Sunday, March 28, 2010

Nothing to Say

Labels: ramble, ramble, ramble...

I'm listening to Moldy Peaches, which may or may not enhance the blogging experience.

Tracking for the solo album will be occurring between now and June 13, 2017.  Stay tuned.

Animal is doing a face to ankle touch.  So stretchy, you are, oh animal that beats the skins.

Possible Solo Album names: The Greatest Album in the World, Three Weeks Ago, My Issues: Your Ears, Mortimer Gingham...

It's almost as if I've taken my Twitter and turned it into a blog.  How annoyingly annoying.

My midi keyboard doesn't get very much use.  This is an issue that will hopefully be remedied over the next couple months.  Midi drums on the album or acoustic drums?  Acoustic, you fool.


Rachel: Wanna have a beer now?

Glynn:  He's not asleep yet.

Rachel:  (frowns) He was!!

I really hope child services doesn't read this blog.  We're good parents, I swear.  Really.  We make sure he eats every day and bundle him when it's cold and even use a properly installed child seat.  Don't judge us, child services.  Are you really looking out for the child's well-being or do you just have quotas to fill.

I'm shaking my head and smirking right now. 

Rachel: What?

Glynn: Nothing.  When you read my blog, you'll know what...

Chase:  Wah.  Wah.  Waahh.

Okay.  I'm gonna play guitar now.  And it will be so good you will have wished that you could have been in the place of its happening.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

4 days without posting... Saturday Song #3

Ugh... it's been 4 days since the last post.  This whole "balancing job relationship and baby and blogging and music" thing is really difficult.  "Thank you, Obvious Man..."

Right this second Saturday Song #3 is uploading to YouTube.  It's a hybrid written/improv song, and I really like it.  I hope you do, too.

I just got promoted to a new position at Kaenon Polarized, which is very exciting and daunting and totally amazing and motivating.  It also means that I'm much more tired when I get home... which has led to the 4 day hiatus from blogging.

I've a feeling I will go off and post 2 or 3 or 4 times today.  All rambling... all in an effort to assuage the guilt felt for having neglected something which has provided me with so much joy in the last 2 months.

I went to a Bad Taste Records showcase at the Viper Room in Hollywood last night.  Tons of great music from Last Days of April, Danko Jones, Chords, and Timbuktu.  Bad Taste is a record label based in Sweden that has a slew of bands ranging from Indie to Hard Rock to Hip Hop.  They're run by a great group of people who truly love all types of music, and I've been lucky enough to have known about Bad Taste for the last year and a half.  If you're a fan of the latest wave of past Indie darlings like Limbeck, Faulter, and M83, definitely checkout Last Days of April.  If you're more inclined towards the Motorhead, Clutch, shotgun a 6 pack and rough it up in the pit audio style, dig in to some Danko Jones.  And if you can't help but jump and dance whenever you hear a good groove (and you're interested in listening to some Swedish flow), then catch up with Chords, and Timbuktu.  It was an amazing night, I got to catch up with some great people, and it reinvigorated my sense of everything that is uplifting about live music.

Hahaha.  Man, what a fun night...

And the youtube vid of Saturday Song #3 is now finished, so...

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Quick Stylee Lunch Post #1

Stream of consciousness in 6 minutes.  Go...

I am going to pick up a guitar tonight but most likely after American Idol and hopefully I won't be too tired to play for a little bit and maybe make up a song and record it on video or maybe even on my computer with guitar part and vocal part because that tends to come out better from an audio sense.  Or maybe I should redo the vocals for the last song that I wrote which was a rip-off slash and i just sent a text message so i lost my train of thought which isn't a bad thing it just means that oh crap i just got interrupted again this is a lot harder than i thought and as i type my hand keeps hitting my iphone which makes it go to a different screen this type of blogging is pretty fun i might try and do it more often okay bye...

Sunday, March 21, 2010

More Late Night Pictures

For whatever reason, I'm awake.  So now is as good a time as any for blogging.

Listening to Bright Eyes.  I just recorded a demo that reminds me a lot of them, so I put their song on and it's close but not a total rip off.  Epic inspiration-from-awesome-artist success...

More late night pictures... the last insomnia post had pictures of Bonnaroo.  This time I choose pictures of...

OUTSIDE LANDS 2008!!


