It has become apparent that the acoustic versions of Give It Up and Admire are my most popular songs, judging by iTunes sales, Spotify, and YouTube...

...which is rather ironic, because those songs are rough draft versions which I threw onto my album at the last minute.  I never really put any polish on those songs, because I didn't think they'd be popular.  I thought they'd be curious artifacts for listeners.

Well, I was wrong.

And so, I've decided to completely re-record those two songs, giving them the proper level of polish.  Admire will now feature a full string quartet, rather than the synth cello on the original version.  Yesterday, I spent 9 hours at my desk, composing the four string parts.  It was some of the most difficult and gratifying pieces of composition I've ever done.  I'll be recording the actual cellists soon.

Give It Up has been reworked acoustically, as well.  It's flat-out more palatable and polished, yet it retains the slightly-distressed, rough around the edges quality of the demo.

Once these songs are finished, I'll release them under a new album.  All preexisting Soundstatues albums will be removed from the internet, and I'm looking to cut it down to a 9-song album.  The previously released songs will be re-released at a future time, when I've had time to tour on them.

And the new album's title?  Well, you'll have to wait and see.

I watched a documentary on Queen while having dinner; now there's a phenomenal group of musicians.  I don't think there will ever be another group like that, where you have four extremely talented songwriters join together.  And Freddie Mercury---there can never be an equal.

A thought occurred to me as I took my nightly walk through my neighborhood: I've taken all I can take from New York.  This place has given me so much, and now, there's nothing left here for me.  I'm ready to hit the road.

But in order to hit the road, I need help.  I need a record label, or a tour manager, or a movie licensing deal.... I need something.  I pride myself on keeping the middlemen out of the equation thus far; my music has gone direclty to the listeners, which is how I want it.  I value having a more personal relationship with my fans.

And I have no earthly idea how to get help.

But I'm sure something will come through eventually.  I regularly get emails from fans now, which I absolutely love.  Make no mistake: I am deeply touched when people write to me and tell me how my music affects them.  I don't take it lightly.

I've sacrificed so very much in this endeavor, in my attempt to become a successful musician; I've lived like an animal.  I've let nothing get in my way.  But now, when I see strong music sales, when I get messages from fans---I think of these things when I'm on the filthy subway trains, and I say to myself, "I've got to get past this."

I've spent the past few days composing music in a very different esthetic: string quartet.

Traditional "rock music" composition has become rather boring for me.  I have enough strong material for perhaps three or four Soundstatues albums, similar to what you've heard in "Mourning Birds" and "Nightmares and Oddities".  So, when it comes to writing new material, I can now focus on other realms.

Mozart is a huge influence on me, and so I was inspired to attempt "classical" forms of composition.  A full orchestral piece is a bit beyond me right now, so I figured I'd start small, with a string quartet: cello, viola, and two violins.

It's very, very difficult.  Almost nothing I've learned about songwriting is applicable here.  It's as if I'm starting all over again, as if I'm a complete newbie.

And I like it.

I'm being pushed in ways with music that I've never had to tackle.  I'm certain much of this new work will translate back into my "rock" songwriting, which will be interesting.

Ah, such a dark mood. And pouring Depeche Mode into my head is working out beautifully.  I was never huge into Depeche Mode, but these days, they rather make sense to me.  Phenomenal musicians, those guys.

So, I've been up to a few interesting things as of late.

The college radio push is in full-swing.  So far, two German radio stations have agreed to put Soundstatues into rotation.  I'll post back with details once I get confirmation.

I've also had to reject a deal from a major record label, who shall remain nameless.  The terms of the contract were laughable---I will never, ever relinquish ANY creative control.  But, I remain optimistic that a smart label will offer me a fair deal soon.

As always, I'm writing music.  These days, it's rather heavy.  I sorta fell in love with the guitar again, and I'm writing some really dark and heavy music.  But I've also composed a song (using trumpets, church organ, and bass) which is an homage to The Cure, so what the hell do I know.

It's just hours away... 2012!  I'm must admit my excitement about this upcoming year.  This is what I have on tap:

I'm bringing my old violin out of storage and I plan on re-learning to play it.  Did you know that the violin was my first instrument?  I played in the school orchestra for a few years, before switching to guitar.  My current obsession with Mozart has me curious about the violin again.

Soundstatues is reaching critical mass in terms of listenership and sales, so the time is right for me to seek manager and label partnership.  I'm in contact with several labels, and I'm hopeful that someone will present me with a fair deal.  Foremost above all, I demand complete and total ownership over my songs, so we'll see if any labels are willing to work with me rather than own me.

