End of the new year

As 2014 closes, I'm left with one lasting impression: this sucks.

Everything does. Life, work, music... other things.

It is all terrible.

But that is how it is, isn't it?

All life seems to be is preparing for your next step in life. You are always moving, constantly moving towards some end goal, but once you reach that point, you move to the next step. Is this how it always is for everyone or is it just some people? Like, what is the end game?

More importantly, what is my end game?

I've been thinking about this for quite a while. I still want to do something with music, might not have to be a musician per se, but maybe a sound engineer or producer or a reviewer or blogger or fucking something. Cause this is important to me, I've found something I'm finally passionate about, and that I'm sort of good at. And I want to pursue this in any way possible. But there isn't a clear cut way to pursue something, no one has a plan ready and waiting for whatever Joe Asshole wants to come along and become a musician. It is one of those things that can be acquired a million different ways, thats why I think it is attractive to me.

I may have this wrong, but with corporations and other businesses, you come in, work from the bottom up and show your worth and eventually you might become a CEO or something. Of course you can always skip all that with the right connections and talent, but music seems more fluid. You don't have to, well maybe you do. start at the bottom, pay your dues, and maybe fame will find you. Maybe it is like everything else. Scratch that shit.

But it does seem more fluid, like, you can. Idk what I'm trying to say.

Fuck off I'm tired.

BUT, an EP is slowly being built, and it will be called.... something. Maybe Permeate the Membrane! or Crush. I forgot how the timeline was working out on that one. Crush was next I believe.

So, Crush is still in development.

I do really like Dart Lucky for whatever reason. It just, sticks to my brain.

What this is, the future holds.

We (my family) maybe acquiring a house soon.

This means I will be able to get my studio back up and running.

I've done inventory on my equipment, and most of my stuff is shit wrecked.

I'm going to need new stuff. My plan is to acquire an 8 track digital recorder, use it to record and mix shit, then upload it to my... i think its called a DAW software? Whatever. Idk. Idc. Then use that to master, cut, edit all that good stuff.

A looper pedal will also be in the future, as well as a drum pad.

The drumpad will be a better fit for me, because it is more like actual instrumenting instead of just pressing buttons to make drum patterns. It is more hands on and immersive, so I think it will allow me to get a better handle on making drum tracks.

I'm not sure how to explain how my brain works. They say when you can't explain how something works, then you don't understand it well enough. So it goes.

Like, when I can physically do something, my brain interprets it better than if I'm listening to someone tell me about it, or if I'm just building something through software. The actual physical action registers better to my brain, and it feels like I can learn it better that way. That is why I don't think i can use software like fruity loops or anything to make beats, it just doesn't do anything for me. I'd need to actually get turntables and synths and shit to make a beat.

Which is something else I really want to learn how to do: turntablism. That stuff is crazy cool.

one month

and hopefully i'll have the studio set up.

Shit.

Shit.

My recorder broke down. I don't have anyway to record my music until I get my "studio" set up.

Well. Shit.

Nothing new

Got some ideas, like usual. But we are trying to buy a house here sometime. And with that house I will be able to make my own studio, which will hopefully allow me to create some more advanced music.

Hopefully.

I want to try and get more a more ambient, layered sound going. Something like Bon Iver only with more balls.

I love Bon Iver's music, its just so ballless. Like, not punk, but headier folk based ambient music.

Not so much ruminations on lost love and abandoment. but you know, the pseudo-headier stuff that I normally dabble in. Or what I want to dabble in.

Normally its just shit songs about not getting laid.

Yeah.

Anyways

I got ideas, but nothing too solid, yet.

I really want to get a looper to play around with, but it seems like the good ones that will fit my needs are insanely expensive.

Oh well.

Its up

So,

I went ahead and put up some shit on bc for the SLREP

It is sort of like my planned tracklist in that not really.

Peace.

Permeate the Membrane!

Cover for Permeate the Membrane! has been finalized (for now).

I decided to go for something a little different. More minimalist.. and yeah.

I'm lazy.

Today

I'm going to try and get some work done today on Sad Looking Rocket.

Maybe even try to get it up by the end of the week.

My weeks end on Saturday.

Probably not, but who knows?

Cover Arts

Here is the art for the forthcoming Crush EP:

Don't Ask me Why I liked it, I just do.

And, on a semi-unrelated note, I also made this for an album that I have no name for and may never actually use this cover for:

It will not be the cover for Permeate the Membrane! because, idk, doesn't feel right for that album. Maybe I will save it for the full length cause i need something to catch the eye, something strange and alluring.

Probably not. It will probably be the cover to another shitty EP I will put out eventually.

Here is Sad Looking Rocket again:

Plans for the future.

So I semi-accidentally made a new album cover, which I will post here soon enough.

The title is Crush. Idk why, i looked at the cover art and it felt right.

