Popular Music Video.

It is now 2 AM -- I have spent the past hour or so watching music videos. The last video I saw caught my attention in particular, and made me think. I would like to describe the video, and then share my thoughts. It is a video by a newer artist, who I believe USED to be in a popular singing group, but has now GONE SOLO, so to speak, although in this case, "solo" would refer to having songs written for him (or co-written, and really, what is the difference?), arranged for him, a band picked out for him, hair and makeup and wardrobe chosen, reality TV show written & planned around release date of album, etc. In any case, here is his video:

We start with a lone microphone, on a stand, white tape (carelessly?) wrapped partially around where the mic connects to the chord. The music begins. He steps up to the mic. The lyrics begin to take shape -- at this point, I start paying attention. Lyrics you might find in a 14-year old's diary. Lyrics you might have found in MY 14-year old diary, had I kept one. Think "Sk8r Boi". Think early Beach Boys. Think current Worship songs. (ouch!) Lest I give anything away by printing actual lyrics, just as a thought experiment, i will now off the top of my head write some lyrics that may as well replace the current ones.


Take another look at me.
Look harder, you will see.
I'm not the boy you thought I was.
I'm tellin' you now, because... (wait for it)

I love you, baby
And I'm wrapping my arms so tight ('Round you tonight <-- background vocal)
Don't leave me, ba-a-a-by
'Cause I would never be all ri-i-i-ight!! (Yeah!)


The chorus finally kicks in; nothing spectacular, but of course very SINGABLE. And then. Without warning. At the end of the first chorus, on the VERY LAST CHORD. . . . . THE WALLS FALL DOWN! ONLY TO REVEAL A CROWD OF DANCING TEENS! All of them SINGING ALONG! This is unREAL! He must feel like a MILLION BUCKS!

Enter the bridge: THESE KIDS RUN ON STAGE! They're a part of this thing, too! You, YOU! The viewer, you are a part of this thing, too! You could be that kid next to the mic! He is not especially tall or handsome, neither are you. He is not nearly as good-looking as the singer, neither are you. And yet, YET! HE WELCOMES YOU! You can be in his CLUB!

Kids are eating this shit UP. And I can hardly believe it. Remember when the majority of everyone loved the BEATLES? Bob Dylan? Well, we weren't born. We got Michael Jackson, I guess. But this all led me into some thoughts...

What is the difference between this and what I am trying to do? How different is it from, say, The All-American Rejects? In a way, I look up to that band -- they write really catchy songs that are generally well-arranged and well-performed; perhaps lacking some depth lyrically, but not TOO bad, and I can tap my foot to them all day. Where does the quality come in? Am I much better than Reality Show / Pre-made Success / Wall-Bashing Singer? Perhaps not, but may I always aspire to something a little higher than that. And you, YOU! The reader, you may hold me accountable, if you so wish.


Tired of media, bitter, ready for sleep,
Danimal

The Summer EP Mix Tracklisting

OK so here is that tracklisting (see previous post) and what each song means. This is true blogging here, folks, mainly for myself to process the experience.

1. Tegan & Sara, "Take Me Anywhere" -- I have been obsessed with this song for weeks leading up to this recording session, and I played it a number of times on my ipod during the trip. What I love about the songs on "So Jealous" is that they tend to be very simple: a couple vocal parts, light instrumentation, nothing fancy about the production. But within the simplicity of the performances, the strength of the song really comes through. I am trying to take some lessons from these girls while I am in Michigan trying to write similarly brilliant songs (and most likely failing).

2. The Velvet Teen, "Counting Backwards" -- This song came on while I was responding to some emails one night with the ipod on "shuffle", and I was so surprised at how good it was: surprised because this is on an old EP of theirs, written and recorded when Judah, the singer/writer/guitarist/pianist was quite young, I think like late teens, which blows me away. This song is so ahead of it's time -- sounds like something some really good dancy-indie band would release nowadays, but it was 2001, 5 years ago! So good.

3. Phantom Planet, "The Meantime" -- I listened to this song with Crystal Murphy, my new dear friend, as she drove me to the airport (via Highway 1, lunch, etc.) at the end of my visit. This record is much better than most people realize, so dancy and catchy and well-produced (think Pinkerton, lo-fi but ballsy), and great summer music.

