Seeing old friend John Tingle

I'm feeling it

I was inspired by The Jackson 5 as a teen.

recording

It had been awhile since I'd done any recording at home. I broke the spell last weekend and did four new solo tracks. I call them so because they are idea captures more than songs. One of the recordings is available on my soundclick jukebox. Listen to "The Sky at Sunset". It's a new version of an oldie of mine.
So I continued recording in lieu of having band practice on Monday. We've recently recorded at a couple of different studios in town and have had varying levels of satisfaction with the results. Although I am not an engineer I seem to know how to get a certain sound when recording by myself. Getting a good drum sound with vocal microphones is not easy but we made some good headway towards doing that during the session. We're planning to record our first album (hopefully) at my house and I'm glad to have gotten the work started.

What I'm listening to

Listening is as important as playing for me and always has been. Forever it seems that music has been my solace, even my escape from some of the shittier aspects of life as a black boy in the midwest. Due to unfortunate circumstances the joy of listening to the blues was destroyed for me. I vaguely remember when T-Bone Walker entranced me as a toddler. But The Beatles saved my life quite literally. Ever since I have been drawn to the sounds of the continent (UK and Europe). Thanks to punk I reconnected to American music. All of this goes as a way of clearing some head clutter and also trying to explain my taste in music.
With all of that said I just bought a vinyl single by Fleet Foxes called "Mykonos" and am listening now. I love their vocal harmonies and the timbre it creates, soft but sturdy.
Other new music I like includes the latest by Animal Collective (Merriweather Post Pavilion). I'm especially stuck on the track "Are You Frightened". Love those vocals and the mess of a beautiful sound behind them. "Veckatimest" by Grizzly Bear is also real good and I've only started to listen to it. I am so intrigued by the originality of the song ideas and arrangements. I want to write more like this.
Other top listens at the moment are Merz, in particular the songs "Silver Moon Ladders" and "Presume Too Much". Really excellent British pop on the folkier side (I'm making up words) sound-wise. Beautiful songs.
To be honest, I listen to my own music a fair amount as well. It really serves its purpose, the music that I write. It captures a place I am not finding in other people's music. I am grateful for the gift of this music, to be able to express it.
On to the rest of my current playlist. Other artists guaranteed to take me there at this time are: In Gowan Ring, Dungen, HASYMO, Scott Walker, Tunng and The Bird and the Bee. Special mention goes to old favorite "Music for the Masses" by Depeche Mode. I'm just coming off a jag of repeating "Behind the Wheel " and "Never Let Me Down".