I'm also contacting college radio stations all over the world, hoping to get some airplay.

All in all, it stands to be an eventful year.  Who knows, maybe I'll even be able to come play a show near you.  Soundstatues fans seem to be spread out all over the world, so it's impossible right now for me to tour.  Let's hope we can meet in person soon!

I wish you good health and much happiness in 2012, my friends.

Love,
NEIL

If only you guys could hear what I'm up to these days...

I've been writing music constantly for 5 years now, and Mourning Birds features mostly my early work.  Hell, the songs Welcome Home, Unexecuted, and Vacant Earth are some of the very first songs I wrote.  If you're reading this Captain's Log, then you're likely a fan due to Mourning Birds.  You think of Soundstatues as densely-layered guitar rock, which it most certainly is.

But much evolution takes place over 5 years of composition.  These songs I'm writing nowadays... they're not really dense guitar rock.  They're dark, brooding, but they incorporate far more electronic elements, piano, orchestras.  It's still Soundstatues, but it's evolved.

I pray you'll be able to hear my new work someday.  Future albums will not be chronologically accurate, so to speak.  You won't be hearing my develop in real-time, which is something I'm very glad about.  You'll be hearing all stages of my evolution at once.

Look at Radiohead: they have evolved remarkably over their career, yet they always sound like Radiohead.  But if you fell in love with The Bends when it was released, you might not be too happy with Hail to the Thief, because they're just so damn different.

I'm hoping that I can avoid any such problems with my releases.  That's why Soundstatues current discography is so varied: acoustic songs, dense guitar rock, electronica, piano-based songs.  I don't want anyone to think Soundstatues is just one style of music, because my compositional interests are much more varied than that.

Good night, friends.

I've been getting quite a few requests for guitar tabs and sheet music for Soundstatues songs.  Also, my data tracking shows that a lot of people are searching for how to play my songs; some people even want guitar tutorial videos.

Have no fear, my friends!  First and foremost, I am a guitarist, so I am very happy that people want to play my songs!  I'm going to post a "guitar tabs" section on this website soon, but it might take a while, as I'm currently busy with composing new material.

Not only will you have accurate guitar tabs, but I'll also post guitar tutorial videos on the Soundstatues YouTube channel.  Certain songs, like Admire and Give It Up, are built on unique guitar riffs, which are easier to learn on video.

Join the Soundstatues Facebook page to stay updated!

Yes, my comrades--MOAR.

I've been writing music full-tilt for over five years now, and I've amassed a colossally huge catalog of songs.  Seriously, there's so much music here.  I've stored all these songs and ideas on my hard drives, and I'm sifting through it right now.  There's just so damn much----I'm overwhelmed.

Much of this past work deserves to be released, but at current rates, it takes me about one month to release a four-song EP.  And I can't just professionally record all my old material; I need to devote a significant amount of time to composing new material, because the new compositions keep me interested, they keep me fresh.  And they ensure I evolve as a composer.

Look at it this way: I haven't even had time to sit and enjoy playing guitar since FEBRUARY 2011.  My gorgeous, toneful Gibson Les Paul is sitting in its case, and it comes out only for recording sessions.  All my time is taken up by studio work: arrangements, production, mixing.  Also, I have to spend time on vocal exercises, piano lessons... I just don't have time to accomplish all I want to do.

On the other hand, I'm in the enviable position of having more strong material than I can record right now.  I do believe I've amassed a career's worth of strong music, to the point where I can just stop composing and spend a few years professionally recording all my previous songs.  But I would feel constricted and suffocated if I stopped composing, so I just end up freaking out and having a spot of wine to calm down.  Speaking of which, you'll have to excuse me.....

You might have noticed that the old YouTube videos for "Mourning Birds" seem to have disappeard.

Well, actually, I deleted the old videos and uploaded new versions.  The old videos had some audio glitches in them, which I've corrected with the new videos.  I also added some neat-o pictures to the vids.

So drop by my YouTube channel, check out the videos, and share em around on Facebook!

I recently took a look at the sales numbers for Mourning Birds, and the results are heart-warming: a lot of people are actually purchasing my music from iTunes and Amazon.  The top-selling songs are Independent Glory, Admire, and Give It Up.

Please, make no mistake: when you purchase my music, you're giving me the most real, concrete support possible.  It's not just a matter of money (I do have a day-job which takes care of my bills); it's much more than that.  When you buy my music, you're showing that my work has real value, that it can mean something to people.

