The Innocent, Naive Way

"No, I don't think we should willfully go out of our way to be stupid. We don't want to be stupid.  We live in a sea of stupid.  And it's really, really stupefying.  No, but I do think being willfully innocent, or naive, may actually be a good strategy.  Especially when we are trying to do something new.  There are all those wise ones who will tell you not to bother.  It's too hard, you will fail, you will be ridiculed.

So yes, if you ask one of those experienced ones for advice, it will not be edifying.  They will load you down with all the baggage of their experiences.  You don't need to take that on. All you really need is open eyes, an open mind and lots of energy.  It's sometimes better to think no one knows anything. Just give it a try. Act like it's never been done before. Maybe you will make new discoveries, maybe you will create something new, maybe your experience will be something that no one could foresee. 

It helps to believe in a better day, a better way, maybe we should just try even if, and when, others tell us not to bother. That's the  innocent way, the naive way, the artist's way... and maybe it's necessary.

A Sort of Forrest Gump Frame of Mind This Morning!

Yes, well, sleep is good. Good for the brain. Good for remembering things.  That downtime is useful. And eating is good. Nourishes the brain and the body. And walking and talking is good. Keeps you healthy and sane. And doing good things is good for you. Makes you think life is good too.

And we need that.  We need to believe in good things and in doing good things. And we should do good things. Yes. For sure. It's helps if we all can believe in a better day, a better future. And in goodness. And faith is a useful thing. Having faith in faith is good too.

Useful...

A Cool Sound

We delved deep into the creative process yesterday.  We walked over to our little rehearsal space and tried out some new songs.  A couple covers (for instance "Sweet Thing" from Van Morrison) and a couple new originals.

We totally revamped a song called "Shadow of the Marigolds." It used to go one way, now it goes in a totally different way.  I love when songs "materialize." Afterwards, you sometimes wonder how it all happened, and will it ever happen again.

I had been playing a couple of riffs, sort of stringing them together, thinking that they might add up to a song.  Then Carla and I took her lyrics and started trying them on for size.  Very quickly the words and music kind of fell together.

3 hours flew by.  Almost felt like a blink of the eye.  And we had a new song on our hands.  We recorded it on the little digital recorder.  It's still just a sketch and I expect it will continue to evolve.  But a great start. And a cool sound.

Fragment from "The Monkey-Lover"

"She loved animals. More than humans. Animals knew their place in the Universal Scheme.  Animals (insects too) had their jobs, their reasons for being, and they did their jobs without complaint. Animals were consistent, and trustworthy.  A dog did his dog things. Cats, birds, hamsters, and all the wild things, did their particular things too.

Not only did she love animals more than humans, she thought they were smarter too.  Sometimes she had to bury this belief deep in her soul, especially when in polite conversation.  But she never changed her mind on the superiority of animals over humans. 

She was basically a "misanthrope" - one who hates or mistrusts mankind.  Maybe "hate" was too strong a word "disliked" might be closer to the truth, but the "mistrusts" part was right on. Of course this meant she mistrusted herself too.  This was part of the complexity of the human thing.  Humans were variable and complex; also untrustworthy, disloyal, unreliable, fungible. And they lied. To others, and most especially, to themselves. And often they could even believe in their own lies.

And they did not know their place in the Universal Scheme.  They did not have clear-cut jobs. They struggled for a purpose. They were lost. They were capable of amazing things, and terrible things too.  For every Dali Lama you could find a Stalin.  It was sometimes very disappointing, and disheartening, when she thought about humans, and remembered that she was one of them too." 

First Show of 2013

Our first whitewolfsonicprincess show for 2013 was at the Gallery Cabaret last night.  A pretty amazing little club, funky and sort of "bohemian," which is just about the perfect setting for our band. We were on bill with Christina Trulio and The Gunnelpumpers.  

Lots of cool sounds. It just seemed like a perfect bill of music. We were smack dab in the middle,  book-ended by Christina's gorgeous "cowboys & brazilian" songs and the Gunnelpumpers improvisational madness. 

We played a pretty tight set, my new acoustic guitar sounded big and full, and our bass player's new fret-less bass added a smooth shimmer to our songs. We all seemed to be inspired by the sound on stage. And when Douglas Johnson joined us on Clevinger bass, it pumped up the adrenaline level a notch or two.

