I sit here in the Hope Commons dining hall of URI writing this on my laptop. I brought my laptop to say I was going to read overviews of Russian History as pregaming to my actual study session. (and I still might do that) but I've been listening to my ipod and reading my friend Martin's blog. I've recently come to the attention that all my life I've pretty much tried to go through with the least amount of effort possible, and it's biting my ass right now. I could skate through high school no problem, but that's because everyone knows in the modern infrastructure, high school is pretty much worthless in some respects.

Lately I've been figuring out the program Reason and feel like I am getting better at it. It's pretty much a lot of stuff I've wanted in a program, it's just a pain in the dick to program patterns without a keyboard, but in my history of breaking 2 of them in the last 3 years, I'm holding off on buying another one until I can find one used or one that is absolutely a perfect fit for me.

I would really like to add my programming to my current bands, but in one it would go against my minimalist views I hold for it, because the moment we start adding more stuff than we absolutely physically need for the song to work, it becomes overbearing an
d like THIS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT0IEOArHj0

I don't ever want to play that type of music. Ever.

On the other hand, another band I'm in (I'm in it like Jim O'Rourke was in Sonic Youth) doesn't really seem the best band to introduce electronic programming, but what do I know? Maybe they'd really dig it.

So what does this mean? I think I've added another instrument to my belt, I'll see if I can get a show at AS220 winter break and see what the fuck pops up.

I also really, really want to play music with people again.

I also need to stop being negative, and for god sakes stop slouching!

Congratulations. You've just wasted your day.

http://james.nerdiphythesoul.com/bennyhillifier/

This weekend:


I have managed to see Boris in a club they will never play in again most likely, at a crowd size I will SURELY never see again. Their guitars rumbled so much the sound was palpable. It was amazing and was so glad I saw it. The question remains will I see them ever again, if it means ruining the "picture perfect" filter my mind has placed on the show?

Picked up two new blogs to follow. Chris Curley's are 180 gram and A Duck Pond, while Sarge's is Circle The First. Also is Justin's blog, as you will see of course. I suggest Chris's first as he has just disembarked for Barbados on an all-expenses paid review trip (fucker).

Attending Peter Gilli's composition performance made me realize that I come from a productive, supportive but faux-rivalry group of friends. Talking with Astrid, reading Chris's blog, listening to Pete's compositions all make me want to practice or do some things better. They're all very supportive of me, but I want to be better than them. It's nothing personal, and sometimes it sucks because I know I can't be as such a good writer as Chris, but I still like blogging, isn't that what it's about?

On the other hand, I know I can be as good a musician as Nick or Pete. Looking at old etudes on my upright that I haven't looked at since I learned them for my lesson, it's almost faux-sightreading. And I'm playing them fairly well for only playing my upright for a combined time of 10 hours, and not touching it for almost a week. I guess it's just how much I apply my self.

Which is why I am now going to practice and return to this blog later.


And later is now.

That draft was saved at 4:39 PM, it's not 5:23. Having spent 40 minutes practicing, I'm still not getting use to hard pieces of music. I was a big fish in a small pond, and no one really challanged me in high school with music. But having to actually read music again? Fuck, it's hard. There are so many, and rhythms and my fingers can't take it.

On the other side of blogging, being a metablog such as BoingBoing or Digg,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ArlE9oP1l0&feature=related

If you're anything like me, you'll find it funny, but wait for the last one, and it's the payoff.

I'd like to thank whoever ripped In A Roman Mood from their turntable, and the three people online tonight that made the torrent compile incredibly fast.

You know what's hilarious to try?

Watching Jonas Brother videos on youtube with the sound off, and playing Joy Division or Talking Heads behind them.

It's so surreal to watch the video of Lovebug while "Love Will Tear Us Apart" plays in the background, or Camp Rock videos while "I Zimbra" is playing.

I love it.

I also would love the chance to go Eno on their little Disney asses.


"NO I DON'T CARE GET THE FUCK BACK IN THE CONTROL ROOM AND PLAY THAT FEEDBACK SYNTH PART DAMN IT. FUCK THE MONEY AND THE FANS, WE NEED ORIGINALITY"

New blog.

Haven't posted in a while.

I have a fake radio show on the internet, but hopefully I should have a real one soon.

And I'm pretty much going to be posting the playlists on here.

Difficult Radio I: (Song/Artist/Album format)

Don't Come close The Ramones Road To Ruin

Catapult R.E.M. Murmur

Spoke Shellac Excellent Italian Greyhound

Piano Fire Sparklehorse It's A Wonderful Life

Hammond Song The Roches The Roches

Lose My Breath My Bloody Valentine Isn't Anything

Rest My Chemistry Interpol Our Love To Admire

Tremelo Mission Of Burma The Horrible Truth About Burma

Trap Robert Fripp & The League Of Gentlemen God Save the King

Sleeper Hold No Age Nouns

Beatown XTC Go 2 (Remastered)

Orange Is The New Black Sweethieves View From A Glass Tower

Avalanche Matthew Good Avalanche

Pyramid Song Radiohead Amnesiac

Mea Culpa Brian Eno & David Byrne My Life in the Bush of Ghosts

Exposure Robert Fripp Exposure

King's Lead Hat Brian Eno Before and After Science

Big Boys Elvis Costello Armed Forces

Sea Battle At Orkusuk Wizardzz Hidden City of Tarumond

Scissor Man (BBC Version) XTC Rag & Bone Buffet (Rare Cuts & Leftovers)

Yellow River Neptune Gong Lake

Six Lane River Banter/3.1 Medicinal Reverb

Coxcomb Red (Songs: Ohia) The Joe Beats Experiment Indie Rock Blues

Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home The Decemberists The Crane Wife

Everything That Happens David Byrne and Brian Eno Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

Day To Day Simple Circus A Simple Paper Collage (1985-1998)

Pennies The Smashing Pumpkins The Aeroplane Flies High

Coast Road A Postmodern John July 4th Pool Party

Time Tom Waits Rain Dogs

Shine A Light Wolf Parade Apologies to the Queen Mary

The World Looks Red sonic youth confusion is sex + kill yr. idols

It Could Be Sweet Portishead Dummy

Spider and I Brian Eno Before and After Science

I'm up way past my bedtime to wonder how to introduce people to artists

Pete: Has been wanting to get into Brian Eno's solo stuff for a long time, I feel that Taking Tiger Mountain might a little too quirky for him, but I'm going back and forth between Warm Jets and Another Green World, heavily towards Green World. (I'd like to stop this blog post to say the middle section of "Mother Whale Eyeless" with the organ and girls singing is fucking AMAZING and I must cover it). 

Martin/Dad/Jon: I want to get them into the sweetthieves, I think they'd all really like them. My dad does already, but I really think Marty and Jon would dig them a lot. I think they'd also really dig some other bands. Oh god, Marty would fucking LOVE Arcade Fire and The Decemberists

I wanted to get Nick and Chris into the Residents, but I have no idea which album to give them, literally none.

I skipped my first class today. yaaaay. I'm sick/have allergies, and needed to stick around the coffeehouse to learn how to close, so instead of feeling like shit and hauling ass at 7:55, I figured I'd feel less like shit and wake up at 9:30. Good plan, just need to study extra hard. 

Weekend:

Friday-ToE show at the union. Good respectable crowd, but for a Musician's Guild show expected more, but what can you do. Got a weird vibe from the crowd, but Jon and my Dad assured me it was just in my head, and people seemed to enjoy it. Was pumped for Sick Electric but Jimmy had car trouble, got delayed. Jon and Dad split before they went on, too bad, they would have liked them but not the best show they've ever put on, maybe it was for the best. Was planning to go Julia's afterward, but ended up going to Kingston Pizza with Dan, went home and watched episodes of Harvey Birdman until some ungodly hour.

Saturday-Meccalily recording. Went with dad around 2, set up equipment, figured out the best setup for instruments/mics. Finally started tracking around 5-6. Had to drop Dad off at home and then get back to find that no one knows how to work the damn thing. I stay out of it as it's pretty jury rigged to begin with. Out of nowhere, my dad shows up again in the nick of time before people start getting angry. Fine going the way it was, but I really wish that in the future we could try the "build everything from the ground up" method, as I think everyone is competent enough to work this way.

Overall, went well. Started feeling iffy when I woke up, kinda got worse throughout the day, but got much much much better when Melissa made me huge water bottle of tea. Felt good. Hung around at Jon's until around 11. Jon mentioned before I left that everyone is really happy that I'm in the band and are really happy with what I'm doing. Still don't believe him.

Sunday: Up around 12, feel worse than before. More tea and medicines help me out. Go to the grocery store to pick up stuff for dinner. Listen to A Postmodern John, very relaxing and always puts me in a good mood. Back at home, nice homemade pasta, then to school for meeting at 193. Interviewed two nice girls. Both got the job. Stuck around for closing and...well yeah, that leads us to now.

Philosophy class in ten minutes. Have a shift tonight closing 193 from 9-12. Will try and close around 11 if not busy, which i don't plan on. I'm going to drink my body weight in tea and listen to ambient music all night. Hooray!

I'm thinking about doing a house of fire show.

I know I said I would stop it. But the main thing that was stopping me before was I felt sorta limited in just using guitar. I would revert to Frippertronic rip-offs. But I'm thinking of incorporating the moog and the laptop into the setup via the mixer, maybe sending the guitar through it too with an amp modeler or something, and hooking it up through the house PA system.

When I talked to Chris, Nick and Dean about this, I said that it's pretty much in the can for right now, but I'm getting that itch to do solo sets again. I said to them that I'm not really breaking new ground at every show, and some of the improvisations were actually just pieces I had rehearsed for 30 seconds to remember them, and just see where they go from there.

