I am no longer full of Turkey (it's been a week, so that's really not newsworthy). I am, however, currently full of applejacks and cheerios.
Thanksgiving is a damn fine holiday, don't you agree? I played eight million games of nerf dart tag with my niece and nephew. I am full of thanks for that.
Two days I started on a cover of John Lennon's Happy Xmas (War is Over). I have an urge to get into the Holidays songs early, before the department stores make me curl up into the fetal position from Mariah Carey over-exposure.
I shall post my Christmas cover on the interwebs as soon as it is ready for consumption.
I enjoyed the movie The Fantastic Mr. Fox on my Thanksgiving break. I want to be a fox when I grow up, mostly for the fancy clothes.
Yesterday I went to the dentist for a cleaning. My teef are still in my head. I'm thankful for this as well. I'm hoping to floss at least as often as I blog. Maybe I'll blog while I floss, or vice versa.
I'm thankful you read this blog. Are you?
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tubes in the Sky
I have a writing session today. It will be my second writing session with my friend Ron Irizarry. He lives in Florida. I do not. He is in Florida right now. I am not. How will we accomplish such a feat? Will it be the world's longest piece of string with two huge tin cans on either end? If you believe that the internet is a series of tubes, then the answer is yes-ish. We shall make beautiful music over video chat. The future is now... or wait... not yet... just a second... NOW. Yeah, that's the future.
It's manure season in Southern California. The weather is mild, and the landlord of the apartment complex I reside in wants to grow grass. How does he accomplish this? With large quantities of bags of cow poop. The weather is mild, but the windows are shut.
I flew home from my East Coast gigs with Fitz and the Tantrums on JetBlue. They have the TV on the JetBlue. On the TV they have the History Channel, which was featuring a show on 9/11. It's disturbing to watch a documentary on 9/11 at just about any moment. It's extra disturbing to watch the documentary when you're on a plane from JFK to LAX, but I couldn't turn it off. I can't believe it's been eight years already.
I lived in New York during September 11th, 2001. I flew to Los Angeles a few weeks after, at a time when people weren't ready to fly yet. The humongous plane I flew on was mostly empty except for me and a bunch of Los Angeles Firefighters who had flown out to help out with clean up and grief counseling. I sat next to a firefighter with a gigantic mustache and a fresh tattoo the size of a saucer on his bicep commemorating 9/11. I listened to him talk. He gave me an LAFD pen. I think I'd recognize him if I passed him on the street eight years later. I hope I do run into him so I can say thanks.
It's manure season in Southern California. The weather is mild, and the landlord of the apartment complex I reside in wants to grow grass. How does he accomplish this? With large quantities of bags of cow poop. The weather is mild, but the windows are shut.
I flew home from my East Coast gigs with Fitz and the Tantrums on JetBlue. They have the TV on the JetBlue. On the TV they have the History Channel, which was featuring a show on 9/11. It's disturbing to watch a documentary on 9/11 at just about any moment. It's extra disturbing to watch the documentary when you're on a plane from JFK to LAX, but I couldn't turn it off. I can't believe it's been eight years already.
I lived in New York during September 11th, 2001. I flew to Los Angeles a few weeks after, at a time when people weren't ready to fly yet. The humongous plane I flew on was mostly empty except for me and a bunch of Los Angeles Firefighters who had flown out to help out with clean up and grief counseling. I sat next to a firefighter with a gigantic mustache and a fresh tattoo the size of a saucer on his bicep commemorating 9/11. I listened to him talk. He gave me an LAFD pen. I think I'd recognize him if I passed him on the street eight years later. I hope I do run into him so I can say thanks.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Prefection Part To
Does anyone prefer to read prose that isn't proofread? I missed a couple errors in my last blog entry. Does that make me more "rock?"
One friend brought up the idea that editing should be used to correct great performances, not mediocre ones. I like this idea, and need to remember to keep that in mind.
Don Gehman, who produced my album "The Story So Far" noticed that the pitch center of the record was wide. I.E.: the variety of guitars and keyboards we used made it that notes that were not 100% in tune according to science sounded in tune, because it was in tune to, for example, the quirky Hammond organ. This leads to another discussion: time and practicality.
It is quick and easy to simply drop auto-tune on an instrument in the world of digital recording. Auto-tune pushes and pulls the pitch as close as you would like to "perfection." This does not take into account how in tune the rhythm guitar with the accidentally bent D string is.
It's more musical to listen to each vocal note alone with the guitar or piano and only adjust the notes that bug you. It's also significantly more time consuming.
Those of us who are pursuing music as a career are doing so at a time when people are buying less records. I am a full-time musician. I need the music that I make to create income for me. What's the best way for me to do that?
Lately I've been writing music with and for other artists. This is in hopes that I can find other people who will take the baton and find a home and a market for the songs we create. Is it in my best interests to write one song that I spend 80 hours making or eight songs that I spend ten hours on? That depends. If the artist is someone who is already established and I know their record is going to see the light of day, then theoretically I should spend the extra time on it. That doesn't necessarily mean that the song is going to turn out better.
This all comes down to taste. This is the job of the artist and the record producer.
In a conversation with Fitz, the singer of the band I'm touring with, he more or less said: "vibe is the one commodity that is still valuable in the digital age." Almost everyone has access to computers that can make your music sound huge and "good" in a subjective way. Creativity and finding that perfect sound, maybe you use a rickety upright piano, or a $15 garage sale casio keyboard, is the one aspect that still separates the women from the girls.
Knowing when to say when is enlightenment.
Let's keep working, but let's know when to stop.
