The Contrarian

Why I Don't Play Live (Often).

But when I did, it looked a lot like this.

My co-worker Chhaya just published a really thoughtful post about touring (and traveling for work) over at Liquid Sunshine. Unlike Chhaya, I never felt called to a life on the road, but I certainly understand outgrowing something you previously held dear. For me, it's live performance, which so many people associate with the music, but I now find tedious. And it's not all about travel, although I definitely did my share of that back in the band days.

The driving was fine, and the company was occasionally tolerable, provided I'd had enough coffee/booze/sleep. What always got me was the waiting around. I really hated dragging my shit into the club and being basically trapped there between soundcheck (if you were lucky to get one) and set time. Sure, you could walk around town, but there's always the need/compulsion to get back to the venue. You could sit at the bar and drink, but if you have the relationship to alcohol that I have, that isn't always the best idea. (I'm a perfectly jovial drunk, but the problem is if I start, I just keep right on going. This can lead to messy performances, which I really can't stand.) So mostly you just roam around bored, every sticker on the walls confirming your understanding that there are simply too many bands out there.

You don't really meet the best and the brightest on the road, either. Soundguys will talk you ear off about their new compressor and how they once ran front-of-house for Whitesnake. That's if they talk to you at all; often they just mumble monosyllables. Until you spill beer into their monitors, that is. Then they demonstrate a quite colorful vocabulary.

Audiences, while often appreciative, are typically soused. They shout ridiculous shit at you (especially if you're the frontperson). Sometimes they even get up onstage and step all over your pedals. Believe me, I've been tempted to react like Jay Reatard does in this here clip. Actually, I do recall getting a little testy back in the day. (If I caused any unanticipated dental work, you have my sincerest apologies.)

Also, the pay pretty much sucks for playing live. I've found I can much more easily subsidize my gear habit by mixing/mastering other people's work. Don't get me wrong, I have been paid pretty well for shows, but I always had to split it with other people! (Plus it was the old days.) Hmm, maybe I'm just selfish.

It's true that there's something exciting about the chemistry between the right players. I've been there before, and some pretty incendiary shit came out of it. Unfortunately, it's a lot like relationships: the volatile ones usually produce the most passion, but are the hardest to sustain. Intensity can so easily slip into mutual antagonism.

The only downside to studio life these days is that there's less value to recorded music. Pricing is pretty well fucked, with major stars setting out the online begging cup. But as Don Van Cleave of the Coalition of Independent Music Stores told me just yesterday, we're only about seven years into the Digital Disruption. It will eventually stabilize. Or so we hope.

Another problem with studio work is that it really brings out your perfectionist tendencies. I still write what I consider to be interesting music that's well-played, but since I have essentially endless amounts of time to revise and re-envision, I can take forever to release anything. I thought my new record, Northern Lights, was done, but now I think I'm gonna make some further alterations. I'm like Axl Rose but without the hair extensions. And I can play everything myself, ha! 

Wow. That's a lot of blathering. But I guess that's what blogs are for.

Previews.

 

 

Sunday Action.

I'd like to introduce you all to a nifty new blog called Liquid Sunshine, which is the online journal of Future of Music Coalition Events Organizer, Chhaya Kapadia. She quite plainly rules. Her writing is smart and funny, with a dose of old-fashioned sweetness. Much like Chhaya herself! Anyway, there are only a couple of posts up right now, but I'm sure we can expect more, considering she leads a pretty action-packed life. Well, compared to me, anyway.

In other exciting news, I've finished with my new record, which is called Northern Lights. It took me forever, mostly due to laziness. Perfectionism, however unrealized, also conspired against me. It's a little woofy on the low end in spots, but I don't feel like remastering it right now. If it turns out I can't live with it — which could easily happen — I might give it another go.

Next up, I send it to Jebson for comment, then to Jay, so he can get a sense of what the artwork should be like. After that, I plan to give away the whole record, in MP3 form, right here. It will also be up for sale at iTunes and eMusic, and you should eventually even be able to stream it at Rhapsody. Probably won't bother with a CD. Feel free to e-mail me (button at top left) for more info.

