Perhaps its because I usually see this view when I finally get free from the office to walk the dogs.
Enjoy.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Strange Obsession
Perhaps its because I usually see this view when I finally get free from the office to walk the dogs.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Post Haze
With the Academy Awards last night Awards Season is now drawing to a close. Hopefully this will allow me to clean my desk at work of the stacks and stacks of paper. I hope to experience less stress in my work life for a while, though there are signs that stress reduction isn't really in the cards around here. So we lived through another season, I'm relieved.
Last night I made a playlist of the Turbo Sunshine Demos and laid on the floor in my room next to the bunny and listened to them through headphones. So far there are 9 songs and they all fit pretty well together. some of them flowed into each other nearly perfect. I need to add at least one different flavor before I start trying to tie it all up into an album, I have a feeling it needs to be down tempo.
Last night I made a playlist of the Turbo Sunshine Demos and laid on the floor in my room next to the bunny and listened to them through headphones. So far there are 9 songs and they all fit pretty well together. some of them flowed into each other nearly perfect. I need to add at least one different flavor before I start trying to tie it all up into an album, I have a feeling it needs to be down tempo.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Parked in the Past
I had to go out on a rare service call for work and when I realized I was close I had to come here and visit my rock.
Monday, February 20, 2012
How it happens
I got home from work tonight to a nearly empty living room and dining room. The living room has been put together with the tv finally arriving at a permanent home. The couch and the chair sit comfortably with the bed and lamps. The walls look wonderful in the dim electric light, the pink is nearly orange salmon.
I say hello to Angela, who is at the computer doing research having worked part of the day doing books and the other part cleaning and arranging our home.
I lay down for a 15 minute nap.
We run to the drug store, like literally we run. We buy tooth brushes and an empty spray bottle. We see founding member of Saigon Kick and later star of sex rehab Phil Varone. We run home. I run a couple more miles by myself.
I come home and I shower.
Angela has prepared pasta and green beans. It's yums. I eat.
We drive to a red box and return "the Rum Diary".
Angie leaves to watch Ru Paul's Drag Race with Devin and Dylan at their place.
I'm now drinking red wine and writing the guitar part for a new Turbo Sunshine song. It's going well. The windows are open and traffic whizzes past. I hear sirens on occasion and voices without people.
I say hello to Angela, who is at the computer doing research having worked part of the day doing books and the other part cleaning and arranging our home.
I lay down for a 15 minute nap.
We run to the drug store, like literally we run. We buy tooth brushes and an empty spray bottle. We see founding member of Saigon Kick and later star of sex rehab Phil Varone. We run home. I run a couple more miles by myself.
I come home and I shower.
Angela has prepared pasta and green beans. It's yums. I eat.
We drive to a red box and return "the Rum Diary".
Angie leaves to watch Ru Paul's Drag Race with Devin and Dylan at their place.
I'm now drinking red wine and writing the guitar part for a new Turbo Sunshine song. It's going well. The windows are open and traffic whizzes past. I hear sirens on occasion and voices without people.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Devin Tait Live at The Other Door 2/8/12
The Other Door is located on a slightly sleepy stretch of Burbank Blvd, it used to be a lesbian establishment called Moon Shadows. I had been to Moon Shadows many times and even played there once in my old band. I was immediately impressed by the changes in decor they had made, though I felt a bit like they were over reaching to charge a $5 cover for what is still essential a neighborhood bar, albeit a very nice one.
The event began early on a Wednesday night, so only a small crowd had the pleasure of hearing Devin Tait perform. Listening to the sound man set up and check I quickly felt much better about where my $5 cover went. The sound system in the bar has been heavily upgraded and having a competent personable sound man there for the evening is no small expense.
Devin usually plays shows with a band as Devin Tait and the Traitors, and in the interest of disclosure I will admit that I'm usually a Traitor. This was a rare treat for me to be able to just sit back and listen. When playing solo the shows are quieter and simpler, just Devin and an electric piano.
The show opened with "Alien Nation", the song has been re-worked since it was recorded for his album and now features a stunning intro and outro, both of which really add a layer of drama. The intro with big open chords becomes the perfect counter point to the large left hand bass drones that start the first verse. It felt like a perfect way to start the set. Devin was confident on this tune and the vocal delivery in particular stood out as being spot on.
After the first song Devin took a brief pause to introduce a cover by what he said was one of his favorite bands. He then Launched into "Doctor Doctor" by the Thompson Twins. For a song usually dripping with Synthesizer it translated well to the piano.
A never before played live B-side was up next, "k18" which was just released as the flip side to the single "Tape". Some of the vocal notes in the first verse of this song appeared to put Devin's low vocal register to the test, but he did manage to always just reach them. The song is quite beautiful and I found my self transported to lonely stretches of American back roads as it played.
"Strange Season" is a stand out Track from Devin's 2011 album "It's Never the Way You Imagine" and every bit of the beauty and atmosphere of the songs translates in the live performance. The vocal melody towards the end seems to have even evolved further in the numerous live performances since the albums release, there is an added power and confidence that has Devin evolving the melodic them ever so slightly, giving the song resolution live that it barely hints at on record.
"Roam" by the b52s was played next. The entire room was singing along and clapping to this one. It's ambitious to take any full band with multiple vocalists songs and play them in a stripped down solo format, but it can also be very rewarding, allowing the listener a glimpse of the song below.
