Wednesday, December 7, 2005

Well, I got the covers for Anniversary last Friday but due to a bout of flu I haven't gotten around to adding a paypal button for it on the music page. I'll probably have that up tonight. I only got 150 copies and at least 30 of those are going to various reviewers/labels/radio stations so order fast.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Just a few more days til Anniversary will be available for purchase...

Ohio State made me very happy today...

Thursday, November 10, 2005

If you haven't already discovered wikipedia you're missing out on the best site on the web. It's essentially an open-source encyclopedia that anyone and everyone is free to contribute to. You'd think that the resulting entries would lack a certain grace and style, but in fact they're extremely erudite. The best part is that every cross-reference, even every tiny mention of another topic has a link associated with it - so you can effectively get lost on the site, clicking from subject to subject, getting deeper and deeper into detail and then resurfacing in a new subject... and all the while you're learning about fascinating things.

A long time ago I had heard that Shell (the petroleum company) was exploiting the African people and environment in its search for new oil deposits. For a brief while I attempted to boycott Shell, but I never heard anything else on the subject and pretty much forgot about it. Then today I found some information on wikipedia about a Nigerian named Saro-Wiwa who was one of the most vocal opponents of Shell's destructive tendencies and of the Nigerian military government's repression. He was executed by the government 10 years ago to the day - here is a statement made by him just before his execution:

"I repeat that we all stand before history. I and my colleagues are not the only ones on trial. Shell is on trial here, and it is as well that it is represented by counsel said to be holding a watching brief. The company has, indeed, ducked this particular trial, but its day will surely come and the lessons learned here may prove useful to it, for there is no doubt in my mind that the ecological war the company has waged in the delta will be called to question sooner than later and the crimes of that war be duly punished. The crime of the company's dirty wars against the Ogoni people will also be punished.

On trial also is the Nigerian nation, its present rulers and all those who assist them. I am not one of those who shy away from protesting injustice and oppression, arguing that they are expected of a military regime. The military do not act alone. They are supported by a gaggle of politicians, lawyers, judges, academics and businessmen, all of them hiding under the claim that they are only doing their duty, men and women too afraid to wash their pants of their urine.

We all stand on trial, my lord, for by our actions we have denigrated our country and jeopardised the future of our children. As we subscribe to the subnormal and accept double standards, as we lie and cheat openly, as we protect injustice and oppression, we empty our classrooms, degrade our hospitals, and make ourselves the slaves of those who subscribe to higher standards, who pursue the truth, and honour justice, freedom and hard work."

The Anniversary EP will be out in a week.

Thursday, November 3, 2005

Good news - Anniversary has at last been released on Sundays in Spring. They're slightly higher quality mp3s than the ones I have on this site, so if you've been dying for a little extra fidelity - well, die no longer.

Monday, October 31, 2005

Happy Halloween to those of you celebrating it... this is the first year in my life, I believe, that I am not dressing up as anything. I actually find that unfortunate. Today also happens to be the 3 year anniversary of my arrival in LA. I'm not too sure how I feel about that; in some ways it feels like I've accomplished a lot in three years (I've certainly learned a lot). But in other ways it seems like I haven't really done anything. Ah well.

I've decided to add the song 'Ophelia' to the Anniversary EP at the last minute - cross your fingers and it might be available for purchase within a couple weeks.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Hey everyone, just wanted to let you all know that I'm working on getting the Anniversary EP ready for purchase. The design is all but finished and the printing will soon commence. Head on over to the great www.little-jacket.com design group who also did The UV Effect for me as well - they've got posters and other cool stuff you can check out.

Rumors of a physics-related concept album abound... geeks of the world unite!

Thursday, October 6, 2005

Made some changes to the music page. Now there's a whole "shopping cart" deal, plus a combined UV Effect + 1st/Rising Wildfires package for $11.99. I'm still working on getting copies of the Anniversary EP printed up; I should have something by November.

I also put a new version of Ophelia at the very bottom of the page. Let me know what you think if you have any comments...

Other than that, just working on new material/getting the band ready for shows/looking for shows to play/working my ass off.

Tuesday, September 6, 2005

Suggesting that the new ep would get done at some point last week was a ridiculous statement. My Dad came in to town and I spent the weekend on Catalina Island. This week it could potentially get done though.

Good news: there will be a physical copy of the Anniversary EP to purchase/own/touch. Development is in progress.

Sundays in Spring should be releasing the EP on their netlabel sometime this week - everything is finally in order for that to happen. There is literally nothing holding it back.

