Session Drummer | Studio Drummer | Touring and Worship Drummer for Hire | Dale Baker | Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, NC

Vote Early, Vote Often...

Three of the artists I've worked with in the past year are nominated this year for awards in our local indie paper.  I encourage you to check out their music and vote for them.  (And if for some reason the link to the ballot doesn't work for you, just go to Independent Weekly and click on the link on the upper left hand side of the page that says "2005 Indy Music Awards Vote Here!"  Alternatively, you can pick up this week's issue (1-25-06) and use the ballot inside, just don't forget to mail it in.

Nominated for Best New Rock Band:
The Physics of Meaning
I've played at least one show with these guys and recorded a few songs on their debut album. 

Nominated for Best Folk Record:
Karl Ruch - World Without End
This is one of my favorite records to have played on.  I think Karl is a talented fellow and is just beginning to blossom as an artist.  If for no other reason, you should purchase his record to hear the stellar John Heitzenrater help turn an old american hymn into an Eastern Orthodox meditation.

Nominated for Best Solo Record:
David Karsten Daniels - Angles
Okay, right.  I didn't play on this record, nor have I made an appearance on his forthcoming record yet (I'm still waiting for you to call David!) but I'd be remiss (is that the right word?) if I didn't mention his awesome solo record.  I did play a show with David at MACRock in Virginia last year, so that's gotta count for something.  Anyway, I've enjoyed playing with David in the studio for the various Buhanan Records we've played on, and it's always fun (though I haven't done it in awhile) to play with him when I've sat in with The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers.

And I'd also encourage you to vote for Thad Cockrell and Caitlin Cary as they are up for a couple of awards as well.  Alas, I was never able to play with Thad when he was here in town, but we did manage to hang out a couple of times.  (Once, when I was sick and the other time when he stopped by while I was mowing the lawn.  Maybe I should've made more of an effort.  Hmm.)  And I'm not sure if Jaguaro is nominated for anything, but if they are...vote for them too!

Indie Stores = Endangered Species

So apparently Best Buy is selling CD's (Indie CD's) at prices lower than you can find anywhere else.  This has alot of Indie Retailers upset.  Why you ask?  I asked the same question and after having visited the Carrot Top Distribution blog (aka, Saki Store Blog), I started seeing why this is maybe not such a good thing for Indie artists and music lovers everywhere.  The section quoted below is from a longer post, Best Buy BS:

"The combination of poor buying in huge quantities and their lack of ability to sell through eventually lead to so many returns that Best Buy stopped carrying indie music almost entirely. The huge racks at Best Buy that had housed music were suddenly empty, and then shortly they were gone, slowly to be replaced over the next few years by discounted DVDs and video games.

In the wake of this prolonged disaster lay cities all over the country without record stores, labels either driven to bankruptcy or crippled for years by 50+% returns on titles for which bands were already paid and saddled with enormous pressing plant bills, and a public who had finally realized that maybe music wasn't worth what it always had seemed."

Support your local Indie Music Store!  You'll be helping out independent artists and musicians more than you probably realize.

Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs

I can't believe I forgot this book in yesterday's post.  This was the other book I burned through over the holidays and failed to mention in my post.  My friend Chris gave this to me at the end of our visit and I sped through it in two days or so.  It's a pretty awesome book in my opinion.

Books I've been Reading

Currently, I just started reading The Magician and The Card Sharp and it promises to be another great read in the vein of Carter Beats the Devil and The Glorious Deception.  I've recently been fascinated by these tales of magicians in and around the turn of the 19th century.  One of these days I'm sure I'll learn a few tricks or two.  Reading The Magician and The Card Sharp makes me want to purchase that annotated Erdnase book.

Before the New Year arrived I sped through Carter Beats the Devil and then over the holidays I became enamored with The Abs Diet Get Fit Stay Fit Plan and The Abs Diet Eat Right Every Time Guide.  Which led to me subscribing to The Abs Diet online...yes, I plan to get fit and healthy in 2006 (just like everybody else...).  So far I'm only into my third week and I've already lost 5 pounds, so I think I'm off to a good start.

