The Weblog of Daniel Tashian

Well The Silver Seas have a show coming up next week. Saturday the 5th at the basement, in Nashville. We will be playing songs from our new record, Chateau Revenge.  Lillie sent me the following link to a blog by Ryan Adams about Danzig and Bruce Willis. Been having a lot of fun with my new Baritone guitar, by Jerry Jones.  I am also endorsing Dave Smith Instruments as well, now. So I have the Edirol hooked up to the satellite radio now, so it’s just like when you were a kid, and you could record the radio on tapes. I remember sitting for hours listening to the other shit and waiting for moon unit to come on, singing “Valley Girl”. I also recorded Howard Jones doing “No one is to Blame” because I felt that song summed up the irony of life as I saw it at that point. I also remember going over to Nathan Keith’s house and discovering The Smiths in 8th grade, and not really knowing what to make of it, but knowing it was cooler than me. “Unhappy Birthday” was my favorite initially. Later on, you begin to appreciate things like guitar playing and production more, but then it was just a song. The singer’s voice and the feeling of it. So I have this remote thingy, and everytime a song comes on that I like, I can hit record and later I have a mix tape of sorts, recorded from the radio! Except the only thing is that the remote doesn’t work! Which is a bummer because it’s a great idea. But I have recorded the Cure and Soft Cell and all the New Order that they play. And Depeche Mode. I think it would be cool to do something that sounded Depeche Mode-ish. Also U2 are so good live it’s ridiculous.  Listening to the Sort of Homecoming live ep, it’s sick. The drums are insane. So I guess i’m thinking about the tall shadows all these bands cast. I mean, U2 is really like a 3 piece band, with a singer, and it sounds just huge. I know they have people under the stage now, like 25, playing different things but back then I don’t think they did.

Well in the morning Marcus Hummon came by, and we started a song, and he played me some stuff he was working on. That was fun. And he was talking about coaching football, and the way the parents can be such tyrants. Then Lil and I went to internationa mkt and I had Siam chicken and she had spring rolls. Then I went over to Angelo’s studio “The Beauty Shop” and it was really cool. Greg went over there and set up a snake and everything. All organized. I need to call greg. Then I went out to Nolensville and wrote a song with Natalie Hemby. It was called “Marionette” and it was quite good, I thought. Then to Rumors East to play a few songs with Jeremy Lister and Samantha Gibb. It was a “sing for your supper” kind of night, and they gave you a pizza and some wine and in exchange you play a few songs. It was very elegant under the stars and you felt like you were in the south of France or something. Jeremy is so good, really. I liked everything he played. Samantha sounded good too, and we did a hilarious cover of me and Bobby McGee where I switched keys on the end (laughs) “From the Kentucky coalmines…” and everybody laughed….I played “Imaginary Girl” and I think people recognized it, but I had 2 glasses of chardonnay and messed up the words. Lil had a headlight out so we caravaned home.

Well we went for a bike ride this morning, John and Hags and I. To the dam and back, and let me tell you that’s a bit of a hike! I feel sort of like I would imagine one of those appalachian trail people….plum tuckered and so forth…but we had fun, us three guys, riding and talking….solving the music industry problems…etc…sad to hear about Annie Leibovitz’s financial woes. But you have to really be bad with money to blow through 24 Million. Maybe you don’t….what the hell do I know? But I heard Taylor Swift on the way home and it just doesn’t get old. No matter how many times I hear it, still sounds good to me. I should go to the studio and do something today.

Well I’m updating this from the iPhone…Jason is mixing furiously at the compound and I’m just sitting here tapping away. It sounds fantastic! He is mixing “From My Windowsill” right now and he has that cool John Lennon slap on the vocal. I will try to upload a picture. Lillie went to the pool with Rachel and then it started to rain. I’ve been wearing my running shoes all day. Deaderick asked me to take a bike ride tomorrow. I haven’t ridden for a while but I need to get back out there….