Sick today.
Took Gina to the airport at 6:00 this morning. Three day trip to New York for work.
Anyway, don't think I went to sleep until about 4:00 am, and when I got back from O'Hare, I just couldn't face the idea of going to work. Luckily, things are a little slow this week, so I was able to justify calling in and going back to bed.
I got another hour of sleep, and I feel a little bit better. I'm going to use this free day to get a bunch of music-related stuff in order and hopefully have a little extra time to write later before I attempt to go to rehearsal.
My sleeping patterns, which are never good, seem to get even worse when Gina goes out of town. So the next few days will probably be sleepless.
Oh well.
"Now the days turn into more than you can stand
And every midnight lamp you burn marks you with a brand
The ashes fall in time, the nausea comes in waves
But if music's mercy then we'll all be saved"
jbg
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Thank-full/Hope-full
Well, another Thanksgiving's come and gone and now we're staring down the barrel of a loaded Christmas.
Huh?
Well, you know what I mean.
Thanksgiving was good and filling. Much food and company, many laughs. Spent Thursday and Friday up in Lake Geneva with Gina's parents, and then had my family over to our house on Sunday afternoon. We also went to my sister's house warming party on Saturday night. So there were many opportunities for holiday cheer. Which I took advantage of in spades. And I feel bloated. And that's probably too much information.
So this week it's back to the usual routine: work, teach, play music. And try not to consume 5000 calories a day. We have a couple of rehearsals in anticipation of our return to the stage at Schubas next week. Good times. Looks like we'll debut 4 new songs, most likely the very 4 we'll be trying to record in the early new year. I'm getting more and more excited about going back into the studio so quickly.
The songs are shaping up and I think they'll reveal Burn Rome Burn continuing to develop and explore our sound. Hopefully, we'll be the kind of band who can change its aesthetic from album to album without losing our essence and ethic. Other than that, I'll be trying to break into my new writing journal. I have a lot of musical ideas and over the last few days, some new lyrical themes have been pestering me like gadflies.
In album news, it looks like Bottle Boy will be delivered (ha) next week, so we (Burn Rome Burn) have a ton to do to prepare for a full on press blitz... advance copies will go to newspapers, radio stations, on-line music critics... which will hopefully generate some momentum into the new year and our CD release party.
So I guess the word of the week is hopeful. Which should be the word of just about every week.
jbg
Thanksgiving was good and filling. Much food and company, many laughs. Spent Thursday and Friday up in Lake Geneva with Gina's parents, and then had my family over to our house on Sunday afternoon. We also went to my sister's house warming party on Saturday night. So there were many opportunities for holiday cheer. Which I took advantage of in spades. And I feel bloated. And that's probably too much information.
So this week it's back to the usual routine: work, teach, play music. And try not to consume 5000 calories a day. We have a couple of rehearsals in anticipation of our return to the stage at Schubas next week. Good times. Looks like we'll debut 4 new songs, most likely the very 4 we'll be trying to record in the early new year. I'm getting more and more excited about going back into the studio so quickly.
The songs are shaping up and I think they'll reveal Burn Rome Burn continuing to develop and explore our sound. Hopefully, we'll be the kind of band who can change its aesthetic from album to album without losing our essence and ethic. Other than that, I'll be trying to break into my new writing journal. I have a lot of musical ideas and over the last few days, some new lyrical themes have been pestering me like gadflies.
In album news, it looks like Bottle Boy will be delivered (ha) next week, so we (Burn Rome Burn) have a ton to do to prepare for a full on press blitz... advance copies will go to newspapers, radio stations, on-line music critics... which will hopefully generate some momentum into the new year and our CD release party.
So I guess the word of the week is hopeful. Which should be the word of just about every week.
jbg
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Thanks
for reading.
for commenting.
for looking.
for listening.
for caring.
for loving.
for health.
for food.
for sleep (or lack thereof).
for warmth.
for a home.
for transport.
for safety.
for presents.
for family.
for friends.
for pets.
for rock and roll.
for enough.
for Chicago.
for inspiration.
for dreams.
for leading.
for failures.
for pain.
for love.
for loss.
for the past.
for the future.
for beauty.
for that one.
for coffee.
for Burn Rome Burn.
for learning.
for life.
for time.
for my sea.
for giving.
for taking.
for thought.
for oral hygiene.
for good genetics.
for hair.
for ghosts.
for angels.
for doubt.
for mistakes.
for obstinance.
for procrastination.
for persistence.
for determination.
for thick skin.
for belief.
for trust.
for faith.
for getting older.
for wine.
for song.
for more songs.
for six strings.
for truth.
for the holidays.
for making it this far.
jbg
jbg
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Out with the old
Anybody else just floored that it's already Thanksgiving? Sometimes, I just don't know.
