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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in
rc86mike's LiveJournal:
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| Monday, July 6th, 2009 | | 10:19 pm |
I'm REALLY REALLY excited about this new Side By Side material. It's evolved into something I couldn't even dream. It is going along at a slower pace than I'd expected but patience is a virtue. I think we're going to come out on the other end of this better musicians, better people and awed at what we were able to create with our hands and our minds. I'm in an esoteric sort of state. Out. P.S. Listen to The Cure or don't talk to me about music (yup, I'm in one of those states as well). | | Saturday, May 30th, 2009 | | 4:42 pm |
iPhone blogging...still unsure how I feel about this LJ app
Some very radical, exciting things are happening in my life right now. I hope this next year lives upto all it could be. I feel like the next 12 months have some real potential :-) SBS should be all I have to worry about and work for. I'm on break right now at a studio trying to finish a record for this rock band (could that sentence have been any more elusive haha) The label wants a semi wide retail release! Here's to hoping! I'm wondering what all these icons on the bottom of this app do. And I like how there's a camera icon but I can't take a picture with it unless I pay for the LJ iPhone app. Psh, screw that; I can post pics to this blog for free from my computer. Break is over. More to come about the above...maybe eventually *shrugs*. Out. | | Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 | | 12:50 am |
Amazing still it seems...I'll be 23
Ahhhh yes, my annual birthday post. I rarely use this anymore. I've really gotten into Twitter instead. It's quite a bit easier; the micro-blogging because I'm on the go so much. I wish I could link it to here somehow. Anywho, I will continue tradition with a birthday post. A quick update (more for me to look back on than anything else) on what's going on in my life. Where to begin, where to begin. Side by Side is doing REALLY wonderfully. I'm sooooo excited about the progress we've made in the last 12 months. There's A LOT of work to do yet and I'm totally stoked to see where the next 12 months brings us. We got 4 songs from our debut Morning accepted by MTV/VH1 to be played on their TV shows this Fall. Awesome. We're currently in stages of demoing new songs for the next full length. It's going very well. As a matter of fact Joey and I just got done cutting bass for a brand new songs (few days old) tentatively called From The Sky. I'm like freaked about the song I love it so much. We're also trying to book ourselves to really start to push the material. Apple is sucks. I want to get out. If I keep working hard I will very soon. A leap of faith is coming soon; I can feel it. In the same breathe however I'm kinda stoked about the new iPhone that's supposed to be coming out. I will probably buy one because I'm a sucker for new technology. I've really detached the job and the company. The job is basically pretty crappy but the company still rocks IMO. Meghan is defintely on my mind lately. We've been working on her new record. It sounds fantastic I think. She's a great songwriter. I really want her back as a girlfriend. I dig her so much. She's so sweet and pretty. She makes me feel really great about myself and everything around me. I miss her. But...she's moving to Arizona in a month so I've decided to not complicate the next 4 weeks and just enjoy the time I have with her. If things are meant to work out then somehow they will. Doesn't change my feelings about her. I'm also still working with Marty on his new bands record. It's sounding pretty cool. It's in a lot of different pieces right now. I'm really trying to pick them all up and put them together and make this disc work. Maxx, the singer from NY freakin rocks and we've become pretty good friends over the past 6 months of working on the new songs. I hope he brings me up there to finish some tracks. Lots going on with Scott Solter nowadays. Looks like I'll be (hopefully) working with him June 4&5th and he keeps talking about bringing me back up North to do more work. Specifically this kind of Indie pianist guy. I dig! I super want to go to the West Coast and work though!!! Bruce and I continue to grow our friendship and become closer and closer. I have so much love and respect for him it blows my mind. Allison Modafferi and I also continue to become tighter as we explore each others emotions, music and art through Side by Side together. I am worried about grandpa Apadula. He's still not feeling well with his lungs and all. I hope we get to keep him for another few years and with some luck even longer! Oh yeah and before I forget to put this in here: Joey is graduating UNCC on Saturday (May 9th)!!! Wooohooo! Totally rad! I guess that's about it? I totally feel like I'm missing a lot of stuff here. I probably am but let's face it, today is one day; it's not meant to define three hundred and sixty four other ones. Here's to a new age and a new year. By the way this years anthem: Jimmy Eat World- 23!!! Duh! I've always said the year I turn 23 I'll listen to that song everyday...ok so I probably won't actually listen everyday, but it will be my go to song this year. | | Thursday, March 26th, 2009 | | 10:37 pm |
I'm going to blog this because Joey, Allison and I are excited...very, very...VERY fucking excited and not because I'm bragging or boasting... Today we got a call from our music licenser in Mass. and told us that MTV and VH1 picked up 4 Side By Side songs (Disappear, Hesitation, It's Morning Again, and After All) to be used in their existing and upcoming TV shows!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woohooooooooo! Completely, freakin' AWESOME!!! It feels like a win for SBS...lots more hardwork to get where we need to be but it's always nice to make some progress :-) So...look for SBS songs on those networks from now until the end of the year. We won't even know when they're played until BMI sends us our checks but here's to a small win for the SBS family!!!!!! I can't wait to work more... | | Sunday, February 8th, 2009 | | 12:20 am |
Inside your heart: a secret with a kiss...