Sunday, August 28, 2005

Well, I didn't finish the EP I promised. I had planned on writing, recording, mixind and mastering a 3-song EP today. I was going to work on it all day long, but I had to schedule a band rehearsal for the early evening. I really didn't have a choice, and the rehearsal was very, very worth it. But I have two demos of the songs I worked on over on the music page, and I should be able to finish the songs in the next few days. So check them out.

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

I want to announce that this Sunday, August 28, I will write, record, mix and master three songs completely from scratch and post them on my website. Yes, it will be a concept EP, but more importantly it will be something to keep me from playing World Soccer Winning Eleven 8 for PS2 - my god that game is great.

In other news, there appears to be another Wil Holland running about. He has proposed a solution to the Turing Test, the test by which Universal Artificial Intelligence will be proven (or something like that). I haven't finished reading his theory (since I'm at work and, therefore, should be working) but it's fascinating thus far. Check it out.

Monday, August 22, 2005

A big update on the band's status is coming soon.

The Anniversary EP will be published on the Sundays in Spring site in a couple weeks... not that that's a big deal, since you can download it on the music page right now.

Tuesday, August 9, 2005

The new EP (Anniversary) is up in its entirety, and remastered mp3s of the UV Effect are up as well.

Some R&R is in order, but not a whole lot.

Actually I tried to relax this past weekend and almost died. I went tubing with some friends up in central CA (tubing down a river, not behind a boat). The very first rapids that we came upon (in like the first 2 minutes of the trip) had a huge boulder right at the top. Obviously we were to avoid heading for the boulder, so you can guess where I ended up going. I tried to stick my foot out and push off the rock but the water was way too powerful - as soon as I anchored my foot the force of the water pushed the tube, and the rest of me, underneath and I ended up riding the rapids tubeless (not to mention helmetless and life vestless). Needless to say my knees and shins hit various rocks on the way down while I kept thinking "if I hit my head I might die". Turns out my body is far more seaworthy than I usually give it credit for, but I was pretty scared nonetheless.

Moral: Stay classy San Diego.

Monday, August 8, 2005

It's finished. I'll get it on the news page soon, but for now here is the new EP:

Lost on Purpose:
Anniversary

1. London
2. Ohio 2
3. Lonely Road
4. Thank You Music Guru
5. Centum Cellas
6. Black Widow

Note: I just noticed something. London and Black Widow are not quite right; they're both supposed to have fades at the end of each song. Either I accidently put up the wrong files or the fades didn't get processed correctly... ok, so there's a 98% chance it's my fault. The correct versions will be up tonight anyhow.

Thursday, August 4, 2005

I think... the new ep... is done. If I am correct, expect it to be up - somewhere - over the weekend. Here is the track list:

1. London
2. Ohio
3. Lonely Road
4. Thank You Music Guru
5. Centum Cellas
6. Black Widow

These titles should tell you a lot about the songs... riiiight. Here's a hint: they're all really good. Honest.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

I decided to make a few changes to the new EP, so it will probably be several days until it's ready. Patience is a virtue...

Thursday, July 14, 2005

Just wanted to throw out an update on the new ep - I have a strong feeling it's going to be finished by Sunday. And since it's being released by a netlabel it should be up for download not much later than that, although there's still the question of artwork. 5 songs are confirmed, (including Thank You Music Guru, a near-complete version of which is on the music page) a sixth song is probable, and a seventh is quite possible. I'll get a track listing up as soon as it's confirmed.

Saturday, June 25, 2005

There's a new song up on the music page.