Carla vocals came across soulful and resonant.  Rich's drums backed it all with an extra, big-time wallop on that little wooden platform. The crowd was attentive and generous.  Lots of good vibes all around. Not a bad way to start the new year!

Just What it Is

Change... it just happens.  Sometimes it's almost imperceptible. And then it turns out everything is different. This happens all the time. It's what our lives really are, we are in the river, the ocean, the sea of change. I guess we could also call it the sea of possibilities. We are in it. And of it too. Nothing stays the same. Everything is locked into this process.  Change. Not good or bad. Just what it is...

Re-united with the Clunky Old Beast!

I have been reunited with my old Hohner acoustic guitar. The Master Guitar Builder fixed it!  So happy. I didn't realize how important that old guitar was to me.  Another one of those lessons - you will dearly miss the things you take for granted. The guitar was so familiar to me, for so many years, I did clearly take it for granted.  It's a big, clunky old beast of an instrument.

Some of my musician friends and trusted guitar techs told me it was time to give it up. It was broken and not really worth fixing. Maybe just put it up on a wall.  I just couldn't listen to that advice. I found a guy who put two ebony splines (little pieces of wood, sort of like pint-sized chopsticks) where the break occurred.  He installed the splines and incorporated them into the neck and then glued it all back together, sanded it down.

It's not exactly "good as new," you can see the lines of the break, but it sort of gives the guitar even more character.  It now has more of a history. It's beat and scarred. Sort of like me.  Hohner has always known for harmonicas, and this particular guitar was made in Japan, back when "made in Japan" meant "crappy."

It's actually not "crappy" at all.  It's a rare instrument, but not a collectible.  No one wants an old Hohner.  They were never known for their guitars.  It's a copy of a Guild guitar, which are collectible and "wanted." So, anyway, it's a cheap copy of a coveted, expensive guitar.  But cheap works fine. The sound is big and bold.  And it's mine.  Glad to have it back!

By the way, Hohner also made a few electric guitars.  Not many.  But there is one very famous performer who plays one, probably made in Japan in the 80's.  Now that one probably is a coveted instrument.  It certainly sounds good in this guys hands... wait for the guy with the red hat at about 3:40 into this video.  Prince tears it up with a Hohner Telecaster copy... freaking breath-taking!

 

HOT Trumps All!

Every once in awhile a "lip-synching controversy" erupts.  It killed Milli Vanilli's career.  I don't know if that was fair or not... can't remember, and I'm not gonna GOOGLE it, but those guys maybe didn't even do their own singing? Whatever.

Seems now there is a question about Beyonce's rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Was it live or recorded, and did she just mime and use her lips?  Is it a burning pop culture question? Should it reflect badly on her? Will it torpedo her career?

Nah... my feeling... Beyonce gets a pass.  Now you ask, why does she get a pass? There's one over-riding reason, a reason that trumps all concerns... Beyonce is HOT!  End of story. Let's move on...

Obama's on Fire!

Alicia Keys sang, "Obama's on fire!" Which is funny, silly, ridiculous.  But I'll take it.  So happy Obama is back in the saddle. I do think he is the perfect man for the moment.  The last sensible man in the land.

And his political opponents are such knaves, scoundrels, idiots and craven creeps.  So it's easy for me to identify the good guys and bad guys.  All I can say is, "Go, Obama, Go!"

Godspeed Obama! Damn the torpedoes!

New Diet!

"Yes, but can you really live on chicken soup and chocolate?"

The Peach is Gone

The Peach is gone.  I met her a couple years ago.  A boxer. A big over-bite.  Sort of slobbery. A mug only a mother could love. She had stomach issues. She was on some kind of medicine, not sure what, I had to open her mouth and shove pills down her throat.  It was a sort of messy, slightly gross process.

Still, she a was in fine form when I first met her.  Once in awhile, one of her back legs would give out, and she'd sort of drag it. But that was rare, we didn't really think much of it.

Slowly, progressively, it got worse. Some kind of nerve disease. She was losing control of her back legs. About a year into the relationship, she was dragging herself along, sort of like Gollum from Lord of the Rings. When we went for a walk, she was determined, but now, both back legs were not working correctly.

It got so painful to watch her drag herself along, we finally got her a doggie wheelchair.  I'd put her in the thing and once she got acclimated, she could navigate around. No problem.  She was like a little doggie bumper car.

