Pricing and Home Recordings

It has been a couple of weeks now since I released "Never And Forever" as a digital download.  (The CD version release is still in the works and will be officially announced soon.)  You may have noticed that I decided to do things a little differently with the pricing this time around.  In the past I have "sold" my music at a "pay what you want" price.  That means that if you wanted to own it, it was yours, free of charge if you so desired.  It also meant that you had the option to pay for it if you had the means and felt it was worth something to you.

One of the main reasons I have done things this way in the past is because I've always known that my (home studio) recordings were not of a professional quality and I felt a bit weird asking someone to pay for something that was not up to normal audio quality standards.  That's not to say that I didn't believe in the songs themselves.  I have many songs that I feel are truly great tunes.  But I know the sound quality has always been an issue with the home recording process.

Things are a little different this time around.  With the recording of "Never And Forever" I feel like I have set a new high standard for myself in the quality of these recordings.  Is it perfect?  Of course not.  But I feel like it has now reached a point where I can feel comfortable asking someone to pay something for the work I've done.

I've set the album download cost at $5.  Individual tracks are $.75 each.  (But also, if someone feels so inclined they can pay more than that.)  Not really a lot to ask for something that you get to keep forever.  We all pay a lot more than that every day for things that are gone much quicker.  Will people be willing to part with a little hard earned cash for a handful of heartfelt songs written and recorded by a part-time amateur?  Maybe they will and maybe they won't.  I really don't know.  It's a good thing this is not my day job so I don't really have to worry about that.  Either way I am proud of what I have accomplished.

Thanks again for listening.  Peace and happiness to you and yours this Holiday Season.

James

Without Further Ado...

...I give you "Never And Forever".

After 23 months of intermittent work, it is finally finished and available for download.  This is my 4th album and has been by far the easiest to make.  (It's interesting that my 3rd album was the hardest.)  It's short...only 8 tracks.  But I think I've packed it full of enjoyable moments.  As I've said all along, with this album I've tried to keep to specific themes and a specific mood.  What that means is that there is probably not "something for everybody" on this one.  Which means that it may not be everybody's cup of tea, which is perfectly fine.  I mean really, is there anything more subjective than music?  But I think that those who DO enjoy this will do so deeply.  I've put my heart and soul into this and I hope that comes through as you listen to it.  I also hope that you will give it a few spins before passing judgement.  The best music always takes some time to sink in.

There will also be a CD version released.  It will have a 12-page booklet with artwork and lyrics.  All design work is being done by myself.  Sometimes I think I enjoy creating the artwork as much as the music.  I hope that some of you will want to go the old fashioned route and have this tangible object to hold in your hand.  I promise I am working to make it as beautiful as I can.

I'm going to ask a favor.  If you find my work to be worthy of any praise, please share it with others.  Like any musician, I'd love to reach the largest audience that I can.  Again, thanks to those who have supported me in the past.  I really hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Thanks,

James

Time Takes Time...

...but albums are quick.

Less than two years ago I began recording songs for what would become "Never And Forever".  As I type this I am on the cusp of completing it.  Even though I've pretty much taken a few months off from recording, I cannot believe how fast the whole process has gone.  This album is so much different than the last one which took five years(!!!) to complete.  By the time I finished that one I was just ready to be done.  Sure there were improvements that could have been made but I was really just over it by that point.  This time around I am going to finish AND still be excited about the music!  It's a very nice feeling.

All I really have left to do to finish is record the vocal tracks for the album closer called "Time Takes Time".  It is the shortest track on the album and the simplest song as well.  The vocal recording should be really easy.  I recorded the bass guitar tonight.  It is really so close.

Once vocals are recorded the final mixing should be easy because it's such a simple mix.  Then it will be a matter of getting the track sequence mastered so that everything sound right together on the album. Artwork for the CD booklet is coming along nicely as well.  I'm saying this will all be done and ready for download by the end of November.  Optimistically I'm hoping maybe even by Thanksgiving.

To be honest I'm pretty excited about this release.  I think it's the most solid collection of songs I've ever come up with.  You can judge for yourself before too long.

Looking to the Future

"Never And Forever" has been my easiest album to make so far.  I really could have finished it earlier this year if I hadn't taken a few months off this summer.  Part of the reason that this album came so quickly (besides the fact that it only has 8 tracks) is because most of the songs were already written before i went to record it.  In fact, with each album there are a certain number of tracks that are written well before the recording process begins.

As I approaching the end of the recording process this time around, things are a bit different.  There are no songs that are waiting in the wings to be recorded for the next project.  Looking forward to the next project I realize that I've got nothing.  Sure there's a few lyrical ideas I've had floating around, lots of brief musical outlines that could become songs, but nothing that approaches a complete song in any way.  I'd say this excites me more than worries me.  I look forward to entering a period of focusing on purely writing music again.  I feel like I've grown and changed as a songwriter and I'm curious and enthusiastic about what sort of songs I can come up with.

