Happy New Year! Starting off right.

hope everyone had a fun and safe NYE! got any resolutions you want to share? i don’t have any this year but instead i have something a little more fun – a bit of an announcement. i’ll be returning to playing live this year! i’ve recently started working with a jazz artist here in the PNW and things are going well, so well that we’re going to be setting some dates soon and playing clubs in the area. as things progress i’ll make updates on the particulars

 

finally, the big release day

check it out, my new cd is now released!

it’s called “sh0ck and awe” and it’s a group of instrumental tunes that i have to say i’m really proud of. it’s a really upbeat bunch of songs with lots of moods and feels going on, on top of the usual guitar, bass, funk and rock

i think you’ll all dig it. please go check it out & download the tunes–they’re only 89 cents apiece on cdbaby, or get the whole cd for $4!

new song available for streaming!

“in the early morning,” one of the songs off my brand new CD, is now available for streaming over at reverbnation! check it out & let me know what you think. i’m really excited about this album. it’s instrumental only and i used a lot of cool new techniques i’ve been learning and working on.

the CD will be available soon. stay tuned!

adventures in mixing!

two posts in one day! impossible, you say!

that can only mean one thing…

i’m nearing completion on another round of awesome new aural madness!! or, you know, some new music

yep, finishing up some new tunes this week. should be available very soon. i took a different approach this time around, focusing more on just fast, short, punchy tunes that will make excellent music  for driving or video game soundtracks – the kind of stuff that makes you want to hop your car and tear down the local highway. once you hear it, you’ll see what i mean.

you are not a “geek”…

…(unless you want to be.)

so, those of you who have read enough of my posts are probably aware that i like to read some comic books on occasion. when the subject comes up, usually in regard to the newest superhero movie or something, and i reveal that, yes, i do enjoy a well told and well drawn comic tale (be it superhero or western or some other genre) i’m almost always met with the same response:

“you read comic books?!”

one would think i’d said i like to eat live rats or something. i go to parties, stay out late, play loud music, etc., how could i possibly be one of them?! but the general explanation that follows is, “you don’t seem the type;  too smart; too cool, too (fill in the blank with whatever rationale you wish)…” but it all boils down the this perception that only “geeks” read comics (or watch science fiction, or whatever other activity is somehow deemed “weird”).

it’s really odd to me. elsewhere int he world, it’s quite common for people of all ages and walks of life to read comics (see japan for an easy example).  millions watch comic book based movies every year (they aren’t all superheroes, by the way such as “road to perdition”). yet, in north american culture it’s seen as an oddity by some. it’s an attitude that’s been on the decline in recent years but it’s one still kept alive by some people. the strangest thing about the attitude is that the people doing the most to keep the “geek” are the fans of said entertainment themselves.

the funniest thing about this is, i get the same baffled reaction from comics readers, sci-fi fans, etc. because i don’t look, act, or identify myself as a walking stereotype, they think i couldn’t possibly be one of them. well, in a way they’re correct in their assumption.

i’m not a geek. i don’t think of myself in some self effacing manner. i’m comfortable with who i am and what i do. i don’t need to behave like a social pariah because of my tastes in entertainment (of all things! i mean, really, how absurd is that? not politics, art, etc., but entertainment?!) and i don’t really see any reason that i should. sports fans aren’t geeks because they are avid supporters of their chosen teams. nor are fans of mainstream tv shows. nor are music fans looked down upon for loving the awesome sounds crafted by yours truly so why would comics be any different? i think because some of the people identifying as, and behaving as, self described “geeks” don’t want to be seen as normal, healthy individuals. they’re more comfortable being disparaged and shunned. i think, deep down, they’re not comfortable with who they are and that’s a shame.

i’ll close with this, from an interview with one of my favorite writers, grant morrison:

I like that you find the word ‘geek’ offensive.
Yeah, it is, it’s circus freaks, degrading circus freaks who eat chicken heads. I came from the opposite, when people would call someone a geek, and I was like, “What’s the difference between someone who collects comics and someone who collects Britney Spears records or someone who collects football programs? You wouldn’t call those people geeks, so why are you calling these people geeks?” Not all of us who love comics collect them, there are other hobbies. They’re no different from most people who consume things and put them in the corner or put them in a drawer, that’s what I was trying to say. Anyone who’s into anything could be called a geek, but they don’t call them a geek. It’s just easier to use than any other word.

welcome

to all the new Nevis listeners! don’t forget to download your free exclusive tune, “The Sky Above,” here.

more soon…

Happy (belated) Miracle Monday!

“miracle monday” is a fictional holiday in one the (if not the single) greatest superman stories ever written from the novel of the same name by elliot s! maggin.

read about it here and then go pick up the book. if you have any interest whatsoever in the man of steel, it’s a truly worthwhile read.

PRO TIP: microphone fiend

need a small but sturdy mic stand on the cheap? use an old spindle from a case of blank CDs.  the size of the spindle should fit just about any mic clip and microphone and the large, CD sized base should be stable enough for all but the heaviest mics. if you happen to have a really heavy mic, or uneven floors, try a book, FX pedal or similar small but relatively heavy item and place it on the base of the stand for stability.

try it and let me know what you think!

Making friends the Nevis way

if you’ve ever talked with me in person or hung out with me at some public event or show, you may have noticed, i’m pretty quiet. unless i’m really excited about one thing or another, or a decision needs to be made (pizza or mexican?)  i tend to keep to myself.

in short, i don’t make friends easily.

some folks who have hung out with me might be a little surprised. in certain settings i can be affable, occasionally gregarious, and when really motivated, even a bit friendly. but those are exceptions. my default state of being is most comfortable when not in public (unless i’ve got an axe in my hands and i’m playing for a crowd).

so, in the past few weeks i’ve found myself hanging out with a couple of people that i’ve been acquainted with for a while (one of whom for a couple years now) and liked, but i’m not sure i would have exactly called them friends. i don’t know if it’s just the repetition or what, but i’ve found that i’ve grown to really enjoy the company of these folks and find myself sharing ideas, talking shop, games, comic books, and MST3K with these folks.

i’ll have to do this more often.

Tying into yesterday’s post

an interview with personal hero, “homicide” author, “the corner” and “the wire” creator, david simon – here