CD Release. Babbas. Ants. Becknell.

Holy Hell...

 

I just looked at the date of our last post and said to myself "holy hell, josh! write something. it is what you do...tell the people something......" We have lots and lots of something to spill...

 

Things with this band could not be better. On May 2nd 2010 Josh Eagle and The Harvest City released SHOW YOUR TEETH, a record of 12 songs written, record, mix and master by us four. We hope you listen for LONGTIME.

 

The cancer society gig that shortly followed at Baba Buddan's was special... I believe they raised 800 bones or so. Fuck cancer and its demon trickery snicker. "Where They Landed" played a set following us that made the folks dance dance dance....Peanut Butter Solution opened the show with their unique sensible tunes that at times, reminded me of Johnathan Demme's film "Stop Making Sense"....funny how that works out....it must have been 'solution's' lead singer's suit and his jivin' brain-to-bone-to- muscle wiggle. 

 We are doing a weeklong tour once July comes around. Lexington, Asheville,  Charlotte, Raleigh, Louisville...and some minnie stops as often as we can to play in parks, play for kids, play in record stores, and on and on and on. Gotta keep on movin' like groups of ants with work to do!!! SIDENOTE: ants just conquered my coffee that was sitting decadently on the pretty grass next to my stoney fire hole. No more coffee for Josh and no more life for ants...o well...they died high as kites! An overdose of caffeine before the drowning, I am sure of it...real horror show more on my side, for I am out of my favorite Joe! 

New songs keep a comin'.

 Writers block is spoken of as a deep and dark pain of the ass, but does it actually exist? Is it an excuse us pen and paper addicts use to just fall back on when we are being lazy artist, physically and mentally stagnant(They go together, ya know). Or, are we just more creative sometimes more than others, for no reason what so hellfuckever? Creative Portals open wide which mean they - as all things do- have a counterpart that slams shut..Just go get it. Hop in and tell yourself "You are a writer and writer's block is not real."TANGENT #2 CLOSED

Mark Becknell is the drummer for Josh Eagle and The Harvest City. He likes motorcycles, dark microbeer, Dan from all over, spicy burritos, teaching Josh Eagle how music works scientifically, and writing songs that simplify our over-the-top, busy days. 

PEACE and Grow a bunch of food.

Music is...Pretty Much a Good Idea

What a weekend (i know it's thursday)...Clifton Heights Music Fest. was a killer event! Kudos to Rome and all his little helpers (that sounds like he is the black Santa!)...this year Santa will bring Christmas presents on a 2 wheeled, reindeerless Segway... 

Saturday night was off the chain. After starting the night with a PBR and the worlds greatest Pad Thai (Thai Express), we cruised down the avenue to listen to Where They Landed at Christie's. These cats are talented:  the Horns are familiar comrades; tight yet loose and jivin', Dustin the drummer is energetic and quick with his improve rolls. I think they even did a Outcast cover...or maybe Big Boi and Andre stole "So Fresh and So Clean" from this talented bunch. If you were/are fans of Cincy's departed Ray's Music Exchange, these guys are for you. We are sharing a bill at Baba Buddan's the Saturday following our May 2nd CD party...May 8th I believe it is....hey you should come...whoever you are...you are somebody...

It was very gentleman of Rome to have a gathering on Tuesday Night for all those who worked hard for this festival and I can say for everyone involved-this  biannual Clifton activity is only going to get stronger and stronger...

Off to the North this weekend! Josh Eagle and The Harvest City will be making an afternoon in-store appearance at Omegas Records in Dayton and then off to Vandailia to play at Stubbies Bar...

Lots of good to come as the official line up for our CD release show is intact: The Hiders, Frontier Folk Nebraska, and DjDq (SICK!)...May 2nd @ the 20th Century Theatre will be a day of goodness....4pm...it is a potluck!

All together I would like to quote Justin Vernon of Bon Iver: "Music is...pretty much a good idea"

PEACE

MACS AND SUCH GOOD THINGS

A lot of time has passed since we last played at Mac's Pizza Pub and to be honest, I was a little wary about the Saturday night gig. If you don't know Mac's, it is the sort of place where fresh 21's and horny drunkards of all types like to sometimes find too much of a good time. Attractive young men and women heavily curious about there fragile bodies and limits of intoxication that gift no boundaries. I've been in that zone before (I am a mere 25, so it wasn't many moons ago) and it was fun while it endured, so I mustn't knock the lifestyle or the venue... 

Last time we had played music in this college bar was a year or so ago. A time in which I had not been as sober minded as I am now, Mark (drums) was not married yet to his beautiful wife, Jeremy(guitar) had yet to have his daughter Lila, and Tommy ....hmmm...hmmm...ummm..... Tommy still plays a wicked fucking bass line. Our hearts and minds have shaped up a bit, I'd say, and going back to macs  ( which now that I think of it was our first gig together as a band), surprised me so. ----What energy! What a conundrum of Calamity Janes and Wild Bills! Say what you want! Do what you do! Come one come all, for all are welcome! Why is it that we have to be so calmly quiet and reserved now that we are adults? This night was perfect for our folkie rocker souls. 

Dusty Bryant opened the show for us with his bourbon rasp vocals and very Joni Mitchell curious guitar tunings and playing. What a strong few sets he played... We salute you Dusty boy! 

Seeing old friends is always delicious and no matter how much we change as a band, we can never forget where it is we came from. Mac's is where our foundation is and our roots are never to be forgotten~CHEERS mate

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE

*I fell in love 3 separate times. 

