Free download—If I Was Sober (I’d Go Get Drunk)

by | Oct 7, 2009 | Music

drunk

This cost $18, so it stays. Sorry.

I recently got a very rude email about this song from some woman who (a) considered herself somewhat of an expert on the blues and (b) actually believed I might possibly care about her ramblings. She asked me if I had ever listened to Robert Johnson. Actually, I think she asked if I even knew who he was …

She basically said that “If I Was Sober (I’d Go Get Drunk)” was fake blues, because (a) I can’t play blues guitar (b) it is a silly song and (c) … I forget … To all of this I wish to respond … normally, I take criticism with a grain of salt: I have no false modesty about my work; I know what I put into it, even songs like this. But sometimes, no. Make that always, it is the duty of the artist to confront such egregious asininity head-on.

Dear Ms. No-Boundaries:

Of course the song IS silly; there are thousands of silly blues songs. I mean, read the damn title for Christ’s sake.

What do you mean I can’t play blues guitar? You mean like, say, Eric Clapton? Well no, but I play from the heart and this song comes from real-life hurt (I still remember how it felt when I figured out what that girl was up to! Luckily I was still drinking and that helped a lot.) and therefore it is a real blues song, dumb ass.

And lastly, as some old blues guy said if it hasn’t been hocked, it can’t play the blues. Well, if that is the criteria, this guitar is Lucille, Jr. and I am BB King’s bastard son. Word.

Your truly,
K.B.

And for the rest of you:
Click here to download If I Was Sober (I’d Go Get Drunk) and feel free to write me about it! I care!

Every artist needs a muse

by | Oct 6, 2009 | Selected Writings

And to be amused.

Meet Maia and her daughter, Sophia. Muse and amuser. Some of you know my song “3 Seconds Before Maia Smiled.” (original instrumental on Deus Sex Machina, reworked with lyrics for Pop Down The Years. Yes, both are still available on iTunes and Amazon!

I recently wrote another Maia song, “Maia, It’s You,” which may very well be on the next cd of original songs, as yet untitled. It’s quite nice, with a potentially anthemic chorus which could easily be stretched out a la “Hey Jude” or that Arcade Fire song – you know the one. I’ll probably just keep it classical guitar, acoustic piano, lush strings and white noise. Yes, white noise is coming back to my music just as soon as I get the Roland Jupiter 6 with the Europa mod from my friend Gus.

It is my plan to release a cd of acoustic love songs, covers, mostly from the sixties and seventies, next. And after that, I am thinking that I will release a very odd mixture of music: mostly acoustic vocal tracks, mixed with some very electronic instrumental works. Who knows?

It occurred to me that I take pictures of four things with my iPhone: my cat Baby for her blog babysnohelp.com, Maia and Sophia, my instruments, and the occasional flower I pass on the street.

Alright, here are the girls.

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