A super cool avant garde sculpture in the Artist area with couches underneath


The same structure at night


Beck is super effing cool


Radiohead and their light show


More Radiohead (wish these came out more clearly)


Primus and a giant astronaut


The Ice Cream Man.  Do yourself a favor and look this guy up.  He's doing amazing things.

Rodrigo y Gabriela.  I got to meet them in the Artist area and they were humble and super nice and I will be a fan for life

Wow.  I'm still really awake.  What now?  Just go lie down, Glynn.  Okay...

Saturday, March 20, 2010

First Impressions

How important is a first impression...? 

So many of us base everything off of the first few seconds of interaction.  Commercials on TV, songs on the radio, people on the phone and in person... we instantaneously digest, judge, and designate labels, whether we want to or not.

And it's extremely difficult to change these first impressions.  It's difficult to change our minds at all.  Once we believe something to be true, it stays true until there is empirical evidence proving its falsehood or some other event occurs that completely changes our viewpoint.

This can be hugely beneficial or extremely damning if you're a musician.  If you have a super catchy single, you can tease plenty of people into listening to the rest of your catalog.  BUT if the rest of your catalog sucks, you've lost your window of opportunity.  Or if you have plenty of recorded songs that are solid and memorable, BUT you're live show is less than stellar, chances are you won't be able to convert any true fans through gigging.

Nowadays, there are plenty of chances to make a first impression.  Through your facebook updates or your myspace profile or your twitter page or playing out live or posting videos on YouTube or even your blog... each outlet is another chance for a first impression, an opportunity to impress and convert fans, or disappoint and remain in anonymity.

And, yes.  You have to stay on top of everything or else you might as well just call music a hobby.  Because nobody cares if you have a 9 to 5 or if you're trying to raise a son or if you perform in community theater or if you don't feel like picking up your guitar or if you'd rather watch Survivor than post on your blog.  Your true fans might, but they've already gotten past their first impression of you.  Their connection goes deeper than just a casual curiosity.

So, if this is the first time you're reading my blog, I hope this first impression is a good one.  And I hope you take the time to dig a little deeper...

Thanks for reading!!

Saturday Song #2

I'm posting less frequently.  Every day has turned into every couple days.  I have a new position at my job and the time change messed me up for a bit, but hopefully I can up the blogging output over the coming weeks.  It still feels amazing to get my thoughts out, and I'm bummed to think that I've been slacking lately.

Here's another Saturday song for you.  This one is about Chase, but you'll hear all about it in the beginning of the vid.



Thanks to everyone for reading and listening!!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

I Should Be Asleep

It's 1:22 in the morning.

I should be asleep.

Instead I'm up typing this blog post and listening and watching the vids I recorded on Saturday.

Narcissism at its finest.

I'm definitely not the person who hates watching or listening to himself or herself.  Arrogance or cockiness or hubris or self-aggrandizement.  It's all there.  I think highly of myself.

Tired and should be sleeping.  And will most likely read this blog and just wonder, "Why?  Why did I post this?"

A lot of my songs sound the same.  Same chord progressions, similar melody, speech pattern is consistent.  Does that mean I should diversify and mix it up or is that a good thing because it enables people to recognize my own style?

Chase is asleep.  He's setting a good example for his dad, who is too oblivious to realize the sage advice inadvertently and unconsciously coming from his son.

Sometimes when I'm really, really tired, I'll have conversations with myself and they'll turn into little monologue ramble sessions and I'll forget what imaginary "me" was saying to "actual" me.

I just fell asleep for a little bit... 

I'd like all of my songs to be the soundtrack to a movie I make about twenty-somethings becoming parents for the first time.  Shot very simply... lots of single takes with a single camera... loose skeleton of a story with a lot of improv.

I'd like a lockout for times like this.  "Record?  Don't mind if I do!"

I just fell asleep for a little bit again.  I think I was snoring...

Do people really pay attention to this type of writing?  Is there a point to this type of selfishness?  Do my readers have any extra insight to my innerworkings as an artist?  I for sure would want to read an entry like this from Rivers Cuomo or Ben Kweller or Billy Corgan or Dave Grohl or Daniel Brummel or Ryen Slegr or Jose Galvez or Jenny Lewis or Doug Martsch or Stephen Malkmus...

I want to design a website that will be a portal to all the various arms of the glynngm social networking empire.  Illustrated by my good friend Dustee Womack.  She has neat artwork and will be a famous toy designer very, very soon.

