Progressive Rock by Philip Mariconda

Progressive Rock by Philip Mariconda

Thoughtful and fun music in the style of Yes, ELP, Frank Zappa, Dream Theater. Also pleasant ambient music.

Next performance Friday, 12/4/2010, 6-8PM
Looking forward to my return to C&P Coffee Company close to home at 5612 California Avenue SW in West Seattle. Accessible by bus #54, 22, 128, and several blocks from the 560.

Look for more Rock music since it's Saturday night, so bring the kids and we'll have some fun!

New 3rd album: Dream Chasers (currently planned for late 2010)

This one is expected to be a double-CD! It will include both types of dreams: the ones we strive to make come true, and what happens when we sleep.

"Dream Chasers" (planned): a fairly simple title track inspired by the title track of Going For The One by Yes

Recorded 9/2009

One important thing I advocate for is for fat people to get fit - not necessarily lose weight - just get physically active. I mainly stay active by Refereeing Ice Hockey, Umpiring Softball, and Bicycling. My wonderful home of West Seattle provides plenty of opportunity and challenge for bicycling, and I do so for several errands - any chance to leave the car behind. So all you big guys and girls, get out there on two wheels, drive safe and legally, and demonstrate the ultimate in green transportation!

Recorded 8/2009

This is music I heard in a dream on 11/28/2006 at around 2AM, while at a hotel on a project assignment. In this dream, I was in a shoe store trying on shoes and I heard a short bit of music that was pretty much the first half of the sample above. For some reason, I knew that music was all about common sense, so I built a full song around it.

Here is the story of Progressive Hip-Hop as I see it: Stevie Wonder forged the key, Coolio unlocked the door with "Gangsta's Paradise", Rob D opened the door with "Clubbed to Death" from The Matrix Soundtrack. Now I'm stepping into that Progressive Hip-Hop world.

Yes this is a real song that happened in one of my dreams when I put a needle on a square phonograph record album. Well, duh!!!

Recorded 10/2009

Almost as long as I have enjoyed music, I have enjoyed pinball. While I'm not a superstar, I hold my own in tournaments and am nationally ranked. So it's yet another fun experience to depict musically. Be sure to look for PDM on a nearby pinball machine (like this....)

"The Tournament" (planned): about a Squirt Hockey tournament I played in with an unexpected lesson in chasing your dreams.

Recorded 1/2010 - 4/2010

This is based on my experiences with phasing out sugar from my life with the help of Radiant Recovery. It's a great support group for anyone who recognizes a sugar addiction in themselves.

Recorded 12/2009

We live in a world where successful business men & women make the news because of evil things they do. There are many more who know that the path to real riches is by giving back.

Uncle John was my Godfather, and I could always turn to him for counsel, help, or just a friendly chat. Despite being quite successful, he seemed to always find time for family and friends. He received a heart transplant 14 years ago (that's not a typo,) and made the very most of it.

Musically, a Yes/Zappa style song didn't seem to fit, so I took a very different approach.

Art by Dick Whyte, altered to look like my dream

"Death Defying Mind" (planned)
Instrumental about a very strange dream from 1/26/2004. Never eat excessive carbs right before bed. :-)
I ice skated up a frozen street to join the N.J. Devils Women's Hockey Team in their practice. It was outside in a back yard on a frozen swimming pool. We did some basic skating drills. One crossover drill involved skating out the driveway and into a jughandle across the street. We stopped and then returned to the driveway after the light turned green.

Now it was time for training indoors. We did a few exercises together and then each selected a recumbent bike. I selected one that looked kind of fancy, and would also help with relaxation. I started pedaling but it was difficult to control. Still, I was able to keep the pace slow and relaxed. An unexpected special ability of this bike was that the seat moved up then down, then forward and back to neutral. This was also relaxing, but the seat kept cycling higher up and further forward, soon out of control. The rounded pedals got much bigger too and took on a life of their own. As the seat approached the wall in front of me, I was able to use my legs to avoid getting hurt. As I approached the ceiling, I was able to get a grip on a ridge for a moment in an attempt to stop the machine, but it kept going. I knew the next cycle forward, back and and then up would smash my head into the ceiling in certain death......

I immediately developed the ability to compartmentalize the dream. It was represented on a white circuit board with a small black letter S in the middle with a square around it. In the overlay-dream, I was lying immobilized in my bed observing the circuit board, but still partially experiencing imminent death in what was now the sub-dream. I outwardly braced for impact, nauseous and out of control. The head impact came, I felt myself throw up a little, and I saw the square on the circuit board collapse in on the S. Still immobilized in the overlay dream, it took several more seconds to wake up.

