Holly Jolly

Hope you have a great holiday season, and a happy new year. There's much to look forward to in 2009... The Film Dailies are gonna take over, I'm tellin ya. Writing of the debut album is wrapping up in the coming weeks, and we can't wait for people to hear the tunes. Up next: mixing, mastering, photos and the launch of a video project that we're very excited about, too. I swear I'm not making any of this up!

Steady Work

Still working away on The Film Dailies, and nearing completion of the next Michael Lloyd Band collection of songs. These will include the ones I've released here as "An Ocean Overhead," but I'm gonna come up with a different name for the CD. Holla.

Listen to Molly Cherington

Singer-songwriter/guitarist Molly Cherington and I have hatched a diabolical plan to take over the world with our new collaborative project, The Film Dailies. The sound might be described as indie electronica pop, and it's like nothing either of us has done before. We are well on our way to a debut album and will be threatening to release some sneak preview tracks soon.

You Should Hear Wadirum

Great band with a new album, well worth your time to check out. Stewart Erlich and the band evoke Damien Rice, a little Martin Sexton, some Ben Harper. Dark n' moody, just like you like.

Some of my new favs are "Telene at 22" and "Dinosaur Bones" ...

http://www.myspace.com/wadirum

http://www.itunes.com/wadirum

Videos are coming back

Because of the Internets, music video is making a comeback. Check out these videos from some fantastic directors, including some in this article.

I will be telling you about my new project very soon. Can you guess whether it will involve moving pictures?

Your Opinion Doesn't Matter

Unless you register to vote!

https://www.voteforchange.com/

Thank The Lord For Jon Stewart

I'm Competing In The Olympics

Actually I'm not in the Olympics. I do feel bad, however, that I haven't posted in a while. I'm here, and I will soon have some exciting new stuff to tell you about. I've been very busy creating a new project with an incredibly talented collaborator. Her first name also begins with an 'M'. I think you're gonna like it.

I'm also going to release the songs from the Ocean Overhead collection on disc. The goal is sometime this fall. I'll keep ya updated, as always.

Holla.

PS - I'm headed to Obama's acceptance speech in Denver. I'm hoping Britney Spears and Paris Hilton are there, too.

You Suck At Photardshop

The Coldplays on The Daily Show

Check out this up and coming British band, The Coldplays. Appearing on a little-known indie cult comedy program called The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Also be advised, your time is running out to snag my songs for free. The download links are coming down soon, to be replaced by info on an upcoming release... stay tuned, I'm cooking up something new and it's gonna be fun.

Newscasters Gone Wild

Parental Advisory: this video contains some all-time favorite newscaster moments.

Colorado Wave Rules

Carmen Allgood runs the Colorado Wave radio show, which is syndicated all over the country. I'm psyched that she has included MLB in a number of shows, and it's fun to be part of a show devoted to independent artists making noise in CO. You rock, Carmen!

Check out MLB on The Colorado Wave HERE.

And here's their homepage for more info.

Spelling Bee Scandal

It's not rap music that is corrupting the children. It's spelling bees.

Elderly Politician Rap Video

Sorry, I really can't resist the combination of music, politics and slightly wacked old people from Alaska. I was born there. Maybe that's why.

Power to the people. Give peace a chance:

Never Enough

Never Enough -- Free Download
Words and Music ML (2008)
Live Drums by John Leslie Boom Boom Nelson
All Rights Reserved


Whoa my dear there is sweet sorrow
In this love I have for you
For every time I taste it
My hunger multiplies by two

Is it a curse or is it magic
That always keeps me coming back for more, and more
Forever searching is so cold
Until I come to rest on something warm

And we begin again, rising up inside
Maybe this time I will find out why

You give me all your lovin'
But it's never enough

Close your eyes, create a picture
Shape suggestion to wrap your mind around
What do they say about too much of a good thing?
There's only one way to find out

And we begin again, rising up inside
Maybe this time I will find out why

You give me all your lovin'
But it's never enough

Rock me now my love
Tell me is it true
You want me as much as I want you
These words that we say
They are not enough
Come here now, and show me how much


"Never Enough"
Released May 21, 2008
Part of An Ocean Overhead
A free online album by the Michael Lloyd Band
More free music at www.mlband.com

Top Ten Reasons To Watch BSG

I think numbers 5 and 6 are my favorite:

Telescopes

Telescopes - Free Download
Words and Music ML (2008)
All Rights Reserved


So much time wasted in the sky
A thousand constellations couldn't get me high
Enough to rise above the fear that kept me wide awake
I could always be alone because of my mistakes

