As is the case with every year, I always reflect back through the music. I make about 4 mixes a year, filled with new music and new music discoveries, and at the tail end of the year, I collect them all into a "master playlist" and include bonus tracks! (Comes to 100 songs total! Over 6 hours of listening.)
89. Winter Wonderland / Don't Worry Be Happy by Pentatopnix (Featuring Tori Kelly) 90. Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) by Bruce Springsteen 91. Old Man by Beck 92. Strung Out Johnny by Iggy Pop 93. Shut Up by Alan Walker & UPSAHL 94. Otherwise by Julia Wu 95. Lux AEterna by Metallica 96. Pistol by Cigarettes After Sex 97. (You Made It Feel Like) Home by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross from the film Bones and All 98. Remember Me by Schuyler Fisk 99. One More Try by Crosses 100. Go To Hell by Bayside
I've been fortunate enough to see Nine Inch Nails perform live several times over the years in multiple iterations. Everything from the Downward Spiral tour to their co-heading stadium tour with David Bowie, and beyond. But lately, I'd been going down the rabbit hole on YouTube for a series of videos I remember being posted on their official YouTube page. Live performances shot by their friend and collaborator Rob Sheridan directly on stage. The frantic nature of the footage, bouncing from band member to band member, coupled with the excellent sound mix straight from the soundboard makes for some of their all-time best performances!
I also found some recent uploads from their drummer Ilan Rubin; a drummer cam, if you will, and these performances of "The Perfect Drug," "March Of The Pigs," and "Piggy" were next level.
I started collecting a bunch of these videos into a YouTube playlist and realized I was basically putting together the ultimate live Nine Inch Nails setlist! Since there are plenty of fellow NIN lovers out there, I thought I'd share what I consider to be the best NIN gig we were never at!
Nine Inch Nails: Live
1. Somewhat Damaged live from on stage Roskilde Festival, Denmark 7.3.09 2. March Of The Pigs / Piggy Live from The Santa Barbara Bowl 9.13.22 3. Last live from on stage in Holmdel, NJ 6.06.09 4. The Becoming live at Sasquatch Festival 5.24.09 5. I'm Afraid of Americans live from on stage in Toronto, 6.02.09 6. The Perfect Drug live from The Santa Barbara Bowl 9.13.22 7. The Fragile live from on stage, Adelaide 2.28.09 8. Burn live from on stage, Melbourne 2.25.09 9. Survivalism live w/ Saul Williams, Atlanta 5.10.09 10. The Big Come Down live circa 2013 11. Closer from the live CD / DVD "And All That Could Have Been" 12. Wish live in Cleveland 9.24.22 with NIN alumni Richard Patrick, Chris Vrenna, Danny Lohner 13. Head Like A Hole live circa 2013
I love, love, love the new trailer for GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: VOLUME 3. And I also loved the way James Gunn incorporated the Spacehog song "In The Meantime" into the trailer's score.
It reminded me that several years back I had made a mix that kicked off with that track, but also celebrated some of my favorite one-hit wonders from the 90s. I'm not talking about any of the now-classic grunge era hits, but most of the big radio & MTV hit singles in a post-Nirvana world.
I couldn't resist also using a few tunes in the same vibe from the early 2000's, including a few tracks from the Spider-Man soundtracks, and so instead of naming it something 90s-centric, I went with "Turn Of The Decade!" I guarantee there will be a few of these you haven't heard or thought of in years!
