Oh Darlington...
Off The Beaten Track is a delightful Podcast; a series of audio/video travelogues that focus on some of the more difficult to reach places(and people) of interest in the UK.

The recently aired episode Darlington Railway Centre and Museum featured my song "The Golden Age Of Steam", which pleased me greatly, since I'm quite the softie when it comes to steam trains, and feel oddly compelled to write songs about them at every opportunity.

Apparently, Darlington's North Road Station is said to be haunted. Quite appropriate then, that they picked a song in which I was attempting to face a few ghosts of my own.

American Idle?...

Ok I admit it. I upoaded a song to the American Idol Underground website. Since CDBaby members were given the opportunity to enter a song without paying the standard fee, I thought that it couldn't hurt.

I was wrong. The song appears to have won March's Folk Song competition, and part of the prize is a CD pressing/printing package courtesy of Discmakers. This means, of course, that there will definitely be a follow-up CD. You have been warned!

I must confess that I do feel a little guilty about not participating on the aforementioned site. It was a while back that I submitted the song, and to be honest It'd slipped my mind. Until I received the e-mail notifying me that "How The Mighty Have Fallen" had won (placed first out of 475 entries), I never gave it a second thought. Now, of course, I seem to be thinking of it quite often.

Actually, there seems to be a host of competitions on the site, some of which run concurrently, and it would appear that I'm still in contention in a couple of categories. I'm not suggesting that you go to my profile page
and rate my song there, because I'd hate to jinx things by campaigning for votes (besides, you really should be voting for Danny Schmidt
--he's quite brilliant).

I do believe though, that the Grand Prize in each genre is something approaching 200 billion dollars in cash and ownership of a Carribean island, so if you really must...

It appears that "How The Mighty Have Fallen" is still hanging around and making a nuisance of itself over at Garageband.com. The last I checked it was parked at #11 in the Folk-Rock chart, and on the strength of recent reviews it'll be featured as Folk Track Of The Week starting March 20th.

Speaking of Garageband, I continue to be impressed by some of the musical talent on display there. If it's intelligent well-crafted pop craft that you're after, you could do worse than pay Edinburgh's own David William a visit.

As far as the songwriting goes, this guy certainly wears the Neil Finn influence proudly on his sleeve, and why not? Like Neil, he has an instinctive melodic sense and lyrical approach that never seems forced, and there's a lovely relaxed power and self-assuredness in his delivery.The sound of his voice reminds me a little of Aztec Camera's Roddy Frame, and like Frame, William, still only in his twenties, seems to be hitting his stride at a young age. His first full length release is called One Way Ticket. Do yourself a favour and go and buy a copy.

Good for the wheat...

Folk music fans have a bit of a reputation for stuffiness. You know the stereotype: traditional types with their knitted sweaters, mildly greasy hair and wanton beards, sampling their real ale and designer-brand ciders, as they debate which artists are worthy of inclusion in the genre, and frowning upon artists who dare deviate from the traditional form and venture into, say, the pop or rock realm. From the American folkies who booed an electrified Dylan at Newport in '65, to Brits still recovering from Richard Thompson's 80's and 90's daring recording adventures, they can often come across as a rather sour and exclusionary bunch.

How refreshing then, to discover Woven Wheat Whispers , a site that dares to celebrate and promote all manner of folk and related music.

Although a newcomer to the digital download scene, Woven Wheat is quickly earning a reputation as an artist-friendly service that embraces all manner of styles. Genres currently listed in their catalogue include Celtic folk, Strange folk and Pre-folk alongside the Traditional and dance/Ceilidh acts. Actually, I'm not sure that I fit into any of their categories, but they let me tag along anyway.

Ian Southworth and Mark Coyle are the fine gents responsible for the Woven Wheat Whispers venture and deserve credit for their efforts in making their site a useful and entertaining one for the artist and listener alike. The largely upbeat and warm community forum is a welcome respite from some of the more morose and frosty ones out there (you know who you are), and they have a player that enables you to have a listen to the artists in their catalogue as you browse. Off you go then...Forum

Weather with us...

