Joshua Jesty's Super Blog, for reading

mole

2012-02-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

i can already tell by joshua jesty

it's hard to be anything but concerned and a little somber on a day when the news here is filled with detail after detail about a school shooting.

I don't know why school shootings have become a thing that happens. Actually, I kind of get it.

somehow the internet manages to bond us all together and it also manages to make us very hyper sensitive. While I have never gotten so wrapped up in anything that I felt the best option was violence against myself or others I guess these school shootings all started happening when the internet became more of a social tool.

I'm not blaming the internet or marilyn manson or the beatles or jackass 3d. It's ridiculous to attempt to make something other then the person or persons who commit an act responsible for it.

But just like cell phones came out and we're still figuring out cell phone etiquette, the internet has become a big way we socialize and there is a lot of etiquette to figure out yet.

what else to say though? All these things, the internet, cell phones, fax machines, dvd players, guitars, they're all here so that we can use them to convey ideas and messages and interact with each other. They weren't created with the intention of being items of destruction and chaos. They were created with the idea of connecting to one another.

I've been guilty of letting friendships I've developed online get out of hand. Why? Maybe because the internet is still something that gives me a buzz. It's exciting to meet new people and hear new stories, and something about the distance created by the screens allows you to build up your own perfect version of this new friend/strangers story. You do develop a fantasy in a sense.

In the case of these shooters, the fantasy they developed was obviously not a truthful thought. It was based in error. What they built up is that violence was the key to answering the problems that they'd created and let get bigger and bigger, whether because of bullying or pressure or what have you.

The only thing that's been conceived that I can't figure out how someone thought would be connecting are guns.

though in some sick way we're all connected to this shooting. This sad event reminds us how precious life is, that maybe it means a little more then just scraping through each day. That maybe we should hold those memories of good times as close to our hearts as possible, and maybe we should strive to love one another just a little more. A simple kind act, maybe a not so simple act of forgiveness, are things we should strive for.

oh yeah, in a few days or months we're not directly affected we'll be back to bitching about work this and significant other that, or the car payment or what have you.

But just try to hold those moments you have where you feel loved, where you feel alive. Keep them close, and don't take them for granted, and if you're in the middle of a great moment, ride it out and enjoy it to the fullest.

if you can forgive someone, then do it, see how much lighter you feel.

while I know nothing of any of the victims or the shooters my heart goes out to them as I'm sure yours does too.

it shouldn't take tragedy to make us all remember to love one another, but we have to take what we're given.

I understand how hypersensitive things can get, we all hurt in our own ways, we've all lost people that matter to us, but none of us has the right to deliberately hurt another. Be as political or religious as you want, the golden rule stands as the only commandment you really need to follow and really, it should be something that is en-grained into us regardless of religious belief or non belief.

Anyhow, in the wake of this event I don't have anything really funny or clever to say, nor do I feel like promoting this show or that recording.

I'm intensely grateful to all the wonderful people I've had in my life and who I have in my life. I hope in this tragedy you all find some comfort, reach out to those you love, and awake from your own false ideas about what is terrifying or hurting you and move forward and away from any false idea that violence or lies will actually be helpful to any situation.

til next time, thank you,

keep loving and dancing

what's all this then

2012-02-24T13:39:00.000-08:00

cross body lead by Joshua Jesty

somehow things work out.

take for example this wonderful story. Did you know that Babies eventually grow up to be ghosts!

See, everything works out.

babies poop everywhere, fertilizing the earth so that more babies can come on by for a visit. Ghosts well... you know they do Ghost stuff, which is way better then pooping all over the place.

Were you reading this while eating fast food? Did all this talk of baby poop and ghosts make you not hungry? All for the better then really.

there are simple things you should do to make your life better.

Dance: That's an important one, it has way more feeling to it then just walking or throwing a tantrum.

Listen to music you love: you know the type, the stuff that makes you feel like you're floating

listen to music you can't stand: it's funny.

listen to music you wouldn't normally listen to: give it time, some of the really good stuff takes a few listens to get into, or maybe you're not in the right place in your life yet.

heckle someone on stage: if you're going to become a good heckler at shows of any kind make sure you can deal it as well as take it, and don't take it all that seriously

say something nice to one of your "friends" that you don't know that well on your social networks: and don't go into it expecting anything, just say something nice. Every once and awhile it's good to make someones day for no reason. Maybe you'll even make a real friend or a true mortal enemy out of it, both are necessary in life.

go into stores as a character: why be yourself when you're at the pet store. Why not be Damon the boy who HATES puppies. It'll be a lot more fun for you, even if no one else knows what's going on.

have a good story: Even if it's a small tweet sized story, have a new story every day. I'm pretty sure when someone asks how you're doing everyone on the planet dies inside a little when the answer is "same shit, different day". Unless that person works in waste management 7 days a week, then they get a pass.

Try different stuff: go to different shows, watch weird movies, try different dances and events you might not be the more comfortable in. Just try different things, experience new places and people and be open. Just don't try anything like crime or being a jerk.

cut the mullet: go to the barber and tell him you're sick of looking like and asshole (rip Wesley Willis)

never give up: on what? on you. Even if everything you thought you knew gets revoked and disproved keep striving. The minute you stop is when everything else goes silent. So keep reaching, don't give up. Take moments to breath to re evaluate, but don't waste your time wasting your time. There's way to much amazing to see and experience and meet and be a part of and create.

listen to joshua jesty's music: haha! gotcha with a shameless plug! oh I'm a treat. find things with passion that move you. I hope that you'll see what I do as passionate and fun, but really, it's your path, so walk it in the way you see fit without distorting or misleading other people (I'm talking to you politicians... and asshats).

and remember

Love IS the answer, so long as the question isn't "what are the dimensions of this unfinished basement?"

keep loving and dancing

-joshua

being a messiah is easy

2012-02-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

jumped the shark (live) by joshua jesty

for real, look at this ass!

"Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain."
Mark Twain

okay then Mark Twain, I'm sure after that you went and scolded a woman for showing to much ankle... that was the thing back in the day right? Like back in the late 1800's spring break was full of "girls gone wild" films with women just showing there ankles... that gets me all bothered... not hot at all though.

Seriously though, it's a great quote, it's a great collection of a few words that is powerful and thoughtful and could elevate everyone.

But guess what, it's words.

why is this post titled "being a messiah is easy"? Because it is. Oh sure, it didn't work out so well for that Jesus fellow, and we don't really know much about what he did for somewhere around 20 years, but for 3 years he just went around saying "love is the answer", "there is no sickness", and healing and saying all these great things. One of the nicest things he said essentially was "you can do everything I'm doing, and even better".

The fact remains though, that anyone can show up and say words. Anyone can say "I love you", anyone can say "I want a cheeseburger". But do they really want it or are they just saying it?

It's easy to say "everything is going to be fine" when in reality, nothing will be fine without the proper action.

It's easy to rally people with political and musical cries and proclamations. Words are intensely important.

But Actions, that's where its at. Can you actually re create the actions that you make with your words.

Are you the type of person who says "love they neighbor" and then throws eggs at them? Do you feel humanity should be as one and we should all love one another but then duck everytime that asshat Dale comes into the office?

Here's the thing I fear the most. Not being everything I'm capable of being. That's perfectly vague though, doesn't do me much of any good. I suppose if I just feared riding a dolphin I'd have a better chance of getting myself together then wouldn't I?

anyhow, I'm just saying, in life it's a lot easier to show up, make a beautiful impression with words or dance or music and then just vanish into the unknown. I guess in some ways with my music that's exactly what I get to do.

Just remember this kiddos, while all we have is this moment, and you have to make each moment count, there is somethign to be said for people instead of taking off after making there impression actually stick around, really come through, and often times fail a lot. You can't romanticize them as much as the people with snappy quotes or guest appearances in your life. But the people who stick around and become something real and full of errors and misteps as a result of sticking around for awhile are the ones who help shape us the most, they help to make the world what it is, the "messiahs" just come in and remind that everything is going to be alright and then leave.

the Messiahs given you one breath of cherry smelling oxygen full of hope. The people who stick by your side until they can no longer be romanticized are the ones who keep you breathing in the first place. Just think about who is more important before you go idolizing Mark Twain... or Snookie.

On Promotion

2012-02-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

not hanging around by joshua jesty

I don't know man. It's getting a little weird being someone who believes in yourself these days. You have to walk this fine line of not being cocky and conceited. At the same time you can't be so laid back about it that everyone just passes you by.

I guess I'm still working on what exactly is the right amount of promotion for anything.

take for example this show I have coming up this Friday February 24th at the Beachland Ballroom. I'm really excited because of the following

1. I'm opening for Julie Nunes who is a total ukulele bad ass.
2. I've got a bundle of new songs I'm excited to debut
3. I've got old songs
4. I've got enough songs to choke a camel
5. I just love performing

I suppose really all those reasons are just reasons for me to wake up and play this show. I'll enjoy it no matter the outcome, but the underlying hope is that there are people who feel a connection with the music I make and want to come out and support it.

and that's one of a billion issues with promotion. I guess I don't care if you like me or not, we don't have to be friends or water slide buddies or go getting in kangaroo fights together. As a musician the bottom line, and the hope for me is that I'm writing and making music that you will find in whatever way you need at whatever time you need and it will be there to connect with you and make you laugh or help you through a difficult spell.

I'm sitting here and I'm thinking, what do you want to get out of it?

Really, I have no clue. I know what I get out of the music I make and I know that I'm grateful to everyone who finds something in it. There's a ton of people who have supported me and spread the word and still are to this day. I'm overwhelmed and overjoyed by it.

But still, the more I think about it, I don't really know how to convince you or anyone else to come see me play a show, or go listen to my music. I think that putting a clickable song at the top of this blog might be helpful, since it's right there and you just have to click, but maybe some will see it as an intrusion, like I'm forcing them to listen to something against there will.

I don't even know where this blog is going. I think at one point I felt like I had to shout at the top of a mountain, and maybe at one point I felt like dressing up like a clown and doing a little dance might help. But I'm fresh out of promotional ideas.

honestly, my goal this year is to just continue to make the music that I hear in my head as much as possible and with as much conviction and passion. I'm putting together a few live bands to play my solo stuff as well as these violent young lovers and I really think those are going to be projects worth seeing live when the time comes.

I also think seeing me play this Friday February 24th in a solo acoustic setting opening up for the lovely Julie Nunes would be a great way to spend your night in the land of Cleve, but hey, maybe that True Blood Marathon is going to win out cause no guitar tuning and you can do it in your underwear.

you can watch my show in your underwear too, I'd let you in at least, I don't know about the door man though, don't quote me on that.

The more I think about promotion the more I think it's a waste of time. I know I do what drives me and what I'm passionate about. One day and preferably sooner then later I'd like to be able to make a living doing what drives me all the time. That's not the reality, but I'll keep fine tuning and working on my craft until it is. I hope more and more people come along for the ride and we can all have a ton of fun. Maybe learn together, maybe laugh together and cry together, and maybe when my manager embezzles all my money you'll come out to my "josh needs to pay his rent so he's playing the hits" tour in 2045.

oh the fun....

anyhow, the song above is brand new (and not really mixed all that well), the show coming up this Friday is going to be awesome, I hope you'll consider coming out, and I look forward to growing more and more musically so that you're as excited as I am to hear the new stuff. If that doesn't work, apparently I can just dress up as a clown and spray faygo at kids all night.... so you know, at least there's a fall back plan.

have a great and nothing else.

I know, let's kill ourselves!

2012-02-20T10:27:00.000-08:00

roll around by joshua jesty

oh the 90's were a fun time. Most people won't recall this at all but that's when Andrew Jackson, our nations very own 20 dolla holla arose from the dead and threw the kinds of parties that you only wish hollywood could recreate and make you feel jealous of.

Most of us didn't notice Jacksons crazy parties because we were more invested in the fact that every time our current president played saxophone on a night time talk show it sent tens of thousands of jobs over seas and of course we were also busy mourning the loss of the icon or our generation, John Candy.

you can tell our economy has gone sour since back in the 90's one of the cool items of the day was slap bracelets, now a days we simply just slap one another, as kind of a reminder of those care free days, right before there were 1,000 channels (786 of which feature a show with Gene Simmons that no one cares about... or am I thinking of hitler (and why does spell check want me to capitalize hitlers name? isn't he kind of someone of all someones who doesn't deserve the courtesy of having their name capitalized?))

things weren't much better back then, but they sure felt like it, mostly cause no one was paying attention so all that is left is hindsight which everyone will admit to having even if they had no sight to begin with on the matter in the first place.

I'm looking at you Stevie Wonder! Stevie??? over here... no... here... no... never mind.

you know what I miss the most. The water! It used to be everywhere, I was often drowning. Now you can barely have a decent squirt gun fight without getting trampled by deer, cause now they're everywhere.

the only thing we have to fear is the fact that we made bad decisions and investments with ourselves and our time and it will come back to haunt us from about 60 until we fall over with a can of artificial cheez spray in each hand (it doesn't have to be real if you mis spell it!).

just make sure if I haven't done it already and you come across my lifeless body holding the promised spray cheese that you take one of the cans and write "No Regrets" over my remains. It would be a fitting honor, either that or you can have Queen do another huge Wembley stadium concert. Whichever is easiest for you, I know one involves spray cheese and the other involves a few phone calls... so you be the judge.

