Flargimmer

SMiLE

2009-05-30T03:49:00.002-04:00

If you haven't heard the album SMiLE, you really owe yourself a listen..

Wrote some new music, trying to flesh it out.. I'm going to put some stuff on tape here in the near future just to see how it rolls with me.. if I'm down, I'll throw it up on MySpace.. deal?

Summer school starts here in a few days.. not happy about that, but I'll manage.. I've got big plans for the season..

Trying to take better care of myself, keep the focus on what I love most..

5:00 A.M.

2009-05-24T04:58:00.003-04:00

I feel like the early morning is one of the most dangerous times to dive into songwriting..

I know I'm not the only one with these strange feelings of despair so late at night..

I'm going to bed..

Update Lag

2009-05-20T01:20:00.003-04:00

Such a terrible, terrible amount of time between this and my previous update.

I'm going to try and blog more frequently.. it's definitely something I've wanted to do for a while..

How about a musical update?

Well, as of my last post, I've been slowly piecing together what I hope will eventually be my debut album. Unfortunately, I didn't realize how time consuming this whole process was.

There's no doubt I've gained an incredible amount of admiration for the artists I love and this process they've mastered.. it's time consuming, but rewarding.

I'm haphazardly delving into my lyrics and music.. attempting to make them a physical whole, embodied on a compact disc.. how was that?

So far it seems I've got lyrics for four tracks:

"The Middle"
"Surreal"
"Bored"
"Northshore"

Obviously this is all tentative, but I'm really happy to be making headway on the hardest aspect of the process for me: putting my ideas and experiences into words..

It's kind of hard to believe, seeing as I talk more than I need to, but I've had a terribly difficult time throwing letters together.. I think it may have been a product of fear, so I'm fighting back.. fighting fire with fire, writing more than ever before.. let's see how this goes..

Progress

2008-08-10T00:54:00.002-04:00

"???"

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. "Surreal"
9.
10.

Circus

2008-03-27T02:37:00.002-04:00

"Circus" - Eric Clapton

..and you thought "Tears in Heaven" was sad?

Check out the description located beside the video..

Rickenbacker: Classic Craftsmanship

2008-03-24T19:38:00.003-04:00

Definitely going to have to invest in one of these someday..

June 24th

2008-03-23T00:27:00.002-04:00

It just feels.. right.

More on this later.

Bronchitis

2008-03-19T01:06:00.000-04:00

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi (medium-size airways) in the lungs. It can lead to pneumonia. Acute bronchitis is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Acute bronchitis is characterized by cough and sputum (phlegm) production and symptoms related to the obstruction of the airways by the inflamed airways and the phlegm, such as shortness of breath and wheezing. Diagnosis is by clinical examination and sometimes microbiological examination of the phlegm. Treatment may be with antibiotics (if a bacterial infection is suspected), bronchodilators (to relieve breathlessness) and other treatments.

Thanks, Wikipedia.

Good Early Morning

2008-03-02T02:32:00.005-05:00

Guess what? March has arrived. Pretty cool, yeah?

Nearly Spring Break.. wow, honest to goodness, time is flying!

Now, let's get this post started!

I'd really like to mention and recommend some artists and albums I found over the past month in an attempt to give them a bit of thanks and perhaps pass their fantastic prowess onto another curious soul:

I'll be honest, I've never been a huge fan of Jazz music, and I'm pretty discouraged about that. I purchased the album Blue Train by none other than John Coltrane last year, but I never truly listened to it.. which is an absolute injustice, if you ask the newly enlightened Matthew James Simerly.

John Coltrane is a mastermind, he's pure inspiration. I'm ashamed to admit I scoffed his work at first, but I shed myself of that horrible opinion at the beginning of February when I pulled Blue Train back out and actually opened my ears to it. What did I hear? Ear candy, bliss.. a man with a passion.. for music.

Honestly, all I can say is thank you, Mr. Coltrane. I picked up three of his other records (Giant Steps, A Love Supreme, My Favorite Things) just recently.. now I'm absolutely enamored by his work. Do yourself a favor and pick up one of the aforementioned albums, find yourself in an area of solitude, and listen.

Next up.. Frank Sinatra! I've always admired his uniquely rich vocals, but I've never found myself listening to any of his works in their entirety. Just recently I read a blog post by John Mayer where he mentioned two albums that he found ultimately satisfying, both of which were by Old Blue Eyes. Just my luck!

Now, as many people know, I'm a huge John Mayer fan. I believe he's one of the few truly honest musicians on the airwaves these days, and I appreciate that. Not only that, he also shreds like no other, and is a real inspiration to me and my musical workings. So wait, where was I? Oh, yeah!

The two albums John mentioned were Only the Lonely and In the Wee Small Hours. He made them both sound like essential recordings, so I found myself obliged to locate and listen to both of them. To be completely honest, I had no idea exactly what to expect. Like I said, I've never really been hugely into Sinatra, and now I'm definitely regretting that. Both of the recordings are filled with lush orchestration and outstanding vocals with true feeling.

Thanks, Frank!

New Toy

2008-01-28T01:11:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty excited about it:

Absolutely

2008-01-25T01:13:00.000-05:00

Absolutely, absolutely.. that's what I'd say if you asked me if I was enjoying this semester.

