You're Invited to Decline

I hear what you're saying...

2009-02-03T23:37:00.003-05:00

This weekend I'm heading up Westfield, NJ to play with the band the Static Jacks. ( CLICK HERE ) They're a really great indie rock band from Northern New Jersey that are hitting the New York music scene pretty hard. They have a really strong list influences, most can be heard through their songs. Very strokesesque with hints of early strong indie rock and anthem like choruses straight out of New Jersey. They have a lot going for them and I'm real excited to playing with them. I'm gonna be trying out some guitar for them and see if it works out. But anyway, this band is a real joy to listen too. The music is just pure fun and makes you want to dance. If you check it out you may think of keeping a distance from this band because it sounds like it could be a lame indie rock band that just plain sucks, but in reality they really know what they're doing and their songs are really tight are great to listen to. Check em' out I know you'll like them.

Once again, click here to listen

Ok, second order of business. The next two to three weekends I'll be putting together a little EP of covers I've been recording over the past few days. It should be a little bit of fun for myself and hopefully listeners (if there is any). There will be a wide range of covers (hopefully 6-8 in all). Some will be acoustic, some will be electric, some will be a whole little gem of fun. I'll post some songs in the coming weeks (I'm hopeing twice a week). In the end I'll leave nice little album art and the entire collection for download. I'll leave my myspace link to music at the end of this to in case you would like to add it (there's a cover of Wilco's "I am trying to break your heart" on there). I'll leave you with a hint to the first cover I'll be releasing (look out for it around Sunday [if not earlier].
The first hint is that it's a global a go-go.

My music

New Noise

2009-01-14T02:48:00.002-05:00

So the demo didn't work out like I had planned. I got real sick, lost the drummer I was gonna use, and never really got around to working everything out. But that being said, I'm no longer attending the University of the Arts. Anyways, I'm gonna be here in Jersey for a while and I plan to get a lot of stuff done. In between school, work, and random shit, I hope to build my photo portfolio and get a lot of music done. This should free up my time to really focus on music and get some solid work done. I have a lot lined up to work with some people and play around with projects. But either way I do still plan to get the demo really complete in the coming months.

Anyway, I'm gonna leave you today with a little hysterical recording me and my buddy Nick fucked around with a little while ago. He's featured on guitar for most of it, while I'm mostly on my little air pump organ. It's about 20 minutes of pure fucking around. We had no prior experience playing with each other, and this is what came out, it's pretty ridiculous. Anyway, Nick is in this band called the Shakedown (click here) and they're a little interesting classic rock type band from Central New Jersey. Check 'em out if you're into that kinda thing. Anyway, here's a ridiculous little jam.

My Song 8 - Treble in Trouble

I am the Avalanche

2008-12-16T00:50:00.005-05:00

Last night I saw Vinnie Caruana of I am the Avalanche for the fifth time (twice with the full band, three times solo). This time it was at the Khyber in Philadelphia. The atmosphere felt really weird there and the venue itself wasn't too cool. Everyone was cramped in this tiny room with no space to spare. I was there taking some photos
and I was stuck in the same spot the entire time. I was using one arm the entire time to take the pictures. Well anyway to get to the point.. Everytime I see him or avalanche I have an incredible time.

I feel connected to these songs and sharing the vocal duties with the entire crowd and him every time feels so surreal and incredible. Although my night was weird and surreal itself, seeing him in red christmas lighted room was more surreal than anything. Anywhere I'll get along with it.. here are links to two sets on flickr of the shows I shot. The first one is I am the Avalanche at the Broad Street Ministry in Philadelphia. The second is Vinnie Caruana at the Khyber in Philadelphia. Enjoy.

I AM THE AVALANCHE

Vinnie solo

music, music, music, music

2008-12-14T04:09:00.002-05:00

So I haven't posted here in quite some time so I guess I'll bring you up to speed.

First order of business, I'm currently living in Philadelphia attending the University of the Arts (I'm not liking it too much and it has really brought to my attention that I'm not really sure if I want to be here.) I'd much rather be playing music.

Second order, I'm going to record a five or six song demo over winter break and hope to have it completed by the end of January or early February. I'm hoping for it to take on a anthemy punk rock sound. Not like anything else that's been put out but highly influenced by bands like Fugazi, Ted Leo, Joe Strummer, Gaslight Anthem, and Bruce Springsteen. I'm hoping it comes out the way I'm picturing it.

