The Wasted

So feeling on a bit of a high after completing the housework, what's left to do?

Put dinner on. Sit down and write a review. Check on dinner occasionally. Eat dinner. Download software. Record a couple of songs while largely ignoring the Johnny Cash film on TV.

So here we are following up on a long forgotten threat.

A Side.
I wrote this in May 1996. After my band had called it quits - not that we really called it quits officially, we just stopped playing together. But before I went overseas. And long before Gillian Welch put out a similarly themed track. I can't remember if I wrote it to be performed as I have done here, or if in fact it was actually meant to rock.

It is by no means the best song I've written. But it was an easy one to butcher.

Being the first time I've multitracked on my laptop, and that it's not exactly set up for recording, it has a very lofi sound. Duplicated tracks to fill out the sound, a second track of vocals, some lead guitar twiddly bits, and really bad percussion played on the back of a ukulele. And being so hi tech the software has a recording lag so new tracks have to be tweaked into sync. Sometimes it works. Sometimes not. But fabulous.

B Side.
Written by a friend way back around 1993 at a guess. Arguably it's not the best song he wrote either. But it is the most me song he wrote, and an easy one for me to butcher. I haven't played it for I don't know how long, and I couldn't find the lyrics so they're wrong. And the singing is bad. Truly.

This is just guitar and vocals recorded together then duplicated. Rocking.

I think I need a proper microphone. And to fix my amplifier and guitar and hotcake. And to learn the software. And to spend too many hours wasting too much time recording myself for no good reason.

The Simple

There are simple pleasures in life.

Many simple pleasures. Some simpler than others.

Today, for example, I had the simple pleasure of doing much needed housework while singing merrily along to various US indie rock alt folk country pop bands (for want of a better description).

It was simple. And it was a pleasure. Not least cos it means I now have a clean house again.

Here's what two months of microphen dust and stuff looks like.

The Orange

I spent last weekend in Wanganui. It was good fun. Lots of photos taken (though few by me). Lots of good company, good food, and good drink.

This was Friday night. On the balcony. With bbq. Lovely evening. Photo by Dean. Lovely guy. Of me and Jonty. Lovely kid.

And if you're wondering, the sole light source was a big anti-insect candle, and a multi-second exposure. Lovely shot.

The Super

The Democrat

It's not very much fun being sick for over a week.

Especially when it's family birthday week.

Especially when you start feeling better only to be struck by something worse.

Especially when you have other things you should be concentrating on.

But it did mean I got to sit at home and watch TV One's US election coverage. Until I realised there was going to be 5 hours of waffle before any real news came through.

But yesterday I got drugs. And today I got to buy myself birthday presents. Yay.

And today I got to vote.

And it reminded me of this (another patented Andy Palmer snappy title) Portrait of the artist as he participates in the democratic process.

Clearly 24 July 2002 was a cold miserable day.

Later that night a couple of mates came around to watch the results come through. One of us voted for ACT. It wasn't me. And I didn't think I had any friends who swung that far right. It's surprising what you learn at election time.

The Realisation

For as long as I can remember I've never been able to remember my dreams (presuming I have them of course).

Now I know why.

Old habits die hard though, so I won't be keeping my specs on any more than usual.

The Buildings

Some buildings for you all.

And a dumb blog - thanks Gabrielle.