moore rock'n'roll days

i was backstage at the granada last night
hanging out
and waiting to play
when a guy popped out of ian moore's
dressing room
smiled
and said
"hey - i'm ian...would you be up for playing a tune with us?"
i was pretty surprised
no one had ever asked me to do that before
i'm sure i looked a bit bewildered
i said "sure!"
so ian grabbed a couple of guitars
from the dressing room
and we ducked outside to "practice"
the lifters had just finished their set (which was great!)
this band has so many brilliant tunes
i almost felt jealous...
anyway we were up next
so i only had a few minutes to learn this song
before i had to go on
i'd heard a lot of nice things about ian
over the years from mutual acquaintances
everything i'd heard was dead on
he's a super cool and friendly person
really smart too
we instantly got to yacking
so by the time i had to go i only had about a minute
to skim the chord changes with ian
my set with the noise was really nice
hank bentley did a great job filling in for holt
who was in austin with olospo
the crowd was mainly seated
which is usually a bit weird
but it didn't bother me a bit
buttercup showed up so i wanted to do ok
we'd spent the last couple of days holed up
in pleasantry lane recording what i already know
is gonna be one of the best cds i've ever produced
they're an amazing band

ian's entire crew were so nice
the vibe from all of them was great
and his bass player matt helped me through the changes
when it was time to join them onstage
we had a great time playing this doug sahm tune
i'd never heard before!
another wonderful experience

i woke up this morning physically worn out
but really happy
jayme went to her soccer game
and gavin and i went for a walk
the weather was perfect
blue sky
nice gentle breeze
G held my hand
we went our usual route
down the block
and around
we sat and rested for awhile on the steps of the "castle house"
no thoughts in my head other than taking in this beautiful moment
with my son
i wanted it to last forever
we got home and sat on the front steps
"watching the world go by"
then gavin rolled the pumpkin into a couple of different
positions
and ran out to the side walk to see where it "looked best"
erik texted and said buttercup were ready to meet us at the
all-good
as we headed to meet them G and i rolled down all the windows in the car
and sang some songs together
lunch was fun
we saw our friends kenneth and "too much mustache"
gavin had the usual
milk and a short stack of pancakes
i had an egg sandwhich with spicy mayo
that was great
the buttercup guys are all so nice
and talented
definitely one of the most talented bands i've ever
had the pleasure to work with
after lunch we headed back to the studio
for another day of recording

the wrong road

do you ever get the feeling
your life could’ve been
something better, more appealing
than what it became

do you go back to the moment
those choices were made
that effected every second
you spent from that day

do you ever get the feeling
that somehow you might’ve taken
the wrong road


all your teardrops in a puddle
like nails in your feet
how you’ve damaged how you’ve muddled
the failure complete

you expect the world to hold you
in hers arms and weep
at the horrible decisions
you now clearly see

do you ever get the feeling
that somehow you might’ve taken…
the wrong road


i’ve made mistakes enough to fill
the grand canyon and have leftovers still
i’ve lost the plot to find my way
but the most likely bet is i’m still gonna take

the wrong road





do you ever get the feeling?



(coming out soon in song on "constellation")

just the facts

ciphers from snowing cd release show
at the granada theater saturday october 25th
with the noise
ian moore
the lifters
we play at 9pm
$14 GA
17 and up

city tavern
the next 2 thursdays
with eric and tj

constellation is going to be mastered
in NYC later this month
the release date in europe is march '09
united states release uncertain
as i have no current label here

buttercup is coming up from SA
to start working with me on their
next cd

rachel bazooka is almost done
stu dicious is just beginning (again)
whisky folk ramblers and
chatterton continue the ft. worth explosion
vanessa peters continues the italian invasion

billy harvey is planning to move to california

mccartney said the road is long and winding

lefler is still on the road

G money is still 5

i haven't finished a song since May
i don't care - there's no need to

i'm planning on retiring from making more "salim" records
until i find a way to sell constellation
and the rest of my back catalogue

i have been rejected by 3 american indie labels so far
i am undeterred

ASCAP finally wrote me a check for over $35
i smiled when i cashed it

i have stopped buying trouser press magazines on ebay
but i am still watching the wonderful world of wreckless eric
on green vinyl

i have already let the dave little meltdown down

i haven't run in 2 days

we're having pizza at mom and dad's house tomorrow
pizza is one of my favorite foods

