Wednesday, April 29, 2009

How To Rock The Turn

Just ask Marina.  She took care to Rock The Turn at BBQ Inc last Friday night.  Many thank you's going out to her for this video.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

B

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Rock The Blog

Today was a business day.  It has led me here, to all of you, to catch you up on what I've been thinking.

First thing's first.  I imagine around half of you reading this have at least one tattoo.  The other half have "thought about it", but aren't so sure they could get used to having something emblazoned on their body permanently.  Rest assured, you can, it's not so hard as you might think. It's made especially easy if you find an artist you like that cares as much about their craft as they do about putting their indelible mark on your skin someplace.  When it comes time for your first, second, or whichever number it is, look no further.  Rich Verdino is the tattoo artist you want to go see. He is literally a brother in arms.  Both of mine have been illustrated rather ornately, and I couldn't be happier.  
This should say it all --->

I've also been thinking a lot about "influences" as they're described by most bands.  I find that these days there's something of a taboo against having modern or contemporary influences.  Every band on MySpace (including The Turn) cites The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and so on, as their influences. The fact is if you're playing music in 2009, you've been influenced by at least one, but more likely all three of those bands and a whole host of others from that generation that will go unnamed.  That doesn't bother anyone.  Then, yesterday at the gym when Fall Out Boy's America's Suitehearts came on, it occurred to me that they have been one of the bands Pat and I have done a lot of listening to over the years.  Don't look now, but they just released their fourth major label effort, and have been steadily touring for almost ten years.  The inclination among musicians to (consciously or otherwise) shun their modern/contemporary influences when discussing their own body of work is prevalent.  Why is that?  I suppose there is a fear of being lumped into a category or a "scene" as it were.  There's a fear of being accused of ripping off a band, but that's not necessarily reserved for your peers.  It's just a taboo that I can't exactly put a finger on, and am more than willing to let go of.  I'll gladly cite Kings Of Leon, Fall Out Boy, Keane, James Morrison and John Mayer all as artists I respect and to a certain degree, emulate.  In music, as in life, there is something to be learned from everyone around you.

That being said, an influence that I left out of the above segment in the interest of addressing them personally is The Police.  Their recent reunion made deserved international waves.  It had been something like 15 years since the last time they took the stage together for a touring effort, and what footage I caught of it on VH1 looked utterly insane.  I'll cop to not having any desire to spend upwards of $300 for a ticket, either way there's no love lost.  They're three musical geniuses whose work is worthy of timeless acclaim.  Though they only recorded together as a band for six years, they produced some of the most mind boggling music I've ever been privy to and I feel privileged to play it when the opportunity presents itself.  Take a few minutes and listen to Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.  There are few musical compositions, or even compositions in general that elicit such a universally positive reaction when played in any form.  The elevator version of that song probably gets carts of people dancing and whistling to themselves.  Leastwise, that's what would happen if I was in that elevator.  I could go on listing their greatest hits, but everyone's favorites would stake a valid claim to "best".  So, in order to avoid confusion I tend to listen to their greatest hits records, and soak it all in at once.  This one has the singles, which makes it very easy to whittle down their catalog and find what you want to hear.

That's what's going on inside my head right now.  I'll be back.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

B


Rife With Ideas. . .


There's been a ton of stuff running through my head over the last few days.  I'm in a little bit of a hurry right now so this will just have to serve as a preview to a longer, more informative post sometime in the very near future.

But keep your eyes open, I'll be back in no time.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Off The Top Of My Head. . .

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah is 6:57 of jaw dropping, awe inducing brilliance.  This is not the first blog entry of mine that references this song, but I thought I'd bring it back and encourage everyone to pop it on during this beautiful day.  Grab your iPod and take a walk, listen to Hallelujah, it'll feel good.  

While we're on the topic, Last Goodbye is a song worthy of a listen today.  Any day really, but definitely today.

Just chiming in.  See y'all later.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

Week(end) Update

This has been a crazy week.  And I'm glad I have a minute to fill you all in now.

Wednesday after practice with Chris and Brian, I shot right through the Lincoln Tunnel and into Hoboken for a gig at The Dubliner.  It was my second time in there this month, and I'm very glad to have been welcomed.  Everyone is always extremely receptive and it makes it that much more fun to play for people that love music and just want to sing along.  Having the good fortune to be stuck in a room with a bunch of people that just want to hear songs that I want to play is a pretty special thing.  I'd like to send an extra special thank you to Emma Hardesty and our newest Hoboken supporter Michelle Attilio for coming out and singing along.