It will be the EP I make after Sad Looking Rockets. I'm not sure if it will be after Permeate the Membrane! though, as that album art is still being hammered out.

As are the songs.

But! Nonetheless, keep aware of a new EP titled Crush to be dropping from me fairly soon, after Sad Looking Rockets and possibly Permeate the Membrane!, depending on how quickly I can get this shit done.

SLR EP Tracklist

Sad Looking Rocket my upcoming EP has a working tracklist right now... and it is rather long for an EP, but it doesn't have the cohesiveness of an LP, so I'm calling it an EP because it feels like it is just a collection of demos and in-progress songs, not final polished takes.

(for now) The Tracklist:

Move You (Intro)
Compromising
A Little Perspective
Fantastic Machines
SkullCrusher (v2)
Glory (v2)
Waiting for Malachai (v2)
Between Our Chemistry (v2)
Lavender's Blue
The Gnome
Skulls
3rd Planet

It is a mix of newer songs, which I might have a few others depending on how it all works out, and some reworkings of songs off of Amateur Fashion. Then there is something new that I never really done before: covers. I'm adding some covers for the fuck of it.

We were showing my daughter videos of nursery rhymes on youtube, and Lavender's Blue came up, and it has a really sweet, lovely melody and I wanted to learn it for her. I'm not sure if she likes it, but I do, so, you know, she can stuff it. Then I wanted to learn another song that has a nice nursery rhyme like melody, but that might also introduce her to a wider range of music that classic nursery rhymes won't expose her to, so I'm trying to learn the Gnome by Pink Floyd (well, mostly Syd Barrett, that era of Floyd should just be called Barrett and Friends), which is unexpectedly hard song to learn. Strange chord progressions in some parts. I had previously learned Skulls and 3rd Planet, which are also simple songs with catchy melodies and fit well within my unintentionally set parameters. So, there are the four songs I'm going to try to play for Rhyleigh whenever she can sit still enough and watch me play.

And that concludes the exceedingly long tracklist for Sad Looking Rocket. An EP in three parts, essentially.

Anyways...

I've got some new ideas in store for the next EP, Sad Looking Rocket, and it will hopefully be a bit different.

For now, I've decided, that my EP's will be mostly sparse, skeletons of songs that I'm working on, and once I get a batch of 10 or so that I like, i will try to incorporate full instrumentals now that I have my bass back from Toben, and a cajone to improvise for a drumset.

That wasn't exactly clear: EP= sparse arrangements (if any); LP= full bandish sound (hopefully)

Next LP will be called either Casanova Nights, or Thousand Voices Exchange.

As for the Subregion M series of whateverthefucks, that is still a very distant thought.

That one might take a while.

Just sometimes

I don't know what to think anymore, like, I'm a man without a scene I guess.

Am I a musician, even? I look at all these guys play concerts and on magazines, and its just like, who the fuck are these people? Why do they dress like that? Do they all not shower?

Of course I'm generalizing here, but sometimes it feels that way.

This comes from a bad experience with the Sioux City Music Scene mostly... just a bunch of guys who are too big for their britches. They all walk around like cocks of the walk, but I assure you, they are cocks of nothing. I go up on stage, try to do something a bit different, try to play as well as I can. No one even cared. Some of the people that were just at pipe dreams were nice, but most (not all, some good guys out there) were just completely oblivious to me. They just look at me like, oh he's here? Fuck those guys, seriously. I put just as much effort into my music as you do, maybe even more. I freaking agonize over my lyrics and chords. Put hours into songs trying to find the right way to say things, trying to get the feel just perfect. Sorry I'm not some fucking savant that can take a bong rip, needle away on his guitar for 20 minutes and call it good.

Sometimes I do get a bit lucky, though, and some instant inspiration hits and I am able to get something down in about an hour or so, but mostly I've spent weeks, even months perfecting songs, and they aren't even close to being perfect. They are just as close as I can get them.

But, they all act hardcore and amazing, like the music they are making is going to set the world on fire, and it might, who knows? But it hasn't, yet, so don't fucking act like it or you won't ever make it. You have to have that hunger in your gut, that want, that desire to become something greater every day. But if you already think you are amazing? Then guess what, you have no drive to become better.

What do i know, though? I'm not even close to making it, and honestly I wish them all the luck in the world. I hope they do make it, because that is awesome. Becoming a paid musician is a dream job that a lot of people have, and I just hope they are smart enough to realize how lucky they would be... fucking douchebags.

Well...

Human Fest came and went, and it was... alright. I don't think I converted anyone, anyone who saw me play probably just thought I was some asshole with a guitar, and they are right.

But, everytime I play it gives me the motivation to get better and try to become a better musician and lyricist.

Which, idk, I might someday, but I probably won't.

I'm kind of a hack. Sort of.

Its just, I have all of these ideas stuck in my head but when I try to get them out there, it all becomes muddled and weird sounding....

idk.

Working on the album and some more concepts so keep aware.

Peace.

