tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts?p=23
More disjointed thoughts
2024-03-18T06:00:00-04:00
Mike Bankhead
false
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/7365471
2024-03-18T06:00:00-04:00
2024-03-18T06:00:03-04:00
Another year of podcasting... more or less
<p>I realize that I'm playing a bit loose with the concept of “year” by putting this blog post up in March. That said, two episodes of my podcast that I recorded in 2023 just went up last week. I apologize to those lovely guests - Anthony Church & Valerie Vonn - for taking that long. After my first year of podcasting, I <a class="no-pjax" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/more-disjointed-thoughts/blog/blog_categories/50174" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">wrote a blog post</a> reviewing the conversations that took place, and setting out a goal for the following year. Let's see how I did, shall we?</p><p>The last episode I released was number 113. This means that during what I'll loosely consider as the second year of my podcast, I recorded 39 episodes, since this group started with number 75. That's down from the 75 that I released in the podcast's first year (it had an “episode ½”). I had a goal that at least 50% of the episodes would include women, since that didn't happen in year one. How'd I do?</p><p>I count 22 episodes that included a woman as a guest. That's more than 50%, so mission accomplished. This was a diverse group of women as well, a Latvian, a Ukrainian who lives in France, a Persian of Jewish descent, a young Ohioan of Moroccan descent, an Aussie, and other ethnicities. There were musicians, of course, but also a comedian, a lawyer, a competitive trail runner, and a film producer, among other things.</p><p> </p><p><span class="text-big">Here are what I think are the most notable episodes of the last year or so:</span></p><p> </p><p><strong>The longest episode</strong></p><p>This dubious honor goes to <a class="no-pjax" href="https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/8D0u82RlTHb" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">Tim Minneci</a>, who was my guest for episode 90. Tim is co-host of the <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.digmeoutpodcast.com/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">Dig Me Out</a> podcast, which takes a deep dive into 90s music, album by obscure album. Tim is also an author, having released two novels that I have read so far.</p><p> </p><p>The most popular episode</p><p>That would be <a class="no-pjax" href="https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/NCxsXQ8lTHb" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">episode 98</a>. This was a conversation with <a class="no-pjax" href="https://kyleendownes.com/home" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">Kyleen Downes</a>, a professional musician who happens to live in the same city as me. Kyleen is one of my favorite people to go see play and sing songs, and just recently released an excellent new music video for her single, “<a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2vtvpmnL4U" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">Left on the Pavement</a>”.</p><p> </p><p>The most important episode</p><p>You might know that I spent an awful long time working on <i>I Am Experienced, </i>which I released in June 2023. That project wouldn't have been nearly as successful artistically without Rizo, who engineered, produced, played a bunch of instruments, and put up with me in a small room for a LONG time. We sat down one day to listen to the final mixes, then had a conversation where we reflected on the work. <a class="no-pjax" href="https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/S1B4LromTHb" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">That conversation is episode 110</a>. </p><p>I should mention that the project around <i>I Am Experienced</i> is not over. The video portion is underway. Each of the songs will have a music video, even the two bonus ones that you won't find on any streaming services. The project also includes essays, photos, demos, studio footage, sheet music, and a mountain of other goodies. If you'd like to dive in, head right on over <a class="no-pjax" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/i-am-experienced#i-am-experienced-on-compact-disc" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">to this link</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The episode that isn't in English</p><p>I only had one conversation for the podcast in the last year that wasn't in English. You'll find that it was with Maxime Cholley, number 85. <a class="no-pjax" href="https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/2HBFMnMmTHb" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">That conversation is in French</a>. If you don't speak French and would still like to get to know Maxime, you're looking for <a class="no-pjax" href="https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/8moThoMmTHb" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">episode 84</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The episode with a famous author</p><p>100 is a nice even number. I wanted a special guest for that episode, and I got one. His name is <a class="no-pjax" href="https://whatever.scalzi.com/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">John Scalzi</a>. He's a well-known science fiction author who only lives a couple of counties away from me. This was my first conversation with a bone fide public figure, a famous person. <a class="no-pjax" href="https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/LrHgpFUmTHb" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">For this conversation</a>, I zagged where others may zig. You see, in addition to being a well-known science fiction author, church owner, creator of abominable burritos, husband, and father, Scalzi is also a musician. We talked about his music, and I challenge you to find any other conversation he's had in the press where all they talked about was his music.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p>Like I said last year in a post very much like this one, if you've listened to my podcast, thank you for choosing to spend some time with me. I sincerely hope you have enjoyed sitting in on my conversations, and I warmly invite you to keep on listening. Maybe you could even subscribe to the You Could Be My Aramis podcast on your streaming service of choice?</p><p>To the wonderful people who have been guests on my podcast, THANK YOU so very much. I wouldn't have a podcast without you, I'm not one of those people who can just ramble on about nothing for a half hour. If you happen to be a musician, or have something you are passionate about, and would like to let the general public listen to us have a chat about it, reach out to me, and we'll get you scheduled.</p><p>I met new people in 2023. I very much wish to introduce all of you to them. I'll make an effort to get more than 39 episodes finished this year, ok?</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/7195687
2023-04-24T07:00:00-04:00
2024-03-11T20:02:24-04:00
I'm kind of scared
<p>Really. I'm releasing a single tomorrow called “Latent.” It's Track 1 on my new EP, <i>I Am Experienced</i>. A lot of work went into this project. I stepped outside of my comfort zone and worked with a whole host of people that I had never worked with before. The songs on this EP are super personal and open and vulnerable. That's scary. Did I have to be so honest? We're supposed to be, but honest and authentic art isn't really what moves the proverbial needle these days, so why?</p><p>I think that many indie musicians are a little apprehensive when it comes time to release new music. There's all of the hard work you've done and how much you believe in your art, but there's <i><strong>also</strong></i> the imposter syndrome. Those voices in your head that say you're not good enough, you will never be good enough, and nobody is going to listen to these songs.</p><p>As far as <i>I Am Experienced</i> is concerned, I have additional fears around the thought that some people might actually listen. What if nobody understands what I'm trying to say? I've already had professional PR people tell me that they don't know how to market this project, so what if nobody “gets” it? What if the most horrible lowest common denominator evil kind of people stumble upon this music and there are threats to personal safety for me or my wife? </p><p>So yeah, I'm scared. However, I said what I said in these songs. I <i><strong>meant </strong></i>what I said in these songs. That's going to have to be enough for now. It'll feel extra real tomorrow.</p><p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/7150382
2023-02-13T15:21:33-05:00
2023-02-13T15:21:34-05:00
Restaurant Review - African Restaurant in Dayton
<p> </p><p>There it was on a sign, over what looked from the road like just another generic front side of a business in a strip mall - African Restaurant. I was in a part of Dayton that I don't often visit because I had gone to see the doctor, and on the way back to the highway, I notice this restaurant. My first thought was "that's rather non-specific"... you see, Africa is a massive continent with 54 countries on it. (Google gave me that country count.) Ethiopian cuisine is African. Moroccan cuisine is African. Senegalese cuisine is African. These types of cuisines are completely different from each other. I wanted to know more, so I found the <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.africanrestaurantandgrill.com/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">restaurant on the Internet</a>, and looked at the menu. I think it's Nigerian cuisine, though I could be wrong. My wife and two of her coworkers accompanied me for lunch there a few weeks ago.</p><p>My wife's coworkers each chose a version of jollof rice, and each declined the offer to have it be spicy. My wife chose a soup, and that came with fufu. The soup looked to have a texture that I would describe as “slightly gooey”, just from looking at it. Apparently okra was heavily involved in the soup base, so that made sense. It looked quite tasty though, see?</p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/320627/34b264ef2205341af9bfa767d02cda5d9f3b4fdc/original/20230124-142637.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" alt="soup and fufu" /><p> </p><p>Our server said “you're speaking my language” when the soup got ordered, so this one was definitely one of the staff favorites.</p><p>I asked for the pepper goat. The server asked if I wanted it spicy, and I said “absolutely." Here's what it looked like:</p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/320627/321b754ee5b3081c20f157b4810db4d6914672c3/original/20230124-142552.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" alt="pepper goat and rice" /><p> </p><p>I know what you're wanting to know. Was this delicious? Yes, yes it was. It was spicy, though I think the staff might have held back a little. The sauce and seasoning on the goat was all sorts of savory goodness. The two gentlemen enjoyed their jollof rice as well. We also ordered puff puff for the table, which is a sweet fried dough. Think of it as funnel cake, but shaped roughly like a baseball.</p><p>There didn't appear to be any more than two, possibly three people staffing the restaurant. I had no doubt that everything was mostly being cooked to order, and that the prep done in advance might be limited to cutting and marinating. If you live in the Dayton area, you should definitely visit these folks.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/7130500
2022-12-30T18:40:49-05:00
2023-02-08T00:18:25-05:00
One year of podcasting
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/8dd957532580d926e91bb03a3f6c67779d96b044/original/you-could-be-my-aramis-podcas.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.png" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="logo for the You Could Be My Aramis podcast - a microphone with the name of the podcast and Mike's official logo" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>I started having conversations for my podcast in December 2021. The last episode I released in 2022 was number 74. Considering I started off with an "<a contents="Episode ½" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/Vl3SXzQUbwb" target="_blank">Episode ½</a>" on 31st December, that's a total of 75 episodes over the last year. </p>
<p>What have I enjoyed about having a podcast? The best part is the conversations. First of all, this is a way for me to do what my doctor instructed me to do. Last year in November/December, I was in a pretty dark place from a mental health standpoint... darker than normal. My doctor said that one of the things I should do is to have a meaningful conversation every day with someone who is NOT my wife. Now, in the last few months, I've been awfully lax in getting my daily meaningful conversation in. (If anyone wants to help with that, I'll take volunteers.) That said, every time I record a conversation for the podcast, that totally counts. Second, it turns out that people are awfully interesting if you let them talk about something they are passionate about. Just taking a moment to listen to people and ask appropriate questions is pretty cool. Third, sometimes I feel like this is a useful endeavor for the community. I really miss <em>Gem City Podcast</em> and the fine work they did. I especially looked forward to the Wednesday episodes featuring a local musician or band. Now that they're gone, there's an empty space in the Dayton area for someone to talk to local musicians about their work. I've been making an attempt at filling that space, and hope that eventually, listeners will come to look forward to my conversations with Dayton artists the way I looked forward to Izzy Rock's conversations.</p>
<p>Of course, there are parts of the process I don't like. Sometimes, the tools I use fail. I recorded a great conversation with Paul Monnin of <a contents="Age Nowhere" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://agenowhere.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Age Nowhere</a>, and somehow the sound ended up completely distorted and garbled. If you listen really hard, you can figure out what is being said, but it sounds awful and grating, and I wouldn't foist that upon anyone. Also, editing the podcast... that's not so much fun. One might not realize how many times things like "uh", "um", "like", and "you know" are said during conversations, but there is a level at which using those terms over and over becomes distracting, so I tend to prune them out of conversations. That's incredibly time-consuming. After editing, I usually do another listen in order to glean ideas to write the Show Notes. There was a time when I would consistently use time stamps in the Show Notes to mark highlights of the conversation.. that's even MORE time-consuming, so I haven't done that in awhile. Hey, as a podcast listener, is that something you'd like to see more often? I don't even really know whether putting in that extra work is adding value or not. I've thought about hiring someone to handle that work for me, but I'm pretty sure I can't fairly pay the going rate for that work at the moment, so I'll keep on doing it myself. At least that's another skill I can put on a resumé, right?</p>
<p>Of the 75 episodes, 30 of them include women. That <em><strong>should</strong></em> be 50 percent of the episodes, and I didn't quite get there, so I'll try to do better in 2023.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">Here are what I think are the most notable episodes of the last year:</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>The longest episode</strong></p>
<p>The longest episode is also the most recent episode, number 74, featuring <a contents="Juliet Fromholt and Taylor Ruckle" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/WmYTi5QVbwb" target="_blank">Juliet Fromholt and Taylor Ruckle</a>. We're talking about our favorite albums from 2022, and the duration is one hour and forty-five minutes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>The most popular episode</strong></p>
<p>More people listened to my Episode 7 conversation with <a contents="Tod Weidner" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/eyu8z61Vbwb" target="_blank">Tod Weidner</a> than any of my other episodes. It's clear that he means a great deal to the music community here in Dayton. This one went up way back in February 2022, so it's about time I have him back to nerd out on songwriting and music some more.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>The most important episode</strong></p>
<p>You might think differently, but for me, the most important episode is number 30, with <a contents='Brian "Z" Zisook' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/rEU3rV9Vbwb" target="_blank">Brian "Z" Zisook</a>. He is the cofounder and Senior Vice President of Operations at <a contents="Audiomack" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://audiomack.com/mikebankhead" target="_blank">Audiomack</a>. He's a professional journalist who now is now an executive helping to run a music streaming service. </p>
<p>In his own words: <em>This isn't a company created by and of silicon valley based tech bros... this company was founded by and employs a lot of creatives who come from backgrounds in the fine arts... these are people who understand the plight of the aspiring creative...</em></p>
<p>This episode is important for musicians who release music. If you are one of these people, you should pay attention to how truly passionate Z is about music and the people who make it. He wants to see us succeed. He and the team over at Audiomack are building their platform in ways that allow listeners to directly support us financially. That's not the case with the other streaming services, where we are only a source of content. Z wants people to hear us. Educating us on how the business works and helping us to improve are also very important to him, and he is often handing out useful advice for free on his <a contents="Twitter account" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/brianzisook" target="_blank">Twitter account</a>.</p>
<p>This episode is important for music listeners. The folks at Audiomack work on their algorithm to ensure that it serves you the music YOU want to hear, as opposed to giving heavy priority to whatever the most popular major-label song of the moment is due to labels having a stake in the service. <a contents="Audiomack World" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://audiomack.com/world" target="_blank">Audiomack World</a> is an excellent source of discovery, consistently providing editorial recommendations from actual real humans. If you are a listener who values the people who create the music you listen to, recognize it as hard work, and believe that one should generally be paid for one's work, Audiomack has a way for you to directly support an artist you believe in, if you choose to do so.</p>
<p>This episode also contains a direct message from me to my fellow musicians in Dayton. Sure, I don't think anyone really paid attention to it, but I meant it at the time and I still mean it. If you would like to know what that is, well, listen to this one.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>The interesting stranger who I'd love to have a beer with episode</strong></p>
<p>An excellent multi-national band called <a contents="Jenny and the Mexicats&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.jennyandmexicats.com/en/" target="_blank">Jenny and the Mexicats</a> were going to stop at Levitt Pavilion here in Dayton for a concert. I really wanted to see this show, but I was going to be out of town. I volunteer at Levitt Pavilion, and thought that I might be able to help to promote the show a little bit. When I contacted the band, bassist Icho Van responded, and our <a contents="conversation in English" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/2PsH5BlXbwb" target="_blank">conversation in English</a> is Episode 52.</p>
<p>Icho has an interesting life story. He's a hard worker, doing the tasks that would normally be handled by a band's manager. He's out there living his dreams, playing music he believes in, touring the world, and finding delicious things to eat everywhere. His band has had the privilege of playing an NPR Tiny Desk show. Despite all of his success, he's quite normal. Icho is easy to talk to, friendly, and cool. (Part of this might be because he plays bass.) I'd love to grab a beer with him, and maybe watch a game where his beloved Buffalo Bills are playing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>El episodio con el desconocido con quién me gustaría tomar una chela</strong></p>
<p>Una banda excelente llamada <a contents="Jenny and the Mexicats" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.jennyandmexicats.com/" target="_blank">Jenny and the Mexicats</a> tenía planeada dar un concierto aquí en Dayton, Ohio. En su gira, iban a tocar en el Levitt Pavilion, y la entrada fue gratis. Quería mucho asistir a este concierto, pero tenía que viajar fuera de la ciudad. Sirvo de vez en cuando como voluntario en Levitt Pavilion, y pensé que por lo menos podía ayudar con promocionar el concierto un poco. Cuando escribí al grupo, fue el bajista Icho Van quién me dio respuesta, y nuestra <a contents="charla en español" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/VsAeQClXbwb" target="_blank">charla en español</a> se halla en Episodio 51.</p>
<p>Icho tiene una historia bien interesante. Trabaja muy duro. Hace las tareas que normalmente haría el gerente de una banda. Este señor está viviendo sus sueños, tocando una música feliz y energética, haciendo giras alrededor del mundo, y decubriendo bastantes comidas muy sabrosas. Tiene mucho éxito, y un nivel de fama, sobre todo en México. No obstante, es completamente normal. Icho es amable, muy buena en conversación, y uno se siente muy a gusto con él. (Sin lugar a dudas, una razón por eso es que toca el bajo.) Me encantaría tomar una o dos cervezas juntos, y quizás mirar un partido de fútbol.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>The episode that changed my life</strong></p>
<p>Even though Episode 9 aired in February, the conversation actually took place in December 2021. My guest was <a contents="Becca Wonka" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/GNtPPpSYbwb" target="_blank">Becca Wonka</a>, a delightful and effervescent French musician who lives in Los Angeles. We talked for nearly three hours. Yes, only one of those three hours was actually recorded for the podcast. We hit it off. The conversation meandered back and forth from French to English. If you listen to the episode, I estimate that 70% of it is in French, but I put <a contents="time markers in the show notes" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/you-could-be-my-aramis-podcast/posts/episode-9-becca-wonka" target="_blank">time markers in the show notes</a> so you can skip around to the parts you are likely to understand. </p>
<p>This is probably not a surprise to you, but it is extremely difficult to make a living as an independent musician. It's not impossible, but there's a long path and a lot of work to get there. I am not remotely close to profitable as a musician yet. When Becca and I had this conversation, I had recently left my corporate job. Shortly after our conversation, her lovely husband introduced me to his industry, the business of adaptation. To shorten what would otherwise be a long story, that's now my gig that actually pays. I owe a debt to Nico as a mentor that I will never be able to repay. I owe the same debt to Becca for recognizing that this line of work is something that I can do, and for recommending me to her husband.</p>
<p>A great deal of the mental health progress I have made over the past year is attributable to being much MUCH less stressed out by work. By no means am I "cured" or "well" - and I likely never will be - but I am in a better place now, and even occasionally feel slightly optimistic.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>La conversation qui a changé ma vie</strong></p>
<p>Bien qu'episode 9 est sortie en février 2022, la conversation entre <a contents="Becca Wonka" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/YtHqFjWYbwb" target="_blank">Becca Wonka</a> et moi avait lieu en Décembre 2021. Elle est française, d'origine nantaise, et habite maintenant à Los Angeles. Becca a une passion profonde pour la musique, et elle parle avec joie et enthousiasme. On a bavardé pendant trois heures, dont une heure est enregistré pour le podcast. Si vous en écoutiez, vous allez trouver aux "<a contents="show notes" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/you-could-be-my-aramis-podcast/posts/episode-9-becca-wonka" target="_blank">show notes</a>"que j'ai mis quelques indices pour dire quand on a parlé en français et quand on a parlé en anglais.</p>
<p>J'imagine que vous savez déjà que c'est extrèmement difficile gagner la vie comme musicien independent aux Etats-Unis. C'est pas impossible, mais on doit bosser beaucoup et il faut être très patient. Je ne gagne pas encore ma vie comme musicien. Quand j'ai bavardé avec Becca, je venais de quitter un boulot d'entreprise. Quelques jours après qu'on a parlé, le mari de Becca m'a parlé pour m'inviter à apprendre le business d'adaptation. Actuellement, c'est ça ce que je fais pour ètre payé. Je dois un dette envers Nico que jamais je pourrais lui payer, et c'est pareil avec Becca pour comprendre que je puisse faire ce type de travaille et me recommander à son mari.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>No matter how long you've been listening to my podcast - whether a year, a month, a week, or a day - thank you very much for choosing to spend some time listening to me talk to interesting people. I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed sitting in on my conversations, and warmly invite you to keep on listening. If you have something you are passionate about and would like to talk about it, contact me, and you could totally be a guest. </p>
<p>In 2023, I'm planning to release a new music project that I poured <strong><em>so much of myself into</em>, </strong>and when I start promoting it, I'll have podcast conversations with the wonderful and talented people who collaborated on this project with me. I can't wait for you to meet them and all of the other individuals who I'll be speaking with.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/7126116
2022-12-25T15:50:19-05:00
2022-12-30T18:10:27-05:00
Favorite Albums of 2022
<p>You know, I thought I had listened to a lot of albums this year. Dozens of 2022 albums. Then, I started to read the "best of 2022" lists from a few publications and music writers. That was a reminder that there is SO much music released each year, and unless you are listening to music all day every day for your job, it's not possible to hear all of it. There is certainly a whole pile of music that I missed, and it's likely that I would have really loved some of those albums. That said, here are some of the things I enjoyed.</p>
<p>Much like last year, some artists from my youth in the 90s put out new music this year. Eddie Vedder released a solo album that was better than I was expecting it to be. Spoon released a new album, and if you read a few of the well-known music blogs, you'll see it turning up in a few lists of the top 2022 albums. There were also new offerings from Big Wreck (loved it), Metric (meh), Stabbing Westward (sounded like Stabbing Westward), Superchunk (very good and contains "Endless Summer", one of my favorite songs of the year), Placeob (I dug it), and Collective Soul (superb). Here's a sentence that I copied almost word-for-word from last year's blog: <a contents="Guided By Voices" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.guidedbyvoices.com/" target="_blank">Guided By Voices</a> released three albums this year, because <em><strong>of course</strong> they did</em>.</p>
<p>In order to show that we've got more great stuff than just GBV, some other excellent 2022 albums from right here in Dayton, Ohio: <a contents="Sad Songs From Ohio" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://haroldhensley.bandcamp.com/album/sad-songs-from-ohio" target="_blank"><em>Sad Songs From Ohio</em></a> by Harold Hensley (roots/folk), <a contents="Midwest Sorrow" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://hiphoptino.bandcamp.com/album/midwest-sorrow" target="_blank"><em>Midwest Sorrow</em></a> by TINO (hip-hop/rap), <a contents="Peculiar" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://theyuppiemusic.bandcamp.com/album/peculiar" target="_blank"><em>Peculiar</em></a> by Yuppie (indie rock), <a contents="Heather Redman &amp; The Reputation" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://heatherredman.bandcamp.com/album/heather-redman-the-reputation" target="_blank"><em>Heather Redman & The Reputation</em></a> by Heather Redman (soulful rock), <a contents="E Pluribus M Ross" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mrossperkins.bandcamp.com/album/e-pluribus-m-ross" target="_blank"><em>E Pluribus M Ross</em></a> by M Ross Perkins (70s sounding psychedelic pop), and <a contents="Midwest Romance" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.zacpitts.com/" target="_blank"><em>Midwest Romance</em></a> by Zac Pitts (poppy punky rock). </p>
<p>Some other things that I dug, but didn't crack my top ten are albums from Koffee, Bartees Strange (favorite song "Hennessy"), SANNI, Nilufer Yanya (favorite song "Midnight Sun"), Mamalarky, Nick Campbell (favorite song "Your Kisses Taste like Jazz"), Isla Craig, Lauren Light, Jahmiel, The Smile, and Calexico.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">Here are my top ten favorite albums, and other than the first one, they are in no particular order.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/8d841a1ae566e4c7db95413fa31a3a166de3501a/original/oceanator-nothings-ever-fine.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="front cover of Nothing's Ever Fine" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Oceanator</strong> - <em>Nothing's Ever Fine</em></span></p>
<p>Oceanator is Elise Okusami's project name. She is from Brooklyn. This is, I believe, her second full-length album. If you'd like to read an excellent written interview with Elise, my pal <a contents="Taylor Ruckle did one for Post-Trash" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://post-trash.com/news/2022/4/7/oceanator-on-baritone-guitars-and-bad-brain-days-in-the-making-of-nothings-ever-fine-feature-interview" target="_blank">Taylor Ruckle did one for Post-Trash</a>. This album is called <em>Nothing's Ever Fine</em>, but everything here is definitely more than fine.</p>
<p>You can tell by looking at the list of song titles that Elise cares about album sequencing, which warms my heart. We open with "Morning", track 6 is called "Post Meridian", and we close with "Evening". This album grabbed me right from the jump with "Morning"'s copious layers of guitars. Indeed, there is no shortage of energetic distorted rock goodness here, but the entire project doesn't just plow ahead at the same tempo... there are some changes of pace and texture for you to discover. (Looking at you, "Solar Flares".)</p>
<p>Elise co-produced this album with her quite tastefully named brother, and with Bartees Strange. I feel no small amount of jealousy here, as I would really love to work with Bartees Strange, and even reached out to him about this way back in fall 2020. I feel like he would really understand the things I want to do musically, and be able to take me there, but also probably contribute some unique weirdness. Alas, that's probably something that's impossible now, given how his profile has risen and how much his career as an artist has taken off. Elise and he are friends, and that surely contributed to making it easier to get him on this Oceanator record. </p>
<p>I like the songs here, I like the sound here, I really dig the excellent <a contents="music video" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiRGU4Oss8c" target="_blank">music video</a> for "Bad Brain Daze", and I can't wait to hear what future music comes from Oceanator. This is exactly the kind of album I want to hear, and Oceanator delivered. In fact, the next time I make a rock record, I won't be satisfied until it sounds at least as good as <em>Nothing's Ever Fine</em>. This is my favorite album of 2022.</p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "The Last Summer", "Stuck", "Bad Brain Daze"</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/a9d4e549aaa229f188bbecfaaf2419972e5dd1f1/original/cherimondis-dove-archer.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="cover of Cherimondis J's album" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Cherimondis J</strong> - <em>Dove Archer</em></span></p>
<p>Cherimondis is still in college, and is studying music. She's an accomplished pianist in her music program, but also plays violin, and as you can hear on this album, she knows how to write a song. You're getting some soulful R&B grooves on <em>Dove Archer, </em>with sounds that might remind you of a few different flavors of music from the 70s, all wrapped up in a beautiful voice.</p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "Milk And Honey", "Let It Be"</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/753b92c18ec4c542296e813f3f5fcf84def8a350/original/mobley-cry-havoc.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="cover of Mobley's Cry Havoc album" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Mobley</strong> - <em>Cry Havoc!</em></span></p>
<p>So, I think Mobley is a genius. Truly. This gentleman is an artist's artist, self-producing this EP, and handling the visual aspects of the project, including video. I mean, check out the concept and his dancing in the <a contents='video for "stay volk' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tkkj53E0dI" target="_blank">video for "stay volk</a>". I've watched it several times, and never stop being impressed. He writes the concepts, directs, produces, and edits his own videos. Every one that comes with this EP is worthy of your time. He plays violin and trumpet and piano and guitar, and probably another half dozen instruments.</p>
<p><em>Cry Havoc!</em> is a concept EP, focusing on a character. I don't want to take the listening/watching experience away from you, so I won't go into more detail here, but if you wanted more information before you dig in, there are interviews with Mobley out there on the Internet. I can't wait to hear more music from this Austin-based musician, I can't wait to see more videos from him, and I'd really like to catch a live show.</p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "stay volk", "lord"</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/9f6fc54a0543687925ab035028adc4905347c439/original/dazy-out-of-body.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="cover of Dazy Out of Body album" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Dazy</strong> - <em>Out of Body</em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">One of the reasons I take the time to write this particular blog entry every year is the hope that somebody somewhere will read it and find new-to-them music that they end up loving. That's how I found out about Dazy. I had never heard of James Goodson, who is Dazy. Then I read a blog post by <a contents="Josh Terry" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://joshhterry.substack.com/p/the-60-best-albums-of-2022-according" target="_blank">Josh Terry</a> in which he described <em>Out of Body</em> like this:</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">"</span>Imagine if every Fountains of Wayne song was written to be played at ear-shattering volumes".</p>
<p>Yes, please. Sold. I love this album.</p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "On My Way", "Deadline", "Ladder"</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/e89e47cb2ebe5999eead2ec265d4103638884198/original/amanda-shires.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Amanda Shires</strong> - <em>Take It Like A Man</em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">I've been trying to listen to more country music recently. It's something that didn't resonate with me at all, not even in the smallest, most insignificant way, until the last five years or so. There were just so many things that were off-putting to me; the affected twang of the vocals when the singers didn't talk that way, twangy instrumentation, the bass parts barely daring to do anything other than root/fifth pedaling, the overly simplistic and less-than-creative compositions, the systemic racism... you know, those sorts of things. Last year, however, there were touches of Americana and roots music in the list of my favorite albums, and I've certainly enjoyed live experiences with country-adjacent bands local to my area. I also really appreciate the efforts of <a contents="Black Opry" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.blackopry.com/" target="_blank">Black Opry</a>. At the end of the day, in some ways, genre is only a construct, and a well-written song is a well-written song, right?</span></p>
<p>There's your background for my listening expectations as I approached <em>Take It Like A Man</em>. Amanda Shires is ostensibly a country artist. After all, she's a fiddle player by trade. That said, I don't hear many of the things I historically didn't enjoy about country music on this album. First of all, the songwriting is excellent.. and if you write a good enough song, it should sound good with just about any kind of instrumental interpretation. Not only are these songs good, they are lushly layered and presented. There are full string sections here, giving a much more luxurious harmonic pad than only fiddle, or a steel guitar. There are things on this album that sound like rock to me. There are things on this album that sound like pop to me. It's all tied together by Amanda's voice.</p>
<p>This is an artist with something to say, which is evident when one really concentrates on the lyrics. So if this right here is country music, ok then, I like country music.</p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "Empty Cups", "Here He Comes", "Lonely at Night"</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/9ff2a4bc174221a375af00f12f61e7b45fe51215/original/crystalnunscathedral-cover-3000-rgb-1.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="cover of Crystal Nuns Cathedral from GBV" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Guided By Voices - </strong><em>Crystal Nuns Cathedral</em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Let me guess what you're thinking. How in the world can a band crank out two or three albums a year and expect people to keep up? How could all of the songs possibly be good? Well, speaking personally, I've had a hard time keeping up with Bob Pollard's output. There was a time when I bought every single GBV full-length that came out, and I'm reasonably well versed in their material from 1994 to 2004. However, keeping an ear on everything they do is a challenge for me now. I mean, they released three albums in 2019, three albums in 2020, two albums in 2021, and three this year. That's crazy output! Are all of the songs good?</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Well, I didn't get around to listening to ALL of those albums. I can tell you that I definitely liked both of the albums that came out last year. Their first album of this year, <em>Crystal Nuns Cathedral</em> - their 35th album (!) - is full of good songs. The songs are just as catchy as what you would expect, but the distorted guitars feel fuller than at times in the past, and string sections show up a few times. It seems that the band has permanently dispatched with the lo-fi recording aesthetic, and I'm ok with that. This is a solid rock and roll record from a solid rock and roll band. We really shouldn't be surprised, should we?</span></p>
<ul> <li><span class="font_regular">Favorite songs: "Climbing a Ramp", "Come North Together", "Excited Ones"</span></li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/71a9be4943335f75bb9cd52b3571e9d74788a814/original/a1836600570-16.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>The Linda Lindas</strong> - <em>Growing Up</em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Ok, they're kids. They're obviously getting some help, of course. It turns out that the father of half the band is an industry professional with tons of experience. He engineered, mixed, and produced this album, and is surely the reason that it sounds so polished. No doubt he's also helped them to get some endorsements and opportunities. Ok, set that aside.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">These kids all play their own instruments. These kids write the songs. When they play live, these kids perform the songs. The songs are catchy and punky. A couple of them remind me of what Sleater-Kinney might be like if they added a bass player. Some of the material is the sort of thing you might imagine kids would write about, like growing up, a pet cat, or a racist sexist boy at school. I like this album. If they were out of school long enough to go on tour, I'd go see them if I could. For now, I'll settle for their <a contents="appearance on NPR's Tiny Desk" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USdiumz1ZFM" target="_blank">appearance on NPR's Tiny Desk</a> series.</span></p>
<p>This album is fun. Turn it up.</p>
<ul> <li><span class="font_regular">Favorite songs: "Oh!", "Talking To Myself", "Cuántas Veces", "Racist, Sexist Boy"</span></li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/40958496667a9ef196a35e7f7d60957594c78ab5/original/momma.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="" /></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Momma</strong> - <em>Household Name</em></span></p>
<p>If Momma keeps cranking out music like this, one would think they'd end up a <em>Household Name</em>, like their album title says. This is apparently their third album, so by now one would think they know what kind of band they are. Hooks? Yes. Distorted guitars? Uh huh. Vocal harmonies? Plenty of them. A sense of dynamics? It's loud-quiet-loud on a few of these songs. </p>
<p>In case you are curious as to who I might compare them to, well, I'd have to think a bit. They're guitar-forward rock and roll, and there are a few moments where they remind me very much of Veruca Salt, but that's likely mostly due to the vocal harmonies. Really, the sounds here taken as a whole remind me of the mid-nineties in general, the kind of music that teenage me would crank up in the car. The folks in this band were certainly not alive then, but if that's the kind of music that influences them - and if you listen to this you will realize it absolutely is - well, what's wrong with that?</p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "Rockstar", "Lucky", "Spider"</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/e39724e1279f82269bab91ec21c0d17c129181b8/original/lung.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Lung</strong> - <em>Let It Be Gone</em></span></p>
<p>The album that Lung released in 2021 made my top ten. I guess I'm consistent. No, LUNG is consistent... consistently interesting and awesome. Like I probably wrote in my end-of-year article last year, nobody sounds like Lung. I challenge you, dear reader, to find me an artist that sounds like what Kate and Daisy are doing. I don't think you will. They are described as "art punk cello rock". Sure. I didn't write that description, but I'd like you to know that there is indeed a cello involved, and they do indeed rock.</p>
<p>Certainly, few bands work as hard as Lung. Head on over to their website and look at the <a contents="tour page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.lungtheband.com/tour" target="_blank">tour page</a>. They are true road warriors, playing here and there and everywhere, both near and far. In fact, this particular album was mostly written while the band was running around Europe and North America. I imagine they tested these songs in front of live audiences dozens of times before deciding what would make the album. </p>
<p>Lung are not so busy being different and interesting that they don't bother writing catchy songs. Quite the contrary. There are cello riffs on this album that will have you humming along. (This is definitely the first time I have ever typed the phrase "cello riffs".) Much like on last year's <em>Come Clean Right Now, </em>the songs on this album sound bigger than you might expect from a band consisting of two people. Some of that is due to studio magic, but before you chalk it 100% up to the studio, I'd like you to know that they sound a lot bigger than only two people when they're playing a live show. It's part of the charm. It's part of the rock. Play this one loud.</p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "Sick", "The Prettiest Machine", "Siren Song"</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/fe755ea1f3de56b7498d963f587b15445e0bf669/original/feeder.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="album cover for Feeder's Torpedo album features a lady in a one piece red swimsuit with six airplane wings coming out of her back" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Feeder - </strong><em>Torpedo</em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">I discovered this band in 1997, shortly after their debut album <em>Polythene. </em>I loved that album front to back, and think it still holds up. I even caught Feeder live that year at the Newport Music Hall on High Street in Columbus, where they played with Jimmie's Chicken Shack and Everclear. Feeder was everything that the late 90s version of me wanted in a rock band - distorted guitar, memorable melodies, big rock sound. Here we are twenty-five years later, and they're still doing what they do.</span></p>
<p>This doesn't mean that Feeder is exactly the same as then. I bought their first four albums, and they understandably got more melancholy and introspective on <em>Comfort In Sound</em>, the album that came out after the death of their original drummer. I lost track of Feeder since then, missing a handful of albums. It wasn't them, it was me. The new one here still brings the rock, but it sounds so much bigger than anything I remember from them. The lyrics on <em>Torpedo</em> were apparently very much inspired by some sort of global pandemic, but the big rock songs come out feeling kind of optimistic somehow.</p>
<p>If you have ever liked anything you've heard from this band, you'll like <em>Torpedo</em>. I'm sure of this. It's everything you loved about this band, just louder, and without the sparkle of youth. If you don't know this band, well, how do you feel about rock and roll? If you like stuff that rocks, well, this album will hit you like... (don't say it, don't say it)</p>
<p>.... a torpedo.</p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "When It All Breaks Down", "Wall of Silence", "Born To Love You", "Submission"</li>
</ul>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/7124920
2022-12-18T20:54:06-05:00
2022-12-25T15:12:19-05:00
Thoughts on how we remember
<p>On the way back from the trip to celebrate our <a contents="fifteenth wedding anniversary" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/home/blog/7087307/songwriting-story-for-misty" target="_blank">fifteenth wedding anniversary</a>, we stopped at Heathrow for a layover. We landed there on the morning of 11th November. </p>
<p>That particular day is called Remembrance Day in the United Kingdom. Throughout the morning, the PA in the airport made regular announcements that two-minutes of silence would be observed at eleven o'clock, to remember those who had died in service to their country. Shortly before the clock struck eleven, a poem was read by the recorded voice of a little girl. There was a bugle melody played that I did not recognize. Then, the airport fell silent. </p>
<p>I'm a little bit of a history nerd. I like reading and learning about the past. I'm also fascinated by foreign (to me) people, cultures, food, and traditions. I say these things to assure you that I paid attention to this event, and took care to watch the people around me during these two minutes of silence. </p>
<p>Many people stood, immediately upon hearing the music and/or poem. I can't remember which of those two things happened first, but I remember seeing people stand up right away, something which felt Pavlovian to me. These people were mostly adults and the elderly. They were also overwhelmingly of the, shall we say, non-melanated persuasion. You see, Heathrow is an international airport that connects many parts of the world, so there are folks of every imaginable culture around, and you hear a wonderful symphony of different languages being spoken when there isn't an observed silence. Seated individuals who were definitely not British - myself included - did not stand. People who were moving about, whether they were walking or shopping, tended to stop doing so... except there were plenty of individuals who did not. I was somewhat amused to see a few youthful individuals who were in their late teens or early twenties look around at what was happening, and then eventually join the folks who were standing. It seemed to me that they joined in because of it being a socially suggested thing to do. When the period of silence had concluded, there was general applause from those who were on their feet. The older people applauded the most fervently, and a few of them wiped away tears.</p>
<p>The reason this observance happens at eleven o'clock on the eleventh day of the eleventh month is this is when the armistice that silenced the guns of The Great War came into effect. That particular conflict killed 6% of the adult male population of the United Kingdom, clearly leaving an impression on the collective psyche. As I looked at the delightfully diverse array of people around me, I wondered if this event is observed in their home countries. The Great War was fought in multiple places, but most of the slaughter happened in Europe. I wondered about the tragic irony of the colonized coming to the land of the colonizers to die in their war.</p>
<p>In the United States, this day is a federal holiday called Veterans Day. How many citizens of the United States could tell you why this particular observance is on 11th November or where it originates? Likely, very few. The way we as humans remember, well, that's very different from place to place. It is perhaps affected more by the propaganda we grow up hearing than by what may have actually happened. </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/7087307
2022-10-24T01:53:09-04:00
2022-12-18T20:46:24-05:00
Songwriting Story - For Misty
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/23f518bebb229f61d998024a3df10c15f7309ae2/original/for-misty-cover-ohc-1.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="cover of digital single " /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>artwork by Rob McCowan of Odd Hourz Creative</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p>I don't often write happy songs. I don't <strong>ever</strong> write songs about my wife. The reason for both of these things is that my attempts generally turn out to be awful. Low quality. Banal. My wife has come to accept that neither she nor our relationship are about to be subject matter for my art. Surprise! Here's a change of pace.</p>
<p>3rd November 2022 was our 15th wedding anniversary. That's worth celebrating in a special way, so we're over in Mauritius not working and enjoying a vacation. (Clearly, I'm writing this blog entry well in advance of our departure.) I'm not great at anniversary presents. I think the last decent one from me was a set of diamond earrings, but alas, I am no longer in the jewelry buying business. However, I can manage to <a contents="write a song" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/songwriting-story-goodbye" target="_blank">write a song</a> as a present. That's the decision. Misty gets a song.</p>
<p>I started by borrowing the chord progression from one of my favorite Radiohead songs. Next I worked out a melodic structure, being careful to make sure the melody didn't sound anything like the song from which I took the chords. (I challenge you to figure out which song the chords are from.) I knew that I wanted the overall feel to be like an Elbow song. Remember, <a contents="we both" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/concert-memories-elbow-in-san-diego" target="_blank">we both</a> <a contents="love" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/music-as-a-time-machine-part-3" target="_blank">love</a> <a contents="Elbow" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/concert-memories-elbow-in-detroit" target="_blank">Elbow</a>. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Verse 1:</strong></p>
<p><em>A gentle tremor wakes me, I look out the window of the train <br>The golden hills of Burgundy, brighter in life than in paint <br>Where white and red are pseudonyms for Meursault or Beaujolais <br>This is better now that you are here</em></p>
<p>Those lyrics are about our visit to France's wine-producing region Bourgogne. I had been there before when I was much much younger and single. Some time ago, we went as a couple.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Verse 2:</strong></p>
<p><em>Market in the morning, shouting from the street in the night <br>Cobblestones and Catalan, saffron threads and candlelight <br>Sudden crushing sickness that I don’t have the energy to fight <br>This is better because you are here</em></p>
<p>We went to Barcelona for our 5th anniversary. I managed to get the worst food poisoning of my life on this trip. That experience is now immortalized in song.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Verse 3:</strong></p>
<p><em>A gentle tremor wakes me, I look out the window of the plane <br>The takeoffs and the landings, cruising altitude, champagne <br>Walking through the streets of Paris, Nouméa, Marseille <br>This is better because you are here</em></p>
<p>My first version of this song did not have a third verse. I remember discussing this with the kind gentleman who engineered the song, <a contents="Rich Reuter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://anchor.fm/dashboard/episode/e1eec8b" target="_blank">Rich Reuter</a>. He thought a third verse would be a good thing. Also, I thought I'd get closer to feeling like an Elbow song with a third verse. When it came time to do the vocals, Rich told me that my lyrics weren't good enough. He was right. I took a few minutes and re-wrote the third verse. This is much better. It even has a reference to an Elbow song or two, though I doubt it's enough to get me sued. Like the rest of the song, it's one hundred percent based on reality.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Chorus:</strong></p>
<p><em>Side by side never mind the where <br>Up and down good and bad to share <br>Having holding even when I break <br>Losing you is more than I can bear <br>So don’t you disappear</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>There you have it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I came to Rich with the song all structured out, and as we talked through it, there were some changes. I knew I needed a bridge, but I wasn't sure how to go about it. Rich wrote the instrumental bridge, and came up with the idea for the bass solo by noodling around on a guitar. I liked the notes he played, and figured that it would make more sense to have a bass solo in this song than a guitar solo. Rich also ran with my idea of double tracking bass in the turnaround after the second chorus... we've got a nice bass harmony in there. Due to the changes he made to the song, it's only fair that he gets an official songwriting credit. His ability to understand the mood and feel I was going for led to excellent instrumental choices.</p>
<p>"For Misty" is very likely my best vocal performance thus far. Previously, I think it was <a contents="this song" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://song.link/i/1515055485" target="_blank">this song</a>, or perhaps <a contents="this one" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/track/2544420/pauline" target="_blank">this one</a>, but not anymore. I'm the only vocalist here, and I'm proud of the harmonies.</p>
<p>Normally I would link to it here, but remember how I'm writing this blog entry in the past? Well, this song is a surprise. At the time of writing, Misty doesn't know that it's a thing. Assuming I executed my plan correctly, she found out back on November 3rd, which was this past Thursday. I encourage you, dear reader, to go listen to "For Misty" on the streaming service of your choice repeatedly and often. If you'd like to give us an anniversary present, you can download a high quality version of the song over on <a contents="my Bandcamp page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">my Bandcamp page</a> for $15, or if you can wait a couple of weeks to give us that present, I'll have it up on my official website here when we get back from our trip.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Credits where credits are due:</strong></p>
<p>Lyrics by Mike Bankhead <br>Music by Mike Bankhead & Rich Reuter </p>
<p>Mike Bankhead - bass, triangle, vocals <br>Rich Reuter - guitar, keys <br>Kyle Sweney - drums </p>
<p>Engineered & Mixed by Rich Reuter at Homeway Studios in Dayton, Ohio </p>
<p>Additional Engineering by Seth Canan & Chris Stewart at Trojan City Studios in Troy, Ohio </p>
<p>Produced by Rich Reuter & Mike Bankhead </p>
<p>Mastered by Tim Pritchard at Great Horned Audio in Dayton, Ohio </p>
<p>Artwork by Rob McCowan at Odd Hourz Creative in Austin, Texas </p>
<p>©℗ 2022 You Could Be My Aramis Music (BMI)</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/7053501
2022-09-05T12:23:25-04:00
2022-10-24T01:21:56-04:00
Restaurant Review - assorted cheesesteaks
<p>I went to Philadelphia for the first time a couple of months ago to see Failure. I'll have more to say about that later. For now, I'd like ask you: What's the first thing you think of when you think of Philadelphia? Some of you will say the Rocky series of movies. Some of you will say the Liberty Bell. Those of you who are my people - people who enjoy delicious things - will say cheesesteaks. Across the rest of the country, isn't this food item generally referred to as a "philly cheesesteak"? The name of the city is inseparable from the food.</p>
<p>Since I was in Philadelphia for a few days, I made it my mission to taste as many different cheesesteaks as I could. Alas, that number only reached 4. I'd like to tell you about them, in order from my favorite to my least favorite.</p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>My favorite cheesesteak was from <a contents="John's Roast Pork" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.johnsroastpork.com/" target="_blank">John's Roast Pork</a>.</strong></span></p>
<p>I know what you're thinking. The place is called John's Roast Pork, shouldn't you have gotten a roast pork sandwich? I did. This is what it looked like.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/24dff662b31331149a015e167de543c7f74b61f0/original/20220622-130502.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="roast pork sandwich from John's Roast Pork" /></p>
<p>The signage at John's goes out of its way to remind you that this is spinach on the roast pork sandwich, and NOT broccoli rabe as one might expect. This thing was delicious. I ate half of it, and my wife handled the other half. This left room for their cheesesteak. Voilà:</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/eea5d3eb83ce64d60a16cc4f58da39986402720f/original/20220622-130549.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="cheesesteak at John's Roast Pork" /></p>
<p>Note how the steak and the onions (WIT baby) and the cheese are all cooked together so as to become homogenized. This is what the imitation cheesesteaks around the country are doing wrong. I've NEVER in my life had a cheesesteak this good. Why can't restaurant folks make a pilgrimage to Philadelphia, take some detailed notes, and then make steaks like this?</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>My second favorite cheesesteak was from <a contents="Ishkabibble's" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.eatishkabibbles.com/" target="_blank">Ishkabibble's</a>.</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Specifically, it was from the Ishkabibble's II location. As usual when my wife and I are being tourists, we get around mostly on foot. We had done a lot of walking all day, and though we had a nice dinner with plenty of drinks, I felt like a snack a little after. It was a couple of miles on foot from where we were over to Ishkabibble's. They are open gloriously late, and this thing of beauty really hit the spot.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/0159c774d30e3a1bd59f61cd4ca93c26d2bd6b62/original/20220622-225106.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="late night cheesesteak from Ishkabibble's" /></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">I was so enthused that I might have been dancing in the street whilst carrying this steak.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>My third favorite cheesesteak was from <a contents="By George" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.bygeorgepa.com/" target="_blank">By George</a> inside the Reading Terminal Market.</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">I love watching people cook. I love eateries that let you watch people cook. I had a clear view of the cheesesteak assembly process at this location. </span></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/707fd9b37a3924c7c847e7c0cca57b09b94b8011/original/20220623-170144.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="cheesesteaks in progress on the flat top" /></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">This was the only cheesesteak I had that came with sesame seeds. Look:</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/5f69d406c737b3f81ad47403408e1f2f2db4d52d/original/20220623-171132.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="cheesesteak from By George with sesame seeds on the bread" /></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now, the sesame seeds certainly weren't necessary, but they did provide a nice textural contrast and a little nuttiness. The steak was, once again, delicious.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>My least favorite cheesesteak was at the airport on the way out.</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Yes, I'm a seasoned traveler. Yes, I should know better than to think that any airport food other than <a contents="One Flew South" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.oneflewsouthatl.com/" target="_blank">One Flew South</a> is going to meet expectations. However, I reasoned that I was still in Philadelphia, it couldn't be that bad. Well, dear reader, I did not enjoy this cheesesteak. I managed to eat all of it, but I did so begrudgingly.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/09baa926ca6727196c9ec38a7c948ea70610ebd4/original/20220624-122120.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="a poor decision" /></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Let's start with the bread. It wasn't the right texture. The steaks wasn't properly seasoned. Look how the cheese is separate from the meet and onions, instead of being one happy homogenized food substance. This is the kind of cheesesteak you'd get in, say, Indiana. This is not what you are looking for.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_regular"> </span></p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6939244
2022-04-03T14:22:14-04:00
2022-09-05T12:09:40-04:00
About music and building community at open mic events
<p>I would imagine that many towns with enough musicians has open mic events. Our does. Some of them are truly open... arrive, jump on a sign up list, play. Some of them are curated... anyone can play, but you must sign up in advance of the show date. You'll see all sorts of musicians at these events. You'll see seasoned musicians working out new material. You'll see people performing their own music in public for the first time. You'll sometimes see a musician build an ad-hoc band right there in the venue, and perform a few songs with no rehearsal. I tend to enjoy these events, as seeing live music always tends to give me the good endorphins.</p>
<p>I am sure there are more open mic events in the Greater Dayton area than I know of. I am very familiar with the one at Peach's Grill in Yellow Springs. It is hosted by the effervescent <a contents="Kyleen Downes" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://kyleendownes.com/" target="_blank">Kyleen Downes</a>, who you might recognize from a <a contents="previous blog post" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/amplified-kyleen-downes" target="_blank">previous blog post</a> here. (Sign up for that one is <a contents="right here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://kyleendownes.com/peach-s-open-mic" target="_blank">right here</a>.) In addition to delicious pizza, <a contents="South Park Tavern" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://southparktavern.com/" target="_blank">South Park Tavern</a> has an open mic even on Wednesdays. (Sign up for that one is <a contents="right here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://southparktavern.com/openmic/" target="_blank">right here</a>.) My favorite of these events in the area is Showcase Thursday over at Yellow Cab Tavern. I can't share a sign up for that one, you need to do it in person.</p>
<p>Although I always enjoy these sorts of events, I <strong><em>prefer </em></strong>the ones where everyone is playing original music. Foremost among these types of events are Songwriter-in-the-Round type occasions. For these, each songwriter plays one original song in turn, and round and round we go. I've attended countless of these events, but had never had the opportunity to play in one until last week, Sunday March 27th. Rich Reuter hosted the Songwriter-in-the-Round at <a contents="Devil Wind Brewing" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.devilwindbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Devil Wind Brewing</a> in my hometown of Xenia, Ohio, and invited me to be part of the lineup.</p>
<p>This is going to become a photo blog now.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/897e03e5d8b3944a43a88fe38d880d6d2a19b5b6/original/20220327-172702.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="Xenia Ohio" /></p>
<p>That right up there is my hometown. Specifically, it is the view toward the courthouse from Detroit Street, just south of Main Street.</p>
<p>This next picture right here is Khrys Blank arriving. She played during the same Round as me, and she is exactly as cool as she looks in this photograph. Dennis Geehan also played in that Round, but since I was next to him during the time we played, I didn't get any pictures of him.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/5909281d0bced2935fc004f3da534c3d7714ee25/original/20220327-174625.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="Khrys, a whole lot of cool in a small wrapper" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The second Round of the evening consisted of <a contents="Nicolas Johnson" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.nicholasjohnsonmusic.com/" target="_blank">Nicolas Johnson</a>, Jenna Gomes, and the host, <a contents="Rich Reuter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.richreuter.com/" target="_blank">Rich Reuter</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/d818dcb16fb234b43bf2cf26aff6aa2e7ef12f66/original/20220327-191353.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="Nicholas Johnson in action" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/6ef7862d204f96ef697e639c8a3cb810c460c7ac/original/20220327-194554.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="Jenna!" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The last Round was Kevin Milner, Rachel Litteral, and Anna Marie.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/e54cff81d0f8d7eb3096c7419b0c24f559cd8128/original/20220327-203936-1.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="Kevin Milner" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/4afef30c679ca64706cba387eb45856831d769ca/original/20220327-201418.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="Rachel Litteral" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/987692063ae870ba35820d36426dffabcd056cb5/original/20220327-200858.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="Anna Marie Baugham" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's always somewhat emotional playing songs in front of people, but that was cranked up for me, as this was my first time playing in my hometown. Also, it was a bit nerve-wracking to be surrounded by so much talent. We all survived it though, and then I got the post-show endorphins. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/0a80cf5ad5736bd0b8b90cef9b03dbd6aeb36a5a/original/20220327-211324.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="Here I am with Rich Reuter" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>I'll keep on trying to play as many events like this as I can. I'll also keep trying to attend even when I'm NOT playing, as a way to show support for people who are brave enough to share a piece of their art with the public when they don't know how it will be received. These open mic events are customarily free to attend. I encourage you, no matter where you are, to try to find similar events in your area and try one of them out. You never know, you might discover some music that you love.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6927593
2022-03-20T21:50:51-04:00
2022-03-21T09:00:01-04:00
Songwriting Story - Bright Ideas
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/9db7d4adc485d0524e4241c910d759861019967e/original/bright-ideas-artwork-no-wright-brothers.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="artwork for "Bright Ideas" single" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>This song started as a voice memo, a brief line of lyrics and the slightest suggestion of melody sung to my phone. The line in question was this one:</p>
<p><em>tell your teacher I got some bright ideas</em></p>
<p>Admittedly, that's not much to build a song around. The concept of "bright ideas" stayed with me. I live in the Greater Dayton area, and this is a place that has seen many inventors and creatives. I decided to build the song into a love letter of sorts to the Gem City and to the thinkers who called this place home. I also decided to try to write a Guided By Voices song.</p>
<p>The second thing I wrote was the riff for the outro. I did the writing on piano, but I knew from the beginning that I would want that hook played on guitar and also sung. I knew from the beginning that I didn't want to include a traditional "chorus" with the song, and that I wanted it to be short and punchy.</p>
<p><a contents="This is what it sounds like" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/single/25638/bright-ideas" target="_blank">This is what it sounds like</a>.</p>
<p>My thanks go out to Dr J at <a contents="WUDR" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.wudrflyerradio.com/" target="_blank">WUDR</a> and Juliet Fromholt at <a contents="WYSO" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.wyso.org/" target="_blank">WYSO</a> for playing this song on the radio.</p>
<p>I am also thankful to the personnel who played on this single. Here are the credits:</p>
<p>released March 31, 2020 <br>Music & Lyrics by Mike Bankhead </p>
<p>Bass, Vocals: Mike Bankhead <br>Guitar, Vocals: Eric Cassidy <br>Drums: Brian Hoeflich <br>Vocals: Patrick Himes </p>
<p>Produced by Patrick Himes & Mike Bankhead </p>
<p>Engineered and Mixed by Patrick Himes at Reel Love Recording Company, Dayton, Ohio </p>
<p>Mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering, Nashville, Tennessee </p>
<p>Art by Ashka RA </p>
<p>©℗2020 You Could Be My Aramis Music (BMI)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>"Bright Ideas" was taken down from global streaming services when I changed distributors, but it will be back TOMORROW, Tuesday 22nd March, 2022.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6921863
2022-03-14T13:18:58-04:00
2022-04-03T19:47:05-04:00
New single "Hold the Wick" is available pretty much everywhere tomorrow, 15th March 2022
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/44dc713f8fad7dd43780a246d96ea4f2614b4fa4/original/hold-the-wick.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.png" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="artwork for " /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Almost a year ago, on Sunday March 28th, 2021, I went to Reel Love Recording Company and recorded this single. Brian Hoeflich played drums, Jeremy Raucci played guitar, and Patrick Himes sang some vocals and made it all sound good. "Hold the Wick" was recorded and mixed in one day. That's not the end of its story.</p>
<p>Those of you of a certain age might remember buying CD singles. In addition to just the single, there would be additional songs on the disc. That is the listening experience that I wanted to create here. In order to do this, I recruited a variety of musicians and asked them to remix "Hold the Wick" in any way they chose to do so. You can already listen to all of the song versions right here on my official website by heading to the <a contents="Music page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/music" target="_blank">Music page</a>. </p>
<p>Here are the musicians who provided remixes:</p>
<p><a contents="Rich Reuter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.richreuter.com/" target="_blank">Rich Reuter</a><br><a contents="Baby Molly" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://babymolly.net/" target="_blank">Baby Molly</a><br><a contents="No $ Savant" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://linktr.ee/Nosavant" target="_blank">No $ Savant</a><br><a contents="Nina Pelligra" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.ninapelligra.com/" target="_blank">Nina Pelligra</a><br><a contents="Bonsai Superstar" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bonsaisuperstar.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Bonsai Superstar</a><br><a contents="Rizo" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://thedreamcatchers.studio/" target="_blank">Rizo</a><br><a contents="T.H.O.E.M." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/7iUTmPxsCd3Z3nXooeoKvc" target="_blank">T.H.O.E.M.</a></p>
<p>Tomorrow, on Tuesday March 15th, all versions of "Hold the Wick" will be streaming everywhere. I encourage you to please listen repeatedly on the streaming platform of your choice.</p>
<p>Oh, and each version of "Hold the Wick" comes with a music video. The first of these is also out tomorrow. I think the director did a very good job. I hope that you do, too.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6915474
2022-03-06T22:27:27-05:00
2022-03-07T08:00:04-05:00
Music as a Time Machine, Part 7 - Love is Here
<p>I have <a contents="mentioned before" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/music-as-a-time-machine-part-3" target="_blank">mentioned before</a> that I took a trip to France in 2002, and only took five compact discs with me for the duration of the trip. As you might imagine, I listened to these albums over and over and over again. I knew them forward and backward, every lyric, every chord change, every nuance. There is something about deep and repeated listens to a work of art that builds a bond between the musicians and the listener, even though that bond might only work in one direction. When I listen to any of those five albums, I am assaulted by old sights, sounds, smells, feelings, thoughts, places, situations, and people. The debut album from Starsailor is one of those.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/29277b3630f1f77ba539213d0c7b95ff0e821840/original/love-is-here-starsailor.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>I never saw this band live. I've never even watched a live performance of theirs on the Internet, though I'm about to change that as soon as I'm done writing this blog post. My only relationship with Starsailor is through their compact discs that happen to be in my collection. <em>Love Is Here</em> is the first, arriving in fall 2001.</p>
<p>At that point in my youth, I generally leaned toward louder rock records. This wasn't the case all of the time - after all, I loved that first Elbow album and anything Radiohead wanted to throw at us - but mostly, yeah. This album occupied a space in my collection that didn't have a lot of company. Most of the guitars on this album are acoustic, and there are a TON of keyboards... piano, synth, organ. All of that kind of makes the bass stand out more than on many of the music I was listening to at the time, and that might be something that attracted me to this band. All I know for sure is that I loved this album from the opening notes of the opening song all the way to the closer. It pulled at the emotions then, and today the sad songs sound just as poignant to me, but with the added gravitas of 20 years worth of additional life experience filtering who I was and where I went when I was spinning this disc six times a day.</p>
<p>In some ways, listening to this album today feels very different. I know a great deal more about how to make music than I did in 2002. I find myself dissecting the songs technically more when I listen now... oh, there's some electric guitar arpeggio added for atmosphere and there's reverb on it... oh, that's a B3 organ... oh that sounds like a slide guitar... oh, I wonder if that's a pump organ or an accordion in that section... you know, those types of thoughts. All of that aside, if I listen with my eyes closed, I remember exactly what it felt like to step off the <a contents="téléphérique du Brévent&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.chamonix.com/activites/informations-pratiques-remontees-mecaniques/telepherique-du-brevent" target="_blank">téléphérique du Brévent</a> with a bunch of skiers and snowboarders and then stroll away a bit and be all alone at what felt like the top of the world. </p>
<p><em>I need to be alone while I suffer.</em> </p>
<p>A lyric that I still think was written just for me.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6909634
2022-02-28T14:57:45-05:00
2022-02-28T14:57:45-05:00
Review of my Music Writing Exercise experience
<p>I'm not a journalist or professional writer, but I like to write, so my blog is a way to scratch that particular itch. To some extent, my <a contents="Twitter feed" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/mbankheadmusic" target="_blank">Twitter feed</a> also serves this purpose. I learned this year of a music writing exercise that is conveniently called "Music Writing Exercise", and is represented by the #MWE hashtag on Twitter. The idea is to listen to one album every day that you have never listened to before, then write some thoughts on it... but the thoughts need to be the length of exactly one tweet. Now, I started the challenge a few days late, which required listening to multiple albums on some days this month, but I just now finished the Music Writing Exercise. I'd like to share with you the albums I listened to, and my thoughts on them, as written on Twitter. Who knows, you might find something you like.</p>
<p>I'd link to all of these albums, but it would take me FOREVER to look up all of the appropriate links to websites and such, and besides, you know how to use Google, right? </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<ul> <li>#MWE1. Yep, late getting started. Ben Decca's 2021 album <em>Dévotion</em> is my first exposure to Makossa music. The songs in Ben's native language (I assume Douala), well, I don't understand, but dig the music. Some latin-sounding flavors, great vocals & harmonies, grooving bass.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/9cf64588196c049f92bab6f4c50eb2b3faa8a4ab/original/fk4jf3hxwauzogc.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_center border_none" alt="Ben Decca - Dévotion" /></p>
<ul> <li>#MWE2. Carolyn Shulman's <em>Grenadine & Kerosene</em>, which came out in 2021. The title track is excellent. There are a couple of songs that lean a little close to country for my tastes, but overall, solid lyrics & well performed musically. Go get this one.</li> <li>#MWE3. Yes, still behind. California outfit The Sometimes Island has a new EP out called <em>Beverly & Barbara</em>. It's got a creative take an a 70s song, along with some tasty indie pop. Not too saccharine for me, care paid to songcraft and instrumental choices to properly deliver melody.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/6e6211dda6c986b26c483a2de6f5096eba192ce0/original/fla-6b1xsam6yac.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_center border_none" alt="The Sometimes Island - Beverly & Barbara" /></p>
<ul> <li>#MWE4. Willie Nelson's .<em>..And Then I Wrote</em>. Well, it's noticeably derivative, with blues & gospel/soul music filtered through his vocal approach. Simple lyrics, going for obvious rhymes. Piano sprinkles are lovely, background singers lovely, album reminiscent of elevator music.</li> <li>#MWE5. Melissa Carper gives us a live tracked album with <em>Daddy's Country Gold</em>. A unique voice, & an interesting take on a mix of some very old types of music. Yes, the word "country" is in the title, but there are other sounds here, notably strong jazz influence. I think I dig.</li> <li>#MWE6. <em>The Late Great Townes Van Zandt</em>. "Great" is doing heavy lifting, as I disagree. My favorite song is "Snow Don't Fall", followed by "Poncho & Lefty", but there isn't much going on musically and the songs here don't speak to me. The strings are nice when they show up.</li> <li>#MWE7. <em>Music City USA</em>, by Charlie Crockett. I don't like this one. I think I liked three songs, maybe. I'm beginning to think that this genre might not be my thing.</li> <li>#MWE8. Still way behind schedule. I never heard anything from Betty Davis, and her recent death caused me to go check out her work. Her self-titled debut is funky, sultry, and will make you want to get up and dance.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/af64ae9b1b79ee889dfb87f7eafd9e27c84b6423/original/flcoarowuaebsip.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_center border_none" alt="Betty Davis - Betty Davis" /></p>
<ul> <li>#MWE9. This is the first Zola Jesus album,<em> The Spoils</em>. Vocals mixed low & ALSO sound like they have a ton of reverb, which makes them sound distant & mostly unintelligible. There are some catchy instrumental hooks, & tasty shoegaze sounds, but I won't come back to this one.</li> <li>#MWE10. Back to Betty Davis for this one, her second album. It's just as funky and sultry and full of attitude as the first one.</li> <li>#MWE11. Shame on me for taking so long to get around to listening to a Bad Brains album front to back. This is their debut & it is chaotic & fast & loud, except for when they branch off into reggae, & then right back in to furious punk. As good as advertised.</li> <li>#MWE12. Adria Kain, <em>When Flowers Bloom</em>. An R&B album featuring what sounds like mostly in-the-box production, which really isn't my thing. I like "Melt Into You" best here, and the album is not bad, just not all that memorable. Really good vocals though.</li> <li>#MWE13. Jay Wheeler's latest <em>El Amor y Yo</em>. Good vocals. Heavy use of pitch correction for artistic reasons. I'm old, it's not my thing. Interesting variety of Spanish language urban music. Plenty of nice grooves, and one can dance to most of it.</li> <li>#MWE14. Wiki tells me that this Ricky Nelson album is rock and roll. It sounds like the kind of thing you would hear on an oldies station, the songs are quite slow, and use rudimentary chord progressions. The perfect soundtrack to a movie set in the 50s, but not for much else.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/35f98f60ad1bb253086743366acdbad314d24f5c/original/flrecovvqais0mf.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_center border_none" alt="Ricky Nelson - Ricky Sings Again" /></p>
<ul> <li>#MWE15. More Betty Davis, more funk on <em>Nasty Gal</em>. Interesting how this sounds like the era it is from, but still somehow fresh. It's good. A song called "F.U.N.K." on it has Betty name dropping a bunch of her musical contemporaries, and I wonder if she was the first to do that.</li> <li>#MWE16. Introduced to Nija here on Twitter by @djboothEIC. Lots of emotion carried in the lyrics on these tracks, notably for me "Rare" & "You Don't Love Her". That said, I think modern R&B with in-the-box production & heavily pitch shifted vocals isn't for me. That's ok.</li> <li>#MWE17. <em>Revival</em>, Rissi Palmer. I've followed @RissiPalmer #onhere for awhile, & finally got around to listening. This is as soulful as you'd expect given the album name, also meanders around country & americana sounds. Excellent album. Hello Hammond B3 on stompin' title track!</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/50c2757dd4f4bc576f0efc47bfe57003ce994a5a/original/fl2qb5iwyam9vnx.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_center border_none" alt="Rissi Palmer - Revival" /></p>
<ul> <li>#MWE18.<em> Hard Won</em> by Lizzie No has lovely songs. Lizzie plays harp. HARP!!! Lizzie also plays guitar. Folk music here, well recorded. I dig it.</li> <li>#MWE19. I listened to this because Paul Monnin told me to. Other than the bass on "Do Right Woman", including a couple of sweet fills, I don't like it. Sorry, Paul. (Ok, I guess I dig the way the different vocals are panned as well.)</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/ed7d08046867730f83bd8642a28bd4391808f9fc/original/the-gilded-palace-of-sin.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_center border_none" alt="The Flying Burrito Brothers - The Gilded Palace of Sin" /></p>
<ul> <li>#MWE20. Fellow Midwesterners Urge Overkill are back. Say "oui" to this album. If you remember and like this band, you'll like this album. If not, you might still like it, I certainly do. I dig Nash Kato's voice. The songwriting is good.</li>
</ul>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/43a67be1e4b42a3fbe74382108cfb84fa0a31452/original/download.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_center border_none" alt="Urge Overkill - Oui" /></p>
<ul> <li>#MWE21. I discovered Joslyn & The Sweet Compression because they are stopping by Dayton on tour. I have a ticket. Solid album here. Funky, with some characteristics of that classic 70s Dayton sound. Soulful. Dig it very much.</li> <li>#MWE22. <em>Bubblegum</em>, by Mark Lanegan. I really should have gotten to this earlier. Great songs. Having PJ Harvey on a couple of them certainly doesn't hurt. Mark's voice sounds broken in and familiar like old leather. Solid rock and roll album.</li> <li>#MWE23. Spoon's latest album is <em>Lucifer on the Sofa</em>, and is the first Spoon album I have listened to in its entirety. What took me so long? This is a rather solid rock album. I think my favorite song is "Satellite", but that may change with future listens.</li> <li>#MWE24. Built To Spill's album <em>Keep It Like A Secret</em> came out in 1999. I like all of this. Some of the guitar work is a bit more meandering than most of what I listen to, but the hooks are good, and there is some big rock and roll sound when there needs to be.</li> <li>#MWE25. Kären McCormick's EP <em>Retro</em>. It's pop country, not my thing at all. Well produced and executed, sure. Here's hoping more artists/songwriters of color bust through that glass ceiling in the Nashville part of the industry though.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/74abd64cb3781274809628a39b69a27f7d1e4c57/original/fdg8jvre-696x696.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpeg" class="size_s justify_center border_none" alt="Kären McCormick -Retro" /></p>
