I named the tune for the main character in the wonderful Swedish movie “Border”. This fantastical tale of self-discovery by director Ali Abbasi is a must-see.
Over the last ten years, my love Gary and I have crossed the North American continent twice by train and over 7 times by car, besides several times by plane.
I especially love the open road and videotaped many stretches along the way.
You can see some of that footage in the video.
I am pleased to present the Mad Maggies’ latest single: “Un Jaguar en el Agua” – a dance groove with a good dose of Californiana.
I wrote the tune inspired by the strength and beauty of the largest wild cat in the Western Hemisphere.
The imagery is inspired by the joy-filled skeletons of el Dia de Los Muertos. These calacas – a colloquial Mexican word for skeleton – are whimsical celebrations of those on the “other side”.
Kick off your shoes and get ready to shake your self-isolating booty!
Watch on YouTube, give it a like, share it far and wide and be sure to click the subscribe button.
Creating this video is what’s been keeping me busy these last few months.
My ability to draw is in strong inverse proportion to my songwriting talent. I can see how I want a story to look but even stick figures are a struggle. Happily illustrator Dale Horstman was up for working with us again. Dale illustrated our albums “Skull & Magpies” and “Shake Those Bones“. The man has got talent galore.
His drawings for “Un Jaguar en el Agua” are perfectly quirky.
To be able to create a good story with the 2D images and have some fun with effects, I had to get up to speed on a non-linear video editor. DaVinci Resolve 16 has a free version that is very powerful. I recommend it if you have an interest in going beyond simple apps like iMovie.
If you haven’t already, subscribe to our YouTube channel so you’ll know what we’re up to, especially now. We plan on bringing you more musical treats … from a safe physical distance.
That’s right. Researchers have discovered that when we’re in motion, we release Anandamide the body’s naturally occurring cannabinoid that is similar to THC. This clever neurotransmitter (aren’t they all?) relieves anxiety.
So, lifting your legs will definitely lift your spirits. And, like the good musicians we are, we’re here to help.
Cue up “Blue Ska”, picture a warm beach with blue skies and start shaking that booty.
While walking home today, I had the chance to enjoy, and video, a complete snow removal operation on a sunny stretch of Boulevard Saint-Michel.
What can I say? These big machines and their coordinated moves are fascinating.
I had fun putting together this short video, underscoring it with one of our tunes: “Drunken Sailor’s Hornipe – Wally’s Dub” from our album “Shake Those Bones”.
For a while now, I’ve wanted to share how I go about analyzing a song, for example, if I want to transcribe it and arrange parts for the band. Today’s glorious weather inspired me to use our tune «Il Fait un Beau Soleil» (It’s a Sunny Day) to illustrate how to map song structure.
No worries, I am not talking music theory or composition how-tos here. I am simply sharing another way to see music.
You can listen to Il Fait un Beau Soleil for free over on our Bandcamp site. If you’re a musician, try playing along for fun.