trouser press

this week i ordered a trouser press magazine

from the early '80s

it had the clash on the cover

i bought it on ebay
it was a whim

a total impulse buy

i hadn't thought about trouser press in ages

when i was a teen

back in el paso

i used to read this mag religiously

i mail ordered rare british records

from the back of it

from places like new york's record runner

and the golden disc

i guess these places are long gone now

vinyl is even (for the most part) long gone

tonight i sat in the living room

while J and G slept

and read this trouser press magazine

from 1981

front to back

it was like i'd stepped into a glorious time capsule

i felt like a kid again

i felt like it really was 1981

i read a letter from yoko about john's death

which had just occurred only a couple of months before

i also read an interview with joe strummer

who we all know is gone now too

he was so full of fiery youth

and drive

i guess it all made me feel a bit melancholy

i couldn't help but think about the passing of time

(you know me)

joe talked about sandinista!

which the clash had just completed

the writer was still trying to get his head around the 6 disc monster

now it's a golden "oldie"

i even saw the very same ads that i used to peruse

oh how i lusted after that vinyl

it brought back memories

of staying up late at night dreaming of what i might be able

to order

i still have all of those records stored away

but i don't know what i've kept them around for

maybe my son?

maybe because they were so precious to me once

i just can't seem to let them go

i've decided i want to throw out all of the newish rock'n'roll mags

in pleasantry lane

like rolling stone with jack johnson's annoying mug on the cover

and replace them with vintage trouser press mags

i'll make my very own time capsule

whoever gets stuck on the toilet with nothing to do

or gets bored on the wrap around '70s couch

will have very little choice but to take a trip

back in time

i don't really care what most of the new popstars of today are up to anyway

it's a yawn to me

so let's go back to 1978!

the history of trouser press courtesy of wickipedia:

Trouser Press was a rock mag started in New York

in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow Who fan Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to a song by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and an acronymic play on the British rock TV show Top of the Pops). Its original scope was British bands and artists (early issues featured the slogan "America's Only British Rock Magazine"). Initial issues contained occasional interviews with major artists like Brian Eno and Robert Fripp and extensive record reviews. After fourteen issues, the title was shortened to simply Trouser Press, and it gradually transformed into a full fledged professional-level magazine with color covers and advertising.
As the 70's music scene transformed, so did the magazine's editorial focus. From 1976 on, Trouser Press frequently centered on the growing punk movements in both London and New York. The magazine provided in-depth articles on bands like the Sex Pistols, Boomtown Rats, The Clash, The Damned, the Ramones, Television, and many other similar groups, long before other U.S. music publications did. In 1980, the magazine introduced "America Underground", a recurring column devoted to local music scenes from different areas of the country. By the early 80's, the magazine's focus was almost exclusively on new wave, alternative rock, and underground rock from both sides of the Atlantic. Starting in 1982, flexi-discs were included with every issue to subscribers only, many of which have since become collector's items. Although the magazine seemed to be thriving with an ever growing circulation, editor Robbins ceased publication after the April 1984 issue (#96), citing a lack of interest in the continuing but stagnating new wave scene that left his writers with very little left to say.

constellation completed

i finished off "constellation" on monday
with lars goransson
my 4th full-length "solo" record
in as many years (and quite possibly my favorite to date)
it brings the grand total up to 7
if you chip in a way to your heart
live at pleasantry lane
and ciphers
so i've decided there will be no "salim" recording for me
next year
i feel like it's time for me to go play other parts of the country
and europe armed with all of this music me and my comrades
have been cranking out
by the time 2009 rolls around there will hopefully be
2 more
salim vs. shibboleth plus live at pleasantry lane 2
so enough is enough!!
it's time for me to try and spread the word more
not keep spitting out more records...