Live Album

Something different.

I will be playing my electric guitar at HumanFest 2, and i will play it as loud and as fast as possible with lots of gain and reverb.

I will try to capture this moment on my handheld recorder.

I will then sell it online at my bandcamp for free.

It will be called Pabodie's Drilling Apparatus: Unplugged.

Cause I'm fucking clever as shit.

Up and Running

Got the old 'puter up and running again, so this might mean my next EP will be in the works here soon.

Also, with the Human Fest in the near horizon, I might try and record it and release a live version of my music.

It won't go well, but that has never stopped me before! Except it has. Several times.

Forgot what I was going to name the next ep... oh yeah, Sad Looking Rocket.

Look for it within the next 3 to 36 months.

YEAYA

And there it is, I am under my birthname Erik Thompson, but it is me. I will playing my own vague version of stripped down folk/punk (or funk, as I call it). I'm going on at 1 or 2pm, I'm still sort of confused on the time. But I will be playing first, no doubt about that.

Humanfest Set list none-dates

This isn't upate, so much as a dedication to the idea of not doing anything important for something really important. I have no game plan, yet, and this shit is like 2 weeks away, if that.

I'm super duper excited though. If I'm still playing, I'm not sure.

Yay.

So far, I definitely think I will play

Between Our Chemistry (New Version)
Waiting for Malachai
Glory
Unsteady Hands

Pretty much all of Amateur Fashion so far, cept for... well maybe SkullCrusher. Definitely not Freak or Waterfall.

Maybe Freak. or Waterfall, just to do something different.

Virus
Werewolf
Song for Rhyleigh
Faces
maybe Thinkin...
Yeah, Thinkin... definitely
Perfect Target.

there is some other stuff in the works I might try to hammer out till then, but my new schedule isnt letting me get a lot of time in.

New stuff

I have an idea for an album title I really want to use:

Thousand Voices Exchange. Idk why, it just strikes me in a way. It is a book store in Glenwood that is either defunct or non-defunct, but it looks rundown as shit. It is sooo intriguing. Like, i want to explore it, but i don't want to because i'm afraid it will ruin the mystery of it.

There it is. ok, good.

Those other album names are just EP names I'm going to guess.

Human Fest 2 Times

Ok! We got a semi-official set list for Human Fest 2:

Human Fest 2

Or if you are too lazy to go and click the link:

Erik Thompson (Yours Truly): 1:00pm
Nathan Reeder: 1:30
Elsa Va: 2:00
Bonneville Dusky: 2:30
Unnamed Confederates: 3:15
It Really Is: 4:00
Tree: 4:45
Sons of San Arc: 5:30
Jon Jubilee: 6:15
The Gateway Drug: 7:00
Weathers Rest: 7:15
Omniscient Troubadours: 8:00
Love Grove: 9:00
The Alleles: 9:45
Ghosts of Guyana: 10:45
The Season of the Witch: 11:30
Dark Seas: 12:30am

Seems kind of weird Gateway Drug is only getting a 15 minute set while OT is getting a full hour. It's an injustice in my opinion, but who knows? It might be a clerical error.

So, I'm playing at 1pm when it will be excruciatingly hot out and no one will be paying attention cause they will all be skating or tubing. No problem, I sound better when no one will be listening anyways.

So.

I'm bored. Here are thoughts on the ever changing future of PDA...

Humanfest might be my last show for a long time, if not forever. I highly doubt forever, but you never know how these things are going to turn out. With (hopefully) employment and  a baby to take care of, getting gigs will be more hassle than ever. Unless I get this day job, then it might be a bit easier than anticipated. I definitely want to play at least a few times a year, but you know, I have terrible music and absolutely no ambition to do much of anything at all. 

This will probably just become a recording project. Wherein I just record and publish shit however I feel like. If something takes off, then whatever. Idc honestly. My audience is nil and will continue to be nil until the end of time. I'm the only person listening anymore, and even then I'm thinking, "Wow, I wrote this crap? Its crap!"

It is crap though.

But I feel like the songwriting is getting somewhat better. My words and lyrics are becoming not so cliched and stagnant. The scope of language is a magnificient thing, but we only use so little of it to convey such trite ideas: love, sex, longing, feeling good, sadness, revenge. It is hard to break out of that cycle in any meaningful way. Everything else becomes pretentious and impenetrable garbage, not through any fault of the writer, but because the audience has come to expect certain things from music... mainly songs that validate what you already think and feel. No one wants to listen to music that challenges their own beliefs-- that takes time and energy. Songs that sing, "I'm a hardworkin man/ I've paid my dues/ But my woman takes my money/ And spends it all on shoes" are going to be more popular than songs that express a desire to examine how your inability to confidently articulate your disappointment with life and your lover causes a cycle to perpetuate your present situation. How silence and self-loathing keeps this process in motion, and only direct, sympathetic conversation can actually change anything, instead of sitting and bitching and getting an excuse to hate people instead of yourself for 3 minutes and 20 seconds. 