One friend brought up the idea that editing should be used to correct great performances, not mediocre ones. I like this idea, and need to remember to keep that in mind.
Don Gehman, who produced my album "The Story So Far" noticed that the pitch center of the record was wide. I.E.: the variety of guitars and keyboards we used made it that notes that were not 100% in tune according to science sounded in tune, because it was in tune to, for example, the quirky Hammond organ. This leads to another discussion: time and practicality.
It is quick and easy to simply drop auto-tune on an instrument in the world of digital recording. Auto-tune pushes and pulls the pitch as close as you would like to "perfection." This does not take into account how in tune the rhythm guitar with the accidentally bent D string is.
It's more musical to listen to each vocal note alone with the guitar or piano and only adjust the notes that bug you. It's also significantly more time consuming.
Those of us who are pursuing music as a career are doing so at a time when people are buying less records. I am a full-time musician. I need the music that I make to create income for me. What's the best way for me to do that?
Lately I've been writing music with and for other artists. This is in hopes that I can find other people who will take the baton and find a home and a market for the songs we create. Is it in my best interests to write one song that I spend 80 hours making or eight songs that I spend ten hours on? That depends. If the artist is someone who is already established and I know their record is going to see the light of day, then theoretically I should spend the extra time on it. That doesn't necessarily mean that the song is going to turn out better.
This all comes down to taste. This is the job of the artist and the record producer.
In a conversation with Fitz, the singer of the band I'm touring with, he more or less said: "vibe is the one commodity that is still valuable in the digital age." Almost everyone has access to computers that can make your music sound huge and "good" in a subjective way. Creativity and finding that perfect sound, maybe you use a rickety upright piano, or a $15 garage sale casio keyboard, is the one aspect that still separates the women from the girls.
Knowing when to say when is enlightenment.
Let's keep working, but let's know when to stop.
Friday, November 13, 2009
mafia pitch correction? fughettaboudit
Read me:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/monitormix/2009/11/the_death_of_mistakes_means_th.html
And then, let's discuss:
I agree with the gist of this article. Over-correcting is a serious problem in modern music. Also, the dynamic range of modern rock and pop has become teeny-tiny.
As a musician I have spent many hours in the practice room trying to "perfect" my playing. The studio allows me to reach that goal in some ways which were not possible before digital recording. How do you know when to stop? If you're a model would you not want a blemish photoshopped out of a picture?
This reminds me of a part of an Ayn Rand book I read which more or less stated: if you see a person who's physically beautiful but has a weird birthmark on their face, you overlook it. If you see a painting of a beautiful person with a hairy mole on their face it's a giant slap in the face. It's a statement.
How does that relate to music?
Read this excerpt of Bill Evans' liner notes for the Miles Davis album "Kind of Blue"
http://www.billevanswebpages.com/kindblue.html
I agree that music is better with the blemishes left on it. I believe that dynamic range is a good thing. I'm also simultaneously worried that if I make a recording that could be used in a movie or a tv show and it's going up against another song that sounds bigger I'll lose the gig.
It's not possible for society to move back in time. It trips me out that we'll never again be in a movie theater that there isn't at least the possibility of someone forgetting to turn their cell phone off. This is the world we live in.
The great music of the 60's was recorded with eight or less tracks. That limitation was part of the creative process, and helped the artist achieve greater heights.
Read this for more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_multitrack_recording
Those limitations are toast, and there's no going back. You won't see athletes avoiding creatine and modern dietary supplements unless they're outlawed.
If we passed legislation banning auto-tune, wouldn't that just give way to bootleg-mafia pitch correction?
It's time to get dressed for my gig, so I'll have to leave this right where it is for the moment.
Tell me what you think...
http://www.npr.org/blogs/monitormix/2009/11/the_death_of_mistakes_means_th.html
And then, let's discuss:
I agree with the gist of this article. Over-correcting is a serious problem in modern music. Also, the dynamic range of modern rock and pop has become teeny-tiny.
As a musician I have spent many hours in the practice room trying to "perfect" my playing. The studio allows me to reach that goal in some ways which were not possible before digital recording. How do you know when to stop? If you're a model would you not want a blemish photoshopped out of a picture?
This reminds me of a part of an Ayn Rand book I read which more or less stated: if you see a person who's physically beautiful but has a weird birthmark on their face, you overlook it. If you see a painting of a beautiful person with a hairy mole on their face it's a giant slap in the face. It's a statement.
How does that relate to music?
Read this excerpt of Bill Evans' liner notes for the Miles Davis album "Kind of Blue"
http://www.billevanswebpages.com/kindblue.html
I agree that music is better with the blemishes left on it. I believe that dynamic range is a good thing. I'm also simultaneously worried that if I make a recording that could be used in a movie or a tv show and it's going up against another song that sounds bigger I'll lose the gig.
It's not possible for society to move back in time. It trips me out that we'll never again be in a movie theater that there isn't at least the possibility of someone forgetting to turn their cell phone off. This is the world we live in.
The great music of the 60's was recorded with eight or less tracks. That limitation was part of the creative process, and helped the artist achieve greater heights.
Read this for more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_multitrack_recording
Those limitations are toast, and there's no going back. You won't see athletes avoiding creatine and modern dietary supplements unless they're outlawed.
If we passed legislation banning auto-tune, wouldn't that just give way to bootleg-mafia pitch correction?
It's time to get dressed for my gig, so I'll have to leave this right where it is for the moment.
Tell me what you think...
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Falafel? No, I'm feeling great, thanks.
The rain in New York falls mainly on the ground.
The rats in New York hang out mainly near the trash bags.
