Tag: Music

Sunday Review: Ghosts of the Forest – Trey Anastasio

A SIDE

The first song hits you like a mellow 70s groove with legs. Trey’s guitar sounds like a trumpet in a Smokey Jazz Club. He’s drowning in a list of things we can all share. Thoughts – Feelings – all of the heavy ones.

“Ghosts of the Forest” kicks off a stutter step tip-toe like dance with soothing metallic harmonies of self-reflection.

That guitar though, it’s sexy like the sunset and heavy like an abyss.

Song Two continues the Wurlitzer-like rotating FX with lyrics of “Drift While You’re Sleeping.”

There’s something about the ascending scales later on that remind you of how special those Choral FX truly are.

At first I heard the Bass as Heavy and the Guitars in a Watery Grave, and I realize now that’s the planting of the seed that our dreams can bring…

If “Ghosts of the Forest” enumerate a list of grievances toward life, then “Drift While You’re Sleeping” is life.

Listen to a chorus of trees that have root growth and tell the story of their existence.

We are all one and love is the answer is a nice resting place to soak it all in.

“Drift While You’re Sleeping” continues as an epic journey in its own right seamlessly moving from groove-to-groove, and stage-to-stage in our collective living evolution.

Enjoy this wonderful album! I always listen twice, and man the second time feels good. Is that because of the edible I ate earlier? Sometimes we have to get out of our own way.

B SIDE

“Friend” reminds me of loss and misunderstanding. I feel exhausted by emotion and I’m tired of trying to prove myself.

It’s one of those grooves you just wanna have with your besties. You take it down a notch so you can dig in and then kick it into high gear all while communicating clearly and openly. Being authentic sometimes has less to do with a sense of self than it does with a tired soul trying to keep up with a modern life.

The band gives it nice resting ground to sink. This mellow bottom, and longing, a drowning and bursting with big guitar eventually sinks like a rock. Resting, there’s acceptance.

“About To Run” kicks off defiantly with a rising groove. It’s like a confession for being alive. Trapped regrets eventually give rise to explosive expression. So we resolve to act.

This heavy groove reminds me of a beast who acts out of beastly action. It does not think twice because it does not need to think twice. It knows what it wants and what it needs. “The ghost is always there.”

Where have I gone to? I’m “Halfway Home” and I’m really feeling these song transitions. I love an album that both rocks, and rolls onward like a story we can all relate to. Even if you can’t relate, you feel it. You feel something. There’s upbeat relief, with intensity, and rolling free. You know where you’re going, even if it’s hard.

There’s something that draws you in, and spits you out, but you go anyway. You want to deal with the source of things, and have a glimpse of the sun’s raw power. It’s refreshing, daunting, but you have backup. You’ve already seen and felt the worse parts of life, and you will conquer what’s left in order to be free.

Bent, but not broken.

C SIDE

My first thoughts are that this is a great road trip album.

I can see the “Long Lines” pass me by.

Calmly, I observe in my celestial craft. The voices express a range of emotions, scarred and uplifting.

A hammer, and sun, are the constructions of my mechanical view. There’s beauty in touch, and feeling.

So I am waiting… ready…

“Ruby Waves” is as Trey as you want Trey to always be. That drumbeat, specific lyrics, and mellow groove paint a truthful picture of life and death as if to say, they are the same thing.

Escape, truth, wonder, Fuck it! Go for it!

Dimensions are only barriers of space and time, and they can be transcended…

“It’s such a brief time we get to be here.”

“What was I so worried about?”

D SIDE

Out at sea, we drift so naturally…

A starry night, and watery magic…

It doesn’t get much better than this… there’s love, and trance…

A primordial abyss that you’re dancing atop, if that’s possible…

You are the abyss…

“Beneath a Sea of Stars” takes you on quite a journey…

If A, B & C set the stage, then now you are ‘live’ and rea-D-y to just be…

“And we’re free of time…”

The song gives plenty of space to groove and syncopate… and drift away…

The primordial ooze is oozing, and bubbling… it’d ominous if it weren’t so natural…

Suddenly, it has sprung free and is there to greet us in the form of morning birds and “phantasm.”

