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 Saturday, 2/27/2009, around 9PM.
Local artists performing
Blues, Folk, and of course, Prog. Full show runs 7PM-Midnight. Admission $10 with alcoholic and non-alcoholic
drinks for sale.
This event benefits and is hosted by the
Westside Unitarian Universalists at the
Alki Masonic Hall on 4736 40th Ave. SW between Alaska and Edmonds Street in West Seattle. Accessible by bus #22, 51, 53, 54, 55 (use
the Alaska/Fauntleroy stop and walk 1 block West on the South side of Alaska.) Also a few blocks East of Alaska
Junction.
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.
"The Square Record Album"
- 0:04 MP3 ©2008Yes 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.
"A New Intervention" (planned): Style - Bruce Springsteen meets showtunes. Lyrics - it's a surprise,
but you shouldn't have to wait long for it.
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 went for a classy Jazz/Sinatra
angle. I don't think anyone will be... calling
me ol' brown eyes, but it felt right. :-)
"Death Defying Mind" (planned): A dream several years ago where I cheated death in an unusual way.
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.
"Undead High / Dormancy / Surge of the Muse" - 13:35 ©2009 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!
"Firebird Suite/Hall of the Mountain King" (planned): Not sure why I had a dream about parts of these two tunes
done with a tin whistle, but I'm running 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.
"The Universal Dream" (planned): I'm overdue for a song about what Star Trek means to me. Don't look to this song for show references as much as emotional inspiration that came to me.
Expect VERY heavy Yes overtones.
"Last Night's Dream" (planned): A dream from this past January with
very unusual imagery that could have been disturbing, but was really nice. Musical style: Everly Brothers meets Genesis.
"The Undo Button" (planned): You can't chase a dream if you are stuck on your mistakes, move on!
"Legacy of Love" (planned): This one is done except for the vocals, which I want to be just right as
my informal vocal training continues. This tribute to my Grandparents who were happily married over 60 years, will probably
sound like Trans-Siberian Orchestra with a touch of Elton John and Meat Loaf.
"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.
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 ©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 ©2008Recorded: 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 ©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.
