Finally after months of delays the album is available on iTunes for those of you who were asking.
We will be putting up some T-Shirts in our online store and a special promotion for a T-Shirt and a free CD through our website.
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Perhaps my hopes were too high. I was thinking to myself "Here is is a chance for Gary to come out of the shadows of neglect.". "The birthplace of Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 has an opportunity to show the world what it is really made of.". Unfortunately, those who attended the memorial service on July 10, 2009 were to be let down.
I can differentiate between the profiteering of entrepreneurial bootleggers and their more professional counterparts, but the only difference is one of manufacturing/design quality. The essence of these cultural vultures is the same - exploitation. So I'm not looking down my nose at the T-shirt vendors, or even the people selling the five dollar Michael Jackson home burnt CD-R's, anymore than I am looking down on Rolling Stone, Newsweek, or Time's special issues - and the inevitable remastering of Michael's work that will make some rich folk richer. Each shares a modicum of guilt.
Neither the mass media nor the vendors have the patience for art's expression. This memorial service proved the same. Michael was an artist of the highest calibur putting his sweat and tears into his craft, yet here we are met with shallowness. Any serious artistic endeavour requires an exacting attention to detail in an effort to express timelessness. This was a "bootleg memorial" because the true color of empty self gratification came to the forefront. I've written a song and painted a painting - how am I any different? From my perspective, Michael Jackson was a huge part of my maturation and I have always played the part of the devils advocate in any accusations against the man. I'm not too sure his transgressors have taken Jacko's (as they so lovingly call him) life into the same consideration. In turn, half the reason I did the painting was to examine my feelings on his life, death and the psychology of the manchild. The other motivating factor was to bring art to the forefront - to show that there is a distinct difference in being moved by profit and moved by passion. You will know a tree's roots by its fruit. Well this production was a bad apple.
Sitting there in RailCats park it began with a nauseating and obnoxious echo echo echo. Let me let me try let me try to let explain try to explain to try it explain to you it explain to you. This was absolutely, the most god awful sound production I have ever expereinced. No high school musical, no moldy basement "concert", nowhere have I heard sound this bad. The world's eyes and ears are turned to Gary, IN and this is what they see and hear. Michael Jackson, renouned for his perfectionism, and audio travesty is all we have to offer? How are we suppose to honor the a memory of a man, who put his attention into every aspect of his performance, with this half rate talent show?
Do I think it's a terrible shame that LA puts on this all-star memorial and not one tinsle towner can find their way to this forgotten city? Damn straight I do - yet I still believe there's a difference between innocent fun and sending the man off with some class. I don't want to hear Britney Spears, Daft Punk, or OutKast (no matter how much I like the latter two) at a Michael Jackson memorial unless it's those artist's commenting on Michael's influence. If you can't compete with Usher's choreography, dancers, and budget - then just have a quaint, heartfelt gathering. Let us be moved with emotion.
I do have to point out that there was a FANTASTIC rendition of Thriller that would have been blockbuster where it not for the marred sonic presentation. Then there was a touching performance by a young boy that might have moved people to tears of reflection.
Alas this night turned out quite shameful. My brother commented "I didn't think a person could die twice, but after tonight I'm not so sure.". So I fear the lackluster event may have cemented Gary's image as a mere novelty, like some cheesy capitalist selling gaudy Las Vegas souveiners. Perhaps not. Perhaps the world might see through the dense fog like Michael peering through a smoke filled club as a child and find this place shouldn't be wiped off the map anytime soon. I believe Michael and Gary hold much in common as they have fallen victim to sensationalist caricatures. It is difficult for outsiders looking in to see either one with any degree of internal understanding. Here's to the man in the mirror.
Heliotropism may be the title of the next album. It should be the title of US energy policy! Forget the goofy 35.5 MPG standard, what happened to the electric car?
I will be doing an in studio radio interview with some fantastic dudes over at 1470AM WBMD Peoria IL on May 5th the day the album releases. You can actual catch a snippet of a previous interview I did with them last summer on the intro track to 10,000 Hours.
Just in case I get into the bad habit of not updating often enough for you rabid fans - I've took the plunge into the twitter madness so I can keep things fresh from my phone.
Well the Album is finally done. I sent it off to Discmakers yesterday and am in the process of trying to get this site up and running. I'm sure it will change a lot in the coming weeks and months.
The album's release will be multi-tiered. It will release locally - available through myself or someone from the record label. It will be available in a few retail outlets - Front Porch Music, coffee shops and likely Barnes and Noble.
About a week or so later it will release to some online distributors - namely DigStation and CD BABY before going onto iTunes in early summer.