As I previously mentioned, Northern Lights is (loosely) inspired by Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials novels. Stylistically, it's a grab bag, but it has an overall rockin' feel. The last stuff I released was of the hushed, saddoe variety, with a few artsy/electronic flourishes. This thing owes more to classic rock, which, I must confess, is kind of embarrassing. I've basically outed myself big time. There's no way I can pretend to be an envoy of the avant-garde after this. Oh well. At least there's a few bitchin' solos.

What else is goin' on? We finally saw The Orphanage (El Orfanto) yesterday, which I can't recommend enough, especially if you're a Guillermo del Toro fan. (He produced it; Juan Antonio Bayona directed.) It's something of a companion piece to del Toro's The Devil's Backbone (El Espinazo del Diablo) — both have a thing for dead kids and eerie architecture.  I'm rarely affected by so-called  scary movies, but The Orphanage made me jump several times. Take that as a warning, if you're a fraidy-pants. 

I think we're gonna try to catch Persepolis today. 'Cause tomorrow it's back to the grind.

New Recordings.

I'm in the middle of working on a bunch of new material. I guess you could consider it a follow-up to Soft Rock, my 3" EP from 2005 or so. I've been recording fairly steadily since then, but I wasn't able to find a compositional through-line to justify another "official" release.

The new stuff is not entirely unlike what I've previously done, but there are a few major differences. This is likely gonna be a concept album (or concept MP3s, or whatever), inspired by a series of fantasy novels. (Can you fucking believe it? I can't.) Additionally, I've forgone electronics in favor of a more traditional rock approach. This means lotsa guitars. For better or worse, I've avoided my typical compositional tendencies — buried vocals, slow tempos and exclusively minor keys — in order to achieve a brasher sound.

I'm getting close to unveiling a few songs here, but if you really want to know what I've been up to, head to The Contrarian's MySpace page and click on the tune "Her Eminence," which sounds like Queen and ELO battling for control of the universe. Or something.

Two other songs are completed; both of 'em have an old-school, woodsy prog feel. You know — acoustic guitars, melloton, celeste, etc. But the next one is gonna have sharper teeth. I'm thinking proto-thrash, even. Been listening to a lot of Budgie.

There's yer update. I'm off to the zoo to hang with some Great Apes.

On the Good Foot.

Aww, gee, thanks for all of the supportive replies to my last post — public and private.

I really am not trying to be a whiner; just wanted to get some stuff off my chest in the hopes of keeping a measure of objectivity about my current situation.

A  buncha new CDs  just arrived for review, so it's not like I don't have shit to do.

Additionally, I've been working like crazy on a new batch of songs. I'm going places I haven't gone before, and it's pretty interesting. One "completed" track has a Canterbury-prog sound, with acoustic guitars, celeste and mellotron, as well as "will o' the wisp" vocals. It's either beautiful or ridiculous — I'm not sure which.

But it's the tune I'm currently putting together that's got me all bugaboo. I'm channeling Queen on this one, no joke. And not in some half-ass My Chemical Romance way, either. That's the last time you'll read that name here, I promise.

Somehow my mastering skills are a bit rusty. The music is sounding pretty good in the mix, but ends up being a ball of poorly-EQ'd crap by the final bounce. Ah, well — there's always the next 10 passes. I'll post some MP3s over there in the currently-empty Contrarian Compositions section on top right side of your screen.

So yeah, things are cool, despite my bitching.

Check out this Tom Paxton clip that my friend and musical associate Marg G. Cooley sent me:

As promised.

Here's The Contrarian's cover of Barbados-born pop hottie Rihanna's unstoppable summer jam, "Umbrella." Couldn't get Jay-Z on this version, but it was still fun to record. I resolved to take only a single day to track, mix and master, hence the lame-ass drum programming. There are a few other flubs as well, but with an undertaking this silly, who cares?  I only did it to get the damn song out of my head. Didn't work.

The Contrarian — "Umbrella" MP3

Ever forward.

We've decided to christen our chinchilla Zbigniew — Zbig, for short. What's that? Why yes, he is named after famed geopolitical realist/ex-National Security Advisor/semi-hawk statesman Zbigniew Brzezinski.

Here's some pictures of him sleeping in his pimp cage. I'll take some action shots later, when he wakes up.

 

An Introduction

Because he's apparently interested in bringing about the swift, sniffling, lame and pathetic demise of The Contrarian, Casey has asked me to come aboard to occasionally author some posts. Since it's not my place to question why someone as smart as Casey would want to ruin a perfectly good thing, I graciously accepted. Too bad for all of you.