But the disease slowly and surely progressed. She got very thin.  She'd eat, but couldn't keep weight on.  Her little ribs were starting to poke through.  And her whole body would sometimes shake.  Still we had great times out on the beach. I'd throw a stick or ball and she'd romp around in that wheelchair.  She'd bark at the ball and wait for me to toss it again.

People would see her and smile.  It seemed like such a heart-warming story.  The little boxer who could. One time a guy came up to me and said, "There's a special place in Heaven for people like you." I don't know, just doing my job, right? I was the caretaker.

The more helpless she became, the less she could do for herself, the more I did for her, the closer we got.

Anyway, yesterday we took our last walk together.  It was a cold, bright day. We looked at the lake together. For the last time. Looked at everything with new eyes. The beach, the little grains of sand. Everything in it's place. Peach. Those big brown eyes. The furrowed brow. She looked at everything wide-eyed. Expectant. She took in the day.

And it was her last.  Goodbye dear friend.  It was great to know you. I promise I will not forget. Impossible to forget.

Let's Play!

Yes, it's a new year and all kinds of new things are going down.  We found a new rehearsal space for our band, just few blocks from our apartment, which is amazing and cool.  It's a really nice little storefront space, high ceiling, hardwood floor, there's a couch and a refrigerator and it's a sonically lively little room with a vintage drum-kit in the corner. If we were going to dream up a space for doing the good work, this would be it!

Also our bass player purchased a new Fender-type, fret-less bass.  It's a beautiful instrument, with a custom maple neck.  It's so punchy and resonant and smooth. It just opens up a whole new sonic spectrum on the low-end. And being fret-less just provides a slinkier approach. It's bringing all kinds of new sonics to our songs.

I also purchased a new acoustic guitar.  My trusty old Hohner is still in the shop, so I ponied up and bought a Seagull acoustic with a solid Cedar top. This was a big step.  The Hohner was such a big part of my sound.  Yesterday we put the Seagull to the test.  It sounded great.  It's got a great mid-range, it's very woody and alive. It's a Canadian made instrument.  It's on the low end of the price spectrum, but it really holds it's own.  I love it!

Suddenly old songs sounded new.  The two new guitars in the mix just opened up a much broader, wider, more resonant and organic spectrum of sound.  Who knew that such major sonic variation could come from particular instruments?  It's just another example of little changes leading to major results.

Our drummer too threw in some new flourishes.  He was experimenting up a storm.  Maybe the new space just opened new spaces in our heads too?  We have a new playground. Let's play!

Bold Bully with the Yellow Jersey

I do think forgiveness and compassion should be our guiding lights.  Human beings are fallible and they stumble and fuck up often.

But when it comes to Bullies, I find it really hard to work up much sympathy.  I'm thinking of Lance. The guy that won all those yellow jerseys. The guy that cheated. The guy that lied. And maybe worst of all, the guy that intimidated, bull-dozed and sued others who actually told the truth.

Yes, the man made lots of money, earned the love of millions, inspired cancer survivors, became a celebrity endorser, was hailed as a hero.  Also, of course, he rode a bike really, really fast. But then also, of course, he cheated. And now finally admits it.

Anyone making excuses for him now, should have their heads examined. He was a bold, audacious bully and he was caught red-handed.  Let him stew in that for awhile. It would be great if he would just slink off and we'd never have to think of him again.

Disconnectedness!

The last few days I have been strangely disengaged from the world.  The news just seems bizarre.  It's weird.  I have fallen into a weird disconnectedness...

My own country just seems so odd. Broken. Weird. I root for my Obama, but think he's the last sensible, responsible man in a seriously twisted land.  

The country itself seems so bat-shit crazy. Humans. Weird!

All That Addition

"Yes, but people never get over anything. We carry it all with us: in our heads, in our bodies, deep in our cells. Even if we think we have forgotten, nothing is ever forgotten. We try to bury it, but it is not gone, nothing is ever gone. Everything counts. Everything is counted. And it all adds up. We are the result of all that addition."

Resilience!

One of the lessons of a life "well-lived" is "resilience,"  the ability to adjust or recover from misfortune. And really misfortune is everywhere.