But Nick busted my balls about how I'm not breaking new ground every show. And I thought, why should I have to? I like playing them (sometimes, if the vibe is right) and I have fun (sometimes), so why should I beat myself over not sounding different every night?

It's interesting that they Smashing Pumpkins have stayed with me throughout 3 schools. I got into them in 8th grade by happenstance basically. Went to an Evanscence or whatever they're called with Martin and Lily, and they did a cover of "Zero". My 14 year old brain goes "hey, wait, this is a good band that does this song". But most people know the story already.

But through out the winter of 2004, all I listened to was The Pumpkins and Sonic Youth. Not a bad combination. The thing is that I became a completist. Starting downloading boots and B-sides and imports that I could physically buy. This was back after the Zwan (who are still a good band) disbanded, and during the break of February, teh b0lly had posted a blog saying that he was working on a solo album which nobody noticed (before AND after it's release date). So they were well enough under the radar for a popular band that all their first singles and imports were not being re-released. So I got to downloading, spent money on all their albums I did, and got myself a nice little collection. And this stayed with me in high school. I still listened to them pretty religiously. But somewhere along the line they died out, midway through freshmen year, then sophomore. Did I really grow out of it? In some ways yes, in some ways no.

There seems to be a very common simile for relationships of a fan to a band, and a relationship between two people.  In general, it's said that you can grow out of bands, and never listen to them again. The equivalent to breaking up with them. This is true with a band like Tool for me. Haven't listened to them since 2003, have no REAL reason to. They're a good band, but I guess I'll take king crimson. Not to say Tool copied Krimson, but Krimson is really just all over the place in terms of sound. Tool kinda sticks with the dirges. For all intents and purposes, Tool was a band I broke up with. Primus as well. I never listen to Primus anymore and once in a GREAT while I'll go "I need to listen to that again" but will never follow through.

The Smashing Pumpkins and I never really broke up. 

One thing I hear and read about The Pumpkins is that they're a good band, but they also allow people to get deeper into more bands. The similarites between My Bloody Valentine's "Loveless" and "Siamese Dream" all VERY obvious, but I don't know if I would have even gotten into MBV had it not been for The Pumpkins. One other band I would not have gotten into would be Slowdive. Siamese Dream was said to be influenced by Slowdive's sound. 

But through all of the changes, one things that never slouches is the songwriting. Billy Corgan knows how to write a good song. I will say Zeitgeist is their worst album so far, but it's not a horrible record. I give it a 6. 

But for from Siamese Dream to Machina II, everything in that period, b-sides included, is very, very good.

With that out of the way, today was alright. Did a so so audition today. First day of classes tomorrow. Scared shitless. I really hope I don't party so much and flunk out like my dad did.

I am officially moved into the Gorham Hall, room 432.

And me and my roommate are spending our first hours watching TV and being on the internet. 

The third one hasn't moved in yet. Hope there is enough room. 

Also, no A/C.

Hanging out with Justin tomorrow, should be good way to cap off the summer.

Holy shit what a summer. I really can't talk about it because I think I've told everyone about it, anyone who would listen and on here.

But you all know what happened anyway.

Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

Ok, first off, I am not going to talk about the tour in here. Mainly because I wrote my feelings in a journal on the way there, but second of all because some of those were totally not true to how I feel now, and I was kinda a tool. That being said, it was fun. We made 197 dollars. We played to crowds that loved us and to no crowds at all.

Now, I am moving into college sunday.

And I am fucking scared.

Mainly for the course work and holy fuck I haven't picked a piece to play yet and have I fucked myself over?

But also, I'm going to college.

Now let me explain. I am an only child, so I have no siblings to break the "myth" of college. When I was 8-10 years old, my cousin Katie, who for all intents and purposes is like my big sister, was in college, so all I would hear were these stories. In high school, most of my good friends were at URI. I crashed in dorms for weekend shows, I was mistaken for a student more times than I can count, hell, I'm even in the fucking year book for 2006. But now i'm going to be an actual student. 

And hopefully Justin is too. He's talked about going back to school and I'm behind him 200%.

That being said, the new Byrne+Eno record.

HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT.

It's really good. 3/4 alt-country-gospel, 1/4 trip-hop-electronica.

Who really buys an osciliscope? Who has one anymore? Do we really need them anymore? Didn't 15 dollar tuners become the norm?

Meg and I basically had a big ass fight that I can't really summarize except the end of the argument was an ultimatum (as much as you can get). If I'm really causing you that much grief, then lets just not talk to each other. As far as I can tell, that proposition was 2 days ago. But, yesterday I was not around much online, nor was I today. Right now, her usual method of communication is IM. When we were closer, it was text message. She did not send a text.

I actually think I fucked this one up, which is interesting to me. If she really, REALLY wants to not see me again, fine with me, but it will make for a future of interesting run-ins. We come from the same circle of friends that ultimately, will want to see each other when college is out for breaks and such. If she really doesn't want to see me, the whole circle will have to revolve around opposite plans for us, and in the long run will basically piss everyone the fuck off. 

Also, this is Narragansett. You do never "Not see people again". I'm going to run into her one way or the other. 

But what does it mean to destroy a relationship so much that you can never have it the way it was again? First off, I have a knack for saying jokes at the most inappropriate times, especially on the internet, where emotion, empathy and sympathy are left at the door by the coat rack. No clues to pick up on if a person is sincere, unless you've been with that person long enough to notice when their mannerisms in speech transfer over to text.  To say that I just annoyed her and was a jerk to her so much that someone really doesn't want contact with me again?

At least I got a reaction out of her. Which honestly was sometimes one of the reasons I talked to her. I knew I was going to get a reaction. Better one than none. 

Radiohead last night. One of the best shows I've ever seen. At from the lawn at greatwoods no less! Great setlist, though no "Climbing Up The Walls" or "Pyramid Song". Oh well, still was worth it for "National Anthem" "Exit Music" "Videotape" and 20,000 singing "This is what you get when you mess with us" during Karma Police. Just great. Afterwards, tailgated and made some good burgers while everyone sat in traffic. Left around 1 am. Back home around 3.

Met Pete's new girlfriend. She's a total cutie. Way to go man.

Why the fuck do I constantly exploit music as the only thing I'm good at? It's sickening. As proof of a family friend who I am going to name check, Bradley, having good music taste doesn't make you a good person.

And yet I continue to be a jerk with no self-esteem who judges people on wither or not they've heard of the residents or Brian Eno or it they've had an emotional experience at a show. I don't have any hobbies, it all relates back to music, and anything long lasting that gives me pleasure has to do with music or Neko Case laying down naked on a bear-skin rug while Liz Phair stands in the doorway to my lakeside mansion in her underwear, asking me where I keep the whipped cream in my fridge.

Maybe I'll just stop at that image.

I have spent all day in my room with my macbook. I need a life. But it's gotten better. Explored garageband, not bad. Iphoto works with my camera, so I'm happy. I'm listening to Exile in Guyville, having a good time.

Luau went well. I thought the meccalily set went alright. First public perfomance on guitar. I definitely feel I'm a better musician on bass. Everyone else agreed it was one of the best Meccalily sets, if not the best. Alright then. Set with Dad went alright, some of my worst playing but who cares, no one was there and everyone that was, were drunk. Oh well, made an easier crowd to play to.

Packed up, then spent the rest of the night in a good feeling. Kinda over did it, but it was fine. Went out on the dock and was completely enamored with the lake. It looked like a perfect reflection, plus whenever I looked up at the sky, it seemed to be falling down on me, but not in "OH FUCK" but more of some sorta of weird mobile that got more and less slack in the string. 

Was very cool, makes for a good birthday party. Woke up, still out of it from the last night. Lasted until 4-5 in the afternoon. Went over to  Bills. He had a bouncey house from his graduation party. Blew it up and bounced around with Bonnie and Allie. Was a lot of fun. 

Yesterday, saw Fiasco at AS220 which has Steve Buscemi's son in it. Talked with them for a while. Drove to Nick/Dean/Chris walked down before the show. Saw show, walked back and played pool, had a beer and listening to Captain Beefheart. Left around 1:30. 

Tomorrow. Radiohead, need to go to walmart/the bank before hand.

Just got my new Macbook. So far, really nice. Can't wait to unlock it's potential! 

Not much happened. Two days ago went up to Amherst to practice with the band. Practiced, got food and beer, came back to his house and just had a good time. Ended up with the smallest couch to sleep on. Not fun, until I had the dream with Liz Phair. Woke up and practiced again, left at 12. Back at 1:30. 

Meccalily rehearsal went alright. Nothing special. Not that good either but not as bad as I thought. 

Dad's rehearsal... wee-ow.

Lets just say that Wayne said he was embarrassed so much hes coming over to rehearse today after work.

While I am going to The Flobots concert tonight with Martin and Lily! Should be lots of fun, taking a risk here as I don't know either of the bands very well.

and, I am also seeing Radiohead on the 13th! hooray!

But for now, borderline-sexual-contact with my macbook will do just fine. 

Went to the final B/3.1 show. Good show, people seemed to enjoy it. Lots of comments from my friends how it was better than they expected. A lot of them bought Medicinal Reverb.

Rest of the show cool. Sacred Objects was alright. Almost busted a gut as this raver guy lost one of his glow sticks. His reaction just made me bust out laughing. But fine set from him anyway.