Magnified over time
You'd been waiting right here in front of me
Telescopes show distant lights
And I looked much too far for you

One night my sky was standing still
I watched the stars again until
A rising sun faded them away
And all at once I realized my mistake

Magnified over time
You'd been waiting right here in front of me
Telescopes show distant lights
And I looked much too far for you

And I looked much too far for you
And I looked much too far for you



"Telescopes"
Released April 30, 2008
Part of An Ocean Overhead
A free online album by the Michael Lloyd Band
More free music at www.mlband.com

Videos of the Week

Several examples why I've thus far chosen not to become a TV reporter:


Compilation of Reporters Getting Owned - Watch more free videos


And even if you don't like Barack, you gotta love giant cartoon heads:



I'm finishing up "Telescopes" which will be song #5 on my legendary, transcendent and mind-blowing new online album. Get on the mailing list so I can whisper in your ear when it's ready. Sincerely, M

Learn

Learn - Version 1 Free Download (Warning: Explicit Lyric)
Learn - Version 2 Free Download (Clean: No F-Bombs)
Words and Music ML (2008)
All Rights Reserved


Could I drink enough to drain the ocean?
Release my dignity
Could I float back to the surface?
Reverse my gravity

There is a faucet in my mind
It's left running all the time
Drowns everything out and leaves no air
It seems such a waste that I don't care

When am I ever gonna learn?

The anger hits me when I find my thirst for more
Sharp pain like I stepped on a nail in the floor
It's way too late
So fuck everything I ever cared for

When am I ever gonna learn?

Sometimes I still long for the ocean
To navigate my sobriety
The bright reflections off the water
Would let me hide what's underneath

There's still a faucet deep inside
It's still running all the time
And the next time I'm betrayed
Over and over the voices will say

When am I ever gonna learn?


"Learn"
Released April 15, 2008
Part of An Ocean Overhead
A free online album by the Michael Lloyd Band
More free music at www.mlband.com

Shut Up and Follow These Links

Let me share some of my Internet travels with you, my friend.

First, learn how to beatbox with this easy recipe:

Beatbox Fame Game
Uploaded by loranger

Then, you can

• Find out what things people accomplished when they were your age.
  


• And finally, reach the end of the Internet.
  
  

Cascades

Cascades - Free Download
Words and Music ML (2008)
All Rights Reserved



Think of all that matters most to you
If you found it gone what would you do?
Your dreams are mountains rising way out west
Something much too solid to forget

You may find that someday soon
It all comes crashing down over you
Cascades

Think of all that matters most to you
All you take for granted you won't lose
Your dreams become an ocean overhead
You can't hold them up, and not get wet

You may find that someday soon
It all comes crashing down over you
Cascades

Sing for all the good times
That have gone forever
Remember



"Cascades"
Released April 1, 2008
Part of An Ocean Overhead
A free online album by the Michael Lloyd Band
More music at www.mlband.com

Six Boomer Starbuck

Free Download
Music by ML
All Rights Reserved

In observance of the return of Battlestar Galactica, here's my techno-trance tribute to the ladies of BSG.

There's no lyrics, and this isn't part of the album. It's just a bonus track for you to listen to while you're trying to find earth!

It's Raining McCain

I'm speechless.



My Top 5 Favorite Aspects of This Video:

1. The floating, disembodied John-McCain-head in the background.
2. The girl "washing her face" with mini-John-McCains.
3. The lip-sync-ing ability of the older woman in pink.
4. The vocals. All of them.
5. The fact that this probably took a long time to put together.

In case you missed it, Barack and Hilary have interesting music videos, too.



I think I'm gonna need to produce a video for one of my new tunes.

Hey Ya, Acoustic (Really)

glumbert - Acoustic Hey Ya

Barack and Hillary's Dueling Music Videos

It's election time, and you know that means theme songs. But a fun new phonomenon is that fans of candidates can make their own songs/videos and put them out to "support" the cause.

In fairness, the videos below shouldn't really be compared. One was produced by a very successful hip hop artist with celebrity friends. The other was produced by a computer geek/flute player in California. It's like LL Cool J versus your friendly community wedding band.

These two videos have been made into a story by NPR, and lots of people are seeing them. It's an unfair comparison, but in my humble opinion I think it resonates because it reflects the way a lot of younger people feel about the two candidates.

See for yourself.