That is the problem with a lot of music now a days I think, lack of self awareness. Everything happens to you, and that is the cause of your problems--- not the fact that you can't talk about it, or the fact that you are too chickenshit to change your station in life. It is eveyrone else hounding you. Bringing you down. It is really quite extraordinary that we are such an insular society, but we don't understand how the "self" works. This society is so up its own ass right now, we want everything now, all the advertising is directed specifically to the consumer, porn is as vast and plentiful as ever.. you can jerk it to literally anything, but we still don't understand why this world is failing. It is because, even though we are all connected and information is essentially free to everyone, we are more insular than ever. We care only about what we want and what we know, and we don't care what you know or what you want, because we have been trained to want only what we want. Confused? Me too. Everything is directed directly to you, so you believe you must be the deciding factor in taste and what is popular. So you seek out others who share the same ideals, you listen to the same music, watch the same shows, see the same movies and go to the same games. It creates this bubble of self-satisfation that deludes us into believing there are no other opinions, there is no "other" so whenever we encounter an oppositional belief, we go into defensive.

How could these people believe that? Our movies, music and television shows don't teach that, they don't allow that, and we are the majority! Democracy demands we are right. So we are right! That is why we look to celebrities whenever we need a spokesperson-- they are the faces of the movies and television we watch to affirm ourselves. They are the popular kids in high school that get thrust to the forefront whenever there is a tragedy, or whenever the body needs a head to express its ideas to powers greater than themselves-- because they are known. Celebrites are known, and even if they have no real experience on a subject, we look to them because we feel connected to them, somehow they understand us because they speak the words we want them to say. 

Where was I?

So, PDA. its future is up in the air right now.

Peace.

Human Fest 2 set list...

Wow I have not been thinking about this enough.. I really do not have a set list ready..

I know I'm going to probably play these songs for right now

Glory
Between Our Chemistry
Hole in my Head
Waiting for Malachai
Virus
Perfect Target
Faces
Hammer (new version)
Thinkin...
Song For Rhyleigh
Unsteady Hands

Maybe I had more songs than I realized... I don't even know how many songs I have in the works anymore...

I guess it all depends on how long my set is. Probably cut out Hammer, even the new version is weird and unwieldy. Definitely want to do thinkin.. if i can remember how it goes... faces is a maybe also. Perfect Target, I really like it, but it is also a weird song to play.

Going to have to think about this...

Damn. Cause I got some other new ones I want to try out, but they aren't even titled yet. I don't even remember which ones I'm still working on anymore.

Workings of an Idiot with nothing better to do

Here is a list of album titles I have in mind. In no particular order:

Self Satisfied Mutilation
Rat King, Everything Must Go
Mounting the Only Everest We Have
Sincere Apologies to the Going Away Party
Revenge of the Inexplicables
Permeate the Membrane!
Asinine Wall Hangings
Last of the Glenwood Bombardiers
Hey Buddy Ten O'Clock
Dart Lucky

I really like Permeate the Membrane! and Dart Lucky.

But first I will complete Sad Looking Rocket, and Subregion M will be an ongoing project, I will make EPs and what not during the process for that album.

Of course these are not indicative of what I will put out... these are just ideas for album titles, and hell I might even make some of them song titles in the near to distant future. Who Knows? Not me. I have absolutely no control over this.

Plans

None, but I do have an idea to make Sad Looking Rocket a bit more than an EP. I want to put up my more polished songs on the album. Like redone versions of: Between Our Chemistry, Glory, Waiting for Malachai, Hammer, and Gospel. 

Maybe. I have other songs I've been working on as well. Something that i might be able to turn into a actual physical copy that I could sell, or distribute around town. Probably not, though. I'm not sure what I still want to do with all of this.

Human Fest 2 might just well be my last show, ever. I hope not, but you know. Things are odd right now. I still want to make music, and I probably will for a long time. But getting gigs won't be my main objective until I can fully devote my time to it.

Maybe by then I will actually have a song worth listening to.

Nothing new.

I've been thinking, that whole story I did before, was kind of like that one twilight zone episode... which is also like that south park episode, and that simpsons episode... and like that futurama episode, or a lot of television and movies out there.

Maybe it isn't such fertile ground for creative exploration as once thought. Unless i can find some new way of expressing it... idk man, now I'm starting to wonder if all of my ideas are unconsciously stolen from stuff I absorbed in the past. How will I know? Except for this. I thought it was a pretty good idea, until I started to actually think about it.

Might as well forge ahead anyways... no one will listen to it.

Speed Bump.

Turns out chrome books don't have a decent audio editor, so now I am stuck with nothing to cut down my recordings with. This doesn't look good PDA fans. I might try to set up my computer somewhere within the house, but for now I cannot post any new music.

But, I will talk to you about some stuff I've been working on.

