Make friends. Make music.

We all know that daily schedules are filled to the brim and then some. But occasionally, there are a few spare moments the find their way into our hectic routines. In those moments, I get ecstatic and then almost instantly frustrated because I realize at that moment that I have the opportunity to do any of the things I have been telling myself I wanted to get to all week, and ultimately end up feeling too tired to do them. It's a moment of "Yes! I can finally take a moment and ____." Followed by, "All I really want to do is sleep," or even worse, "There's too many things I want to do to choose from, so I won't do any." Perhaps I should keep a Top Ten list handy. That way I can go right to number one even when I am in an exhausted stupor and too tired to think straight.

Atop that list would probably be this new idea for a band that I have. It's been brewing for quite some time, and I have put the idea out there to only a few people, so I wanted to give a quick overview to those out there in cyberspace. So here goes...

In my music library (which I am proud to say is quite diverse and over 500 strong), I have found that there are only a few artists who produce beautiful, captivating music, while utilizing advanced music theory. A lot of artists are either four chords but catchy, or complex and so far into left field it can give you a headache. But there are some who live comfortably in the middle of the venn diagram and provide us music nerds with something intricate and theoretically rich, while taking your mind, heart, and soul on melodic journeys that get you humming and tapping your feet. My idea for a band is centered around being that type of group. I want to explore time signatures, harmonies, modes, keys, etc., and weave it into a popular, accessible sound. The lyrics would have to be poetic and have redemptive eternal qualities in order to make it a well-rounded engaging experience. I would also like it to be very flexible in terms of how it could be heard. It would have to be large enough to manage complex harmonies and such, but small enough to be a local band side project. I was thinking mainly an acoustic sound, maybe one electric guitar and electric bass. The big thing would be that instead of a drum kit, it would have a multi-person percussion section. By using hand drums, chimes, tambourines, hand claps, and pretty much any other rhythm oriented thing, it would be a completely different sound than what we're used to in pop music, and would also be easy to build up and scale down depending on the venue. The only other part I have considered is that I want it to be very real and honest. Not a lot of effects, electronics, samples, or anything...just people, music, and rhythm. I want it to have a very "earthy" or "raw feel to it. The solo CDs I have put out reflect that concept as well. I already have some songs written, just need some friends now.

At any rate, that's what has been going on inside my brain these last few weeks. I'm compiling a list of influences in the meantime. Perhaps one day...until then...happy listening. And do yourself a favor, go buy The Fire Theft and let it wash over you like a gentle tide on a warm spring evening. Goodnight.