st. joe's choir

One of the nice things about being a songwriter in Texas (besides the company, the constant stream of musicians, and the plethora of cheap dive bars) is that you get access to a whole lot of imagery and bravado that’s hard to come by in, say, Missouri.

“Screw you, we’re from St. Louis. Screw you, we’re from St. Louis. We built the arch, so screw you.” … you probably see where I’m going here.

This phenomena first came to my attention with this lyric from Terry Allen in the cowboy classic “Amarillo Highway” (made famous by Robert Earl Keen) — which I heard for the first time live at a county fair deep in the heart of Texas under a clear night sky with a Lone Star in my hand:

I don’t wear no Stetson
But I’m willin to bet son
That I’m a big a Texan as you are

Full lyrics here.

I mean. Where else is that phrase going to work? … “I’m as big an Iowan as you are?”

Books I’m enjoying

Brother D — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:27:02 +0000

The Indie Band Survival Guide: The Complete Manual for the Do-It-Yourself Musician … is a great book that explains, step by step, how to use the internet to build an audience. Great read – recommended for any performing artist trying to make a go of it in the bold, new world.

Guerrilla Home Recording, Second Edition – also awesome, talks about getting good sound out of your laptop and some mics, wherever you happen to be. Excellent read if you’re a recording artist on a budget.

Well, Wade, I hate to break it to you.

Brother D — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 02:07:41 +0000

>t;My name is Wade Phelps. I am the creator of the Christian Choir Preservation Society. Please post any future concerts and events on the site so that we can get the word out. There is no fee and the goal is to get the word out to those in your area who love choral works.”

We do some lovely choral works. Right after the song about how Abel had it coming.

iPhone’s Guitar

Brother D — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 23:24:10 +0000

I went out looking for a autoharp for the iPhone today, and I found Frontier’s Guitar. While it’s not quite as fun as playing a real guitar, it’s still a pretty solid good time, and certainly enough to meet the on-the-go “let’s write a song” needs.

There’s a demo here, and more info here.

Korg Synth for the DS

Brother D — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:51:38 +0000

I’m having a hard time getting over how awesome this is: http://ping.fm/NVsEn

It’s a full synth! On a gameboy!

I am a real American.

Brother D — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:21:51 +0000

A friend of mine — hi, Nathan! — had an idea for a site that’s an art project — something that would demonstrate that we are all real Americans.

On Tuesday night, we launched a site that aggregates videos of people giving their names, a line about themselves, and then saying, “… and I’m a real American.”

http://iamarealamerican.com

So far, the results have been pretty fun.

*Love* the square dance caller:
http://iamarealamerican.com/2008/10/ricky/

Here’s mine:
http://iamarealamerican.com/2008/10/dave/

We’d like to get more people to participate. … We’re impatiently waiting for “I’m a dominatrix, and I’m a real American.”

The Gospel According to Springsteen

Brother D — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:17:11 +0000

Kitty pointed me to this NPR story about a preacher who uses Springsteen’s music as an aid for spreading the good word.

His book is here.

My Dad has often said, “Any event that brings men closer to God, or men closer to men, is a religious event.” The best concerts I’ve attended have done that — made me feel more full of life, and brought me closer to others — and Springsteen’s are among those. This idea was one of the reasons I named the band “St. Joe’s Choir.” Music, and concerts in particular, are religious events — a time to gather to celebrate what is right and condemn what is wrong, and to share the experience of life on the planet.

Still. It feels wrong to me to co-op one man’s words to support those of another — particularly without either’s consent.