Monday, June 20, 2005

I just heard a report on npr today about music videos, and how mtv doesn't play them anymore and labels are hesitant to make big budget ones (and supposedly viewers don't care). The big thing is now co-branding; big videos get made when corporations fund them in part.
I started thinking about it, and I have three thoughts. One is that music videos aren't dead, and that the reason for their decline is due mostly to quality. The report talked about the golden age of videos - in the 80's - when bands like Devo created an identity for themselves with their art-film videos. (Their video for Whip It was made - for free - by an art student friend of theirs). When videos became ultra popular corporate America stepped in and made big budget videos like TLC's Waterfalls. Then CGI became a big deal and it got way overused and that's where we are now. There are a few alternative music video-viewing channels out there, but they all play the same lame-ass videos that MTV occasionally plays. I think it's possible for a return to quality videos to revive the genre.
My second thought is related to the first, that an indie consortium of amateur music video makers could be successful. Technology is such that a lot of people can now make decent quality videos, and if there was a reason for them to do so, an outlet for their videos, they would make them.
My third thought is that music videos as we know them are in fact dead. The rise of the internet has resulted in an expectation for demands to be met almost instantaneously. If I can go online to check out a video right now then there's no reason for me to wait to see it on MTV. And if all that matters is the song anyways, then I'm just going to download it from a P2P site. There's an overload of information these days, and traditional filters for music (radio, MTV) can't deal with the pressure of the flood. New music is seeping through the cracks, and artists are appealing directly to listeners for attention.
I believe this is all a good thing. The overload will result in certain types of music standing out from the pack - good music. A well-crafted song will be an oasis in a desert of mediocrity, and listeners will cling to quality artists for support and emotional fulfillment (the whole point of music, right?). Likewise, if these artists create videos of sufficient quality they will be rewarded. I envision videos similar to Thriller, the Michael Jackson mini-movie. I think of a move towards 'music movies' - 15 to 20 minute short films that are much more than simple vehicles for songs. I'm picturing full blown concept music videos - a series of songs that tell a meaningful story that are then portrayed as a short film. Everyone talks about the internet being the death of albums and the subsequent rise of singles, but I think the opposite will also be true. People will get sick of listening to one song at a time, just 3 or 4 minutes of emotional attachment, and will seek a more lasting relationship. A musical story will be the answer. Or so I think.

Wednesday, June 8, 2005

For those of you chomping at the bit for fresh news, here it is: things are going well. Work on the new EP (EPs) is progressing well - I'm finally working on it (them) on a regular basis. The possible plurality is due to the fact that since it's taking me so long and I've had so many starts and stops I now have quite a few potential songs - enough for a full length even. I'll probably do some sort of double release... we'll see. Basically I'll soon have a bunch more music available, so keep checking back.

The band is coming along well, we should be ready to play some shows in about a month. I should have some more updates on this in a week or so.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Hey there, auditioning for the new band is going well, i'd say i'm roughly 38% of the way there. Not much else to report right now, but I thought I'd recommend a few books.

1. The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell
This book discusses how information travels throughout society, and offers insights into fads, trends, teenage smoking and other such issues. A very cool read if you're looking for new marketing ideas.

2. The Wisdom of Crowds, by James Surowieki
This book makes the surprising assertion that large, diverse groups of people consistently make better decisions than the most intelligent and knowledgeable members of that group. A major implication of this is that democracy is a far better system than most people think.

3. Bo Knows Bo, by Bo Jackson
I think the title says enough.

4. How Soccer Explains the World, by Franklin Foer
This is more entertaining than enlightening, although the final chapter neatly sums up all the minor points made throughout the book - and equates to a fascinating insight into the liberal/conservative battle our country seems to be eternally mired in.

I just started Blink, also by Malcolm Gladwell. So far it is excellent, as expected - I highly recommend checking out his site at www.gladwell.com and reading all - yes, all - of his articles from The New Yorker. Every last one is free on his website.

Monday, May 9, 2005

I've decided to put all my mp3s online for free. Here's why:

In 1665, the Royal Society - one of the first institutions, and certainly the most important, formed to foster the growth of scientific knowledge - published the first issue of its Philosophical Transactions. It was a seminal moment in the history of science, because of the journal's fierce commitment to the idea that all new discoveries should be disseminated as widely and freely as possible. Henry Oldenburg, the first secretary of the Royal Society and the editor of the Transactions, pioneered the idea that secrecy was inimical to scientific progress, and convinced scientists that they should give up their sole ownership of their ideas in exchange for the recognition they would receive as the creator or discoverer of those ideas. What Oldenburg grasped was the peculiar character of knowledge, which does not, unlike other commodities, get used up as it is consumed and which can be therefore spread widely without losing its value. If anything, in fact, the more a piece of knowledge becomes available, the more valuable it potentially becomes, because of the wider array of possible uses for it.
-From The Wisdom of Crowds, James Surowiecki

In science, one's private property is established by giving its substance away.
-Robert K. Merton

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Hey, take a minute to jump over to You Ain't No Picasso (http://youaintnopicasso.blogspot.com/), a sweet little music blog that just did a review of Lost on Purpose. A very smart music reviewer he is, although I do not have all of my releases available for download... yet I think that day is coming soon. Keep checking back...

I feel like I had something else to post, but I must be wrong.

Thursday, April 14, 2005

I heard a report on NPR this morning about the new indie flick "Monde de Vino" (or something like that). It echoes the types of things I've been thinking/writing about, but its focus is on the wine industry and the role globalization plays in the business. Which I think is pretty similar to the music industry, although I've never really thought of globalization as the culprit. But they both revolve around the same principle: creating a product with the broadest appeal.