Will.i.am's "Yes We Can"



Gene Wang's "Hillary 4 U and Me"

You Should Hear Donny Hathaway

Donny Hathaway has been a big inspiration to my music. If you haven't heard Donny before, check out the videos below. He won a best pop Grammy in 1973 for "Where Is The Love," a duet with Roberta Flack. Sadly, six years later he committed suicide. He left behind some amazing soul/r&b/funk music, though. I'd suggest checking out his album called "Live."

Donny Hathaway - "The Ghetto" (Live)



Donny Hathaway - "You've Got A Friend"



Donny Hathaway - "Someday We'll All Be Free"

Ben Folds, What The Hell Are You Doing

Though I don't hear the resemblance, some of my music has been compared to Ben Folds. I guess it's because we both play the piano. I think Ben is an amazing talent, and I'm a fan. But I admit there are times when I'm left scratching my head at him. (Can you scratch your head "at" someone?)

I feel like I'm the only one not getting his joke sometimes, so I'm asking for your help. Can you tell me what the hell he's doing at the end of this video, below? I'm a fan of Ben Folds, and I'm a fan of The Postal Service, so I'm psyched to see Ben playing a Postal song. But he does something inexplicable at the end. Help.

Ben Folds Plays "Such Great Heights" by the Postal Service:




Here's The Postal Service original version, just for fun...




I'm currently working on "Cascades," which will be song #3 on my new online album An Ocean Overhead. I'll holla soon when it's here and ready to be downloaded. If you are on my email list, you'll hear me when I holla.

Why I'm Feeling Guilty About Britney

I feel compelled to offer some liner notes to "My Weekend With Britney," because I'm feeling a little guilty about one part of the song.

I wrote the song months ago, long before Ms. Spears' latest troubles. So please - Britney fans, don't slam me. I had no idea what was gonna happen. Seriously. Given the circumstances, I considered changing the lyrics at the last minute, but decided I should offer it up as it originally came to me.

Normally songwriters don't like to talk about the meanings of their own songs, because everybody interprets things differently. Besides, who am I to say what a song means?

But in this case, I will say only this: after listening to this song many times, I think I realized it's not really about Britney or anyone else.

(Now stepping off the trippy Kumbaya soapbox)

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the smartass comments. Click on "Comments" at the bottom of this post.

I wanna say thanks to my friend Jon Leslie, whose great sense of humor helped inspire this idea in the first place.

And finally, I'll post the lyrics soon. It's more fun if you just listen to the song without seeing the lyrics first...

My Weekend With Britney

My Weekend With Britney - Free Download
Words and Music ML (2008)
All Rights Reserved


Well I know I'm just a no one, and you are Britney Spears
But I saw you on the TV, and I think we share some fears
We've made mistakes that cost us, and now the road's unclear
I'm not a stalker Britney, I just have a good idea

I think the world's gone crazy, only you and I are sane
So Britney come with me this weekend, and let's just get away

You and I have much in common, I bet you didn't know
My life is full of song and dance, but I don't run the show
Well both of us, we fell from grace, crowds shook their heads in shame
Yours was a little bit bigger than mine but it's really just the same

We could come together, make the most of our short time
Then you'd go back to your circus life, and I'd go back to mine

Well I can drive you up the mountainside, we'll take pictures of the view
Nobody will follow us, they'll have better things to do
Than chase around two tired souls who've both seen better days
Who both need understanding, and a weekend getaway

So come with me to a quiet dinner at a diner in the hills
I will pull your chair out for you and yes, I'll pay the bill
We'll walk along the lakeshore, just like a movie scene
And talk about potential, and make up some new dream

Well Britney we all make mistakes, why don't you see it's true
So take my hand and for two days I'll make mistakes with you

Let's go for a real long drive and sing the whole way there
You'll love how I smile at you and I'll love
The wind in your hair

If they play Justin on the radio, I will quickly make a change
My ex-girlfriend loves Keith Urban, so if you hear him, you do the same
Together we'll make our playlist, our own escape soundtrack
This is my weekend with you Britney, and there's no turning back

If Fed-Ex somehow finds us, I won't let him spin you 'round
We'll show him our new dance moves, and I'll punch him in the mouth

It's just a weekend Britney, I would not ask you to stay
Two days and nights together and I think we'll be okay


"My Weekend With Britney"
Released Feb 20, 2008
Part of An Ocean Overhead
A free online album by the Michael Lloyd Band
More music at www.mlband.com

Join My Email List And Get Free Ice Cream

Ah, the free ice cream thing was a lie. But, if we ever meet in person, you can make me feel uncomfortable by demanding I make good on the promise.

