The outro music for the original intent of this site. Get it while you can.

What heart...

A few months ago, Molly was playing a song by The Civil Wars after a show at the Club, and the idea to make a simple, repeating kind of song came to me. Then went undercover, only to re-emerge as this truncated demo.

Everything ends. Sometimes it takes a while.

True stories often make the best lies.

This is the fourth take of a song that I thought it might be best to leave to itself for a little while, until I can't stand it anymore and have to revisit it.

Yeah, I'm apparently working through this mode again.

A short little piece to move the project forward.

Slow diving into the lyrical archive...

I wrote the words in late June, and the music came out during a rehearsal as I was looking for songs to perform live. I'd like to dedicate this one to...

The words were written at lunch one day; the music started at a Guitar Center keyboard department later that weekend. But the song, as always, started somewhere else...

Nothing and nobody is forgotten. And, if The Eagles didn't like us anymore, this is what they'd release. Or: the faster I write and record, the quicker I'll realize I should've played with the harmonies a little more. Moving on...

You never know how far the truth is from where you are. I wrote this after re-recording 30,000 Feet (soon to be uploaded), and this was a twenty-minute recording. Good things do happen, occasionally. Even when you're left in the dark.

From a theme I'd developed on a dewy night the previous week whilst on the phone with a friend who apparently puts up with having a live soundtrack played during conversations with me.

Possibly just me showing off to myself...

More wedding rehearsal

Rehearsing for the wedding...

This is (as always) a first draft, recorded very live and about ten minutes after I'd finished writing it. But I think I'll revisit it soon (somebody let me know if I ever do that). Fun fact: the second line of the original lyric was: "Like morning fog on a clear, still lake."

These chords have been jumping out of my fingers for a couple of days now, and I just wanted them to sit down somewhere. Here's the instrumental version of what might be a fully-texted song.

Sometimes, my songs are really paranoid. But I like the guitar on this (1979 The Paul), and it worked out pretty well for a song recorded in reverse (bass was the second instrument I put down, followed by vocal, then a lead, then a re-recorded rhythm, and so on).

Drive and write, kids. That's the moral of this story. That and never believe anything anyone tells you. Or sings to you.

When it happens, the Christmas e.p. is a monster car from Speed Racer: unstoppable and in the way. This was recorded in November, and I don't claim to know what or who it's about, although I have a few ideas.

Carl McArn put some fine chords together, and I had these lyrics already written, and then we were sued by Van Morrison. One day. (By the way, this is just a hastily-assembled demo for vocal harmony purposes… it sounds much better with Carl on guitar and T. Michael on keyboards.)

I decided to go multitrack on this one. It didn't turn out like I thought it would, but I love the guitar solo. Score one for improvisation...

Couch music. I'm sitting here with the DirecTV logo bouncing around the screen as I make music. Very soothing, for a bad habit.

I bought some drum loops from Beta Monkey (they're superfine), and finally used the 12/8 loops.

I'm struggling with this song. It reminds me of what I used to do about ten years ago, but with weirder chords. Also, I can't figure out an ending sequence for it. I tried an electric version in mid-April, but it didn't work for me. You'll probably see this one again later.

About a month ago, I went to bed at around 2:30am (typical) and, as I was passing out, lyrics came to mind. The first stanza of this, in fact. I typed them into my iPhone and saved them for what appears to be today. This is the 7th take, and I'm not sure about the rest of the lyrics.

I'd tried this with the electric, but it's all in major chords, which seems to mean an acoustic would do just as well. That's thought process for you. Second take.

It was time to get the acoustic guitar out. Just because the tubes were too seductive. Beware some loud vocal bits.

The tube amp makes me very happy. So happy, in fact, that I can't stop playing the blues. This is the first time in years I've actually mic'd an amplifier, because I really love the tone this Fender is producing. Anyway, the solo is the third run-through, which indicates I should've waited for the eleventh. Demo purposes, right? Does anyone have a drum set sitting around that they'd like put to good use in a loving basement? I think this song is begging for them, if you do.

I had an idea at about 2am and typed out the lyrics to this, then tapped out a waltz beat and sang the lyrics into my iPhone. It kinda morphed into this. Without thinking about it, I used my spare acoustic (Seagull S6 Folk). Consider this first draft material.