December Newsletter

December 2009 Newsletter

October and November both ended up being busier than expected and I was unable to find enough time to get a newsletter together either month. I have been hard at work on a new album and a variety of other musical projects and am definitely excited about a musically rich December, check out all the details below.

December 4th - I will be performing as an electric duo with Jaran Carson (WigglePuppy) on the drums at the Root Note in downtown La Crosse, WI. This show should be excellent for a number of reasons. First, the Root Note is my favorite local business in La Crosse and is owned and operated by many of my close acquaintenances. They provide a delicious local and organic food and beverages as well as a great venue for live music.

Second, I will playing the show with a diverse group of local musicians that I am excited to watch perform. One of these is local singer/songwriter Nick Shattuck who has been building a substantial following in the area. He has also been kind enough to let me play drums for him during a number of live performances over the past few months, which has been a blast, and I will be drumming for him again for this show. Nick has also asked me to produce his debut album "Chorus & Verse" which we are currently working on at Ghost in My House Studio. Nick is playing shows all the time with a revolving cast of musicians, for more info on his music and upcoming dates just click here.

The show will also feature a solo performance from my good friend and local hip-hop guru Blake Auler-Murphy a.ka. Hyphon. We collaborated on the song Have it Back earlier this year and are currently working on some new material together. Check out Have it Back and more songs from Hyphon by clicking here. Another great local act, Beauford Firebeard, will be closing the show. This will be my first opportunity to see them live and I am really looking forward to it. For more info on the show click here.

December 10th - I will be back at the Acadia Cafe in Minneapolis performing as a three piece with Andy Blessing on drums and Matt Uttech on bass who. My good friend and independent music industry maven Adam Wiltgen set up this show through the Diverse Emerging Music Organization (D.E.M.O). Adam will also be performing with the Brillant Beasts, another favorite Minneapolis area band of mine who are nearing completion of a new album as I type this. Hyphon will also be doing a set at this show. For more info on this show click here.

December 26th - This is a very special show for me because I will be performing for the first time with my brother Mike on drums. He will be in town from Chicago for the holidays and we have been itching to perform together for awhile now. The show is at the Popcorn Tavern in La Crosse, WI. We will be opening for Nick Shattuck, who I will be playing drums for.

Other musical happenings - My good friend and talented singer/songwriter Michelle Lynn was kind enough to add some amazing vocals to a musical track I wrote, the resulting song, "Death By Fear", will be on her recently completed new album, "Pre Echoes for the Post Modern". I also did a little bit of post production work on the record which should be out in early 2010. Her new album is amazing and definitely worth a listen, in the meantime, do yourself a favor and check out her first two albums by clicking here.

My favorite local band, Porcupine, is hard a work on their second record. I am quite excited to hear the new material because their debut album, "The Trouble With You", is still close to my favorite record of 2009. If you haven't heard any of their material yet do yourself a favor and get some more info on the music and upcoming dates by clicking here.

Adam Ptacek and I are still slowly working on more material for our collaborative project, Objective Subject, which is currently about half done. We have been working this one for awhile and hope to have it completed and released sometime in mid 2010. Look for more info in the near future.

I have been hard at work on material for a new album since the release of Vision Question in the Fall of 2008. I currently have 18 songs written and recorded to some extent for my as yet untitled second album. Hoping to pick the best 10-12 songs, with a little help from some close friends, and have the album out in early 2010. More info in the near future.

In other news I have begun giving guitar and beginning drum lessons. If you yourself are interested or know anyone who is feel free to drop me an email.

I am on all over the web on Facebook, MySpace, Itunes, Amazon, YouTube, Twitter, Band Camp, Zazzle, Blogger etc...
As always www.brahmanshaman.com is the best place to access BRAHMAN SHAMAN info and music on the web all in one place as there are links to all the above mentioned sites there.

Until next time, enjoy the holidays, be well and take a little bit of time everyday to do something creative.

September 8, 2009 - Long Weekend

The extended Labor Day weekend was relaxing and productive.

Nick Shattuck began recording his debut album Friday morning at Ghost in My House Studio. He put in a hard day's work and became great friends with the ornery click track and got most of the basic guitar tracks recorded for the album. We will be back at it this Friday and should be able to get most if not all of the basic tracking done.

I will be playing solo acoustic this Thursday at around 7:30 at Blooming Grounds Coffee House in Winona, MN, opening for the Bluff Country String Band. Should be a fun show. For more info click here.

September 2nd, 2009 - What The Hell Ya Gonna Do (nowhere left to go)

Today's featured free music download is the newest song I have written and the last song I was able to get completely done during my recording time at Ghost in My House Studio last week. It is longer than most of my songs and has several parts so it may take a couple listens. Check it out.

September 1st, 2009 - Vision Question (the song)

Today's featured free music download is another new song I recorded last week. I had a love/hate relationship with this song for sometime as I have struggled to present it in a way that satisfies me, however everything worked out great with it last week and I am really happy with how the recording turned out. It will be available for free download today only.