The evening's highlight was the live debut of "Underwater Breathing" the 10th Track from "It's Never the Way you Imagine It". Something really came together by the time this song came up in the set. I'm not sure if the sound man made some additional tweaks or if the arrangement of this song just really shines on piano, but the bass notes in the verses of this song were simply amazing. This is the longest song from the album and it's quite a feat to play the entire thing live. Building from a beautiful piano intro, to the power of the left hand in the verses the chorus then just soars. The emotion portrayed in this song is deep and easily relate-able. The delivery of the lines: "I can't be the only one, can't feel so lonely,I had your back now I see you leaving, Suspended in motion, arrested progression, I will remain underwater breathing" provided the emotional high water mark for the evening. The instrumental break with the solo during this song was nearly note perfect, if not for one tiny flub the entire performance would have been flawless.
The set closed with a cover of "Speechless" by Lady Ga Ga. A powerful tribute from Devin to his life partner. At this point in the set the vocals were so confident an powerful it would have been easy to hear every word from the parking lot without a microphone. A very nice way to close the set, sending the folks who had gathered here off into the night feeling good.
It was a fine set, and I was glad to be there to bear witness.
Devin Tait plays again with the Traitors this Friday at Red Rocks on the Sunset Strip at 10pm.
The event began early on a Wednesday night, so only a small crowd had the pleasure of hearing Devin Tait perform. Listening to the sound man set up and check I quickly felt much better about where my $5 cover went. The sound system in the bar has been heavily upgraded and having a competent personable sound man there for the evening is no small expense.
Devin usually plays shows with a band as Devin Tait and the Traitors, and in the interest of disclosure I will admit that I'm usually a Traitor. This was a rare treat for me to be able to just sit back and listen. When playing solo the shows are quieter and simpler, just Devin and an electric piano.
The show opened with "Alien Nation", the song has been re-worked since it was recorded for his album and now features a stunning intro and outro, both of which really add a layer of drama. The intro with big open chords becomes the perfect counter point to the large left hand bass drones that start the first verse. It felt like a perfect way to start the set. Devin was confident on this tune and the vocal delivery in particular stood out as being spot on.
After the first song Devin took a brief pause to introduce a cover by what he said was one of his favorite bands. He then Launched into "Doctor Doctor" by the Thompson Twins. For a song usually dripping with Synthesizer it translated well to the piano.
A never before played live B-side was up next, "k18" which was just released as the flip side to the single "Tape". Some of the vocal notes in the first verse of this song appeared to put Devin's low vocal register to the test, but he did manage to always just reach them. The song is quite beautiful and I found my self transported to lonely stretches of American back roads as it played.
"Strange Season" is a stand out Track from Devin's 2011 album "It's Never the Way You Imagine" and every bit of the beauty and atmosphere of the songs translates in the live performance. The vocal melody towards the end seems to have even evolved further in the numerous live performances since the albums release, there is an added power and confidence that has Devin evolving the melodic them ever so slightly, giving the song resolution live that it barely hints at on record.
"Roam" by the b52s was played next. The entire room was singing along and clapping to this one. It's ambitious to take any full band with multiple vocalists songs and play them in a stripped down solo format, but it can also be very rewarding, allowing the listener a glimpse of the song below.
The evening's highlight was the live debut of "Underwater Breathing" the 10th Track from "It's Never the Way you Imagine It". Something really came together by the time this song came up in the set. I'm not sure if the sound man made some additional tweaks or if the arrangement of this song just really shines on piano, but the bass notes in the verses of this song were simply amazing. This is the longest song from the album and it's quite a feat to play the entire thing live. Building from a beautiful piano intro, to the power of the left hand in the verses the chorus then just soars. The emotion portrayed in this song is deep and easily relate-able. The delivery of the lines: "I can't be the only one, can't feel so lonely,I had your back now I see you leaving, Suspended in motion, arrested progression, I will remain underwater breathing" provided the emotional high water mark for the evening. The instrumental break with the solo during this song was nearly note perfect, if not for one tiny flub the entire performance would have been flawless.
The set closed with a cover of "Speechless" by Lady Ga Ga. A powerful tribute from Devin to his life partner. At this point in the set the vocals were so confident an powerful it would have been easy to hear every word from the parking lot without a microphone. A very nice way to close the set, sending the folks who had gathered here off into the night feeling good.
It was a fine set, and I was glad to be there to bear witness.
Devin Tait plays again with the Traitors this Friday at Red Rocks on the Sunset Strip at 10pm.
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Morning Reading
"Am I an optimist? I see hope in the very fact that we brag so little, and that we worry so much about the parts of the task still left undone." - David Brin
I'm again actively not working when I have a lot to do. Some days the only way to gain the activation energy to begin being the only person in this office actually working is by taking a bit of time to myself. I take comfort in the fact though that with a cash short fall this week I'm the only person in my office being paid... so fair is fair but it's still difficult.
So prior to whipping out a big round of press billing I read this excellent interview with David Brin. David has become my favorite living author. I get so much out of each of his books, but more than anything I just enjoy reading them, they are very fun to me. I really want to revisit the second uplift trilogy. Followed perhaps by the first.
Here is the interview.
Okay, now I will work.
I'm again actively not working when I have a lot to do. Some days the only way to gain the activation energy to begin being the only person in this office actually working is by taking a bit of time to myself. I take comfort in the fact though that with a cash short fall this week I'm the only person in my office being paid... so fair is fair but it's still difficult.
So prior to whipping out a big round of press billing I read this excellent interview with David Brin. David has become my favorite living author. I get so much out of each of his books, but more than anything I just enjoy reading them, they are very fun to me. I really want to revisit the second uplift trilogy. Followed perhaps by the first.
Here is the interview.
Okay, now I will work.
Sunday, February 05, 2012
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Before
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