So, it was mentioned in my last post about a concept EP, which might as well be an LP for all you and/or I care, called Subregion M. I am not entirely sure what it will be about, but I can tell you that it might possibly be a reworking of my old concept album ideas... the ones I scrapped during the process of making Drastic. Yes, Drastic Wildlife Removal was originally intended to be a concept album. At the time, though, I didn't have the skills nor balls to make such a move, how little it would have mattered anyways, but still, it was too much for my limited experience to handle.

Originally, it was about a man who decides to kill himself by jumping off of a waterfall, poetic, right? And he would be rushed down, down, down into the depths of the ocean where he would encounter a sea colony filled with fish-like merpeople. They would take him in and teach him their ways, and he would discover a new life within himself. But, the people were dying, and that they needed a hero (usual crap, I know). Somehow (I didn't really think this out) he would find the cure was to destroy the colony and himself. Because he brought a blight to the colony, and the only way it could be restored was to start from scratch. The people were like, plants, too, so they would grow back or some shit. Like I said, not entirely thought out. See why I didn't follow through on that?

Anyways, I'm thinking now that I will make the colony a science experiment. Humans created the colony to study behavior and what not. This will take place in M, the 12th region that has been created. Each other region has either stagnated and died, or self destructed somehow-- disease or cannibalism. The same warning signs of self immolation start appearing in M, so the scientists decide to do something about it. They send one of their own down there to investigate. Well, he becomes a messiah of sorts, and he tries to help out, but eventually things get worse again, and ultimate destruction sets in.

Pretty desolate, huh? Well, I kind of wanted it to be about how nothing humans can create can be good, because in our hearts we are greedy, selfish creatures, and everything we create will be tainted by those traits. I was hoping it would touch upon life, religion, what it means to be human. All the big stuff. It will probably come off muddled and no one will know what I'm talking about, as with most of my ventures, and I'm not even sure if this idea can hold up an entire album's worth of songs. Well, I guess it doesn't really matter, I'm not under contract or anything. I can make this as long or as short as I want it to be. But, I want it to be substantial, something that someone will see and be like, damn, he had an idea there.

I'm not even sure how to write a straightfoward song. All my songs are random words that sounded good together.

Oh well, it won't be happening for a while anyways.

New EP Art

Yup. That is it.

Enjoy.

Next EP name: Subregion M.

It will be a concept EP. Just thought it up.

Up and Running.

Ok, got some new equipment and I should be able to start uploading some new music here shortly... if I had anything worth uploading.

I will try to just get another quick EP together.

Sad Looking Rocket EP. Working title of course. I like it though.

Updates

Nothin new, just workin away at new material. Hopefully I can get something put up soon.

Maybe.. idk.

The News

Slowly working on new music, but I am in a situation where I cannot post anything new. Nor is there anything new to post, really.

Also, I am playing Human Fest 2 this year.

Take that however.

well its up..

Amateur Fashion EP is up and ready to download on my bandcamp.

The tracklist is entirely different from what I intended, and some new songs that i just threw together were put on it at the last minute.

Why?

Cause I'm an idiot.

Peace.

New song!

So the slow return to writing songs has come to fruition on a crappy new song.

I released it on my bandcamp page, and I decided to add it to the new EP, Amateur Fashion.

I am not sure what the tracklist will be anymore.

Definitely:

Unsteady Hands

Then whatever else I manage to record within the next few months.

Yay!

I don't know..

What I'm doing here, with this whole thing I'm trying to do.

I don't even know what I'm trying to do.

Typing this, leaving it to the void for no one to see.

I have no talent, I'm not special. I'm nothing but a hopeful idiot. A dunce with a dream. Not even an idiot, not even a hack. Just nothing. Nothing...

It is done...

as of now you can download Drastic Wildlife Removal on bandcamp for 3 dollars.

I will, of course, not sell a single one.

But, future progress and preservation are key elements of a healthy career. So be it.

DWR Re-release!

My terrible debut album, Drastic Wildlife Removal, will be getting a digital re-release as of whenever it finishes uploading to bandcamp.

Hooray?

It will 3 dollars for the digital d/l, and the physical will still be 5.

If someone buys the digital, maybe i will just send them the physical if they want it too.

Idk what I'm doing.

updated cover

something that sort of just happened...

I think it looks a bitter better, more balanced...

We will see how it feels in a week or so.

tracklist.

Ok, I know I do this alot, but here is the tracklist for the Amateur Fashion EP

(In no particular order)

Nothing Wrong
Grow Apart
Hole in my Head
Defeat
Living With Reason
Useless Machine

I might throw in a song or two else, but for now that is it.

I have a second song called "Perfect Machine" that is supposed to go with "UM," but it isn't quite right just yet.

in progress

I have a new EP planned called "Amateur Fashion."

Don't ask why, I just named it that.

Here is the art:

Yeah. Still working on the tracklist.

