"Born in Chinese" shout-out, and muppet socks for snow!

THIS is pretty cool... and
THESE are even cooler (in a different sort of way; the first is still pretty awesome).
The latter is what I'm wearing currently, in order to ward off the cold of snowfall ... the former is a super cool blog post written by Eugene Song at Born in Chinese about the teaser songs poster on my MySpace page.

Anyway, I'm not sure how much or how little to divulge on this blog. I'm still figuring it out. But trust me when I say, I'm not looking to pull a Ryan Adams and assume more of you are interested in my life than really are... ha! But if you are, don't feel bad, so am I. :)

Yesterday was a breakthrough at my voice lesson. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but OH is it... I had gone through my best run of an exercise call the "lungee" (LUUUHHNNGG-JEEE) yet, and apparently this is one of the more important ones, not the least because it comes closest to "Love" which most sensitive songwriters have a penchance for singing elongatedly (lloooovvvveeee).

Stay tuned... I'm going to post lyrics and the background story for "Isabelle" soon (shoutout to Alex for requesting this).


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Tipsy on pinot grigio

Tonight I spent some time catching up with an old friend, getting through a bottle of Italian pinot grigio and talking about life and everything in between. No names mentioned, but she was most of the inspiration behind "Better", I song I wrote almost 4 years ago about a breakup that was just meant to be. 

It's amazing what alcohol can do to bring clarity, even while it clouds your mind a little. I think it just clouds the needless stuff a little and brings to the fore a landscape-view of the things that really matter, like stepping back and taking in an aerial view of where you've been, and where you have yet to go. 

What am I saying? The point is, cling to the people closest to you, because they're your best landmarks in life. They're the most profound sources of inspiration, and if not, they just bring you back to earth.

 And that's all for now. :) 

Photo by Mike Lesley.

A new blog, a new track

First of all, thank God for a balmy day because I was hauling myself 1.5 hours to Farmingdale, NJ today to record a song and I would have absolutely hated dragging my 60-pound keyboard through frosty snow. :) 

And, on the topic of thanking God and/or some other greater being, it's a total blessing that I've gotten through my very first ever full-length album. I just about made myself a hermit for a good part of 2008, writing and conceptualizing and practicing and recording the album and there may be traces of blood, sweat and/or tears upon first listen. It's almost there! I decided last minute that I would want nothing more than to close the album with a song that's very close to me. "Home to Me" is that song...  a little over sentimental, at times, but I'm unapologetic because the song lets me hang all my emotive self out for the world to see. And I like that.     (lyrics below)

Soooo I don't know when it'll all be done. But we'll see. I'm trying not to let all the logistics cloud my utter joy and satisfaction with the work that's been done. Kudos to Alex (Houton, my producer) for putting up with me and listening for the whole stretch...and never giving up when I had my bad days and lashed out in creative-spirited agony. hahaha.  

I'm a wacko.  

Oh - in case you haven't noticed, I've got a new blog up!  Please add this to your RSS feed if my music and/or life interests you at all. I'm a talker, and I need my listeners...   :)

"HOME TO ME"

Mother came home late, closed the backyard metal gate

and then walked into the house, not a word or a sound.

She saved herself a place by the TV and a plate of her favorite mistakes

and a tall glass of dreams.

Where her daughters all have gone

She don't know but she thinks that

One day they'll come home calloused and bruised

with the world on their fingertips.

She is home to me.

All the boys and girls years ago in their own world

Now they're workin' nine to five and it's an ordinary life

But I've been staring at my feet to take me where I've never been

So I can make her proud of me and she'll know this wasn't all for nothing.

Where her daughters all have gone

She don't know but she thinks that

One day they'll come home the depth of the ocean

Standing tall by themselves

She is all I need.

I look in her eyes: unspoken sacrifice

Through her weary bones she hides inside a smile

and when you tell me I am just the same I find 

I smile the same way.

Mother came home late closed the backyard metal gate

then she walked into the house, not a word or a sound.

She saved herself a place by the TV and a plate of her favorite mistakes

and a tall glass of dreams.

Where her daughters all have gone

She don't know but she thinks that

One day they'll come home calloused and bruised

wit h the world on their fingertips.

"Home to Me" written by Alfa Garcia © Copyright 2008.