Sharing our art with others is a privilege and a gift.  For the artist, not the audience. 

These pictures are from Bonnaroo 2008. Such a fun trip:

Bridge to the Main Stage backstage area


Clouds during setting up the Centeroo Kaenon booth


I drew my name on the paper table cloth in the meal tent


Audience shot during Vampire Weekend


Vampire Weekend in action (a bunch of us snuck into the photog pit)


Someone didn't appreciate our park job...


Onstage right behind MSTRKRFT (probably my favorite part of the whole weekend)


Starbucks at 6 in the morning after Kanye butchered his set



I love that I was able to experience Bonnaroo, and I can't wait till I have an opportunity to go back. 

I should definitely be asleep right now, but I'm actually considering going to a liquor store right now to pick up snacks.  And, no.  I'm not high.

Maybe I'll go to sleep now...

Jumping the Gun...

I recorded 5 vids on Saturday.  And it felt amazing to sit with my acoustic and sing and record and talk to the camera and share my music and talk about the songwriting process and let you in to something that is so dear to me.

I almost posted all 5 vids yesterday.  One huge binge of YouTube uploading and posting the lyrics and linking back to the blog and to my facebook page and to my twitter account so you could see all my hard work and witness how much desire I have to make music and share it with the world.

But that would be jumping the gun, wouldn't it?  Because there's no finished demo or live shows planned or marketing strategy in place or scheduled recording dates or press photos or one sheet bio or anything else that will let me take advantage of the wonders of the world wide web and all the sets of eyeballs that are drawn to online content...

Wow.  This blog post is jumping the gun... jumping the shark, too.

Just have fun, Glynn... and post the songs when you want to, not because they'll have a more impressive branding impact...

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Saturday Song #1

The first installment of what I hope will be a weekly song posted to my glynngm YouTube page.  I tried something new and actually talked before and after the song, too.  Not sure how I feel about that yet.

I recorded 5 songs today, which feels great.  It's been too long since I've just set up the camera and played some music.  Thanks for reading!!!


Friday, March 12, 2010

Oh Girl Show Tonight

Acoustic set at Clancy's. 

And I'm psyched to post video from it.  Probably gonna keep track of the setlist, too.  And take some pictures looking all pretty.

Shows make me super happy.

That is all.



Wednesday, March 10, 2010

I'm Not Cool

Hmmmm... not really a revelation, really...

Factually, empirically, objectively...

Uncool.

Contemplatively, introspectively...

Uncool.

Honestly, dishonestly, self-awarely (is that a word?), and purposefully...

Uncool.

The middle is uncool.  Fence sitting is uncool.  Declarative statements are uncool.  Not nearly as mysterious as interrogatives and certainly not as exciting as exclamatories...

28 going on 19 is uncool.  Dried spittle on your shoulder is uncool.  Messy bedrooms and customer service positions are uncool.

Writing this blog post is uncool.  Admitting your uncool is uncool.  Caring is uncool.  Pretending you don't care is the utmost uncool.

Worrying about being uncool is uncool.

Thinking too much... you guessed it.  Uncool.

Love handles are uncool.  Too much fast food is unhealthy.  Unhealthy is uncool.

The fact that I've written this much about being uncool is uncool.  Waffling on posting this blog is uncool (see previous reference to "fence sitting").

Being so self-absorbed is uncool.  So, in all honesty, most blogs are uncool.

Okay.  Time to write some music.  Which is uncool if you don't share it with other people...

The Trade Off

Two days without blogging.

3 new songs in the works for the solo album.  3 stylistically similar songs that speak to a certain audience and are ultimately the type of songs I want to be writing.

Is that the trade off?  Do I always have to sacrifice one thing (daily blogging) for another (daily songwriting)?

I hope not.  But if that's the case, I'll deal with it.

In the meantime, I need to find a space to record drums.  Maybe I'll set everything up at my parents' one weekend.

I would like to have a lockout where I can keep everything.  Still wishing...

I've missed blogging.  It keeps me in check.  Here's to not missing two days again.  At least for a while.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

The Next 3 Months

I've been blogging just over a month.  And it feels good to have a place to vent and explore and talk about everything that's going on in my life musically.  A little more actual music performance and writing would be nice, but I feel like this blog is a pretty good measuring stick for my music motivation.