With my gift certificate to Barnes and Noble (thanks Mom and Dad!), I purchased See No Evil after seeing Syriana.  I'm now fairly obsessed with the Middle East and would like to someday meet Mr. Baer.  He seems like an interesting fellow with some fascinating stories.  The other book I purchased was Streetwise: Landlording and Property Management, because at some point in the next few years I might try and rent out our house here in Durham.

Which brings up another point...I briefly watched parts of that 20/20 special the other night, and it made me want to move to Europe for the sole purpose of raising our kids in the schools over there.  Plus, it's my hope and theory that all the awkward teen angst and social issues would be non-existent if my kids were going through that stage in a completely unfamiliar place, like some small town in Belgium.  And plus, with my new interest in the Middle East, Turkmenistan would only be a few long train rides away! 

Computer Geeks are the New Rock Stars

After watching the horrible New Year's Eve show on ABC the other night, I felt a little embarrassed for myself and every other person who has once considered themselves a musician.  Man, I thought the music was pretty awful.  Not to mention Ryan Seacrest and Dick Clark (God Bless him for trying).  I could really care less about Mariah Carey, I thought her performance was embarrassing to say the least.  Is this what the music industry has become?  Is that the best they could do?  Ugh.

So it's with that thought in mind that I read the latest email blast from Bob Lefsetz with some cool links and thoughts about how Apple is the new Rock Music. (And by association, I suppose, anyone who works in an Apple store must be the new equivalent of a rock musician.)

You have to agree that the fervor and excitement that you sense when visiting an Apple store is something akin to people waiting to get into a sold out concert.  Where do you see that kind of energy anymore?  Definitely not in any of the music stores I've been in (mostly I just get depressed when I go to music stores anymore...).  If only Pitchfork or Insound had a "bricks and mortar" store...

Anyway, from reading a few of these links:

MacRumors
Behind the Magic Curtain

I, along with a whole host of others I'm sure, will be looking forward to what may or may not be unveiled next week when "rock-star" Steve Jobs gives his keynote at MacWorld. And from reading that Guardian article, I wouldn't be surprised if something similar to a new-fangled Newton shows up:

"a device that superficially resembles a large iPod with an 8in diagonal screen, lacks a keyboard, packs USB and FireWire ports, and runs Mac OS X along with a variety of multimedia goodies"

Don't believe the Hype!

I found this interesting article over at Mobile Community Design.  Here is a quote:

"The IPod is a pretty music player that has an annoying circular interface and comes in small package."

Can it be true?  Someone writing a criticism of our culture's most valued possession?!  I found the article to be insightful and knowledgeable in it's criticism and it made me ponder what Apple might have in store for us next. 

Like pretty much everybody else, I've lusted over the various iterations of the iPod but unlike most people (it seems), I still have yet to own one.  I keep thinking if I wait long enough, Apple will come out with something TRULY useful to me.  My personal hope is that Apple is going to release some sort of Palm/ Blackberry computing device:  you'd have the iPod coolness factor, email capability, web surfing built in and maybe a few other cool apps built in. 

But then again, I have to admit - who cares if

"The IPod has too few buttons and it results in a slow, error prone, modal interface..."

- just owning one of those new video iPods would be pretty awesome.

Dude, check out my spouse!

Needless to say I was really excited to see my wife's painting, "Theotokos" accepted for an online exhibit over at the Episcopal Church and the Visual Arts. And like any proud spouse would probably do in this day and age, I thought I'd brag about her accomplishment via my blog. 

To add to the excitement, the kind folks at the ECVA also posted Carole's meditation on Mary that she wrote as part of her Masters Thesis in Theological Studies back in 2003.  Carole has presented her painting and meditation at local congregations here in Durham and originally gave the presentation last January at the Duke Divinity School Library where the painting was exhibited as well.

The Women's Center at Duke Divinity School purchased the painting last summer and has plans to have it on permanent exhibition in their new space within the newly renovated Duke Divinity School.  Until then, you can view the painting over at the ECVA's current exhibit, Venite Adoremus.