Controllar up next. Guy used a P5 NES controller glove with motion sensor technology hooked up to MAX/MSP to trigger sequencers/samples/filters, basically whatever he wanted, with it. It was nuts to watch. The singer had a completely beautiful voice. My only complaint is they didn't have a cd, and they picked the worst songs to put up on myspace.

Before that, discussion of meccalily. I will be playing with them. Some how I'm getting this feeling I should back out, but I know what it is and what happens if I follow through on it.

Part of it is also, this is my first time being a guitar player in a BAND. I don't know what to do with it in a band! I'm trying to find the right balance between Martin and Wayne and if I have to go low or high I figure it out, also if I should just double rhythm or if I should try and do leads that follow the vocals. Should I try and do something I've never done and actually write out all my parts and stick to then 100% with no improvisation? I'll have to see how it all goes at practice...

I'm also trying to figure out if I can quit before the luau, on like the 8th or something from my job. Will have to talk about it with my parents. From then on I only have 4-5 days where I'm not doing something all night (playing out). Hopefully I have enough fundage so this will support me. Just will have to ration my time and money. I would be happy as not to do it anymore.

Last night-Go to bills, go to Newbury Comics. Wanted to see if Pete was there and talk to him as he's the new lead singer of YavinFive and we're playing together, but to also pick up an impulse purchase or 3. Pick up Mission of Burma-The Obliterati and XTC-White Music and Go 2. I know my dad has them on vinyl but I thought it would just be easier to spend the bucks to have them on CD and not worry about conversation and all that stuff.


Today-Practice more meccalily, came up with some parts I hope go over well. Maybe they can give me some direction tomorrow.

In other news. I'm getting a laptop! A MacBook to be procise. I'm excited. Hopefully I can get a version of Pro Tools from Justin. I'm also looking at buying a Roland Micro Cube amp and bringing my guitar and my bass to my dorm room. Hopefully shouldn't be too much in the room.

Meeting with Wayne at 6. Sent him an email about what he wants to accomplish today. It's a bit crafty but I find it helps if I have a destination for a goal.

Shitty day at work. Long story short around 3 PM I delivered to a house. He wanted 10 back, I only had 7. I felt bad and apologize, but he said "Fine we'll take the 7". He slams the door in my face (well, I was half-turned, but I knew it was a slam). I hear him yelling to the people there about how it's bullshit and I should go fuck myself. I like to picture him giving the finger and stampeding around the house. I drive back to the store, tell Dan what's going on. He says to let it go. Then 30 seconds later the guy comes into the store and starts yelling. Dan, being the trooper, is polite, as am I. He asks (yells) for change. I am happy to give it to him. Long story short Dan threatens to call the cop and he just says (in his final words, and I quote, these will not leave my short term memory) "I will not act like an adult... I will act like uh...uh... uh... a customer who's always right!"

Somewhere in between now he also yelled about our prices and wondered what the hell we were using for toppings. They ordered 3 large 3 topping pizza, with delivery comes to around 13-14 dollars a pop. 13x3 is 39 dollars. plus 2 dollars added for tip is 41 dollar.

At the end he said he would never order from us again. YAY!

Work work work get yelled at by Dan because I'm new and I don't know what the fuck I am doing.

5 PM rolls around and I'm suppose to be rolling out and Sonja is suppose to show up. Sonja doesn't show up. Dan calls her and asks what the fuck is up. She's not coming in because she's in Connecticut. Her car isn't broken down, but she isn't coming in... yay. Apparently she's done this for the past three shifts. And surprise surprise, she's a roommate of Ami. Fuck me running, I mean, this is Rhode Island, but I thought you were suppose to leave cronyism at the state house steps.

I'm out at 7:15, with a shit load of free food. I come home and...fuck, my parents ordered dinner.

and now I'm getting sick at the thought of going back there in two days.



ANYWAY

Yesterday was fine. Mixing took place for AbleArcher. After a few crashes I decided just to go back to the original session and fuck seperate plugins and all that stuff. Came out alright. Might have to remix the new song since we did a quicky overdub to it and it's a little louder than the rest of the song. Honestly I didn't have to do much. They were fairly ontop of their game. Makes it easy to have good source material.

Then afterwards got a text from Meghan, asking me to go to a Battle of The Bands at Tantric. They were going to support Jump Jump Juliet. A good band, but nothing special, full of nice people. But I declined, mainly, I felt meh on the whole situation. I checked most of the bands on the myspace. The promoters definitely are not going to be booking the next XTC or Stooges. Also, it was a 10 dollar cover. I only had 20 bucks in my pocket. Third, it was at Club Tantric. You might remember that from the Mahi/3d Mystery/Triangle Forest show I slept through. (Back from Orientation, went to nap, woke up at 9:30...fuck). The day after the show, I check and Triangle Forest added a new photo album to their myspace, the "Hall of Shame". In it is one photo, and it's this.
















You know, I'm starting to grow a pair lately. I've stopped patronizing Cuban Revolution because they're expensive, and they're in cahoots with the people that threw out The Safari Lounge.

So why would I want to patronize a place that didn't pay 3 of my favorite bands?

(Update, while looking for this photo, he commented back. Apparently the owner wanted a payout last second and it ate up door money and could only pay Mahi... Who could have seen a show at Tantric going wrong?)

Anyway, I reply back with basically, that as a text message. I'm greeted by a warm hearted "whatever".


Later that night, I'm at Robbie, playing video games with Nick and Astrid and Robbie, and having fun, and talking about if I'm in the right in this situation. I say something off the tip of my head and it gets garbled, Robbie asks me to repeat. I do, and he replies "Oh, I thought you said 'They don't care as much about music as they think they do".

Which basically, is true. As much as I hate to admit it and it's fucking elitist, they really don't. I don't see any enthusiasm for local music shows or music in general, for finding out new bands or trying to see what's different out there. I'm sick of being the one who brought them the new music. Sure, they found a band that they liked, but it sounded EXACTLY LIKE SOMEONE ELSE THEY KNEW BEFORE.


That's all I know (right now).

Meditations on Banter/3.1 and High School.

So Monday is (as far as both Justin and I agree on), the last Banter/3.1 show. It really feels like the end of a period of time that I feel attachment to. I know I'm not in the band, but I'd like to think that I at least had a small part (ok fuck that let's stroke some egos: a very vital role) in the development of the sound and style of Banter/3.1 I'd also like to point out that he started around the same time I went into high school, and heard him more or less around midway through my freshmen year. I think it's funny that for some reason this project is stopping as soon as I graduated. I guess no Banter for soundtrack to my college years. My High school years? Fuck me, I listened to "14 New Songs", "Songs of War and Gardening" and "Medicinal Reverb" more than I thought on those drives to school. I even had some kids like it! I remember driving Jamie and Melanie to our gig at the elementary school teaching Spanish, they both said "This is really good, in a really weird way". I had "Medicinal Reverb" on. I turned it low because I didn't want to freak them out. Too late.

Am I sad that he's stopping it? Yes. We talked about the progression of Banter and where it could go, but I guess that stopped in order for him to work on film, and that's just where he's going. In terms of walking up the steps to his study and sitting on the floor as he walks over and gives me a new cd every other month, I will miss that. (I don't think I ever paid for a Banter album, and certainly never got any copies of the album that weren't CD-Rs with black sharpie writing.)

But I can see if he wants to end it, it's his choice. It's sad I will never hear "Grape Crush" or "All Up In The CLUBBBBB" played live again. But I will say it was a total pleasure to watch the progession up close and personal for the last 4 years.

Now, with that out of the way.

Met with Wayne last night. Worked on some songs, he got the 90% of them fleshed out. Helped out with the other 10%, worked on bass lines and other ideas. Really coming along, feel like I'm not doing as much as I could be doing but we still need to figure out the dynamic/relationship.

Talked about things, including Meccalily doing a gig at the luau. Long story short, he called up martin, expressed intrested in an electric set, and also about me playing guitar for them. Will see what happens. I'd rather have them try me and find out it's not working than just not give me a chance. Talk about recording, talk about Dom on drums and how maybe I should just track everything I can with the new songs. Speaking of recording...

Recorded Nick's other band "Able Archer" Tuesday. Started off getting sounds, cue 2 hours of figuring out why the fuck Channel 1 on the Delta isn't working. Dirty contact and I can't waste an hour cleaning it. Call dad twice, we both agree to just patch the Behringer "tube" pre amp to the delta. Whew! That was close. This was after getting sounds. Dan (bass player) had to be at work at 4 so we were running on a time table. they tracked 6 songs in an hour. Never did more than 2.5 takes. Fine. Listening back, didn't get the best drum sound I could have. Fuck. They seem fine. To the Mews for pizza/dropping dan off/break. Then back to the house for vocals and 2 percussion overdubs.

Lotsa shit I should have done for vocals, but didn't think about. Got caught up in the social side of recording...

But, with Wayne's permission to record on "Tower of Destruction", this basically means I get to track things one at a time, which means I can fully mic the drum kit (CLOSE MIC'D! GASP!) and basically can experiment with shit with funky mic placements and stuff. I think I caught the bug.

I am worried my job will never get better

I am worried that I will never do better

I am worried that my bandmates will become static and not evolve in their playing.

I am worried I am in the wrong band.

I am worried that Nick's new band will be ultimately better than ours, and it will be the band I've wanted to be in all along

I am worried about repeating ourselves

I am worried that we will not evolve in the right direction

I am worried that I am putting too much effort into a relationship that we have agreed upon to permanently remain at a fixed point

I am worried I will not stop thinking about her.

I am worried I will not be able to talk to new people

I am worried I will not be able to start a new relationship

I am worried that I might have ignored my real friends

I am worried that I haven't done enough.