Turns out I didn't throw up, but I knew the best remedy for serotonin overdose due to carb overload: get protein like cheese!

Recorded 7/2009
An unusual experiment combining The Buggles and Death Metal. Between the added calm and confidence of Radiant Recovery, and some of the concepts behind Law of Attraction, the way I respond to bad things happening is quite different than it used to be. Sometimes I slip into that old mindset of being persecuted, and it amuses me in hindsight. So don't take my Death Metal rendition too seriously!

Recorded 5/2009

Back in Bergen Catholic High School, I participated in Cross-Country (distance running) as a Freshman. Let's just say I didn't compete for first place in those races. Our top runner in my class was named Doug. So I contributed what I could to the team in this true story.

Recorded 5/2009 - 6/2009

This is the story of how music entered my life bass-ackwards, and how damaging the removal of school music programs can be.

"Undead High" MP3 sample : That same High School inspired a dream in 2008 that... wasn't quite a nightmare... it was just silly enough not to scare the crap out of me. It didn't even take place at my high school. An old apartment building I lived in on McKinley Avenue in Hawthorne NJ, which was once a school, was the setting for this dream. I walked down the 2nd floor hallway to the end of the corridor and could just FEEL that the large, empty room there was haunted. I walked the other way to an unknown priest who reassured me he could fix it. He shot a dart into that haunted room. It started creaking and groaning. I stepped back, but then several undead high school kids bounded out of the empty room singing in a style similar to Rocky Horror about repressed music and emotions.
"Dormancy": With the Catholic school messages ringing in my head that a music career of any sort was dangerous on so many levels, I stuck to playing CDs. But I couldn't help but tinker with my simple Casio that I got in 1986. Anything I could play from my favorite band Yes, anything I could learn from friends at S.U.N.Y. New Paltz, anything I could figure out on my own.... But the main focus had to be on launching a full time career. My long part time work in sports officiating eventually made me realize that performing music did not have to be an all or nothing proposition - wild success or destitution. I had a few ideas but nothing serious until......
"Surge of the Muse": Moving from New Jersey to Seattle was a nice change of pace as described in my first epic, "The Crossing." An unexpected side effect of that move was seemingly unlimited musical inspiration! The "muse" handed me more ideas than I could write down in my PDA. It's been a huge surge of musical ideas that'll take years to record!

Recorded 4/4/2010

Not sure why I had a dream about parts of these two tunes done with a tin whistle, but I ran with it.

"Computer Geek's Dream" (planned): This time the content is inspired by my favorite song Mind Drive - a redefinition of synchronicity between machine and man.

Recorded 12/2008

This is a childhood nightmare come true. In the nightmare, I'm strolling around my house in Butler, NJ. Then I open the door to the basement and it's a seething caldron of smoke and tornadic winds (sound effect in the song is pretty accurate.) A loud chorus from down there sings "Help! Help! America's In Trouble!" I slam the door and wake up shortly thereafter. While my basement in West Seattle doesn't really do that, America really is in trouble in late 2008 into 2009.

Recorded 7/2010-8/2010

Star Trek has inspired my life in many ways since childhood. It helped choose my career, it brought me suspense, laughter and adventure, but most of all, it helped me to have faith in humanity and myself. My favorite entertainment comes together with my favorite style of music in an attempt to convey the true meaning of this multi-generational phenomenon. This will not have references to Capt. Picard or Klingons or the Delta Quadrant, but the overall vision and inspiration from Star Trek crerator Gene Roddenberry.

Recorded 4/2010

This is based on a dream from this past January with very unusual imagery that could have been disturbing, but was really pleasant.

"The Undo Button" (planned): You can't chase a dream if you are stuck on your mistakes, move on!

"Legacy Of Love" - 12:29 MP3 sample ©2010

Recorded 5/2010-6/2010

A tribute to my grandparents, who I would consider a template for marriage - together over 60 years, 4 children, 8 grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren while alive. They didn't have it easy, but they made it look easy. The lives of both of them are now in song.

"The Dream Found (Say It Out Loud)" (planned): I decided to make a Transitions Trilogy out of "The Crossing", "Corporate Dysfunction" and this song. This concluding epic will depict my biggest transition of all, and the power of prayer / putting your intentions out into the Universe.

2nd album: Corporate Dysfunction (now available through CD Baby)

Recorded 7/2006

As a dog person, I reluctantly conceded to getting a cat due my business travel and spouse's lack of canine interest. This being my first cat, there were many surprises. Not the least of which was I actually like my little buddy. Also there's his meow-aria greeting when we come home. He meows a lot anyway so I nicknamed him Meow Master O (you'll have to guess what the O stands for.) That naturally snowballed into my first integration of a hip-hop sound into my music. If you know me, it's not just hip-hop!

