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Auset
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3/31/2009 12:45:57 AM
AUSET UPDATES & A FEW NEW TUNES...
Hey All -
Truly hope that all is well for everyone. I've been trying to keep up and check in, but have found it quite difficult to keep up with everything and every one. My plate is FULL, max limit and gasping for air from time to time. And just wanted to check in and say hello.
Personally, got more than enough goin on... with a year-long family court case, tax time for our 3 home businesses and for the band, well... seems we've hit a bit of bump in the road (a typical thing for bands)... and are now changing it up again. finding good players with passion, but not so intense that they beat up the music.... hmmmm... anyway, been weary and rebuilding my strength one day at a time.
Further music... we're taking some time to rebuild, and get our heads around this new album project. We played a few really cool benefits in early March... one being a Tribute to Townes Van Zandt... us, along with 11 other local bands from St. Louis. Full house, and fantastic mix of musical sounds... the night was amazing. We covered "At My Window", "Delta Momma Blues", "Where I Lead Me", and "No Places To Fall" (just in case there are any TVZ fans out there). The other benefit was in support of a local musician friend just diagnosed with stage 4 bone cancer. We played all original for that show - 2 songs just added to our page are listed below:
TENNESSEE
TWO DIRECTIONS
For some reason, when I posted the second song, the first song disappeared from the front page. Don't know what happened. These are both songs that will be on our new album, but for now... live versions with mistakes and good heart.
Well, gotta run once again... dinner to cook, homework to check, and an album to work on.
peace & love,
Auset
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Kevin White
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3/31/2009 3:05:37 AM
I believe, after a short discussion as to how folks were dismayed that their songs would plummet off the front page when artist X loaded their 16 new songs up on the site ... meanwhile, artist X would dominate 16 songs on the front page ...
... that it's now programmed, A, to no longer allow that to happen.
Nice job live ... performances are spot on.
Hope things settle for ya ...
Best,
Kev-
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Auset
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3/31/2009 4:11:47 AM
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for the explanation... figured that might be the case. I don't think I've ever posted more than one at a time before... but I would have waited between tunes had I known that... just to let them each season some.
And thanks for the nice words about the live tracks and well wishes... settle down would feel real good about now. Appreciate you touching in... it means a lot.
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John Pippus
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3/31/2009 4:36:03 AM
Hi Auset,
Always good to hear from you. Your post raises three (at least) topic possibilities:
1) How do you juggle a busy life with music
2) Band horror stories. (and the opposite, Great band moments)
3) Who are musicians everybody raves about but when you hear them you go 'what's all the fuss about"?
my answers:
1) I'm retired from my day job, so I'm exempt (but thankful)
2) Oh, that's a big topic....
3) Townes Van Zandt. I tried. I really did. But I don't get it. Same with Ryan Adams. And Gram Parsons.
xo
John
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Auset
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4/1/2009 3:55:02 PM
Hi John,
Thanks for the thoughts, and being one of 2 responses.
A. that is a good question... music is in the front seat of my heart, but the back seat of what I spend time doing. Even though everything we do is music centered. Finding sacred time that I get to practice and work on songs is next to nil right now. At the very least, while being buried in the above-mentioned mess, we carve out 2 practices a week at our house... so I'm still holding my ax and have an expressive outlet.
B. that IS a BIG topic... one, I may start after I get past this heavier spot in the road.
C. Ahhh yes, the question... why do people make such a big deal out of anyone? And I suppose true honest answer would be that there is no wrong way when it comes to opinions of what's considered good or bad in the music realm. I've seen folks here on IAC claim the stones and zeppelin to be overrated... while others would fight to their death to defend the music.
But the 3 specific songwriters that you mention... well, there too, is an interesting slant. All 3 have had quite the history with the reckless path of drugs and alcohol. Parsons died the youngest of them all, at the age of 27. I'm sure you know a lot of this history. Townes ruined show after show, in a severe drunken state. Parsons too. Adams began the same spiraling path of doom and almost hit bottom... changed courses and now I think, he's been clean for about 4 years... and loving life.
You ask what did these guys do to make such an imprint? For Parsons, he truly was the pioneer of alt-country... fusing traditional country with rock... the Flying Burrito Bros, The Byrds.... he really paved the way for a lot of that alt sound... Neil Young grabbed it from there in his truly original expression (one of my favorites). Parsons has some real hokey stuff here and there, but also some amazing songs. Hickory Wind, Sin City, Juanita are just a very few... co-written with Chris Hillman (who really is overlooked in to songwriting)... but Gram had a special charisma of getting the songs out there, and teamed up with early Emmylou Harris... some beautiful songs there. There's a great DVD called "Fallen Angel" about Parsons, worth seeing for sure for some good solid history.