I think the best part about the 90's is that not everyone was on camera yet. In a few more years all of us will have video footage of us hanging out at the DMV as well as doing regrettable things in night clubs and white castles.

some things are best left to memory, ridiculous inaccurate memory.

and the rest is science.

things about songwriting I'd like to share

2012-02-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

exponential by these violent young lovers

there is no exact science to songwriting. Sure there is a formula that many writers stick to, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, middle, chorus or some very similar variation.

there's nothing wrong with that structure, but that has nothing to do with the science/art/craft of it all.

what am I setting up? that I don't have all the answers about songwriting, these are just a few things that I've learned in the past handful of years that I may or may not have blogged about already that I wanted to say.

1. it should be the best

you know that song you listen to non stop and you can stop listening to it over and over again? Maybe there's a whole record, maybe there's a bundle of songs like that for you. Just remember when you write a song, it should have that same effect on you, or else how can it have that effect on anyone else?

2. seriously, it should be the best

you don't have to be all cocky about it, but make sure what you commit to tape or to performing is something that you'll be happy to hear a few weeks, months, years, decades later. That's the stuff that will stick with you and others who hear it.

3. don't be afraid to trash it

if there's a good idea but you can't fully realize it, even if you feel really close to figuring it out, be it a chord progression or a lyric idea or something, just let it go. As the years go by I find the more willing I am to let go of ideas that aren't quite finished the more likely they'll come back to me later (sometimes weeks, months, in one case a few years) and they'll be back and ready for me to finish. The more I get into writing the more cases I have where I'm working on one idea and when it doesn't stir my soul the right way I throw it away and almost immediately hit on a new idea that takes the best pieces of what I just threw out and builds upon it, rendering it into a new creature. Then of course there's the ideas that go away and never come back and in 99 percent of those cases I don't think back on or miss those ideas for a second.

4. you can always change

I used to be very staunch in the belief that once I committed a lyric to paper that it was going to be that way forever more. But as I've gone on and been more accepting of throwing out ideas that aren't working, I've also become very good at acknowledging when I can improve upon something. Sometimes a change in a few words can make something go from sounding corny to intense, sad to romantic, blatantly obvious to completely mysterious. It's these subtle changes that can enhance anything. Same goes with music, don't be afraid to work outside your comfort zone.

5. like I just said, don't be afraid to work outside your comfort zone.

so what, all you want to do is write punk songs. That doesn't mean you can't be inspired by all the other incredible and wonderful music that is out there. Have you heard this one band.. .they're called the backstreet boys! They are going places!

6. have a sense of humor.

if you get so wrapped up in how serious your music is or if you get carried away by it, you can get lost in it at times. Music is the universal language, despite the fact that it is insanely easy for the rest of the world to never heard my music, I know that the people who will come across it will do so for some reason, that is hopefully beneficial to them and the others around them. Where am I going with this? Oh yeah, music is important, it might be the only thing that is actually important, but you can't let it dictate your every thought and action and let it destry all the good stuff you have around you while you go into some crazy search for musical perfection.

7. be honest with yourself

that's the music that connects. If you can't write about elephants, don't worry about it. Who cares. If all you can write are songs about pancakes, but your songs about pancakes are the best songs about pancakes cause that's what you know and that's what you love, then so be it.

8. make rules if you're feeling uninspired

sometimes we have to make rules because otherwise you'll find something that you're comfortable with and you'll stick to and fall back on to the point where it's meaningless. I've made various rules to force myself to approach my writing and my music differently. Some of the rules produced amazing results, some of the rules produced pure crap. But they produced something unique and they challenged me. Some rules I had were as simple as "use drumloops prominently" to "only play open strings". Some required me to record a different way or sing a different way. Keep pushing yourself, keep reaching.

Number 9: be fearless

be without fear when you write. Don't worry about what other people will say or how they'll view it. If a song seems to personal to release, then just don't release it, but say what is on your mind, say what's in your heart. It opens you up to being increasingly expressive and able to have more fun with words and music and create things that are unique and of yourself. You will truly discover your sound the more you open up and the less you hold back.

I hope these tipes were somewhat helpful. If not... well... then don't cook me eggs.

thanks for reading. and not reeding, which I think involves oboes, which if I haven't mentioned yet are NEVER to be used in music, only fires. :D

(sorry to all the oboe players of the world, I just can't resist).

www.thejoshuaweb.net

let's play Yeah/Boo!

2012-02-15T07:06:00.000-08:00

Down to a T by Love Scream

YEAH the drinking bishops show at the garage was a success!
BOO I lost my little portable video camera...
YEAH you don't have to see me post any videos for awhile
BOO I like posting videos...
YEAH My Girl walked all over me
BOO so did a complete stranger
YEAH he was licensed to do so
BOO there is no spoon!
YEAH Valentines day was great (couple version)
YEAH Valentines day is Over (singles version)
BOO more transformers movies?
YEAH I'm now working with 3 awesome bands, and I was propositioned to do a 4th
BOO there is not enough time for all of it
YEAH Comfortableville will ALWAYS be there
BOO Jimmy Buffet is totally going to steal "Comfortableville" and make it his next record
YEAH some people say that there's a woman to blame!
BOO but I know, it's just a shaker of salt
YEAH I get to open for Julia Nunes on February 24th at the Beachland Tavern
BOO I don't have that damn video camera so I can't achieve youtube fame...
YEAH I'm making tons of new music!
BOO I have no clue when I'll get any of it done
YEAH pancakes!
BOO to many pancakes!
YEAH I heard a PM dawn song in a Chipotle
BOO I'm concerned, cause nothings wrong!
YEAH you made it through this blog and now we're all better for it!

so much going on, and I'm grateful to everyone I'm working with currently in all these musical projects, I'm also very grateful for my past experiences, but the good news is, I don't have time to dwell on them to much. I'm to busy making my whole life one big soup of goodness, with a few flakes of "oh crap my car battery" or "oops I threw up all 5 of those milkshakes" or "how'd I get bitten by that vampire?" mixed in for a little extra texture.

have a great day, the pressure is off to receive flowers and chocolates and be wined and dined, and the pressure is off to be extra mad about being single, so just enjoy what unfolds. Until St Patty's day when you'll feel all that pressure to be Irish.

love

-joshua
www.thejoshuaweb.net

Mr Quack can help....a very very little bit.

2012-02-08T08:53:00.000-08:00

if you have a question for mr quack you can submit via twitter, facebook, or joshuajesty@gmail.com

it'll be fun. I'll take weeks if not months to address it.

for those of you who like to know every last little piece of news so it goes

this friday the 10th I'm singing with the Drinking Bishops at the Garage Bar in Cleveland as part of the Defend Cleveland Music night. The Restless Habs are also playing.

If we're not your cup of tea, there's tons of other great music going on that night, including Herzog over at the Happy Dog. I recommend splitting yourself in two and going to both.

Then This Saturday the 11th I'm playing a solo acoustic set at Breakneck Art Gallery's Valentine Smalentines show. I'll stick to the heartbreaking and the silly songs about heartbreak for this anti valentines show. I know I start playing at 7:30 and there will be a ton of great arists displaying art work.

that's early enough that afterwards you can go see Rob Duskey's CD release show at the Brothers Lounge or you can see the Bears CD release with the Afternoon Naps at the Grog.

So much to see, so much to do. Just don't sit around and say you never knew.

when I play the superbowl

2012-02-07T07:42:00.000-08:00

i'm not worried by Joshua Jesty

Here's the deal. When I play the superbowl here's how it's gonna go down.

first I'm going to bring all 11 members of MTV's the state out and they're going to perform an amazing sketch that will be completely un mic'd very hard to hear, but it will be extremely funny and I'll sit there in a big comfy chair laughing my head off at the joy of having the State perform for me in front of a superbowl audience.

Then I'm going to play 2 songs. The first will be one of my more laid back non super bowl songs, a nice love ballad, perhaps "I'm Not Worried" or "Stephanie". No crazy medley, just that one song. The only major production value will be that I'll have a couple of Monster "Truckzillas" behind me making out the whole song, nothing inappropriate, well, maybe just one monster truck nip slip, but really, whose gonna be able to tell?

Then for my final number, I'm gonna bring out as many aging super stars as I possible can. If I'm playing the super bowl in about 8-10 years that'll put most of them in their late 60's and 70's, some even in their 80's. I'll have them wheeled out in wheel chairs (even the young ones, whoever the new Niki Minaj is at the time) and we'll all take turns rapping and singing "the super bowl shuffle".

Then the wheel chairs will turn into cannons and shoot the rock stars/icons/mick jagger (why wouldn't he be there) out into the audience and coupons for the Cracker Barrel will rain down upon the audience (even better if that chain has gone under by the time of the performance).

then a horse dressed as a unicorn will come out and carry me off the field while "I am the champion" (a slight reworking of "we are the champions" plays except we'll fly out of the stadium together.

Then an announcer will come on and say "there are water balloons under all your seats, have at it!"

and then a massive water balloon fight.

now that's a show. and you're welcome.

I'd also like to tell you that I bought you a monkey and set it on fire

2012-02-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

online dating by these violent young lovers

sadly, I didn't.

I wanted to use income I made from being a famous musician to buy you a really energetic monkey and then light him or her on fire.

I wish I could say that I put that on fire monkey in your kitchen and he tried to figure out how to use the sink, got frustrated and started throwing flaming doo doo all over the place.

I know that in my heart of hearts, I would've also have wanted to put a few cameras around and capture it all on film, throw it on youtube.

let the whole world rejoice in the "monkey throws fire doo doo in nice house" the video.

oh just think of all the remixes and remakes. Actually, don't think about that, you really only need one of those.

just think, despite your misery over having to clean up a freshly burnt monkey, of all the joy and laughter and water cooler conversation that would come up.

it's called giving.

I just don't have that to offer.

I'm totally like the giving tree. I can only give and give until I've cut myself down to a stump, and then you can sit your fat ass on me.... cause I'm just that giving.

sadly, just like the giving tree, I can't give you a monkey and light it on fire while you're trying to get some sleep at 4 in the morning after a weekend long bender.

but don't be afraid. The future is unwritten my friends, there might be a burning simian in your future, but only if you believe in it, just believe so hard.

you know, hard beliefs.

nothing good ever comes to those who are bad, but bad people can get along fine thanks to delusions and misconceptions and ignorance.

you my friend, you are a light, and if you ever lose that light, I hope you are guided by a monkey who is on fire.

stop being afraid of the unknown, be afraid that you're not making the most of the known.

let's start there, and elevate, and then

disposable income rises to the ceiling

and then

flaming monkey youtube video.

but first

nap time.

I'd like to tell you these songs are for you

2012-02-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

get lost by joshua jesty

but they're not.

all the music I make isn't really for anyone. At the moment of the songs conception there are people or events or situations that I've observed up close or from a distance that inspire the words and music and the feel of it all.

The songs are just weird brief moments in which I connect with the divine. When I create a song I feel a rush like no other. Even if the song has no meaning or isn't very clear to me as to what it means or why I'm singing it.

I want you to enjoy the songs I make and what I've learned over time is that once I let a song out into the world it is no longer mine. The song that I wrote that might be or might not be about a girl I met once in upstate new york is no longer about her. When you hear it, it could be about a boyfriend or a girlfriend. I've seen my songs set to videos memorializing peoples pets. I never wrote a song for someones border collie, but when they heard the song it became just that.

The songs aren't specifically for you, but they are yours for the taking. You can bend them to mean whatever you want them to. You can stay up night studying while they play quietly in the background, you can drive around town with a good friend in the passenger seat listening to them all night while rain hits your windshield, you can make out with someone you want to spend the rest of your life with or with someone you want to spend the rest of the night with while the songs play.

You can feel heartbroken, you can feel overwhelmed or overjoyed. You can feel lost while my music plays, I just hope if you choose to listen while you're in a dark place that somewhere in these songs you find something that lets you know that it's going to be alright, and that things will get better.

You can share the songs (that's always appreciated) or you can keep them to yourself, stored away on a folder on you computer or hidden on your mp3 players or stored away with all the other CDs in a box in the basement.

I don't provide the meaning of the song, you provide that. All I know is that connected with something, I call it the divine, when those songs came from me. I hope that shows in the notes, in the feel, in the joy, and in the pain of it all.

To the very few who are aware of the influence and inspiration you've given me that has hit me in such a way that I've been able to connect with that divine and write the songs that I've written I thank you deeply.

For those who have taken these songs and made them part of your life I can not express how appreciative I am.

These songs are just moments, almost like ghosts that you can revisit, but more like prisms in that the light you emit will make them reflect different colors and different patterns from the next person.

