I’m making some changes with my routines when it comes to spending time on the internet.  I’m not going to go off on one of those diatribes complaining about how “checking your facebook” is the new “quietly dying inside.”  It’s just occurred to me recently that maybe there’s a way we can all say more, thoughtfully, and “share” less. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with sharing, in and of itself. I think for a lot of artists the same compulsions that drive us to create and express ourselves through art are also a driving force behind us wanting to share lots of stuff through various social media platforms.  I just feel like it would be good for my brain and my art if i allowed myself the time to ruminate on things more, without being distracted by a constant stream of content.

I started a Cinema of Sunshine over on blogger way back in 2007.  I’m trying to embrace the spirit of that here on tumblr now.  I’m hoping to bring more prose, poems, essays, and thoughtfulness, instead of just reblogging audio posts and youtube videos.  Let’s see what happens.  Here’s the song that the new/old name of this blog is taken from.  It’s a love song I wrote for my wife Liz, who incidentally, has a birthday tomorrow. <3’s, B

I almost called this song “The Only Place.”  Glad I didn’t, now that Best Coast has a song called that.

we needed time to make mistakes/a chance to change or stay the same.

we’re putting out another EP next month.  You can download the first song now over at bandcamp.

we’re playing in Brooklyn next week at Pete’s Candy Store.  If you’ve never been there, it’s a great venue that’s really small an intimate. Come out and drink beer with us.  We’ll sing you some new songs and some old ones.  You can RSVP on facebook here.

Tom Waits says he doesn’t believe in the concept of demos.  You’re either recording or you’re not.  I guess I feel the same way.  Best to capture a song in it’s purest state, and capture the feelings as you’re having them.  These recordings have always been really close to my heart.  I don’t know if I was planning on starting a band - I’d been writing songs for a while already, but these songs all came really fast, in a sort of fever dream.  It still feels like a gift, that I was able to write them, a flash of inspiration.  Everything that came afterwards happened because of these tapes.

So, having a song on that TV show last night was super fun - thanks to everyone for their excitement and support.  You can watch the whole episode online now - “Memoir” comes in at 19:50, just before the end.

I don’t like to look back much, but i wanted people to be able to hear this song.

beat radio - “television”

before beat radio, and before the last acoustic record i put out, i had this other band that was also called beat radio.  it featured jim mansfield on drums (who played on the great big sea) and tim lannen and rob haussmann, who later went on to form the diggs, one of my all time favorite bands.  I guess you could say it was my first real band.  it was my first time playing around NYC.  We played around alot at Luna Lounge, Arlene Grocery, and Mercury Lounge.  This was 2002-2003.  This song “Television” is a tune Tim and I wrote together - it felt like the start of something at the time - like we had finally figured out some sort of secret code. it was recorded and produced by phil jimenez at his studio in huntington ny on 8/7/2002.

here are the lyrics:

we made a transient connection
when you smiled with just your eyes
there was a moment of reflection
then i slipped right out of time
when morning shone, with wings of blue
you took the picture from the frame
when all our plans have fallen through
you know i’ll be around to take the blame
i’ll take the blame

these things i’ve done for your protection
i didn’t want to see you cry
you’re waiting for a resurrection
i know it’s time to say goodbye
well all the stars will shine for you
make no mistakes
you leave today
and everything they say is true
a man can throw it all away
on rhetoric
on television
on books and magazines
of photographs
on new religion
on dead philosophy

the endeavor of making music is weird.  sometimes you get hung up on the idea of “success” or “money” or being “famous” and sometimes it feels like that’s happening and other times it feels like that will never happen but after a while you get used to the emotional rollercoaster and you just decide that either way, you’re going to make the whole process an awesome, joyful, beautiful experience.  i’ve been doing this for like, forever, but it took me a while to learn how to keep my sense of humor through all the ups and downs.  i’m sitting in my basement studio.  i can make any kind of record i want to make.  that still feels like a miracle to me.