<ul> <li>#MWE26. heard Momma's new single, which sounds exactly like Veruca Salt to me, so I went to check out their older work. That's not quite the feeling you get on <em>Two Of Me</em>, their 2020 album, it's much more subdued. That said, it's perfectly fine, but I'm ready for the next one.</li> <li>#MWE27. Eddie Vedder's latest solo album,<em> Earthling</em>, is much better than I expected, containing a variety of styles, sonic textures, and approaches to song construction. I need a few more listens before I throw too many superlatives at it, but my first take is it's quite solid.</li> <li>#MWE28. <em>Pollen</em>, the 2021 album from Superbloom, is my favorite album out of all the ones I listened to this month. It sounds like 90s rock, and I mean that as a compliment. I will probably be listening to this over and over and over again.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/88d8cfc3200693749d26a7d3f54829f447a393e0/original/a0019280470-16.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_center border_none" alt="Superbloom - Pollen" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">*****************************************************************************</p>
<p>This was an enjoyable exercise. I listened to several albums that I otherwise might not have listened to at all, or might have taken awhile to get around to. There ended up being a reasonably diverse group of genres represented, though it could be argued that I need more hip hop or pop music in this February collection. Maybe I'll concentrate a bit harder on those areas next year. (Though it could be said that discovering a new-to-me genre in Makossa more than makes up for that.) Yes, I definitely plan to do this exercise again.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6902808
2022-02-20T21:58:52-05:00
2022-02-21T08:20:02-05:00
Anecdote makes its return to streaming services tomorrow
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/d3f16f43f382f154a6e40f219f20d44307c8a7e3/original/mikebankhead-anecdote.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>You might remember that I have <a contents="a song" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/track/2545687/anecdote-featuring-tino" target="_blank">a song</a> about a particularly unpleasant experience with the police, and that <a contents="TINO" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://itstino.com/" target="_blank">TINO</a> had the kindness to feature on it. The story behind writing "Anecdote" is <a contents="right over here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/songwriting-story-anecdote" target="_blank">right over here</a>, on a previous blog entry.</p>
<p>This is one of my five singles that have been removed from the world's most popular streaming services. It makes its triumphant return tomorrow, February 22nd. Would you be so kind as to give it a listen tomorrow wherever you stream music?</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6895715
2022-02-11T23:48:36-05:00
2022-02-20T21:48:50-05:00
Amplified: Carolyn Shulman
<p><a contents="Carolyn Shulman" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://carolynshulman.com/home" target="_blank">Carolyn Shulman</a> is currently from Colorado. She had a lot to say, which I strongly encourage, so we'll skip the preamble and get around to amplifying her voice after the picture.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/569250bb191b62c1382d6fcbdf8e2e59f189e0e0/original/meta-eyjzcmncdwnrzxqioijiemdszmlszxmifq.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="Carolyn Shulman" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Photo by Jessie Matteson</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p><strong>1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre. </strong></p>
<p>I’m a folk / Americana singer-songwriter. I have played guitar since I was 9 years old and focus on acoustic guitar. I especially love intricate fingerpicking, but I also enjoy a good, old fashioned strummy song! I am also working on building my electric guitar skills. I would love to be able to improvise and play solid lead guitar, which would open up more possibilities for collaboration with other artists. I’m not there yet, but I’m having such a blast learning and working on developing that new skill set. </p>
<p>When I perform live, I mostly play solo with my acoustic guitar. However, the album I released in May 2021, <em>Grenadine & Kerosene</em>, is a fully produced album with a band. It contains some songs that are solidly folk, some that are more folk-rock or Americana, and one that is straight up country. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>2. I have gathered from your social media feeds that you are both culturally and religiously Jewish. How does your faith and your culture influence the music you make? </strong></p>
<p>That’s such a nice question! Being Jewish factors into my songwriting indirectly in terms of how I view the world and my role in it. As Jews, we are taught that we should always work to make the world a better place than we found it (this is the concept of <em>tikkun olam</em> - repairing the world). I think also being part of a group that is targeted by violent extremists and hate groups has given me a heightened sense of empathy for the struggles of other marginalized groups. All of these ideas find their way into my songs. </p>
<p>Being Jewish has also factored into at least one of my songs very directly. My song “Across the Borderline” is about a refugee mother and her two daughters making the perilous journey through the desert to what they hope will be safety in America, only to be separated when they finally make it. Writing it, I was thinking about the similarities with the Exodus story, when Moses led the Jews out of slavery in Egypt, across the desert, to safety and freedom in the promised land. </p>
<p>Then, fast forward to more modern times, the line in the chorus that says “every footstep is a prayer” was inspired by something that Rabbi Abraham Heschel said after marching in Selma with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Some other rabbis (who had not gone to Selma) were giving him a hard time afterwards. Calling his level of religious observance into question, they asked him whether he prayed while he was in Alabama. He replied, “Yes. I prayed with my feet.” I really love that idea of praying with our feet - that taking action, either for ourselves or to help others, can be just as holy and important as praying in a more traditional way. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money? </strong></p>
<p>Michael Jackson’s <em>Bad</em>! I bought it on cassette tape at Peaches Music (which is sadly no more) in my hometown of Mobile, Alabama. That was how we rolled in the 80s! </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>4. Tell me about the last concert you saw. </strong></p>
<p>The last in-person concert I saw was Shawn Colvin, Marc Cohn, and Sara Watkins on December 1, 2021 at the beautiful Paramount Theater in Denver, Colorado. It was my first indoor, in-person show to attend since before the pandemic began. They were fantastic. Mary Chapin-Carpenter was supposed to be part of that tour, but she had to cancel due to I think a shoulder injury, and so Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek, Watkins Family Hour) subbed in, and she was an amazing addition to the show. They all sat onstage and played in the round, and it was a beautiful night. I cried when the music started, it had been so long. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>5. You didn't get a chance to play a bunch of support shows for <em>Grenadine & Kerosene</em>, thanks to the pandemic. Are there plans of taking that album out on the road in the future? </strong></p>
<p>I hope so, pandemic allowing! I’m planning on booking some shows around Colorado for the spring and summer. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>6. You're a lawyer. I've never met a lawyer who turned into an indie musician. Is there anything from your former career that you bring forward into this one? </strong></p>
<p>Definitely. I am sort of a geek about doing things by the book and treating my music like a business (because it is!). I copyright my songs. I set up an LLC through which I handle my music business. I know the value of seeking out the help of experts when I don’t know how to do something myself or when I realize I don’t know all of the subtleties. I would never sign a contract that could affect my rights to control or earn income from my music or my publishing without thoroughly reviewing it and would probably have another lawyer review it, too. </p>
<p>I think in general, my background as a lawyer has taught me a lot about how the world works and has taught me that the devil is in the details, so to speak. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>7. If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be? </strong></p>
<p>I would have the streaming platforms such as Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, etc. compensate artists more fairly for the use of our creations. Right now, it takes approximately 5,000 Spotify streams in the United States to earn the same income we’d get from one album sale. That is insulting to artists and has resulted in a mind-boggling amount of profit for these streaming companies. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, music has become devalued to the average listener. Maybe they don’t know that we only receive about $0.003 per stream (on Spotify), or maybe they don’t care because streaming is so convenient. I mean, I stream music, too! I love being able to do so. But, when I find something I enjoy, I go to iTunes or to that artist’s website, and I purchase a digital download of the album in order to support that artist. Most people, however, aren’t doing that. We have been conditioned in the last 15 years to expect instant, on-demand access to just about any song we want for very low cost. In the past, people had to buy an album if they wanted to listen to it on demand. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>8. Making <em>Grenadine & Kerosene</em> was a lifelong dream for you. Mission accomplished. What do you do next? </strong></p>
<p>I am focusing right now on learning how to work within the world of sync licensing. Sync licensing is when a song gets licensed for use in television, movies, advertisements, and video games. As I explained in the previous question, music streaming platforms have sort of destroyed musicians’ ability to earn much income from recorded music. However, sync licensing is a great way to do just that. Music supervisors need music in order to enhance the emotional impact of their shows, movies, ads, and games, and they are required to pay artists to use it. More shows and movies are being created and released than ever before right now (thanks to streaming services! ha!), and I believe indie musicians can really benefit by working on getting their songs into this arena. </p>
<p>In addition to working on that, I am also looking forward to connecting with fans in person and growing my audience through live shows this year! Fingers crossed for a better year in terms of the pandemic. I really want to play out more in 2022. </p>
<p>***********************</p>
<p><em>Grenadine & Kerosene </em>is not only a brilliant album title full of imagery, it's also the name of the album's title track. It's very good. You should listen to it. Feel free to listen to it for free on the streaming service of your choice, but if you like it, well, you should probably head on over to <a contents="Carolyn's Bandcamp page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://carolynshulman.bandcamp.com/album/grenadine-kerosene" target="_blank">Carolyn's Bandcamp page</a> and buy it.</p>
<p>In addition to her <a contents="official website" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://carolynshulman.com/home" target="_blank">official website</a>, you can connect with Carolyn Shulman on <a contents="Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/carolynshulmanmusic" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/carolynshulmanmusic/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a contents="YouTube" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/carolynshulman" target="_blank">YouTube</a>.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6889750
2022-02-05T19:52:56-05:00
2023-12-10T14:17:02-05:00
Restaurant Review - Mofongos in North Hollywood, California
<p>If your restaurant is called <a contents="Mofongos" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.mofongosrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Mofongos</a>, it would be reasonable to expect a Puerto Rican restaurant with mofongo prominently featured among the culinary offerings. This spot in North Hollywood fulfilled and surpassed both of those expectations on my recent visit. I don't have a Puerto Rican restaurant near me, so when I saw Mofongos was within easy walking distance of my hotel during my recent trip to the Los Angeles area, I knew I had to drop by for a visit. Mofongo, after all, is delicious.</p>
<p>The restaurant is small, and has the feel of a family-run establishment. The kitchen wasn't visible, so I don't know how many people were back there cooking, but when I arrived, one of the employees was heading out, and the remaining person seemed to be the only one responsible for the front of the house the rest of the evening. If memory serves, his name is Ángel, and he kindly put up with my insistence on speaking in Spanish. (It's a Puerto Rican restaurant, we should speak in Spanish, you know?) I knew better than to try out my imitation of a Puerto Rican accent... I'm not good enough to pull that off with a native speaker.</p>
<p>Let's start with the namesake dish. Have a look at this picture right here:</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/f29439fe2ba3fa8f8166cd439f475ec3f457b743/original/20220109-202008.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="MOFONGO" /></p>
<p>Isn't that a thing of beauty? I opted for the Mofongo de Carne Frita, which means that those are delightfully crunchy morsels of fried pork on top. Tostones came on the side, because more platano is never a bad thing, right? This was delicious. The broth was perfect, the mofongo was perfect, the pork was perfect, the tostones were perfect. Now, a sensible person wouldn't have gotten anything else to eat, but not only am I not remotely sensible, I have some nostalgia for arroz con gandules.</p>
<p>See, a very grandmotherly grandmother who I know in my area is Puerto Rican. In the before times, when there would be a gathering, she always brought arroz con gandules. She even personally taught me how to make it once. Of course, I have never at any point been able to make mine taste like hers, even though I am certain I followed her instructions perfectly... but yeah, I don't try anymore. It's been awhile since I ran into arroz con gandules, so I got some of that on the side. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/c2ffec359d2438d14a4c76d9a496d91dfa9df471/original/20220109-202018.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="ARROZ CON GANDULES" /></p>
<p>Did I finish this? No, not close. I did, however, eat enough of it to find the olive that was hiding in there. (Just like Milta's!) The flavor was spot on. This leads me to believe that <a contents="Mofongos" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.mofongosrestaurant.com/menu/" target="_blank">Mofongos</a> has a Puerto Rican grandmother in the kitchen doing the cooking.</p>
<p>As a history nerd, eating food like this always makes me think of where delicious things might come from. Does mofongo bear a resemblance to fufu? Yes, yes it does. Now, the reasons for that are, of course, horrific. Same reason that you don't meet anyone who speaks Taíno anymore. That said and acknowledged, one small nice thing that comes out of cultural collision is delicious food. Mofongo is one of those things. If you happen to have access to North Hollywood, I strongly recommend you swing by <a contents="Mofongos" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.mofongosrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Mofongos</a> and try theirs.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6883058
2022-01-29T21:07:17-05:00
2022-07-22T15:25:41-04:00
Music streaming platforms - let's talk about Audiomack
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/c94bbc23ebf31418c5e4b42af624d394aa66f6ed/original/stacked-black-large.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.png" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="Audiomack Logo" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>To begin, I'd like to make it clear right up front that <a contents="Audiomack" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://audiomack.com/" target="_blank">Audiomack</a> is not sponsoring me in any way, and I am not being paid to talk about them. All of the experiences I am going to relay to you in this post are one hundred percent true, although the empirical <a contents="sabermetrician" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://sabr.org/" target="_blank">sabermetrician</a> in me freely acknowledges that the sample size is small. Your results may vary, though I strongly doubt it. Hey, maybe try out some of these things on your own and talk about your experience?</p>
<p>One of the more popular music streaming services has been <a contents="in the news" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.npr.org/2022/01/29/1076670679/joni-mitchell-neil-young-protest-spotify-rogan-misinformation" target="_blank">in the news</a> lately, as a couple of well-known <a contents="Canadian" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://neilyoungarchives.com/" target="_blank">Canadian</a> <a contents="artists" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://jonimitchell.com/" target="_blank">artists</a> have had their music removed from the platform in the last week. In the musician social media circles I tend to read, there are individuals canceling their paid accounts with the popular platform in question. This particular blog post is not intended to discuss the controversy. <em><strong>This particular blog post is intended to offer an alternative</strong></em> to the most well-known streaming services, an alternative that is certainly a better choice for artists, and one that may also be a better choice for listeners. How did I arrive at that viewpoint? Let me tell you a story.</p>
<p>Remember <a contents="Greg Owens" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/amplified-greg-owens" target="_blank">Greg Owens</a>? This gentleman <a contents="wrote a song" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://song.link/s/3cJd3RtfDRo0lK7AdmbNT7" target="_blank">wrote a song</a> with me. He's an Americana artist. He had a song out called "<a contents="Love in the Rain" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmVMzRO7e_A" target="_blank">Love in the Rain</a>". My wife listened to that particular song on the popular music streaming service that I have been clearly avoiding mentioning by name. That service followed up "Love in the Rain" with "WAP" by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. This didn't make sense to us. Shouldn't the algorithm for this service take note of the song's genre and style, and then follow up the selection with something similar? Why would it default to what was, at the time, the most streamed song in the United States? Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, and Atlantic Records really didn't need another stream of that hit to go with the millions of streams they already had, but an indie artist like Greg surely could have used a stream for one of his other songs. This did not sit right with me. Interestingly, I later had an opportunity to ask an industry expert about it.</p>
<p>This industry insider has specific expertise in the streaming platform in question. I listened carefully as he described how their music algorithm works. I took away two main points from listening to him speak. The algorithm on this platform leans heavily toward genre. The algorithm looks at locations of listeners and likes to categorize by location. Based on those two criteria, "Love in the Rain" should have been followed by a song from an Ohio-based Americana artist. We have a few of those. "WAP", popular though it was, does not fit here in any way. When it came time for a question-and-answer session with the gentleman, I explained the situation above in detail, and asked how we can reconcile the platform's behavior with the explanation we were just given of how the platform is supposed to behave. The response that I got was telling.</p>
<p>At first, the gentleman used humor to deflect my question, stating that the platform was messing with me, then deadpanning that "WAP" is a great American classic that deserves to be heard over and over. Finally he said quite seriously that the component that I am leaving out of the equation is time. In other words, since this was my wife's first visit to Spotify, the algorithm couldn't possibly look at her location or the genre she selected, and instead was obligated to serve the most streamed song on the platform until she had enough listens in order for it to make a better choice. This, dear reader, is nonsense, and frankly, I found it insulting. Does it sound true to you?</p>
<p>Do you remember Pandora? That's one of the older music streaming services. Do you know what the follow-up song is when you play an Americana song on Pandora? I leave you to try it if you wish, but let's just say that you won't get a chart-topping hip hop song next. Pandora somehow manages to figure out the genre you want to hear right from your first listen. This is how I knew that the explanation I was being given was absolutely untrue, I have experience with other platforms that don't behave like this. Maybe the real answer was "I don't know". More likely the real answer is "this platform has a vested interest in serving whatever major label artist is at the top of the charts right now, and that will always be the default behavior"... at any rate, the lack of a real answer kind of bummed me out. </p>
<p>All told though, streaming music sure is convenient. Even for people who still love listening to music on CD (like me) or vinyl, sometimes the convenience is difficult to pass up. And, for full disclosure, I host my podcast on a free platform that is very easy to use, and that platform happens to be owned by <em>the very same service</em> I am discussing above.</p>
<p>Audiomack is an option that I enjoy. Here are my reasons:</p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><strong>Listener Experience</strong></span></p>
<p>I tend to do most of my music streaming from the same location I am typing this blog... on a desktop PC. The website has a simple interface to use. It does not require installation of an app, but if you stream via a mobile device, that is absolutely an option. For you audiophiles out there, a subscription to their premium service gets you higher quality streams, along with equalizer controls, a lack of ads or banners, and the ability to download playlists. Like other popular platforms, Audiomack brings me a personalized feed of music that they think will suit my interests. The ability to playlist is here as well, of course, as I alluded to briefly. The <a contents="Audiomack World" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://audiomack.com/world" target="_blank">Audiomack World</a> page reminds me of the music journalism over on <a contents="Bandcamp" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>, it's a good place to discover new artists. In order to find what songs are most recently added, well, they have a <a contents="Recently Added" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://audiomack.com/recent" target="_blank">Recently Added</a> page that you can sort by genre.</p>
<p>Of course, does any streaming service actually CARE about their listeners? Aren't we all <a contents="just numbers" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/track/2544346/i-am-a-number" target="_blank">just numbers</a> to them, a way to collect those advertising dollars? Well, I reached out to <a contents="Brian Zisook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/djboothEIC" target="_blank">Brian Zisook</a>, co-founder and Senior Vice President of Operations for Audiomack, to ask about what kind of experience they are hoping for listeners to take away from their platform. Brian says: "We want Audiomack users to find pleasure in leaning into artist discovery, rather than sitting back and letting an algorithm tell them what is popular. If you use Audiomack and frequent our Trending sections, by genre, or Audiomack World, our editorial arm, it's nearly impossible to not find your next favorite artist." </p>
<p>What if you enjoy streaming music, but you know that musicians are getting paid mere fractions of a cent for those streams? Oh, sure, there are plenty of listeners who just don't care, but let's say you're not one of them. Let's say that you recognize the amount of hard work that goes into writing music and getting it professionally recorded and produced in order to bring you quality art. Let's say you want to stream, but you also want to compensate the artists. Well, the <a contents="Supporters feature" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://audiomack.com/world/post/supporters-for-fans" target="_blank">Supporters feature</a> on Audiomack is perfect for you!</p>
<p>My wife and I repeated the "Love in the Rain" experiment. <a contents="Here's where that song lives on Audiomack" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://audiomack.com/gregowens247/song/love-in-the-rain" target="_blank">Here's where that song lives on Audiomack</a>. The next suggested song was by a completely different artist named Greg Owens. That is not the ideal result, but I can understand why that happened. I would like to have seen a recommendation in the same genre, but this brings me around to one drawback: rock and rock-adjacent genres are underrepresented on Audiomack. The platform is strong in hip hop, pop, EDM, rap, and afrobeats. This brings me to the part where I talk to other artists.</p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font_large">Artist Experience</span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hey there, fellow artists and musicians. We all want people to find our work and listen to us. The emphasis here is on people... actual real human beings with emotions and soul, not bots. I think that Audiomack has the potential to be the best platform for us, but it won't be if it doesn't grow its listener base, and it won't grow its listener base unless more artists put their music over there. Do you see the dilemma? Let me tell you about what I like about Audiomack from the perspective of an artist.</p>
<p>You can upload your music there on your own, without the need for a distributor. For the majority of the other streaming services, we have to go through a distribution company to get our music onto their platform. This is not the case with Audiomack. Sure, you <em>can </em>use a distributor to get your music to Audiomack if you wish, they work with a few of them. However, this is not a requirement. You can absolutely build your profile and upload your songs all on your own without a distributor.</p>
<p>The process to get music to an official Audiomack playlist is transparent. There isn't a great deal of mystery about it. In fact, there are specific places on Audiomack where you can submit your newly uploaded songs directly to the curators of the "trending" lists, and if they like your song, it goes up there. This, of course, gets you a bump in the amount of plays you get. I know this can be done, because I have done it. If you're an artist who makes music in a rock-adjacent genre, well, there is less competition for listeners than other genres on Audiomack at the moment, there's an opportunity here.</p>
<p>They believe in artist education at Audiomack. There is a specific section of Audiomack World that is <a contents="for artists" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://audiomack.com/world/for-artists" target="_blank">for artists</a>. This section contains simple explanations of the inner workings of the music industry... glancing at that page right now, I see articles explaining the role of a booking agent, what a manager is supposed to do, how publishing works, how to protect oneself as an artist, how to deal with the <a contents="MLC" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.themlc.com/" target="_blank">MLC</a>, and all sorts of other useful business advice. This page is free, but the advice here is useful. </p>
<p>Despite there being fewer users of this platform than other platforms, I tend to get more listens on Audiomack than I do elsewhere. I also have FAR more monthly listeners on Audiomack than elsewhere, and again, this is in spite of the fact that their subscriber base is lower than a certain other service that I have touched on before. Growth in listens on this platform feels organic. I come away with the feeling that when I get a stream on Audiomack, there is an actual person on the other end listening, and I don't always get that feeling on some other services. Ok, I'll admit it... I can't quantify that in any way. That's a feeling. You need something tangible. You need some evidence that Audiomack is trying to support artists. Well, here comes your evidence.</p>
<p>Audiomack recently launched a Supporters feature. Insider dot com wrote about it <a contents="here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/audiomack-ceo-interview-new-supporters-feature-2021-12" target="_blank">here</a>. Simply put, this feature gives an opportunity to artists that I haven't seen anywhere else. A listener who truly loves one of our songs or one of our albums can monetarily support that piece of art via this feature, and that money goes directly to us. Money from the listener to the artist for streaming our music. Other services are not doing that. Our listeners may be paying for subscriptions to one or more services, but as artists, we know that we are never seeing any of those funds. This is different. It has the potential to be a game-changer. If you want to know what Audiomack says about it, I recommend reading this <a contents="article here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://audiomack.com/world/post/supporters-for-fans" target="_blank">article here</a>.</p>
<p>I asked Brian Zisook what this new feature would bring to artists. This is what he said: "Supporters not only provides Audiomack creators with the opportunity to generate more revenue for their songs and albums, which in the current streaming ecosystem is of vast importance, but it also allows them to earmark and filter through their superfans. We bolstered this direct connection by giving creators the ability to send thank you messaging and offer their fans perks or freebies, strengthening the fan-artist union and removing the feeling of it being purely transactional."</p>
<p>Did you get that? If a listener loves our music enough to support us financially, we'll be able to thank them personally. We'll be able to offer them perks for being there for us. We'll be able to bring them into our world. That's a pretty great idea.</p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font_large">Summary</span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_regular">I am just one songwriter who plays bass. I don't have "clout". I'm probably not going to change many minds. That said, I've noticed a shift in the direction of the streaming winds so to speak, and if that ends up being an actual thing, well, here is a streaming platform that I think deserves more attention. How many users will <a contents="Audiomack" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://audiomack.com/" target="_blank">Audiomack</a> really be able to take away from the established giants in this space? That remains to be seen. From the standpoint of an artist, this is definitely a service worth investigating. If you see the same potential there that I do, why not give your listeners a gentle nudge in this direction? </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><a contents="My page on Audiomack is here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://audiomack.com/mikebankhead" target="_blank">My page on Audiomack is here</a>.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">I invite you to have a look. I invite you to listen. I invite you to click around and listen to some other artists on this platform. If perchance you wish to support me, well, I would be most pleased if you would make use of the new Supporters feature. Really though, what I am looking for - and what musicians in general are looking for - is a person to listen to us with whom we can make a connection. That is a challenge on streaming services in general. Audiomack makes that a little easier for us, and simply put, that's the key takeaway.</span></p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6867928
2022-01-13T13:27:28-05:00
2022-02-07T12:28:37-05:00
Rebirth of five singles
<p>What's your favorite music streaming service? There are many to choose from. The most popular ones are Amazon Music, Apple Music, Deezer, Napster, Pandora, Spotify, Tidal, and YouTube Music, depending on where you might be from. There are dozens of other streaming services. </p>
<p>Have you ever wondered how a musician gets their music onto these streaming services?</p>
<p>Well, we can't upload our songs to these services on our own. We must use a distribution company to do so. There are several different companies that do this. They all charge us money of course, which is rather disappointing, as the amount of money that we pay to send our music to streaming services doesn't exactly come back to us because streaming services make a habit of not paying artists. Let's table that for a moment, and come back to the distribution companies. They all kind of do the same job, but <em><strong>how </strong></em>they do so is slightly different, and they have different types of services and customer support experiences, and that sort of thing. </p>
<p>I have recently decided to change distributors for five of my singles. The five singles are as follows:</p>
<p>"<a contents="Anecdote (featuring TINO)" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/track/2545687/anecdote-featuring-tino" target="_blank">Anecdote (featuring TINO)</a>"<br>"<a contents="Baile Conmigo" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/track/2682414/baile-conmigo" target="_blank">Baile Conmigo</a>"<br>"<a contents="Bright Ideas" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/track/2545674/bright-ideas" target="_blank">Bright Ideas</a>"<br>"<a contents="Little Light" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/track/2545694/little-light" target="_blank">Little Light</a>"<br>"<a contents="Won't Love You Anymore" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/track/2545681/won-t-love-you-anymore" target="_blank">Won't Love You Anymore</a>" </p>
<p>Since I am changing distributors, these five songs are not currently available on global streaming services. Now, I'm not a popular enough artist that anyone would have noticed this, but it's true. Feel free to have a look. You can't stream them right now. Of course, these songs are still available right here on my official website, over on my <a contents="Bandcamp page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Bandcamp page</a>, and on my <a contents="Audiomack page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://audiomack.com/mikebankhead" target="_blank">Audiomack page</a>, as they do not require a distributor in order to add music. However, since there are plenty of folks out there who prefer to listen to music on Apple or Pandora or Spotify, I will once again distribute the above five singles to streaming services. Which single should be re-released first?</p>
<p>I posed that question to the wonderful people on my mailing list, and let them choose via a poll. (<a contents="I would very much like it if you joined my mailing list" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://eepurl.com/gBGm_z" target="_blank">I would very much like it if you joined my mailing list</a>.) They selected "Won't Love You Anymore".</p>
<p>As an artist who very much wishes to please, "Won't Love You Anymore" will return to streaming services tomorrow, Tuesday 25th January. If you really miss this song, and would like to hear it now, you can find it on my website at the link above, at <a contents="this Bandcamp link" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/track/wont-love-you-anymore" target="_blank">this Bandcamp link</a>, or at <a contents="this Audiomack link" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://audiomack.com/mikebankhead/song/wont-love-you-anymore" target="_blank">this Audiomack link</a>.</p>
<p>Do you have any thoughts on which song I should re-release next? Feel free to comment on this blog post with your suggestions.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6857691
2022-01-03T04:43:54-05:00
2022-02-02T11:49:09-05:00
I am working on a new EP. I'd like to tell you about it.
<p>I think today is a good day to tell you about my in-progress EP. Let's pretend I'm a journalist and use the 5 W questions, shall we?</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/9909a62051b420b10c7ec19cdd2b813daf66af81/original/50474.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpeg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="This is me tracking bass in the studio" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Photo by Joshua Chan</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>WHY?</strong></span></p>
<p>I wrote a great deal of songs during the pandemic. Most of these, you'll never hear. They're not all winners, you know. As I kept writing, several of the songs ended up being about Black experiences. As they say, write what you know. Now, I've written about <a contents="this sort of thing" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/songwriting-story-anecdote" target="_blank">this sort of thing</a> before. After all, writing songs is how I process emotions and try to deal with my anxiety and depression and life in general. Eventually, I had written enough songs that I thought were good enough to not discard. I'd like to share them. That's what songwriters do, you know, we generally prefer to share what we write. Instead of staggering these songs across multiple releases, I decided to collect them all into one project.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>WHO?</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">The songs on this project are all very much about Black experiences. That being the case, I thought that the best way to approach recording them would be to enlist the assistance of people who would most be able to personally relate to the subject matter. The artistic aesthetic for this project is that all personnel are Black. This includes musicians, engineer, mixer, mastering engineer, photographer, videographer, and graphic design. If you've read my blog or heard me talk about music, you know that I consider collaboration to be a highly valuable and important part of making art. This is an opportunity for me to work with some very talented people who I've never worked with before. I feel like the enthusiasm they are bringing to this project can only enhance the final product.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>WHERE?</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">I am recoding at <a contents="The Dreamcatchers Recording Studio" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://thedreamcatchers.studio/" target="_blank">The Dreamcatchers Recording Studio</a> in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. <a contents="Rizo" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.columbusalive.com/story/entertainment/music/2021/08/05/dont-sleep-music-being-crafted-dreamcatcher-recording-studios/5501805001/" target="_blank">Rizo</a> is the gentleman at the controls.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">WHAT?</span></strong></p>
<p>This is going to be an EP. In addition to the detail about the personnel above, it will be different from my past work in two major ways.</p>
<p>First, every single song on this project is told from my point of view. By saying that, I don't mean that I've never written a song from my own point of view before. "<a contents="North of Sixteen" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/songwriting-story-north-of-sixteen" target="_blank">North of Sixteen</a>", from <a contents="Echo in the Crevices" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/album/1779657/echo-in-the-crevices" target="_blank"><em>Echo in the Crevices</em></a>, is very much a first person story, and it's a very clear narrative. "<a contents="Goodbye" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/songwriting-story-goodbye" target="_blank">Goodbye</a>", from <a contents="Anxious Inventions &amp; Fictions" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/album/1779596/anxious-inventions-fictions" target="_blank"><em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions</em></a>, is another example of me being the voice speaking in the song. This certainly isn't the case all of the time. Songs like "<a contents="I Am a Number" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/songwriting-story-i-am-a-number" target="_blank">I Am a Number</a>" and "<a contents="Your Anthem" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/93jsOVcaKiU" target="_blank">Your Anthem</a>" are observational. Songs like "<a contents="Little Light" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/songwriting-story-little-light" target="_blank">Little Light</a>" , "<a contents="Le Soldat" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/songwriting-story-le-soldat" target="_blank">Le Soldat</a>", and "<a contents="She Speaks in Metaphor" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/songwriting-story-she-speaks-in-metaphor" target="_blank">She Speaks in Metaphor</a>" are purely fiction, but plausible. My most recent single, "<a contents="Wapakoneta" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/KpTCpId8FAQ" target="_blank">Wapakoneta</a>", consists of a kernel of true memories buried in a fabricated story. This new project however... this is extremely personal. I am the voice on all of the songs. I am open, I am vulnerable, and I am speaking the truth. Note that you won't find any instances of me pushing for social or political causes or changes on this EP. (If you're looking for my thoughts in those areas, feel free to reach out to me in person.) I am saying things that are true, and then saying how I feel about them. The listener is free to draw their own conclusion. Being this open is scary.</p>
<p>Second, every song on this EP is in a different genre. Usually, piano is my tool of choice for writing songs. Piano provides a blank slate. There are a nearly unlimited amount of choices one can make as far as arrangement and instrumentation when starting with piano. As I arranged the songs, I tried to put together arrangements that would best serve each song. After I got three songs into the project, I noticed that they were all different genres. At that point, I decided to lean into it. Yes, each song is a different genre, but they all sound like me.</p>
<p>There is another detail about this project that I'll keep secret, but it is a secret that I have shared with the lovely people who subscribe to my mailing list. They are the first to know what I am up to, and I share inside information with them that I won't share elsewhere. If you'd like to join them and step into my world, <a contents="please sign up here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://eepurl.com/gBGm_z" target="_blank">please sign up here</a>.</p>
<p>In a nod to Jimi Hendrix, the name of the EP will be <em>I Am Experienced</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>WHEN?</strong></span></p>
<p>This blog post is going up on Monday January 17th, 2022. In the United States, that is a federal holiday called <a contents="Martin Luther King Jr. Day" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King_Jr._Day" target="_blank">Martin Luther King Jr. Day</a>. Some people in the United States might spend a few minutes on this day thinking about topics such as racism, prejudice, and equality. Some people might spend a few minutes thinking about how to not be partial in one's individual interactions with other humans, or what the world might be like if everyone had an altruistic love for their fellow person. Many people ask themselves when, if ever, anything will improve. Those are all valid thoughts, and I'm not going to address them here. I will say that I have made some art in which I talk about my feelings, I am working hard to get it professionally recorded, and I will share it with you as soon as I possibly can.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6856757
2022-01-01T16:59:16-05:00
2022-01-10T07:00:02-05:00
Restaurant Review - Hamburger Wagon in Miamisburg, Ohio
<p>The name of this restaurant describes exactly what they do and exactly what they are. This is a cart with wheels, also known as a wagon. They make and sell hamburgers. That's it, that's the description.</p>
<p><a contents="Here is their website" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.hamburgerwagon.com/" target="_blank">Here is their website</a>.</p>
<p>I've been hearing about this spot for years, and it's considered a local classic. They have been in business since the <a contents="Great Dayton Flood" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Dayton_Flood" target="_blank">Great Dayton Flood</a>. In fact, they owe their existence to the Great Dayton Flood. I'll let you read about that history on their website, it's a fascinating story. What I am here to tell you about is my experience.</p>
<p>My wife and I headed to Miamisburg on a sweltering summer day around lunch time. There is a steady stream of customers at this spot, it's clearly beloved. Some folks would come up and order 50 hamburgers, clearly planning to take them back to work and feed the entire office. There were only two people inside the wagon on the day we visited. One person handles the cooking. The other person seasons and assembles the burgers with one gloved hand, and handles money with the other hand... these hands never touch each other, the money hand doesn't touch the food, and the food hand doesn't touch the money.</p>
<p>That's right, I said money. Hamburger Wagon only accepts cash.</p>
<p>As for the menu, they make hamburgers. They sell bagged chips. They sell bottled drinks. As a customer, you're getting your own drinks from the cooler and chips from the rack. If you want a cheeseburger, well, too bad. This is <strong>Hamburger Wagon</strong>, not "Cheeseburger Wagon." By default, the hamburger comes with freshly sliced onion, a pickle, salt, and pepper. If you do not like one or more of these things, you can ask for them to be omitted. You are not getting anything else. You are not getting ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, aioli, chutney, gochujang, hoisin, ranch, blue cheese, thousand island, barbecue sauce, peanut butter, jelly, lettuce, tomato, bacon, avocado, etc. This is a simple hamburger with freshly sliced onion, pickle, salt, and pepper. It is small. You'll probably want more than one of them.</p>
<p>The hamburgers are cooked in what appears to be a large cast iron receptacle at the back of the wagon, in a great deal of boiling liquid fat. They are coming out all sorts of well done, with some char and crunch around the edges. This is what they do. If you do not like this, do not visit Hamburger Wagon.</p>
<p>I loved my experience. Though simple, the burgers are well seasoned, crunchy, and delicious. It's probably not the healthiest thing to eat every day, but every once in awhile, it makes for a nice lunch. I understand why it's so popular and beloved. They figured out how to do one thing well, and they've done it the same way for over 100 years. Again, it's simple. Good things don't need to be complicated. If you happen to be carnivorous and also in the Dayton area, this is a place you should definitely try at least once.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6853159
2021-12-27T23:46:15-05:00
2022-01-03T05:00:05-05:00
I have a brand new podcast
<p>If you are on Twitter, you know that, like all social media tools, it can sometimes be useful and sometimes be awful. If you are not on Twitter, you'll have to take my word on that. My new podcast is a result of one of the useful things. I follow an artist consultant <a contents="over there on Twitter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/BigSto" target="_blank">over there on Twitter</a>. Not only is he <a contents="tastefully named" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.behindthename.com/name/michael" target="_blank">tastefully named</a>, he also routinely gives useful advice for independent musicians on his feed. One day his advice centered around remixes. He said that if an artist has commissioned remixes for one of their songs, they should have a podcast conversation with the person who did the remix. This provides a useful behind-the-scenes look at the artistic process, and is also valuable content. You know, "#content".</p>
<p>It turns out, dear reader, that I have a single coming out on March 15th called "Hold the Wick". If you are currently subscribed to <a contents="my mailing list" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://eepurl.com/gBGm_z" target="_blank">my mailing list</a>, well, you received an email this morning that gives you an early listen to the new single. (If you are not currently subscribed to <a contents="my mailing list" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://eepurl.com/gBGm_z" target="_blank">my mailing list</a>, I warmly invite you to click the link earlier in this sentence and sign up. That way, you'll be the first to know what I'm working on.) I commissioned seven remixes of "Hold the Wick". They come in a variety of flavors. I decided to follow that free advice I picked up on Twitter, and interview the remixers for a podcast. Shortly after I decided to do that, I decided to not stop there.</p>
<p>You really don't want to listen to a podcast if the <em><strong>only </strong></em>thing that will happen is self-promotion, right? I figure that this is the case because I wouldn't listen to a podcast if that was the only thing happening, either. Ok, my new podcast will definitely NOT be all about self-promotion. I have plenty of interests... sports, travel, languages, history, food, art (outside of music), science fiction, board games... these are just some of them. There are plenty of people who share some or all of those interests, and I would enjoy talking to them. I think you would enjoy listening to those conversations. That's what my podcast is going to be about. It's called the <a contents="You Could Be My Aramis&nbsp;Podcast" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://anchor.fm/ycbma" target="_blank"><em>You Could Be My Aramis</em> <em>Podcast</em></a>, which you might recognize as the name of my publishing company and LLC.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/8dd957532580d926e91bb03a3f6c67779d96b044/original/you-could-be-my-aramis-podcas.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.png" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="logo for You Could Be My Aramis podcast" /></p>
<p>Those of you in Dayton might remember the <em>Gem City Podcast</em>. Those folks brought us entertaining and enlightening conversations for several years. They covered all sorts of topics, but my favorite episodes were the Wednesday episodes with Terry "IzzyRock" Martin. If you were a Dayton artist and were releasing a new album or had an important show coming up, you went on <em>Gem City Podcast</em> to talk about the hard work you put into your art, the songwriting process, your gear (the rig rundown), what your childhood smelled like, and any other topic that came up in the conversation. Alas, that podcast is no longer with us. Obviously I do not have their experience or track record, but I would like to make a humble attempt to fill that void in Dayton podcasting. If you are a Dayton artist with a new album coming, and you'd like to talk about it with someone who is ready to listen, well, I'm ready to listen. I am certainly not saying that I can replace Terry and Libby and their fine work, but perhaps I can follow in their footsteps just a little.</p>
<p>What are some of the things you can expect to hear on my new podcast? Well, it is true that I'll spend the occasional episode talking to the talented people who remixed "Hold the Wick"... we will learn about their approach to remixing, but we'll also learn about their creative process for their own music. I talk to a musician from the Dallas area and a musician from Chicago during episodes that have absolutely zero to do with self-promotion. I'll be promoting <em><strong>them</strong></em>. Episode 2 is a wide-ranging conversation with a local doer who has his hands in a few different businesses, and whose face should certainly be familiar to Dayton musicians. The above episodes are all scheduled for release in January. The first episode to be released in February is a chat with a <a contents="gentleman" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.todweidner.com/" target="_blank">gentleman</a> who was a fixture in our music community for over 25 years, who remains one of my favorite living songwriters, and who speaks as passionately and eloquently about music as anyone I have ever met.</p>
<p>You should be able to find the <em>You Could Be My Aramis Podcast </em>on whatever platform you normally use to listen to podcasts. Just so that you don't have to search, <a contents="you can find it right here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://anchor.fm/ycbma" target="_blank">you can find it right here</a>. The show notes will live on my official site, just click the navigation menu at the top of the page where it says "Podcast". That failing, the link is <a contents="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/podcast" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/podcast" target="_blank">https://mikebankheadmusic.com/podcast</a>. Feel free to subscribe on the platform of your choice. Please listen. If you enjoy what you hear, perhaps consider leaving a review?</p>
<p>Episode 1 is coming your way two days from now, on Wednesday January 5th, 2022.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6831014
2021-12-26T23:47:24-05:00
2021-12-27T06:00:05-05:00
Favorite albums of 2021
<p>I found this to be an interesting year for music. A few artists I listened to in my youth back in the 1990s put out new music this year. This includes Candlebox, Matthew Sweet, Teenage Fanclub, Garbage, Sleater-Kinney, Liz Phair, Toad The Wet Sprocket, and Quicksand. None of these made my top ten for the year. Another band from back then from Canada called Big Wreck put out an EP this year, and I really like it... their singer Ian Thornley is about the closest voice I have ever heard to Chris Cornell (my favorite singer), and the songs on it are good. It looks like this:</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/a4aabbb665703bf3b42e76124d67f1e6f685a53f/original/7-1-cover-min.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="Big Wreck 7.1" /></p>
<p>A few artists from my music community here in Dayton also put out new music... Looking at YOU: <a contents="Age Nowhere" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://agenowhere.bandcamp.com/album/age-nowhere-strikes-again" target="_blank">Age Nowhere</a>, <a contents="Paige Beller" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://paigebeller.bandcamp.com/album/ill-be-better-2" target="_blank">Paige Beller</a>, <a contents="Sadbox" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://sadboxrocks.bandcamp.com/album/future-copy-2" target="_blank">Sadbox</a>, <a contents="The New Old Fashioned" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://thenewoldfashioned.bandcamp.com/album/big-city-ep" target="_blank">The New Old Fashioned</a>, and <a contents="TINO" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://hiphoptino.bandcamp.com/album/never-worried-bout-tomorrow" target="_blank">TINO</a>. (I encourage you to click on those links in the last sentence and check out some good stuff from Dayton, Ohio.) Guided By Voices also put out two albums in 2021, because <em><strong>of course</strong> they did</em>. </p>
<p>Another Ohio band who I have expressed my appreciation for in the past, Snarls, also has a new release this year. They went to Seattle to record the EP <em>What About Flowers? </em>with Chris Walla (who you might know from Death Cab For Cutie), which is a pretty cool thing for a Columbus band to do. </p>
<p>Elbow is one of my favorite artists, and they put out an album this year. It's not among my favorites in their catalog, but maybe it'll surge after a few more listens. My favorite song on it is "What am I Without You". If you often read about music, you'll surely see the latest Japanese Breakfast album turn up on a few best-of-the-year lists. I really dug the song "Posing For Cars" from that one. Some other folks I know also put out fine work this year... Chelsey Coy's project <a contents="Single Girl, Married Girl&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://singlegirlmarriedgirl.bandcamp.com/album/three-generations-of-leaving" target="_blank">Single Girl, Married Girl </a>, <a contents="Lauren Light" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://open.spotify.com/album/49qWYHERiX5zffo6WFlKd8?si=kV81Fib0QBWLLgvmvByjdw" target="_blank">Lauren Light</a>, <a contents="Baby Molly" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://open.spotify.com/album/10cO4IGinACOjUthCutx1a?si=PqVjECgzTKGmWvwRd11rkw" target="_blank">Baby Molly</a>, and <a contents="Greg Owens &amp; the Whiskey Weather" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://fanlink.to/llss" target="_blank">Greg Owens & the Whiskey Weather</a> have new albums that deserve your attention.</p>
<p>Here's a blurb that I wrote for an album that I liked, but as it turns out, it's not in my top ten, and goes into the "honorable mention" category. The cover art is awesome. Consider this a bonus blurb:</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/86569c3aec11478c97609c4fcded656294f37f91/original/beams-ego-death-700p.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>BEAMS</strong> - <em>Ego Death</em> </span></p>
<p>I had never heard of this band until I started putting together my favorite albums of the year. I checked in with <a contents="Juliet Fromholt" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.wyso.org/people/juliet-fromholt#stream/0" target="_blank">Juliet Fromholt</a>, music director over at WYSO, to see what she was considering for her end-of-the-year list, knowing that there were certainly things that I had missed. Juliet sent me all kinds of stuff that she enjoyed, and while I certainly should have heard things from all of these artists on her shows, I don't get the chance to listen to ALL of the shows each week. Beams was on Juliet's list. I do my due diligence, working through the artists, and when I got to Ego Death... well, it stopped me in my tracks. Give me all of that distorted guitar and songcraft and vocal harmonies please, thank you. </p>
<p>A little Internet research tells me that this band is from Toronto, and that Ego Death is their third full-length album. Apparently they were leaning in a more folk-sounding direction before, which is fine, but that's not what I hear on this album. Whatever prompted their evolution into bigger sounds, well, I'm cool with it. I might get around to heading back into their catalog to listen to their past work, but for now, I'm going to listen to this one a few dozen more times. I dig it. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "Born to Win", "Break Glass", "A Flower Blossomed"</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_xl">All of the above said, here is my top ten, which, other than the first one, are in no particular order:</span></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/e3dd672985215dcf0429012d1f38ccfd4a20acb7/original/a3907701237-16.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>FAILURE - </strong><em>Wild Type Droid</em></span></p>
<p>I'm sure glad Failure are back, and they keep making excellent music. This one is a little different than their last few efforts. Think back to <em>Fantastic Planet </em>and <em>The Heart Is A Monster... </em>those are both long albums that sort of meander through a story, complete with instrumental segues to tie pieces together. Next, they put out <em>In The Future You Body Will Be the Furthest Thing From Your Mind, </em>which was the result of collating four EPs into one album. All of those are excellent work, by the way, and <i>Fantastic Planet </i>is especially a masterpiece<i>. </i>Failure has noticed that fewer and fewer people care enough about music to listen to an album all the way through, so they've adjusted their art to match.</p>
<p>This new one is only 10 songs. It's still atmospheric and spacy. The songs that are supposed to sound big still sound big. The songs that are supposed to be stripped down and more delicate are still stripped down and delicate. Unlike their previous work, however, you probably don't lose anything from the listening experience if you listen to this one out of order, or put a song on a playlist. You aren't losing any of the flow or context by doing that this time around. Failure is still making music that sounds like Failure, but they seem to be tossing an olive branch to modern listening habits.</p>
<p>This is my favorite album of 2021.</p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "Submarines", "Bad Translation", "Half Moon"</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/933e07a600e1c28fb5e2ca07e611b99a09f1aa99/original/ericbibb-dearamerica-1500-1024x1024.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>ERIC BIBB</strong> - <em>Dear America</em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">People who know me are going to be surprised to see a blues album on this list. There is more here than just twelve bar I-IV-V progressions and various solos. There is plenty of folk and americana sounds here as well. What stands out to me the most here though, is that Eric Bibb clearly has something he still needs to say. The Internet tells me that this is his 23rd studio solo album, so maybe it's a little amazing that he is still moved enough to keep making art.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Listen to his lyrics. Eric doesn't live in the United States anymore, but he used to... and of course, we all live in the same world, and see the same appalling things. Those of us who write songs use the craft to work our way through the feelings that life thrusts upon us, and that is what it seems Eric is doing on this album. The album title and picture on the cover suggest that this collection of songs is intended as a letter to the United States... a letter complete with solos... a letter with frank declarations like: "<em>what a way for a boy like me to have to die</em>", in a song about Emmett Till.</span></p>
<ul> <li><span class="font_regular">Favorite songs: "Born Of A Woman", "Emmett's Ghost", "White & Black"</span></li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<ul></ul>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/b42c36a457df42616fc079bdb80e9d342ffb4fc3/original/southern-gothic-artwork.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.png" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="Adia Victoria's A Southern Gothic" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>ADIA VICTORIA</strong> - <em>A Southern Gothic </em></span></p>
<p>The "South" is not my home. I don't feel safe there. I really don't even like visiting. It is Adia Victoria's home, since she is from South Carolina. You can hear the love for her home in these songs. The love is there despite the region's traditional lack of inclusion of voices like hers. She says this in <em>Rolling Stone</em>: "I wanted to include myself in the history of the South. I wanted to make this young Black girl's narrative just as emblematic of a Southern experience as Faulkner could write."</p>
<p>Despite the love that Adia clearly shows here, there is also plenty of anger to go around, and the angry parts of the album are the ones that I think I relate to the best. My favorite example of that here is on "Deep Water Blues". </p>
<p>Sounds of blues, gospel, and country all collide on this album. If you happen to enjoy listening to any of these genres, well, this album is definitely for you.</p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "You Was Born To Die", "Whole World Knows", "Deep Water Blues"</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/fc7f6bd4aae557bcd73c8f4d1ffc404894d47952/original/a2518118963-16.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>THE MARS VOLTA</strong> - <em>Landscape Tantrums (Unfinished Original Recordings of De-Loused in the Comatorium)</em></span></p>
<p>Ok, The Mars Volta released De-Loused in the Comatorium in 2003, and I happen to love that album. These gentlemen from El Paso reached into the past, grabbed the early progress on those songs, and released them this year. This album is probably more enjoyable if you are already familiar with the songs in their finished form... however, I think that even if I didn't know what these songs would eventually end up becoming, I would still be blown away. Sometimes the sounds are frantic, sometimes delicate, there is plenty of playing around with rhythmic elements that aren't necessarily typical in rock music, and the mix is very different than what we got in 2003, so the songs all kind of shine in different ways.</p>
<p>In addition to these mixes being simpler and minimally produced for them (if you can believe it), the track order is different here, and the songs "Tira Me A Las Arañas" and "Cicatriz ESP" are missing. That's ok, there is enough here to ponder. Especially if you enjoy this band's work, listen on headphones, close your eyes, and dig in.</p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "Inertiatic ESP", "Eriatarka", "This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed", "Televators"</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/2ab30f37970bc4fe67b59561fbf9c4df6e4b5876/original/a1634767081-16.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>JACKIE VENSON</strong></span> <span class="font_large">- <em>Love Transcends</em></span></p>
<p>Jackie is an incendiary guitarist from Austin, Texas. Her music usually blends a few different styles, but with <em>Love Transcends</em>, she heads in a more traditional blues direction. For her, this is keeping it simple. She says this about the album on her <a contents="Bandcamp" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://jackievenson.bandcamp.com/album/love-transcends" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> page: "Written across a decade, recorded in a pandemic, played in a style a century old."</p>
<p>In addition to her own songs, there's a mash-up of a Sister Rosetta Tharpe song and an old Negro spiritual. She plays her heart out when she is performing live, and you get some of that live feeling on this album. Her rhythm section is outstanding, and the little keyboard licks here and there add nice flavor and texture. You'll want to turn this one up.</p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "Always Free", "Cover My Eyes", "Love Transcends"</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/40ae529b27d6deca664717195f76d27cb51e4a5f/original/rhiannon-giddens-theyre-calling-me-home-1200x628.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>RHIANNON GIDDENS WITH FRANCESCO TURRISI</strong> - <em>They're Calling Me Home</em></span></p>
<p>It's folk music gone international. An American and an Italian living in the United Kingdom, and the music they make on this album shows influences from all three of those places. Strings are here, plucked and strummed and bowed, and they are the backdrop to strong vocals and beautiful harmonies. I don't think I've ever heard anything quite like this, even on the old traditional songs they cover here, and that's probably why it holds my attention.</p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "Avalon", "Si Dolce è'l Tormento", "O Death"</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/4132566a8eeb1c64af22d0fe15778dbe9737aecf/original/a3869176068-16.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>VALERIE JUNE</strong> - <em>The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers</em></span></p>
<p>Many thanks to Greg Owens for telling me to go listen to this album. I love it. It's soulful, subtly groovy, elegant, relaxing, moving, and beautiful. I kind of feel bad for not having a few more paragraphs of things to say about it. Go listen. Really.</p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "Colors", "Call Me a Fool", "Smile"</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/4127626fdcb776d07526f2350d80e49679cb047c/original/standcd-1024x1024-2x.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>YOLA</strong> - <em>Stand For Myself</em></span></p>
<p>Yola is scheduled to stop by Cincinnati on her 2022 tour, and I currently have tickets. I very much hope this show still happens. Yola is English, but when she sings, she doesn't SOUND English. No, you're getting a very soulful sound out of Yola, and one could conceivably put her music in to the "americana" genre, which is curious, because you know, she is English.</p>
<p>The songs sound classic, as if they could have been released in the sixties or seventies, as if they could have been recorded in Memphis or Detroit. Apart from the music, the subject matter of some of the songs also sounds like it could have been written in the sixties or seventies, which speaks to how little things have changed for Black folks in the grand scheme of things.</p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "Barely Alive", "Diamond Studded Shoes", "Starlight", </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/6b9d5736d428782cc6a5fdac26ed3b24599ae099/original/a4191175320-16.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>LUNG</strong> - <em>Come Clean Right Now</em></span></p>
<p>Chances are good that you haven't seen anything like Cincinnati's Lung. Live, it's Kate on cello and Daisy on drums. That description doesn't do the live sound justice, as the cello is played through an array of pedals and effects, and it's delightfully noisy in addition to being musical. Their shows are loud and punky and energetic and passionate and basically rock.</p>
<p>This here is their latest full-length. <em>Come Clean Right Now</em> was released in August. It rocks. Taking this great music to the studio allows Lung to layer the cello and the vocals, giving the listener a lush experience together with the nodding along. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "I'm Nervous", "Tick Tock", "Morning", "Arrow"</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/d28f3e00ab98b6dc344ea42f150d306f553bef9a/original/jerry-cantrell-brighten.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>JERRY CANTRELL</strong> - <em>Brighten</em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">You might recognize Jerry Cantrell from such rock bands as Alice In Chains. He's been at the music thing for a very long time, and in addition to being the main songwriter for Alice In Chains, he's got a few solo albums out as well. If you are familiar with his sound, well, you'll probably think <em>Brighten</em> sounds familiar, as it sounds very much like a Jerry Cantrell album.</span></p>
<p>That said, I like this one better than his other solo work. Maybe I should go re-listen to the rest of his catalogue to see if I've missed some details, but the songs here just seem especially well-crafted and nuanced... even when they are simple.</p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "Black Hearts and Evil Done", "Nobody Breaks You", "Dismembered"</li>
</ul>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6844410
2021-12-20T07:00:00-05:00
2021-12-20T07:00:01-05:00
Summary of Amplified Interviews for 2021
<p><span class="font_regular">I enjoyed getting to learn more about some talented folks this year via these written interviews. I hope you enjoyed them as well, and I hope you found some new music to enjoy. Below the picture is a review of the people we met this year.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/2d99e23cb3965ab8062a753635c8aab29a7a6cdb/original/20190818-185035.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="Mike Bankhead & Liam Morrison" /></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>with Baby Molly in Austin before the pandemic</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><a contents="Riley Hall" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/home/blog/amplified-riley-hall" target="_blank">Riley Hall</a> - Bass player and singer in <a contents="Snarls" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.snarlsmusic.com/" target="_blank">Snarls</a>, a band from Columbus that you really should check out.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><a contents="Jenee Halstead" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/home/blog/amplified-jenee-halstead" target="_blank">Jenee Halstead</a> - Artist, singer-songwriter. She released an album called <em>Disposable Love</em> this year.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><a contents="Baby Molly" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/home/blog/amplified-baby-molly" target="_blank">Baby Molly</a> - Songwriter who recently moved from Toronto to Vancouver. You'll be hearing more from him soon. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><a contents="Chris Keats" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/home/blog/amplified-chris-keats" target="_blank">Chris Keats</a> - Artist name is stylized as <a contents="KEATS" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://keatsofficial.com/" target="_blank">KEATS</a>. He released an EP this year called <a contents="When the Sails Collapse, As Live" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://keatsofficial.bandcamp.com/album/when-the-sails-collapse-as-live" target="_blank"><em>When the Sails Collapse, As Live</em></a>.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><a contents="Elyssa Vulpes" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/home/blog/amplified-elyssa-vulpes" target="_blank">Elyssa Vulpes</a> - Italian songwriter who has moved to New Zealand since we did our interview.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><a contents="Emmrose" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/home/blog/amplified-emmrose" target="_blank">Emmrose</a> - Songwriter and artist from New York City.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><a contents="Kyleen Downes" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/home/blog/amplified-kyleen-downes" target="_blank">Kyleen Downes</a> - A music professional from right here in the Dayton area.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_regular">If you missed any of these interviews, or would like to re-familiarize yourself with any of these fine people, feel free to visit the links. Listen to their music, connect with them on social media, and if you find any of the songs particularly moving, maybe tell a friend?</span></p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6841784
2021-12-15T21:46:49-05:00
2022-01-04T12:59:35-05:00
DAOTM8: Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Welcome to the Pleasuredome
<p><em>Dad's Album of the <strike>Week</strike> Month is back. This is the series where I briefly review my late father's vinyl.</em></p>
<p>Yes, it's been a few months since I ran one of these. Clearly, I'm not cut out to review an album every week, let's try to get to one each month instead, ok? </p>
<p>Do you remember when you would have a CD jewel case, and you would open it, and there would be two discs in there? One disc would be the actual CD that was supposed to be in the case, and the other one would be a disc from something else, and at some point you "temporarily" put it in the case, but then you forgot, and forevermore you have two discs in one case. Did you know this can happen with vinyl as well? The <a contents="last time I did one of these posts" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/daotw7-rush-exit-stage-left" target="_blank">last time I did one of these posts</a>, I wrote about <em>Exit...Stage Left</em>. Look what I found in the gatefold along with the two Rush records:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/33a4a52886ca9dd27f3bd45d8c5061d5f091fe48/original/20211215-113722.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Yes, another double album is in there with the Rush records. Ok then.</p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Frankie Goes To Hollywood </strong>-<strong> </strong><em>Welcome to the Pleasuredome</em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">I don't even know what to think of this one. The second song - which is the title track - is 13:40 long, and has some funky bass that I didn't expect... that comes and goes through the length of the song. Here's the thing though, the Internet tells me that this band is English, so why does this one sound like Dayton funk? I think you can draw an influence line straight from Lakeside to this song, at least.</span></p>
<p>The third song is "Relax", which I have certainly heard on the radio, albeit a LONG time ago. The Internet tells me that this song was banned by the BBC because of the lyrical content, which is odd to me, as I've never paid attention to any words in this song except for "relax", but now that I've read them out of context, yeah, I can see how this might rankle zealous censors. That one is followed by a cover of "War", where some of the funk-imitating sounds are brought back.</p>
<p>In all, this album is very synth-y, very poppy, and very eighties. It's not really my thing, but it might be yours.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6835165
2021-12-09T14:26:57-05:00
2021-12-28T11:24:30-05:00
My favorite music experience of 2021
<p>We have a neighborhood event in Dayton called <a contents="Porchfest" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://daytonporchfest.wixsite.com/home" target="_blank">Porchfest</a>. This event has a simple premise. Many homeowners in a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood offer their front porch (or their back yard) as a venue where an artist can perform. The performances are staggered by location and scheduled in order to avoid too much sound overlapping. This event is free to attend, and it's something I look forward to... walking around listening to live music for a few hours is <em>exactly</em> my idea of a good time.</p>
<p>This summer, I was invited to play Porchfest for the first time. I was very much looking forward to participating in an event that I enjoy attending as well, and I convinced Ray Owens, Brandon Berry, and Jeremy Raucci to spend time learning my songs so that I could give a full band performance. (Thanks, gentlemen!) I was scheduled to play at 5:00 PM. Porchfest started with a drum corps in the 1 o'clock hour, then the first slot for the artists throughout the neighborhood was to be at 2:00 PM.</p>
<p>One of the bands I enjoy ran into a problem. They are called <a contents="Sadbox" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://sadboxrocks.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Sadbox</a>. Wait, the <em>name </em>of the band isn't the problem, stay with me here. Their bass player had been possibly exposed to COVID-19, and as a responsible citizen and fine upstanding member of society, was self-quarantining. This meant he was not able to play Porchfest, and the folks in Sadbox found this out the night before the show. I found this out the morning of the show, shortly before noon, as I was borrowing their drummer, Ray, for my set as well. Guess what instrument I play? Yep, bass. I immediately offered my services. Sadbox accepted. Great! But there's a challenge here...</p>
<p>You see, dear reader, I enjoy listening to Sadbox songs, and know many of them fairly well, but there is a difference between knowing a song from listening to it and knowing it <em>well enough to actually play it</em> in front of people. I had less than two hours to mentally prepare for the show... oh, and I also had to deal with preparations for my own set later in the day. Once my offer to fill in on bass was accepted, I immediately started listening to both Sadbox albums again, working my way through the songs, specifically listening for the bass parts, and trying to internalize the music.</p>
<p>I went to the designated porch, and participated in the age-old ritual of setting up gear prior to a show. Then, the ebullient and gregarious lead singer and songwriter of Sadbox, Paul, gave me a 20 minute crash course on how to play the songs on the setlist. This is what my notes look like:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/a4d33928718cd3e3b31238c18f262973e80726c4/original/20210821-145256.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="Sadbox setlist with my notes on the chords" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>I didn't draw that cool thing at the bottom of the setlist, Paul did. My handwriting is the stuff in black. I took a selfie as we were setting up in order to memorialize this occasion.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/e6fd6e3d3aa6a9298984cc0cb754ff2a5f059e6f/original/20210821-133038.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="Sadbox setup selfie" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Time sure flies when you're getting ready to jump in and play rock & roll songs that you've never played before live and in public. Before we knew it, Porchfest was under way. You know what? It was great. I made my share of mistakes to be sure, but I didn't feel much pressure because, well, I think Sadbox were kind enough to keep their expectations low. I was able to relax and enjoy making music with friendly people in front of a good-sized crowd of <em>other</em> friendly people. I repeat, it was great! Making music feels good. Doing a favor for someone feels good. I had the privilege to combine the two on this hot Saturday afternoon. In fact, I enjoyed playing with Sadbox more than playing my own songs during my own scheduled set. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/a567b551d57cf7bbf940035ec3b42673f1ca114f/original/dsc-0136.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="I am on a porch with sunglasses, holding my bass" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Photo by Art Jipson</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/00bd318ff179b66819401d9e0084ee2ca72344f0/original/czyokrnhpfgufoqdpbbtk3ba3a.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Photo by Tom Gilliam</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Behold! Three-fourths of the mighty Sadbox, with yours truly on the porch tagging along! This is a moment that I'll remember for a long, long time.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6831092
2021-12-06T07:00:00-05:00
2021-12-06T07:00:03-05:00
Ohio Spotlight - Lakeside
<p><span class="font_large">It's been awhile since I've done one of the Ohio Spotlight entries. I attempted to draw a logo for it using my tablet and the drawing pen that came with it. As you can see clearly here, this is not a skill set that I possess.</span></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/7261c3726736d1567956ea888daa49d392d5930f/original/ohiospotlight.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large">You know something that I <em><strong>can</strong></em> do? I can identify when a band is funky. You know who's funky? <a contents="Lakeside" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakeside_(band)" target="_blank">Lakeside</a>.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Lakeside is from right here in Dayton, Ohio. They were one of several well-known funk bands from The Gem City around forty years ago. I've only listened to three of their albums - <em>Shot of Love</em>, <em>Rough Riders</em>, and <em>Fantastic Voyage</em> - but I'll surely catch up with the rest of them. These songs make you want to, as they say, get on up and jam. The groove is infectious, which is, of course, a characteristic of funk bands.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Here's their most well-known song:</span></p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="-1YjmXSyHa8" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/-1YjmXSyHa8/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-1YjmXSyHa8?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Yeah, this still holds up. This specific song, along with many other Lakeside songs, have been often sampled by hip hop and rap artists over the last thirty years. It's good music, and since I'm currently taking inspiration for bass lines from their songs, this music is timeless.</span></p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6820860
2021-11-25T18:28:25-05:00
2021-11-25T18:28:25-05:00
Songwriting Story - A Morning Like Yours
<p>There are several "first" experiences in my life that happened on the beautiful island of Sri Lanka. Most of these things are educational and positive experiences. It was the first place that I saw the sun set over the Indian Ocean. It was the first place I toured a tea plantation. It was my first time feeding and riding an elephant. (That last one scared me out of my mind.) I had my first delicious encounter with Singapore Chili Crab, a dish that is popular where you might expect based on its name, but the crabs are imported from Sri Lanka. I tried <a contents="kankun" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stir_fried_water_spinach" target="_blank">kankun</a> for the first time. I saw a water monitor crossing the road. I smelled a cinnamon plant that was right next to the street, as common as any deciduous tree would be here. Several foods that were unfamiliar to me at the time found their way onto my personal list of favorite things to eat; barramundi, sprats, pol sambol, hoppers, string hoppers, lamprais... everything but sweets, essentially. Arrack was also a nice discovery for me. I learned the Sinhalese greeting "ayubowan".</p>