I am very grateful that I get to capture these moments/ghosts/prisms and share them with you.

speaking of which, there will be more to share oh so soon.

be well.

there goes my beliefs... bye bye

2012-01-25T09:32:00.000-08:00

jumped the shark (new mix) by joshua jesty

I'm pretty sure that I don't have a clue as to what I'm doing right now.

the thing that scares me most is that I'm pretty sure there's a lot of people with way more responsibility or power or money or some combination of those who REALLY don't have a clue as to what they're doing.

some things I'm thinking of trying in the near future

- make a whole record of me just playing songs (new and old) in a completely solo acoustic manner so that way, hey, here's a some stripped down versions that will be similar to what you'd here if you bothered to come see Jesty rock it solo style
- put together a killer live band to make your hearts race and your ears ring (this one is half way done, but I'm gonna make sure it's killer)
- try to figure out a way to promote my music through telepathically imprinting spiritual flyers in your brain
- make a web tv show by March
- kick a puppy into space (it's not because I hate puppies, it's more of a protest thing)
- put a value on the music on my bandcamp page as opposed to letting you look at it and go "name my own price... you mean I have to do something...... gawd....."
- dance, to much booty in the pants
- climb a mountain and challenge a mountain lion to a fight. If I win I'll be known henceforth as a mountain josh. Not to many of those around.
- finish up my punch card at the original pancake house
- try to make the phrase "vote or yawn" really popular
- another political slogan I'd like to popularize "I love following politics cause I like lies that affect millions of people"
- finish up my punch card at the purge barrel
- start answering every question with "it's your grave"

so I have a lot to do, and if none of it gets done, the whole world will barely have to collectively hold a sneeze, but damn it, it's my god given right to nonsense.

oh yeah, all those FBI files came out the other week on the wu-tang clan and thus fully proved ODB's statement "wu tang is the for the children"

put that in your thought brains and stir it.

love.

-joshua
www.thejoshuaweb.net

the ballad of Doctor Mustard Banana Lemon

2012-01-22T23:35:00.000-08:00

Doctor Mustard Banana Lemon knew his name wasn't particularly dull, and as a result he chose to make the most of his life so his tombstone wouldn't be mistaken as a place holder for something better.

His favorite thing to say after someone asked him if that was his real name was "Are you calling me yellow?"

every time he finished saying that line his teeth would start to pour out of his mouth in a sort of awkward smile that you couldn't deny, but you couldn't approve it either, especially for a line of credit in this economy.

the only time Doctor Mustard Banana Lemon advocated guns was for a proper duel over the love of a woman, of which he had many. Not women mind you, but duels. He was very much about the thrill of the chase, especially if it granted him permission (in his mind at least) to shoot another man.

one day Doctor Mustard Banana Lemon was at a restaurant enjoying a glass of some fine exotic liquor when the table next to them erupted in a frenzy. "is there a doctor in the house" cried a young man in sweater vest and who cares what else (though a sombrero would've made it a truly wonderful ensemble "my wife is having a baby!" The Doctor didn't hesitate for a moment to step in help. He wasn't a doctor mind you, as a matter of fact he didn't fancy them a bit, but when you're given a name you damn well better be able to live up to it. The baby was a girl, it was 34 pounds and the mother named it "ouch" right on the spot.

Doctor Mustard Banana Lemons time on this earth was short when you hold it up to the whole of the dinosaur age, which is most likely why we try to ignore that it ever happened, we are after all trying to be significant, if to no other then ourselves.

Doctor Mustard Banana Lemon didn't worry about death to much, he used to say "Death is like a dance, but there's no sense in trying to learn how to lead it, you simply have to accept that you'll be the follow, and if death is in fact horrible, one can only hope that after a song or two a new partner will take its place".

"There's little reason to doubt that everything is going to be alright" Doctor Mustard Banana Lemon used to say "there's also little reason to believe that everything will be alright, but come on now... don't be such a dick" Not everything he said was golden.

One day in his older years he noticed that his teeth were turning a bit yellow, he thought it was quite appropriate. Doctor Mustard Banana Lemon was alright.

Dolphin Fin
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I want to thank everyone who made the show at the Happy Dog this past Saturday an exceptional experience. I don't mean to lessen the experience of any of the shows I've played, but that will easily be in my top ten of live experiences for a long time. I'm really thankful and it wouldn't have been anything without your support. also, I'm re-re-releasing this record

Joshua Jesty will be with you in a minute by joshua jesty

so won't you have a re re re listen? have a great week, more nonsense ahead. -joshua www.thejoshauweb.net

my blog is an awesome blog

2012-01-11T08:06:00.000-08:00

I used to blog like nobody's business. The best part is that it was about nobody's business. I had lots of things to say about nothing in particular and the world was dandy.It's still dandy, I just haven't been blogging as much and maybe I've lost a bit of my blog mojo, my blogroove, whatever you want to call it.2011 was a crazy and wonderful and messy and fun year. I made the record portugal, I became a salsa dance champion, I did a bunch of improv comedy, I formed an improv group that NEVER performed, Missy and I made the These Violent Young Lovers record "sophomore flop", I toured this little country of ours for 2 and a half months, Dressed up as the 1% for Halloween, wrote and recorded some 40 or 50 songs that I just kind of threw out because who needs that many songs?, played a couple great shows with different bands backing me, had a successful kickstarter campaign, and of course, started a frozen pizza review blog with my friend Dan.So life has been busy and treating me good. I just didn't bother to blog about every last waking detail of it. However, there are stories to tell and ones to make up and ones to hide, so in 2012 it is my goal to blog a lot more to give your eyes something to feast upon. I think I'll be posting a bunch of cartoons that I draw from time to time up here as well.For now, I'll just say, look out dear blog readers (or most likely due to inactivity, reader), cause this blog party is about to get officially get started.love is real-joshua

Joy to the world, for I am come, let earth, receive, ME!

2011-12-22T21:54:00.000-08:00

Dear awesome friends and family. It is my birthday today. ME! In lieu of birthday wishes on my facebook and twitter would you consider giving me a day where I don't have to shamelessly promote myself and go to www.joshuajesty.bandcamp.com and "like" or share a favorite song or record of mine on your pages and feeds? That would be a wonderful gift. Then again, you're all like wonderful gifts, so thanks for being a part of my silly silly life.thank you for inspiring me.keep loving and dancing-joshua (older... still debating on the wiser bit)2011

thanks giving

2011-11-22T10:42:00.001-08:00

first off, that happened.Here's the things that touring this past fall has made me realize. - I have intensely amazing friends and family without whom all of this touring would've been a miserable flop- There are people who come into my experience for brief flashes of time that can be just as poignant as people who I see on a day to day basis, which is to say, don't ever let someone cross in and out of your frame of sight if you feel that energy coming off of them- the people at the canadian border need to get the sticks that are lodged really really far up their asses out and take a second to realize that they're protecting canada, that's like me being concerned that someone is going to take the 47 cents I have in my pocket- I have an intensely awesome girlfriend who gets special mention cause she fought with the city of new york on my behalf (and won)- driving around at night does in fact feel like an advertisement for something else- the memories that exist because of a certain place or time can and will always be replaced with new and (depending on your attitude) greater memories. - I still don't know what feels like home, but I do know this, when I do find home it will not be a futon or an air mattress- the only way to find new inspiration for songs/music/art is to go out and live the hell out of life. Every time I get to tour I feel as if I'm doing that, and while I wouldn't wish the touring life style on my enemies, I can say that for me it is heaven.- touring makes about as much sense as regular life, it doesn't.- if you can't find what makes your heart sing, then it just means there's no clear cut path that's already well laid out, so you'll just have to make it up as you go.- the people you love will come in and out of your life at a rapid pace (even more so as you tour) but that gives you no just cause to stop loving them or what they represent to youI need to write a blog that is just the names of the people who made this tour so successful, and I will I will. but first. I need to some more rest. Apparently driving around with people all over the country hacking and wheezing and coughing at you makes you achieve a super cold, but when I come out of the other end of this cavern unscathed I will officially be invincible. So there is that going for me.thank you all for your support, thank you for reading, thank you for finding meaning or joy or something in the music I make. If I've known you for any length of time thank you for becoming part of the music I make and continue to push out like a good catholic woman... what?with gratitude-joshuawww.thejoshuaweb.net

eastern seaboard tour part 2

2011-10-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

well, I promised pictures and videos to accompany this post, but I'm horrible liar. Mostly because blogger seems to allow me to upload all the pictures I want but not place them anywhere... maybe I'm missing something... well... that fact has never been in question. Specifically I'm missing how to drop pictures and video into this blog. I seem to recall it being a bit more intuitive not but a month ago and now I can't figure it out. Just cause Steve Jobs is gone doesn't mean we have to lose our minds tech people.... jeeeez.things have been going slowly and steadily, and while I'm told that will win the race sometimes I feel like I'm falling a bit behind. The bottom line is I've seen a lot of great friends, played a lot of music, heard a lot of new music, and slept in a lot of different beds/couches/floors. I've also been attacked by several animals. All this is good.I still have some time to go and I'm booking more dates as we speak. I've gotten to a place performance wise where I feel I'm in complete control of the songs I'm playing and they don't get away from me, even if I miss word or cough for half of the song or someone is busy throwing apples at me.I'm so glad that I'm getting to see some friends I haven't seen in a long time. I also miss a lot of you rug rats back in Cleveland. there were a few questions in my mind that I was hoping would be vanquished at this point in the tour and yet, endless hours of driving still haven't given me the answers I was hoping for. So I am searching out my friend in Boston who I'm convinced was the Dali Llama in the past life.other then that, I'm unleashing my fury on New York City and Philly and Boston. go to the shows page of www.thejoshuaweb.net to find out specific details.thanks for reading, hopefully I'll post ridiculous pictures in the near future. Until then, you've got twitter, and facebook, and bandcamp, and I'm sure there's an old myspace and just about anything else to keep you in jesty company.I've just got the lonely lonely road. Oh and the greatest adventures of my life ahead.have a good one. Sorry this blog is a bit scatterbrained, but thanks for reading. Merry thismas.-jestywww.thejoshuaweb.net

Easter Seaboard tour part 1

2011-10-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

''the road is often plagued with disaster, hopes, fears, and pavement.... and lots of those damn orange barrels." - peter tork of the monkees

"I never said that, ever" - actually peter tork of the monkees

he never said much of anything, that Crazy Peter Tork. Hi, I'm Joshua Jesty and I want to talk to you about a serious condition that affects millions of americans each second. It's called making up shit.

did you know each day there's a millions of children making up scenarios in which they're riding spaceships or ponies or dead bodies down a river?

it sounds like fun and games until you realize that some of these kids grow up and make up lies about how awful things are in the world. Sometimes people like about their pants size or a certain kind of light bulb they prefer.

Some of them grow up to be like me, and they write blogs full of lies. Like how I'm about to tell you that my tour is going smashingly well. Venues packed, gasoline is really cheap if you're a rock star, and trail mix still tastes as delicious 4 days into a tour as it did back at day one.

The touring has been going really well actually. There's so many stories I want to share. I had to play against a porch of college kids who were insistent upon playing really bad covers of 80's and 90's pop songs, I've met some great musicians, one who sounds like tom waits, I got my hair cut at a real barbershop, I've eaten some of Pittsburghs finest pizza, and re learned what it's like to drive hundreds and hundreds of miles on 3 hours of .... oh what's that thing called... it's hard to remember when it's not really a part of your life anymore... oh yea, sleep.

the ups and downs of touring don't always balance out. the week before I left for tour was supposed to be one of immense productivity. I was supposed to have all this time to finish off some recordings that I owed people, make some songs for myself, finish off the TVYL's second record, and say goodbye in a classy and laid back fashion to a lot of my friends who I knew I'd miss dearly while away.

what happened instead is that I violently ill and laid in bed all day, crawling out only to do a few hours or work because I felt horrible not doing anything, only to realize that I was barely getting anything done at all, and I should really just crawl back to bed. So I essentially half assed all the stuff I wanted to do, as well as half assed the recovery process of lots of sleep and demanding sympathetic get well cards and posts and tweets from friends.

Now that I'm on the road, I just kind of have to push myself to feel better even though it's not always the case.

yet, somehow, every time I take the stage, be it in the corner of a room, or on a well lit, warm cozy stage, be it in front of dozens of people, or one, something comes over me, I pick my guitar up and the music flows out, usually with little interruption from coughs or wheezes that my body still thinks it needs to facilitate and produce.

with each date, I try new songs, bring out old songs I haven't touch in years, play through a handful of songs that I think are essential songs for people who are giving my music a chance.

I'm so grateful to everyone who has come out and supported and talked to me before and after the shows. I had forgotten how lonely touring solo can be at times, and how little time you generally have to connect with anyone, be they at the show or be they people who are letting you crash.

as jimmy eat world once sang...well... I guess they didn't sing it, but it was a song title, for me this is heaven.

it's great to be back, it's great to feel the guitar strings under my fingers every night, and I'm just very honored and thankful that so many people have reached out to help me book and promote and feed me apple cinnamon pancakes and bison chili.

and yet I'm only into day 5 of 20. So there's a lot more adventure up ahead.

check out the "shows' tab of my website www.thejoshuaweb.net

to get information on all the other dates I have coming up. If you're in Boston, Philly, Jersy, Albany, New York City, Woodbridge CT, I'd love to see you out.

thanks for reading, thanks for listening, next entry I'll have some random pictures and video and all sorts of good stuff to share.

take care of yourselves and each other.

