Author: j

Ian and I wrote this song together. He played guitar and I sang. Then Reed laid down a baseline.

Too Much
[audio:2006/2/Too Much.mp3]

I did it again.

Lost In Space, Re-rapped, re-mixed:
[audio:2006/2/Lost In Space!.mp3]

I didn’t win the Grammy for best new artist this year, but I sure did enjoy playing for all those stars.

I translated my rap to an accoustic set of chords.

I’m putting together a press pack. I need a one sheet breaking down what I do. Here’s an attempt:

My music is about marrying well-written lyrics with pop songs that bend together folk, pop, rock, jazz, hip-hop, latin, reggae, gospel, blues, and bluegrass influences. To me, a great songwriter is someone who takes traditional forms and makes them new by fitting them to a fresh poetic perspective. Mediocre imitations do not sound new; lyrics are skimpy, vague cliches. Too many popular artists lack the poetic confidence to tell a story, let you hear all the words, and take you somewhere only they can take you. Too many pop songs are content to take the old forms/styles and continue to wear them out. Especially as music goes global and a world of traditions come together, too many songs elaborate on a style that cannot remain unchanged. I’m making pop-jazz, folk-dub, or gospel-rock because all these traditions are strong in my musical history and I need them all to tell the story and set the stage when my life comes together in song. I aspires to write songs with the subtlety and mix of styles of New Yorker/Brazilian Arto Lindsay; with the jazzy-blues and wry ironies of Mississippi white-boy Mose Allison; with the clean progressive synthesis and pop sophistication of The Sea and Cake.