And I'm worried I will never change.

Welp, it's Wednesday. My last week of classes.

And I'm home. I woke up this morning and my mom asked me "...are you seriously going to do anything today?" since I planned to get in late today from playing AS220 last night. I said "Not really..."

"Well" she said, "Do chores for me and I'll let you stay home"

I thought about it, and fuck it! Sure. I'll stay home. I know I'm not doing shit. And not doing work! But it's before noon, so there's time.

Alright, where do I begin? I guess friday.

Long story short, my school set up a dance, but the catch is that every dance we set up, they book bands in the auditorium. All emo bands. And my band, because I go to school there.

I ran sound, it was easy, just vocals, but I was also house manager. People in bands are douchebags. Plain and simple.

We played a good set, but one of our shorter sets. I guess we realize we have to go from 0 to 10 in about 2 minutes and stay there for 30 minutes. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. Glad my friends saw us at the top of our game.


Martin's Party

Wake up at 10:30, move my shit from my car to Dad's car. Shower, double check gear and go.

Listen to Eno on the ride, discuss things with my dad, get JBLs from Jon B, talk with him for a bit, up and walking around from his hernia operation. Glad to see him and he's doing fine.

On to Lake Mishnock. Get there about 1. Talk with Matt Richter on the way there, told him to bring brushes because I forgot mine and was planning to drum for a few songs during my dad's set.

Roll up, see Martin mowing the lawn, apparently he just found out about 10 minutes ago. First words out of his mouth were

"You guys fucking suck"

And then hugged us. Had to get the PA out of the attic, not bad, but not the lightest, most portable either. Start setting up sound as people start to come in. Over complicated setups are our specialty. Dad makes me laugh as he puts on Post Modern John for house music/test music for the setup. My dad starts his set. It's alright, not a lot of people giving attention. I feel as though it might be a little disrespectful to people, but I can understand there's only so much attention you can give in a party situation like this. Did frippertronics stuff on a song. Was alright, atmosphere was all wrong, I'll get into that in a minute...

Matt hadn't showed up yet. No drums for me.

House on Fire was not as much of a dud as I thought, but I played a really really short set. I ended at the logical end point. I felt like I couldn't play my best since they were really there for me. Pack up, dad a little pissed I didn't play longer. Oh well. I feel that HoF needs to go in the closet. Is it fun? Kinda. The Robert Fripp thing gets kinda old especially because I am not Robert Fripp. I put the "pop" songwriting on hold to expand with HoF. Maybe it's time for them to swap places.

Hot as balls outside. I pack up, put my stuff off to the side. By this point, Dan, Robbie, Astrid and Nick have shown up, and we all go swimming/ boating. Cools us off and puts me back into a better mindset. Matt Richter's band has started by now. One thing I'm always impressed with is how GOOD the sound is out in the lake, it sounds amazing and I don't know why! It's like a natural mix that doesn't blow.

Matt Richter's band is your standard blues/rock cover band, but they're all great musicians, to the point where I would probably go out and see them if given the chance. I think the covers were a bit overdone. But they were nice to listen to, although I was hoping they would finish up because I was antsy about playing. They ended up playing 3 or 4 mini sets, so I was just chomping at the bit to go.

Pete, Nick, Dan and I go to the jeep to concoct a set list. Except for songs we've collectively thrown out of the pile, I think we've played almost every song we've ever written, I'm pretty sure. (There's one song we wrote that everyone forgot about, what the fuck ever happened with that one? It was pretty good, gotta ask about that) Set up with Nick, Me and Dan from left to right, with Pete out in front. I forgot my keyboard stand (I don't know where it is right now. I fear it's left at the Blackstone) so I used a barstool from the house. Talk to Martin before, asked him to play harmonica on LMS. He obliged.

We go on, good set, kinda a blur. Crowd was small but way into it which was good. Lots of friendly interaction. Martin came up one point during the new song and laid down some free-form vocals, it actually fit.

So, we pack up our gear, and along come this man, soaked to the bone with his dog, in full clothing. He is under the influence of something, says how he tripped and fell in the lake, and walked all the way over here to find out where the music is coming from, and we must play one more song... We oblige. We play "National Anthem" by Radiohead and then go into a jam, with Martin on harmonica again, it was good. Pack up, Band hit the road. I go swimming again. Go in, dry off, see Martin in his house playing some songs, grab a guitar and join him. Play through some covers and Meccalily songs. Leave around 1 AM.

Yesterday. School, shit, what are you gonna do. AS220. I feel we didn't play that well, made the horrible decision to have Dan on the stage and put us on the ground. There were tables and a lot of things that weirded me out. Pete, Dan and Nick make a deal out of the pay deal, not the money, but the fact we weren't told about the system. I don't know what they're angry about.

Oh well. Was nice to see Justin and Martin and Lily there...

I passed my senior project.

Yesterday: Saw Mahi with Herra Terra + Czech Iz Your Master. Fucking great show. Might be a top 5.

Herra Terra were alright. Good songs, but I feel that they should have been louder, and maybe even get a real drummer. Seem to not be getting the most they could out of their equipment.

Czech...can't even begin to describe them.

Strobe lights!

Half Naked men with Anubis masks!

Hobo Theremin Players!

The only time I've seen AS220 turn on the lights to tell someone to stop!

Fucking awesome.

Mahi was great, possibly the best i've ever seen them. Great energy in the room. Bought a shirt.

Senior Project presentations tomorrow...

I haven't practiced that much, but I know what I'm going to say. By the recommendation of my teacher, I'm going "Hi, my name is Harry Hartley and this is my senior project" and let the weird sounds commence for about 2 minutes.

Then it's an introduction about the project, what I wanted to do.

My mentor and who he is, then into the actual breakdown of the composition. I don't know if I'm going to get to the looping Gamelan section. Probably though. I should do a runthrough after I finish this.

Then talk about my paper, how I found that in 100 years, everyone in electric instruments were looking for new sounds, and all succeeded.

Then just say thank you and hope to God they don't think that I'm pulling their leg by sticking screwdrivers in guitars and saying it's a senior project.

School stuff monday through wednesday... Half day Wed. meant yard work and more rehearsal with Justin. It went alright, took a little while to settle in. I liked the mixer in the setup with feedback loops, but I think I need to tweak the level of the output on the delay. Overall, good set. I need to listen to the rec. he made of Sunday and write down what the fuck I'm doing in my notebook for tomorrow. Was thinking about it an hour ago, I like Cockslap, I like playing in it, but I really couldn't ever make it my main project. I need some emotional content. Which is why I think Battles could never really be my favourite band of all time. Yes, they are fucking awesome, but there comes a point where if you put a gun to their collective heads and told them to write a love song, they might not be coming up with the most luscious melodies and lyrics ever.

Anyway: Today, not so bad. Didn't really feel like a complete day. Jazz band at 6:30. 3 other people there. They talked about theory and why notes can be moved around to form scales. Was sorta boring for me. Just did blues progressions the whole night. Ended at 8, talked to Dan Healey about the state of the band, told me he trusts me in a manner of speaking with stuff I don't want to disclose ever here.

Blogging, internet, listening to the new sweetthieves song which YOU SHOULD ALL LISTEN TO ON THEIR MYSPACE RIGHT NOW, shower then bed.

Friday: Saw Sick Electric, 14 Foot One, YavinFive at a Firehouse XIII show. Nice venue. Was a reception for a photo show so there was free food! 14 foot one was pretty good. YavinFive sucked and I didn't stick around for their set. Talked with Sick Electric outside, then went back in for their set. Played some new stuff that was cool, they didn't play Laundry Vs. Laser though, which kinda sucked. A lot of people remembering me and asking when the band is playing next. Home around 12, up for a little while then to bed.

Yesterday: Up at 10, reminded I had to rehearse with Justin at 11. Shower, pack and rush over. Practice goes well, feeling a little too limited in my setup, but I'm going to bring the mixer and incorporate that at the show. Show add an element of surprise. Also booked as House On Fire. Should be nice to just do another one-off show. Thankfully Justin is bringing the minivan so we can take our gear with us. Back home, lunch, watching Indiana Jones, yardwork. Then back in, cleaning up the study, preparations for the party. Shower, eat dinner and more Indiana Jones and then off to the Party around 9:45. Show up fashionably late. Party is swinging, although not as many people before. Didn't even get a real dance party in. The girl I was trying to pick up for about an hour had a boyfriend. Shit. Fun times, playing wii and mingling. Bed around 4-ish.

Wake up this morning to a mystery pair of jeans and girls underwear.... And we have no idea who's it is. Help clean up, play wii a bit more, leave at 11:30. Home, going up to my Grandma's in an hour in a half. I like it there. Must shower and walk dog before that. Right now listening to Meccalily set from 2005. Tomorrow, meeting with Wayne, must bring notebook, ebow, slide and recorder.

Sweet jesus it's been a long time.

Jay left for NO for the summer yesterday. Went to her send off on Wednesday. Went to India in The Bucket/ East side for food, back to her apartment for good times before I'm off, taking her TV for the summer. Listen to Simple Paper Collage.


last night, Wayne calls me up with plans for our project. Says he tried the drummer and he's bad. Oh well, we press on. Says also he does not want to do any Meccalily songs. Oh well. I am disappointed but if that's what he wants, then it's fine with me. Went to Jazz Band only to find out it wasn't happening. Drive back by the beach. At least it's a lovely ride. See Jon walking by the sea wall, didn't have a chance to say hi.

Speaking of Jon, a couple of weeks ago I was listening to PMJ and this great hawk was circling over head during " Nuclear Meltdown, Family Style". Thought it was really cool and fit the music perfectly.

