IF IT WAS, AS IT WERE, THEN IT WASN'T.
Hi lo,
I've been urking through an album lately... trying to sharpen it and make it into something worthwhile and during this time I have been making and then setting aside a lot of stuff that will never really be used on the album.
I've compiled a bunch of it into this mini album and wanted to put it up here. A bunch of friends sang on it, some of it was recorded in the states late last year, some in New Zealand, some field recordings, some overdubbed... you get the idea.
blessings.
-TRUEST PEACE
-ALREADY WITH US, WITH US
-ALL MY FRIENDS PARADING TO THE KEREOKE BAR
-A LOVING REQUEST
-MY LOVE IS THE BREAST MILK OF THE EARTH
-DRUNK AT THE KEREOKE BAR
-HAPPY NIGHT WALK HOME
LYRICS:
TRUEST PEACE:
I wouldn't say
that I'd found truest peace
but to hold a dear friend
and kiss at day's begin
I could walk the street
with a smile
on my lips
and speak gleefully
of the times
that passed by me
Now whistfully
you up and gone on me
no words of comfort's calm
no embrace of healing arms
and when I think of you
I am anxious for what you took
a belief that I
was happy
for a time
A LOVING REQUEST:
I've been beside
you all day
and you haven't said
one word
that I'd care to hear
won't you give it a rest, my love
I'll close my ears
Sometimes I'd rather
kiss your lips
than hear one thing
that could possibly come from them
you are my love
and also my hate
today
LIVE SONG
I played a house show at a friend's birthday party a few months ago. I recorded it, but my recorder is sort of strange and drops out audio every minute and 30 seconds or so... So, the only song that survived the slaughter is less than a minute and 30 seconds long and is below... it's going to be on the new record that is nearer and nearer to being ready.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOTHER!
Wish I could be there with you to celebrate!
This one goes out to you, marm.
"Peg O' My Heart" by Shooby Taylor
NO SPECIFIC USE #6
#6- BIRDMAN
BIRDMAN from benandbruno on Vimeo.
Dedicated to R.C. Sayler. AKA- "Birdman"
He makes Handmade and Recycled birdhouses.
And has been a good friend to my brother.
NO GOOD. NO GOOD.
Upon take off, there was a seat in between the Taiwanese woman and I. I sat reading for a while, but once we were in the air... she seemed somewhat obsessed with coming up with ways to get my attention. She was holding a large SLR film camera... She'd look in the viewfinder, look past me and out the window, and then grunt and nod to herself. After a while, she seemed to let up on the attention seeking and I continued to read. The stewardess came by to offer tea or coffee. I asked for coffee. With milk, please. Then, my row mate seemed to be too distracted by her camera to notice the stewardess. I got her attention and she struggled in English to order tea.
Once the window of communication was open, it was time for us to talk. The stewardess left us with our hot drinks and the woman unbuckled her seat belt and switched to the seat next to me.
"Are you a student?" "What are you reading?" "I have a son and a daughter." My daughter lives in Texas." "Look out the window... mountains!" "I study. I study. (pointing at her camera.)" ETC.
All was in truly broken english. It was pretty difficult to figure out exactly what she was getting at. I figured she just wanted to talk... which is partly true. But it was when she found out that I had anything to do with cameras that the lessons began. She made me look through the view finder, pointing out the light meter on the righthand side. Then, she'd look and say, "I see... I see..." then lean over and draw a + sign on my thigh. "No good..." she drew it again "No good..."
She then would point the camera at something darker... she made me look... then she took a turn. "I see... I see..." Then, drawing out a - sign on my thigh. "No good... No good..." I tried to agree with her. Tried to tell her, "Yes, that's correct. You want the indicator to be in between those two signs. Right."
