CD Update (and cover art preview!)

The CDs are in production! The Indiegogo sponsor packages are being assembled now, and as soon as I have the new CDs, I'll pop them in there and send 'em off.

There will be a CD release party on Friday, January 24 at 7pm at The Country Cow Restaurant in Campton NH. Tickets are $15, which includes a copy of the new CD. You can get your ticket right here:

 

Jim Tyrrell - True Stories From A Small World

CD Release Party Tickets

 

You will also be able to get a copy at any of my shows, or by ordering online. (The ordering link will be up soon.) I can't wait for you to hear it!

 

Until then, maybe you'd like a peek at the album art? You can check it out here:

 

Jim Tyrrell - True Stories From A Small World

3D Album Art Preview



 

Tavern 27.



Tuesday 12/17/2013 is my last day at Tavern 27. I've been playing their gorgeous (and slightly ornery) grand piano every Tuesday for a little over a year. And in that time I've become acquainted with some fine business owners and some AMAZING food. If you're anywhere near Laconia NH, you really ought to check it out. They do an American spin on traditional tapas (meaning, of course, larger portions than traditional tapas). There isn't anything like it in this area. And the piano bar goes on, in the capable hands of a couple other local musicians. Dan Carter is outstanding; if you see him, ask to hear an original. Great songwriting style.

As for me, my schedule is pretty busy, and having a night at home on Tuesdays isn't unwelcome at all. (Ask me again in a month though.) And you'll be sure to see me hanging around Tavern 27 from time to time; I've still got a nice big food credit to use up. Reservations recommended; (603) 528-3057.

Album Mastering.

The date for mastering the new CD is set for December 27. How about that, I might get the thing done this year after all! Of course, there won't be physical copies until early/mid January, but all aspects of the project are moving forward.

This record has been a much longer process than any of my others, and it's been interesting to see what that does to the work, and to my impressions of it. In the past, I've put songwriting aside during record making. Not so this time; I could only hold it off for so long. And since it's not just me at the controls, the project can keep moving while I indulge the muse. Nice!

I think I promised you song stories in the last post. Well, I'll try to get some live recordings of the new stuff this Wednesday, and then you'll get all the dirt. But I also have an album cover to be finishing up. Oh, and people ought to have a way to order the damn thing too, yes? Busy busy. And thank goodness for it.

Album Update

At 4:38 this morning, I got the mixdowns on the last of the songs from Ken. They all sound great. The album is a little shorter than my others - it'll come in at just over 30 minutes - but there's no wasted space, I can tell you that. We're doing one more day of mix adjustments, and then it's off to the Mastering house. I don't have an official timeline on that yet, but I'm thinking the CDs should be in production before year's end.

It's time to put the preorder system in place. Look for that in the next couple days. I'm also looking around at possible Release Party venues.

And I've written a couple new songs since we last spoke. I'll tell the story of each of them in turn, because they come from pretty unusual places. The first of those will happen later this weekend, right here on this channel. Stay tuned.

Sunday Morning Movie Review - World War Z

I just finished watching World War Z. Here is my review of the film.

World War Z is a movie starring Brad Pitt, who finds himself an unwilling participant in a global game of tag. When a person is tagged, they immediately become infected with parkour.

Okay, I knew the movie would diverge from the book. But man. It was entertaining enough, but the name World War Z deserved so much more. The book (by Max Brooks) portrayed a zombie outbreak (and the resulting human struggle) with exquisite realism. The movie, which went through numerous reboots during its development, opts instead for the action hero approach.

To get the original story in its ultimate form, I strongly suggest the World War Z audio book. Max Brooks constructed his story in the style of interview transcripts, so the audio book treatment is perfect. And the voice actors include Mark Hamill and Henry Rollins. Of course, the print version is great too.

So. Got a couple hours? Are you into movies where the hero is in constant peril? Can you overlook global tragedy and instead feel sympathy for the one family that gets to go on a boat? Then this is your Sunday Morning Movie.