-jesty
www.thejoshuaweb.net

on songs

2011-09-30T06:11:00.000-07:00

there's no science to songwriting, just boring boring tedious work at your craft. Or else you can not work at it and just be horrible. That seems to work just fine for most people.

Still, I encourage anyone who is doing anything to do it with passion and conviction.

Songwriting is no different. There is a formula you can follow, and it works pretty well, a nice little template if you will. Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Middle Section, Chorus.

it sounds easy, it looks easy, but can you actually say anything of value in that small framework? Is their any substance? Any reason that someone would want to hear your interpretation of a song more then once?

I'm doubtful that people want to hear my music at all, which is one reason I keep going at music. I know I can improve, I know I can be more concise and clever with my words, I can find an even better way to say "there's hope" or "I'm heart broken" or "let's take our pants off and dance until 2 am". I know there's more that I have to uncover and pursue.

The other side of it is I'm driven. Making music is one of the only things that I've ever done that has left me fulfilled and left me inspired to grow more and experience more.

Music has taken me around the country, made me ask more questions, dance, yell, fight, drink, laugh, and on and on.

The highs that I've gotten from other experiences are meaningless in comparison to what I feel when I find that little bit of music that didn't exist before. That little song I can call my own but in some odd way I know isn't mine at all.

this is what keeps me going. The love I feel for others grows constantly because I do not hinder myself from pursuing what makes me feel whole. I have stood in my way before, made the wrong choices, and just wasted away feeling angry and lost and ungrateful.

A lot of people say they write their best songs when they're in pain or suffering or going through a break up. I once heard someone say "sad songs are celebrations of overcoming that which made you sad".

I don't know about all that. What I do know is it is easier to come from an angry or hurt place. Of course it's easy because when you're in an angry place you're in a selfish place, a self focused state. Pain isn't so much caused by someone as much as it is caused by your thought.

to write from a place of love, that's not so easy. I'm still working on it every day. We can fall to regular cliches and such, but we have to innovate, we have to push, we have strive. To elevate others in thought and action. That's why we still talk about bob marley and john lennon, and martin luther king, and richard pryor. All these people who used their thoughts and words to elevate others.

It doesn't matter how you do it, it just matters that you try your damnedest.

strange currencies

2011-09-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

"these words, you will be mine"

I didn't grow up with REM, though I do admire how hard they worked and the kind of music they made.

I fell hard for "automatic for the people" and I came to realize that if you imagined "monster" without distortion some of the songs just seemed like more "automatic for the people" which was a good thing to me.

I'm not the worlds biggest REM fan, so I'm not overwhelmed by them breaking up. I can't say as I've really heard anything off there last two records that everyone has been saying were a "return to form". I don't know. I just always figured REM did what REM wanted to do, and there was nothing wrong with that in my book. There are songs on "Up" that were just a poignant and meaningful to me as songs on "lifes rich pagent".

It's fine that they're stepping aside (more room for me you know...) the music they've left behind will resonate for years to come. One day we might wish there was more, but I'm sure there will be archival recordings, b-sides, out takes, box sets, live collections, more they you can imagine to come. So if you're looking for more commerce associate with them, fear no more.

I'm grateful that they left behind such an incredible body of work. Yes, I'll always be that guy who champions "Automatic for the People" as their masterpiece and the single record they put out that had the greatest affect on me, but you know damn well I'll listen to "stand" and wonder when Fox is going to put out "get a life" on dvd.

sometimes I'll even hide away and listen to "shiny happy people". It was the "1999" of the 90's when you think about it.

you're thinking about it.

see, REM was a band that made you think. Raise a glass, let's have a toast.

Thank you REM, your eyes are burning holes through me, I'm not scared, I'm out of here

I'm not scared, I'm out of here.

Interview with Eating Paste Magazine by dr. nosebleed

2011-09-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

it's a rainy day in Cleveland Ohio. I've been sent to interview the elusive and illustrious and ill advised Joshua Jesty who after releasing something stupid like 5 records worth of material in 2010 has kept fairly quiet since releasing an odd collection of songs called "portugal" in February of 2011.

I sat down and asked the Jesty about what's going on, and it turns out I caught up with him just in time for him to talk my ear off about life, death, upcoming tours, records and offer him a tissue.

portugal by joshua jesty

What's the deal with being so silent this year musically after so much output in 2010? not as inspired these days?

oh no. I've been writing like a fiend. Someone like me can't help that. I just felt that "portgual" was an important record to not bury. "Girl" was also an important record and I feel like I buried it amoungst all of this other music in 2010. The other thing I realized is that it might be better to with hold some music as opposed to just throwing it out non stop. I'm proud of the output, but you know. I did it. I spent a year recording and releasing non stop, I think I put something out 8 months out of 12, and a lot of it is still stuff I'm really proud of.

I think I've been pretty silent overall this year. It was a weird and wonderful and horrible and incredibly elevating year for me. I still think I'm taking in all the living and experiences. I can't yet process them into something that's broad and tangible to everyone. Right now if I wrote a song it would be about getting up and looking at a wall and eating breakfast, you get the idea, just really specific and boring details. I need to let this whole year really sink in before it becomes anything musical, at least anything musical with substance or flavor or style. It needs to bake a little.

I get it I get it I get it. So is it just me or is "portugal" very similar to "Girl"?

yes and no. Yes because there's the same number of tracks, yes because it has kind of a serious if not bleak tone that still has some kind of resolve to it by the end, yes because I feel there's an intro track, a middle, and a finale track just like I put on Girl. No because I think that I was trying to say "loss is gain" on Girl and on portugal I'm simply saying "I love you regardless of the outcome, and somehow, in some way that might not even be tangible, it makes us both better".

This record seems to deal with the idea of loss, just like Girl

Just like everything I've put out since "until the next red light" by this is exploding. I was very shaken up by my fathers passing and since then the idea of loss has been a big part of my writing. Love was a big part before loss, but it's become and even bigger part over time. The newest idea that seems to be showing up in my writing is the idea of light.

my grandma just passed on recently and it's amazing to me. She was so strong and she just knew it was time. She said her goodbyes and she left, and she didn't seem the least bit afraid. I don't even feel a sense of loss with my grandma. It's like she did all she could and then more, and it was time. My issue with loss is just the idea that you've been short changed. When my dad passed, I really felt and still feel like that's a raw deal. He should've been around these past 10 years to help me with my shit, celebrate my victories, offer me sage advice. But you know, I lost that.

I've had a few friends who have shown up in my life, picked me up, just been these wonderful sources of light and love and strength in my life and then just when I think they will be a regular part of my experience they just disappear.

Feeling short changed is what portugal is about. It's an exercise in misery with just a little hope thrown in.

well, .... need a tissue or something captain sad pants?

oh no. Don't get me wrong, When I hear portugal I'm very taken with it. It's very specific you know. It was all written and recorded within one furious month. I know where I was at emotionally, spiritually, mentally at the time. The Music was a wonderful bit of therapy, it really was. I guess when I finished it, I looked at it and reviewed it over and over.

Seeing that it was more on the bleak side of loss, I started to consider what the upside might be. When I was talking before about being short changed, losing people before you feel you've really gotten to know and love and respect them and benefit fully from each other, you know, that happens all the time.

somehow I think the point is you just really have to be grateful for who comes into your experience, even if they're horrible, and just appreciate everything they bring to your life. When they take off abruptly or not soon enough, or whatever the case is, you just have to roll with it and be grateful for the experience you did share together.

I guess I took most of this year to get into that frame of mind, just being grateful for what I did experience as opposed to what I wish I had. I've had it pretty good.

looking at the example of my dad, I had an exceptional father who loved and supported me for 22 years of my life. I have no doubt in my mind if he was alive today that he'd still be as loving and supportive. That's huge. The friends that come and go in my life, they've affected me in such profound ways that I can't even begin to describe a fraction of it. I'm a very fortunate and spiritually wealthy guy. I guess that's what I hope to focus on when i get back to releasing things

Any new stuff coming up?

Well, yes. A boat load. I've got the second These Violent Young Lovers record coming out very soon. It's all done being recorded and mixed, we just need artwork for it.

then there's this tour I'm going on coming up in October. That's a big deal for me.

Then I got Portugal remastered and I'm getting it pressed

and without overwhelming myself, my hope is to release a solo EP before the years end, release a bunch of older/rare this is exploding stuff that has been collecting dust for no good reason, and I'm toying with the idea of making a little web series showcasing music and sketches and things like that.

if I can get a few of those things done before the year is up I'll consider it a good year. portugal was a big deal to me and it took a lot out of me. I'm very proud of it and grateful for it, I'm also ready to move forward cause I want to explore the gratitude aspect of loss

So we can expect all happy songs?

nah. we all need some ups and downs to make the ride any fun at all.

- dr. nosebleed writes for Eating Paste Magazine and is not affiliated with anything or anyone.

small towns

2011-09-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

so we sit at this diner in a small town
she gets up to use the restroom
now that she's gone I look past where she once was
and there's a sign for a business that has the same name as a girl
I once thought I would know
She returns, we share a smoothie and some conversation
and then start driving, looking for shelter
and place where there's an excuse I could've held her
that will do
and we pass a street with the last name of a girl
I once thought I would know
we get lost around the country side
it's not as romantic as you'd think
at least not with little sleep in your system and that nagging feeling of car sickness
I just want to get out of the car, just get me out of the car
we pass a sign for a town, that has the same name of a town where there lived a girl
I once thought I would know
and then it quietly sinks in
we're all small towns, just trying to get by, some of us have walmarts and some of us are lost out in the middle of nowhere, some of us don't aspire to be anything more then a place to raise children, and we all harbor deep dark secrets behind the walls of the houses that reside in us.
we're all small towns, and I've passed through a few in my day. Some I took time to stop and adore, others I got the hell out of as soon as I could.
sometimes I broke down in these small town and I was taken care of, everything was fixed and even though I didn't want to go, I had to move on, cause it wasn't where I was supposed to be.
other times I tried to show up and make the small towns be something bigger and better, something they didn't want to be, something they weren't ready for. I did not get the key to the city, and I was lost, even though there were millions and millions of small towns around, many of which were waiting for me to pass through.
for some reason, seeing those signs with the names and last names and towns of the girls I once hoped I would know sort of seemed like an odd if not appropriate farewell.
if I too am a small town, they are always welcome to pass through, but in that moment when I saw those signs I knew, that it will never be
and I looked to my right from the passenger seat and I saw the girl who is the world to me

Kick Jesty

2011-07-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1106324375/help-joshua-jesty-master-and-press-his-record-port

So there it is. I've started a Kickstarter project with the hopes of raising enough coin to buy an extra life and save the princess. Or more realistically I'm hoping to raise enough money to get a record I made called "portugal" mastered and physically pressed in time for my upcoming fall tour.

I don't think I'm asking for much, just the world, on a string, with no pants but nice shoes.

I do feel a touch weird asking for money from people, but then again, that's usually what I when I tour and play live. In this situation I'm just asking for money before you ever get anything, BUT, as a result you get to acquire all sorts of neat stuff you wouldn't be able to get otherwise. I'm sure you've seen other people with the kickstarter drill before. Mine isn't a revelation. There's a few silly prizes and options, but you can also get unreleased rarities, t-shirts, all sorts of things, some of which will never be available to the public for ever ever... for ever ever.

so, even if you can't give much, every bit helps. I promise I won't widdle it away on cheeze whiz and hookers (RIP Chris Farley), but I will put every penny towards making "portugal" the best record it can be.

I guess this is me kicking my blogging back on track, and hopefully the rest of it will follow.

kickstarter success or not, I thank you all for your support and your time, it means everything to me

-joshua

well there I am

2011-07-03T23:22:00.000-07:00

it's been awhile since I've logged in a journal entry for the star ship jestyprise.

not a lot to report. Lots of nameless characters have been killed off, a few aliens have learned a few stern lessons about dealing with humanity, soda pop.

I had a few stories I wanted to share with you but thanks to twitter I can't remember how to type more then 140 characters at a time.

that being said, I'm working on a 3 different records, I've played a handful of house concerts that I've had a great time with and I've met and laughed and danced and performed music with and for a bunch of wonderful people and I wouldn't trade all the riches in the world for any of it.

The best part is there is a lot more ahead. I've got a ton of new music and show tour dates and some shirts and a ton of smart ass comments for you to see and read and listen to and be a part of.

It will all be coming your way soon. So thanks for reading, be honest with yourself and others, don't worry about the money, let it worry about you and most importantly, keep loving and dancing.

thanks for all your support, it means the world to me.