So...today Allison, Joey and I recorded from noon to midnight a new Side By Side song called Your Heart. I started tracking it last June. Joey and I have been working on it steadily since and it's really started to come together. Today I was able to cut Baritone guitar parts on it and some other guitar textures and Allison worked her vocal magic with dozens of harmonies. I think it has potential to be a great pop ballad on the next record. It's a total Brit 80's type ballad jam. It's funny though after 8 months of listening to the song on and off and working on it, I want to recut the chorus guitar parts. After what we cut today it's taken on a bit of a different life. I really have to do some studying this week of some records and songs and understand better where I want the parts to go. I gotta pull out some U2, some mid-90's Cure, maybe some Echo and the Bunnymen, possibly some mid Blink era. Joey brought up a good point when I was speaking about being stuck on where to take the guitar parts. He said that for the last week I've only really been listening to Your Heart to get more vocal ideas and baritone guitar ideas so this week I need to listen to what I usually do and it'll come to me. Some sound advice from my BRO! I also was able to cut some acoustic parts for another new song and Joey cut bass for yet a different new song. Pretty sweet stuff. One day, some day, I dream about the day when I can wake up tomorrow and do it all over again. It will be better than I could ever imagine, it will be the fruits of my life and the success I worked so hard towards. I just have to keep working hard and persevering so that when I get there I can work even harder :-) Bring it on, I'm ready. Out. | | Wednesday, January 28th, 2009 | | 3:32 pm |
Just testing...
I just found this LJ app for my iPhone so I'm just testing it at work. Kinda cool if it works I guess! I think I placed a Cut by accident below this and I have no freakin clue how to delete it... ( Read more... ) | | Tuesday, October 7th, 2008 | | 11:09 pm |
...and down will come
Today we (Joey and I) mastered the Side by Side record and finalized the artwork. Tomorrow it ships out for duplication. Wow, what a year it's been... Here's to the future and what's to come Out. | | Friday, October 3rd, 2008 | | 11:09 pm |
Are we human or are we dancing?
Usually I use this as more of a journal and not per say a "blog" but this entry I feel like indulging in a subject that's been bugging me for a while. I suddenly feel the urge to write about it after listening to some recent interviews with Robert Smith and he seems to share the same opinion as me on the subject. I'm speaking about Artist Development. To put it bluntly (and it's loosely how Robert explained it as well), these days there is close to no such thing. It's all about selling a million records right away and not about nurturing a band or artist into this. It's instant gratification. Robert was interviewing about The Cure's past and how their first couple of records did close to nothing but because their label (Fiction) gave him and the band time to grow and find themselves they were able to eventually start selling records. There was development and people around them that saw past dollar signs and saw into the future. It feels like the furtherest development goes now is growing a band from selling 1 million to 2 million records and not from 50,000 to 500,000 records. It's odd because looking at some of the most influential artists of our generation (specifically rock I speak of here) a lot of their freshman releases weren't huge successes. U2 anyone? The Police? Bands such as The Cure, U2, The Police (whether you like them or not have influenced modern rock) and etc. could sadly not have started and surely not survived in the eco-system we're currently in. They didn't sell a million records in their first outing, as a matter of fact they didn't even swing close to that. But given the opportunity and resources they were able to grow into acts that became larger than life itself. I'm not going to drag my opinion on here but I guess my point being here is how many great, possibly legendary bands are missing out on because the act isn't ready to sell a million copies yet but would be in 5 years? How many great songs haven't we heard that could change our lives that will only be played in garages and bedrooms for the rest of their lives because there was never a chance taken on it? How many role models and figures such as Robert Smith, Sting, and Bono will never see the light of day and never be given their chance to change the world because they were never given the opportunity to grow into their full potential? They're all scary thoughts in my opinion... Out. | | Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 | | 9:39 pm |
