Live on KDVS, February 2005

2005 was sort of a turning point for me musically. I had hit a point where i thought about stepping back and focusing on other things. I had made a couple acoustic records that hadn't really found much of a fan base outside my own circle. Jackson was a year and half old, and our second son Elijah was on the way. I'd just moved back to the town i grew up in, and i felt like my life was getting pulled in a strange, yet all too familiar direction.

Instead of throwing in the towel, i made a conscious effort to write pop songs, and started Beat Radio. But a few months before that happened, i took a trip out to the west coast for the first time to play some shows. The whole trip was sort of a pilgrimage for me - especially going to San Francisco and checking out the City Lights Bookstore and walking around the streets i'd read about in all those Jack Kerouac books.

The highlight of the trip was getting to play live on the air at KDVS. Michael Leahy invited me to do a session for his great Cool as Folk Show.

I stumbled across the mp3's the other day in my itunes. you can check them out here:
television

the man i should be

fearful

silver birds

hope you like them.

if you see her, say hello (bob dylan cover)

I was excited to finally getting around to working on this Bob Dylan cover. I was walking around with it in my head for a long time. Sometimes songs kinda torment you, until you get them done. They knock around your head, threaten to go bad and destroy everything. My advice would be this - if you've got an idea, try not to let it die. Following through on it will probably be it's own reward.

Oh, and i took the lyrics from the version of this song on the Bootleg Series. It was the first version Dylan recorded at the NY sessions for Blood on the Tracks. I actually greatly prefer all the recordings from those sessions, compared to the ones Dylan went on to record in Minnesota for the official release. My favorite line is when he says, "Kiss her for the kid," which didn't make the album version.

Also, when i was walking around with this song in my head all those months, it sounded like a cross between Sparklehorse's "Ghost of His Smile" and Them's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue." The way it actually came out, i think owes a bit more to Dylan's "Series of Dreams." Sort of a Daniel Lanois feel. Life takes interesting turns.

when i'm with you

i kind of knew i would love this song before i even heard it. the title struck me as the perfect name for a pop song. if you've never heard the original, check out best coast here: www.myspace.com/bestycoasty

electric apostles

thanks so much to our friend ken for posting these videos from our show at union hall last month!

evangeline

This song's about getting through hard times, together. I wrote the melody on the piano in my front room, and i've been walking around with in my head for a couple months. Took me a while to get the words down.

If you listen closely, you can hear my 7 year old son Jackson shredding along on his little red flying v, towards the end.


here are the lyrics:

Evangeline
The storm is over now
I love the way
The sun burns through the clouds
I'm still the same
I'm still the kid you knew
For all we've lost

Evangeline
I hear the breaking waves
I'm drifting off
I swear I'm not afraid
Down by the shore
Everyone's rushing round
I'm standing still

Evangeline
You are my sweetest friend
We can't stay here
Can't go back home again
I turned my back
Remembering everything
Must find its way

Evangeline
You've seen me through it all
The pavement shines
The cherry blossoms fall
Our love will grow
My heart is keeping time
Evangeline

the best and the brightest

I’m not one of those people who looks back much. As far as music goes, I think this is probably the most amazing time ever to be a fan and an artist. But I was thinking the other day on how it used to be. These days things don’t really stay obscure in the same way – everyone has access to everything. When I was a kid, you could be a fan of a band sometimes and it felt like you were in your very own secret club. It’s like the world was made up of a thousand different secret clubs. This song is about how it felt to share a favorite band with a friend of yours, and how it could be a bond between you, that no one else understood. At least until you met someone else who was also part of the club.

Here are the lyrics:

The best and the brightest
Were our favorite band
They played the songs in the keys that only we could understand
When my mind is hazy
When I’m fading away
I’m listening to the b-side to “Destroy a Holiday”

I’m on your side
Be on my side
Cause I’m on your side
Be on my side

Radio Daydream
Was my favorite song
When my head is empty
When the days get long
We were looking for something
Someone we used to know
And now the ancient circle’s separating slow

I’m on your side
Be on my side
Cause I’m on your side
Be on mine

Freedom will wait
If you dare to escape
So hold on
Hold on
It won’t be long

I’m on your side
Be on my side
Cause I’m on your side
Be on mine

collage

a friend of mine asked a bunch people to make all the different letters of the alphabet for her a nursery for her nephew that is about to be born. i chose the letter "b" here's what i got.