My connection to these people through their art only grows and for whatever reason, whenever place connects us, time gets a little thinner. It doesn’t make any sense to the practical side of me, but the emotional part of me cherishes these moments.
Read MoreThe reality is our culture preaches individualism while at the same time it does everything it can to crush it.
Read MoreThis morning when I got in the car, the first thing Apple Radio played was “Lisztomania” by Phoenix. My initial thought was how my tastes had changed in the time since that record was released, because now I’m a huge fan of Franz Liszt. And, in the wake of Brian Wilson’s death, coupled with it being quite some time since I last wrote a blog post, I thought exploring how our tastes change would be a good topic for a post.
Read MoreI certainly don’t have all the answers, but I am endlessly thinking of how to be a better writer and a better man. Nobody gets anywhere in anything by thinking you have it all figured out.
Read MoreShe said it, not me.
Read MoreIn 2024, I learned to believe in myself.
Read MoreI know I’m old. I’m a young Gen X’er. I find myself, more and more, saying, “Man, things used to be so much better than they are now.” Some of that is just middle-age rearing its ugly head, but some of that is true. One place where I wholeheartedly believe it is true is when you compare mixtapes to playlists.
Read MoreI will say at the outset, I don’t think these things say much about you.
Read MoreIn the immortal words of Cliff Burton, "Kill 'em all." Kidding, seriously... but bad jokes aside, I have no love for any politician. I'm interested in art and other things that unite us.
Read MoreOn one hand, where do I begin? But on the other, I don’t want to give too much away about recording.
Read MoreWriters are born, not made. I don’t mean to say that a writer is not a slave to their craft, they are. What I am saying is that no one would ever choose to be a slave to this craft if they weren’t born to do so. See, when people say things to a musician or writer or whomever, “well you have a God-given talent”, it really is a “God-given ability and a God-given desire to work”.
Read MoreI think seeing things for what they truly are and where you fit, or don’t fit, into them is really a pre-requisite of personal growth and great art.
Read MoreWe have lost the ability to distinguish between consuming something and experiencing something.
Read MoreOne thread of the punk rock fabric I touched on was DIY – Do It Yourself. Looking back I don't know if those of us with an entrepreneurial spirit were attracted to punk rock or if punk rock necessitated an entrepreneurial spirit. Either way, if you wanted anything to happen, you had to do it yourself.
Read MoreMany people consider tragedy to be romantic. We idolize those who died young and tragically, such as: James Dean, Kurt Cobain, and John Lennon to name but a few. When you die young, you leave a small body of work to be judged and any indiscretions can be blamed on youth. Perhaps no musical genre benefits from this more than rock music and no subculture is more known for it than punk rock. And there are two reasons for that – Darby Crash and Sid Vicious.
Read MoreAt the end of the day, how we influence those around us isn’t by what take, but by what we make. It’s less by our words and more by our actions.
Read MoreBecause of advancements in technologies, the things we did, at least how we did them, will never happen again.
Read MoreThe point of all of this isn’t just to tell you what I’m up to, but to say to my fellow artists, don’t be afraid to throw yourself a curveball. I’ve gotten comfortable working alone, but am I reaching my potential as an artist being comfortable and alone?
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