The Devil and Daniel Johnston

Watched this documentary last night about Daniel Johnston. He's sort of a skitzoid savant genius songwriter who has the voice of a little boy and sings very sweet, but tortured songs. Got himself famous by recording "albums" by placing a portable tape recorder against his piano and just playing/singing. The tapes just got passed around and passed around and this is all in the early 80s. Even made in on MTV in 1985 (only having played one real show) by ambushing a taping that was going on in his hometown.
Some questions I am left with: As a believer in Jesus who has a hard time understanding the devil, if this guy is really possessed and not just crazy, why would the devil pick this guy who is an outspoken christian (was even arrested for writing hundreds of christian fishes all over the inside of the statue of liberty in order to ward off the innevitable "military take-over")? ALSO: How synonymous are the words genius and crazy? The people in my life who I believed were even borderline genius couldn't hang socially. Van Gogh cut off his ear.

I think musicians and people interested in "spirit world" type stuff could/should watch this movie. I think musicians should definately have Daniel Johnston in their musical vocabulary and be able to reference his style/influence. I think spiritual people would have an interesting time cracking this egg.

New Song Posted

New song up on my Myspace page called "Fake #1 Dream".

Lyrics- some thoughts

Lyrics are really not the most important part of music for me. In fact- the less, the better. If you're gonna be wordy and obvious, you'd better be pretty friggin clever (i.e. Joe Pernice). Otherwise, I really like the abstract stuff where lyricists have some more "visual" words... sort of a lyrical impressionism. I'm very much into the whole "let the listener decide what it's about" thing.

So what kind of lyric really cinches the deal for me? Well, Jill and I were listening to the Promise Ring all day yesterday and a great example came up.

First, so I can make my point, pretend that words have no meaning- just sound. The only character is found in their sound and not in an attached definition. Then ask yourself what makes a good melody or musical phrase? Most people would say that when a short simple melody is played, but then repeated and as they are repeated, small variations are made on that one melody. Think about Marry Had A Little Lamb- it's basically one melody line of notes that is improved upon just slightly, but progressively. Now go back to my idea about words having no meaning and check this Promise Ring lyric out:

And she slept across the ocean
as we crossed the ocean.
And I got cross with the ocean.

from "saturday" on The Horse Latitudes EP

This is a good example, because this is nonsensical and really doesn't have meaning other than what you visualize in your mind. Anyway, it's a variation on a repeated lyric where CROSS and THE OCEAN are in every line, but improved upon progressively.

Also, for a frame of reference, he's been repeating (mumbling) the lines "She drank white wine. Makes me want to marry her memories madly." up until that point. Not a great set of lines but the fact that they are mumbled and repeated quietly until the song climaxes with loud guitars and the "cross the ocean" lyrics scream-sung, those opening boring lyrics set the stage for an exciting conclusion. BEAUTIFULLY done.

Anyway, there you go.

OK, so I just wanted a guitar like his.....

Jay Farrar looking tuff with a beard and my guitar.

Goodbye, old friend.

While searching Craigslist for building materials, I happened upon a guy selling a guitar that I've always wanted. I've always been content with my guitars. The only thing is that neither has a Bigsby (whammy bar), but I don't necessarily have the funds or the motivation to buy one and have it attached to either guitar. So I simply asked this guy if he would trade. I went out to the city last night and we swapped the SG for his guitar.

Now, I'm not super sentimental about my guitars. They are just expensive paintbrushes. A painter remembers his art, not his brushes. And the art I made with this guitar is precious. The upper right is a picture of me with my SG recording "We Frequent the Sky, Maurice" (click to listen) with Til Seven in 98/99, which has the ballsiest guitar sound ever made by anyone! Also the things I did and places I went with this guitar are what I'll remember. Above at the left is a pic of me with the SG playing at the Troubador in Hollywood in maybe 2000. Bought it in 96 or 97, so we've had 10 great years.

Happy trails, good buddy.........

So, introducing: my new Gretsch Electromatic Duo Jet (Pro Jet)!

This Made My Day

There's one at every show....


It just gets funnier......

JIM & PAM

Arright we could all use some Jim and Pam moments this time of the week.

Son Volt YouTubes from Bonaroo

CHICKAMAUGA- great neil young solo from JAY
Fantastic harmonies, too.
also- check out the hippe-spin-hand-dance movements in the foreground
there's at least one at every show


WINDFALL
I think the hippie chick moved to the front for this one.

I WON!!!!!

Holy crap! I won! Well, I won a CD give away from some local entertainment site/blog and won the new Magnolia Electric Co CD. Yes the one that they had on tour at that show (before the release date) and then sold out of before I bought one that night. The funny thing is that when I typed my email into that contest, it just kept saying "error: invalid address" and I kept typing it in and being like "whaaa?" but maybe I was really entering multiple times who knows? This also might be karma- in return for the Magnolia EP that got ruined with coffee in the car.

Anton Karas

Fantastic Zither music by Anton Karas. I saw the Third Man recently and was totaly inspired by the score. Go to my other blog here to see how it's impacted me. The video below is not so much a video as it is just a sound clip of Karas' "Harry Lime's Theme" being played on a vintage turntable. Click on it! It will make your day!

Crystal Lake

Is it just me or does/should everyone want to be like Jason Lytle of Grandaddy?