New Release: Not for Having, But for Tasting

As discussed in the last post, I've been working on some music. The EP, named Not for Having, But for Tasting, is now ready and released on the Gedankenband Bandcamp site.  I guess there could be argument as to whether it's actually "ready", but it is definitely released. As with all my previous released (and probably my future ones), it's available for download on a "Name Your Price" basis.

Thank you for your interest, feigned interest, or polite disinterest!





Song list and links to the songs:
1. (Good Luck with the) Woman Of Your Dreams
2. Another Life
3. Amity Hall
4. Put Down Your Guard
5. One Thing To Do

And again, a link to the EP as a whole. 

One Thing To Do and Coming Attractions

I've been slowly accumulating songs for another album in the 3ish years since I released The Cheese Stands Alone, but the results of an impromptu poll on Facebook favor more frequent shorter EP releases rather than less frequent full-length collections.

With that in mind, I'm planning on posting a 5-song EP/mini-album to the Gedankenband Bandcamp site in a month or so. The current title (and probably the final title) is "Not For Having, But For Tasting" and the currently planned songs are:

1. Good Luck With The Woman Of Your Dreams
2. Another Life
3. Amity Hall
4. Put Down Your Guard
5. One Thing To Do

One of these songs, Good Luck With (etc.) has already appeared here in demo form. And to bookend things in a way, here's an old four-track version of One Thing To Do.

Upcoming Release: Men Are From Mars

In pseudo-commemoration of the landing of the Mars Science Laboratory, the Gedankenband and I are happy to announce the release of our latest single: "Men Are From Mars", with the B-side "Wrong Place, Wrong Time". It's available here at our Bandcamp site, for a price you can choose yourself!

Thank you for your support!  Or your interest!  Or, whatever it is you're doing here.  

Happy U. S. Independence Day!

Quick post today. I wanted to record something for the holiday, and I settled on  The Battle Hymn of the Republic. Not as epic a version as some of them out there, but it is freshly made just for you.

So here's my version.  Enjoy the holiday! May we all one day be free.

The Belated Japan post

I had the pleasure of spending nearly 3 weeks in Japan recently, the first time I had an extended visit since I spent the summer of 1991 in Kyoto (save several days in Okinawa in 2009, but that's pretty far from the main Japanese islands).

So I figured I'd commemorate the trip by posting some of the songs I wrote when I was there 20+ years ago. It's a bit less timely than it might be (I'm already on the next work trip), but what the heck?

Pastoral #1: written here, where the Kamo river splits in Kyoto. Full story reported on this blog about a year ago. Also available is the more-orchestrated version, Pastoral #2 (at Bandcamp).

Another Sunrise: inspired by the time difference between my girlfriend (in California at the time) and me, and the odd hours I had to get up to hit a pay phone with my phone card. We wrote lots of letters, and had occasional email access, too.  It feels like a totally different world.

Kumiko (at Bandcamp): OK, this one wasn't actually written in Japan. It was written about my undergrad linguistics TA. I believe that alone makes her traceable on the internet, but I don't imagine anyone will be so inclined. Also available in a version (Live at East Campus!) by Dr. Lüst, the band I was in while taking her class...

Solar System Poems 30: Consider A Face

The gods and demi-gods of yore now circle up above,

decamping Olympus or Valhalla for inky space.

So when we hear their name and consider a face

it is crater-scarred and battered; science is what we think of

and we imagine touching them only with protective gloves.

Ceres, Oberon, Callisto now evoke a place

not a personality now gone that cannot be replaced

not a personality now gone that we have known and loved.

The gods and demi-gods of today, though numbered higher,

have given objects the honor of their name.

And thinking of them, as we often do

evokes not a rock devoid of living fire

but a loving, caring human worth their fame

like we will always remember Betty and Sue.

Solar System Poems 29: Earth's Soul Mate

I think we may have gone all the way

too quickly 

for the good of the relationship.

Years of schoolkid crushes

fantasies about "the first time"

turned to lust and competition

when someone else made eyes at you.

We checked you out

and made promises

to ourselves? To you? 

After a thrilling conquest

and few long weekends together

we got distracted. 

We told you we'd call

but month after month after month

we didn't.

We thought you'd "just" be the first

but you're still the only.

Once again others are making eyes,

talking about moving in

and giving you the 

long-term relationship

we apparently couldn't.

Our response is a shrug,

paying you attention on the cheap

and hoping the ebb and flow 

of it all covers the fact

that many folks see red

and would rather find a new conquest

or die trying

than return to your touch.

No way to treat Earth's soul mate.