I briefly mentioned Thursday night at Gleason's in Astoria.  This is the newest spot I've played, and I can't wait to go back with Pat.  It's a brand new, beautiful bar on 33rd and Broadway. The front entrance has big wide windows so everyone walking by can see in, and they are welcome to come in and join the good time.  The staff was warm and accommodating, the crowd was gracious and there to have fun.  The best rooms to show up in are the ones where everyone is prepared for a good time.  I will let you all know when we're back in there, and you'll come out to see for yourself.  

Friday was our return to Rockville Centre.  Always feels good to run around a bit and then come back home to a place we've played a whole bunch of times.  BBQ Inc feels like home to The Turn, and we couldn't have been happier to play our first RVC gig since The Big Show on home turf.  The front door was open and we were projecting out onto Park Ave.  Anyone who wants to know where the party was on Friday night, it was at BBQ.  I'd like to thank Vicky and Chris (bartenders extraordinaire) for opening their doors to us, and leaving them open to let us make some noise.  It really was an awesome night, and we owe big hugs to everyone that made it out.  You can catch us back there on May 15th. Come on down.  Pig in, Pig out.

Last night was about as busy as it gets.  But busy often has its rewards.  We started the night at Blvd playing a spot at a benefit called Music Against Myeloma.  We were invited by our new friend Matt Ostrower of Lost In October to come out and play a short set.  The crowd was receptive, and they were there to raise money for a wonderful cause.  Everyone has been hit in some way or another by cancer, and this was a very special privilege to shed a little light on a less than ideal situation.  The Turn would like to send our heartfelt appreciation to Matt and Slava for planning the event which was celebrating its fourth year, and for having us in to share the stage.  We'd be happy to return with the full lineup next year, and you're all invited to come out, Rock The Turn and raise awareness for this and all cancer research/treatment.  As soon as the pictures are up on their website I'll post a link.

Off the stage, out the door, through the tunnel, and right into The Mile Square.  We walked in at 10:29 and started up at 10:30.  In the nick of time to say the least.  It was a great night.  We were already riding a high from having the opportunity to play earlier at Blvd for such an enthusiastic crowd, and carried it right on over to one of our favorite spots in Hoboken to play. This was our first time there in around a month, and it was a great welcome back.  Everyone in the house made it a super enjoyable Saturday night.  Coupled with the 80+ degree weather, and the birthdays, bachelorette parties, and hometown friends that came out to support (big love to Jonny, Heather, Beth and Jo), this was a uniquely awesome opportunity to play two shows for two great groups of people.  Nothing makes us happier than to be on a stage playing the songs you want to hear, and hearing you sing along with us.

Thank you barely touches it.  Your collective voices are what keep us going.  Check out our schedule on MySpace and come Rock The Turn.  We'd love to have you.  As mentioned we'll be playing with the full lineup Friday 5/22 at The Parkside Lounge and between now and then you can find us all over the metro area.  Come say hi, we'll be waiting.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

Brian

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Coming Soon: Gleason's (Astoria, NY) & BBQ Inc (RVC, NY)

'Twas an awesome night at BBQ Inc this evening.  I want to thank everyone that came out.

I'm exhausted, so this is a short post.  But starting tomorrow I'm gonna do my best to synopsize each and every performance, so you will know where to come to find the fun.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

B

Friday, April 24, 2009

Rock The T-Shirt. . .

Whether or not you made it out to The Big Show last week, fear not.  We will be back in action as soon as May 22nd at The Parkside Lounge, and we're also hard at work putting together our summer performance schedule so you can all come out and Rock The Turn.

Also, in order to do so, you might want to consider getting your hands on one of these t-shirts.  


All the love to Mr Terence Kennedy again,  not only for designing and producing the shirts, but also for busting his behind running around at the show selling them.  


To get your hands on one you can call me (516) 458-7299 or e-mail BrianRipps@aol.com.  We'd be happy to get it to you, wherever you may be.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies


Good Morning Ladies & Gentlemen


This is one of the first times I can remember being up before noon in around three months. I'm more than happy to disclose the reason for my early rise as well. . Kings Of Leon are playing at the Coliseum in September and tickets go on sale in about five minutes.  Pat and I went to see them at MSG in January and their return to the New York area most assuredly warrants attendance by The Turn.  In fact, we'd love to see you there!