Two things in particular you should know:

1. I play golf. I like playing golf, watching golf and hitting golf balls at the driving range. I find it very therapeutic, among other things. If you think that makes me a wuss, you're a jerk and a dummy.

2. I am not afraid to admit I find George Clooney to be a very good comedic actor. If you think that makes me a wuss, you're a jerk and a dummy.

Anyway, my role here, as defined to me by Casey, can be summarized by what he calls "The Three P's": Propaganda, Pelt Acquisition, and Pest Control.

The best thing Casey and I ever did together was play "Don't Fear the Reaper" in the band we were in together in the late '90's. This wasn't the radio edit version either - this was the whole smokin' classic rock enchilada with an extra helping of whup-ass. For that brief moment, we were Gods.

The next best thing that happened around that time was when we were playing a show in Maine and an extremely "big boned" girl gave us a Polaroid picture of her breasts. Casey was somewhere else at the time, but back at the motel we tried to wake him up to show him the photo. Casey - a notoriously cranky sleeper - eventually roused himself, looked at it and said, "This is important." As usual, he was right. 

Well, that's about it for now, so I'll turn this bitch back over to Casey, who will lead you through the dark.

Hold On Dear Brother

A few posts ago, I mentioned that I'd recorded a version of the Beach Boys' "Hold On Dear Brother," which was also included in the most recent Contrarian's Corner podcast. Well, I finally got around to mixing it.

The song was penned by then-Beach Boy Blondie Chaplin, who, in the early '70s, joined the group with his songwriting partner Ricky Fataar. The two were previously in rock 'n' soul act The Flames, but put that band on hold to merge with the fading surf legends. The tune has always been a favorite of mine, although it sounds nothing like the rest of the Beach Boys' music.

I tried to keep true to the original spirit of the song, which is decidedly C&W. All of the instruments were played by yours truly. The track includes my debut performance behind a drum set. I think I held my own.

The vocals are mixed too high. Whoops.

Do let me know what you think.

The Contrarian —"Hold On Dear Brother"

New Musicks, Old Ear.

This is a repost from somewhere else. Because I'm lazy.

I've been working on some new music with my friend Mark G.Cooley. It's a long-distance, file trading project. It sounds great so far. Lots of possibilities.

Mark is an incredible guitarist in the Kottke tradition and also has a keen understanding of the avant-garde and noise worlds. One piece I've begun working on sounds a bit like Ry Cooder and Robert Fripp being disembowled by Lord Kalki. Suffice to say, it's pretty fucking catchy. A real West-East showdown.

I've also started messing around on a classical guitar-oriented piece, over which I shall add some electric skitters, my ghosty vocal harmonies and the odd soundwash.

We haven't figured out what to call ourselves yet, though. I want to keep branding myself as "The Contrarian," but this project deserves its own moniker, particularly since Mark is such a huge part of it.

Anyway, the collaboration is a saving grace for this old dog.

The only bad news is that I'm deaf in my left ear again.

Ups, downs and back-arounds.

I recently reconnected with my old friend and musical mentor Mark G. Cooley. To say he was a major influence on me is putting it mildly. From Sonic Youth to Segovia, the dude primed me for a life in music.

Mark is one of the most humble, talented and gracious individuals I've known in my entire life. Close to the only one!

I fell out of touch with him at least ten years ago, due to geographical distance and personal negligence. In the meantime, he's had gallery installations all over the country, and continues to create and record some mighty fine music. As a matter of fact, it's a lot like the shit I've been listening to over the last few years.

Anyway, I'm gonna hang out with him in a couple of weeks, and we're getting ready to start a long-distance musical collaboration that I'm guessing may be the greatest thing ever put to hard drive. If it goes well, I'm actually gonna push it a lot further than B-town, where I rarely push at all.

So that's cool.

But everything else is a pain in the ass: tracking down photos of bands for the paper (sometimes harder than you can imagine), meeting deadlines, and generally trying to stay above water. I've also been having a hard time getting hold of people who I need to do some basic business with.

But here is here, and now is now.

Someday — and hopefully not too long — we'll be in a different space entirely. Looking forward to that.