I played “Let’s Groove” live at WZRD Chicago 88.3 FM earlier this month. The song is the title track on Let’s Groove, a full-length CD released in 2011. If you like what you hear, there’s more on The Jerrys’ website.
Music
My Favorite Albums of 2008
Here are my favorite albums of 2008 in order of preference.
Arena (Todd Rundgren)
Without a doubt, my most-listened-to album of 2008. Some of my fave moments on the album remind me of P.O.V. (Utopia), and I enjoy all the rest as well.
Earth to the Dandy Warhols (The Dandy Warhols)
Great stuff, and like Arena, a pleasant mix of old sounds and new in terms of the respective artists and their output. With the exception of “Mis Amigos,” I gave these tracks lots of plays. It seems like I waited forever for this album, and the Dandys made it worth the wait.
Funplex (The B-52’s)
The B-52’s have always been a guilty pleasure of mine, and this album was no exception. I would have preferred more of the distinctive guitar sounds I have come to enjoy from this group, but that did not detract from the fun.
Brown Submarine (Boston Spaceships)
This debut CD from Robert Pollard’s new band got my vote for Surprise of the Year. I sometimes listen to a song I really like over and over, and “Two Girl Area” (track 5) was one of those in 2008.
The Jerrys Live at WZRD Chicago 88.3 FM
I had fun playing the music of The Jerrys live on May 1 in the WZRD studio. Playing and singing while accompanying myself via a laptop, I played ten songs by The Jerrys, including a preview of the not-yet-released single, “I’m a Reader”:
1. Every Girl
2. What the World Could Use a Lot More Of
3. New Day
4. Let’s Groove
5. Bigger Than Oprah
6. When I’m in Love
7. Bridget and Me
8. Back in the Day
9. Telepop
10. I’m a Reader
Alejandro Aguilar interviewed me halfway through the set, and he and the other folks at WZRD (or “wizards,” as they are known) were fantastic. I especially thank Alejandro, Ellie, and Rick for all of their help and for making the night so enjoyable. Check out the video I posted for “Every Girl.”
Stay tuned for more music from The Jerrys, and be sure to visit The Jerrys’ website.
My Top 10 Favorite Onomatopoeic Words
Wikipedia defines onomatopoeia as “a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the source of the sound that it describes.” I’ve always thought of these types of words as fun. Even as a child, I marveled at how words describing animal noises (eg, “oink,” “moo,” “arf”) sounded like the sounds the animals made. Here are my top 10 favorite onomatopoeic words.
- arf
- bang
- buzz
- click
- hiss
- kerplunk
- pop
- twang
- tweet
- zap
For some real onomatopoeic fun, be sure to listen to “Onomatopoeia” by Todd Rundgren. The song, from Rundgren’s Hermit of Mink Hollow, contains many onomatopoeic words as well as samples of the sounds themselves.
The Jerrys Return to WZRD on May 1
I’ll be returning to WZRD Chicago 88.3 FM (“The Wizard”) in less than three weeks to perform the music of The Jerrys. Please join me on Thursday, May 1, at 10 pm CST for what I hope will be a memorable evening of music. In the meantime, be sure to check out the videos from The Jerrys’ first appearance on WZRD.
Twist and Shout – The Jerrys
Playing “Twist and Shout” with Robert Porche (drums and vocals) and Jim Losby (bass guitar and vocals) last week
10 Things To Do Before Mixing a Recording
After reading Mike Senior’s Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio earlier this month, I created a checklist of ten things to do to prepare a recorded song for mixing. My process has always been a bit too haphazard, so I plan to use this checklist to ensure that I never miss an opportunity to make my music sound better.
- Organize tracks
- Divide timeline
- Listen to tracks
- Identify gems
- Edit out silences
- Do multing as needed
- Adjust timing and tuning
- Camouflage edits
- Comp vocals, lead tracks
- Arrange
As these can be tedious, time-consuming tasks, many top-tier engineers give them to assistants to perform, but that’s not an option for those of us in home studios. If you’re a home studio user, feel free to use this checklist to better prepare your recordings for mixing. For more, be sure to check out Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio.
Fender CD60CE Dreadnought Guitar
I have nothing but good things to say about my Fender CD60CE, which features a Fender FTE-3TN preamp with chromatic tuner, volume, bass, mid, and treble, 20-fret sonokeling (Indian rosewood) fingerboard, chrome hardware, and die-cast chrome tuners. I’ll probably never need another acoustic guitar.
Ugly Things Magazine
Ugly Things is dedicated to “bringing you wild sounds from past dimensions, from times when rock ‘n ‘roll was young, daring, dangerous and vital,” and few if any fanzines are as informative when it comes to lost, unknown, and overlooked music of the 1960s and beyond. Now in its 30th year, Ugly Things is published twice annually, and each issue features up to 200 pages of in-depth features, exclusive interviews, rare photos, and more. Each issue is so packed that I sometimes forget it’s a magazine (it feels more like a book). If you’re into 1960s-influenced music like I am, be sure to check out the Ugly Things website, where you’ll find information on back issues and how to subscribe.
My Love in Her Attire
“My Love in Her Attire,” from The Jerrys’ debut album, Pop Go The Jerrys, is based on a poem I came across while reading The Top 500 Poems. “My Love in Her Attire” was penned by an anonymous poet sometime between 1400 and 1600, and while it is an awesome poem as is, it needed a little work before it could be a Jerrys tune. Below is the original poem as it appears in the anthology, followed by the words to the song by The Jerrys.
My Love in Her Attire
My love in her attire doth show her wit,
It doth so well become her:
For every season she hath dressings fit,
For winter, spring, and summer,
No beauty she doth miss,
When all her robes are on;
But Beauty’s self she is,
When all her robes are gone.
My Love in Her Attire
My love in her attire does show her wit;
It does so become her, this is true.
For every season she has dressings fit.
For winter, spring, and summer too.
No beauty does she miss
When all her clothes are on,
But Beauty’s self she is
When all her clothes are gone.
My love in her black dress is such a hit;
It does so become her, what a view!
In every color she has dressings fit.
In red and green and purple too.
No beauty does she miss
When all her clothes are on,
But Beauty’s self she is
When all her clothes are gone.