So, I figured while I was waiting I'd chime in on a few things I'd been thinking about. First of all, with regards to an earlier post, The Aftermath, I have a very strong candidate for the fifth spot. "Big Machine" by The Goo Goo Dolls is a song that for as long as I've been familiar with it, has given me chills.  The opening riff is so strong, and recognizable, and draws you in from the moment the song starts.  Then before you know it, it's over.  The lyrics themselves are reason enough to listen. The sentiment expressed throughout the entire song melodically and lyrically is ambiguous to a point that you could really derive any meaning from it that you please.  The song ends and you're left wondering where the last three minutes has gone, as you've been under the spell of Big Machine.

My favorite line in the song is "god it's good to be alive".  Whether or not I, or Johnny Rzeznik (or anyone for that matter) really feel that way all the time is immaterial, though obviously nobody really feels like that 100% of the time.  Even with that in mind, the fact is there have been times that taking a deep breath and closing my eyes has caused me to think "god it's good to be alive".  He says it twice in the song.  I relate more to the second time, but you'll have to listen to the song to get what I mean by that.  

I hope you do, and I hope you enjoy it.  

In other news, The Turn will be appearing at The Parkside Lounge on Friday May 22nd @ 8PM. If you're reading it here, you're reading it first.  We're very excited to get back in front of you guys with the full band again.  

Any questions, comments or concerns can be directed at me and I'd be happy to answer them for you.

In the meantime

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

B

Thursday, April 23, 2009

The December Sessions - Lyrics


1.  Christiana (2:55) 

This is what I see
This is where I'll leave you
I fall for that one every time
It's nothing new I'll be just fine

That's my Christiana
12 feet in the sky
That's my Christiana
Hoped you'd be my guiding light

This is what I see
That's the way it all looks to me
When trouble finds you on your knees
To hell with what you think you need

Just go and wash me off your hands

That's my Christiana
12 feet in the sky
That's my Christiana
Hoped you'd be my guiding light

That's my Christiana
12 feet in the sky
Gray says "Lately I've been way down"
Get me through the night

2.  Silhouettes (3:13) 

So it goes
Another photo finish
When I'm racing with your ghost
Are we all destined for confusion?
This hasn't been the same
Thought I heard you whisper
Then I realize it's the rain

Try your best to tell me
Tomorrow will be easy
And say it with a smile
All this seems so familiar
I'll rest when I get home
And some things you know
Are better left alone

So dress yourself in silhouettes
Do your best impression of yourself
I promise I will fall for it
And will it really be alright?
It's getting harder to believe 
But I've always had tricks up my sleeve

Do I have to
Repeat myself or
Did I make it through this time
Just wait for our eyes to adjust
We'll see what's been hiding from us
Or set fire to it all
And sweep away the dust. . .

So dress yourself in silhouettes
Do your best impression of yourself
I promise I will fall for it
And will it really be alright?
It's getting harder to believe 
But I've always had tricks up my sleeve

3.  Already Home (4:23)

Well I'll try to find how to describe
Everything inside
How did I get in this position?
I beg you just hang on and listen
Now that I've got your attention
This ride's almost done
Well life was made for moments like this
No question as to "why do we exist?"
Seems like my heart got the best of me

Oh now
Feel around
Is it beating like it used to?
Oh now
Feel around
I'm already home

I'm sorry my words have two meanings
I'll leave this up to you
But this instance isn't isolated
When you hear this song I hope you hate it
I told you I was only human
And now here I stand
I just have to get my legs under me
Watch me go out of my way
Seems like my mind got the best of me

Oh now
Feel around
Is it beating like it used to?
Oh now
Feel around
I'm already home

4.  Something In The Air (3:48)

It finally feels like October
Maybe now I can get some sleep
Tell me once more it's over
Stop me now that I'm in too deep
And I'm so alive
We're casting shadows in the night
The candle's burning at both ends
And if I missed my chance before
All I need is just one more
I dare you to forget my name

There's something in the air darling
There's something in your eyes
I whisper in your ear something you will like
And tonight you know that you're mine
Take my hand and hold tight

Every promise I made you
Every word that I ever said
And I swear that I'd love to
Go back so we can move ahead
Concrete fingerprints
The footsteps that I'd take again
All the things that I would change
And if I missed my chance before
All I need is just one more 
I dare you to forget my name

There's something in the air darling
There's something in your eyes
I whisper in your ear something you will like
And tonight you know that you're mine
Take my hand and hold tight

