Golden Smoghead

Jay should really look into metal legs. A risky procedure, but worth it.

In all seriousness, Jay is my favorite guitar player since 1985 and this is a major bummer. I hope there is somewhere we can contribute eventually stood up, ideally something Jay can organize via the myspace or his other site. I know I would put something in the pot.

Man I am so jealous of you Chicagoans!!

Nonetheless, Wilco

I've never remebered to bring a pick with me when I go to a guitar store

I only just started carrying a "pocket pick" in my wallet about two years ago but man I end up using that sucker a lot, I do highly recommend just sliding one into whichever side of yer wallet you use least. I think for me it's noticeably cooler to have my own pick b/c I'm a touch picky about picks (yuk-yuk). Nowadays I'm madly in love with these ones:

Acoustic, I almost always start up playing open chords and hammering on (largely just to warm up my finger and hand muscles). Musicwise I am mostly a songwriter so I'm almost always working on a song on acoustic guitar, so I often pick up the guitar with that song in my head already and go straight to work.

Electric, for the first 5 years I was playing guitar or so, I'd play that opening lick from Pearl Jam's "Yellow Ledbetter" almost every time I grabbed the electric, just love the Hendrixy vibe to that riff. Nowadays it varies a ton depending on my mood.

On keys / piano I have this one really basic progression that I usually play, simple but that's how I like 'em: G - D - C // Em-D

(Of course there are notes over that with the right hand)

I wonder if how much you play cover songs in general affects this question, by the way. I suspect more covers = more likely to have a go-to. I don't mean that as a criticism either, in case it comes across that way.

Nooo!

Haha sorry. I'd just be careful in deciding whether or not to do the TAXI thing. It's kind of a lot of money for an apparently-small potential return. I looked at it pretty-seriously about a year ago b/c I have a TON of songs just sitting around, a few of which are pretty good. I ended up with the impression that if you don't have pro-level demos for most of the songs you want to submit, it is probably not a great investment (as the only people who ever "win" the bids have very high-quality-sounding recordings).

Also I didn't like the fact that you also have to pay each time you submit a bid on work, which is not spelled out very clearly in their promotional materials. Anyway I strongly advise you spend some time on their forum and get the lay of the land before shelling out that cash. I learned a lot more about the parts I care about from lurking there than I did from reading the material on the main site.

I just didn't immediately figure out what you meant by Snocap and took a guess.

Is it something like Taxi?

REM, Automatic for the People

The thing is, any time you have such an overpowering instrument, it's mostly about the notes you don't play. Any player worth his weight will know when to hold back, or to chuck on tons of effects and give the song atmosphere. I don't want to hear wanking on steel any more than I want to hear it on any other instrument. It has to work in context.

I agree with this 100% and it's why I prefer Bucky Baxter to many other pedal steel musicians. He's toured with Dylan and all that but I really dig his work with Ryan Adams and Steve Earle best, so subtle and mature.

Also I'll definitely check out These United States a few of my friends play shows with them too, appreciate the recommendation.

Totally agree about mic'ing as stated above. However, this is one more vote for a Fishman system.

I think on this one and Bob Dylan's Beard you can also look at it like some notes are hit like it's a strum, but he's really only playing one or two strings of the chord for that "strum" if that makes sense.

Said another way: you move your hand back and forth like you're strumming fast but just sort of lift up the notes you want instead of the whole chord, to string together the little counter-melody.

There's just no way that any American administration can back away from IP issues, particularly since it's such a GIGANTIC trade issue with China in particular.

I've mentioned them on here before, but I really really dig American Aquarium out of Raleigh, NC. I just saw them again last night, they were playing songs off their new CD (to be released in late April). GREAT STUFF!

myspace for American Aquarium

Are those the ones with the high gauge low-end and the lighter high-end? If so, that may be a win-win, keep the boom of the low-end and sharpen up the high-end.

No the lights are smaller gauge throughout the set. What you're describing is why I like the "bluegrass" strings I talked about above. They have medium-gauge for the bottom 3 or 4 strings, but light gauge on the higher pitched ones.