Views from a mountaintop bring activity, a mellow waking.

The ghosts are out to greet me…

They slide into the sea, guided by forces, oozing.

Hints of the ghosts give rise to an anthropomorphic dance. This is what we know. It’s “Blue! all around!”

It’s blueeeeeeee!

This is what we do!

The album exclaims by punching-in and aiming skyward.

Astral echoes of familiar resolve. Expect some nice organ on the coda to accompany you home.

And just like that, it’s gone, with an explosion to form your new home, here and now.

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Sunday Review: The Roots of Chicha

Psychedelic Cumbias From Peru

When I first arrived at Fingerprints Music on Thursday, it was the perfect opportunity.

I had already purchased items online that I was there to pick up, so naturally we browsed some more…

I didn’t know what I was looking for when I eventually made my way to the right side of the store where hip hop, soul, punk and music of the world was written on the name cards separating thousands of vinyl to choose from.

It didn’t take me long to discover what I was looking for:

The Roots of Chicha – Psychedelic Cumbias From Peru

Wow, so much yes!

I also didn’t know it until after I joyously showed Melissa my discovery, that she was actually looking for a record of Peruvian Music.

Our search was complete after 20 mins and a brown bag of vinyl to smile about.

When we arrived home, we started drinking some white wine with dinner and dropped that needle:

Side A let’s you know right away that it’s time to dance, so we danced.

Las Cumbias Eres Reál

If Side A were Downtown, maybe Side B is Uptown. Who knows really, it’s all about your imagination.

It’s upbeat, psychedelic, and sacalo!

I promise you that you will smell the food just as much as you will taste the smoke rising from the vibrant cumbias.

Eventually you come to find that it’s past 4am from a night on the town. Blurred lines and colored vibes mark the dreamy landscape that you have come to find.

That 1am strut y bailar now feels like the morning sun because you’ve danced all night and you’re ready to curse the name of your last broken hearted late night booty call.

Side C seems a bit wobbly, indeed the record refuses to lock in place. The groove is definitely all there, and the vibe is everywhere. Maybe you’re still drunk as well.

Wobbly Cumbias

If disc 1 was on land, then we are no longer there.

There’s a wah wah and a guapa to tell you more…

All in all, I give this record special privileges in my collection to play my heart for the passion that I know exists. In a world of misfortunes, this music belongs both among the stars and in our everyday life.

We can bring the cosmic realm all the way down to the ground and shake the night away knowing there’s a world worth dancing for.

Step inside:

Track List:

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What do fans want?

Fans want something and I’d like to know what that is…

What do y’all want to do?

Why y’all here?

How much do you read?

How much do you listen to music?

What kinds of things are interesting to you?

A / S / L ?

Are / You / Up?

What style of music do you like most?

How do you listen to your music?

How much of the behind the scenes do you like to see?

Do you like magic?

What’s your favorite kind of burrito?

What about ice cream?

Pizza? Duh…

How about nachos vs. chicken wings?

What’s your favorite song of all time?

Comment a word and I’ll use it on my next blog post and tag you on tha ‘gram.

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Sunday Review: Shattered

An album of loud purple sounds. Someone popped their eggnog on a fruitcicle and created a new dessert.

When you go looking for an album of magnificence in groove and the possibility of a meow style, you pick downtown for the bass line and uptown for the tempo.

All the guitars work together like a saddle fits on a horse. Everybody finds their way.

Of course the drums do all the talking when they say n”sp “sp “sp “tat “tat and that bass is walking like it don’t care none except right here.

When people say things about me, I’m the baddest mountain. Like a thunder rolled in and said “hey!” Where all my dancers at?

Track One starts out clean and keeps riding till it’s over, no stops, just a belly up slouching cruise with a clear wind carrying the salty coastal air.