<p>There were also, however, some "first" experiences that were not quite as happy or pleasant. Colombo was the first city I have visited where the army was deployed to the streets around the city. I had my first experiences with military checkpoints. It was my first time being completely and utterly lost in a country where I could not speak the language. </p>
<p>The sum of my experiences - both positive and negative - are the backdrop for the song "A Morning Like Yours". Before I get into the details of the song, I'd like to share some photos based on the memories I mention above.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/7b552b1134ab85477e59dc3f05f9baa19d380deb/original/32583-394428518396-6189025-n.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="Singapore Chili Crab" />That right there is a Sri Lankan lagoon crab as the featured star of the Singapore Chili Crab dish.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/24f4bc7cd0de1aeb2596cba20fab21437d4f0342/original/30533-395548268396-4584936-n.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="Typical Sri Lankan breakfast" /></p>
<p>Here's a typical Sri Lankan breakfast for me: Egg hopper, red string hoppers, coconut sambol, another sambol that tasted like burning, mutton curry.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/632d02995b9507b27aabc9615f8c0df45e55d5b6/original/28933-396198988396-4980809-n.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="I am on an elephant" /></p>
<p>This will likely never happen again. I am not a small human being, right? I look downright tiny on top of this kind and gentle and somewhat elderly elephant. Yeah, interacting with creatures that are larger than me, it's not my thing.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/79be336e44fd89d1aeaa4023635b42e669375983/original/32583-394428578396-5236643-n.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="Galle Face Green" />Oh, hello there <a contents="Galle Face Green" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galle_Face_Green" target="_blank">Galle Face Green</a> and <a contents="World Trade Center" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Trade_Center_Colombo" target="_blank">World Trade Center</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The first time I set foot in Colombo was 2010. Unlike well-known traveler <a contents="Anthony Bourdain" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.foodandwine.com/news/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-sri-lanka" target="_blank">Anthony Bourdain</a>, I didn't visit during the war. In fact, while I was there the first time, the Sri Lankan government was planning a parade and a celebration to commemorate the one year anniversary of the war ending... there were roads blocked off, warships gathering off the West coast of the island, and the occasional tank... and then it poured rain for a couple of days, and the celebration didn't happen. (A Google search tells me that the parade was held the following month.) The war was over, but the army was still in the streets. That was a somewhat frightening experience for me, as I had never been in a place with active military members on patrol. When I would walk around the neighborhood, I would see the soldiers - all of whom looked impossibly young - and hope that I wasn't going to give any of them reason to point those large weapons they carried in my general direction.</p>
<p>As I continued to visit over the years, the military presence diminished. The checkpoints went away. I felt safe, which is, of course, a mirage, as there isn't really any such thing as a place that is "safe". </p>
<p>I stayed in four different hotels across my visits to Sri Lanka: Cinnamon Grand, Cinnamon Lakeside, and The Kingsbury in Columbo, and Mount Lavinia Hotel in Mount Lavinia. These are all luxury hotels with varying degrees of opulence in the region, but due to exchange rates and the world economy, the cost per night is about the same as your average Marriott here in my home state of Ohio. No, it's definitely not fair, and it's one of those things I would try not to think too deeply about when I visited. I was there to work, and it was rather nice that accommodations with that level of comfort were an acceptable price for my company to pay. I would have breakfast in a hotel restaurant specifically open for that purpose every day, then head off to work... after breakfast on the weekends, I might stroll around the neighborhood, go out on a touristy-type visit, spend time in the hotel gym, play tennis with the designated hotel staff member for that, walk around an air-conditioned mall... you know, that sort of thing.</p>
<p>I reference those normal activities with the lyrics of the opening verse to "A Morning Like Yours".</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Take my coffee by the window<br>Looking at your ocean <br>Text my wife a little hello <br>Put the day in motion <br>Get a smile from the hopper station with my dal and sambol <br>Just a morning like yours <br>Just a morning like yours</em></p>
<p>The time zone difference between Sri Lanka and the United States is such that my mornings corresponded to late evening over here. Sometimes Misty was awake, sometimes she was not... at any rate, my mornings were never the time for conversation outside of a brief text or two. The lyric about the hopper station... well, I certainly don't know how to make egg hoppers, so the hotels would all have a staff member assigned to handle that during breakfast. These people were at work, so maybe they weren't really feeling cheerful, but they always smiled and said "good morning" when I would ask them to please cook me an egg hopper.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Take a walk around Colombo<br>Looking at your ocean <br>Heavy traffic from the get-go <br>Bustle and commotion <br>Get a smile from the hopper station with my dal and sambol <br>Just a morning like yours <br>Just a morning like yours</em></p>
<p>Colombo is a densely populated city with common large city afflictions. There are a lot of cars. There are traffic jams. There are people everywhere. That said, from three of the four hotels I have had the pleasure to stay in whilst on the island, the ocean is a short stroll away. Depending on which side of the building your room is located, you can even see the ocean from the windows at The Kingsbury and Mount Lavinia Hotel. Here in Ohio, I don't have an ocean to look at, so this was a nice treat for me.</p>
<p><a contents="A terrible thing happened on April 21, 2019" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sri-lanka-blast/bombs-kill-more-than-200-in-sri-lankan-churches-hotels-on-easter-sunday-idUSKCN1RX038" target="_blank">A terrible thing happened on April 21, 2019</a>.</p>
<p>Be honest. Do you even remember this happening? I'm not sure if it is the case in your particular city, state, or country, dear reader, but where I live, most people tend to be poorly informed of world events, of different cultures, and even of horrible evil like the bomb attacks on 21st April 2019. I would like to think that this is something that would make me angry and sad no matter where it happened, however, I am certainly more deeply emotionally affected by this event because I've spent time in Colombo. There are folks who I was proud to call colleagues in Sri Lanka. I've had rewarding conversations with regular every day people in Sri Lanka. These are people who had to deal with a lengthy civil war in the not-too-distant past, and after that ended, surely it felt as if things were headed in a positive direction... and then this. There isn't any such thing as a place that is "safe".</p>
<p>Two of the locations that were bombed are restaurants where I would sit for breakfast every day... the one at The Kingsbury on the third floor (I do not remember what it is called), and Taprobane at Cinnamon Grand, down on the lower level. On this particular Sunday, these restaurants were filled with regular people going about their lives; families on vacation, business travelers who were on multi-week trips, local folks who felt like having a special breakfast. These restaurants, of course, were also filled with hard-working employees and fellow citizens of the people who carried out the attacks. Lives ended or permanently changed by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. On another day, that could have been me. These thoughts inspired the last part of the song.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Take your tea by the same window <br>Looking at your ocean <br>Just an ordinary Sunday <br>Until the explosion <br>Get a smile from the hopper station when the shrapnel hit you <br>Just a morning like mine <br>Just a morning like mine <br>Wrong place and wrong time <br>Just a morning like mine</em></p>
<p>I don't think this song is good enough to take to a recording studio. Maybe I'll change my mind about that someday, but right now, that's where it stands. That said, it accurately sums up how I feel, which is kind of the point of songwriting. As a wise man once said, "time and chance happen to all".</p>
<p>If you'd like to hear the song, my home demo is attached to this blog entry.</p>
1:58
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6817474
2021-11-21T22:01:29-05:00
2021-11-22T22:09:43-05:00
brief reflections on leaving my corporate job
<p>I left my corporate job earlier this month. I had been employed at the same place for 17 years, which is a not-insignificant portion of my life. In the culture here, it is difficult to not be defined by <em>what you do, </em>rather than who you are... and that is true of how others see us as well as how we might see ourselves. For the first few days after leaving employment, I struggled a bit to determine what exactly I am supposed to do with myself now.</p>
<p>I've written about my struggles with anxiety and depression <a contents="before" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/anxiety-depression-a-personal-tale-of-being-broken" target="_blank">before</a>. It's not like I'm hiding it, and it's an ongoing fight, and the corporate job was not contributing to my healing, so I figured that the best choice for my health at the moment was to step away. There is some irony that health is a concern here, since not being employed by a corporation means I am losing my health insurance. (For my friends who do not live in the United States, one's health care in this country is often tied to one's employment.) </p>
<p>There was some fantastic life experiences over those 17 years. Quite a bit of travel was involved for awhile, and my job took me to Mexico, El Salvador, England a few times, India many times, Sri Lanka many times, China, Hong Kong, and Sweden. How horizon-broadening it was to experience so many different cities, cultures, and cuisines! I was able to interact with colleagues from all over the United States and from all over the world. Long after the memories of the stress and the bitter times fade, I'll keep pleasant memories of lovely people. I thought I might share just a couple of those here.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/0ee2b29cd1f682b35d54bf2f6aa1d26dd9635a1f/original/firstsrilankatrip.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>That's me with the team I was sent to train on my first ever trip to Sri Lanka. It's a beautiful island, with lovely beaches (if that's your thing), urban hustle and bustle (if that's your thing), dense jungle (if that's your thing), and great food.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/137d504725c6f404d5845443d12528790d696ced/original/colleaugeselsalvador.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Here are some of the folks who were in El Salvador while I was there. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/42317f7db2199df8c6b3938ff25ace15ecb834ce/original/trainingbangalore.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>This is what a day of training would look like in Bangalore.</p>
<p>Ok, onward. What's next? Is that what you're wondering?</p>
<p>Well, that's what I'm wondering as well. For the moment, I'm going to keep taking my medication and try to find a therapist with whom I am comfortable. It might be some time before I'm ready to get back into corporate work. </p>
<p>I'm still writing songs. As I've written before, songwriting is cathartic for me. I also have a few recording projects in various stages of completion. If you'd like to support me, my <a contents="online store is here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/store" target="_blank">online store is here</a>, I have a page over on <a contents="Ko-Fi" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ko-fi.com/mikebankhead" target="_blank">Ko-Fi</a> (even though I don't exactly know how it works yet), and of course, my music is on whatever tool you use to stream music. </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6800760
2021-11-06T23:10:12-04:00
2021-11-08T07:00:01-05:00
Baseball means more to me than it probably should
<p>You know I love music. For some reason that I fail to understand, there exists a subset of artistic people - whether musical or otherwise - that have some kind of strange aversion to sport in general, and really love to make their disdain known. Fear not, I'm not one of those people whose interests are so limited. I enjoy all sorts of different stuff, and some of that stuff, well, that includes many forms of sport. I happen to especially love baseball. I've written here about baseball before. No, really, I have. Last year, I ranked my favorite ballparks. (<a contents="Click here to read" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/my-personal-ballpark-rankings" target="_blank">Click here to read</a>.) I love going to games. I love watching games on television. I love reading about baseball. I love playing fantasy baseball. It's fair to say that I have a deeper emotional connection to baseball than any other sport. Why is that?</p>
<p>Part of that surely goes back to childhood. I remember swinging plastic bats at plastic balls thrown by my grandfather and my father. Playing catch with one's father is somewhat of a male American cliché, but it's cliché because it's true... I played catch with my dad for countless hours over many years. Baseball is a place where being left-handed is an advantage.</p>
<p>Consider this quote from the well-known 1989 motion picture <em>Field of Dreams, </em>said by a character played by James Earl Jones:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><span class="font_regular">The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. </span></em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><span class="font_regular">America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time.</span></em></p>
<p>Now, I am completely uninterested in nostalgia as a tool of patriotism, and there is no part of me that yearns for past times when people who looked like me were publicly executed with impunity. Wait, that still happens, let me rephrase... there is no part of me that yeans for a past when the <a contents="greatest baseball player of all time" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/gibson-josh" target="_blank">greatest baseball player of all time</a> was not allowed to play in Major League Baseball. That said, despite how much the game has changed, the basic tenets remain. To quote another baseball film, "It's a simple game... You throw the ball, catch the ball, hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." I find that simplicity to be beautiful.</p>
<p>Despite the big picture simplicity, if you look closely, baseball has a certain level of complexity and is filled with infinite possibilities. For example, there are nine (9!) ways that a batter can safely reach base. Not all of them involve actually hitting the ball. There are deep cat/mouse games between batters and pitchers. There are well-coordinated movements by the defenders for who backs up which base (I love watching catchers running down to back up first in their gear), for who the <a contents="cut off man" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8kP3vKaDRE" target="_blank">cut off man</a> will be on a given play, whether a throw should even be cut in the first place, who covers second on a steal attempt, and the intricate dance of a run down play.</p>
<p>I don't quite remember what year it was when my parents decided to get cable, but I absolutely remember that TBS was one of the channels that we had. The <a contents="gentleman" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Turner" target="_blank">gentleman</a> who owned that television channel also owned a <a contents="baseball team" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.mlb.com/braves" target="_blank">baseball team</a>, and did plenty of cross promotion with these holdings. This meant that just about every evening, there was a baseball game on TV, and it was always the same team. I watched a lot of games. I became a supporter of this team. The broadcasters who I listened to night after night - Skip Caray, Ernie Johnson, Pete Van Wieren, Don Sutton - they became my friends. My favorite players were Murphy and Horner, Rafael Ramirez and Oberkfell and Hubbard... then Blauser and Andrés Thomas and Zane Smith... then Smoltz and Glavine and Avery and Gant and Justice and Pendleton. (As someone once said, at the end of the day, we support laundry.) I watched so many games, that as an elementary school kid, I memorized the disclaimer that would be read on the air each game. These days, I don't quite remember whether they would read it in the 3rd inning or the 4th inning, but I still remember every single word. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>This telecast is authorized under broadcasting rights granted by the Atlanta National League Baseball Club and is intended solely for the entertainment of our audience. Any rebroadcast, retransmission, or other use of the pictures, descriptions, or accounts of this game without the express written consent of the Atlanta National League Baseball Club is prohibited.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/970cbd6ba4fdfad55bd752a494ddd178b07b9631/original/107px-atlanta-braves-insignia-svg.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_none" alt="Barves" /></em></p>
<p>The Atlanta National League Baseball Club <a contents="won the World Series" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.mlb.com/braves/news/braves-win-world-series-2021" target="_blank">won the World Series</a> this week, on Tuesday 2nd November. They are champions. CHAMPIONS. The last time this happened was my senior year of high school. This made me happy, albeit briefly. I don't really do happy... but I freely admit that I am deeply emotionally connected to the Atlanta National League Baseball Club. When I was young, they were horrid. They lost 106 games in 1988. They very nearly lost 100 games again in 1989. I watched the games anyway. They unexpectedly won the pennant in 1991, going from last place to first place in a year, and lost a very exciting World Series in 7 Games to the Twins. (I still haven't forgiven Hrbek.) They were pretty good throughout all of the 90s, but only managed to win that one championship. That is a championship I will never forget, in part because their opposition was a <a contents="team from Ohio" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://hiphoptino.bandcamp.com/track/95-tribe" target="_blank">team from Ohio</a>, but I think I'll remember this one for longer.</p>
<p>Of course, part of that is <a contents="recency bias" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recency_bias" target="_blank">recency bias</a>. Part of it is how this team managed to win. Their best player blew out his knee halfway through the season. One of their other major contributors turned out to be a terrible human being and domestic abuser, and was away from the team for that reason. There were several other injuries. Of all the teams that made the playoffs in baseball this year, Atlanta was near-unanimously declared to be the worst of them. Strange things can happen in small sample sizes, however, and baseball is decidedly odd that way. Of course, you can never really know how all of these professionals are as people, but this group of players comes across as eminently likeable, and they never quit. I kind of like how the article I link to in the previous paragraph puts it:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Atlanta completed a mathematically improbable journey to Tuesday’s champagne bath. The NL East champs didn’t have a winning record until Aug. 6, and they had the lowest win total of any team to reach MLB’s postseason this year, including the Wild Card clubs. The Braves are just the eighth sub-90-win team to win a World Series in a non-shortened season.</em></p>
<p>Improbable. But the improbable happens fairly often in baseball, in ever-changing ways. That's probably another reason I love baseball so much.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6792665
2021-10-31T21:25:10-04:00
2022-05-14T07:22:30-04:00
Restaurant Review - Pig Slice Pizza in the Dayton, Ohio area
<p>It appeared on social media, seemingly out of nowhere, this guerilla style deliciousness, this purveyor of flavor with punk rock ethos, this underground Detroit style pizzeria. Specifically, "Underground Detroit Style Pizzeria" is how they describe themselves on their <a contents="Facebook page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068641662503" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>. I, for one, happen to love <a contents="Detroit-style pizza" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit-style_pizza" target="_blank">Detroit-style pizza</a>, and since I don't spend a great deal of time in Detroit, I am in favor of finding someone who will make it somewhat closer to home. The challenge is, well, you can't really find these folks. They are somewhere out there, out of reach, and the only way to corral them is to get on their waiting list. I did so as soon as I could, which was back in July 2021.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/c62533ae39e4181338b1b343594054dda85782c0/original/pigslizelogo.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally, the last week of October, my turn came up. The waiting list is clearly quite long, which means that business is good for these folks. I received a message via Facebook Messenger, asking me to select the pizzas of my choice, and then to select from a limited amount of available pick-up times. What happens if you cannot make any of the selected pickup times? Well, your name goes back to the top of the queue, and the Pig Slice Pizza folks make a social media post saying that they have an opening, and it can be claimed immediately by the first person to message them. Thankfully, Misty and I were able to be available for one of the pick-up times. We obtained two delicious pizzas.</p>
<p>This is the first one.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/56d2449d74e522baba5c1f9e6df8e1796343c93d/original/originalpigslice.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Here's the Pig Slice Pizza description for what you see above: </p>
<p><em>The Original PigSlice Pepperoni Pizza. </em></p>
<p><em>Detroit Style with house made sauce, mozzarella and provolone cheeses, topped with pepperoni and a hot honey drizzle and finished with parmesan and basil ribbons. </em></p>
<p><em>You're gonna want this one every time.</em></p>
<p>My thoughts? Well, this was delicious. I love this style of pizza for the crunchy crust, the crispy bits of melted/charred cheese around the edges, and the doughy depth of the crust once you get past the crunch. The sausage on top (pepperoni is a kind of sausage of course) also got some crispiness to the edges, which was nice. Also, a good way to get me to really like a food presentation visually is to chiffonade some basil. The only objection I have here is the honey. I don't need my pizza to be sweet, thank you. When my turn comes up again in the queue in what will surely be several months from now, I'll either ask them to not add the honey to this one, or I'll make another selection.</p>
<p>Here is a picture of the other pizza.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/f084316a42064714184a08cacf8cf05c3761fd7b/original/cheesepigslice.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Here's the accompanying Pig Slice Pizza description:</p>
<p><em>THE cheese pizza. </em></p>
<p><em>House made sauce, mozzarella, romano and parmesan cheeses topped with seasoned ricotta, basil and thyme. </em></p>
<p><em>Cheese on cheese on cheese on cheese.</em></p>
<p>This was also delicious, and hey look, there's more basil, and again with the chiffonade. This one is simple, but there's nothing wrong with simple if you execute it well. The ricotta gave this a creamy mouth feel. I might have selected a different combination of cheeses, but there isn't anything wrong with this pie. I would certainly eat it again.</p>
<p>The folks at Pig Slice Pizza seem to be content being an underground establishment for now. Really, I shouldn't even call them a "restaurant", as you can't show up and sit down and be fed. When you are contacted for your selections, you are given a pickup time as I mention above... on the actual day of pickup, you get another message with the location where you make the pickup. You arrive, message them that you have arrived, and someone brings you pizza. It works, they don't have to deal with the overhead of having a permanent non-residential location, and their dance card is full, so I don't know that they really have any motivation to change their business model.</p>
<p>If you live in the greater Dayton area, go ahead and find these folks online and sign up for their wait list. It's delicious pizza.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6778957
2021-10-17T22:06:23-04:00
2021-10-18T07:00:02-04:00
Thoughts on playing live on the radio last week
<p>In March 2020, just after finishing up Anxious Inventions & Fictions, I was able to schedule a visit to Juliet Fromholt's <a contents="Kaleidoscope" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.wyso.org/show/kaleidoscope" target="_blank">Kaleidoscope</a> show on <a contents="WYSO" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.wyso.org/" target="_blank">WYSO</a>. Then, the pandemic lockdown happened. Juliet was kind enough to have a <a contents="conversation with me about the album" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.wyso.org/show/kaleidoscope/2020-03-26/mike-bankhead-talks-upcoming-album-anxious-inventions-fictions" target="_blank">conversation with me about the album</a> to put on the air. It would have been SO much cooler to head over there in person and play some songs, though. Well, last week, on 13th October 2021, we finally made that happen.</p>
<p>The room where live music happens over at WYSO is larger than I thought it would be. Here's Juliet, MD at WYSO, getting the gear set up for us to play. Over in the corner, that's Allan Ware, who played guitar with me.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/30ddad41bd1e7a26f01f1f6ef9454d69f48b6f34/original/20211013-191125.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Here's where I stood. My amp is over at the far side of the picture.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/72a79e1482e10ca6ce439f853b91c8671f1ff66b/original/20211013-195604.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Here are the kind folks who played with me.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/97a365da0df696f333f361bb4c8c3c3b22e29f86/original/20211013-215136.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>You might recognize Kyleen Downes from <a contents="last week's blog entry" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/home/blog/amplified-kyleen-downes" target="_blank">last week's blog entry</a>. She played guitar and sang harmonies. Right there next to me is Ray Owens, who normally plays drums for <a contents="Sadbox" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://sadboxrocks.bandcamp.com/releases" target="_blank">Sadbox</a>, and he kindly provided the percussion.</p>
<p>I am thankful to Allan, Kyleen, and Ray for being my band for the evening. This involved taking the time to learn my songs, rehearse them, and come play with me on the radio. I am thankful to Juliet for inviting me to play, and for her continued support of the independent artists in our area. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6771843
2021-10-10T17:16:50-04:00
2022-05-09T03:25:50-04:00
Amplified: Kyleen Downes
<p><a contents="Kyleen Downes" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://kyleendownes.com/" target="_blank">Kyleen Downes</a> is a true professional. She plays, she writes, she sings, she teaches... and radiates joy when making music. Every time I go see Kyleen play a show, I end up less grumpy when the show is over than I was before it started. The community of musicians in the greater Dayton area is better for having her be a part it. </p>
<p>This is her <a contents="official music page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://kyleendownes.com/music" target="_blank">official music page</a>. I have everything here on compact disc, and I assure you, it's all good. Why not get yourself a copy of her latest album, <em>Come On Sit Down, </em>on vinyl or CD?</p>
<p>How about we get to know Kyleen a little better? After the photo, I amplify her voice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/76cf0cddcd06e35d5d7cafe1e62e07cc6766bbe2/original/meta-eyjzcmncdwnrzxqioijjb250zw50lnnpdgv6b29nbguuy29tin0.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_small"><em>Photo by Jennifer Taylor</em></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre. </strong></p>
<p>The best one I’ve come up with is my music sounds like if Tom Petty and Sheryl Crow were raised on TRL. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>2. You have a Bachelor's degree in Music. For musicians who are not formally educated in music, but wish to improve, what's a simple piece of advice you could give? </strong></p>
<p>While I was getting my degree I was inundated with so much information, I was discouraged that I wasn’t retaining what I was learning. But as the years have gone by, many concepts have clicked. So my advice would be, don’t feel like you need to know it all, incorporate what you do know (value it!) and more will come as you go. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money? </strong></p>
<p>I made two album purchases that day with my own money: The<em> Men In Black</em> soundtrack and Weird Al Yankovic <em>Bad Hair Day.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>4. Tell me about the last concert you saw. </strong></p>
<p>I saw Cat Power, Garbage and Alanis Morissette at Riverbend in September. A friend invited me and had 3rd row seats, I’ve never been that close before! Cat Power’s performance was gorgeous and humble. Then Garbage performed and they damn near killed me with the bass, but it was awesome. Shirley Manson now has a place on my badass women list. Halfway through one of her songs she called someone out in the audience and said “Hey Kelly” then proceeded to finish the song. Afterwards, she proclaimed how amazing the universe is that in a sea of people she saw their server from the night before, Kelly. She then told the audience that Kelly was in a band called Flying Underground and that she checked them out on the Instagram and said their stuff was great! SO fun! Finally Alanis Morissette came out with her stellar band and washed us all in her unbelievable voice and energy. The concert was incredibly uplifting and an experience that I got to have with two of my closest friends. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>5. When did you start playing guitar? Why did you choose guitar as your instrument? </strong></p>
<p>I started playing guitar when I was 12 years old after my parents gave me one for Christmas. I wish I knew why I chose guitar because it has become such a huge part of my life. As a kid I did love singing musical and Disney songs, and I also played clarinet, but I really don’t know why I chose guitar. I asked my mom once why they got me a guitar for Christmas and she said, “I guess you must have asked for it.” Makes sense Mom, haha! </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>6. You're a solo artist, even though you write full band compositions. I can relate. When you finish a song and are thinking about heading to the studio with it, how do you approach making choices for arrangement and instrumentation? </strong></p>
<p>The songs I take to the band, I work out structure and instruments parts with them. The songs I’ve worked out on my own will often take shape in the studio. I may have an idea of trying something on a particular instrument but won’t know until I try it. I now have an interface and some GarageBand skills to try out more arranging beforehand, I’m excited to see how it works out! </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>7. Can you name three influences on your songwriting and sound, along with some details on how you incorporate those influences? </strong></p>
<p>I’m influenced by whoever I am listening to or perhaps learning to play on guitar. I developed one song on guitar when I was pretending to be Jimi Hendrix in my basement. It sounds nothing like Jimi Hendrix but who does!? It was more how he moves his fingers on the neck that I was trying to imitate. That song I co-wrote with Emma Woodruff for her album <em>Longing for Something I Ain’t Got</em> and it’s called "Yellow Springs Thing". </p>
<p>A song of mine, not yet released, called "Tell Me What I Want to Hear" was influenced by Prince. I was hearing something in my head that sounded sexy and staccato, so I developed the song with his aesthetic in mind. </p>
<p>A local influence came out when I was writing my song "Big Top" and that’s the duo Biscuits and Gravy. The acoustic punch of Harold Hensley and the sassiness of Cassandra Barker really drove the tone of that song. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="C18EEAXXTB8" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/C18EEAXXTB8/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C18EEAXXTB8?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>8. So... when do we get more new music from Kyleen Downes? </strong></p>
<p>2022! No specific details but I’ve got new songs written and will be recording soon. They each have very distinct voices so I plan to release them as singles throughout the year.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>The video for "<a contents="Give Up the Ghost" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUcSFZvuRk8" target="_blank">Give Up the Ghost</a>" is great, and you should watch it. I've already linked to the official home of Kyleen Downes on the Internet, but here's <a contents="her website" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://kyleendownes.com/" target="_blank">her website</a> again. You can find her music there, as well as on all of your normal streaming services. You can also find Kyleen on <a contents="Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/Kyleendownesmusic" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/kyleendownes/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a contents="Twitter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/kyleendownes" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</p>
<p>I am absolutely thrilled that Kyleen is willing to play with me THIS WEEK, when I play live on WYSO. Again, she is a true professional. Rehearsals have been solid, and I warmly invite you all to tune in on <a contents="WYSO dot org" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.wyso.org/" target="_blank">WYSO dot org</a> Wednesday 13th October at 8 PM Eastern, and you'll hear Kyleen's fine guitar work and harmony vocals.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6766119
2021-10-04T19:09:29-04:00
2023-12-27T13:23:13-05:00
I'd like to give you the shirt off my back
<p>Have you watched the music video for "Wapakoneta" yet?</p>
<p>If not, well, this is it:</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="KpTCpId8FAQ" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/KpTCpId8FAQ/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KpTCpId8FAQ?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Do you see that black shirt with the red roses that I am wearing in the video? I am giving that away. I have worn it exactly once. It has been laundered, and is hanging in my closet, waiting to meet someone new.</p>
<p>If you would like the shirt off my back, all you have to do is join my mailing list. You can do that by <a contents="clicking here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://eepurl.com/gBGm_z" target="_blank">clicking here</a>, or by heading to the home page of this website and scrolling down. To enter, just add your email address, your first name, and your last name. That's it. Simple, right?</p>
<p>I will do a drawing in two weeks from all of the eligible entries, and I'll send the shirt to the winner in the mail. You'll also get a present right away, just for signing up.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6751497
2021-09-19T23:55:52-04:00
2021-09-20T07:00:02-04:00
New music video for "Wapakoneta" coming soon
<p>Yes, I realize it has been a few months since my last blog. Part of that is general life business. Part of that is struggling with being in a dark place that I've <a contents="written about before" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/anxiety-depression-a-personal-tale-of-being-broken" target="_blank">written about before</a>. Let's agree to call it a brief hiatus, and I'll make an effort to get back to regular updates.</p>
<p>Hey, here's some news! You might be aware that I released a <a contents="new single on 20th July" data-link-label="" data-link-type="track" href="/track/2780659/wapakoneta" target="_blank">new single on 20th July</a>. Well, I decided to shoot a music video for it. Now, this is not a skill set that I have. How did I go about making a music video in nearly complete DIY fashion?</p>
<p>First, I looked for information. I found every Internet source that I could find about "how to make a music video". I consulted fellow musicians who had experience in producing and releasing their own videos. I took the information I learned and set about preparing in advance how best to execute the project. </p>
<p>One of the things I learned is that before you decide to shoot a video, you need to decide WHERE to shoot the video. For a song called "Wapakoneta" that specifically mentions Auglaize County in the lyrics, I figured that as much of the video as possible should be filmed in that city and that county. Here are some photos from location scouting:</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/3749a2b634b62a65632f8c8e10267e4e117405eb/original/ruralcitysign.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="Rural scenery with Wapakoneta city sign" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/bf74e61a68201058b05b32647fe1f227164e315f/original/saintmarybridge.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="covered bridge in Saint Marys, Ohio" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/d87a4b834dbb8840369163e72b472b058b3d66ef/original/hineil.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="statue of Neil Armstrong in Wapakoneta" /></p>
<p>I'd really like to have draped by bass over Neil Armstrong there and taken a photo, but I think that might have landed us in some trouble with the local authorities.</p>
<p>My wife and I had different ideas about how to go about doing the video, so in the spirit of cooperation and compromise, we co-directed. We plotted all of the scenes in advance on a shot sheet, and matched each of them up to specific segments of the song. On the days where Misty was the director, I stayed out of the decision-making process. On one of those days, I didn't even attend the shoot. On the days where I was the director, well, I tried to keep her out of the decision making process. A dear friend of ours (shout out to Cara Shay) filmed everything on an iPhone of some sort. Since I do not have video editing skills, I hired a professional to take care of that. Other than fuel and time, the editing was the only expense.</p>
<p>The video for "Wapakoneta" makes its debut next Monday 27th September via a Facebook Premiere... well, if I can figure that out. I posted it by accident, then immediately deleted it. I'll do a YouTube Premiere on Tuesday 28th September. See, the nice thing about a premiere is that we all get to watch the video together and have an online chat about it at the same time. While we're all waiting for next Monday, I'll upload brief snippets so you can have an advance look and maybe also a behind the scenes peek at the process.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6639121
2021-05-24T20:48:45-04:00
2021-07-25T22:50:02-04:00
Concert Memories - Toadies at multiple Ohio venues (Diffuser opening)
<p><em>Welcome to Concert Memories May! All of my Monday blog entries this month will be about memorable concerts.</em></p>
<p><a contents="Toadies" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://thetoadies.com/" target="_blank">Toadies</a> had to tread a long and winding road on the way to getting their second full-length album released. That's a strange thing to write, and is indicative of how much nonsense comes with the music business. Toadies had a massive radio single and a platinum album, but still had to fight with their label to get <em>Hell Below/Stars Above</em> released. The release was unsupported by their label, which never made any sense to me. I think it's a stronger album than their debut. For me and a few of my friends, it was certainly highly anticipated. Once the album was released, Toadies hit the road to support it. They played three shows in Ohio. I attended all three.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/d16b22f84f6ba60f05645eb245bfbcc0bf207e9f/original/20210524-195031.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>My memories of these shows are too thick and convoluted to write into a cohesive narrative. I think a bullet list would better fit here. Here are just some of the things I remember:</p>
<ul> <li>Driving to Columbus, meeting up with friends, then driving to the show in Cleveland</li> <li>Meeting Diffuser, conversing with Lawrence, the bass player, and him remembering us at future shows</li> <li>Seeing "Dollskin" live for the first time</li> <li>Walking down the street with Toadies after the show because we had parked in the same general direction as the tour bus</li> <li>Stopping for a snack in <a contents="Lodi" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lodi,_Ohio" target="_blank">Lodi</a> and having that stop be longer than anticipated because the keys had been locked in the car</li> <li>Learning all of the Diffuser songs by the next time we caught the show</li> <li>Talking to Toadies about <a contents="Bands on the Run" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bands_on_the_Run" target="_blank"><em>Bands on the Run</em></a>
</li> <li>Realizing that <a contents='"Paper Dress"' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0YsAmmpo8w" target="_blank">"Paper Dress"</a> was making a serious challenge as my favorite Toadies song </li> <li>Enjoying the Toadies' nod to their influences, as they covered "Where Is My Mind?" every show</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>Here's a picture with my friend Brandy after the Cincinnati show, with Mark and Clark from Toadies.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/6b3cab79253a0ec1b3ef9c187cf691b5fb420539/original/20210524-195321.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6631307
2021-05-15T15:27:35-04:00
2021-05-17T07:00:11-04:00
Concert Memories - Local H at Newport Music Hall in Columbus, Ohio
<p><em>Welcome to Concert Memories May! All of my Monday blog entries this month will be about memorable concerts.</em></p>
<p>This time we're going to party like it's 1999... well, because this show happened in 1999.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/c97d490b95beebabb077bf4249f76dcb5d80403a/original/20210507-202439.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>The third Local H album was <em><a contents="Pack Up the Cats" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.localh.com/local-h--pack-up-the-cats.html" target="_blank">Pack Up the Cats</a>, </em>and even though it was released in 1998, the band was still on tour to support it in 1999. Local H had a massive radio hit single from their <a contents="previous album" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.localh.com/local-h--as-good-as-dead.html" target="_blank">previous album</a>, and I had seen them before when they were on the road touring with that one. They opened for Stone Temple Pilots on an arena tour, and I caught them at the Nutter Center in Dayton. This show though, instead of being in an arena, was in a properly sized venue for a rock and roll show.</p>
<p>Normally at the Newport Music Hall, there is a crowd control barrier in front of the stage. This serves to give a space of a few feet between the crowd and the stage, and this space is populated with security staff and professional photographers for the more crowded shows. Immediately upon entering the big room for this particular show, my group and I noticed that the barrier was gone. Indeed, we could lean right up on the stage, giving the show a much more intimate feel. We were actually able to talk to the musicians during the show, as we were close enough to be heard. I swear that I could even feel the air being pushed by Joe Daniels' kick drum.</p>
<p>If you're not familiar with <em>Pack Up the Cats, </em>well, it's a concept album about playing in a rock and roll band. The band leaned into the album, opening the concert by playing the first 9 songs from it in order. For a group who wrote a <a contents="self-deprecating song" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXzEY9Vcl88" target="_blank">self-deprecating song</a> about not being a very good live act, they brought the frenetic, high-energy performance they were known for. These guys have been road warriors for years, both before AND after this date in 1999, going out and earning it night after night in town after town. In fact, Local H are still at it. </p>
<p>One of my favorite lyrics from the album - and from this show - is from the song "Hit the Skids"... .<br><em>I'm in love with rock and roll / but that'll change eventually</em></p>
<p>I related to those lyrics when I was 22, and well, it hasn't changed yet... but maybe eventually.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6586643
2021-05-07T20:12:04-04:00
2021-05-10T07:00:13-04:00
Concert Memories - Our Lady Peace on consecutive nights in Dayton
<p><em>Welcome to Concert Memories May! All of my Monday blog entries this month will be about memorable concerts.</em></p>
<p>Oh look, what do we have here?</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/103ae7d6ba4e0619f23e5c23ff8539bce488bf16/original/20210327-131339.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>That's right, a superstar Canadian band, who were accustomed to playing arenas and stadiums in their home country, played back-to-back nights at a dance club in Dayton, Ohio for SEVEN DOLLARS each night. How in the world did that happen? </p>
<p>These shows happened just after a creative crossroads with the band. Guitarist Mike Turner had left the band, and there was an open audition process for the job. Once the position was filled, the band finished up <em>Gravity, </em>which was their fifth album. When a superstar band releases a new album, they generally go on tour to support it... at least, this is how things used to work. Of course, they would probably have to play the singles and crowd favorites from their earlier work, and gel properly with the new team member in front of an audience. If you were part of a superstar Canadian band, and you wanted to put in some work in front of a live audience whilst remaining somewhat off the radar, where would you play the show? Our Lady Peace chose to play in Dayton, Ohio. These two shows were the first shows that new guitarist Steve Mazur would play with them.</p>
<p>I remember being a massive fan of this band since their first album <em>Naveed </em>came out while I was in high school. They didn't get to popularity in the United States until their second album <em>Clumsy </em>showed up in 1997 with hit singles "<a contents="Superman's Dead" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ladagy7wgNA" target="_blank">Superman's Dead</a>", "<a contents="Clumsy" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp2P6JKc1QE" target="_blank">Clumsy</a>", and "<a contents="4am" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbI7efznvj8" target="_blank">4am</a>". Their third and fourth albums weren't remotely as popular here if memory serves, but strangely enough, I liked them both even better. I am pretty sure that several of my friends agree with me on this... and we jumped at the chance to catch an act like this in a small venue in our home state.</p>
<p>I fondly remember waiting in line outside for the doors to open, and hearing the soundcheck happening inside the venue. This surely doubled as extra rehearsal, as one of the songs we could hear was "<a contents="The Story of 100 Aisles" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke-ppZnJwxA" target="_blank">The Story of 100 Aisles</a>", and they didn't play that one during either night's show. I also remember having a nice conversation with some folks who drove all the way from Toronto to catch both shows.</p>
<p>The shows themselves featured plenty of songs from <em>Gravity</em>, which hadn't been released yet. The <a contents="lead single" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SzFaEqbLRM" target="_blank">lead single</a> had hit radio and MTV, so that one was familiar. Our Lady Peace were definitely working out the kinds for their upcoming tour. It was interesting to see professionals like these gentleman have some bumps and stumbles along the way during the two shows, it made them seem more human. (The younger version of me who went to these shows was even more inept at playing his instrument than the current version of me, and was easily awed by rock stars.) We could tell they were shaking off a bit of rust at times. Raine completely forgot the words to the verses in "<a contents="One Man Army" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB0RUyhh7tw" target="_blank">One Man Army</a>", but it was ok, because the audience gleefully sang them. They made sure to "play the hits", and a coupe of other favorites from their older albums, making for consecutive excellent nights of rock and roll.</p>
<p>One last thing that I'll add, on brand for me as a bass player. I always quite enjoyed Duncan Coutts' work, but I found his live performance extra inspiring.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6586638
2021-05-03T07:00:00-04:00
2021-05-03T07:00:02-04:00
Concert Memories - The Cranberries at Veterans Memorial in Columbus, Ohio
<p><em>Welcome to Concert Memories May! All of my Monday blog entries this month will be about memorable concerts.</em></p>
<p>Once upon a time, I was somewhat obsessed with The Cranberries. Not only did they have a tastefully named bassist, their Irish roots shone through the singer's voice, making them a new thing to me in the world of rock and roll. I mentioned this show briefly in a <a contents="previous blog entry" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/songwriting-story-north-of-sixteen" target="_blank">previous blog entry</a>, as a background detail to a sad story. This show was enjoyable enough that it's a shame that I usually remember it that way first.</p>
<p>This happened at Veterans Memorial in Columbus, Ohio... which isn't there anymore. There is a museum with that name on the site in Columbus, but that is not the concert hall where I went to this show. The venue had your classic concert hall seating, surely intended as a home for an orchestra. Our seats were in the balcony, way up high... in fact, I think we might have been in the very last row. (Give me a break on the details, this was a LONG time ago.) I attended this show with a group of good friends, some of whom are no longer with us, and some of whom I have lost touch with. That detail in itself is kind of a sad reminder of the passage of time.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/e4364d89d5279b498403d96d07dc111de5518dc4/original/20210327-124632.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>At this time, The Cranberries were still touring in support of the <em>No Need To Argue</em> album, which brought them international stardom. With only two albums out at the time, we all knew every song, and as happens at shows like this, there was a great deal of singing along. We were all in for a surprise... they played one song twice.</p>
<p>Dolores told the audience at one point that they were shooting a music video for "Ridiculous Thoughts", and that they would need to play the song again. There was a wardrobe change involved for this. (The outfit was the pattern of the flag of the United States, and not, strangely enough, the flag of Ireland.) That's kind of cool... not only did we get to hear a very good song twice in the same night, the music video is a permanent memento of this specific concert. In case you have never seen the "Ridiculous Thoughts" video, here it is:</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="7LM4Cb6wZUA" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/7LM4Cb6wZUA/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7LM4Cb6wZUA?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6613588
2021-04-25T20:24:40-04:00
2021-05-07T17:27:34-04:00
Amplified: Emmrose
<p>Remember when I told you that you should listen to the <a contents="Duet or Don't podcast" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://smarturl.it/DuetorDont" target="_blank">Duet or Don't podcast</a>, hosted by <a contents="Baby Molly" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/amplified-baby-molly" target="_blank">Baby Molly</a>? If perchance you took me up on that advice, you've already heard from <a contents="Emmrose" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://emmrosemusic.com/" target="_blank">Emmrose</a>. This talented young artist appeared on the episode that was released on March 15th, where she and Baby Molly created a song called "If I Knew When". The interview was engaging, and while those of you who are my age would no doubt refer to Emmrose as "a kid", she sounds more mature than she is. Is that a result of songwriting, or is her level of maturity what drives her to write songs? I probably should have asked that question in the following interview. I didn't. Oops. Hey, I'm a musician, not a journalist.</p>
<p>"The Imposter" is her latest single. <a contents="To listen on Spotify, click here." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4zXzpmPMoegtzjAwzjWBEB?si=3vMgvt-3SLCoyI4NU3qQsA" target="_blank">To listen on Spotify, click here.</a></p>
<p>After the photo, let's amplify the voice belonging to <a contents="Emmrose" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://emmrosemusic.com/home" target="_blank">Emmrose</a>.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/b85578e794b497caaced41facf31abb9438ab3ec/original/eyeqo9uwgaamph2.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>1.</strong> <strong>"The Imposter" is the most recent single you have released. That's a fully fleshed-out arrangement. In addition to your vocals (including harmonies), I am hearing drums, an electric piano of some sort, bass, an acoustic guitar, and some things I can't identify, which probably means synth. I'm a solo artist who writes for full band arrangements, so I'm curious to learn from YOUR process for this. Are you writing and arranging all of the parts? If so, how do you approach deciding which instruments will best bring the song to life? If not, where do you start when you do a demo, and how does the arrangement get determined? </strong></p>
<p>I collaborate with my producer, Mike Abiuso, on all the arrangements for my songs. He’s an amazing musician and composer, and it’s really fun when I have some crazy idea I could never play on the guitar, and he can really just flesh it out. Other times he’s full of ideas, and I pick the ones that fit in the song best. I think we work really well together when it comes to my overall sound!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>2. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money? </strong></p>
<p>Oh gosh this is so embarrassing... but I don’t think I’ve ever actually paid for music. I was born in 2003, and I kinda just grew up with streaming! I’ve never used cd’s or cassettes, but I do own a lot of vinyl from my dads collection. I mainly just use his records when I want to play something at home. We have really similar music taste, so if it’s something I want to buy, he probably has it already.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>3. Tell me about the last concert you saw. </strong></p>
<p>It was Clairo playing at the Brooklyn Steel! What a amazing concert. Hello Yello and Beabadoobee opened for her, and they were just amazing. Definitely a dream of mine to play there. I love the atmosphere of that venue. Clairo is one of my favorite artists, I think her music is amazing!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>4. This is going to be two related questions for the price of one. When did you start learning how to play music? When did you start writing songs? </strong></p>
<p>I’ve pretty much been singing forever. I’ve always been musical and creative. I would sing little songs around the house, coming up with stories in my head. I think I’ve always known I would be a songwriter. The few memories i have from growing up are all about my first experiences in songwriting and music, and how much it impacted me as a person.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences? </strong></p>
<p>Vocally I would say Florence + the Machine and Lana del Rey. A lot of my songwriting inspiration definitely comes from Radiohead and Clairo. I love how they break the mold of traditional pop \ rock songs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>6. What is your biggest challenge when it comes to making music? </strong></p>
<p>Finding inspiration can sometimes be a real struggle. I can’t just make a song about nothing, ya know? I can’t chug out song after song after song without any real feelings behind it. But when inspiration comes, It’s honestly so easy to sit down and write a song. It’s like the lyrics just come to me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>7. How do you intend to keep growing as a musician and a songwriter?</strong></p>
<p>I don’t think I’ll ever really stop writing songs and making music. I’ll do it forever. I hope I can grow my career as an artist and a songwriter- but it’s my love for music that really keeps me going.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>You know that feeling of discovery you get from your friends, acquaintances, colleagues, classmates, or random other people recommending music to you that you aren't familiar with? That, or when you discover what a musician you dig is into, and then you go investigate that music? Well, this is me after reading these answers from Emmrose, then running to the Internet to find out who "Clairo", "Hello Yello", and "Beabadoobee" are. There's clearly some generation gap here, but hey, I just found out about three artists that I didn't know anything about, and now I have some new stuff to listen to. Maybe I'll like it, maybe I won't, but the discovery is the important thing here, yes?</p>
<p>Emmrose is releasing a new single called "Waitlisted" on May 7th.</p>
<p>In addition to her <a contents="official website" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://emmrosemusic.com/home" target="_blank">official website</a>, you can catch up with Emmrose on <a contents="Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/EmmroseMusic/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/emmrosemusic/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a contents="Twitter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/EmmroseMusic" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6605032
2021-04-15T15:01:48-04:00
2021-04-18T15:04:50-04:00
DAOTW7: Rush - Exit...Stage Left
<p><em>Dad's Album of the Week is back. This is the series where I briefly review my late father's vinyl.</em></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/fe145a67870cb4d778699cc4be1a8633e2fe37cc/original/20210415-143727.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/df5760d498d769fda271913440f72a57a88c68fa/original/20210415-143740.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/c16d8ff4d296a940127195b06e37a252330cfb1f/original/20210415-144353.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Rush</strong> - <em>Exit...Stage Left</em></span></p>
<p>Dad was a drummer. He loved Neil Peart and his work, as drummers typically do. Neil Peart outlived him.</p>
<p>This one is a live album, and a double album. Four sides, thirteen songs. Let me tell you, it sounds much cleaner and clearer than I expected for a live album that came out in 1981. </p>
<p>For lovers of rock and roll, there is something here for everyone. There are guitar solos. There are bass solos. (There is plenty of Geddy Lee prowess on display.) There is an extended drum solo and fills just about everywhere. There is plenty of synth. At times it's hard to remember this is a three piece band, because there seems to be more sounds happening than three people should be able to make at a time. There are interesting time signatures and all sorts of musical goodness, and this was all apparently impeccably played night in and night out in front of audiences around the world.</p>
<p>This one... turn it up loud.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6591152
2021-04-12T05:00:00-04:00
2021-04-12T05:00:05-04:00
Amplified: Elyssa Vulpes
<p>Let's get international again over here on Amplified. Today we meet an Italian... an Italian who hosts a podcast called <em>Dare to Be Seen</em>. This podcast features independent female singer-songwriters and lets the world into their individual stories, songs, and lessons learned along their musical journey. The goal is to help women to shine in a male-dominated industry. <a contents="Click here to check out the Dare to Be Seen podcast" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.elyssavulpes.com/dare-to-be-seen-podcast/" target="_blank">Click here to check out the <em>Dare to Be Seen</em> podcast</a>. </p>
<p>But wait! That's not all that Elyssa does. She also does free Kickstart Your Project Consultations as an artist and creativity coach. <a contents="Click here for more details" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://hypnotichealing.co.uk/coaching-for-creatives/" target="_blank">Click here for more details</a>. </p>
<p>Let's get to the interview after the photo.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/b8a9b53fd17f6b8d24a9fc3e78f0287745e57eef/original/vic3.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre.</strong></p>
<p>I make Indie folk rock with Cabaret and Celtic European influences and sound like a mix of Jade Bird, Neko Case and Martha Wainwright’s Italian Sister.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>2. I saw some videos of you in your studio working on songs. How long have you been doing your own engineering? Do you also handle your own mixing? </strong></p>
<p>I started learning about audio engineering two decades ago as a result of getting frustrated with other people having control over my recordings. I decided I needed to learn how to do things myself so I asked some friends to help me. However, I decided that was not enough so I enrolled in some university courses so I could learn about recording techniques and midi sampling. I then decided to let someone else do the mixing for me. After a few years and a lot of money wasted I refreshed my knowledge by taking another college course in audio engineering but the truth is that I do not enjoy spending a lot of time mixing. So I tend to use logic or ableton to record and do a basic mix and then, unless it is a demo, I will ask a studio to finish it up and make it sound amazing. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money? </strong></p>
<p>Weirdly enough an album by The Trees, a super obscure English psychedelic folk band of the 70s. I got the LP from a second hand shop after listening to it in someone’s basement in Edinburgh. I had other records before but they were either vinyl my brother gifted me (Queen, Led Zeppelin, Doors, Bob Dylan) or cassette tapes as a teenager. Yes I am that old. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>4. Tell me about the last concert you saw. </strong></p>
<p>Oh my , that was a long time ago, pre-covid. I think it was the Flight of the Conchords in Glasgow! they were amazing, and the the stadium was packed. I had first seen them in New Zealand two decades prior when nobody knew who they were and swore they would be famous. We used to play at the San Francisco Bath house together! (though they won’t remember me ;P ) Well they are now super famous which goes to show I am a good talent scout! Maybe I should change job…:) </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>5. You're bilingual. How do you decide which language to use when you write a song? </strong></p>
<p>The country in which I currently live has been the biggest influence. So when I lived in Italy I wrote in Italian and when I lived in English speaking countries I wrote in English. However, recently I have started writing more in Italian mainly because it really is a lot easier for me to remember lyrics in Italian. I also have been told that my voice sounds better in that language. I am not sure that is true, but I feel that writing in Italian can be easier and possibly closer to who I am.... ? At the same time, it depends on the subject matter too. I left Italy when I was 18 so there are some themes I <br>learnt to explore only later. Especially when it comes down to feelings I learned to express myself in English a lot better after leaving Italy. So it’s a bit tricky. It is important to me that my audience understands my lyrics. That has always been the most important factor, but now I am beginning to think that maybe that’s not something I should focus on too much just because otherwise I would never again write in Italian! So I tend to have a 50% ratio, or at least aim for that. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>6. Which artists do you consider to be your biggest influences? </strong></p>
<p>I have lots of influences, but mainly Italian singer songwriters from the 70s (De Andre’, Battisti, Guccini) , prog rock bands such as the King Crimson, classic rock such as Led Zeppelin, Doors and Queen, and English, Irish and Scottish folk especially from the 70s, like The Trees and Sandy Danny and American storyteller / poet songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Joan Baez. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>7. If you could choose for a listener to learn one thing about you from listening to your songs, what would that be?</strong> </p>
<p>That we need to talk about taboo and uncomfortable truths. We need not shy away from the darkness in our souls in order to transform, transmute and transcend. Transformation begins with acceptance. Shining a light on our fears is the first step. Then we need to harness our courage to use our pain to help us learn how to be happy. Of course we cannot always be happy and that’s ok too. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>8. What's next for you?</strong> </p>
<p>I have an acoustic album of new songs that I want to record. It will be more stripped down than the last three albums, probably just guitar and voice or piano and voice. I am re-learning to play the piano and it’s super exciting !! I also have an electronic project on the go which is completely different from anything I have ever done... recently I attended a Berklee School of Music Songwriting course that blew my mind. I am now inspired to go back to some of the songs I have already written and re-work them to make them even better. I wish I had three times for time in my day to do all the things I want to do… and if I could I would just play music all day! I also am into my drumming a lot and am planning to start a new band as a drummer vocalist when I move to New Zealand in September. We will see if I can keep a beat and sing at the same time!</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>You can connect with Elyssa over on her <a contents="official website" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.elyssavulpes.com/" target="_blank">official website</a>, and also on <a contents="Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/elyssavulpesmusic/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/elyssavulpes/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a contents="Twitter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/elyssavulpes" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6598191
2021-04-08T15:05:00-04:00
2022-02-13T10:50:21-05:00
DAOTW6: Al Di Meola - Elegant Gypsy
<p><em>Dad's Album of the Week is back. This is the series where I briefly review my late father's vinyl.</em></p>
<p><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/e5f70fa58781332cc943c03469acd1bf556d5256/original/20210408-103839.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></em></p>
<p><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/225b53a34892474856a8d87ddab32600073a77bc/original/20210408-103846.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></em></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Al Di Meola</strong></span> - <span class="font_large"><em>Elegant Gypsy</em></span></p>
<p>The name of this album has aged poorly, as I understand that the Roma people, elegant as they might be, do not prefer the exonym used here. This album was released in the year of my birth. Yes, I'll make you look that up.</p>
<p>Al Di Meola is a guitarist - which should be obvious from the cover. He was in Return to Forever before releasing his own music. This is his second solo album. It is wordless. There is a great deal of guitar playing, very jazzy, lead bits, and such. It's not my thing. Maybe that's because Stanley Clarke isn't on this album, though I mean no offense to Anthony Jackson. Maybe that's because the music is not as incendiary as what I have heard from Return to Forever. This gentleman is a virtuoso at his chosen instrument, so if you play guitar, it might very well be your thing.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6591035
2021-04-01T12:26:18-04:00
2021-04-13T12:36:42-04:00
Amplified: Chris Keats
<p><a contents="Chris Keats" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://keatsofficial.com/" target="_blank">Chris Keats</a> is the first British person to appear here on this interview series. After the picture, let's amplify his voice... and as I did with our <a contents="Canadian guest recently" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/amplified-baby-molly" target="_blank">Canadian guest recently</a>, I have left the English spelling unchanged.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/c687fe3a1b28075e110e2f221a0b657311a07288/original/chris-14-di-146-b-w-y-y.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre. </strong></p>
<p>Music to me is better than therapy. After my mum died by suicide I promised myself that I would do something everyday to make myself a better musician & a better human being. I write acoustic folk pop songs to heal both myself & others. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>2. Your bio says you're a world traveler. Can you give me three countries you have visited that are foreign to you, a favorite food you experienced there, and something you have learned from your visit? </strong></p>
<p>The first place that comes to mind is Kathmandu in Nepal. I spent 3 months there in 2013 volunteering with a charity called The Umbrella Foundation which helped children who were trafficked during the civil war get back to their families, as well as clothing & educating them. We ate a lot of Dal Bhat with the children for breakfast & dinner but my favourite was a Nepalese Thali! Lovely! I learnt first hand what malnutrition looks & feels like & the impact that had on the lives of the children. I also realised how lucky I was & am to live in the west & to have a fantastic quality of life. </p>
<p>Secondly I went to Rome in 2018 for a solo adventure. The pizza was amazing! (I wasn’t vegan at that point so it was meaty pizzas!) I learnt that there are other ways to live, other than the live to work life I had led in England. That the Italian people love life & they live it to the fullest! Very inspiring. </p>
<p>I went to India in 2015 for 3 months. I loved the Massaman Curries I had there. I had it a lot. With a little bit of spice it was so tasty! I’d go back just for the food. What did I learn there? I learnt a lot about just being, rather than doing. I learnt to appreciate the small things. I learn what it was like to live in a chaotic but beautiful society. I re-learned to love my own company & be with myself. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money? </strong></p>
<p>There are 2. The first one was 2 Unlimited’s second album called <em>No Limits</em>, which is a pop dance record which I loved! I’m listening to it now! </p>
<p>I also remember buying Queen’s <em>Greatest Hits 2</em> with my Dad at Virgin Records Stores in Brighton & then on the way home the car ran out of petrol and we had to wait by the side of the road for what felt like forever before getting more petrol & finally getting home! Such a great album! I love Queen! </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>4. Tell me about the last concert you saw. </strong></p>
<p>Wow! The last proper gig I went to was in February 2020 to see City & Colour at The London Palladium! It was great. It was one of those gigs where I was incredibly into the band at the time & they had a new album out which was great. I miss playing & going to gigs so much right now! It’s been far too long! </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>5. It seems like songwriting helps you to deal with trauma and pain and general life difficulty. When you write something to help heal yourself, how do you decide if you should also share it with an audience? </strong></p>
<p>Yes songwriting has been therapy for over a decade now. Since 2006 really. </p>
<p>I have held back on some of the more painful songs I’ve written but I made the decision quite recently to start playing them & to record them. I’ve come to realise that I don’t know whether a song will be successful or not, or whether it is a good song or not. So I’ve decided to let the people decide. If I release a song & it helps one person that is a success to me! </p>
<p>So going forward I won’t be holding back! </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>6. Among the influences you note in your bio, I am only familiar with the music of Neil Young, so this question is about his music specifically. What things from Neil Young's vast array of sounds, styles, and songs do you take with you into your own work? </strong></p>
<p>I love all of his music but my songwriting is influenced by his <em>Harvest</em> era work, <em>After the Goldrush</em>, <em>Zuma</em> & also <em>Rust Never Sleeps</em>. I love <em>Harvest Moon</em> too! I always planned to start with an acoustic set & then have the second half of the set be electric. That’s still a plan of mine! </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>7. How has the ongoing pandemic affected your music career? </strong></p>
<p>I have meant not playing shows for the longest time I’ve had for decades. It is only recently that it has really started to bother me. I’m very patient but I’ve got to the point where I want to play live shows & go & see other artists perform. I want to go & perform at festivals & get back to travelling & playing shows! </p>
<p>It has been a financial challenge as I would ‘normally’ be funding my music career with the money I make from working as a Physiotherapist! That isn’t possible right now. </p>
<p>Ultimately it has meant I’ve started coaching the guitar & ukulele more and learnt a lot about how the music industry & the music business works & about marketing my artist career & growing my fanbase. I also wrote a lot of songs in the first lockdown that I must go back to. </p>
<p>Overall I have made a positive time of it! </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>8. So far, you have released a few singles. What's next? Do you have plans to make an album? </strong></p>
<p>Yes I’ve released 4 singles since September 11th 2020 with a new single, SPOTLIGHT, out on April 9th. Then my first EP WHEN THE SAILS COLLAPSE, AS LIVE is hopefully coming out in May. </p>
<p>I want to release my first album in either March or September 2022 & record a total of 3 albums by 2025. </p>
<p>I’ve spent a lot of time in the last year learning the business side of the industry so it’s time to write a lot more songs & get back into the studio!</p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Did you notice that Chris Keats has a new single coming out this week? "Spotlight" is coming your way on Friday, April 9th. <a contents="Click right here to follow Chris on Spotify" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://hyperurl.co/KEATS.Spotify" target="_blank">Click right here to follow Chris on Spotify</a>. </p>
<p>You can also find Chris over on <a contents="Bandcamp" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://keatsofficial.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>, <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/keatsofficial/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a contents="Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/keatsofficial" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and <a contents="Twitter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/keatsofficial" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6585019
2021-03-25T21:25:29-04:00
2021-03-29T08:00:06-04:00
Songwriting Story - Baile Conmigo
<p>I had this bass line in D major around for awhile. It was fun enough to play through that it deserved to have a song written around it, even though I don't generally write in major keys. The bass line best lent itself to Latin-influenced music... cumbia, salsa, rumba, merengue, bachata... something like that... the problem is that I don't know how to write any of that music. Where would I begin?</p>
<p>I began with research. I listened to a handful of songs from each of the above mentioned genres. This part of the process probably deserved a lot more time than I dedicated to it... but it was a decent start. Next, I asked a few friends who I know listened to Latin music if they could tell me more about it. That didn't work. The general answer there was that they have it around to dance to, but they couldn't really tell me anything about it. (Note to self: do NOT ask non-musicians about music.) On to the Internet!</p>
<p>For some reason, salsa became the genre of choice here. Any article or commentary I could find online about salsa music history and structure, well, I devoured it. I learned that the traditional structure for this genre doesn't even remotely resemble the way that I understand songwriting... then decided that if I attempted to be "authentic" and write a salsa song by traditional structure without truly understanding it, well, that's not very authentic at all, is it? The solution? I ended up writing a pop/rock song in the normal pop/rock tradition, but with Latin influences. Of course, the lyrics had to be in Spanish, there was never any doubt about that.</p>
<p>The result is "Baile Conmigo". Here are the lyrics.</p>
<p><em>Baile conmigo <br>Baile conmigo </em></p>
<p><em>Oye hermosa <br>Pareces muy sola <br>Charlar contigo <br>No hay quien osa </em></p>
<p><em>¿Por qué? <br>¿Por qué? </em></p>
<p><em>Oye hermosa <br>Tanta guapeza <br>Hace una persona <br>Muy muy nerviosa </em></p>
<p><em>No soy metido <br>Te hablo, te pido <br>Te hablo, te pido <br>Baile conmigo</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>This is what the artwork for it looks like.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/fe56c419cafc27df45afeca6f88a22de87a53d2b/original/baile-conmigo.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>As usual with my songs, I had a several very talented folks help out with this recording. Here are the song credits:</p>
<p>Mike Bankhead - bass, piano, vocals <br>Khrys Blank - claves, shakers, all sorts of percussion <br>Brian Hoeflich - drums <br>Phillip Bradley-Hutchinson - trumpet <br>Erich Reith - congas, all sorts of percussion <br>Rich Reuter - guitar </p>
<p>Produced by Patrick Himes & Mike Bankhead </p>
<p>Engineered & Mixed by Patrick Himes at Reel Love Recording Company, Dayton, Ohio</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Percussive power couple Khrys and Erich were kind enough to do their usual moving and shaking all over the recording, supporting Brian Hoeflich's steady drumming. (I asked him if he could give me a salsa beat, and he gave me a salsa beat.) Phillip Bradley-Hutchinson's trumpet is a perfect addition. Rich Reuter deftly brings lead guitar licks that sing ever so smoothly over all of it. Finally, as usual, Patrick Himes and engineering and mixing skills present the best version of my work... and he didn't even blink when the indie rock guy showed up with a decidedly non-indie rock song.</p>
<p>This song was recorded amongst the songs that ended up on <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions</em>, but doesn't really fit in with those songs, so it stands on its own as a single.</p>
<p><strong>You'll be able to listen to "Baile Conmigo" this Friday April 2nd.</strong> It will be available right here on my website, and also over on <a contents="my Bandcamp page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">my Bandcamp page</a>. You'll be able to download on Bandcamp for "pay what you wish" pricing, even if what you wish happens to be zero. If you do decide to offer some small measure of compensation for the download on Bandcamp, well, since April 2nd is Bandcamp Friday, 100% of all funds will come straight to me, as the kind folks at Bandcamp are waiving their customary fees that day.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6573642
2021-03-22T05:00:00-04:00
2021-03-24T11:57:57-04:00
Thoughts on disappearing
<p>Let's say I vanish. How long would it take before anyone noticed? That's a little personal mental game that I have been playing for decades now. Here are three editions.</p>
<p>*** </p>
<p><em>I'm not here<br>This isn't happening</em></p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="RzximgL9Ik0" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/RzximgL9Ik0/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RzximgL9Ik0?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>Not only is Colin's bass line here absolutely perfect, this song should be held up as a shining example of "how to use an Ondes Martenot."</p>
<p>Late fall 1999. I've been in France nearly three weeks. My first trip out of the country, and I went alone. By this time in the trip, I have made many new friends (several of whom remain friends to this day), had unforgettable experiences, and was nearly out of funds. I was also at this point alone in Arles... maybe that place has a general deleterious effect on mental health. The enthusiastic and amazed "<em>I'm not here/this isn't happening</em>" feelings from earlier in the trip had fallen away, and the loneliness began to clothe itself in those same words. I strolled alongside the Rhône one night, giving serious consideration to hopping over the barrier into the black water below and letting it take me to the Mediterranean. This thought appeared over and over: not a single human being has any idea where I am right now. If I jump, how long before anyone finds out who I was or where I was from? Would anyone even bother to ask?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>China 2009. I am in a city with <a contents="millions of people" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guangzhou" target="_blank">millions of people</a>. It is the weekend. I am alone. I am alone, but I am conspicuous. I tower over the vast majority of the surrounding humans, and I am much darker than them. People stare. People ask to have their photos taken with me. I can't communicate, as I don't speak Cantonese. It is hot and the humidity is stifling. The subway is sparkling clean, air conditioned, and has signs that <a contents="sometimes resemble English" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinglish" target="_blank">sometimes resemble English</a>. Despite being a very foreign person in what to me is a very foreign land, at no point do I feel unsafe... uneasy, yes... unsafe, no. Surely there is crime somewhere, but I don't see any. Surely there is abject poverty, but in the tiny pieces of the city I pass through, I don't see any. The thought is back: not a single human being has any idea where I am right now. What happens if I have an accident? What happens if I disappear? It is Saturday, and I don't have to go back to the office until Monday. Surely someone would notice on Monday that I didn't arrive at work. What happens then? Do they call the hotel? I don't have a mobile phone that functions in this country, so it is impossible to call me. Would anyone even bother to search? Are morgues here even set up to accommodate someone of my height?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Chris.</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="fA8WPlwU4lY" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/fA8WPlwU4lY/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fA8WPlwU4lY?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Summer 2003. I have driven West on I-10 from El Paso to Tucson. I have passed a border patrol checkpoint not all that close to the border that made no sense at all to someone who grew up in the Midwest. I have passed saguaro cactus that I have only seen in cartoons and on television. I have made this trip to attend a convention. I don't have any friends here. I spend the weekend alone. To this day, I don't remember any of the content from the convention, I don't remember any of the meals I might have consumed, I don't remember any of the sights or sounds of Tucson. I remember only the sweltering desert heat and the overwhelming loneliness. My friends and family are nearly two thousand miles east and north. Here comes that thought: not a single human being has any idea where I am right now. If I melt into the desert, how long before anyone even realizes that I'm missing? Will anyone even notice?</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>I play this game less frequently these days because, well, we're in a pandemic and I have turned into a hermit. Now that we are a one car household, the most readily available form of transportation for me is my legs. If I take the car, my wife would notice. If she gets home with the car and I'm not here, she would notice. Some games outlive their utility.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6576822
2021-03-18T07:00:00-04:00
2021-03-18T07:00:14-04:00
DAOTW5: Return to Forever featuring Chick Corea - No Mystery
<p><em>Dad's Album of the Week is back. This is the series where I briefly review my late father's vinyl.</em></p>
