For not keeping your promise.
For failing to pickup your guitar.
For putting other things, less important things, ahead of the things you want to accomplish.
Not everything can be pushed aside, but not everything should pull focus either.
Go play guitar and write a mini song and get back on a creative crawl.
You'll feel better for it.
You might end up with something really special by accident...
This is the first day of 2026 that I will not play guitar.
Which is fine. I'm slightly bummed, but it also means I will be that much more motivated to get right back at it as soon as I have the chance.
I miss my guitar, which is a solid feeling. It means I love it, too.
Almost as much as I miss and love my family.
But not quite...
To reach your goals, delayed gratification is a must.
It would be way easier to doom scroll and play Fortnite and watch Netflix and YouTube rabbit hole and passively make your way through the night.
But that does absolutely nothing to support your goals.
So go pick up your guitar, post a mini cover, post a photo of this blog post, write a mini song, and listen to Let It Be by the replacements before you read a bit of Our Band Could Be Your Life.
Keep your promise.
I'm getting old.
And I keep saying "someday"...
But I'm realizing someday is when you make it so.
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.
I'm making it so. Making the time. Writing the songs. Spending time with my guitar. Vocalizing my ideas into the world.
A song a month in 2026.
My time is now.
There are plenty of things commanding my attention these days.
Family. 2 younger children. My teenage son. My amazing wife. Work. Household tasks. Listening to music. Reading. Social media.
I made a pledge to play guitar every day as long as I'm not traveling for work.
But... my attention gets pulled in all sorts of directions.
So I make sure to leave my guitar where I will see it and be reminded to pick it up.
In the kitchen. In the living room. In my workspace at home.
It helps me keep my promise.
When you don't feel like writing...
When you're uninspired...
When everything feels wrong...
Force yourself to write something...
A formulated idea. Something from nothing.
It beats doom scrolling for another 30 minutes...
So you might as well do.
Action is better than inaction.
Speaking in platitudes is... lazy? Unoriginal? A sign of being told what to think as opposed to thinking for yourself?
An original thought... can you come up with one?
So much has been thought of and forgotten by humanity already.
Writing and erasing and editing is a waste of time.
Your thoughts can end up being wrong.
That's okay.
You have permission to fail. As long as you learn from the failure.
Habits take time to build.
Repetition and intentionality.
Why did this all of sudden turn into pretentious ramblings.
I think they're playing Coachella next year.
Anyways, develop the habit of posting everyday.
Even if it's nonsense.
Especially if it's nonsense because it's one of the many times the nonsensical will serve a purpose.
Literally the only thing you should be concerned with when it comes to your songwriting.
Just get it done.
Reading Our Band Could Be Your Life.
Having picked up a guitar everyday so far this year.
Hearing Chase play along to Metallica in his room.
Calloused fingertips.
Knowing I will be playing and writing later tonight.
Everyone has biases.
If you're an artist and one of your biases is NOT "I am going to change the world" then what in the good god damn hell are you even doing?
And how do you change the world...?
One person at a time.
And it starts with yourself.
And it radiates outwards to your family and friends and then people who discover you and figure out for themselves that what you have to say matters to them.
Here's to doing it one person at a time.
They're getting really good.
There's a confidence here. And an even more pointed perspective.
Three musicians, three artists locked in on their craft.
Too many stand out songs to mention, but I do know I found myself grinning and oohing and ahhing several times throughout this first listen.
Mike Watt is bringing the jazzy musicality on this record.
George Hurley lays down a tight groove but explores the space and provides breath on each track.
D. Boon noodles, but even the word noodle does him a disservice. This is playing for the song to its utmost, while also providing enough chops to make you want to run it back 15 seconds to really hear what's going on.
My favorite listen so far this year.
9.0/10
The right reasons:
Context is everything.
I can only imagine what it would have been like to be an all-female post-hardcore band in the 1986.
This is compilation of their two mini-LPs (6 songs and 8 songs) with 5 additional tracks
The first track draws you in with feral, dare I say, erotic wailings.
The first mini-LP (fire party) is droning guitar and bass and guttural moans and screeches. Their full album (New Orleans Opera) kicks in with tracks consisting of more melody and intricate instrumental work.
Love the drum intro to Gethsemane.
Amy Pickering's voice is infectious.
Overall the songs are good. Standouts include Pilate, Gethsemane, Basis, Are You On?, How To, and Stray Bullet.
It's easy to see why they chose to include additional tracks as they are all standouts in this compilation.
7.5/10
Acknowledge it, and move on.
It accomplishes absolutely nothing to dwell on the slump when you're in the middle of it.
Change something.
Get up and walk around.
Listen to opera.
Write a mini song playing only one note.
Slumps are inevitable. Control what you can control.
And you can 1000% control attitude and openness to whatever's on the other side of the slump...
Listening to this so closely to their initial EP makes it abundantly clear that the musicianship and the recording techniques improved DRASTICALLY for the band from 1980 to 1981.
There's a focus on the first track, and they craft a solid opener in 53 seconds.
Musicality in such a tight space is impressive.
I'm not paying attention to the lyrics... which I think is missing a big point if not THE point of their music.
The Struggle... intro is great. Ya... not a fan of the vocal... the lower pitched one, which I think is Mike Watt...?
It's very jazzy, which begs the question... could a more catchy and mainstream band succeed within such a constrained timeframe of songs? Repetition is such a big part of developing the hook.
There's a very slam poetry feel to the songs. Music and lyrics punctuating each other.
History Lesson is the most memorable track IMO.
