no one’s listening

Clarity came like a storm to my brain
It blew in from the South and blew out of my mouth
in a long string of words never meant to be heard
Only seen in the sky like the Fourth of July
All the red and blue lights like the stars in the night
must all come to fade with the dawn of the day

June 6, 2008

Voodoo Chile

The ecstasy and abandon of sheer rock. The facial expressions alone are worth the watch. This is what it’s all about, as far as I’m concerned (and trust me, you don’t need LSD or virtuoso ability to tap in to it). What is it? Just watch:

Category: Musical