1. In The Meantime by Spacehog 2. Sex & Candy by Marcy Playground 3. Down Baby by Loud Lucy 4. Monster Slide by Addict 5. Laid by James 6. Believe by Dig 7. One Headlight by The Wallflowers 8. No Rain by Blind Melon 9. Groove In The Heart by Deee-lite 10. Superman (It's Not Easy) by Five For Fighting 11. Save Me by Remy Zero 12. Flagpole Sitta by Harvey Danger 13. The Distance by Cake 14. Torn by Natalie Imbruglia 15. What It's Like by Everlast 16. Save Tonight by Eagle-Eye Cherry 17. Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind 18. Out Of My Head by Fastball 19. Breakfast At Tiffany's by Deep Blue Something 20. Closing Time by Semisonic 21. Your Woman by White Town 22. Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve 23. The Freshman by The Verve Pipe 24. Hero by Chad Kroger featuring Josey Scott 25. Learn To Crawl by Black Lab 26. Vindicated by Dashboard Confessional 27. Float On by Modest Mouse 28. Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol 29. Natural One by Folk Implosion 30. Low by Cracker 31. Maps by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Quite a lot of these bring back fond memories. (And melodies!) The Addict track "Monster Slide" comes from the movie DISTURBING BEHAVIOR. Couldn't resist the one-two Superman themed punch of the Five For Fighting song with Remy Zero. (The theme for SMALLVILLE!) I was actually at Woodstock 94 (an awful experience I'll save for another blog) and I have a distinct memory of getting there early in the evening of the first night, setting up our tent and hearing in the distant James performing "Laid" and later slowly drifting to sleep as Deee-lite performed their big single "Groove Is In The Heart."
Fastball, Third Eye Blind, Snow Patrol, Marcy Playground, Eagle-Eye Cherry! Remember these names?! Kick back and let's go on that ride....
I just wanted to illustrate how pivotal Christian was at shaping the ideas I had for what would become the Pike Project album, and how he heard a demo and brought out the absolute best in it. For starters, shortly after we released the self-titled "The Great Below" album, I started demo-ing a few new song ideas. One of them was titled "Break Down." It was one of 4 demos I played for Christian when we first started discussions about making the album. So you can now hear that original demo, embedded below, that I played for him.
That's all I had. A chorus and a opening/closing riff. I heard it as, kind of, a Nirvana song, and he turned it into a Nine Inch Nails song. (Or a perfect combo of the two! After all, they're both among my all-time favorite bands.) The mono opening on the final version was something we dreamed up together after the first playback. The song had a very dark tone to it. Something you'd never pick up on otherwise is a weird bit of dialogue in the middle of the track. Christian read random quotes by serial killer Richard Ramirez, and then played them backwards. So that's what's subtly happening during that acoustic break down in the middle section. I was also thinking a lot about Dexter and his (at the time) inevitable return in New Blood. Producing the official podcast, I got the opportunity to read some of the scripts in advance and it influenced the lyrics for this song.
In the last few years, I've gotten into the habit of recording all my music ideas on my iPhone. Either a melody, a riff, or both! These ideas are usually incredibly raw and under normal circumstances, I'd never, ever share these. But I found this second example on my phone recently and it was fun to hear now with context. I'd say the last song I wrote for the album was "Love For The Loveless." And it started simply as this iPhone demo below. I played that for Christian, and in lightning time, we came up with the quirky, pop punk song you hear on the album. (In a higher octave, but the basic melody and riffs are the same.) The title came first. "Love For The Loveless." Thinking of all the awful people that make it their life's mission to weaponize Twitter to hurt others. And I wondered if they had any love in their lives. If they did, would they be this desperate for attention? That they'd lie just to hurt someone they don't even know? Surely, someone out there must show love for the loveless, right? Well, that was just the title. The actual lyrics are more about two people looking for love, wandering the streets, and constantly passing each other by. (A very goofy version of which became the basis for the music video.)
Not every song is about what you think it's about. But that's what I love about music. It's up to the listener to fill in what the song means to them. But sometimes, it's fun to pull the curtain back just a tiny bit and reveal something about the creative process.
Back in July, I released a brand new album, my collaboration with Christian James Hand, under the moniker of "Pike Project." But where did this name come from? We started recording sessions back in November of 2020, and around that same time, I was in the middle of a Star Trek movie marathon. On this rewatch, the character I kept gravitating towards was Captain Pike, in particular the version played by Bruce Greenwood in the "Kelvin" trilogy. Maybe it's the father figure-to-Kirk aspect, given that I'd just lost my father. But it made me take a deeper look at that character's history in the Star Trek lore, something I admittedly am only a moderate fan of. I love the tragedy of Pike. And considering my most prominent band was "Pretty Polly," I liked the idea of naming this new project something with the similar Two P's name. Hence... PIKE PROJECT. Had a cool ring to it. Low and behold, something must have been in the air, because just as we were finally getting ready to mix, master, and release the album, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premiered, focusing on that great, rich, and tragic backstory of Captain Christopher Pike, this time played by Anson Mount. I'm proud of the Pike Project album, and happy to share the inspiration behind the name! Now give it a listen with this new tidbit in mind! PIKE PROJECT “To Auld Acquaintances… Vol.1.”