My goal is to bring Soundstatues to as large of an audience as possible.  I never said I wanted to be someone's little darling, someone who is always unknown.  I greatly admire what Muse, The Killers, and Kings of Leon have achieved as rock bands in the new music world, and I believe Soundstatues is good enough to join them.  I want to take this show on the road and play concerts to all who enjoy Soundstatues.

I truly love being fully independent, but eventually, I'll need help from labels and managers in order to reach my goals.  Now that people are actually purchasing my music, I look that much more attractive to the investors whose help I need.

It is my hope to reach as many people as possible before becoming involved with record labels, and in this modern age, it's damn well possible.  So, thanks for your support!

It's Friday night.  And the mood, to be sure, is right.  Have you heard of Tripel Horse?  It's a local brew from New Jersey, and it wound up here in my tiny Brooklyn neighborhood.  It's a powerful brew (10%alc), and I'm quite enjoying the night.  Naturally, Aqua Teen Hunger Force is on my Xbox whilst I work.

I'm digging through my backlog of songs.  These are songs, riffs, and various musical ideas which I've accumulated over these past five years.  Some of these ideas are quite good, and I'm making a spreadsheet of which songs and ideas I want to use (remember: I'm a scientist and prone to psychotic data analysis).

The plan is that I'll steadily release these songs as 5-song EP's over the next year.  But, who knows: I could very well become too busy with touring and re-recording by then.

Anyway, it's an exhilirating journey through my personal past when I listen to these old demoes I wrote.  I can clearly picture where I was, what I was doing when I composed these bits of music.  I can picture cemetaries, girls I've loved, the heat of summers, the cold of winters, the agony of isolation, the joy of friendship, the exhaustion of work, hunger, happiness, playing Halo, close calls with disaster...

Always keep in mind: when you listen to my music, you listen to my life.  I've been through some terrible things; make no mistake, I've been through hell.  If you've been through hell, too, then that makes us comrades.  Let us rejoice in comradeship.

Long ago, I decided that I'd use these terrible things to create powerful work, thereby gaining mastery over my life.  Because that's the key, you know.  You can let the demons destroy you, or you can harness them and use them to your advantage.

Title:
Nightmares and Oddities

Release Date:
Dec 15, 2011 (estimated)

Tracklisting:
1.  Eyes Open
2.  The Return
3.  Burning Down Rome
4.  Lone View
5.  In the Face of Injustice

As usual, you'll be able to stream the songs from YouTube, soundstatues.com, Grooveshark, and Spotify.  Or, you can dowload the EP from iTunes and Amazon.

Lyrics and song info will be available on this website.

I'm pretty excited about this EP---two of the songs were composed on piano, and the other three songs are built around acoustic guitar.  If you like previous Soundstatues music, then you'll definitely want to check out this upcoming EP.

I'll be posting updates on the Soundstatues Facebook page, along with some pics and maybe even videos, so stay in touch!

September is my favorite time of year.  Not only is my birthday in Sept (the 10th), but many of the people closest to me were born in September.

I've taken a short vacation to the dank swamps of Florida, but not to worry: I've brought my MIDI keyboard and Mac with me, so I can continue composing.

I'm in a bit of a bind, deciding what to do next.  See, I have a backlog of perhaps 50 songs which are quite strong, in my opinion.  But, these songs would need to be recorded in my home studio, and then I'd have to mix/master them---we're talking a huge time committment.  On the other hand, I'm always composing new songs, and so, I have this huge lot of material and I don't know which way to move first.

There are four new songs I've composed on piano in the past few weeks, and boy howdy, are they corkers.  It's such a different sound than anything I've released thus far, but it's undeniably Soundstatues.  Add to that fact that my voice is becoming more and more fluid, and you'll see why I'm excited.

So, that's where I'll start: finalize new compositions, then track them in my studio.  If they go well, then I'll record some choice cuts from my back-catalog, and I'll release the collection as a 5-song EP.

Previously, I said I'll release a new EP in Dec 2011, but I'm not so sure anymore.  I'm going to see what happens and keep it loose, but if I end up going into psycho overdrive work mode, then you'll hear the new EP this winter for sure.

Signing off, and remember, I'd love to see you on Facebook!

Indeed, my friends: Soundstatues has been signed to a distribution deal.  Soundstatues music will now be available at many more sites and services, such as Rdio, Grooveshark, and Spotify.  Of course, if you really want to show your support, consider purchasing my music on iTunes or Amazon

I encourage you to turn your friends on to Soundstatues.  And if you're attracted to your friends, I encourage you simply to turn your friends on.  Maybe wear a nice perfume, or tie your hair back with a red ribbon.  And guys, I've found that the gals quite enjoy a touch of stubble (on your face, natch).

