Raunchy guitar is good for the soul

I recently started jamming with an eighties cover band. We are playing New Wave stuff like Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, The Cars, The Kings etc. For now we are called ‘Tasty Waves’ (Fast Times at Ridgemount High reference)

I have been having a blast playing loud rock ‘n’ roll guitar. We have a great singer so I’m just playing guitar and a few harmonies here and there. I can’t wait to play gigs with this band. I was in a band playing some of these tunes when they first came out and here I am 30 years later playing them again. The main difference is I’m a much better player now (and the grey hair and I’m 60 lbs heavier and I can’t read fine print)

We are all pretty laid-back cats so the vibe is fun and relaxed.

My good friend Stu lent me his 1973 Aria Crestwood guitar that I have been running through a mid-90′s Tubeworks TubeDriver amp. It has a solid state clean sound with a tube-driven overdrive channel. It’s small, light and incredibly loud! I love it. I don’t have a huge collection of pedals. I use a mid-90s Digitech RP5 pedal board. It’s tempermental as hell but I like it. I have a DOD EQ and a Double Muff (when the tube OD just isn’t enough). I have a Boss RC-3 Loop station on order but I plan to use this mainly for solo gigs. In this band my main effect is volume.

And that makes me happy!

Stupid Thing

I went to see the Good Lovelies on Friday night and I noticed that one of the players was using some sort of foot pedal to trigger a kick drum sound. I checked around the interweb and found a bunch of percussion stomp boxes you could buy for hundreds of dollars. Then I saw a couple of videos on YouTube of homemade versions made for next to nothing. I thought to myself, self you can do that.

So I did. I used a wooden box, a speaker,a  1/4 jack plug and a few other bits and pieces I had lying around. The speaker mounted face down on the top of the box acts as a microphone and picks up the sound as I tap my foot on the box. I mounted rubber feet on the bottom and glued some cork on the top to mute the sound a bit.

And it works and sounds great- you can change the sound by tapping in different places. I need to make one now for my other foot that can act as a snare drum- I’ll need to think about that.

Oh yeah- I call it the “Stupid Thing” because of my wife, Sherry’s comments, “How long did it take you to build that stupid thing?”

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I hate exercise

There—I said it. It doesn’t matter if there is good music or TV or whatever distraction, working out still sucks. I’ve starting going to a fitness centre to try to loose a few pounds which will help my diabetes. I know its good for me, I’ll probably fell better, blah,blah, blah.

The bottom line is I would rather be playing my guitar and playing around in my studio (or cleaning toilets) than sweatin’ to the oldies. I should right a song called “Treadmill Time Warp” to desribe how  20 minutes feels like two hours on a treadmill.

It’s a mystery to me

Music is a mystery to me. Why do some songs connect with us so deeply and others just barely register? When I write a song I have no idea if anyone other than me will like it. I work on the ones I like and throw the others in the trash (its really more like a recycling bin). Maybe the songs that I think suck are the ones that people would most enjoy. But they probably just plain suck.

The feedback I’ve received so far on my new CD, “Release the Lion” has been very positive. Are these people just being nice? Maybe. I’m working up the courage to send my CD off to some reviewers.

Like most neurotic musicians I just want to be loved so I don’t know how I would react to a negative review. I’d probably just mumble something about the reviewer being an asshole then desperately seach for a good review to soothe my tattered ego.

Boxes of CDs

I came home last night and there were boxes on my front step full of my CDs. This is the third time I’ve open boxes and looked at my CDs inside. It was just as thrilling this time—even more so because I’m so excited about this release.

I’m thinking of how to do a CD release show—my idea is to play a solo acoustic set, just me and my guitar and then a full band set for the rockier stuff. Kind of like Neil Young in “Rust Never Sleeps” except without the roadeyes and giant amps. I just had a thought – I could call it “The Lion Never Sleeps”!

I’m going to try to shoot some video this weekend for posting to YouTube, acoustic performances of the songs from “Release the Lion” We’ll see how that goes. I know, I’ll call it “Unplug the Lion”!

Getting ready to release the lion

For the last year and half I have been working away nights and weekends writing and arranging and recording a bunch of original songs. 

I work full-time as a communicator which takes quite a bit of my creative juice but my passion and obsession for making music always gives me the boost I need to stay up into the night trying to get the best take. Frankly, I think I may have been asleep when I recorded some of parts as I have absolutely no recollection of how to play some of  them now!

Now, my CD “Release the Lion” is about to be, well ..released. My first 200 copies will be delivered tomorrow. It will soon be on itunes and available for ordering on  my web site (www.timaylesworth.ca) 

 I’ve been working with a great company, Indiepool (www.indie.pool.com) who in addition to duplicating the CDs, sets up itunes, ecommerce, digital distribution to retailers, all the stuff you need to do to get your music out there.

My old high school friend, Christine Bode who runs ScullyLove Promo is doing a great job linking up all the social media pieces that need to come together.

I have a rocking new band getting ready to do some shows and I always love solo acoustic gigs. In short, it’s a busy, exciting time.

I will be blogging regularly about music, gear, recording and whatever else pops into my mind at the time.

And if you are wondering about the kind of cheesy title of my blog, “Its a Musical Journey”- I got that from an interview with U2- they were killing themselves laughing when they used the phrase to answer an interviewer’s question about their tour. It’s great to see a  band like U2 not take themselves too seriously. I sure don’t take myself too seriously. It also funnier when you think of it in an Irish accent.

A little punchy in the control room (the pill bottle is a shaker, BTW)

My song will be the next United Way theme

I’m really happy that the Kingston United Way will be using my song as the next campaign theme song. The song is called “Everyday Heroes”.

Uh-oh getting sick!

I have a big show tomorrow night with Open Voices Community Choir. I’m singing in the Tenor section, playing guitar on a few tunes and drums on a few others. I’m also singing  “Imagine”. But…I’m getting sick – I can feel the cold brewing in my head and started to wrap around my vocal chords.

I don’t advocate drugs but I think I’ll be heavily medicated for this performance

 

 

Hello World!

My name is Tim Aylesworth and I’m getting ready to release a CD of my music. I plan to write about my music and other music-related topics that turn me on.

I hope some people will enjoy at least some of what I write