Since it is the first day of September I think it is appropriate to layout what I have going on musically in the next month or so.

September 4th - First day of recording for Nick Shattuck's debut album which I am producing and recording at Ghost in My House Studio.

September 10th - Playing solo acoustic and opening for the fantastic Bluff Country String Band at Blooming Grounds Coffee Shop in Winona, MN. Show starts at about 7:30. For more info click here.

September 17th - Playing drums with Nick Shattuck at Del's Bar in La Crosse, WI. Show starts at 10:00pm.

September 23rd - Going to see Michachu and the Shapes live at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. Really looking forward to this show.

September 30th - Going to see Grizzly Bear at First Avenue. I have fallen in love with this group over the past few months and am really looking forward to seeing them live.

October 2nd - Playing two songs live and doing a brief interview on the Decorah, IA's KDEC 100.5 FM Morning Show at about 8:00am. The show can be streamed through the web, check out more info by clicking here.

August 31st, 2009 - Spoke of The Wheel

I was on vacation from work last week so I decided to spend a majority of the time recording new songs. Getting down into the basement studio by 7:00 AM and working until 4:00 or 5:00 in the afternoon day after day was both exhausting and rewarding. It was interesting to see how life would be if my only job was to write and record music all day, it was a blast.

Today's featured free music download is the first song I got recorded last week. I am really happy with the way it turned out and the instrumentation and overall sound is most likely what I will be utilizing for all the songs on the next album. I have been taking a step back from the loud electric guitars and drums in favor of a more emotive dynamic approach that works better with my voice. Check it out and send any feedback you have.

Last week I was also able to take a much needed break from the internet, social-networking and self-promotion and really enjoyed focusing on the music as opposed to trying to convince people to take the time to listen to it.

Today also marks the beginning of a month long cleanse. I will be avoiding all bad habits for the next thirty days including alcohol, caffeine, sugar etc... We will see how this goes. I think if I can get first the first week I should be good to go.

August 20th - Watered

Today's featured free music download is "Watered" from a 2002-2003's Completions.Constructions.&.Works in Progress Disc 2.

I will be playing both drums and guitar tonight at Del's Bar in downtown La Crosse, WI in support of Nick Shattuck. Should be a great show, music starts at 10:00 and goes until close at 2:00am. See you there.

August 19th, 2009 - Wasted

Today's featured free music download is "Wasted" a song written and recorded in 2001-2002 while on the road with Rearview Mirror. The song addresses my growing disillusionment with the minor success Rearview Mirror achieved as we realized our record company had dropped the ball, so to speak, and we were playing shows with no promotion. This resulted in the shows being less and less fun as the lack of any continued success fueled interband turmoil. I was also just getting into Wilco which is reflected in the alt-country feel of the track.

August 18th, 2009 - Denial

Todays featured free music download is a demo of "Denial" recorded Winter 2009 at Ghost in My House Studio.

I am in the process of booking a couple of shows for this Fall and should have more info up soon.

August 17th, 2009 - Guns & Gold

The weekend slipped away too quickly as usual. Spent some time painting the bathroom after the recent remodel. Still found enough time to play some music and finished demo'ing a newer song, only five of those left to go and then I can take stock of what I have and decide if I am ready to tackle the full album.

Will be playing drums and guitar this Thursday with Nick Shattuck at Del's Bar in La Crosse, WI. Should be a blast, show starts at 10:00 and runs till close.

Today's featured free music download is one of my favorite tracks from Vision Question, "Guns & Gold", a song that was originally written in 2002-2003 and updated an re-recorded in 2007. Check it out.

August 13th, 2009 - Satisfy

Things have become very busy around Ghost in My House Studio. I am working on recording demos of about 6 new songs and once I get that done I am going to start work on recording a new album. I also will be helping Michelle Lynn with a bit of additional instrumentation on her new album that is quickly nearing completion. I will be helping Nick Shattuck record his debut album beginning in September and I am hoping to get another track to local MC Hyphon within the next couple of months.

In other news I will be performing with Nick Shattuck next Thursday, August 20th, at Del's in La Crosse, WI, my favorite bar. I am going to bring down a stripped down drum kit and will also be playing some guitar. Should be a fun show, starts at 10:00pm and runs to close. We are playing for tips, so bring your ones and I will work on my pole tricks.

I am anxious to get a new Logan Custom Hot Rod Telecaster I ordered from Robert Logan. Robert is a custom guitar builder from right here in Wisconsin who makes amazing hand-built guitars for a much lower cost than Fender, Gibson, etc... Definitely worth checking out if you are a guitar or bass player. This will be my second Logan Custom Telecaster. Check out a pic below:

August 12th, 2009 - Strange Behavior

Today's featured free music download is "Best Behavior", a Vision Question B-Side. This song was originally written around 2003 and I had done some initial demos of the song at that point but ended up not doing anything with the song until 2007 when I made some attempts to make an updated version. I like a number of the elements of the song but could never get a version I was totally satisfied with. Check it out!