Backtracking:
The Bonfire at Jon's was great. Nick and Astrid showed up, they had a good time. Wayne showed up too. Some other people I don't remember showed up and a good time was had by all. Broke out the guitars, did versions of "Learning Russian", "Heroin", and a couple of Sufjan Stevens songs. Eventually Matt Richter came and said he brought drums after all the guitars were put away, but I grabbed the 12-string and told him to grab his drums. Great time, especially dropping the guitar to my secret weapon tuning, D-A-D-F#-B-E, using a capo to help change keys. Pete eventually drops by and the three of us jam. Good times. Cut short after Dad gets a call from work on his actual cell phone. Shit hit the fan and he had to go back home. Make the decision to go back on my own, only Jon and Matt are left, but we talk for about half an hour more. Definitely worth it in the long run to go back over there. I always really enjoy his bonfires.


Today is Martin's 50th birthday, sent him a happy birthday message, hope it wasn't too creepy I found out through his blog. Told him his birthday present was The Troop playing this years luau.


Tomorrow: Plan is to rehearse with Justin, go to Slaughterfest to see Hircine and a newly reformed Hogg play, then to Astrid's to party.

Jesus christ, today was bad. One of the worst I've had in years.

For the past years, I've never had a day like this. It was just the weather and the fact that I could have come into school by 12 and not missed a THING just depressed me.

I need the trigonometry project like I need a hole in my head.

Digital photography was alright, I basically was working with Katie Truchon and the show for the block party with the band line up. I offered to do sound, and suggested the cafeteria as

A.) The auditorium is under construction, and as the rest of the project has been behind schedule I'd assume this would be too.

B.) It seems to be a better room. Small, tiled but some stuff on the ceiling and wall to absorb the sound.

Hopefully should be fine, can't really see a problem, and if I'm soundguy, I get to do my own sound for my band! yaaaaayyy. And also play house music. Aw yeah.

Band sucked for all the wrong reasons. Could not find the JBL Eon speaker I use (used ever since the school's bass amp long story short was tripped over.) nor could I find the other one. Apparently Mrs. Lopes borrowed it for the junior prom and has yet to return it to the music room. So I spent the period practicing runs and dexterity as I couldn't play amplified. I'm going to be incredibly pissed if come thursday it is not back.

Dressed up for Civics, for them to make sure we have the proper clothes for our presentation. Wasn't bad, looked good and was semi-comfy. We also had to have the stuff for our actual presentation, which meant dragging my guitar and amp and all various knick-knacks I needed. I volunteered to go first, because I didn't want to drag in all this shit just not to go, plus I worked on my outline last night. Started out kinda iffy, but got better as it went on. Glad I went first because it means I'm receiving feedback quicker. Which also means I can improve this presentation quicker. To my surprise, the class loved it. Especially the gamelan section where I looped a 5/8 phrase that I composed, and the drumsticks. Glad to see that if they liked it then I won't have to worry so much about what to say, and it definitely cleared a lot of crap out of what I don't have to present. Barely made it to 12 minutes, I had so much stuff I wanted to say again but couldn't. Maybe I'm just elongating what doesn't need to be elongated.

Home: Nap, walk to Mission Of Burma, home, get dinner, but not before trying to get gas for my car. My debit card is declined so I just take $15 out of my wallet that I put aside for lunch money and used that. Bought me about a quarter of a tank. What the fuck. Get home with the food. Chinese from Bamboo Garden. They fucked up my order (and just mine) and instead of General Tso's they gave me Chicken Fingers. God damn.

Went to URI's open mic night, last one of the semester and year for Astrid. Saw her read two poems. They were good. Also saw Jay read three poems, loved the second one, other two were pretty good. Split afterwards, home, blogging, showering, bed.

Last night:

Pete's recital. Very good, although some pieces were better than others. His original was the best of the night. Was amazing to hear it in full context, as he's only played bits and pieces of it to me for the past year.

Got together with Bill, Bonnie, Joe and Allie. Went to Applebee's for dinner, only because we gave up and were too tired to let our brains rack anymore places in South County that were tasty and affordable. Applebee's was... one of the two. It was tastier than we thought, though.

Afterwards, back to my house where Allie picked up her boyfriend. Nice guy, but he didn't want to hang around my house. Talked and just listened to music. Walked around the neighborhood.

Eventually everyone filed out and it was just Joe, Bill and I watching "Spun". Good movie, hadn't seen it in a while. Drove Joe and Bill home, not before scoping out the Rite Aid at 2 in the morning, nothing worth buying.

Today: Up, play some stuff on the stereo, in particular "Milo's Song" by Martin, since it was another dull, gray day. Parents home by 12. Listened to the Human Sexual Response tape Justin gave me. Don't have a real usable tape deck so I had to break out the four track. I really really like it, although it is weird how Meccalily changed sections of "Anne Frank Story" when they cover it...

Out to Thayer St at 7 listening to Irreversibly Whacked on the way up, meet Jay, Austin and Jay's Yale friends. Go to Nice Slice for dinner, good stuff. Then to Johnny Rockets for a milk shake w/ Austin. Meet Jay and co. at Roba Dolce, talk more, then eventually back to her house. Give Austin a ride to his house on the way there so he can drop off his Ipod for his brother.

Back at Jay's house, fun fun on the Wii, talking with Corriene, and how there was a lost ToE gig that we just remembered about at the Blackstone in May. Talk about recording her and maybe collaborating. Seemed to be trying to put me down gently for collaborating.

Leave at 10, back at the house by 10:30, listening to "A Simple Paper Collage". Listening to "The Cutting Edge" when I realize it might be one of the best pop songs I've heard in years. Was about to send Martin an email saying this until I looked at the credits and neither him nor Wayne wrote it. Oops.

Home, collecting laundry, blogging, shower, bed.

Ok, haven't blogged in a little while. General goings on

Talked to someone I shouldn't have, tried to get a relationship back off the ground, second party was not going for it. Which is good in the long run.

The other thing in my mind, re-reading "Our Band Could Be Your Life" is making me realize than I REALLY need to get off my ass for promotion. I've completely ignored college radio stations. I think I might email Ian Mackaye and just ask for advice. He does have our shitty EP. I wonder if he ever listened to it. He probably did. Wonder if he liked it.

And that's about it.

Not much this past week. It's been beautiful outside, so I've been reading on the porch. It's amazing, and when I come in I get freaked out at all the carpentry and walls. A good sign that I'm getting out more.

Last night was Jill's 21st birthday party. Was fun. Went expecting to leave by 12, since I wasn't that into it in the beginning. Showed up relatively early, a few people, but good time. Dean snapped at me when I asked for something, was a little put off, but he had just had a seizure a few days ago, when he was going to get his driver's license, I'm sure he was just not very patient. Fun party, didn't drink as I was driving, but got to be socialable by midnight, mingling with people. Good fun. Drive back at 2:30, because Astrid, ever sloshed, would not let me leave. Came back at her by making her laugh until she fell over, although I'm not sure how much it was my doing...

Home at 2:30, parents still up. They're still troopers. Bed at 3 after interneting. Today, work, decompressing. School tomorrow. Have to finish a handwritten copy of my score by tuesday. I can do it.

H'okay, so...


Wake up at 8, with my shit already together, but there is a branch pruning tree the state seemed to decided to put perpendicular to our driveway. Leaving us with barely a car's width of space to back out THREE cars onto our lawn. Thanks a lot, guys.

Leave for Amherst around 8:30. Take 295 to 146 to mass pike. Listen to REM "Document" and XTC's "Oranges and Lemons". No bad traffic at all. Get stuck behind a tanker on the backroads to umass. Oh well.

From there, Dan drives down I-91 to the Merrit parkway. Listen to a collage of stuff such as Television's "Marquee Moon", a Banter/3.1 compilation disc, and XTC's Drums and Wires. Listen to Drums and Wires twice as it's that mood of "HOLY SHIT WE TOOK A WRONG TURN" in the city and just can't be bothered to turn it off. Merrit parkway is just beautiful, art deco bridges and scenic forests. Definitely will take the route again.

Got in NYC. Had to make a couple more turns than I would have liked but we get there. Find a parking spot but talk about it and spring for parking, good thing too, because everyone was getting ticketed. Oh well, would rather pay money to know I'm not gonna get a ticket, and my car is safe.

Kill some time in NYC by walking down Broadway. Dan and I just kinda admire the girls. And oh boy, where there a lot of them. A lot. Eat something, get back to the club where Pete, Nick, and Hannes are waiting. Walk around some more, grab dinner and then back to the club for a soundcheck.

Then the devil's playtime, the time between soundcheck and the set. Kill time, try to network with other bands, doesn't really work that well. The main stage is a crust punk/metal show, tap room is a band that was suppose to go on at 10, but ended up going on at 8, so we had conflicting times, damn. Mac showed up, and his friend Tom, as well as Pete's Mom, sister, aunt and uncle, which was very very sweet.

Get up there, opened with Providence Public Defender. It goes well. New song, I have fun playing it, well, not really. It's weird.

Can't remember the setlist, as I've seemed to have lost it, but it WAS written on a napkin. Overall, the set was alright, B, B+. The stage setup was sorta weird, and you couldn't see the audience, like always, which is weird, I don't do well if I can't see the audience. To date, the first and only show I've done with earplugs in. Dan's new hi-hat just completely obliterated all the highs up there, and while I couldn't here Nick, I'd gladly sacrifice that instead of my high-end. It's was alright, not our best, but not our worst.