Album Review: Glenn Case - Throw Money



Glenn Case's long-awaited album Throw Money shipped recently, and I have had the chance to listen to it several times. Let me tell you a little about it.

I was already familiar with much of the material for the record, having heard the original versions as Song Fight submissions. But there was plenty for me to discover on this album, and the whole thing is much more polished.

The record opens with "Bullseye Girl", a quick and sincere Elvis Costello homage that could easily run a minute longer without wearing out its welcome.

"Glutton" follows with a pleasantly conversational drift through time signatures, featuring Glenn's signature self-effacing lyric. Glenn's unafraid sincerity and comfort with the message (musically and lyrically) makes it easy to go along for the ride.

The pre-chorus on "OK Cupid" leaves me feeling like a songwriting chump. Glenn serves up a clinic on elegant song structure here.

If I found myself in Glenn's band, I'd be most excited to play the song "Georgia's Hand". It feels like it would be a blast to perform live. Another sharp, totally believable pop gem.

"Think It Over" features an absolutely irresistible chord sequence in the verse. The lighter lyric floats over a clean and rock-solid musical foundation.

Listening to the piano-driven "I Fell Flat" makes me think Glenn and I must share a great many musical influences. So much of what I love in pop can be heard here.

(Turn the record over here)

In 2006, Glenn and I were among 24 competitors in a little side thing over at Song Fight! The title we had to work with was "Pencil Me In". I turned in a decent piece of work, and I felt pretty good about it then. In fact, my song is going to be on my upcoming record, out hopefully by the end of the year. That said, Glenn kicked my ass, and I knew it the first time I heard his song. It sounds even better here on the album, opening the second side.

"Need Stilts" follows, with a guest vocal appearance by Rachael Layne. This is another Song Fight! song, and Glenn's ability to take a song title and completely own it lyrically leaves me shaking my head again.

"Take A Pill", "Reasons", and "Sweet" are classic second-side songs. The rules of Glenn's musical game are now set, and here's where you start to see how much room for exploration remains. This is where you grab the album cover to see who's playing those drums! (It's Ken Mahru, by the way.)

The album closes with the personal musical apology "Sister". Something more anthemic might be a better choice as a closer, you say? Nope. This says the record was never about you and me. Throw Money is Glenn Case telling the truth the way he tells it. This is obviously an honest body of work from a man shaped by music. We can only hope the next one doesn't take another six years.

Throw Money, along with many of Glenn's earlier records, can be heard here.

Summer recap.



I'm in the home studio this morning, getting caught up on a few things, this summer recap blog post being one of them.

I had 31 shows on the books for the month of August. A cancellation and a double-booking have brought that number down to a projected 29, still pretty damn good. And I managed to find time to shoot a TV commercial for a local bank AND sneak away for a two-day visit to the ocean. Good month!

Oh, and my 10-year-old (Shannon) made his on-stage debut with my classic rock band No Limitz at a show in Alton NH. He has been taking guitar lessons, and he played Sweet Home Alabama with us! (Video coming soon.)

September looks to be almost as busy, and it features a couple very exciting shows - I get to play songs from the new record at a house party for some friends who contributed to the CD fundraiser, and I'm rolling out some drinking songs at the 17th annual Homebrewer's Jamboree!

About that new album: There is the possibility of one track being ready for release by October. The full release will be around year's end. But I'm listening to the rough mixes as I type this, and I'm just as excited as I was when Ken Stringfellow was here recording them. You gotta hear this stuff, guys. Look for some sort of a preorder link soon.

I'm compiling ideas (and willing victims) for music videos. Hopefully next month I can find time to get some people organized and shoot some footage. (There's a fair bit that I can probably go out and shoot by myself, too.) But if you have an interest in helping, and a camera of modern smartphone quality or better, I'll take all the help I can get. :) If you want to help by being part of a big group wearing animal mascot costumes, that would be a big help as well. Nothing VMA Awards-related, I promise.

And hey, what are you up to tonight? I'm hosting the weekly open mic at The Country Cow in Campton. It starts at 7pm. Come out and get yourself some local music! Even better, bring a guitar and join in!