...It's official; I think sometimes I'm driving myself crazy. I worry too much I think too much I don't sleep enough I spend too much time in my own thoughts I cry too much I want to sleep too much If there was a such thing as having too much hope, I have that too I want to enjoy the ride but my patience is wearing thin There's only one thing I want...to write. To feel alive. To breathe the air outside and know of my success. I've just been tired...so tired and it's been effecting me; and I don't like it. | | Friday, August 29th, 2008 | | 10:51 pm |
I'm tired...so very tired. I don't mean literally tired; I wish I was though I should be asleep. It's safe to say Apple has worked me to the ground at this point. I thought I had a light at the end of the tunnel this weekend by having it off but the schedule was wrong, or I read it wrong, whatever the case may be I'm working all weekend. My family will be in town and I will once again miss being with them. It's odd, working 10 days in a row doesn't effect me when I'm doing what I really have a passion for. I remember one week at Reflections Bob and I worked like an 80 hour week together. I didn't even feel it. Or when I write all day for 12 hours at home on my days off, don't even feel it. But being at a grind where my schedule is handed to me on an almost monthly basis is tough. Emotionally taxing and for some reason it physically effects. I get anxious, worried, I can't sleep, I get sad after a certain amount of days. For a while I thought it was immaturity but I don't feel it is anymore. At this point I feel like it's maturity and my heart is telling me something very special and I'm trying very hard to read it. I went to Dr.Craig (my therapist) for the first time in about 5 months last week. I felt beaten that I did that but I felt like I was breaking myself down. My OCD has been fairly bad as of late. I can admit that. We decided I should start coming once every other week. At least for a little while until I can get my OCD back to neutral mode. Apple already is giving me a hard time about having to shift some hours around and they really pissed me off. I think that's really where all this current distaste for that store is coming from right now. They don't care about me. It's quite apparent. I'm a faceless entity to them. This sounds horribly depressing. I'm really not; I'm just upset right now. I'm tired of following everyone's else's rules. I know I can be something great. Something amazing. Something that can help change people. I have that passion for words and music in me. I have the want and the initiative, the drive and the focus. So when I lay to sleep I close my eyes and daydream. And when I'm at lunch tomorrow I'll close my eyes and daydream. I must be patient, I have to keep working hard because Mom, Dad, and Bruce all once told me (separately) it's all leading up to something. I trust them all with my life and my heart. This was a very poorly put together blog. I haven't written here for a while but for some reason tonight it felt like a good thing to do. Too bad for all you people on the other end. 45 days until The Cure release 4:13. Bruce if you're reading you know the ritual...IHOP and then Best Buy at 10am on record release day...you know you're invited ;-) Out. | | Tuesday, June 17th, 2008 | | 12:36 am |
6.16.08
Way too much to put in this post. Just got back from The Cure a few ago. Bruce Irvine is my forever hero. He went with us and he was able to talk to someone and he got me FRONT ROW and center!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Literally Robert Smith was looking directly at me and singing with me, spitting on me he was so close....just WOW!! What an eye-opening experience. Three and a half hours they played! I didn't want it to end. They played over 40 songs easily. A highlight I must point out while I'm on this emotional high is during the song Faith, Robert started crying. He's just so passionate about his work. Of course I cried on numerous occasions; (call me a pussy, whatever, but everyone needs to have something they feel that strongly about) that being one of them. Also when they played Pictures of You and just randomly because I was so overwhelmed with the experience and the generosity of Bruce. He really loves me. I am forever in debt to that man. Tonight goes down in my book as the most amazing night I've ever had. I'm really thinking hard about this and I can't find another to compete. I should sleep...but how!?!?!?! | | Sunday, June 1st, 2008 | | 5:33 pm |
Let the countdown begin...
It's June 1st On June 16th I get to see The Cure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 12th row center! that leaves... 15 days | | Thursday, May 15th, 2008 | | 11:08 pm |
| | Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 | | 10:45 pm |
I love what you do to my head, it's a mess up there...