I wanted to wait until after Halloween season 2022 to share the latest mix, but I'd been listening to these songs, rearranging, and thinking about them for weeks. It's truly amazing how new music can provide the ideal soundtrack to our lives.
The new singles from Blink-182 and Filter have been on heavy rotation since they dropped and I've listened to them over and over again. A long-lost Queen track recently surfaced with "Face It Alone," and it's like time travel getting to hear Freddie Mercury's voice again. I've got two from Long Island local bands Playing Dead and Smoke the Light (featuring former Pretty Polly drummer Stevie D!) on here.
My favorite new band discovery is AL1CE, a moody electronic-based band; a few members of which support the live version of System Syn. Alisa Xayalith from New Zealand's The Naked and Famous has been releasing some solo singles, including the latest one on this playlist "I'll Be There." I watched the movie Meet Cute recently and they used this Damien Jurado track.
I was nervous there weren't enough "rockers" on this mix, and then Iggy Pop went and dropped a rad new single. Iggy always returns when we need him to. Same for Crosses. Of course, I snuck on two tracks from my own album with Pike Project. And I initially opened and closed this mix with two new ones from Death Cab For Cutie who inspired this Volume's title. But I love the Van Andrew tune so much (sent to me by my buddy Johnny) and felt like it had to be the opener.
Lastly, like most people, I grew up a huge fan of THE KARATE KID movies, and have been loving COBRA KAI on Netflix. I stumbled upon a video using a new version of Peter Cetera's "Glory Of Love" cut to a deleted scene from COBRA KAI Season 3 with Daniel and Kumiko. It's so beautifully edited together, using clips from KARATE KID 2 that I just had to include it on this mix towards the end. Here's that video:
So without further ado...
2022 Vol 4 - I Don't Know How I Survived
1. Sad Cowboys and Rock and Roll by Van Andrew 2. I Don't Know How I Survive by Death Cab For Cutie 3. EDGING by Blink-182 4. For The Beaten by Filter 5. Break Down by Pike Project 6. Time by AL1CE 7. Frenzy by Iggy Pop 8. Vivien by Crosses 9. This Is Why by Paramore 10. Face It Alone by Queen 11. boy by The Killers 12. Take Me Back by Playing Dead 13. I'll Be There by Alisa Xayalith 14. Place Your Debts by Jimmy Eat World 15. Wolf by Yeah Yeah Yeahs 16. Noise by The Devil Wears Prada 17. The Heroic Dose by Smoke the Light 18. The Shape of a Storm by Damien Jurado 19. Running From The Ghost by Billy Idol 20. Glory of Love by Michael Omartian & Peter Cetera 21. Everything Is Just Fine by Pike Project 22. I'll Never Give Up On You by Death Cab For Cutie
In pre-pandemic times, Analog Love was scheduled to make it's world premiere at the Phoenix Film Festival at the end of March of 2020. The same week, LUCKY, the horror satire I produced, was scheduled to premiere at South By Southwest. And that would've kicked off the festival tours for both films, which in a lot of ways I spent my whole life prepping to make. I was so beyond proud of both and the incredible crews that were responsible for making them both a reality. And I was so, so thrilled to finally put positive things out into the universe. And then... Covid happened and derailed it all.
Had those premieres happened and we weren't in lock down, I don't think the smear campaign against me would've happened. At least not in the unfair and cruel way that it did. But this is, sadly, the time line we're stuck in. And all we can do is focus on the day ahead of us, not the past. Two years after our original intended premiere date, and one full year after the release, we finally got to screen Analog Love in Arizona, the state it should have premiered in in the first place.