I spotted five of New York's Furriest/Grossest on my way from recording studio to R train last night at 2 AM. I played the fretless bass on a "what the heck, let's record something" session with Bill Campbell, Ryan Scott. and Christina Courtin. My apologies to anyone who hears that recording and has perfect or relative pitch.
Driving play by play:
Now it's on to Connecticut. I'm enjoying of the view of the East River. Kind of nervous on the bridge. I shall overcome.
Ok, we're safely on to gentrified sections of Brooklyn now.
There are three remaining days for me on the tour. Fitz and the Tantrums shall carry on with the incomparable Jeremy Ruzumna resume-na-ing his keyboard duties with the band.
I'm imagining it will be warmer in Los Angeles than it is in the Northeast. I'm also imagining that the falafels won't be as good as they are at Taim in the Village. These are the tradeoffs you make in life.
The rats in New York hang out mainly near the trash bags.
I spotted five of New York's Furriest/Grossest on my way from recording studio to R train last night at 2 AM. I played the fretless bass on a "what the heck, let's record something" session with Bill Campbell, Ryan Scott. and Christina Courtin. My apologies to anyone who hears that recording and has perfect or relative pitch.
Driving play by play:
Now it's on to Connecticut. I'm enjoying of the view of the East River. Kind of nervous on the bridge. I shall overcome.
Ok, we're safely on to gentrified sections of Brooklyn now.
There are three remaining days for me on the tour. Fitz and the Tantrums shall carry on with the incomparable Jeremy Ruzumna resume-na-ing his keyboard duties with the band.
I'm imagining it will be warmer in Los Angeles than it is in the Northeast. I'm also imagining that the falafels won't be as good as they are at Taim in the Village. These are the tradeoffs you make in life.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
hither, yon shouts out
Ah, New York. It is good to be back in you for a few days.
Yesterday was a tour de force involving some of my closest New York friends (a tour de friends?). I had a leisurely, margarita-y lunch at Rosa Mexicano with stellar saxophonist (say it: sacks-often-ist) Rob Wilkerson, followed by an intimate beer or two with my old bandmate Bill Campbell at Kettle o' Fish in the village, followed by a nightcap of jazzy awesomeness at the Village Vanguard. I got to witness my old college roommate and fellow Nebraskan, Frank Basile, live the dream. He plays baritone sax with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, my favorite ensemble with more than ten and less than 30 members (yes I like them better than the Los Angeles Lakers).
I love and am proud of my friends.
I walked hither and yon throughout lower Manhattan. In Los Angeles, we'll walk hither, but we'll have to drive to get there. Yon is just out of the question.
Today we're driving our faces off to Blacksburb, VA, home of Virginia Tech, which is the locale of a concert I did with the Plain White T's back in 2k3 or so. My friend who facilitated that concert, Nada, is having a kidney transplant very soon, so everybody do a shout out to whoever you shout to for such events.
We woke up at 6 am, and are now close to arriving, therefore it's time to post this blog and shut down the lappy. Sleep is for non-New Yorkers, by the way. I'm a non-New Yorker, and will therefore soon need a nap.
Yesterday was a tour de force involving some of my closest New York friends (a tour de friends?). I had a leisurely, margarita-y lunch at Rosa Mexicano with stellar saxophonist (say it: sacks-often-ist) Rob Wilkerson, followed by an intimate beer or two with my old bandmate Bill Campbell at Kettle o' Fish in the village, followed by a nightcap of jazzy awesomeness at the Village Vanguard. I got to witness my old college roommate and fellow Nebraskan, Frank Basile, live the dream. He plays baritone sax with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, my favorite ensemble with more than ten and less than 30 members (yes I like them better than the Los Angeles Lakers).
I love and am proud of my friends.
I walked hither and yon throughout lower Manhattan. In Los Angeles, we'll walk hither, but we'll have to drive to get there. Yon is just out of the question.
Today we're driving our faces off to Blacksburb, VA, home of Virginia Tech, which is the locale of a concert I did with the Plain White T's back in 2k3 or so. My friend who facilitated that concert, Nada, is having a kidney transplant very soon, so everybody do a shout out to whoever you shout to for such events.
We woke up at 6 am, and are now close to arriving, therefore it's time to post this blog and shut down the lappy. Sleep is for non-New Yorkers, by the way. I'm a non-New Yorker, and will therefore soon need a nap.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
I could milk somebodeeeaah
Oh blog. It's been too long. I got a very thoughtful email from a fan about re-starting this here thing, and it's time. I feel some imaginary, self-induced pressure to have this particular blog entry be the best ever, since my last entry was five months ago. So... here we go!
*Cricket*
*Cricket*
*Cricket*
I'm currently in the back seat captain's chair of a Sprinter van. We have wifi. We have an XBox. We have The Talking Heads burning down the house on the radio. We are Fitz and The Tantrums. I am playing keys with "we" for a week, whilst we open for "they." "They" are Maroon 5.
They talk a lot, don't they.
Tonight we shall play Cornell University. We're about 30 miles out right now. The farmhouses are purty and neat. I want to milk something. That's my favorite Kings of Leon song, incidentally, or is that "Milk SomeBODY"? I forget.
Yesterday our dressing room was a basketball court. This was a dream come true. We had plush couches, chips, salsa, peanut butter, jelly, and, after harassing a few friendly St. John's student-employees, a basketball. I was in heaven, and my heart beat so that I could hardly speak.
My jump shot was semi-silky at fleeting moments.
Meanwhile, back in LA, I've been busy writing songs, some poppy, some rocky, all with chords and melodies. The new album is still only a faint glimmer on the horizon, but I'm optimistic. The good news is: I'm creating music. The bad news: there are nowhere near enough hours in the day.