Someday. . 
We'll leave this all behind
And you'll say
It's all I had in mind

5.  I'll Take It From Here (3:34)

There's an ocean and miles between us
A whole world you should have seen just
Waiting for you right outside your window

My eyes are damn near open
And I waste too much time hoping
You'll scream out all the words that you know

Excuse me if I'm cavalier

But I'll take it from here
And no one else will say a word
When all this disappears
You can forget everything you heard

And there's no easy way to say this
The only path to yesterday is
Crawling through your dreams on hands and knees

I live life with the volume turned down
You learn more without hearing a sound
It's hard to believe what you can't see

Excuse me if I'm cavalier

But I'll take it from here
And no one else will say a word
When all this disappears
You can forget everything you heard

Excuse me if I'm cavalier
But it's all you'll get cuz it's all that's here
Let me make just one thing clear
I'll take it from here. . .

6.  May Day (3:40)

Everything's so different
I can tell it's just a game
You're only acting like you mean it
Did you believe a word she said?

Would you be surprised
That she will let you down
Is it worth the fight?

It's only a battle lately
I can't breathe around you
I'll scream about you
May Day
This love's ship sunk
They say
The crash was head on
May Day
Give up on this one

Don't make promises you
Don't intend to keep
And if you ever think about me
Not to worry I'm not losing any sleep

Would you be surprised
That she will let you down
Is it worth the fight?

It's only a battle lately
I can't breathe around you
I'll scream about you
May Day
This love's ship sunk
They say
The crash was head on
May Day
Give up on this one

One more time we can talk this through
There's no hope left for me and you
We play these games no consequence
But I'll tell you this is where it ends

Back To Work. . .


So as many of you may have seen, Beth posted her blog and the pictures from Saturday night.  They're amazing and everyone should head over to www.bsquaredphotography.net and check out her two cents.  Endless thank you's for the beautiful imagery of such a memorable evening.

I wanna thank everyone again for being part of The Big Show, and for continuing to support us as we press on.  We love having you out with us, and we wanna party with you.

Last night was our first practice with Chris and Brian since the show.  It was a great time getting back to work and having the first performance behind us.  Now it's time to look ahead to the next show.  It's in the works, and we'll have details for you by the end of the weekend.
We've started working on some new material, crossing our T's and dotting our lower case j's.  

What you can look forward to:
  • An updated version of "Setting For A Fairytale"
  • New songs: Saturday, Over Now, Sound Of Me Breathing, and a few other yet to be titled songs.  Once we start rough recording these rehearsals, we'll post some bits and pieces so you guys know what you're in for.
At some point in the near future we'll also be releasing some of the live audio from Saturday night, and also heading back to the studio to commence work on the next record.  

We'll see you guys soon.  Keep your eyes peeled.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The Aftermath

What a wild couple of days it has been.  As I alluded to on Saturday night, there are not nearly enough words in the english language to demonstrate just how appreciative and thankful we are for all of your support, and screaming, singing, smiling faces at The Big Show.

It was everything we hoped for and more.  Beth is hard at work getting the pictures up to her blog (www.bsquaredphotography.net) so we can all re-live the memories together.

Now. . It's time to start building new ones.  Where's the next show gonna be?  We'll get to work on that.  In the meantime, I've updated our MySpace Show Listings so you all can come out and sing along.

Also, without any further delay. . My top 5 favorite songs of all time, in no order:
  1. David Gray - Lately
  2. John Mayer - Wheel
  3. Led Zeppelin - Fool In The Rain
  4. Pachelbel's Canon in D Major (You all love it too)
  5. I'm leaving the five spot open for now
I will chime back in as to the whys and hows later on.  Also, I'll dig deep and try to fill up number 5.  Leaving it open feels like a little less pressure to me.  Feel free to post your five favorite songs.  We're always looking for new stuff to listen to.  Surprise us.

Thank you all again.  Keep your eyes open.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

Brian

Sunday, April 19, 2009

The Big Show: Set List

For any and all of you that are curious, this is how it went down last night.  We'll have audio of the show available within the week for anyone that missed it.  Thanks again so, so, so much to all of you that came out.  We can't wait to put on another one for you!