The Cure released their new single today "The Only One". In addition to that they released a b-side "NY Trip" from the new record coming out September 13th!! Honestly...it makes me want to cry because of how beautiful they are and I don't even care who knows it anymore. They're just amazing, Robert Smith isn't a just a genius he's such a writer and expressionist it just blows my mind over and over. I'm not sure why people make fun of me for loving The Cure and my music so much sometimes. You have to love something...I think some people just don't have a true love and/or passion and the idea seems foreign to them. Pretty sad if you ask me. When I'm sad or emotional, or am in thought or even just happy I read my own words and they keep me company and fix things. I listen to Robert sing and he keeps me company and everything is alright. It all makes normal life seem so...stupidly ordinary..? Is that the right way to explain it? I don't know. It's like when I buy a new record I buy it and I always carefully unwrap it and take the booklet out and read all the lyrics first and admire the artwork, take it all in and then put the cd and dedicate myself to the record for the next hour or so. I was watching other people unwrap their cd's today at Best Buy and it's like no one gives a shit about taking it all in. It's so weird... Anyway, every 13th from now until the release of the full length in September The Cure are releasing a new 2 song disc of a single and a b-side. So we still have 4 months, 6 more songs, and 1 show at Bobcats arena to go!!!! Out like Oust. Current Music: The Cure | | Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 | | 10:50 am |
I haven't updated for a while but I always try and do an update on or around my birthday so I can read back next year and see what was going on and how life has changed. Right now Morning (the Side by Side record) is nearing completion! We're sooooo excited about it! It's being mixed so we expect it out, well...very soon. I feel like it has wild potential after all the hard work we put forth. It's the first time I've created music that I truly feel like has a message and conveys the vision I had in mind. I feel like Bruce is kinda getting the vision (maybe it's wishful thinking but I don't think so) and sometimes I even get the feeling he's actually digging the "artsy" POV we have for it. Here's to hoping for it. More on it VERY soon! Apple at this point is basically a pain in my ass. I mean I like and all but I'm ready to move on. Everyday I feel a certain anxiousness, like something is right around the corner for me. I really hope that's true. I'm getting ready to get a promotion as full time creative. So more money at least and some recognition for the work I have done over there. I've been putting together my resume so I can start applying to radio stations I think. The other day I taught a lesson to someone from NPR and they were telling me how they use Pro Tools to edit all their shows. So I think I'm going to apply and see if I can't get myself in there (or something like it for the time being while I work towards my dreams). Allison is constantly on my mind. I miss her a lot. There's too many feelings here to even delve into right now. But she has disappointed me as of late. No card for my b-day, nothing but a simple text message. I mean she could have at least printed one off for me, or something! Especially considering all I did for her in January for her b-day. Given we were dating, but still, I don't think a fuckin card would have killed her. Everyday I have to see her and I marvel at her beauty and her sense of humor. One day things will work out, with or without her. I'm totally ready for a new iPhone! I really hope June brings the new model. I'll be the first one on line (or at least first one in line as soon as our discount kicks in). Lord knows I can't afford that shit without it. I'm also in the midst of working on Marty Paris/Paris Keelings' new record over in Lincolnton. It's been great! Marty is such a great guy to work with and I've really gained A LOT of experience working out of his studio and met some really rad people. Hopefully we'll wrap the record in Fall time. I'm also working with Arnold and Cathy at their place on more piano instrumentals and also a tentative Christmas record. Pretty stoked about it; they hold me in high regards which always feels nice. The Cure is releasing a single every 13th of the month (starting a week from today) until the new record release on Sept. 13th!!! Ummmm how excited am I!?!?!?! Every 13th for the next few months is going to be nothing short of exciting and amazing! June 16th...I get to see them live. I've been dreaming about it since I was a Junior in high school and I'm only 6 short weeks away. I can hardly contain myself. Next year I'll be 23...wow. I'm sure the anthem for next years b-day will be Jimmy Eat Worlds "23", hehe. I hope this year brings a lot of surprises and I really hope my dreams are that much closer to coming true next year. I'll be working hard for them to be. | | Sunday, February 3rd, 2008 | | 1:38 pm |
I miss her so much. We both have off of work today and usually we would spend the whole day together but instead it feels like we're on two different planets. I would so much want to have her at the house today. Tonight my friend Matt is having a little Superbowl get together and I'm not going. I want to but I'm not. Mostly because Joey is getting home tonight from DC but let's be honest...if me and Allison were still together I would have found a way to go. I know she wants to be friends but right now I just feel too much. I have to do what's right for my emotions right now. But is that staying away from the party tonight? Fact of the matter is I'm really emotional about the whole thing and with other people being there tonight, some from work, some not I don't think it'll be good for me. I miss her, and I'll miss her tonight, and I'll miss her tomorrow. When I see her strobe across the room tomorrow I can't help but daydream about the last time I held her and what she said and how she felt. I want to get away from it all so badly. I want to skip town for a while and seclude myself to get my head right. I've been feeling so much lately. Anxious and worried, sad and mad and I can't make it go away. I don't want some of it to go away. I don't want to lose the emotion I have for her even though it hurts; cause once I lose it, then what? Then she's just another girl I dated. But she's so much more than that to me. Today will be lonely and tonight when I lay down in my bed alone to sleep I'll think of her at Matt's house with a drink in her hand smiling and being herself. Does she wonder why I'm not there? Or does she just know? I want her so badly again. I wanted to build something so great with her and now it's all over and I have to accept it. It's out of my control. I just want her to miss me; I want her to want me again. I want to call her and spill my guts to her but I can't. What would that do? Nothing. I just hope she knows how much I'm hurting inside. Today sucks. Out. | | Saturday, December 22nd, 2007 | | 11:24 pm |