In the movie traditional boutique wine makers lament the current state of the wine industry, much like indie rockers do at Spaceland here in LA. Seriously, these old French vinters sounded exactly like kids running around the scene out here. They were pissed off about the power of wine critics, especially one American guy. I don't remember his name. I guess in the movie they play him off like the bad guy (like that one McDonald's rep in Super Size Me). This American critic has gained a lot of power and consequently winemakers are pressured into catering to his tastes - otherwise their sales will suffer.

Someone in the report made a great statement, that no matter what, Velveeta still sells way more cheese than any carefully crafted small batch Italian cheesery. It's just the way things work. If you want to market a product to the masses, you're going to have to eliminate a lot of the nuances that give a product a unique identity and complexity, because the average consumer simply does not have enough time to devote to developing the knowledge to fully appreciate said nuances. In the case of wine, the average consumer wants a taste that is immediate and familiar. They are people who don't drink a lot of wine, and if a bottle does not immediately appeal to them then forget it. They have no interest in developing a taste for wine, they just want something to complement a meal (or to get wasted).

Music is the same. There are countless songs that I absolutely love, but that I didn't even like the first time I listened to them. Songs like these are never singles, they're always the 10th or 11th track on an album and sometimes it takes months for me to finally 'get' them. But when I do, the payoff is supreme. But time is the critical factor, and musical knowledge is ancillary to time. Most people don't have the resources or patience that I do when it comes to music; for them the single will have to do. Something immediate and familiar. The vast majority of people are like this.

The big question here is, is this wrong? That is to say, is the dumbing down of wine and music - Art - intrinsically bad? Obviously not, in my humble opinion. Since art is subjective, it's impossible to denigrate mass produced pop songs in any objective way. Look at the Ramones. What a shitty band. Seriously. When they first arrived on the scene they were just not good musicians. And their music was incredibly simplistic. But they stood for an attitude, a style, and they're in the rock pantheon because of it. There is nothing wrong with this.

Yes, pathetic pop music is different from the Ramones, but it's still music. You can't deny the talent of the songwriters who create these MTV countdown tunes. You can't deny the talent (or sex appeal) of the vocalists. Pop music is, in all respects, art. It has every right to exist, even if it purposely appeals to the lowest common denominator.

In fact, I blame the indie scenesters and the old French vinters for being far too bitter and elitist. (Yes, I'm calling myself out on this one). We carry around such an air of superiority that we alienate the masses, the possible converts and potential fans. We eschew corporate marketing tactics and mainstream media because using those avenues would be selling out. But they are incredibly effective methods of promoting music - we musicians dislike them simply because corporate America thought of them first and we hate everything corporate America stands for. But that's our own fault.

Underground music has its own culture, but that culture perpetuates itself: indie musicians only promote their music in indie magazines, on indie websites, at indie shows and venues. Essentially, anyone outside the indie community has to come to us to hear about our music. This is wrong. An true artist should not care about his/her audience, only the art should matter, right? I shouldn't care about who listens to my music; if some kid's grandpa in Kansas can somehow relate to one of my songs, how is that any different or less meaningful than if a skinny guy with tight-ass pants and a swooping haircut likes one of my songs? If anything I think it would mean more.

Sunday, April 10, 2005

Everybody's always talking about how they hate the music business, how major labels suck and the current business model is way outdated. And they're right. But all these people end up hating business in general, and they love to profess how they're 'not in it for the money' or they're 'true artists'. But I'm willing to bet they'd like to work on their art full time, and not have to hold down a day job to support a marginal lifestyle. This requires money, and money requires business knowledge.
It's true that the current music business model (that the major labels adhere to) is way outdated and that it's in the beginning stages of its death throes even as I write this. That's why I'm sick and tired of musicians ripping on other musicians who actively try to market themselves. Come on, if you do nothing but play shows you definitely have a chance of being successful… but you'll have to end up on an indie, and then a major label to do so (unless you perpetually tour to make money - good luck with that). And guess what - you just bought into the current business model if you take that track cause you're letting the labels do all the business work for you. Nice one jackass.
I'm calling out all indie musicians to embrace business and come up with alternative means of making money and marketing yourselves. I know too many people who slog through five days of corporate crap week in and week out while waiting for the music business to come find them. It just ain't gonna happen that way.

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

I cannot believe how hard it is to get my music heard. I know there are plenty of musicians like me out there who want nothing more than exposure. Forget mansions and SUVs, we just want appreciation for our art and the knowledge that something we have an emotional investment in is being shared by others. But sometimes it seems almost impossible.

