Archive for June, 2009

For musicians, there’s various routes of doing.  One would be to form a group, work on recordings, play shows locally, and go on tour, playing for various sized audiences, usually small at first, with little pay, and keep doing it until things naturally grow, or fade, and then move along.
Another way would be to form [...]

Thanks to everyone who came to the Physical Changes shows last week.  After only 4 shows, my ears are blown, my mind is dissolved, and I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck.  But it was worth it.  Special thanks to Ronen at Le Poisson Rouge, Dustin at Bowerbird, Jon Lorenz and John [...]

There’s been a lot of talk this week about a new project I’m involved in called Volcano Choir.  This is something we’ve worked on over the past few years that finally came together over a very work intensive two weekends this year.  For each of us, the results are perceived differently – for some, it’s [...]

“Astonishing. Absolutely astonishing. This is an ideal future for noise and experimental releases. Let’s just hope the rest of the wide, unfocused and less convincing pack take notice. In “Physical Changes”, accomplished percussionist Mueller (primarily of Collections of Colonies of Bees, as well as stints with members of Swans, Rhys Chatham, and others, his Myspace [...]

After playing the Physical Changes set for so long on my own, and even getting used to hearing the addition of Jim Schoenecker and David Bailey in a live setting, I was not at all prepared for what I heard last Saturday at the Hideout in Chicago.  Joined by Fred Lonberg-Holm and Dan Burke, we [...]

Adding further to the previous post about the cost of creativity, I’ve had conversations with people about simply making a living at what you do.  In the corporate world, this is an easy equation – you get a job, perform its requirements well, and there you have it.  In the independent world, in a world [...]

A nice review of the Physical Changes CD/LP/DVD by Peter Margasak in Chicago’s Reader.

There has always existed a hard balance between creativity and commerce.  Once the two fall out of balance, emotions flare toward either side: the creativity is not respected enough, or the creativity is not worthy of what was received.
Today, if you become a very good cook, you’ll likely make a living.  If you become a [...]

Next week, according to The Telegraph, the 1 millionth word will be officially entered into the English language.  That’s a lot of words, considering they still don’t cover everything.  There still exists misunderstanding and confusion, and people’s own lack of clarity with the words they know to use.  Are these million ever taught entirely?  Will [...]

I did a phone interview with Hugh MacLeod today after reading his book, Ignore Everybody, in one sitting.  I highly recommend this book for anyone who is self-employed, feels trapped in their job, or is waiting for their “big break.” It’s likely one of those descriptions fits you.