Penny Racer's Top Ten Albums of 2008 (And He Didn't Put His Own Album On It, Either)

In no particular order, the top 10 albums of 2008 in my eyes:

1. Thrice ---- The Alchemy Index Vol. 3 & 4: Air and Earth
2. Made Out of Babies ---- The Ruiner
3. The Gaslight Anthem ---- The '59 Sound
4. Bloc Party ---- Intimacy
5. United Nations ---- United Nations
6. She & Him ---- Volume One
7. Mogwai ---- Hawk is Howling
8. Anthony Green ---- Avalon
9. Rise Against ---- Appeal To Reason
10. Radiohead --- In Rainbows (it WAS physically released on January 1st, you know)

Honorable Mention:
The Out Circuit ---- Pierce The Empire With A Sound

-Tyler

The Post-Christmas Blog

Well, Christmas came and went and, after indulging maybe too much in cookies and Christmas gift jealousy, I can finally return to the blogosphere.

So, I started the holiday off with a Christmas gift to myself (hey, no Federal law prevents me from doing so...yet). I went to Alto Music in Wappingers Falls and scored a MAHOGANY Taylor Baby acoustic, after trading in an Epiphone SG (I stopped using it) and a ART Tube PreAmp (I didn't need it anymore). I posted a picture of it right here for you to gawk at, but it's nothing like the real thing. It's super gorgeous and sounds like a dream, even for a guitar that's just 3/4 size. All my friends question why I go for small guitars that barely stretch beyond baritone ukulele size and I say it's all really a matter of comfort. Huge dreadnought acoustics just feel too big for me :::shrugs arms::: There is, believe it or not, a valid reason for this gift: the guitar that I took out for my first Open Mic Tour was the same 3/4 size Squier acoustic that I wrote EVERY song with from June to December and I'd hate for that guy to suffer a cruel fate on the road. So, the Taylor is the performance guitar, while the Squier gets to stay home and be the songwriting tool. Dorky, I know.

I got practically everything I wanted this year: an external hard drive (500 gig, MORE than enough space), a new speaker cab for my trusty Epiphone Valve Junior amp head, and even a huge book about U2's interesting tours, among many other neat things. I did experience some jealousy, since my little sister scored a pretty neat laptop. Yes, I got everything I wanted and then some...but she still got a fucking laptop. The silver lining on this cloud? The laptop has Windows Vista. Sucker!

So, with my debut album A Song A Day I (available HERE as a free download, btw) just released two weeks ago, I've already been thinking about the next period of songwriting (one without the nutty "song a day" concept). After a time of mostly acoustic tinkering, I'd love to go after a more "rock" sound. You know, feedback and big guitars and drums and shit. I kinda have some minimal ideas floating around that I might demo soon. Full fledged recording though? Don't count on that for a good while, unless I find that creative vein quick.

One last note: if you want a good laugh, go see Valkyrie. LOLs galore!

-Tyler

Concluding Thoughts on my Very First Open Mic Night Tour

As the snow falls outside my window, I sit here realizing that I had completed my very first Penny Racer outing with my first-ever Open Mic Night Tour.

It was truly an interesting experience, playing all these places that I've never really been to before, performing in front of people I didn't really know, sharing the stage with fellow musicians/performers/town eccentrics. I had some pretty good nights (The Basement in Kingston, Oasis Cafe and The Muddy Cup in New Paltz), some pretty bad nights (Pawling, Snug Harbor in New Paltz), and one damn scary one (The Muddy Cup in Kingston). But, in the end, I've gained some significant experience. I know which places work and which places fall flat, and I've come to meet some pretty neat people (check out Honeybody Moonbee, for instance).

In addition, I began to understand the life of a traveling musician. Certainly, I was lucky; I got to go to my house every night after a performance and sleep in my own bed. But, driving late at night has this strange loneliness that I've never really felt before. It was strange to walk into an empty convenience store in the wee hours of the evening just to get a snack/drink for the drive home. The drive to the venue is always fun, but the drive home is always a mixed bag. I dunno.

For now, I get to rest from the stages/carpets/broken stools of the open mike scene. But, after next week, it's time to rehearse some A Song A Day I songs I haven't performed yet, and prepare myself for another 10-11 shows that make up my second Open Mike outing, filled with both familiar places and new, faraway ones.

And I can't wait.

-Tyler

My Hero

Probably one of the most honest things I've heard all day.

And the thing that cheered me up too after some shitty times.

-Tyler

Top Ten Ways to Make An Open Mike Night Uncomfortable for Penny Racer

10. Charge four dollars at the door to perform.
9. Tune your guitar in the car while I pull up to the venue. After I pull up, you must GLARE at me like I'm a big piece of acoustic shit.
8. Have a fully stocked bar...and not one Red Stripe Jamaican Lager in sight!
7. Perform instrumental songs about a fucking mountain.
6. Introduce that the instrumental you're about to perform is about a fucking mountain OPENLY.
5. "Penny Racer...who the hell is THAT?" Thanks for the warm welcome, soundguy.
4. Dance in your seat during "The Vanishing Act." Excuse me, miss. You don't need to visibly display that my music is somehow "moving" you. New age shit like that bugs me.
3. Turn "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" into a song about alcoholism.
2. Turn "Frosty the Snowman" into a song about a Christ-like martyr.
1. Performing for people that are as old as my parents. Mega awkward.

Shit times.

Whoa whoa whoa...CHRISTMAS?!

So, this is the most confusing Christmas for yours truly. For the first time in a long while, I really REALLY don't know what I want. From 0 to 20, I've knew at least ONE gift I wanted Mr. Claus to send my way. But this year? I'm in a conundrum.

A part of me would LOVE to have one of those little Asus EEE mini-laptops. Besides the usual "OMGZ, WIFI ANYWHERE AWWWL" kinda thought, I think that this could be a killer way to bring recording on the go. Plug in my USB microphone and record wherever I please. Could be big.

But, I dunno.

Maybe I want new tires? I mean, the guys on my car are fading quickly and I really don't want to be a slick sliding sardine-can on the road. But, nothing says "I'm grown up" like asking for TIRES. Shit, what's next? "Oh, gimme a bottle of Pepto Bismal and a booklight for Christmas" as my response?? That's just a cop-out. Christmas is about extravengence, in my opinion. It's not like you can ask for a mini-laptop on fucking Labor Day.

Maybe I want a new speaker cabinet? Aw shit, I dunno. Maybe I should just ask for fucking cash. That'll end the debate without a doubt.

-Tyler

Mandatory "Gotta Plug My Stuff" Blog Entry

So, just to get things started, I might as well plug my debut album, A Song A Day I. This is a compilation of the better tunes to come out of a month-long experiment where I would write and record a new song every Monday-Thursday, and record a cover song every Friday, just using a simple acoustic and my voice. It's pretty raw, without any other instrumentation and/or autotune (vocal fuckups were kept in, to be genuine and stuff). It's pretty neat and YOU (yes, YOU!) can download it FOR FREE at http://pennyracer.bandcamp.mu, which is an extraordinary music site that will earn it's due soon. And don't be shy to leave me your opinions in the comment box!

Okay, now that is done with, I can start talking about cool stuff now.

-Tyler

The Very First Post

Hi! Hello! Howdy! Howdafuckyadoin?

This is the first post of the official Penny Racer blog, where I will spill my brain onto the interwebs whenever I get a chance. Social commentary, potential song ideas, plain insanity, you name it, it'll probably be here!

This should be fun!

-Tyler