Of course, with the holidays comes the attending logistics of doing two Thanksgivings and two Christmases... but after two years of coordination, we're getting pretty good at it. Plus, there's nothing wrong with having two Thanksgiving dinners.
This year, we're going up to Lake Geneva for Thanksgiving day and then having my parents over to our place on Sunday for another Thanksgiving. In between, I'll be (gulp) trying my hand at hunting pheasants up in Wisconsin. Something tells me, the birds have nothing to fear from a guy who's gone to a shooting range exactly once. I'm sure there's some old nugget of wisdom about spending time with one's father-in-law and guns...
I did manage to push through the final page of my writing book. And it yielded the final verse to the song
Someday We'll Watch the Highway Burn. Saw the light on the city behind Saw the firefight in your eyes Just another day coming on Just another restless dawn Someday We'll watch the highway Burn Thought that maybe I would stay As the morning slipped away Thought that maybe I would break The midnight spells you couldn't shake Someday We'll watch the highway Burn As you would say, this is the end Of what the heartbreak couldn't mend And then And then and then you will be free To light the fires of your dreams Someday We'll watch the highway Burn
*************
Feels like a good way to end a writing book that's been as productive as any I've had. I went looking for my first writing book from high school, but I think it's packed away in the basement. I did find a book from 1997... boy is that interesting. The strangest thing about looking back at old writing books is that there are things I don't remember writing. I usually go through a book every six months depending on how big it is, so I can generally remember writing almost everything in my current book.
Not so much with the older books, which feel like they were written by somebody else. The other strange thing, is that from all these books, we play exactly nothing I wrote from before 2001. And very little written before 2003. So there are about 8 years of books with nothing but... well... crap. I'm not being hard on myself. Actually, I am.
My point is just that it took me almost 8 years of writing to get to the point where I was consistently writing songs that held my (and the band's) attention. But that's how I've developed whatever work ethic I have today. Most of the Bottle Boy album was written in one book. And this book I just finished produced a good dozen tunes, most of which will become Burn Rome Burn tunes.
So... I guess that really puts it in perspective. Or as David St. Hubbins said "Too much fucking perspective."
jbg
This year, we're going up to Lake Geneva for Thanksgiving day and then having my parents over to our place on Sunday for another Thanksgiving. In between, I'll be (gulp) trying my hand at hunting pheasants up in Wisconsin. Something tells me, the birds have nothing to fear from a guy who's gone to a shooting range exactly once. I'm sure there's some old nugget of wisdom about spending time with one's father-in-law and guns...
I did manage to push through the final page of my writing book. And it yielded the final verse to the song
Someday We'll Watch the Highway Burn. Saw the light on the city behind Saw the firefight in your eyes Just another day coming on Just another restless dawn Someday We'll watch the highway Burn Thought that maybe I would stay As the morning slipped away Thought that maybe I would break The midnight spells you couldn't shake Someday We'll watch the highway Burn As you would say, this is the end Of what the heartbreak couldn't mend And then And then and then you will be free To light the fires of your dreams Someday We'll watch the highway Burn
*************
Feels like a good way to end a writing book that's been as productive as any I've had. I went looking for my first writing book from high school, but I think it's packed away in the basement. I did find a book from 1997... boy is that interesting. The strangest thing about looking back at old writing books is that there are things I don't remember writing. I usually go through a book every six months depending on how big it is, so I can generally remember writing almost everything in my current book.
Not so much with the older books, which feel like they were written by somebody else. The other strange thing, is that from all these books, we play exactly nothing I wrote from before 2001. And very little written before 2003. So there are about 8 years of books with nothing but... well... crap. I'm not being hard on myself. Actually, I am.
My point is just that it took me almost 8 years of writing to get to the point where I was consistently writing songs that held my (and the band's) attention. But that's how I've developed whatever work ethic I have today. Most of the Bottle Boy album was written in one book. And this book I just finished produced a good dozen tunes, most of which will become Burn Rome Burn tunes.
So... I guess that really puts it in perspective. Or as David St. Hubbins said "Too much fucking perspective."
jbg
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Rawk, Role
Right.
Well, another BRB song is ready for the masses.
Last night, we braved the cold of our rehearsal studio to put together a new tune called Regret.
As we said after putting together Atlantis, Regret sounds different than anything we've done before. Which I think is a good trend. It's a country/folkish thing in 3 (waltz feel). Very spare and atmospheric. Doc and I stayed after Barret and Aoife left to work through some cool harmonies, which will add quite a bit if we can pull them off together.
