November Update (from my email list) 

(monthly email update)
Happy November, everyone!

Hard to believe, but another year has almost passed us by! There isn't much music news right now, but that is all for good reason. Instead, I've got a general health update, as a follow up to my last several updates which have mentioned various states of injury, which can have rather serious implications with guitar. The saga of the shoulder continues...

As many of you know, my body has had a rough year... Back in January, some kid cut me off snowboarding and…Read more

The Architect; The Engineer - Track Listing Cuts 

I just finished up mixing for my upcoming album, The Architect; The Engineer. It's been years in the making, as I originally started recording for this back in 2010, so I am incredibly excited about completing this project.

And, better yet, it sounds pretty freaking amazing. This is something I'm incredibly proud of. It's a work that, I feel, stands on its own. When I listen to it, I don't hear my influences; I don't hear Trace Bundy or Trevor Gordon Hall. Instead, I hear my own, unique voice. And it's good…Read more

Music For Wild Places with Laura Veirs 


It’s been a while since I’ve written anything in here. Mainly, I just don’t have time. Life happens. And if it’s down to music or the music blog, the music blog is going to be cast aside. I suppose I should still have periodic updates on my personal music, rather than just rants and raves once every 6 months, but so far, that hasn’t happened.
So what brings me here today?
Laura Veirs. I don’t recall how I discovered her music – whether it was someone introducing her to me, or Spotify, or the radio (no, it… Read more

Review: Trace Bundy at World Cafe Live 05/08/14 


I've seen him several times before. After all, his videos were what inspired me to pursue this whole percussive fingerstyle craziness. And every time it’s a great show
And the songs will always be great; that’s what we’re there for. Secondarily, we go for the stories; Trace is an excellent story teller. His personality lends well to entertaining, yet very emotive story telling. He makes you feel like you’re there, sharing in his life’s highs and lows.
But, for seeing him over the course of several years… Read more

Marketing Spam of the Day 


So I just got an email from a company that allegedly produces 3D animation music videos. It was pretty obviously a mass email that I just so happened to end up on their special list for, but usually I’m okay with stuff like this. That’s how I somehow ended up on Whistler’s snow report email list, and a few blog email lists that I’ve actually really enjoyed reading, so usually it’s no big deal.
Generally the filters that get you hooked up with something like Whistler’s snow report are pretty good at sending… Read more

Another Rainy Country-Tuesday 


I read a review on Margot and the Nuclear So and So’searlier today that described them as, “making depression danceable.”
And it got me thinking… I know people get seasonal depression during the winter, but sometimes I feel like I’ve got that with the spring. I’m a winter guy. Winter means snow and snowboarding and comfortable temperatures and low humidity and feeling accomplished when I leave work and it’s dark. Spring means awkward temperatures and humidity and torrential downpours of cold rain and… Read more

So Much New Music! 


Does it ever seem to you like music comes in droves? Where you’ll have these long stretches where you don’t really get any new music, you don’t see any shows, and you don’t play any. Then, out of nowhere, you’ve got a busy calendar and a stack of new CDs (yes, I haven’t quite moved away from physical media). And in an instant, you go from musical monotony to too much to process.
It happens. At least to me. And it seems like it’s a pretty normal trend. The number of half-written album reviews and… Read more

Wu-Tang Clan and Art 

I can listen to the radio at work or wherever I am (although, outside of being forced to listen to the radio, I avoid it), and it hardly ever registers as art. There are varied sounds, ranging from the abhorrent twang of Country Tuesday to the retro vibes of Classic Rock Thursday. The is a span of genres and time that covers a large portion of western pop culture, except I can’t ever recall a time when I looked at all and thought art. Now that isn’t to say that I don’t see music as art. Some Trevor Gordon… Read more

RHCP Super Bowl Performance Scandal 


So the Super Bowl was this past weekend. Not that I follow football or anything, but this game, in particular, has some musical significance. Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Not a likely pairing; I was certainly skeptical. But they managed to put on a good show. And it was a lot more of a live show than I can ever remember seeing on the Super Bowl stage. There was energy and music and it played a lot like a concert. It wasn’t some theatrical performance void of musical soul. Both acts are great… Read more

Reading to Improve Musical Writing? 


I recently got a Kindle. A Kindle Paperwhite, actually. It was a gift from my wife, Kelly. I think for the most part I have always enjoyed reading. But books take up a bunch of room once you get a bunch, and its just a hassle to figure out lighting if youre lying in bed or something like that. So I just havent read. In years. Instead, Ive waited to get a Kindle.
And its worked. Ive read 3 books so far. The last time I read a single book for pleasure was in the summer of 2009. Thats a long time ago. And in… Read more