-joshua
www.thejoshauweb.net

I'm playing, I'm having fun, I'm playing with others, They're all gone, I'm not having fun, wait a second, I was having fun before they came into my life, I'm having more fun, (and repeat)

2011-03-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

<p>&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://joshuajesty.bandcamp.com/album/portugal"&amp;amp;gt;portugal by joshua jesty&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;</p>
strength has always been an issue with me ever since I was a child. I think it all started when I was born....
I was born in a brothel to a woman named butterfly. She was not very protective of me, and her lack of concern for protection also explains how I came about.

despite this odd start things weren't so bad. I learned how to speak the speak of the brothel and if you're ever going to learn how to clean a floor it's going to be at a den of sin.

plus you get to meet all sorts of high ranking public officials. Mayors, famous actors, rock stars, trust fund kids. It was networking 101.

through a connection my mother made I was sent to a camp in the mountainous regions of bukearest to study the art of slaying dragons. At the tender age of 3 when most kids are focusing on the alphabet or trying not to bite down on the popsicle stick, and/or developing various phobias and social disorders, I was out in fields and caves, practicing various forms of martial arts and learning sword craft and dragon anatomy so I could help the world in vanquishing the last of the terrible dragons.

fortunately, or unfortunately the camp found out the check my mother sent bounced and I was sent home after 2 weeks of training. While I took something from the experience it was all well and good because the last dragon that was of any real threat was accidentally hit by a trucker in the south as he was delivering the first case of slim jims to the local bucket and eagle grocery mart of route 4.

speaking of 4, at the age of 4 I realized that the monsters hiding under my bed would go away if I pretended to be a record player and sing songs and rock my head back and forth. My record impression by all accounts sucked, but it was enough to keep the monsters at bay and I started to learn all the things that music can do.

music can keep monsters at bay
music connects to the divine in that way that it can be heard by all. While paintings and drawings and photos and books all create soundwaves, no one really knows what to make of them until they get them in front of them. If you can hear music from a distance it can hit you square on in the heart, soul, and mind. It can communicate in unique and unexpected ways, and it brings humanity and nature together
music is always around and always evolving
if you're a guy who plays guitar, music can help the fairer sex take notice of you

I learned all of this at 4. After that I didn't learn much, nor did I go over it enough to retain it all that well. Most of the years of my life have been

"I'm playing, I'm having fun, I'm playing with others, They're all gone, I'm not having fun, wait a second, I was having fun before they came into my life, I'm having more fun, (and repeat)"

other things that were notable include punching a whole football team out in order to win the honor of a hotdog vendor (she honored that expired coupon after that display), kicking a doctor until he said everything would be alright (and it was), and hang gliding with a someone who very well might have been jesus who simply told me "keep loving and dancing"

the dancing didn't happen all that much until recently, but I don't regret taking my time to get to a place where you can let yourself feel so free and vunerable at the same time.

at some point, the zombies showed up. At first they said things like "no new taxes" and "on a steel horse I ride" and I don't think many people noticed or cared. Like you all know by now, the 80's were full of people on drugs. Of course those were zombie making drugs.

I know it's not fun traditional, head blowing off zombies we're talking about. They're just people who are giving up, and they feast on the flesh of other peoples failures to sustain themselves and not have to admit that they're just roaming around directionless and lost and sad.

I saw this epidemic and the only thing I knew that kept the monsters at bay was music, and so I've been attempting to sing a loud and poignant song since about the age of 12. I don't know if I've found it yet cause the zombies seem to keep coming, and I don't know why I put it on myself to fix the whole thing single handedly, but I've just seen far to many people give up on their passions and ambitions just to play it safe and become a zombie.

anyhow, so I fell into the zombie hunter and destroyer role purely by accident. There were a few heartbreaking stories, love lost, love found, love dressed as a hungry lion, but it all worked out pretty well.

or did it. I mean there is the possibility that I could be found dead on a toilet, and I suppose that'd be a shitty end to a life well lived, I mean, I hope they don't make a statue of it to commemorate the fact that I watched the movie "dirty work" 100 times in my life. Come to think of it, they can do whatever they want. When I'm gone I'm not even gonna come back for sandals.

On being Delusional

2011-03-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

People often ask me "Hey Joshua, why are you such an idiot?"

and I don't have an answer for that one, but one question that does always bother me a little bit is "what makes you think what you do musically is important enough to merit me listening to it?"

of course they don't realize the sheer amount of time and dedication I've put into my craft. But I guess all the time that I've put in doesn't justify anything if the results aren't there. I'm getting to the point where I believe the results are there for me consistently, but I have to keep pushing myself. To stand still is to be dead while not lying down.

that's not the way people ask it though, they usually just say "hey Jesty, you suck!"
but I know that's what they mean. I got thinking about this and I realize now that honestly the only thing I have going for me is I'm delusional enough to believe in myself and even more delusional to keep plodding ahead.

While some people think they can help others by being a doctor, I really think the only way I can help people is to make music.

Isn't that crazy? Why should I let alone anyone else think that what they do merits value? Then it hit me.

we're all the same cause we're ALL delusional!

you have to be delusional to think you should be in a relationship with someone, or to think you deserve to be a lawyer. You have to be a little off your rocker if you think you can get into a metal or plastic box the size of a few big doors with four wheels on it and drive around a bunch of other crazy people who think they can do the same thing.

we all have to be crazy to think we can leave the house and do something that earns us money, or friends, or social standing, or whatever it is we do.

having a kid? you're crazy
not having a kid? you're crazy
buying a house? crazy
being a stand up comedian? stupid crazy
going on a diet? crazy crazy
wearing pants? that is crazy
drinking cow milk? ridiculous
watching tv? crazy and boring
dancing 5 hours straight? hell yeah crazy
being creative in any way? just like having a baby crazy

it's all a big wonderful mess of crazy. You have to be delusional and crazy to think that things will work out if you work hard are honest and focused. You're also crazy if you think the world is a vampire set to drain and there's nothing good that will come of it.

So good news is we're all bat shit crazy for believing or not believing in ourselves, the rest of the story is that you have to figure out which crazy you're going to be

or like ghad-me said

be the crazy that you want to see in the world.

bang pots and pans as loud as you can and you'll meet your neighbors in a timely fashion

2011-03-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

near death experiences

Not to many to report in the past few weeks. However I had a surreal but fortunately harmless incident getting onto a highway ramp this past weekend. The car in front of me must've hit some black ice and everything went into slow motion. I watched the car in front of me starting spinning around wildly while still staying on the on ramp and curving exactly with the road.

I was entranced by this and then it occurred to me that my car would soon be going over the same patch of black ice and I too would doing a car version of ballet. I hit my brakes and slowly crawled down the on ramp. The car in front of me ended up spinning around a few times and ended up facing the right direction and after a moment of feeling blessed and or cursed started driving off.

I feel bad for the folks in Japan dealing with that horrible mess. I really have nothing clever or profound to say about it. My heart goes out to them, when I find a charity that I know does good work I'll send some money, but you know... something like that is so devastating sometimes it feels like a drop in the bucket won't matter. For now I'll keep my thought elevated and I suggest you all do the same.

things that have taken my time

I've been getting ready for a big show this friday March 18th at the Grog Shop. I'll have a full band with me, it's a CD release show for Cellar Door Records. The band and the set that we've put together are really high energy and I'm excited to take the stage for the first time this year. I hope you'll be there.

I locked myself away and wrote and recorded a full length called "portugal" during the month of February

http://joshuajesty.bandcamp.com/album/portugal

I feel like it can be compared to "Girl" in a lot of ways. Same number of tracks, similar flow, same kind of recording process, but it still feels like a new creature to me and every time I sit back and listen to it I find something that I didn't realize was there in the first place. It was a record that came to me out of dream and I still don't fully understand it yet.

In the month I wrote it I must've written up to 30 songs, a lot of them were half conceived ideas most of which I threw out, or I'd take snippets of and put with songs that did make it on the record. Sometimes I'd like a song I was writing but I'd completely re write it while in the middle of recording it. It was a pretty epic yet fast process and I know it's not something I could've done a few years ago. A record like "Girl" took 2 and a half years to write, "portugal" took a month and a half.

What am I saying... I'm proud of it, it was a unique experience for me musically, and I hope it finds its way to your music collection when it's the right time.

I started a frozen pizza review blog with my friend Dan.

http://feelingsaboutfrozenpizza.blogspot.com/

so I haven't been able to write as much for my own personal blog. Dan already has offers to go solo in the world of food blogging though, so we'll see how long this hall and oates of frozen pizza blogging can sustain itself before the fame becomes to much.

Other then that, I've been doing some improv comedy acting, some salsa dancing, some hanging out and spending as much time as I can lying perfectly still and silent, but that often gets interupted by bunny attacks.

My Music taste is better then yours

for most of 2010 I really didn't listen to to much music. I was working on a boat load of my own tunes for the whole year, so it was hard to get away and just listen to other bands. I feel bad in some ways, but it was also nice to take a year off and get pretty far away from other peoples music.

Lately I've been throwing in CDs of other bands, and catching up with my friends music and I'm really excited and proud and entertained by it all. Here's a short list of stuff I've been into that I recommend if you feel like your music collection is getting stale,

Expecting Rain - "In Love" I never gave this record much of a chance because I bought it at the same time as there other record "Irish Twin". It was just to much ER at once I guess. Anyhow it took me a few years and now they're doing "Herzog" which is also great, but I think "In Love" should be essential summertime listening for anyone who has ever had a crush.

Craig Ramsey - "Parting Gift for a Party Girl" beautiful and full of great harmonies. Craig just does it well, whether he's being a bear or not.

Johnny West - "My Hellbound Crooked Heart" this double record put out by the most prolific sonabitch on the planet will make you dance and cheer and sometimes creep you out. Despite it being 2 discs worth of material I never got bored, it flows very nicely.

Dale Earnheart Jr. Jr. - "Horse Power EP"
http://store.daleearnhardtjrjr.com/album/horse-power-ep
Just look me in the eyes and tell me "nothing but our love" isn't grand. Then watch me spray you with seltzer water cause I know you're lying.

Risk/Reward - "Risk/Reward"
http://riskreward.bandcamp.com/
best rock record of 2010 and you didn't even know it. Recorded by Steve Albini and mostly written by one of my favorite songwriters around. No lie.

Young Galaxy - "Shape shifting"
just look at the cover of this record, read up on the story behind it, and then lay back and enjoy. It's an easy listener alright, but it's gorgeous.

You're Still Reading

I'll be back with some more witty banter at some point, but till then, enjoy the tunes, dance like everyone is looking (which consists of dancing around and yelling "what are you looking at?"), Don't be afraid, things are going to work out whether you're freaking out about them or not.

Off to go do taxes.

not enough songs about taxes.

love

-joshua
www.thejoshuaweb.net

even if I don't end up in a mansion filled with hot tubs filled with pudding.

2011-03-03T22:37:00.000-08:00

Hey,

I just wanted to say thanks for reading this blog, thanks for listening to these songs, thanks for getting a picture of me tattooed on your left butt cheek... you classy dames you.

so here's the new record

http://joshuajesty.bandcamp.com/album/portugal

please to be enjoying it.

that's all for now. Oh yeah, if you're in the Cleveland area I'm playing March 18th at the Grog Shop. I would love your presence.

be well, sleep tight, hibernation season is almost over.

-joshua

Portugal

2011-02-20T12:44:00.000-08:00

So there I am, a secret agent, and apparently I have the means necessary to save the world. I'm sent to Portugal where I'm to meet up with another agent who has the code. She will tell me the code, then I will be able to save the world. The other agents name is Elmo, and the woman on the plane seat next to me starts talking about raisins and working out.

At this point I realize I'm in a dream, but don't worry, I'll soon forget this realization and keep going forward, hell bent on my mission to save the world.

When I arrive in Portugal it looks strangely like parts of the Midwest I've seen but with Palm trees, this is my minds idea of "exotic".

I set out on my task, finding agent Elmo. Since this is dream of course there are a million obstacles in the way.

For example, one of my tasks before I can get her address and meeting point is to go grocery shopping and find some special lettuce. It is hidden in the back of the store where a bunch of stock boys are doing a drug deal. I jump into secret agent mode and bust them all with my stealthy ninja like moves. None of them get a shot off before I take them nearly all down. The last one standing quivers in fear as I turn my back on him to sort through the produce that lays around them until I come across the special lettuce I've been assigned to find.

"remember kid, eat your vegetables" I say as I dash off and away, leaving him to pee himself and think long and hard about the path he's chosen.

I get to the street where agent Elmo is at, and I can see her from 50 feet away. She radiates beauty and I'm surprised that she is in this field of work. Surely she could have made a living just being a model, the easy life, the good life. Not this undercover saving the world garbage.

Before I can get down the street to her, I'm made aware that there is a house on fire that is full of puppies. I rush into the house and start grabbing handfuls of puppies and running in and out of the burning edifice as fast as I can. The heat is getting more intense with each pass and of course the scared puppies are getting harder and harder to find.

I finally come across the last puppy that is hiding underneath a newspaper whose headline reads "World to end, large party scheduled!", at least everyone is planning ahead. I start picturing how crazy that party might be, how happy so many people would be, dancing together, drinking and eating everything they could. I picture the people who've been afraid of so much their whole life finally not having any reason to give a crap and just letting loose. I picture some of the horrible things people would do if they only had hours left as well. I realize now that I have to save the earth, while the happy stuff is great, the disturbing stuff is just to much.