Stick your email in the box, and whenever something new and delectable is posted here on mlband.com, you'll have it in your inbox. This includes free music, invaluable wisdom and things from the web to make you smile. You'll always have the option to cancel, and it will deeply offend me but I won't know you did it, so no sweat. Thank you, my friend.

Stick your email address in here:

Music Maps - Britney and Slayer

This week I'm releasing song #2 from my new online album, An Ocean Overhead. It's called "My Weekend With Britney." It'll be up on the site in a day or so.

Now, before you bust my chops for jumping on the Britney bandwagon, I wrote the song months ago. I didn't realize that she was going to go certifiably crazy and be on the cover of Rolling Stone again. But my song isn't mean - in fact I'm on her side. So, we'll see if I get lots of angry Britney fans on my case. I may never be able to go to a mall again.

Check this out - the Music Map web site lets you enter the name of an artist, then it creates a "cloud" of similar or related artists. You get to watch the cloud spread out across the screen. When it's done, the closer two artists are, the greater the probability people will like both artists.

Useful for getting some ideas for new artists to check out. I entered "Britney Spears," and was interested to note that her cloud included Slayer. Britney fans are hard core.

Theremin Valentine

Happy Valentines from a music geek.

Stumbled on this video performance / explanation of the Theremin, the electric instrument you play by waving your hands in the air. It was invented in the 1920s, but it's still amazing to watch today. Pamelia Kurstin, virtuoso of cuteness, makes it look easy to play an instrument literally out of thin air. Joined by a pianist named Makoto Ozone, which could possibly be the coolest name ever. I'd be a badass too if my name was Makoto Ozone.





And another favorite YouTube contribution, "Stop Motion Drums and Piano" made by a Norwegian dude who apparently cannot play either drums or piano. Hey Norwegian dude, play a cover of one of my songs!





Next week on www.mlband.com, I release song #2 from my free online album: "My Weekend With Britney." Yes, it is that Britney. I am feeling a little guilty about the song now, but I will explain later. In the meantime, subscribe to my podcast, or stick your email address in the "Get New Posts By Email" box on www.mlband.com.

-- Mike

Quicksand

Quicksand - Download
Words and Music ML
All Rights Reserved (2008)


The second act is where we open
And we find our hero broken
Mixed signals and confusion rule the day

Accepting the excuses
She is doing what she chooses
What good are second chances? Who's to say

Now he has got no traction
No good grip or fast reaction
To get the girl he needs to seize the day

In truth someone should free him
From his foolish carpe diem
She's not the one but he wants her anyway

If I stop moving I'll be sinking where I stand
Quicksand
Quicksand
Quicksand

There are some things I will never understand
Quicksand
Quicksand
Quicksand

Turning around and around and around...


-- From Michael Lloyd Band's free online album An Ocean Overhead.
For more visit www.mlband.com

New Online Album: "An Ocean Overhead"

I began releasing the new Michael Lloyd Band free online album this week. The album is called An Ocean Overhead, and you can download tracks from this page or subscribe to the podcast to get tracks automatically as they're posted. Or be old-school and join the email list.

I'm releasing songs individually, not the whole album at once. You can see what's coming up on the downloads page.


About The Album

The album title comes from a lyric in "Cascades," one of the songs. I searched to see if there was anything out there already called An Ocean Overhead, and found the following passage from an old book...

"As if to heighten the horror of a scene already too appalling, a peal of thunder rolled along, which made itself audible in despite of the tempest; and the rain, as if from an ocean overhead, poured down in solid masses. By this time, the wives and families of the men thus hastening to death, were assembled near the pier; but the waves, which were now dashing in tremendous force over it, prevented even the attempt to pass along, and such was the fearful uncertainty which hung around the vessel, that not one of those most interested dared to utter even an exclamation, but stood in silent horror to await the catastrophe. This was fast hastening to its completion; the silence of the spectators was at once broken, by the cries of, "She is lost, she is lost!" as the vessel, lashed on by the tempest, passed to the outer side of the breakwater, and in one instant, struck with awful violence between two black rugged rocks, while, in the next, a furious sea washing over her, carried away the masts."

-- from "Passages in the Life of Francis Flagstaffe, Esq., Late Major in His Majesty's Service" (Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, 1828)

25 Great Piano Rock Artists

25 Great Piano Rock Artists

These artists and bands feature the piano or keyboards. Includes past and present, and some who are mainly known in other genres (jazz, r&b, soul, etc). Last but not least, a little shameless self-promotion. Contact me with suggestions for future lists. -- Mike

In no particular order...

