2021 Year In Music

We are now two years into this pandemic fiasco, and it continues to dominate our daily lives on every level. Being an artist and navigating the 'new normal' is incredibly difficult, however, life must go on! We must adapt and conform while we continue to create because people need the arts now more than ever. Obviously we still need to be safe to protect ourselves and everyone around us, and unfortunately that means we still must be patient before jumping back into this full steam ahead. With that said, I was fortunate enough to contribute to some creative projects throughout the year, and have recently started returning to the road.

Gold Child

This was a tough year for Emily and myself, however, we were able to release our second full length album, which was started just prior to quarantine in New York. This album is a huge step forward creatively for Emily, and a great progression in her songwriting. We were fortunate to work with some excellent people on this project, including our good friend and longtime band member John Fredericks. Our friend Allen Tate helped us produce the tracks, friends Tim Lappin, Gabriel Rodriguez, Will McLaren, and Dan Kalisher played all over it, and friend Ariel Loh mixed the album.

Gold Child · Far From You

The Gloomies

I had started playing with my friend Andy prior to quarantine, and he had asked me to contribute drums to a track he was working on this past year. Since moving to Los Angeles, I still have yet to find a studio space of my own, but have still been able to find different spaces to remotely record drum tracks for friends. This track made it onto his recently full length, and we were fortunate enough to do a short tour of the midwest in December.

The Gloomies · Out There

Other than recording projects, I have recently become a live member of Lyn Lapid's band. This has been an eye opening experience and I have learned so much about the modern live show environment. I look forward to many more shows in the future.

2020 Year In Music

 As we all know, last year was... difficult. That may sound like an understatement, but we continue to move forward and distance ourselves from the events of last year, and I believe that however difficult our situations might have been, we can all agree that we would like improve our lives and improve the environment surrounding us. If I sound overly optimistic, it's because I am. I've had a lot of time over the past year to reflect not only on my creative output, but my life in general. Granted I wish I could've spent more of that time in the company of others, collaborating on music projects because that is what I've been drawn towards in the past few years, but I understand the need for a large pause in order to get this virus under control. If anything, it allowed me to reconnect with my own creativity and make music on my own for the first time in many years. Hopefully I can keep that momentum going into this new year. When last year started, I was very eager to see what the year had in store for me. I was playing a lot of music with people and I was scheduled to be touring for a large part of the year. At the same time, I knew my time in NYC was coming to an end, with Emily and I making plans to relocate to Los Angeles sometime in the summer. Obviously those plans didn't come to fruition, however, we did end up in Los Angeles, albeit with a short detour through Denver, and now I'm very happy and fortunate to be settled in a new city, eagerly looking forward to all that this year brings us. I am cautiously optimistic, but optimistic nonetheless.

With that in mind, 2020 wasn't a total loss. A second Gold Child album was already underway when NYC entered lockdown, and thankfully a majority of the tracking had already taken place. Our timeline obviously was extended, but I am very proud of Emily for continuing and ultimately finishing the record. Thankfully the modern recording process has already allowed for remote collaboration, so finishing the album didn't prove overly difficult.

Gold Child

The first single we released from the upcoming album is titled "Like You Used To.' I believe this is Emily's greatest work to date. I love how this song came out, and I really like the way it sounds. I hope you do as well.

Surf Rock Is Dead

The only other project that I worked on and released last year is the debut full length album from Surf Rock Is Dead. This had been in the works for a long time, and unfortunately could not be pushed back any further. This was going to be a huge year for the Surf Rock boys, and we likely would have been on tour for most of the year, starting with our first ever appearance at SXSW. I can only hope that one day soon we will be sharing the stage again together. They worked very hard to put this album together and it deserves to be heard by more people.

And that's it folks! I did do a few remote recording sessions at the beginning of quarantine, so we'll see how those pan out, but I can only hope 2021 will be a more robust year creatively. Fingers crossed.