4. Brandtson, "Nobody Dances Anymore" -- A video was made for this song that features many of my friends, including Twinsy, and I saw this video a number of times during the trip; it is very funny and awesome, just a bunch of people dancing in the "Green Room" at The Militia Group in Long Beach. Also, it's an awesome song: so fun. They will be here in Grand Rapids on Friday and I am super excited to hang out with them.

5. Satisfaction, "Everything You Don't Want" -- Satisfaction is our producer, Michael Rosas' band; they are phenomenal (go to myspace.com/satisfaction and see why), and the mix needed a song of theirs. This is my current favorite.

6. The Rolling Stones, "Rocks Off" -- I bought "Exile On Main Street" one day while we were tracking vocals, kind of on a whim at Best Buy, and it's a great record. This is the first song, and it got me hooked. Sidenote: it really reminds me of Squad-Five-O, if any of you remember them...

7. Bob Dylan, "Like A Rolling Stone (Live in England, 1966)" -- This is from the legendary British tour when Dylan did one set of acoustic songs and then one set of loud, blistering Rock music with the musicians later to be known as The Band. Before the song starts, you can hear someone yelling "Judas!", with Bob simply replying, "I don't believe you," then turning to his band, 'Play f*cking loud!" And that they do. It is such an energetic, well-recorded version of this, one of my all-time favorite songs. And what a rock'n'roll moment that was; I am grateful to have a recorded version to enjoy. Also, I was reading Dylan's new book, "Chronicles", recommended by Jonathan Jones (Waking Ashland), and loving every minute, listening to a LOT of Dylan; it was kind of a Dylan Trip for me. I thought of even putting "Visions of Johanna" at the end of the mix, but decided that would be Dylan overkill, although that might be appropriate, since the trip was pretty much Dylan overkill.

8. Richard Swift, "Looking Back, I Should Have Been Home More" -- I had discovered the depth of quality in this song a few weeks before recording, but I listened to it a fair amount while down there, and furthermore, Richard Swift is from that area, and friends with a few of my friends down there. Also, during the trip, a few of us went to see Fielding play at the Detroit Bar in Newport Beach, which reminded me of the time I saw Richard Swift at the Detroit. Good times...

9. Let Go, "No Drugs, No Alcohol" -- This song sort of stands out on the Let Go album, a decent three-piece pop-rock record. This song is more influenced by the Beach Boys than anything Green Day ever did, however, and has a few moments of genius, my favorite being the three-part vibrato'd out harmony, "yeah!" half-way through the song. Queen, anyone?

10. The Trade Winds, "New York's A Lonely Town" -- This song is on a compilation my parents gave me when I was 7 yrs old called "Surfin' Hits". It was also undoubtedly the theme song of this trip. I had it stuck in my head almost the ENTIRE time I was down there; i would track a guitar part, intent on performance, and as soon as I finished, this song would jump back into my head, and I would find myself humming along. The lyrics are amazing (sort of): the speaker's parents have moved to New York City from Southern California, and he is dismayed to find that no one surfs in NYC, and quote, "No one even cares..." His "woodie" is outside, covered in snow. Personal favorite lyric: "From Central Park to Pasadena's such a long way; I feel so out of it walkin' down Broadway." I want to cover this song at some point; it is total Brian Wilson rip-off, but I love it.

11. Joni Mitchell, "California" -- This one is here partially for obvious reasons, but also because I was able to share this album with a songwriting friend of mine during one of our days off. This song has such a good energy; Joni's voice is ridiculously awesome, and the song really does remind me of my home state.

12. Watashi Wa, "10 Years In Separating States" -- This is easily my favorite song that Seth has ever written, and I think I've heard almost all of his songs at some point. It's slow-building, epic, with great harmonies and great lyrics about moving on, something I was anxious to do while in Southern California (not one of my favorite places...). Sometimes I feel like this song will one day get me through a very rough time. So thank you, Seth. =)

i am falling in love with music.

again.
and i am LOVING it.

i have a few people to thank: bob dylan, mikey and my boys, my mother and father (for buying me a beach boys tape and a compilation called "surfin' hits", which i rediscovered on the recent recording trip), missy higgins (who i heard and saw on the little TV on my plane ride here to Michigan), michael rosas (our producer), and perhaps many others. as some of you know, i am currently in michigan on a bit of a break. on the plane ride over, i made a mix of songs to sort of sum up my trip to southern california to record this EP that will soon be available for free to you, the reader. =)

i think i may type out the tracklisting with an explanation of each song and what it means to me in a subsequent blog. but for now, just know that i am happy. the people here in michigan are amazing.