Let me share with you how fucking awesome my day was: I got home from work and picked up a sandwich at my favorite bagel shop here in Brooklyn: eggs, cheese, and turkey bacon on a jalapeno/cheddar bagel, smothered with maple syrup.  Then, I dropped by the local bookshop and got a nice used paperback for $1.  I then proceeded to refill my half-gallon jug of beer with a brutally strong IPA from Maine (which I'm drinking right now).

Oh, and NIN's "Pretty Hate Machine" is blaring through my speakers.

Don't be a stranger!  Drop by the Soundstatues Facebook page and say hi.

Yes, kids, that's correct: another Soundstatues album is forthcoming.  It's been 6 weeks since I finished "Mourning Birds", and the time is right.

But hold your horses: I need to compose the damn thing first.  It'll be a short album (perhaps 6 songs long), and piano will be the central instrument.  I've been listening to Mozart almost exclusively for the past few weeks, and it's stirring a great deal of crazy notions in my brain.

I'm looking at a December 2011 release date, and yes, the album is already titled:

Reversing The Field

I'll catch you on the flip.

It's been four weeks since Mourning Birds was released.  The response, thus far, has been positive.  I'm getting great feedback on objective, user-driven sites like Last.fm and thesixtyone.

I must say, though, that this is a very daunting task.  I feel like I'm shouting into a hurricane.  I mean, there's just SO MUCH music out there, so much noise; how do I get more people to hear my music?

People are listening obsessively to some songs off Mourning Birds, based on the playlists they share on social networking sites.  That's heartening, and if you're reading this website because you're a fan, then take heed: I NEED YOUR HELP!

It's a game of numbers, sheer statistics.  I need to get this music into as many ears as possible, and it's just so god damn difficult to do.  That's where you, the listener, come in.

Word of mouth is the most organic, powerful marketing tool.  So if you like Soundstatues, if you have taken the time to read this blog and visit this site, then please help spread the word.  Let's cut through the noise!

Our collective voice will form a shout that can be heard over the hurricane.  Until then, I'm shouting alone, and one voice---no matter how driven, how passionate---cannot overpower a hurricane.

The album is released!  Time for a little mental recovery, a little celebratory boozing, and then it's back to work: promotion.

This is the toughest part.  I mean, it is SO FUCKING HARD to get new music into people's ears.  That's the downside of the modern music industry---it's scattershot.

So if you give a damn about Soundstatues, then please help me out!  Send my music to your friends and enemies.

Holy shit.  Here's what I did this past weekend (bear in mind I work a 40-hour/week day job):

Time spent on final mixdown/mastering:
Friday: 8 hours
Saturday: 15 hours
Sunday: 14 hours

And it's done now.  I'm going to sleep on it, take a final listen on Monday, then upload it to various servers.  Friday July 1 is the official release date.

God(s) bless.

I know I say this a lot, but it's true, and there is no exaggeration: music saved my life.  Listening to music, sure, that's great.  But creating music?  It saved my life.  I shudder to think what would have become of me had I not taken this path.

I'm working around the clock on this album, and it's breaking my brain (in a good way).

You might be interested to know that the only music I listen to these days is Mozart's "Requiem in D minor" and "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac.  I can't listen to rock music while I'm working so intensely on my own music.  Just can't do it.

Well holy shit.  It's almost 4am on a Sunday, and I'm wrapping up mixing for the weekend.  I've been working nonstop.  There are a million issues to contend with, and they all pop up at the worst times.  I've had to punch in guitar recordings, synths, even some vocals; editing takes forever; mixing is grueling and tedious.

But, the results are looking (sounding?) excellent.  Everything is on track for the July 1 release date, so get your fancy pants on and get ready to fucking rock.

I'm also going to start assembling the limited edition packages, so they'll hopefully be ready for sale on July 1.  You'll really want to take a close look at these packages; there are some very special items included, so it'll be worth it.

And videos!  Yes, music videos, and it's all part of the Mourning Birds release.  Now, let me get some sleep!

