And then there’s this movie business

I have spent a great deal of time, albeit a great deal of it in a scattered manner, working on scoring a film called Ranchero. Though I have contributed music to films before, this is my first feature-length-real-deal-official-like theatrical-ready-you-better-do-a-good-job kinda...job.

If I knew was I was getting myself into, well, I still would've done it. It's been a incredible challenge to say the least, to put music behind scenes to emphasize the emotion on screen. It always makes sense when I see movies, but less so when it's up to me. In a lot of ways, it's felt like that magnetic poetry game, where you put a jumble of things together and let the magic fall into place.

Over the course of the several months I have worked on this, I've grown quite attached to the film, and once it starts to make the rounds, I hope you'll get the chance to see it yourself. This film is called "Ranchero".

Something that I am very grateful to this movie for, is the birth of a couple new original songs that will find a home somewhere soon. In the meantime, I've just uploaded a rough version of one of them, called "The Bitterness."

Hope you enjoy it.

And thanks, once again, to all of you who come here and listen to my musical nonsense. Helps me feel it makes even just a little sense.

Happy New Year.
Still in awe,
DD

Happy Thanksgiving?

Just my wish for this week's holiday.

I know that many get to see their families and friends, and have a great time reconnecting. It's a long weekend and usually comes at a nice time to get away. Myself, I will be doing the same.

But since we really, as a nation, aren't REALLY celebrating the true meaning of what Thanksgiving is, or was...and since it's become more a matter of just getting together with your loved ones or going back home...which is all quite fine indeed...quite spectacular really..

...then, do we HAVE to eat the Turkey's? Truly, do we HAVE TO EAT THE TURKEY?

Do you EVER find yourself during the course of the year saying things like:

"I MUST eat the turkey."

"TURKEY is ALL I can think about. And it MUST be eaten."

"I don't know where it came from, but I know where it's going...and it's my belly."

"That turkey's ONLY purpose is to be on MY plate EVERY 2nd to last Thursday of each darn year...or I will FREAK out."

Well, if you aren't saying these things, and if you are TRULY going home to reconnect, visit, love, share, and laugh with your family, friends, relatives, or whomever....and the reason for your visit is not just to EAT THE TURKEY...

And if those same loved ones are not whittling way from starvation (which, come on, they AREN'T if they live in America)...

And if your sole purpose this weekend isn't your internal drive and desire to honor the original feast of Thanksgiving (before mass-consumption existed) in the EXACT SAME WAY as it took place in the 1600's....

Then consider NOT eating a turkey.

Honestly, do you have to? Would you be less of person if you didn't?
Would you be less if you ate something else (even Tofurkey!) and enjoyed the company of those you care about in your life?

Because I'm quite certain the turkeys would be happy just to be with theirs and not on your plate.

So if only ONE person manages to skip it this time around, that would be my wish.

Well, that and a decent Tofurkey recipe suggestion perhaps...




Sorry for the soapbox.
Have a great holiday.
Cheers!

Independent Music Awards

Wow!

I am very, very happy and honored to have just found out that my album "Photographs of 1971" has been nominated for Best Pop/Rock Album of the Year in the Independent Music Awards.


As with any artist in any medium that puts a great deal of time into something they care about, it means a lot to be recognized for the entire body of work. I think there is a couple more months before they decide the final category winners, but in the meantime you can vote for my record on your own for a popular vote they are having. Just click the link above.


In other news, Sox are champs....AGAIN!

My goodness,
DD

Test Blog One

Perhaps the new web site???

Un-victorious

Ok, that was weird.

My friend Danny Palmer tells me about this site called OurStage. He's been claiming to have had this concept for a webpage for like, 10 years or something. Seriously, he's like, " I have this idea for a website, where people can go and "hear some music", and then like, "pick what they like", and you know, other folks recommend other good stuff. And my response has always been like your is probably right now, and that is..."You mean, Danny, like EVERY MUSIC WEBSITE ON THE INTERNET?!"

Still, he's convinced that somehow his is/was different and he's missed the boat on this genius idea. Also, I think he wants to specifically blame me for the perceived miss. (I should note, however, that Jamba Juice was MY idea, Danny!)

Moving on. Danny says this OurStage is pretty close to his original stroke of genius. So I go and check it out. Turns out, the site does up to the minute rankings of music based on head to head voting battles. An actual numbered standing. Just like sports! I'm in. So I sign myself up, throw in a bunch of my music, and move on. I'd say that the story ends there as it does with most music sites, except that:

A) Danny calls me three times a day to update me on our rankings (he starts out ahead)

B) My video keeps creeping towards the top
and

C) I get an email at the end of the month informing me that I've made the semi-finals for September.

Ok. Buuuutttt....the semi-finals of what exactly? Of course, Danny lets me know that these guys are actually serious and there are real prizes. So now I'm slightly more interested in not losing. One week later, another email informs me that I've actually won "Video of the Month." Now it's getting cool. (Which, I suppose it was before as well, but things always seem "cooler" when they come attached with personal victory)

Then it hits me. OurStage, somehow...someway, has a $5000 monthly grand prize for overall best video. $5000!! Time to stop acting like a too-cool music snob and get the tens of people on my email list to start voting for me goddamit!

So I spend the last day of September glued to OurStage.com, watching my video for "Falling Into Space" drift in and then out and then back in and then back out of the 1 position. It was unnerving to be honest. The whole thing went from "just another music website" to "this is the BEST SITE EVER IN THE WORLD PLANET OF INTRAWEB SUPER SITES!".

At the end of the day, when the dust had settled, I emerged un-victorious. Oh well. Perhaps it wasn't the greatest site of mankind everness, but it still provided me with quite a thrill for a few days there. And I did, after all, win best music video. So, not bad.

So the battles wage on, and if you're so inclined, you should consider the following 3 things:

1) go to OurStage.com, and put some of your own stuff up there and try to be not un-victorious.

2) go to Danny's MySpace page, and tell him that if he mentions Kingcuts.com one more time to me, the his next album is OFF!

3) go Red Sox (just thought I'd throw that in there while I was numbering things)


Lastly, it has just occurred to me that I still haven't written about the whole Australian Songwriters Award that I won for "Falling Into Space" as well. The reason I really need to tell that story has waaaaay more to do with my acceptance speech than the actual award. So I'll rest my weary fingers and get back soon.

Thanks to all of you who helped vote for my video during that last rush!
Not completely un-victorious,
DD