Life isn't fair. I know I shouldn't expect it to be, but god dammit I guess I'm just dumb sometimes. I started to type everything out, but it's so long, and why? It's not going to make a difference. I'll retreat to writing about it in my notebooks. I just have so much on my mind. I hope the new year kicks off amazing; I really need it to. | | Wednesday, November 14th, 2007 | | 10:51 pm |
Truth is I've been struggling to write an entry in here for a week or so. I have so many things on my mind and that I feel like saying for some reason. Most of all that I don't have enough time. I've been feeling very frustrated lately. Frustrated that it feels like there's way too much bullshit to do. Today was a great day. I woke up at around 8 and went to Hickory where one of my clients has his studio and mixed, produced and tracked songs all day. (Of note the song I mixed had a solo on it played by the lead guitarist of Megadeth...I thought that was pretty freakin amazing). Then I drove home and Joey and I worked on some of our music and now I'm here. In my dark room texting Allison back and forth. In case some of you didn't know (and I've only spoken fairly briefly about this to anyone outside of Joey) I met this girl at work. We've been going out and I really enjoy her company. She's really pretty and I did get the brief chance to kiss her last week. However since then I can't help but feel as if there's just no time for me to have these feelings. But I have them and I want them...it's just hard. I feel like we have rare opportunities to REALLY be around one another and when we do set something up I get anxiety because I want to sleep well for it and take advantage of the time. We see each other all the time at work, but we have to hide anything is going on. We don't want it to become public that we have feelings for one another. I don't feel like any of this is being expressed very well. Basically I feel like my time is always planned out for me; and it's become very frustrating. Truth be told since my grandma passed away little things and thoughts such as these have really taken a toll on me. I can't shake it. I have feelings for someone who actually has some feelings back for me for the first time in years...literally, and I can't take advantage of it. I don't feel like going to the store tomorrow and training new hires nor do I feel like waking up in 9 hours. I don't want there to be construction outside of the house anymore because it makes me mad and I don't want to sit in traffic tomorrow morning. I don't want to write my English Lit. paper and I don't want to stress about the party I'm supposed to go to Sunday because I have to wake up early Monday. I don't want to feel like because family will be in next week every waking second must be spent with them. I don't want to do what I don't want to and I'm sick and tired of doing that lately. Can't I just repeat today a few more times? This must all be for some larger purpose...it has to be. Out. | | Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 | | 10:55 pm |
Just waited for my world to fall apart
The new Motion City Soundtrack record is amazing. I expected no less from them, but seriously, it's probably one of the hookiest records I've heard in a while. Some of the cleanest pop rock production I've heard; it's totally stellar. They had it mixed by Tom Lord-Alge; one of my favorite mix engineers in the last few years. The Kanye West record is out of this world too. He's a true inspiration. His productions are mind numbing on Graduation. Finally after all year of waiting some really good records are starting to come out. The New Amsterdams comes out next week, with Jimmy Eat World and Angels & Airwaves on the horizon all before Thanksgiving. Man...there is nothing like going to the store and buying a new cd and opening it up. I'm pretty happy I get to do it 3 weeks in a row. Out. | | Sunday, September 2nd, 2007 | | 11:14 pm |
I don't think I'm any closer now
than i was at fifteen
I still don't know what I really want
or how I really feel
sometimes I think I've seen too much
sometimes nothing at all
and sometimes I think I just forgot
what I was looking for
But I still need to believe in you
I still need to know you'll never
never give up
I believe in you...
so how can you ever let
my hope turn to despair?
how can you ever stop
telling me you care?
but I still need to believe in you
I still need to know you'll never
never give up
I believe in you...
so how can you ever let
my hope turn to despair?
tell me you believe it too
tell me that you care
how can you ever let
my hope turn to despair?
how can you ever stop
pretending?Today was a gorgeous day. A day that I feel all has a bigger purpose; that someday I'll look back and know what all this was for. I need some luck...I need some help...I'm worried, I'm excited, I'm scared, I'm driven; I suppose just like everyone...or a lot of people. But I want to be special; I feel like I have something in me that needs to be released. Sometimes I get excited about a week from now. I think about next week and what expierences and knowledge I'll have by that time. What a new week will bring, or maybe what it won't. I get excited about that; I get scared and worried about it sometimes too...I get to thinking a lot about that sort of stuff. Out. |
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