This process continued for what seemed a century and I wondered... Would this woman cease to repeat this even if I could confirm what she was asking in her native tongue? By this time the stewardess had returned. I got a sandwich and she asked for an apple. As the stewardess walked away, the woman turned to me after making sure the coast was clear and handed me the apple. I tried to motion... "Oh, I'm fine. I have this sandwich." She pushed the apple onto my tray and pointed to her teeth as if to say, "They'd break out of my mouth if I ate that thing."
After some more motioning and broken conversation, it was time to land. At this point she began to lean completely over me to look out the window. I asked her if she wanted me to take some pictures of the mountains from the window, but then thought again and said, "Just switch seats." She lit up and switched immediately. As she got comfortable, she laid down the film camera and produced a digital camera from her bag. She snapped and snapped... only pausing to look over her shoulder and motion, "Thankyou. Thankyou."
BIKE RIDE: CHRISTCHURCH TO GREYMOUTH
I went for a 250 km bike ride from Christchurch to Greymouth. The main problem was that I decided to do it just as winter was setting in on the South Island. It rained and rained and rained. I had to hitch hike the second leg of the first day because I didn't have proper rain gear and was freezing. To be honest, I probably wouldn't have made it up the side of the mountain just based on my general dislike of riding up hills (let alone mountains). So, it was lucky for me that a British family on vacation agreed to put my bike in the back of their RV. The windows were foggy and every time we got out of the RV to take a picture I quickly remembered that my shoes were soaked and I had an outdoor time average of about 15 seconds. We made it to Arthur's pass (halfway across the island and where I planned to stay for the night) and I jumped out and thanked them for the ride.
The next morning I woke up and it was still raining/sleeting and I decided that if I didn't ride it... I would regret it later on. Especially, while staring out a foggy window of a bus again. So, I bought some more rain stuff and wrapped my feet in plastic bags. I looked like a deflated lifeboat raft, but I was warm. The 100 km ride from Arthur's pass was almost all down hill (terrifyingly so at some points... a spoke broke on my front tire while I was going down a 16% decline). I changed my first flat in the rain. Never went down again. I was pretty proud of that. That night, I stayed in Blackball at the Blackball Hilton... or actually now it's called "formally" The Blackball Hilton because the "Legit" Hilton threatened to sue, I suppose. Seems like they generally save the "formerly" for the rare occasion that a threatening business suit dude strolls in. I was the only guest (unless there were some others sneaking around). I had a huge dinner, 5 pints of beer, an enormous breakfast in the morning, and slept there. The bill only came to 63 dollars. Obviously, worth trying out.
The next day I took the Tranzalpine train from Greymouth all the way back through the mountains to Christchurch. It was one of the more stunning things I have seen. Specifically, because it was the first sunny day I had the entire week. I was able to see the summits of all the giants that had been lingering in the fog the day before. I got back to Christchurch. Watched rugby and drank beer with my friend's dad. Flew back the next day.
RETURN OF THE PODCAST
Here is the completed song from the BLANK TAPE SPILLAGE FETE. THANKS AGAIN TO THE LADIES THAT WERE INVOLVED! It is the first installment (AFTER A LONG BREAK) of the now functional "BB" podcast. You can click on the "podcast" button at the top of the page and look at the archive as they accumulate or you can subscribe to it in Itunes. I will try to post some field recordings, old songs, and anything else I can find.
NO SPECIFIC USE #5
BB TO PLAY OVER THE OCEAN
Maybe not as exciting as the title makes it sound, but BB will be playing over TELE-INTERNET-OCEAN-JUMPING FEED in Grand Rapids, MI on Thursday July 9th. It's exciting for me because it will be my first show in a long time and it will be with Cryptacize and Casiotone for the painfully alone. It's bound to be a sensationally mediocre example of what is possible using modern/not so modern technology. i'll be sure to document it in some way and post it here, but obviously the "REAL" experience will be in the beautiful box of room called the DAAC.
NO SPECIFIC USE #4
#4- A FORGOTTEN PLACE
A FORGOTTEN SPACE from benandbruno on Vimeo.