<p><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/a80c36af63a784c866a2489e925596106ac883b6/original/20210317-154639.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Return to Forever featuring Chick Corea</strong> - <em>No Mystery</em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Another fusion album from my father's collection. There is funk here. There is rock here. There is jazz here. Why did my dad like this so much? Well, he was a drummer. The drums on the opening track, "Dayride", are insane... there are brief periods of frenetic fills and explosivity... it's much more than just keeping time. Oh, and look, that first track was written by bass legend Stanley Clarke. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">It's an interesting approach to collaboration here. On the first side of the album, each member of the band gets a song, and the last song is credited to all four of them. On the second side of the album, well Chick Corea wrote all of those, but that's ok, as he put this band together.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">The bass lines are awesome, and mostly so advanced that I don't know if I'll ever have the chops to play them. There are blistering guitar solos. There are all sorts of interesting keyboard licks from both normal acoustic pianos and all kinds of electric pianos and synth. Even congas and a marimba show up on this album. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Summary: I very much dig. If you are a musician, go listen to this. The musicianship on display here is outstanding. If you're the sort that is swayed by critical acclaim, this won a Grammy.</span></p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6573539
2021-03-14T17:33:09-04:00
2022-12-14T16:53:58-05:00
Concert Memories - Stabbing Westward & Placebo (with Flick) at Newport Music Hall in Columbus
<p>Here's another concert that, if it were a human being, would be of legal drinking age in the United States. In case you are wondering, yes, this makes me feel old. Here's how long ago this show was:</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/512bcb3b0362f190aa10049d9dccb35c4b0aa32b/original/20210314-151314.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>That's right, almost <em>exactly</em> 22 years ago. Also, I understand that inflation is totally a thing, so maybe I shouldn't gaze too terribly long in wonder at three bands for $15... but the Internet tells me that the value of that in today's dollars is $23.55, and that's still pretty great for a show of this quality.</p>
<p>The openers were a band from Missouri called Flick. I had never heard of them before. I loved them from the first ten seconds of their set, their sound was pretty much dead center on my musical interests at the time. After their set, I wandered on out to the lobby area to meet them... and that was difficult, because a LOT of people were doing the same thing. I made sure to speak to their bass player, whose name is Eve. This might not have been a good idea, because I had a couple of very large beers before the show and during their set... on an empty stomach... and this was just a few months after I was old enough to purchase alcohol, so I was a rather inexperienced imbiber... I remember not making any sense while trying to talk to Eve, and possibly slurring words just a touch. She was kind enough to sign my ticket stub as you see above. I didn't have another drop of alcohol the rest of the evening.</p>
<p>I don't remember if I bought the Flick CD that evening, or if I picked it up at Best Buy or something the following week. I still have that CD, and I still like these songs, even though I don't think I've ever met anyone else who has heard of this band.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/7c773b51bf4960033ba168a984ecdfddf9051878/original/20210314-171209.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Placebo were next. They were on tour in support of the <em>Without You I'm Nothing</em> album. I had already been playing that album, and if memory serves, I had gone out to get their previous album as well before the show. Shows where you know the songs are a different level of enjoyment. Placebo were outstanding. I'm glad I got the chance to see them on this tour... I had no idea they were going to have the level of success that they ended up having. After their set, I headed back down to the lobby to talk to them. It was impossible to get anywhere remotely near Brian Molko. As is my custom, I was sure to talk to the bass player, whose name is Stefan. I expressed how much I enjoyed their set and the album... he commented that he could see me rather clearly in the audience (I'm taller and blacker than most everyone at rock shows), and then tried flirting with me a little. </p>
<p>The headliners for this one were Stabbing Westward. They were still touring for <em>Darkest Days. </em>This band was my first significant exposure to "industrial" music, if you don't count Nine Inch Nails... but I had never considered going to check out NIN in concert. </p>
<p>Stabbing Westward brought fog machines and an interesting light show. I don't think I really "got" all of that extra stuff back then, I remember wondering why they didn't just bring the rock. These days, I think I am more understanding of some of the other artistic things that can come with the rock show. Also, there was certainly some kind of drum programming, loops, and/or synth happening with these songs, but I also didn't think very deeply about that at the time. I gave <em>Wither Blister Burn & Peel </em>and <em>Darkest Days</em> a cursory listen to go with this blog post... trying to remember what I liked about this band back then. Not all of the songs still hold up for me... also, the music is a great deal angrier than most of what I listen to these days. I clearly understand why 21 year old me dug this though.</p>
<p>This was definitely a memorable show, and I certainly got my $15 worth of value.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6567054
2021-03-06T20:31:37-05:00
2021-03-08T07:40:05-05:00
Look, there's a gun
<p><em>Got a gun, fact I got two<br>That's ok man, 'cause I love God<br>Glorified version of a pellet gun<br>Feels so manly when armed</em></p>
<p><em><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="CyPMgPa6RbE" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/CyPMgPa6RbE/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CyPMgPa6RbE?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></em></p>
<p><em>Double think, dumb is strength<br>Never shot at a living thing<br>Glorified version of a pellet gun<br>Feels so manly when armed</em></p>
<p><i>***</i></p>
<p>This post isn't 100% an excuse to post a fantastic Pearl Jam song, but I couldn't resist the opportunity.</p>
<p>This past week, I go visit the optometrist. This is the first time I had actually set foot outside of my home in several weeks. It's dangerous out there, what with a killer virus and killer human beings running around, you know? I am at the counter settling up, and preparing to leave - masked of course - and a gentleman approaches with a gun in a holster on his hip.</p>
<p>I live in Ohio. The law in Ohio says that it is perfectly ok to carry a gun that you legally possess openly in public. I know this. This knowledge does not prevent me from feeling anxious and glancing around for all of the available exits. How do I know that this person will not draw the weapon and start shooting at every moving thing he sees? I don't have any way to know that. </p>
<p>I don't want to stare at this person. He is on the phone just outside of the doors. (Due to safe distancing practices, they do not open the doors unless you are a customer, you have an appointment, and you have called to tell them you have arrived.) The doors are not opening, so he is not yet on the phone with the establishment. I take a second glance at his direction, and right next to his gun - on his belt - I notice an oval badge, golden in color, inset in blue. This appears to be a law enforcement officer. He isn't in uniform. Neither one of these facts make me feel any more safe. Law enforcement officers in my home state of Ohio have a <a contents="well documented tradition" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-30220700" target="_blank">well documented tradition</a> of <a contents="killing unarmed people" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.npr.org/2021/02/05/964466831/bond-set-at-3-million-for-fired-columbus-police-officer-who-killed-andre-hill" target="_blank">killing people</a> who <a contents="look like me" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://radio.wosu.org/post/family-man-shot-beavercreek-walmart-settles-suit-city#stream/0" target="_blank">look like me</a> <a contents="without any valid reason" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/crime/2021/02/10/casey-goodson-jr-s-family-coroner-said-he-shot-back-meade/6712588002/" target="_blank">without any valid reason</a> to do so.</p>
<p>Eventually, he is granted entry to the office, and heads over to the waiting area behind me to have a seat. I try to stay calm. I keep my hands out of my pockets, you know, just in case he gets ideas. I do not turn behind me to look at him. I silently urge the very nice employee in front of me to finish with the paperwork so I can exit as quickly as possible.</p>
<p>You know how this ends. Nothing happened. I went about my day. It would appear that the only effect is to my mental health and general sense of well-being. </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6561924
2021-03-01T15:24:43-05:00
2021-03-01T15:24:43-05:00
A thread from my Twitter about songwriting
<p>Plenty of folks don't use Twitter. If you are one of those folks, you didn't see some brief songwriting thoughts I wrote over there earlier this week. I feel like sharing those here.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>I have been learning Fountains Of Wayne songs on piano recently, mostly due to my love and admiration for fellow bass player Adam Schlesinger and his work... That said, for any songwriter, the catalog of songs written by Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger is basically a "how-to" on the craft... Here are some things that I am taking note of as I work my way through learning the songs from across all of the Fountains Of Wayne albums.</p>
<p>The songs are simple. The country song in the catalog has only 3 major key chords (keeping in mind the axiom about how many chords country songs need to be)... You won't find a great deal of suspended or diminished chords, not a lot of add9 or 13 chords... the occasional 7 chord yes, but it's mostly major and minor triads... Personally, I like messing around with more complicated chords when I write songs, and of course, there isn't anything wrong with that... but these songs are a good reminder that you can keep it very very very simple and succeed.</p>
<p>When there is a bridge, it is exemplary. I would love to just take the Fountains Of Wayne bridge-writing skill and append it to my brain.</p>
<p>The leading chords into a chorus, back into a verse, and anywhere they need a turnaround... their choices with these are impeccable.</p>
<p>The tactic of changing the key for the last verse and chorus of a song... they don't go to that all that often, but when they do, it works perfectly.</p>
<p>Professional songwriting "experts" will tell you to not make specific references to locations or people in your songs. Fountains Of Wayne does this as many times as they like. Places throughout New York and New Jersey are named clearly in their songs. As a Midwesterner, I never had the experience growing up of driving over the Tappan Zee bridge, down I-95, on the LIE, riding the Acela, or being led into Penn Station. That doesn't matter. I don't enjoy the songs any less. The songs would not be better if those specific life experiences were homogenized or made generic. Write what you know. Write for YOU first. They do this over and over again. "Hackensack" is a brilliant song, and someone not having visited it does not change that.</p>
<p>The lyrics have clearly been chosen with care. There are interesting and non-obvious rhymes and near rhymes. For the most part they are all sorts of conversational.</p>
<p>If you write songs, definitely re-visit these albums.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>If you happen to use Twitter, I invite you to follow me on that platform. <a contents="You can find me here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/mbankheadmusic" target="_blank">You can find me here</a>.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6542907
2021-02-07T19:00:00-05:00
2021-02-08T14:58:48-05:00
Songwriting Story - Idti Spat
<p><span class="font_large">Here are the lyrics:</span></p>
<p><em><span class="font_large">Baby can you find my earplugs<br>They keep the city sounds away<br>I need to take a syrup shot, it's all I've got<br>To finally find a quiet place</span></em></p>
<p><em><span class="font_large">Go to sleep</span></em></p>
<p><em><span class="font_large">Baby can you see the monsters<br>Their chatter keeps me up all night<br>This one lost a job and that one had a kid<br>At least we're getting on all right</span></em></p>
<p><em><span class="font_large">Go to sleep</span></em></p>
<p><em><span class="font_large">Why can't I ever feel this good?<br>What's it like to be understood?<br>Who are we and where is peace?<br>And how mortality?<br>When do I go to sleep?</span></em></p>
<p><em><span class="font_large">I don't know where I am<br>Halfway between cold and home<br>I need to take a syrup shot, it's all I've got<br>To finally find a quiet place</span></em></p>
<p><em><span class="font_large">Go to sleep</span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16.8px;">***</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16.8px;">It was my honor to be the first guest on the brand new songwriting podcast, <a contents="DUET OR DON'T" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://smarturl.it/DuetorDont" target="_blank">DUET OR DON'T</a>. Tune in, and listen to <a contents="Baby Molly" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/home/blog/amplified-baby-molly" target="_blank">Baby Molly</a> and me write our way through this song.</span></p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6532873
2021-01-28T13:26:42-05:00
2021-01-28T13:26:42-05:00
DAOTW4: Jean-Luc Ponty - Open Mind
<p><em>Dad's Album of the Week is back. This is the series where I briefly review my late father's vinyl. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/b9d9e90f136a0fec22175690523225ccd90399a7/original/41ybzhkbqel.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Jean-Luc Ponty -</strong> <em>Open Mind</em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">If I were to hear this without any context, I would say this is a product of the 80s. It sounds so very 80s. Heavy synth, computerized percussion... well, that's not too terribly different than modern pop and electronic music now, is it... heavy synth, computerized EVERYTHING these days... but this sounds like exactly when it came from... 1984.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><a contents="Jean-Luc Ponty" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.ponty.com/biography" target="_blank">Jean-Luc Ponty</a> (who I had to Google) is a classically trained jazz violinist, and his discography is very very long. <em>Open Mind </em>shows up kind of in the middle of it. This isn't my genre of choice at all, so this album name is fitting, as it required that I have an open mind to get through all six tracks. (Can't really call them "songs", as there isn't any singing.) The instrument that takes most of the solos here is violin, but it doesn't often SOUND like a violin. This is probably because they are all electric instruments on this recording, and also because of Ponty's approach, filling the space in the compositions that trumpet, trombone, or saxophone would normally occupy. This is especially the case in "Modern Times Blues", where I would swear that there is a saxophone in there, but no, it's a zeta violin bringing saxophone tones.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">"THIS ALBUM HAS BEEN MIXED ON A TWO TRACK DIGITAL MACHINE" is clearly stated in the liner notes. That seems like a lot of work.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I find myself wondering what these compositions would sound like with more traditional jazz accompaniment, but keeping the violin in place as the lead instrument. That's probably something I'd pay money to see. If you are into jazz or the sounds of 1980s synth, you'll probably dig this album.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6529963
2021-01-25T12:10:55-05:00
2021-01-25T12:10:55-05:00
Amplified: Baby Molly
<p><span class="font_large"><a contents="Baby Molly" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://babymolly.net/" target="_blank">Baby Molly</a> comes to us from Toronto, in the province of Ontario, in the nation of Canada. I met him back in 2017 in Nashville at CD Baby's DIY Musician Conference, and we had interesting and useful conversations... and this happened again in Nashville in 2018... and again in Austin in 2019... and then the pandemic crushed conferences, music and otherwise. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Baby Molly plays guitar, among other musical talents... but you know what? Let's learn all of that in the interview after the picture... and let the record show that I left the Canadian spelling of some words as-is.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/0d4ec4ac038f8f1214337f048f09951676cc5d19/original/baby-molly-story.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre. </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Baby Molly is just a typical millennial. Reminiscent of Beck, Say Anything, Front Bottoms or Green Day, I just make fun pop/rock music about the downfall of society and the paradox of being alive. We can't afford to live but we don't want to die either. With my tongue FIRMLY in cheek, it's just music to rock out to, make life a little more fun and a little less pointless. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I don't have an "elevator pitch" really so I hope that makes sense. "LISTEN TO MY MUSIC PLEASE SO I CAN EAT!!!! Or Don't I guess?" is what I wish it could be. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>2. You've had an official change in artist name since <a contents="Belladonna" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6P071P0AYhAllLWu8GRYfC" target="_blank"><em>Belladonna</em></a>, your last album release. Does this change come with a new approach to making music? If so, can you talk about that in detail?</strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">It does! Molitor is my middle name (Named after 1993 World Series MVP Paul Molitor, no joke) but I always found myself correcting pronunciation, explaining the name to confused faces, etc. So even though I no longer go by a REAL mononym, this music is 100% more me. I had been performing under the name Molitor since I was 17 years old when all the cares of the world, pressures of being cool/hip/stylish/attractive mattered so much. Even though I was being original and creative and enjoyed my music, it always felt like hard work. A stretch to fit into trends, remain cool. I wanted to be the hot, clever, sunglass & leather-jacket wearing frontman. The Julian Casablancas, Pete Doherty, etc. But that's not me! At least not anymore (I did kind of have that vibe when I was younger). So now I just write lyrics as honest as they come: literal journal/diary-style lyrics. Earlier in my life, I'd try to find clever ways to say things - I had cool lyrics like "Your effervescent efflorescence Belladonna brings me to tears". Now, I have a song where the title and chorus are just literally "I'm broke. I want to be happy but I need some damn money". I think it not only works out because I'm really excited, proud, happy with my new music for the first time in a while (I think 2014's <a contents="#lonelypeople_Music" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5fyqeQMefIXX72wLCNAeXQ" target="_blank"><em>#lonelypeople_Music</em></a> EP by Molitor was the last time I felt this way) but it just flows out of me. I can grab a guitar and a song will come out that feels like Baby Molly. It doesn't need weeks of production, re-writing, editing, and borderline alcoholism to get it to be moody, cool and sad enough for a Molitor release. It's just me. I developed a little bit of a character around it so that it's still marketable in the 21st century, but you can't survive without doing that really. But the character is more me than my old character even, sarcastic, witty, sad but hopeful. My angst has dissipated and I wanted a clean slate to reflect that. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money?</strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">The first one I vividly remember is <em>A Lesson in Romantics</em> by Mayday Parade. I bought it in a mall in New Brunswick, Canada when I was living with a family there on this, like, exchange program thing through the YMCA. I spent some time there and then their child spent some time with my family in Niagara Falls. I remember it so well, it was pre-Covid and record stores used to have headphones hanging up at the end of each aisle where you could listen to some CDs before you bought them. (<em>Note from Mike: I miss this era of music store goodness.</em>) I just picked this one because it had a cool cover and it really changed my life forever. I listened to 4 or 5 songs in the store because I didn't want to take the headphones off. Then, because I was on this exchange trip, my parents had given me a little spending money for food and emergencies but I ended up spending like 60% of it on this CD. It remains one of my favourite albums to this day and is probably the direct lineage to how I write songs. Super emo, but still fun and well-crafted, plus dual lead singers and overlapping vocals has been a mainstay in my songwriting; nobody did two lead singers as well as Mayday Parade on this album, to me. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>4. Tell me about the last concert you saw.</strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Concert? One sec, let me search the dictionary for that term.... Oh, yes! I remember those. It was one of those things where multiple people were indoors and enjoying the music that they love together. According to my memory, the last one I saw was in November 2019 when I was living in LA. I got to see Max Bemis of my favourite band Say Anything perform a stripped down solo show with just an electric guitar. It was amazing. Everyone knew every word and it wasn't a full band show so it was more intimate than any other Say Anything show. It was great, the crowd was singing so loud that you could just barely hear Max over the crowd throughout. His wife and kids were there too and because it's such a small venue, when his wife Sherri was singing with him on stage, you could see their kids peeking out from the green room and waving at them. It was adorable. I miss concerts, but if it's the last one I ever see, that's one of the best I've been to. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences?</strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Max Bemis/Say Anything and Mayday Parade as mentioned above are huge. I take notes from so many artists that it's really hard to say. There's a fairly obscure band called <a contents="The Veils" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://theveils.bandcamp.com/">The Veils</a> that have a song called "<a contents="Begin Again" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUqITb5_wi4" target="_blank">Begin Again</a>" - that is probably my favourite song of all time. The originality and boundaries pushed by Childish Gambino and all of his music are always a guiding light. The Killers, Kanye West, The National, Taylor Swift, The Front Bottoms. Green Day was my favourite band growing up and I knew every word to every one of their albums so undoubtedly people would probably find a bit of them in my songwriting. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>6. I totally took this question from someone who interviewed me previously. You can't control the way other people hear your music, but if you could make someone aware of a specific thing that sets your songs apart, what would that be?</strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">This. Is. A. Tough. Question. I don't want anyone to be aware of a specific thing but I think songs speak differently to people depending on their mood, personality, the weather, their surroundings, what they ate that day, etc. SO my only wish if I could ask one thing of each listener it would be to actually listen. There are a lot of very talented musicians and artists that make background music for studying, reading, elevators, etc. I am not one of those artists. I am arguably the LEAST subtle artist that has ever lived so if I could ask something of a listener it would be to actually listen. If you love it, that's amazing, if you hate it that's great too. I appreciate that you took 3 minutes of your life, time is the most valuable thing in the world and I am endlessly grateful that you gave me a shot with some of yours. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>7. Your podcast DUET OR DON'T is about to be introduced to the world. What's the premise?</strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">DUET OR DON'T! The game show/just for fun show where each week I have a brand new songwriter, artist or musician on and after having a very brief chat about our lives and how we're feeling, we write and record a brand new song, from scratch, live on the podcast for anyone to listen to. There is a time limit, of course, no one wants to listen to a 3-week long podcast. But the rule is that we need to come up with a brand new song and present it, warts and all, after the timer is up. Then, together we decide, is it good or bad? Do we love it or hate it? DUET or DON'T? </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>8. What's next for Baby Molly?</strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">BABY MOLLY</span> PRESENTS: I MISS MY FRIENDS - AN EP FOR THE AGES, OUT FEBRUARY 19, 2021.</p>
<p>*********</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">Right up there at the top of the post, I link to the Baby Molly web presence, <a contents="but here's that link again" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://babymolly.net/" target="_blank">but here's that link again</a>. The new podcast will launch shortly, and the first guest songwriter might be someone you know. (They call that "a tease" in the radio industry, kids.) Here's the <a contents="Baby Molly YouTube Channel" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW9yDf6Z3_gzx-Iw0LUSqJg/videos" target="_blank">Baby Molly YouTube Channel</a>. You can also shake a rattle with Baby Molly on social media via <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/urbabymolly/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a contents="Twitter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/urbabymolly" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or <a contents="Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/ImBabyMolly/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</span></p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6526839
2021-01-21T13:19:15-05:00
2021-01-21T13:19:15-05:00
DAOTW3: The Brecker Brothers Band - Back to Back
<p><em>Dad's Album of the Week is back. This is the series where I briefly review my late father's vinyl. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/44b0bf4324fe138c924516105e94fca21a4d6dc3/original/brecker-brothers-back-to-back.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>The Brecker Brothers Band</strong> - <em>Back to Back</em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">You're not supposed to judge an album by the cover or inside artwork... but I totally did that here. Ok, so there is the cover above, and here is a picture of the inside of the jacket once you fold it open. (The below picture looks much better because I took it with my phone instead of finding an image on the Internet.)</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/83efc9104d4e5c2fa22effe5536cd511fbb0ef3f/original/20210121-124947.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Look at those guys. They look like an out-of-uniform college marching band. I see a trumpet and saxophone, and from reading the liner notes, I see they are heavy on the woodwinds. Ok, this is going to sound like that easy listening smooth jazz stuff that I can't stomach.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Well, no, all of this album doesn't sound like that. The first two songs are a lot funkier than you would expect from such un-melanated musicians. More careful reading of the liner notes is required, and look here, Luther Vandross arranged the background vocals for this album and also sang on it. (Is that him on the front cover drinking a beer/soda?) The third song is exactly the kind of content I was dreading... and then it moved on to pretty straight-forward jazz, very heavy on the saxophone solos and jamming that isn't going anywhere. I am intrigued by the synth sounds I hear on this, as I'm curious what kind of gear they were using. Full disclosure, I am not generally into this genre unless I am seeing it live.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">It turns out that the songs on this album that I actually like were NOT written by the Breckers. No, the ones I like were written or co-written by the other folks in the band. My favorite member of this band I just discovered -which should not come as a surprise to anyone who knows me - is bassist and lead singer <a contents="Will Lee" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://willlee.com/" target="_blank">Will Lee</a> (the FAQ on his site is great). Check out his work on the song "I Love Wastin' Time With You".</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16.8px;">My summary: The songs aren't great - especially the slow ones - but this genre is apparently not about songcraft. The musical performances are fine, and if you're into jazz or saxophone solos, you'll probably dig this.</span></p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6517700
2021-01-18T15:13:05-05:00
2021-12-23T10:09:17-05:00
Amplified: Jenee Halstead
<p><span class="font_large">Let's start by making sure we all pronounce Jenee's name correctly... it rhymes with the French name Renée. Ok, there you go. <a contents="Jenee Halstead" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.jeneehalstead.com/" target="_blank">Jenee Halstead</a> is a songwriter that comes to us from Massachusetts, and her new album <em>Disposable Love </em>will be released THIS WEEK, on Friday the 22nd. I very much dig it, and I think you will, too... when you listen to these songs, you can tell that she feels every word she sings. After the photo, an interview with Jenee Halstead.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/2d52ae907b3735bc34f2e7d4b17e0869629fb316/original/jh-19-5.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre. </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Skill set - I have no way or reason to give a skill set. Not sure how to even answer this question. I guess I would call myself an artist. Not considering a skill or ability. I play guitar, I sing my own songs, I seem to get better with each album. It's all about expression. I try to be pure in my expression. Not sure how that relates to my abilities. That is for others to judge I guess. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">As far a genre goes I guess I am just a singer-songwriter. I am not glossy enough to be pop, not americana. You could call it indie pop or indie soul. The album is really all over the map. So I think singer-songwriter is the best answer.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>2. You've travelled with a choir that performed Gregorian chant music. (I know this because I read your bio.) Are there parts of that experience that filter into your songwriting and performing today? How so? </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I guess the Gregorian choir just seeps in as far as purity and sacredness of music. I always want to hear a purity of intention and intentionality if you will in all music. It doesn't matter the genre. If it feels like it is sacred to the person: expressed, meaningful, passionate. Then for me that counts as pure intention. I think there is just a level of sacredness and appreciation in music that I like to hear and experience and witness from whomever I am listening to. If that is not there, it will in no way interest me.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money? </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Maybe Eazy E. I think it was the Eazy E cassette <em>Eazy-Duz-It.</em>. I was a huge hip hop, rap and R&B fan and still am. Oh boy I knew every word to that cassette. Can you imagine a skinny, awkward 12 year old girl from Spokane spitting Easy E on the way to junior high school? Yep. I loved it.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>4. Tell me about the last concert you saw. </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">The last concert I saw: live or online? </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I can't even remember. Maybe Lucinda Williams at The Paradise in Boston for the 20th Anniversary of <em>Car Wheels on a Gravel Road</em>. It was great. She was funny. Telling stories of what inspired the songs in between playing. Her stories were mostly about a failed love affair during tour and living on the road. So good. I had accidentally seen her twice that year within a three month span. I think friends offered a ticket each time. So good. She is just amazing when she is sober. I think she has been sober for a while. Three months prior I saw her outdoors at the Blue Pavilion (I think that is the name) in Boston and a fricken fireworks show went off over the water during one of her songs. Amazing.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences? </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">My biggest influences? I am going to say Kate Bush. Although my music sounds nothing like hers. It's just her. She is a Master of the highest degree. A sorceress. Her music, expression, songwriting, vocal range, vocal color, vocal ability, all of it is just crazy. I think what I love the most about her is she is working with the elements and mastering the sonic space and alchemizing the planet with her voice, with her lyrics. I can't explain it. Just listen to "Love and Anger" off <em>The Sensual World</em>. I guess she just inspires me in her purity, her intentionality and her ability to heal the world with her music, with the mastery in which she turns a phrase with her voice. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Watch the video here:</span></p>
<p> <iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="xyEHKGDSg5I" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/xyEHKGDSg5I/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xyEHKGDSg5I?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Second would be Joni Mitchell. For all the same reasons. The ability to speak and sing of her emotions in a way this is still unrivaled. Her poetry, her insane and gorgeous musical compositions. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Third would be Nick Cave. He is like my soul. He sings and expresses my soul in masculine form.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>6. How has the ongoing pandemic affected your music career?</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">The ongoing pandemic has changed things a lot. It pushed the album release back 8 months. I hadn't really booked a lot of live shows for the release, so that wasn't an issue. I guess for me it was just hard to make the transition online. I didn't want to play online at first. I was focusing on getting singles out from the album, so I didn't have to worry too much about being in the studio or anything. I am finally getting around to playing online and doing a Variety Show through Stream Yard. I just love the live show with people in the room. I work with the energy in the room from people. It felt so strange at first when I was trying to play online in early March. You don't get that energetic interaction. I guess I should have viewed it early on more like a service. Service to others. That may have helped me get over the fear of online playing. I guess it's also devastating seeing some of my favorite stages shutting down. I don't know what to think about a lot of it right now. There is just now way to know how things will be when all of this is said and done.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>7. You sound just a little bit different on each release, and it's interesting to me to notice an artist's progress like that. On <em>Disposable Love</em> you seem to have embraced some surprising changes of feel and instrumentation within the same song ("I'll Be Your Man"), showing off influences from blues and gospel at times ("In the Seams"), and even a song that feels like it's a country song except for the really interesting bass line ("Solitary People"). When you started putting this album together, did you plan to cover that much different musical ground, or did it just kind of happen? </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">When we started this album I don't think we planned on covering this much ground. I have always dappled in several "genres" as a writer. In previous albums I have married folk with Americana, a little bit of Country or Alt-Country, electronic beats and having the album musicians run roots instrumentation through pedals and amps. This was my work with producer Evan Brubaker on my first two full length albums. I knew on this album I wanted to cover more soul and pop sounds. I was clear on that. I was writing songs that sounded more pop influenced and my co-writes with Berklee Songwriting professor Susan Cattaneo (who is a good friend) were each much more soul and pop driven. We co-wrote "In the Seams," "Mother" and "Disposable Love." She also co-wrote the lyrics on "Skin," which to me is truly pop all the way. I think Dave Brophy, my producer, is comfortable bridging all these worlds and in such a unique and masterful way. That was why I was excited to work with him. On any given day he will be working on a Jewish Klezmer album, a soul album, a straight up country Americana album and a high level jazz album. He is a jack of all trades, multi-instrumentalist and he is comfortable swimming in many ponds. We both love Spaghetti Western and noir sounding music and I think that informed and was a thread through a lot of the music...but it also has a fresher pop approach to it.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>8. The COVID-19 vaccine is slowly trickling out, which means that maybe - just maybe - touring could be back this year. If we get live shows back, do you plan to go on the road with the album? If we don't get live shows back, what are your next steps?</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I honestly am not sure and haven't given this much thought yet. The continual on and off lock downs and insecurity around this whole thing has me table everything for now. If venues start to open in the next six months I may decide to book some shows. I am hoping to at least do one big celebratory show in Boston sometime in the next year (fingers crossed). I just don't think we are going to know for a while how all of this will ramp down (unfortunately) and it's better for my mental health to look at the long game and not get my hopes up too high.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">***</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Trust me on this, you want to listen to Jenee's new album, <em>Disposable Love, </em>and I'd like to remind you that you can do so this Friday. I linked her official website above, but just in case you missed it, <a contents="click here to visit Jenee Halstead" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.jeneehalstead.com/" target="_blank">click here to visit Jenee Halstead</a> on the Internet. You can also find Jenee on <a contents="Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/jeneehalstead" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/jeneehalstead/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a contents="Twitter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/jeneehalstead" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</span></p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6518305
2021-01-14T07:00:00-05:00
2021-01-14T07:00:06-05:00
DAOTW2: Mandrill - Mandrill Is
<p><em>Dad's Album of the Week is back. This is the series where I briefly review my late father's vinyl. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/279ab6053610b16cac35a8bfc3ecf15d47130a41/original/220px-mandrill-is.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Mandrill</strong> - <em>Mandrill Is</em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">If this were released today, we'd call it fusion. I don't think that term was used for music back in 1972, which is when <em>Mandrill Is</em> was released.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Mandrill was founded by Panamanians who grew up in Brooklyn. That explains the Latin influences heard on this album, as well as the prevalence of the horns. (The founding brothers play trombone, saxophone, and trumpet.) There is also funk and soul here, as well as a track or two that sound like they have been lifted right out of a blaxploitation film... the album is certainly a product of the time, and of the experiences of the musicians.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16.8px;">I think I might adopt the song "I Refuse To Smile" as a personal credo, but my favorite song on this album is "Here Today Gone Tomorrow", which just plain <strong>rocks</strong>. Go listen to that one.</span></p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6510431
2021-01-07T08:00:00-05:00
2021-04-21T13:11:03-04:00
DAOTW1: Parliament - Mothership Connection
<p><em>Welcome to the first installment of a new series over here on my blog. It's called Dad's Album of the Week, to be commonly abbreviated as DAOTW. My dad died a couple of years ago, and I am now in possession of a bunch of his vinyl. I haven't listened to most of it. Telling myself to write about the music will be an incentive to listen to all of it. (Well, I won't listen to any of the Chicago albums. See, that was his favorite band, and I heard them all way too many times growing up.) This series will run on Thursdays, and will generally be brief.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/92247e8a222d13a9031fc75a0bc1180e6a181d3d/original/220px-parliamentmothershipconnection.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></em></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Parliament -</strong><em> Mothership Connection</em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Even those who have never heard this album have absolutely heard this album, if they have listened to rap or hip hop over the last 30 years. The music here is often sampled, and the vocabulary here is often imitated. (Might "gangster lean" and "the bomb" have originated from this album?)</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">What we have here is legendary music from a legendary crew (including fellow Ohioan Bootsy Collins), and music that will make you move, all the way from 1975.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Sing it with me now: <em>we need the funk, we gotta have that funk</em></span></p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6507928
2021-01-04T07:00:00-05:00
2021-01-04T07:00:03-05:00
Amplified: Riley Hall
<p>You might remember that <em>Burst,</em> the debut album from Columbus, Ohio's <a contents="Snarls" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.snarlsmusic.com/" target="_blank">Snarls</a>, was one of my favorite albums of 2020. Let me give you just a little background on how I discovered this band.</p>
<p>Snarls opened for Sleater-Kinney in fall 2019 at Newport Music Hall on High Street. Since the Southgate House down in Kentucky is no more, the Newport is my favorite concert venue. It's exactly the kind of place that I would love to play, and I've seen plenty of outstanding shows there. Sadly, there are plenty of people that don't pay attention to the opening act at rock shows, or don't even bother to arrive early enough to see them. That's not me, I'll gladly take all of the rock you'll give me at a concert, thank you very much. Snarls did not disappoint. They did seem a little nervous, but I think playing a legendary venue in one's hometown for the first time is a reasonable thing to get nervous about. The songs were good, the performance was good, and everyone in the band looked like they were enjoying themselves.</p>
<p>After the show, Misty and I headed to talk to the band and buy an album, but they didn't have one out yet. We got to meet three of the four band members. (We met everyone but Max, and I'd like to assure everyone that we are not biased against drummers.) So, I've been going to shows at this venue since before some of these kids were born. Misty and I are totally old enough to be their parents. Suffice it to say that we are neither cool nor interesting, so Chlo & Mick & Riley (alphabetically) didn't have any reason to be nice to us, but they were. Yeah, I'm not cool, but I <em>am</em> a musician, and they put up with me asking a couple of nerdy musician-type questions. They're lovely individuals... so consider it a bonus that they also made a solid record.</p>
<p>Usually, when bands do press, the lead singer and/or lead guitarist end up doing most of the interviews. For Snarls, that's Chlo and Mick. They are the most visible part of the band, while the rhythm section labors in relative obscurity to drive the bus. I mean no slight to the guitar players in this band (Mick actually did the artwork for my singles "<a contents="Anecdote" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/track/2545687/anecdote-featuring-tino" target="_blank">Anecdote</a>" and "<a contents="Promise" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/track/2544384/promise" target="_blank">Promise</a>"), but I like to show special love to bass players.</p>
<p>After the picture, I amplify the voice of Riley Hall, who plays bass and sings in Snarls.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/b224c99f41ae3792f7d7fac61fcc71fc3c24dc73/original/46460727-355577958324219-8272702101289697280-o.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre. </strong></p>
<p>I don’t know if I have any technical musical skills but I guess my skills include creating music that is true to my heart. That happens to be alternative emo rock.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>2. When did you start playing music? Why did you decide to play bass? Do you play any other instruments? </strong></p>
<p>So the first time I picked up an acoustic guitar was when I was 10 years old and taught myself through grade school more as a hobby. I learned through YouTube tutorials of Taylor Swift songs (haha a simpler time). I picked up bass for a class in high school called band lab. The students formed bands and wrote songs the whole year. The band I was in was actually with Chlo and a different classmate from then named Austin. That was me and Chlo’s first live band experience and it was kind of spur of the moment that I decided to play bass. It’s funny actually I had never even touched a bass before but it came quite naturally since I had played guitar for about 6 years already. There was a time where I took piano lessons but that was only for about a year when I was 16 and I haven't practiced since.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money? </strong></p>
<p>I’m not sure if this is considered my own money, but I did buy Taylor Swift’s album <em>Fearless </em>on iTunes with a Christmas gift card when I was like 11.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>4. Tell me about the last concert you saw. </strong></p>
<p>I went and saw CAAMP with my mom at legend valley back in October. It was a drive in concert so it was nice to have the luxury of live music while also being COVID conscious. A little breath of fresh air in this day and age.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences? A brief follow-up, making this a 2 for 1: Which bass players do you consider to be influences? </strong></p>
<p>I love this question. There’s so many artists that I have admired over the years but there is a handful that stick out. John Mayer for one. I was 14 when I started diving into his music and really becoming inspired by him to expand my guitar skills. This is when I started learning his cool plucking and strumming technique like in “Stop This Train” and his cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Falling”. I definitely immersed myself in my acoustic guitar and as I learned more I started to recognize and acknowledge my growth as a musician for the first time. It really started to click in my head that maybe I should be chasing my dreams, or rather that they weren't just “dreams”. I can’t say that I have ever payed attention to bass players specifically since I didn’t start playing until I was 16. Even still I have never viewed music like that. Looking for the best guitarist, drummer, bassist etc. I look for music that makes me feel. Music that reminds me that other people feel too.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>6. The pandemic did not treat you all kindly. You had a tour cancelled right out from under you, and while I know you would have loved to go on the road because you love to play, it's also work, so that cost you financially as well. How are you personally dealing with this lengthy disruption? </strong></p>
<p>Obviously it was very upsetting to first hear that all of our tours were cancelled but I never took it very personally just because I realized that it was all out of our control. I will say that I personally am very blessed, especially during lockdown, because I don’t pay rent (thanks mom!) and have very little monthly expenses. Given that, it has been really easy for me to just take everything day by day. There hasn't been any doubt thanks to all of our sweet fans that have been showing us so much love and support from the start of this whole mess. Also the Spotify recap thing was really comforting to see for Snarls and a really great reminder that we still have listeners from all around the world that are dying to see us play.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>7. My favorite song on your band's album is "Burst", because, well, I'm also a bass player, and that should be obvious. A sneaky second is "Concrete", I enjoy your work in that one. What's your favorite song to play live and why? </strong></p>
<p>Thank you! “Concrete” was one of the first more intricate bass lines that I wrote so I appreciate that coming from a fellow player! I think my favorite song to play live is “Walk in the Woods” just because of how energetic we can get with it. My favorite thing about playing live shows is seeing everyone dance and let loose while they listen to us and that's very easy to do with that song.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>8. How do you intend to keep growing as a musician and writer?</strong></p>
<p>I guess I just want to make sure that I continue to be as genuine to my emotions as possible. My biggest fear as a writer is making something just to stay relevant or to make money so pushing myself to make my music mean something in turn inspires me to discover everything that I possibly can about my own experience and emotions. I want to make sure what I express is real and not fabricated solely for the pleasure of others.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>I strongly recommend the Snarls performance in Chicago at Audiotree. This is it:</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="lfymUS-gftE" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/lfymUS-gftE/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lfymUS-gftE?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>You can find Snarls all over the Internet, and listen to their debut album over on their <a contents="Bandcamp page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://snarlsband.bandcamp.com/album/burst" target="_blank">Bandcamp page</a>. (Bandcamp Friday will resume in February, so if you are thinking of buying some Snarls merch, that would be a wonderful day to do so.)</p>
<p>Snarls is on <a contents="Twitter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/snarlsband?lang=en" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a contents="Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/snarlsband" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/snarlsband/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</p>
<p>You can connect with Riley on <a contents="Twitter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/SmileyRileyDean" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/smiley_riley_dean/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6506733
2020-12-27T20:42:23-05:00
2020-12-28T11:42:10-05:00
Favorite albums of 2020
<p>I released an album in 2020, and of course, have listened to it way more than anyone else has. That's kind of how it works for songwriters, you spend so much time listening and critiquing your own art. I feel obligated to mention that release, because <a contents="I'd really like you to listen to it" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/album/1779596/anxious-inventions-fictions" target="_blank">I'd really like you to listen to it</a> if you haven't done so yet.</p>
<p>Curious about some of the other things I listened to in 2020? Be assured, I spent time with music that wasn't actually my own music, and there was certainly no shortage of albums released. Did you know that Pearl Jam put out an album this year? It's true. Guided By Voices put out three albums this year, because <strong>of course</strong> they did. Some artists who released albums I enjoyed this year are Lesley Barth (<em><a contents="Big Time Baby" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://lesleybarth.bandcamp.com/album/big-time-baby" target="_blank">Big Time Baby</a></em>), Lydia Loveless (<em><a contents="Daughter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://lydialoveless.bandcamp.com/album/daughter" target="_blank">Daughter</a></em>), Nick Kizirnis (<em><a contents="The Distance" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://nickkizirnis.bandcamp.com/album/the-distance" target="_blank">The Distance</a></em>), and Local H (<em><a contents="Lifers" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://localh.bandcamp.com/album/lifers" target="_blank">Lifers</a></em>). However, here are my favorites, in no particular order, except for perhaps this first one:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/8003508c4a5d4457ddea3c7ae4c05274336ac05a/original/a4126716193-16.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>HUM - </strong><em>Inlet</em></span></p>
<p>HUM dropped this on the world as a complete surprise. In unison, music blogs everywhere reviewed Inlet with collective awe and near-universal approval. If you’re a music fan who reads about music, and younger than my generation, I’m sure you didn’t understand it. "Why are there suddenly all of these articles about a band I’ve never heard of"? That’s what you surely asked yourself. </p>
<p>HUM hail from Champaign, Illinois, and had a moderate hit song on their third album in the 90s. From the first time I heard <a contents="that song" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMEB4HNNZ2I" target="_blank">that song</a>, I knew this was exactly the kind of band I would love to play in and the kind of band I would love to see. Riff-tastic. Layered. Like shoegaze, but with more driving drums, very subtle harmonies, and some separation in the guitars. A little bit like metal, but not quite as angry or as fast. (Let's take a moment to appreciate some things about that excellent song I linked to that would be generally be castigated today by people in the music business.... introduction of 33 seconds, complete sonic deviation from introduction to the body of the song, all of the instruments are real, the vocals are not pitch corrected, vocals not sitting right on top of the mix, almost two minutes go by before the chorus shows up, total run time is five minutes.)</p>
<p>HUM disappear for 22 years, then drop an album out of nowhere that sounds like they had never left. It is glorious, and is my favorite album of the year. The guitar tones and feel of the songs remind me of my youth, but the vocals are on occasion just a touch more prominent in the mix now than they were a couple of decades ago. There are still lyrics about space and relationships, and there is still all sorts of rock being brought to the table.</p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: “Waves”, “Step Into You”, “Cloud City”</li>
</ul>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/06a171ef8c92325184984d6831b1b4c859b9c82e/original/a0093985755-16.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Punch The Sun -</strong> <em>Brevity</em></span></p>
<p>If you read my blog, you might remember that I’ve mentioned this album before, when I posted an <a contents="interview with Shannon Söderlund" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/amplified-shannon-soderlund" target="_blank">interview with Shannon Söderlund</a>. Well, here we are near the end of the year, and <em>Brevity</em> remains one of my favorite albums, and I have listened to it over and over and over again. That sweet 90s rock sound will probably always be a soft spot for me, and this album has plenty of it, but also plenty of vocal harmonies and clever lyrics. Go listen to it immediately, leave your ammunition in the junk drawer, and don’t be like Steve. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: “Ammunition", Hey Steve”, “11 Until 2”</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/fcdd7687866eb073a0d273dd648c61b19a9ff416/original/a3753791109-16.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Snarls -</strong> <em>Burst</em></span></p>
<p>I am pretty sure that everyone in Snarls is too young to remember anything about the 90s, but here again, the rock sound from that time period shows up on a 2020 album. These folks are fellow Ohioans, hailing from Columbus. They've had a good year... they've gotten plenty of press from the prestigious and coveted media outlets who we all wish were listening to our music, they signed to a record label, and they released <em>Burst</em>, their debut. Sure, the pandemic nixed their touring plans, and I'm sure that caused them to lose their collective marbles, but as soon as its possible, I think they'll head out on the road in search of world domination. I'd really love to put together a show and play with them in Dayton, but that is probably not enough profile for them.</p>
<p>The songs here are good. A lyric on the album that really resonates with me goes "twenty seems further than it ought to be", which I find to be amusing because there is no way this was written from my point of view. You'll be learning more about a specific member of this band later. (That is what they call "a tease".) For now, let's say that this is another album that lands squarely on some of my favorite sounds... two guitar attack, vocal harmonies, hooks aplenty. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "Hair", "Concrete", "Burst"</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/5e0d701320d01759bb673555eb0e303267ebad17/original/radkey-green-room.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Radkey -</strong> <em>Green Room </em></span></p>
<p>I discovered this band early in 2020, via their 2019 album <em>No Strange Cats</em>. That’s an outstanding, punchy, punk-influenced bundle of rock. I remember checking the touring schedule to see if Radkey were going to make it to Ohio, and then… well, we all know what happened in the spring, and what that did to touring bands. </p>
<p>Radkey clearly got to work during the months of isolation, and dropped a new album this year. It picked up right where their previous one left off… I mean, check out this video for the lead single: </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="uAEkIFzCEnM" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/uAEkIFzCEnM/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uAEkIFzCEnM?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>You’ll be nodding along to everything on this album, and the interpretation of a Bill Withers classic at the end is a nice cherry on top of a tasty rock and roll sundae. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite Songs: “Two-Face”, “Judy”, “Stains”</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/d4bb2c8bad5f3f94e99710b8dcf53774de768388/original/a0869282877-16.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>TINO -</strong> <em>Past Due</em> </span></p>
<p>You know, in my youth, I listened to a lot more hip hop and rap than I do now. Don’t get me wrong, I still very much respect the art form, but as I get older, I find that this genre has stopped resonating with me. Well, TINO is here to bring it all back. </p>
<p>He grew up in Cleveland, but he calls Dayton home these days, and music in the Gem City is better off for it. You can learn more about him in an <a contents="interview he did earlier" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/amplified-tino" target="_blank">interview he did earlier</a> on my blog. With TINO, you shall find high energy delivery, intelligent lyrics, and rhymes that you probably didn’t expect. There is plenty of truth spoken on this album, about the 1995 Cleveland Baseball Club (whatever happened to them at the end of the season?), and about the government. </p>
<p>This gentleman takes his art seriously, and he’s got more on the way. If you know of more hip hop like this, point me in that direction. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite Songs: “95 Tribe”, “Gov’t”</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/cff4a147dc4819a9e9eee68db5281295f1ff1184/original/a3113951595-16.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>The Lees of Memory -</strong> <em>Moon Shot </em></span></p>
<p>John Davis does it again. You might remember him from previous bands, such as Superdrag, and previous blog entries, such as <a contents="this one right here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/home/blog/songwriting-story-i-am-a-number" target="_blank">this one right here</a>. Davis grabbed Brandon Fisher and Nick Slack, and dropped this album in July. </p>
<p>A funk song isn’t the sort of thing you would ever expect here, but you get one on the last song of the album. Other than that, this sounds like a natural continuation of the sounds we have gotten on this band’s first three albums. </p>
<p>If you don’t listen to the lyrics, you might think this is a happy album. It’s not, and really, given what most of us have collectively experienced this year, that’s not a surprise. The lyrics on the album express plenty of problems, but they also comment on something that many of us do to deal with it all. My favorite lyric on the record is from “Crocodile Tears”, and it goes: <em>the radio might help when you feel blue / that’s what rock and roll’s supposed to do / records lift me up when I can’t move / that’s what rock and roll’s supposed to prove. </em></p>
<p>Yep, that’s about right. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite Songs: “Crocodile Tears” , “Free & Easy”, “Far Beyond”</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/63b2fdfcf36992118d822c54b1243a2332f1bfe8/original/lianne-la-havas-lianne-la-havas.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Lianne La Havas -</strong> <em>Lianne La Havas</em></span></p>
<p>I thank NPR and their Tiny Desk series for introducing me to Lianne La Havas a few years ago. If you have a few minutes, I cannot strongly enough recommend her enthralling performance from 2015. Here it is: </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="9HUV5a7MgS4" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/9HUV5a7MgS4/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9HUV5a7MgS4?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>Two of those songs are from her second album <em>Blood</em>, and the other one is from her debut <em>Is Your Love Big Enough?</em>... but that’s a good sample to show you what she is about as an artist. Lianne writes beautiful songs, and has a strong, otherworldly beautiful voice. </p>
<p>I find the song “Green Papaya” particularly interesting. There isn’t any percussion, so the guitar gives you the rhythm. If you’re thinking that’s the bass player’s job, well, the bass here is sparse, and serves as more of an accent that occasionally moves the feeling along, it’s not actually doing rhythm work. (I happen to very much LOVE what the bass is bringing here.) There is a time signature change at the chorus, but without a steady percussion instrument, I keep having a hard time finding the downbeat, and that really holds my interest. </p>
<p>Lianne has been covering “Weird Fishes” live with her band for years now, so it’s pretty cool to see it show up on this album, and a very interesting choice to cover. Here’s their official video of it, and something that keeps bringing me back to this is seeing the drummer start with the exact beat from the original song, and then change it. Lianne makes this song her own. Also, the a capella bit gives me chills.</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="LdbHO_KhCig" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/LdbHO_KhCig/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LdbHO_KhCig?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite Songs: "Green Papaya", "Paper Thin", "Sour Flower"</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/bdd57d5508766d967583473eb9ca3c03ce257daa/original/a3020961470-16.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Oceanator -</strong> <em>Things I Never Said </em></span></p>
<p>Oceanator is the project name for one Elise Okusami… a band and a person from New York City. This is the Oceanator debut album, full of fuzzy guitars for body and catchy lead licks that you might end up humming. Right around the time of release, this album got all kinds of press from just about every corner of the world of online indie rock commentary. (Well, at least I noticed this in the corners of that world that I happen to visit.) I don’t think I can say anything that hasn’t been said already by a ton of writers who are more professional than me. If you want more details, definitely go check out some reviews. </p>
<p>I’ll sum up this way: I dig this album. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: "Hide Away", "Walk With You", "The Sky Is Falling"</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/623d77b1714aae1113121b43602a8a0ae7904fe5/original/a1012577001-16.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Sault -</strong> <em>UNTITLED (Rise) </em></span></p>
<p>Sault released two albums this year. Many of their song lyrics directly reflect very relatable thoughts and feelings, and are expressed as direct observations or true-to-life quotes. For an example, they have a lyric that goes like this: <em>don’t shoot, guns down racist policeman, don’t shoot, I’m innocent </em></p>
<p>That particular lyric isn’t on this album, it’s on the other one they released this year. Both of them are certainly worthy of your attention, but this is the one that makes my list of favorites from the year. The percussion sometimes sounds like it comes from some genre of EDM, whereas other times I get a very Afro-Caribbean feel from it. The music over the percussion is a mash-up of r & B, funk, soul, and gospel. I don’t even know what to call it… Up tempo soul? Disco revival? Maybe we should eschew categorization here and just say that many of the tracks here will make you want to move. </p>
<p>The bass groove on “I Just Want to Dance” is great, and I think I’ll spend some time learning that one for the fun of it. The bass on “The Beginning & the End” is also awesome, and I might mess around with that as well. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite songs: “Free”, “You Know It Ain’t”, “Uncomfortable”</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/4500ec902fd7cd1954454bb273318ea04389ce22/original/a1836607637-16.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Phoebe Bridgers -</strong> <em>Punisher</em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">I didn't want to like this album. It has been written about everywhere, and Bridgers has been making so many appearances that I don't know if we can refer to her as "indie" anymore. Being ubiquitous makes you mainstream, doesn't it? She even got nominated for a Grammy this year. (An aside, her nomination is in the Best New Artist category, but she's not exactly a new artist. The lesson here, as always, is that the Grammys are clueless.) So yeah, I didn't want to like this album, and I didn't want to write about it, as I am not generally in the habit of listening to or writing about pop stars.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Here's the thing though... <em>Punisher</em> is every bit as good as people say it is. The pop sheen on the production is a bit much for me, but the songs are strong. Phoebe Bridgers is brilliant, and listening to her songs makes me want to work on my craft.</span></p>
<ul> <li><span class="font_regular">Favorite songs: "Kyoto", "Chinese Satellite", "Moon Song"</span></li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6503092
2020-12-21T07:00:00-05:00
2020-12-21T07:00:09-05:00
Summary of Amplified Interviews
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">Way back in April 2020, I began an interview series here on the blog. I call it "Amplified" because my intent is to make the voices of artists louder. We musician types desperately wish to be heard, and although I don't exactly have a mammoth readership, I figured I'd try to get some additional ears to the work of folks I respect. After all, I'd love for someone to do that for me, and am grateful for every single listener. Here's a brief summary of a very diverse group of people who agreed to participate this year:</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><a contents="Lauren Light" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/amplified-lauren-light" target="_blank">Lauren Light</a> - pop/soul singer/songwriter, podcaster, owner of a licensing company</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><a contents="Nina Pelligra" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/amplified-nina-pelligra" target="_blank">Nina Pelligra</a> - a capella looper artist, songwriter, engineer</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><a contents="Sarah Rudy" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/amplified-sarah-rudy" target="_blank">Sarah Rudy</a> - guitarist, songwriter</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><a contents="Dirty Doc" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/amplified-dirty-doc" target="_blank">Dirty Doc</a> - guitarist, songwriter</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><a contents="Shannon&nbsp;Söderlund" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/amplified-shannon-soderlund" target="_blank">Shannon Söderlund</a> - bassist, guitarist, songwriter</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><a contents="TINO" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/amplified-tino" target="_blank">TINO</a> - rapper, songwriter, performer</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><a contents="Greg Owens" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/amplified-greg-owens" target="_blank">Greg Owens</a> - guitarist, singer/songwriter</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><a contents="Treneti" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/amplified-treneti" target="_blank">Treneti</a> - vocalist, bassist, songwriter, producer</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><a contents="Megan Fiely" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/amplified-megan-fiely" target="_blank">Megan Fiely</a> - abstract artist, recovering musician</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><a contents="OriSoaring" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/amplified-orisoaring" target="_blank">OriSoaring</a> - multi-instrumentalist classically trained on saxophone, songwriter</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">If you missed any of these, I encourage you to revisit the interviews at the links. Listen to the music, look at the artwork, connect with the artists on social media.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6488849
2020-11-30T20:03:15-05:00
2021-04-21T13:05:18-04:00
Songwriting Story - Goodbye
<p><span class="font_regular">If you don't feel like reading the story, but are curious to hear the song, please scroll WAY down to the end of this entry, and there will be a link for you.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>The Who & Why & What</strong></span></p>
<p>Some very <strong>dear friends</strong> were going to <strong>move away</strong>. This wasn't the kind of move where the prospect of never seeing them for the rest of my life was a possibility (although in the midst of a pandemic now, who knows), but this move was far enough away that visits would be few and far between. So, as one does, I was considering a gift. Here's the problem... gift giving is hard for me, more so in a situation where distance is involved. Food/drink gifts, while delicious, don't last very long. I don't have the wherewithal to come up with practical household gifts, and besides, they were already settled in a home, they were just going to a different home and ostensibly bringing their stuff with them. Not being able to turn my brain off at night is a nearly quotidian issue for me, and many nights the question of what kind of gift to give was the source of my insomnia. What could I - a generally useless and insignificant being - possibly give someone without it being hackneyed or trite? Hey, I write songs. How about a <strong>bespoke song</strong>? That's unique and that's sincere, which means the proper sentiment gets across no matter how awful it ends up being. Ok, problem solved, now to work...</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>The Where</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">I knew the destination of the move. That being the case, I did more reading about the location than I'd like to admit, looking for extra details that I might be able to shoehorn into a song. Relevant lyrics from the song:</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><em>Say hello to the Badlands</em></span><br><span class="font_regular"><em>Prairie dogs and Minuteman<br>Needles in the Black Hills<br>Porcupines with their quills</em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><em>Say hello to the Big Bird</em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">I'm not going to spell the place out to you, I'm going to depend on your profound knowledge of geography and history - or conversely, your Google skills - to tell you The Where.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>The How</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Brainstorming sessions. Writing text. Editing text into lyrics. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Deciding on a mood. Well, it's somewhat melancholy, but hey, they're not dying - at least not any faster than the rest of us are - and we very well might cross paths again. Ok then, minor key for the verse, then have a pre-chorus that modulates from minor to major, then major key in the chorus in order to give that optimistic and hopeful feeling. Settled. Pick the chords. No, not that one. Yes, that one. Ok. Chords.... find a melody. Agonize over the piano at finding a melody. Have a look at those lyrics. Oh, that's not good enough, and that won't work with the melody. Edit the lyrics again. Gently massage the lyrics and the melody until they are able to combine.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Back to the lyrics. How do I say "I love you and I will miss you" without explicitly saying those words? We're writing songs here, need to be artistic and just a tiny bit oblique. Ok, well, the general purpose of the song is as a goodbye present, how about making that the theme? Enter my interest in etymology. (If you think that word should contain an "n", well, that really bugs me.) The word "Goodbye" literally means "God be with you"... over the centuries English has shortened that four word farewell into one seven letter word. Ok now I have my chorus hook.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><em>Goodbye means God be with you</em></span><br><span class="font_regular"><em>God be with you as you go<br>Goodbye is temporary<br>Just until the next hello</em></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>The When</strong></span></p>
<p>There is more than one When.</p>
<p>The first... well, there was a moving day. I wanted to have the song finished, recorded, and gifted by moving day. I finished the song probably a week before the departure, as far as the final first draft.... then spent time messing around with the arrangement or the lyrics, not liking the edits, revising back to the original idea, pruning here and there again... yeah, it's a process. By no means am I an engineer, but I recorded the song at home the way I do all of my demos... I even threw on some vocal harmonies. I bounced it to mp3, and emailed it to my friends on the day they left. Mission accomplished.</p>
<p>The other When.</p>
<p>I was putting songs together to take to Patrick Himes at Reel Love Recording Company in February 2019, in preparation for tracking on my second solo album. "Goodbye", well, I didn't hate it. It kept growing on me. I thought it had potential given the right instrumentation and production. I brought it with me, along with a bunch of other songs on pre-production day. It survived the initial cut down... and as tracking started on a few songs and an album began to take shape, I ended up thinking that this one absolutely HAD to be on it.</p>
<p>There were obstacles. I wrote this song on piano, but I do not have the piano chops to do it justice. Patrick plays piano - because Patrick plays everything - but he had done that previously on "Convalesce" (from <a contents="Defacing the Moon" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/album/1779642/defacing-the-moon" target="_blank"><em>Defacing the Moon</em></a>), was already playing acoustic guitar and pump organ on this one, and I wanted the chance to work with another talented musician who I admire. I decided to ask Nathan Peters. You might know him from such bands as Vinyl Dies, <a contents="Lioness" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.magnaphonerecords.com/lioness" target="_blank">Lioness</a>, <a contents="TV Queens" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.magnaphonerecords.com/tv-queens" target="_blank">TV Queens</a>, and the legendary <a contents="Captain Of Industry" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://captainofindustry1.bandcamp.com/music" target="_blank">Captain Of Industry</a>. Nathan so kindly said yes, and between the chord chart and my very very low quality home recording, was able to figure out what the song needed from the piano part.</p>
<p>Ah, the bass part. Well, I wrote the song on piano, and was unable to come up with an accompanying bass part that I thought was good enough. I reached out to Eric Cassidy for ideas. He had a great idea, and was kind enough to record a video of himself playing the idea slowly enough that I could learn it. One problem, it involved a quick note change that required holding a chord shape for the change... this type of thing is baby easy for guitarists - and for bass players that are much more talented than me - but I don't often play chords, and when I do, I certainly don't slide around from chord to chord. Great idea, how to execute cleanly? It turns out that I couldn't execute it cleanly. Every time I would play it, I'd either mess up the chord shape on the slide, or make too much fret noise, or not have all of the notes held well enough so that one of them wouldn't sound muddy. Here's where the studio magic comes in... I played the root note of the chords, then we used overdubs for the harmony notes. I'm not ashamed to admit it, I'm just not good enough to do it another way, it is what it is. We got the sound we needed to get.</p>
<p>The vocals. Take after take after take. When flat, try again. When sharp, try again. My verse harmonies worked out ok. Patrick had a fantastic idea for an additional harmony in the verse that I hadn't considered... after he sang it for me a few times so I could get it, I went and recorded that as well. What we have now are really nice harmonies in the verse with three parts, and all of the parts are me.</p>
<p>(I feel I should mention and thank community drummer Brian Hoeflich here, but make clear that there was no obstacle whatsoever as far as his part is concerned. He did - as per usual - excellent work.)</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>The Summary</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">"Goodbye" is track 3 on <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions. </em>(If you have the Deluxe Version on CD, it is track 11.) I am proud of it. I said what I needed to say, which is the main point of writing songs. The recording sounds clean, and makes me seem like a much more talented musician than I actually am. Sure, I didn't actually HAVE to professionally record this song... but I thought the song was good enough to deserve it, and the folks I gifted it to deserve to hear it at its full potential instead of only the horrible version I did at home.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><a contents='Click here to listen to "Goodbye" on the platform of your choice.' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://song.link/s/6TrjKLnFHJ4tXaAMlNXnnV" target="_blank">Click here to listen to "Goodbye" on the platform of your choice.</a></span></p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6479041
2020-11-16T16:26:48-05:00
2020-11-16T16:26:48-05:00
Ohio Spotlight - Cari Clara
<p><span class="font_regular">I've probably mentioned this before, but I write music first for myself... it's a way to deal with life and emotions and thoughts and such. Sure, if I write something that feels decent enough to share, I absolutely want to share it, but my songs are usually for me first. Music... this cathartic, moving, crushing, heartbreaking thing. As I write, I sometime think to myself that I would like to evoke the same emotions in a listener that <strong>Cari Clara</strong>'s songs evoke in me. If you don't know this artist, let me introduce you.</span></p>
<p>Cincinnati's Eric Diedrichs is responsible for <a contents="Cari Clara" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.deepelm.com/cariclara/" target="_blank">Cari Clara</a>. He was previously the lead singer of power pop specialists, Simpletons. (An aside: I can't find my copies of the two Simpletons albums. If anyone has them, please reach out. Seriously.) I remember talking to Eric at a show when he had announced that Simpletons was not going to be a thing much longer, and I was somewhat dismayed at losing such great songs and solid performances. He told me that I would definitely not be disappointed in his next project. He was not lying.</p>
<p>Eric Diedrichs kept the poignant lyrics, the pop songwriting sensibilities, the great hooks, and added a triple shot of melancholy, yearning, wistfulness, and occasionally slightly overwrought singing, then started making records all by himself. The first few Cari Clara albums don't have the slick production and sonic sheen that the songs deserve, but the songs are all so good that it doesn't matter. Here is an example from the 2004 album <em>Miniature American Model Society</em>.</p>
<p><a contents='"Release Me"' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://deepelmdigital.com/track/release-me" target="_blank">"Release Me"</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/299a0b5be3097fc2bc2d2bfad5b1ff4372f36d59/original/20201116-155215.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>If you don't mind a serious hook that'll stay with you for half a day, here are two examples from <em>It's Our Hearts They're After</em>:</p>
<p><a contents='"The Bright Lights"' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://deepelmdigital.com/track/the-bright-lights" target="_blank">"The Bright Lights"</a></p>
<p><a contents='"Hold. Hope."' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://deepelmdigital.com/track/hold-hope" target="_blank">"Hold. Hope."</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/e206af05d5c6bf75aeacd092cd2bc1c274143e8a/original/a2093713053-16.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Maybe you're wondering what Cari Clara was like when they played live. They were outstanding. This was the first band I had ever seen that had two drummers - something that Radiohead has been doing a lot of the last decade plus - and that really amped up the sonic texture of their shows. Layered guitars, multiple vocalists, and keyboards. Eric made the albums on his own for the most part, but they really came alive on stage with an ensemble of performers.</p>
<p>The last Cari Clara album is <i>Midnight March</i>, and I think it's the best of them. The songs are great, which is standard, but the production is kicked up a few notches. I have very fond memories of heading down to Cincinnati to be there for the release show. My favorite song from the album is this one:</p>
<p><a contents='"Story in the Stars"' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://deepelmdigital.com/track/story-in-the-stars" target="_blank">"Story in the Stars"</a></p>
<p>On the <a contents="Bandcamp page for this album" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://deepelmdigital.com/album/midnight-march" target="_blank">Bandcamp page for this album</a>, you'll find the statement "Eric Diedrichs should be famous". I find nothing to disagree with here. As a songwriter, arranger, and lyricist, his work has always spoken to me, and although you probably can't hear it in my music, I consider him to be a strong influence on my sound. This is a talented gentleman with plenty of things to say, and if he's done making music, well, Ohio and the world are both worse off for it.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6454304
2020-10-12T21:22:15-04:00
2020-10-12T21:22:15-04:00
Three random thoughts on a Monday night
<p>Normally I schedule my blog post topics a few weeks out, and even write them as far in advance as I can... but that didn't work out recently. My mental health issues - which I have <a contents="written about before" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/anxiety-depression-a-personal-tale-of-being-broken" target="_blank">written about before</a> - are giving me quite the pummeling recently, and my ability to be focused and remotely organized is suffering. Here are some current random thoughts.</p>
