Things i learned in college, lesson one

Living on and passing through campus on my way to classes during my six year tenure at ball state university in picturesque muncie indiana, i was educated on a number of realities. One such lesson came in the form of acorns being dropped like weapons of mass destruction from the towering trees what gave passersby the comfort of shade from the midday sun. Think what you will; we all know who's responsible.

Fresh conception

Inquiries of mortal consequence

Dude, i am running out of patience with myself. Can we please get this show on the road? Sincerely, Tinderbox

This sister's asking all the wrong questions.

Getting warmer.

Neue and olde dreams for america

In recent times near and far, one found himself amid precariously placed microphones and a small legion of stringed instruments. What resulted were two rapid-fire recordings: side A and B, if you will, of the following sideless song selection: 

Side A was written back in the autumn of twenty ought eight. Side B was written at the tail end of september in the current year. They both smell like olde spice and taste like early times. Enjoy, whippersnappers!

In other less 'hey-look-at-what-i-made' news: 

Hey, look at what our friends Biak and Sui made...

Hniangtha Khun was born today. 

She's 11 pounds. 

Way to go, Sui.

Metaphor cocktails

One of the super-rad things about having kids is when they come to you with ideas that are both super-ambitious and ultra-inspiring. For four years now, baby jane has been witness to my many creative shenanigans including sound recordings, live performances, not-so-children's books, screen printed apparel, and the like. Sometime during the summer, she realized that while perhaps lacking the resources and know-how to see it to completion, surely she could concoct a project far more epic than anything her olde man could dream up. And so, in a flurry of well-placed compliments and dangerous hand-gestures she shared her vision with me: A redemptive story of a bat told through music and interactive visuals lovingly packaged together with a screen-printed tee shirt to be worn and/or shared with one's beloved. 

"BRRRRRRILLIANT!" i exclaimed with great joy and anticipation. We quickly got started on laying out the narrative of her story. Months later, we began to demo the movements of the musical composition. Now, here we are and the dawn of november and we're in the process of recording, mixing, drawing, creating, et al. 

The other great thing about kids is that they typically can't read your mind. Of course, there are those times when you have in mind a certain way that they will create the artwork for a project you're collaborating on, yet they throw you a curve and steer the whole thing in a slightly different direction. (Mixed metaphors are fun, huh?) In this particular case, my simple idea of an illustrated booklet has been upgraded to a more robust, slightly bigger, interactive activity book by the young architect herself.

So there it is. I'm working on a concept album with my four year old daughter. I can only imagine that it gets even more exciting from here on out. Although, at some point, she's going to discover that her olde man is holding her back and she'll surround herself with more creative folk than myself to help her bring her art to life. Shine on, you crazy diamond.

Kiss your mother with that mouth?

As we at the rockey home like to do from time to time, we have compiled another handful of selections culled from our sonic collection. Please help yourself to diggin' on these choice vibes in the following order:

Side A:

1. Hey Bulldog - The Bealtes
2. Oh Marcello - Regina Spektor
3. Want It Back - Amanda Palmer
4. Hot Volcano - Pearl and the Beard
5. 3,6,9 - Cat Power
6. Damn, Sam (I Love a Woman That Rains) - Ryan Adams
7. Pretty Girl from Michigan - The Avett Brothers
8. Little Cowboy - Nilsson

Side B:

1. Yazoo Street Scandal - Bob Dylan & The Band
2. Le Temps De L'amour - Francoise Hardy
3. Laughing with a Mouth of Blood - St. Vincent
4. The Blessing of Being Bloodless - SOLA-MI
5. Lion In Winter - Bee Gees
6. Little Cowboy (Reprise) - Nilsson
7. Lord I've Been Changed - Tom Waits
8. Someday - Cracker

Zippy halloween

Smokestack superstar

There are those times when i'm quite honestly left truly confounded. Oh, here's one: Mama jane, myself and the kids are lazily decked out for some trick-or-treat-but-let's-be-honest-pretty-much-all-treating at the indy zoo last night. After all, we try to get as much free candy as we can during this time of year by parading our children around in a multitude of costumes. Don't judge us, you know you love candy. Anyhow, We're approaching the exit of the african plains and we've collected the last of our candy from a painfully jaded young zoo-worker; that's when we spied them. There they were, not forty feet before us: Dad carrying his toddler daughter while burning down a cig right in her face.

Now, here's where i just honestly did not know what to think. In my mind, there are a few possibilities:

1. This dude (and probably mom who is right by his side) have traveled through time and space from some time before at least the last forty years and are completely unaware of the dangers of secondhand smoke.
2. Dude and babymama are really, in all seriousness, superbly ignorant of the harm secondhand smoke can cause to the tiny humanoids.
3. These "parents of the year" candidates are just horrible, horrible people.

Okay, as i think on the situation for a bit longer, i begin to wonder if maybe this nicotine-lean pops has gotten himself in cahoots with one of them fancy new electronic cigs the kids are so hip to these days. Hmmmm... The thought is enough to make me reconsider jumping to such judgmental conclusions.

If absolutely nothing else, this reminded me of an old youtube favorite as i pondered the absurd possibilities for the effected child's future. And doesn't that make it all worthwhile?

Tell tchaikovsky the news

The Time Swan has secrets to share, but sharing's not his bag, baby.

Laveta just get's creepier and creepier with age.

When you just don't have the emotional fortitude to handle accuracy, tune in to Lionel "Easy Like Sunday" Morning for your daily sunrise forecast.

Roll over, october; Movember's ready to warm more than your upper lip. Y'dig?

Monkey lip service

So, a bit back, i joined some mates of mine from days of yore in creating a couple of chain-mailish videos we've dubbed FOLDIES. I previously wrote about it HERE. The most recent addition to foldie family is this little number written and directed by the redelman girls and the baby jane. It also stars mister zippy and christmas baby whose names friends of the mustard room will recognize. WARNING: If you have any baby dolls, you may want to remove them from the room before viewing this terrifying short film.

Melting faces from the threshold of narnia (or what happened at oktoberfest)

The past several weeks, i've had the gift of enjoying a handful of opportunities to share my songs before beautiful strangers/new friends. One such opportunity happened upon me this past saturday at the home of some friends who put on an incredible house party complete with tasty spirits, crackling bon fire, and live musics of all types (regna racer, kendall lugwig, tied to tigers, dan snodgrass, your's truly). The songsmiths performed in a corner of the living room in front of an arched wooden door and lamp post as a cloud of christmas lights floated overhead. It was quite narnian in a variety of ways.

Twas a night of magic and memories.

Thanks, fellow humans.

Goodnight mister tumnus, wherever you are.

The eagle has landed

Here's something i made for something i'll be doing.

Blessed curse

Hey, beautiful peoples of earth! Twas a wonderful weekend of song, friend-making, and conversation-havingness. I hope your's was the same. Yea for people. 

Now, two things:

1. Do yourself a favor and get really into this wonderful trio of folk who make lovely music: PEARL AND THE BEARD
2. My baritone uke and i made this new song together. Enjoy.

Blessed Curse by Joel Rockey