Work... work... work...

There is a huge backlog of material I need to sift through. I went almost a month of recording stuff, without labeling it or listening to it, or anything.

Now I am in the process of sifting through it and labeling everything. Next I will listen to all of it, little by little, and see what, if any, I like. Maybe i said something a certain way, or I played something a certain way and I want to figure out what it was.

Sometimes there are little one-offs that I don't really remember, this will finally unearth them.

Hopefully this discovers some good ideas and what not.

New EP is on the way, though, once I get this shit all cleared out.

Nothin New...

Just been writing a lot of material, and by writing I mean randomly hitting notes and singing into my recorder until something semi-nice sounding comes out.

So far its been working like gangbusters, actually. It is more freeform and open.

I also don't have that self-imposed restriction of the whole "2AM" fiasco constraining me to make certain songs.

During that phase I felt like I needed to work on a few songs, and nothing else. Even though it stressed lo-fi and weird recordings, I still felt like I needed to put my best foot forward. I was still trying to get the perfect recording instead of just winging it and seeing what sticks.

Now I see that sort of thing is a post-album add-on. That is why they are bonus tracks and not a seperate album. Cause when you are recording for people to hear, then you might as well just record the album.

Anyways, that is all. I have some new ideas, nothing too concrete. Hopefully I do get those perfect recordings soon for an album, but I think an EP isn't too far out of the question within the next month or so.

I made this...

...not sure what I am going to use it for.. maybe a poster once I get a show?

Updates

I'm going to try and get some actual recording done. Maybe over the course of a night or two. Then I will pick five or six songs to put onto a new EP.

Not sure what is going on with this album idea, it just doesn't feel like the right time you know?

Just going to keep putting out EPs of songs I'm working on.

Idk...

In the Works

Maybe I will make some of these ideas into an EP.

Maybe.

Idk.

End.

That is the end of the 2AM sessions. It was an idiotic idea, and I'm a terrible person for believing it would work.

It did absolutely nothing of value.

The artwork was nice, I thought, but then again, I'm biased.

Just Shit

Been working on the album, slowly but surely. 

The 2AM sessions stuff is becoming stupid. It has always been stupid, but it is pretty stupid. I might just take it down.

Probably.

It would be a good idea wouldn't it?

News, Again

I'm not sure what this all means... you know?

News

So, this bandcamp posting all my rehearsal material is going.. well, stupidly, a bit more work than I anticipated, but I will continue with it as best I can. Other than that, I'm getting more ideas for... songs? Like, half songs. Its just 3 chords and a chorus essentially, which is what GBV does, but far better than I.

The main question is, can I perform with these? Will people be too turned off, or will the embrace 20+ "songs" in half an hour? There is obvious precedent for this: GBV, other bands who have had various 1-2 minute half songs. But the half songs aren't what people play on stage, though, at least I don't think so anyways, I've never seen GBV live.

I've haven't seen a lot of bands live. I wish that was different, but, alas, that isn't the case.

Anyways, whatever.

How things are

There, I have been putting up my recordings from my practice sessions.

This is completely stupid. Why am I doing this? So years down the line if I become rich and famous, then people can look back at this and be like, "Wow, what a creative genius! Everything he does is so wonderful and insightful." 

Probably. I'm a narcissist like that. I want to be special, I want to be amazing. I want to be something people talk about long after I'm gone.

Is that wrong? I have no idea. I just want to make music people will enjoy... maybe.

Well...

It is up, the first part of the 2AM sessions. Let it be known that this was a horrible idea and a complete waste of resources.

I feel like putting up the album art here:

I don't know why I put up album art, it isn't a physical release, just digital. There is no real need for it, but I made one anyways, why? Cause I could.

Boom.

Anyways, I plan to continue this until the album is complete, and if the first two tracks are any indication: yes, there will be many multiples of songs as they go through the writing process. And no, I don't have names for most of these songs. Yes, Casanova Nights is undergoing another track change. I will no longer be putting up track listings for the album until I have it down to 10 or 12 songs that all mesh together underneath some massive theme. I'm thinking existential ennui brought on by working for a living and trying to find meaningful relationships within constrictive societal institutions. Or beer and weed. One of those two.

Idea

Here is what I'm going to start doing.

I have an album in the process, Casanova Nights. You all know this.

Well, there is a process behind making the songs, and I thought it would be interesting to show my creative process. Or, if not interesting, it would give me something to do. This will involve me recording everytime I practice or play, and uploading it to bandcamp.

I'm calling this the 2AM Series: Casanova Nights. It will chronicle the writing of my songs from now until I complete the album. All the songs will be available on bandcamp until I am forced to take them down for whatever reason. There will be individual songs, not like whole sessions on one file or anything. I have ideas already in place, so there won't be too much jamming this time around. I might even do this for the next album.

It will be very stupid and pointless and no one will care, but I feel like doing it so there.

We will see how it goes.