  1. I'll Take It From Here
  2. Silhouettes
  3. What It's Like To Feel Alive
  4. Not To Worry
  5. Billie Jean
  6. The Story
  7. May Day
  8. Already Home
---------------------
  1. Lately (Acoustic)--->Setting For A Fairytale (Acoustic)
  2. Something In The Air (Acoustic)
  3. I'm On Fire--->Sex On Fire
  4. Drives Me Crazy
  5. Christiana
-------------------
  1. Use Somebody (Acoustic)
Keep your eyes peeled.  The Turn will be appearing at a venue near you very soon.  And now I'll have a minute to post my top five "bookmarked" songs.  Catch you in a few.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

The Big Show

There are no words. 
I left them all on stage. 

On behalf of Patrick McDermott, Brian Holtz, Chris DeRosa and The Turn, I want to thank everyone, and let you all know that we couldn't have rocked without you.  I couldn't have dreamed up a better show.  Too many thank yous, too many shout outs, I'll take care of all of that over time.

In the meantime. . 

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

Very truly yours,

Brian Ripps
The Turn


Thursday, April 16, 2009

So It Goes. . .

I wanna shout out real quick to Elan Michael and Dave Otis.  They're long overdue for some love. Not only have they both been over bridges, through tunnels and across state lines to see The Turn, they've also been front and center at Gabrielle's almost every Saturday since October.  You guys are awesome and I can't wait to give you The Big Show on Saturday, thank you endlessly for the support.  

In other news, the new Turn t-shirts are ready for public consumption.  I'd like to say a very special thanks to Terence Kennedy again for all of his help.  If you want to get your hands on one of the very first shirts from this run before the show, you can call 516 458 7299 or e mail BrianRipps@aol.com. 

I also wanted to take this opportunity to tell everyone about a band I've been listening to a lot recently.  They're called Into The Presence, and they're absolutely awesome.  Comprised of Primus' former drummer Tim Alexander and guitarist/songwriter Luis Carlos Maldonado, they have made a decision to rock about as hard as a band can.  Over the course of the month of April they'll be doing a tri-state circuit that stops at Pianos every Wednesday.  I'm going to check them out on Wednesday the 29th and you're all invited to join me.  If not, then at the very least head over to their MySpace page and give them a listen.  It's only a matter of time before they're in everyone's face, and you can say you were one of the first.

I'm thinking about giving my top five favorite songs of all time a run tomorrow.  The thing about "favorites" is that there's only supposed to be one.  I kinda dig the fact that on web browsers nowadays they're referred to as "bookmarks".  That's much more apropos.  A "favorite" by definition means preferred over and above all others, a "bookmark" to me just implies something that you'd like to refer back to.  At the end of the day, there's really no need to choose a favorite anything, which is why we all get caught up making lists.  Top 3, top 5, top 10, top 20, top 50 and so on.  The line needs to be drawn someplace, but nobody would ever watch a VH1 special on anybody's Top 1.  With that in mind, I'm gonna head to bed, wish all of you sweet dreams and happy mornings, and prepare for my top 5 favorite songs (subject to change, in no certain order).

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies


Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Moving Right Along. . .

This is a quick post, and I'll pop back in later with my actual shout outs and two cents.

It's Wednesday.  Three days to go.  I vividly remember the first phone calls I made to set this show in motion.  2 months ago, could just as easily have been 2 minutes.  These will be three of the busiest days of my life, if I've calculated everything properly.  Bring it on.

We'll catch up later.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Turn The Page

First of all, some shout outs are in order.  As you all know, when The Turn plays, "Request Lines Are Open".  Some people take that very literally.  This past Saturday at Gabrielle's, Mr Dan Schaefer and Ms Blaire Borut both phoned in a couple of requests.  I'd like to say thank you to both of them for coming out and showing their continual support, and for being so 21st century and BlackBerry Messaging me their requests.

After last night's top 5 blog, Pat, my brother and I had a discussion on the way to the gym. There will be a top 5 riffs blog some time in the near future, compliments of one Patrick McDermott.

In the meantime, I figure I will drop my two cents on what might be my five favorite cover songs. . to listen to, not to play.  That list would be entirely different.  I'm sure we'll get there, but for now, let's stick to other band's good decisions.  I was in the car with Jonny and Heather on the way back from the supermarket, and we flipped on the radio (which is usually an awful decision). In this particular case, we happened to catch Metallica's cover of Bob Seger's "Turn The Page". Then I got to thinking.  I'd say that the elements of a great cover are improving upon a song while staying true to its form.  So let's start this list out.

