Memories & Dust

I spent the majority of yesterday listening to one specific pandora station and writing down the songs that I enjoyed from it. Every once in awhile I'll come across a station that just seems absolutely perfect. The songs carry your moods like the moon carries the waves gently to the shore, and come the chorus, your heart takes flight. One such song was a tune by Josh Pyke called Memories & Dust. It's definitely worth the time if you've got a minute. 

Often I wish that I had the money and the time to get in my car and just drive. It doesn't matter where I go or if I even have a destination. Sometimes the best part about being in the car is just moving, feeling like you are on the road to some heavenly place that never really comes into reach. Is perfection unattainable or do Utopias exist? I think that the answer is simple -- we find the most perfect places on our mind and thoughts. The special places that only we can access, the special places that only we have the key to, that is not simply hidden in the back of the sock drawer, but rather in a mental safe, miles behind the densest metals, password protected in every way imaginable. And should anyone ever have the privilege to access this space, may God bless their soup because they have been given a true gift. 

And thus we come to the title of this post. Memories & dust. From dust we came, and to dust we shall return. But our memories live on. And our memories are eternal, and while all other things around us may seem like they are crumbling, the memories remain steadfast.

Many are often quick to remind friends who are struggling to not live in the past. But to forget memories is to lose a part of ourselves, to allow them to become the very dust which we are to return to one day. Instead may we cherish the memories, embrace them; good bad and ugly. May we learn from our mistakes and soar through our successes. May our frustrations and shortcomings challenge us to be better, act better, and live life abundantly. I love that phrase: live life abundantly. I first heard it in the movie Seven Pounds starring Will Smith and I've embraced it as a virtue, a reminder to not wallow or despair, to not mope or allow negativity to pollute the mind. It's not always easy. In fact it probably never is. But it's a new beginning. An attempted fresh start.

Today, allow yourself some time to relive your memories. Feel elation from your triumphs, and feel pain from your despairs. But no matter what do not allow yourself to bury any of your memories! They are the quilt that wraps us and protects us from the cold night. And they will always, always, be solely yours. 

Parachute .

In my sophomore year at Clemson I dated a girl who at one point made me a list of her ten favorite songs at my request. I later covered and recorded them all for her, putting them together on a CD and mailing her the CD for Christmas, even though we had stopped dating by that point. One of the artists on that list was Parachute, and I can't remember exactly which song it was but I remember thinking that it was a good one.

Weeks ago, as I was putting together the dance floor at work, I had the XM radio playing and a song was playing, so I wrote down a few pieces of the lyrics as a note in my phone. I just got around to looking them up today, and I now remember why it touched me so much that I had to write them down.

The song is called "Kiss Me Slowly" by Parachute.

One particular piece that I like especially is this set of lines:

Don't run away...

And it's hard to love again,

When the only way it's been,

When the only love you knew,

Just walked away...

If it's something that you want,

Darling you don't have to run,

You don't have to go...

Love inspires so many songs. Think about how many beautiful words have been written about relationships, heartbreaks, losing someone who means a lot to you in your life. I don't think Dashboard Confessional would even exist without that, or Taylor Swift or countless others. But it's good to get it out. Music is therapy. Music saves lives. And sometimes that's the only medium that we can get our emotions out, in hopes that we will feel better afterwards. I like how much people really put into their music; how they pour out their heart and soul, and you can just hear that in the music.

I mean, that's usually how I write when I write songs too. I don't know if it comes off that way, but I know the meanings behind stuff; sometimes it's direct and other times it beats around the bush a bit. Whatever happens though, it's stuff I'm proud of. I'd love to cover this song sometime, it's a fun one to sing. Enjoy the tune!

Two Brothers Music .

One of the first few days I was on my trip, I asked my brother to write me something musically that I could rap to. Let me preface the rest of the post with the fact that he is extremely talented when it comes to producing music. This kid has music running in his veins. He can pick out stuff on the piano, and flesh it out with full chords and runs and everything else. I don't know how he does it, and I'm a pretty musical person myself. He just really has a knack for it.

Anyways, I got back tonight and he showed me some stuff that he'd been working on. By this point, it's been a few days and it's certainly not like he's been working on this nonstop for the past couple of days -- it's incredible. Absolutely fucking DOPE. I realized that him and I have so much potential musically just in that one moment I was sitting there listening to what he had put together. Maybe I'll have to put together some money and get him some producing stuff for a gift sometime... he's honestly that good.

We've done some stuff together musically before and it came out really good. Whether he's playing sax, guitar, piano, or producing it all digitally, he is a true champ. And the best thing is that no matter what happens or where I go, we can always work on stuff and email it back and forth all the time. And that is just freaking awesome. Can't wait to set up my makeshift vocal booth and start some recording... Maybe in the future he and I will make a great team (not that we don't already): me writing the words and rapping, him producing the music! Stoked.

on Drumming .