smiling,
daniel.

overwhelmed.

so much on my plate right now... constant sherwood stuff, it seems all day every day. when do i get to be dan? i don't even know how to have normal conversations anymore. the only break i have in the next 6 months is this month in michigan coming up, during which i need to be writing songs (frantically, if possible), teaching gabe guitar parts and conducting sherwood business via email and phone, which includes finalizing mixes for the EP, as well as making a million decisions regarding its online release, physical release, etc. i am going to turn my phone off and drown in bob dylan for days at a time and piss everyone off. so everyone, be ready for that.

and yet, amidst it all, i am learning, i think. today i took a walk and got coffee and cereal and listened to the beach boys and los straitjackets and a surfin' hits compilation my parents gave me when i was 7. "new york's a lonely town" by the trade winds is my current favorite song i think...check it out. =) also we are recording the best d*mn songs we have ever written, and i am pretty sure everyone who has heard them has agreed so far...

i spent some time with some female friends tonight, my age, actually younger than me, living exciting lives (but so am i, right?). and i was so completely intimidated that i had no idea what to say. if i talk about sherwood, i feel like i have to make constant apologies or preface everything with something, anything to keep from sounding like a prick or a rockstar or an egomaniac -- the first and third are true and must be masked, the second will most likely never be true. =) why all the excuses? i have lsot the faculty for normal social interaction. i hope it comes back, but i don't know if it will. if not, i can still be a poster on someone's wall, a lyric on their myspace page, a goofy picture in their photo album (or photoBUCKET album these days), and i am ok with that, i think there is value there. i just hope i can have real friends also, not just mikey and the piled of burned-out logs that appear to be all the older friendships i have left to entropy (you know who you are and i am sorry for being the ass that i am/have been/will most likely continue to be).

is this too self-depricating? if so, let me know. i am not trying to bum anyone out or elicit pity or anything; just getting it all out there i guess. we all have problems and insecurities. if you can't relate to this, you are probably 12.

with some love,
dan

found an old poem...

...from september, it would appear. wrote it in washington dc. at the time i called it "kinda sexy..." i think i will keep that title.


If dawn fails to reach me, through shuttered glass,
if my alarm is silenced with the shirt
you ripped off like a man breaking his fast,
let it not be coincidence -- Hurt
can rise atop my brain like cream in milk,
it happens in the first few yawns each day.
So i have made my bed with sheets of silk
and feather tops, to keep those yawns away--
but night can be day, and day can be night,
so if the dawn should fail to reach me, dear,
with afternoon I will still have to fight.


it was suposed to be a sonnet (hence the rhyme scheme and meter), but it felt done after 11 lines; didn't have the strength for 3 more. the nice little punchline at the end is evidence that i was pretty much only reading Edna St. Vincent Millay on that trip. =) if you've never read her, go here:

http://www.bartleby.com/131/index2.html

or AT LEAST read this:


IF I should learn, in some quite casual way,
That you were gone, not to return again—
Read from the back-page of a paper, say,
Held by a neighbor in a subway train,
How at the corner of this avenue
And such a street (so are the papers filled)
A hurrying man—who happened to be you—
At noon to-day had happened to be killed,
I should not cry aloud—I could not cry
Aloud, or wring my hands in such a place—
I should but watch the station lights rush by
With a more careful interest on my face,
Or raise my eyes and read with greater care
Where to store furs and how to treat the hair.


*sigh* so good.

with love, terrible sleep patterns, and lots of trader joe's unpasteurized orange juice,
dan

home sweet home...

its 2:15 AM or so.

having a hard time falling asleep these last few days; i think it is partly because i am so used to having people around me every night until i am exhausted and CHOOSE to be alone and sleep.

last night: watched almost famous until 3 am -- good and bad; good becuase i love it, bad because i wanted to point out that near the end jason lee's character is wearing his own "jeff bebe" t-shirt but had no one to point it out to.

tonight: read bob dylan's new autobiography until 2 and then had half a piece of cake and ice cream and then sat down to--seriously? am i doing this?--BLOG.

this is stupid, i'm out.