"Bars" - 2:56 ©2006
Recorded: 8/31/2006
Almost as much as I am into keyboards, I am into percussion. I keep a signed Mike Portnoy drumstick on my keyboard at home. So the logical combination of the two is a chromatic xylophone/marimba. Now I got the rhythms and the sweet sounds in one wooden box!

"Main Line 1311 (Das Binky)" - 5:47 MP3 sample ©2006
Recorded: 9/2006 (re-recorded 1/2008)
    Yet another song not to be taken seriously. J In Northern New Jersey is one of the oldest train lines in America - so old it is just called the Main Line. It runs from Hoboken, NJ through Ridgewood, NJ to Suffern, NY and then extends to Port Jervis, NY. For you fellow train geeks, Wikipedia has a very good description at Main Line - NJ Transit. It was part of my commute from Hawthorne, NJ to NYC for around 2 years. I got to know every mile of that track and being a train geek was fascinated by it. The focal point of this fascination became a old oil or fuel tank just west of the Jersey City tunnels. In the late 1990s someone, presumably a rail worker, welded on a few well-placed pipes to make it resemble a submarine. Stenciled on it was "Das Binky". And so, one work of art inspires another here.

"Don't Get Sick" - 2:52 MP3 sample  ©2008
Recorded: 4/2008
    Another deadly form of Corporate Dysfunction is the medical insurance industry. I just call 'em like I see 'em in the form of a sick circus.

"Bucket O' Hoodle" - 3:52 ©2008
Recorded: 3/2008
Since I watch Mystery Science Theater 3000 more often than I care to admit, it's time to pay tribute to their creative genius in a fun way. After all, they take aim squarely at a peculiar brand of Corporate Dysfuncion: Hollywood. The idea started when, for no apparent reason, I signed my copy of a local restaurant receipt "Bucket O' Hoodle." I couldn't figure out why at first until I retraced one of the movies when Joel said at the end "What a cockaboodle picture show!" Now I knew what my mind had warped and just went with it. Fans of the show can count the references. As for non-fans, what are you waiting for!?!? Join the fun by buying some DVDs at the link above! (other relevant links: RiffTrax; Cinematic Titanic)

"Return to Serenity" - 12:15 MP3 Pt.1-3 MP3 conclusion ©2008
Recorded: 2/2008
How do I transition from power metal to gentle ambient music? Just by depicting my transition from a hectic workday, walking to yoga class and settling into the full routine, ending in a meditation. Try it sometime with your favorite unwinding activity!

"Unconventional Beauty" - 3:48 MP3 full version ©2008
Recorded: 2/2008
This is my first true ballad, but still an important song to me. I've seen too many friends devastated by poor self-image. And it's usually because they don't meet the standard of beauty rammed down our throats by mass media. Given the detrimental behavior that results on occasion (i.e. starvation, heavy medicating, risky surgery,) this may be Corporate Dysfunction at its deadliest.

"Slide On The Ice" - 2:54 ©2008
Recorded: 1/2008
Many times I've been guilty of taking life too seriously and letting problems get to me. You too? STOP IT! J Make sure to have some fun in your life - especially when the going is tough!

"Over and Over" - 6:27 ©2006
Recorded: 11/4/2006
I think all of us has had those unfortunate events that you turn over and over again in your head. For me, it's a sign that I'm not eating right (I don't eat sugar or white flour.) Either way, that mental feedback loop is depicted (with resolution of course.)

"The Patriarch" - 2:46 MP3 sample ©2006
Recorded: 7/2006
I decided that family tributes would be a tradition of one per album. In this case, it's for Grandpa. He was a paradox of ebullient joy mixed with a somber side. The quote from Shakespeare's Macbeth is one he repeated to me many times.

"Corporate Dysfunction" - 7:16 MP3 demo ©2007
Recorded: 2006-2008
I carefully wrote this one in the spirit of "don't hate the player, hate the game." Of course, I still have to write from my personal experience and not someone else's. So this picks up where "The Crossing" left off. Still, it's vague enough that hopefully many of you can relate to it. The album cut is a longer vocal version of what is here.

First Album: Controlled Chaos

"Phil's Phunky Jams" - 5:52 MP3 ©2003
Recorded: 9/23/2003
A few goofy ideas from one evening come together in an early keyboard jam.