1) Metallica - Turn The Page.  They got it down.  While staying true to the structure, they made an already awesome song louder, stronger and more intense.  Almost every aspect of the song hearkens back to the original while improving upon its subtleties.  I know I've been shouting out to Metallica a lot recently, which isn't even intentional.  I suppose it just testifies to their impact on modern music.  This just in: They've been around almost 30 years.  That's older than most of the people reading this I'm sure.  So, love 'em or hate 'em, they've got a solid foothold in Rock and Roll history.  Their cover of "Whiskey In The Jar" is also great, check that out.

2)  Joe Cocker - With A Little Help From My Friends.  The Wonder Years theme song.  More importantly, a Beatles song.  There's a certain level of taboo that attaches to covering The Beatles.  Simply put, it shouldn't be done.  Seriously, are YOU, whoever "you" happens to be (the royal you in this case), going to somehow rediscover and improve upon something The Beatles did?  No, I don't think so.  Luckily for Joe Cocker, this song was written for him and in fact released prior to Sgt. Pepper.  I think they should have let him keep it.  As it stands, it's more recognizable for its association with The Wonder Years, and it so happens that The Beatles version is sort of lackluster.  

3)  Nirvana - Where Did You Sleep Last Night.  This is a late addition to the list, but a very deserving one.  If I were going to order my lists, I suppose this might have to come in at number one solely for the performance on "Unplugged In New York".  Check it out.  If you have ever seen something more haunting, then let me know.  The "chill factor" rivals almost anything else I've ever seen.  The other insanely cool thing about this cover is its derivation. It goes by several different names, and has been around since the 1870s.  An American Folk Standard, as it were.  I won't hold it against you if you say it's Kurt Cobain's song.  

4)  Marilyn Manson - Personal Jesus.  This rocks so hard.  Say what you will about Marilyn Manson, he just wants to rock, and offend people.  He succeeds admirably at both.  I'm not so down with the offensive part, but there's no two ways about it - this song was awesome when Depeche Mode did it, and remains so in this vein.  He also has a pretty sweet cover of "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics.  You're likely familiar with that for its similarity to "Crazy Train". All awesome songs, but "Personal Jesus" gets the spot.

5)  John Mayer - Bold As Love.  This rounds out the list quite nicely.  More mellow and true a cover than some of the others, but still with his own twist.  I wouldn't go so far as to call the original "Bold As Love" a classic, at least not as far as Jimi Hendrix songs go, but Mr. Mayer gives us good reason to go back and check out what Jimi was doing.  You can find this song on his latest record "Continuum" and pay close attention to the solo.  Maybe this should have made my top five solos list.  Maybe it will make my next top five solos list.

That's the top five.  Honorable mention for today's list:
  • Stone Temple Pilots - Dancing Days (Led Zeppelin)
  • Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal (Michael Jackson)
Keep your eyes open.  We'll be back.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

Brian

Monday, April 13, 2009

Coffee Talk Part II: Followup + Shout Outs

First of all, I need to shout out to Christina Ferrara, Beth Melillo, Heather Cahill and Marykate Byrnes.  We love you guys so much it's ridiculous.  If you've ever made it out a Turn show, chances are you've seen at least two, maybe all four of these lovely ladies singing along with us. It's amazing, and we can't wait to see all your faces in the crowd at The Big Show on Saturday night.  You helped us build it, and I hope you're ready to Rock.

Now, as far as the guitar solos go. . I've done a lot of thinking about this.  Not only today, but really over the past fifteen years or so since I've been playing the guitar.  Obviously any guitarist's favorite solos are going to vacillate, but I'd say the ones we latch on to are the ones that stay true.  That being said,

1) Led Zeppelin - Thank you (BBC Sessions).  This solo in its entirety might not stand up to some of the others, but the opening run is so otherworldly amazing that It has to be mentioned first.  I don't know that I'd say it's my favorite necessarily, but every time I hear the first ten seconds of it, I get chills.

2) Metallica - Fade To Black.  Not only the intro, but also every interlude and the closing solos are works of guitar artistry that could only have originated from the mind of Kirk Hammet. Incidentally, Pat and I performed this song at our 8th grade talent show, long before the inception of what you now know as The Turn.  Some of you reading this may remember that.  

3)  Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb.  This solo is mind boggling.  In fairness, so is most of what happens every time David Gilmour picks up a guitar.  