2019 Year In Music

So here we are, the end of a decade. A decade of highs and lows and a period of tremendous growth for me a person and a musician. I have now lived in New York City for just over 10 years, for better or for worse haha. But in all seriousness, New York has played an important role in shaping me as a person as I finished my twenties and entered my thirties. I moved to New York will very little planning and much naiveté, so I'm not going to say that I could've envisioned where I would be in 2020, but I probably assumed I would still be here. And I probably would have assumed I would still be making music, which has quietly been increasing year after year. This past year was very important for me a musician, one of my most accomplished, and I've very proud of everything that I participated in. My journey is a slow one, but one that I have complete control over, so I am at least grateful for that. That being said, this coming year is shaping up to even busier, which I welcome with open arms. While I consider myself lucky to possess the talents which allow me to be a professional musician, it is an incredibly difficult career, one that I still struggle to earn enough income from without having to work an additional job. I understand there is a certain amount of privilege that is a part of being a musician, but that doesn't mean we don't work incredible hard to produce and present our art to the world. While the modern recording industry is still very young, it is not currently sustainable for most professionals. I think we can all agree on the importance of music in our lives, especially as we look for diversions in this current state that we have found ourselves in, and all I ask is that you think about how that music made its way to your ears. The creative process runs very deep and usually involves quite a few people, all trying their best to create their best work. Music is more abundant and available than ever, so I understand the difficulty in sifting through it all, but if you truly are a music fan, all I ask is that you support musicians in one form or another, of which there are many forms, and I trust you will find a few ways to best suit you. I will never stop creating, and I will never stop working with people who create because that is what I love to do, whether or not it is financially viable. I'll be fine, I hope.

Here is a selection of a few things I worked on this year:

Gold Child

This was the year of Gold Child! Emily released her debut full length album, and I am so grateful that I got to be a part of creating this beautiful record. There was nothing easy about putting this all together, and we worked many years on this project, but I think it's safe to say that we are very proud of the final product. I would like to thank Emily for writing these beautiful songs, and John Fredericks and Garrett Eaton for helping to produce the songs, and to Justin Gerrish for making everything sound great! The album is available on your streaming service of choice, but the Spotify link is below:

Dismal Stars

This is another project that I am more creatively attached to. Along with Nathan Aguilar and Ryan Hill, we have created a short album that I am very proud of. I would also like to thank Sam Wadsworth for helping us achieve a sonic reality. Playing this style of music is a thrill and I'm very happy to be a part of this band.

Surf Rock is Dead

Only one single was released this past year, which will be included on a full length album to be released May 1st. This year was quiet in comparison to years passed, however, 2020 is shaping up to be a busy one for SRiD.



We also released a music video for the single, 'Away Message,' which was a lot of fun to be a part of.




Also this year I became an active live member of the band Hideout, who I had admired for some time, and I am excited to participate in future recordings. I am also still a live member of Blonder, who is also about to release some new music.

Finally, I would just like to thank all the musicians I had the opportunity to make music with over the past decade, all the musicians I have met in during my time in New York, and all of the people who have listened. Because without the listeners, we would be nothing. Thank you.

2018 Year In Music

This past year was yet another busy year for me musically. However, most of the music that I worked on, or was a part of this year, has yet to be released. Gold Child is very close to finishing a full length album, with the songs being prepped for the mixing stage. I am also a member of a new project called Dismal Stars, and we recorded seven brand new songs this year that are being mastered as I type this. Needless to say, 2019 is going to be a busy year for me, and I look forward to sharing new music with the world.

All of that being said, here are a couple songs released last year that I did play on.



Surf Rock Is Dead, "Away Message"



This song is the first release of a new batch of songs that the boys wrote and that we have been working on for the past year. A full album is on the horizon and should be released later this year.



Ski Lodge, "It's The End Of The World Tomorrow"



This song is the last to be released that was part of a batch of songs Andrew and I had worked on a couple years ago. Most of the other songs have been released as part of various EPs, but this one sat on the shelf while Andrew was building his new recording studio in Brooklyn called Hook and Fade. I'm glad this song has finally been released to the world.

2017 Year In Music

Another year has come and gone, and this was a year that most of us are probably very glad to be finished with. We were all tested physically and mentally, and it looks as though we might have another tough year ahead. Regardless, we have to keep living and creating because that's what we all do best, and I very much look forward to being creative in this new year. With that said, this past year was another busy one for me musically, and here are a few of the highlights.

Gold Child http://www.goldchildmusic.com

This was a very important year for us as a band. Emily has been writing great songs, and we convinced our friend John to not only help us produce these songs, but to also play guitar in our live band. We played some very fun shows with very good friends, and I'm sure that next year is only going to be better. We released two new songs this year, which can be found on your streaming service of choice.

Surf Rock is Dead http://www.surfrockisdead.com

This was yet another busy year for SRiD because in addition to playing a ton of shows, they also released a brand new EP that I had the pleasure of playing on.  The EP was accompanied by a very fun release show at Rough Trade in Brooklyn and then a tour with the Swedish band Shout Out Louds, which took us to the West Coast of North America.  We had a lot of fun this year playing for a lot of new people, and I look forward to what the new year has in store.







