"Plus - A Music Project" or, "Getting High With A Little Help From My Friends"

So I have an idea for a new project and I've already started to work on it. I am going to write some new songs, both by myself and in collaboration, and then I want my friends to perform on them. I want to write a song for each person who wants to do this, and then have said person sing or play an instrument on the track. I think that'd be awesome, as I could flex my creative muscle and try to come up with diverse ideas. It would also give me the opportunity to work on my mixing and editing skills, while figuring out what I can and can't do with my limited means. Get the most out of my equipment y'know?

So, anyone who's reading this that I know personally who wants in, contact me somehow (email, facebook, comment here, etc.) and let me know how you'd like to contribute. I'll write a song for you or we can write one together. It'll be fun I promise.

-- Damien

End of Days

The Band imploded. That how I feel about it anyway. Shit got too real. I realized that there was a whole mess of Bullshit that wasn't going to get fixed anytime soon. Kendra quit, and so did I.

It sucks, but my minds made up and I'm not going to change it. So now what? Now I look to the future. Here are my plans for the coming months:

Keep working - I've got a decent job and I don't want to lose it. having money is awesome. I'm going to have to cut my hours a bit when school starts, but that's ok, as long as I get steady work/paychecks.

Start a new music project - I was thinking about starting a side band, and now perhaps it'll be my new thing. My idea is for a stripped down, low fi sound. Dirty and nasty and heavy but with a simple set up. Probably only a three-piece setup. I'm thinking The Black Keys meets The Clash.

Writing/performing - with my lack of band, even if I form a new one, I still want to continue to write and compose. One of the best things about Lunate Sigma was it allowed me to write at my own pace and I think I actually came up with some cool stuff. I'm going to continue doing that, band or not. Maybe I'll try to find some open mics or something, just to get out there and perform.

School - I'm really going to try to throw my full weight into my studies this semester. I've been slacking lately, and I want to be able to support myself with my art. The only way to do that is to learn all I can about it, so I can apply it to the real world. Also graduating would be nice.

Interning - The guy who's engineered all the recordings I've been on asked me if I wanted to work in his studio for an unpaid intern kinda deal. I was going to ask him the same thing, so that works out. I get to learn about it, then apply it right away (hopefully), which is great for me.

Finances - I really need to stop buying things. It's becoming a problem.

The Way I Feel

Tonight I want to be the villain
Tonight You'll have to chase me down
tonight the rules go out the window
We'll bury them deep under the ground

Last time I left you wanting
Last time I stopped too soon
Last time I kept my head
This time I sing a different tune

I want to make evil
I want you to be afraid
I want you to turn
and tell me to stay away

I want to blur the line
between what I say and what I mean
The last thing I want
Is to appear the way I seem.

Last Stand

When you call me out I rise to meet you
The only place for me to be is there
All the things I have and want to show you
Anything else would just be unfair
_

Stand up
I’m right here
I’ll take you down

So now
Can’t forget
(Anything else would just be unfair)
I’m gonna bring you around
_

Maybe you think I can be won over
I’m afraid on all accounts you’re wrong
Seems like you just want to gauge my power
Test me now and I’ll show you I’m strong
_

Stand up
I’m right here
I’ll take you down

So now
Can’t forget
(Test me now and I’ll show you I’m strong)
I’m gonna bring you around
_

Famous/Last words
Show you/You’ll see
Waste of/My time
_

All the things I have and want to show you
Anything else would just be unfair

Happy 4th Everypeople!

In Honor of July 4th. The Ramones



Note the Mosrite guitar Johnny is playing and the white w/black Precision Bass that Dee Dee is playing. Classic Punk instruments.

Names

Spoiler alert. My name will be revealed!

When I was born, I was given a Korean name, as I was in South Korea. When I came to the US, my parents gave me a new name. They called me "Alex," but that's actually not my first name.

My mom really liked the name Christian but didn't like "Alexander Christian" so I became "Christian Alexander". My dad really liked the name Damien and kinda snuck it in at the last minute. The name comes from his cousin's son. So there it is. I have two middle names, and go by the first one in most cases. "Christian Alexander Damien". My last name isn't all that important to the story.

Now for the name I have assumed: Damien. You might be thinking, "Dude, it's just your middle name!" Well when it came to deciding on a pseudonym for myself, I suppose it started with the middle name my parents gave me. But I've come to think of it more as a little more sinister. For no other reason than I can. It's ok, I can do that, 'cause I'm a dork. Basically, I set out to find a cool name to call myself on stage. I settled on "Damien Blair" after an afternoon of pretty much nothing but thinking about stage names. I guess I was thinking, "Well Slash is really 'Saul Hudson' so why can't I have a cool name?"

It turns out that my parents didn't want to call me Damien because The Omen had just come out. I fully embrace the irony. Because I can.

short post about me.

It's weird talking about myself to other people. Not so much saying "I'm a musician" but more like saying that "I'm a songwriter" or "I play bass and sing". I never say I'm a singer either. It's always "I sing". Being in a band where I am a songwriter and I am a singer means I have to come to terms with my own shyness and timidness over not just performing but selling myself as well. I have to be able to say "I'm a musician. In a band where I'm the bassist and one of the lead singers. I also write some of our songs." Because I usually feel odd or ill at ease talking about me it's something I have to work on.