<ul> <li> I'm watching baseball tonight. My <a contents="favorite baseball team" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.mlb.com/braves" target="_blank">favorite baseball team</a> is in the National League Championship Series for the first time in a long time. The last time they actually won a World Series was my senior year of high school. Yes, I'm that old. The responsibility for my love of just about every single possible sport belongs squarely to my late father, though, with the exception of Ohio State, I was never a fan of his favorite teams. (This is a good thing, because he was a lifelong Browns fan, and that's a thing that brought him no small amount of anguish over the years.) Baseball has a special place in my heart, and is my favorite sport to watch in person.\</li>
</ul>
<ul> <li>Not sleeping well is causing me to be in a near-constant state of exhaustion, which is surely leading me to an early death. Last night, I turned in at a very reasonable hour, and actually fell asleep... only to wake up after a couple of hours. By the time I managed to look at the clock, it was around 1:40, but my wife says she noticed me being awake and disturbed around 12:30. I was awake most of the rest of the night, which was no good, because I had a morning online training session for my corporate job (<a contents="indie rock does not pay the bills" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/merch" target="_blank">indie rock does not pay the bills</a>), and I kind of needed to be able to think clearly and focus for that. No bueno. If there is any bright side here, I managed to write a song between the hours of 3 and 4 in the morning, and I don't hate it yet.</li>
</ul>
<ul> <li>I might write a series of musings on love at some point, much like I did this year with a series on dreams. I tend to develop a certain amount of affection for anyone with whom I have ever had a particularly meaning conversation, and for the people I have known the longest, that tends to run deeper. Of course, there are people who one loves because one <em>decides</em> to, and people who one no longer loves because one decides <em>not</em> to, but for me, most of all that isn't very voluntary. I've been thinking about this more recently because some of my classmates from way way back in my youth have been dealing with assorted types of life adversity, and one of the decent things about social media is the ability for us to know some of these things. I've recently been feeling a mix of being heartbroken for them while also in awe of their resilient spirit and perseverance. </li>
</ul>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6448477
2020-10-05T07:30:00-04:00
2021-01-25T18:48:18-05:00
Songwriting Story - I Am a Number
<p><span class="font_large">Those of you who live in the Dayton area and follow local music are probably already familiar with Doctor Art Jipson, but for readers who are not, I offer a brief introduction. <a contents="Doctor Jipson" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://udayton.edu/directory/artssciences/sociology/jipson_arthur_j.php" target="_blank">Doctor Jipson</a> is a professor at the University of Dayton with expertise in sociology and criminal justice. Yeah, heavy stuff. When he is not shaping young minds in the classroom, he is shaping them via music, as he is DJ on a WUDR program called <a contents="Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://yourtuesdayafternoonalternative.com/" target="_blank">Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative</a>. I think it's fair to say that there isn't anyone who cheers louder for independent musicians from Dayton and around Ohio than Dr. J. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Recently, Dr. J has been playing "I Am a Number" on his show. Now, I didn't release or advertise that particular song as a "single". All of <a contents="Anxious Inventions &amp; Fictions" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/album/anxious-inventions-fictions" target="_blank"><em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions</em></a> is FCC friendly, so all of it could conceivably receive radio play, and while I encourage the folks at college and indie radio who receive the album to play whatever they want, most often folks don't get past the "singles". Dr. J plays the music he likes, the music that moves him, and I am thoroughly pleased that he likes "I Am a Number" enough to give it airplay. That being the case, as a gift to him - and also to all of you out there - here's the story of that song. I hope you enjoy the story, and I hope you like the song as much as Dr. J does. (Thank you, Dr. J.)</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><a contents="CLICK HERE TO LISTEN" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/track/i-am-a-number" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a></span></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/8848e602d1e21cbf24f267c0cd8b9cb3ef8de9b8/original/iamanumber.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><em>Ten dollar book filled with twenty cent words<br>Juxtaposed only to make it absurd<br>Carelessly tripping your way around diction<br>Turning your stories from fact into fiction</em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I had the above lyrics sitting around for several years. Despite what they sound like given today's climate, they are not about any political figures. Those lyrics were originally about a certain social media platform with the word "book" in its name, and about how people would share things that are verifiably false or absolute nonsense. Note that again, I wrote these words long before it became common knowledge that social media is weaponized as a propaganda tool by all sorts of nefarious actors. It took awhile before I was able to compose any music to fit the lyrics. When I finally did, I had to simplify the lyrics a bit to make them fit the song, make them easier to sing (a nod to <a contents="Greg Owens" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.gregowensmusic.com/" target="_blank">Greg Owens</a> for the idea to turn "tripping" into "trip"), and create some extra alliteration ("stories" became "tale").</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I composed the music on piano, like I often do. The main riff consists of individual notes F, A, and C, followed by a G major chord and two F major chords. Right from the beginning, I knew I wanted this to be a guitar rock song, and I knew I wanted it to sound like Knoxville's own Superdrag. John Davis - formerly of Superdrag and currently the man behind <a contents="The Lees Of Memory" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://theleesofmemory.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">The Lees Of Memory</a> - is a strong influence on my songwriting. You don't <em>always</em> hear it, but on <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions</em>, that influence is clear on "I Am a Number" and "Promise". In order to get to the sound I wanted, I recruited Tim Pritchard (who you might know from bands such as <a contents="The Boxcar Suite" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://theboxcarsuite.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">The Boxcar Suite</a> and <a contents="Shrug" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://shrug.com/" target="_blank">Shrug</a>) to play guitar, since he loves the work of John Davis as much, if not more, than I do. I told Tim that I wanted it to sound like a Superdrag song, and he knew what to do. When there were questions about a tonal approach for some of the guitar parts, I asked him to imagine what Brandon Fisher would do, and away we went.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Also, community drummer Brian Hoeflich deserves a special shout-out here. I asked him to do his best Don Coffey Jr. impression, and he did that. However, I made an arrangement change at the last moment, in the studio... a couple of deviations from how I had done the demo. I tried to explain it verbally, but the most effective way to show Brian what I was looking for was to sit at the piano and play/sing the entire song for him. We went to the piano, he brought a piece of paper, and he charted the entire song as I played it and sang.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I had one music writer tell me that this song reminded him of Hüsker Dü. Now, I have only listened to three or four Hüsker Dü songs, and although I know how respected Bob Mould is (I see you <a contents="Joe Anderl" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://the1984draft.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Joe Anderl</a>), I have only listened to a couple of his solo albums. I haven't listened to nearly enough of that band to be influenced by them directly... but I have 5 Superdrag albums, and have seen them 3 times... so, any Hüsker Dü influence one might hear in my music comes filtered through John Davis.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I had been playing this one out at Showcase Thursdays and other open mic events on piano before eventually getting in the studio with it. Strangely enough, even though bass is my main instrument, I didn't write the bass line for the song until the day before tracking it. Listen closely during the chorus, and you might notice that the bass notes follow the vocal melody, and not necessarily exactly what the guitars are playing. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">As they say, if you can't figure out what the product is on a given tool or website, then YOU are the product. When it comes to social media, we are the product. That's something worth keeping in mind. Obviously, I use social media, I mean, you probably arrived at this blog post via a link from one of the sites where I maintain a presence. These tools have their uses, and I'm not trying to say that they are all evil all of the time. What I am trying to say is best expressed in the song lyrics:</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><em>How great is your stake in me?<br>This is all marketing data for sale<br>How much will you lie to me?<br>This is all marketing, targeted offering<br>I am a number </em></span></p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6443999
2020-09-28T01:42:30-04:00
2020-09-28T07:40:06-04:00
Amplified: OriSoaring
<p>OriSoaring is a fascinating individual from Houston with clear passion for musical expression. I very much enjoyed these interview answers, and I think you will, too.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/1ddebb9486c4f0c70975d877e2c5e71b4e106cbe/original/2019-08-10-20-37-22-937.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre. </strong></p>
<p>My name is OriSoaring. I'm a multi-instrumentalist who creates songs in multiple genres. I'm heavily influenced by all styles of music, from jazz, alternative rock, neo-soul, to classical, to 80s synth-pop. I'm a classically trained saxophonist, who also plays bass, guitar and keyboards. I write and record all my own music. Also I love playing/recording with other bands and musicians. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>2. We met pre-pandemic, at a music conference in Austin, Texas. How did attending the conference benefit you and your music career? </strong></p>
<p>The DIY Musician conference gave me three things. It gave me perspective, community and inspiration. I am better to understand WHAT I want to do with my music. I loved learning about different ways I plan to be involved in music. For me, the challenge can be having enough information to make a good decision. The conference provided me with the information I needed to be able to start formulating a goal and working towards it. Being around such an INCREDIBLY diverse group of musicians and people who work in the industry felt amazing. Sometimes, it can be a bummer creating music in what feels like a vacuum. Currently, I live in Houston and have not been able to catch a groove with the musical community here. But that's ok, conferences like this keep me going and inspired to keep creating. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money? </strong></p>
<p>TLC - <em>OOOooooo On the TLC Tip</em>! </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>4. Tell me about the last concert you saw. </strong></p>
<p>The last concert I saw was the Incubus - <em>Make Yourself</em> 20th Anniversary Tour </p>
<p>It was really incredible and really packed. </p>
<p>This is the album that really broke into the mainstream. They were super jazzy and funky before that. I've listened to that album for many years, so it was really cool to see them live. Except, we were all 20 years older. It made me wish I saw them back in the day- but whatever. It was still a great show. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences? </strong></p>
<p>Oh wow! An artists' influence on me is in flux based on where I am in life. For instance, I have been a Red Hot Chili Pepper for a long time. Watching and listening to Flea play bass inspired me to pick up and learn bass at 16. I would watch him for hours on VHS tapes I recorded from MTV and VH1. So, Flea just being Flea has had an enormous influence on my music and minimalist, intentional sound. Scooter from a Jacksonville Florida band called Cold has influenced my songwriting monumentally. I've put out the music to my songs, and there are words to many of them. I just haven't really figured out how I want to approach adding the lyrics. Part of me would like for a listener to READ the lyrics while listening to the song. I think that would be an interesting way to allow a listener to take a more active role in experiencing the song. </p>
<p>Other huge influences are: </p>
<p>The Gorillaz (The way they use sounds to create so many different universes is incredible to me.) </p>
<p>Rick Rubin (Again, I love that he creates bangers in every genre) and </p>
<p>Erykah Badu (<em>Baudizm</em> was the first time I FELT anything when listening to music. This was the first time I really heard and truly understood the connection between music. Music- this collection of sounds that I was drawn to and loved, but didn't quite understand how it all formed together. With words- another system of expression that I was drawn to (I've always been a huge reader, I loved to write stories, journal) etc. and was understanding the power and functions of language more and more each day. I was nine years old by the way. </p>
<p>It's hard to call out specific artists, because I feel like I'm leaving so many out. Mr. Tanner, my 6th grade music teacher went above and beyond to make sure I had a saxophone in my hands and could play music. He was a huge influence too! </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>6. Has the current pandemic had impact on the music you make? If so, what impact? </strong></p>
<p>I'm making more. I'm playing more. I'm listening more. </p>
<p>The listening is a big thing, for a while I was deep in a jazz/chillhop groove. Since the pandemic, I've ventured out and learned about some new artists- and discovered older ones. I've been riding hard with jazz from Ethiopia from the early 70s lately and learning about more recent Alt Rock bands. </p>
<p>I've also had the space and time to write and record more music. I've learned some great things in Logic X Pro as well, that's made a huge difference in my recordings. It seems as tho going into the office was leaving me more drained than I ever realized. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>7. If you could choose for a listener to learn one thing about you from listening to your songs, what would that be? </strong></p>
<p>She most likely considered putting a saxophone solo in this song. </p>
<p>Honestly, I would hope a listener sees that I'm truly all over the place when it comes to being open to creating music and experiencing life. My music can be super fun and get you ready to go running or dance. It can also be very meditative and speak directly to a specific subject or time. I don't limit myself to any genre and I approach life similarly. I'm like, bring it on! All of it. I'm here for all of it. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>8. How do you intend to keep growing as a songwriter and musician? </strong></p>
<p>This is a lifelong journey for me. I wrote my first song at 13, before I really knew how far I'd go with music. Since then, a lot of life has happened -and with that, a lot of growing. As a musician and songwriter, I continue to seek out opportunities like the DIY Musicians Conference to advance my idea of what I could be doing with my music, and HOW I can go about that. For instance, I learned about composing for film scores, getting my music licensed, and in the hands of the right people. That's something I have been interested in for years, but just didn't know how to go about finding that path. Now that I know, I have shifted my focus more into creating songs that are extremely and concisely expressive. In writing with such specific purpose, I've had to grow as a musician and songwriter theory wise, proficiency wise, and also from a storytelling aspect. When I do have lyrics, I use them to compliment the overall song. The music is the main expression...the words are verbal anchors if you will. </p>
<p>Before, I would write the song first, then add lyrics to the music. I still like using that technique, but with more structured 'verse-chorus'verse' songs. Again, in order to correctly convey some ideas...I had to stop and truly study song structure, phrasing, etc...more growing as a musician. Of course, sometimes I chuck the rules and create my own thing...but LEARNING those aspects of musicianship has helped me tremendously. Those are some more recent examples. I'm excited to learn more. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Why not take a few minutes and listen to OriSoaring's music? You can find it at her <a contents="Soundcloud page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://soundcloud.com/orisoaringtheartist/albums" target="_blank">Soundcloud page</a>. You can also find <a contents="OriSoaring on Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/orisoaringtheartist/" target="_blank">OriSoaring on Instagram</a>.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6439828
2020-09-21T21:17:48-04:00
2020-10-10T16:16:29-04:00
On racism in education
<p>Three points that must be clear before I begin to tell some stories.</p>
<ol> <li>What follows is all personal experience. (You know, kind of a like a <a contents="song I recently released" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/track/anecdote-featuring-tino" target="_blank">song I recently released</a>.) Although the combination of getting older and current events have gotten me thinking about this kind of thing more deeply, these are all things that happened to me. </li> <li>I think it is common to acknowledge that public education has its faults and challenges. There are so many students that do not learn effectively via the methods that are most often used to teach. I happen to not be one of those. I could read before I went to kindergarten (thanks Mom!), and I used to remember pretty much everything I would read. Considering that school most often would ask us to memorize bits of information and then regurgitate them in a variety of tests - the big standardized ones consisted of multiple choice options - well, I was good at that, because the way that I learn works within that framework. </li> <li>The overwhelming majority of educators in my experience were good, and some were great. I don't remember how old I was when I first started seeing teachers as actual <em><strong>people</strong></em> with actual lives instead of an appendage that belongs to the school.</li>
</ol>
<p>***</p>
<p>One. Junior high. Music class. (Maybe if music class had been better executed in my youth, I wouldn't have waited until I was 20 or so to pick up an instrument.) We had to write a report of some sort, and I don't even remember who or what the topic was. What I certainly remember was being called to a one-on-one conversation with the teacher, and told that I had failed the assignment because we're not supposed to just copy words from an encyclopedia. I found that to be all kinds of insulting at the time, and I defended myself rather vigorously. Looking back... would she have had that same conversation with a white student?</p>
<p>Two. Junior high. One of those school assemblies. People are encouraged to stand and <a contents="sing their anthem" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93jsOVcaKiU&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">sing their anthem</a>. I abstain. I am rudely poked and prodded by a teacher, who hisses at me to stand. My only response is a head shake, an angry stare, and the word "no". Another teacher approaches to ask the poker/prodder to leave me alone. Looking back... would that teacher have put their hands on me if I was a white student?</p>
<p>Three. Junior high. History class. I happen to love history. Most students don't, and that may be because most educators fail to teach it in an engaging way... this particular history teacher was no exception. Her method of teaching mostly consisted of reading from the textbook, or writing things from the textbook on the overhead projector. (Those things don't exist anymore, do they?) I happen to both love history and love to read, so I had read the entire textbook cover to cover by a few weeks into the school year. One particular day, she "strongly suggested" that we take notes. Considering that this was not an order, and also considering that everything she was writing for us to copy by hand was already written in the textbook which I had already read, I didn't spend the energy. For this, I was verbally castigated... and found out later that she had discussed this with other teachers in the lounge, as one of my favorite teachers jokingly mentioned it to me later that day. I got an A in that class. Would that teacher have treated me that way if I was a white student?</p>
<p>Four. Senior year. Standardized testing. Number 2 pencil. Fill in the circle completely. Multiple choice, you know, you select the answer that you know is the right one, then you move on. I had anticipated finishing the test well within the time allotted, and had brought along a book to read for when the test was done. I finish the test, I read my book. The "adult" in the room (a substitute this day, not a teacher who knows any of us) walks to my desk and pointedly asks why I am not taking the test. I say that I'm done. The "adult" in the room audibly expresses disbelief. I show the answer sheet with all of the answers filled. The "adult" in the room starts spouting nonsense about how long the test is supposed to take. At this point, I might have said something a little snarky about him coming back to check my score later. I was angry. Thankfully, a couple of my classmates - lovely human beings then - stuck up for me, and told the "adult" that if we say we're finished, we're finished. Would that teacher have treated me that way if I was a white student?</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6426654
2020-09-14T07:00:00-04:00
2020-10-10T16:14:52-04:00
Concert Memories - The Verve Pipe (with Papa Vegas) at Ludlow's Bar in Columbus
<p><span class="font_large">This show was a long time ago. How long ago? This long ago:</span></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/e977217d4e2c5128e8df1c1775bfb776cbeb0b76/original/20200906-204445.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large">$12.50 for two bands on a national tour! I kind of miss the prices from back then. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">The capitol of Ohio, Columbus, has changed quite a bit since 1999. The part of town where this establishment was located is the Brewery District. It used to be a very frequented part of town with bars and restaurants and such... then Columbus got a <a contents="hockey team" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.nhl.com/bluejackets" target="_blank">hockey team</a> with a fancy new arena, and a <a contents="new entertainment district&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.arenadistrict.com/" target="_blank">new entertainment district </a> sprouted forth around it. This spelled doom for many businesses in the Brewery District, and Ludlow's was one of these. Alas, it is no more. I remember it as a cozy place to see a show. Ugh, I miss cozy shows.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">This particular night, both bands on the bill were from the <a contents="state to the north" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan" target="_blank">state to the north</a>. At some point in the evening, I struck up a conversation at the bar with a gentleman who turned out to be the bass player from Papa Vegas. Many of you have surely never heard of that band. They were excellent. As I write this blog post, I've revisited the album that they were touring to support at the time, called <em>Hello Vertigo</em>. I still have it on CD. The songs are still catchy, I still remember the words even though I haven't listened to these songs in at least a decade (!), and the album holds up. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">The band whose name is on the ticket is <a contents="The Verve Pipe" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.thevervepipe.com/" target="_blank">The Verve Pipe</a>. At the time, perhaps slightly to their chagrin, they had a massive radio/MTV hit single. I owned and loved their album <em>Villians. </em>For some reason, I don't have my copy of that CD anymore, which is a shame, because the version of the aforementioned massive hit song on my copy of the album is very different than the version that went to radio and MTV. I remember picking up that album pretty much immediately after hearing "Photograph". We did not know it at the time, but The Verve Pipe had another album on the way (<em>The Verve Pipe</em>), and they played a bunch of songs from it that were, of course, new to us. The ones that jumped out and grabbed me at this show were "Hero" and "La La"... "La La" remains my favorite song on the album. I will admit that I should have paid more attention to this album, which was their third... like <a contents="Radiohead before them" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHK67LiMI8k" target="_blank">Radiohead before them</a>, they have a <a contents="song on this album" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uks-dzEEOVI" target="_blank">song on this album</a> that is a reaction to their big radio hit.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Both bands were sufficiently entertaining that I was sure to catch them later that summer on the same tour. I saw a ton of shows around this time of my life, and not all of them were all that great in retrospect... but this one... I still have fond memories of this one.</span></p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6419897
2020-09-07T07:00:00-04:00
2020-09-13T14:30:59-04:00
Amplified: Megan Fiely
<p><span class="font_large"><em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions</em> is officially being released this Saturday, September 12th, so yes, I am shouting it from the rooftops everywhere because I would really love for you to at least listen to it, maybe even purchase it. (<a contents="This is where you can purchase it" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">This is where you can purchase it</a>.) Have you noticed the beautiful cover art for the album? If not, well, here it is again:</span></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/c2d3a3a3d78324f4476d367dec886eb98ccb5269/original/ai-f-cover-1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><a contents="Megan Fiely" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://essentialartistsdayton.org/artist/meganfielyart/about/" target="_blank">Megan Fiely</a> is the artist responsible for this painting that is hanging on the wall of my home, and also gracing the cover of <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions</em>, both in the digital realm and in hard copy. How about getting to know this artist better? Interview questions after the picture:</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/f93746c900387ca0275d58b310fa0251a977c5bf/original/20200830-154250.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set. </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I am an abstract artist who works with bold texture and color, simultaneously exploring the celestial and the microscopic. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/3146c84c3ef1a9ac9d6b4df60090a23a7cab753e/original/20190507-175224.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>2. When did you first start painting? </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Visual communication, in one form or another, has always been my thing. My parents are both artists so I'm lucky to have absorbed art like a native language. I've taken a lot of different creative paths like music, clay, and quilting (!), but the painter you'd currently recognize as Megan Fiely started happening about 7 years ago. I have older paintings, but I was just fumbling around and imitating other artists, which is very important. I now feel secure evolving my own distinct style. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/836d86d351f4153767459b856fc4f196024b8ae9/original/fb-img-1573780038106.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>3. You are best known as a visual artist, but you are also a musician, and maybe folks who are familiar with your paintings don't know that. What instruments do you play, and when did you start making music? </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I play the piano and sing at home, and have a guitar for fun too. I started doing all that stuff as a kid: first piano lessons in elementary school and then of course a Fender Stratocaster at 12 or 13, followed by a sanded down but rather nice repainted bass with a fairy painted on it. I had the typical 90s power chord cover band who played for 3 of our friends in the garage. Then in my 20s I dated a musician and one night his bass player didn't show up (again). I got out of the bathtub to go fill in and accidentally became a bassist for several years. Eventually I folded in one of those newer Hammond keyboards that has a built in tube, put it through a Marshall and played bass lines with my left hand on a Korg. I also always contributed back up vocals, and have a good ear for harmonies. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Honestly though, I'm better with a paintbrush. I like leaving the music to all my talented friends and painting album covers for them when I get a chance. And on that note, thanks for including me in the <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions</em> project Mike! </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>4. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money? </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Pretty sure it was <em>Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness </em>- Smashing Pumpkins. Or maybe No Doubt's <em>Tragic Kingdom</em>. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>5. Tell me about the last concert you saw. </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">The last official concert while not bartending at <a contents="Yellow Cab" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.yellowcabtavern.com/" target="_blank">Yellow Cab</a> was all the way back in summer 2019 when The Breeders played at Levitt Pavillion.<em><strong> (Mike adds: I wrote about that show in a <a contents="previous blog entry" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/concert-review-the-breeders-at-levitt-pavilion-20th-september-2019" target="_blank">previous blog entry</a>.) </strong></em>That was a lot of fun because almost everyone I knew was in the audience. I remember rocking out in the audience with you, Mike! Kim and Kelly are cool but Josephine's my babe because tall, bassist, British. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>6. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences, and why? This can include any kind of art... poets, painters, sculptors, songwriters, etc. </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Van Gogh is everyone's favorite, including mine. He was more than just a painter though: Van Gogh was a part of the earth, and maybe some kind of human conduit for nature's beauty. My art doesn't look like his, but I think all artists are attempting to tap that same vein. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Also Chagall, Klimt, O'Keefe. Again, my work doesn't look like theirs but I appreciate the spirit of their work, and of course all the color. I like when a figurative piece tells a story. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/7fae2c17add4f0234604affb34689371dfad0905/original/fb-img-1573780068266.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>7. I imagine that artists like yourself face a similar challenge to musicians in that (1) art is generally devalued by the public just like music is and (2) there may be people willing to buy your art, but it can be difficult to find them. How do you deal with those two challenges?</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">STAY IN THE STUDIO. I had to stop looking for gratification though sales or popularity. I'm a very sensitive and anxious person with big opinions, so I tend to find myself in difficult situations when I'm being too public. I'm happier just living simply and focusing on the actual craft of painting. It seems like putting my energy into the art itself, rather than sales, results in just as many sales anyway. I feel valued and recognized by friends like you, Mike, and I'm seriously not bs-ing you that it's enough. Plus you had me paint your album cover so.... things do tend to work out. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">It's important to consider your audience as well. Do I really want to sell my art to rich people or corporations as part of some interior design project? Sure, but you best believe I'm gouging them! I'd seriously rather sell 10 small paintings to my friends at $60 a pop than make one big sale and never see the painting again. I am so fortunate to have a lot of creative and supportive friends and to live in a city that values the arts. I want to encourage regular people to collect and commission original art, rather than seeing it as out of reach because of the art snobs. Understanding this allows me to opt out of the things I don't want to do. </span></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/1aea5508a095309fcf40e556ce1ed68e6f8eab8b/original/received-2111109688983329.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>8. How do you know when a painting is done? </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Finishing is the easy part, since by that point I've worked out all the technical aspects of the composition, balance, and texture. Perfecting the color happens close to the end. It's the mystical, meditative part of the journey. Once the colors are singing and dancing around the canvas, I know I'm very close to finished and I do some final technical adjustments. I'll dry brush metallics in places that need just a little more dimension, for example. Then I'll set it somewhere in my house for a few days and just cohabitate with the painting, and adjust anything that strikes me as distracting or otherwise bothersome. Then I sign it on the side of the canvas and it's done.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/d33cffd0ed825c763f0f7af6e06439f8e35c93d4/original/fb-img-1573784093911.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p><span class="font_large">Big thanks to Megan for the lovely painting on my wall, being willing to do this interview, and being a genuinely kind and lovely human. Also, look at the colors jump off the screen in those samples of her work! You can browse what she has available for sale <a contents="at her online store" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://essentialartistsdayton.org/artist/meganfielyart/" target="_blank">at her online store</a>. You can also find her on <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/meganfielyart/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</span></p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6419855
2020-08-31T07:00:00-04:00
2020-08-31T07:00:09-04:00
Amplified: Treneti
<p>I mispronounced Treneti Brown's first name until I was corrected. Here's how you pronounce it: Tre NET i, with the stress on the second syllable. Everyone got that? Good. </p>
<p>Treneti plays bass, and those who know me well know that I have lots of love for fellow purveyors of the bottom end. She released an album called <em>Psalms of Saturn</em> earlier this year. It is soulful and moving and soothing, with some jazz influences. You can find it on all of your standard streaming services, but since <a contents="Bandcamp Friday" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://isitbandcampfriday.com/" target="_blank">Bandcamp Friday</a> is happening this week on September 4th, why not visit <a contents="Treneti's Bandcamp page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://treneti.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Treneti's Bandcamp page</a>?</p>
<p>Interview after the photo:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/e212394e69f7f89a9d252f0eb97f14871132d1b2/original/trenetibass.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre </strong></p>
<p>I am a vocalist, bassist, songwriter and producer. My music sits in the space between genres, it has felt best for me calling it Avant Garde Soul. </p>
<p><strong>2. It's always nice to talk to a fellow bass player. Can you tell me about the instrument you most use for performing and recording? </strong></p>
<p>Yes! I love that you play bass too. For performance I use a 6-string Schecter with flat wound gold strings. The flat wound strings are the key to my sound. It allows me space to play with the frets and bend notes without it sounding tingy or rough. For the recording of the album I use 3 different bass guitars, My OG acoustic electric bass, I call her Caress, was played on Sway, Bamboo and RA. This was very sentimental since I wrote those songs on that bass. </p>
<p><strong>3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money? </strong></p>
<p>Wowzer that's a tuff one, I think it was a cassette actually and it was Aayliah. </p>
<p><strong>4. Tell me about the last concert you saw. </strong></p>
<p>The last memorable show I saw was Lauren Hill. </p>
<p><strong>5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences? </strong></p>
<p>Bjork, Low Leaf for sure seeing Low Leaf live really helped me see there was space for my voice and my message in the music industry. I also am very inspired by Radiohead and Bob Marley. </p>
<p><strong>6. If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be? </strong></p>
<p>I'd destroy the record labels and CEO's who have investments in the prison system and are creating artists to be puppets, preaching and glorifying diminishing behavioral patterns to our brown and black youth, causing them to make decisions that land them in prison cells. Which is allow these insidious companies to make money on both ends of the deal. Its evil, mental and physical enslavement. I'd like to destroy them. Like literally dematerialize them and everything they have ever created. </p>
<p><strong>7. You started as a professional dancer. (I read your bio.) I can kind of understand the appeal of bass with that background, given that its main function is in the rhythm section. When did you start learning how to play, and when did you start writing your own songs? </strong></p>
<p>I really quantum shifted into music. You are absolutely correct, I grew a very strong love for bass as a dancer, to me the bass is the secret sauce controlling the whole mood and groove of the entire song.<em><strong> (Mike adds: Yes. Yes, it is.)</strong> </em>I loved the instrument so much as a dancer that I got the bass clef tattooed on my arm. I have always surrounded myself with high level musicians but I never saw myself as one. When I was 27 I started feeling a deep urge to create music. It became undeniable, I talk about this journey in the Book <a contents="Psalms of Saturn" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://treneti.com/product/348024" target="_blank"><em>Psalms of Saturn</em></a> that accompanies this debut album. A friend of mine who is a bassist saw my tattoo one day when we were at this jam I used to host in LA called Cosmic Soup, it was a place for musicians and dancers to come together and improvise while sipping yummy kava kava root. He asked me if I played kind of assuming I did since I had the tattoo. When I told him no and that I didn't know what my instrument was yet he looked surprised. Soon after, he invited me to his house to try playing his bass. It was love at first thump. I played for hours and then I went and got my own as soon as possible. I started receiving lyrics and simple melodies when I was 24 but I didn't actually start writing songs until I got my bass. The songs came through me intuitively and taught me how to play the instrument as they came through. Spending time in the woods was also a great teacher. I mimicked the patterns in the plants to create bass lines and listened to the plants in meditative states to learn how to sing. Everything happened really fast for me. It's like deep down inside I was already a musician and I just needed to say yes, remember some things and step into it for my career to activate. </p>
<p><strong>8. What is your songwriting process like these days?</strong> </p>
<p>These days I have been leaning more into my sound through adding some electronic music production to my palette, creating my own beat labyrinths is giving me even more freedom with my voice than I could have imagined. Having access to adjusting the textures of each tone in my compositions is allowing me space to pull in more of the cosmic melodies I hear in my head. I am enjoying really sinking into exploration right now and seeing where these new sounds take me. Lyrically, I keep my voice memo app handy I receive more lyrics than I can use. They come through all the time. I bath everyday and turn my phone on airplane mode and record with the app while I sing the lyrics I receive in the tub. I call it bath church! lol</p>
<p>***</p>
<p><a contents="This is Treneti's official website" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://treneti.com/home" target="_blank">This is Treneti's official website</a>. That's a good place to start to learn more about her. You can also find Treneti on <a contents="Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/trenetimusic" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/trenetimusic/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6415683
2020-08-24T07:00:00-04:00
2020-09-03T13:03:13-04:00
Ohio Spotlight - Go Robot, Go!
<p>If you are familiar with my musical tastes, you know that there is a very special place in my heart for Fountains Of Wayne. I listen to them and I think "this is what pop music is supposed to sound like"... plenty of hooks, vocal harmonies, solid songwriting. A bonus with them is many of their lyrics are clearly meant to be a little humorous. Back in the day, I don't think I associated Columbus, Ohio's rock band <a contents="Go Robot Go" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.gorobotgo.com/" target="_blank">Go Robot Go</a> with Fountains Of Wayne, but I really should have. I listen to a GRG song, and I think to myself "this is what pop music is supposed to sound like"... there are plenty of hooks, solid songwriting, and plenty of light lyrics. Let's talk about this band for a moment.</p>
<p>Something unique about Go Robot Go is their use of the <a contents="vocoder." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vocoder" target="_blank">vocoder.</a> On many of their songs, the vocal harmonies are sung through the vocoder. The opening song to their album <em>Convertible, </em>called "<a contents="see you on the radio" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4D6y7Os7rYpvVFP4ISi0Wq?si=d7eSs41ZRh6TmrtQAVjhsw" target="_blank">see you on the radio</a>", is a great example... Neal Havener's lead vocals are clean, and the harmony vocals sound robotic. Sometimes they would change it up and put the vocoder up front in the song. Have a listen to "<a contents="shy (ee ii)" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4A4MNoJJP5d7JHnsDnvECi?si=803_Jsy6SGqjJauZaLe-6w" target="_blank">shy (ee ii)</a>" from the same album, and notice that the distorted vocals are there right at the beginning. Of course, the frequent use of a vocoder might seem like a gimmick if the band members weren't actually talented musicians and songwriters... but they are, so while the vocoder is heavily used, I never found it to be distracting.</p>
<p>Some two decades ago, GRG was gigging around the state fairly often, and they played a lot of shows in Dayton. I can think of at least three different Dayton venues at the time where I certainly saw them play, and if I think hard enough, I might come up with some more. </p>
<p>The last album of theirs that I am familiar with is <em>Wait 3 Days... Then Attack!</em> The cover looks something like this.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/7b4e675dbeed4e692407f1156446bd51b6598629/original/download-1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>You might be thinking that the video game looks like it belongs in an arcade, and you'd be right.... they have a song on the album appropriately entitled "At The Arcade". (The high score spells YOU.) As an aside, it looks like there is some Arabic text on the video game, and I never noticed that before. I wonder if Neal and the boys would be willing to tell us what that means.</p>
<p>Sadly, I kind of lost touch with this band in the early 2000s. They released an album in 2007 called <em>LIVE at the Zig Zag. </em>I am pretty sure that's a self-referential allusion to "<a contents="marmalade 99" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoXKGrzX6dk" target="_blank">marmalade 99</a>". There is also an album from 2014 called <em>Good Vibes in Fashion Swimwear</em>, and that one has a song about a certain intelligent cartoon lady in an orange sweater called "<a contents="Ode to Velma in C Major" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1nw3hHbjxXEyvcDInPrtVz?si=49zW10PEQ8KUdsmJkL0Twg" target="_blank">Ode to Velma in C Major</a>".</p>
<p>I miss this band. I've taken the opportunity recently to dip back into their catalog, and I am falling in love with them all over again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="VEPQAgPaEuk" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/VEPQAgPaEuk/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VEPQAgPaEuk?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Grab some beer, grab some snacks, and discover Go Robot, Go... warning though, these songs will get stuck in your head.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6410998
2020-08-17T00:15:26-04:00
2020-11-17T19:03:16-05:00
5 W & How - My Sophomore Album
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>What?</strong></span></p>
<p>The album title is <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions</em>, which is a lyric taken from the piano ballad "Insomnia". The album art looks something like this:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/c2d3a3a3d78324f4476d367dec886eb98ccb5269/original/ai-f-cover-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="" /><em><a contents="Megan Fiely" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://sites.google.com/view/meganfielyart/" target="_blank">Megan Fiely</a>, "Insomnia", 24" X 24", acrylic on canvas, 2020.</em></p>
<p>This album exists in two versions. </p>
<p>First, there is a ten song digital version. Do you remember my crowdfunding campaign in order to press vinyl from earlier this year? That did not get funded, so the ten song digital version is what the album would have been on vinyl. In order to duplicate the vinyl experience, after the fifth song finishes playing, press pause on your device, get up and walk around the room for thirty seconds to simulate flipping the record over, and then continue. </p>
<p>Second, there is a twelve song deluxe version on compact disc. This contains two additional songs, an alternate mix of the opening track "Your Anthem", and a different track order, for a custom listening experience. The CD also comes with a twelve page booklet, containing lyrics, liner notes, and art. For both versions, the album is sequenced carefully, and the listener is meant to listen to all of the songs in order.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">Who?</span></strong></p>
<p>Mike Bankhead. That's the name/logo on the cover. I wrote and arranged the songs for the most part. I say "for the most part", because <a contents="TINO" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://itstino.com/" target="_blank">TINO</a> wrote lyrics and is featured on one song (you might remember a <a contents="blog post about him" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/home/blog/amplified-tino" target="_blank">blog post about him</a>), and <a contents="Greg Owens" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.gregowensmusic.com/" target="_blank">Greg Owens</a> co-wrote another song (you might remember a <a contents="blog post about him as well" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/home/blog/amplified-greg-owens" target="_blank">blog post about him as well</a>). Also, two songs feature string arrangements by the outrageously talented <a contents="Blair&nbsp;Breitreiter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://luxuryeviction.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Blair Breitreiter</a>. But wait, there is more...</p>
<p>Here is a list of the wonderful folks who lent their time and talents to this album:</p>
<p>Eli Alban<br>Dustin Booher <br>Blair Breitreiter <br>Thad Brittain <br>Chris Corn <br>Ken Hall<br>Valentino Halton<br>Patrick Himes <br>Brian Hoeflich<br>Chad Middleton<br>Kent Montgomery<br>David Payne <br>Nathan Peters <br>Tim Pritchard <br>Tod Weidner <br>Heather York</p>
<p>This album sounds good, mostly because of this list of humans. For those of you who are not familiar with independent music in Dayton, you'll just have to trust me when I say that some of the finest musicians in our area are represented here. </p>
<p>Also, a tip of the hat to Megan Fiely for the beautiful painting, and to Spencer Williams for the photography, layout, and design.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>When?</strong></span></p>
<p>There are some different answers to this question. Let's start with making the album. Tracking and mixing took place between February 2019 and February 2020. That's a year of hard work, not just my own efforts, but also the people listed above, and specifically Patrick Himes as the recording and mixing engineer and David Payne as assistant engineer.</p>
<p>You can order this album on September 4th. That happens to be<a contents=" Bandcamp Friday" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/update-on-bandcamp-fridays" target="_blank"> Bandcamp Friday</a>, when Bandcamp forgoes their customary cut of artist sales. That means that all of the funds spent on <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions</em> on that specific date go to me, and contribute to my ability to continue making art for you to enjoy. If perchance you don't know where to find me on Bandcamp, here's the link for you to bookmark:</p>
<p><a contents="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank"><span class="font_large">https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/</span></a></p>
<p>The official release date for this album is September 12th. That is the day that you will be able to listen to it on the Bandcamp page I just mentioned. That's also the day for which a safe, socially distanced, outdoors release celebration is planned.</p>
<p>For those of you who only listen to music via streaming services, you will find <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions </em>available there on September 15th.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Where?</strong></span></p>
<p>The album was recorded and mixed at Reel Love Recording Company in Dayton, Ohio. Blair handled some additional recording of string arrangements at Bohemian Trash Studios in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The album was mastered at True East Mastering in Nashville, Tennessee.</p>
<p>The socially distanced release celebration will happen at <a contents="Yellow Cab Tavern" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.yellowcabtavern.com/" target="_blank">Yellow Cab Tavern</a> on 4th Street in downtown Dayton. Please note that the owners and staff at Yellow Cab care deeply about the health of our community, and require all visitors to wear a mask. If you do not wear a mask, they will kindly ask you to leave. Yellow Cab also has social distancing guidelines in place. If you wish to know more about the precautions they are taking and how you can cooperate, please give them a call. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">Why?</span></strong></p>
<p>There are those who think that music doesn't need a reason, because "l'art pour l'art", right? I haven't thought about that particular worldview all that much. I certainly have my reasons for making art. </p>
<p>Songwriting is how I deal with stress and anxiety and depression. Songwriting helps me to work through all sorts of emotional turmoil, and the catharsis that it provides is probably a net benefit to my mental health. Songwriting is a way for me to say what I want or need to say, especially when nobody is listening. Not all of those songs get recorded as demos at home, and even fewer of them make it all the way to the studio... but some of them do, and this is what happens when they do.</p>
<p>I still believe in the idea of <em>the album</em> as an art form. That's not popular these days, as music is seen as a resource, a commodity, a value-less product, both by the companies who use it to make profit, and by the vast majority of music listeners. I don't make pop music, so of course, I'm not making music for these people. I make music first of all for me, because it's something I'm driven to do... and all of you other musicians out there, I see you nodding along. Of course, I wish to share my art... well, the subset of it that I get around to thinking is of enough quality to warrant sharing... but if I write something I don't personally like, you won't be hearing it. I won't write in a genre or in a certain way because it's popular, because I'm trying to get rich, or because I think it's what someone wants to hear. You'll only be getting authenticity from me, thank you very much.</p>
<p>The above said, music is also a means of communication. Thoughts, feelings, ideas, the concrete, the abstract, and just about everyone wishes to be heard, yes? Maybe music is kind of a cry for help? Tell you what, as soon as I get a therapist, I'll be sure to discuss this with them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a contents="How?" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kH8u4Odh6w" target="_blank"><strong><span class="font_large">How?</span></strong></a></p>
<p>You know, ever since I was a teenager, if I see that particular word all on it's own, I can't help but sing it. I mean, I sing it inside my own head where nobody is listening, but it has to be sung. <em>How, you said you never would leave me alone</em>....</p>
<p>So, how did this happen? Lots of hard work. I'm not exactly a gifted musician or songwriter, but I work at it, and I have some perfectionist tendencies, which means lots of editing and re-writing. A great deal of singing practice. A great deal of singing the same parts over and over again, until Patrick would tell me that it's no longer pitchy. All sorts of patience from Patrick Himes and the musicians who agreed to play for me. Even more patience from my wife when I would be in the studio for long hours and obsess over details in mixes at home.</p>
<p>How? Time. Pain. Self-Doubt. Frustration. Tears. Stress. Study. Thought. Experimentation. Explanation. Sleeplessness. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions</em> is my best work. That's what I think, anyway. I hope you think so, too.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6397827
2020-08-10T10:33:30-04:00
2020-08-10T10:55:41-04:00
Amplified: Greg Owens
<p>You might remember that last week's blog was about co-writing "<a contents="Won't Love You Anymore" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/track/wont-love-you-anymore" target="_blank">Won't Love You Anymore</a>" with the gentleman pictured below. I figure that this would be a good time for us to all get to know him a bit better. Interview after the picture:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/1f9d73d133cd00633ae3d63c688a2af94c2beacc/original/jon-estes-outside-bomb-shelter.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />photo by Jon Estes</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre. </strong> </p>
<p>I’m a singer/songwriter that writes and performs songs about, and for people who feel like they’ve been left behind by the world or someone they loved. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>2. It seems like "Five Years From 21" was written when you were 26 years old. You're older than that now. How do you feel your life has changed since then? </strong></p>
<p>Quite drastically really. When I wrote that song, I was feeling really depressed and defeated. I was 26, working a retail job that I hated with coworkers that were mostly teenagers. I wasn’t playing a ton of music. I just wasn’t pursuing it at the time. I was lost. </p>
<p>Fast forward to now: I’ve got a great “day job” that is flexible enough for me to still focus on music but also affords me an income to live comfortably. I’m married and couldn’t be happier! I’ve never been more confident in my music and my ability to connect with fans than I am right now. I’m feelin’ pretty damn good! ha </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money? </strong></p>
<p>It probably would’ve been either <em>Gish</em> or <em>Siamese Dream</em> by the Smashing Pumpkins. I got the “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” single for Christmas when I was nine and fell in love with the band. One of my siblings already had <em>Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness</em> so I set out to buy the rest of their discography. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>4. Tell me about the last concert you saw. </strong></p>
<p>The last concert I saw was in October of last year. Just typing that is really depressing! It was Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit at the Ryman here in Nashville. I’ve seen Isbell a handful of times but this may have been my favorite show of his. Our seats were great! We were pretty close (although there’s really not a bad seat at the Ryman). I drank significantly less than I have at past shows which led to less having to get up and get a drink or go to the restroom. Haha That was kinda a revelation! Maybe I don’t need to down 10 beers at a show! The band was fantastic as always. It was just a really great experience. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>5. I happen to know you love The Smashing Pumpkins, like I do. Let's get granular here... give me three of your favorite Smashing Pumpkins songs, and tell me specifically why you love them. </strong></p>
<p>"<a contents="Bullet With Butterfly Wings" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-r-V0uK4u0" target="_blank">Bullet With Butterfly Wings</a>" – It’s not a song I listen to regularly now but it had a profound effect on me as a child. I remember getting the single for Christmas as well as a boom box. I sat in my room and played that song over and over. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it but something about that music just really spoke to me. I immediately vowed to be a rock star and got my first guitar on my tenth birthday six months later. </p>
<p>"<a contents="Geek U.S.A." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K79LRBXJOqM" target="_blank">Geek U.S.A.</a>" – Between that crazy guitar solo and Chamberlain’s incredible drumming this is just a straight up bad ass rock song! There’s tons of energy complete with a super quiet down part that then gets loud which is so wonderfully typical of the Pumpkins. It’s perfect. </p>
<p>"<a contents="Blissed and Gone" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG3l932b9xg" target="_blank">Blissed and Gone</a>" – This an outtake from Adore. There’s several different versions, but I couldn’t find the original one that I heard anywhere. I think I probably illegally downloaded it on Napster or Kazaa (sorry ☹). It’s one of the saddest songs I’ve ever heard and that’s probably why I like it. It’s just super sad. Ha </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>6. You are the first person I have co-written with, and the experience was so positive for me that now I have a <a contents="music project" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blogs/more-disjointed-thoughts/posts/we-met-in-paris" target="_blank">music project</a> built around co-writing with a friend. How has our collaboration influenced you? </strong></p>
<p>Our collaboration wasn’t the first time I’d co-written with somebody, but it was the first time I was actually happy with the final product! Ha The experience has encouraged me to want to co-write more. It was also cool that we were able to do it remotely. I was kinda surprised we were able to make that work, but we did! </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>7. If you had the power, what would you change about the music industry? </strong></p>
<p>It’d be easy to say, “I wish it was like the good ole days when people actually paid for music.” However, the major labels were in power back then, and folks like me and you wouldn’t stand a chance. In the digital age, we have more power. As an artist, I guess I’m kinda okay with how it is. As a consumer, I really hate paying extra for TicketMaster fees! Is TicketMaster really necessary?!? </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>8. How do you intend to keep growing as a songwriter and artist? </strong></p>
<p>When I was younger, I often wrote about my own life. It was very self-absorbed. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started putting myself in other people’s shoes and writing from their point of view. I want to keep on doing that. Getting better at it. Meeting new people with different struggles and shining a light on that with my music. I also started learning how to play harmonica and I really want to step up my guitar game next. Basically, I just want to keep getting better at every aspect of my music. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Why not go visit <a contents="Greg's website" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.gregowensmusic.com/" target="_blank">Greg's website</a>? You can also find him on <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/gregowensmusic/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a contents="Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/gregowensmusic" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and <a contents="YouTube." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/gregowens247" target="_blank">YouTube.</a> I'm not going to ask you to send Greg messages and emails to bug him about when he's going to get around to recording "Won't Love You Anymore" himself, but I'm not going to <em>NOT</em> ask you to do that, either. Or something.</p>
<p>You can listen to my recording of "Won't Love You Anymore" on all digital streaming services tomorrow, 11th August. Would you do me the kindness of clicking <a contents="here to pre-save on Spotify" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/mikebankhead/wont-love-you-anymore" target="_blank">here to pre-save on Spotify</a>, or <a contents="here on Apple Music" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/wont-love-you-anymore-single/1515052116?ls=1" target="_blank">here on Apple Music</a>?</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6395948
2020-08-03T07:30:00-04:00
2020-08-03T07:40:07-04:00
Songwriting Story - Won't Love You Anymore
<p><em>when the stars fall out of the sky</em><br><em>and the moon breaks up with the tide<br>when the sun goes nova with a deafening roar<br>that's when I won't love you anymore</em></p>
<p>Those lyrics were around for awhile. I managed to put a catchy melody and a simple chord progression with them. That combination made a chorus. This is how a song starts....</p>
<p>And sometimes the song starts and then stops. I wrote a verse, didn't like it, and discarded it. I wrote another verse that wasn't any better and discarded it. I would put the song down for weeks at a time, work on other things musically, and come back to it. At no point was I able to write a verse that I thought was good enough to go with a decent chorus. If you are wondering whether that was frustrating, I assure you that it was. On the good days, the songs kind of write themselves, they just kind of fall out of you and things make sense... at least, that's what many songwriters will tell you. It rarely happens for me that way, I usually have to put plenty of work in to write a song, but if I keep working at it, eventually I am able to finish. This one wasn't like that. It wasn't happening. Sure I could have picked any of the many pieces I discarded just to call the thing "finished", but I have some perfectionist tendencies, and I didn't wan to settle for mediocre when the potential was there for something better. </p>
<p>See that paragraph above? Way too much "I". There was a point when that had to become "we". Enter <a contents="Greg Owens" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.gregowensmusic.com/" target="_blank">Greg Owens</a>. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/007f75dbc9468df5b68747311ff1bd279a65a10f/original/20170825-180927.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>I met the handsome, bearded Mister Owens at a music conference in Nashville. He agreed to have a listen to those lyrics I posted above, as well as the music I had, and try to come up with a verse for it. Now, if you clicked on the link to his website that I added above and listened to any of his songs, you will notice that we do not write in the same genre . That said, we both very much love Smashing Pumpkins, so we have some similar influences. When Greg got back to me with a verse, it was... well, perfect. </p>
<p>Mostly perfect. Musically, it was exactly what the song needed. It complemented the chorus I had written very well, and the chord progression made perfect sense. Lyrically, it was ok, but I thought we needed to do better. WE. Between a couple of Skype conversations and lots of back-and-forth emails, ideas came up, were debated, were traded, were refined. Greg asked whether we needed a bridge. I thought we did. Greg wrote a bridge. Eventually, we had a finished product.</p>
<p>The finished product is called "Won't Love You Anymore". It is so much better for having been a collaboration. This experience taught me that letting go of your pride and asking for help can be a good thing. Songs are usually so personal to songwriters, but sometimes the best thing to do is open yourself up to another person's creativity and talent. I am proud of the song that we wrote together. You'll be able to hear it soon.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6393150
2020-07-27T07:00:00-04:00
2021-04-01T09:21:47-04:00
My personal ballpark rankings
<p>Baseball is back. It was back in Taiwan and Korea a few weeks ago, and in those places, you can actually go to the game in person, but hey... I'll take empty stadium baseball on TV. I love baseball. (What, you thought I was all about music all of the time?) One of the things my wife and I like to do is go visit different ballparks and watch a game. I like to get to the park very early - basically right when the gates open - so I can stroll around and look at the architecture. If the teams are taking batting practice, I like to watch batting practice. I enjoy the atmosphere of the park on game day. </p>
<p>There are 9 ballparks currently in use where I have seen a game. In reverse order, from least favorite to favorite, here are my ballpark rankings:</p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">9. Rogers Centre, Toronto</span></strong><br>Let the record show that I love the city of Toronto. We have made some good friends there. We have had outstanding dim sum there. That said, of all of the ballparks I have personally visited for a game, this is my least favo(u)rite. First, the things I like here... there is a retractable roof on what used to be called SkyDome, so games really shouldn't be rained out. When the roof is open, there's a view of the CN Tower from the ballpark. The concourses here are all kinds of spacious, there is plenty of room to walk around. The drawbacks... well, they aren't playing the games on real grass, that's too bad. Also, it's a big round dome... even when the roof is open you feel a little like you're indoors. The stadium lacks character. That said, we have always very much enjoyed our visits here. We have been to a few games here, and since we've had multiple visits, we've tried different seats. We've had seats directly behind home plate, back a few dozen rows... and we've had seats way up high, like these:</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/f60eacf928ab3fca53ab4d43c48da1e37485ea07/original/img-0005.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Rogers Centre (that's how they spell it in Canada) seems to be easily accessible with public transportation, but we didn't get to the games that way. We've always stayed in hotels less than two or three miles from the ballpark, and we always walk here.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>8. Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati</strong></span><br>Let the record show that I do NOT love the city of Cincinnati. Too many one way streets. Public transportation isn't great. Parking isn't the easiest to find, and it costs more than I enjoy paying. Ok, that aside, maybe the park is nice? Well, it has character... it's outdoors and a grass field. The sight lines are ok, there aren't any bad seats... but I don't like the way the lower level has a long slope, it just feels strange to me compared to the other ballparks I've been to. The way the architecture is done here, the higher decks feel quite far from the field. Also, the food options here weren't great the last time I visited. The Ohio River is quite lovely out there in right field, however.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/1b9b6cb87c65ae1be8f0e3a42d6098ffcc8d2d9f/original/img-0005.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>7. Comerica Park, Detroit</strong></span><br>The Tigers play here. You can't miss that when you come to Comerica Park, as there is a massive statue of a tiger out front. There are other statues of other tigers pretty much everywhere. After a bit in the park, I kind of got the feeling that they might have overdone this motif a little. I mean, I guess I understand it... after all, there are some other <a contents="large felines across the street&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.detroitlions.com/" target="_blank">large felines across the street</a>, so maybe folks get confused. I found it very easy to drive here and very easy to park, and those are positive things in my book. Now, it's been many years since I've visited, but the thing I remember most about the concessions was the abundance of Little Caesar's pizza, which makes sense, as the ball club and the pizza company are owned by the same people. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/8b9399a0af1da98bb1028a44a847008deae0b3d1/original/tigers06-008.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/fa22ab133e1548130c646038f69f167e4ad1c79a/original/tigers06-025.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>A brief comment on the Tigers fans. This is an old franchise. The Internet tells me it was founded in 1894. Some baseball legends have played for this franchise, although some of them were not particularly decent human beings. (Looking at you, Tyrus.) A proud and storied franchise, but they suffered many years of being quite terrible at baseball. When I visited Comerica Park, the Tigers were coming out of a long period of being awful, but nobody knew that quite yet. (These pictures are from 2006, and they happened to win the pennant that year.) I remember sitting behind an elderly gentleman at the game... he had a spiral bound score book... it was clearly meant for the entire season. He had been a season ticket holder for decades. Now, maybe it had something to do with where I had chosen to sit, but I remember that the fans near me were particularly knowledgeable on this day, and since they were Tigers fans, they were clearly long-suffering as well. They weren't quite a friendly as the fans in Toronto, because of course nobody is a friendly as Canadians, but I enjoyed their company.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>6. Nationals Park, Washington D.C.</strong></span><br>Other than <a contents="Sean Doolittle" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/whatwouldDOOdo" target="_blank">Sean Doolittle</a>, I don't have very much affection for the Nationals, as they play in the same division as <a contents="my favorite baseball team" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.mlb.com/braves" target="_blank">my favorite baseball team</a>. The park is ok though. It's very easy to reach via public transportation. If memory serves, it's right at the end of one of the city's subway lines. You leave the station, and then it's just a brief stroll to the park. Much like many of the more modern ballparks, there does not appear to be a seat with a bad view here. You can get a <a contents="half-smoke" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://benschilibowl.com/" target="_blank">half-smoke</a> at the ballpark, which you should do when you go to Washington.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>5. Miller Park, Milwaukee</strong></span><br>The people of Wisconsin are different. I had never seen tailgating at any baseball stadium until visiting here, the land of beer, sausage, and cheese. Yes, folks come out early to the game and hang out in the parking lot drinking and grilling. One drawback to this ballpark is its location. It's not really close to anything interesting in the city. It's not easily accessible by foot or by public transportation. Other than that, it's a lovely experience. I had my first (and only) experience with <a contents="Spotted Cow" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://newglarusbrewing.com/beers/OurBeers/Beer/spotted-cow#:~:text=Year%2DRound-,Spotted%20Cow,and%20the%20finest%20Wisconsin%20malts." target="_blank">Spotted Cow</a> here. I don't remember exactly what we ate, but I am certain it was some type of sausage... I mean, it's Wisconsin. Miller Park features a retractable roof, and we had the opportunity to see it in action. It was a somewhat humid and sunny day when we got to the ballpark, and even with the roof open, I had the odd feeling of being indoors for some reason. A weather system was going to move through, so during the game, the roof closed. After the rain moved away, they opened the roof again, and we could see the clear night sky. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>4. Coors Field, Denver</strong></span><br>When you watch baseball on television, folks always comment on how spacious the field is here. Due to the altitude, the baseball travels farther in Denver when it is hit, so the fences are farther away from the plate than in the other ballparks. You geometry experts out there can explain this better than me, but this results in a larger area of play. Indeed, when we got to the park, I could see that the playing field is vast, easily larger than any I've ever seen.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/63afd59fc4254dbbac2b7554ce32367a6a29479c/original/20190511-182331.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/75e1fa603ddd896a0f96e349a8ea4bc841a1788b/original/20190511-201009.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>In the first picture, look at the upper deck of seats. Do you see what appears to be a purple line near the top? Every seat in the rows there is painted purple (whereas the other seats in the park are green) to indicate one mile above sea level at that location. The park is a thing of beauty, quite comfortable, very friendly staff, and it appears there are good sight lines no matter where you are.</p>
<p>There are plenty of beverage options here, though the most abundant are Coors products, which shouldn't surprise anyone. There are plenty of great food options in this park as well. I can't comment on how easily one can reach this park via public transportation, because we headed to see a game here immediately after getting off the airplane... we rented a car, drove straight to downtown Denver, parked, and strolled a mile or so down to the park. (Parking was abundant and cheap, but that might have been because we arrived somewhat early.)</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>3. Citi Field, New York (Queens)</strong></span><br>I am no fan of the Mets, who inhabit this place, but I very much love this ballpark. First, it is incredibly easy to get here. The ballpark is right next to a subway station, on <a contents="line 7" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://the7line.com/" target="_blank">line 7</a>, more or less across the street from the tennis complex where the US Open is played every year, and quite close to the place where the alien crashed through the globe thing in the first Men In Black film. The park is ten or eleven years old still very much has that new ballpark feel. The Jackie Robinson Rotunda entrance is a glorious way to introduce yourself to City Field, and the abundance of brick brings some elegance. </p>
<p>For both of my visits here, I sat at club level. It's elevated, but the architecture of the stadium is such that there are seats on that higher level that have you closer to the action than lower level seats in many other ballparks. (Looking at you, Cincinnati.) I was amazed how clearly we could hear the ball pop in the catcher's mitt from the club level seats, just below where the broadcasters are located. Another great thing about club level is that tickets there get you access to some restaurants and bars that are not accessible for every ticket holder. These areas have comfortable seating, specialty drinks, good food, and delightful air conditioning... oh, and there are monitors everywhere, so you won't miss any of the game action. If I blindfolded you and dropped you off in this area, you would have no idea you were at a ballpark.</p>
<p>Also, Shake Shack. Yes, I know that this is a chain now, and they're expanding everywhere, but that wasn't always the case. My first Shake Shack experience was here, and I very very much dig. Also, you can get one of David Chang's delicious Momofuku fried chicken sandwiches, and you will not regret it. Really the only drawback is the proximity to La Guardia, so you hear planes overhead pretty much all of the time. That's a small price to pay for a great game day experience. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>2. Marlins Park, Miami</strong></span><br>I have been to Paris (the one in France) twelve times... maybe thirteen, I have lost count. I have been to Florida (the one in the United States) exactly once, and it was to go to Opening Night at Marlins Park a few years ago. If you are into baseball, you're probably thinking that nobody goes to games here. Yes, that's pretty much true, and for me, that's part of the charm of Marlins Park. We went on Opening Night, and the game wasn't sold out. If you're not going to sell out on Opening Night, you're probably never going to sell out.</p>
<p>It's really a shame that people don't go to games here, because this is a beautiful park. As typical with modern baseball venues, there does not appear to be a seat here with poor sight lines. The park and its surroundings have a ton of pastel and bright colors, and you can see they're really leaning into being located in Miami. Just about everything inside the park is labelled in two languages, as you would expect for a stadium in a multilingual city.</p>
<p>What a unique place. When we visited, they still had the <a contents="home run sculpture" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article221161655.html" target="_blank">home run sculpture</a>, which many people found to be "hideous", but I thought it was a quirky, interesting large piece of bric-a-brac. Well, the new ownership didn't like it, so it's gone. The park also used to have fish tanks behind home plate that contained live fish, but I'm not sure if they are still there. From the outside, Marlins Park looks sleek and futuristic, perhaps like a spaceship parked in the neighborhood. Marlins Park also has a retractable roof, which is necessary to combat the high heat and humidity of South Florida (as well as the pop-up thundershowers).</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/c66374c16585a2317cb87ad2c7e00e61986bb7d4/original/img-0047.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/b5fb4786d441b0c7498c589c3d205b587b0dc4de/original/img-0054.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>If you can figure out how to navigate the bus system in this town, you can probably get to this park easily. That wasn't the case for us, we had some transportation adventures in the city, but managed to get to the park eventually. The food options here are solid, and it's Miami, so there is plenty of Cuban fare in the park. Whenever it is safe for us to travel again, I strongly recommend taking a brief baseball vacation here. Tickets are cheap because demand is low. In future baseball seasons, check the schedule for when your favorite team is playing in Miami, and head on down there to see them. You won't regret it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>1. PNC Park, Pittsburgh</strong></span><br>When you visit Pittsburgh to see a game, I recommend that you stay in a hotel downtown, within a few miles of PNC Park. On game days, many of the streets in the immediate vicinity of the park get closed to vehicular traffic, and become pedestrian-only means of ingress to the stadium. Walk across the <a contents="Allegheny" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegheny_River" target="_blank">Allegheny</a> on the majestic Roberto Clemente Bridge, and pause when you get to his statue to take in the atmosphere of game day. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/c6d6472453b009cb7514f7715bc5e30da2881de8/original/pittsburgh-may-07-012.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>If you don't happen to stay downtown and get yourself to the game under your own power, no worries, despite the pedestrian-only streets in the neighborhood, it's a friendly place to drive and park as well. Once you get to PNC Park, you'll notice that there are great views of the field from everywhere. I've been to enough games here that I've sat close behind home plate, I've sat in the highest level, I've sat halfway up on the first base side behind the dugout, and a few other places. The views of downtown Pittsburgh and the action on the field are great from just about everywhere.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/d6700e304e8d39c4f1e4a0a77b69597079087fbd/original/pittsburgh-may-07-035.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/c46a224110029e86018d76d7cdfa485e5fcd6d46/original/pittsburgh-may-07-041.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>As far as keeping yourself hydrated and fed, well, on many of my visits there was a particularly LOUD vendor who you could hear from several sections away shouting "LEMONADE!"... I hope he's alive and well. In a nod to the Eastern European immigrants in the area, you can find tasty pierogi at a few of the concession stands. There is a pierogi race once a game between innings, similar to the sausage race in Milwaukee and the president race in Washington. You can also get a fantastic Pittsburgh staple, a <a contents="Primanti Brothers" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://primantibros.com/" target="_blank">Primanti Brothers</a> sandwich, and wash it down with an ice cold <a contents="Iron City" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://pittsburghbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Iron City</a>. (Yes, it's an expanding chain now, and there is even a franchise near me, but I refuse to go. A visit to Primanti Brothers is one of the things that makes visiting Pittsburgh special for me, and I don't want to spoil it.)</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>That's it. That's my list. There are some other ballparks that I have walked around (Petco Park in San Diego), or driven by on the highway (Fenway Park in Boston), or strolled by with friends (Wrigley Field in Chicago). Currently on the list of places I wish to go visit for baseball: Target Field in Minneapolis, Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City (which will be accompanied by a trip <a contents="here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://nlbm.com/" target="_blank">here</a>), T-Mobile Park in Seattle, and Oracle Park in San Francisco.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6387939
2020-07-20T21:19:09-04:00
2021-04-12T03:25:40-04:00
Music as a Time Machine, Part 6 - Yield
<p>New music used to be released on Tuesday. For albums that were eagerly anticipated, local music stores would start selling them at midnight. I happened to be eagerly anticipating Pearl Jam's 5th album, <em>Yield</em>. At the time, I had a job where my shift ended at 11 PM on Monday nights, and I decided to go get <em>Yield </em>as soon as I could. After work, I drove to Dingleberry's in Centerville (<a contents="a great record store that is no longer with us" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://alt.obituaries.narkive.com/CBwHsjLT/original-dingleberry-s-records-store-first-in-the-united-states-to-show-music-videos" target="_blank">a <strong>great </strong>record store that is no longer with us</a>) and browsed records whilst listening to whatever was playing on the in-store speakers until midnight. At midnight, I purchased the CD, and proceeded to listen to it on the way home.</p>
<p>The only song I had heard from the album prior to purchase was "Given To Fly", which was the radio single. There was a little bit of controversy around it, because of its similarity to a Led Zeppelin song, but since I hadn't really listened to any Led Zeppelin at the time, I didn't notice. The single didn't particularly move me, but there was music industry buzz around the release, and I had read some positive reviews. (See, back then, you had to do your research before buying an album.) </p>