Hannes and Caroline Pook were really really good, bought his last CD. Hope he comes back to America.

Drive home, take FDR to 289 East to 95. Fine until we hit 95 north. Traffic due to some dickwads closing two of the three lines on the highway due to construction, fine, but it was like midnight on a Wednesday. What the fuck.

Smooth sailing, listening to Laurie Anderson's "Big Science", Girl Talk's "Night Ripper", Hasidic New Wave's "Truth and the Abstract Jew" and Sufjan Steven's "Illinoise". Drive through Connecticut AGAIN, only with Dan and I giving it some not-so-nice-names. Drive for a couple of hours before letting Dan take over so I can eat and we can make good time. Driving through 95 in RI is really weird, because I never have to use it except going to providence. Anything south of Warwick on 95 is just too weird for me to comprehend.

Was mildly amusement for some reason (probably because I had spent 9 hours in a car) at the fact that 95 has signs for North Kingstown and West Greenwich, but I remembered West Greenwich is just a big industrial park. Dan took some back road to NK, which I actually remember because we had to go down that way to get to 95 when we played New York the first time. Funny, going the opposite way at the opposite time of night.

Drop Dan off, take over. Drive back home, getting that weird feeling I get whenever I take a road trip. Your home is not your home, it's just a series of walls and 90 degree angles that house your shit. It's weird to think that someone might pass by my house in the same way I just pass by someone else's house, on the Merrit, for instances.

Do an internet check, bed at 2:30.

Now it's work for me all the rest of the weekend...fine by me.

Last blog was a week ago.

So fuck the past week. Nothing of importance.

Except last night. Went to Banter/3.1 show. His best show to date. Wish he showed a little more energy or at least made it LOOK like he was doing more with his keyboard. Talked about this. After the set was a little alienated by hanging around with Jon, my dad, and Martin, although I'm sure it was all in good fun. I guess I would be a little worried if I wasn't alienated. Oh well.

Stuck around for the rest of the show. Daniel Ouellette was up next. Saw him once before, he was better then. Did more a performance art thing, although I think it might have been due to the number of people in the audience. Left about half way in, just wasn't that into it, listened from outside while reading the Phoenix.

Next was James Amoeba, noise set. Was cool, did it with MAX/MSP. Bought a CD, but didn't want to. It was 5 bucks though, and I helped him feed himself. Oh well. Didn't go from the start. Was talking with people and then excused myself because I liked what I heard coming from the stage. But not before tipping Jon's glass over with a milli-liter of beer in it . Oops, at least it was just a drop, still felt like an ass. I'm always my most klutzy around them. It's like some poorly written sitcom, except with everyone trying to one-up each other with music.

Mystery Palace was next, and felt kinda bad, no one stuck around to see their set. So they allowed free admission, and including me there were about 8 people in the audience. Not a bad show, following my old rule of "If there are more people in the audience than on stage, it's a good show". They were alright, all the songs sounded the same after while,

Intro: glitched circuit bent keyboard, drumbeat, then bass.

repeat for every song in their set.

Oh well. I got on the guest list for Banter, so I got to see it for free!

Ride back with Justin, talking about various things. My conversation skills are pretty shitty, I'm learning. Well, at least with Justin and the ring of friends are my dad. Guess they'll never be my friends like well, my ring of friends. As long as they play music with me, whatever.

Have to do preperations for the car before I leave for NYC tomorrow. I am nervous, but it's more for the road trip. Looked over directions from 9A to the Knitting Factory. The only hard thing will be finding long term parking.

Before I made a fool out of myself in front of Martin, he mentioned he might come down to the show, which would be great for me, some encouragement from some local people would be just what I needed. We've done all the promotion we can do just short of being in NYC, which isn't much, but hey it's something.

Have to talk to dan about what time I have to leave and all that crap. If we want to be in the city for 4, I have to leave by 10:30-11 at the least. Must shower and do all the shit I need to do tonight. There's an ICON parking garage a block from the club. Might park there...

Holy shit, my last post was a week ago! Let's make this quick.

Thursday, band festival. We play and (later found out) we placed 3rd over all. Not bad for the little band from Narragansett. Note: Don't play a fucking suite in a band festival, let alone TWO. I'm looking at you Burrillville. Took notes on the bands (cuz I'm a nerd). Ponagansett had some good numbers and players. Woonsocket was all flash, and really didn't stand up to their appeal at all. Was happy that I got to hear "The Inferno" by Robert W. Smith. It's a bitchin tune. Honestly, I think we had the best collection of songs out of everyone. And if I hear another version of "Variation on a Korean Folk Song" I'm probably going to shoot someone.

Back at home, alone, since parents left that morning and we boarded the dog the night before. Do homework, done by 5:30. Listen to "Thursday Afternoon" on ...Thursday afternoon. How quaint.

Friday: School, then Sweetthieves!

Get to as220, pay our money, see The Butcherings first. Not great, not bad either though. Mention their drummer moving south after this show. Sad. Hopefully they'll continue going places. They had a fog machine behind the drummer, forgot about it during their last song, wondered if someone's amp was on fire!

Sweetthieves next. Good set, if eerily similar to the last time I saw them. Again, plop myself in front of Hilary. Oh god she is so pretty.... uh, anyway. After the set talk to her about shows and bass gear and all that. Offer to help load their gear out, she declines but seems thankful. Think about putting a show together with them and Mahi Mahi in the summer. Also, I got recognized by 4 people that night. I'm moving up in the world of the Providence Scene.

Denimvenom. Didn't stick around for their set. Couldn't take the prog. Went to Nice Slice on thayer with everyone after. Home, with Julia and Pete sticking around to hang out. Pete leaves and Julia and I just hang out listening to music and talking. She crashes here and I go to bed.


Saturday: Up, hang out with Justin for a little while. Conversation is minimal but I really don't care. It doesn't feel forced so why be bothered by non-forced conversation?

Home, then decide to go to Lindsay's party. Hang out there after Google Maps dumps me in fucking west side of providence, where I have no idea where the fuck I am. Hang out there for a little while. Jay's there, Pete's there. Lindsay and Corriene are there (NOT having sex! What a surprise!) We talk and party. Corrine is the first person I know to listen to Moxy Fruvis outside my and my parents. Damn. Home, then sleep.

Sunday: Not much except for cleaning up and dinner with Grams (my grandmother). Lovely conversation, lovely dinner. Glad I did it. It was a great end to a great weekend.

Yesterday: Eh.

Today: Eh. Met with Wayne about music things. We jam on some stuff and it goes pretty well. Got to play his Rickenbacker the entire night. Work on some new songs and it goes pretty well. Eventually we talk and it gets on the subject of the Luau. Wayne asked if there even was one this year, and I said yes. He replied back that "He wasn't even invited". In a joking way. I say that Martin honestly just probably forgot since he was working with the porch so close to the party. Hope there isn't any bad blood between the two, just some falling away with work and family. Jamming seems to go well, if a little awkward. (This was the musical equivalent to a first date...) Think it might go somewhere. We shall see. At least we had a promising beginning.

Home, internet, dinner, bed.

It appears that I've been Rickrolled twice today already.

Up, didn't want to get out of bed. Listen to "Medicinal Reverb" B/3.1s new album. It's good, I would just do a few tweaks before it's release, and I'll talk to justin about this sometime.

School, schooly. Nothing really to say.

Home: raining, internet, Off to Nick's Recital at 7.

Great great performance by him. Not a major scale the entire night. He played a Monk piece near the end that just was transcended. Closed my eyes and thought of the best landscapes. Afterword, talk with him and everyone else, laughter abounds.

Home, interneting, blogging, shower then bed.

Today:

Up, listening to LCD Soundsystem, last minute grab of stuff.

AP psych, alright, did some of the packet will listening to Schroeder, liked it, think I'll continue doing it that way. See how it works on the next test.

Spanish: The less said the better. I've gotten a new system where I place a tic-mark down on a piece of paper every time Mrs. Mac does something that annoys me. She got 17 today.

English: People are stupid and bombed the quiz, so she had us make collages on symbolize pertaining to the book. (Don't look at me, I got an 85, and I don't think I wrote more than 12 sentences total!) I finished mine in 40 minutes because I didn't care. Easy enough.

Lunch, talking about the party saturday and the aftermath, which is apparently Bonnie's parents taking a strong disliking towards Bill. Not just for the sex comment, but for the swearing. We have the same opinion as to her parents being a little too demanding, especially of Bonnie and us as being her friends. No swearing? I understand that not everyone has the mouth of a sailor that I do, but considering some of the things I've heard come out of Bonnie's mouth, she's about on average with me.


Physics, do a lab, manage to fuck it up (I don't think I've done one lab properly in this class the entire year), although it's not my fault. Oh well.

Home, raining so I don't take the dog out, homework, work on the composition a bit more, fixing sax rhythms and cello parts and all that. Internet, definite date with Wayne for jamming. Good practice session on drums today. Retuned kit sounds really good, snare might need to be a bit tighter though. Starting to get back in the rhythm (sorry) of it.

Internet, showering, blogging, bed.

Edit: Thank fucking GOD that today is the last day of March. What a soul-sucking month.

Jesus, seeing my last blog was on WEDNESDAY. What the fuck.

Nothing to report from then until Friday. Stayed in Friday, big whoop. Oh, I got my RIEPS Graduation Portfolio done, huzzah! I can get that fucking thing off my back. Even if it gets handed back for "revisions" it's done, effectively.

Saturday was Bonnie's Party.

Original plan was going to the URI Pool, but Bonnie had forgotten to check the times and realized they closed at like 4 PM. Oops. A quick call to everyone and she's set up everyone to go to Lazergate at 8:30.