It's late so that's it for now, I am gonna try to post more and more often and try to keep updates going to report on how the demo is going. But for now I'll leave you with two recordings. The first is a little cover of Wilco's "I am Trying to Break Your Heart" in a very minimal traditional cover. The second is a guitar demo of an Untitled song I'm currently working on, this is just the very basic acoustic guitar part. In the end there will be no acoustic parts, unless I scrap my concept and redo it. For the most part it's pretty finished but not recorded, hopefully it will be the first one I get done.

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart - Treble in Trouble

Untitled Demo - Treble in Trouble

Cross the Breeze

2008-06-09T20:09:00.005-04:00

So lately I've been doing ton's of artwork. This time not just only photography, but painting. Yeah that's right, painting. I've been working in watercolors and have been making a lot of weird stuff. I also just started stenciling and then airbrushing- it's been so much fun. Stencils is definitely one of my favorite things to do now (I'll post one later).

A bunch of other stuff is going on too. I'm finishing up my last year in high school (which is great). I graduate next week and it cannot come close enough. I'm so happy to finally leave that awful place.

Sunday night baseball has been one of my favorite things ever. A big group of friends just gets together and plays baseball, it's just total fun.

I start working at the end of June at a summer camp. It's gonna suck being in the sun all day and being just miserable, but totally worth the money. I need to get so much crap, but mostly I just need to save for school next year. Because I have no meal plan next year I am responsible for getting my own groceries and cooking it. It should be an interesting experience.

Ok well, no more writing... pictures...

First off is a picture from the Jazz and Blues festival in Red Bank, New Jersey. This if my favorite one from the batch I took there, it gives me a feeling of isolation, but the comfortable kind that you just feel and think to yourself "everything will be OK." Well for me that is... it can mean anything you want it to... now without further ado, "Feeding the Night Life"

Next up is a very rushed water color I did the other day. Warning: I very rarely paint so this may be harmful to the eyes... But I'm still happy with it, so maybe you will be too...

Last up is a stencil I did.. and it may need some explanation... I got the idea from a web comic.. and the comic used the term "bananarchy". The idea was so funny to me that I had to make something out of it. I started drawing a superhero (bananarchy man) when a friend of mine stared drawing his own interpretation of a giant banana destroying a city. It was so funny that I asked him if I could turn it into a stencil... here is the result:

That's it for now.

afterthought...

2008-04-12T23:12:00.003-04:00

Starting in the fall I will be attending the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. I am really excited to start and just have a great time with great friends. I really like the area and I'm looking so forward to having my own apartment a block away from south street.

I really can't wait, I really want to get out of this town. It's not that I hate this town (well I occasionally do...), I just need a break from this place. I've lived in the same house for eighteen years. I can't wait to get out of here, but I'll still miss the place. That's why I've given myself a project for the summer. I'm going to document (using mostly photography and some other mediums, maybe even music) everything I love about New Jersey. I'm going to bring it all with me to Philly to remind me of my home and what really inspires me and has brought me along this far. It should be a fun and interesting project, I'm really looking forward to it.

Last Friday night I saw I am the Avalanche at the Holmdel Fire House. It was one of the best times I've had in a real long time. I had only recently started listening to band but I knew almost every word to every song and sang my heart out. Just being there and living off the energy of the band and the crowd made this show incredible. It felt so great to be part of something so incredible with some of the best guys I know. It was one of the only shows were I felt such a strong connection to the band. It felt like both the band and the crowd live off each other and need each other to stay alive, and it was incredible. I'm really looking forward to seeing this band again (hopefully soon) and just have a great time again. This band deserves all the recognition it can get because they are just plain awesome.

Well I guess that's it for now, things seem to be looking up right now (aside from stupid school shit which I don't really care about). Cya!

You can't swim in a town this shallow...

2008-03-31T20:47:00.005-04:00

So here's my new blog thing...

Lately I've been listening to a lot of Death Cab for Cutie. "We have the Facts..." is reaffirming itself as one of my favorite albums. I've been listening to it nonstop for days. It flows so well and captures such a wide range of music and emotion. Gibbard's lyrics are so damn powerful and clever on this record. All this Death Cab is getting my incredibly excited for their new record "Narrow Stairs". Their first single from it 'I will possess your heart' is incredible. The buildup for this song is so powerful and just when you think it's gonna explode Gibbard's voice flows in and saves the day. It's really different from their usual stuff and a lot better than "Plans". I'm not hating on "Plans" it's just that I always felt like it was lacking something. Either way here's a song from "We have the Facts..."

Now I will give you a photo... This one is one of my favorites and is kinda reflecting how I am doing in life right now. The title is "Walking Through" and is a reflection of myself in a puddle just walking on through life. Really it was named after a song that appropriately fits it, Ted Leo's "Walking Through" I will post both for you...