Both this screening, and the NY one, came about totally organically. In this instance, I have a small group of friends that have been successfully hosting some incredible genre related screenings in the Phoenix area. Aaron Hudson and my old friend from the NY days Samantha Hurdich. And once I learned about Zia Records regularly scheduled Sunday Soundtrack Series, it seemed like the perfect fit. And it was!
We screened it at the Majestic, located in Tempe, AZ on Sunday, September 11th and it truly felt like a homecoming. More so than even the NY screening in a weird way. Aaron and Sam had waited until the night of to actually watch the movie, despite me having given them Blu-Ray's months earlier, and I really appreciated it, because I got to sit next to them and hear their genuine laughs and reactions. It was a slightly smaller space than the NY venue, and hence slightly less people, but the people that were there truly got it and were responding with extreme enthusiasm, and I could feel it.
Aaron and I did a Q & A afterwards, but it turned more into a general conversation between the group of people that stuck around and ourselves. I particularly found it heartwarming and sweet when a couple started telling us about their great mixtape story, but both disagreed about the details surrounding said tape. It's one of the things I love about our little film - it always instigates conversation and inspires people to share their mixtape story, whatever it might be.
I know some friends in attendance walked away inspired to make mixes!
And I'm just so, so grateful for the opportunity to share this documentary whenever I get a chance. It means a lot to me. It took my crew: myself, Buz Wallick, Joe Maddrey, Travis King, about 6 years of our lives to complete, and while its bittersweet that we didn't get to screen it for more festivals during what became one of the oddest times in our human history, seeing it these two times this year was a beautiful gift and reward in itself. I truly hope people keep sharing it with loved ones and it continues finding an audience.
I'll be sharing more playlists / mixes that tie more directly into the film on this blog in the near future. But for now, I'll cap this off with a recent song by Liam Gallagher of Oasis that really has helped put things into perspective this year, "Too Good For Giving Up."
Back on August 20th, 2022, I returned to Long Island, NY and finally got to show my latest documentary project, Analog Love. 2 years after all our festival screenings were canceled due to Covid. And one full year since it was released, digitally, by Passion River. And it was long overdue!
I only got to screen the doc one time for an audience and that was a "cast & crew" screening back in January of 2020. And the one thing I didn't anticipate is how communal the film would play. People were laughing out loud, agreeing with some of the track choices and techniques expressed by the interviewees, and just having a great time.
I was so, so excited to bring this movie on the road, mainly because of the great conversations I knew it'd inspire, post-screenings. But alas, it wasn't meant to be. At least not in this (awful) timeline.
Cut to August of 2022... I decided I wanted to go back to NY after a lengthy 8 year absence. After the turbulent few years we've all just had, I just wanted to be around my childhood friends again for a bit. While I was planning the trip, I was talking to my old friend and colleague Matt Roren, whom I played multiple shows with in our respective band, and who also programs the "Cult Cafe" screenings at the Cinema Arts Centre. They've been closed for the last 2 years too, so when he suggested their first screening back be Analog Love, I was so, so honored. I figured if I only got to screen the movie once, at least it'll be on my home turf with friends from high school, the band days, Tower Records, my family and beyond.
I arrived at the venue early so that I could catch up with Matt. And much to my surprise, he was in the process of finishing up a batch of handmade mixtapes he'd made to give away to the first attendees! And if he ran out of tapes, he had an expanded CD version too! And looking over the track listing, it really was curated based on the discussions in the film!
The screening itself was a blast. The Cult Cafe is truly a unique venue to see a movie, with a coffee house / bar vibe, and an enthusiastic audience that just wants to see something good together. And mixtapes (or Playlists) are a big part of every screening that Matt hosts there. In fact, the usual crew there gifted Matt with a mixtape for his grand return.
It's been several weeks since that NY screening and I feel like so much has happened since then. (Including a second screening in Tempe, Arizona, which I'll save for another blog!) But the most important question on your minds... what was on that mixtape?
Well, I finally had a bit of time to digitize and make playlist versions! So, here we go: track listing and embeds below!