anyway, i showed up to lars' place at 9:30
AM
a cool two story house in south austin
with a great view and rooftop pool
he immediately gave me the tour of his studio
starting with his vintage mic collection
which was pretty amazing
it turned out he's been collecting mics
like the ones the beatles used
for many years
he had the only neumann U47 i've ever seen
(this single mic is probably worth about 15K)
and is one of the most prized items in rock'n'roll
recording history
he also had a slew of other ultra-rare vintage mics
he told me the stories of each one
i was really impressed with his dedication
to the beatles recording ethic

after the grand tour L.G. suggested we go for some breakfast tacos
you know me - i was IN!
he took me to maria's
which happened to be 2 minutes from his house
this time around the place was empty
...much better...
we grabbed the tacos to go
and went back to his studio
around 10:30 we got started on mixing
i got lars to 86 some vocal effects on "the wrong road"
then we did the same on "the man who learned to love"
we spent the most time on "it's not enough"
the "bear" of the record
this song was a bitch to mix
with all of its vocal tracks and crazy bridge
we finally sorted out the psychedelic bridge vocals
the way i wanted them
we also tweaked other parts of the mix
i was really happy with the end result
the song sounds GREAT
"in the blink of an eye" was next
this one had been particularly bothering me
the end didn't have the impact i'd wanted
it was only 50%
i also wanted to lead vocal to be less effected
and more natural
lars tweaked the end and now it ROCKS
everything we changed was definitely for the better
i was feeling really good after "blink"
because this song had really been bugging me
i guess because it's about carter i felt more precious about it
than the rest
i wanted it to be just right
my mind was finally put at ease
"saint georges" made me feel even better
once again i asked lars to drop all of the vocal effects
when he heard what that did he liked it
a little more raw
and personal
we took out some distracting cymbal hits on
the intro of "stranger in my own skin"
and finished with some minor vocal tweaks to
"be here now" "endless dream days" and "don't mind me"
lars also took about 15 minutes and mixed "home"
the billy/bob/me live snippet i'm gonna tack on the end

the best part of it all was i felt like i'd made a new friend
it turns out lars and i shared a lot of the same music influences
and hit it off fabulously
he's a funny smart uber-talented cat
i hope we get a chance to work again someday
on another record
who knows? i guess we'll see...
in the next couple of weeks
he's gonna bounce the final mixes down
to the revox quarter inch tape machine
(like wreckless eric had mentioned all the STIFF
records and all of his since then were bounced to)
but that's just a technical side-note
for all intents and purposes the artistic process
of making this record
is now officially done

i feel great about this record
i couldn't have done it without the love
and support of jayme
and rip
plus (of course)
all of billy's hard work talent and friendship
i feel really lucky to have gotten a chance to do this
it was a beautiful experience
and in hindsight
perfect timing
because billy's moving to california now
after my session with lars
the nagging voice telling me what i needed to still fiddle with
is gone
ahh...peace of mind at last
"constellation" is finished

goodnight...

friendship

i met vanessa and manuel
and a group of their friends
at maria's taco express
on south lamar
it was crazy packed
people stalking tables
people everywhere in fact
to say it was overcrowded would be an understatement
i thought of mccartney's "ram"
and the lyric
"too many people reaching for a piece of cake"
there was a line out the door
barely any room to stand
it was a scene
for sure
there was a bluesy jam band
jamming outside
with ladies in cowboy hats
and long skirts getting their funky groove on
in front of the band
grateful dead style
the food was worth the outrageous hippie hoopla though
i had the breakfast tacos (of course)
migas style
and they were delcious
some of the best i've ever had
we hung out for awhile and talked
their friends are all really nice people
i had a great time
after lunch i headed back north to lisa and lee's house
played a bit of guitar in the acoustically pleasing entry way
and then had a visit with my friend marc
i've know marc since he and his twin brother guy
drove up from austin to see the MF in our long haired
fog machine daze
play dougie simmon's rhythm room on dyer street
that was '91
we've been good friends ever since then
and stuck together through our mutual and multiple
downs
and ups
at 4:30 i said goodbye to marc and headed southwest
outta town toward lake travis
to see bob and luc
we played with some play-doh
then went and had some vietnamese food
luc is adorable
3 years old
with curly blonde hair
chubby little cheeks
beautiful blue sparkling eyes
plus an incredible hulk t-shirt
he's a delightful little boy
after dinner we went and got some ice cream
luc is a vanilla man
like myself
but i opted for "wedding cake"
(it did indeed taste like white wedding cake)
we sat and watched luc run around this outdoor stone stepped
mini amphitheater play area
the dusky sky had perfect white and gray fluffy clouds
with orange streaks from the setting sun in it
it was a ceasar's palace sky
like the synthetic ones they have there in vegas
(if you never been - they're pretty badass and worth seeing)
there was a nice cool breeze
lot's of kids playing
and luc running himself silly
after we got back to their house
we had a short play-doh session
and then it was time for luc to go to bed
bob and i talked a bit afterwards about our flying anxieties
how fulfilling it's been to be fathers
a little bit about music and the el paso days
then also of our mutual dislike of the gruesome twosome
mccain and palin
it was nice to visit with my friend
and appreciate the moment
it was one of my favorite visits with him
in 22 years of being friends