So, here's an outline of what I hope to accomplish over the next 3 months:

- A song posted to the Glynn G.M. YouTube page every Sunday for the next 12 weeks.  I had originally wanted it to be on Saturdays, but it's actually going to be much easier to write, record, and post on Sundays.

- 3 singles with A and B sides recorded and released online with Oh Girl.  A side is a written song, B side is an improv song.  Released end of March, April, and May.

- 1 show with Oh Girl every month.  March 12th and April 30th are already booked at Clancy's; we just need to get rolling on May. 

- 1 (or 2) open mics a month to play my solo acoustic stuff.  There's a really good scene coming out of open mics in Orange County, and I need to make an effort to be a part of it.

These four goals are going to be solid measuring sticks of my dedication to growing as a musician.  And I'm happy to have 2 goals each for the projects I've got going: as a solo artist and with Oh Girl.  Now it's just a matter of putting the work in, constantly pushing myself to become a better artist, and having a lot of fun.

Small steps towards my goals.  I know I can do this.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Lots of Talking, Not Much Doing

I tend to overthink things.  Try to see all the variables that contribute to the eventual outcome and base my decisions on those variables.  And sometimes (well, most of the time), I'm so paralyzed by the data (well, hypothetical data) that I freeze up.

This blog is helpful.  But it's just a blog.  It's not a physical manifestation of my music.  And I fancy myself a musician that blogs.  Not a blogger that plays music.

Essentially, I'm realizing that this blog is "talking" while recordings and live performances of my music is "doing".

Sooooooo... I'm still going to blog everyday.  But I'm also going to infuse a little "doing" into the blog.

Every Saturday morning I'll be writing a song then recording it live and posting it to my YouTube channel.  Of course, the proof is in the pudding, so if you're reading this blog in the future, and you see that I haven't posted a song in a while, please call me out on it.  No, wait.  That's not your job.  I should be policing myself.  So if you're reading this blog in the future, and you see that I haven't posted a song in a while, just stop paying attention.  Because I haven't earned the right to your time, your eyes, and your ears.

I like getting suggestions for what songs should be about, too.  So if you have a song idea let me know about it at my Facebook music page.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Exercising the Live Performance Muscle

Nothing can substitute for performing live.

No matter how often you practice or how many times you sing the songs and play the parts and go over the transitions and contemplate the banter and work on the attitude and make sure the setlist flows well and set-up mirrors to see what you look like and ask a friend to stop by to give you criticism and record yourself and watch the tapes and listen to the vocals and guitar parts and drum parts...

Nothing can substitute for performing live.

The adrenaline, the give and take with the audience, the getting past mistakes, the bright lights, the lack of lighting onstage, the sensation that your songs are clicking which gives you more energy, the realization that everyone's not getting it which saps your enthusiasm...

You can't simulate those things.

I haven't played out in a while.  About 6 weeks, which is the longest hiatus I've taken since my son Chase was born last November.

But I am going to be in a musical revue this weekend.  Different context, same "Live Performance Muscle".

Just can't wait to be rocking with Oh Girl again...

Monday, March 1, 2010

Music Monday- Trapbyall

I've always had a problem with being authentic.  It seems like whenever I find out about a musical niche or subgenre or "scene", I try to imitate it.  Being genuine is one of my biggest challenges as a musician, and I hope that I can find the strength to establish a voice and confidently stand behind it.

Trapbyall inspires me because he has always been genuine.  I've known Jesse since our first year at UCI, and he's always been a passionate visionary, a storyteller, a virtuoso, a revolutionary.  We spent 5 years together on an amazing musical journey, playing tons of shows, recording an album and an EP, rehearsing till 4am in a theater that we would sneak into, constantly pushing and pulling each other to musical experimentation, and ultimately parting ways when our differences became too much to bear.  Looking back at the time we spent, we were two different types of artists.  I was always trying to appeal to everyone.  Jesse was always pushing to tell the most genuine story.

Now we're both on our own musical missions, a little bit older, a little bit wiser, and from the looks of things, a whole lot more motivated.  We don't talk much nowadays, but I know that the next time we see each other, it'll be like nothing's changed.  I know I'm the musician I am today because of the foundation I laid with Girl Down from 2000 to 2005.

Do yourself a favor and check out Trapbyall.  The world's a better place when music like this happens.

Girl Down- 2000 to 2005