Also, I have got the preliminary site done for Ghost in My House Studio done, check it out at www.ghostinmyhousestudio.com.

August 11th, 2009 - Spoke of the Wheel

Thanks again to Adam Wiltgen for recording the above video of my performance at the Acadia Cafe in Minneapolis, MN on July 30th.

I have about 16 songs written for the new album from which I think I can select my 10-11 favorites. Time allowing I would like to get the album recorded and released by early 2009.

August 10th, 2009 - Weekend Recap

The weekend was both relaxing and productive. I had a great time performing "Have it Back" live with Hyphon on Decorah, IA's KDEC 100.5 FM and am looking forward to working on some more tracks with Hyphon in the near future.

Besides recording my own music at my home/project studio I have begun doing some production work for other musicians and bands. I had a good meeting with local singer/songwriter Nick Shattuck on Saturday and will be helping him record his debut full length album in the near future. If you are interested in more information about Ghost in My House Studio and the music I have recorded there so far, just take a minute and stop by www.ghostinmyhousestudio.com.

My good friend Adam Wiltgen was kind enough to provide me with some more live Brahman Shaman footage. Just posted a live solo performance of Capture What Eludes You from my July 30th performance at the Acadia Cafe in Minneapolis, MN. Check it out here.

August 6th, 2009 - Sometimes

KDEC 100.5 FM Radio Show Update
Due to the length of the radio program we will only be able to do two songs live so there will not be time to do Clairaudience as was previously reported, however, Blake and I are still going to do Have It Back and Blake and Dru will do their collabo track. The show should be great and the three of us are really looking forward to it. I know a majority of you do not live in or near Decorah, IA, however, the show can be streamed anywhere through the KDEC website. Until the radio show, take a minute to enjoy Have it Back which is available for free streaming and download.

The August newsletter was delivered yesterday, if you didn't recieve it just subscribe by clicking here.

I have been starting to do a little more production related services for other friends and local musicians. This has been a lot of fun for me because it allows me to experiment with my microphones and recording equipment in ways that are difficult to do when you are recording yourself. I also love to help other musicians see their vision realized and really learn from watching the creative process of others. May put up a site soon for Ghost in My House Studio.

August 5, 2009 - Radio Transmission

My good friend Blake, AKA Hyphon, has invited me to be on Decorah, IA's KDEC 100.5 FM Morning Show with him this Friday at 8:00am.

We will be doing our recently completed collabo track, Have it Back. Blake will also be doing a song with Dru, AKA Efftupp, and then I will be doing an acoustic version of Clairaudience with Blake adding some improvised rhyming, should be very cool.

If you are not in the Decorah, IA area you can stream the show live. In the meantime check out Have it Back, which is available for free download streaming now.

In other news I got a new guitar last night, a parlor sized Guild, which has inspired more guitar playing, singing and other creative endeavors. For some reason getting an instrument that is new, or at least new to you, always seems to inspire new ideas. You will hear it's public debut live on the radio Friday morning.

August 4th, 2009 - Yellow House

The daily drive was a bit more enjoyable today. I got Grizzly Bear's previous release, Yellow House, in the mail last night and got to listen to it in it's entirety this morning. It's a pretty wild record with a bunch of strange sounds and auxillary instruments and I am looking forward to spending some more time with it over the next few days.

Last night I had the extreme pleasure of getting three cavities drilled and filled, unfortunately it is not possible to get the headphones loud enough to block out the sound of the drill in your mouth. The whole event inspired me to take better care of my dental health in hopes of avoiding this unpleasantness in the future.

The semi-annual gear purge is going well with a couple of the items sold already. I am considering upgrading to a nicer acoustic guitar because I do most all of my songwriting with the acoustic, I also would love to be able to give my backup acoustic to a close friend who finds himself guitarless. Music is for everybody and nothing makes me more excited than seeing others utilize their creative abilities.

I have a new song I am working on that I hope to record a rough demo of this week. Should be interesting as the song has 4-5 different parts which I am considering just doing in sequence with no repeating. Trying to push myself to construct more interesting song arrangements has been a learning experience.

Got all the live recordings from the Root Note show last Friday downloaded off the Iphone but haven't had a chance to listen through them yet. If anything turned out really well I will be sure to post it for your listening pleasure.

August 3rd, 2009 - Weekend Recap

I had a great time playing at the Root Note on Friday night. It was great to hear Joe do his solo set, hopefully I can talk him into doing it more often. Casey and Jeff's performance was also great. Special thanks to all three of those guys for joining me on a handful of songs towards the end of the night as well.

My wife was kind enough to operate the iphone for me and I have recordings of most of Friday night's performances, once I get a chance to get them downloaded I will try to post a few live tracks if the recording quality is up to par.

