Stop me if you've heard the story... By 8th grade, all I wanted was to be in a rock and roll band. Problem was, I was all thumbs on the guitar. But I had been singing for years, so after…
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Jun 25 2019
Unpacking the Album – track 10: Soul Divided
I confess to envying those people I've encountered in life who have known from the start who they were and what they would grow up to become. I have witnessed a good number of those single-minded folks enjoy an unwavering…
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Jun 20 2019
Unpacking the Album – track 9: The Dude Abides
For several years, the band had the pleasure of playing "Cinco de Lebowski," the annual parade / costume ball / midnight movie hosted by McMenamins at Portland's venerable Bagdad Theater. It was a wild scene and a crazy-ass party. In…
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Jun 18 2019
Unpacking the Album – track 8: Two Hearts
This song has been hanging around quite a long time, not quite revealing what it wanted to be – rock or country. There's an anthemic '80s version in the archives, and a twang and tremolo version that nearly made it…
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Jun 11 2019
Unpacking the Album – track 7: Sorry Don't Cut It
Here was a phrase we've all heard and used for years that was just waiting to be the title of a song. The verses for this one were all “ripped from the headlines” for a song that seems to be…
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Jun 10 2019
Unpacking the Album – track 6: Dollars to Donuts
Sometimes, you write a song as an exercise in the craft instead of having your inspiration drop out of the sky. Truth be told, I sometimes find it a little easier to work within a set of creative constraints. I…
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Jun 6 2019
Unpacking the album – track 5: Show Me What You're Workin' With
"Show Me What You Workin' With!" was the cool catch-phrase my late friend and musical mentor Stanley Dural, Jr. (aka Buckwheat Zydeco) was using onstage at what turned out to be the last time we would see each other and…
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Jun 5 2019
Unpacking the Album – track 4: Wake-up Call
I can't begin to count the times in my life that I have stood by helplessly watching a friend’s downward spiral through alcohol, substance abuse and self-sabotage. Despite the many efforts I and others made to reach these people, it's…
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Jun 3 2019
Unpacking the Album – track 3: Raise It Up
Raise it up or burn it down – this is the choice each of us has to make In these polarized times. This song had its beginnings on August 12, 2017 when I walked into the living room and was…
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Jun 2 2019
Unpacking the Album – track 2: Salvation Road
Throughout their careers, Elvis, Jerry Lee and Little Richard were torn between singing the devil’s music and the gospel songs they were raised on. Sixty years later, I wondered if I might resolve that conflict with a song that could…
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May 31 2019
Unpacking the Album – track 1: Live to Rock (Another Day)
In a world of compromises, those who find True North and follow wherever it leads have a treasure beyond measure. But, what if that pursuit were suddenly taken away? Would you throw in the towel or a fight to get…
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