Bandcamp

Added a bandcamp page to help with digital sales, and to commemorate the event I released an EP titled "Desperate Signals." Why? I don't know. It is just some songs I had laying around and threw together. You can buy it for a dollar.

Got a handheld recorder, now I am able to record in the basement without disturbing my family.

Yay.

Updates

Found out about bandcamp, apparently they host your music and offer a marketplace to sell it. Which would be awesome. They also have download codes, which might actually make my mission from earlier more feasible.

Just stick a download code into someone's windshield wiper, but then again people might be hesitant about downloading something from an unknown person off the internet. Even if it looks legit and from a trusted website like bandcamp, it could possibly be a virus.

So much to think about.... but again, this is all speculation. Just, thinking up stuff to do.

Plans

Long time no post, especially considering the insane amount of updating I did a while back. But, I've been letting things percolate within the old coffee maker, and a decision has been made: to go around the normal ways of distributing an album, I will proceed to make deliver a cd to every person I can in sioux city by leaving them on their car windshields.

I figure out of ten people, half of them will throw it away, while the other half will be curious and give it at least one listen. If even 1 of those people like that album, there is one more fan of PDA.

So, if 100 cds get distributed, then, hopefully, that means 10 people will enjoy the album. The numbers on this are probably off, and it will more than likely be about 1-2 people out of a hundred.

This new method is going to require a lot of effort and materials, materials that I can not afford. To cut costs, the album art is going to have to be put to rest. I'm opting out for plain cardboard sleeves with tracklistings, band name, album name, and email/website address written on it. This will hopefully bring this into the more "doable" range.

All speculation though. Once I get the album recorded and finished up, then we can start seriously talking numbers.

Peace.

Definitely in the future...

There will be an EP, sort of a bonus album almost. Some alternate takes of songs, different versions of older ones. New songs will be on that album as well, the ones that are going to be cut from CN will probably be the new material, unless I can come up with more stuff by then.

Not sure if I will go withe "24 Hours EP" for the name. Probably should, just to keep things simple. The cover art will definitely change by then, though, because rhyleigh's picture doesn't lend itself to a lot of text. Too much going on and not enough empty space to put information on.

I will definitely try to get a show set up in the near future. Perhaps indigo will take me on? Maybe chesterfields will have a heart. Probably not to both of those, but I don't know where else i could play in this town, you know?

News

So, I've figured out I have about 12 songs to put on a new album. I don't know why the whole "ep" idea popped into my head, but I do have enough material for a new cd.

Tracklist (in no particular order)

Old Videos
Waiting for Malachai
Song for Rhyleigh
Gospel
Out at Sea
Sleep Forever
Thinkin
Close Your Eyes
Look Alive
Useless Machine
Product Placement
Belong

This is Casanova Nights.

Other news, I've started thinking about the next album, and I was thinking of calling it End of Eras.

Make it about future and past and how it all is together in one giant mess of shit.

New song ideas

I've had a few ideas for songs, as in, I might just completely implode the whole tracklist for Casanova Nights, and just start from semi-scratch.

The songs I do have done, I might just throw on that EP i was talking about. 24 Hours EP. Casanova Nights is becoming a hassle to complete, because I have absolutely no idea what I want from it. There hasn't even been a chance to test out the songs on an audience, yet. My new job prevents me from utilizing open mic nights which, I'm beginning to realize, are extraordinarily helpful when making new songs. They are entirely different than singing the songs to myself. You get to hear them aloud and with people out there, you get to feel and hear how the words sound with the music in a whole different, more social, atmosphere. They also are a great place to just fuck up, and roll with it, cause it is way harder just to stop cold in a live setting, you gotta roll with the punches. When you are alone, it is easy just to stop and start over, on stage it is different, even if it is a shitty little open mic.

That little process actually formed one of my favorite songs to play (Perfect Target). It used to be just kind of a slog to play, heavy chords, no real space to move, but one night I just happened to mess up the strum pattern and went with it. The new pattern just felt so right and natural to the song I kept it, and now that is how the song is on the album.

I miss open mics, is what I'm trying to say.

I miss playing for people.

I'm tired of being alone in my basement at night.

This is definitely feeding my urge to find a show to play, but I don't have time to play it ever. With the job and the baby, it is difficult to find time, even on weekends. And if I try doing a sunday show, I know Becca will put up a stink about it. It is weird, trying to balance my seemingly two lives. You'd think I would be used to it by now, considering my past, but this is way more intertwined than trying to party while still on probation. That was open and shut, black and white. Here is what I want to do, this is what I'm supposed to be doing, and this is how not to get them mixed up. What I'm experiencing now, is a complete messy grey blob of a situation.

Anyways, back to song ideas. Basically, your past is a product that can be sold to you because you were conditioned from the beginning to buy it. Yup. Real heady stuff. That is the only real solid new idea I have, there are plenty of old ideas I'm kicking around trying to perfect for this EP/LP. Hopefully real work will get done over the next few weeks.