We really are like a cat with nine lives, or maybe a cat with ninety-nine lives.  Some of us.  We break a bone, the bone mends; we cut ourselves, the wound heals; we get sick, we get well; we fall down, we pick ourselves back up.

So most of the time, nine times out of ten, we recover. We move on.  We carry the lines, and the scars, we carry the germs and microbes, we carry the reminders of our days of misfortune, but we do carry on.

Of course there is that one time when this resilience fails.  The one break, the one fall, the one microbe, the one misadventure that we don't survive, that "one toke over the line," but hopefully that's far in the future.

In the meantime: resilience!

Master Guitar-Builder

The glue didn't hold.  So my old trusty Hohner guitar has been sitting idle.  There is nothing sadder than a broken guitar.  And this particular guitar has been a long-time companion.  It's been by my side through thick and thin.

Some friends have counseled me to just "give it up."  It's not a collectible. It's not a Martin or a Taylor or a Guild.  I mean hell, Hohner is not famous for it's guitars, Hohner is a freaking harmonica making company!

But you know, it's been my guitar for such a long time.  It would be like giving up one of my hands, or arms or legs.  As they say, "sentimental value!"

So last night, I found myself in the workshop of a Master Guitar-Builder.  There were saws, and lathes, and fresh slabs of wood waiting for their turn to become instruments.

And the prognosis was pretty good.  The word from the Master Guitar-Builder: "It's not so bad." So it looks like no major surgery, but some fancy wood-work is in order.  He's gonna sand the broken neck,  re-glue it, and add some little ebony splines to reinforce it.

Then it should be good as new. At least that's the plan.  We'll see.

Locker Room Speech to the Anti-bodies!

sunnyjimmy channels the ghost of lombardi...

"Hey anti-bodies you are letting the team down. And when you let the team down, you are letting yourselves down too! This is "gut-check time." Those little germs, those measly little viruses, are wreaking havoc on our team, and you guys just aren't doing your jobs!

We need to get back to the fundamentals.  I'm gonna make you run through those tires, over and over. It's back to basics: this is a germ! This is something you attack. You take it out. You take it down. You do not let that germ do it's thing. You do not let that germ run to daylight!

What happened to our freaking immune system? Didn't anyone crack open their playbook? You are an anti-body, you have a job. Do it! We are losing this game! But we have a 2nd half.  We need to dig deep down, we need to remember why we are here. This is a battle. And we must fight.  Fight. Until there is no fight left!

Go team Go!"

Why U2

Then I was thinking, it's not good enough to say that I "like" U2 or I "love" some of their work.  Don't I have to explain "why?"

OK here goes... it's actually pretty simple, and it explains why so many of their albums work for me. They have a basic template with infinite variations.

Edge's shimmering guitar work creates a sonic environment that envelops you and bathes you in bold, sustaining notes.  This is exhilarating. It works on me every time. There are no blues licks, no guitar god cliches, just lots and lots of shimmer. Then add Adam Clayton's big, loping bass lines and you have an amazing sonic bed. Larry Mullen Jr. then backs it all up with inventive drumming. He never gets in the way, he always adds simple, strong embellishment.

Then riding up above that great sonic landscape add in Bono's voice and lyrics.  Bono doesn't have the greatest voice in the world, but he has found his niche and I am a fan of his falsetto when he uses it. And his lyrics are always interesting to me. Bono is smart, engaged and he's constantly searching and questioning.

And that all makes for some great music. Simple.

"The Heart that Hurts is the Heart that Beats..."

I wanted to write something pithy and insightful about U2.  But you know, there has been so much written about this band, they have had it all. In spades. Over and over. I do think they are the real deal. They are one of the few big, arena bands that I actually really, really like.

There are a few of their albums that never fail me. I love the ones that everyone loves (Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, Zooropa, Unforgettable Fire, War) and I really like some of the other ones too (Pop, How To Dismantle and Atomic Bomb, No Line on the Horizon, All That You Can't Leave Behind).

And hell, that's an impressive list of worthy albums. I'd say everything they've done is worth listening too.

They have sort of become a cartoon, just way too much exposure in the marketplace.  It's hard to root for them. They are big, bloated, wooly mammoth of a franchise.  But still their music touches me.  It's soul music to me. Spiritual. Exhilarating.  

This is one of my favorite tracks... works for me, every time.