It never ceases to amaze me that there is so much great music that I have never even heard. Lately I have been really drawn to music from the 50's and 60's as I love the simplicity of the songs and the fact that they were recorded with real people playing all at once in a room, a feeling that is often lacking in this era of computer edited music. I am really enjoying the Sam Cooke compilation album I picked up used on Amazon. Sam has such a great voice and has done a wide variety of music. I also like that he wrote a number of his hit songs.

I don't have any shows scheduled at this point and after playing three in the last week I am anxious to have some time to focus on writing and recording new material.

Today's free music download is one of my favorite songs from Vision Question.

July 31st, 2009 - Root Note Show Tonight

Ended up performing sans rhythm section last night in Minneapolis as Andy was injured at work. Show still went very well and I hope Andy feels better soon. Had a good time hanging out with Adam W. discussing music, writing and the related industries. Really looking forward to the show tonight at the Root Note, a great venue with great energy.

The drive to Minneapolis gave me sometime to listen to music as I continue to enjoy the latest releases from Wilco, Grizzly Bear, Micachu and Feist. Also, finished listening to a great Coast to Coast show from March 14, always food for thought.

Starting to get in some samples of the merchandise I've been designing through Zazzle and really enjoying the result.

Look forward to seeing many of you tonight.

July 30th, 2009 - Acadia Cafe Tonight

I am really looking forward to playing with Andy B. and Matt U. tonight at the Acadia Cafe in Minneapolis. We have never gotten together to practice so there is a great spur of the moment improvisational feel to the show which makes it a lot of fun for me as I play the songs so much the same way on my own. We open the show at 9:00pm.

Haven't been listening to much music the last couple of days. Mostly NPR and Coast to Coast. Listening to a great Coast to Coast program about the spiritual experiences of extreme atheletes like mountain climbers and base jumpers that is really interesting.

As I mentioned yesterday I am trying to sell a bunch of gear I am not using on Craigslist and what not. I have gotten some pretty amusing spam scam messages that say things like "Hi,
I have instructed my assistant to send out your payment as soon you provide your full name,phone number and address. I can only pay via money order as am on business trip." Hilarious. I guess it is like telemarketing though, send it to a million people and a certain percentage will fall for it.

I have about 15-16 songs written for a new album, but I am really wanting to let the songs develop over a longer period of time, I have recorded some multiple times and doing performances of the songs with different groups has definitely helped the process. Enjoy the Process. While the new album will not be recorded or released any time soon, demos of about 10 of the songs are up at my online music archive site.

Also, if you haven't gotten a chance to check out my collaboration with local MC Hyphon, it is now available for free streaming and download. It was fun for me to work with music and musicians that are outside of my comfort zone so to speak.

I also have a track that my good friend Michelle Lynn and I collaborated on that will be on the new album she is working on. Until that comes out it is definitely worth taking a couple of minutes to check out her previous albums.

Objective Subject is another project I am really excited about. It is a collaboration album with my good friend Adam Ptacek. We always worked well together in Rearview Mirror and it has been great working on another project with him. The album is slowly but surely coming together. Haven't released any tracks yet but until we do you can check out some old collaborations we did together and also some of Adam's solo work.

July 29th, 2009 - The Return

Was in meetings yesterday so I didn't get a blog up. Got a couple of shows coming up tomorrow and Friday that I am really looking forward to. Tomorrow I am playing with Andy and Matt U. at the Acadia in Minneapolis, we hit the stage at 9:00 for a 45minute set. Friday night I am doing a show at the Root Note in LaCrosse playing solo with solo and duo sets from Joe Dawson and Casey Virock & Jeff Sherin. Should be a fun show, all ages, music starts at about 8:00-8:30. For more info on both of these shows click here.

I have almost finished uploading and organizing a archive of music I have recorded over the past 12 years. Most of the listenable cuts are available to listen to for free by clicking here. Definitely worth checking out when you have sometime.

Also, if you haven't heard it yet, my good friend Hyphon created a great track out of some music I recorded last year. Check it out now by clicking here.

In other news I am going through a musical gear purge and getting rid of everything I am not currently using. Not sure why I seem to do something like this on a semi-annual basis, but hey, my loss is your gain. Got a bunch of stuff up on La Crosse and Minneapolis Craiglist.

July 27th, 2009 - Edit Path

Today's featured free music download is an experimental cut off 2002's "Completions Constructions & Works in Progress : Part 1". Monday has arrived, once again signaling the end of a productive weekend. Had fun playin with Joe, Jeff, Casey, and Adam at the St. Paul Eagles Club. I am still struggling with being able to hear myself as well as I would like at the louder rock shows which directly correlates to my enjoyment of the show. I sing fairly quietly and singing louder to hear myself often results in bizarre African throat singing.