While I'm still a member of Ski Lodge and Von Sell, this year was a bit slower that the previous, however, we did play a few shows and both bands remain active. I look forward to making music together in the future. With that said, I believe creativity is more important than ever, not only to enrich ourselves, but everyone in our lives. This upcoming year is an important one, and together we can make it truly beautiful.

2016 Year In Music

This has been a very busy year. I would definitely say 2016 was my busiest since I graduated college and moved to New York. And that's a good thing. While I think it's safe to say that this past year was a difficult one for most, myself included, I am also grateful for many of the opportunities that came my way this year allowing me to advance my career in music. I'm grateful to the many musicians I met this year, as well as my girlfriend Emily for writing beautiful music. Living in New York is not easy, but I like to think that I have finally carved out a little piece of the pie for myself after all these years. While I complain constantly about the city, I love making music here, and I am glad that I'm doing it with my friends. Below is a quick rundown of the projects that I'm involved in.



Gold Child  https://www.facebook.com/goldchildmusic/

This is Emily's band that I play drums in and help her record and produce. We did not release any new material this past year, but we have been busy the last few months recording and working with new people to help produce her new songs. Please stay tuned for new music coming soon.



Blonder  https://www.facebook.com/blonderworld/

This is a band that I play drums in with some really great dudes. I did not play on any of the recordings, but I would recommend that you listen to them. An EP will be released soon, which means that we are about to get very busy. Stay tuned.



Surf Rock is Dead  https://www.facebook.com/surfrockisdead/

I have been playing with these guys for a couple years now, but this year was especially busy. In addition to playing locally a 2-3 times a month, we ventured out of town quite frequently. We befriended a few bands in Philadelphia, and even went on a short tour with one (Suburban Living). We also went on our first semi-national tour (supporting The Jezabels), my first tour in a few years. We also recorded some new songs, the first of which was recently released. Listen below.





Ski Lodge  https://www.facebook.com/skilodgeee/

It's true we have not played many shows this year, or released much new material. However, Ski Lodge is not dead. Andrew recently opened his own studio in Brooklyn and we have been working on new material, as well as an assortment of different projects. Emily and I have been spending a lot of time there working on her songs and we are looking forward to spending more time there this year. Ski Lodge still exists, so stay tuned for new songs in the future.



Von Sell  https://www.facebook.com/vonsell/

This is a band that I play drums in. I've actually been involved in this project for a couple years, but only recently have I become an official member as we begin to play more shows. I have not played on any of the recordings, but an EP was released recently and I would highly recommend it.



Hammer of Justice  https://www.facebook.com/hammerofjusticenyc/

Many people ask me if I still play heavy music. And it's true, I occasionally do. We have only played two shows and have only begun recording our five songs, but this band is a force. I'm definitely getting a work out after pulling my double bass drum pedal out of retirement after seven years. Music coming soon.



So that's it. Well, not really. I still had plenty of other gigs this year, but I'm not going to go through and list everything. Also, I know I used to go through and list my favorite albums of the year, but sorry, this blog is all about me.

2015 Year In Music

This is the type of post that I have been writing for a few years now, where I present a quick rundown of what I have been listening to in the past year and listing my favorite albums. I'm not going to do that this year. While I have definitely been listening to music all year long, I wouldn't say that I would be qualified to recommend much new music from the past year. Honestly, I was so busy this year that I didn't devote as much time to discovering new music as I have in the past. I also spent a lot more time listening to older music that I admire more than anything being made at the moment.

I started this blog initially to create an archive of my creative output, and to preserve that on the internet. While I don't update very often, I still like using this space to present whatever projects I have been working on. This was a busy year for me as a musician, as well as a producer and engineer. So this year I'm going to present a quick rundown of everything that has been released this year that I had a hand in. This has been my busiest year since moving to New York, and while I'm proud of what I accomplished, I believe this is only the tip of the iceberg and that next year will be better than the past. But maybe that's just me being optimistic. I love being a musician and I've very grateful for the people whom I make music with. Here are the fruits of my labor.


Gold Child, "Tides."




This is a project that is particularly close to my heart. Emily is my girlfriend and she writes beautiful music. We were fortunate enough to put a band together this year and release our first single. I played drums, co-produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered this track.





Inner Outlaws, "Year of the Outlaw."