"Never And Forever" had a certain tone, a certain feel, and it told a certain story in a concise way.  Part of the reason it was such a short album was to keep that sense of continuity.  It stands as a great piece of work (in my opinion of course) but I don't think it represents what lies ahead.  I'd really like to do something a little more upbeat and positive.  My songs always seem to lean towards the bittersweet.  I'd like to do a little more of the sweet (without completely abandoning the bitter).  Something fun (without being cheesy).  In the end, who knows how it will actually turn out?  But these are my thoughts right now as I anticipate having a completely blank slate to work with.

Of course right now I just need to finish the task at hand.

Album Update

I've been getting a lot of work done this week.  "Never And Forever" the album, is almost a reality.  Here is a quick rundown of what is done and what is left to do.  I made some substantial progress on track #6, "Anything At All".  I fixed some issues with the mix, recorded vocals for the ending of the song and now it's pretty much finished.  I also did some EXTREMELY minor tweaks to the mix of the first 3 tracks.  These were small things that I've been meaning to do for a while.

All that remains to completely finish this album:

• Track 4 - "You Can Never Go Home"
• just needs some minor improvements to the mix.  This should't take long
• Track 5 - "Save My Soul"
• this is pretty much done but  could use one more instrument/part/sound to round it out.
• Track 6 - "Anything At All"
• As I mentioned, I just about am finished with this one.  All that remains is to listen to the mix a few more times and make sure it's really done.
• Track 7 - "This Time"
• This song needs a few more sounds, a guitar solo and some final mixing and testing.
• Track 8 - "Time Takes Time"
• Need to record vocals, maybe add some more sounds or instruments...maybe not, we'll see.

At a total of 8 tracks, that's all there is left to do.  That may sound like a lot of things but really this album is over 90% done.  I really can't wait to get it finished as it feels like a major step forward for me.

A Change of Seasons

There is no getting around it.  Summer is over.  The leaves are shriveling.  The grass is browning.  The air is crisping.  Daylight hours are waning.  Outdoor fun is now at a premium.

There are so very many things about the summertime that do not lend themselves to recording music indoors for hours on end.  Family trips, hiking mountains, exploring caves, watching baseball games, and just general merriment are all things that kept me away from my music for the past several months.  And with this annual change in weather comes a change of priorities.  I am reenergized and excited to spend some time with music again.

Upon sitting down and taking stock of where I'm at, I've noticed that I really am QUITE close to finishing a major project.  "Never and Forever" my most recent collection of songs is sitting on the cusp of completion.  So VERY close to being done.

I'm looking forward to finishing it soon and moving on to new projects.  It may be getting cold outside, but I'll have plenty to do in the warmth of my humble recording studio.  Stay tuned.

"So...What's the Hold Up?"

Although unlikely, perhaps there is someone out there that has been following this blog and/or awaiting the release of my next album"Never And Forever"...And if there is such a person somewhere in this vast world of ours, perhaps they are asking themselves that very question.  So, indeed...what is the holdup?  I could say that it's been difficult to work now that summer is here and I'm busy with other things (which is partially true), but the truth is this:  I'm stuck.

The song "Anything At All" is just not cooperating.  I can blame it all on one thing....the verse melody. I just don't like it.  And if I don't like it, certainly you won't either.  And that just won't do.  Usually I can come up with any number of melody ideas for a given chord structure, but this one is leaving me cold.

So tonight it's time to break out the old acoustic and come up with some beautiful melodies that will be worthy of the undying devotion of that one person out there (that may or may not exist) who is waiting so patiently for me to finish this thing.

Also...

If you haven't yet, go download you free (high quality) copy of So Far Gone.  Just do it...it's free!

Thanks for listening,
James

2012

This is my first post of the new year.  2012 is well under way and by now everyone is past that awkward phase where you are constantly writing the wrong year on checks and such.  It's been a great year so far.  I'm excited about the music that I'm currently finishing up for "Never And Forever".  That project was started a year ago and has come along very quickly compared to other releases of mine.  Of the final 8 tracks that will be included, 5 are (mostly) completed and the remaining 3 are well on their way to completion.

Most recently I have been working on track #6, "Anything At All".  This is probably the darkest song on the album.  I'm not sure that "dark" is the right word.  It has several different parts to it.  The verses are the "darkest" and slowest parts, while the chorus is decidedly quicker and livelier.  The last third of the song is altogether different as well.  It builds and builds to a (hopefully) thrilling climax.  In theory (and in my mind) it all will sound great...it's now just a matter of getting the sound and feeling that I want in the studio process.  I'm making progress but it's not where I want it just yet.  I'm also having trouble coming up with a vocal melody for the verses that I am completely satisfied with.  The original melody that I had written has grown stale and boring in my mind.  I've got a few other ideas, but I haven't decided on anything yet.

