Regarding the flight attendant incident recently aboard Jet Blue airlines, I was thinking:  who among us doesn't wish that at one of our zillion past shitty, dead-end jobs, we'd had a rubber slide escape hatch and two beers at the ready with which to walk (or, I guess, slide) out when it became too unbearable? Not to mention a p.a. system to give formal notice, thanks, and *#@& you's. Vicariously brilliant, say I.

My recently-posted tune "Robert the Baby Owl or Child-Bee with Detonator" has been considerably amped up with guitar contributions by old friend (and likewise Tecumseh native) Andy McCulla. Andy has always been a great friend and considerable musical influence on me and it is a real honor to collaborate with him here. And, his guitar work just smokes! This is much more rock 'n' roll than anything I've done lately. Hear the multi-tracked Byrdsian vibe of the verse riffs and the chaotic wailing a la Richard Lloyd on the chorus. Wow! I love it and it really transforms the song entirely! Hear the re-vamped "Robert" here.

Here's hoping many more collaborations w/Andy are to come. And evidence of this smaller-than-ever world is that Andy is currently jamming with my nephew and former Near South Davenports bandmate, (Dr.) Noah Beadell in their Portland, Oregon hometown. How I wish I was there to participate, but we have taken some preliminary steps towards long-distance collaboration. Second best thing.

Today I ordered a slide whistle. No fictional Dumb Angel sessioneer protege should be without one of course.

You fear that my enthusiasm may result in slide whistle solos on every song for a while? Well, your worries are well-founded; like the Smile sessions, I make no promises--all rules and conventions are out the window.

But I like to think the slide whistle may over time come to be known as my secret weapon or ace card, like Brian Wilson's use of theremin or bass harmonica, or Ian Anderson's flute, or that thing the Thirteenth Floor Elevators always used. In a few years people will talk about my slide whistle as "the fifth Beatle," "plutonium," or "the Transcontinental Railroad."

Title of a new song idea.  Premise:  In the 1890s Morse code community, sleazy long-distance and impersonal breakups between couples conducted via transmitted messages in morse code (the equivalent to present-day breakups by phone, email, or text) were considered to pose formidable rhetorical challenges to successful transmission, requiring fluency in the sub-field of (Re)morse code.  Only the most sensitive and athletic codists could transmit in this dialect, and they were known as the Beep Whisperers.

I know it's not Christmas, but I think I've just come across the greatest recording I've ever heard--seriously.  Enough to knock my revolving door of Beach Boys Smile tracks from the top spot.  It's the Bird and the Bee's 2007 version of the Ukrainian Christmas carol, "Carol of the Bells."  I just came across it this week as I was filling in the gaps of my Bird and the Bee/Inara George collection with singles and one-offs, as I simultaneously ordered their new effort of Hall & Oates covers.  This is everything I need in a song--from cinematic instrumentals (I can't help but believe, accordingly, that Michael Andrews didn't have some hand in the production here) to veritably sublime vocals.  Inara George is second to none in that department.  And I love the photo as well--very early-mid 60s modernist aesthetic--calling to mind the library/den settings of the Beach Boys "In My Room" performance on the Red Skelton show in 1964 and the Beatles "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" portion of Help! in the Dick Lester film a year later.  Do yourself a favor and download this tune (see link below).  But take a look at yourself in the mirror first, 'cause you won't be the same person afterward. This is mind-blowing, psychedelic, spooky yet transcendent baroque pop at its absolute finest. Between the Bird and the Bee, Wilson and Parks, Andrews, and Wondermints, there can be little question as to whether Los Angeles is once again the epicenter of psych-pop music.

http://www.amazon.com/Carol-Of-The-Bells/dp/B000Y02VEE

My good friend and Near South Davenport bandmate Daniel Christian has a new record out, Hold Your Breath.  We had a catch up/record listening visit yesterday and I can vouch that it's a fine album, sonically and aesthetically.  Dan again did me the honor of recording one of my songs, this time "Flowers and Song," and it's a trip to hear what someone else comes up with when they interpret your work.  Dan's version is first-rate:  me likee!  You may purchase his album by going to his website:

http://www.myspace.com/danielchristianmusic

 I just heard the new Inara George solo record, Accidental Experimental, available as download-only, and it's stunning.  Best thing I've heard in 5 years.  Goes back and forth from vocal jazz to baroque pop to new wave to folk to electronica to psychedelic all so effortlessly.   I highly recommend this album.  Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Experimental/dp/B002QJ3YO2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1269375213&sr=8-3

I stopped into the store on the way home from school Friday afternoon and ran into Jeff Runnings of long-time Lincoln, NE band, For Against. I've long enjoyed their music, and Jeff and I also briefly worked together at Homer's Records in Lincoln.  He gave me a copy of the band's new cd, Never Been, and I happily popped it right into my car stereo for the drive home.  I can attest that it's a beautiful-sounding album and Jeff's voice in particular sounds fantastic.  Check out For Against and Never Been at www.myspace.com/foragainst.

I posted 3 new song versions today:  a cappella mixes of "Snowing in Savannah" and "Jane Hansen, the Healer," and a mono mix of "Jenny (Psychedelicacy)."  I know I'm a vocal harmonies geek, but I can't get enough of the a cappella stuff.  I spend a long time on the instrumental aspects of songs, but the pudding for me is the a cappella mix that I extract after everything's done.  I guess it's sort of like how as an undergrad I used to always get my math homework done first because it was harder for me, while I left the English stuff for last because I knew my strengths lay there and it would be cake.

As for the mono mix, it's mostly a curio for me.  I also spend a lot of time in the recording process deciding where to pan different parts in the stereo field, and I really like that effect.  Still, I'm a big Phil Spector fan, and of course the Beach Boys and the Beatles never bothered with stereo mixes at all for most of the Sixties.  

Anyway, it is interesting to hear different versions of songs, so I hope you enjoy these.

It seems like pretty good karma to complete and post a new song to launch a new decade, and I'm happy to do just that with "Snowing in Savannah" today.  It even has sleigh bells in the chorus, so I guess that makes it even more holiday-appropriate and maybe the closest I'll ever get to doing any kind of Christmas album.  I started writing it a couple of months ago and have worked on the recording over the past couple of weeks.  It's very much in the baroque pop vein--for me more of a head-clearer than mind-blower--and I had in mind Michael Penn's great album Resigned (1997) as a guiding force, alongside some of my usual influences like the Wondermints, the Owls, and the Twilight Hours.  The backing vocals, although sparse for one of my songs, were the hardest I've ever done.  I have even more respect for those Four Freshmen doing their jazz vocals than ever before.   

The song, as I indicate in the lyrics note, is about me getting "stranded" by a winter storm an extra night in Savannah, GA this past February when I presented a paper at a conference there.  I spent the extra evening at my favorite spot on River Street, The Warehouse bar (formerly a cotton warehouse).  You can stand in the doorway of the place and look 50 ft to the Savannah River (separating Georgia and South Carolina) and see huge ocean freighters from Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, etc., coming into port (I'll post some pics so you can see what I mean).  As stunning as that is, within the bar itself you will find the nicest and prettiest ladies in Savannah happy to serve you delicious food and cold drinks, with great live music on weekends.  The day is coming--sooner than later--when I'll be a local and a regular, and hopefully as well in a band that entertains there from time to time.  I can't wait.

Happy New Year to you!

Dan