Track Two begins calm, but then finds an off ramp and gets subdued when it seems to find a clearing toward the beach.

Track Three is like a reflection of your grandmother’s memoirs that jot down everything from cookies to coastal swims. Beach days are fun, and everyone gets along just fine.

Track Four is a little more calm except when it tends to escalate for a minute as if to say, “hey, I’m here.”

Track Five continues onward like a boat on an anchor, swaying in the sea. The world can’t help but to bring rain. It’s just life.

Track Six reminds us of our mothers and fathers of the world. Those who lift us up.

Track Seven reads like “a Day in the Life,” and sings like “Bitches Brew.”

Track Eight tells us when to be happy and it’s all the time. “Could you be loved?”

Track Nine has more to say. And it’s that “we want more wine, and whiskey, and a good night’s sleep as much as possible. Someone needs to remind us of this more often, and that’s what this song is all about. Funk layered with harmonies and horns and a laid back approach to life in general. Just finding connection and being willing to embrace it for what it is and to do good wherever possible.

Track Ten someone told me to write them a song and here it is. I’m here for you.

Track Eleven slow grooves and a soft voice with some percussive style, congas and hand drums. Where a groove gets locked in. We are here.

Track Twelve bring rain and birds. In no particular order, someone lights a fire in the sky. With no warning, a siren calls and tempts.

Track Thirteen there is always morning to freshen the mood. The warm sun brings a calm. It feels good to soak it in and feel whole. Cosmic guitars bring a groovy vibe.

Track Fourteen we live in a musical space. Sound is our friend. We know it when we heart it. Soothing, vibey, a tip of the hat. A step in my walk. It’s all the same. Just groove with it.

~ Just Groove With It

All Rights Reserved 2021

Release Date 1/21/21

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“Live One” New_Music_Release + New Website

Howdy Friends, Family, Seekers of Truth, and all you Dreamers out there,

“Live One” is live now, just live in the now, love one another, and stay a “Live One.”

Listen on your favorite streaming app, and check out the music video I made from my trip to Iceland.

“Live One,” is a new single from our coming album, “Life on Mars” that was written on a journey through Iceland.

“Life on Mars” represents our collective ability to create a better world filled with Love and Empathy, asking the question, “If we were to go to Mars, what would we want to do differently?”

Stay tuned for our Kickstarter launch 3.20.20 (update, links to Preorder on my website) and help support artists promoting a vision of love and empathy through inspired Americana Music and High Quality imagery from a journey through Iceland.

“Within this or that are those that seek nought in the shackles breaking.” Lyrics from “Live One.”

Thank you for reading and please stay in touch!

Riley Hodges – Vocals, Lyrics, Guitar, Hammond B3
Tim Bullock – Bass Guitar
Eric Hirschhorn – Saxophone
Antoine Arvizu – Producer, Drums, Engineer

FULL LYRICS for “Live One”

I’ve been waiting for a sign that I should’ve seen 10 days ago. Staring at a blue sky swirling into red again. Like a vibrational high, I contemplate that I’m not fading. Just purify your mind. We’ll tear apart a magnet, baby. The rolling winds bring life when they whisper bursts of nothingness. I wonder if it’s known that we can be the nothingness. Like a thousand year stone and they call upon the night, “A Live One! A Live One!”

Capture moments that are still and wish we were forever now. The mother of this world uttering divine to men. If One is a gift to the many, God is manifest in contemplating. Within this or that are those that seek naught in the shackles breaking. Stillness in your mind, and it feels just like a loving kiss. Pouring rain in this life will bring returns of genesis. What’s it like to be a stone that’s shot into magma bursting out? I’ve been waiting for a sign and they call upon the night, “A Live One! A Live One!”