I'll keep this blog updated as things progress.  If you've read this far, thanks for your interest and support.

James

1. "Helplessness Blues" by Fleet Foxes

The Fleet Foxes self-titled debut album was my favorite album of the year back in 2008, so I had high hopes for this release.  It exceeded expectations.  Fleet Foxes does something with their music that is not an easy feat to pull off.  On the surface it can sound like a retread of so many styles of music that are now decades behind us, and yet the songwriting is so good, so pure and fresh, that it feels vital and relevant to an entirely new generation.  This album is filled with beauty and craft that reminds us of what has gone before, and yet is not limited by those references.  This music is alive.  The songs are big and beautiful but never overblown.  There is a certain timelessness here.  This is music that people will still be enjoying in another 20 or 30 years.

2. "Bon Iver" by Bon Iver

Music, at its best, has the power to transport you to another place.  It can stir feelings, emotions, and thoughts within you that can be difficult to comprehend, let alone try to explain.  It can bring you to tears and yet leave you unsure if you are in fact sad, or just incredibly happy.  Just as all of the most important events in life, the best music is a poignant mixture of sorrow and joy.  

There are many moments on Bon Iver’s self-titled second album that strike that perfect balance between light and darkness, sorrow and  joy, happiness and despair.  Moments so breathtaking that any attempt to explain them in words only leaves the speaker frustrated and lacking.  This album is an incredible accomplishment.  Everyone needs to experience it.

3. "The King of Limbs" by Radiohead

Deemed a “lesser” Radiohead album by many, this is still something that 99.9% of humans couldn’t dream of producing.  It represents a left turn in a career full of left turns, and yet the second half is more straightforward and beautiful than they’ve sounded since...maybe ever.  At only 8 tracks, it feels like two very different short EPs that have somehow been  stuck together on one CD.  A fascinating listen.  Perhaps not the best album for newcomers to Radiohead, but a solid addition to their catalog.

4. "The Whole Love" by Wilco

Despite the widespread opinion of this album being some sort of “return to form” after a couple of lesser albums, this is really just business as usual for Wilco, who never really stray too far from “form” anyway.  Apart from the electric guitar freak out of the 7 minute opener and the unparalleled beauty of all 12 minutes of the closing track, there are not many other surprises to be found...just a bunch of completely solid Wilco songs.  And that’s never a bad thing.

5. "The Year of Hibernation" by Youth Lagoon

“Youth” being the key word here.  This album sounds like a 14 year old boy made it in his grandmothers basement.  In actuality songwriter Trevor Powers is a 22 year old who records in his bedroom at Boise State.  The production is muddy and overly saturated with reverb.  In a fragile, weak voice we hear of posters on bedroom walls, hunting for snakes, memories of simpler times...in a nutshell, being caught in the strange place between childhood and adulthood.  As unlikely as all of this sounds, somehow it all just works.  “When I was seventeen, my mother said to me, don’t stop imagining, the day that you do is the day that you die” Powers sings on “Seventeen”.  Lucky for us, this album never stops imagining.

6. "Burst Apart" by The Antlers

Unfortunately I didn’t discover The Antlers first album, Hospice (2009), until earlier this year.  That being a devastating and emotionally brutal concept of an album that completely draws every bit of feeling you could expect from it’s title, it could simultaneously rip you apart while at the same time trying to put you back together again.  I’ve never heard or felt anything quite like it.  It would definitely have been my top album of 2009, if only I’d known it existed.  

But alas, this review is not about that album.  Compared to Hospice, Burst Apart took a while to for me to really get into.  I think I’m beginning to realize the reason for that is because a lot of the music of Burst Apart is just a bunch really good musical ideas rather than “songs” in the traditional sense.  The beauty is in the subtleties that you often don’t notice until the 5th or 6th listen.  This may not pack the emotional wallop of their previous effort, but maybe that’s a good thing.

7. "The Unfazed" by Dolorean

Not to be confused with Spanish alternative dance band Delorean, mysteriously, this Portland band remains largely unknown in the United States, although I hear they have a much larger following on the other side of the Atlantic.  This is an interesting fact considering that their sound is definitively American.  Nothing complicated here.  Simple and beautifully well written songs of life and love gone wrong are set to lush americana soundscapes.

8. "Rome" - Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi

Have you ever sat down to watch an old classic 60’s western movie and been inspired by the music to say, “you know, someone should make an entire album of music like this, only with a modern twist”?  Well, neither have I, but that’s exactly what Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi have done with Rome.  And what a great idea it turned out to be.  For vocals they’ve enlisted the help of Jack White and Nora Jones, giving them each a different avenue in which to let their talents shine.  There may be just a couple too many instrumentals that sound maybe just a bit too much like the rest, but it is all of consistent quality. When you're in the right mood, this is an incredible listen.