When I first got my drum set, never would I have expected that years down the road I would be so into it. Because of how big it is and how many pieces there are, I've never been able to bring my drums with me to school. Even if I could have and did, I still would have driven everyone within 3 floors of me nuts... unless I had an electric set (which seems to be the solution for many people who live in apartments these days).

Now here I am, drumming almost daily, learning songs, teaching myself more tricks, building up an endurance and finesse (not to mention callouses), and I am probably better now than ever. As it turns out, I auditioned for a band a while back, and they seemed to really like my playing and what I could do, and so we're now practicing the song set and preparing for some gigs.

Though I have always thought it would be awesome to be a part of a band, I never had the opportunity to actually play in a band that was actually serious about stuff. I messed around with some guys, I've recorded my own stuff (not drums though, really ever. I don't have the mics for it) and I've dabbled every so often in the basement. I now find myself listening to drums more than anything else when I listen to music, and envision how I would go about playing it on my own kit.

Though I don't plan on dropping a lot of cash on new gear just yet, I'm already excited about adding some small new additions to enhance what I can do, given the songs we are practicing. I'll try to keep people posted on gigs.

On a quick side note before I sign off tonight, I have been contacted by a few of the people I wrote recognition posts for. The messages contain utter grace, thankfulness etc. It's so great that you can make people feel so good, and so worth it with just a few words. What a difference it makes! I'm so glad I wrote that down, and even more thankful that those people found their way to those posts. Thank me all you want, but honestly, thank you for being the people that you are!

Recognition Series: pt. 7 - Peter C

I first met Peter in a freshman year English class. If I remember correctly, the initial reason that we started talking was the huge tattooed cross on his shin. We started talking about tattoos, worked together on a few little class projects, had similar tastes in graphic expression (which we found out through one of the projects), and both had a great interest in music.

Peter, though initially from New York, had family in South Carolina and basically lived down there full time. He did have a well-established band from home, but they hadn't really wanted to continue stuff since he was moving so far away. I've listen to some of their music, and it sounds really professional -- well produced and everything. They even had a music video made for one of their songs (Just search for The Reserve - Ignite on Vimeo and you should find it). The band sounds a lot like Angels and Airwaves and I think that a lot of their music was actually influenced by this.

Regardless, Peter and I got to talking about getting involved in some music-making together. This kid was the real deal -- producing connections, recording experience, full professional tracks etc. He told me that if we got something together and it started taking off, he wanted to drop everything and work on the music. Tour, create an album etc. And not just tour in the region, I'm talking full tour in US and even in Europe. Now, I don't know if he really had THAT many connections... but regardless it was pretty mind-blowing.

As the year went on, we both sort of settled into our respective majors and areas of study, and of course we no longer had class together after the first semester. This was a really weird feeling, to have a whole bunch of people in your classes and then just have them drop off the face of the Earth after four or five months due to class changes.

A few years later, as I was finishing up my junior year, I happened to run into Peter again, after we had lost touch for almost two years. As it turned out, he lived pretty much just below me in the same building in my apartment complex. I don't think he ever really got a serious music project together that gained the attention he wanted. But I'm telling you, the kid is talented; and music is truly his passion. I'm too practical and logical to try to give up all my studies to shoot for the stars with music -- but I really hope it works out for him. And in fact, it did inspire to really start working harder on making my own music.

Cara Salimando .

New music comin' your way folks. A friend of mine asked me if I knew of any new music while we were sitting in the library, following it up with the fact that he loves new music and hearing new stuff. I of course remembered a few different people, but had forgotten Cara Salimando's name and couldn't for the life of me remember it. I had found her a long time ago, but I guess never tagged the video on Youtube so I couldn't find it anymore. However, I finally did remember it and was once again blown away by the quality and caliber of her talent -- vocally, musically, etc. etc. When you listen to these songs there's no way you'd expect that the voice behind it all is a 20 year old (I think that's the accurate age anyways). Her voice is so different from so many young ladies who take up singing and the music scene. Not to mention she's a pro at the piano and the guitar as well. Talk about a renaissance man -- er, woman.

Now, this post is in part to help her out and give her some well-deserved publicity. With a voice and style that rivals that of Regina Spektor, this girl deserves some attention. Here's where you come in blog friends! Give her stuff a listen here: click to listen! If you fancy it, please do me (and more importantly her) a favor and spread it around -- show your friends, send an email, tweet it, post it on Facebook. Every little bit helps and for a musician, word of mouth is a great way to spread music.