In purity of mind does choice bring moral prominence? Does our manifest deserve One and serve the greater good, or is it like the stone blessed by divine metamorphosing? When do we satisfy ourselves and have compassion on doors closing? Are we doomed to befall the consequence of our own bliss? I wonder if it’s known that we can be the nothingness. I’ve been waiting for a sign and the horse brings a gift. “A Live One! A Live One!” Echoes through the night and I am alright. “A Live One! A Live One!” I’ve been waiting for a sign and they call upon the night, “A Live One! A Live One!” © 2020 Riley Hodges

Riley Hodges is a musician from Long Beach, CA, and is the lead singer and songwriter for the Cosmic Cowboys. The music has roots in Americana with each song distinctly all its own.

“Street Walker” is the opening track of “Life on Mars” that recites the exclaims of pedestrian life through bouncy beats, clean guitar riffs and a padded saxophone, while “Maybelline,” a dreamer wanting to sleep among the stars, follows a laid-back funk-rhythm that is supported by uplifting vocals and a Hammond B3.

Riley grew up in his families bar business in Long Beach, CA and credits his parents for introducing him to good music. His mom had the hippest collection of music among his friends, and Riley’s uncle Roland, lead singer and keyboardist from the Elm Street Band, would play backyard parties at their house and events in the neighborhood while Riley was growing up. Riley began piano lessons at a young age, eventually switching to drums for a few years, then as a teenager picked up a guitar and learned to sing. Fast forward to adulthood, Riley operates Shannon’s bars, restaurant, and entertainment venue with his family, and as those businesses have grown, Riley intends to focus more on writing, recording, and playing live music. Over the past several years, Riley has written and recorded 20 original songs with growing commercial success. Listeners describe his music as catchy, upbeat, thoughtful and enjoyable. 

Before the Cosmic Cowboys, Riley met and formed Taste of Red with his friends, John Capito and Tim Bullock, and they were fortunate to play their biggest venue to date at The Observatory in Orange County, CA. Fast forward several years later and John is now the lead guitar player for the Cosmic Cowboys, and their next biggest performance is scheduled for March 14, 2020 where the Cosmic Cowboys are ready to play to a large crowd of festival attendees for St. Pat’s Party on Pine hosted by Shannon’s Corner in Long Beach, CA.

Thanks again for reading! We appreciate your support, and we hope you enjoy the release of “Live One.”

P.s. If you haven’t seen our Kickstarter teaser, check it out here and consider making a pledge when we launch our Kickstarter on 3.20.20 for a cause that stands for Love and Empathy! Our goal is to raise $10,0000 so we can release “Life on Mars” on “vinyllll, vinyllll, vinylll!” in the Fall of 2020. With a little courage you too can experience this inspired vision through a beautifully produced Americana music album by hardworking humans just like you! Together, we can change the world through positive vibrations 🙂

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The Road Ahead

The Road Ahead envisions the world as a better place. This better place, like all human constructs, is only as real as you make it.

The song, Long Couple of Days, is about finding your groove. This, and other new songs, will be released as the Cosmic Cowboys.

The Road Ahead is like finding your way home. Coming Home.

See tags

The past is future

Positivity in motion

Cosmic cowboys ?

I can feel it in my teeth. The tingles gives one a feeling of both numbness and pressure. The rolling waves crushed me to the bones, but I was not afraid. From hammer to stone, it is my only feeling.

“Where will we go?” she asked as the canyons echoed.

Just then the phone rang…

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Contemplating

I am a trapper, only by practice, and not of thoughts born still.

There it was all along, a piece of me that was so strong. I pulled it out from thin air and never stopped to think or care.

Until now I plead I am that strong, yet I forgot you were my song.

“God is manifest in contemplating.” Lyrics from an upcoming music release, “Live One.”

Contemplating is thus defined, “Whilst in the life of the intellect, ‘contemplation’, refers to thinking profoundly about something. In the religious life contemplation is a kind of inner vision or seeing, transcendent of the intellect, facilitated by means of practices such as prayer or meditation.” according to Wikipedia.

Sometimes ‘sleeping’ will do the trick, or is it ‘dreaming’ that I’m ‘living’ in?