<p><em>Yield</em> kind of smacks you in the face when it opens. "Brain of J" was the kind of raucous rocker that reminded me of "Once" and "Go". I was all in immediately. The second track, "Faithful" has a steady, meaty riff in the pre-chorus and chorus.... the third track, "No Way" is a place where Jeff Ament demonstrates the groove that I enjoy from his playing (though I love his work on this entire album), and I also immediately dug the lyrics. I fondly remember the feeling of discovery as I drove home... the soaring chorus of "In Hiding", and the sing-along album closer "All Those Yesterdays".</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/b93f1d3e13d9559b8ec15a1cff3058b8b55efcff/original/yield-pearl-jam-album-cover-art.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>When I got home, I had a chance to really examine the packaging. The CD came in a rather creative digipak, with a triangle cut-out on the cover, allowing you to see the yield sign on the panel behind it. When you open the cover, the sign is in a completely different context. The album also came with a nicely designed booklet where you can read the lyrics and all of the track credits. I spent plenty of time sitting in my room, reading through the liner notes and lyrics whilst listening to this album. It's a fond memory of a long gone time...</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6383809
2020-07-12T16:02:54-04:00
2020-09-21T20:48:52-04:00
Amplified: TINO
<p>An interview with a musician in back-to-back weeks! What's with this craziness? Glad you asked. The <a contents="song that TINO and I collaborated on" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/track/anecdote-featuring-tino" target="_blank">song that TINO and I collaborated on</a> is available tomorrow, Tuesday 14th July, on all streaming services. I figured this would be a good time for all of us to get to know him better. First, and you might have already guessed this, but "<a contents="TINO" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://itstino.com/" target="_blank">TINO</a>" is a nickname and stage name. His "government name" is Valentino Halton. (I need to remind myself of this, as I misprinted his last name as "Hamilton" in the liner notes for the compact disc version of <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions.</em> He's chill though, so he has forgiven me.)</p>
<p>TINO recently released an EP called <em><a contents="Past Due" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://hiphoptino.bandcamp.com/album/past-due" target="_blank">Past Due</a>. </em>It's solid, you should definitely check it out. You'll probably enjoy the groove on the track "<a contents="95 Tribe" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://hiphoptino.bandcamp.com/track/95-tribe-2" target="_blank">95 Tribe</a>", which is about the <a contents="baseball club" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.mlb.com/indians" target="_blank">baseball club</a> in TINO's hometown of Cleveland. (He's a Dayton fella now, but is originally from Cleveland.) I happen to personally enjoy this track very much, partially because of the excellent groove and lyrics, but also because I remember the World Series that year quite fondly, it being my senior year in high school, and my favorite team being involved. My favorite team is the <a contents="National League club" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.mlb.com/braves" target="_blank">National League club</a>, by the way. Just to remind everyone, the World Series lasted six games that year. In Game Six, there was only one run scored. <a contents="This was it" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47loqnkg8A8" target="_blank">This was it</a>. Do you remember how that game ended? I do, but let's refresh everyone's memory. <a contents="This is the last out" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etf9rcbhfTM" target="_blank">This is the last out</a>. TINO managed not to mention Carlos Baerga in "95 Tribe", but it's ok. My personal favorite from the EP is "Gov't", which also has a fantastic groove. </p>
<p>Strangely enough, all of the previous interview subjects in this series are women, so I'm breaking new ground with this one. Interview with this gifted gentleman after the photo.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/7fc2e2dba59195af834ed6373876c6cf426c9f56/original/tino1656-edit.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre.</strong></p>
<p><br>I’m a high energy performer who is at home over uptempo production. My music ranges from deeply personal to ubiquitous in theme. There’s something for everyone, but not in a generic and vague way. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>2. I remember meeting you because first, I saw you perform with Sidekick Complex, and second, I would see you at the indie rock shows, and that's my genre. Then I checked out a couple of your solo sets. At some point if/when we can all go to shows again, I imagine there are folks who go to the rock shows who also enjoy hip hop, but don't know much about that music community in our town. Maybe it works the other way as well. How do you think we can cross-promote so the music community has fewer silos?</strong></p>
<p><br>I think it’s as easy as “Hey, I like your music. Want to play this show with me?” That’s how I got my first shows and I construct a lot of bills I put together in a similar fashion. I try to attract fans that enjoy a wide spectrum of music and not just one genre so variety is welcome. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money?</strong></p>
<p><br>Mobb Deep,<em> <a contents="Infamy" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infamy_(album)" target="_blank">Infamy</a></em>. I bought it to score a movie I made in high school </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>4. What is your creative process like?</strong></p>
<p><br>For me it always starts with a beat. I hear something, fall in love, and I start writing. It could be production someone sends me, a song I heard on the radio, or even a moment during another artists live performance. I don’t use everything I write. 50% of what I do will never see the light of day or I’m not good enough yet to flush the idea out. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences?</strong></p>
<p><br>Michael Jackson for his showmanship, Prince for his musicianship, Lauryn Hill for her spirit, Amy Winehouse for her ability to channel her pain, Kanye/OutKast for re-popularizing music that wasn’t gangster rap, and Drake for his ability to sum up a lot of these qualities in one hip hop artist. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>6. If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?</strong></p>
<p><br>I would hope a focus would be placed back on full bodies of work instead of collections of singles. I miss the cohesive journey music used to be about. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>7, How do you intend to keep growing as an artist?</strong></p>
<p><br>As long as I’m willing to admit there is still room for improvement in my art and I don’t get content with where I’m at I don’t believe I can stop growing as an artist. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>8, I know you've done a ton of studio work over the last couple of years. If you don't want to give too much away here, that's fine, but what can we expect from TINO in the near future?</strong></p>
<p><br>The pandemic has afforded me the opportunity to tweak and refine my next work as well as slate some releases before it. I will say my next full length will be the best version of my work to date.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Personally, I strongly believe in the album as an art form, and am disappointed at the general listening habits of folks today. I agree with TINO on this 100%. Having TINO in the studio for "Anecdote" was a very educational experience for me, as he has a skill set that I do not have, and I was able to learn from his preparation and his approach. The man is serious about his craft, and it shows in his results. I linked to his website above, but you can also find TINO on <a contents="Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/hiphoptino/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/hiphoptino/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a contents="Twitter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/hiphoptino" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Please check out "Anecdote" tomorrow on Spotify, YouTube, iTunes, Deezer, or wherever you stream music, and also please check out TINO's work on these platforms.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6370158
2020-07-06T12:40:32-04:00
2020-07-06T12:40:32-04:00
Amplified: Shannon Söderlund
<p>You ever listen to an album and immediately love it? That's not something that happens all that often with me, I usually take a few listens to warm up to something. <a contents="Brevity&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://punchthesunband.bandcamp.com/album/brevity" target="_blank"><em>Brevity </em></a>is an exception. I loved this one right away... the lyrics, the melodies, the nineties rock sound that reminded me of my youth. <em>Brevity</em> is still in regular rotation for me, and that has been the case ever since it showed up in April. The people responsible for this album are <a contents="Punch The Sun" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.punchthesunband.com/" target="_blank">Punch The Sun</a>, from New York. The person responsible for writing the songs is fellow bass player and lead singer Shannon Söderlund, shown at the bottom right of this photo:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/543b041614deb7f7ade3cdc21c557eae3ec5427e/original/vyn0juxg.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shannon has songs. So many songs. Good ones. Great ones. She keeps making more. Remember that songwriting challenge that I <a contents="previously wrote about" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/5-in-5-song-challenge-take-2" target="_blank">previously wrote about</a> where you write five songs in five days? Shannon is part of this same group of songwriters with me, and the songs that she writes for these are so good that I generally question what in the world I am doing. </p>
<p>Ok, you've heard enough from me. Let's amplify Shannon's voice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p><strong>1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre. </strong></p>
<p>My elevator pitch, eh? I grew up singing and playing in a family band, so music has always been - quite literally - my life. After us kids grew up and the family outfit wasn't playing as often, I tried out a bunch of different musical areas (Wind Ensemble, Jazz vocals) until I found my home among what I listened to in high school: Alt Rock. </p>
<p><strong>2. You joined Wheatus for a European tour. (For my readers who don't know that band, they are a New York rock band who had a hit single in 2000 that was on radio and in movies.) How'd you get that gig? Can you talk about your experience touring Europe and playing music? </strong></p>
<p>As happens so often in this industry, it was mostly a circumstantial thing. About 2 years ago, I shared a bill with an artist (<a contents="Gabrielle Sterbenz" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.gabriellesterbenz.com/" target="_blank">Gabrielle Sterbenz</a>) who was in need of a singing bassist. And she saw me playing bass and singing in my own band, right after her set! So we got together and I played with her band several times in the following months. Then last year, she needed someone to head out on tour with her, as she was supporting Wheatus. Obviously, I said yes. </p>
<p>Touring Europe and Great Britain was really fantastic. I basically grew up touring with my family, so even though I hadn't done it in years it felt very much like hopping back on a bike, y'know? I love all the parts of a touring production: moving equipment, setting up, soundcheck, finding food in a new city, the show, sleeping in an unfamiliar place (though we had the bus to go back to, which was lovely), meeting new people every day, traveling with the same dozen people for weeks on end. It's one of my favorite things in the world. And I feel so blessed and honored that I got to do it with a truly special group of people. </p>
<p><strong>3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money? </strong></p>
<p>Hmmm... either Norah Jones' <em>Come Away With Me</em> or Fiona Apple's <em>Extraordinary Machine</em>. I might've gotten them together? I listened to a LOT of my brother and sister's music in high school until they left to go to college and I had to fill my own silences. Those two albums, along with Hot Hot Heat's <em>Elevator</em>, where basically the soundtrack to my senior year in high school. </p>
<p><strong>4. Tell me about the last concert you saw. </strong></p>
<p>If I'm honest I don't even remember the artist's name; it was a show my friends were excited about, so I tagged along. The music was fantastic - kind of experimental prog-jazz - and I remember there was a female bassist, whose left hand I was staring at literally all night. </p>
<p><strong>5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences? </strong></p>
<p>Fiona Apple is a big one. Cake is another. Weezer, definitely. Most of all though, it probably was my parents and the Christian Rock we played (oh yes, it was a missionary family band). I definitely see that 90s-worship-music as defining a lot of the music I write. I think music is about connection and relationships. And in my mind, songs should be catchy and sing-along-able, which is almost certainly a holdover from worship music. I definitely sing more about existential dread these days instead of Jesus, but hey. </p>
<p><strong>6. At the moment, COVID-19 has you stuck in Liverpool. I imagine there are worse places to be socially distant. How are you managing being that far away from home for so long? [Note from Mike: This interview was done in May, Shannon is back on this side of the Atlantic now.]</strong></p>
<p>In a weird way, Liverpool feels very much like home. I'm here with someone I love dearly and consider family. I think it would be much, much harder if that were not the case. But there's plenty about this town that feels familiar - all the flora here is like, exactly what my mom has in her garden in the PNW (that's Pacific Northwest, for those of you who are unfamiliar). And videochatting, both over Marco Polo (hi, Shiree and Danielle!) and in realtime has been life-saving. Being able to stay connected with friends and family has been huge. </p>
<p><strong>7, If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be? </strong></p>
<p>This... I have complicated feelings about this. Many of the problems I have with this industry have to do with money, and the people on top who want too much of it. It's much the way I feel about our society. </p>
<p>That being said, I think there are a lot of things that musicians (especially ones starting out) complain about that come from a basic misunderstanding of how businesses operate. Money is obviously a necessity for society to function and businesses to run. And there are a lot of ways in which the industry is surprisingly functional, especially when it comes to touring and live gigs. It's hard, but I understand why it's hard. And this has ALWAYS been a hard industry. So... *shrugs shoulders* </p>
<p><strong>8, <em>Brevity</em> probably didn't get the big marketing push that it deserved, due to the pandemic. Assuming the situation improves, will you all re-visit promotion for that album and perhaps tour? Also, what's next for Punch the Sun and for you personally? </strong></p>
<p>I definitely want to tour on <em>Brevity</em>! Once the pandemic is over, that's a route (#tourpun) that we will certainly pursue. I can see us perhaps making some music videos down the road (omigosh ANOTHER #tourpun) to highlight some songs on the album. Ultimately, though, I'm really glad it's out in the world for people to listen to and think, "wow, that's what Punch The Sun sounds like!" </p>
<p>Next up, though, is more music - of course. I'm already working with Campbell (our drummer) on some new songs. We're just in the demo stage, since we're on opposite sides of the Atlantic, but we're deep in the writing process again, which feels fantastic. Music forever!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>I linked to both the website for Punch The Sun and to <em>Brevity</em> up in the first paragraph. You can also find Punch The Sun on <a contents="Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/punchthesunband/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/punchthesunband/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a contents="Twitter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/punchthesunband" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6360631
2020-06-29T03:52:37-04:00
2020-06-29T03:52:37-04:00
Songwriting Story - Anecdote
<p>This is what Merriam-Webster says about the word <em>anecdote</em>: "a usually short narrative of an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident"</p>
<p>Let me tell you a short narrative of a biographical incident that is not amusing in any way.</p>
<p>A few years ago my wife and I were coming home from a brief trip to New York. We ended up flying into Detroit, then renting a car to drive home. As we were headed South on I-75, we were stopped by the Michigan State Police. I was not in violation of any traffic laws. You should know where this is going. This armed person yelled and screamed at us, succeeded in intimidating my wife by saying we would be charged with "a felony" (which was complete nonsense), and was generally abusive. I ended up handcuffed, illegally searched, and screamed at even when I complied with instructions. After sitting for awhile in his vehicle, and upon him discovering that I am not, in fact, a criminal, he tried to get me to say that I understood why he had to stop me and cuff me and search me. I didn't want any such discussion on his recording, so I remained silent. Once he ran out of reasons to detain us any longer, he let us go. No apology. I asked Misty to get the entire interaction on video from the moment the lights and sirens went on, but she didn't do so. I thought that armed person was going to shoot me and then excuse it with lies... I was armed, I was on drugs, I tried to take his taser, he feared for his life, I threatened him... as they do, they kill and lie about why they kill. I tried to explain to Misty afterward that if he shoots me, it's her word against his, and nobody will believe her, so she needs to have these interactions on video to have a basis for a lawsuit. At any rate, I am convinced that if she wasn't also in the car, I wouldn't be here today.</p>
<p>The above interaction completely ruined my day. It made me angry, but of course, when you're dealing with an armed racist, you can't afford to be angry. All of the adrenaline pours into your blood because you are in a true "fight or flight" situation, but either one of those options results in your execution. Later, you get the shakes. I'm a songwriter, and that's how I process emotions and such, so the skeleton of what would eventually become "Anecdote" started that very day, still on I-75, still driving toward home. It took awhile for me to edit and distill all of the above paragraph into a package that would fit neatly into a song, but it didn't feel complete.</p>
<p>Then I heard an interview that <a contents="TINO" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://itstino.com/" target="_blank">TINO</a> did with Gem City Podcast. <a contents=" I think it was this episode" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://gemcitypodcast.com/?p=3688" target="_blank"> I think it was this episode</a>. He told one of his personal experiences with "driving while black", and I thought to myself that his story and his skill set would be the perfect addition to this song. I reached out. He agreed to come rap on my song. </p>
<p>What we have now is a cross-genre collaboration called "Anecdote". We both tell short narratives of a specific biographical incident.</p>
<p>You'll be able to hear this song soon.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/d907e7182a6d0ba768d43be85d3485a3e7a2f8e1/original/a2079665514-16.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6360492
2020-06-22T07:00:00-04:00
2020-07-20T20:46:42-04:00
Amplified: Dirty Doc
<p>I met Doc a couple of years ago at a music conference. She has a signature look... a hat, a rat, and always a guitar. Her artist name is <a contents="Dirty Metal Lefty" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.dirtymetallefty.com/" target="_blank">Dirty Metal Lefty</a>, partially because of an innate southpaw status, which is something we have in common. (I mean, I do play bass like a right-handed person, but I eat, write, throw, golf, swing baseball bats, and shoot basketballs left-handed.) This is a very talented person who wields the guitar with all kinds of skill... this is the kind of wizardry that eludes me, as I find guitar strings to be too numerous and also way too tiny.</p>
<p>Here's my favorite song from the <em>Neva' On Sundays</em> album, "<a contents="Ain't No Friend of Mine" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqgGRVkvzVI" target="_blank">Ain't No Friend of Mine</a>."</p>
<p>The last time I saw Doc, we sat in a hotel lobby down in Austin singing and playing Chris Cornell songs. Well, I didn't do the playing, and I did the singing rather poorly, but it was a great time. No, not <a contents="that Chris Cornell song" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySzrJ4GRF7s" target="_blank">that Chris Cornell song</a>. No, <a contents="not that one either" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mbBbFH9fAg" target="_blank">not that one either</a>. Yeah, and <a contents="this is also not" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVXIK1xCRpY" target="_blank">this is also not</a> one of them. <a contents="Here's one" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2fQ1RqZlZA" target="_blank">Here's one</a>. Here's <a contents="another" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu01eOXABBg" target="_blank">another</a>. Here's a third, that <a contents="almost makes me cry" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmsZZ-SUjBg" target="_blank">almost makes me cry</a> every time I hear it. Interview below the picture.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/01b8065134496f6cb19d5f816181883d8122225e/original/20190819-004132.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>When I run these, I usually put my questions in bold... but Doc used some unique formatting in her response, and I think it's best to show you this interview the way she intended.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;">1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre. </span><br><strong>Blues Inspired Indie-Alt Rock with Jazz and Metal undertones </strong><br><em>Think "If Sade had a baby with Alice In Chains who was REEEALLY into CSN (Crosby, Stills, Nash) and Albert King" </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;">2. How did you get started making music? How soon after you started learning to play did you start to write your own songs? </span><br><strong>I guess from the moment I could make noise and bang on stuff.</strong> <em>Music for me and a headache for others. LOL </em><br><strong>If memory serves me proper, I was around 9 or 10 when I first sat down and intentionally tried to write a song; on a keyboard, surprisingly enough. The songs conjured from lyrics only were usually set to the melody of a song I already knew.</strong> <em>#UnintentionalDerivativeCover </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;">3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money? </span><br><strong>Remember Columbia House music club with their "10 cassettes for 1¢"? </strong><br><strong>Alice In Chains - Dirt. And spoiler alert, those cassettes weren't really a penny.</strong> <em>Boy did I learn that lesson the hard way. . . </em><br>[Mike adds: You and me both, sista.]</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;">4. Tell me about the last concert you saw. </span><br><strong>Mon., Mar. 9th - Michale Graves</strong> <em>(ex-Misfits)</em> <strong>w/ special guest JJ Speaks </strong><br><em>Covid ruined everything after that (>_<)* </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;">5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences? </span><br>I<strong>n addition to the elevator pitch in question 1: <br>Chris Cornell, Nina Simone, Fantastic Negrito, Deftones, Afro Celt Sound System, The Absence, Dave Brubeck, Screaming Jay Hawkins, Fleetwood Mac, Lamb of God, Nevermore</strong> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;">6. So, you're a guitarist. Most guitarists that I know tend to be really into their instruments, their pedals, and their rig. This is your opportunity to indulge in a lavish description of your favorite musical toys, if you would like to do so. </span><br><strong>I LOVE gear but I don't have or use a ton of it. I don't want to "hide" behind too many effects. . . aaaand I don't like having to keep up with too much stuff. [LMAO!!!!!] </strong></p>
<p><strong>Boss Metal Zone pedal is my absolute jam for electric. It pairs well with most of my guitars and Vox tube amp; just kinda sucks that the price hasn't gone down in over 20 years. For Acoustic: I use a series of loopers, a Digitek Trio, a dope vocal dohickey from TC Helicon, and devices for backing track playback. On occasion, I'll also use a A/B box to split my guitar between two different amps with separate pedal setups. The concept adds more texture to my overall tone. It also affords the opportunity to alternate my set between full band sound and intimate feels.</strong> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;">7, How are you dealing with this pandemic from a music standpoint? Touring is out of your toolbox for the moment, has anything taken its place? </span><br><strong>Maaaaan, Covid swooped in and snatched my gigs like an owl pouncing on an unsuspecting field mouse.</strong> [Mike interjects: This might be the greatest of all similes.] <strong>That was painful; financially of course but even more so on the emotional and mental front. I figured I try to use the "mandatory" down time to work on writing and finally getting around to cleaning my house. It's amazing how many pieces of life get neglected when you don't take enough time to tend to stuff. As for the music as a whole, live streaming has become the new trend but it does not and cannot replace actual live music IN PERSON. </strong></p>
<p><strong>There's a special, uncanny bond forged in the heat of the moment between musicians and their audience; a sort of energy exchange that breaks down barriers. I miss that. Genre aside, music, in general, is one of the only few things we [humans] can all agree upon. I don't think I've ever met anyone who doesn't enjoy music on some level. </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;">8, It's cliché, but it's a good question to end with: What's next for you? </span><br><strong>A resurgence of gigs, I hope. I miss connecting with people. In the meantime, I do plan to release a single or two or three. . .maybe a video to accompany them. No dates yet but new stuffs ARE indeed coming. I'll keep adjusting to our new normal as well supporting my mates and local small businesses around town. A friend and I have even paired together for a side project, busking around town and such. Busking is the next best step until we're able to navigate proper live gigs in the midst of this pandemic madness and social distancing.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Let me know when it's safe to pop in for a slot in your neck of the woods.</strong></p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Dirty Metal Lefty has indeed stopped by our state on a previous tour, playing in Columbus. I had planned to go, and ended up not being able to do so, which still makes me sad. Here's hoping she stops by Dayton someday. I linked to her website above, but you can also find her on <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/dirtymetallefty/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a contents="Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/dirtymetallefty" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and <a contents="Twitter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/dirtymetallefty" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Also, you know how Bandcamp has been waiving their fee on the first Friday of every month recently? Well, Friday July 3rd would be a good date to swing by the <a contents="Dirty Metal Lefty Bandcamp page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://dirtymetallefty.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Dirty Metal Lefty Bandcamp page</a> and buy some music.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6353465
2020-06-15T07:00:00-04:00
2021-05-07T17:26:45-04:00
Songwriting Story - Le Soldat
<p>I live in Ohio, which is one of 50 states in The United States. It has been a long time since a war was fought within the borders of this country or state. It has been so long that all of the people who fought in that war are long dead. Now, I've visited plenty of other places where war has come much more recently. For example, I happened to be in Sri Lanka when celebrations were planned to commemorate ONE YEAR since the end of their lengthy civil war. I visited El Salvador once, and anyone there who was my age at the time would have had civil war as a back drop to almost half of their life. I have visited France many times, have many friends there, and the folks who live there experienced devastating war fought in and around their homes, a war in which my own grandfather was a participant. War is a horrible, terrible, destructive, evil thing. People who live where I live tend to forget that. As a person who is a voracious reader of history, I haven't forgotten, and I ended up writing a song about it.</p>
<p>Here is a picture of the poem I wrote called "Ton Soldat", told from the point of view of a soldier who is sick and tired of war.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/4458fda852919d10af1d834801e2d78cf6432721/original/20200614-202450.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>See the date on that? February 9th, 1998. I was 20 years old when I wrote that, I still had a brother, I didn't yet have gray hair, and I hadn't been to France yet.</p>
<p>When I was putting together songs for my debut album, <em>Echo in the Crevices</em>, I wrote music for this, and asked some of my dear French friends to have a look at the lyrics to ensure they made sense. I applied their suggestions, changing out the verb "lutter" for "combattre" and "battre". There were a few other adjustments made to fit the music and make the song flow better. This song is now called <a contents='"Le Soldat"' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/track/le-soldat" target="_blank">"Le Soldat".</a> </p>
<p>When it came time to head to the studio, I knew I wanted a shoegaze feel, a wall of distortion and sound, but also laid back. The bass was going to do most of the movement. I remember asking Tod Weidner, who was kind enough to play guitar on this song, if he could play the guitar part whilst making sure the attack sound of the pick hitting the strings wasn't heard. He did a great job with that. He also brought some ingenuity to the bridge, building the chords that I specified piece-by-piece, playing one note at a time during multiple takes... when all of the overdubs were done, we ended up with the sound of full chords. Also, I figured that if you're going to write a song in French, you had better have some accordion in it, and Eric Cassidy helped me out with that. Our community drummer, Brian Hoeflich, also added a nice touch to the bridge, laying heavily on the snare drum to give a military feel to the music, which was quite appropriate.</p>
<p>This song needed to be on the album, for its theme and its mood. I didn't figure many people would like it, because, let's be frank, most people where I live do not listen to music that isn't sung in English. This was the favorite song on the entire album for <a contents="one reviewer in particular" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://emergingindiebands.com/mike-bankhead-carry-on-audio/" target="_blank">one reviewer in particular</a>, and that surprised me. </p>
<p>It is my hope that having this extra context helps you to hear this song in a new way. Why not check it out on my <a contents="Bandcamp page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/track/le-soldat" target="_blank">Bandcamp page</a>, on <a contents="Spotify" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3ou9kx9Rh4UXwa9aUUwIdx?si=e9Moxl2BTV-mCxq5Zhlr3Q" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, on <a contents="YouTube" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YVPMgeOG0g&list=OLAK5uy_mPQWvjyPftlMTYeCdf7E2FOWv4S05XGEE&index=4" target="_blank">YouTube</a>, on <a contents="Amazon" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.amazon.com/Le-Soldat/dp/B071F35QSV" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, or wherever else you listen to music?</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6338206
2020-06-08T20:49:46-04:00
2020-06-08T20:49:46-04:00
Amplified: Sarah Rudy
<p>The calendar has turned to June. That means this is a great time to tell you about Sarah Rudy, who is a songwriter, guitarist, and singer. Her band is called <a contents="Hello June" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.wearehellojune.com/" target="_blank">Hello June</a>. They hail from the State where I was born, West Virginia. Those of you from Dayton might already know about Sarah and her band, as the folks over at WUDR play their music. Sarah might not be all that great at elevator pitches (unless the building is very tall), but <strong><em>is</em></strong> pretty great at writing songs, at playing guitar, and generally being awesome. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Interview below the picture:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/82ddfdbf84eab6267827a89a9bf80708cf7dbeea/original/sarah-rudy.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><em>photo by Josh Saul</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre. </strong></p>
<p>We've been called, "indie rock," but I honestly don't even know what that term means. We're not hard rock, but we're not soft rock either. We're not fast and dance-y, but our shows are full of energy. I/we create every aspect of the music, the videos, the designs, the marketing - if that is what they mean by "indie," we are that (haha).I'm an artist who is drawn to writing and creating songs that mean something to me and that others can relate to. The one thing I can say wholeheartedly is that we are genuine - the music that you hear comes from experiences and stories and real life events that mean a lot to me. My hope is that I gather people around me who relate to the music, regardless of the "genre" it happens to be called at the time. I'm sorry that this was possibly the worst elevator pitch to ever hit anyone's ears. </p>
<p><strong>2. During the time of social distancing in March and April, which albums or artists did you listen to the most?</strong> <strong>(Note from Mike... I thought some semblance of normality might resume by the time I published this interview, but yeah, not quite.)</strong></p>
<p>I have listened a whole whole lot to TK Blockstar's self-titled album - the way that she conveys emotion in her message is exceptional and even though the genre is completely different from whatever we would be considered, I've found her presentation of emotion very inspiring. On top of that, shes from the great state of West Virginia - her album's have been giving me strength during a tough time. I've also listened a whole lot to The Band's "Music from Big Pink" a good bit and I'm always circulating back around to Big Thief - their music is so genuine and beautiful. </p>
<p><strong>3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money?</strong></p>
<p>As soon as I caught wind of Alanis Morissette, I felt deeply empowered in a way that I did not even understand. I bought the "Jagged Little Pill" album and played it a million times. Up to that point, I was just playing stuff that an older cousin of mine had given me. </p>
<p><strong>4. Tell me about the last concert you saw.</strong></p>
<p>We saw Big Thief in Columbus - the last show of that tour. Although I've watched live performances online, I hadn't gotten to see them in person and that was something that I was really wanting to do. I have such a visceral reaction to her songwriting - she has such a genuine realness that you don't see very often. The experience was surreal and beautiful and thinking of it makes me miss the magic of live music. </p>
<p><strong>5. Imagine you have a gig tonight. How do you decide what goes on the setlist? </strong></p>
<p>When I'm creating the list, I consider who's going to be on stage with me that night (some songs just translate better full band), the venue (do I anticipate poor sound quality or will I hear every breath I take?), the likelihood of an attentive crowd, and now, with livestreams, I'll tailor my setlist to what some sweet fans have asked me to play. I've been known to cut a set or song short when the crowd is being rude - so sometimes the decisions about setlist are made right there on stage. </p>
<p><strong>6. If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?</strong> </p>
<p>This is a hard question because the system is so broken. I've thought about this so many times, but I usually end up running in circles. I wish there wasn't a need for a record label - I wish that independent musicians had a platform that they could use to reach their fans AND find fans that would enjoy their music. Facebook doesn't like to show posts unless they are paid; Spotify, Apple Music, etc gives artists a couple cents for what people are buying, but yet, these are reliably and interestingly enough, our best tools? I also have seen that the problem with a few people having the power leads to the abuse of this power - there is a lot of gate-keeping by powerful people who could "make a career," and so many ways to fall into bad/unsafe conditions due to this. We have a long way to go in a lot of ways. </p>
<p><strong>7. What is your biggest challenge when it comes to making music? </strong></p>
<p>My biggest challenge has been finding good "fits" for our band in terms of long term band-mates. Whit Alexander has been around since day one and together we've played with a revolving cast of characters for years. We actually really love playing with different people and learn from doing this, but sometimes there are challenges to what we have done for most of our time as a band. We've played many shows where the only practice that we'll have with the band would be an acoustic run-thru in the hotel or even no practice at all. Our current lineup is an interesting one - we've brought Travis Evans back to play drums. He originally helped me back in 2013 when I moved back to WV from Baltimore - we didn't even have a band name back then and I was just developing the songs (Whit was around and playing bass at that time). Whit is once again on bass and the way that he plays is so melodic and full that it allows me to play much more lead guitar than I've been able to do in the past. When you're moving your line-up around, one frustrating but efficient move is to keep things relatively simple so that everyone in the band knows where they are in the song, etc. This three piece line up is as freeing as I've ever been able to experience and it's much more true to the songs, I think. </p>
<p><strong>8. How do you intend to keep growing as a musician and songwriter? </strong></p>
<p>My goal is to be able to more fluidly create songs that more accurately depict what is in my head/what is the intent for the song. In order to do this, I intend to keep listening to those who do this well and working on my craft. There is so much good music to consider - the bar is high. I've also got some collaborations coming up - for me, there is always a learning curve to that and I'm always pushed by other people.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Sarah and her band have gotten some <a contents="very" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://atwoodmagazine.com/hjhj-hello-june-album-premiere/" target="_blank">very</a> <a contents="positive" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/hello-june/hello-june-hello-june-review/" target="_blank">positive</a> <a contents="press" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.npr.org/2018/06/28/623931606/fans-of-90s-indie-rock-need-to-hear-hello-june" target="_blank">press</a> for their self-titled debut full-length. You should listen to it, and if you dig, maybe by a copy to support them? You can also connect with Hello June on <a contents="Twitter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/wearehellojune" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/hellojuneband/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a contents="Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/wearehellojune/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6336163
2020-06-01T07:00:00-04:00
2021-05-07T17:27:15-04:00
Concert Memories - Failure at The Masquerade in Atlanta (Tree of Stars Tour)
<p>Once upon a time, in a far away and mysterious land called The Nineties, there was a band called Failure. The much younger version of me discovered them somehow, via their single "Stuck on You". That song came with a <a contents="very cool music video" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXvthgkZ2yQ" target="_blank">very cool music video</a> that was clearly inspired by the opening montage from a James Bond movie. That song came from the album <em>Fantastic Planet</em>, which I did not hesitate to procure, and that was my first experience with a concept album. Alas, Failure broke up before I could see them live. I bought their other two albums (<em>Comfort </em>and <em>Magnified</em>), I bought everything Ken Andrews released with his solo project On, I listened to the Greg Edwards project Autolux... and time passed.</p>
<p>After much time passed, the gentlemen of Failure - Ken Andrews, Greg Edwards, and Kelli Scott - literally got the band back together. They discovered that people out there still loved <em>Fantastic Planet</em> very much. They went on the road to play music. This was my chance to see them... and see them I did, almost exactly six years ago.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/5341fe79b026994e0e9a71a96f26277bce2f4c62/original/20200530-140938-1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>I flew to Atlanta to see them at The Masquerade. As is my custom, I got to the venue very early, well before the doors opened. I was expecting most of the concert attendees to be my age or older... after all, this band had vanished for seventeen years. I was surprised to see some young folks in line waiting for the show. Then I remembered, that there are some <a contents="younger artists who dig Failure" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y55JD0f7MKs" target="_blank">younger artists who dig Failure</a>, and other <a contents="well-known bands who aren't so young" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWRDZwV8jGE" target="_blank">well-known bands who aren't so young</a> who dig Failure, and maybe that's how a different generation came to discover them.</p>
<p>They couldn't have picked a more appropriate song to open the show. I mean, it was the TREE OF STARS tour, they had to play this one:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="FEW0pkwn3SM" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/FEW0pkwn3SM/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FEW0pkwn3SM?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Notice how perfect and pristine their sound is? You're probably thinking that they sound this way because this is a controlled studio environment in the video. Yes, this is... but this is EXACTLY what they sound like in a less-controlled concert environment. This band... they are obsessive about their sound. Due to their lengthy career and changing gear, in order to replicate all of the sounds on their albums, they use fractal technology. I am not an expert, so I can't explain all that well how it works, but if you really want to know, <a contents="Ken Andrews can tell you" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86Z5gnZJl2k" target="_blank">Ken Andrews can tell you</a>. What I do know is that Failure concerts are the best-sounding shows I have ever attended. (Side note: Even if you don't want to watch the entire last video I posted with Ken talking about fractal audio, at least watch the beginning. He films himself rehearsing after ten months of not having done any singing. He sounds great. He essentially used his engineering experience to mix the vocals and the guitar out of the recorded song, and is playing guitar and singing along to the rhythm tracks.)</p>
<p>When I was young, there was a great deal of jumping around and jostling at a loud rock show. I'm too old for that now of course, and was just a tiny bit apprehensive once Failure got into the groove onstage. They have plenty of songs that aren't as laid back and restrained as "Another Space Song". Well, there was no jumping around at this show. No jostling. No shoving. There was some singing along, but barely even anyone nodding their head. I looked around at the audience, and I immediately understood. Most of these people were about my age, and none of us ever thought we would see this band play live. We were all just in too much shock at what we were seeing. I kept watching in awe, trying to figure out how to play songs that had come out of my CD players over and over again by watching Ken's hands. I was also rather transfixed by watching Kelli Scott's drumming in person, especially on their song about Virginia Woolf, "Wet Gravity". </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="ivf6ps_voV8" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/ivf6ps_voV8/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ivf6ps_voV8?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>They didn't disappoint. They played something from all of their first three albums. I mean,<a contents=" this setlist" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/failure/2014/heaven-the-masquerade-atlanta-ga-3bc01cf4.html" target="_blank"> this setlist</a>, wow. When they played "Dirty Blue Balloons", it made all the sense in the world hearing the audience sing "I've waited so long without you/ I've waited too long for you"... Indeed, indeed we had.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6312580
2020-05-25T07:00:00-04:00
2020-05-25T07:01:29-04:00
Amplified: Nina Pelligra
<p>Our interview subject this week recently released her first EP, called <em>Sense of Self</em>. <a contents="Listen to it here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.ninapelligra.com/music" target="_blank">Listen to it here</a>. She does her own arranging, engineering, mixing, and production. She is based in Boston.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/9e146e3c8be8ef20c543a2610bd0ca391c46c229/original/november-17-2019144431.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre. </strong></p>
<p>I'm an a cappella looper artist. I perform solo vocal arrangements of covers and originals using a loop pedal. </p>
<p><strong>2. Your song "Sense of Self" shows some vulnerability. How long did it take before you were comfortable singing out those feelings in public? </strong></p>
<p>Honestly, I try not to think about it. When singing in front of an audience, I treat it like any cover I would sing. The song already exists, and my job is to perform it to the best of my ability. It's not about me, anyway. Each person projects their own feelings onto a song, or at least that's my goal - to have a song resonate with them personally. </p>
<p><strong>3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money? </strong></p>
<p>Believe it or not, it was the soundtrack to the Broadway musical <em>Next to Normal</em>. It's my favorite musical. The sound is all in the rock genre, and it's about a family dealing with mental illness and loss. </p>
<p><strong>4. Tell me about the last concert you saw. </strong></p>
<p>My most recent concert was Ingrid Michelson at the House of Blues in Boston. I think my favorite moment was when she forgot the words to one of her songs. She just started laughing, and started the song over with the band, but then the whole place, band included, got the giggles so badly at that point, that they weren't even able to finish the song. She was like "Who forgets the lyrics to their own song??" But we've all been there. I love those moments of imperfection at a show. </p>
<p><strong>5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences? </strong></p>
<p>As far as a cappella looping goes, I draw most of my inspiration from a jazz singer named <a contents="Cyrille Aimée" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://cyrillemusic.com/" target="_blank">Cyrille Aimée</a>. I bought my looper because of her. The first song I learned on the looper was hers - "Nuit Blanche". My <a contents="new album" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.ninapelligra.com/music" target="_blank">new album</a> is more in the vein of singer-songwriters like Sarah Bareilles, Ingrid Michelson, and John Mayer. I have lots of experience in jazz, musical theater, classical, and popular music, so my influences are vast, but that's where I'm living musically at the moment. </p>
<p><strong>6. Based on your background, when you write songs, I imagine your process is very different than most other songwriters. Would you be so kind as to describe how you approach songwriting? </strong></p>
<p>I've been writing poetry since I was very young, about 10 or 11 years old, so the lyrics almost always come first. I recently learned that most people have an "inner monologue" of thoughts. I actually don't. It's more of a sensation than complete sentences in my head. Writing, talking, singing, and sketching come naturally when I'm simply trying to organize my thoughts. Then, use those ideas to write the lyrics in a more structured format. I edit so that the accents fall in the right place, and I break out a rhyming dictionary. Sometimes, I'll just write down a group of words that rhyme that I feel resonate with the emotion or mood, and I'll write an entire verse around those words. When I'm happy with that, I'll write it in musical notation so I don't forget it. From there, I can analyze the implied chord structure of the song and add those to make a lead sheet for myself. Sometimes I'll borrow chord substitutions from other songs that I like at the time. </p>
<p><strong>7, You have some experience on the engineering side of the business as well. Can you tell me about how you got in to that, and about what you try to get done in the studio for your clients? </strong></p>
<p>Before considering myself an engineer, I'm an arranger. I create arrangements of songs for live performance using sheet music. I was able to break down the different elements of a song to create memorable moments within a song. Recording and producing is just another way that I can do that. </p>
<p>I primarily work in a cappella, so I focus on vocal arrangement and production. Typically, the song is already arranged by the group, so my job with a musician in the studio is to get the best performance possible out of them. Notes and rhythms are second to the emotive energy you need behind a vocal. As a vocalist myself, I also have the pedagogical skills to coach singers on getting a stronger sound, or a completely different vocal technique. Everything I do after that is to honor that performance. </p>
<p><strong>8, What is your biggest challenge when it comes to making music? </strong></p>
<p>Creating the music isn't really challenging at all. I think the challenging part of being a musician is taking the thing that you created and sharing it with the world in a way that they're going to love. People don't realize how many grueling hours and meticulous planning go into an hour-long show or an album release. I love the marketing and management side of music, but it's very hard to do it for yourself. It feels very weird to put yourself out there and promote yourself. I wish there were two of me!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Did you notice that Nina actually writes in musical notation? I find that most impressive, and also very much enjoy the way she builds songs with only her voice. Why not visit her <a contents="official website" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.ninapelligra.com/" target="_blank">official website</a>? You can also connect with Nina on <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/ninapelligra/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or on her <a contents="Facebook page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/NinaPelligraACappella/" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6312569
2020-05-18T07:00:00-04:00
2020-10-10T16:15:28-04:00
Why did I choose bass? Blame it on Rob.
<p>This is a question I have been asked many times. After all, bass is not an instrument that lends itself all that well to solo performance, unless you happen to be Victor Wooten. (I am not <a contents="Victor Wooten" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve37F3Ee9Ow" target="_blank">Victor Wooten</a>.) The role of the bass in a band is to help the drummer with the rhythmic foundation, whilst also lending some bottom end support to the rest of the music... sometimes, some melodic stuff, but generally, the role is a supporting role. Bass players are usually the people in the band whose name everyone forgets (<a contents="with" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGwq-dX6oWo" target="_blank">with</a> <a contents="a" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMsJlJdWof8" target="_blank">a</a> <a contents="few" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D32PhQr3RIQ" target="_blank">few</a> <a contents="exceptions" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI5VuBzo-Qc" target="_blank">exceptions</a>), standing in the back by the drummer (I see you <a contents="Colin Greenwood" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwwtbsSc3m8" target="_blank">Colin Greenwood</a>), holding it down without recognition. That's ok, I dig that role. Why do I dig that role?</p>
<p>Well, think about when you used to drive around in your car listening to music. What did you turn up to really get your head nodding? (I'm going to guess it <a contents="wasn't the treble" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.notreble.com/" target="_blank">wasn't the treble</a>.)</p>
<p>I think back to some of my favorite songs on the albums I used to listen to back in the early nineties. On <em>Nevermind</em>, it was "Lounge Act", especially the first ten seconds. On <em>Foo Fighters, </em>it was "<a contents="For All the Cows" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyxy_KMom7g" target="_blank">For All the Cows</a>", with those fantastic slides. How about <em>Superunknown? "</em><a contents="The Day I Tried To Live" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbckIuT_YDc" target="_blank">The Day I Tried To Live</a>". <em>Dirt?</em> "<a contents="Would" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nco_kh8xJDs" target="_blank">Would</a>". Notice something in common? SO VERY MUCH GROOVE. The bass makes those songs what they are.</p>
<p>Here's what really made up my mind though. This video, right here:</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="7fuqZFBTP0I" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/7fuqZFBTP0I/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7fuqZFBTP0I?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>Be still my heart. I was in high school, and still remember thinking this was one of the coolest musical performances I had ever seen. Listen to how much the bass moves around, but never gets in the way. Hear those awesome bass slides in the turnaround? They're so much more groovy than the guitar slide sound. In the second chorus, wow, look at the bass gentleman's fingers, looking like a person briskly walking. Ooooh, then the break down. Not only could this gentleman play, but he also sang harmonies! Check it out:</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="8YcvxdmG9mM" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/8YcvxdmG9mM/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8YcvxdmG9mM?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>This gentleman's name is Rob DeLeo. He plays bass. He sings. He also wrote most of the best riff-tastic parts from this band's catalog. A bass player that writes songs, how about that? He also made playing bass look cool, even though nobody ever looks at the bassist. I mean, look at his outfit here, in what is admittedly, a delightfully cheesy music video:</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="G0gAxuvo5rc" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/G0gAxuvo5rc/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G0gAxuvo5rc?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>In summary, Rob DeLeo was the factor that made teenage me decide to learn bass. Now, I'm old, and have lost all concern about looking cool, because whatever, just listen to my music. I still like singing harmonies though, even though I'm not good at it. I still like playing bass, finding that groove. I still like writing songs. I also still consider Rob DeLeo to be one of my favorite musicians.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6296309
2020-05-11T07:00:00-04:00
2020-10-20T18:22:51-04:00
On Dreams - Part 5
<p>The dream I have had most often, since I was young in fact, involves a horrifically violent death in a car. I even wrote a poem about it once, way back on 24th November 1997. Here it is:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Most Recurring Dream</strong></p>
<p>Silent<br>Under the shroud of night<br>Wearing a cloak of blood<br>Shards of glass scattered about<br>Trapped in this mechanical tomb<br>One arm twisted against the window<br>The other folded into my smashed chest<br>My final breath a gasp of pain<br>But not of surprise<br>Eyes open staring ahead lifelessly<br>I am wrapped tightly by these blankets of steel<br>The final sound was metal on metal<br>Broken at last</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Yes, I know that's not exactly pleasant, but what can you do? The brain comes up with what it comes up with. Also, of course, driving (or riding) in cars is extremely unsafe, and worse when there are impaired drivers about, which there often are.</p>
<p>It's about that time where I link to a song that is relevant to dreams... how about this one?</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="oGhbFezPyb0" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/oGhbFezPyb0/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oGhbFezPyb0?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>That song is great. Of course, that's not the album with the cover art that most closely matches the particular horrific dream I describe above. (That would be <em><a contents="Do the Collapse" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_the_Collapse" target="_blank">Do the Collapse</a>, </em>which is probably my personal favorite GBV album.)</p>
<p>Sometimes I wonder if it's a symptom of my depressed state that a dream this macabre would keep turning up again and again. </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6296265
2020-05-04T13:51:28-04:00
2021-03-06T17:51:00-05:00
Restaurant Review - Terry Black's in Austin TX
<p>Unlike in the Midwest, which is my home, the word "barbecue" is generally a noun in the South. It's meat, cooked slowly, via smoke. Regionally, there are plenty of unique twists. In some places, if they use sauce, it is vinegar based. In some places, mustard based. Some use a white sauce. Others would tell you that sauce only covers up inferior meat, and it shouldn't be touched. Depending on where you are, the local specialty may be ribs... or pulled pork... or chicken. In Texas, brisket is what they tend to do. They're quite proud of it. Since I was in Austin last year, and a place that some experts call "<a contents="the world's best barbecued brisket" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://franklinbbq.com/" target="_blank">the world's best barbecued brisket</a>" is there, I had my heart set on getting some. Alas, for this particular place, you need to plan ahead a lot sooner than I did, so it wasn't going to happen. That said, I wanted to get brisket <em>somewhere</em>... but where?</p>
<p>The first person I asked was Simon Tam. No, not the <a contents="medical doctor on the run" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://firefly.fandom.com/wiki/Simon_Tam" target="_blank">medical doctor on the run</a> trying to keep the evil government away from his sister. I mean the <a contents="bassist" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://simontam.org/" target="_blank">bassist</a> and founder of <a contents="The Slants" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Slants" target="_blank">The Slants</a>. He was a presenter at the conference I was attending, and has done extensive global travel. He is also very much into delicious food. His answer was lightning fast and definitive: go to Terry Black's. The second person I asked was a local Uber driver. People that live in the community, they are going to know where the good brisket is, right? I explained my disappointment that a visit to my first choice wasn't able to happen, and asked for a recommendation. Terry Black's was the first of three recommendations given. In fact, this particular person said he liked it better than my first choice. There was definitely a third person who got the query from me on brisket, and I don't really remember much about her, but I certainly do remember that Terry Black's was the call. Ok, Terry Black's it would be.</p>
<p>My wife and I made sure we were extra hungry one day, and went off to find brisket. When it comes to the meats here, you pay by weight. There is an army of professional meat cutters there, gloves on, knives at the ready, slicing pieces of brisket (and other meat products) to order. I got plenty of brisket... some burnt ends, some extra fatty, some extra lean... you know, a variety. I got some sausage as well. For side dishes, I opted for mac & cheese, and "Mexican" rice. Looking back on it, this was a tactical error. Sure, the rice was just fine (not outstanding), and the mac & cheese was tasty enough, but all the sides do is take up valuable real-estate that could be better served by brisket. I made sure to get some of the free accompaniments... pickles and onions... you know, some acidity to cut through the fattiness of the sausage and brisket. Here's what you want to know: Is the brisket good? Well....</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/38c873f41b3ef0acefaf996abe32d20f65737932/original/brisket.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>This was <strong>the best brisket I have had in my life</strong>, and it wasn't even close. Sauce, though it was available, was not at all required. The meat was replete with flavor from whatever these folks used for their dry rub, and from hours being exposed to smoke. It was moist... even the "lean" pieces were juicy. It was melt-in-your-mouth incredible. The sausage was good too, much fattier than I expected, but in all the right tongue-coating ways. My wife and I didn't get remotely close to finishing our food, so we packed it up, went back to the hotel, put it in the room's refrigerator, and finished it for breakfast the next day. Get this... Terry Black's brisket was great even served cold first thing in the morning. Trust me, you want this.</p>
<p>If perchance I make it back to Austin this year (not a guarantee, what with COVID-19 and all), I intend to go to Franklin's... but Terry Black's was great, and I wish to re-live this experience, so I'll head back there as well. You can't have too much brisket, can you?</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6269673
2020-04-27T07:30:00-04:00
2020-07-20T20:46:16-04:00
Amplified: Lauren Light
<p>Welcome to a new series on the blog! <strong>Amplified</strong> will consist of interviews, mostly with musicians. This is a place for me to share with all of you the voices of folks whose talent and art I respect, and maybe introduce you to some sounds you haven't previously heard.</p>
<p><a contents="Lauren Light" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.laurenlight.com/" target="_blank">Lauren Light</a> is batting lead-off. (I miss baseball. SIGH.) I met Lauren at the <a contents="CD Baby DIY Musician Conference" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/cd-baby-s-diy-musician-conference" target="_blank">CD Baby DIY Musician Conference</a> in Nashville, way back in 2017. Lauren is a gifted songwriter, beautiful singer, talented performer, effervescent personality, coffee addict, all sorts of professional, hard worker, and savvy about the music business. She is insanely busy, but generous with her time, as she always manages to find time to discuss the music business with the likes of untalented folks like myself. </p>
<p><a contents='Click here to listen to her single "If I Could Only Love You"' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ_CsEMpELQ&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Click here to listen to her single "If I Could Only Love You"</a>. Interview appears below the photo.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/d72725dda86ecb49d092d06f0c2de0b68aef2491/original/ll.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre. </strong></p>
<p>Pop soul Singer-Songwriter,<a contents=" owner of Licensing&nbsp;company" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.twoohsixmusic.com/" target="_blank"> owner of Licensing company</a> and <a contents="Music business&nbsp;Podcast Host" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://theenlightenedmusician.com/" target="_blank">Music business Podcast Host</a>. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>2. When did you start making music? </strong></p>
<p>Singing since day one, writing songs since I was 6 (and those first songs were bad! hahaha) but actually performing would be senior year of high school. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money? </strong></p>
<p>Backstreet Boys </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>4. Tell me about the last concert you saw. </strong></p>
<p>Actually took my Mom to see her favorite artist for her birthday. So it was with Lauren Daigle and <a contents="Johnny Swim" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/concert-review-johnnyswim-at-newport-music-hall-24th-may-2019" target="_blank">Johnny Swim</a>. They were phenomenal! </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences? </strong></p>
<p>I would probably say female artists like Alanis Morisette and Kelly Clarkson </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>6. If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be? </strong></p>
<p>Rights and laws to protect Songwriters, but I see a change in the works! </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>7, How do you intend to keep growing as a musician and songwriter? </strong></p>
<p>Always writing, and writing outside of my comfort zone! And never stop learning, I truly believe the industry changes so much so you have to keep studying what's new and different, and change with the times as they happen. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>8, You host a podcast where you dispense valuable advice about the music business. What's one brief suggestion that you would like to see musicians in general apply immediately? </strong></p>
<p>Believe in yourself! And Dream, BUT make sure you have actionable goals/tasks set in place to achieve your dreams!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Lauren is dropping a new song just about every month these days. Follow her on your steaming platform of choice, or on <a contents="Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/laurenlightsmusic" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a contents="Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/lauren_light/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, or <a contents="Twitter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/lauren_light" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6287524
2020-04-20T07:00:00-04:00
2020-04-20T07:01:01-04:00
Kickstarter progress update - pressing vinyl
<p>I try to run these blog posts on Mondays, and I'm writing this one on Sunday evening, 19th April. I'll start by thanking - from the bottom of my messed up heart - all of the kind folks who have supported this project so far. </p>
<p>At the moment, we have <a contents="$446 pledged out of the goal amount of $3400" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mikebankheadmusic/mike-bankhead-anxious-inventions-and-fictions-on-vinyl" target="_blank">$446 pledged out of the goal amount of $3400</a>. Perhaps you are wondering how I arrived at that number... well, here's the breakdown:</p>
<ul> <li>$2000 to press vinyl. (Note that I arrived at this number after shopping around and getting quotes from several companies that press vinyl.)</li> <li>$100 materials required to ship albums. This is basically the boxes and packing material so the records don't break when I mail them.</li> <li>$500 estimated shipping cost. Each time an album goes in the mail, there is a cost. The farther it goes, the more the cost.</li> <li>$180 State of Ohio and Greene County tax. Yes, as a business, I have to pay tax on all sales. Pre-orders count as sales.</li> <li>$130 Kickstarter fees. They take a cut, which is how they stay in business.</li> <li>$130 processing fees. The folks that handle the fund transfer take a cut, which is how they stay in business.</li> <li>$360 promotion. I had planned to split this between having a music video done and sending promo copies of the album to indie radio and music journalists.</li>
</ul>
<p>All of that adds up to $3400. Note that this amount is <strong>only for vinyl</strong>. I'm going to have CDs made and will distribute digitally, and am paying for that myself.</p>
<p>So, the deadline for raising the funds is this Friday, 24th April, at the auspicious hour of 07:12. Frankly, it doesn't look likely that we'll make the goal. This is the risk you take when you try to crowdfund during a pandemic. If the goal is not reached, I won't be pressing <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions</em> to vinyl, short of some sort of art grant. That makes me a little sad, as I would love to see Megan Fiely's beautiful artwork on a vinyl album cover, and I'd also love to hold my own music in my hands on wax. Buy hey, the market is speaking, it is what it is.</p>
<p>If you were on the fence about supporting this project, what can I do to move you off the fence? (This is, of course, assuming you are still gainfully employed. These days, I understand that many people are not.) <a contents="Would hearing the first single from the album help?" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mikebankheadmusic/mike-bankhead-anxious-inventions-and-fictions-on-vinyl/posts/2797970" target="_blank">Would hearing the first single from the album help?</a> Ok, you'll all end up hearing that one anyway eventually, yes. Well, did you know I wrote a song called "Wapakoneta" (yes, like city) that isn't on the album? It has an Americana feel... I tried to write a Jason Isbell song... and yes, I know that's not the sandbox I usually play in. I'm going to make that song an <a contents="exclusive bonus" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mikebankheadmusic/mike-bankhead-anxious-inventions-and-fictions-on-vinyl/posts/2795404" target="_blank">exclusive bonus</a> for anyone who backs this project. Have anyone in your life who collects vinyl? You know, <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions</em> would make a great gift for them Also, this would be a way to support a local independent business (namely You Could Be My Aramis Music, LLC), and also, support the arts.</p>
<p>I invite to you kindly take one last look at the <a contents="rewards I am offering" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mikebankheadmusic/mike-bankhead-anxious-inventions-and-fictions-on-vinyl" target="_blank">rewards I am offering</a> for pledges to this campaign. Also, think about all that time that we'll probably all be stuck in quarantine again this fall/winter, and of how nice it would be to have another black circle to spin.</p>
<p>Again, for the folks who have already backed this project, I know who you all are by name, <strong>and I cannot thank you enough. </strong>Thank you. I won't forget.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6280716
2020-04-13T07:00:00-04:00
2020-04-13T07:01:00-04:00
On dreams - Part 4
<p>Since I'm getting old, I don't remember the first time I started to have dreams in languages other than English. Suffice it to say that is was a very long time ago. If I were to guess, I would say I was probably in high school. For a year in high school, thanks to an exchange student from Ankara who arrived only being able to speak Turkish and French, and another exchange student from Northern France, I spoke French just about every day. In fact, it was awhile before I bothered speaking English to these particular students... after all, they had to learn enough of it first to be conversant, and though my French was certainly not good, it was good enough that I could have a conversation... ah, but I am off topic. The topic is dreams.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="jIjTFt6XmFM" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/jIjTFt6XmFM/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jIjTFt6XmFM?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>I love so much about this song by the way. <strong>The bass slides in the turnaround after the first chorus, yes</strong>. The subtle distorted guitar that comes and goes, which I especially like in the second verse. That arpeggio that plays during the verses. The strings. The way the feel of agitation grows, then releases. Thom's falsetto. </p>
<p>I don't personally have very many dreams that I would categorize as "nice", but usually when I do, there is plenty of non-English dialogue involved. It's probably normal for people in our lives to show up in our dreams, and there are plenty of people in my life for whom English is not their native language. For my dear friends who speak French (<a contents="like people I write songs about" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/track/pauline" target="_blank">like people I write songs about</a>), when they show up in my dreams, they show up speaking French. For the people I know who speak Spanish, when there is a conversation with them during a dream, it's in Spanish. </p>
<p>Here's what I wish were a thing: I wish there was a way to record this stuff. See, I wonder if my pronunciation and grammar and whatnot is better in dreams than it is in real life. I feel like it very well might be, as the conscious brain just gets in the way sometimes, you know?</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6263302
2020-04-06T07:00:00-04:00
2020-07-12T14:53:59-04:00
A photo journey through a year of recording
<p>Making an album is a long journey. The time spent writing and re-writing, then re-writing again at home. The arranging, which often requires another re-write. The demos. The gathering in the studio to discuss and plan. Session after session after session with a whole bunch of really talented people. Take after take after take of singing, repeating the process if you're a little sharp or a little flat. The listening to studio bounces over and over and over and over. The mixing. That's my process and my journey at least. Many musicians probably have it easier. For me, it's a long journey, and it's hard work, and I wouldn't be able to do it without the help of a great many people.</p>
<p>I'd like to celebrate a little more than a year spent working on <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions</em> by means of a photo blog entry. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Let's begin:</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/6f84fb224e801a24aa92229ed0a287f3312aa57d/original/pattyboomeric.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>This is engineer extraordinaire Patrick Himes adjusting the boom for Eric Cassidy on June 2, 2019. Eric sang harmonies on "Bright Ideas". Ultimately, that song didn't make it to <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions</em>, but it is out right now as a stand-alone single. <a contents="Please click here to listen to it" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://smarturl.it/ahadf2" target="_blank">Please click here to listen to it</a>.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/35a5803fcc08d698624bc05e4d499ab5e7149da8/original/ericaccordion.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Here's Eric Cassidy again, this time holding an accordion. He played this on June 30, 2019, during the outro on "<a contents="Pauline" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/track/pauline" target="_blank">Pauline</a>". You can hear this song on <a contents="Defacing the Moon" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/album/defacing-the-moon" target="_blank"><em>Defacing the Moon</em></a>, as the songs from that album were chosen from these sessions.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/12a754a158f74776995d88a843ac0d10e111da7c/original/withdustin.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>This is Dustin Booher, with me on June 29,2019. He is a fellow Xenian, and we have known each other since we were five years old. He sang on "<a contents="Sunday (That Pill)" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/track/sunday-that-pill" target="_blank">Sunday (That Pill)</a>", which is on <em>Defacing the Moon</em>. He also lent outstanding vocals to "Never Let Go", which is the 4th song on <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/736837ef0aa6cb37d876a89a4ea1f4dd9bcee2cc/original/tim.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></em></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>There is Dustin in the background... and here is <a contents="Tim Pritchard" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.theboxcarsuite.com/" target="_blank">Tim Pritchard</a> on July 27, 2019, playing guitar. You can hear his fine work on "I Am a Number" and "Promise".</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/f00778c104187b5de08eba47d73ceaca081f0ceb/original/westerlystation.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>This is Jackie and Brandon, who are half of <a contents="Westerly Station" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://westerlystation.com/" target="_blank">Westerly Station</a>. I met them in Austin at the CD Baby DIY Musician Conference. (<a contents="I wrote about that before" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/cd-baby-s-diy-musician-conference" target="_blank">I wrote about that before</a>.) Brandon is a fellow Ohioan, and we even grew up in the same county. It was quite convenient that they came from their Texas home to Ohio when I was in the studio, and they had the time to stop by. Brandon played mandolin on "Sunday (That Pill)", and it sounds great. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/11db46b7750b102c0499dead74f95061685b8ad4/original/kenhall.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Hello there, Ken Hall. Normally, you can find him seated behind a piano, a task he performs in <a contents="Shrug" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://shrug.com/" target="_blank">Shrug</a> and <a contents="Human Cannonball" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://humancannonball.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Human Cannonball</a>. I invited him to play a little trombone. You can hear Ken play for about a second and a half on "Your Anthem", which is the first track on <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/ab8659ea9e191ba481eaf7d6bed3a8f3e7c1e26e/original/kent.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></em></p>
<p>This handsome fella is Kent Montgomery. He is the lead guitarist from <a contents="The New Old Fashioned" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://newoldfashionedmusic.com/" target="_blank">The New Old Fashioned</a>. He was kind enough to play guitar on "Never Let Go", "Won't Love You Anymore", "Run To You", and "Wapakoneta". That last song didn't make the album, but I will release it at some point. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/8c04fcbe0ee2e3bf9a23c68f8c23da29d81e1582/original/nathanpeters.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Here I am with Nathan Peters, who I've known over 20 years. You might recognize him as the lead singer and keyboardist from legendary Dayton band <a contents="Captain of Industry" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://captainofindustry1.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Captain of Industry</a>. These days, he fronts <a contents="Lioness" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://lionessdayton.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Lioness</a>. He was kind enough to come to the studio and play piano on "Goodbye". I wrote the song on piano, but I don't have the chops to give it the recorded performance that it deserves. Thanks to Nathan's work, it sounds so very good.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/bcd0d2e3d4d6e47b68428a5ca9fd816d4fa4b8a5/original/unclepatty.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>The most recent photo. January 23, 2020. As you can see from the wood floors and the walls, this photo was taken after the great Reel Love flood and subsequent remodel. (Scroll up to the first picture for the old school look of the main room in the studio.) This was my last day in the studio for work on the album. There was a mixing session after this, so the official end date was in February, but I didn't need to head down for that. Patrick's steady hand guided me through this process, as he has done so many times for so many other musicians. He has a fantastic ability to hear <strong>the song </strong>behind my low-quality home demos. I can tell him what I am trying to accomplish as far as the sound I hear in my head is concerned, and he can figure out how to get me there. This gentleman is a multi-instrumentalist, great singer, and true professional. </p>
<p>I hope you have enjoyed this brief photo journey through a year's worth of work. There are plenty of behind-the-scenes photos that I haven't even seen. I have 5 disposable cameras that came to the studio with me, and they are filled with photos. If you are curious as to what might be on them, they are available as one of the rewards on my Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund pressing <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions </em>to vinyl. <a contents="Why not head over to the campaign and help me press some vinyl?" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mikebankheadmusic/mike-bankhead-anxious-inventions-and-fictions-on-vinyl" target="_blank">Why not head over to the campaign and help me press some vinyl?</a></p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6261115
2020-03-30T09:05:29-04:00
2020-03-30T09:05:29-04:00
Songwriting Story - She Speaks in Metaphor
<p>This song is on my upcoming album, <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions.</em> It is the result of a songwriting exercise meant to combat writer's block... but strangely enough, I wasn't actually suffering from writer's block when I wrote this song. Let's set the scene... come to Nashville with me, to the CD Baby DIY Musician Conference in the summer of 2018.</p>
<p>One of the most useful sessions I attended was conducted by <a contents="Shane Adams" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://online.berklee.edu/faculty/shane-adams" target="_blank">Shane Adams</a>. This gentleman is on the faculty at Berklee Online. I had seen him speak the previous year, and he is humorous and engaging, energetic and open, and clearly quite knowledgeable. This year, he was talking about a proven method of defeating writer's block. At the time I sat through this seminar, I wasn't suffering from writer's block... I wasn't really trying to write songs at the conference... but in order to get the most out of the session, if there is an audience participation exercise, you need to participate.</p>
<p>I don't want to explain all of the things that were covered here, but let's briefly say that the method consisted of a series of letters. No, not the twenty-six characters that make up the English alphabet, the method of communication before email, telephones, and telegraphs. When I was much younger, I used to write letters often. I would write to my friends both here in Ohio, in other parts of the United States, and overseas. I couldn't even tell you how many scores of letters I've probably written. That being the case, I took to this exercise rather well.</p>
<p>The phrase "she speaks in metaphor" came out of this exercise. Wanna see? Here it is:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/429f47efc1929e6ab3830777d807dc9cdc0203ba/original/20200326-230953.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>At some point, I thought this would make an excellent song title. Once I decided that, I needed a musical approach. I decided to write this one on my bass instead of on the piano. Further, as the song title seemed to me at the time that it would lend itself to a rather complicated idea, I wanted to make the song simple, and I wanted the bass to carry it. For that reason, the verses consist of only one chord. A minor. That's it. The bass line that carries the verses is moving through several of the notes in the A minor scale. There is a bit more motion in the chorus parts as far as the harmony is concerned. That settled, I used the piano to help me pick out a melody. After I had a melody, then came the work to write lyrics to fit the melody and the theme.</p>
<p>This needed to be a rock song. Ok, not just rock. RAWK. To that end, I recruited one of the finest bass players in Dayton, Chirs Corn. (<a contents="He has other talents as well" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.cornphotography.com/about" target="_blank">He has other talents as well</a>.) He used to play in a very loud, chaotic, experimental, post-punk outfit called My Latex Brain... and in this band, he would surround himself and his bass with what seemed like a hundred different pedals, and make the bass sound like a legion of guitars. That's the sound I wanted on this song. I also recruited Thad Brittain for more high frequency guitar work. For the percussion end, I asked Brian Hoeflich to do his best <a contents="Jimmy Chamberlain" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I54NpQpR1hI" target="_blank">Jimmy Chamberlain</a> impersonation, and he obliged.</p>
<p>I am extremely pleased with the result. If my <a contents="Kickstarter campaign" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mikebankheadmusic/mike-bankhead-anxious-inventions-and-fictions-on-vinyl" target="_blank">Kickstarter campaign</a> is successful and we get vinyl pressed, you'll be able to find it as the first song on Side Two of the album. I can't wait for you to hear it.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6244674
2020-03-23T20:00:00-04:00
2020-07-12T14:55:11-04:00
Album update - Would you like to hear it on vinyl?