While the future of IO is uncertain at the moment, this has been a very important year for us. We embarked on a very ambitious project this year of writing and recording a new track each month. And we almost made it! Here are the eight tracks that we made this year. I played drums, co-produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered all of these tracks, except for 'Just Like Moonlight' and 'The Mark,' which were mixed and mastered by Matt Shane.





Ski Lodge, "Trust," "Heaven Is Now," "God Will Never Come For Us."










These three tracks represent a new direction for Ski Lodge and are the result of sessions that were started a long time ago, so I am very glad that they have been released. I helped produce these songs with Andrew, and played drums and various percussion on these tracks, mostly on 'Trust' and 'Heaven Is Now,' where the drums were tracked live to 2 inch tape before being chopped up in Pro Tools.





Surf Rock is Dead, "Never Be the Same."




What started out as an occasional gig has turned full time, with the occasional session. I started playing with these guys in March and haven't stopped since, playing close to thirty shows in NYC this year. While I'm not a major part of the creative process, I did play drums on this track.


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Those are all the tracks that I played on that have been released this year, but I have also been playing with a couple other groups. Go check out Von Sell and Gemma.

Thank you all for listening and here are some shots of me playing drums cause why not?

2013 Year In Music

Yes, I know.  Most people with a blog are guaranteed to write a year in review post that no one really cares about because everyone has their own opinions.  But that is exactly why I am writing a post about what I listened to this year because I have an opinion, and I have a blog.  For what it's worth, I listen to a lot of music throughout the year, and I also play in a band that is becoming more and more popular throughout the Brooklyn music scene, so I definitely know what I'm talking about, right?  Regardless, all the music that I'm about to mention is old and played out by now, so don't even bother trying to listen to it.  Anyway, here's to another year of great records.

Caveman "Caveman."  I was surprised by this album, in a good way.  I had seen these guys play a few times in years past and thought they were 'ok,' but this album is really well put together, and their mellow indie vibe is something that I really enjoy.

Ducktails "The Flower Lane," "Wish Hotel." A solid album and a great EP.  You can't ask much more from a band in a year.  I know this guy is in Real Estate, but these records are so much more creative sonically than his other band.  All the songs have a great groove with some interesting guitar work.  Well done.

Foxygen "We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic."  This is probably my favorite album of the year.  The songwriting is excellent and is accompanied by some great arrangements.  This album just puts me in a mood where I want to create more music.

Fuzz "Fuzz."  Fucking heavy, but in a 70s rock way that doesn't push this into the metal category.  Ty Segall knows what he's doing.

 

Holy Ghost! "Dynamics."  This is the record I want to hear every time I step into a club.  Not only is it a great dance record, but the songs are great, too.

Local Natives "Hummingbird." A lot of people didn't like this album as much as their first, but I thought this record was much more mature and well written.  These guys deserve to be respected after this release.

No Joy "Wait To Pleasure."  This is a fun record with some great sounds.  I'm not really into the whole punk/post-punk revival going on in Indie right now, but this is a nice in-between with some shoegaze that makes it work.

Pure Bathing Culture "Moon Tides."  One of my favorites of the year, this album is a great listen.  The vocalist shines over lush guitars that sound great and bring out some great songs.

Smith Westerns "Soft Will."  In a similar vein as Foxygen, but more of a rock album.  Another great listen of the year.

Speedy Ortiz "Major Arcana."  I'm not exactly sure what drew me to this album, but the guitar parts are creative and just heavy enough that make me wish I was in this band.  And she's a great vocalist.

Wavves "Afraid of Heights."  This a good aggressive album.  Most people prefer his stripped down bedroom recordings, but the subtle production on this album really brings out some great songs.

Weekend "Jinx."  This album isn't perfect, but it's got that great shoegaze, uptempo feel that most bands wish they could achieve.


A few more records I liked:

Beach Fossils "Clash The Truth."  Cool Brooklyn band puts out cool record.

Chvrches "The Bones Of What You Believe."  Well produced dance-pop.

Delorean "Apar."  More dance-pop.

Frankie Rose "Herein Wild."  She continues with another solid album.

Kurt Vile "Walkin On A Pretty Daze."  He continues with another solid album

Majical Cloudz "Impersonator."  This was a weird, cool album.

Mikal Cronin "MCII."  Fun songs.

Wild Nothing "Empty Estate."  More fun songs.

And a few more artists that released albums this past year that I listened to:

Cass McCombs
Haim
King Krule
The National
Regal Degal
Small Black
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Vampire Weekend
Washed Out
Widowspeak