Townes plain and simple, is a songwriters' songwriter... and another pioneer of alt-country.... before Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, and others. I really didn't know much
about him before we got pulled into the line-up of the tribute show we did. We had nothing in our own catalog, and had only 30-sec listens on iTunes when we selected our songs... but man, when we got into it, pulled lyrics and then got to experience the event, hearing more than 40 songs by the end of the night... there are indeed some songwriting treasures. He too, had some super rough edges here and there... and a lot stuff doesn't make sense. But considering his alcoholic nature and other unknown factors... I can see how ideas would form and fall apart. Still... when I listen the mass amount of non-melodic and meaningless lyrics of mainstream music these days... when I see that jam bands do more whacking off then song crafting, I really have a deep appreciation for what these guys accomplished. Another thing about them, seems that back in the 70's the party outweighed the professionalism... for some, they captured magic... for others, it was a sonic disaster... making it hard to hear the song.
well that's my take.
A
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Conversation Suicide
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4/1/2009 4:33:19 PM
---- Updated 4/1/2009 4:35:08 PM
Auset I FEEL you on the bit about being BUSY with a full plate, glad to see your not letting lineup changes affect the music too much. A LOT of talented Musicians that I've met & even had the pleasure to play with, simply QUIT the whole original indie artist thingee, either due to family/work or just plain PERSONEL hassles of constantly changing members; and I'm always happy when an amazing musician such as yourself presses on....
I'm pretty much caught up on about 20 NEW tunes I needed to closely listen to this week, from different indie artists, so I plan to peruse your stockpile of GREAT Auset music, as the week rolls on.
I'll be hollerin' back at ya soon, unless life throws another curve ball at me.
ROCK ON !!! -pHLeGm
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The Man With No Band
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4/1/2009 7:35:07 PM
Good stuff Auset ! ... and you are doing good things... as usual ... nice to read about your adventures ...
I love Townes Van Zandt ... and Parsons was a maniac ! and a very good song writer ...
Btw ...
Tennessee is a great song girl ... but "Two Directions" is just Awesome in my book !
Keep Rawwwwwwwwwwkin' girl !!!!!!!
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John Pippus
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4/1/2009 11:47:54 PM
---- Updated 4/1/2009 11:50:08 PM
Hi Auset and others,
Good call on why Gram Parsons and Townes Van Zandt have an impact on you (and a lot of other folks). I should listen to them more before passing 'final judgment'. Another one you mention is also in that category of 'I just don't get it': Wilco. I know the music critics rave about them. So I listen and I'm just left going 'huh?'.
But there you go. Also, now that I think of it, Wilco's another one that has battled addiction problems. So maybe there is something to that common link. Interesting. Mind you, I can think of exceptions, from Hendrix to Clapton to Phil Ochs. (I bought a live Phil Ochs album and he is badly out of tune it's painful to listen to, but that's another story.)
BTW, I'm listening to your rough demo "I Am Here" as I write this. Sweet. It shows that low fi doesn't stop a good song from getting through.
John
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SILVERWOODSTUDIO
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4/2/2009 12:48:56 AM
Hi Auset
Family stuff and music-work-- Taxes due--- it's that time of year here too!!!!
--still i have a practice every thursday night (that's tonight) with my Bassman of 20+ years (Hannibal) just to catch up on new songs and do arrangements---
I 'll be having a listen now ---i know I'm gonna go "wow"!
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The CODE
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4/2/2009 12:07:51 PM
Good new tunes Auset!
Good Luck with the juggling!!!
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Wayne Givens
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4/2/2009 2:18:37 PM
Hang in there Auset, getting 2 practices in a week is pretty good considering all ya have going on. It's like the old saying "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." I might know a pretty good bass player if you need help on a recording. :) I like the Off Broadway live recording you did...it's great place for putting on a show. I haven't been there in a couple of years but I'm looking around again. Good luck and I'm sure I'll see you somewhere again soon.
Wayne
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Auset
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4/3/2009 6:53:57 AM
Good to hear from you pHLeGm! You got a big heart and I sure appreciate your kindness. Life is kicking my ass right now... just trying to pull myself back up.
thanks for taking time to say hello... means a lot.
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Auset
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4/3/2009 7:01:36 AM
Hi Sam!!! Figured you probably had an ear on TVZ and GP. I appreciate you giving a listen in on the new tunes. thanks for the niceness. glad you dug em. I got a ton of tunes I look forward to sharing along the way... I'm just super slow getting it out there.
John, thanks again for stopping by. Yea, I only know a little bit of Wilco myself. Some cool tunes, and some I don't get. but music is a truly intimate experience and sometimes it just comes down to set and setting, where our attention is, what we expect to hear, what we need to hear, etc.
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Auset
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4/3/2009 7:05:28 AM
Rob, Colin and Wayne -
Thanks for taking time to stop by and listen in, too. I didn't mean to post 3 times, but wanted to make sure and touch in with everyone. I really appreciate the good thoughts... ya'll are very kind indeed!!! stay in touch!
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Conversation Suicide
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4/3/2009 11:16:56 AM
---- Updated 4/3/2009 11:17:35 AM
Auset, I especially liked the way TWO DIRECTIONS builds!
Welcome yet again to PHLEGM PHAVORITES
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