This weekend I listened to the new Portugal The Man record "The Satanic Satanist", pretty good record, a little more major key than their previous effort "Censored Colors", and to be honest listening to the new album just made me want to hear the previous record. Also listened to more Grizzly Bear, Department of Eagles, Micachu, Chordettes, Gentleman Reg, etc...

Getting an old Airline/Montgomery Ward 1x12 combo shipped to me today. Hoping it survives shipping in good shape and is a good pairing with my favorite amp. The Lectrolab 1x10 combo.

Couple of shows coming up this week should be fun. Thursday night at Acadia Cafe in Minneapolis with Andy and Matt U. and then a quieter percussion free show Friday night at The Root Note in LaCrosse, WI with Casey Virock, Joe Dawson and Jeff Sherin.

Finished up designing some new merchandise this weekend, got some buttons on order for my bandmates and am anxious to see how some of the designs look when they get shipped to me this week.

July 24th, 2009 - Capture What Eludes You

Today's featured free download is a demo of "Capture What Eludes You". This song is really about how in life we are all searching for a purpose, something to make us want to get up in the morning and how often our fear of the unknown or trying something new prevents us from capturing what eludes us. If you have ever felt that way it is probably worth checking out.

I have got 3 shows coming up in the next week so you should easily be able to catch one. I am playing tonight in Minneapolis at the St. Paul Eagles Club with the full five-piece electric group, next Thursday in Minneapolis at the Acadia Cafe with the 3-piece electric group and next Friday acoustic/electric with friends Casey, Jeff S. and Joe at the Root Note in LaCrosse, WI. Check out Facebook for more info.

Casey and Jeff who play in the amazing Porcupine and also help me peform my music just did an interview you can check out online here.

Below is the albums I listened to yesterday:

Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
It took me awhile to get into this record, like a long while, but it was definitely worth the effort, may be true for you as well. Especially the opening track "Peacebone".

Blind Melon - Nico
My best friends and bandmates in Rearview Mirror (Jason & Adam) got me into this group finally a few years ago and I have become a big fan. This album is a collection of unreleased b-sides and what not.

The Dismemberment Plan - Change
This a really cool group that is no longer playing together. They released a number of albums and this is my favorite by far. Be warned though, if you get it you will be listening to it daily for the next six months.

July 23rd, 2009 - Jiggy

Today's featured free music download "Jiggy" reaches deep into the archives and offers up a track that was recorded over 10 years. Gives you a good insight into what I was working on in Highschool. Listen and discuss.

Music I listened to yesterday =

Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
This is a great album which gets better with every listen. Featuring Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear. This album was released last year and definitely worth a listen.

Eddie Vedder - Into The Wild (soundtrack)
Pearl Jam's singer provides a musical soundtrack filled with short "Who" inspired tracks that do a great job of supporting a great movie. Definitely worth checking out the music and the film if you have not yet done so.

Frank Sinatra - Classic Sinatra
Oh to have Sinatra's sweet crooning abilities for even one day would be fascinating. This greatest hits style collection travels through the world of Sinatra. Always a great listen after lunch.

July 22nd, 2009 - Why oh Why Acoustic

Today's featured free download is an acoustic version of "Why oh Why" which was recorded during the pre-production stages of the Vision Question album. Check it.

Below are the albums I listened to yesterday.

St. Vincent - Actor
This is the second album from Annie Clark, a former member of the Polyphonic Spree who has discovered that she can make magical music on her own. I have really been enjoying this album and think it is definitely worth checking out.

Thom Yorke - The Eraser
If you like Radiohead you like Thom Yorke and I do like Radiohead. I also really enjoy his first solo album that was released a couple of years ago. Definitely worth spending sometime with this album.

Throw Me The Statue - Moonbeams Throw me the Statue is the solo recording project of Scott Reitherman. This album was released a couple of years ago on Secretly Canadian. While the album has way to many songs in my opinion, that does not detract from the fact that many are very enjoyable.

July 21st, 2009 - Escape Escape The Great Escape

Today's featured free music download is a full demo of "Great Escape". This song is mainly focused on the drive to escape the structure of traditional society and just go live in the woods like an animal. We are animals after all and I think the drive to live on instinct is present in all of us. Also, three shows coming up in the next two weeks. This Friday at the St. Paul Eagles Club with the full 5 piece electric group, next Thursday in Minneapolis with the 3 piece electric band and next Friday at the Root Note in LaCrosse, WI with Casey and Joe acoustic.

Below are the albums I listened to yesterday in no particular order.

Criteria - En Garde
I am a big fan of singer/guitarist Steve Pedersen's other previous group, The White Octave, so I was not surprised to find that this debut album from the group he started after White Octave to sound pretty similar. Seems to be a pretty good record but still liking his work with the White Octave more.

Grizzly Bear - Vecktamist
Listened to this album last week as well, not tiring of it at all yet. Great record, if you haven't listened to it, do so now.