Why is it that innovative, intelligent music is almost never popular? And what causes the situation when an artist is "ahead of his/her time"? Why must popular music first be developed as a niche before "blowing up"? How does that process work? If everyone that considers him/herself a music connoisseur knows so much about what makes music good then why isn't the music they like more popular? What the hell is music anyway? (Perhaps that question is way out of the scope of this blog). How did the current business model for music develop, and why do almost all business models stifle creativity (music, movies, TV, video games etc.)? Can creativity and profit coexist? Is there a balance to be found between innovation and profit, and should one even be found?

I kind of like those last two questions. It's obvious that in most businesses the ultimate goal is to maximize profit by whatever means necessary. This goal also serves to stifle creativity and promote imitation and the blockbuster mentality.

Science and art differ strongly here because with science (and technology) all R&D is done by the same companies that benefit from the R&D. They have a vested interest in innovation - they pay for it, and they profit from it. If a tech company rests on its laurels and uses its profits to reward its employees instead of promoting R&D the company will fall behind the curve and die as a result. It's all about evolution and competition, we all know that.

Art is different, because corporations (music labels) do not develop talent themselves. (In the past this was done to a limited extent). The innovation is done, for free, by individuals and bands as a form of self expression and for fun. The labels then decide which artists will provide them with the most profit and attempt to turn that music into cash. It's a capitalistic system, in that the labels have all the capital (money), and therefore they assume all the risk but also get to make all the decisions.

Now, it's true that innovation is not the only way to make a profit in tech businesses. After all, when a new product comes out the imitations are not far behind. And I can only guess that inordinate amounts of money are probably allocated to R&D divisions that have the greatest chance of developing a blockbuster product or technology, rather than the ones that provide the greatest boost to knowledge or usefulness. So I suppose there are more parallels between the tech sector and the music biz than I thought.

But I still think there are severe limits to the similarities. A tech company cannot simply repackage old ideas/technologies. Take computers, for instance. No matter how Intel markets an old 333 Mhz Pentium chip, it ain't gonna bite. Nobody wants that, because it is quantifiably worse than today's cutting-edge chips.

And I think that is the crux of the problem. There is no quantifiable way to judge music, and therefore no objective means of placing value upon it - music is therefore vulnerable to subjective opinions, and that's what marketing and buzz is all about. Innovation is unnecessary if consumers can be convinced that existing music and/or existing styles of music is worth a piece of their wallet.

Another aspect of music's subjectivity that hampers the business side of things (from an artist's perspective) is that music is purely free. It's like an open source code. If I start a band and create a new style of music, there is no way for me to patent that style. Any band can copy my style and add their own personal touch to it. This is a good thing. I can't think of a single person who would be an advocate for patenting musical styles, both on the ground of principle and feasibility. It would be impossible.

But this fact serves in favor of big labels, because they have no motivation to seek out innovative bands on the cutting edge. Sure, they'll keep an eye out and track various subgenres of subgenres, but they have no need to invest in these bands until a subgenre grows in popularity, at which point there will be many, many bands to choose from. But by this point the vanguard of music will have already been passed on to other subgenres, still far outside the scope of the labels' interest.

All this time I've been talking about musical innovation, which is great, but certainly not necessary and it definitely does not guarantee quality. What about all the artists, new and otherwise, who are of exceptional quality but not popularity? If there's one thing I've learned, it's that there is no denying a quality band or artist, no matter what my personal tastes may be. If you're good, I'm going to realize it. I still might not like it, but you'll have my respect. Likewise, if your music is truly heartfelt and meaningful you can get away with a few lame lyrics… I won't mind. In fact, they won't even be lame, because they'll take on a certain gravitas. The appreciation for musicianship that I am talking about is highly subjective, so I don't want to pursue it any further. I don't think talking about it will help solve the business problem.

So, you and I can appreciate good musicianship and musical quality because we're really, really into music. We're the connoisseurs. We're the outliers on the bell graph. We simply cannot expect the average consumer to appreciate music the same way we do. Yet we're all frustrated and pissed when Britney goes platinum. Yes, we're frustrated with the system. I don't think anybody really blames the consumer, or the artist for that matter. But we certainly blame the middleman, the one who makes it happen: the labels. Should they have a responsibility (a financial responsibility or, dare I say, an ethical one) to provide the consumer with the highest caliber music possible? Well, obviously labels don't have an ethical responsibility; as I said before, it's their dollar, so they can decide what to do with it.