ANALOG LOVE: Cult Cafe Cassette Volume 001
1. Panzerfukked by Funeral Dancer
2. You're Gonna Miss Me by 13th Floor Elevators
3. Amsterdam by Peter Bjorn and John
4. Marie douceur - Marie colere by Marie Laforet
5. The Hero and the Madman by Thin Lizzy
6. Pilot Can at the Queer of God by The Flaming Lips
7. Unmarked Helicopters by Soul Coughing
8. The Gunner by True West
9. Intrigue by Marianne Faithful
10. A Face That Could Launch a Thousand Ships by The Paper Chase
11. Simply Beautiful by Al Green
12. Softcore by Pilotpriest
13. No More Sorry by My Bloody Valentine
14. I'll Stick Around by Foo Fighters
15. Slow Ride by Foghat
16. Can't You Hear Me Knocking by The Rolling Stones
17. Everybody Wants Some!! by Van Halen
18. Axel Fletch by Pilotpriest (Replacement track: Firefox)
19. Outburst by Wesley Willis
20. Trust In Me by Belly
21. Ultimatum by The Long Winters
I think it's long overdue we start sharing some more Analog Love inspired mixtapes and playlists, right? Stand by! More to come!
NINE INCH NAILS: Less Than from the EP "Add Violence"
Focus?
We didn't even notice
We awake in a place
We can barely recognize, yeah
Hypnosis
And you can justify it all
Your back is up against the wall again
Shut up, silence
Add a little violence
And offend and pretend
And defend and demand my compliance
And you can always justify
The missile trails across the sky again
So what are you waiting for?
You got what you asked for
Did it fix what was wrong with you?
Are you less than?
Go and look what you've gone done
Welcome oblivion
Did it fix what was wrong with you?
Are you less than?
Needful
Too many fucking people
You'll have to take care of yourselves
You know I've got my hands full
And you can always justify
The missile trails across the sky again
So what are you waiting for?
You got what you asked for
Did it fix what was wrong with you?
Are you less than?
And look what you've gone done
Come on welcome oblivion
Did it fix what was wrong inside?
Are you less than?
So what are you waiting for?
You got what you asked for
Did it fix what was wrong with you?
Are you less than? (Are you less than? Less than?)
And look what you've gone done
Well, welcome oblivion
Did it fix what was wrong inside?
Are you less than?
A few weeks after my father passed away, and while we were in the middle of starting the Pike Project album, this song came to me, fully formed. I picked up the guitar and out of nowhere, the chords, the lyrics, the melodies; it was one of those rare instances where it all just flew out of me. It took several attempt to record it on my iPhone without crying through a take.
When I presented the song to Christian, it became an unspoken thing where we were going to try to record it exactly as I did on my phone. Live, one take, one mic, raw and emotional. Crack in my voice and all. And that became the last track on the album. I also released it on the PIKE PROJECT "For Dad" EP which came out on his birthday, August 19th. It’s still really, really hard for me to listen to those two songs, Fade Away and this one, A Life Well Lived. But I’m glad they exist.
Here’s a little music video version I put together. Another tribute to my dad, but also, this song is for anyone that’s ever lost someone close to them. The pain of it never goes away, you just learn to live with it a little better with each day.
A Life Well Lived
In times of darkness, there’s always room for light
In times of struggle, we rise to face the plight
Love’s there to guide us, (it’s) the only thing that counts
Love is the brightness, when shadows seem to mount
We all take comfort in how we are loved
Give it all back without hesitation
Cause in the end, we all can only hope
Someone will hold our hand, as we leave this earth
Know that your time here is, in fact, finite
Take joy, and look back, appreciate the sight
Of a life well lived, eventually we die
I know you did your best, I know how hard you tried...
This isn’t goodbye, this isn’t so long
We all live on when we love with all of our heart...
Thank you...
Thank you...
The latest PIKE PROJECT single "Everything Is Just Fine" is now streaming on all digital platforms! It's my love letter to The Cure and The Smiths. And it's about how the worst person I've ever known eventually led to me recognizing the best person I've ever known. (See lyrics and embeds below!)
Everything Is Just Fine:
Everything was fine until you went and walked into our lives
Everything was great, and then you went and took off your disguise
Nothing could be worse than how you made us feel
I can’t tell if anything you said was real?
Guess that’s just the way it goes?
