Time To Sh*t Or Get Off The Pot....

Sometimes losing someone helps you prioritize things. Being comfortably in "middle age" (provided I live well into my 90s), I pay attention to that voice inside of my head that says things like "It's time to shit or get off the pot" (one of our grandmother's favorite phrases) or "You ain't getting any younger" or "Maybe I should get that growth looked at by someone other than the cat".

The past two years, my life has been a stagnant mess. After all of the legal bullshit, health issues, etc., I lost my career in the mental health field. Honestly, I haven't known what the hell to do. I've done all sorts of jobs...and so far, none have lasted, or paid well, or given me any level of the security I figured I've have at my age. Well Boo Friggin' Hoo Metzger! I guess its time to go with my gut...and in my case, that's a lot to go on.

My music career has been just as stagnant as everything else. Don't get me wrong, I love playing in both bands I'm in but neither is 100% ME. OK...I'm sure you all probably figured that The Tremblers are...but you'd be wrong. I fell into a rut...and in so doing, so did the band. I've had an album finished that was supposed to be released in December 2010. It still sits unreleased. Don't get me wrong...the songs are great. I just don't know what the hell to do with it! The music market is in the tank...and let's be honest, my rootsy/rockabilly-ish/garage-y/blues-y/surf-y/doesn't-fit-any-particular-genre stuff is even harder to sell than ever. So...I've let it sit. I'll put it out at some point...whenever I figure out what to do with it.

So what to do now?

Let's see: I'm 47, broke, and have been, surprisingly, writing some of the best music of my career. When I play music at home, it's more or less what my auntie used to refer to as "hog-calling music". God how I love that! It's probably my most natural musical expression...and I've been playing/writing it for decades. Just never figured anyone would ever want to hear it. Well you know what? I don't care if no one WANTS to hear it...because you're gonna! (that said, everyone who HAS heard it, digs it...or they're just being polite...which doesn't sound like MY friends...thank God!) Thar be a lot of hills around here...and I plan to scream these songs from the top of each and every one of them!

Along with all of my other daily ventures into trying to keep some semblance of income coming in, I'm going to add "looking for funding for this very personal recording" to my list. I'm sure there's a market for it out there somewhere. If not...I can at least let it go with the knowledge that I did it...gave it my best...and then go on about life.

So what is this "hog-calling music"? It's tough to describe (ain't THAT a surprise coming from me?!). It's rootsy as hell, is what it is. It's equal parts gut bucket blues/Nawlinz jazz/hillbilly/drinking songs/sea shanties. What it AIN'T is rock and roll...at least not in any traditional sense. It's songs about life; the good parts, bad parts, and the parts the tabloids feed on. It's theatrical to a point. It draws different voices out of me...from a Tom Waits-ish growl to, as a dear friend put it, my "Yinzer Yodel". Some are 1st person, some are 3rd person. Some are introspective, some are made up stories. Some are ridiculous and some are serious. They're all really good.

These songs ain't about hot rods or pickin' up chicks or "oooh baby I love you-oo-oo". These are songs about drunks, drag queens, bar flies, whores, Heaven & Hell...you know, light subject matter. These songs are a nudge and a wink. These songs are dirty jokes and ernest prayers. These songs are lonely tears at night and laughing at the absurdity of life. These songs are me flipping the music industry the bird and just doing my own damned thing.

I hope you'll get to hear them.

So how the hell do I get this money together?

Yeah...there's always Kickstarter. God...have I sunk that low? A fucking 'online begging bowl' is how I've always seen it. It's a hope and a prayer and 9 times out of 10, no one gets shit for their money. I refuse to be party to that. IF I'm forced to go that route, I won't take a dime more than I need to make this thing happen. I'll pre-sell the record. Hell, I'll even add a Thank You gift. I'll keep it inexpensive. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's working below a budget. I've always hated spending money unnecessarily. I can record an album at a fraction of what other bands/producers can. And it will be QUALITY! I only ever use the best...because that's what I expect when I buy something. I don't want "Sorry...gosh O gee...we wanted to make this better but ran out of money...hope you like it anyway". Fuck that noise! I want this to be an interesting sounding record. I want YOU to listen to this and enjoy every second of it. I want you to beg your friends to listen to it. That's how good I want this to be.

OK...I have the songs. I'm enlisting some of my many musical friends and colleagues to lend their talents. I want them to make a buck too. I have access to the studio that I love to work in. All I need to do now is come up with the money.

Oh yeah...if you have want to throw some money at this project, I won't say NO. I'll make you an honest deal. I doubt anyone is gonna get rich on this record...but it's gonna be memorable. Most of all, it's gonna be worthwhile. Fuck that silly-ass 'sounds like 1000 other bands' shit. Imagine Johnny Cash, Shane McGowan, Dave Alvin, and Tom Waits on a bender in Tijuana with a polka band on acid letting it all hang out. Yeah....it's gonna be like that.

Wish me luck! I'm gonna need it!