<p>February 17th, 2019. That was the first day of tracking for my second solo full-length album. A quick aside... it's awfully strange to call it a "solo" album, as I certainly couldn't have gotten it done without a great deal of help. Patrick Himes, the engineer/producer. Brian Hoeflich, professional drummer extraordinaire. The other guitarists, vocalists, pianists, violinists, etc who are on the album: Eli Alban, Dustin Booher, Blair Breitreiter, Thad Brittain, Chris Corn, Ken Hall, Kent Montgomery, David Payne, Nathan Peters, Tim Pritchard, TINO, Tod Weidner, Heather York. That's an awful lot of help for a "solo" album.</p>
<p>(I digress again. This doesn't count the folks who helped out on songs that didn't make the album, but that I still plan on releasing. I'll be thanking them all by name in the future, you can take it to the proverbial bank.)</p>
<p>Where was I? Oh yes. February 17th,2019. Notice how in that first paragraph, I wrote the words "gotten it done"? Yes, February 5, 2020 was the last mixing session. The album is tracked. The album is mixed. A release date is in the future. It is without a doubt my best work to date. Wanna know what it's called?</p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><span class="font_xl"><strong>Anxious Inventions & Fictions</strong></span></em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>That's a lyric from one of the songs. Would you like to hear it on vinyl? I would surely LOVE to press it to vinyl.</p>
<p>It turns out that you, yes<strong> you</strong>, can help to get this album pressed to vinyl. I am launching a <a contents="Kickstarter campaign" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mikebankheadmusic/mike-bankhead-anxious-inventions-and-fictions-on-vinyl" target="_blank">Kickstarter campaign</a> to offset the expense of pressing vinyl. It essentially functions as a pre-order... if you are interested in hearing my new album on vinyl, by all means, select a campaign reward that includes your very own copy of <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions.</em> There are a few different rewards that include the physical record. For one of the rewards, I'll list your name in the liner notes expressing my deep gratitude for all the world to see. I have five disposable cameras (remember those?) full of exclusive behind-the-scenes photos of the recording process... I haven't even seen these photos... those are possible rewards as well.</p>
<p>What if you don't have a turntable, but still want to help? Well, one of the rewards is for a digital download of the album. What if you just want to wait until the album is on Spotify or Pandora or Apple Music or YouTube? Well, if you would like to support the effort of getting the album pressed to vinyl for other folks out of the kindness of your heart, there is a donation level for that. Every little bit helps, you know.</p>
<p>Kickstarter is an all-or-nothing crowdfunding platform. If we reach the funding goal, then I'll be able to get <em>Anxious Inventions & Fictions</em> pressed to vinyl. If we do not reach the funding goal, nobody will be charged for any of the pre-orders, and the album will not be pressed to vinyl. </p>
<p>If you didn't already click on the link above to go to the Kickstarter campaign, <a contents="why not click it here to visit my pre-launch page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mikebankheadmusic/mike-bankhead-anxious-inventions-and-fictions-on-vinyl" target="_blank">why not click it here to visit my pre-launch page</a>? The campaign goes live on Wednesday, March 25. Please share with all of your music-loving friends. Let's press some records!!!</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6244654
2020-03-16T07:00:00-04:00
2020-03-16T07:05:07-04:00
On Dreams - Part 3
<p>Something about my dreams that I can't figure out... see, I have had dreams where I've come up with an entire movie plot. Usually I am a neutral observer watching everything happen, like a narrator. Sometimes I am the protagonist. None of these are happy movies. There is generally some kind of horrific tragedy, a great deal of tears, and sometimes complete dystopia. Kind of scary what my subconscious is trying to say.</p>
<p>As an aside, this is an old catchy song, but has anyone actually paid attention to the lyrics? I mean, I think they're kind of awful.</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="tbU3zdAgiX8" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/tbU3zdAgiX8/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tbU3zdAgiX8?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>I've always kind of wanted to write a novel. Maybe that's what my brain is doing while I sleep, trying to write a novel as best as it can with images?</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6243289
2020-03-09T21:56:45-04:00
2021-03-24T11:58:24-04:00
Concert Memories - Elbow in San Diego
<p>Usually, I write these concert memories posts about a show from at least a year ago, and this one just happened in January. However, it was such a fantastic couple of days that I couldn't help myself.</p>
<p>If perchance you have read my blog before, you know I <a contents="have seen Elbow live before" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/concert-memories-elbow-in-detroit" target="_blank">have seen Elbow live before</a>. You also know I love them very much, ever since <a contents="their first album" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/music-as-a-time-machine-part-3" target="_blank">their first album</a> came out. They released a new album recently, <em>Giants of All Sizes</em>, and are out playing shows to support it... as one does. They only scheduled four (4!) shows in the United States, and quite sadly for me, they were all on the West Coast. After careful consideration, I decided that this was something my wife and I could not miss, so we flew out to San Diego on a Friday.</p>
<p>San Diego. What a lovely city! Let's put that aside for the moment though. We land rather late, and we get to our hotel. We are in need of drinks and snacks, so we set out on foot to procure these things. While walking down one of the streets, I see a gentleman who bears a strong resemblance to Craig Potter. (Craig Potter plays keyboards and sings harmonies in Elbow.) As we get within a few meters of this gentleman, I say "Hey, you're Craig Potter." Call me captain obvious. Just a few steps behind him, well, there was lead singer and lyricist Guy Garvey. I had missed Craig's brother Mark, he was a bit ahead of them, and had managed to walk by us without me noticing. We had a very nice chat with the Elboys. (Pete was in the hotel trying to sleep off some of the jet lag.) </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/bffd0824a00b3927208d2c3ee5b889a3b2ef8623/original/20200117-231450-1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>If you're wondering if it was cool to meet them, I assure you that is most certainly was. My wife and I couldn't stop giggling about it the rest of the night.</p>
<p>You see, over in Europe, these guys are rock stars. They routinely sell out arenas. They play before thousands of people at festivals. They even played at the 2012 London Olympics. Now, here in the United States, yeah, not so much. For whatever reason, they aren't famous... which is fine, as it means they can walk through the streets of an American city without being mobbed. (Craig told me that he and his brother and Pete can usually walk around without being recognized, but Guy can hardly be outdoors without people noticing him.) The other benefit that we have in the United States to Elbow not being overwhelmingly popular is that they play rather small venues, which is really the best way to experience live music.</p>
<p>House of Blues. That's where they played in San Diego. It's a small room. The Internet tells me that the capacity there is 1000. Yeah, that's a small room. For you Ohioans, that's smaller than Newport Music Hall on High Street in Columbus, and it's smaller than Bogart's on Vine Street in Cincinnati. Yeah, that's a small room. That's where Elbow played. </p>
<p>We showed up early to queue for entry. We met some lovely people who also made a trek for the show. Cricket was the first person in line. She's quite ebullient, and is from Seattle. I don't even remember how many times she said she has seen Elbow, it was 14 or 15 or something insane. Cricket also coincidentally managed to pick the same hotel for her San Diego stay as the band did, and had breakfast with Guy Garvey that morning. We also met a wonderful couple from New York, the tastefully named Mike and his wife Christine, who were there with a local friend of theirs also named Christine. It became apparent that although the people who enjoy Elbow in the United States are not numerous, they tend to be passionate about the band and their music.</p>
<p>The show. The show was great. <a contents="Jesca Hoop opened" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://jescahoop.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Jesca Hoop opened</a>. She was wonderful. She also contributes some harmony vocals to the first track from <em>Giants of All Sizes</em>, so she came back out to sing those after her set. In case you are wondering what exactly Elbow played... well, here's a picture of their setlist, which California Christine was kind enough to let me take.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/26131d2e821d01837b0efc3f317a3fa8ee5d6c46/original/20200118-225127-1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's not every day you get to see some of your favorite musicians up close.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/69ba5feecf95f82098c1f25766270bda8ef97496/original/20200118-211320-1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/85498d928bfbfa965fd3ced7c5a7bc362d9ae936/original/20200118-213105-1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>After the show, we're hanging out and chatting with the folks around us... talking about how great the show was, talking about music in general. Our new acquaintances from New York tell us that the gentleman who is lead singer for<a contents=" The Verve Pipe" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNr1ouS1PP4" target="_blank"> The Verve Pipe</a> was in attendance, and how they had seen him and talked to him at a New York show. I asked to clarify... "you mean Brian Vander Ark is here"? See, I love his voice. <strong>Love. </strong> He's a <a contents="great songwriter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cazc3I5m9HI" target="_blank">great songwriter</a>, having written <a contents="one of my favorite songs of the entire nineties" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieTgVkbYWSs" target="_blank">one of my favorite songs of the entire nineties</a>. I also went to a few Verve Pipe shows back in the day. Christine was kind enough to introduce me. Again, being captain obvious, I start off by saying "so... I am told you're Brian Vander Ark".... I've really got to get better at opening lines when I meet a musician I respect. So, I officially meet Brian and his wife Luz. They came out for the show all the way from Michigan... and Brian was surprised that so many people flew such great lengths to see Elbow. (Once I learned he was there, I thought to myself that it made perfect sense. As the kids say, game recognize game.)</p>
<p>All told, yeah, a pretty great weekend.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6097511
2020-01-13T22:15:44-05:00
2020-11-05T11:52:29-05:00
On Dreams - Part 2
<p>Sometimes people show up in my dreams who I don't necessarily think about every day. These are not always actual people, occasionally they are fictional. For instance, I have had dreams where Jimmy keeps on complaining about only getting the one take of this song:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="GZK0TGmx5HQ" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/GZK0TGmx5HQ/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GZK0TGmx5HQ?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's a B-side, so no big deal, but he's kind of hard to reason with.</p>
<p>My brother shows up in my dreams fairly often, which is odd because he died in December 1998. Sometimes he is the same age he was then. Sometimes he is bald and wrinkled, which would seem to indicate he managed to age faster than me. At any rate, he's not exactly on my mind daily, except for maybe in my subconscious.</p>
<p>Other folks who make recurring cameos: random teachers from junior high and high school, musicians, Tom Glavine, Jesse Owens, and that crooked cop from Casablanca.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6062907
2020-01-06T07:00:00-05:00
2020-01-06T07:14:50-05:00
Favorite albums of 2019
<p>So, if you post this kind of a list after everyone else has already posted theirs, folks might actually pay attention to it? Yes? No? At any rate, here are my favorites, in narrative order (not so much in order of which I like more or less):</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/50ece09718fa59c802b1d9fa310a417d2057a437/original/easyisthenewhard.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Shrug</strong> - <em>Easy is the New Hard </em></p>
<p>Shrug are stalwarts of the Dayton music scene, having been around for 25 years. This is their first album to be released on vinyl, and as if that’s not enough, it’s a double. Some of the songs on the track list that showed up in their sets 15 years ago (“New Amsterdam” and “Bender” being the oldest if memory serves) coexist beautifully with new music that didn’t get played live until the album release show (“Powder” and “Follow the Captain”). The result is probably the best, most eclectic work of their tenure, and certainly my favorite since 2002’s self-titled release. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite Songs: “Powder”, “New Amsterdam”, “Follow the Captain”, “Blue Blanket” </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/2df52570efdd024843d3200c8cb9f36d9387c452/original/thecenterwonthold.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Sleater-Kinney</strong> - <em>The Center Won’t Hold </em></p>
<p>About the same time that Shrug was getting going here in Dayton, this band started up in Olympia, Washington. This is their 9th album, and it heads off in a different sonic direction from everything else in their catalog. This new direction cost them the powerful services of drummer Janet Weiss, as she departed the band just before they went on tour to support the album. There is synth here, extra slick production, and pop sensibility, but it still sounds like a Sleater-Kinney album. That’s enough for me. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite Songs: “Reach Out”, “Bad Dance” </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Big Wreck</strong> - <em>... but for the sun </em></p>
<p>Here’s a third band that formed in 1994. Ian Thornley’s voice is the closest I have ever heard to Chris Cornell’s, and it’s still as powerful now as it was when I first discovered this band. If you enjoyed Soundgarden in the past, I think you would like Big Wreck as well. This new effort is a big, loud, swaggering rock and roll record. You want guitar solos? There are plenty of them here. You want riffage? There is plenty of that here. You like shouting along whilst driving? These songs are perfect for that. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite Songs: “In My Head”, “Give Us a Smile”, “Alibi” </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/3470ee2d82feffd0a2e2bd23c205df02c474c465/original/sweatingtheplague.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Guided By Voices</strong> - <em>Sweating the Plague </em></p>
<p>How about a band that was already more than ten years old in 1994? Indie rock royals Guided By Voices released three albums this year, because of course they did. This is the last of the three. I have had a hard time keeping up on all of Bob Pollard’s music over the years, and would only consider myself somewhat well-versed on the albums that came out between 1994 and 2004. With that caveat in mind, this album isn’t what I was expecting. I heard tempo changes, a brief Boston-esque lead guitar harmony, a song that starts a capella, all paired up with the usual amount of fantastic hooks. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite Songs: “Street Party”, “Your Cricket Is Rather Unique”, “Immortals” </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Elbow</strong> - <em>Giants of All Sizes </em></p>
<p>Apologies to Oasis, but Elbow are now my favo(u)rite Manchester band. This is their 8th studio album. Lyrically, it’s darker than what we normally get from them, but personal tragedies and these modern times will have that effect. Guy Garvey’s pristine voice, the band’s orchestral use of dynamics, and at least one song with massive audience sing-along potential on the hook… those things are still here. Also, Pete Turner continues to bring interesting choices to the bottom end, along with solid grooves from which most of the other instruments hang. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite Songs: “Empires”, “White Noise White Heat”, “Weightless” </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Idlewild</strong> - <em>Interview Music </em></p>
<p>Let’s stay on the island of Great Britain for a moment, but head up north to Scotland. I have five of this band’s first six albums on CD (I don’t have the first one). There was a time when I would listen to something from Idlewild just about every day. Somewhere around 2008, I completely lost track of them. It wasn’t them, it was me. I’ve missed a couple of their albums, and nearly missed this one, only having discovered that it came out in 2019 in December. Other than the vocals (not the high ones), this doesn’t sound like the Idlewild I remember… there are plenty of atmospheric additions here, strings and reverb-drenched guitar and piano, and it’s all quite lovely. I need to spend more time with this album, but I know that I’ll like it more with each listen. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite Songs: “Dream Variations”, “I Almost Didn’t Notice”, “Forever New” </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>The Cranberries</strong> - <em>In the End </em></p>
<p>A short hop West across the Irish Sea brings us to the home of The Cranberries. This mention is kind of like a career achievement mention, as the band decided not to continue after frontwoman Dolores O’Riordan died in January 2018. This is their final album, released this year. The vocals come from demos instead of normal studio takes, but if I hadn’t read that online, I wouldn’t have known. Some of the music would easily fit in among the songs on their first two albums. I feel like most folks probably don’t know this band beyond their hit singles, and that’s too bad, there is some songwriting brilliance in their career, and this is a satisfying final statement. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite Songs: “Lost”, “Wake Me When It’s Over”, “Illusion”, “In the End” </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/8ea5369ae9341d9a0e5b9228c7828b13123769d0/original/youngenough.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Charly Bliss</strong> - <em>Young Enough</em> </p>
<p>Back much farther West across the Atlantic, Brooklyn’s Charly Bliss dropped their second full-length album this year. Full disclosure, I really wanted to like this album because I have met the members of this band, and they were pleasant and engaging young folks. I like them as people. (They also put on a very energetic live show.) My first couple of listens to this album, well, I wasn’t enthused… lots of synth, some drum machine sounds, the guitars and rock had taken a back seat to sugary pop. Then I paid attention to the lyrics, listened closer to the songwriting, and focused on the harmonic choices. These songs are painfully confessional and personal, and I wonder how Eva manages to sing them on tour night after night without bursting into tears. Further, this band’s gift for arrangement and hooks persists behind the pop sheen… and these songs sound excellent live, right alongside their older guitar-heavy work. Go get this album. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite Songs: “Capacity”, “Camera”, “Young Enough”, “Chatroom” </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/0df4ca1c4ed8b963766f789b7254a004a9745ab1/original/youlooklikedubuc.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>John Dubuc’s Guilty Pleasures</strong> - <em>Where Have I Been All Your Life? </em></p>
<p>Don’t let John Dubuc’s “aw shucks”, self-effacing demeanor fool you. He is one of the best songwriters in Dayton. His lyrics oscillate between witty and silly, pointless and profound. He doesn’t feel the need to be constrained by the idea of genre, as there are sounds borrowed from reggae and country and fifties rock and power pop and folk. Several songs from this album will absolutely get stuck in your head. You have been warned.</p>
<ul> <li>Favorite Songs: “It Ain’t That Far”, “Crazy Days”, “By the Ocean”, “Peace Love and Hamburger Helper” </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/2d245679e4e24873af4dc749dd88fa87f4876e78/original/memountaingsdream.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Me & Mountains</strong> - <em>Dream Sequence Volume One</em> </p>
<p>This a very brief EP, so I feel like my comments here have to also be very brief. I love everything this band does, their sound is right up my alley, and I want them to give me more music ASAP. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite Song: “Demolish Me” </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/5aabb292cd59bb52d6f34912fd86776d59c44a5d/original/papertrailhargett.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Amber Hargett</strong> - <em>Paper Trail </em></p>
<p>Amber is lovely and genuine and sweet, comes armed with a powerful voice and a knack for songwriting, and once told a story that will ensure I never look at a submarine hatch the same way again. Oh, and her album is great. </p>
<ul> <li>Favorite Song: "Church Mouse", but that isn't on this albums, so let's go with “Broke”, “Carolina Blue”, “Stay” </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/6049616
2019-12-30T07:00:00-05:00
2019-12-30T07:12:14-05:00
On Dreams - Part 1
<p>I suffer from terrible insomnia. Unless I am really jet lagged or physically worn out, getting to sleep is a struggle. Simply, I can't turn my brain off. I think about this, about that, about things that matter, about things that really don't matter, over and over and over and over. When I am eventually able to sleep, my brain keeps right on churning. Enter dreams.</p>
<p>You might think this topic is just an excuse to reference songs about dreams... and well, you wouldn't be 100% wrong...</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="1OHXEa7K0NA" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/1OHXEa7K0NA/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1OHXEa7K0NA?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Let's keep this first installment musical. Sometimes, I dream lyrics. Here are some that I wrote down after waking up at a crazy early hour:</p>
<p><em>wrap me up in the rabble of the crowd that's had enough</em></p>
<p>I have no idea what that means. I am certain there were other words around these, but when I woke up in that not-quite-coherent state, these are the only ones I could focus on enough to actually write down. Good enough to keep, yes. Good enough to write around, maybe. Maybe another dream will bring me more lyrics to finish out this idea.</p>
<p>Sometimes I dream complete songs. I mean, completely written and arranged. Intro, verse, chorus, bridge, chord progressions, cool bass lines. The conscious version of me who is typing this blog entry right now wonders how many of these are just popular songs that we all know, but recycled. There is a part of me that thinks there might actually be something in there though. Sadly, I generally never remember enough of the music upon waking to do anything with it... I say "generally", because there is an exception. It's a song that is now called "Never Let Go". I'll hold back additional commentary on that for a future blog post.</p>
<p>When I think about this further, I think that I might actually write better songs in my sleep than I do when I'm awake. Yeah, that sounds like a pithy hyperbole, but I am afraid it may be true. That part of me that is overly self-critical, the part of me that never thinks anything is ever good enough, the part of me that writes with chord charts handy... those parts aren't there when I'm sleeping. Maybe the music I hear in my dreams is where my true creativity is?</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5950243
2019-11-11T08:01:48-05:00
2019-11-11T08:01:48-05:00
Ohio Spotlight - Lydia Loveless
<p>For three reasons, the subject of this Ohio Spotlight would probably surprise people that know me. First, much of the music is country or country-adjacent, and that's not a genre I particularly enjoy. (More on this later.) Second, Lydia no longer lives in Ohio, having left us for North Carolina, and unlike <a contents="Orville and Wilbur" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_brothers" target="_blank">Orville and Wilbur</a>, her relationship with North Carolina does not appear to be solely for dunes and wind. Third, she is famous. Well, maybe not the kind of famous that means she can't leave her home for fear of paparazzi, but famous enough to have been the <a contents="subject of a documentary" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.whoislydialoveless.com/" target="_blank">subject of a documentary</a>, and successful enough of a musician to have been on <a contents="Tiny Desk" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XyKhTwk9X8" target="_blank">Tiny Desk</a>. If these are thoughts you might have had, I assure you that I get it... but when I first discovered the music of Lydia Loveless, she still lived in Ohio,... also, my blog, my rules, yes?</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/3569893fd290ca6d85f360bfcb91cd46facd9a44/original/lydia-loveless2-wide-b7622a6b58d14297937565e2ad11cff0e8047430-s800-c85.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>The first <a contents="Lydia Loveless" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.lydialoveless.com/" target="_blank">Lydia Loveless</a> song I heard was <a contents='"Same to You"' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRVeXIxq0bs" target="_blank">"Same to You"</a>. Doctor Jipson played it on his <a contents="Tuesday show" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://yourtuesdayafternoonalternative.com/" target="_blank">Tuesday show</a> on WUDR. I think everyone can probably guess what I noticed first... yes, the bass. Before the vocal starts, in the instrumental vamp intro, that bass line moves around and the groove had me right away. Then the loud/quiet dynamics of the verse and chorus... the big voice... the harmony vocals in the chorus... the interesting panning of the electric guitars. One listen, and this song blew me away. I remember not having any idea who this was... but thanks to Dr. J's habit of tweeting about the songs he is playing, I quickly found out. (Keep that up Dr. J!) "Same to You" was the lead single from the 2016 album <em>Real.</em> I loved this song so much, listened to it nearly on repeat for a few days... also enjoyed the rest of the album. I never got a chance to see the band live, but you know, there are plenty of good examples on YouTube. <a contents="Here's one" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZbz6UXSbr0" target="_blank">Here's one</a>. How great is that performance? </p>
<p>Does that sound like a country song to you? Me neither. This song was very much right up my alley... so much so, that I started digging into Lydia's earlier albums... and yep, there's a lot of country there, and it was surprising to me. I did end up listening to her entire catalog, but <em>Real</em> ended up being my favorite collection of songs. That said, genre aside, there is some great songwriting on all of her albums. (Also, how many country artists write love songs using <a contents="19th century French poets" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3WysL-iLJg" target="_blank">19th century French poets</a> as a point of reference?)</p>
<p>Back to "Same to You" briefly... and we'll use this as an example of why I feel like I have a great deal to learn from Lydia Loveless, and also why I feel like we have a great deal in common as songwriters. <a contents="Check out this solo performance" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_EkRNAjCU8" target="_blank">Check out this solo performance</a>. The verse is only two chords. For the full band version, that gets kind of obscured in all the cool stuff going on... but this... with just an acoustic guitar and that powerful voice... this is how the song was probably born. Simple song, but outstanding lyrics, the bridge is in a perfect spot and does a perfect thing, and the melody is brilliant. Now, I don't play guitar, and I don't have that voice of course, but I write on a piano with the end goal in mind of having full-band renditions of my songs, so there are many things I can learn from Lydia's approach. Craft your lyrics. Craft your melody. Simple is ok. Pay attention to arrangement. Write from the heart. (Another thing we have in common is we both love Chris Cornell's <em>Euphoria Mourning</em> album, which was the subject of an <a contents="earlier blog entry" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/music-as-a-time-machine-part-2" target="_blank">earlier blog entry</a>.)</p>
<p>Go listen to this songwriter's music. If you enjoy country music, maybe start with <em>The Only Man </em>or <i>Indestructible Machine</i> and work your way forward through her catalog. If not, start with <em>Real</em>, which is where I started. </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5949697
2019-11-04T21:53:37-05:00
2019-11-04T21:53:37-05:00
Music as a Time Machine - Part 5
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/5c8f7605f06e9c3983a4e7f05e4e315b5a4eeaae/original/forsquirrelsexample.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>For Squirrels - <em>Example</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>This album came out while I was in high school. I loved the <a contents="lead single" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBbl3RpgNN4" target="_blank">lead single</a>, and remember watching its video quite a bit on MTV, but by the time I got my hands on the album and listened to the entire thing, there were six or seven songs I liked even more. Front to back, this is an album I always loved. </p>
<p>Tragically, a van accident killed the lead singer and bass player shortly before this album was released, so this band remains rather obscure. I remember in my early twenties always being surprised when I would meet someone who also had this album. Usually, if someone had it, they were just about as enthusiastic about it as I was.</p>
<p><em>Example</em> reminds me of my youth, gone many years ago. It reminds me of longtime friends, many of whom are gone in different ways. It reminds me of driving down 35 or 270 or 33 to go hang out. It makes me wish I could write a song that makes someone feel the way that <a contents='"Disenchanted"' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNfTPNgJxQY" target="_blank">"Disenchanted"</a> still makes me feel all these years later. It makes me wish I could write something with the brilliant simplicity of <a contents='"Eskimo Sandune"' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zD2begiZRg" target="_blank">"Eskimo Sandune"</a>.</p>
<p>Also, these lyrics from "Under Smithville" have taken on different meaning for me than they did back in the day:</p>
<p>"And I've been feeling so old / Tell me now who you think I am"</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5943044
2019-10-29T17:56:46-04:00
2020-06-28T21:54:57-04:00
Songwriting Story - the five songs on Defacing The Moon
<p>What's this? It's not Monday. Yes, I'm a day late. I got sick on Sunday with the beginnings of a nasty cold, and it hit me full bore yesterday. Ok, with that out of the way, welcome to a "Songwriting Story" edition of my blog... oh, but there is a twist.</p>
<p>I want to tell you the stories behind the songs on <em>Defacing the Moon</em>, which is the split album out on <a contents="Local Music Day" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.localmusicday.com/release/mike-bankhead-paint-splats-defacing-the-moon-split/" target="_blank">Local Music Day</a> from me and <a contents="The Paint Splats" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://thepaintsplats.com/" target="_blank">The Paint Splats</a>. However, I wrote five of the songs on this split album. That would be an awfully long blog entry, and even the three people that read this every week probably aren't going to sign up for several thousand words, right? </p>
<p>Here is what I will do... I will verbally tell you stories about writing these songs. In fact, I will do one song a day beginning with Monday 4th November. That day, by the time the evening of Friday the 8th rolls around (this is the +1 bonus day for "Local Music Day), you'll have a story for all five songs. I'm going to use my <a contents="Instagram page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/mikebankheadmusic/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram page</a> to do this, specifically the stories section. If you're not following me over there, please do so. You can click the link in the previous sentence, or the one at the bottom of the screen on my website here.</p>
<p>To quote a Mel Brooks movie, "Everybody got that? Good."</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5934281
2019-10-21T19:45:52-04:00
2020-11-05T11:52:47-05:00
5 in 5 Song Challenge... Take 2
<p>In order to give you a peek behind the curtain at my songwriting process, I'd like to tell you about my second attempt at the 5 in 5 Song Challenge. I have written about this challenge in a <a contents="previous blog entry" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/5-in-5-song-challenge" target="_blank">previous blog entry</a>, so this time, I'll skip explaining the big idea and get straight to the songs.</p>
<p><strong>Day 1, 14th October 2019.</strong> Prompt was to use at least five of these ten words: creek, orange, cider, make, gather, cotton, oak, spinning, poured, without. Amplifier bonus (which I don't recall being part of the challenge the last time I participated) was to use the chord progression Dbm, Fm, Eb7.</p>
<p>I'm proud of what I managed to write for this one. I started with the chord progression, as I figured that would be the hardest part. It was. If you're not a musician, let me tell you that those three chords are kind of creepy and ominous sounding when used in sequence. I structured my verses for the song around them, and managed to use all ten (!) of the words, which I believe is a first for me. Here's the thing... using those specific words, but making it seem natural and not forced... that was tough. All told, there is one part here that I will re-write. I didn't like the melody I used in the bridge, so will go back to work on that. Other than that, I think the rest of the song will stay as-is, and I'll be adding it to my live repertoire next month. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Day 2, 15th October 2019. </strong>Prompt was to use the following idea as a starting point: It has to come to an end, before it can begin. What is it? (If that sounds to you like something Seneca might have said, well, you're not the only person who thought so.) Amplifier bonus was to use a minor 4 chord.</p>
<p>For this one, I did not write fresh lyrics. Rather, I used lyrics from my <a contents="collaborator, Ruth" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/we-met-in-paris" target="_blank">collaborator, Ruth</a>. She had lyrics that needed music, and when I saw the prompt, I remembered these specific ones, as I thought they fit. Lyrics in hand, I wrote the music, which I found to be rather easy this time. I mostly write in minor keys, and if you write in a minor key, your 4 chord is automatically minor. Easy as pie. From reading some of the comments in the group, I might be the only person who understood the amplifier this way, as a few folks asked for clarification, and the clarification was to take a major 4 chord and change it to minor... but that's not what the prompt said. Maybe the default assumption is that people only write in major keys? </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Day 3, 16th October 2019. </strong>Prompt was to use "Harvest Moon" as a song title. Ick. Amplifier bonus is to write in a key you're not comfortable in. </p>
<p>Well, I'm not really comfortable in any key that requires me to use more than just the white keys on a piano. I'm not a competent pianist by any means, so I feel all warm and fuzzy writing in A minor. For this one, I wrote the song on bass instead of piano... and I wrote the verses in G minor, but the chorus in B flat major. I leaned toward snarky and humorous for the lyrical content. I think this song is the best one I wrote all week, and I plan to record it next year and get it ready to release in time for fall. I'll be playing it in public starting next month.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Day 4, 17th October 2019. </strong>Prompt was to use at least five of ten given words. Now, I don't have the complete word list (oops), but here are the ones that I used: older, settle, calling, pocket, strong, resist. That's six. Amplifier bonus was to use this chord progression: F, G, Cmaj7, Am.</p>
<p>That chord progression basically told me to write the song in A minor, which as I mentioned above, is my warm & fuzzy key. Ok. I wasn't too thrilled with the list of words, but no matter, I got to work. I used the fantastic closer from the album <em>The Blinding White Of Nothing At All, </em><a contents='"All You Really Want Is Love"' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://theleesofmemory.bandcamp.com/track/all-you-really-want-is-love" target="_blank">"All You Really Want Is Love</a>", as inspiration. The main songwriter, John Davis, is a strong influence on my songwriting. Now, the song in question (please listen to it) sounds like it was written in a major key, and I wasn't about to do that, but I did write the B part of the song to have a slight major key feel. I wrote it in second person. I also followed a similar structure. A B A B outro. </p>
<p>I wanted to write a song that I love as much as I love most everything on that record, and I fell short of that goal. However, I like what I came up with enough to add it to my live setlist starting next month. It needs some light editing, but there is potential here. I also feel that this is a good song for We Met In Paris, so I sent it over to Ruth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Day 5, 18th October 2019. </strong>Prompt was to use the following idea as a starting point: she is strong as an old fallen tree, but hollow inside. Amplifier bonus was to change key during the song.</p>
<p>This time, let's start with my overall goal. I wanted to write a <a contents="Guided By Voices" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.guidedbyvoices.com/" target="_blank">Guided By Voices</a> style song. I did that just a little bit on one of the songs from the last time I did this challenge, and after editing, it ended up being called "Huns of Doubt", and <a contents="you will be able to get your hands on it soon." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.localmusicday.com/release/mike-bankhead-paint-splats-defacing-the-moon-split/" target="_blank">you will be able to get your hands on it soon.</a> This time though, I didn't want to use any non-sequitur chords or a crazy time signature.</p>
<p>Beyond GBV, I think of the Wright Brothers and aviation when I think of Dayton. Transportation terms popped into my head. I thought about calling it "Propeller", but that's the name of an early GBV album, so no, can't do that. I thought about the airplane imagery in some of their songs and album artwork... then I decided to call the song "Submarine". Boats are called "she" by sailors, right? Submarines are strong, and hollow inside. Ok, title achieved. For the lyrics, I used terminology related to submarines as a metaphor for a break up.</p>
<p>Musically, well, doing a key change is not new to me. For Prompt 2 during this challenge, I wrote the verses in minor and the chorus in major. If you remember "Harvest Moon", I used relative minor/major keys. For this one though, I did something I've never done before... I just moved the entire thing a whole step up. I tried to be clever doing this... I have some harmony vocals in it, and one of the harmony vocal lines, I keep it droning on the same note, before AND after the key change. I think there is some potential here, and I might go to the studio with it next year sometime.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Summary. Five days, five songs. Three songs added to my live rotation, just as soon as I learn them well enough to play them from memory. All of the songs will need to undergo a little bit of editing, but I don't foresee a major re-write on any of them. I felt more comfortable doing this challenge than the previous one. It would seem that all of the songwriting work I have been doing is paying off... I'm getting better at my craft. That said, there is always always always room for improvement, and I'll probably jump on future challenges like this in an effort to do just that.</p>
<p>If you would like to hear these songs, I encourage you to sign up for my mailing list on the homepage of this website. At some point, I'll be sending them as gifts to the folks who are subscribed.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5925511
2019-10-14T07:30:00-04:00
2019-10-14T07:30:32-04:00
Music as a Time Machine - Part 4
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/7ddeba9237a9a33629da6a3018a3adbf4d5a4c4d/original/cooleyhigh.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Boyz II Men - <em>Cooleyhighharmony</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>This album came out in 1991. I was in junior high school. I remember that you couldn't get away from the two hit singles on this record. The more upbeat of them, "Motownphilly", had a video that was on MTV all of the time... you know, back when MTV played videos. Four young black men, well-dressed, and singing some tight harmonies over a hip hop beat. I don't remember having heard anything like it. The other ubiquitous single, "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday", was sung a cappella in four part harmony, with finger snaps being the only percussion. I didn't know at the time that this was a cover. What a fantastic choice to do a rendition of this song like this and put it on the album. Maybe the album doesn't go nine times platinum without this song.</p>
<p>To do my due diligence for this blog post, I went back and listened to this album again. It sounds very much of the time period from where it came, but it still sounds good. </p>
<p>Those of you who remember this album might think that I have forgotten to mention "End of the Road", which was another single that you couldn't escape from hearing. Well, it wasn't originally on this album. It was a single produced for a movie soundtrack, and it did so well, that the label put it on the re-issue of <em>Cooleyhighharmony</em> that came out in 1993. (The re-issue contains a fantastic a cappella rendition of "In the Still of the Night", and I remember wishing I could sing like that. I mean, check out the <a contents="glory of the nineties in this video" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQG37mzhv4w" target="_blank">glory of the nineties in this video</a>.)</p>
<p>Listening these songs again takes me back to wandering the halls of Central Junior High. I am also reminded of my younger brother, who loved this group and this album.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5918945
2019-10-07T22:38:05-04:00
2020-10-10T16:16:17-04:00
Concert Review - Dayton Music Fest, 20th & 21st September 2019
<p>On the heels of <a contents="the Breeders show" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/concert-review-the-breeders-at-levitt-pavilion-20th-september-2019" target="_blank">the Breeders show</a> came Dayton Music Fest. This is an annual music event mostly featuring bands from the Dayton orbit, but also including some touring artists. Nathan Peters put together a great lineup of talent representing different genres. I saw lots of great music, including <a contents="a group I wrote about last week" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/ohio-spotlight-moira" target="_blank">a group I wrote about last week</a>, and I don't want this post to be several thousand words, so I won't tell you about <em>everything</em> I saw. How about three things? That's a nice, easily digestible number, yes?</p>
<p>Let's start with The Mulchmen.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/a5cd235c3da2d9c0ffea5d68b6e5804229c81211/original/20190921-232645-1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>This is a surf-rock band, and their pieces don't have lyrics. (I find that I can't bring myself to call them "songs" if there isn't any singing.) Many years ago, I heard their music on the radio on a local music show, but never got a chance to see them play. Their drummer, a very beloved and respected musician in Dayton, passed away... this is over twenty years ago. When I learned that Nick Kizirnis would have The Mulchmen make their glorious return on the Dayton Music Fest bill, well, I was all in. Lots of other folks were all in as well, this was the biggest crowd I observed at Yellow Cab on the evening.</p>
<p>That's Jim MacPherson filling in on drums in the picture there. If you can't see it from the bass drum, you might recognize him from <a contents="another Dayton band" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://thebreedersmusic.com/" target="_blank">another Dayton band</a>.</p>
<p>Ok, moving on. How about some fake news?</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/887679af841c227ba6c417df5c6e0674a21a3234/original/20190921-202905-1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Specifically <a contents="Seth Gilliam and the Fake News" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.magnaphonerecords.com/seth-gilliam" target="_blank">Seth Gilliam and the Fake News</a>. This was only my second time catching one of their sets, and I didn't even catch the whole set. (This is a hazard of Dayton Music Fest... there is so much good music spread across multiple venues, so there is no way to see all of it.) Their songs are well-executed and played with enthusiasm. If you want a sample, <a contents="they have a music video" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/rSOPb0KLtIg" target="_blank">they have a music video</a>, but it's a little frightening.</p>
<p>On to my personal favorite part of the weekend... the return of Captain of Industry.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/f4ffa1879fea9924234fdd50aafabaf0ea74b3a7/original/20190922-014156-1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>This is one of my favorite music groups of all time. It's just a bonus that they're from here. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you might remember me writing about them <a contents="in the first Ohio Spotlight post" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/ohio-spotlight-captain-of-industry" target="_blank">in the first Ohio Spotlight post</a>.</p>
<p>For this show, they brought some additional firepower. Joseph Remnant came all the way from the West Coast to play some rhythm guitar and sing some harmonies. (Those of us who have followed this band for awhile remember when he served as the bass player for a bit.) You can't see him, but Tim Krug is way in the back there on your left (stage right) beside the drummer, making additional keyboard noises. We got a six-piece Captain Of Industry. You can only see one of Kevin Oldfield's arms, but I assure you that both of them worked just fine, and he brought his typical Johnny Greenwood-esque fireworks. You also can't see John Lakes holding it down in the back, but we could all hear him nail those interesting drum parts and sweet sweet harmony vocals. </p>
<p>They played songs across their entire discography, and although their set was cut short because they took the stage late, everything they played was spot-on. It's like they never left. <br> </p>
<p>Dayton Music Fest. Two days of music for only 20 dollars. Hard to find a better deal than that.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5910875
2019-09-30T19:41:03-04:00
2019-09-30T19:41:03-04:00
Ohio Spotlight - MOIRA
<p><a contents="MOIRA" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.moiraband.com/" target="_blank">MOIRA</a> is Aaron Hardy, Alicia Grodecki, and Patrick Hague, if you list them alphabetically by first name. These are three musicians whose relative youth belies their experience. Punk, metal, pop, extensive touring... these are the things you'll find as you look into their past. All of that experience combines to produce art that is greater than the sum of its parts.</p>
<p>Inventive rhythms from Patrick behind the drum kit, including the occasional drum pad being triggered. Thick synth and sturdy bass lines from Aaron, on the audience's right. More synth, Rhodes, and vocals that oscillate between delicate and strong from Alicia, over there on the left. Songs that are carefully constructed and given time and space to develop, to breathe, to surround you. </p>
<p>MOIRA is one of my favorite artists around these parts right now, and the only thing I would ask of them is to get us more records. Please.</p>
<p>Their first EP, <em><a contents="Asleep/Repeat/Awake" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://moirabandofficial.bandcamp.com/album/asleep-repeat-awake-ep" target="_blank">Asleep/Repeat/Awake</a>, </em>came out in 2015. <a contents="They have some new songs that just came out a couple of weeks ago." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://moirabandofficial.bandcamp.com/album/demons-daisies" target="_blank">They have a brand new release that just came out a couple of weeks ago.</a></p>
<p>You can catch them playing shows around Dayton, and also around the Midwest. If you haven't gotten a chance to see them yet, and wonder what they are like live, well, I recommend their excellent performance at the Paste Magazine studios in New York. <a contents="Watch it here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2019/08/moira-full-session.html" target="_blank">Watch it here</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5902766
2019-09-23T20:07:51-04:00
2021-10-26T11:53:03-04:00
Concert Review - The Breeders at Levitt Pavilion, 20th September 2019
<p>It occurs to me that this blog post would certainly fit in my Ohio Spotlight category, as well as under the Concert Review category.</p>
<p><a contents="Levitt Pavilion" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://levittdayton.org/" target="_blank">Levitt Pavilion</a> is a open air concert space in the heart of downtown Dayton. Think of it like a very small amphitheater... there is a stage, a small area in the front with concrete, and a large grassy lawn that extends outward and upward from those first two areas. This space has 50 free concerts each year, in an effort to build community through art. Their schedule of artists is diverse, with all sorts of genres represented. I am fairly certain that the most recent show this past Saturday was the highest attended they have had, as thousands of people packed the lawn and even overflow areas in the back.</p>
<p><a contents="The Breeders are the reason for the crowd" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://thebreedersmusic.com/" target="_blank">The Breeders are the reason for the crowd</a>. They were introduced to the crowd as "platinum recording artist, The Breeders". This is a rock band with albums that have received high critical acclaim. One of the albums contained a single whose <a contents="video" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxvkI9MTQw4" target="_blank">video</a> was in heavy rotation on MTV, back when MTV still played music videos. The Breeders went on the road with Nirvana for multiple tours, and have played all over the world. They are from Dayton, Ohio. One could consider this a homecoming show.</p>
<p>This was my first experience seeing The Breeders live. Back when you could catch them in the friendly confines of Canal Street Tavern, I wasn't into local music yet and was too young to be going to shows.</p>
<p><a contents="You can check the show setlist here, but I'll mention a few songs that were personal highlights for me." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-breeders/2019/levitt-pavilion-dayton-oh-4b9cc31a.html" target="_blank">You can check the show setlist here, but I'll mention a few songs that were personal highlights for me.</a></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/57c039c0644708e01fb0874f58db90063a7abab9/original/20190920-191502-1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>The Breeders opened the show with <a contents='"Saints"' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29DKkmZMTlk" target="_blank">"Saints"</a>, which is my favorite song from their second full-length album, <em>The Last Splash. </em>The second song was <a contents='"Wait in the Car"' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i76b0OrdIQ" target="_blank">"Wait in the Car"</a> from the 2018 album <em>All Nerve.</em> After briefly basking in the raucous applause, Kim Deal acknowledged that the band is from Dayton, and then mentioned that there are some <a contents="other bands from this town" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.guidedbyvoices.com/" target="_blank">other bands from this town</a>... and then they fired off their GBV cover, <a contents='"Shocker in Gloomtown"' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glAeyRcWyso" target="_blank">"Shocker in Gloomtown"</a>.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/eca104e4fa8d8a89f6abb30b0fff4803ef4c5927/original/20190920-195430-2.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Daylight turned into twilight, and twilight gave way to dark. During this time, The Breeders played all of "the hits", and many other songs from across their catalog. They gleefully engaged in banter with the audience, which contained many of their friends and family members. Kelley said "I was born right over there", before looking around to get her bearings, and then pointing in the direction of Miami Valley Hospital. Both the Deal sisters and Jimmy Mac name checked several Dayton suburbs and neighborhoods before closing the main set with a song that was specifically for <a contents="Tipp City" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kaUaUeMNvY" target="_blank">Tipp City</a>.</p>
<p>Personally for me, a bass player, the evening ended the only way it could... with Kim Deal playing bass on a song she wrote while with Pixies. The set closer was "Gigantic". When I was first learning to play my instrument, I spent a lot of time with Pixies albums, trying to learn Kim's beautifully simple bass lines.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/c8f7c7917d2f359275e5b7df6c572f098fc1b8fd/original/20190920-202756-1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>After the final song, the band said their goodbyes, and again expressed their thanks at such a large turnout. Kelley made her way to the front of the stage, shaking hands and giving high fives to the folks in the front ranks, many of whom seemed to be friends. Jim encouraged the crowd to further support local music by heading a few blocks East to attend the first night of Dayton Music Fest (where he would be playing the following night during the triumphant return of The Mulchmen). The band surely received "a big big love" from the community. I was thinking that this was exactly what someone had in mind when making Levitt Pavilion a reality.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5894374
2019-09-16T20:50:23-04:00
2020-10-08T14:03:32-04:00
September 2019 album progress update
<p>I've been working hard in the studio, supported by Patrick Himes and a rotating cast of other Dayton musicians. <a contents=" I've already mentioned that I have a split album coming out on Local Music Day." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.localmusicday.com/release/mike-bankhead-paint-splats-defacing-the-moon-split/" target="_blank"> I've already mentioned that I have a split album coming out on Local Music Day.</a> I have five songs on that compact disc. That left 20 songs.</p>
<p>20 is a lot of songs. From that group, I've decided not to do any tracking at the moment on 3 of them. I either want to give more consideration to the arrangement (looking at you, "Podiacide") or try to improve the lyrics (this means you, "Let's Go"), or perhaps even do a complete re-write (this could be you, "Rock Show"). Ok. 20 minus 3 is 17. </p>
<p>This is the group of songs from which I will attempt to put together an album that will take you, the potential listener, on an adventure. Some of them are finished... mixed and everything. Some of them have drums and bass tracked, but need the rest of the instruments. Just three of them are still waiting on me to record a bassline.</p>
<p>I won't pretend to know when I'll have this ready for release... but it certainly won't be this year. More updates to come.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5885217
2019-09-09T07:00:00-04:00
2020-06-28T21:54:40-04:00
Restaurant Review - Le Potager de Charlotte, Paris
<p>I have a vegan sister-in-law. As a present to her, I made reservations at <a contents="Le Potager de Charlotte&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.lepotagerdecharlotte.fr/en/" target="_blank">Le Potager de Charlotte</a> when we went to Paris in the spring. Note that I am definitely NOT vegan... but this place is fantastic, and even if you are an omnivore, if you happen to be in Paris, I recommend you stop by.</p>
<p>First, it's a family run restaurant. There are two of them... one is in the 17th arrondisement, and the other is in the 9th. One of the co-owners greeted us at the door and was also our server. I like to support small businesses, especially the kind where the folks who own the place put so much work and energy into their restaurant.</p>
<p>Second, the food is outstanding. <a contents="Here, have a look at the menu" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.lepotagerdecharlotte.fr/en/our-menu/" target="_blank">Here, have a look at the menu</a>. Note that some things on the menu change, based on what kind of vegetation happens to be fresh and in season. </p>
<p>I started with the chickpea and rice crêpes. (A side note to the folks at Le Potager de Charlotte... I'm an anglophone, and personally, I think it sounds strange to call these "pancakes". Sure, they're thicker than your normal French crêpes, but I feel that your English-speaking customers know what a crêpe is without needing to translate it. Just my opinion.) You can see a picture of this starter on their website. That cashew cream filling... wow. It tasted fatty and cheesy, and the espelette powder on it added just a small background spiciness. This was outstanding. As you can see in the picture, it was served on some mixed salad. No complaints about this course. For my second course, I had another entrée, the avocado. This is where I wish I had taken a picture. It was basically a riff on a hard-boiled egg... but this is a vegan place, so the avocado was standing in for the solidified egg white. The substance that made up the "yolk" was a deep yellow color, no doubt due to turmeric... and also a creamy and fatty mouth feel... see, this is the challenge with vegan food to me... how to make up for the taste and texture requirements where animal-based fats traditionally exist in a recipe. These folks were super successful doing so.</p>
<p>I had small tastes of what my wife and her sister had ordered. One of them got soup. It was good, but could have used more salt. I forget what the other one got... suffice it to say that every bite I had was delicious. Again, let me repeat... I am NOT vegan.</p>
<p>As for dessert... well, the description doesn't do it justice. The picture doesn't either, but here it is anyway:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/c29c5eed18bbeec82d644be2e4f6f09d88272759/original/potager-dessert.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Coconut whipped cream... and the texture was fantastic. Roasted hazelnuts. Beautiful flowers (yes, I ate them). Chocolate powder. Under all of that stuff was this substance that strongly resembled chocolate mousse... turns out they make that with avocado... they need the fat for the right texture... but you couldn't taste avocado, it tasted like chocolate mousse. This dessert was delicate and flavorful, and I would eat it again any day.</p>
<p>Wonderful food aside, let me tell a brief story about our arrival experience in order to show just how great the folks were here. The day we had this reservation was our first day in the country, and I made the reservation at a normal French dinner time (read: very late for your average American) in order to force us all to be awake and active all day so we could sleep well that first night and beat the jet lag. Well, through no fault of my own, we were running quite late to dinner. No worries, I called the restaurant and told them that we would be late. See, the restaurants are small, so if someone misses a reservation, that costs them money... they combat this by charging your credit card if you don't show up. Well, when I called from the phone of the apartment we had rented, I managed to call the wrong location. They are a small enough business that they could handle this... the very nice lady who I talked to said she would pass the message along.</p>
<p>Fast forward. We are late, and we take Métro line 12 to Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. Now, I've been to Paris many times, and know my way around some parts of town very very well... well enough that on more than one occasion, I have been able to give directions to actual French people. This part of town is not one of the ones I know. I had never been to this Métro station, nor had I been to this part of the 9th. When we exit the Métro... chaos. It's one of those odd French intersections where multiple roads converge in a less-than-logical fashion. On top of that, there is construction. On top of that, the street signage leaves much to be desired. We get lost. I am not often lost in Paris, so this was frustrating. We wander one way, and when that clearly is wrong, we wander another way... and then I decide to wander into a local hotel to ask for directions. The folks in the hotel are not familiar with this restaurant, and are also not familiar with the street it is on... but I was able to point out to them on one of their hotel tourist maps where I thought it was, and they were able to tell us how to walk in that direction. Ok, finally headed the right way... and from that point, it's only about 15 minutes to get to the place. We get there, and we are so late... very much later than we had possibly foreseen. We're so late that they have locked the front door, as they're not letting any more folks into the restaurant.. However, upon seeing us, they open the door and ask if I am Mike. I say that I am and explain that we got terribly lost getting there on foot, and profusely apologize in the most respectful French I could summon. The very kind co-owner gentleman who I mentioned before lets a sigh of relief and immediately shows us to the table that had been reserved for us. We received a fantastically warm welcome.</p>
<p>To sum up... food outstanding, service outstanding, experience unforgettable, you should go here if ever you are in Paris.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5839699
2019-09-02T20:49:00-04:00
2020-06-22T10:24:25-04:00
Ohio Spotlight - Mondolux
<p>Loud as a jet engine being fired up, while also dropping incredibly catchy earworms. That was Mondolux.</p>
<p>I saw them many times... at Canal Street Tavern, at El Diablo (anyone remember that spot), in a tiny room upstairs at Southgate House. They were my first live experience with punk-adjacent music. I say "punk-adjacent" because the songs were generally hooky rock and roll with all kinds of pop sensibilities... just played really really loud and usually rather fast. Also, recently, I was watching a video of The Clash playing live, and recognized many of the musician stances and mannerisms as something I had seen at Mondolux shows... these guys must have loved The Clash.</p>
<p>Alas, this band is no more... and you can't find a great deal of their music online. Here is one of my favorite of their songs, <a contents='called "Memphis Lung"' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://called%20%22Memphis%20Lung%22" target="_blank">called "Memphis Lung"</a>. What's not to like here? This one has a nifty little swagger to it, a fantastic groove, and Eric Purtle's charisma comes across just fine in this recording... but that's nothing compared to what it was like to see them do this live.</p>
<p>Here's a video taken from one of their live shows.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="dI-zN9qShMI" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/dI-zN9qShMI/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dI-zN9qShMI?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>This song is "TJ Swann", and is on their last album. A pop song. Catchy, with the volume cranked. That was Mondolux.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5864666
2019-08-26T07:00:00-04:00
2020-10-10T16:15:51-04:00
CD Baby's DIY Musician Conference
<p>Straight talk, a few days before this conference, I really didn't want to go. I was tired. Mentally and emotionally tired. However, I already made the plans, and had already taken vacation days from my corporate job, so yeah, I went.</p>
<p><br>This year's DIY Musician Conference sponsored by <a contents="CD Baby" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/mikebankhead" target="_blank">CD Baby</a> was held in Austin, Texas. The dates were 16 to 18 August. This was my third conference, and by far the hottest... because it is crazy hot in Texas in August. </p>
<p>I won't go on a lengthy description of the delicious brisket I had there, as that's another blog post. I won't talk about the migas breakfast tacos, either. I had a very interesting cultural experience watching people sing Russian karaoke, but maybe we'll save that for another blog post as well. Let's keep this one focused on music stuff.</p>
<p>When I say "music stuff", I mean the work. Writing music and lyrics is work of course, but that's enjoyable work. Recording is work, but that's also enjoyable work. There is a great deal of other business stuff that has to be done when you're an independent artist though... these are the things I was there to learn, and these are the things that make a very long to-do list for me going forward.</p>
<p>A nice benefit of this conference is being surrounded by a bunch of other musicians from all over the world. Many genres. Many languages. Different points in their careers. Making those personal connections is something that helps me get through the weekend without being wilted by social anxiety (as opposed to just being wilted by the Texas heat). Now, I met dozens of interesting people over the weekend, and had many interesting conversations... but let me tell you about two specific people whose company I enjoyed.</p>
<p>First, Jessica. She sat next to me during the first session on Friday morning. That first day is tough, especially if you're like me and you don't like crowds. In this case, my neighbor was even more anxious than me possibly, as this was her first conference. It turns out that Jessica is a pianist from Los Angeles. I would describe her as very much like a shorter version of Fiona Apple... well, that was until I looked up Fiona Apple's height, and they're probably about the same stature-wise. At any rate, think piano-based pop music with interesting lyrics, and a beautiful voice. Jessica performs as Bellorage. <a contents="You can listen to her music here." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bellorage.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">You can listen to her music here.</a> </p>
<p>We were treated to a Bellorage performance at the post-show music shindig. It was great. That part at 3:19 of "Terribly Lovely" gave me goosebumps when I saw it live.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/beeead2d0d5187cfdd3c09cf090b8e525ccfccdc/original/20190818-212522-1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ok, so a second story about a person. At the conference, they have these tables set up to help all of us anxious musicians to break the ice and start conversations. There is a line of tables that each has a sign based on a region... Austin, New York, Midwest, South, West, Europe, Canada, etc. There is another line of tables broken up by music genre... hip hop, country, edm, pop, rock, etc. So, I head to the rock table. When I mention that I am from Dayton, Ohio, someone points to this other fella and says "he's from Dayton as well"... the other fella had "Austin" on his badge, so I was skeptical. Turns out he is from Dayton, but moved to Austin for his music career a couple of year ago. Since we're from the same area, I figured I'd tell him specifically that I grew up in Xenia. He says "dude, I'm from Yellow Springs". Yes, we're both from the same county, and don't meet until a music conference in Austin.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/d15e4bdd1701fdfc6bf04d3d562583c7ced44e97/original/20190817-110806-1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>His name is Brandon, and he's in <a contents="Westerly Station" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://westerlystation.com/" target="_blank">Westerly Station</a>. What's more, he and his wife happened to be in Ohio last week, where they went on WYSO to talk about their music with <a contents="Juliet " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.wyso.org/people/juliet-fromholt" target="_blank">Juliet </a>on Wednesday night, then they stopped by Reel Love Recording Company on Thursday to do some tracking with me. You'll be hearing some sweet mandolin that Brandon played before the end of the fall. </p>
<p>In summary, an enjoyable conference, despite the work. I hope to attend again next year.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5854686
2019-08-12T07:00:00-04:00
2020-06-25T03:03:47-04:00
Ohio Spotlight - Local Music Day is November 9th
<p>Welcome to a very special edition of the Ohio Spotlight. <strong> November 9th is Local Music Day in Dayton</strong>. This idea comes from Daryl (Derl) Robbins, who you might know from such bands as the widely-praised <a contents="Motel Beds" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://motelbeds.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Motel Beds</a>, and corporate lackeys <a contents="Company Man" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://companymanrich.bandcamp.com/">Company Man</a>. </p>
<p>Why is Local Music Day special? Here's Derl's explanation from <a contents="the event's official website:" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.localmusicday.com/" target="_blank">the event's official website:</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><span class="font_large">What it is </span></em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><span class="font_large">Think of it like record store day but instead of you buying that one Eagles record again, you’ll be buying exclusive releases from local artists made especially for this event. You need this. </span></em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><span class="font_large">There will also be bands. Stay tuned.</span></em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/cd664f75389c728dcace541f3687c554c3b355a9/original/local-music-day-logo-b.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></em></p>
<p>That sounds good to me. I am pleased to be able to participate in this event, alongside several other local artists.</p>
<p>Would you like to know what releases will be exclusively available beginning on November 9th? <a contents="Well, here's the list." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.localmusicday.com/releases/" target="_blank">Well, click right here for the list.</a></p>
<p>if you live within an easy drive of Dayton, why not head down to Yellow Cab (on 4th Street downtown) for Local Music Day? You'll be able to discover some great music, all made by hard-working local musicians. As you can see on the page describing the releases, some are available on compact disc, some on cassette, and some on vinyl. Sure, I would love it if you would pick up <a contents="the split album that contains some of my songs," data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.localmusicday.com/release/mike-bankhead-paint-splats-defacing-the-moon-split/" target="_blank">the split album that contains some of my songs,</a>but even if that doesn't interest you, this will be a nice community event... and surely you will find something to enjoy. Personally, I am looking forward to getting my hands on that <a contents="Me & Mountains disc" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.localmusicday.com/release/me-mountains-dream-sequence-vol-1/" target="_blank">Me & Mountains disc</a>. I already have the Human Cannonball album on compact disc, but hey, <a contents="it is being issued on vinyl for the first time" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.localmusicday.com/release/me-mountains-dream-sequence-vol-1/" target="_blank">it is being issued on vinyl for the first time</a>, so if you don't have it yet, or happen to collect vinyl, that's something you should definitely buy.</p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5848636
2019-08-05T22:48:26-04:00
2021-10-28T08:48:44-04:00
Restaurant Review - Kengo, Toledo Ohio
<p>With the caveat that I've never been to Japan, please be aware that the best sushi I have ever had can be found in Toledo, Ohio... at <a contents="Kengo" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.kengotoledo.com/" target="_blank">Kengo</a>. </p>
<p>This is a small restaurant in downtown Toledo, run by Kengo Kato. When I say small, I mean small. There are only 23 seats here. Only 5 of those seats are available for reservations (more details on that later). If you stop by and it is full - and it often is - you write your name and party size on a green chalkboard and you wait in a line off to the side. While you wait, you can enjoy some excellent cocktails, beer, wine, sake, or other beverage of your choice. Once you get seated, the fun truly begins.</p>
<p>Kengo told me on one visit that he and the kitchen staff arrive each day at noon. The restaurant opens at 5:00. What are they doing with that time? All kinds of prep... breaking down fish, meat, vegetables... preparing sauces and accompaniments... planning the menu... see, the menu changes daily, based on what ingredients are fresh and based on what Chef Kengo feels like serving.</p>
<p>Let's say you want to be assured of a seat. In that case, you should make an omakase reservation. The Internet tells me that "omakase" means "I'll leave it up to you" in Japanese. If you make this reservation, you get to sit at one of the 5 seats at the sushi bar, right in front of Kengo's work space. You'll be eating the specific menu that he has planned for you, in a specific order. I recently had this experience. Let me show you what my visit was like.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/5e9548331d68b6f5d7ab7525c08d234aaef39cb4/original/20190731-195821-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/75ce59b740f7c1fb5e5c9472ea28117952a1cb25/original/20190731-200631-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/120365474616a901bbdc2daff84362f3fc5dc3f2/original/20190731-201301-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
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<p>The first course was described as "cold dashi egg tofu". It was essentially a custard -and may have been made out of either egg or silken tofu, based on the texture - covered in dashi. That's a shrimp sitting on top there. Course two was a salad. Arugula, radish, and pomegranate arils, tossed in a pretty classic vinaigrette, topped with smoked Muscovy Duck breast. I asked, they smoke the breast themselves. That third course is fried soft-shell crab, and it was every bit as fantastic as you think it was.</p>
<p>After these appetizer-type courses, it was time for the yakitori portion of our meal.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/e5ec82bda88d1d40a267bf7c3227462913935381/original/20190731-202730-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/00274d16965caf6c636ce388f3615b8ea1fd6901/original/20190731-203221-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/891f44ee4ed0ff9a9cc14873103700f49df821cc/original/20190731-203448-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/6948b57329679f424c4eb9b31bf01e3cf7358646/original/20190731-203943-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
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<p>These were assorted delicious things cooked over fire, speared with a stick, then placed on a nice wood board. Chicken thigh, shiitake mushroom, chicken meatballs, pork belly... togarashi on the side of the board. These were all delicious. It seems like it would be easy for a chicken meatball to be dry... but these were not.</p>
<p>After this, sushi.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/1ccc8afd4e698804362e71d7954980aa08a3073c/original/20190731-205249-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/535cf8e0114910472706d62c628c8bed4888b0ef/original/20190731-205555-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/8c77bd336724adb82e6bbd308dc3fe9e84417c3e/original/20190731-210411-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/3b22988c61c2d65674c074f217fe8c777105307f/original/20190731-210915-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/933b2123bcd165f79ecc814a7358829ceb98612c/original/20190731-211329-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/24e27a7cdd8db229e9309423c630c0bd8ecc04c4/original/20190731-212154-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
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<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/3f0e93de8f0419641e6a658c0cb8e3d3cc60ab2f/original/20190731-212819-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
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<p>Bluefin Otoro. Hamachi. Salmon. Skipjack. Madai, with some pickled daikon and chili on top. Uni wrapped in some seaweed. WAGYU.</p>
<p>Kengo seasoned all of these before presenting them to us with the correct amount of their house made soy sauce. After taking a picture, I picked up each piece with the best tools I own - my fingers - and popped them into my mouth. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>One more course. A roll. Tuna, pickled daikon, green onion. Simple, delicious. This was it:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/6a56823f3bf429b3caf566697aa680dd5f8d7e93/original/20190731-214507-1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Understandably, this is a very popular restaurant in Toledo. Every time I have visited, the place has been full. On my first couple of visits, I ended up waiting in that line I mentioned earlier... from now on, I think I'll go with the omakase option. You get right up close to Kengo and his sous chefs as they work, and you get to have some nice conversation with them. Also, every time I have visited, they run out of something... yes, they get enough traffic that they sell out of a few of their menu options during the course of the day. If you decide to visit, and you opt to not try the omakase, I recommend you get there as close to their 5:00 opening time as possible.</p>
<p>If perchance you wish for a second opinion, <a contents="here's a newspaper article from the&nbsp;Toledo Blade" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.toledoblade.com/Restaurant-Reviews/2015/07/02/Sushi-restaurant-a-Warehouse-District-gem.html" target="_blank">here's a newspaper article from the </a><em><a contents="here's a newspaper article from the&nbsp;Toledo Blade" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.toledoblade.com/Restaurant-Reviews/2015/07/02/Sushi-restaurant-a-Warehouse-District-gem.html" target="_blank">Toledo Blade</a>.</em></p>
<p>Summary: Kengo and all of his staff members are warm and friendly. They work very hard. They clearly take pride in their craft, using high quality ingredients, and then executing well. They cheerfully shout a Japanese greeting whenever someone walks into the restaurant, and shout a Japanese farewell when they exit. I always look forward to my next visit, and strongly recommend Kengo to anyone who even remotely likes sushi.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5824593
2019-07-28T19:31:45-04:00
2022-05-05T21:43:04-04:00
Music as a Time Machine - Part 3
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/b59fa03486df34b70576741325dd137469858829/original/220px-asleepintheback.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Elbow - <em>Asleep in the Back</em></p>
<p>I talked about my most recent live experience with Elbow <a contents="in a previous blog post." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/concert-memories-elbow-in-detroit" target="_blank">in a previous blog post.</a> This is the album that got me hooked on them.</p>
<p>A coworker of mine turned me on to this album in 2001. This was one of the five compact discs I took with me on my spring 2002 trip to France. The trip was mostly for a friend's wedding, but I managed to move around a bit while I was in Europe... I had a nice trip out to Chamonix for a couple of days, and also dropped by Bruxelles and Bruges.</p>
<p>I spent plenty of time alone with my thoughts and this record playing in my headphones. On long train trips... on a lift up a mountain... strolling through the forest a short distance from the Arve. Really, every time I hear these songs, my brief visit to the Alps comes rushing back. My favorite track on this album was "Newborn"... and today it is probably a tie between "Newborn" and "Scattered Black and Whites". Guy Garvey's way of painting a picture, evoking an emotion, harnessing a mood with his lyrics... that's a skill I am attempting to develop.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5823030
2019-07-15T11:25:02-04:00
2020-10-09T01:23:42-04:00
Songwriting Story - "Every Last Time Is like the First"
<p>The first time I saw <em>La Joconde</em> was 1999. (<a contents="English speakers generally know her by a different name." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa" target="_blank">English speakers generally know her by a different name.</a>) She was small and dark, but out there in the open, and you could get as close to her as you wanted. Things have changed... she is still small and dark, but is now protected by some thick glass and special lighting and a railing, and you can't get close anymore.</p>
<p>A couple of years later I wrote a song about her. By this time, I had learned some rudimentary bass skills, and I wrote a lot of songs. Most of them were garbage, and were discarded as such. This one, I liked enough to actually type it and print it... and I wrote the chords on the sheet in pen. The song didn't have a name at the time. It disappeared.</p>
<p>Many many years later... in fact, I don't even remember when exactly... at least ten years had passed.... anyway, I was doing some cleaning, and I found this folded up piece of paper. I unfolded it, and behold! Lyrics. Chords noted. I didn't have a song title, and didn't even remember writing it... but I knew who it was about because I had included an inside joke for myself in the lyrics, calling her "mysteriously jocular", a play on words with her name. There is only one person I would describe that way.</p>
<p>When I finally got around to making an album, I felt like this song had to be on it. This is really what drove me to come up with a title. Why is it called "Every Last Time Is like the First"? Well, like the lyrics say, I have come around again and again, walking through those marble halls... and she's always there with that sly little smile, surrounded by dozens of people taking pictures with their flashes turned off. The last time I saw her was in April. (This was the first time for my wife.) I stayed at the back of the crowd, I had no reason to attempt to get close... I'll never be able to get as close as I did the first time I saw her. But every last time I get some small measure of satisfaction from being back in her home, in her city.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5823072
2019-07-14T20:00:32-04:00
2019-07-22T12:45:17-04:00
Concert Memories - Chris Cornell in Paris at Elysée Montmartre
<p>This happened almost twenty years ago. Mobile phones weren't ubiquitous. No social media. Cameras used actual film. What follows is a verbatim excerpt from the travel journal I was keeping. (To clarify, the "money problems" I mention are due to me leaving my wallet in a cab exactly one week prior. I only had $15 US cash in there - which was not useful, as the currency one needed was <a contents="francs" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_franc" target="_blank">francs</a> - but I also had my bank card in there, and my plans to withdraw money from the ATM as needed took a big hit. Also, at this point in the trip I was staying with some friends in Lyon, so had to travel to get to the show.)</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/b789b17a21f6b2f6a545348b7fbe2fb0ff994d4b/original/chriscornelticket1999.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>***</p>
<p>MERCREDI le 27 Octobre 1999</p>
<p> </p>
<p>11:04h I'm up and preparing for the trip to Paris. I am very much looking forward to the concert, I'll be able to forget about my money problems at least for a couple of hours.</p>
<p>19:29h At the concert. Security temporarily confiscates my camera. It is like the <a contents="Newport" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.newportmusichall.org/" target="_blank">Newport</a> , but smaller, darker, no balcony. I remember that Europeans don't mosh. I wish I had some cash on me, because this atmosphere is just <em>screaming</em> for a beer. There is no opening act. I met a guy on the crew. Chris will play for ninety minutes. I met some other Americans... girls from Wisconsin. They had backstage passes... girls always get backstage passes. The place is filling up... if it's not sold out, it sure is close. This concert brought to us by <a contents="OUI 102.3 FM" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.ouifm.fr/" target="_blank">OUI 102.3 FM</a>, rock radio Paris. They are doing a live TV appearance tomorrow on Canal+, according to the crew.</p>
<p>20:05h The set list just got taped down. </p>
<p>20:17h It's on now....</p>
<p>Sunshower<br>Can't Change Me<br>Flutter Girl (key bass)<br>Mission (key bass)<br>Preaching...<br>Seasons (no keys 2 guitar)<br>When I'm Down<br>Pillow of Your Bones<br>Fell On.... (solo, for Kurt)<br>Moonchild<br>Sweet Euphoria (for Paris, no drummer or bass)<br>Like Suicide<br>Follow My Way<br>-------<br>All Night Thing<br>Steel Rain</p>
<p> </p>
<p>JEUDI le 28 Octobre 1999</p>
<p> </p>
<p>07:29h It's a six hour ride to Lyon, and I have to change trains in Dijon. Hope that goes smoothly. The good thing is that my railpass covers it. I had expected to get more miles out of my railpass, but I have been rendered rather sedentary. Last night's concert was great... the only thing that could have improved it would have been meeting Chris. Chris kept up a good-natured banter with the crowd... in English. Most of the younger crowd at the concert definitely understands English. Highlights were the rockin' "Pillow of Your Bones", the crowd sing-along on "Fell On Black Days" and "Like Suicide", and the signature Chris Cornell scream/wail on "Steel Rain". The crowd was very unfamiliar with the new songs, but they were very enthusiastic. European concert goers don't heckle like their American counterparts. And no moshing... everyone is in there all tight, and people kind of dance or headbang a little, but there isn't any real bodily contact.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So, those are the thoughts of the 21-year-old version of me. Looking back, what a fantastic set. Chris mentioned that he happened to be in that very building - Elysée Montmartre - when he got the news that Kurt Cobain had died, so he dedicated "Fell On Black Days" to Kurt. He also remarked more than once that Paris is a very beautiful city, and dedicated "Sweet Euphoria" to the city and people of Paris. <a contents="As I mentioned in a previous blog post" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/music-as-a-time-machine-part-2" target="_blank">As I mentioned in a previous blog post</a>, I had been listening to the <em>Euphoria Mourning </em>album a great deal, so I was quite familiar with all of the new songs. I would go on to eventually see Chris Cornell solo two more times... but this show topped them. This is definitely one of the most memorable nights of music in my life.</p>
<p>Also, I miss Chris Cornell about as much as someone can miss a person who they have never met.</p>
<p><em>When you miss somebody <br>You tell yourself a hundred thousand times <br>Nobody ever lives forever <br>So you give it one more try <br>To wave goodbye, wave goodbye</em></p>
<p>Well said, Chris. Well said.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5818018
2019-07-08T21:59:57-04:00
2020-10-08T14:04:20-04:00
Restaurant Review - Arrivaderci, Paris 5ième
<p>When I was in my early twenties, I stayed with a friend a couple of times in the 15th arrondisement in Paris. Because I spent so much time in that part of town, I became familiar with an Italian restaurant there, and I would visit them on every return trip. This was one of my go-to lunch spots in Paris. I liked it because it was out of the path of the crowds of tourists... a normal neighborhood restaurant, and at no point had I ever seen any other Americans there. It is, therefore, with just a little bit of sadness that I must admit this restaurant has been replaced.</p>
<p>On my spring trip to Paris, my corporate colleague Guido was kind enough to take the time to meet me for lunch one day near our apartment in the 14th. (We ate at a Lebanese place, but that's a story for another blog entry.) Guido lives in Paris, but he is Italian, from the north, near Lake Como. I showed him a picture of the pizza I had consumed at the aforementioned Italian restaurant in the 15th. Guido was disappointed in my selection. He then recommended an alternative. He said to go to <a contents="Arrivaderci" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.arrivederci-paris.com/" target="_blank">Arrivaderci</a>. He's Italian. I'm not. He would know better. </p>
<p>I dragged my wife and my in-laws with me to <a contents="Arrivaderci" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.arrivederci-paris.com/" target="_blank">Arrivaderci</a> on Thursday 11th April. It's in the 5th. We arrived near the end of lunch time, but managed to get there before the restaurant closed. Upon entering, I was greeted with a hearty "Buon Giorno!". I replied in kind, and then said that there were four of us in the best Italian I could manage. Then, I immediately switched back to French and apologized for not speaking decent Italian. </p>
<p>We were seated. We were brought menus. Dish names in Italian. Descriptions in French. Ok. </p>
<p>I started with the salmon carpaccio. THIS salmon carpaccio:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/07bc8392ad97d00e5c5e81d187d82e10e186059c/original/20190411-143108.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>It was outstanding. </p>
<p>The folks here take pride in their pizza, and an actual Italian told me that it was good, so I had to try it. Mine looked like this:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/e8e7ad8178b4e7a88eb289d582760376002caa77/original/20190411-144515.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Now, I've read about Neapolitan style pizza, mostly due to pizza enthusiast <a contents="Keith Law" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://meadowparty.com/blog/tag/pizza/" target="_blank">Keith Law</a>. This was my first experience with the real thing. I had always wondered what the taste and texture was like when he would describe the center as being "wet"... well, now I know. Also, LOOK at that char on the crust. This was the best pizza I have ever had. Not close. So yeah, apologies to the folks in the 15th, but I won't be visiting you for pizza anymore. This is my new favorite Italian restaurant in Paris.</p>
<p>We were there well after closing time, and we saw the staff leave one-by-one. Some of them might head back to the restaurant for the dinner service, some of them perhaps had other jobs. I apologized on our behalf for keeping them there well past when they would normally have closed up shop, began cleaning, and taken their afternoon rest. Upon mentioning that I am a musician, Gaitano and Antonio immediately found my album and started streaming it on the restaurant speakers. That was a very cool life moment.</p>
<p>I listened to the staff talk to each other... yes, all in Italian. Antonio told me that the only ingredient they have in the place that is French (local) is the water... which comes out of the tap. All of their ingredients, they import from Italy. I totally understand why my colleague Guido comes here. If he is feeling homesick, this has to be the spot.</p>
<p>There is no shortage of Italian restaurants in Paris. There are surely hundreds and hundreds of places you can get pizza. I strongly doubt you'll find a better one than here. Outstanding food, very friendly staff. I can't wait to go back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5810840
2019-07-01T22:09:18-04:00
2019-07-01T22:09:18-04:00
Ohio Spotlight - Shrug
<p>I am nearly 100% certain that I first heard this band in 1997, driving home to Xenia from my call center job in Kettering. On Sunday nights, one of the local radio stations had a local music program. <a contents="I recently wrote about another local band I first heard on this program." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/ohio-spotlight-real-lulu" target="_blank">I recently wrote about another local band I first heard on this program.</a> Today, I write about Shrug. One of the songs in rotation just about every week on the program was "Diary". I didn't know it at the time, but that's the lead track to Shrug's second album, <em>Everything Blowing Up Roses.</em></p>
<p>I found out that Shrug was going to play at show at Canal Street Tavern. I liked what I had heard from them on the radio, so I went to see them play. This was my first experience with live local music. I don't remember all that much from the show... I can't tell you who else was on the bill. I don't remember how much it cost, though if I were to guess, I'd say five dollars. I don't even remember which songs they played... maybe I heard "Diary" that night, maybe I didn't. What I do remember was meeting the three members of the band... Tod Weidner, Dan Stahl, Adam Edwards. They were nice to me. I wandered into a music venue alone, without knowing anyone, feeling slightly out of place, and was well received. Between that and enjoying the music, I decided to see Shrug again. And again. And again. Eventually, as is the case in a tight-knit music community when you see the same face a few times, the guys in the band remembered my name.</p>
<p>Fast forward to now. On 6th July, Shrug will release their sixth studio album, <em>Easy is the New Hard.</em> This is the first time they are releasing music on vinyl, and this one will be a double album in that medium. If you want to pre-order it, you could do that <a contents="here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://shrug.com/album/easy-is-the-new-hard" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/5d4a0e4bf63d3338e6765743d6a050a75f38fa76/original/shrugsticker1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Like the sticker says, Shrug has been a band since 1994. There aren't many rock bands in these parts who have been around that long. They have had their lineup changes, their instrumentation changes (at one point they didn't harm any electric guitars on stage), and of course we are all much older... but they still play like they mean it, and they're still nice to everyone.</p>
<p>Personally speaking, this band has had two major influences on my life in general. First, I have been introduced to a great deal of music through Shrug shows that I otherwise might not have listened to. They used to do a fantastic cover of "Dancing Barefoot" (please bring that one back), and that's how I discovered Patti Smith. They would cover a few Elvis Costello songs, and this moved me to check out a few of his albums. Their blistering version of "The Seeker" made me pick up The Who's greatest hits album. Second, I might not have ever gotten around to recording my own music were it not for Shrug. I clearly remember Tod saying this brief phrase at some point about folks who are timid about sharing their music: "if it sounds good, it <strong>is</strong> good". I threw away so many songs over the years, but sometimes I would write something, and think to myself "that sounds pretty good"... eventually, I gathered the courage to share my art with others.</p>