Once again it's that time of year in Florida. You know, the time of year when the cruelly oppressive heat and humidity of the summer finally departs and leaves us with gloriously cool and sunny weather. Cause for celebration? You'd think so, but you'd be wrong.
For some reason, the very mention of the term "cold front" causes Floridians to go into panic mode, wrapping themselves in layers of woolly clothing befitting of an Arctic expedition, as they scurry from their heated cars to the next heated building. The whole charade annoys me to no end.
Understand that we're not talking about truly frigid teperatures here; a daytime high in the 60s and an overnight low in the 40s is all it takes for the TV reporters to brave the elements, cocooned in furs and earmuffs, as they offer the public advice on how many sweaters to wear, and how to wrap their plants, pets and loved ones to protect them from the impending, perilous chill. Meanwhile, over on the area's beaches, there are stout Minnesotans and pasty British tourists alike, clad in bathing suits , cavorting and splashing around in the Gulf like it's the middle of summer, wondering what the fuss is about.
I must admit that I find it perplexing that the cauldron-like summer months, here in Florida, are actually more comfortable in some ways. Sure the heat is oppressive, but as long as you limit your time spent outdoors, say, to about 35 seconds, you're usually safe. The thing is, the air-conditioning systems in every building are usually at full tilt, so that you'll often see people wearing sweaters inside offices and shopping malls. The aim seems to be to keep us cocooned at around 68 degrees, and since I seem to be less tolerant of the heat these days, I really don't have a problem with this. Why though, when the temperatures outside actually drop into that desirable range, do the heating systems have to be turned on? Not only turned on, but cranked to simulate the searing temperatures of summer?
I can't stand it much longer, and have already been contemplating life in a less tropical climate. My feeling is that residents of Colorado, for example, are a little less likely to turn their public buildings into incubators at the first sign of a cold snap. I would go and do a little online research on the Rocky Mountains and its climate, but first I have to go outside for a cool down; my wife just turned the heat on.

With a little help from my friends...

Now that December's season of merriment and over-indulgence has given way to the harsh and sobering reality of January, and its requisite bloated credit card statements and well intentioned, yet already discarded resolutions, there's really no choice but to roll up the old sleeveys and get to work. For me, that means getting back to recording some of these songs that have been laying around, cluttering up the place.
It's becoming apparent that unlike the last project, this one will be more of a collaborative affair. I already have several drum tracks courtesy of my old mate, Danny DiPietra, and there's even talk of getting the Headlights into the studio again (possibly even at the same time!), so I'm hoping to get at least one track on the next album that features the whole band.
On top of that, the disturbingly talented Ed Woltil will be on board in some capacity, although exactly what he'll be contributing is up in the air at this point. Actually, I think it's quite big of me to invite him in really, especially in light of the fact that he recently burst into spontaneous laughter upon hearing one of the demos that had been, at least up until that point, up for consideration for inclusion on the next record.
I've also been talking with a couple of Lincolnshire folk musicians about a little transatlantic collaboration which has me excited enough to be wary of talking it up, for fear of jinxing it. So, I'll shut up about it for now. What I can't for the life of me shut up about, however, is a recent guest harmony vocal courtesy of Miss Emma("Dad, I'm already better than you on the piano") Robinson, on a new song tentatively titled "Real". It was her first time singing with a mic, and she executed like a pro. It might well be my most thrilling musical moment.

MP FREES... It seems that everyone is giving away free MP3 downloads of their music these days. To refuse and hold out for a punter willing to part with hard-earned cash has become a foolhardy faux-pas for an independent artist worth their salt.
"Nobody is buying CDs anymore" seems to be the phrase of the day. The implication is that it's better to give at least some of your music away, as a promotional tool, rather than just keep it under wraps. This way, more people are hearing your songs, possibly carrying them around on their iPods and hopefully turning a friend or two onto your music. Perhaps they may even be tempted to pay for a copy of your album, or visit iTunes down the road apiece, and pay for a download of another track or two ? Maybe not.
There is, of course, another school of thought that insists that giving away recordings that you've worked so hard on, does nothing but further devalue your music. I must admit that I do find it a little humorous that faced with the scenario of declining CD sales, the best idea we can come up with is to give away compressed audio versions of our songs, that don't sound quite as good as the originals.
The public's total acceptance of compromised audio quality as evidenced by the explosion of MP3 players, would seem to go hand in hand with the apathetic acceptance of the putrid morass that passes for popular music culture these days, but that's a subject for another day. And anyway,thinking about this stuff, and trying to predict the future about where this whole business is going, makes my brain hurt. So, let the chips fall where they may. I have songs to write, play and record, and I'll do it whether people end up buying, stealing or giving them away. Do your worst!