Everything was fine the day you went and walked out of our lives
Now I wish that I could get it back, my love, my life, my time
Nothing’s ever as it seems or it should be
Nothing felt like it would fit right inside me
But the best was yet to come….
Everything was fine the moment that she walked into our lives
Everything was great the moment that she said she would be mine
I was so lost here without her
But there’s something sweet about her….
Now my world is how I wanted it to be
The harshest lessons always bring us to our knees
But with time, you learn to set all of that free
We’re born alone, and then there’s you and then there’s me
Guess that’s just the way it goes...
In terms of the music video, I didn't have a tradition music video idea for this one. Instead, since the third verse is about Alisa, I decided to edit together random iPhone footage of us from last summer while vacationing in the South of France. We were in a place called Saint-Astier and I fell very in love with it. So peaceful, and now one of my favorite places on Earth.
For now, that's it for videos, although I'm planning to shoot one last one for the track "Kill Your Ego" soon. And we have two alternate videos I'll share in the coming weeks.
If you haven't already, please check out the full length PIKE PROJECT album, "To Auld Acquaintances... Vol.1," now streaming on all digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music / iTunes, Amazon Music, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Deezer, Pandora, and beyond. (Or just listen to the embed below!)
The latest PIKE PROJECT single "Break Down" is now streaming on all digital platforms. This is the one song that went through the most collaboration between myself and Christian. I kinda wrote it as a Nirvana song, and he pushed it more towards Nine Inch Nails.
Regarding the music video; back in February of this year, I was in San Diego visiting with my friend Robbie Ikegami and we had shot the video for "Hope For Us To Shine" using my iPhone 12. At midnight on my last night, he spontaneously suggested we drive over to Balboa Park and shoot this idea for "Break Down." We wanted to get it all in one take. So this is the 4th or 5th try. I sped up the audio track when we shot, so that I could play it in slow motion for the final video. And here it is. A song about being lost. But trying to find your way. (Lyrics below)
Break Down:
One step forward, two steps back
Not sure where we’re going, the static attacks
It feels like it’s over, we just need to breathe
We all have to let out what sleeps underneath...
With everything broken, we still can’t believe
The words that were spoken, what was real?
Even if we move forward, we’ll keep falling back
This failing is constant, a panic attack
A life with a purpose gets taken away
You can’t let it break you, you can’t be afraid
And here we go again, we’re breaking down the walls where it all began
And here we go again, we’re taking down the walls where it all began
We return to where it all began
And this time there is no going back...
Today would’ve been my dad’s 90th birthday. The last 2 songs on the Pike Project album are for my dad. Losing a parent is a very unique pain, and even now, I can’t listen to these songs. I collected them together and am re-released them as an EP titled "For Dad."
I put this video together for the Pike Project song "Fade Away" using some phone clips from his last few birthdays, photos & old footage my brother recently found as a tribute.
I miss you, pop. As long as people in this world love you, then "We never fade away."
Lyrics
Fade Away:
Reflecting back, on all the seasons
I’m on my back, I’m barely breathing
Went by so fast, wish I had more time
I did my best, what do I leave behind?
Where am I now? Not sure what’s happening
Can’t hear a sound, no I can’t sense a thing
But I feel love, I know my sons are here.
I promised them, there’s nothing left to fear.
We never, we never, we never
fade away
We carry on...
It's my birthday, and I woke up this morning back on Long Island, NY; first one I've celebrated here in many, many years. I thank everyone that has already reached out with a sweet message.
If there's one thing I can humbly ask for on my bday? Please support any or all of my recent creative endeavors.
LUCKY, my first narrative feature as a producer, directed by Natasha Kermani & written and starring Brea Grant, is available on Shudder, or for rental on most digital platforms!
ANALOG LOVE, my love letter music documentary to the long lost era of mixtapes, is now streaming on Amazon, Apple TV, iTunes, Google Play, YouTube, SundanceTV and Night Flight Plus.
For NY locals, it's playing this Saturday night, Aug. 20th at Cult Cafe (at the Cinema Arts Centre) 423 Park Ave, Huntington, NY. Tickets RIGHT HERE.
And to my AZ friends, it'll be playing at the Majestic, Tempe on Sunday, Sept 11th at 5PM! Tickets for this screening RIGHT HERE!