"The Big Man Strut" - 2:29 MP3 ©2006
Recorded: 5/2006
About 2 years ago my Uncle Dave passed away from heart failure - too young. He was even bigger than me and at least as athletic. He played several sports in his youth and continued to do so with his nephews and children. That's the focus of this sung story - that unconventional running style of his.

"Hockey 3-2" - 20:00 ©2005
Recorded: 12/2005 (percussion added 7/22/2006)
I have been an Ice Hockey Referee for 25 years now and played 5 years before that. Therefore, I feel qualified to capture the feel of a fast-paced game in music. Yes, that time was intentional. :-)

"Controlled Chaos" - 4:21 MP3 ©2004
Recorded: 6/25/2004
After 6 months off from music I felt I had to do something! I decided to let my mood take me. Stressed over a demanding (but good) job, a pending relocation and other life stuff, I went with the flow. It's pretty scary stuff!

"The Crossing" - 40:51 MP3 Pt. 10-11 ©2006
(track listings & lyrics ©2005)
Recorded: 6/2005-9/2005 (enhancements 1/2006-4/2006)
    Driving from New Jersey to the Seattle area for relocation was an incredible 5-day adventure. I left a lot behind, saw lots of things along the way, even bumped into some old friends. Exactly one year to the day after completing the journey, I completed the following epic.
    Part 0: The Plan, an overture - the carefully laid out plan for this unprecedented trip (in my lifetime.) Find out how much things go according to plan...
    Part 1: Where I'm Coming From (NJ) - depicts my favorite times in NJ, down the shore - followed by the sad goodbye to my home state of exactly 37 years.
    Part 2: Precipice (Del Water Gap) - driving out of NJ for the last time.
    Part 3: Journey (PA): been there, done that - but now it's for a whole new reason so I still get into it.
    Part 4: Old Friends & New Frontiers (OH) is the excitement as my drive takes me through OH, to an old friend and further West than I've ever driven before.
    Part 5 (IN): depicts a detour around a major, fatal accident on I-80 near North Bend.
    Part 6: Aggressive (IL) is my tribute to the aggressive driving that typifies the Chicago area - maybe worse than NJ driving. :-)
    Part 7: Open Up (WI) is where the road opens up and also two old friends open up their home for me.
    Part 8: (MN) is hitting the road to another new frontier: knowing no one the rest of the way.
    Part 9: (ND) musically depicts my 2 speed driving (use your imagination. J )

    Part 10: Majestic (MT) - is an attempt to capture the majesty of the absolutely gorgeous Northern Rockies.
    Part 11: Chasing the Sunset (ID) - depicts an ill-advised late night drive through tight mountain passes.
    Part 12: Welcome Home (WA) - is my arrival in WA and the Seattle area.
    Musically, this is really ambitious for an amateur keyboardist. It is something I hope to turn into a great work with a rock band someday. This is where I also decided to gradually shift my part-time career to music.
    This is also one of my first vocal efforts. Not bad, but obviously less polished than later efforts.
BONUS EXTRAS: Travel Log Photo Gallery(under reconstruction)

"Up Your BEs" -10:08 MP3 (single edit - 4:44 MP3) ©2003
Recorded 7/23/2003
I was feeling pretty crappy all day. I got home and knew what my best beta-endorphin (BE) raiser would be - some tunage! I came up with a lively jam! Didn't have a title for it until after I was done with the 24 minute raw recording. There was no doubt my BE's were raised! So combine what the song does with my warped sense of humor and it's called "Up Your BEs".

NEW AGE / AMBIENT:

Muscle Tones 2 - February Sun - 71:03 MP3 sample ©2006
Recorded 2/2006
A light dusting of snow is on the roofs at Martha Lake in Western Washington. It's an unusual bright sunny day in February. I actually have time for music. It was perfect day to make a new version of Muscle Tones for my next therapeutic massage. With better recording tools, instruments and experience, this new piece serves the purpose well for 1½ hour massages.

Inexplicable - 6:00 MP3 full version ©2003
Recorded 12/18/2003
A friend of mine who is my best friend's brother-in-law tragically passed away yesterday. I needed to express myself in this way.

Muscle Tones 1 (single edit) - 3:22 WMA ©2003
Recorded 6/20/2003
I wanted to make something I could use for my periodic therapeutic massage. I decided to boldly make my first start-to-finish recording. In one session and with little editing, this 35 minute piece was finished in a day. It's a little distorted as I hastily set up the recording connections and levels. It still sounds nice and I have used it for its intended purpose.

I can be contacted at feedback@theminddriver.com

All music referenced above copyrighted by Philip Mariconda. This music not to be sold in any form nor used in any profit-generating environment without specific permission of Philip Mariconda. The music may be enjoyed for personal use only.