Pearl Jam - The Fixer (single)
The first single from Pearl Jam's new record "Backspacer" is now streaming at their Myspace site. Pretty cool little punk rock song, nothing to exciting here though. How does a great American rock band compete with it's own youth?

Thom Yorke - Present Tense (solo acoustic)
Thom Yorke debuted a new song at a festival this weekend, pretty hard to get much satisfaction out of the poor audio quality of the You Tube video but worth checking out if you are into Thom.

Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
I am not huge into Jazz, but I do like my the groups that push the envelope and love the experimental leanings of this double album. If you haven't heard it yet, make time soon.

Weezer - 8 bit Tribute Album
A Weezer tribute album with the songs reimagined in 8-bit. In other words Weezer as video game music from 1989. Not really that satisfying, didn't listen to the whole thing.

July 20th, 2009 - President Of The Free

Today's featured free music download is "President of The Free" off the Vision Question album which was released in Fall 2008. This song developed over a number of years with the first half of it having been written around 2003-2004. The "we" should be president of the free, you know it...

Had a great rehearsal yesterday with good friends in prepraration for the show at the St. Paul Eagles Club this Friday night in St. Paul, MN. Should be a great show full of good music and good fun. Will be back tomorrow with what I listened to today at work.

July 17th, 2009 - Addicted to Girls

Today's featured free download "Addicted to Girls" is a tongue-n-cheek lampooning of dating in highschool which was written and recorded while I was in highschool. Sort of a fun track, still get kick out of the really long and syncopated drum fills I programmed. Check it.

Below in no particular order is the albums I listened to on Thursday.

John Frusciante - The Will to Death
If you haven't taken the chance to check out any of John Frusciante's solo material you are missing a majestic boat. Recommended listening includes the album above and "Curtains". His music and approach has been a huge influence on my solo material, check out "Tides of Time" from last year's Vision Question Album for an example of that influence.

Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
I picked up the sophopmore effort from this group last year and the whole album is great, not a bad song in the bunch. Often compared to My Morning Jacket I think Band of Horses is more my flavor especially after the Evil Urges album. Worth checking out.

Bonnie "Prince" Billy - I See A Darkness
Decided to pick up this late 90's classic last year after people on MySpace kept telling me that my music reminded me of his. This turned out to be a very kind compliment indeed as Will Oldham delivers a haunting disc of great tracks. Took me a few listens to get into but now I cannot get enough.

Daredevil Christopher Wright - In Deference to a Broken Back
I had the pleasure of playing my first solo acoustic show in an opening slot from this talented band from Eau Claire, WI. Great harmonies and some interesting arrangements really elevate this debut album which was mixed by the might Bon Iver, another Eau Claire, WI native. Highlight track is definitely the "East Coast". Must listen.

July 16th, 2009 - Ugly

Above we have another track from the archives. "Ugly" was a song I recorded in 2002. It was meant to be my mild attempt at making a Modest Mouse style song as I was a big fan of the group's earlier records. Check it out!

Below, in no particular order is the albums I listened to on Wednesday.

Junior Boys - Begone Dull Care
This is a record I picked up earlier this year that is pretty much straight electronic music. I find it relaxing, the production is excellent and I also think a lot of the vocal lines are really well written. Check it out if you are into electronic music.

Kasey McKee - Well Wisher
This is a great debut album from a Minneapolis, MN based singer-songwriter. Kasey recorded the album all by himself in his 2nd floor apartment and the result is great songs and great sounds, definitely worth checking out.

White Rabbits - It's Frightening
This is another album I picked up earlier this year. I really like the sound of the record, it reminds me of Radiohead at different points. Worth a couple listens at least.

Jim James - Covers George Harrison Streamed this EP of My Morning Jacket's Jim James covering 6 George Harrison songs online.

Dead Weather - Horehound
I have to be honest and say that I was anxiously awaiting this lastest Jack White side project. While I never paid that much attention to the White Stripes or the Raconteurs I was intrigued by this latest combination of players. Have only had a chance to listen to the record a couple of times and I like it pretty well, especially the monstrous kick drum sound. However, I think it is funny how much the instrumental track "Birds" sounds like a musical demo of Korn's "Freak on a Leash", bizarre.

T.V on The Radio - Dear Science
I will agree with the majority and say that this is a great record with a great title. If you haven't checked it out yet you should.

Okkervil River - The Stand-Ins
This album, released last year, is the first record I heard from these guys. I am a fan of it, especially the traded vocals of "Lost Coastlines", which is a standout track, in my opinion.

July 15th, 2009 - Gold This Plant (Bronze This Tree)

Today's free music download is "Gold This Plant (Bronze This Tree)" a stream of consciousness song I recorded at Ghost in My House Studio sometime in 2006. Never made it on to any official album but I still dig the feel of the track and think you might to. Check it out!

Here is a breakdown of the albums I listened to yesterday.