But what about a financial responsibility? Is it possible for the label that pushes the boundaries and rewards quality to be profitable, or in the case of major labels, to stay even with or ahead of the competition?
I don't think there is any question about this: of course it's possible. It happens all the time. Almost every label has at least a couple of respectable, and profitable, artists. Look at Interscope: Eminem, Trail of Dead, Beck, Nine Inch Nails. They're a great example of a quality-based label.

Sounds easy, right? But look, just about every artist out there, myself included, wants to make a living via art. I want money for my music. Yes, I began this rant by saying 'forget about mansions and SUVs,' and I mean it. But I do want food on the table. I want a car to drive around town. I want to be able to take my girlfriend out to dinner and to travel. Modest goals, but they all require money. And that means turning my art, music, into a business. And the subjective world of music and the objective world of business are all but mutually exclusive.

To become a musical outlier, someone who truly understands and appreciates music, requires an incredible investment of time and effort, not to mention a specific kind of subjective, emotional intellect. This intellect is pretty much directly at odds with the intellect ideally suited to running a business. Not many people can pull it off. The same time and effort you or I put into appreciating music is spent studying business theories and management techniques by CEOs of corporations. One man or woman cannot be an expert in both fields, or in any two disparate fields for that matter. Something's got to give. That's why there often seems to be an inverse relationship between a label's size and its output quality. To put it differently, the average person could become a superb long distance runner and a decend poker player, or a superb poker player but only a decent runner, or he/she could become pretty darn good (but not superb) at both. The average person, and the average corporation, have limited resources of time, money and energy with which to draw from, and therefore compromises must be made.

(Sidenote: is what I'm writing about right now even considered a tangent? How did I get here? What the hell am I writing about? Who am I?)

It's for these reasons that the majors have all the money and the indies have all the talent. If the owners of indie labels were better businessmen then quality innovative music would be much more popular. Likewise, if the owners of major labels had a greater appreciation for music the same would be true. Or, if the musical intelligence of the average consumer were to be raised the same result would follow.

Which of these three conclusions is most important? I think the third one, because supply follows demand. But let's not forget the famous mouthwash ad campaigns of the early 20th century: "Not even your best friend will tell you" (about halitosis… I think the campaign was for mouthwash, it could have been mints or even deodorant though). In other words, if indie label owners were better businessmen (ie: better marketers) they could create demand. I think indie music can be marketed in a way that gives the average consumer the impression of quality. Just like a 3.5 gigahertz Pentium 8 processor or whatever, I believe indie labels can promote and assume an identity of quantifiable quality and market it to consumers, if only they knew how.

This is a good place to stop for now. I did not even remotely answer my main question, which is 'how the hell can I get more people to listen to my music'? But this was fun to write and there's plenty more to come. The floodgates have been opened. Feel free to write me with any thoughts or ideas about this subject (especially you, Shmails). I'll post em up if I get any good ones.

Thursday, March 24, 2005

I just finished a minor update to the website, there's a bit more to come so check back soon. The good news is I've finally managed to hook up a blog site to this news page so I'll be updating news on LOP much, much more frequently.

Work on the new EP is progressing... slowly. I've got about 10 or 12 songs I'm looking at, and it's taking me a while to wade through all the ideas I have for them and decide on the final 6 or 7. I'm also toying with the idea of recording them somewhere else. That could push the release date back... or it pull it forward. I don't know yet. But I'll set a date right now: April 24.

A new lineup might be in the works. Stay tuned.
OLD NEWS

March 9, 2005

It's 1 AM and I have to work tomorrow and I've spent the past 2 or so hours trying to get a damn blog to publish itself on this page. And it's not working. I am extremely frustrated.

As you can see from the home page I'm in the middle of working on the site. I'm trying to get some cool backgrounds together - that wasn't working earlier either. But at least I'm finally updating the site. It's been a while.

For all my Spanish fans, listen to cielo liquido. It's a radio station somewhere in Spain and they've been playing The Ultraviolet Effect. Which is excellent.

Work is coming along slooooow on the new EP to be released on Sundays in Spring, a Belgian netlabel. I could give you myriad excuses but I won't. I promise it will be done soon. And it will be good. Oh yes. At least it has a title: Blood Pressure. I'll let that sink in. Just thinking about the name makes me want to work on it... tomorrow, maybe.

I promise I'll finish updating the site soon.

January 8
And it's 2005. I spent a 10 day vacation in Ohio during which the temperature varied by 50 degrees. Santa was very nice this year, I got four packages of Big League Chew (which I specifically asked for). It's been raining ever since I got back in LA. I feel like I need another vacation already.