*A dashing fresh 40yr old showed the bar her full left breast 

*Debuted an original tune Swell Stereo as well as Neil Young's Cortez the Killer and Gram Parson's A Song to You

* We all got to be together 

Sundays

Sunday is the most magical day of the week. This is an enigma because I was raised in a religion that encourages to do nothing on this particular day, but how can something be magical if nothing is happening? Well, you see when we slow down our raging horses and turn off our cell phones (this is my new sunday ritual) and breathe easy,  sparks seem to gleam in harmonious forms....

I met a onceuponatime stranger  at Pleasant Perk yesterday. His name was Scoot. This tall gregarious man with a fake name, give his insight on a vast range of debatable subjects that included Ani Difranco's sexuality, why our feet fall a sleep, why he recently lost hit job, and Cincy's heartland NICE vs. NOTsoNICE record stores employees.  I expalined to him that I was moving to a house in the woods and he responded back with a whipping "DO YOU NEED A HAND!"  This was not a crazy man (or whatever that means, we all have our own definition)...Scoot was more human than anyone I had met that week. He smiled constantly, looked for the good in all he spoke of (optimism and empathy can be rare to find sometimes), asked what music I liked, what authors I dug (Scoot was reading Erik Larson's  The Devil In the White City, one of my most beloved books), what states I've been to,  on and on and on... this man went... on and on and I wish most people were like Scoot. I missed him when I left. 

I love the groginess of the morning. What a natural, anxious-free mindset we have at this time. For some reason it is peaceful to not have your brain in full-function, which maybe explains a bit about why folks care so tenderly for drugs and alcohol.  I have heard that the moments following sex are the most honest times in people's lives. Maybe a combo of the two? Morning Sex? 

Also, why in the world do people hold back when they recognize someone? If one thinks that that may have spent time with or known that  familiar face previously in life, why not approach? Most people would love to meet you and talk to you. 

    You are a winner, you are special. You are a grand golden goose. 

Album release...New Songs (HOLY SHIT!)..ramblings eh!

Most people yearn for Friday night like it is a lost lover; dead for a 6 days yet we know it will rise again to save us from the pain of the previous 4 days of daily grind or whatever most folks despise about days where they can't have hangovers. Friday, is most 9-5er's weekly addiction. However for this lonesome dog, I howl for Mondays. My three best friends and I get to make beautiful noise. Noise that is eventually publicly played for people who enjoy a good noise (we hope it is similar to Woody Allen's Orgasmatron). 

On every Monday night at drummer Marks humble home in Mariemont, "The Harvest City" and I do what we feel were put on this-here-earth to do: create the most simple/heartfelt/ charismatic ambient, folkish rockish music possible. How the songs usually come together is pretty simple.   I bring in bundles of unorganized pieces of music...scribbled napkins, yellow paper, white paper, cardboard etc. I do have 3 journal/poetry books that I purchased, thinking that this  would help my jumbled methods, however they end up being lost (gently misplaced) most of the time.  For me, the songs are never finished until we as a band have hacked away upon them to the point of limbs falling off. And until those song are  recorded on machine, ready to be heard, it is possible that they are a work in progress. Songs can change so much over time if you continue to play them (avid Bobby Dylan fans know this all to well). Not only do people need to be in the constant state of becoming, but songs do just as much.

Josh Eagle and The Harvest City have a new Album coming out in April. It is called Show Your Teeth ( I originally thought this sounded like a bad Rolling Stones record of the 80's, but soon came to realize that the previous given name -3 Seasons Grace- sounded much like a milk and cookies/fireside/slippers record...This album is not like that at all. It has its sensitive and twee moments but this is a patient rock record. 

Fuck Man~! This is exciting for us and we cannot wait to share it with you. The party will take place at The Redmoore (old cinema grill) in Mt Lookout. Not sure the official date as of yet, but it will be on a community Sunday...it will be a potluck...it you are a part of this and bring a dish you shall get the CD for very cheap because we love you.

 Anywho....this past monday was astronomical for us four (mark,tommy,jeremy & I). As a band we hashed out over wine and beer and rum on ice, the making of a future album. 2 new songs that are, as I said before, in this state of becoming (but have grow up fast!) Here are the lyrics to a tune I started on Highway 1 in California (just near Big Sur) and lyrically finished here in my  kitchen weeks later.

Most Possible Dream

I make my way on down the trolly line

for I ain't got much time/I ain't go much time

I make my way on down the road 

across the pacific is where I go 

where the bird flys high but the sheep are low

the sheep are low, i leave them at home

down through the delta where the blues are played

a mississippi queen stole my blues away

though jackson smelled of the sweetest pie

so did the road as i said good bye

uh huh...share share...uh huh share share

CHORUS-1

Mother Mother Mother

Somtimes these people scare me

Cause Everywhere that I go

You sing Glory Glory Glory

Verse-2

Near Salsalito I made love to you

but not with my body, with my mind instead

for you were makin' your way on down the line

it was death to be certain you aint got much time

Around came the jester with his curly hair

he told me a joke as I said him a prayer

never talking to god but to a redwood tree

would you take him in? for this man is with me

And so I run through the dessert in the pouring rain

feeling the freedom of the pouring rain

you ask a man why he lives this way

for there's a clock that ticks that laughs the days away

uh huh share share...uh huh share share

Chorus-2

Darlin' darlin' darlin'

sometime these people scare me

cause everywhere that I go

there's a golden sunrise morning

father father father

look at where i am now

everything that I do

it's only cause you showed me how

YOU ARE THE MOST POSSIBLE DREAM