The Builders and the Butchers - Salvation is a Deep Dark Well
This album came out earlier this summer and I picked it up used on Amazon for a $1. Only have had a couple of chances to hear it all the way through. It is definitely an interesting record very focused on the devil vs. salvation. The singer sounds a lot like Colin Meloy of the Decemberist.

Pale Young Gentlemen - Black Forest (tra la la)
This is another record I picked up earlier this year. This a great band from Madison, WI. Definitely worth checing out.

Micahu & The Shapes - Jewellry
This is a new group from across the ocean. Frighteningly bizarre on the first listen this album has grown on me and is now my favorite record of the year thus far. Going to do my best to catch a show when they are in the U.S. this fall.

Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
Just a classic record. Was not a big Beach Boys fan in my youth but have come to really enjoy them. Hoping that some of their beautiful sunshine harmonies rub off on me.

The Dodos - Time To Die (pre-release stream)I got into this duo last year and really loved their first record, "Beware The Maniacs". There second record "Visiter" was also good. They are currently streaming their new record "Time to Die" at the link above and will be releasing the album in the coming months.

Battles - Mirrored
I am a huge fan of these guys and their latest record "Mirrored" is a great starting point for new listeners. They are more of an instrumental math/experimental rock band. I can't seem to get enough of them.

The Chordettes - "They're Riding High" Says Archie
I discovered this amazing female vocal quartet from Sheboygan, WI when I was scouring the internet searching for the version of "Mr. Sandman" that I remembered from an episode of Family Ties I had seen during childhood. The sound and songs are this record are great and it really makes me appreciate the simple recording techniques utilized in the 50's and early 60's.

Deerhoof - Offend Maggie
I am a big fan of this group, especially their drummer Greg Saunier. Definitely worth checking out some of the live videos on You Tube. Had the opportunity to see them last year at First Avenue and it was an amazingly tight show. They are not for everyone though, I recommend starting with their "Friend Opportunity" album which came out before "Offend Maggie" as I think it is the most accessible.

July 14th, 2009 - Download Polyglot Demo Album Free

Today's free download is the entire Polyglot Demo Album. This album is a collection of ten demos recorded over the past year that may make it on the new album I am working on. Check out some of the songs in their formative stages.

I also have decided to expand this blog a bit and will be posting albums I have listened to on my work commutes and in my office. Yesterday I listened to the following albums:

Grizzly Bear - Vecktamist
I had never listened to these guys before but the buzz for their latest record drew me in and it has really grown on me, definitely worth a listen.

Gentleman Reg - Jet Black
A Canadian group released this album earlier this year and I have been enjoying it from time to time.

Radiohead - Amnesiac
One of my favorite Radiohead albums. I didn't start listening to Radiohead until Kid A was released so I sort of enjoy their post Ok Computer music more, although it is all great.

Porcupine - The Trouble With You
This is a great band from LaCrosse, WI that just released their debut disc earlier this year. They are great live and on the record and definitely worth checking out.

Wilco - The Album
Picked up the new Wilco album last week and it turned me off at first, couldn't shake the feeling that it sounded like adult contemporary soft rock, but repeated listens have revealed how great a record it really is.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz
I never really got into these guys when they were blowing up on their first couple of records but decided to give this one a chance and I love it. It really appeals to my electro-pop interest.

July 13th, 2009 - Free Album Download

Beautiful start to the week. Today only I would like to offer a free download of "Medicated Mostly Meaningful" a album I recorded in 2001. This material was recorded on a dilapidated old PC utilizing the left ear of some headphones as the microphone I am really happy with the mood and how it sounds like emotional robots or something. Anyway, this material is quite a bit different than the more pop-rock stuff I am doing now but fans of Thom Yorke's solo material, wacky Radiohead stuff and Bjork may dig it, check it out.

July 10th, 2009 - Download Vision Question for FREE!

Now that I have finished uploading a majority of my listenable (in my opinion) back catalog, not yet having addressed a number of albums I made straight to cassette(which will take some time to get on the computer box), I have decided to provide a free download of my entire 2008 album "Vision Question" for today only. Thanks for all your support and Enjoy!

July 9th, 2009 - PopSung

The BRAHMAN SHAMAN archives are slowly but surely being uploaded to http://brahmanshaman.bandcamp.com. Band Camp provides a free service which is pretty amazing and is allowing me to put my whole back catalog online. I continue to feature a free daily download from this collection. Today's free track is "PopSung" the title really doesn't have much to do with the song but I think the track represents a great example of the experiments I was doing with mashing to very different musical elemements in an exciting way.

July 8th, 2009 - Into The Sunshine

Today we have another track off the "On The TV" album which I recorded and originally released in 1999. All the songs on the album were recorded in my windowless basement bedroom on my Yamaha Cassette 4-Track. I would spend hours down there with headphones on making noises into the microphone.

