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".

I am here

So often the self censoring involved in my thinking. I end up not writing anything. What's on my mind? I like this new song by Grizzly Bear I'm listening to. I appreciate the cds sent to me by the person who has started a record label (Smallboypants)in New Jersey. I see them sitting nearby. I listened to one earlier and liked what I heard. Definitely meriting a return visit. Now I'm jamming to a bootleg of J. Mascis and Mike Watt rocking out at the Knitting Factory. That makes me trip back to touring last year with Son Ambulance and playing at the Knitting Factory in LA. It was a cool time and place.

I definitely recommend you see the movie

I went to the first showing of April Showers in Omaha last Friday night. I went later to the 'official' first showing of the film, the 7:00 slot where the cast and crew present were acknowledged. The theater was just about full and there were a lot of people connected to the movie present. It was exciting, it really was. Even more exciting is that the movie is good. It is rather intense emotionally and the cast delivered the goods. It's an engrossing story that draws you in pretty quickly. I had to dab away tears my first time through.
I have to talk about my work on the wardrobe. I was so thrilled to be entrusted with the whole job in the first place. I had only done one film previously (Lovely, Still) but I'm a fast learner. It's cool that I've ended up in wardrobe because I have always loved clothes and fashion but have not necessarily been a fashionable dresser. The film looks good, the clothes don't distract from the action. People look natural and 'of the times'.
Besides blowing my own horn, I am quite aware of the potential impact this movie has. Namely, the potential to touch people, get them/us talking to each other. Maybe it has the potential to encourage people to start or continue healing. Reconnecting. It has been a real growing experience for me, to say the least.

April Showers the movie

It's a little over a week away from the national theatrical release of the film April Showers. I did the wardrobe for the film and the experience was pretty awesome. The film is based on director/screenwriter Andrew Robinson's experience of living through the Columbine tragedy. I missed the premier of the film at the Omaha Film festival due to being on tour in Europe so I have yet to see the finished film. I'll tell you that the trailer that is online looks pretty damned good and I'm very proud to be a part of this production. I must say that I think it's ludicrous that the film is rated R, the film is intense but not violent. It's almost like some people want to keep teens from seeing a film that attempts to realistically portray life events, because that's what the film sets out to do. Again, I'm speaking from having been a part of making the film. It was the kind of project and atmosphere where many of the people involved got to be like a family, we needed each others support because it was so personal and intense. The film is showing across the country starting Friday April 24 and I encourage everyone to go and see it. At the very least it will get people talking.