There are two new reviews up, both to be found at www.derives.net. They're in French, so I don't know what they say, but the author gave me some feedback: about the 1st EP: "I didn't like it." About Rising Wildfires: "I loved it." Seriously, this is what he told me. Good news: he invited me to be a part of his netlabel Sundays in Spring. I'm currently working on a 5 or 6 song EP for it, I'm hoping to finish around mid-March.

The long-awaited and nearly mythical Lost on Purpose/Woody Whatever split EP will sort of happen. I have agreed to lay down the basic tracks for several songs and Erik (of WW) is going to produce and mix them. It's going to be another EP, look for that by the end of April.

If you live in LA you can now purchase The Ultraviolet Effect at Sea Level Records and it will soon be stocked at Amoeba. Everyone else, visit the music page for a streamlined ordering procedure via PayPal. There are more songs up there as well.

November 27
Copies of the new EP The Ultraviolet Effect are circling the globe as we speak, on their way to indie labels, reviewers, radio stations and fans. Thank you to everyone who's bought one so far, your support means a lot to a small outfit like us.

Other than that things are moving pretty slow around here. There's been lots of rain and traveling and turkey. I'm proud to say there's now a video for "Right On", which is currently in post-production. It's looking hot.

I hadn't been planning on recording a new album for release, but I've kinda got the itch. So don't be surprised if a new EP is announced within the next couple months.

October 12
First of all, happy birthday Mom!

Second, we've got our first show (not counting the Shmatfest party) coming up October 20 at The Scene in Glendale at 806 East Colorado St. Show starts at 9, we're on at 9:45. $5 and 21+, I can't tell you how excited we are.

The Ultraviolet Effect EP is actually out. Yes, it finally exists. It's pretty and it sounds good, what more could you possibly ask for?

We're going to try to get a couple more shows before everybody hibernates for the holidays, check back regularly and/or check out our MySpace site (www.myspace.com) for info.

August 24
Wow. Wow. Wow. My last post is hilarious, cause I was mad that I went a month without an update. And now here is the next update, over two months later. But it's not my fault. I moved at the beginning of July and one of my new roommates hadn't paid the internet bill in 6 months so they shut that down big time. I just got DSL access today. And I can't believe how helpless and lost I am without the internet. A few days ago I found out that this site was all messed up and only two pages worked so this really happened in the nick of time. I'm officially back baby.

A ton of stuff has happened in these two months. First of all, I moved. No more Hollywood, but hello downtown LA. Second, The Ultraviolet Effect has somehow still not been released. Due to the much larger scale of this release I'm forced to work with several other parties to put it all together instead of the completely self-produced process of the earlier albums, and it takes a lot of time to work everything out. But seriously, it's almost finished. Well, the music has been finished for a long time, but the mastering, duplication, and design work is all just about wrapping up as we speak. So hooray for that. Check the music page for ordering info.

Thirdly, and most importantly, Lost on Purpose is a band. Denton Clayton has joined on bass and Jody Abbott is keeping time on the drums and our first show is this Saturday, August 28. We're playing at the second annual Shmatfest, a party for the great Shmat Records in Alhambra, CA. We're looking at a four song set right now, comprised of the song 'Friends' from the 1st EP, two tracks from the new EP, and one new song. It's sounding better every time we rehearse so I'm pretty happy. For those of you in Los Angeles - keep your ears and eyes out for Lost on Purpose shows in the coming months.

That's all for now, I'm gonna work on the rest of the site. But we're back in business so check back regularly.

June 20
Wow, I totally didn't intend on going this long without an update, but there were some unavoidable delays. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like The Ultraviolet Effect EP will get released on June 23 as intended, but for good reason: the scale of the release has been ramped up and will feature full packaging by the Little Jacket design group - I spent last weekend doing business with them in Ohio, another reason for the delay. Anyhow, the release will only be delayed by a week or two so go ahead and get your advance orders in at the music page... only $3 postage paid for beautiful indie music.

As soon as The Ultraviolet Effect gets wrapped up I'll shift my focus to putting the Lost on Purpose band together. You might not expect it from listening to the songs, but I think it's going to be a three piece - I really don't want to bother with getting a second guitarist up to speed, it'll take forever. I figure I'll just pick one up along the way once we're an established band. Oh, and the split EP with Woody Whatever... three songs each, I've got a few of them worked out, it should be great. Exciting things are on the horizon my friends.

Excerpts from Jeremy Schmall's "Wartime Poetry" are now up on the Friends page. Check it out, it's excellent.
New songs are up on the music page. Let me know what you think.
A couple new reviews are up; check out the great one done by Shmat Records.

