Had a great time.

Maile knows a wonderful Russian woman named Vera who studied drama and taught it to kids. So when we were looking for someone to speak Russian for a kid’s album I’m working on, Vera immediately came to mind. Tonight she came over, preformed and translated this poem.

Smile.mp3
Smile.aif

Улыбка

От улыбки хмурый день светлей!
От улыбки в небе радуга проснется.
Поделись улыбкою своей
И она к тебе не раз еще вернется!

И тогда наверняка вдруг запляшут облака,
И кузнечик запиликает на скрипке!
С голубого ручейка начинается река,
Ну а дружба начинается с улыбки!

Smile

With a smile a cloudy day brightens!
With a smile the world is colored like a rainbow.
Share your smile with a friend
And your smile will return to yo!

And suddenly clouds will be dancing
And the cricket will play the violin!
With a blue stream the river begins,
So friendship starts with a smile!

Is he happy or sad? Confused or mad? Look into her spiral eyes…

Addison and I went longboarding Saturday night.

From our nightly after-dinner walk around the hood. Two abstracts and a self-portrait reflection.

Here is the first draft of a video I’m submitting to Kickstarter.com, to use their service to get the support I need to press my second full-length album, FOK dUb. The video is rough, and has no titles, text, but I think it gets the idea across.

Kickstarter is a brilliant idea that creates an interface for artists and supporters to work directly together. Direct engagement is exactly what I’m always reading I should be doing, and Kickstarter inspired me – with it’s endless catalog of interesting, funded projects – to use it to try to explain to my fans exactly what I’m trying to do and why I need their support in the clearest value proposition possible.

I discovered how much better it feels to ask people to fund a project than to buy a product. I want to believe in it, not feel like I’m bugging people. It’s a better application of the Obama campaign communications code.

I still need to do some creative thinking about what I can offer for various levels of support, but basically I’m going to start with

• $1 gets you the digital download
• $5 also gets you the CD
• $10 also gets you the t-shirt
• $50 also gets you a custom song
• $100 also gets you a house concert

I don’t know what the right goal is, but I’m thinking somewhere between $500 and $1000.

Originally conceived of over the last year as “Folk Dub,” I’ve spent this year refining the set and the business behind it, into “fOK DUb,” an acoustic-soul reggae-remixed album of ten songs.

I’ll record the album at Tonehaus and ask fans and friends to remix the tracks, dub-style (or however they want).

There is a funky, syncopated feel and frequent beach/water theme running through the songs below, making them a perfect set to subject to a reggae-remix production.

1. I Can See You -  reggae soul
2. Mi Estilo Es Tranquilo -  reggae tejano
3. Un Momento Perfecto – folk samba jazz
4. All The Above -  pop folk rock funk vocal
5. Speeding1 and Speeding2- reggae folk rock bluegrass
6. God Has Been Good To Me1 and 2 -  gospel funk
7. Sat Morn (video)
   
8. Nobody Knows What It Means – soul pop horns and harmonies
9. Lake Rules  -  reggae kids fun
10. Dub Lub – stone cold reggae jam (needs lyrics?)

That’s FoK DuB. Over the next six months I will make an album out of these songs with full band, horns, and backup singers while at the same time asking friends, fans, and the public for feedback and colaboration. As I post songs please make sounds of your own, send to me to remix, or remix yourselves. fOk dUb.

After trying to crack Obama’s communications code, I’ve broken my philosophy down to the following five principles.

1. Truly believe in your cause: Nothing is more important than making and sharing great art, song. This year I need to make a great album, site, and share it with Austin (DC, New York, San Diego…) and the world.
2. Spread the word: I am a songwriter who cares about lyrics and poetry. Non-disposable words and a palette of folk, funk, soul, jazz, latin, rock and reggae. Everyday J making poetry pop.
3. Make it urgent: Countdown to the next album: 6 months. It’s been 4 years since my last album and I’ve got scads of unrecorded songs. I’ve been in Austin for 13 years and am almost completely unknown beyond my friends. The time is NOW! Make a great album, show, site. Get on the map in Austin, at the very least.
4. Give the power to the people: Solicit feedback and collaboration on everything I do. Create ways for fans to easily share with their friends. Be accessible to fans, creatively reward. Always offer clear opportunities for engagement.
5. Report from the front-line: Keep doing cool stuff, trying new things. Don’t sit around. Keep pioneering innovative approaches to writing and playing;  bring your sketchbook, recorder, camera, and guitar and get some good footage for the folks that can’t be there live.

Maile and I were on the Pacific coast of Mexico, taking a bus from Ixtapa to Zihuatanejo when this shirtless, blind man got on the bus with his guitar and started playing. We all sat silently as he sang. It was wonderful. I snuck this shot underneath the magazine in my hand.

Since Maile’s skater-cousin Addison arrived in Austin to work for a few weeks, we’ve been spending weekends hanging at skate parks and discovering new spots. I alternate between remembering how to ride a skateboard and shooting pics and vids of him.

Finally, today, Adds and I cranked out a little montage of the best footage we’d got so far. We were pleased.

I got a new Canon G11. I’m so excited, it’s the nicest digital camera I’ve ever had. Here are some of my favorite shots from the first few days.

Anais

Family Time Rocks Gigs: Manchaca Library and an HEB opening in Dripping Springs

Driving Round With Gray