About ten seconds ago, as the blog "auto saved" itself, it occurred to me that this list could just as easily have been my top five favorite soloists.  Since I'm already 60% finished, I'll go the rest of the way.  But seriously, Jimmy Page, Kirk Hammet, David Gilmour?  Big time shock that these are among my favorite solos.  Or anyone's for that matter.  Survey any guitarist of their favorite solos, they might not be the same, but I'll bet you see a lot of the same names on their lists as you would on mine, or Pat's.

4)  John Mayer - Wait Til Tomorrow.  The song isn't his.  The solo is. Originally by Jimi Hendrix (another gentlemen that would most assuredly appear on the majority of guitarist's lists), Mr. Mayer puts his own spin on what might have otherwise been an obscure Jimi Hendrix song.  On John Mayer Trio's live record "Try!" he lays down one of the nastiest, yet most precise solos I've ever heard.  It fits the song perfectly, and for lack of better terminology, smacks you upside the head.  It's intense.  If you have the opportunity to do so, it's 3:03 into the song.  Go on, do it.

5)  Taking Back Sunday - Miami.  I'm actually listening to this right now.  I don't know that anyone would necessarily put Fred Mascherino, (now formerly of Taking Back Sunday) in a class with the previously mentioned gentlemen, which is not a sleight at all, but those first four names are institutions in the guitar universe.  Basically, if you've got a 6 foot poster in the window of any Guitar Center, let alone multiple Guitar Centers, you're on everyone's top five. This solo also delivers chills without fail.  It has all of the elements of a great solo.  Not too over the top (as some Slash solos are, sorry), not too long, and fit to the song.  A good solo should sound like it was tailor made to appear at the point it does in the song.  There are some great solos that just don't belong in the songs they're in (see Justin King's "Change") and some that are like puzzle pieces.

There you have it.  That's my top five.  At least for today.  Perhaps the top five in May will be different.  But that's a good starting five.  And the sixth man award goes to Coheed and Cambria for The Final Cut.

Stay tuned for Pat's Top 5.  And feel free to comment on your top 5.  If there's any solos you'd suggest we listen to, fire them over, we'd be happy to listen.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

Brian

Coffee Talk

Another day at the office.  Five days until The Big Show.  For any of you that made it out to Gabrielle's this past Saturday, thank you so much.  That was an awesome warm up for the week to come.

As the day rolls on I'll check back in.  I'm thinking about outlining my five favorite guitar solos of all time.  Here's a collection I have in mind that I'll have to whittle down (in no certain order, yet):

Led Zeppelin - Thank You (BBC Sessions)
Metallica - Fade To Black (Ride The Lightning)
Metallica - Nothing Else Matters (Black Album)
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb (The Wall: Disk 2)
Pink Floyd - Dogs (Animals)
John Mayer Trio - Wait Til Tomorrow (Try!)
John Mayer - Bold As Love (Continuum)
Taking Back Sunday - Miami (Louder Now)
Coheed and Cambria - The Final Cut (Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV)
Rage Against The Machine - Know Your Enemy (Rage Against The Machine)

Somewhere in that list I'll be able to extract my five favorite. Feel free to chime in.

Also, remind me to tell you about KT Tunstall.  "Drastic Fantastic" is a record you're gonna want to pick up.  That's right.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

Brian

Late Night Blogging

I've been listening to Queens Of The Stone Age a ton recently.  Specifically their latest record "Era Vulgaris".  There's really little else one could want from a rock record.  Josh Homme just plays guitar.  That in fact, is something I'd boast of The Turn.  If ever we were going to have a slogan other than Rock The Turn (and we just might) it would be "We Play Guitar". . cuz we do. So does Josh Homme.

If you're not familiar with that record, I'd recommend downloading a couple of songs:
1) Make It Witchu
2) Suture Up Your Future

Those two songs have become a staple in my car over the last few months.  In fact, I figure now would be a good time to share with you just what I/we have been listening to over the course of the production of "The December Sessions" and also what you might hope to find on our upcoming record, again, yet to be titled.

First of all, as if you didn't already know, The Turn loves Kings Of Leon.  Frankly, at this point, who doesn't?  "Sex On Fire" is perhaps the most ubiquitous song of the past year, and maybe of all time. . no I'm just kidding. . I think.  But seriously, other than "Wonderwall" there's no song as widely requested or as widely recognized right now, and that's fortunate, since we love playing it.  "Only By The Night" is a really solid record, and one we spent a lot of time listening to.  Listen to "Use Somebody" with your eyes closed.  Seriously.  This record encouraged both Pat and I to go back and check out their previous offering "Because Of The Times", and were rewarded for our diligence, because that record kicks ass too.  Check them both out.