18 songs, 15 minutes. Hot damn that is a SPRINT.
7.5/10
It's rough. It's fast. It's poetic.
7 songs. 6 minutes.
For such a short work of music, it's impact is lasting.
Is it my bag? Kind of? I'm not the biggest fan of the vocals, but they fit the vibe.
It's taken me longer to write this than it did to listen to the EP...
7.1/10
As an artist, writer, musician, creator of things... you need to come to terms with the fact that the only thing that matters is if you like it and are proud of it.
The second you start chasing accolades and recognition and letting that dictate what you do is the second you start to unconsciously tweak your creations in the potentially wrong direction.
And, truthfully, if pandering is what it takes to be a success, is it even worth it?
... says the person with marginal success...
It is but it isn't...
Re-do- can't get mad at a banger album opener.
Hours outside in the snow: I'm a sucker for a half time break.
Re-done- damn that drum lick/groove is really good.
Cooke- dynamics are great.
Play Ball!- vocal harmonies make me go a rubbery one.
Coals- I need to revisit for the lyrics. I love the lack of resolution at the end.
I very much feel Weakerthans meets Manchester Orchestra.
7.9/10
What a rush this must have been in 1981.
Songs that impacted me on the first spin:
TV Party aka "Get off your damn couch and stop consuming and do some real shit".
Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie- the vocals sans instruments to begin and end the song are (chef's kiss).
Depression... those first guitar chords feel so somber.
Life of Pain- It feels like the album builds to this point. Henry sounds so desperate but hopeful but angry but concerned.
Annnnnnd... googling Black Flag today shows how far they've come... or, you could argue, how far they've fallen. But that's a topic for another post
8.5/10
Doing things just to do them sounds like a wonderful idea.
Some things need to be done just because.
Not everything needs to be life changing, but everything is life changing. Literally... every moment is life changing. We just need to pay attention.
When I find a song that's new, either actually or only new to me, and it tickles the part of my brain that releases dopamine into my system...
Damn.
Is there anything better...?
In the midst of everything, someone out there needs your art.
But only if it's authentically yours.
The audience can spot a pretender right away.
Find your voice and yell from the rooftops with it.
Because someone needs your art.
For reasons even I can't fully comprehend or explain, I am in the market for a second iRig microphone pre-amp to give me the ability to record two microphones at the same time.
I point out the lack of reasoning because the method I am currently considering is pretty damn close to the least efficient way to multitrack.
I will need to:
This time I'll get it right.
I know exactly what I need to do.
---
About 45 voice memo ideas going back to the beginning of December.
It's time to sift through and look for diamonds in the rough. And then sit with the ideas that have potential and tend to them and water them and watch them grow.
Wait... are they diamonds or crops? Mixing metaphors is potentially confusing.
Pick up your guitar anyway.
Play a favorite cover.
Strum a song you've written that you love.
Listen to some new music.
Go for a walk.
Take a shower.
Write. Write. Write.
Even when it feels wrong.
It's better than doing nothing.
You are quite literally creating something.
Which in and of itself is a huge win.
Punk is a game of youth.
Rising up against the system is hard when you are worried about Q1 forecasts and ERP integrations.
Except... there are other ways to adhere to the punk ethos.
Lifestyle choices. Free thought. Social awareness. Standing up for the oppressed. Giving voice to the marginalized.
The easiest way to change things is from the inside.
I should be asleep.
But instead, I just started a new book, listened to an album I had never listened to before, and I'm considering picking up my guitar again.
I won't pick up my guitar... but only because this bed is so damn comfy.
It's fun to consciously choose to be obsessed with music again.
I just started reading Our Band Could Be Your Life.
Mission of Burma is mentioned very early on.
So I stopped reading for a bit and started listening to their first album Signals, Calls and Marches.
Post-punk, indie rock.
One of my favorite things about good bands is the sum is greater than its parts. And Mission of Burma is a well oiled machine firing on all cylinders.
The vocals aren't my favorite, but they're not trying to be anything they're not.
I know nothing about this band. I'm assuming there's two lead singers...?
Evan woke up in the middle of listening/writing this. And I went to the girls' room, gave Evan water, and sang to her.
On a side note, can a 44 year old husband and father of 3 make a great indie rock album?
Why the fuck not?
Outlaw is a great song. I need to stop trying to be a good guitarist and focus on playing good music.
The sum is greater than its parts.
Wow. Fame and Fortune is really good, too.
This Is Not a Photograph. Guitar work doesn't need to be over wrought. It need only be impactful and work within the song. That goes for every single piece of the Rubik's cube that is each and every song.
What a great assemblage of songs. Red really feels like the peak of a long building crescendo.
And god damn it. I love an instrumental album closer.
8.7/10
When it clicks, it's a lot of fun.
And when it doesn't, it feels awful.
And you need to go through a lot more not clicking than actual clicking.
And sometimes what you think is clicking feels like not clicking the next day.
But you keep going and chasing the clicking because...
... when it clicks, it's a lot of fun.
The higher the expectation, the more likely the disappointment.
Am I setting the bar so low because I don't want to be disappointed?
Or because I genuinely have no confidence to aim higher...?
Professionals are always ready for the moment.
There is no hesitation. Each action is steady and sure.
Professionals exude a sense of effortlessness.
Which belies all the work it takes to get to that point of confidence.
Malcolm Gladwell says it takes 10,000 hours.
A massive amount of preparation.
Every day is a chance to layer on more preparation.
Little steps towards perpetual readiness for the moment.
GLASS PLATES
PLASTIC PLATES