<p>Of course, since I consider the gentlemen in Shrug to be friends, it's hard for me to be objective about their music. That said, sometimes they make artistic decisions that I don't necessarily like. A few that come to mind are the Wilco-ization of "Age Nowhere" (does anyone else remember the original version of that song?), the disappearance of any of their original songs written before 2000 from their live shows, and the fact that I don't own a recording of "Cling", "Media Blackout", "Frozen Gasoline", or "Cosmonaut". It's ok. I still love them just the way they are.</p>
<p>Do you like your music to feature intelligent, carefully chosen lyrics? How about a serious approach to songcraft? What is your feeling about a sing-along chorus that gets stuck in your head? If you like these things, go find Shrug's music. You won't be disappointed. </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5802781
2019-06-24T21:36:45-04:00
2019-06-24T21:37:29-04:00
June 2019 Album progress update
<p>Here's a brief progress update on album #2. I have the first mixes back for two of the songs, "Bright Ideas" and "She Speaks in Metaphor". At this point, I'm not sure if either one of them will even make the album, but I love the way these sound. Patrick Himes continues to do great work.</p>
<p>We are almost finished tracking the drums for all of the songs that are in consideration... I expect to get that done this week. As usual, Brian Hoeflich has been professional and brilliant at that task.</p>
<p>Between now and the end of the month, I have 4 studio sessions scheduled. The plan is for a great deal of bass to be played, and some guitar/keyboard parts to be added. Hopefully by the time July begins, I'll have a handful of other songs ready to be mixed.</p>
<p>As far as naming the album is concerned... well, I have some ideas on that. I'm not ready to share them yet, but maybe I'll make a poll and get some feedback?</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5790881
2019-06-17T11:28:38-04:00
2019-06-17T11:32:07-04:00
Concert Memories - Sleater-Kinney in Newport, Kentucky
<p>I bought tickets a few days ago to see <a contents="Sleater-Kinney" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.sleater-kinney.com/" target="_blank">Sleater-Kinney</a> when they come to Columbus this fall. I've seen them before, 19 years ago.</p>
<p>For a few years in my youth, I had a subscription to <em>Rolling Stone</em>. That particular magazine helped me to discover a lot of bands that weren’t getting played on mainstream radio. That’s how I learned about Sleater-Kinney. I seem to remember very favorable reviews of <em>Dig Me Out,</em> which was their third album. I bought the album. I loved it. I then bought their first two albums, <em>Sleater-Kinney</em> and <em>Call the Doctor</em>. I was hooked. </p>
<p>I picked up each new album as they were released… and then they went on tour in support of <em>All Hands on the Bad One</em>. They were going to make a stop at Southgate House, which was my favorite venue at the time. (A brief aside about Southgate House. It was a house built in 1812… no, not just a house, a big old mansion. <a contents="The person who invented the Tommy Gun was born in this house" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://explorekyhistory.ky.gov/items/show/540?tour=35&index=23" target="_blank">The person who invented the Tommy Gun was born in this house</a>. I don’t mention this to glorify firearms or warfare, just to point out that this is a genuinely historic building. Shows were usually held in what was called “the ballroom”, but there were plenty of other rooms in the house where music would happen during the larger festival-type events.)</p>
<p>The show ended up being sold out. I got to the venue incredibly early, as is my normal habit, and there was a line down the sidewalk out front of other folks waiting to get in. I remember not knowing who the opening act would be... it turns out that the opener was a regional band from a few hours' drive up north on I-75... they were called <a contents="The White Stripes." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Stripes" target="_blank">The White Stripes.</a> I was kind of surprised that there were only two of them when they took the stage... and I was a little dismayed because they didn't have a bass player, and you know, that's my instrument. Then again, Sleater-Kinney doesn't have a bass player, and I liked them just fine. That said, I was puzzled by the overwhelming simplicity of the drums, as I was used to <a contents="Janet Weiss" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Weiss" target="_blank">Janet Weiss</a>. I didn't realize at the time that the simplicity was the point. I'll be honest, I wasn't all that impressed with the openers, but I thought it was interesting that they coordinated their outfits. (When they were done playing Jack and Meg retired to the side of the ballroom - not backstage - and were just kind of by themselves for awhile. If I had known what was going to become of them, I probably would have gone and made friends... then again, maybe not.)</p>
<p>Sleater-Kinney were great. <a contents="Here's the setlist from the show." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/sleaterkinney/2000/southgate-house-newport-ky-3dd8d2b.html" target="_blank">Here's the setlist from the show.</a> Fantastic.</p>
<p>I watched this show from the balcony, and this was the first time I'd ever done that for an entire show at Southgate House. The venue was small enough that being in the balcony still had you rather close to the stage, and it sounded great up there as well. After the show, I made my way down to the stage, as I wanted to tell the ladies how much I enjoyed their show. Now, I was a great deal younger then, and these days I know better than to bug a band full of strangers while they are trying to load out... but there I was over at the side of the stage... and <a contents="Carrie Brownstein" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.carriebrownstein.com/" target="_blank">Carrie Brownstein</a> was headed in my general direction. I will also mention that at this point, I hadn't been playing music longer than a couple of years, and I was still generally in awe of professional musicians, seeing them less as actual people than as otherworldly talented beings. I expressed how great I felt the show was. Carrie walked over, shook my hand, said "thank you very much", and asked for my name. She was striking in person in a way that the pictures in the CDs do not capture. I was kind of awestruck. Looking back on it, she and her bandmates were quite busy, and she certainly didn't need to take the time to acknowledge me, but acknowledge me she did. That's something I will always remember.</p>
<p>So yeah, Sleater-Kinney are back on the road, with a new album dropping soon, and I'm looking forward to seeing them again.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5781098
2019-06-10T11:16:05-04:00
2020-10-09T02:01:11-04:00
My first professional football match
<p>Aux amis et aux autres lecteurs francophones, je m'excuse pour écrire en anglais.</p>
<p>I begin by mentioning that in this blog entry, I will refer to the world’s most popular sport as “football”. It is called this because it is played with a ball that is moved around by foot. If you happen to be from the United States and think that I should refer to this sport as “soccer”, perhaps you should know that the word “soccer” comes from a shortened form of the word “association” in the sport’s formal name, to wit, “<strong>association football</strong>”. </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>The idea </strong></span></p>
<p>My wife and I were planning a long-overdue vacation to my favorite city, Paris. I have been there enough times that there are few tourist activities that I have yet to experience. We did our research, attempting to make some new memories. I knew that Paris has a football club that plays in its country’s highest league, <a contents="Ligue 1" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.ligue1.com/" target="_blank">Ligue 1</a>. The club is <a contents="Paris Saint-Germain" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.psg.fr/" target="_blank">Paris Saint-Germain</a>. If you are not familiar with French football, I will use a baseball analogy… you could consider this club to be the Yankees of Ligue 1. They have won the most trophies, they spend the most money, they probably have the most fans. They were also playing a home match during our trip. </p>
<p>Here was our chance to have a unique experience. In the United States, <a contents="football is not played at the same high level" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/" target="_blank">football is not played at the same high level</a> as in Ligue 1. (Not that Ligue 1 is the <a contents="world’s top league" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.premierleague.com/" target="_blank">world’s top league</a>, but it is a higher level of play than we have here.) This was a chance to see some stars in person who I’ve seen on television competing at the World Cup… Neymar, Cavani, Draxler, Mbappé. The process to buy tickets was simple… the match was sold out, but tickets were available on PSG’s official website. It was kind of like using StubHub, but officially sanctioned by the club. </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>The stadium </strong></span></p>
<p>PSG plays home matches at Parc des Princes. This stadium is in southwest Paris, the 16th arrondisement, and is easily reached via Métro. Well, let me clarify… the nearest Métro stop to the stadium is easy to reach.. .the stadium, not so much. We arrived early on the day of the match because our tickets were in a section deemed to be “free seating”. Now, all of the tickets have a row number and seat number, but this is apparently not enforced unless someone in attendance insists... so in practice, you can sit wherever you like, and your chances of sitting where you like increase if you arrive early. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/cda1fd2e2a31f628b0765b25cf981e5539f87bdd/original/img-0066.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The route to the stadium from the Métro stop was circuitous. We were routed through a residential neighborhood, along with thousands of other people who were headed to the match. On the way, we noticed a great deal of security folks… some of them appeared to be employed by the club, and some were the armed national police. The approaches to the stadium and the entry gates are not well marked, and we had some trouble finding the correct entrance for our section. (This was different than my experience going to baseball games in the United States, as you can generally enter the stadium anywhere you wish.) The problem was exacerbated by the club crowd control staff, from whom we received conflicting vague instructions. </p>
<p>We eventually made our way inside and to our section. The stadium was much smaller than I was expecting. The Internet tells me that the capacity is 47,929. That’s awfully tiny. For any readers who do not live in the United States, I say this because the <a contents="university American football stadium in the capital of Ohio" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-footbl/facilities/ohio-stadium/" target="_blank">university American football stadium in the capital of Ohio</a> seats more than 100,000 people, and NFL stadiums also tend to be larger than 47,000 capacity. That said, our seats were rather comfortable, given that we were probably in the least expensive part of the venue… and it’s not like we sat in them very much anyway… at kickoff, everyone is on their feet. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/f409fb708755a8ae723a32011a4d355a0b0ccf04/original/img-0069.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/4b7a44eee17b5bfa2ca19134041376c0bb06072f/original/20190407-203013-1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The sight lines were glorious. There didn’t appear to be any obstructed seats. The design of the stadium is simple, there appear to only be two decks, and it’s a bowl shape. The ends of the stadium behind each goal are farther away from the pitch than the seats on the sides… there is a great deal of empty un-used space between the stands and the goal. The pitch was immaculate and the stadium lights made the bright green really pop. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>The atmosphere </strong></span></p>
<p>Briefly, French football fans are insane. </p>
<p>Each end of the stadium - the cheaper seats - is filled with the more rowdy supporters. Thankfully for us during our first experience, the side opposite ours was definitely rowdier, as it seemed to be the home base of a few supporters clubs. Well before the match began (even as we were outside attempting to make our way in), groups of supporters were cheering, singing, chanting, banging on drums and other noise-makers, and putting up all kinds of ruckus. I was thinking that these locals were enthusiastic and amped up… and that’s when the visiting team’s supporters began to arrive. </p>
<p>The folks who supported Strasbourg either took a train across the country from the East, or live locally, but perhaps generally hide their support. There is one section that appears to be reserved for visiting fans, and it is rather conspicuously separated from the cheap home seats by a fence and a few dozen security staff members. (It told me a great deal about our section that PSG felt the need to fence off the visitors from our section of the stadium, but not from the section on the other side.) Every time another group of visiting fans arrived, they would be mercilessly harangued by the more rowdy people in our section… chants consisting of some words that I won’t repeat, chants made up of some words that I’m glad I didn’t know, and all sorts of obscene gestures from a variety of cultures, just to make sure the point got across. Now, I’ve been to Strasbourg, and it’s a lovely city with lovely people, and I didn’t support that kind of abuse… really, nobody deserves that kind of treatment. Good-natured ribbing about sports is one thing, and abuse with threats of violence is something completely different. However, as the visitors filled their section, they seemed to collectively gather strength and hurl shouts and gestures back toward the Parisians. </p>
<p>The stadium video boards (quite small by the standards to which I am accustomed) showed inspiring highlights from earlier matches in the season. The players were warmly cheered every time the camera showed them on the pitch during their warm-up session… and then came the introductions… the stadium announcer hypes up each home player, shouting the player’s first name, and allowing the crowd to shout back the player’s last name. When it was time to introduce the lineup for Strasbourg… well, I couldn’t hear any of the players’ names, as they were drowned out by the whistling and booing. </p>
<p>The jumping and shouting and general craziness increased until kickoff… at which point it continued through most of the match. The folks at the opposite end zone from ours were the loudest, starting cheers and chants that would then be picked up around the stadium… waving flags of all kinds. For all the enthusiasm of the home folks, supporters of the most successful football club in France, they were outdone by the visitors. The visitors, outnumbered and confined to one small wedge in the stadium, never sat at any point during the match. Not only did they never sit, they never stopped chanting, singing, cheering, jumping, clapping… even when the match was not going their way. (More on this later.) For most of the night, they were led by a portly gentleman who thought it prudent to not wear his shirt even though the temperature was probably 11 degrees (Celsius) and falling. This gentleman stood down front of the visitors section with a megaphone in hand, and was, quite literally, a cheerleader. I don’t think he saw much of the match, as most of the time he was facing his fellow Strasbourg supporters, or occasionally gesturing toward our section. I have never seen anything like this level of crazy at a sporting event… I mean, I stood the entire match as well, but I didn’t pogo and scream for two hours. I don’t know where these people find the energy. </p>
<p>All of us - even those of us in the group who do not speak French - learned the main cheer. It helps that the words are written on the inner stadium façade. “Ici C’est PARIS!” In order for this to sound authentic, one should first shout “Ici C’est!” and then wait for another party to shout back “PARIS!”... if you happen to be from Ohio, well, it’s just like the “OH!”, “IO!” cheer. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/b5796e60ac7b91e6a2086e98211a085d5f59abfb/original/20190407-205623-1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>By the way, “La Marseillaise” is not played before Ligue 1 matches, which is another difference from sporting events in the United States. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>The match </strong></span></p>
<p>PSG is the stronger club. My dear friend Priscille, who accompanied us, told me before the match “Strasbourg n’est pas trop fort”. Some of the PSG stars were missing. Neymar was injured with some kind of foot issue. Cavani and Di Maria weren’t around, and I still don’t know where they were. Mbappé was there in warmups, but he started the match on the bench, as did Draxler. Hey, I get it… PSG were about to wrap up another league title, and figured that they could probably accomplish that while getting their stars some rest. Strasbourg had other ideas. </p>
<p>PSG players looked faster and more capable on and off the ball than the visitors. Strasbourg apparently only had one striker on the pitch, and he looked very tall for a footballer, but incredibly slow. (Note that I am not a football expert by any means, so take any of my observational analysis with lots of salt.) However, he seemed to get plenty of opportunities on the ball, because PSG didn’t appear to be that interested in playing defense. They were awfully sloppy. </p>
<p>After relentless attacks, PSG put one in the net down at the opposite end of the pitch. 1-0, home team. The sloppiness would come back to bite them rather quickly though. Strasbourg kept looking to counter-attack when PSG would make errors in the midfield… and on one of those occasions, if memory serves, they had a 2 on 1 against the keeper on our side of the pitch and put the ball in the net to equalize the match. The player that scored immediately ran toward the wedge of visiting fans to celebrate, and the group of white-clad visitors went even more berserk. As the kids say, “it was lit”. </p>
<p>The home team managed to mess up a sure goal at the other end… one player had beaten the goalie, and the ball was going to go in the net, but a second player apparently wanted to tally the goal in the book and tried to touch it in… and he missed, and managed to allow the visitors to clear. Strasbourg kept the pressure on with some more counter-attacks, and scored a second goal off a corner where the ball bounced around a bit. This player also ran toward those folks in the corner of the stadium, and they were going out of their minds. As for the home crowd, their energy completely dissipated. The ultra supporters on the opposite end were still waving their flags and chanting, but the rest of the stadium seemed stunned. Strasbourg led 2-1 at the half. </p>
<p>Fifteen minutes into the second half, PSG apparently decided to stop messing around, and sent Mbappé and Draxler into the match. These guys no longer had a day off. PSG’s attack improved immediately. Let me talk a bit about Mbappé… I was aware of him before the World Cup from playing FIFA Mobile on my tablet… he’s fast… and then at the World Cup, he showed casual football viewers around the globe how talented he truly is. You could almost see defenders quiver in fear if he had a chance to run at them in the open. I enjoyed watching his contributions to France’s World Cup victory last year, and he was so impressive to watch on television, but that is nothing like seeing him in person. Saying that Mbappé is fast is like saying the sun is hot… you’re understating it. I was amazed to see this young fella easily run right past other people, <em>all of whom are also professional athletes</em>. There was no question that he was the best player on the pitch. Every time he touched the ball, it felt like PSG were in danger of equalizing the match. </p>
<p>PSG attacked in our direction for the second half… and once the substitutions were made, they spent the vast majority of the time in possession and applying pressure on Strasbourg. The match was almost tied by a bicycle kick (this looks incredibly athletic and near impossible in person), but the ball hit the bar. Our entire section thought it was going in. A few minutes later, PSG managed to level the match on a header… the header was a result of a corner won by Mbappé, taken by Draxler, and finished by Kehrer, who was the 3rd substitute. I don’t know PSG, maybe all of these guys should have started the match? </p>
<p>PSG missed a couple of very close opportunities as the match drew to a close. It ended in a 2-2 draw. At no point did the visiting fans stop jumping and making noise… and when the match ended, they kept right on cheering. For them, a draw was a great and unexpected result. For the hosts, they would have to wait for another match to claim the league title. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>The conclusion </strong></span></p>
<p>This was a fantastic life experience. The crowd was energetic, the match was entertaining, and I have memories that will last a lifetime, as well as a plastic souvenir cup. If you ever have the chance to catch a professional football match in Paris, I strongly suggest you go.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5775756
2019-06-03T07:00:00-04:00
2020-06-25T03:04:10-04:00
Songwriting Story - "Little Light"
<p>Does anyone remember 1996? That was the year I graduated from high school. Shortly after that, on 17th September to be specific, I wrote what you see in this image:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/31052f7156e9fa8a93803595e661d5c8ab27d9b6/original/59064671-1713676838777485-1337304059782103040-n.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>I always intended for most of the things I wrote to end up as song lyrics... but at the time, I didn't play any instruments. </p>
<p>Fast forward to spring 2017. I had just finished <a contents="my first album" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/album/echo-in-the-crevices" target="_blank">my first album</a>, and I was getting it ready to release. However, when you write songs, you can't stop writing songs. I started looking through some of my older writing to find something that would make a little pop song... and I found this.</p>
<p>So, I had to change the name. "Television Love Obsession" became "Little Light". I had to update some of the references. "Letters" became "email"... and, well, <a contents="you can compare the current lyrics to the old ones by watching this video." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMmcStFQcwM">you can compare the current lyrics to the old ones by watching this video.</a></p>
<p>I wouldn't visit the studio with this song until 20th January 2019. On that date, the lovely and talented Jeremy Raucci was kind enough to play the guitar for me, community drummer Brian Hoeflich knocked out all of the drums, and all tracking and mixing got knocked out in an eight hour session at Reel Love Recording Company. (Shout out to Uncle Patrick.) The end result is a slightly creepy pop song. Please click the link above to listen and watch the lyric video if you haven't already.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5768348
2019-05-26T22:46:30-04:00
2021-10-26T20:06:34-04:00
Concert Review - Johnnyswim at Newport Music Hall, 24th May 2019
<p><a contents="Johnnyswim" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.johnnyswim.com/" target="_blank">Johnnyswim</a> is the husband/wife team of Abner Ramirez and Amanda Sudano. I first discovered their music when they appeared on the <a contents="Tiny Desk show on NPR" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0f6KGsrt-4" target="_blank">Tiny Desk show on NPR</a>. Shortly after, I bought their album, <em>Diamonds</em>. At the moment they are on tour in support of <em>Moonlight</em>, their newest album that came out this year. I love their sound, and loved the energy they showed in the aforementioned Tiny Desk show, so really wanted to catch them on this tour. Usually when I go see a show, I am familiar with the artist's entire catalog... in this case, I only knew one of their albums and I've heard a couple of singles from the latest one, so there was a great deal for me to discover. </p>
<p>I was surprised at how long the line was for entry to the show. Now, I am just about completely disconnected from the current musical zeitgeist ; other than the name of the occasional pop artist or rapper, I have no idea what is popular at the moment. In my circle of musicians, friends, acquaintances, and family, Johnnyswim is rather unknown, so I was unprepared for the size of the crowd. This is good, it reminds me that we need to step outside of our bubble every now and then... and also, these are musicians and songwriters who I respect, so it was nice to see that they are well supported.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/3e0f102a67da64703eee7d372f718997baedf08b/original/20190524-215608.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Before I get into the music, let me discuss the visual aspect of the show. I don't know much of anything about fashion, but this group of musicians took the stage with a look that seemed to be a mix of old and new. See, the drummer, bassist/keyboardist/noise-maker, and guitarist who travel with Abner and Amanda were dressed in sharp three piece gray suits... white shirts, gray vest that buttoned up quite high. (Of course, the drummer dispensed with his jacket and vest and rolled his shirt sleeves up about three songs into the set.) This reminded me of pictures and video I had seen of Motown artists, where the band dressed in matching suits. As for Abner and Amanda, they were both striking dressed in white... Amanda in a simple and elegant shin-length dress with spaghetti straps, Abner in bright white pants (that looked like a fantastic target for wing sauce) and white shirt, topped off with a wide-brimmed hat. It seemed to me that white and gray were the colors they had chosen for their brand on this tour... and of course, I am not following them around the country, so I don't know if they are all dressed this way each night, but it wouldn't surprise me if that were the case.</p>
<p>To the songs. I really enjoy the songwriting from Abner and Amanda. Now, I must admit that I am not always a fan of their lyrics - although I think they are getting better at that - but I quite enjoy the music. It is a mix of influences from multiple genres... folk, soul, rock, blues, latin sounds. It features a great deal of male/female vocal harmony. You know the old adage that "you write what you know"? Johnnyswim are a textbook case, as the vast majority of their songs are about their love for each other or their relationship. (There was even a song where Abner serenaded his wife alone onstage, appropriately called "Amanda".) Abner spent most of the night playing acoustic guitar, while one of the gentleman in the back who tours with them filled in atmosphere or little lead licks with an electric guitar. There were a couple of occasions where Abner played what looked like a hollow body Gibson with one of those Bigsby whammy bars, getting a reverb heavy surf-rock sound. He tagged the intro to one song with the beginning to "Besame Mucho", and that one was played with an older-looking acoustic guitar that was not plugged into any amplification... they put a mic right in front of the guitar to pick it up... also, for that bit, the vocal microphone was a vintage-looking one of the style where the microphone is suspended inside a ring. As I am not a microphone expert, I don't have the name or model number, but I think this is one of those ribbon microphones they used to use on AM radio back in the day... indeed, whether due to the mic or the effect that their mixing folks added, an old AM radio sound is what his voice came out sounding like. I thought this was very cool, a bit more on this later.</p>
<p>Abner and Amanda have undeniably great chemistry, and this was on display often during the show, as they would share a microphone, forcing them to stand very close to each other.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/dd23b813c32cdc0b65abf33a834728ea19ed5556/original/20190524-210226.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>This is clearly an experienced and savvy touring band. After the first two songs of the night, Abner whooped "O-H!" into the microphone... there is probably no easier way to ingratiate oneself with an audience in Columbus than to start that particular cheer. I counted at least three different styles of vocal microphones used during this show, possibly for different desired sounds on the songs.. also, Abner and Amanda were not static on stage, switching locations between stage left and stage right a few times, showing some fantastic stage presence, and not forgetting to acknowledge the folks up on the balcony. They had been to Ohio before, and Abner remarked on two different occasions how there were "only 26" people there to see them the first time they had come here, and how they certainly didn't take this big crowd for granted. In what is surely a memorable moment for many of the folks on the floor, after mentioning that they missed the intimacy of their previous visit and they wanted to get closer to the crowd, Abner and Amanda made their way to the center of the venue, accompanied by a couple of members of their crew, bringing the microphone along. Abner sang from here, at one point accepting a beer he was offered by someone in the crowd and taking some deep gulps, while Amanda gladly accepted mobile phones handed to her by audience members in order to take selfies or quick videos.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/e40bb42b4c994eafb491a72533349f589a7d2e80/original/20190524-220748.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The crowd was enthusiastic, gleefully singing along to just about every song. Sadly, I could not participate in most of this shared experience, because as I mentioned earlier, I am only familiar with one album's worth of their songs. Johnnyswim were expecting a sing-along on some of their hooks, and even encouraged it at various points... on a couple of occasions, they seemed genuinely surprised that their lyrics were being sung back to them. (A brief aside: as a musician, I find it hard to even imagine how great it would feel to have a thousand people singing along to one of my songs. This no doubt makes the hard work of touring quite worth it.) Although the crowd was enthusiastic and supportive for the most part, there were a couple of moments that left me shaking my head. During some of the more quiet parts of the show, a great deal of random conversation could be heard. Most unfortunately, all of that conversation drowned out the "Besame Mucho" tag, at least the guitar part of it... to their credit, several folks in the crowd made an attempt to hush everyone up, but it was to no avail. Are you people not paying attention? Do you not see that this guitar is not amplified, and he's playing it directly into a microphone, and he's playing it quietly? This annoying moment made me miss the much better (albeit smaller) crowds we have at <a contents="Yellow Cab" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.yellowcabtavern.com/" target="_blank">Yellow Cab</a> in Dayton.</p>
<p>Two song encore, the first of which was "Take the World" from the <em>Diamonds</em> album, one of a number of pretty songs about their relationship. ("They don't make fairy tales sweeter than ours" is one of the lyrics.) On the album, this song has some subtle drums with brushes and some strings... for this performance, it was just Abner and Amanda and a guitar. After that, the gentlemen who back them up on tour came on down front for the last song. I didn't know this one, and the setlist hasn't been posted anywhere online yet... but it was clear that everyone was enjoying themselves.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/24042018a50ee13840c358182ff82119f00b7e8c/original/20190524-222244.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>If Johnnyswim visits your area, go see them. They know how to write a hook. Their songs are bigger and punchier live, trading some of the studio prettiness for a bigger sound to stand up to the size of the venues they are playing. (I noticed this most in the rhythm section.) Abner and Amanda are both beautiful singers and energetic performers. I recommend familiarizing yourself with the songs on <em>Moonlight</em> if you catch them this year, as they are playing most of the songs from that album on tour.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5759820
2019-05-20T07:05:00-04:00
2020-10-20T18:23:18-04:00
Ohio Spotlight - Real Lulu
<p>The song is called "You". That's the first I heard of Real Lulu, late at night, driving home, listening to the radio. Catchy, and those were some really high notes sung there at the end. Eventually, I got the album on CD... this one:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/d307256ed694e07511033498a371ad48a8d4af18/original/img-0002.jpg/!!/b:W1sidCIsOTBdXQ==.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>We Love Nick</em>, released in 1996, which was before I had started going to local shows. When I did get around to attending local shows, I made sure to go see Real Lulu as often as I could. In these days, Jim Macpherson was the drummer accompanying Kattie Dougherty and Sharon Gavlick. (<a contents="You might know him better from his other band." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://thebreedersmusic.com/" target="_blank">You might know him better from his other band.</a>) There weren't very many bands in the area fronted by a woman, let alone two... this made Real Lulu unique among their contemporaries... and really, it's too bad that's notable. The songs are hooky and punchy. My favorite of their songs to hear at the shows was always "Bobcat", probably because of the bass part. I also really love "Let Me", which ended up on a <a contents="movie soundtrack" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0225071/soundtrack" target="_blank">movie soundtrack</a>.</p>
<p>Alas, Real Lulu are no more. I am fairly certain they released another album, but I don't have a hard copy of it, and couldn't find it after a cursory search on Spotify. Perhaps there may be a reunion some day. In the mean time, do try to find this album and give it a listen... also, check out Kattie's current project, <a contents="Somersault" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/eqyptiansong/" target="_blank">Somersault</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/7a5334a86d4eb1e2fc6576cf9539b10e840931a5/original/img-0001.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5750195
2019-05-13T07:00:00-04:00
2019-05-13T07:01:50-04:00
Thoughts on the Major League Baseball season thus far
<p>Let’s veer away from the topic of music for just a moment. I’d like to briefly talk about one of my other interests, baseball… but first, some history. </p>
<p>I suppose I love baseball because my dad loved baseball at some point. As he got older, he stopped watching baseball in favor of golf for some reason, but I remember watching many games with him as a child. Something about the cat-and-mouse game between pitcher and hitter appealed to me… I liked that unlike most other sports in this country, there is no clock… I imagine that like a million other boys and girls, I played catch with my dad whilst pretending to be one of the pitchers I would see on TV. </p>
<p>Speaking of TV… this particular device greatly increased my love of the game. The closest Major League Baseball franchise to where I grew up is the Cincinnati Reds… and of course, going to school, just about all of the other kids were Reds fans. Not me. See, we had cable, and just about every day during baseball season, the Atlanta Braves were on our cable, because their owner also owned his own TV station. I watched the games just about every night… clearly, when the Braves were on the West Coast, I couldn’t watch the games that were past my bedtime… but I watched just about all of the home games. Now, this was in the 80s when the Braves were awful. Awful teams, hideous uniforms, but I loved them anyway. I remember watching Dale Murphy (he used to be my favorite), Bob Horner, Kent Oberkfell, Rafael Ramirez, Ozzie Virgil, Zane Smith, Rick Mahler, Bruce Benedict, Glen Hubbard, Deion James… so many mediocre players, but I didn’t know it at the time. </p>
<p>Ok, enough of the past, let’s talk about NOW. I am still a Braves fan, and although I like to travel and see baseball games, I don’t think I’ll be seeing them at home anymore. See, they moved out of town a couple of years ago, and their new ballpark is way out in the suburbs in a very high-traffic area without public transportation, which makes it very inconvenient for someone to fly in to catch a game. That’s ok, the last couple of times my wife and I went to see the Braves, they were in Toronto or Milwaukee or elsewhere. </p>
<p>Currently, the Barves (sic) are 18-20, and sit 4 games out of first place. The offense is pretty good. Some of the young starting pitchers are pretty good. The bullpen is a dumpster fire, and the front office didn’t do anything in the offseason to improve it. The lack of quality relief pitching has cost them several games this year already. It’s a long season, but I think I’m already running out of patience. </p>
<p>Some positive things about the baseball season… Mike Trout is fantastic. This is something that you already know if you watch baseball, but I love to see him play. Back over in the friendly NL, I love watching Acuña hit...I love watching Albies hit, but I wish he would be a bit more selective at the plate… I love watching Freeman hit...I very much love watching Christian Yelich hit. </p>
<p>This past weekend, I was able to cross another ballpark off the “baseball parks I’ve seen a game in” list… it was Coors Field in Denver. It isn’t my favorite park, but it is a very nice place to catch a game (even if that game happens to be between the Padres and Rockies as ours was), and I recommend stopping by if you have the chance.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5675106
2019-05-06T07:00:00-04:00
2020-09-13T14:30:42-04:00
Songwriting Story - "North of Sixteen"
<p>Hey, here’s another new theme for a series of blog entries. This is the first <strong>Songwriting Story</strong>, in which I open the curtain and let you peek into my songwriting process. Now, I won’t do this for every song, as some artistic ambiguity is sometimes something desirable, but on occasion I’ll share some information about how a song came to be. Today we start with “North of Sixteen”, which is track 7 on Echo in the Crevices. </p>
<p>This is a song I wrote a dozen times, several dozen times. I had words, I would discard the words. I had music, I would discard the music. I wrote this song over and over again, year after year, and eventually, this particular iteration stuck. I tried to write a bass line cool enough to obscure the sadness of the lyrics… indeed, this is my favorite bass line on the album. Do people even pay attention to the lyrics anyway? </p>
<p>March 1995. My junior year of high school. I was 17. Like many high schoolers my age, I had a part-time job… I worked at a grocery store. The store wasn’t in my hometown, so many of the teenagers who worked there attended different high schools in the area. At that age, you spend a great deal of time with your coworkers… four or five days a week, a few hours a day… longer on weekends… it’s natural that you develop some camaraderie and bond with them. As I recall, I got along well with all of the other high schoolers who worked with me… the public school kids, the private school kids… we all spent plenty of time socializing at work. </p>
<p>Susan went to a high school in a neighboring town. Cheerleader. Honor Roll. Student Council. Exemplary. Intelligent. Talkative. Friendly. Sixteen. She was part of a group of coworkers who I was especially fond of… we’d take the 15 minute work breaks together when we could… there would be laughing and stories and jokes… sometimes about school, sometimes about life. I think one of the interesting things for all of us was the chance to interact with a bunch of peers that you wouldn’t see the next day at school. Below is a picture of her that I found online. Mind you, this is not necessarily the way I remember her, at least not this particular dress… but the smile is <strong>exactly</strong> the way I remember her. She always had that smile. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/d6a5d01e05be93f5e4c88963fa1f0f805083bed0/original/susan-fenter-black-dress-cropped-2.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>For safety reasons, one of the male employees would walk the female employees to their car if the shift ended at night. We all did this for all of the young (and not so young) ladies that we worked with, but I seemed to end up walking out with Susan somewhat regularly… in fact, it was often enough that if she arrived at work after I did, she would try to park next to me, or at least tell me that she tried to park next to me. She would tell me “I parked next to you again, guess you have to walk me out”. </p>
<p><strong><em>You came to me on a cool March night like any other </em></strong></p>
<p>I don’t remember what day of the week it was. I remember it was March, and it was before the suicide, and I was at work. I was, specifically, outside at work. See this particular grocery store had a carport where the customer’s groceries would get sent through a conveyor. We young guys liked to work in the carport loading groceries into cars, because we got tips that way. This particular day, it was my turn to be outside. It was late enough to be kind of dark outside, this was before daylight saving time started back up. Susan came to the store with her folks… they were going shopping. She walked over to where I was standing outside to chat. </p>
<p><strong><em>Your laugh for me was just a mask to hide the maelstrom </em></strong></p>
<p>At the time, I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. Ah, the power and clarity of hindsight. We had a nice conversation. She smiled the same smile as always, and laughed at my occasional awful joke (usually of the self-deprecating variety). I asked if she had to take care of anything work-related, and she said she might run into the store for a few moments, but that she had come specifically to see me. I remember being quite flattered, because teenage boys feel flattered when intelligent, pretty young ladies say nice things to them. We talked about an upcoming Cranberries show that I was planning to attend… the show would be in April. She expressed interest in joining my group. When I balked at that - not knowing how exactly to set that up - she made an offhand comment about maybe not seeing me ever again. Again, I didn’t attach any significance to this… until… you know. </p>
<p><strong><em>Didn’t hear what you meant to say </em></strong></p>
<p>She talked about feeling sick… like a cold was coming on. I told her to keep her chin up and repeated the old adage about chicken soup. She said that was probably a good idea. Looking back, this conversation was her way of saying goodbye… but it was also a cry for help. I would like to think that I would notice that something was wrong if we were to have a similar conversation today. I would like to think that I’ve learned a bit more about reading people and empathy. This is not to say that I wasn’t empathetic then, but I was 17, I was surely not emotionally equipped to do what I have always thought should have been done. Anyway, when she had to run into the store, she gave me a hug… she came out a few minutes later with her parents, and I ended up loading groceries into their car. As they were pulling away, she turned and waved to me from the back, and I shouted “chicken soup!” in the general direction of the car. She flashed that smile in response. This was the last time I saw Susan alive. </p>
<p><strong><em>Bathed in exhaust / closed your eyes and went to sleep </em></strong></p>
<p>I found what I think is an archive of a newspaper article online… 1995 was so long ago that there isn’t much on the Internet about these kinds of things from that time period. It’s not like I need any of the personal details, I remember all of those, and don’t think I could ever forget. It’s haunting. No, I wanted to look up some of the facts… find something official. The article I found is <a contents="here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.jefflouderback.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/human_interest_feature3.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. This is an excerpt: </p>
<p><em>The vibrant and popular Fenter, an honor roll student herself, placed frozen shrimp on the counter to thaw, fed her cat Dusty and walked into the garage. She then climbed into her car, turned the ignition and read a suicide prevention pamphlet she received at school. Three hours later, Barbara Fenter pulled into the driveway, opened the garage door and smoke billowed out. She found her daughter slumped in the driver's seat, dead of carbon monoxide poisoning - the pamphlet by her side. On her bed, next to a list of "final things to do," Susan left a suicide note. </em></p>
<p>Since I didn’t go to the same high school as Susan, I didn’t hear the news during my day. I found out when I got to work. I was actually up in the upstairs break area, early for my shift, and about to start. My dad found me (he worked in management there at the time) and asked me “did you hear about Susan?”, but he had THAT look on his face… the one that speaks of no good. If you read the article I linked to, you’ll notice that there was another suicide of a student in her school earlier in the week, and that story had gotten plenty of local media coverage, so it was on everyone’s mind, and when dad asked me <strong>that</strong> question with <strong>that</strong> look on his face, that conversation Susan and I had came flooding back and I <strong>KNEW</strong>. I knew. I said “suicide”? Dad nodded and left the room. It’s hard to describe what that felt like… punch in the gut, kick to the ribs… something like that. My first reaction was angry. Anger at her for not asking for help, then quickly anger at myself for not realizing that she asked for help and also said goodbye. I punched a wall. My hand hurt for a few days afterwards. </p>
<p>Somber day at work. Grocery store where much of the staff was kids. Everyone knew. It was on the news. Work was so perfunctory. The customers noticed. The really regular customers knew she had worked with us. Several of my coworkers spent most of their shift in tears. I can’t describe how work itself felt for my coworkers, but for me, work felt completely pointless. I wanted to scream with rage, I wanted to break things, I wanted to cry… but no, I went ahead and bagged those groceries and mopped those floors and faced those shelves and was polite to the customers. As I talked to my coworkers, it became clear that Susan had carefully planned this. For instance, she had called someone earlier in the week to cover her weekend shift. She didn’t plan on being alive when the weekend came around. Several of my coworkers had similar stories about getting visits… and when we compared our stories, the thing they all had in common was that air of finality. </p>
<p>The article I mentioned previously has a sample from her journal. </p>
<p><em>"My life is just one big nightmare. I can't get over how stupid I am," Susan wrote five months before the suicide. "Maybe I'm book smart, but I sure can't handle the things I feel inside....I think I'm going to die of a broken heart....No one can understand how I'm feeling...I can't deal with this anymore, with this pain and hurting I feel." </em></p>
<p>That’s not the Susan I knew. Ok, that <strong>is</strong> the Susan I knew, I just didn’t pay enough attention. We were teenagers, we were all broken and messed up in our own ways. Some of us still are. I always thought that she had stuff figured out. It happens that she apparently thought the same of the rest of us. </p>
<p>I wrote “North of Sixteen” so many times… so many words, so many names. This song you hear today is the one that made it, a testament to the profound and crushing guilt I have felt for more than 24 years now. What could I have done? What should I have done? What if? This song comes from a dark and painful place. Lyrically, it is as honest as anything I’ve ever written. Musically, it’s in a minor key… that’s appropriate. </p>
<p><em><strong>Never could you find your way north of sixteen.</strong></em></p>
4:34
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5734861
2019-04-29T12:19:25-04:00
2020-06-23T23:47:00-04:00
April 2019 Album progress update
<p>I mentioned <a contents="in a previous blog post" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/new-album-beginning" target="_blank">in a previous blog post</a> that I am working on my second album. I figured I would provide a brief update to current progress.</p>
<p>There are drums tracked so far for 13 songs. Now, not all of these are destined for this album... <a contents="in fact, two of them are for a different project" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://mikebankheadmusic.com/blog/blog/we-met-in-paris" target="_blank">in fact, two of them are for a different project</a>.</p>
<p>I have tracked bass on 6 songs so far, and 3 of those have some guitar work done, but there is always room for more.</p>
<p>So far, I feel like this is progressing in a somewhat more organized manner than my first album. Part of that is due to me being just a bit more experienced now. A major contributing factor is also the pre-production session that happened before we started tracking... and I'm trying to be careful with making sure I document everything that happens and note all of the little ideas that come to mind during the sessions. I can almost see the outlines of an album beginning to take shape.</p>
<p>Of course, I have many many more songs than will fit on one album, but this is a bridge to be crossed later. For now, please be assured, dear reader, that I am satisfied with the current progress, and that some very nifty sounds have been recorded. I think you'll enjoy this one, whenever I can get it to you.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5705630
2019-04-22T06:00:00-04:00
2020-11-05T11:53:21-05:00
Concert Memories - Muse at tiny Top Cat's in Cincinnati
<p>Time to fire up the wayback machine again, and indulge in another concert memory. Feast your eyes on this well-loved ticket stub. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/7bc437b129e5a33ea8eca8ca7f07950342fcf5bd/original/20190403-132639.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Fifteen years ago this week. Saturday 24th April 2004. Muse. This was just after the release of their third album, <em>Absolution</em>. The album had come out in late 2003 over in the UK, but in the United States, it came out in March 2004. By this time, Muse were already selling out arena shows in Europe, being seen by thousands of people… but they hadn’t blown up on this side of the Atlantic yet, and they were playing rather small venues on this tour. At Top Cats, I got to see them with about 300 other people. To the credit of the good folks of Southwest Ohio, this show sold out in a matter of minutes. One of my close friends was standing at Ticketmaster right when tickets went on sale, and he bought a supply for our group. </p>
<p>There are probably only a couple of shows in my life that I was more excited for than this one. I really loved the first Muse album, <em>Showbiz</em>. I thought the second album was good as well, though I didn’t have quite as much affection for it. By the time of the show, <em>Absolution</em> was on near constant rotation in my collection. This was before Muse went on their Queen-influenced big grandiose rock star stadium strutting journey… I mean, the band they are now was surely in there somewhere, but they seemed somewhat more down to earth then…still tight and loud and melodic, and there were only three of them. </p>
<p>I remember how the crowd was packed into the venue. Moving around was quite near impossible, let alone trying to fight one’s way to the bar for a beer. I remember the booms for the microphones resembling a futuristic erector set. I remember that opening riff to “Sunburn” being played on piano as it<strong> should</strong> be, when I had seen it played on guitar the previous time I had seen Muse live. I remember a light show that seemed way too advanced for a tiny venue like this. I don’t remember a song called “The Groove”, <a contents="but the Internet surely does" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://vimeo.com/252792424" target="_blank">but the Internet surely does</a>, and when I watch this video, I try to find myself and my friends. (Also, not a mobile phone in sight.) I mean, <a contents="look at this video" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THYSQJfmie0&t=3437s" target="_blank">look at this video</a>. Doesn't seem like the same band, does it?</p>
<p>The <a contents="setlist" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/muse/2004/top-cats-cincinnati-oh-7bd7a6ec.html" target="_blank">setlist</a> spanned all three of the albums they had released to that point, heavily leaning toward the most recent one, of course. This was a great rock and roll show from a great rock and roll band, arguably at the height of their powers, and in a venue that was too small for them. </p>
<p>Matthew Bellamy sang during the show opener, “I’m breaking out / I’m breaking out”... truer words were rarely spoken.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5645246
2019-04-15T11:08:06-04:00
2020-12-01T11:01:56-05:00
Music as a Time Machine - Part 2
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/7acd5f57622a448534220e22aaa8a0035d8804fe/original/euphoriamorningoriginal.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Chris Cornell - <em>Euphoria Mourning</em></p>
<p>This album was released in fall 1999. If you happened to have bought it back then, you might have noticed that the title as printed on the disc was <em>Euphoria Morning</em>, as shown above. Apparently, someone at the record label thought that Cornell’s original title was too dark. I have restored the title here as originally intended by the artist, and really, it fits the music better. </p>
<p>This was my favorite singer. I don’t know that I had a favorite band at the time, but as far as vocalists were concerned, this was my guy. Such range. Such emotion. From quiet to loud. I mean, the only person I can think of that sounds even remotely like Cornell is Ian Thornley from Big Wreck… and he’s just kind of in the same neighborhood. </p>
<p>I bought this album nearly immediately after it was released, but at first I didn’t listen to it much. Then I noticed that Chris Cornell would be playing a show in Paris at the same time that I would be there. Ok, now it was on. When I went to Paris for the first time in October 1999, I only had 5 discs with me for the trip. <em> Euphoria Mourning</em> was one of them. (I would tell you the others, but that will steal the thunder from future blog posts. I think they call this “a tease” in the radio industry.) See kids, back then we had a thing called “Discman”, which was a CD player built by Sony. It could play one disc at a time, and it was small enough to fit in your pocket. Well, it fit in <strong><em>my</em></strong> pocket, I’m a big guy. </p>
<p>I was in France for three weeks. Three weeks, five albums. Think of it as kind of a miniature version of the age-old “desert island album” question. I listened to this album every day. Every day. I listened to it in Paris while walking around, on the train between French towns, in Amboise, in Lyon, in Avignon, on the Métro, in the rain, in the dark, and whilst falling asleep. I was struck by the quality arrangements, and delighted at the departure in sound from Cornell’s work with Soundgarden. This is not to say that I didn’t like Soundgarden; on the contrary, I loved Soundgarden… I was just open to accept a change of pace. These songs reminded me of “Seasons” from the <em>Singles</em> soundtrack and “Sunshower” from the <em>Great Expectations</em> soundtrack… but they were more layered, more textured, and more nuanced. (The exception here is “Sweet Euphoria”, which Chris recorded by himself.) This album was my first exposure to Alain Johannes and Natasha Shneider, two great musicians who co-wrote many of these songs, and who played on the album. (This reminds me that I still need to look into their old band, shame on me for not doing that.) </p>
<p>This album has meant a great deal to me over the past nearly 20 years. The lyrics from “Preaching the End of the World” that go “I’m 24 and I’ve got everything to live for”... well, when I was 24, that took on a new meaning. The sentiment in “When I’m Down”... I feel like that every day, and that’s one of those songs that I wish I had written, it’s so good. I’ve really felt “Wave Goodbye” many times in my life as friends or family members have died. So yes, I still love this album… but when I listen to it, I without fail remember that first trip to France… I hear a song from this album and I remember trying to figure out how to work the machines in a Paris laundromat. I hear another song from the album and I remember strolling along the Rhône on a dark night in Arles, nearly out of money, feeling so very alone, and considering jumping into the dark waters below. I hear another song from the album and I remember that awful awful cold I got while I was in Lyon. </p>
<p>“I’m a wreck when I look mighty”. </p>
<p>Thank you Chris.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5645245
2019-04-08T12:02:20-04:00
2022-05-18T03:02:37-04:00
We Met In Paris
<p>How many of you remember the year 2000? <a contents="It was a simpler time" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1ZiFisZvOoWLrxZ1K29HoA?si=WUPuPYzeRmOLIz5Wz3TltA" target="_blank">It was a simpler time</a>. (Looking at you, Kent Montgomery.) You didn’t have to take your shoes off to get past airport security. As I recall, you didn’t have to pack your liquids in a clear plastic bag either. Twitter wasn’t a thing. Facebook wasn’t a thing. Fountains Of Wayne <strong>were</strong> still a thing… they had been a band for five years and had already put out two albums, but were somehow still three years away from getting nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy. (?) </p>
<p>I went to Paris in December 2000. I had been before, and wanted to go back to spend time with the friends I had made on my initial trip… and also to do touristy things and drink wine and eat baguettes… as one does. Paris in December is rainy and chilly (for them) and perhaps a bit dreary at times, but it’s still, you know, PARIS. </p>
<p>One evening, my friends invited me along to drink at TGI Fridays. That’s not what I understood at first… upon receiving the invitation, I was perplexed as to why any French person would set foot in an American fast casual joint, let alone wish to eat food that was frozen and shipped and microwaved. “On ne mange pas là-bas”, I was told - “we don’t eat there”. No, apparently, this place had a happy hour with cheap drinks, and since it’s quite expensive to drink in Paris, some of the young locals liked to stop by for what we might call “pre-gaming” these days. With that explanation in hand, I was more than willing to go along. </p>
<p>We get to TGI Fridays. We head to the bar. At the bar, there is a friend of my friends. We greet each other, cheeks are kissed. This particular friend (who is still a friend and whose name is still Greg) has two English speakers with him… an Aussie and a Brit. Their names are Cerys and Ruth, and they are cousins. Ruth has red hair. Now, I hadn’t spoken English in a few days, and while I could manage just fine in French, it was nice to get a little mental break and spend some time with fellow anglophones. By the time I left the bar, I had new friends. </p>
<p>I just looked at the neighborhood where this took place thanks to the bird’s eye view of Google Maps. That TGI Fridays isn’t there anymore… it would appear that good happy hour prices do not make up for American fast casual cuisine… or, I’m probably wrong, because in the same location there appears to now be a Chipotle and a Starbucks. Grumble. Things change. What has not changed is that Ruth and I are still friends and she still has red hair. What is more, it turns out that she is an extremely talented musician. </p>
<p>I was thinking that it would be nice to have Ruth sing on my upcoming solo record, so I started sending her my home demos. Eventually, I sent her a home demo that I had completed without lyrics or melody… couldn’t manage to put anything I liked to it… imagine… a completed song structure-wise… chord progression, bass line, verse, chorus, bridge, all of the parts… but no lyrics and no melody. Shortly, she sends the demo back with great lyrics and a great melody and all right - now we HAVE to write together. So now we write together, despite living on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean. As of now we have 14 songs in varying stages of life from “demo complete and ready to track” to “idea so nascent that it can’t even be considered half-baked”. What matters here is that it feels good. It’s nice to write with another person, as that can take a song to a place that otherwise it would not have been. It’s even nicer to write with someone who has been your friend for nearly 20 years. We are making art that I believe in. I can’t wait for you to hear it. </p>
<p>Our band is called We Met In Paris. It works because it’s true.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5671384
2019-04-01T07:00:00-04:00
2019-04-01T07:00:56-04:00
Concert Memories - Elbow in Detroit
<p>Tuesday 7th November 2017. This wasn’t a great time in my life… sure, my wife and I had recently returned from a fantastic trip celebrating our ten year anniversary, but my dad had been in the hospital, and this particular week, he had taken a turn for the worse. (He would eventually die a little more than two months later, but that’s another story.) However, we had those Elbow tickets for months and months and months. Just about immediately after I learned they would be coming back to the United States, we looked for a show we could fit into our schedule. I love this band. </p>
<p>We had seen Elbow twice before. Once in Atlanta. Once in Washington DC. When they tour the United States, they only do a few shows… maybe a dozen, maybe a few more than that. They only play big cities. There is no way they are stopping through Ohio (please?), so if you want to see them, you have to be willing to travel. We cashed in a free hotel night for a very nice place to stay in downtown Detroit, and drove on up there to attend the show. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/1b0ec12f94d674ce83f1e198b81b5bdefcff1f4a/original/dofyirfw4aatohv.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>The venue was Saint Andrews Hall. It’s a charming little venue, exactly the kind of place I like to visit for a show. The set got off to a great start, as they launched into Side 1 Track 1 from their debut album, a song called “Any Day Now”. I don’t think they had played that the previous times we had seen them. Alas, this was the only song from the album they would get to on the evening. I kind of understand, after all, they were touring in support of their newest album, <em>Little Fictions</em>, and as one might expect, they played more songs from this one than any of the others. After this trip back in time, they tore into “The Bones of You”, a solid track featuring a deep synth bass from the outstanding album <em>The Seldom Seen Kid</em>. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/154c1753fcefe8afa27d2459a126f1a5708c27a4/original/dofyiwbw0aac2y7.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>You can see the full setlist <a contents="here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/elbow/2017/saint-andrews-hall-detroit-mi-63e3423b.html" target="_blank">here</a>, so I won’t talk about every single song they played. I will mention that two of my favorite songs in their entire catalog, “The Birds” and “My Sad Captains” ended up being played consecutively, and that was the highlight of the night for me. </p>
<p>Elbow’s longtime drummer left a couple of years ago, but as far as their performance is concerned, they are unaffected. Guy Garvey’s pristine voice and reassuring stage presence lends warmth to their performance, as he implored the audience to sing along time and again, even if we didn’t know the words. He needn’t have worried, we all know the words. The Potter brothers wove interesting guitar and keyboard riffs around Pete Turner’s solid bass work. On this occasion, Elbow only brought two violinists with them, which was adequate, but made a song like “Magnificent (She Says)” much less full than it sounds on the album. I would like to see a 30 song show by Elbow… on this cold Midwest night, we had to settle for 16. I shouldn’t complain though, for as Guy sings, “looking back is for the birds”.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5671351
2019-03-24T09:59:49-04:00
2020-09-13T14:31:30-04:00
Ohio Spotlight - Captain Of Industry
<p>Welcome to the first Ohio Spotlight post, where I will briefly talk about Ohio musicians. You might think this is an excuse to mention John Legend in the hopes that he would write with me someday… and while I would certainly be amenable to that idea (<strong>please</strong>), my motivation is somewhat more altruistic. Simply, I want to mention artists that I currently enjoy or have enjoyed in the past, and would like all of you out there in the land of the Internet to discover them as well. </p>
<p>We start with <a contents="Captain Of Industry" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://captainofindustry1.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Captain Of Industry</a>. As I am not a reliable Dayton music historian, I can’t tell you what year they began, though if I were to hazard a guess, I’d say 2002. They released three excellent albums, <em>Captain of Industry (!)</em>, <em>The Great Divide</em> - my personal favorite of the three - and <em>The Bronze</em>. There is also an EP out there full of what seem very much like B-sides, which is odd and different, and then some of those songs ended up on <em>The Bronze</em>. (One of those songs that didn’t end up anywhere else is “Plastique Bones”, which is way too catchy for its own good, and is one of my favorite songs in their catalog.) </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/1790cbe901e4097b24257f427c67632f07cd2cdd/original/captain.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>This group of talented musicians wore their influences on their sleeve. Brainiac, clearly. Radiohead, most definitely. There are plenty of quirky, odd, experimental songs here… but I can’t listen to their hooks or harmonies without also thinking that these fellas all spent plenty of time listening to the Beatles and Beach Boys. </p>
<p>There was some national touring done, and I will always be curious how they were received by audiences who were strangers to their sound. I would like to think the quality of their songs and energy of their live show won people over. As a bass player, one thing I try to take with me from their albums and their shows is Ian Sperry’s patient approach… he never overplays. Several of the moments in their songs that I find most interesting are when the bass is resting… when Ian stops playing. For a good example of this, check out “Quiet Zone”... apologies to the rest of the band, but the bass MAKES that song. </p>
<p>Alas, Captain Of Industry are no more. Life, uh, gets in the way. There are the very occasional one-off reunion shows, and there are the albums. I let someone borrow my copy of <em>The Great Divide</em> and never got it back, but hey, I have the other two around here still, and can listen to those songs via streaming these days. </p>
<p>Nathan Peters sings “no one really cares what town you come from”, and I humbly state my disagreement here. If these guys weren’t from Dayton, I strongly doubt they would have developed a similar sound without the combination of gray Midwest winter, rust-belt city despair, and rich local music heritage. <a contents="Friends y’all, they’re from Dayton, Ohio" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://open.spotify.com/user/mikebankheadmusic/playlist/4yMCkSktUHjrhNyhx5xjCY?si=UZDJ9kwBQoSOZ5eFexFNbA" target="_blank">Friends y’all, they’re from Dayton, Ohio</a>. Find them online and give them a listen.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5679619
2019-03-18T07:00:00-04:00
2019-03-18T07:01:14-04:00
5 in 5 Song Challenge
<p>I saw Chelsey Coy from <a contents="Single Girl/Married Girl" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.singlegirlmarriedgirl.com/" target="_blank">Single Girl/Married Girl</a> mention something about a songwriting challenge. It seemed interesting, so I went after more information. It seemed even more interesting, so I joined. Today, I get to tell you about the 5 in 5 Song Challenge. </p>
<p>This challenge is sponsored by <a contents="Song Fancy" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://songfancy.com/" target="_blank">Song Fancy</a>, a website run by Nashville based singer/songwriter <a contents="Sarah Spencer" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://sarahspencer.com/" target="_blank">Sarah Spencer</a>. The website itself is designed to reach out to other songwriters, to help them when the obstacle of writer’s block rears its ugly head. The site says it is specifically for the “contemporary lady songwriter”, but there are no barriers to entry for this challenge. Plenty of male songwriters joined. Prior to this challenge, I had never stumbled across this website, so I can’t comment on the sense of community there, nor can I comment on the effectiveness of the songwriting tips shared. I will say however, that I think this is a fantastic idea, and very altruistic of Sarah Spencer to share ideas that have helped her to be a better songwriter with others. </p>
<p>What exactly is this challenge? Well, it consists of five days… and it consists of five songs. Those of us who signed up for the challenge are expected to write one song each day for five days. That seems daunting, doesn’t it? If you aren’t feeling particularly inspired, it can be hard to write one song in two weeks, let alone a song each day for a business week. The task is a little less scary than you might think, because each day comes with a song prompt. </p>
<p>For Monday 11 March, also known as Day 1, we were given a list of ten words. We had to use five of them in a song. For Tuesday 12 March, which was Day 2, we were given a phrase to use as a jumping-off point for the song. For Wednesday 13th March, something that we call Day 3, the prompt was phrased as a dare… a dare to complete an unspecified action… but the song had to be written from a specific point of view. On Thursday 14th March, which as you might have figured out by now, was Day 4, we were given another list of ten words... but they were ten different words than Monday's list. Finally, on Friday 15th March, which you surely realize was Day 5, we were given a specific two-word phrase to use as a song title.</p>
<p>Speaking personally as a songwriter, on the occasions I feel blocked, it is because I don’t have a place to start. Maybe I’m not particularly moved by anything in the moment… no recent life tragedies, no recent life victories, and a general feeling of "meh". Some days I might have something to say, but can’t exactly find the motivation to write. I found that this challenge solved both of those issues for me. Each day, here’s a new topic… something specific. Where to go with that topic, well, that’s in the hands of each songwriter. If you give 50 songwriters each a list of ten words and tell them to go write a song using five words from that list… well, you’ll get an incredible variety of styles and feeling. The same can be said of the other prompts. In addition to the topic, having the expectation up front that YOU MUST COMPLETE THE SONG TODAY really helped me to get the songs finished. Nothing like a deadline to inspire urgency… </p>
<p>Looking back at the challenge, I can’t say the songs I created were my best work. (This means that you probably won't be hearing them, even if you ask nicely. Ok, maybe one of them might see the light of day eventually, but not in its original form.) Normally for me, I write and re-write and re-write a song before I bother recording a home demo of it. Only the strong survive long enough to get recorded. When you are tasked with writing and recording a song each day, the ability to self-edit like that goes away. That being the case, I didn’t come up with anything that I would consider “polished”... but there are some tiny moments in each of the songs I wrote that I think I will excise and use again somewhere else. I think that having these songs be so raw and unpolished is part of the point of the challenge. The daily deadline forced me to step away from my natural tendency to immediately judge my own art, and to simply create. </p>
<p>In order to keep us all accountable, this challenge came with a private Facebook group. This is where we received the song prompts. This is where we shared our songs with the other writers. This is where we gave feedback. This is where we got feedback. This is a good idea, but it is only as useful as the community involved can make it. For the first couple of days, I tried to listen to every song that was posted to the community. On the first day, I think I left feedback on three of them. On the second day, I left feedback on two of them. As the challenge moves on, trying to keep up with the submissions became overwhelming for me… especially since this challenge is happening in the middle of a normal work week in my daily life, and, oh yeah, I have to step back and CREATE something each day as well. The challenge serves the two-fold purpose of (1) pushing us to write even when we might not be comfortable doing so that day, and (2) also getting us feedback from our peers. In my experience, the challenge was successful on point one, and not successful on point two. Even though it is art and a creative endeavor, a songwriter should treat it like a job and set aside specific time to work on the craft... this challenge forced me to do that. As for point two... the song I submitted for Day 2 didn’t get listened to even one time. All of the others were listened to at least once, but feedback was minimal. (Again, that's my experience. Some of the writers in the group got plenty of feedback. This may be related to genre.)</p>
<p>My final verdict… if you are a songwriter and you struggle with what to say or how to say it or where to start or how to get something finished… go visit the Song Fancy website and sign up for this challenge the next time it is offered. It is a great mental exercise. It will enable you to stretch out your songwriting skills in a way you might not have considered before. Most importantly, even if you don’t come out of the challenge with anything you feel like keeping or sharing, I truly think this sort of thing makes us better at our craft.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5667589
2019-03-11T06:30:00-04:00
2021-03-06T17:51:30-05:00
Anxiety & Depression - A Personal Tale Of Being Broken
<p>The last time I went to Sri Lanka was 2014. This was, like all of my visits to that lovely island, a work trip… long days in the office, then more work from the hotel later at night once the United States had woken up and gotten to work and started sending emails. I worked hard. Too hard, it turns out. I came home… kept working… drinking a couple of liters of coffee a day, fighting the jet lag, trying to keep up with things, and not sleeping enough… then one day, it would appear that my mind and/or body decided that it couldn’t do this anymore. </p>
<p>I remember having felt strange for a couple of days, but no more than strange. On one particular day however, “strange” went to a completely different place. Chest pain. The shakes. Racing heartbeat. I broke out in a sweat. I felt dizzy. I was convinced that I was having a heart attack, and asked my wife to drive me to the hospital. We hadn’t even gotten a mile down the road when it got worse… shortness of breath… left arm pain… more chest pain… the feeling of impending doom… more shakes. I implored her to pull over, and we called 911. I made sure to tell her that I love her, you know, because I was surely going to die. The ambulance shows up, I get on the bed with the wheels, I get loaded in, and away we go. The medic gives me nitroglycerin in pill form, immediately starts an IV, and then runs an EKG. We’re not even to the hospital yet when he tells me that I definitely did NOT have a heart attack. He says that since he’s not a doctor, he can’t give me an “official” diagnosis, but he says that what I have had is a panic attack caused by stress. I ask him how I would be able to tell the difference… he says that I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, and calling 911 was the right thing to do. </p>
<p>Overnight in the hospital. Lots of tests. IV in each arm… and I hate hate hate needles. Lots of EKG. One of those CAT scans where they put dye in you that makes you feel like you have wet yourself, then wheel you into a machine head first. A stress test, where you run on the treadmill. It turns out that I’m fine. Sure, I definitely need to lose weight, but my blood pressure is great. Blood sugar is fine. Cholesterol levels are fine. Everything’s fine. Welcome to having anxiety. </p>
<p>Starting from that day, panic attacks are a part of my life now. They were most intense the first couple of months after the diagnosis. It is most unsettling if I am driving. Usually these days when I get a panic attack, I am at home by myself, but I recently had one in a rather public setting with a lot of people watching, and that wasn’t any fun. I guess this is part of my new normal… or maybe, this is something that I’ve always been dealing with, and now I’m old enough that my mind/body can’t suppress it anymore? </p>
<p>After this - and I don’t remember when exactly, but it happened at some point - the suicidal thoughts returned. I say “returned”, because I’ve had them before, but it’s not something I generally talk about. Maybe that’s genetic, as I know my dad had them too. Anyway, here’s a secret… my first speeding ticket, back when I was 19… that was a suicide attempt gone wrong. I was having a particularly angsty time as a late teen. I had recently lost someone who I was very close to. Work was particularly frustrating. I remember feeling that I couldn’t deal with it anymore. To get home from where I was working at the time, I had to make about a 25 minute drive, and much of it was on one of those two lane roads that cuts through the country bits connecting the Dayton suburbs. I decided I was going to get going up to around 90 mph, take off my seatbelt, and jerk the wheel left as soon as I saw a car that looked big enough to make the destruction instantaneous. I never made it quite to 90, and I never got the seatbelt off, because I got pulled over for speeding. Of course, being a young black man, at that point, I was 100% frightened of the police officer, and all of the suicidal ideation went away, and the self-preservation kicked in. I mean, death is supposed to be a release from pain, and getting shot is painful, so that’s pretty much all I thought about. </p>
<p>The medication. The first go-round didn’t work. The doctor upped the dosage. The higher dosage made the room spin around for about an hour, starting ten minutes or so after I swallow the pill. I stopped taking that. The insomnia got worse... something I had dealt with before, but it was back and worse than ever before. When I did manage to sleep, I would wake up drenched, having sweated profusely through horrific nightmares... body wet, hair wet, clothes wet, sheets wet, pillow wet. Ick.</p>
<p>Then I started having trouble concentrating. Those that know me probably know I have perfectionist tendencies… I hate being wrong. I’d rather say nothing than say something that is wrong. One of my personal points of pride in the past has been being efficient and effective at work, showing attention to detail, and getting things right. Well, I started making mistakes… silly ones, when I should know better. Often, nobody would notice. Sometimes, someone would notice. I noticed them <strong>all</strong>, and each one ate at me… I would get more frustrated with myself. Some days, I just couldn’t function. I would just lay in bed all day. I wouldn’t eat. (By the way, not eating for a few days is a very effective weight loss strategy, though most nutritionists would probably not recommend this.) I got more irritable. Sometimes I would cry for no reason. More often, I just felt numb… everything was “meh”... no good, no bad, no up, no down, just IS. I’m sure I was a pain for my wife to deal with. I couldn’t remember things that I had read or seen… and again, those that know me probably know that I tend to remember just about everything I read, especially if I read it more than once. Since all of this was beginning to impact my ability to do my job, I figured I should be more thorough about getting professional help. </p>
<p>When I did this, my wife told me that she knew I was depressed even back when we were dating, many years ago. That was an interesting revelation. Maybe I don’t even know what “normal” or “well-adjusted” is supposed to be. </p>
<p>The therapy. I went to therapy. I didn’t like that. I should probably try it again, but sitting in a room talking about my feelings is not my idea of a good time. I have been told to try it again, by multiple people. Sure, I’ll try it again as soon as I am done procrastinating. </p>
<p>New doctor. New medication. It gave me diarrhea. I didn’t feel better. I kept taking the medication. I kept checking in with the doctor. I kept having panic attacks, albeit less frequently. More medication. Higher dosage. The diarrhea stops. I didn’t feel better, but the doctor says he sees improvement in my ability to focus and have a conversation. This makes me realize that I was affected in ways that I surely didn’t even notice. I go on a work trip to North Carolina, where one day I go to the lobby of my hotel around 4 in the morning convinced I am dying again. New hospital. Still no heart issue. Yet another panic attack, a particularly bad one… and particularly expensive, due to the ambulance ride and hospital visit and the United States. More medication. Check in with the doctor. Higher dosage. The feelings of worthlessness. This is my new normal. Medication daily, try to fight off the very dark thoughts, try to stay busy, try to get work done.</p>
<p><strong>I’m broken.</strong> This is something I have come to accept. More often than I care to admit, I just don't have "ganas"... somehow this feeling makes much more sense in Spanish than in English... see, "ganas" means "want to" or "feel like" when it is a noun.... yeah, "se fue las ganas" is something you could quote me as saying regularly, except for I don't often actually say it out loud. Some might reason that having faith should make everything better, but faith doesn’t work like that. <em>Alexa, insert that meme that says “that’s not how any of this works”</em>. For instance, imagine that a person has lupus. This person may have all the faith in the world, but that isn’t going to make the lupus go away, or even treat it. This person needs professional attention… and while faith might help them to endure the condition, it is not a cure. I have come to understand that anxiety/depression works in a similar manner. It’s something that I need to manage with professional attention, and while having faith might help me to endure, it is not treatment, and it will not make the issue go away. </p>
<p>You know what helps me feel a little better sometimes? Music. Now, I do not mean that music is a panacea, nor is it treatment. Indeed, there have been multiple occasions where I have had tickets to a show already paid for, and couldn't bring myself to leave home, so I skipped the show and was just out the money. (The musicians got paid though, so there is your silver lining.) However, quite often, when I am sitting at the piano or playing the bass, I can feel some of the stress peel away. Writing songs is especially cathartic. I am not exactly a gifted musician by any means, but I like to play, and I like to continue learning about theory and how/why music works. Indeed, music is a great confluence of my inner drive to read and learn and absorb, mashed into an art form that I find to be pleasing. In addition to making sure that there isn’t any weaponry readily available in our home, being project-oriented around music helps to keep the suicidal ideation at bay. First, making suicide plans just seems to be too much effort… and second, I have a bunch of songs I want to record, and being dead would make it much more difficult to get that done. It would be inaccurate to say that music makes me “happy”, but sometimes it makes me feel just slightly less broken.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5645599
2019-03-04T05:30:00-05:00
2019-03-04T05:30:15-05:00
Thoughts on Kickstarter
<p>Are you worried I am going to ask you for money? Well don’t worry, I am definitely not going to do that today. However, crowdfunding has become a very useful resource for creative types, and that being the case, I’ve been thinking about making Kickstarter a part of the process for the as-yet-unnamed second album. Below are three disjointed thoughts about this, in no particular order. </p>
<p>Vinyl. Vinyl is cool again. Music sounds great on vinyl. I know people who say that music sounds warmer on vinyl. (I don’t hear it, but maybe that’s because my turntable isn’t of a high enough quality.) Vinyl is so awesome that Pearl Jam wrote a song about it. <em>Alexa, play “Spin the Black Circle”</em>. Here’s the problem. Vinyl is <strong>expensive</strong>. From what I understand the mastering process for vinyl is different than it is for other media. Further, producing vinyl is a time-consuming process that requires a very unique set of machinery, and that makes it expensive. Simply put, there is no way I can afford to release this album on vinyl… but I really want to. The only way I could do that would be if folks pre-ordered enough vinyl copies of the album to offset the production costs. </p>
<p>Begging. It feels like begging. I mean, when you’re an “indie” artist, you kind of want to be as independent as you can. DIY, right? Crowdfunding is not so much DIY… it’s more like DI with a little help from my friends and as many complete strangers as possible. It feels like begging. Of course, one would offer rewards in exchange for a pledge to back the project, which makes it more like pre-ordering. Of course. It feels like begging. </p>
<p>Fear. You know, if you use Kickstarter and you don’t reach your financial goal, you don’t get paid. Zip. Zero. Nada. Rien. Now, there are reasons why that is a good thing… let’s say I offer vinyl as a reward, and I don’t meet my financial goal for the project… well, if we aren’t doing an “all or nothing” model, I would be obligated to fulfill those vinyl pre-orders when I really can’t afford to do so. However, to quote a movie about music in a slightly out-of-context way, “some money would be nice”. Not reaching the goal, well, that would feel like a crushing failure, and not in a good way. (Looking at you Ken Andrews.) That’s scary. Fear. </p>
<p>Maybe. Probably. These are words to describe my feelings about Kickstarter. At this moment though, I don’t have to decide. Tracking for the album has already begun, and I’ll keep plugging away at it. After all, before any kind of crowdfunding starts, one should have demonstrated that work is already in progress and a product is going to result, yes? I am definitely not asking anyone for money today… but in a few months, well, let’s see.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5656536
2019-02-25T06:30:00-05:00
2021-04-18T15:05:41-04:00
Music as a Time Machine - Part 1
<p>Part of the lasting appeal of music that we may have discovered many years ago is the place we happened to be in our lives when that particular music became part of our soundtrack. I am sure this is true for other folks as well, but for me, certain songs and certain albums really take me back to a specific time or place…and sometimes those are warm memories and sometimes those are bitter memories… but for me, there aren’t many things that take me back the way that music does. That being the case, here’s the first entry in an ongoing series “Music as a Time Machine”. </p>
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<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/320627/352e0432b1f45b8e0722315e3d307f674fbc6ecd/original/hbsa.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Toadies - <em>Hell Below/Stars Above </em></p>
<p>Toadies. The pride of Forth Worth. Their debut album showed up while I was in high school, and for a time you couldn’t get away from that lead single. It went platinum, back when albums still used to go platinum. You would think that this kind of success would establish them some goodwill with their record label… but you would be wrong. </p>
<p>The second album that Toadies presented to their label… well, the label didn’t like it. The band went back to the drawing board… went back to touring… went back to writing. I remember avidly following them via their website and their message board. The members of the band would often interact with the general public there on the message board, and I gathered from reading the posts, they would do this in the community as well. They gigged regularly - at least around Texas. They would go to other shows. They would host the occasional party at one of the band members’ homes. They would talk about their interests outside of music. All of this turned these people who seemed very much like rock stars to the high school version of me into regular folk for the early twenties version of me. </p>
<p>We finally got a second Toadies album, <em>Hell Below/Stars Above</em>. Amazingly enough, it’s actually better than their debut album, the one that went platinum. The band went on the road to support the album, and I remember seeing them in Cincinnati and in Columbus and in Cleveland with my friends. (Notably, Justin locked his keys in the car at a rest stop in Lodi where we stopped on the way home from the Cleveland show for a snack. Good times.) Sadly, the label didn’t do much of anything to help promote the record. I don’t remember seeing any videos, and I don’t remember any radio play. Sales lagged. All of the stress of this time caused the band to fracture. </p>
<p>We still have these songs though. The album starts off with a Vaden Todd Lewis scream over some riffy guitar. Lisa Umbarger’s fine bass work stands out here, from “Push the Hand” and “Motivational”, where it really drives the song… to tracks where it is just as important to me, but maybe a bit more subtle, like “You’ll Come Down” and “Pressed Against the Sky”. Have a listen to the title track and it’s very gospel-sounding outro… this is a song that has been a huge influence on my own songwriting. It’s also nice that this band has some love for Dayton, being clear fans of Kim Deal’s work… and they are on record stating their admiration for Brainiac as well. </p>
<p>I still love these songs, and every time I hear them, I think about driving on 70, 35, 33, or 71, on my way to a party, a jam session, or a concert, looking forward to seeing my friends and having this record playing at an unsafe volume in the car. I also think about Pete, gone way too soon.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5643449
2019-02-14T16:10:39-05:00
2019-02-14T16:10:39-05:00
Let’s Go Weekly…
<p>I haven’t been very regular in keeping this blog updated, so it’s time to start a new habit. I am going to do this weekly. That’s right folks, I plan to post every Monday morning going forward. This will be a challenge at times… vacation, business trips, and other general life distractions may very well get in the way… but I’m going to try to stick to it.<br><br>Why in the world the sudden focus on regularity? I can think of three main reasons.<br><br>1. I always wanted to be a writer. No, really. From the time I was in elementary school, I was always interested in writing. If you look at my Twitter bio (https://twitter.com/mbankheadmusic), you’ll see that I’ve had the phrase “aspiring writer” in there from the beginning. The problem here is that I don’t have a good brain for fiction. I enjoy reading fiction, particularly science fiction… but am not that kind of creative. Ok, so a novel isn’t going to happen, let’s do this instead.<br><br>2. It’s probably good from a music business standpoint. Think about the musicians that you enjoy listening to… isn’t it interesting to get a little peek into their thought process and their life? I hope to give everyone an authentic look at my personality here, the kind of access that social media doesn’t quite reach due to its brevity. Also, maybe what I write here will help people to understand my music better, and don’t all artists really just want to be understood?<br><br>3. It will help with my mental health. Did you know I had a blog years ago? I’m not going to give the link here, but if someone were really interested, they could probably find it. This was in my early twenties. I wrote about some interesting things, I wrote about some mundane things… some of these posts were awful, and some of these posts might have been inspiring. In any case, I truly believe that writing a blog helped me to work through some of my issues at the time. Looking back with the additional experience of years of life, I see that I was probably anxious and depressed then as well. Now, I am indeed taking medication for this now, and if I can stop procrastinating, I’ll go to therapy too… but listening to and especially making music helps. It’s like a very talented Dayton musician sings, “that’s the solace that we keep”. So, just like songwriting, keeping this blog will probably help keep me on the saner side of deranged.<br><br>I know what you’re thinking… “Nobody wants to read this”. You know, you’re probably right. I’m probably talking to the Internet ether… but you know what? That’s just like making music. I make art that I’m proud of, and it’s hard to get anyone to listen to it. That’s ok, “l’art pour l’art, right?<br><br>The weekly journey begins this coming Monday 18th February. You’re invited.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5486165
2018-10-25T15:33:51-04:00
2021-05-17T02:21:18-04:00
About lyrics
<p>This is going to give everyone a good idea about my age, but when I was first getting into discovering music on my own, I loved opening the cassette and pulling out the folded up liner notes. I would read the lyrics without the music playing, I would read the lyrics with the music playing, I would read the lyrics and sing along. When cassettes got replaced by compact discs, I would do the same thing... in fact, I would be disappointed if I bought an album that <em>didn't</em> have the lyrics included.</p>
<p>Fast forward to now, where music lives mostly in digital form. It feels like modern music listeners may not be as concerned or interested in the lyrics as I was in my youth. My intent here is not to sound curmudgeonly, nor to yell "get off my lawn" at folks younger than me... they love their music, but with the decline of music as a physical thing, it seems to be a bit harder to find the lyrics.</p>
<p>With that in mind, I have added a lyric page to my website. If you wanted to know how to spell all of those French words in "Le soldat" or you were curious as to what exactly I am saying in "North of Sixteen", or if you didn't know whether I am saying "write away" or "right away" in "Soul of an Ode"... well, head on over to the lyric page and read away. Please sing along.</p>
Mike Bankhead
tag:mikebankheadmusic.com,2005:Post/5442259
2018-09-24T20:53:23-04:00
2018-09-24T20:53:23-04:00
September news - songwriting
<p><em>Echo in the Crevices</em> has been out for one year and two months. I have been working on songs for the next album. Some are complete, but many remain in pieces... it is up to me to pick up the pieces and put them together.</p>
<p>Recently, I've been working with a cowriter for the first time. I had a song that was complete, but it wasn't good enough... I didn't like the melody, the chords, or the lyrics in the verse... but I thought I had something with the chorus. I discarded the verses entirely and asked a talented songwriter for help. What we have at this point is not yet finished, but it's already much better than the version I had written on my own. I am looking forward to sharing it with the world.</p>
Mike Bankhead