Radiohead - In Rainbows.  For any of you that read my "25 Random Facts" post on Facebook, you know that I've listened to this record roughly 50 times from beginning to end over the last 3 months or so.  It's impossible to get away from.  If you put it on, you'd better be prepared to listen to the whole thing straight through.  If you made me pick a favorite I'd say "Nude". . . But then I'd feel really guilty about leaving out the other 9 songs on the record.

Coldplay's most recent record is solid straight through.  I'd say October was the height of my listening to that record personally.  A bunch of trips over the Triboro (Recently renamed "RFK") Bridge led me to spin that one from start to finish more than a few times.  "Lost" is where it's at on that record, at least for me.

Recently I've gone back through "Abbey Road" a few times.  Along with Pink Floyd's "Animals" and "Wish You Were Here", that's one of the most popular night time Mazda records.  Those are three of the greatest works of genius in popular music history, and if it's been awhile, now is definitely the time to go back and brush up. 

Get to studying.  Class dismissed.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

Brian





Sunday, April 12, 2009

The December Sessions - Liner Notes

The Turn - "The December Sessions" Copyright 2009, RockTheTurn Productions.

The Turn is: Brian Ripps and Patrick McDermott, (www.myspace.com/rocktheturn)

All songs written by The Turn.

The December Sessions was produced, recorded and mixed at General Studios (www.generalstudios.com) in Douglaston, New York between October 2, 2008 and March 20th, 2009.  

All songs produced by 'General' George Fullan and The Turn.  

Additional production by Bill Wittman and Sammy Merendino.

Mastered by Scott Hull of Scott Hull Mastering/Masterdisk (www.scotthullmastering.com)
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Brian Ripps - Vocals/Guitars on tracks 1-6, E-Bow on tracks 2 & 6

Patrick McDermott - Guitar on tracks 1-6, Vocals on tracks 3 & 6, Keys on tracks 1 & 4

Bill Wittman - Bass on tracks 1-6

Sammy Merendino - Drums on tracks 1-6

Mark Thomas Kluepfel (Of Action Action) - Organ on track 3
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This record could not have been made without the support and enthusiasm of our families, friends and fans.  For anyone and everyone that has come out to a performance near or far to sing along with us, thank you so much.  

Special thanks to Kookaburra Coffee Co. in Rockville Centre, NY for letting us set up shop at their shop.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies
The Turn
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CD Jacket Layout/Design by Beth Beyrer of B Squared Photography (www.bsquaredphotography.net), Icon Omnimedia and Glenn L. Kaufman in cooperation with The Turn.
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Booking: 
(516) 458-7299
BrianRipps@aol.com

Rock The Turn Blog #1

And away we go -

6 days until The Big Show.  I'd call this "crunch time".  There's still a few more loose ends that need to be tied up, but other than that, I'd say we're ready for lift off.

1.  Final rehearsal with Chris (www.chrisderosa.com) and Brian (www.myspace.com/brianholtzbass).  This will be taking place Wednesday night.  If you haven't seen the pictures of the most recent rehearsal, you can go to www.bsquaredphotography.net or find me (Brian Ripps) on Facebook.

2.  Pick up t-shirts from the printer.  The printer is also known as Terence J. Kennedy.  You can find him at www.aminutesmirth.com.  His t-shirts are awesome, I'm pretty psyched that he's on board.  They'll be available at the show, along with. . .

3.  The December Sessions.  One of the biggest reasons we're putting on this party.  I picked up 1,000 copies of it last Wednesday.  On sale now for $5 dollars, and available at the show or by calling 516 458 7299.  Within the next few weeks I'll post and update the names of a few alternate vendors where you will be able to pick it up, including iTunes.

That being said I'd like to welcome y'all to the blog of The Turn.  You guys have been nothing short of amazing over the course of the last year while we've been working on setting all this in motion.  I couldn't be happier, or more honored to be putting on this show for all of you, and seriously couldn't be more proud of our entire team.  The thank you's would take from now until well past when everyone would lose interest in reading, so just trust that if you're reading this, we definitely appreciate anything and anything you've done for us.

The support has been overwhelming, and I assure you we're going to rock like no one has rocked before.

Be well.  Stay tuned.  As soon as we get off stage it's back to General Studios (www.generalstudios.com) to continue working on our next record, and back to Kookaburra to start planning the next Big Show.

Peace Love and Vocal Harmonies

Brian