-Wil

May 24
In my last post I vowed that Lost on Purpose would soon be heard on indie radio... little did I know that I had already accomplished this! A few days after posting it I found out that Lost on Purpose is on WBER in Rochester, NY, who have been playing 'Friends' (off the Emo Diaries compilation) on their indie show. Click this link to check out their website, where you can stream the show and request the song.

In other news, the release date for the new EP draws ever nearer. June 23 is going to be it, but advance copies will be available if you ask politely. Also it officially has a name: The Ultraviolet Effect. If you know what that refers to (without looking it up on the internet) I'll send you a free copy. We're on the honor system here people. A rough mix of the song 'Right on' is up for download on the music page. Let me know what you think.

Come join Lost on Purpose on MySpace! It's like Friendster, only better. And if you don't know what Friendster is, you're probably from Ohio. Just use the e-mail address lostonpurpose@hotmail.com to search for me, and I'm yours.

A rehearsal space has been procured, and the search for a drummer will begin just as soon as I find a new place to live...

You may have noticed a new link up above to a page called 'friends'. No, this does not refer to the LOP song, but rather a page that will eventually feature both permanent and temporary art, music, poetry, a record label, and other forms of expression by unknown and underappreciated artists who I have come to know over the years. There will also be an indie music review section, so if you'd like some critique by that rarest of creatures, the online reviewer with an actual command of the English language, send your CDs to:
Attn: Reviews
1652 Westwood
Columbus, OH 43212
No, these will not come to me, but rather to my esteemed colleague and professional writer, Jeremy Schmall.

Other changes:
Updated the ordering info cause demand has been a little too high for me to keep up with. 1st is still free though.
There's another positive review of 'friends' on the press page.
Got some new links up to some great bands.

May 11
Reviews continue to pour in and they're all good (so check them out), including some for the Emo Diaries compilation. You can buy it pretty much anywhere online: Amazon, Best Buy, Deep Elm, you name it.

The new (still untitled) EP is going to be great. I am telling you this right now. Get excited, it will kick your ass. What's that? You say I'm being a cocky, braggadocios ass? Damn right, and I'm gonna back it up. Mark my words. Plus there are only going to be five songs, and unlike the previous two releases I'm slaving away getting everything to sound just right. It's going to be a big release, and you will hear it on indie radio stations. This I promise.

Check out the music page for a nearly completed song that will probably be on the EP.

I put up some information for ordering 1st and Rising Wildfires on the music page. Guess what, they're free.

Lost on Purpose: The Band will soon be a reality. A bassist (with a secret identity) has signed on, and a drummer search will begin soon. I can't tell you how excited I am for this. If you like my songs now, just wait.

Finally, there will be a split EP with Woody Whatever. It won't be out before the new EP though, so expect it sometime in July. Six songs of lo-fi indie madness from two up-and-coming artists. West Coast vs East Temperate Plain. Don't miss out.

April 28
The Deep Elm compilation Emo Diaries is out now - pick up a copy for $10. It's really good, and I'm not just saying that because I'm on it. I've got about 57 copies right now so if you're cheap (like me) and you think you can get on my good side then go ahead and write me and I may just send you one for free.

No news on the EP, I've been sidetracked for the past couple months but should soon be, uh, back on track. What's finished so far is probably my best stuff yet. I'm excited. You should be too.

April 6
I finally found a job out here in LA which is not an easy task (just ask Mike Dwyer). Life is officially back on track.

March 10
Deep Elm Records' Emo Diaries Chapter 10: The Hope I Hide Inside can be preordered by clicking here. There are a lot of cool international bands on the CD so try to check it out. I honestly have no idea how I ended up on an emo compilation, but I'm excited about it nonetheless.

Work is underway on the next Lost on Purpose release, which is (probably) going to be a five-song EP entitled The Ultraviolet Effect. I'm focused on making it far superior to the previous releases, both in audio quality and sonic arrangement. I'm excited by a lot of the new stuff I've been working on so I'm going to take my time and hopefully deliver a knockout.

Also, the split EP with Woody Whatever is still in a holding pattern. Now it's my fault, the songs I had designated for the EP are no longer "doing it for me," so it's back to the drawing boards. I've been working on a lot of new songs so hopefully we can get that out in a month or so.

Updates to the website include:
a new song is up on the music page... believe it or not Lost on Purpose covers Outkast. Yes I'm serious.
Pictures added to the bio page
A new review is up at splendidezine.com

February 15
Happy Birthday Christy!

The website is finally up in its entirety.