I get back out on the street and I can see agent Elmo is in trouble. She is surrounded by men who have drawn guns on her and are going to prevent her from telling me the secret.

I creep around them and attempt to sabotage their sabotage. I kick one of them into space, agent Elmo takes the cue and starts laying the hurt down on a pack of them that are out of my range. Some people on the street and gathering and talking about pottery.

I'm starting to realize that this is dream as the sky starts to fall down around us. There are more bad guys driving towards us and things are starting to look pretty bleak. I see a good escape car and I make my move, jump kicking an bad guy that almost has Elmo in his clutches I grab her by the arm and we make a dash for the car.

I do the sweetest move where I manage to get ahead of the agent, bash open the window and then grab her and toss her into the car effortlessly.

I make my way around to the other side of the car while she starts crossing the wires to make it start. I feel bullets go through my body.

One by one they rip through my flesh. My stomach, my shoulder, my leg. Intense pain runs through me as I fall into the car. I turn back to see some of the puppies jumping up and biting off the heads of the bad men in suits who have been shooting at me.

Agent Elmo throws the car into hyper speed and we dash off as fast as we can. There are noises all around me and I can barely decipher any of them.

I look over at her and realize that she is unharmed. I can barely talk but ask her what the plan is. She gives me a look, I'm dying and she's just being to polite to tell me.

We pull the car over in a field and she pulls me out. I feel the life leaving my body. I feel the joy of all my victories and the pain of all my defeats. She is their holding me in her arms in a very "I just met you but you're dying so this might be of some comfort" kind of way.

I look up at her, I feel so bad that I've failed... "can you save the world without me?" I ask

"yes, the USB drive you keep in your shoe with all the other secret documents is all the info I need, plus it'll be easier for me to get to the main frame and install it because all the top guys trying to thwart this are expecting you to show up" she answers in a very calm way.

"you're beautiful you know... you should smile more" I say, coughing up a little blood

"you're not bad yourself, you should get shot less" she says.

the sky around us is falling down still. I don't know how to describe it but I guess I'll say it turns to red and then falls down like a flower petal.

then I realize for real that this is dream. I will never see her again and the buzzing I'm hearing that is growing louder and louder is my alarm slowly working its way into the picture and coming to take me away, pull me out of this sweet disaster before I die.

"this is all we get" I say as I push myself up so I'm eye level with her and I kiss her as passionately as my dream self will allow. It is the kind of kiss that would make your life seem perfect no matter how bad it turns out... if it were real.

she smiles and I feel like I've done the best I can, it's time to either die or be taken away by the alarm clock that is almost to loud and pounding at this point to bare.

"Hey Josh" says Elmo

"yeah?"

"wanna know what the secret code was?"

"sure"

"open your eyes, everything is fine" and she smiles

and then I woke up.

I was half hysterical upon waking up. I remember laughing at first and then actually crying for a minute because the feeling of being shot and having death upon me was so vivid and intense and none to pleasant.

As the days kept going by I realized agent Elmo must have done her job. The world is still turning.

This is a weird dream I had right near the end of January and since then I haven't been able to stop writing songs.

Since February is "write a record" month I will have something ready for you all to hear within a week, but it won't be a "february" record. This one feels so much more loving, much more dark, much more funny, just more, bigger, better. It feels like more then just a collection of songs, and in some weird way the further I get into it the more I realize that it's all loosely connected with this dream. Wanting to save the world, finding out you're the one who isn't going to save it, and accepting what happens as the sky falls apart and the deus ex machina (aka loud ass alarm) takes you off to whats next.

So get your listening ears cleaned and ready.

be well, be patient, our time is anytime.

-joshua
www.thejoshuaweb.net

things I've learned (the February 2011 edition)

2011-02-09T20:34:00.000-08:00

- there ought to be more dancing
- there ought to be less cheesecake
- there ought to never be dancing while eating cheesecake
- if you're playing bar trivia, yelling "ghost dad" for every movie category and "my junk" for every other category is and always will be a hoot.
- I work well musically when I put pressure on myself
- I don't get any better at cleaning when I put pressure on myself
- naps naps naps naps, gotta have naps
- telling someone they're your runner up, not as romantic as you might think
- being single around valentines day ='s massive savings!
- all those massive savings are then filtered into investing in large tubs of generic store brand cookies and cream ice cream.
- just because you refuse to give up on the people and things you love doesn't mean your shoes will hold together any better
- role playing games need to have way less plot, you could easily cut it back to a short story worth of plot, I don't need 10 hours of cut scenes and poor engrish translations
- feeling sorry for yourself isn't an effective way to wash your clothes
- life is about pretending you know what you're doing with confidence and humor. When you actually think you know what you're doing, you're taking it way to seriously
- the only thing I'll ever have of any value are my amazing friends. I'm bound to forget or lose everything else.
- if it's your birthday this month. We should've had some ice cream cake together. Maybe next year.
- My fear of leaving this earth is gradually turning into a fear of not being needed on this earth, cause then really.... the quesadillas were nice, but what's all this then?
- if you really think getting to point D is what's going to make you happy, try and think back to what you thought about getting to point C and point B. Where you happy when you got to those... not enough cause you want point D. Maybe you should just be happy where you're at and see what point you're led to
- the world IS a vampire, set to Bear.
- One day, the devil is going to be sitting in his ford pinto listening to "all by myself" and crying, cause I'm not gonna fall for his BS anymore.
- BS stands for Botany Socks.
- you're great, so smile.

there we go, subtle important/not so important lessons for the month of February, and we're just starting.

we're always just starting.

www.thejoshuaweb.net

Dear Diary, January was totally being a bitch

2011-02-01T22:18:00.000-08:00

She got all up in my grill for like the whole month.

she was all "I'm going to be cold" and I was all "what's up with that bitzh and she was all "I'm going to make sure you have no money and I'm gonna make sure I find a way to make you miss everything you want to do via poor communication, illness, or via snowing your ass in till you get cabin fever and rip your nipples off" and so of course I was all "whatever".

Oh thank god that horrid horrid month is over. I mean, from the minute it started till literally 3 minutes before it ended just one bad thing after another occurred. Then, as if the universe wanted me to feel what it's like to be kicked in the crotch by Andre the Giant at the height of his Roid Rage, I would be lured into a spectacular evenings where the events were near perfect, the lighting was just right, the food tasted exceptional, the music was warming to my heart and soul, and the company around me started to give me hope that the blues were simply a passing shade, but alas, January always seemed to have a few tricks up its sleeve to bring me right back down to where I was before, which was just perpetually clueless and tired for a majority of this horrid, awful, lackluster, doo doo face month.

February is here. Not that it's guaranteed to be amazing, but I'm going to put my all into it to make it so. I'm going to reach for the stars on this one. February is the month where I write a full length record, and I hope I won't be shooting myself in the foot by saying this, but this year will be the 4th year of writing February records, or if we were calling it by a horror movie title it would be "February the 4th" (with lots of blood dripping off just the 4th, not the rest of the title, that's just what graphic designers did back in the 80's).

Anyway, I'm just really excited because

a. I'm going to avoid facebook for the whole month
b. I'm going to write the hell out of this February record, and since I feel like I really have been coming along progress wise when it comes to writing and recording and performing and all that I really think this February record is going be good. Usually my February records take a more dark or blunt tone because I only have a month to work with, and I may not produce a sunshine good time record during a month of snow storms and crap holidays, but I really feel that this record is going to stand out amongst all the other February offerings thus far. If it does, I'm going to give it a real record name. So, you've been warned. Take that info and put it in your heart locket.

I wish I had some other nuggets of joy or nonsense to share with you right now, but it all eludes me.

to everyone who hung out and wrote to me and danced and laughed with me this past month, thanks you so much. I did a real quick survey amongst some friends and my research indicates that January wasn't that great for too many people. So let's dust off the ashes and raise our glasses, a toast to making February count in the all the right places.

"and for realz" should take the place of the phrase "amen". Church attendance would go way back up.

and when it comes to January, since it's all in the past now all I have to say is

whatever.

"A Shark Attack Makes You Less Happy" A childrens book by Joshua Jesty

2011-01-29T08:21:00.000-08:00

*please note. This is a Childrens book. It needs illustrations and I can not draw. If you can and one would like to draw a picture or two that I can add to this post, hit me up on Facebook or twitter or any of the 100 other ways possible online and then forward me some drawings.

1. A shark attack makes you less happy

2. A swarm of killer bees can ruin a birthday party

3. A drop of poison in his glass of milk can make grandpa go away forever

4. A wolf attack can make your friend lose their arm

5. A drunken Santa Claus won't give you any gifts

6. An avalanche is like a snow day but with casualties

7. A car crash isn't a good way to travel

8. Sharing a warm blanket with your best friend on a cold day and talking about your dreams and how to make them a reality and having sporadic tickle fights and cuddles is the best thing ever

9. To bad that friend went far far far far far away.

10. A monster in your closet is actually your dad on meth, he might be going number 2 in there

11. A homeless person isn't always someone whose given up, but they're always someone who needs a shower

12. A shovel is all you need in this world to dig your own grave

13. All the rest is bullshit, just fucking stupid pointless bullshit.

the end.

vampire bear

2011-01-27T11:56:00.000-08:00

what do you get when you don't listen?

I can tell you. You get nothing. That's it. blogs over. Go back home and eat more ice cream.

Or you just get some kind of chaos that can be pretty hysterical. Then again, everything is pretty funny.

Douglas Adams was right. We get a guy to come down as a messenger of a higher power and he says "hey, let's all love each other" and after the people think about it for a minute someone says "hey, let's nail him to a cross!".

I mean, who was listening then?

So I'm playing some improv comedy games and we're in a scene where someone is outside and the people inside keep talking about how he's a vampire and we shouldn't let him in. The scene progresses and one of the characters lets him in.

Since he was outside in the cold and he might not have heard every if anything that was going on, one of the characters looks at him and says "aw gee, why did you have to invite the vampire in?"

so he's inside and he's heard that he's a vampire and we can move the scene forward.

he lifts his eyes in a creepy way and says "I'm a bear! rawr!"

that my friends, is what I call a bowl of what the fuck O's.

In the context of the scene, since I could tell it was starting to take a downward plunge I started singing a song about "vampire bear" and how he loves honey but hates garlic.

Someone else spoke up about how "vampire bear" was going to be a new sitcom on Fox and soon the scene spun into a quirky listing of all the craaaaaazy predicaments vampire bear could get into on his sitcom.

I guess that's not the point of this blog at all. It's just an example of not listening.

in the case of improv comedy, sometimes....sometimes good can come out of it, most times if someone says "wow, we sure are stuck in this sinking ship" and you say "I've got a gun and we're robbing a bank" you've just ruined everything.

In "real" life, whatever that is, when you don't listen you can have far worse consequences. You forget to pick up your kid from soccer practice while he's hanging out in sub zero temperatures, you're so busy yelling at your fellow employees that you don't get anything done yourself and look just as foolish, I don't know, the list goes on and on.

One of the big problems I find with myself is I don't like what I hear when I listen sometimes, and so as a result I try to make my own noise.

when I'm making my own noise the worst songs come out, the worst events unfold, it all just sucks.

Whatever it is I'm listening for, when it clicks, it just clicks. The best songs come out of nowhere, I meet the greatest people, and I accept when they depart, life just kind of flows in a manner that I enjoy a lot.

I guess it's when I try to hold onto things that aren't there to be held onto, when I'm not listening for the next step but focused on the place I'd rather go. That's when it falls apart, that's when things feel a bit shit.

I guess I've just been out of it lately because I haven't been listening. I'm grateful for the "vampire bear" moment at the improv this past week cause it was such a kick in the face to me, and it reminded me how ridiculous I get when I get to involved in MY pursuits, and not the pursuit.

There's so many people and places and experiences I wish I could have had more of in my few years on this earth. I try to be grateful for what I have gotten to experience, I try to take that all in and just let the next thing unfold. I suppose we all get stuck in ruts from time to time. I get so driven that it's no longer about whether it's right or not, it's just whether I get there.

I've always joked about the guy who sits around saying "man, high school was the best years of my life" because to me, it was a fine time, but there's no need to repeat it at all. There is a need to move on.

I still learn things from people and experiences that have long passed from me. I still laugh at some of the scenarios I got into with former bands, I still learn from things my dad said years ago that I didn't find applicable at the time, I still find comfort in knowing the person X was my friend and that we climbed this mountain, or traveled through this part of the country or that we played the floor is hot lava while jumping on beds in hotel rooms.

These are incredible moments that I've had, and I can still grow and learn from them from time to time. However, I can not live for something that has already been. Nor can you, nor can anyone.

So if you're feeling as out of touch as I am at the current moment, just find time to be still and listen. There's something to be found for each of us. The memories are there to remind us that the future can be as bright if not brighter.

and soon we'll be out and about in that light.

except for vampire bear. Dudes a vampire, he can't roll with the light.