Really, now.. I'm pretty excited about this year. A lot of things went down last year that really, really brought me down. Honest to goodness, I'm glad I've found myself feeling joy in my life again..

Now onto the subject matter of this post: MUSIC .. surprise? Probably not..

Now that my days aren't so cloudy, I've found myself able to write again, and it's a great feeling. I just need to find the time to set some sounds down on the recording table.. and perhaps a place that I won't be interrupted while doing so!

Anyway, I'm hoping this year will stay clear of world-shaking events, so I can finally use this dusty old microphone again..

Thus far I have a total of five songs written.. the only problem is that they all lack finalized lyrics.

Guess what my goal is for this semester?

.. oh, and P.S. .. be sure to check out my music page on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/matthewsimerly

Who knows? I might actually post something on there one day.. here's to that thought!

Acadilemma

2007-11-07T01:18:00.000-05:00

My academic situation this semester has been less than stellar. I'm pretty unimpressed with my overall performance, but I've only myself to blame for that.

Honestly, I should be spending a bit more time in the library, but my mind's been all over the place. There's a lot going on, and I tend to find myself taking a break from everything by doing ..other activities.. ..such as a bit of guitar playing or even a game of Warcraft 3 every once in a while (Yeah, I'm a nerd, absolutely..) ..

..but I mean.. it's all about pushing yourself.. I've just had an outrageously tough time making myself do much of anything academically related.. definitely not good..

It's not that I can't handle my classes.. its that I've found myself completely disinterested with them. True, this is common among numerous inviduals (See: Everyone...) .. but.. but.. I just feel like I'm ignoring what I truly aspire to do.. and I really think that I've got to change things up and shift my true aspirations into first gear.

It sounds easy, right? Just focus on what you wanna do, and it'll get you through... not quite in my case.. it's a risk, you know? .. but what's not a risk in this life?

I switched up my concentration from a Pre-Medical area to a Pre-Law focus in an attempt to at least put myself in a decent position academically.. you know, just in case I need that 'Plan B' everyone mentions here and there when they're unable to place their full faith into something..

I'll figure this all out eventually..

Truth Be Told

2007-07-14T02:09:00.000-04:00

.. and I'll play until my fingers bleed ..
.. 'cause I've got super glue like SRV ..

No More Jam Bands

2007-07-03T00:48:00.000-04:00

Ok.. so... I'm pretty much tired of the whole jam band craze.

This probably comes as a shock to many a people, because I've visted many of these concerts.. but.. I am not a true member of the jam base.

See.. I wanted to broaden my horizons a bit.. but I failed. Umphrey's McGee and moe. are the only jam bands I can truly stand.. the rest really, really annoy me.. Disco Biscuits especially.

I'm sorry if this hurts anyone's feelings, but I'm just being honest here.

Let the truth be heard:
I'm clean.. drugs are not a part of me, even though a lot of people say otherwise..

Seriously, guys.. I don't do drugs.

Is this why I fail to enjoy jam band concerts? Possibly..

See, I'm not saying these guys aren't skilled or anything.. just that I really can't get into three hour sets with twenty minute instrumental tangents. I have the attention span for it, they just fail to peak my interest.. or maybe the druggies and hippies freak me out? Maybe.

See.. when I attend a concert, I definitely expect a few solos here and there.. but not the entire show.. singing is pretty cool, too.. you know?

I really have no idea where I'm going with this.

Stevie Ray Vaughan is awesome.

Timeless Tracks

2007-03-20T00:24:00.001-04:00

Timeless Track: A song that completely dissipates any feeling or realization of time.

So.. yeah.. I made that little definition up. I compiled a list of a few songs that truly extenuate this trait. (Side Note: These tracks also tend to bring memories of old back into view for me.. it's kind of neat being able to relate a song to a certain period in your life.. at least I think so.. and yes this side note also throws the definition off a bit.. but I find that they dissipate realization of the present.. very strange.. )

My Timeless Tracks:

"Thank You Friends" by Big Star
"Marquee Moon" by Television
"The Long Spring" by Explosions in the Sky (Also reminds me of the times I shared together with a certain person only a few years ago.. )
"OX4" by Ride
"Plush" by Stone Temple Pilots
"The Day I Tried to Live" by Soundgarden
"See You in the Next One (Have a Good Time)" by The Verve
"Wheel" by John Mayer
"Paper Boats" by Nada Surf
"Ram On" by Paul and Linda McCartney
"Nightswimming" by R.E.M.
"Hey" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Only in Dreams" by Weezer

I've come to the realization that most people don't tend to understand what I'm talking about.. and that's alright.. I'm a ramblin' man.

I think.. this is why I enjoy blogging.. it's nice throwing random ideas you have floating around onto something that also happens to be floating about.. except it's inside of the internet..

Sometimes I also reach the point where I have no idea what I'm babbling on about..

Potential

2007-03-18T01:55:00.000-04:00

I think.. that.. the moment that you finally realize your potential.. is pretty frightening...

..but like.. in a good way.

Last.fm Status

2007-03-14T19:44:00.000-04:00

I found something mildly interesting to post:

Whatever I listen to, you can listen to, too!

The Beginning

2007-03-11T01:47:00.000-05:00

Not sure what to put here.. yet..

..but soon..

(Don't smoke cigarettes in the rain.. )