I get to the house around 6:40, clearing out my car beforehand because I said I would volunteer driving people. The thing about Bonnie's house is that it's... pretty tacky. Like, REALLY tacky. It has this whole Nautical theme, and it's filled with useless crap EVERYWHERE. It really reminds me of the old house at Emma G Lane, because it's just so fucking small, I wonder how she can live in it sometimes. But we cram in there, some how.

Walking towards her house I see a bumper sticker on a silver SUV that says "Big Bang Theory: God said 'BANG' and the universe was created!". Her parents are very religious, which is fine, but it's borderline the creepy religious parent kind. Still... nice people though. We eventually all roll out, not before her mom worrying over the directions (figures. It seems my parents are the only people that don't get worried that their kid is ALL THE WAY IN PROVIDENCE OR FURTHER! Well, they might be worried, but not for the same reasons as the other parents I know). I'm in the car with Kevin Northup, Bobby Mulligan, Bill Wilson and Joe Brennan.

In retrospect, I'm REALLY surprised we didn't get pulled over.

So, we're on the highway, driving along. The directions say to get off at exit 7. So we do. What we neglect to remember is that once you cross state lines, the exit numbers start again. Oh boy.

We end up in Barrington. You know, now I see why all those kids have nothing to do but drink. It helps.

Drive down Barrington for a good 10 minutes before we realize "OH SHIT" and turn back around. Get back on the highway towards where we wanna go. We're here! Fall River! There's the exit going RIGHT PAST OUR CAR.

Kevin failed to get into the exit lane in time.

No problem, we'll just take the next one and just go as straight as possible south.

Oh sweet dear God, no.

One half-hour and "Fuck me we just went around in a motherfucking circle" later, we get back on the highway, at Lasergate. At 9:30.

Welp, there goes our slot.

But we manage to get the 10:20 slot, and go to McDonalds for dinner (I did not eat as I was not hungry).

We play one game of lasertag, one game. And I came in last place. I was expecting 2 more for me to find my groove. Shit.

The ride home is much more fun than the ride up. We end up listening to WRIU, making fun of the DJ who sounds like he's pressing the "cough" button in order to do bong hits, and sing along to The Beatles and Simple Minds. Very very good ride home, and we were considering pooling our money and buying Bonnie a vibrator for a gift. Although, personally, even as a gag, I'd rather she'd just get some use of it than have it collect dust. Gotta keep that hysteria away!* (name the allusion for a gold star!)

Back at her house, where one of the funniest moments I've ever witness in my life occurred, no hyperbole.

We're sitting around her living room, talking, telling stories, when Bill brings up the time he and Bonnie tricked me into thinking they had sex on their trampoline. I was like 14, liked her (still do. I don't care, she doesn't read this blog, I don't really think anyone does except for one person. New idea, if you read this blog, leave a comment!) And basically I really didn't think they would lie to me. It was a dick move then and still is kinda a dick move now, but, this is neither here nor there, it is important for the backstory.

So I'm sitting there, sulking and smiling, picturing myself punching Bill's lights out, because he deserves it, just a little. Now, Bonnie's dad comes in, hanging by the doorway (with no door) just to see how it's going, I think.

Keep in mind Bill is sitting with his back towards the doorway, and his hood is up, so he has no peripheral vision at all.

He's near the end of the story, and we're all trying to shut him up, giving him cues such as "Aw good story man!" and "Man that's so funny". Bill proceeds to throw all these cues out the window and end his story with the quote "And then Bonnie and I made sweet love".

Two feet from the father in the doorway.

I have never seen a bigger, more terrified expression of Bill.

Karma is a bitch, but only to the people that deserve it.


Home, listening to "The Flaming Lips" because I've made it some weird tradition that if I go to southern MA, I have to listen to that record. I don't know why. Although I don't know why I thought "Sleeping On The Roof" was a bad song, ever. Staying up until 4, listening to music. Good times.

Today:
Up at 10, internet, dog walk to "Oranges and Lemons"

Just general relaxing for the weekend.

Got an email from Wayne, we're semi confirmed for next sunday to try and see if we can work something out between us. I hope it goes well. I'd really like to work with him (Although I'd really like to work with Meccalily, but something tells me Wayne and Martin had something of a fall out a few years ago). Oh well, I think we're going to run through some songs of his that I know and see where it goes.

Retuned my drum kit today. I think it sounds much better as a whole now. Hope to play it on my dad's little cover version of "Wall of Death" along with bass, just to try it out.

Blogging, Flaming Lips and XTC before bed.

Jesus what a long day. I hardly remember tuesday.


Up, listen to "The Velvet Underground"

School-eh. What can you expect? Math was boring, but Dig. Photo made me laugh my ass off thanks to Brendan and talking about the portfolio. Band was alright. Detail work today, hardly played the whole class. Wondered if there was something with Matt, our bell player. He seemed to be messing up way too much for someone with a sucky playing style. I'm wondering if he has a learning disability. It certainly would explain some things. Civics, gave my speech, meh. Worked in "Taking Tiger Mountain" (the play) in there, went over better than I though it would.

Teaching at the elementary school. They all did really well this lesson. Though Bennett was his typical "acting out" self, and Sam... well. I was kneeling to help Sidney through the worksheet, and all of a sudden I feel someone rubbing my back. Not like a brush, but a circular motion. I turn my head and see Sam...

"Uh, Sam? What are you doing?"
"Massaging your back"
"Well... uh, thank you Sam, but aren't you suppose to be doing that activity over there with the other group?"
"Yeah..."

And he continues for a good 4 seconds because the idea is not getting in his head.

"Sam, go play with the other group."

And then he runs along... I had no idea what to say to that...

Meet with Mike about comp. He likes it. I made him smile today, that's a first. Saw Dan Healey on the green playing football, didn't want to say hi because that would be weird... Saw Pete and Nick while waiting for Mike. Oh boy, everyone is just out in force today.

Home, 2 hours of AP psych. Urgh. Barely finish, then summative reflection... Shower and off to bed...

This is my 30th post! Hooray!

Up this morning, no music, didn't feel like any, listened to NPR. Story on the 4,000th soldier to die in the Iraq war. A little depressing but put it in perspective.

School: Schooly. Didn't really do a lot today but that's fine by me. Managed to scooch out of giving a presentation in civics by literally SECONDS. Bill gets down from the podium, teacher looks at me, I look at teacher, bell rings and I give high-fives. I wouldn't have minded giving it, but it's the principle of the thing. Driving home, "Talk of The Nation" on NPR had the same story on the 4,000 dead soldiers. A wife giving her testimonial on how her 4-year old daughter is coping since she never saw her father, and never will. Almost couldn't handle it. The fact that I have actual physical real-life friends over there (shout-out to my main man Joe Parker kickin' it in Iraq) makes it all the more real. I fear that one day I'll be reading over the obituaries and find his name. Hopefully not.

This war is all kinds of fucked-up.

Home, internet, taking the dog out. Listen to "English Settlement". Alright, not amazing, not bad either and at least it's warm out. Home, no homework except study. Have to re-write my english reflection for the portfolio as Ms. Tarasevich graded it but lost it. Not really a good teacher academically. We don't do dickity-shit in that class but at least it's a rest period for me from spanish and B-days in general. Pick up pizza from Junction (oh my god all the way in North Kingstown), take the scenic route and listen to Meccalily. Speaking of...

Wayne Belanger emailed me saturday asking how everything was going. Long story short, he's asked me to faux-audition for his band. He mentioned he has scrap of songs, and I do this a lot online, taking scraps of songs and putting parts over them, pretty much like Brian Eno, without being Eno (Remember, Justin is the fourth deadly finn). Honestly I think I'm usually better at this in a pop-songwriting environment than on my own. He's invited me to his house to put my grubby mits on his instruments to see which combination work out the best. We shall see....


Oh great, and now I've blogged myself away from studying. Well, time to go rectify this...

Easter Theater

Woke up saturday, showered, did normal things. Relaxing until about 4 when we head up to NH. Get a copy of my score done. One down, one to go. Got to put it into overdrive this week. Hopefully can meet with Mike., and this in gear. But, other things right now. Go up there, was introduced to Kate and Tim's new dog Sarabi. Sweet little thing. General good happenings commence. Easter dinner loaded with animal products and carbs. Ate till I was full, had a Guinness with dinner, not a bad thing at all. Then played poker with the family, did better than expected, came in third. Not bad for my 5th time playing ever. Stay in until 2 AM where sloppy playing and going all-in on a hand I was sure was fine as Tim was half bluffing his way through the game. He had a flush, I had three of a kind (or Three Of A Perfect Pair, I kept calling it). I was out. They kept playing for about an hour. I blew up my mattress in the living room and watched Adult Swim. Venture Brothers, NOVA and some other shows kept me up until about 3:30.

Woke up at 9:45 to my mom, my aunt and my cousin waking me up. I contemplated going into the bed my mom was in, she offered it, but I knew I was just going to sleep until noon and I won't feel very good if I sleep in that late, as I was pretty well rested to begin with.

Home, relaxing, checked my bag and realized tomorrow is an A-day, so I have no homework tonight! YAAAAAAAAY! Absolutely beautiful out. Gromit gets back from the kennel, take him out listening to XTC's "Apple Venus Vol. 1" and absolutely great. Sun beating down on my face as "Easter Theater" plays and "Knights In Shining Karma", just absolutely great. A brief two days of peace in an absolutely horrible month. Home, some TV and internet. More relaxing. Watch Futurama, check up on my internet after leaving it for 2 days, I managed to cope, somehow. Currently listening to A Post Modern John at the 2005 Luau, and listening to monitor it's status as I dump it to my computer to digitize it. I don't WANT to go to school tomorrow, and I might turn in early (How many times have I said that and gone to bed at 11?)