threadgill's

i played threadgill's in austin tonight
vanessa and manuel played too
it was my favorite austin show
to date
a wonderful attentive audience
with great sound
and friendly employees
a nice atmosphere too
thick curtains lining the back of the stage
made it cozy
everybody listened
nobody talked
it was one of those unforgettable nights for me
there were also lots of familiar faces i hadn't seen
in awhile
matt
paula
carla and dean
angie and phil
ross cassandra juliette
clay and meredith
marc
i enjoyed every second playing for my old friends
and even some new ones
seeing people i love sing along
and smile
made me feel loved
and happy
grateful too
manuel and vanessa played an awesome set
i felt proud to know them
and also to be their "producer"
they are 2 of my favorite people

i had no expectations coming in to this show
i'd hoped i'd make enough to pay for the mixing
on monday
but figured i probably wouldn't
i was wrong...
i think i made enough
we'll see...
worst case scenario: at least tonight's show will take care of most of
the bill
it's a really nice feeling when you get the
artistic satisfaction of playing a well recieved show
but then also the added bonus of making some $$$
to pay for making some more art!
tonight was the best of both world's for sure

tomorrow i have a nice day off planned
maybe brunch with L and L
and manuel and vanessa?
(breakfast tacos anyone?)
i'd like to see billy and bob and luc later too
i miss J and G a lot even though
i've only been gone a day
i was very emotional when i left them today
it made me feel sad for people i know
who have to leave their loved ones
regularly
for long periods of time
ahh the life of a touring musician...
i would hate doing that
it would kill me
i feel very lucky and appreciative
that i've been able to provide for my family
and not have to leave them like that
i also refuse to accept that touring can't involve
J and G too and = fun times for the whole family

whoever's out there tuning in to this
THANK YOU!!!!

love

s

politik

ok
i'm gonna go political on your a#$%$ now
i've never used this forum to discuss much of anything
in this realm
i try to avoid this stuff
like the plague
but i gotta get this off my chest
as it's been killing me
i don't blame you one bit
if you wanna fast forward this one
and wait for my next entry
corpus christmas is coming soon
and i assure you
it will be much more entertaining than this one
so if you know what i'm about to say
and it's gonna annoy you
maybe you should get out while the gettin's good?
i do want to say to you though
with all sincerity
and love
if you don't agree with me that's ok
i still love you
hopefully you still love me
we're still friends
we can agree to disagree
it's only politics
and politics suck

so here it goes...

i am completely aghast at the gruesome twosome
of john mccain and sarah palin
i keep waiting for someone to tell me it's all a bad dream
or a joke
how could anyone (mccain?) with an ounce of good sense put a
soul-less imbecile like sarah palin one heart attack
away from being president?
especially considering j.m. is no spring chicken
and looks like he could keel over any second
who is next for V.P.?
paris hilton?
britney spears?
they're almost as well-qualified
and i think we could at least have a party
while the titanic goes under
palin's nomination is literally insanity
i look into her vacant eyes
and see a soul-less barbie doll
forget politics
this person is twisted and horrible
i wouldn't trust her to bake cookies
john mccain
almost as bad
a cold fucked up man
uncomfortable in his own skin
and dead inside
this man has no compassion
he's almost a robot
where's r2-d2 when we need him?
forget who is on the "other" side
satan could be running for the democrats
for all i care and he'd still look pretty good compared to these two
look, i've never been a republican
or a democrat
i don't believe in either
i think bi-partisan politics mania is threatening to destroy
our country
to me it's not about red or blue
it's about THESE 2 PEOPLE BEING SCARY
palin is not even fit to run the local chapter of
the girlscouts
nonetheless be PRESIDENT!!
john mccain was tortured for 6 years
and he thinks that's a selling point
for being voted in as the big cheese?
all i see is a man in dire need of LOTS of therapy
with a history of violence
that runs so deep in his veins
that he will do nothing but spread the curse
of warmongering and death

god help us if they win

down

i'm singing F's song tonight
"down..." da-da-da-da
"down..."