"Without music, life would be a mistake."
This page will be a one-stop shop for ongoing projects, upcoming show dates, and all things music.
-Friedrich Nietsche
‘Cavalier Eternal’
Carlo and Frank pulled through the other weekend to play some tunes with me, and this soundcheck ended up being the best take of the entire day. This song is by Against Me! on their album Eternal Cowboy. I hope you enjoy.
-P
‘Cover Me Up’
This is a cover of ‘Cover Me Up’ by Jason Isbell off of his album Southeastern. It’s about sobering up and filling that space with love. I still have my vices (don’t we all), but re-evaluating my habits has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in this life and has put me in a headspace where I am more present and grateful in each moment. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
Anyways, here’s another song. I hope you enjoy.
-P
‘Rain on My Tin Roof’
Lately I’ve been learning songs by some of my favorite musicians just to grasp how it feels to write and play songs that have stuck with me over the years.
Hunter S. Thompson typed out F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby word for word to feel the same thing underneath his fingertips — the meter and rhythm of what a masterpiece feels like. So you could even say I’m copying what someone else did, copying what someone else did.
Call it what you will; I’ll call it progress.
-P
Punk as Folk 6 -
A Message to You Rudy
"Love is so much more powerful than hate. Hate is destruction and love is production."
-Lynval Golding, The Specials
The final installment of the Punk as Folk series comes for the 1st Generation of Ska, aka 2-tone music, bringing that rude-boy style into a collision with folk instruments. While the song, ‘A Message to You Rudy’ by The Specials, maintains it's upbeat tone, I transferred it over to all acoustic instruments, including ukelele, acoustic guitar, harmonica, melodica, saxophone, and a bassline on the piano to boot. It's very pleasant to dance, or skank, to. Go ahead, give it a try and see for yourself.
This bittersweet finale wraps up a project I set out to create 6 months ago. Sign up to my mailing list on the front page for updates of what's to come! Here's a hint: originals. Lots of originals. On Spotify. And other streaming platforms. All over.
A Special(s) shoutout (see what I did there?) to Travis Green (Sway Jah Vu) and Eric Kennedy (Sway + numerous jazz groups) for adding their vocals and saxophone parts to this project. Check out some other music we’ve made together in our shared project Sway Jah Vu.
Rock steady,
-P
Punk as Folk 5 -
The Gang’s All Here
Now it's time for some true east coast punk rock. Dropkick Murphys hails (see what I did there?) from Massachusetts, and has incorporated their celtic heritage into their unique style of music. They've been around since '96 and are known for their bag pipes and raucous sing-a-longs. For me personally, my oldest brother Noah brought home their CD The Gang's All Here back when I was a wee lad. Their songs like Never Alone, and the title track of that particular album have stuck with me to this day. Hence, my rendition of 'The Gang's All Here'.
Special shoutout on this video to all of my friends who came out and contributed to the footage, group vocals, and great times! This was an absolute blast to shoot. I have no idea how I’m going to top it on next months finale of the Punk as Folk series.
Punk as Folk 4- ‘Merican
The Descendents have been at it since the late 70's. They've (mostly) been a powerhouse of 4 nerdy friends who've always nailed out a blend of pop punk with love songs and the occasional politically powered tracks. In honor of America's upcoming birthday, their song " 'Merican” makes it onto the Punk as Folk list.
P.S. Did I recently watch Bo Burnham’s Inside? Did I ever. Did it inspire me to try new angles, lighting, and video techniques in upcoming videos? You bet your ass. This doesn’t compare by any standards, but it’s inspired me to learn new things.
Punk as Folk 3 - Leave it Alone
NoFX have been around for almost 40 years (holy sh*t.) and are still actively making music. They hail from the west coast and essentially have been around since the very early years of punk music. I've listened to this band since I was a young teenager and they are one of the OG's, so covering one of their songs in the Punk as Folk series was an absolute. Their song 'Leave it Alone' was recommended because of the harmonies, and my mother happened to visiting, so I took full advantage of the opportunity.
Learn more about the ‘Punk as Folk’ cover series here.
mp3 download
The woman, the myth, the legend. My mother! She joins us as a very special guest for this month’s episode.
Punk as Folk 2 - Sound System
One of the first bands to blend ska and punk music together, the short lived band Operation Ivy created a permanent impact on the genre. Ringing in 3rd wave ska, they have influenced many bands to come after them, including myself. Which is why I chose ‘Sound System’ to be the the second song in this series.
Learn more about the ‘Punk as Folk’ cover series here.
mp3 download
Punk as Folk 1 -
Sorrow
In this first episode, here’s Bad Religion’s song Suffer off their album The Process of Belief, which came out when I was 12 years old (damn.). Bad Religion were some of the pioneers of punk music and they brought a new level of lyrics that mixed science with a naturalist worldview. Front man Greg Graffin is an Ivy League college professor these days and still finds time to perform.
They’re essentially the grand elders of a music genre, and have laid a sound foundation (see what I did there) of thought provoking lyrics since near the time they formed. This song in particular shares a wisdom that can be observed and respected by almost everyone - it sings a universal truth that transcends borders. I don’t want to get too woo woo here, so I’ll just let you listen to it. I’ll be happy if I do it even a fraction of justice.
Learn more about the ‘Punk as Folk’ cover series here.
Disclaimer: I am a beginner videographer and making these music videos will be a learning process. This is the first, so let’s both hope by the sixth one we’re getting somewhere.