Stay tuned for more #creativewriting and help me write the story of “ L I F E O N M A R S “ where I will engage fans throughout the writing process.

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Measurable Words (wall posts)

Referring to these wall posts of late, scroll down the feed and make your date:

Poll feelings and followers and those in need

My wall is open for those to seed

But in the end there’s always you

My wall grows so continuously too

To top and shallow for weak and hollow

For strong and old and bored and bold

For young and hound n’ passion’s loud

For any other of many sold

For most of all a creative crew that sees me wallow in this stew

A poll will show results of many

My ideas flow in words a’plenty

Your words I write and think and brew

Your word inspires a creative mood

Stay tuned for more “wall posts”

The Red Planet: Courage

An ooze appeared like a viscous red soup that drips when you tip it and plumps with more bread, a delicious red soup that will get you in the end. Where do we go and who do we follow, and will there be garments provided at the gallows? I’m sure we all know that siphoning is silly, but are we sure now that we’ve not gone too silly? A temper teem strut is like a thick board of white sashes, and I’ll let you know when I’ve got my own ashes.

Guys, guys, GUYS!

It’s red all over… the world is red!

Our world, this life!

Where will we go? What will we do?

Panicking won’t help…

Hellllppp!

HELLPPPPP!

Please someone, help us all!!!!!!

He screamed as he drove through the night.

The fires had been burning for some time now, so long, in fact, that he hadn’t realized it was 12pm the next day.

Safety was nowhere to be found except while always moving and driving the obstructed roadways in his 4×4 Jeep Wrangler. He knew it would come in handy one day, like for real, a bonafide challenge vehicle.

What he didn’t expect is all of this.

Where did this come from?

How did we get to this point without realizing sooner?

Why is it so hard to reach people these days?

I’m going through pain, and I can’t even begin to express what it feels like, least not without a long period of grief, and all gamut of other emotional positions I will soon sequentially occupy.

Time, the real currency.

So how am I supposed to convey to someone out there watching this unfold that I am in distress, like for real – bonafide!

How can I even begin to imagine what it’s like for someone else with a traumatic experience . . .

People mock you, in their little bubble half a world away . . .

I also think this outward pouring of love and charity has been amazing.

What I would like to see is a spiritual shift.

Spiritual meaning presence of mind.

Shift meaning collective presence of mind, or mindfulness.

Our Story is a way for you to help create the story of Life on Mars, the same name for music releases by the Cosmic Cowboys.

Next up: a topic on Emapthy

Comment below, or on another social platform. DM, MSG, EMAIL me, etc. LMK your thoughts as I write the next post . . .

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Cosmic Home

A story about coming home

A character born in the abyss and raised by the sands of time 

Moving into nothingness 

A cosmic cowboy 

Deep interstellar space is a place where I’d like to be. Apart from all the suffering of our own biology, and where we once came from in another form of matter. I’d like to be with you before I go splatter. The you here is we, and we are debris, from a regenerative force that continues to be… but where does it end and why does it matter? We’ll know sure enough when we go splatter…

A shadowy figure enters the doorway as my eyes lay claim to the rounded silhouette. I wonder if it’s him, the ragged drifter I’ve heard so much about around these parts. He walks with a limp from a shootout that nearly took his leg if it weren’t for the townspeople helping him. They were caring and providing for his well being throughout his recovery. I think we all should strive for the same fastidious presentation of purpose and community, especially when you’ve got an injured cowboy on your hands…

The next thing that happens brings a crowd to gather as he slowly approaches the bar… “a shot of root and bottle of your finest whiskey…” You see, cowboy here had a knack for the high life, what with his conquering riches amongst a competing vision of the land. He took what was in plain sight for the taking, while others sought to organize welfare systematically as a sliding scale of victory over the defeated.

I once saw a vision of the future in which all people were bubbling from a seemingly permeable force of love and understanding. I want to understand this further and I Think this is what should be the most important thing for humans…

Cowboy leaves the bar and heads out the door…

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