(Saturday, 02 August 2008) Written by Colin Garvey
Here's the proof: linkety link Yeah,
I'm finally putting the live one out. I've been sitting on this for
over a year and a half. I did my best mastering it (you been following
that thread?) and here it is, in all its wonky glory. I
took my fiancee Claire out tonight, and pretty much as soon as we got
in she fell asleep on the sofa. So I thought I'd go and put some music
out as I finish the wine. She seems comfortable enough. There was lots
of wine. There's not so much now... Tony ... (256 more chars)
Some of you may remember I was working on a (much delayed) 'proper' album. Well, I had 16 songs in varying states of completeness - around 67 minutes in total. I thought that was too long. I tried getting rid of some of the songs, dear God I tried, but I couldn't bear to part with a single one. Last week, much to my embarrasement, I wrote two more songs. Good ones. "Great," I thought to myself. "they can go on the album too - oh, hang on a minute. Bugger." 18 songs. 74 minutes. This won't do a... (796 more chars)
Well, I said I'd be pestering you with "watch my new video!" blogs... Nick Drake Without The Suicide is now up on youtube.
It's HERE!
I may get flamed by hardcore Nick Drake fans for taking the Lord's name in vain (Nick Drake, it is said by many, is God), but we'll see. In the meantime, I hope you like it. Hope you're all having a nice weekend, unlike the poor sods like me who have to work. 8am-8pm Saturday and Sunday. Unfair.
The other week, the great Angie Fights Crime told us he did a solo
acoustic gig for his dog. Well here's me playing something just for my
neighbours. "That's very nice," I hear you say. "You invited them all
round for tea and live music." I did not. But I'm sure they heard every note through the walls. LINK TO VIDEO. HOORAY! I
never intended to play this song live, but it seemed to be the one off
my album that got the best reaction so I thought I should really make
the effort. As i... (609 more chars)
So... My profile player was sitting there being no use to anyone, quietly accusing me of the intellectual and spiritual laziness to which I am prone. There seemed little point in leaving all my RPM material on there, so I've put up a few selections from my forthcoming 'proper' album instead. In the true spirit of the RPM player, they're unfinished, but never mind. www.mystuff.stuff/songs Anyway, I'm now off on a short holiday to a cottage in deepest, darkest Wales with no internet. Wish... (11 more chars)
Download my completed album here . Right!
Done and dusted. A month of obsession, of barricading myself in the
spare room frantically trying to create, of neglecting my personal
life, my fiancee, the housework, and some elements of basic hygiene,
now finished. The CD is in the post, the mp3 on the web. I'm pretty
happy with it really. There's only one problem: What now? (Have you downloaded it yet? ) I'm
sitting here, a little sad that this is to be my final blog; no more
songs nee... (2491 more chars)
(Thursday, 28 February 2008) Written by Colin Garvey
There we go. The CD is posted - now it's all down
to the
combined might of the British and US postal services. I'm really happy
with
what I've produced this month; okay, if I had more time I could have
redone
this, overdubbed that, maybe reworked the other, but as it is I have
something
here I'm pretty proud of. As soon as I can be arsed I'm going to put
this out
as a free download so as many people as possible will hear it - if any
of you
out there are interested I'll give a link i... (1725 more chars)
(Saturday, 23 February 2008) Written by Colin Garvey
Yes, I've decided to write me another song. I have 10 tracks and 42 minutes, but I figured why stop there? The chorus is shaping up nicely - good little hook there, you'll all be humming it next week - but every time I try to flesh out the verse I suddenly find myself playing 'Time Of Your Life' by Green Day. No, no, NO! Stop it! STOP IT! It's times like this I wish I still smoked weed...
(Friday, 22 February 2008) Written by Colin Garvey
There! 10 songs, 42 minutes, job done. Kind of.
Regular readers of this blog (if there are any) will know that I started off
in a blaze of drink-addled creativity, developed an abscess on my jaw that stopped
me singing for several days, got over it and started recording, became
completely obsessed with the whole project, turned out a whole slew of songs,
then got a stinking cold that stopped me singing AGAIN.
Well, I got better in a bewilderingly short period of time, and ... (1500 more chars)
(Saturday, 16 February 2008) Written by Colin Garvey
Bugger. Everything was going so well. Suspiciosly well,
almost. 8 songs in, very nearly at the magic 35 minute mark, and only
halfway through the month, I was feeling chirpy and upbeat; the songs
were pouring out and I was sure I would have a pretty good record to
submit. That was then. I sit here now, a veritable river of
phlegm, trying not to get snot all over the keyboard. My throat feels
like I've been eating sandpaper. You're probably rather disgusted
reading this, but trust me, ... (494 more chars)
(Sunday, 10 February 2008) Written by Colin Garvey
I thought it wouldn't happen to me. I thought it would just be a bit of fun. I thought I could control it... now it controls me. That's right, RPM has completely taken over my life. I wander round at work in a sleep-deprived daze, humming my newest song and thinking about what tuning I'm going to use (I went for a CGCGGE in the end, but I won't bore you with that now). In the pub I sit there with a glazed expression not responding to anybody , not because I've had 12 pints, but because I'm c... (1363 more chars)
(Friday, 08 February 2008) Written by Colin Garvey
sleepy...eyelids drooping...zzz...Concentrate, dammit! Right, got rough versions of 5 tracks down now. A sixth is on its way as soon as I rewrite the third verse, which at the moment is such arse that I'd be embarrased to share it with you. This is definitely going to be a warts & all record, but that's fine with me - remember Neil Young's Tonight's The Night ? Recorded live with no overdubs by a bunch of drunken lunatics and it sounds amazing. Maybe I won't go quite that far, though - I work... (461 more chars)
(Wednesday, 06 February 2008) Written by Colin Garvey
Yes, 6 days in and I've only just dusted off my recording equipment. And I started off so well. Friday night I sat with my guitar, a notebook and a bottle of whisky and wrote 4 songs in as many hours. This'll be a breeze, I foolishly thought to myself, wondering why the walls were spinning and I couldn't feel my legs. Since then real life has intervened - 12-hour shifts, some attempts at a social life and a fiancee who is constantly reclaiming the computer to check her Facebook and watch Scrubs... (564 more chars)