July 7th, 2009 - Clairaudience new version

Today we have the newest version of Clairaudience. I recorded this version a couple of months ago and it is a bit quicker than the Demo version. I am still taking steps to improve the site and implement a way to easily get all of you new music.

July 6th, 2009 - Pushing.Spinning

Today we have another track off the Medicated Mostly Meaningful album which was released in 2002. "Pushing.Spinning" is a fair amount different from most of my more recent material and it is more focused on creating an atmospheric sound as opposed to being a short and catchy pop rock song. The more I listen through some of my older material the more tempted I am to return to a more electronica infused sound.

July 3rd, 2009 - Some Day Soon & New Site Info

Welcome to the new BRAHMAN SHAMAN - Free Music site. You can now subscribe to the BRAHMAN SHAMAN - Free Music RSS Feed, allowing you to get your daily free music sent directly to your RSS feed aggregator of choice. To subscribe just click the subscribe button below this widget. Each post also now includes the share/save link which allows you to share any song you like through email, facebook, twitter etc... This new site also only allows me to put up one song per post so for posts that include more than one song they can be accessed by clicking the subsequent posts, blah blahblah.

Today we have "Some.Day.Soon", another song off 2002's Medicated Mostly Meaningful Album. The material on that album is a fair amount different from what I am doing now and simply represents a different part of my musical interests than I am currently trying to express.

July 2nd, 2009 - Channel 9

Today we have another track from the archives. "Channel 9" was a song I recorded 11 or 12 years ago on my Yamaha 4-Track in the basement of my parent's home which was then in Cresco, IA. I don't have a lot of memory of the motivation for the song but I believe that it was referencing my love hate relationship with television and how it can be a complete waste of time but also an enjoyable waste of time.

July 1st, 2009 - Medicated Mostly Meaningful

Today we have "Sometimes", my favorite track off the album "Medicated Mostly Meaningful" that I released in 2002. The whole record was influenced by Bjork's Homogenic album and Radiohead's Amnesiac, which were the only two records I was listening to at the time. The whole album was also recorded through the line input on my computer which translates into some interesting clipped sounds.

June 30th, 2009 - Part 2 - Best Behavior

Best Behavior

June 30th, 2009 - Spoke of The Wheel

This summer has been amazingly mild for the most part and I am enjoying it. For today we have a live acoustic version of a newer song "Spoke of the Wheel", there is also two live videos of this song available online,click acoustic or electric.

June 29th, 2009 - Monday Monday

Monday monday so good to me. Today we have a live acoustic version of a newer song, "Ghost In My House" which is about the supernatural activity in the house and my feeling that maybe it is my spirit causing all the mischief. We also have a demo of "Stack The Deck" a song written within the last year or so.

June 27th, 2009 - The Old with the New

Decades are both long and short. Today I have uploaded "I'm Sick of Me" a song I recorded in my parent's basement in 1999 on my Yamaha Cassette 4-Track for my "On.The.T.V" album while I was still in highschool. I have been writing and recording my own songs and compiling tapes and cd's since 1997 and I literally have hundreds, so I will be incorporating some of these old tracks as part of the free music project. I have also uploaded "Greed" a demo of a song I wrote and recorded prior to the financial meltdown. Have a good weekend, my next post will be on Monday.

June 26th, 2009 - Part 2 - Youth

Youth

June 26th, 2009 - Homeland Security

Today I have posted "Homeland Security", a B-Side demo from the Vision Question album which I wrote a portion of several years ago and combined it with a newer section. I like the song but didn't think that the version I recorded fit with the rest of the material on Vision Question. The second track is an acoustic version of a newer song I am working on called Youth.

June 25th, 2009 - Great Escape & Ready The Net

Today we have a demo of "Ready The Net" another song I am working on for the new album and a recent live acoustic recording of "Great Escape". I have 16 songs written for the new album but I want to give them sometime to gestate and evolve before finishing them. I am still struggling with getting this page to render correctly across all browsers (IE, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, etc), got some new ideas to try to remedy this today.

June 24th, 2009 - Vision Question - The Song

Vision Question

June 24th, 2009 - Web 2.0 - Capture What Eludes You

I am a web programming novice, so if any of you are having trouble viewing this page just drop an email to brahmanshaman@hotmail.com and I will do my best to fix it. Today we have "Capture What Eludes You", a demo recorded last fall at Ghost in My House Studio and a rough version of a newer song aptly titled "Vision Question" which was recorded on my trusty Olympus Voice Recorder.

June 23rd, 2009 - Site Launch

To provide some material to start my free music site I have uploaded the demos Clairaudience, Pride of The Night, Great Escape, Lost At Sea and Polyglot, five songs I have written over the past year. All of these songs were recorded at Ghost In My House Studio in Fall 2008. I often record songs multiple times because it allows me to hear what they sound like with different instrumentation, tempos, lyrics and arrangements, it is also a good way for me to learn the parts better. Thanks for listening.