MIDNIGHT MUSIC is my unreleased podcast recorded at the beginning of lock down in 2020. Interviews and breaking down music with some of my favorite musicians and composers. All 9 episodes are below or download them RIGHT HERE.
Last but not least, I made a new album with my dear friend Christian James Hand under the moniker of PIKE PROJECT. It's 10 songs, 30 minutes long, short, sweet, catchy as hell. And it was my therapeutic way of processing the events of the last 2 years. The album is called "To Auld Acquaintances... Vol. 1" and it's the best music I've ever made. Would appreciate if you gave it a listen, and spread the word about any or all of the above! https://linktr.ee/pikeproject
There has been absolutely no financial gain or incentive in doing these things. I do them for the love of them, and because all I know to do is express myself through art. And I just hope someone out there is listening, watching, and appreciating it. It's what I believe I was born to do! Love to all!
New single and music video for the PIKE PROJECT song "Karma Is Coming."
(And believe it, it is.)
The video is my homage to Hitchcock!
Every music video that I made for this album was a simple idea that I was confident could be easily done using my iPhone 12. So for this one, I really just thought it'd be fun to do a silhouette, but the question was... how do I pull that off with nothing? This is why I love my fellow creative friends.
I popped over to Wolfpack Studios one night, afterhours. And both the owner of the facility, Robert Lucas, and my dear friend Spooky Dan Walker helped me put up a sheet to shoot the silhouette idea, practically. It took a few different tries, but eventually, we nailed it. And I was in awe that I'd come up with what I thought was a silly idea, and here were my friends, giving their all to help me make it a reality.
And then when it came time to edit the video, my friend Clint Carney really helped sharped the edges on the silhouette, but also with how to properly use the nature footage I wanted to flash in the background. My not-so-subtle statement to the LA horror community eating itself, literally. (Circa summer of 2020, of course.)
Lyrics below!
Karma Is Coming:
And now, let’s talk about that public affair
The one where no one seemed to care
And that the Karma’s coming for you...
And how could you flaunt this cheating life?
Forever causing all this strife
And the dust it’s destined to bring
Just go now with the flow of how you feel
The only thing you didn’t steal
Maybe one day I can forgive
And now, oh ... you knew that it had to end
Left yourself with no defense
And that veil held over our eyes
I know everything you hid from me
The cunning ways of your deceit
And that veil you made of your lies
And how now can you call yourself a friend?
You rushed to make the story end
And I wish that I was surprised
Just leave with all the weakness that you fear
The words you think I didn’t hear
Maybe one day I can forgive
But I doubt it...
But I doubt it...
(But I doubt it)
Let’s talk about that public affair
The one where no one seemed to care
And that the Karma’s coming for you...
We're now in the thick of summer, which means it's about time for another mix! I titled this one "glitch in the matrix" because... well, it just feels like every event and coincidence of the last 2-3 years has been a glitch in the matrix. Might as well just roll with it!
Highlights for me include the latest Afghan Whigs single "A Line Of Shots." It's really a special tune. Several covers, and of course, I had to slip in a few tracks from my new album with PIKE PROJECT. Enjoy!
2022 Vol 3 - Glitch In The Matrix
1. Lost Without You by Kygo & Dean Lewis 2. sTraNgeRs by Bring Me The Horizon 3. This Is It by Pike Project 4. Worry Is A Habit by Onelinedrawing 5. Piggy by St. Vincent 6. Existence by Julia Wu 7. A Line Of Shots by The Afghan Whigs 8. Just Us Two by Steve Aoki & Taking Back Sunday 9. Something Loud by Jimmy Eat World 10. Kill Or Be Killed by Muse 11. We'll Be Back by Megadeth 12. Patient Number 9 by Ozzy Osbourne featuring Jeff Beck 13. Just Like Heaven by Guards 14. Pharmacist by Alvvways 15. Imagine by Julian Lennon featuring Nuno Bettencourt 16. Hope For Us To Shine by Pike Project 17. The Vault Inside Your Mind by Playing Dead 18. Ani by Billy Howerdel 19. Rainbow by Bayside
The PIKE PROJECT single for the song "Love For The Loveless" is now available on all streaming platforms! We consider this one our "pub sing-a-long."