9. "Tamer Animals" by Other Lives

If the second half of this album could keep the brilliance of the first half going, this would be my album of the year.  So many amazing things happen in that first handful of songs.  The latter half, while still interesting, feels more like a lesser band impersonating the first half.  But make no mistake, when this album is good, it is frighteningly so...magical even.  Other Lives are now on my bands to watch list.  Hopefully this is only the beginning and they someday get the chance to fully realize their potential.

10. "The King is Dead" by The Decemberists

“The King Is Dead” presents The Decemberists in a complete 180 turnabout from the conceptual ambitions of their previous album.  They’ve seemingly traded in the metal-tinged medieval fantasy leanings of 2009’s The Hazards of Love for a pair of cowboy boots, a harmonica and a fiddle.  This time around they’ve settled for good old fashioned SONGS rather than grandiose concepts.  While the latter certainly have their place, The King is Dead is a refreshing change of pace.  Not quite as many highlights as previous Decemberists albums (For my money, 2005’s Picaresque is the best thing they ever did) but a very listenable album right through.  If for some reason you were to attempt to get your mother into the Decemberists, this would be the album to start with.  That is meant neither as a compliment nor an insult but I suppose it could be both.

Favorite Albums of 2011

It's that time of year again when I like to reflect back on the music that meant something to me over the past 12 months.  And then I like to quantify and rank something that probably shouldn't be.  Putting two pieces of art up against each other and declaring one as "better" than the other is probably a futile exercise...and yet as humans it seems we love to do this.  And as it turns out, within the human race, I am no exception.  But rather than call this a "best" album list, lets just say these are the collections of music that meant the most to me personally.  Your mileage of course will vary, but I offer this as both a window into what inspires me as an artist and also a tool for anyone who's looking for some decent music.

This year I'll be distributing my list a little differently.  Starting tomorrow I'll post each day until the end of the year, counting down my top ten album choices.  This serves several purposes.  It drags the experience out for as long as possible and also allows for greater appreciation and exploration of each album that I post about.

So come back each day for the next 10 days to see how it's coming along.  Let me know if you've found something you like.  Or maybe you think I'm forgetting something.  Leave your thoughts in the comments.

See you tomorrow.

James

Update...5 Down, 3 to Go

7 months Later...

So...apparently I haven't blogged in a while.  Fortunately that doesn't mean that I haven't been working during all these months.  Sure, I can admit that this has taken longer than I thought it would...that I've seen self imposed deadlines come and go more than once.  Could I have been finished by now had I put in adequate time and effort?  Quite possibly.  But in reality life (and inspiration) just doesn't work that way.

Yes, there are times when I just don't have it in me to sit down at a computer at the end of a long day and pound out work on these same songs I've now heard hundreds of times.  That being said, I am still quite fond of this current batch of music and firmly believe this will easily be the best work I've ever done.  Creativity and motivation seem to come in spurts, and I try to get the most out of those periods before they disappear.

I'm now well past the halfway point.  5 of the 8 songs are finished.  4 of those have been listenable online for many months now.  If you haven't heard them in a while, it might be a good idea to go and check them out.  I've been quietly making changes and improvements to those online files.  Track #4, "You Can Never Go Home" has had the most substantial facelift compared to the first version I posted months ago.  I think it's really come together nicely.  In retrospect, I probably made it available for listening sooner than I should have.  Sometimes I just get too excited for people to hear new stuff.

I'm currently fighting the temptation to make some more music available for listening.  Track #5, "Save My Soul" could really be released today and I would be happy with it.  But my philosophy with this record has been one of "good is not good enough".  And so I find myself taking things that are good and trying to make them better.  As good as "Save My Soul" is right at this moment, I still have a couple of things I want to try that will improve it.  For example, at this point the song has no acoustic strumming whatsoever, and really I don't miss it that much and it may not need it...but I'd like to add it just to see how it sounds.  Also, the end of the song needs...I don't know...something.  I don't know what specifically, but I'll know it when I hear it.  And really it doesn't NEED it...it's really good as it is...but why not take that extra step toward greatness?

The remaining 3 songs are already recorded in very rough versions.  I could see them being finished very quickly but again, inspiration is fickle and comes and goes at her pleasure.  So really we're looking at early next year before it will all be ready for you to lovingly download onto you hard drive.  but I'll go ahead and say that I really believe that it's going to be something that people will enjoy and come back to.  Something worthy of your playlists.

Also, I'll try to keep the blog a little more current...in case there is anyone out there who actually cares and reads this.