Tune in next week for Zombie Duck.

every breath you take

2011-01-18T00:38:00.001-08:00

So there's an old sketch by the State where the host of a show (the Barry something.. show) is interviewing an expert in Monkey torture.

at one point he asks the expert "what would you say to scientists who want to specialize in your field of monkey torture?"

the answer is "I'd say, get a monkey and just torture the hell out of him".

of course that's a piece of sketch comedy and I don't think you should be torturing monkeys, but the principle is true for anything you want to do. In my case I wanted to be a songwriter. Maybe at some point I wanted to be a writer. I guess I bounced around a lot in my youth. around 1rst grade I wrote about a dozen songs that were all pretty much rip offs of beatles songs. The first one I remember was called "I need you". I believe the lyrics were

you know I need you
you know I need you
you know I need you
need your love

hey, it's better then picking your nose, which I'm sure I was also doing when I was 6. I even have a vague memory of "writing" a song while laying in my bed during nap time when I was 3 or 4. I'm pretty sure it was called "the rise and fall of ben gizzard" and it was loosely the exact same story as "rocky raccoon" but sung over the melody of a Gordon Lightfoot song my dad was most likely listening to a lot around that time.

I guess I've always dabbled in songwriting though there was a period where I was designing board games, then trying to write novels, then more elaborate and completely nerdy RPGs, and then I settled into short stories and then cut it right back down to song writing.

The monkey I found to torture the hell out of was the Police song "every breath you take".

I remember watching "cats cradle" (maybe?) at my friend Nathans house. It was a horror movie sort of, a mild one for young kids to watch during sleep overs apparently. "Every breath you take" appeared through out the movie and I remember being in the coat room in 5th grade that next week singing it out loud thinking I was alone only to turn around and see a handful of my classmates looking at me like I was a weirdo.

I always found comfort in that song and it always stuck with me. I didn't really know what it was about it that I liked as wee lad, and words like "atmosphere" and "tension" weren't part of my vocabulary at the time. I just know every time I heard that song my ears picked up and I wanted to hear it more and more.

I guess sometimes you just attached yourself to something like that when you're trying to get a grasp on something as vast as songwriting. The bottom line was I knew I loved that song and I felt like if I could figure out how it was constructed and what about it made it so amazing I myself could write songs that were even more powerful then say.... "I need you".

As I got a little more serious about my craft in 8th grade I started renting tapes from the library more often since it was right down the street from me.

I finally got a hold of "synchronicity" and tried to give it a full listen, but ultimately got en-wrapped in the strange familiarity of "every breath you take". The routine was simple, I would play the song while lying in my bed at night, rewind the tape and repeat the process until I finally fell asleep.

about a year later I got a CD player and one of the first CDs I got was the full police box set which contained everything they ever recorded. While long saturday afternoons were usually spent absorbing their whole catalog a few tracks at a time, evening was spent with "every breath you take" set to repeat over and over endlessly. I listened to that song alone easily 1000 times between 8th and 10th grade.

I did burn myself out on the song for awhile, but it would pop up from time to time. I remember hearing an interview with Michael Stipe of REM, he was asked what the inspiration behind "losing my religion" was and he simply said "I wanted to make an "Every breath you take" kind of song where no one knew what it was actually about".

of course this shook me out of my bubble. "every breath you take" had always been a simple love song in my mind. It was beautiful, he was saying he was always going to be around, his heart ached for his love, and there was that constant repeating of the verses at the end that just kind of wrapped up the whole thing over and over, it was a song of endless love, and that's how I had heard it those first 1,000 times.

I remember the joy of seeing the Police reunite for the rock hall induction followed by the immediate horror of seeing Steven Tyler, Gwen Stefani, and John Mayer walk out on stage to sing the "every breath you take, every move you make, every vow you break, every claim you stake" ending. Whoever chose that selection just couldn't have done a worse job. Rock music hasn't always been known for producing the more honorable moments, but that ranks as one of the worst things I've ever seen.

Then of course I saw the Police for their big ass reunion tour. By the time they played "every breath you take" I had honestly forgotten that it was one of their songs and/or I just hadn't even thought about it cause I was hoping to hear some deeper tracks and not just a greatest hits set with a few of their "political" songs thrown in. It was a nice live interpretation, and it took me back to all those nights alone in my room just kind of floating in that song, away from everything else.

Of course since those youthful days where I thought the song was just a sweet if not overly passionate love song, I've now had the opportunity to see the dark side of it. I've seen and felt the anger that's behind those words as well. I've felt the need for possession over someone or something you have no control over. "I'll be watching you" some days is a beautiful reminder that the one or ones you love are near by looking over and and some days "I'll be watching you" is the scary reminder that maybe things aren't over, and even if they are, I can still see what you're doing, who you're with, etc etc. It gets a little stalker-y dawg.

I also see how the song has effected even the way I perceive things. My friend Missy called me "sweet and creepy" and yes, that comment was a joke, but I suppose I can see that being a label for me. At times I do feel "Sweet and Creepy". I did listen to the ultimate "sweet and creepy" song by the Police at least 1,000 times, it's most likely 2,000 by this point.

I suppose there's worse songs I could've listened to. I mean, imagine if I had listened to "turning Japanese" 2,000 times or "I'm to sexy" or "McArthur Park" or "Love is like Oxygen". We can only use our horrible horrible imaginations to predict the outcome of that one.

So, did I learn anything from listening to "every breath you take" around 2,000 times. Kind of. The big lesson is, if you're creating something, even if you do make it specific, when you put it out to other people, it's no longer yours. It becomes their song and it serves their needs at the time. If you can leave a lot of vagueness in your songs, that helps. You want detail in books and scripts and such, but music is still where we let people fill in the blanks. It's not wrong if "every breath you take" is a love song and it's not wrong if it's a song about possession and control. If you're sitting outside a former lovers house with it blasting on repeat..... then it's wrong... well, it isn't, but you are.

Let the song unfold is another lesson. Apparently the boys in the Police fought over the arrangement of that song for a long time. Guess which arrangement won out? The one where they just let it unfold in a natural kind of way.

I guess the big lesson to take is, if it moves you, let it move you. Regardless of whether I got the meaning of the song right back then or now, the song moves me, it heals, it lifts my thought, it moves me forward. That's my goal with the music I make, I hope that someday my music will find its way into the headphones of kids and feel like they're floating away from the world because of it.

every blog I write, every single night, every mp3, every picture of me

you'll be watching..... you creeper.

i want to be your sexy and lovely girlady

2011-01-17T20:35:00.000-08:00

so myspace is cutting 47% of their work force. Why oh why would they need to do that? Oh yeah, that's right. Myspace is a wasteland.

That's gotta be a bad feeling. We all have that though. One day or month or year we're just kicking ass and taking names. Then the next moment without barely any warning something or someone else comes along that just does things better, in most cases it's just time.

I hadn't been on my myspace page in a long time, but I took a peak at it today cause according to the myspace alerts I've been getting in my inbox, people have been emailing me.

Of course it's just people plugging their music projects. There's brooklyn's first openly bi sexual rapper, and a few people who just keep posting "how are you?" over and over on my page. Then there's the asian lady who wants to be my "sexy and lovely girlady".

It's a far cry from the myspace that I got into years ago. I'd like to think I used the site for the powers of good. I met a lot of cool people as a result, I had some unique conversations I would've never had, I booked a ton of shows for this is exploding as well as my solo stuff.

But when I logged on and saw the dump the site had become, you know... it felt a little bad.

Maybe they'll make a comeback, but in the world of social media we all know myspace is over. Yeah maybe Phil Collins can make a comeback, but not myspace. You see, Phil Collins or Johnny Rotten or whoever could just make really good music that people enjoy and then they'd make a comeback. How myspace will be able to stop itself from being the Spamasaurus it's become is beyond me.

It went from a site where I met new people and got turned on to tons of new bands on my own terms to 100 advertisements mixed in with 1,000 crappy spam advertisements from indie bands and strippers.

I'm not telling you anything new here. I don't even know what the moral of the story is. Maybe this is a don't sell out tale, or maybe it's a tale of "don't try to be everything to everyone" or maybe it's a "as free as we all should be, there have to be filters in place to block out the shit heads the will inevitably attempt to ruin things for the majority of us".

Either way, I've seen a few people post about how they'll leave there myspace accounts up and untouched as a memorial to who they were 3 and 5 years ago. It's not a bad idea, but if you choose to go back you'll have to swim through a barrage of crappy spam comments before you find those comments from your friend about that awesome party or something that seems like a human interaction.

Ah well, we're all still learning on this crazy internet thing aren't we.

Well, time to go post a whole ton of pictures of myself drunk and naked, then I've got those big interviews with all those fortune 500 companies tomorrow! Wish me luck!

-joshua
www.thejoshuaweb.net

drunk wisdom

2011-01-12T11:18:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in a coffee shop talking to one of the members of a newly formed improv comedy group called "my cousin got shot".

We're figuring out how to take over the world one pipe dream at a time when a lady walks into the shop and asks us for directions to a local bar.

Directions are given and then it hits me. She's drunk, and not in that way where she's lightly buzzed and stuttering, but in the way that she's going to be invasive and not stop talking to us because apparently by being polite and giving her directions to a bar we had unknowingly opened pandoras box and allowed her into our social graces for the time being.

she asks question after question, I give her fake answers to all of them, wrong name, wrong job, wrong color jacket I'm wearing. It clearly doesn't matter, she's that kind of drunk where being in a conversation is all that matters. The content of said interaction is irrelevant. These are the kinds of moments where I know if I had a short fuse I'd just start throwing shit or doing something to out-crazy or out-weird the person who is slowly yet aggressively grinding on my nerves.

There's no way out though, cause I'm to polite. My friend and I going through this ordeal politely suggest she gets going to the bar. I will admit there's a part of me that wants to see where this goes, because every 8th sentence out of her mouth is kind of funny, or at least unique.

Then she starts dancing and singing something which she later says is from Tom Sawyer.

At one point, she kneels down and says "I'm gonna tell you something, but I don't think you'll believe it"

"what's that?"

"you won't believe it, but you've gotta have confidence in yourself".

then she looks at my friend and says "you've got confidence" and then she turns me to me and crawls over to where I'm sitting, her face right next to my face, holding my arm in her hands she says "why don't you have it? Why don't you have confidence in yourself?"

this creeps me out as she has gotten way to far in my personal space without permission, but she's also in her drunkenness called me out on not being confident. Which feels like an accurate accusation as there are plenty of nights I sit around going "what the hell is it exactly that I'm doing?"

but that's not lack of confidence, that's just lack of focus.

sure sometimes I'm scared, sometimes I'm upset by events that are out of my hands, I'm ashamed of things that have happened that I have no ability to make better right now. I feel lost, I feel alone, I feel all that negative stuff, sometimes in big waves, most times in passable doses.

but on the other hand, that gives me something to fight against, something to strive to overcome. If I just sat around and felt over confident, perhaps cocky is the word for it, what would I do, just walk around being delusional and assuming that I'm just the greatest of all time?

who needs that, I don't want that.

I'm not much of a fighter, I do however keep going after the things I believe in, and after the things that move me and drive me. I think I have enough confidence... then again, drunk lady in my face doesn't seem to think so.

She then lets go of my arm and does another show tune number, and a backwards somersault before finally taking her exit.

"well, that happened" says my friend

damn right it did.

income is gross and can not be held in a net

2011-01-06T16:15:00.000-08:00

money is the root of all evil
evil is the monster in your closet or under your bed
one day your realize is isn't there
neither is money

strange how that works out.

we can stop pretending for a moment

2010-12-30T22:47:00.001-08:00

Hey,

Happy New Year everybody! I'm glad we got through it. Or at least we tried.

I wanted to do a thank you list to let people know how grateful I was for all the amazing experiences I've managed to have throughout a year that has been plagued with a lot of dark days, burdens that seemed to heavy to lift, loss that seemed to think to cut through, etc etc, then I started to look at my silly photo project

I started a photo project that most of you know about called "2010 is over, let's pretend it was amazing".

Initially in my mind it was a "screw you" to the year, the world, the universe, any and all the gods. I would take pictures with a sarcastic look on my face, kind of any over joyous exaggerated face that hopefully said "look how happy I am (I'm dying inside)".

At first, I loved the joke, and then after awhile I had to stick to it. But over the course of the past few months while I've been doing this, I've come to realize just how many insanely awesome people I have in my life, and how many more incredible people there are who I haven't even begun to get to know.

In those pictures are so many bands I played with in the past and the present, from "Joshua Jesty and the worst pony ever" to "Joshua Jesty and the death panels", "Joshua Jesty and the idea that if those airport security guys are gonna feel me up they better buy me breakfast aftewards" as well as "this is exploding", "remain standing", and just about everyone from "the feel bads".

I know if I could've flown out from state to state I could've gotten pictures with "Love Scream" and oh how I wish I could've made it out to new york city, chicago, detroit, and a few other awesome places where pockets of amazing friends lay who I didn't get to document in my photo collection.

Still, I've got people from salsa dances, rock clubs, improv comedy jams, laid back hang out sessions, volleyball games, and of course work.

All in all, when you add it up, I think the good out weighs the bad by a long shot.