I really need to be better on blogging.

Thursday: Don't remember alot from school. Probably nothing important... Jazz band is good. Dan the drummer is a freshmen and it shows in his playing. We have to do Birdland (crappy arrangement) and he's sorta dragging. I can tell he's tensing up from playing fast, so I tell him to just relax. He does, gets it better. Work on blues jams for everyone. Take a few solos, do fine. Try not to wank out with a solo. Afterwards get a call from Bill saying he wants to go to Mahi Mahi. Pick him up and head to Dans. Lots of fun, talking, then eventually heading out. Somehow I end up driving, oh well...

Drive up, we get there early. Head to AS220 for something to eat and to warm up. Finish and head to the club. Almost get denied because the bouncer read my ID wrong. See the drummer, say hi. Says that he could have gotten me on the guest list if I emailed him. Guess I'm moving up in the world. Great show. The new tunes are good and the old ones are getting more revamps. Bill seemed to have a deer in the headlights look to him, as to be expected. Drummer broke his stick and threw it out. Caught it but gave it to Bill... Was good to see Jay. Get out of there after Mahi's set and head to Denny's. Get off at the wrong exit (too early) but was going to go down Route 2 to get there but it was closed off due to a big accident. Get there, see the company, get a milkshake, talk for a while. Give Kate and Bill rides home. Home, dicking around, bed at 3.

This morning, get up at 12. Dick around, restring my noise guitar, using HEAVY HEAVY strings. Tune it to C-G-D-G-B-B using 2 Gs for Bs but it won't stay in tune, too much tension. Swap them out for 2 regular Bs and it's fine. Usually those aren't the problems anyway. Chores, took a 2 hour nap at 6 PM, woke up at 8, pretty shabby. Get a call from Pete saying Matt is putting together a house party tomorrow and wants to Troop to play, taking top priority. Call my parents frantically trying to see if I could work something out. Talk to Justin for like 2 hours about all things. Hope his detox is going well, although he was getting progressively buzzed as our conversation went on, but not horrible. Internet...

Parents get home, and "negotiations begin" although honestly they aren't negotiations. I left them a message explaining the situation, so they know whats up. I explain that we get first priority over all other bands. My dad says "It's a house party" and I say that it's not partying, but the chance to play, and I've never heard a faster "no" in my life. Some negotiations. Not to turn this into a "RARRRRGGH PARENTS" angst filled rant, but she really didn't even all me to give my full argument. I knew nothing was going to help though, so I just stood cross armed and stared silently at her while she talked. I just hope there will be other shows, and tomorrow I'm not just stuck listening to music by myself. Which will probably be the case...

Up in the morning, yogurt for breakfast. It's raining out, decide to take the third VU record as it fits the mood.

School, schooly. Have an assembly on drunk driving that take out a good portion of civics, so yay for presentations. Typical story. Harmless kid taken away by a drunk driver. Heartbreaking, but honestly good to get the story out there. A few kids were talking and the presenter whipped them, with good reason. If they are the people I think they are, then maybe a little cleaning on their side of the gene pool would not be a bad thing... I don't wish death, but jesus christ I hope they grow up, or at least keep their offspring the hell away from me and my own if I have any.

Home, still raining. Internet, short dog walk. Finish uploading the Meccalily 2005 set. Next is the PMJ show, but I think that won't happen until next week. Oh well, they've been sitting on minidiscs for 4 years, it can probably wait on their for a few more weeks. Talk to Dan, apparently the rest of the week is out with schedules so we can't get a practice in. At least we got another song done!

Tomorrow, last day of school before long weekend, woo hoo! Think I shall my camera and my music score with me to keep my occupied for the NH trip, but I might get nothing done. Who knows how this goes? Also, Mahi Mahi! yaaaaaaay.

Up again, at a "normal" time where I have time to get myself ready! Who knew? Grab Sonic Youth (first album) for the ride until...

I hit a squirrel. Not 50 feet from my house. It came out, I swerved, it swerved with me. I feel it go under the car and look back, and see it flip over and then lie still in the middle of the road. I feel bad about it all day, but getting over it now. It totally wasn't intentional...

School is... well... Last friday in AP Psych we took a quiz and Mr. Schroeter was absent. Long story short we can't find the plans, but find the quiz. Take quiz with books and in groups. We find plans 20 minutes before the end of class saying that it's suppose to be a regular quiz. He finds out and is pretty pissed. Decided to not make the quiz count. Oops. Oh well, as long as he doesn't completely hold it against us for the rest of the year...

Spanish was interesting. Everyone was gone for teaching, so we only had about 8 students. Ms. Mac just let us work on our homework for the class. Eventually it gets towards the subject of prom, and she went around the room asking who we would go with. I replied that I was probably not going to go. She seems visibly upset. I asked if I went to my junior prom. I said I did not. For the record, I was out seeing a What Cheer Bridge and Slavic Soul Party show at AS220 that night with Pete and Jay, and you can bet your ass I had more fun there than I probably would have at the prom. Probably more fun than some of the people that actually went. Anyway, she says that this prom is different, it's local, no limos, just nice and low-key. I can see where she was coming from, but those aren't the reasons I didn't go. I barely can stand being in school with most of these people, I'm probably going to be worse outside of school (well, I'll be polite outside of school...)

English... eh, faked it.

Physics, do a lab on Pulleys with Joe and Kevin. Get one result that doesn't seem correct. In retrospect we probably measured wrong, but we didn't have time to redo it.

Home, internet, dog walk listening to Matthew Good's Avalanche. Homework... and then an experiment.

For reasons unknown to myself, I decided to test how long I could listen to 92.3 PRO-FM. For those of you that don't live in Rhode Island, this is the Top 40 station. I started somewhere around 6:30, and stopped around 8. What I found was two or three good songs amongst a sea of clunkers. I finally pinpointed what I hate about mainstream hiphop. It lacks funk. Old school hip-hop (Afrika Bambaataa, LL Cool J, Ice-T, NWA, Grand Master Flash and The Furious Five) was taken from MCs spilling rhymes over funk and soul records and breakdowns. And those things had FUNK to them. Or at least what this white boy knows of da funk. Listening to mainstream hiphop, all of the funk is gone. I don't know why, but the drum programming completely lacks funk. It might be a funk line, but there is no funk to it at all. That and the same damn 6 synthesizer settings. I really, honestly, felt a little sick after a while. Like tension was filling my stomach. I don't know if it was something else, but it might have been an actual physical reaction towards something I dislike.

In an afterthought, after playing along to Sonic Youth (Oh my god that felt good), I turned on the radio back to 92.3 to see if I could stomach a little more. They were playing the same song I had ended on an hour earlier. AN HOUR EARLIER. As in, they probably have a music library bigger than my house, and they played the same damn song they had played AN HOUR EARLIER. I knew right then I had to stop.

And in order to heal my ears, I'm listening to XTC's "Knights In Shining Karma" right now. Oh Andy, don't ever stop...

Ok, really, my mp3 player on shuffle, but still, it's better than that shit on the radio.

And I feel I can honestly say that having listening to a straight hour and a half of it.

Up at a reasonable time today! like 6:40, only hit the snooze button once! Hooray! Grab Yo La Tengo for the ride, it'll do.

School, schooly. Mrs. Burke liked most of my shots for Photography, which is good. I think my portfolio for final exam will be shows in Providence. Going to AS220 for credit! Band was alright, my playing was a little off, but a combination of the bass and my technique is so finicky. Some days it will be great, others it will be not-so-great... Sub in civics, in the library, spend the time with Bill looking up crazy people in the Westboro Baptist church (You know, the GodHatesFags people?) Fred Phelps, their headpersons, was a civil rights lawyer. Let me make this perfectly clear. This man who tells us that 9/11, the mine collapsing in West Virginia, and soldiers being killed in Iraq are all because God is trying to punish us for our TOLERANCE towards homosexuals, was a FUCKING CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYER for black people against people who ...would not tolerate black people... My head felt like it was going to explode. Then Steve saw someone banging on the emergency door, and opened it. Despite big large print signs saying "STOP" and "NOTICE, THE DOOR USED FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY". Celia said he probably has ADHD up the wazoo and just never got the proper diagnosis for it. Makes sense, but he sure is dumb as a stump. Bill and I then contemplated getting a shovel for a few whacks at the back of the head to level us out into the bell curve of intelligences. Being smarter than the general public is really, really frustrating sometimes.

Home: Dicking around on internet, dog walk. Watch a little bit of a documentary on 70s film making, very interesting considering how so many movies were considered "low-budget" and were swept under the rug until these directors did amazing things with them.

Get a call from Dan asking 6:30 practice. Do my homework, talk to mom. Fill up my tank o gas and get a gallon of skim in the process. Not before grabbing the compilation of Chris's music for the ride. Listening to it, he is a very good songwriter, although the recordings are lo-fi as fuck. Some of the keyboard parts the keyboard player is playing don't really fit the song, and I wish he had another sound besides the annoying Faux-fasa organ. But the songs still stand up. I feel a little connection with him as best as I could.

Practice: Fine, a little slow going at first. I was kinda just coasting along and being in and out of it, which made Nick a little frustrated. But we get going and I like some parts I've come up with, although I've noticed I'm very more a chord progression player rather than a riff player... again, have to work on that.

Out, home again before picking up a pizza. Internet, shower, blogging, to bed.