Next book on the 2021 reading list! Anniversary edition of Brian Eno’s A Year with Swollen Appendices.
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Rockit
Atlanta Retro Futurism
'Tis the season
Happy Mardi Gras! I’m celebrating in Atlanta with vegan King Cake treats from Revolution Doughnuts. Deelish!!
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The Ox has arrived.
In case you slept through January, today is your chance to celebrate the New Year (again)…
chinesenewyear.net
TBT with MD in MI
Exactly one year ago today 2/11/20 at The Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids, MI. On tour playing drums with Mike Doughty (and BABY MEN).
The answer is Clear.
"I can guarantee that if you manage to start a habit and keep sticking to it, there will be days when you feel like quitting. But stepping up when it's annoying or painful or draining to do so, that's what makes the difference between a professional and an amateur." - James Clear
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TGIBCF
Today is Bandcamp Friday! Click pics below for links to my faves of the day.
Richard Stuverud
Edgar Derby
TN TBT
Throwback Thursday to Memphis 2020. Here’s what The Perch looked like before I packed it up and moved it to Atlanta. (Still haven’t decided on a name for the new home studio.)
Double Derek
Many wisdom nuggets in the new books from Derek Sivers. Get yours at sivers.org
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Boom Box
Working on a new video project called Beats from the Boom Box. Check out IGTV for the first our installments, and new video every Friday.
Team USA
Photo collage by Jamie Harmon from Amurica.
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TBT SWG
Throwback Thursday…
In August 2020 I started an Instagram livestream series called Singing With Gum which lasted until November. Each episode I sang four originals and one cover song; and featured a different brand of chewing gum. Click HERE for the full playlist. (Also available on the VIDEOS page.)
20/21
Even with the pandemic, 2020 turned out to be quite a busy year. It started with a New Year’s Eve gig on drums with The Pimps of Joytime in Colorado. Then a tour in February, drumming with Mike Doughty. A few days after returning home to Memphis, I drove to Mississippi for a solo acoustic performance on Thacker Mountain Radio.
As we all know, everything changed in March. I decided to channel my energy into recording and releasing six songs before the year was over. Three of those were singles with accompanying videos, and the others were unplugged versions of new songs posted on YouTube and Bandcamp. I also remixed an older song, “Looking for a Sign” which became more relevant in those turbulent times.
Over the summer I signed with Brooklyn, NY based indie label Declared Goods. Their support helped me reach a wider audience and introduced me to new fans around the world. My work was featured in outlets such as Magnet Magazine, Brooklyn Vegan, and The Memphis Flyer; with regular plays on BreakThru Radio and WFMU.
I started an Instagram livestream series in August called Singing With Gum which ran until November. Each week I sang four originals and one cover (while chewing gum).
In the fall, my video for “Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah” by the Pogues was an official selection of the Indie Memphis Film Festival. It was included in the Hometowner Music Video series.
I ended the year with a move to Atlanta in December. I’m currently getting settled at my new place in Candler Park. The home studio will be up and running soon, and I’ll be preparing for single releases in the spring and an EP in the summer. I’ll also be posting regular content on social media with new beats, melodies, projects, and experiments.
Please be sure to sign my mailing list HERE and I’ll keep you updated on all the latest happenings.
Happy New Year!
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Studio Wisdom
Eric Sarafin aka MIXERMAN wrote Zen and the Art of Mixing in 2010. I recently finished reading the revised 2021 edition, and it’s great. Here are just a few of the many gems…
”Frankly, the moment you bring up a track it should speak to you. There’s a story contained in every raw production, and as you become more adept at mixing, you’ll become equally adept at reading the story contained within.”
”You don’t want the listener to think; you want them to react.”