What I'm saying is I lucked out, cause I'm fortunate enough to have all of you in my life, even if for a brief moment. That in itself reminds me that things can't be bad. Sure, sometimes we all fall down, get sick, lose money, lose possessions, lose our cool, lose the people we think will be with us for a long time, on and on. We lose.

I guess I don't mind losing if I have as many awesome friends to turn to in times of drought. I'm glad I had so many people to lean on, dance with, play music and sports with/for, and just hang out and tell silly jokes with.

you're all great and I thank you deeply and sincerely from the pit of my crazy brain.

much love, and hope for all the great things that are ahead in 2011 and beyond.

-joshua
www.thejoshuaweb.net

The Year in Jesty part 3

2010-12-30T22:29:00.000-08:00

and so ends our sordid tale of recording, more recording, and yet more recording. We wind the last part of this trilogy without ewoks, and without having to get another actor to play the part of someone else who couldn't be bothered to live long enough to complete said trilogy.

3 and done, here we go.

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October

These Violent Young Lovers, Fuck you Probably

after several months of tracking, a few ramshackle mixing sessions and a fine mastering job by our pal Zack. These Violent Young Lovers finally had a record to call their own. A collection of half break up, half silly songs full of pop goodness and two kids who half laugh half sing through them to get you through your day. Sure Cee Lo came out with his big "Fuck you" song in 2010, but we had our record title first. If nothing else, this proves that if there ever was a year to swear, 2010 was it.

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November

Finally, Joshua Jesty has friends Volume 1

The Finally, Joshua Jesty has friends volume 1 compilation was put together and mixed down and released right near the end of November. The spirit of spontaneous collaboration is the name of the game and the results are mixed at best. Odd moody ditties like "trip, trip" are only a track or two away from songs about going to the olive garden and cutting off breasts as a new dance club trend.

Yes, it's a little slap dash at times, but that's what the project was about, creating something unique and of the moment.

The other good part is all the wonderful people gave up any hope of seeing royalties from the record so that all the proceeds from the record could be donated to the cleveland rape crisis center. As of this writing, we've raised 55 dollars. Over time I hope to see that figure increase with a little more promotion as well as future volumes of the record. If you want to be a part of number 2, drop me a line.

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December

Ghost Pressing on Body: a 2010 collection

And here we have it. A collection of songs from 2010 that includes at least one track from every release this year, all the A sides to the singles of 2010, plus a handful of tracks that were left off of different records from 2010 (notably a few tracks that didn't make the cut for "is februariest" as well as a few more songs that were written for "finally, joshua jesty will be with you in a minute" that were passed on initially) as well as a few new tracks including a remake of "she's playing" as well as a brand spanking new tune called "ghost pressing on body".

It wasn't the intent to write a title song, but you know, sometimes these things fall into place.

I'm really happy with the results. There are still a few songs that I left off of the collection that I wanted to put on, but I just didn't want the thing to get to bloated. At 19 tracks it seems to already be the case. Still, it's a nice collection that I'm really proud of.

I realize that not everyone on the planet will want to hear everything I've ever recorded, so I think this is a good way to sum up the year that was 2010 for me.

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There you have it, music music music music.

thank you for listening and being part of this, it means so much to a guy like me.

please help yourself to any and all of the music you'd like to have, take it for free if you're as broke as I am, or feel free to donate a few bucks to the cause.

Have a great 2011.

-joshua jesty
http://www.thejoshuaweb.net

the year in Jesty part 2

2010-12-12T10:06:00.000-08:00

what kind of world do we live in where someone would blog about there whole year.... what kind of sick planet has things as cute as pandas and as horrible as war... oh yeah, this one.

how was your 2010? I hope it wasn't the worst thing you've ever been through. I know we can all do better though.

As I write this the storm of the century is supposed to be unfolding here in northeastern Ohio. We'll see how that plays out. If for some reason this storm wipes out my being from this earth, then let this be a testament that I did a bunch of stuff, none of it made me rich, none of it made me feel like I figured anything out, but most all of it made me happy.

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April

Absolutely Nothing!

nah, actually I acquired a ukulele and started messing around with it. For a long time I was aware of this Duran Duran song called "somebody else not me" and I liked it, but I always felt it would sound better stripped down. So upon getting this ukulele I did just that

April was a slow news month, but there was more tracking on the "these violent young lovers" record, and more "joshua has friends" tracking.

you be April, I'll be the fools.... oooohhhh... There's a good band name, April and the Fools. Whoever takes that is welcome.

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May

Joshua welcomes Bandcamp into his life, with a fury.

I really like this site cause it can keep up with all the nonsense I put out, such as this little ditty

After spending a lot of time, I mean a 3 year span of time crafting the record known as "girl" I didn't really want to go through that process again. At least not for awhile. As of this writing I think I've found my muse for the next record, the next theme, the next deal that will consume and perhaps destroy me... but hey, it's all in fun.

Still, in 2010, I really didn't want to go through that, so having the option to just release digital singles was very freeing and good for me. "good news, I'm a nobody" just kind of popped up during some writing sessions for "these violent young lovers" but it felt like a solo tune so you know, so it became.

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June

"Finally, Joshua Jesty will be with you in a minute" is a bit of a cheat, I'll admit it. It was mostly recorded around 2008, and posted online on some music site that was supposed to be around forever... (maybe imeem?) and then went the way of the dodo bird. I always liked the songs and the concept, so I put a new coat of polish on them, remixing and getting them mastered. During the process I decided to see if I could still write one minute tunes as I hadn't done so in a few years. Much to my joy and horror they started pouring out, so I ended up adding "any moment now" and "I don't wanna know" to the collection but cutting myself off from writing anymore for the fear that I end up writing and replacing the original record which still had a lot of tunes I liked.

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July

around this time in 2010 I had been going to salsa clubs and dancing here and there. I always liked the idea of dancing but never did all that much. Around this time I had a moment that would inspire the song "cross body lead". I could hear the song in my head, I could hear the changes and the atmosphere of it. It was completely written and recorded in my mind. It was to be the single for the month of July.

Then a sudden change in circumstance, a turn of events, an imaginary trip to space and a feeling of renewed hope and faith in the good that was to come just swept over me and I found myself writing and recording the two songs on this single in record time. I almost felt out of breath and in disbelief at the speed at which "I can already tell" was produced. I came home with a certain melody in my head, picked up the guitar, wrote out everything in 10 minutes, cut to the studio, drums, bass, guitar, ukulele, banjo, more guitar, percussion, percussion, vocals, mixing.

This is still a song that I'm very proud of not only because of how instant and effortless it was, but it kind of represents a rediscovery to me of things musically and sonically and personally that I thought I had left way behind and would never stumble on again cause I was to cynical and tired.

It's nice to be proven wrong from time to time. Especially when you're usually right like me! (that's sarcasm for those of you less aware of who the hell I am then I actually am).

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August

I felt a little ahead of the game musically, with the spontaneous creation of "I can already tell" and "we went to motherfucking space". I knew I had this song called "cross body lead" that meant a lot to me and I was ready to get it out to the world.

Then I was struck with yet another slap of inspiration. If you saw me driving around the Midwest with a phone up to my mouth beatboxing, it's not cause you're crazy, it's cause you're a creepy stalker who has been watching me and I don't appreciate it much. However, I was in fact beat boxing into my cell phone cause I was recording a rough idea of the drum part that I heard in my head for "the song where I talk about how time screws me over when I'm with you".

In one frantic day I recorded and mixed these two songs. It was another day of excitement and energy in the studio, running around getting wires tangled up, yelling "somebody get me a wood block damnit" when no one was around.

I don't know that I've ever made "summer" music before, but I guess this is as close as I've gotten. I will say, that as shit as the year was at points, between all the amazing volleyball, dancing, and people who came into my life this summer was the most uplifting part of the year. I found hope and put it into song, and that's pretty cool to me.

This was also where things started to taper off and end for 2010 for me as well. I realized that if I was to keep pummeling my lovely audience with a new release every month I pretty much had enough material set aside to do so. There was a sudden sadness, a sense of loss, of things being over right at the point where it was just starting to get good.

But I realized that I didn't want the other musical projects which I'd been slowly cracking at all year to just collect dust. So more work on "these violent young lovers", more work on "finally, joshua has friends" and of course reading zombie comic books happened, and I put aside the summer tunes and the summer mentality and kind of shut down shop for a bit.

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September

there's that damn song "cross body lead" that I was talking about. See, I told you I wasn't just making it up. "I still won't know" was another tune that just presented itself while I was in the middle of a work day, and I was able to run home and lay it down before it dissipated in my memory banks.

September was a busy month, like I said I was with holding from writing anything new but there was a lot to be addressed with the projects I had started and intended to finish from early in the year.

It was also a good month for walking. walking. christopher walking.

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The end! of part 2

so you know, maybe there's a trilogy in this blog post after all. What I can promise is no prequels. none of the crap. No animated cartoon spin off either.... wait a second... that actually might happen.

So in part 3 we'll cover the final few months the year and hopefully I will unveil to you all the fifth and final damn record of 2010 from your troolee.

It was a good year to just let everything out that was in my musically. I can see the pros and cons to this, the way the quality of the material isn't always realized when your rushing from one song to the next. It's also the style the I prefer to work in, so I guess I've just been doing this for me all along. If you're taking something from it, I'm very grateful.

my intent for 2011 isn't to bombard people with a slew of new material, it could happen, but my hope is to just keep a lot of it to myself and release the absolute best as opposed to letting it all hang out.

what are you still doing here, go play in the snow. Or have some pie, tis the season.

-joshua
www.thejoshuaweb.net

the year in Jesty part 1

2010-12-07T12:56:00.000-08:00

well well well.

What did I say back in January? The year is almost over. Look at that will ya. I'm almost right.

how was your year? Do you find yourself victorious? Was it up an uplifting year? Did you achieve, did you get tramped on, did you leave the cake out in the rain?

I had the best worst year I've experienced in my life. The highest highs and the lowest lows all seemed to occur within these 12 months. I also happened to be insanely productive musically speaking. Sometimes because I just was, sometimes cause I was forced to be.

Here's what I learned this year (so far, there's still a few more weeks for those last epiphanies, perhaps why this is part 1)

- time won't go by so fast if you keep trying new things, meeting new people, and exploring new places
- true love will find you in the end
- failing is one of the best parts of being alive, so reach as high as you want as often as you want
- there ought to be more dancing
- everyone likes to be in photos
- every girl likes to spin, every last one
- it's fun to steal candy from a baby, but it's near impossible to run a candy factory with one.
- the best is yet to be

Alright, let's take a look back at all the ridiculous I brought (cause I brought it) that you may have missed.
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January

I record a few songs, one of them is called "you" and I put it up on myspace. Remember that train wreck? I mean, back when it started, I remember meeting new people and experiencing new things and hearing new music, and oh what a nice little site it was.

but you just go there now and it's one mess after another mess after another. such a shame

I start and then abort a record called "finally, Joshua Jesty is breaking up with you". Cause deep down, while I know I'm capable of writing really bitter and awful songs about sad events, I also know that there's no need for it.

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February

I spend the Month of February making more music then I've ever made in my life. At least that's what it seemed like at the time. During this one month I tracked and mixed all of "Finally, Joshua Jesty is Februariest" which is a thing I've been doing every year for the past 3 years now where I write and record a whole record in a month, then I started the "Finally, Joshua Jesty has friends" record by collaborating with a handful of fine folk, and kind of fumble into forming "these violent young lovers" with Melissa Beminio.

I don't know what else I did in February. Oh yeah, I came up with the idea for a record called "Finally, Joshua Jesty is having a dance party" that was supposed to be recorded live with a full band. I start sending out CDs to band of my dreams, and polishing up demos that I think will work for the project. By about April it becomes clear that I am more broke then the USA and all the band mates I'd like to work with are playing a game called "who can move the farthest away". See, with every little success comes a mid sized failure. That's life kids! enjoy!

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March

The Newdicals

I was fortunate enough to be a part of the Cleveland Lottery League this year. I got to be a part of a band called "the newdicals". Which is an awesome misspelling of the word neutical which is fake dog balls. That's real people.

We bicker and pine and feel sorrow for a month over what we're going to do with our 10 minutes of stage time. Everyone wants something crazy but different. I clean my room one day and watch "the breakfast club" while doing so. This inspires me to suggest that we should just perform a 10 minute version of the breakfast club. For whatever reason, that was the little snowball we needed to push down the hill, and it became (as you will see) a horrible, vulgar, tori amos, puppet, living food filled mess of fun.

This was the most fun I've had being in a terminally diagnosed situation. These people are all amazing musicians and people in their own right. I'm grateful I got to share the stage with them, dressed up as a preppy fox.

That's about March really... there was some these violent young lovers tracking, a few minor epiphanies (such as "space truckin' is bullshit), some "has friends" tracking, and a lot of random acoustic demos that I made, most of which got lost in the dust.

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so, that's the end of part 1.

part 2 will cover the next 3 months... or maybe I'll just skip it cause you know, it's always important to lose track of time.

is this thing on?

2010-12-07T08:19:00.001-08:00

blog check, 1, 2.