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This one’s been a struggle and I think it still needs a bunch of work, but I’m calling the demo done and I’ll come back to it. I was trying to do something a bit different and ehhhh I dunno:

I Need to Love Myself More and You Less (demo)

Anyway, that’s a wrap on the demos for the next record. You can listen to them all here (warning: spoilers). Gonna take a short break and then start hassling friends for feedback and then I’ll make a bunch of decisions on what needs to be fixed. And then fix those things.

Went to a 70th birthday thing for Bob Dylan last night (he wasn’t there). I’m not really a huge Dylan fan. I mean, I think he’s rad and much respect, good job. But I’ve never really obsessed over any of his music like I have for my favorite artists, despite trying. Last night at the Dylan open mic I realized the only three songs I really deeply love of his (if we count covers) I found from soundtracks:

1. The Man in Me (The Big Lebowski)
2. You Belong to Me (Natural Born Killers)
3. When I Paint My Masterpiece (Observe & Report, by The Band)

So that probably makes me a lame person. But despite not digging most of his music, he’s an inspiration in that he decided he wanted to be a songwriter and has relentlessly stuck with it. That’s pretty bad-ass. Also this paper doll was on the table in front of me:

Happy birthday!

Tired of staring at this demo, so here you go:

Come Back (demo)

Should be track #8 on Guess Who’s a Mess. Only one more demo to go and then I get to start finishing this bad boy off.

I think I might be finished with nearly anything that happens in convention centers. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a good time in one. Do they happen? They’re so sterile they creep me out and make me want to run far away (to my sterile hotel room).

My panel was OK, though the discussion was just getting going when we ran out of time. I also felt it was a bit too focused on far-off scenarios rather than practical stuff that might help musicians. I have a hard time caring about anything I have to imagine 5-10 years into the future to get. Probably my issue, but there it is.

Once again Boston tried to hang onto me by laying down a giant storm on my way out. Last time it was snow that cancelled every flight but mine. This time it was wind that cancelled every flight but mine. It’s never cool when you see this much red on a departures screen when you walk up to your gate:

I got to fly in a 9-seat Cessna propeller airplane (the ninth seat is actually the co-pilot seat). I thought it would be scary especially with all the turbulence but I found it easy to accept the idea of dying after spending so many hours in an airport. Also it felt like being in a van in the sky. And whenever I was nervous the pilot was like three feet away from me so I could study his body language. “He’s not sweating and trying to secretly phone his kids, so I think this is just normal turbulence.”

I took this video of the landing:

Pretty sweet landing there. The other three I experienced weren’t quite as slick.

I’m off to Boston today to do a panel thing at Rethink Music. and an interview at the Berkman Center. If you’re around there be sure to say hi.

I have another song demo nearly ready to go which means that’ll be nine out of ten done for the next album, holy smokes! The tenth track is getting there as well. With luck I’ll be working on finishing the record by the summer. So that’s nice.

Hey party people. Got a few real world things coming up, which I must share with you:

Thing 1: On April 27th I’ll be in Boston at the Rethink Music conference (a Harvard/MIDEM/Berklee College of Music joint). I think my panel’s at 4:45. And I think I’m doing something at the Berkman enter while I’m down there.

Thing 2:

(Poster by Geoffrey Gibson)

Saturday, May 14th I’ll be playing Kingston with Dave Norris & Local Ivan at The Mansion. I believe it will be six Canadian dollars. (Here’s the Facebook event.) Next:

Thing 3:

(Poster by Bill Mead)

Saturday, June 11th we’re playing Ottawa. I don’t know who the opener will be yet, but I’m sure whoever it is will be great. I’m trying to only play one show a year in my hometown so if you miss this sucker I’ll see you in 2012.  (Here’s the Facebook event.)

If you can attend or know of anyone who might, please spread the word. Thanks!

Here’s a hard rock type demo. Track #3 on the next album! Slow and steady wins the race:

Fluoride (demo)

I’m taking my new purple pills and they seem to be going ok. In the meantime there have been a couple of interesting articles lately on the subject of shitty brains that I’d like to share:

The first is titled ‘Can a Single Pill Change Your Life?‘ It was linked around all over the place, described as an investigative report on whether Ecstasy/MDMA can be used instead of or as a supplement to traditional talk therapy.

A few pages in I became aware this was published in Oprah Magazine of all places. So I’m reading waiting for the end of the article where the author realizes drugs are bad and you should never try them ever for any reason. At the conclusion of the article she decides to undergo the MDMA therapy herself. “Ah, here it is,” I think smugly. But then she’s just totally cured of her issues. Basically Oprah just told me to do a bunch of Ecstasy. Well OK.

The other one was in The Economist for some reason about a computer program that can replace talk therapy:

Cognitive-bias modification (CBM) appears to be effective after only a few 15-minute sessions, and involves neither drugs nor the discussion of feelings. It does not even need a therapist. All it requires is sitting in front of a computer and using a program that subtly alters harmful thought patterns.

Sitting in front of a computer you say? I’M IN. So I get to the end of the article and not only do they not describe what the program actually does, there’s no download link or anything. What the hell.

Well, February blew if you’re keeping track. Mark that one off and throw it in the stupid garbage.

On the up side I’ve got some shows booked in Kingston (May 14) and The Elmdale (June 11). Once I firm those up I’ll post the details. Should be some more coming also. I’m actually looking forward to those shows which is a nice change.

My Mac struggles seem to have evened out. My trusty MXL v67 mic started acting up so I replaced that. I’m thinking the new brain meds might not be doing the trick anymore so I’m gonna see a dude about that (a doctor, not just any guy). Also my cheap little Nanopad I was enjoying seems to have stopped working. What do you have to do in this life for things to always work and never cause any problems? I thought that was what I paid taxes for.

Whoops. I found out on Friday that last week I accidentally uploaded a very old version of my Guess Who’s a Mess demo. That’s pretty embarrassing, I was actually pretty horrified but I think I’m good now. Anyway here’s the latest one instead:

Guess Who’s a Mess (demo 2)

Okay, moving on…