1.  Give It Up
2.  Independent Glory
3.  Admire
4.  Amnesia
5.  Unexecuted
6.  Horror Show
7.  I Could Save The Day
8.  The Acolytes
9.  Vacant Earth
10.  Welcome Home
11.  Three of You
12.  I Could Save The Day (Acoustic)
13.  Admire (Acoustic)
14.  Give It Up (Acoustic)
15.  The Way The World Ends
Release date: July 1, 2011 (available on iTunes, Amazon, and direct-order limited edition CD package)

I wrote "Admire" after a rather nasty breakup with a rather nasty girl.  That was my breakthrough song; everything before that was preparation.  I was writing good material, and it was getting a good response, but writing "Admire" signified my breaking through to becoming the songwriter I should be.

I recorded a version of Admire with a terrible band known as Super Raven.  That was a down-tempo, childish version, due to the drummer of the band (I played all other instruments) and the audio engineer I worked with.  Still, Super Raven's version of Admire performed quite well on user-rated sites such as Last.fm.

After I disbanded Super Raven, I formed Vanguard Villains.  I recorded Admire with VV, and it was one step closer to the orchestration in my mind----but it still wasn't quite there.  But I still recorded the song with the band (again, I performed everything but the drums) and the song got a strong reception from the nebulous Internet.  I also engineered and produced the song myself.

I listen back to Vanguard Villains version of Admire, and I just hear missed potential.  The feel is better, but the drums aren't right; there's no consistency.  Sometimes eighth notes are played on the ride, sometimes not; sometimes quarter notes are played on the crash, sometimes not; strange, halting fills appear totally out of nowhere.  There's no logic to the drums.

So, I'm re-recording Admire as part of Soundstatues, and this time, I'm composing the drum lines myself.  It's taking a great deal of time, but it's working out beautifully.  I end up composing all day and night, even when I'm doing other things; today, I was struck with a drum composition idea while riding the subway, and I scribbled it down on the back of my Time magazine.

Bottom line: Admire is being re-recorded with Soundstatues, and it'll be better than what you've heard.  Until then, I'm removing the song from this website.

And guess what: you'll be able to hear the new version once "Mourning Birds" is released on iTunes/Amazon, in late June/early July :)

As I said before, the next batch of songs is pretty much finished and ready to be released.  However, the re-recording of "Give It Up", "The Acolytes", and "Admire" is going so well that I've decided to delay the release for a bit---and then all Soundstatues material will finally be available on iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify (for you lovely Europeans).

That's right, Soundstatues music will be available at iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify.  The target date is July 1st, but it might be earlier.

I'm re-touching many of the songs previously released under the name Vanguard Villains, so it'll be worth your time to check it out.  Ultimately, I'd like to rework all previous Vanguard Villains songs back to my original vision, but that's going to take time.

The entire collection will be available as a digital album, or you can purchase individual songs, of course.

I apologize for the delay, but trust me, it'll be worth it!

I figured I should take a small break from mixing... and why not catch up on the Captain's Log while I'm at it?

"Mourning Birds" is done, essentially.  I've been working at a breakneck speed, with a little help from my dear friend caffeine.  Oh, and having "Wings" and "Spongebob" on Netflix doesn't hurt, either.

This EP is rather on the haunting side of things.  It felt good to stretch out of the normal confines of rock music, as it were.  I'm working on the detailed song analyses, which will be included as a PDF document with paid download of the EP.

I'm finally ahead of schedule, so I can do what Stephen King does: leave the work alone for a few weeks, without even looking at it at all.  Then, at the end of May, I'll take another listen to the EP and make whatever adjustments are necessary.  It's good to let things percolate; with a fresh mind, perhaps I'll notice flaws with the material.

And now I'm free to move on to the next project: "Give It Up" and "The Acolytes." Like most of the songs I released with Vanguard Villains, I'm not happy with how those songs turned out.  That was always a serious problem with Vanguard Villains: the songs I wrote were robbed of their power once they were molested by my bandmates.  I was working with untalented "musicians," and it diluted the strength of my songwriting (with the exception of the final bassist in the group, who was actually a talented, likeable fellow).  I was able to strongarm my ideas into reality on a few songs, but by and large, Vanguard Villains was a losing proposition---hence the conversion to Soundstatues.  (Oh and I grew tired of working with assholes).

I'm re-recording The Acolytes and Give It Up, and so far so good.

I wrote The Acolytes as a sultry 80s New Wave song; the Vanguard Villains version sounded like a trainwreck with absurd latin beats.  I'm now getting the song back to where it should be.

And I wrote Give It Up as a melancholy, understated dirge with a classical rondo form; the Vanguard Villains version sounded like a cheap, noisy modern-rock rip-off.  Again, I'm now getting the song back to my original intention.