Tag: Music

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Ashby

Well today’s the day. The album has been released. Before you start to listen to any of it go ahead and set aside an hour. It ain’t easy being an album person in a single teeny-bop world. I made the album to be enjoyed as a whole and it does have a theme and a cohesive story. If anyone is curious about any of the songs meanings or inspirations I would be ecstatic to explain. Have a listen:

Now spread the joyous news. There should be a physical CD for sale within the next week that has the rest of my original artwork.

I just have to take a minute to clarify what an accomplishment this is for me and why, although I know it’s not perfect, I am very proud of this. I taught myself to play the guitar when I was 17 and have been writing songs since a couple of weeks after I got my first crappy guitar that made my fingers bleed on a regular basis. The first song I ever wrote, “Orchard”, is actually on this album. The second full song I wrote is “Breakthrough” and it is also in this collection. I played with a few incarnations of pretty much the same band until that fizzled out and went away in 2005. After that I have just kept playing on my own and writing new stuff on a fairly regular basis. I got tired of just playing that way and it felt like I was kinda just wasting time. I feel that music, by it’s nature, is meant for other people to hear it and enjoy it. I was not able to spread any of the music to others and it bugged me. I had done some recording before with the band and I had mixed it, but to be honest it was a horrible mixing job and it never felt great (I will remaster those in the future). I decided to teach myself how to actually record decently and how to play the drums so I could do all the parts I would need. Then I set a deadline for myself (today) and went for it. I learned quite a bit in the process and had some good fun doing it even though it wasn’t just a super easy cakewalk. Then I researched distributors and physical CD options until I found who I liked. Then I made all the artwork for the physical CD. All this learning and work may just be so I can have the only copy of my own CD that is out in the world and that would bother me, but I will live. It doesn’t keep me up at night to think of what people think of me at all, but I do care a little what they think about what I create. I hope just a few people will enjoy what I have put my time into. And maybe somebody out there might be as excited as I am about the next one I am going to make.

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Everyday

Well its time for another cover song to get posted up here. As a little background for this one, it is a Buddy Holly song that I have had this version of worked up for a while. I grew up near the same area of Texas that Buddy is from and have always been a fan.

Continue reading “Everyday”

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Fade Away

I am a fan of the collected works of one Ian Thornley and have mentioned such several times. I was excited for a few minutes when I found out about this contest:

Ian Thornley discusses the LCBO’s Whisky Rocks Competition from LCBO on Vimeo.

The excitement was short lived because I went and read the small print that says you must be a resident of Ontario, you know, in Canada. So instead of doing a full cover version and a video I did a crappy lil one-take recording in the basement after figuring out the song by ear.

Couple of rough spots, but really why put much effort into it when it would be a waste of time?

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The Art of the Cover Song

There are few things as wonderful as hearing someone cover a song and make it sound new and refreshing to you. In fact there are some groups that I only enjoy through the filter of being covered by someone else (Beatles). If you feel as I do, oh, you should be as excited as I am about what I came across today.

That was awesome and if you disagree you are a racist who wants old people to die.

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Top 5 Guitarists

I will start with the honorable mentions who were all very difficult to not include in the official top 5. We have Eric Clapton, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Johnson, Explosions in the Sky, Rich Robinson, Dimebag Darrell, Travis Meeks (pre-Meth-ed out phase), The DeLeo brothers and Yngwie Malmsteen. I purposefully excluded Van Halen and Jimmy Page. The former because he has been a jerk in the public eye many times and the latter because of horrific decisions since Zeppelin split, that, and he stole music. I do however recognize their talents.

For those who know anything about playing the guitar you may want to put on an adult diaper before you watch these. Since it was hard enough to get it down to only 5, here they are in no particular order:

Ian Thornley – It is a shame when one of the best is not easily recognized for what they are. Ian Thornley is just such a case. I actually had no problem bringing this man into the top 5 and even thought heavily about just naming him #1. If you need to have an ultimate #1 to make you feel better, just go ahead and say that Ian was it. Whether with “Big Wreck” or “Thornley”, Ian writes and plays amazing stuff. If there is ever anything that I find less than amazing I look at who worked with him on it and, odds are, I will find someone else has come in and mucked things up. If I ever get down and wonder why Thornley has to hang out with that dimwit from Nickelback I just watch something like the video below and all is forgiven.

Stevie Ray Vaughan – Amazing, just amazing. From the stories about him super-gluing his bleeding finger shut mid-song to watching him restring his guitar while still playing to just hearing him play, this man was simply amazing.

Alain Johannes – This has to be the shocker of the bunch, but I thought I would give it to a man who has been toiling in the background while others in front of him get all the credit. He has amazing rhythm and lead guitar parts and has definitely paid his dues. So once again I give him some long overdue credit.

Mike Einziger – A pure genius with his rhythm parts and able to hold his own with solos, Einziger has shot his way into my list. The song I chose to demonstrate Einziger’s skill is one that highlights what he can do with different types of parts and how he can push a song into new places.

David Gilmour – In my opinion, Pink Floyd mostly sucked before Gilmour arrived and made them into what they are known for. His playing has a well thought out feeling to it and the entire second half of the video below is pure mastery of the guitar.

OK, so here’s the part where you tell me why I am wrong or why someone was totally forgotten.

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The Only Way to Make a “Best of” Album

If you know me you know I don’t like greatest hits albums. Many times anyone who cares enough about a group or artist already has all of the greatest hits as released on previous albums. Making things more annoying for me is when there is one or two new, good songs on a greatest hits album, thus forcing the dedicated fan to buy an album of material they already own to get one song. You would also know that I do not like to buy singles from itunes and such. My favorite way to experience music is as an entire album on vinyl. All of this leads to frustration when a band I like puts out a “best of” album

This brings me to the latest release from The Black Crowes. They have previously released greatest hits albums, boxed sets and such. This time they set up and recorded acoustic versions of all the songs on this best of album which is entitled “Croweology”. It is often good to hear songs reworked and if you are as in-the-zone as The Black Crowes always seem to be it is definitely good.

Sample some reworked glory:

[gplayer href=”http://www.everydaynormal.com/files/soulsinging.mp3″]Soul Singing[/gplayer]
[gplayer href=”http://www.everydaynormal.com/files/goodfriday.mp3″]Good Friday[/gplayer]
[gplayer href=”http://www.everydaynormal.com/files/girlfromapawnshop.mp3″]Girl From a Pawnshop[/gplayer]

Clearly, I highly recommend that you go get it and get it in vinyl.

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Yes, It’s About Time!!

It has been so long since I have been excited for an album to come out that wasn’t a gigantic disappointment when I heard the first single. I have found something that will be released on August 31, 2010 that I am excited about getting my slick mitts on. It is from the apparent genius behind Chris Cornell’s Euphoria Morning album (because judging by recent performance, it wasn’t Chris) Alain Johannes formerly of the band Eleven (which is also worth checking out).

Alain has helped many people with different projects like Cornell’s stuff and Queens of the Stone Age. Give the first song released a listen:

[gplayer href=”http://www.everydaynormal.com/files/Endless_Eyes.mp3″]Endless Eyes[/gplayer]

Am I just starving for something good or is it really as good as I think it is? Let me know.