Let's do this again before another five months go by.
*Cricket*
*Cricket*
*Cricket*
I'm currently in the back seat captain's chair of a Sprinter van. We have wifi. We have an XBox. We have The Talking Heads burning down the house on the radio. We are Fitz and The Tantrums. I am playing keys with "we" for a week, whilst we open for "they." "They" are Maroon 5.
They talk a lot, don't they.
Tonight we shall play Cornell University. We're about 30 miles out right now. The farmhouses are purty and neat. I want to milk something. That's my favorite Kings of Leon song, incidentally, or is that "Milk SomeBODY"? I forget.
Yesterday our dressing room was a basketball court. This was a dream come true. We had plush couches, chips, salsa, peanut butter, jelly, and, after harassing a few friendly St. John's student-employees, a basketball. I was in heaven, and my heart beat so that I could hardly speak.
My jump shot was semi-silky at fleeting moments.
Meanwhile, back in LA, I've been busy writing songs, some poppy, some rocky, all with chords and melodies. The new album is still only a faint glimmer on the horizon, but I'm optimistic. The good news is: I'm creating music. The bad news: there are nowhere near enough hours in the day.
Let's do this again before another five months go by.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Tale of Two Four Year-olds
Oh kay. Where are we? I am home! I am back. The road was grand. I have a three way tie for best hosts on Earth award: Tyson Leslie, Kevin/Ina Steinman, and my folks. They drove me to the airport and back repeatedly. They kept me well fed and sane. I only wish I could freeload longer.
Go to Chino Latino in Minneapolis and eat their $1 happy hour tacos. You will like it. I know this because I liked it.
This tour was really about the youth demographic. KC badass/musician/host/friend Tyson Leslie's brilliant li'l four year-older and I became fast friends. Young Nathan's quote: "I'm still getting used to Zack, so I'm going to sleep in his bed tonight." I'm considering getting that tattooed on my back.
I played a friend's wedding in Omaha, and there was another equally precocious four year-older at that gig. Her name is Julia, and she told her mom that she no longer wants to marry her younger brother when she grows up. She wants to marry me. Also, she referred to me as "Zack Expert". I really hope that nickname sticks.
So what now? Bask in the glory of the adoration of four year-olds? No! Write songs! Make records! Score a movie! Do some gigs with Drake Bell! Play the Side Door in Manhattan Beach on Friday!
The Drake Bell band will play Hershey, PA at the end o' May. Last time we played there we were escorted to the front of the roller coaster lines, where we laughed at the little children who had waited patiently and feasted on their tears. Ok that's not true, I did feel a little guilty, but really enjoyed getting the bejesus scared out of me when the roller coaster took off so fast that the only tears to be feasted on were mine. The sheer velocity forced them out of my eye sockets, I wasn't crying because I was frightened, I promise.
Right before I left for the road I finished scoring three short films. When/if they are available online I'll put them up for your viewing pleasure. I finished the last one, La Pastisserie at 4:15 AM. I left with the Drake Bell band for the road fifteen minutes later.
This lack of sleep to start the tour, plus the impending doom of Swine Flu being all the rage, made for a nervous couple of days. I inherited what I call a "Swine Cold" which is still vaguely lingering two weeks later. I think I'm going to amputate my sinuses if this doesn't clear up in the next year or two.
Go to Chino Latino in Minneapolis and eat their $1 happy hour tacos. You will like it. I know this because I liked it.
This tour was really about the youth demographic. KC badass/musician/host/friend Tyson Leslie's brilliant li'l four year-older and I became fast friends. Young Nathan's quote: "I'm still getting used to Zack, so I'm going to sleep in his bed tonight." I'm considering getting that tattooed on my back.
I played a friend's wedding in Omaha, and there was another equally precocious four year-older at that gig. Her name is Julia, and she told her mom that she no longer wants to marry her younger brother when she grows up. She wants to marry me. Also, she referred to me as "Zack Expert". I really hope that nickname sticks.
So what now? Bask in the glory of the adoration of four year-olds? No! Write songs! Make records! Score a movie! Do some gigs with Drake Bell! Play the Side Door in Manhattan Beach on Friday!
The Drake Bell band will play Hershey, PA at the end o' May. Last time we played there we were escorted to the front of the roller coaster lines, where we laughed at the little children who had waited patiently and feasted on their tears. Ok that's not true, I did feel a little guilty, but really enjoyed getting the bejesus scared out of me when the roller coaster took off so fast that the only tears to be feasted on were mine. The sheer velocity forced them out of my eye sockets, I wasn't crying because I was frightened, I promise.
Right before I left for the road I finished scoring three short films. When/if they are available online I'll put them up for your viewing pleasure. I finished the last one, La Pastisserie at 4:15 AM. I left with the Drake Bell band for the road fifteen minutes later.
This lack of sleep to start the tour, plus the impending doom of Swine Flu being all the rage, made for a nervous couple of days. I inherited what I call a "Swine Cold" which is still vaguely lingering two weeks later. I think I'm going to amputate my sinuses if this doesn't clear up in the next year or two.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Oof dah
The bone-melting heat has subsided in Los Angeles. I can now go outside without fear of spontaneously combusting.
So what am I doing at this computer? I'm getting cracking on the three (possibly four) short films I'm scoring.
Each of them will be six and a half minutes long. One is a Japanese war film, one is set in Spain at a bakery, and the other is a comedy that tours classic movie locales (Blade Runner, Back to the Future, Die Hard).
Tonight will be our first rehearsal in many moons with the Drake Bell band to prep for our jaunt through Illinois. This makes me happy.