I was and am truly impressed by this girl and plan to continue to follow her closely in the future to make sure I don't miss anything! Bravo, Cara!

Easy Does It .

Tonight, was a wonderful night spent with friends. Sure, we may have been working and catching up on things we needed to do, but it was nice and relaxing. On the way home I listened to a group called Common Market, and rediscovered them all over again. Doesn't get better than this; this is going to be my medicine for the next few days.

Hip Hop Has Saved Me .

If you had told me in high school that by the end of college hip hop would be one of my favorite genres, I would have told you that you were crazy. Now, granted, as with any genre, I don't like everything that's out there but I've come to have a huge appreciation for a lot of the stuff that is.

I have fallen in love with the beat it provides, like a heartbeat to life. It continues to move me, motivate me, and inspire me, over and over. In the little of my spare minutes I have begun to write some raps down (though, in all honesty, lyrics are simply words and rhymes until you put them to music). I love the intricacy of the language, the complexity to beats, but also how simple it can be. You can have one beat the whole time and the song can still be amazing.

These people are the storytellers of our generation -- realists and musicians, artists and sculptors. I am so glad that my mind allowed me to be opened up to a whole new world. Hip hop has saved me.

MPC .

So the beats I found in my last post, upon further research, were made with an MPC (that's Music Production Center). They basically act as a hook ripper, sequencer, etc. etc. Basically, you can make some dope beats with this thing. I already want one bad.. But sadly, no affording that right now; tight budget.

Regardless, I'm trying to get my hands on someone who owns a nice mic so that I can record some stuff. I have a stand and pop filter, but left my mic at home (and it's a really shoddy one at that, so that's okay).

MPC's seem to be one of those amazing pieces of technology that just make music seem easy. Though there is always GarageBand, and maybe I can actually make some stuff of my own in there... At the end of the day, as long as I'm getting back into music again I'm a happy camper.

Music First or Words First ?

It's been an awful long time since I've sat down and written some music. I had planned to get into a lot of hip hop writing and recording over this past winter break, but that didn't happen (and neither did my goal of helping out with the Hurricane Sandy cleanup effort). The other day in my occasional (and ashamedly most often more than occasional) Youtube perusal I came upon some really dope beats. This kid is a drummer first and foremost I think, but also dabbles with making instrumentals. I'm thinking, maybe it's about time that I focus some energy on music again.

But the hardest part for me is whether to write words or music first. Sometimes you really feel the music, but can't find the words. Other times, you write something amazing but can't find the music to fit it. And then you just get stuck. Like all other things though, it takes practice and determination. Ten thousand hours, even, to quote Macklemore. I'll report back if I actually getting around to making something.

Musical Taste .

While in the car driving to Raleigh, someone commented that all of my music was very chill. [Context: the drive is about 5 hours, and naturally with my addiction to music I played stuff on my iPod for pretty much the whole way there and back] It was nice to hear that, as I'm assuming that 'chill' is a good thing. I explained that well, it's not always chill but I felt that that sort of style would be the most agreeable among all the passengers of the van. I also put the fade entirely in the front of the car in case some people didn't want to listen to anything. I tried to be considerate and really not disturb anyone.

But getting back to the music. How weird is it that you can really like one thing and not like another? Some people really dig some songs, or particular styles, and others detest it. And yet in some ways I feel like we are like snowflakes -- no two of us are the same, and likes and dislikes are all about the characteristics that make us unique.

The other thing is that I really like playing stuff that people might not normally listen to. Even if they don't care, or they fall asleep in the car, or put in their own music, sometimes they ask who the artist is or the song and it's cool to hear that. I was really diggin' the soft stuff today, and at lunch I made a playlist, including: Electric President, Radical Face, Alexi Murdoch, Bon Iver, Paper Route, Iron & Wine and others. It was bliss, listening to that on the way home. Just soothing and relaxing. Made the giant snowstorm we went through that much easier for me as designated "soccer mom" of the van!

Holocene .

Walking across campus today, a rather drab day, and yet I was in high spirits. Today I chose Bon Iver to be my soundtrack for the day; and it couldn't have been better. While sprinkles of rain fell around me, the sweet sounds of Holocene rang into my ears, and it's something that just lifts your spirits. Music is something that can really change you and change your attitude. Keeping emotions in high spirits are certainly a good thing. And so on this day, I invite you to check out this sweet sound:

There is nothing on the planet that sounds like this. Enjoy, friends.

such great heights .

I just happened to stumble upon this tonight and it sorta blew my mind. I'm not super into the verses on this song, but the chorus was absolutely excellent. It's always interesting to look at covers of songs and see what people have done with them.