The music video features my friend Erika Smith! This was shot on the iPhone 12 one afternoon in South Pasadena; the only idea I had was the opening split screen shot. Everything else after that we improvised and we had so much fun. I’m forever grateful to Erika for her positive spirit, support, talent, and encouraging vibes. (She’s got some new music and videos coming soon too! ✌🏻)
Lyrics -
Love For The Loveless:
Something doesn’t seem quite right, he feels as if "this isn’t me?"
All he knows is he could never be what she wants him to be
Stuck in some cold fever nightmare, roaming through the streets in search of
Love or loveless
Love for the loveless
Find a way out of this mess
Show love for the loveless
See if we can pass the test
Let’s give them all a hand
Here he goes, he’s off and running through the maze he made because
It’s not as if he hasn’t tried and always seem to make things worse
Those of us that cannot do will only second guess what they call love...
Or loveless
Love for the loveless
Find a way out of this mess
Show love for the loveless
See if we can pass the test
Let’s give them all a hand
He just can’t get back to sleep and she just can’t seem to wake up
Nothing’s ever as it seems and nothing’s ever good enough
Why do they both keep on searching if all they ever wanted was some love...
(or) Loveless
Show Love for the loveless
Find a way out of this mess
And show love for the loveless...
The full PIKE PROJECT album, "To Auld Acquaintances… Vol.1" is now available on all streaming platforms!
The lost podcast! I recorded MIDNIGHT MUSIC in April 2020 at the very beginning of the lockdown because it was the show I wanted to hear! Interviews with various musicians and composers where we’d play snippets of their work and then discuss the creative process.
Featuring: Pilotpriest, Cody Carpenter, Graham Reznick, Waxworks Comics, Mick Garris and Horsefeathers, Deadly Avenger, Jeremy Zuckerman, Daniel Davies and Burning Witches Records.
It’s never been released, but I’ll provide embed's below! It’s also on my LinkTree page now. I doubt I’ll ever podcast again, so figured it only fair to share this lost work and continue shining the spotlight on good people that deserve it. Enjoy!
I made a new album and it’s available RIGHT NOW on all streaming platforms!!!
PIKE PROJECT"To Auld Acquaintances… Vol.1." is a collaboration with my dear friend Christian James Hand that began during quarantine shortly after I lost my father, and continued throughout 2021. 10 songs. 31 minutes. Short, sweet, and catchy as hell. I took my love of "oldies" and funneled it into these tracks. We took a lot of negatives of 2020, and re-focused that energy to create something positive and uplifting. And this is the result. Of all the music I’ve done in my life, I couldn’t be more proud of this album.
So many people to thank. I made a music video for every track, as you’ll continue to see in the coming weeks. Robbie Ikegami helped me shoot a few ideas in San Diego, including the first vid "Hope For Us To Shine." Natasha Kermani helped me edit the first two videos, "For Life," and the upcoming "Love For The Loveless." Clint Carney helped me color them properly. He also introduced me to Ted Phelps who did an incredible job mastering the album, to make it sound bigger and better than ever. Robert Lucas and SpookyDan entertained all my whacky spontaneous late night music video ideas and helped me pull them off during afterhours at Wolfpack Studios. (Including last week’s video "This Is It") And I’ll forever be grateful for the support from Alisa, my family, and true friends through it all.
This entire album is a very emotional, cathartic, therapeutic listening experience. The last two songs are for my dad, and even today I have a tough time listening to them, but I am so glad that they exist. And again, to Christian, what you did for me… you really took so much of your valuable time to help me figure out every single lyric and melody and arrangement on this album – you pushed me during the most difficult time of my life and brought out the absolute best. It will forever be one of the kindest, most generous, beautiful things another human being has EVER done for me. I tear up every time I think about it. (Including right now.)
Here it is! It’s a finished thing that exists, and can finally go out into the world.
I THANK YOU all in advance for listening, sharing, relistening, and just giving me a chance to express my emotions and love in a creative way. Bless you and enjoy. ❤