Until next time,

pda

Updates

Cutting "On My Way Again," I've slowly come to realize that I fucking hate that damn song. It is so insipid and meaningless. If there is a way to switch it into something worth anything, then maybe it will be salvaged, but for now it is just an earsore on the record. Fuck that song.

In other news, quitting facebook is hard. It was a crutch, something mindless to do to kill hours during the day. Hopefully I will be able to fill that time I wasted on that useless site with something more productive, like making music, finding new music or masturbating. one of the 3 M's.

A gallery is in the works, I just need, ya know, pictures to put up there. I don't know what of... possibly of me and my work space (house with music shit strewn every which way). Maybe of shit I see everyday with inspirational quotes written over them. Who knows? Its a fucking mystery.

End of an Era

After deciding this while tired last night, I've gotten rid of Facebook and Reverbnation... I really was just tired of those fucking things. From now on, this will be my main source of news and updates.

Here is to the future, may it forever be unsocial.

EP cover redone

I made a few adjustments to the EP cover:

Same 5 original songs, and 2 songs that I've had leftover from DWR. "No Problem," was left out because it didn't fit into the overall feel of the album, it was too weird even by that album's loose standards--- plus it wasn't that well of a thought out song. It is/was available on my reverbnation, and I am now putting it on this EP because I listened to it, and found there is a bit of shaggy charm within.

The second song is the original version of "Werewolf" that is only a minute and a half long. I recorded it after waking up from a dream one night. It is complete nonsense and the theme only really evolved once the song was fleshed out a bit more.

I'm thinking about throwing on an alternate version of "Hammer" as well, or another one off song that was going to be on the new album, but that might fall through. This already becoming more than an EP. What EP is 7 songs long? 8 songs wouldn't make much sense. Practically another album.

3 of these new songs will be on the album, "Gospel," and "Close Your Eyes," will not make the final cut, unless I change my mind later on, which might happen.

Newsy news

I've officially decided to go with the daughter picture for the EP cover, congratulations Rhyleigh, you now have a purpose.

The EP will be five songs long, and I'm not sure if I am even going to sell it, might just let people download it for free. I still need to record each of the five songs, though. Gospel is recorded, but it is too rough right now. That was just a one off thing that I did, the new one will need a bit more polish. Every other song is pretty much in gestation. I've got ideas, and some solid work on most of them, but it might be a while before anything that resembles a concrete song will arrive. I need to stop putting this shit up without any real work done. But no one is reading this, right? So it isn't exactly a huge waste. No one is getting their hopes up, or dashed by my constant lollygagging.

New options are showing up for shows, though. I will keep my finger on that pulse, maybe I can finagle something from it, but don't get your hopes up/dashed in that order.

Not sure what else to say, so peace.

-PDA

EP covers

Well, here are the two EP covers I'm working with. I'm leaning more towards the one with my daughter, cause you know, its my daughter. The dog is Kelsey and Kayla's dog Cleo, thought I'd mention that before I get sued.

Also, the name is 24 hours EP, because whatever.

More News

Putting the song titles up was a bit premature, as I am still in the song writing phase of the album. Every song I thought was done, turned out not to be done even remotely and now I am figuring out new songs every day.

This whole do whatever approach is opening up new avenues for my songwriting. I can now just do stream of consciousness word associations, and it feels right. My ADD addled brain won't let me do it any other way, I believe. It is a bit more freeform, but I'm hoping to still have complete ideas within the song, like one song is sort of about this, or another is sort of about that. There will be central themes to each song, and the album as a whole, just the words are color instead of filler. It is dots on a map, but not the lines connecting them. Which, come tot hink of it, is how most songs are written. It would be weird to hear a song that is just hard facts. Statements about what is happening.

The album art is pretty much set in stone, though, and that has been uploaded to my reverb page. The back cover will no doubt need altering as my songs change and morph into something else entirely.

I've been messing around with the idea of putting out an EP of sorts, like The Walrus EP before it. Just rough cuts of a few songs I've been working on. I'm not sure if it should be stand alone songs, or stuff from the upcoming album. Maybe both. There is some art work that is in consideration for this EP. Another good reason for this EP, other than no other good reason, would be for promotional purposes. Maybe a show could be booked with it. Probably not, but who knows? I've been speculating a show for a long time now, and it has become one of my resolutions for this year. Play at least 6 shows, whether solo or with others. That is one show every other month, I think that could be doable. The other resolutions are: continue not drinking a lot of pop, get this album done, read more Vonnegut and poetry.

Work on the album is slow, though, what with a daughter and a full time night job. My recording space is my computer, and the computer is in the open. If I could acquire a laptop or something a little more mobile I could head into the basement, or even the garage once it gets a bit warmer out. That might be another goal. Save up for something mobile.

That is a lot for no one to read. Until next time specters,

PDA