Friday I'll be playing a gig with my Norwegian singer friend Therese Ulvan. We're doing a private concert for a Norwegian school that's on a field trip to LA. As my Norwegian grandma would say: Oof dah.
Let's get Bizet.
So what am I doing at this computer? I'm getting cracking on the three (possibly four) short films I'm scoring.
Each of them will be six and a half minutes long. One is a Japanese war film, one is set in Spain at a bakery, and the other is a comedy that tours classic movie locales (Blade Runner, Back to the Future, Die Hard).
Tonight will be our first rehearsal in many moons with the Drake Bell band to prep for our jaunt through Illinois. This makes me happy.
Friday I'll be playing a gig with my Norwegian singer friend Therese Ulvan. We're doing a private concert for a Norwegian school that's on a field trip to LA. As my Norwegian grandma would say: Oof dah.
Let's get Bizet.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Favorite Spheres
Hello blogosphere!
What is happening?
Not much here, just cooking inside my skin, inside this sweltering atmosphere. Blogo, and atmo are two of my favorite speres, by the by, followed closely by basketballs and tennis balls.
I'm getting geared up for the Midwest Tour.
Here's the deal:
May 4, 2009 : Lee's Smmit, MO (Kansas City) : Performing at Jerry’s Bait Shop
May 6, 2009 : Lee's Smmit, MO (Kansas City) : Performing at Jerry’s Bait Shop
May 7, 2009 : Minneapolis, Minnesota : Performing with Kevin Steinman at 400 Bar
May 10, 2009 : Omaha, Nebraska : Performing at Slow Down
May 11, 2009 : Chicago, Illinois : In-store performance at Apple
May 11, 2009 : Chicago, Illinois : Performing at Subterranean
Won't that be neat? I think it will.
Did I mention that I'm at http://twitter.com/zackhexum fifteen times? Ok, good.
I had a dang fun time sitting with Tim Fagan at the Witches Brew. We did mad covers. It inspired me to learn a few myself. Yesterday I mostly learned Wilco's "Jesus, Etc" and The Shinses' "Australia". It was a beautiful way to spend a Sunday. The trick is to commit the lyrics to memory. I don't have a hard time remembering my own songs once I write them, since I have to listen to them a billionty times. I've discovered my memory works best when I don't think about it at all. If I start to think ahead to what line comes next it's a fairly sure path to disaster. I have to use both hands to cram information into my brain, but once it's in there it's semi-permanent.
What is happening?
Not much here, just cooking inside my skin, inside this sweltering atmosphere. Blogo, and atmo are two of my favorite speres, by the by, followed closely by basketballs and tennis balls.
I'm getting geared up for the Midwest Tour.
Here's the deal:
May 4, 2009 : Lee's Smmit, MO (Kansas City) : Performing at Jerry’s Bait Shop
May 6, 2009 : Lee's Smmit, MO (Kansas City) : Performing at Jerry’s Bait Shop
May 7, 2009 : Minneapolis, Minnesota : Performing with Kevin Steinman at 400 Bar
May 10, 2009 : Omaha, Nebraska : Performing at Slow Down
May 11, 2009 : Chicago, Illinois : In-store performance at Apple
May 11, 2009 : Chicago, Illinois : Performing at Subterranean
Won't that be neat? I think it will.
Did I mention that I'm at http://twitter.com/zackhexum fifteen times? Ok, good.
I had a dang fun time sitting with Tim Fagan at the Witches Brew. We did mad covers. It inspired me to learn a few myself. Yesterday I mostly learned Wilco's "Jesus, Etc" and The Shinses' "Australia". It was a beautiful way to spend a Sunday. The trick is to commit the lyrics to memory. I don't have a hard time remembering my own songs once I write them, since I have to listen to them a billionty times. I've discovered my memory works best when I don't think about it at all. If I start to think ahead to what line comes next it's a fairly sure path to disaster. I have to use both hands to cram information into my brain, but once it's in there it's semi-permanent.
Monday, April 6, 2009
micro-payment of attention
Two open letters to my last two venues:
Dear Zoey's,
You are real nice to me. I had a damn fine time with you on Friday night. Jes Hudak sang real purty. Your renovations and cafe spot downstairs are perfect additions to your beautiful space. Let's do it again real soon.
Sincerely,
Xaque
Dear Hotel Cafe,
We done did it again. There were many old/new friends at you. Erik Kertes played his bass/face off at you. Joel the Martin and John the Wicks brought beautiful happy vibes to you/me/the audience. I salute you, and after I'm finished saluting you, I welcome our next encounter with open arms.
Sincerely,
Zack
Yes folks, I'm in the afterglow of a couple of darn fun concerts. What now? A busy week of writing, recording, and weaving (What? I don't know how to weave or bob, for that matter. Start making sense or I'm weaving!).
As you can deduce the caffeine is in full effect, and I don't feel the least bit bad about it.
I started reading James Michener's "Alaska" this weekend. 950 pages to go: better pack a lunch.
I think the reason that Twittering is such an addictive habit is because it's a micro-payment of attention. When I write a blog, I want to make it worth while (so I suppose now is as good a time as any to say "whoops, my bad!"). When I write a tweet, I can do it in line at the post office. I suppose I could approach blogs in the same way, but/yet I do not.
So what do I have to say that's worth while: the sun is shining in California and there are infinite possibilities. Let's go effect the outcome.
Dear Zoey's,
You are real nice to me. I had a damn fine time with you on Friday night. Jes Hudak sang real purty. Your renovations and cafe spot downstairs are perfect additions to your beautiful space. Let's do it again real soon.