Whenever I do covers, I'm always inclined to try to reproduce it as close to the original as possible -- but honestly, what fun is that? Covers are about taking something that you really enjoy already and making it your own. The great thing is that you have that opportunity and freedom to do what you want with it, whether it's turning it around and flipping it upside down, or just getting creative and seeing what happens. Mad respect to those who cover stuff all the time -- and I think that the more covers you do, the more you start to find your own sound and eventually start making your own music! Love supporting the indie / underground music community.

So without further ado, Such Great Heights (originally by The Postal Service), covered by Confide.

**Warning: If you don't like anything heavy, don't watch this. But seriously, the chorus blows my mind.

the perfect 3 .

It isn't often that I go and talk about music on a day that isn't Music Monday, but this is going to be an exception. I, unlike 99% of the general population, still own a 'dumb phone.' That is, I don't have a smart phone. Therefore, I can't just play music on my phone; it just isn't that simple. And so here's the first part of this story: Because work can be quiet sometimes and early in the morning or late at night you may be doing something completely alone in the building, sometimes it's nice to add a little soundtrack. Because the XM radio can be spotty (especially on a day with bad weather), I wanted to find a speaker that would satisfy my musical necessity that was tiny and easily attached to my iPod. What I found was a $7 tiny rectangular speaker that attached directly to my iPod using the same port that charges the battery.

musical musings .

it's time for me to go get outta this place
it's time for me to get out while i'm tryin' to save face
it's not the weather or the sun or the moon
it's just i'm tired, fuckin' sick of this dismal and dead mood

you gotta realize time has now belied the cornerstone of life and we lied but never died man
for every photo we took since we were two
has found its way into the history books between me and you

despite the fact that i'm rollin' my eyes, hopin' you realized
the things that you gave up in time
feels like the memory was only mine

back when it was all just fine
and i promise you,
i tried, always did, always do,
until the day i die, until the day i die

am i headin' to the west? is that where i'll fit best
cannot say for sure, what's knockin' at my door
and in, perfect time
i'll add another rhyme
to a beat i call my own
just one more stepping stone

but now i think it's time to move on
'cause i am sick of this song and the memories it prolong
while i am gone i'll let the world just move on
and keep on keepin' on, as they did before the dawn

because it's what you always did best
you never needed the rest
i just provided a test that you failed under duress
with just the little of pressure it took, it just unraveled and look
it's like something out of a book

and i am not a rapper who spoke
but in reality i'm just a guy who struggles with dope
and i ain't talkin' bout the fuckin' methamphetamine cake
nor am i talking bout the shit you fuckin' smoke, wake and bake
brotha listen, can't you hear me? straight up because i'm tellin' you
pouring out my motherfuckin' soul i swear it's easy to
thinking 'bout the line that took my soul and folded it in two
and pointed me in one direction

***
Okay, I got inspired and had a pretty fresh beat in my head tonight, and while I don't normally write down with the intent of something being a rap, that's what happened tonight. This isn't done, but I'm gonna finish the words tomorrow and record it. I know, I know, I know exactly what you're thinking: "He always says he's gonna record something and THEN NEVER DOES. LIAR."

If this is you, your frustration is warranted. I'm a lazy bum (not really, I work two jobs...) -- well, perhaps musically. Be patient, I'm excited about this one so it will not really go quickly and most definitely won't be finished soon. I know I owe you guys another post, but I'm just gonna be ahead and be content with being one day behind for the time being.

**JUNE: Note that there is NO JUMP BREAK in this post! You ought to be so proud of me.

Music Monday #69

This week is something a little different; Nickel Mountain by Tin Hat Trio.

Music Monday #68

This week's song is Another Night by Cara Salimando.

Music Monday #67

This post will be a little bit different than previous Music Mondays as not only am I going to recommend the usual song, but unveil one of my playlists as well. This week's song is Strobe by Deadmau5.

ukulele .

I bought a ukulele last summer sort of on a whim (oh, the ways you find to empty your pockets when you're getting a steady paycheck). It was shipped to me from Hawaii, and a week or so later, I was the proud owner of a soprano. The first few days I played it a good bit, but then I sort of forgot about it (as is the case with many new things, unfortunately). The other day I was listening to a playlist I had made for a girl from work (Sami) and this song called Sweet Pea came on by Amos Lee.

Well, I decided out of nowhere that I wanted to learn how to play this song. I immediately stopped everything that I was doing and dug out my uke, after realizing that while there was guitar in the song, it was not the prominent instrument.

Music Monday #66

Welllll, obviously it's not Monday, but I'm playing catch-up this week so you'll just have to make do. Apologies if anyone really missed having it on Monday! This week's song is Wild One by Flo Ride ft. Sia.