I go back and forth on newness. Generally I find that I prefer fresh strings when I'm playing acoustically (meaning unmic'ed, no system -- usually at my or someone else's house) but honestly get better results with a little bit of wear when recording or playing through a PA.

I definitely WRITE songs differently with fresh/bright strings vice dull ones. I find I prefer fresher strings when writing, never really thought about it before but shooting from the hip I'd guess it's because some strings are more prominent fresh than worn (if that makes any sense).

Also let me add on to the "welcome to the world of guitar" sentiments. The only advice I have is, it's your guitar and your musical adventure, you can make it sound like anything you want. For awhile I was hung up on not sounding "good enough" or something, or playing songs that other people think are "too simple."

Wish I hadn't wasted my time being self-conscious, and had asked more "dumb questions" early on. Most guitar players are cool, and almost all love to talk about how they play guitar.

I'm personally a big fan of these strings, however I do NOT like the coated / xp type ones nearly as well as those actually get duller, quicker than the uncoated ones:

martin / d'addario bluegrass strings (d'addario makes the martin ones i think)

I have a Fishman Aura system on-board in my Martin but I am pretty sure they sell them as offboard modelers as well. I think rowboat has covered this somewhere else explaining crap to me, but the gist is that they are meant to emulate playing into a high-end microphone in a quiet studio.

Obviously they end up far from that ideal, but they really do a MUCH better job in live situations than just a pickup, in my personal experience. I followed one of my songwriting mentors at an open mic on Wednesday and my set came off better, just because he was using a much-crappier pickup.

To expand on that: before our sets, we were playing out back behind the venue. His guitar sounded better than mine, period. (I think largely b/c he had fresher strings however he also has nice tonewoods on that guitar.) We got onstage and it was 100% opposite. His crappy pickup flattened out his sound and the bass would randomly womp and swell. He actually asked me afterwards how I set up my guitar for live play, the difference was just that pronounced.

So just saying: if you're looking to play live, through crappy PAs, with mostly just yourself or 1 or 2 other instruments, then I have found the Fishman Aura to be a very nice system for letting me control my sound without taking out a second mortgage on my house or learning a ton about audio engineering.

I don't even glue my own nuts on anymore, I will glue yours though.

I prefer music that comes from an intense emotional place -- depression, falling in love, anger, exuberation/jubilation, whatever I just don't enjoy "relaxed" music if that makes any sense. So in my experience as a writer, I find my best work comes out when I'm feeling intense emotions.

I definitely got back into writing a lot when I was depressed, and I find depressive bouts push me more into art than when I'm happier. However I have also found that I can do a damn fine job writing from a happy / calm place so long as I focus on something intense in that vein. My most recent song opens, "oh what a handsome man am i -- just look for yourself, i'm easy on the eyes."

I'm fairly confident depressed-me wouldn't have written this pleasant, tongue-in-cheek bravado tune, so I am glad that I do not feel like I am "better off depressed." Because I've certainly thought about that in the music context before. However, I just think it's fallacy, other than that when you feel bad you can sometimes have more drive.

Lots of rather pedestrian reruns this season.

If you were coming to DC the 23rd, I'd point out I'm playing a show that night at the Red and the Black, opening for the fantastic Raleigh band American Aquarium.

You can find it here:

 

http://stereogum.com/archives/new-hold-ste...ver_049671.html

"greet me brother with your faithless kiss" really resonated for me in that song. (with the switched line from the New Testament)

He has sooo many great lines though. I think a lot of songs from "Tracks" are underrated, these are from "Man at the Top"

Man at the top says it's lonely up there

If it is man, I don't care

From the big white house to the parking lot

Everybody wants to be the man at the top

Thanks for the ideas!

Sorry for necro'ing this old thread about this old album.... But almost a year later, April finally clicks for me. Lost Verses is probably the first 9:00+ song that I have ever really, truly, 100%, liked (sorry, Shine On You Crazy Diamond and everything live by the Dead).

Do you guys have any good starting points for Red House Painters albums? I've poked at a couple songs here and there but none of them really grabbed me.