Sincerely,
Xaque
Dear Hotel Cafe,
We done did it again. There were many old/new friends at you. Erik Kertes played his bass/face off at you. Joel the Martin and John the Wicks brought beautiful happy vibes to you/me/the audience. I salute you, and after I'm finished saluting you, I welcome our next encounter with open arms.
Sincerely,
Zack
Yes folks, I'm in the afterglow of a couple of darn fun concerts. What now? A busy week of writing, recording, and weaving (What? I don't know how to weave or bob, for that matter. Start making sense or I'm weaving!).
As you can deduce the caffeine is in full effect, and I don't feel the least bit bad about it.
I started reading James Michener's "Alaska" this weekend. 950 pages to go: better pack a lunch.
I think the reason that Twittering is such an addictive habit is because it's a micro-payment of attention. When I write a blog, I want to make it worth while (so I suppose now is as good a time as any to say "whoops, my bad!"). When I write a tweet, I can do it in line at the post office. I suppose I could approach blogs in the same way, but/yet I do not.
So what do I have to say that's worth while: the sun is shining in California and there are infinite possibilities. Let's go effect the outcome.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Hotel Cafe V-Flyer with Indian Food
It's cloudy in Los Angeles, but my sunny personality shall not be dimmed. It's been a week full of writing, recording, and many other pleasant -ings (shaving, castigating, bingeing). I recorded the jazzy organ trio at Loyola Marymount University. John Wicks on the drums and Luke Miller on the jazzy organ both played like the intuitive and dynamic dynamos they are. We will use the recording to get some jazzy organ trio gigs, hopefully a residency at a bar in Los Angeles.
Last night I enjoyed the Indian food at Salomi in North Hollywood. My sis lives in the Bay Area, and there's a favorite Indian restaurant we partake of whenever I visit. This restaurant is the Holy Grail of all Indian restaurants (and I can't remember what the hell it's called). Salomi was, as Monica Lewinksy wouldn't say "close, but no cigar." And yes, I mangled that joke from Tina Fey's Twitter page.
In other news, I'm prepared for some serious action at the Hotel Cafe this Thursday. So prepared, in fact that I made a video flyer for it:
Last night I enjoyed the Indian food at Salomi in North Hollywood. My sis lives in the Bay Area, and there's a favorite Indian restaurant we partake of whenever I visit. This restaurant is the Holy Grail of all Indian restaurants (and I can't remember what the hell it's called). Salomi was, as Monica Lewinksy wouldn't say "close, but no cigar." And yes, I mangled that joke from Tina Fey's Twitter page.
In other news, I'm prepared for some serious action at the Hotel Cafe this Thursday. So prepared, in fact that I made a video flyer for it:
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Bird brains
I feel like I'm cheating on my blog by Twittering. Really, though blog, she doesn't mean anything to me. You're my first internet love, well you and yourethemannowdog.com.
I'm still here, lurking in the intershadows. Semi-constantly pondering new blog topics. The new death star (i.e. studio) is almost operational. I'm updating software and bringing twigs to fortify my nest.
For some reason the heat just got turned on here, and I'm feeling like a rotisserie chicken.
I got cracking on a new song with my friend Luke Adams. I've known Luke since my days of yore (and by yore I mean college). As soon as it's ready for prime time I'll pop it online so that we can share it with you. The song started with a vaguely Jeff Buckley-esque melodic idea, and has morphed into something else, perhaps with an aroma of Coldplay.
Anywah, it's time to enjoy this beauteous day, and walk away from computer screens. Let's do it together.
Three....
Two....
One....
"Are you sure you want to shut down your computer now?"
I'm still here, lurking in the intershadows. Semi-constantly pondering new blog topics. The new death star (i.e. studio) is almost operational. I'm updating software and bringing twigs to fortify my nest.
For some reason the heat just got turned on here, and I'm feeling like a rotisserie chicken.
I got cracking on a new song with my friend Luke Adams. I've known Luke since my days of yore (and by yore I mean college). As soon as it's ready for prime time I'll pop it online so that we can share it with you. The song started with a vaguely Jeff Buckley-esque melodic idea, and has morphed into something else, perhaps with an aroma of Coldplay.
Anywah, it's time to enjoy this beauteous day, and walk away from computer screens. Let's do it together.
Three....
Two....
One....
"Are you sure you want to shut down your computer now?"
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Consequences be damned
I'm a man about town of late
Monday nights I've been a regular at Molly Malone's, enjoying the musics of Brandon Rogers, Amie Miriello, and David Hodges. I highly recommend it, and not just because of Amie's potty-mouth banter.
Tuesday I sat in at the F.O.C.K.R.'s jam at the Kibbitz Room and earred my way through some Billy Joel on the saxamaphone. It's easy to stand out when no one else plays your instrument, that's why I'm in the market for a sacbut.
Last night I enjoyed the music of Geoff Pearlman at Cafe Cordiale. Geoff is an architect with the songs he writes. There's an intrinsic logic to the harmonic lines that weave through his stories that makes me musically horny.
Music enthusiast by night, music creator/meeting taker by day
I'm keeping on a strict diet of writing one new song a day. I'm planting musical seeds. Some will grow into b-sides, some into chart-topping anthems, and some into birdcage liner. Only time will tell.
I've got a new manager. You may notice a more meaty presence on my myspace and facebook pages in the future. We've been galavanting around LA to line up my behind the scenes army. I like meetings that involve sushi.
Illness is my least favorite "ness"
I'm still feeling the lingering effects of a sinus thing. It seems to have settled into my throat (that's what she said). As a result I've skipped my running regimen for the last week. My alarm clock was a calf cramp at 5:30 AM. This is no bueno (I learned those two words on the Drake Bell Mexico Tour '08). I'm going running. Consequences be damned. I'll need a banana afterwards, and perhaps a new throat. Till then.
