So here we are in the mid-two thousands and the music world smack dab in the middle of an early eighties obsession/rehash as the twenty year cycle finally comes around again as it always does. Its actually more of a twenty-three year cycle I've noticed. Just as planned. Just as expected. Just as always. The current buzz bands franz Ferdinand the killers modest mouse vhs or beta and secret machines is a none too subtle rearrangement/amalgamation of the music we all grew up listening to when we were kids in the early to mid eighties. (the two-thousands currently obsessing/swallowing the eighties (just as the seventies was obsessed with the fifties (happy days, lavern and Shirley, sha na na, etc...) the eighties obsessed on the sixties (Woodstock revivals and constant documentaries about the sixties culminating with the peak of the grateful dead’s success in 1990 and the entire country dropping acid again for one or two solid summers in 1989 and 90 and the nineties obsessed on the seventies (remember the bee gees, disco and bell bottoms were the WORST things you could say, or perhaps the funniest, for a brief twenty years and then the nineties hit and they all of a sudden became the rage all over again...  the nineties was all about disco and funk and seventies rock and pop revival etc...))  This new two-thousands obsession with the eighties that is going on now though is very obvious. A lot of these bands don't even hide it. they might as well be the new cure or new order or smiths albums...  Perhaps it always was like this and maybe I'm just starting to get astute enough to be able to notice it.

Anyway, plenty of good original stuff being made. God so much. Music so amazing now. joyzipper is a new fav of mine right now. Belle and Sebastian’s new one. keane is great. Muse – my favorite!!!! They are amazing and sound like no one except Jeff Buckley. Coldplay don't sound like anyone. I mean, obvious a strong U2 influence there but just great music. travis is always good. Ours – what will become of ours? will he ever break?

So I'm walking home at midnight and I'm listening to all this new eighties revival music that is so popular now that people think is new... and I'm thinking about **** from **** records being cool enough to invite me up to his office to listen to the latest hottest music... so we could compare the new transcendence album to what's hot now. and I'm thinking man there is no way me and the guys are going to start making music like this. its just not in us. we can’t force something that we aren't. I don't think any of us ever really got into the eighties music when it was popular let alone now twenty years later.
The working title for the new CD has been Cinematique for the last six months. But lately I have been thinking about Dying Van Gogh. I'm walking home and I'm thinking you know we have a chance here... I mean there's an inkling of a chance in the stars right now... they are twinkling... down upon us.... so do we go for it and just go for another modern rock record that is in tune with the times or do I just do what I want... which is really to go back to more of a rise and shine vibe... I really want to take the modern rock tunage we already laid down and incorporate a lot of the Italian music I was digging into last year and the year before, along with all the Persian classical music I have been digging into lately and the French sensibility (I don't hear that they actually have a sound of their own except for the electronica/chill out vibe they are so good at right now...) and throw it all together. also really into the idea of starting to mix all the different languages together  not just on an album from song to song like people do but actually just do it all within each song. kind of like I did with the song Caetano at the end, but really let go and let it rip and just go for it and pay no attention to having any particular language predominate on the new CD.... certainly not English... just let it all go... like an acid trip really... or better... a heroin trip. Or an Oliver stone movie...

So yes... I'm thinking this and what I'm thinking is what Dasher told me not four hours earlier at the coffee shop... “Bro, I think your music is brilliant and catchy as all fuck. Seriously. and I love where you come from as an artist. Your mindset... But my biggest concern for you as a friend is that you are never going to hone it in enough with a recognizable sound that people are going to be able to latch onto... that's my worry about you. you're alienating too many people with your quest to do things different... why don't you just make one totally modern sounding album where all the songs sound the same?” and so yeah we could come out with a modern American English speaking new CD and just try to go for it ... but how inspired am I going to be by that? or we could just go for something completely original and try to stay inspired and cutting edge in our own hearts and well then yeah, the title Dying van Gogh might be rather suitable because that may be exactly where I'm headed as an artist. Dead and broke at sixty a total unknown... but happy I guess... broke and unknown but fulfilled as an artist...

Current spin: café tacuba new one. this band is amazing!!!!! wow. Where the hell are they from? Argentina? Really good stuff.