Out of the closet and into the garage...
Apparently, "How The Mighty Have Fallen" will be the Track Of The Day in the Folk category on Garageband.com, on the 29th of November. For the unitiated, Garageband.com is a site that has its musician members review the work of their fellow artists and assign them ratings of between 1 and 5 stars. Songs pass through several rounds of voting(or not) and can climb(or not) the charts in their particular genre.
"How The Mighty Have Fallen" has earned an average of 4.8 so far, and is into the second round of voting. What does this mean in the grand scheme of things? Not much, probably, but it is rather nice to be involved, and I have discovered a few talented acts along the way. Robin Tymm is one such gentleman, and might be well worth your attention.

The Golden Age Of Self-Esteem...
There was a time, of course, when keeping a diary was an altogether more private affair. You'd scribble a myriad of personal details, whether scandalous or mundane, on its pages, and would be mortified at the very idea of someone else catching so much as a glimpse of the contents. It would be kept at the very least, out of view, and usually at the bottom of a sock drawer or in the pocket of a seldom worn jacket in the back of the closet.
Now, of course, it seems like eveyone has a personal web log on display for the whole world to scour. Out of the closet (or sock drawer), our journals have emerged from the shadows and truly taken centre-stage. Not only do we open them up for public scrutiny, we practically beg for readership; adding links to the diaries of others and utilising keywords and search engines to attract more and more of these prying eyes in the vain hope that they might be remotely interested in what we had to dream last night.
Similarly, the act of making a phone call has taken a similar turn. In the England of my youth, the old phone booths were huge cast-iron affairs that when the doors closed, effectively became sound-proof. It all seemed to make perfect sense really; you got to make your phone call in solitude, devoid of outside interference, and more importantly, without the embarrassment of broadcasting your private conversations to anyone and everyone within earshot.
It all sounds awfully quaint now, of course. Public phone booths are fast becoming obsolete, as the general populace increasingly conduct their personal correspondence on cell phones with scant regard to where they are, how loud they're talking and to who may be listening.
As modern culture's obsession with self-esteem, self-empowerment and personal fulfillment leaves old fashioned ideas like personal responsibility and common courtesy in the dust, it comes as no surprise that the prevalent mindset of the day seems to be that we need to be heard,that we are important,and that we need to be reachable at all times.
Personally, I refuse to have a cell phone for several reasons. As it is I very rarely receive a phone call that is of any interest to me at all. I seriously doubt that my carrying around a designer cellular device with its very own irritating ringtone will translate to more quality conversation; quite the contrary, I suspect. Personally, I hate the idea that I can be interrupted by a ringing phone even when I'm away from home or the work desk. To be reachable is to be obligated. Besides, I really don't think that I'm that interesting. Why anyone should need to discuss anything of note with me is a bit of a mystery.
Of course, the main reason for my cell phone phobia stems from a fear of becoming one of the hordes of people I see daily; people who although they may appear to be going about their daily business at the bank, the grocery store, or driving on the highway, are doing so with a phone glued to their ear and conducting conversations seemingly unrelated to the task at hand. Their self-absorbed message to the teller, check-out clerk or fellow commuters would seem to be "You're not worthy of my total attention". If I become one of them, I have to stop being disgusted, and I'm not ready for that.
So, here I am, an old-fashioned prig; a phone-phobic card-carrying member of Luddites Anonymous, and I have a web log. Despite having mixed feelings about it, I realise that it is unavoidable. For far too long I've relied on my more tech-savvy brethren to help me muddle through. My friend, Don Moore, has done an incredible job of designing and maintaining my website, but I have to at least take responsibility for some of it. So from now on, this blog will be serving as my website news page. Consider it a small step on the road to recovery from my technophobia (no,I'm not speaking of my dislike of the alleged music of Moby; I'm sticking with that) and I know I have a long way to go. But, considering that little over a year ago I was scouring manuals looking for the "On" switch on my computer, I'm really quite optimistic about the future.
I'm still not getting a cell phone, though.

Have I got news for you! Er...actually, I don't. This is just a test of my Emergency Blogging System. Real news will follow(assuming anything happens).