Monday nights I've been a regular at Molly Malone's, enjoying the musics of Brandon Rogers, Amie Miriello, and David Hodges. I highly recommend it, and not just because of Amie's potty-mouth banter.
Tuesday I sat in at the F.O.C.K.R.'s jam at the Kibbitz Room and earred my way through some Billy Joel on the saxamaphone. It's easy to stand out when no one else plays your instrument, that's why I'm in the market for a sacbut.
Last night I enjoyed the music of Geoff Pearlman at Cafe Cordiale. Geoff is an architect with the songs he writes. There's an intrinsic logic to the harmonic lines that weave through his stories that makes me musically horny.
Music enthusiast by night, music creator/meeting taker by day
I'm keeping on a strict diet of writing one new song a day. I'm planting musical seeds. Some will grow into b-sides, some into chart-topping anthems, and some into birdcage liner. Only time will tell.
I've got a new manager. You may notice a more meaty presence on my myspace and facebook pages in the future. We've been galavanting around LA to line up my behind the scenes army. I like meetings that involve sushi.
Illness is my least favorite "ness"
I'm still feeling the lingering effects of a sinus thing. It seems to have settled into my throat (
Monday, February 16, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
no metal toilets
And we're back!
Regrettably I was unable to give you the kind of play by play I would enjoy from a tour. I left my laptop at home in favor of a lighter load, and couldn't find the physical/mental space or the thumb flexibility to post from my iPhone.
Here's how it went:
I met some great people.
I played those people my music.
I froze my extremities off.
I finished and enjoyed the book "The Likeness" by Tana French. "Take what you want and pay for it, says God." -Spanish proverb (via Ms. French)
I drove a heaping quantity of hours. For some reason the extra painful early morning shift when everyone else in the van is passed out was my favorite. I communed with nature, music, concrete, and steel. The miles melted quickly away and my mind unwound its nots and knots.
I had my first extended bonding session with my recently acquired alto saxophone.
I had my first extended tour-bonding session with my friend Ryan Cabrera. That's my dawg.
I had my first encounters with Gregg the tour-booker, and Jesse Ruben. We're now bonded for life, not unlike what I guess it must be like to have a cellmate, only without the metal toilets. Here's to not finding out how apropos that comparison is.
Highlights:
-losing my hearing after playing for various screaming sorority girls.
-eating guacamole with truffles in Philly.
-playing my music, and Ryan's music for friendly sold-out crowds.
-seeing old friends in NYC.
Lowlights:
-running out of CDs to sell to the aforementioned friendlies.
-having the box of discs that were sent to replenish my supply lost at the Pittsburgh post office.
-accidentally heaving Ryan's beautiful guitar to the floor at the Bitter End in NYC.
And now that I'm home, what do I do? I pick up the pieces. I decompress. I catch up internet duties. I write songs. I sleep in my own bed. I download this month's supply of new music from emusic.com. Thus far I've picked some winners: The Dodos, Bon Iver, Andrew Bird, Larry Goldings album "Long Story Short", and Sia doing "Paranoid Android". I read "What is the What" by Dave Eggers, which gave me this gem:
"The pain is not great, but the symbolism is disagreeable."
Till next time,
Regrettably I was unable to give you the kind of play by play I would enjoy from a tour. I left my laptop at home in favor of a lighter load, and couldn't find the physical/mental space or the thumb flexibility to post from my iPhone.
Here's how it went:
I met some great people.
I played those people my music.
I froze my extremities off.
I finished and enjoyed the book "The Likeness" by Tana French. "Take what you want and pay for it, says God." -Spanish proverb (via Ms. French)
I drove a heaping quantity of hours. For some reason the extra painful early morning shift when everyone else in the van is passed out was my favorite. I communed with nature, music, concrete, and steel. The miles melted quickly away and my mind unwound its nots and knots.
I had my first extended bonding session with my recently acquired alto saxophone.
I had my first extended tour-bonding session with my friend Ryan Cabrera. That's my dawg.
I had my first encounters with Gregg the tour-booker, and Jesse Ruben. We're now bonded for life, not unlike what I guess it must be like to have a cellmate, only without the metal toilets. Here's to not finding out how apropos that comparison is.
Highlights:
-losing my hearing after playing for various screaming sorority girls.
-eating guacamole with truffles in Philly.
-playing my music, and Ryan's music for friendly sold-out crowds.
-seeing old friends in NYC.
Lowlights:
-running out of CDs to sell to the aforementioned friendlies.
-having the box of discs that were sent to replenish my supply lost at the Pittsburgh post office.
-accidentally heaving Ryan's beautiful guitar to the floor at the Bitter End in NYC.
And now that I'm home, what do I do? I pick up the pieces. I decompress. I catch up internet duties. I write songs. I sleep in my own bed. I download this month's supply of new music from emusic.com. Thus far I've picked some winners: The Dodos, Bon Iver, Andrew Bird, Larry Goldings album "Long Story Short", and Sia doing "Paranoid Android". I read "What is the What" by Dave Eggers, which gave me this gem:
"The pain is not great, but the symbolism is disagreeable."
Till next time,
Thursday, January 8, 2009
high volume of new music
Let's do it again.