To wit:
REGRET Left something beneath the moon that night As the desert sky swallowed our hearts Had the pitch, the count and all the signs But I just couldn't knock it out of the park Regret You mean nothing to me You mean nothing to me We all believe that time stands still Even if we act like it don't I've got a silver bullet and a bulletproof voice And I'll never leave you alone Regret You mean nothing to me You mean nothing to me And I wish I was there before The ghost signed its name upon your door Maybe the part of this that you never knew Would have been too much Would have been too true Now it's done, time to move on Let the chips fall where they might The years and miles could never keep us apart And I'm not going down without a fight Regret You mean nothing to me You mean nothing to me Regret You mean nothing to me You mean nothing to me
******
Actually, in looking back at my writing book (more on that later), I see that this tune was actually written in April and May of this year. I also started scouting out studios for our planned early 2006 recording project. My first instinct was Electrical Audio, of Steve Albini (Nirvana, Magnolia Electric Co., tons more) fame. I think we'd be able to manage blocking out a Friday-Sunday there. If it worked, we'd try to spend Friday setting up and getting sounds, Saturday getting basic tracks all live (drums, bass, guitar) and maybe Sunday getting violins and vocals done.
Electrical Audio has a beautiful space and the capacity to capture the live type of sound we're going to shoot for on this project. Depending on how these songs take shape, we'd aim for getting 3 full band tunes, and maybe one acoustic tune... although the new stuff is taking on such a great, simple, straight ahead feeling, that we might be able to squeeze out another if my vocals could take it.
That's exciting. Good times.
Coming next week: I publish actual excerpts from my first songwriting journal, circa 1995. I've got one page left in my current writing book (an anniversary present from last year), and I'm ready to move on to my next book, a beautiful leather bound journal Gina brought me from Italy. After that one, I've got a stylish book Barret and Aoife got me on their honeymoon. I take these writing books very seriously, and I'm very superstitious about them. I believe that each book has a unique character and my writing in each has a unique character...
I've thrown away writing books that I feel have bad feelings or karma attached. So as I finish one writing book, I like to look back at some of my previous books, just to get perspective on where my writing has been, and where it's going. I have every one of them dating back to high school...
So check back next week for vintage, scintillating, SCINTILLATING high school-era lyrics from yours truly. And get ready to clench those gluts.
jbg
As we said after putting together Atlantis, Regret sounds different than anything we've done before. Which I think is a good trend. It's a country/folkish thing in 3 (waltz feel). Very spare and atmospheric. Doc and I stayed after Barret and Aoife left to work through some cool harmonies, which will add quite a bit if we can pull them off together.
To wit:
REGRET Left something beneath the moon that night As the desert sky swallowed our hearts Had the pitch, the count and all the signs But I just couldn't knock it out of the park Regret You mean nothing to me You mean nothing to me We all believe that time stands still Even if we act like it don't I've got a silver bullet and a bulletproof voice And I'll never leave you alone Regret You mean nothing to me You mean nothing to me And I wish I was there before The ghost signed its name upon your door Maybe the part of this that you never knew Would have been too much Would have been too true Now it's done, time to move on Let the chips fall where they might The years and miles could never keep us apart And I'm not going down without a fight Regret You mean nothing to me You mean nothing to me Regret You mean nothing to me You mean nothing to me
******
Actually, in looking back at my writing book (more on that later), I see that this tune was actually written in April and May of this year. I also started scouting out studios for our planned early 2006 recording project. My first instinct was Electrical Audio, of Steve Albini (Nirvana, Magnolia Electric Co., tons more) fame. I think we'd be able to manage blocking out a Friday-Sunday there. If it worked, we'd try to spend Friday setting up and getting sounds, Saturday getting basic tracks all live (drums, bass, guitar) and maybe Sunday getting violins and vocals done.
Electrical Audio has a beautiful space and the capacity to capture the live type of sound we're going to shoot for on this project. Depending on how these songs take shape, we'd aim for getting 3 full band tunes, and maybe one acoustic tune... although the new stuff is taking on such a great, simple, straight ahead feeling, that we might be able to squeeze out another if my vocals could take it.
That's exciting. Good times.
Coming next week: I publish actual excerpts from my first songwriting journal, circa 1995. I've got one page left in my current writing book (an anniversary present from last year), and I'm ready to move on to my next book, a beautiful leather bound journal Gina brought me from Italy. After that one, I've got a stylish book Barret and Aoife got me on their honeymoon. I take these writing books very seriously, and I'm very superstitious about them. I believe that each book has a unique character and my writing in each has a unique character...
I've thrown away writing books that I feel have bad feelings or karma attached. So as I finish one writing book, I like to look back at some of my previous books, just to get perspective on where my writing has been, and where it's going. I have every one of them dating back to high school...
So check back next week for vintage, scintillating, SCINTILLATING high school-era lyrics from yours truly. And get ready to clench those gluts.
jbg
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