It's my special time of the month. Time to download my 75 songs from emusic.com. I took my brother's advice and downloaded The Avett Brothers as well as a bunch of world and classical music. Since it's the new year I wiped as much music as I possibly could stand to from my overflowing ipod. In its stead I've put Paul Lewis' Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 4, Hari Prasad Chaurasia (Indian flute music, who just played a phrase that sounds like "don't cry for me Argentina"), She & Him Volume One, Best of the Staple Singers (and no that's not a collection of National Anthem's before Laker games), Thievery Corporation, Aaron Copland, Sia, Mstislav Rostropovich (I'd like to buy a vowel), and Okkervil River. These are not endorsements of these artists yet. I need to start training for a marathon so I can have time to listen to this, and the other couple of hundred songs I've downloaded in the past few months. I will, however, say that I love Vampire Weekend.
I live in an apartment in Los Angeles. I like to recycle. In LA we use blue bins to recycle stuff. My apartment doesn't have separate blue bins. I used to stockpile cardboard and other recycle-y items and do nighttime commando runs to stuff them in my neighbors blue bins (yes, this is strange behavior). Recently, I said to myself: "self, there must be a better way." I spent some time on the interwebs at LARecycles.org and discovered that if you live in an apartment building that the city will provide free blue bins for your building, and take them out to the street. All you gots to do is call, and you've got a friend. I wrote my landlord a letter to ask him if he'd opposed to putting the recycling bins at our place. It turns out that everything that goes into my dumpster gets sorted and recycled after the fact anyway. All my stockpiling and strange behavior was for naught. Anywah, I wanted to share that with you, because it's worth finding out if you don't already recycle whether your trash goes to a great trash heap in the sky (and by sky, I mean ground) or gets reincarnated into something useful.
Speaking of recycling. This is an interesting NYTimes article on water usage I've been meaning to post. It discusses, among other things using "greywater" i.e. post-dishwasher/laundry/shower water to water your lawn. "Landscape watering accounts for 50% of usage in most districts." It also has some great photos of living roofs. That's my next project to bug my landlord with.
And now: time to listen to music until my ears bleed.
What?
It's my special time of the month. Time to download my 75 songs from emusic.com. I took my brother's advice and downloaded The Avett Brothers as well as a bunch of world and classical music. Since it's the new year I wiped as much music as I possibly could stand to from my overflowing ipod. In its stead I've put Paul Lewis' Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 4, Hari Prasad Chaurasia (Indian flute music, who just played a phrase that sounds like "don't cry for me Argentina"), She & Him Volume One, Best of the Staple Singers (and no that's not a collection of National Anthem's before Laker games), Thievery Corporation, Aaron Copland, Sia, Mstislav Rostropovich (I'd like to buy a vowel), and Okkervil River. These are not endorsements of these artists yet. I need to start training for a marathon so I can have time to listen to this, and the other couple of hundred songs I've downloaded in the past few months. I will, however, say that I love Vampire Weekend.
I live in an apartment in Los Angeles. I like to recycle. In LA we use blue bins to recycle stuff. My apartment doesn't have separate blue bins. I used to stockpile cardboard and other recycle-y items and do nighttime commando runs to stuff them in my neighbors blue bins (yes, this is strange behavior). Recently, I said to myself: "self, there must be a better way." I spent some time on the interwebs at LARecycles.org and discovered that if you live in an apartment building that the city will provide free blue bins for your building, and take them out to the street. All you gots to do is call, and you've got a friend. I wrote my landlord a letter to ask him if he'd opposed to putting the recycling bins at our place. It turns out that everything that goes into my dumpster gets sorted and recycled after the fact anyway. All my stockpiling and strange behavior was for naught. Anywah, I wanted to share that with you, because it's worth finding out if you don't already recycle whether your trash goes to a great trash heap in the sky (and by sky, I mean ground) or gets reincarnated into something useful.
Speaking of recycling. This is an interesting NYTimes article on water usage I've been meaning to post. It discusses, among other things using "greywater" i.e. post-dishwasher/laundry/shower water to water your lawn. "Landscape watering accounts for 50% of usage in most districts." It also has some great photos of living roofs. That's my next project to bug my landlord with.
And now: time to listen to music until my ears bleed.
What?
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Three Cups of Tea for the New Year
Happy New Year, ladies and gentlemen. I'm nestled into my computer chair making a venti-sized to do list for **two-thousand-fine**. An excerpt:
-Stop bouncing off ceiling from caffeine O.D.
-Comb hair
-Cut hair
-Breathe in
-Find out who has video of last night's Michael McDonald karoake impersonation and destroy all copies of said video
-Do push ups
-Breathe out
-Finish the highlight reel of my film and television music
-Roll in my Benjamins
-Eat canned tuna to save aforementioned Benjis
-Breathe in
-Beat heart
-Breathe out
As you can see it's going to be the best year ever, even better than two-thousand-great.
I'm almost finished reading the book Three Cups of Tea. Side note: I'm almost finished drinking three cups of tea today as well. Point being, Three Cups of Tea, is simply an inspiring and crucial story, a method for combating terrorism and poverty with the most effective weapon: education.
More to come.
-Stop bouncing off ceiling from caffeine O.D.
-Comb hair
-Cut hair
-Breathe in
-Find out who has video of last night's Michael McDonald karoake impersonation and destroy all copies of said video
-Do push ups
-Breathe out
-Finish the highlight reel of my film and television music
-Roll in my Benjamins
-Eat canned tuna to save aforementioned Benjis
-Breathe in
-Beat heart
-Breathe out
As you can see it's going to be the best year ever, even better than two-thousand-great.
I'm almost finished reading the book Three Cups of Tea. Side note: I'm almost finished drinking three cups of tea today as well. Point being, Three Cups of Tea, is simply an inspiring and crucial story, a method for combating terrorism and poverty with the most effective weapon: education.
More to come.
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