1. Professor Longhair



2. Soulive



3. Les McCann



4. Ray Charles



5. Billy Preston



6. Steve Winwood



7. Donny Hathaway



8. John Legend



9. Rufus Wainwright



10. Jamie Cullum



11. Steely Dan



12. Marc Cohn



13. The Postal Service



14. Stevie Wonder



15. Sarah McLachlan



16. The Fray



17. Leon Russell



18. Keane



19. Jackson Browne



20. Elton John



21. Billy Joel



22. Coldplay



23. Bruce Hornsby



24. Ben Folds



25. Michael Lloyd Band

It's Just Like A Mini-Mall

Next week I'm finally gonna get you the first of my new tunes, called "Quicksand." Make sure you're signed up on the RSS/podcast feed.

In the meantime, two videos to check out:

Bill Strickland's inspiring work (this is a 30-minute video, but worth it). From the site: "With subtle accompaniment by longtime friend Herbie Hancock, and a slide show that has opened the minds (and pocketbooks) of CEOs across the country, Bill Strickland tells a quiet and astonishing tale of redemption through arts, music and unlikely partnerships. (2002)

And Flea Market Montgomery, among the greatest locally-produced TV commercials of all time. Mesmerizing. I can't decide if I like this better than the classic Blu-Blockers sunglasses commercial. Leave a comment, tell me what you think.

My Friends Are Wack & I Will Share

Besides making some music and sharing it with you here, I will also be sharing links to all things ridiculous and/or sublime on the Internets. Added entertainment value.

The thing is, I have some seriously screwed up friends who send me things from the web all the time. For example, Zombo.com. Make sure your speakers are on.

Take a few minutes to bask in the glory of Zombo-com, and ponder its power.

Or this horrendously sexist classic coffee commercial:



Have fun out there, and send me good stuff if you stumble on anything.

New Songs Drop In February

Starting in February, I'm gonna begin dropping new material on y'all. I'm aiming for one new song a week. I can't believe it's been three years since I put out any new stuff. Time flys when you're having fun, right?

No plans in the works for any live shows for the time being, but the threat of a reunion is always lurking. After I get the new material out there, and if there is not too strong of a campaign to make me shut up, then maybe...

What The Hell Is So Good About Blogs

Every once in a while, I will call time-out from music to tell you about something I think you'll find useful. Whether it's music-related or not.

This is gonna make me sound like a salesman for a second, but I'm not selling anything. All of what I'm about to discuss is free, and I found it useful, so I thought maybe you would too.

Imagine if you had an inbox - just like an email inbox - for all the info you liked best on the Internet. One place you could go to check out what was new on every one of your favorite web sites, and cherry-pick which items you'd like to read.

Here's why you should get an RSS reader (relax, it's easy):

Let's say you have a set of web sites that you like to check out fairly regularly. News, sports, celebrity stalker photos, etc. What you may not realize is that most of these sites provide RSS feeds of their content. They "broadcast" all their articles on this feed.

So, if you have an RSS reader, like the free Google Reader, you can "subscribe" to the feeds from all your favorite sites. Then you can read everything from a single site (in this example, your Google Reader homepage), with handy links back to all the original sites. It makes it much, much faster and easier to keep up with all your info sources. No ads. No clutter.

Besides music, I subscribe to blogs on people who receive ridiculous passive-aggressive notes, getting rich, gluten-free cooking, ESPN and the NYTimes. And a mess of other stuff. It's addicting.

Of course, you'd want to subscribe to this blog before anything else, right? Right.

Let me know if you find any more good ones.

New Songs In The Oven

Making some great progress on the new material, still hopeful you'll be hearing it within a month or so. This will be entirely solo stuff, with contributions here and there from my usual co-conspirators. The sound is very different than anything from the old EP. But that makes sense, since those songs represent what I was doing five or six years ago. Hint - less of the "J" word and more of the "R" word.

I'm producing it all myself, with beats and other noises I'm making with my silver robotic box of keys and buttons. Some of them light up, you should see it. Here are some song titles...

Quicksand
Learn
Stranger Again
Telescopes
Never Enough

and more....

Some new CDs in my ears

Recently bought a few new CDs from some piano players I greatly admire...

Marc Cohn - Join The Parade
Since this dude's last album, he's been shot in the head during a failed carjacking (in Denver no less) and gotten divorced. Think he had anything to write about? The songs are very light on piano, much more guitars than I'm used to hearing on his albums, but the formula is familiar - churchy, bluesy vocals and a lot of creole soul. The title track chorus is stuck in my head, as is the great cover art of a New Orleans marching band. When I die, I want a New Orleans style marching band procession.

Other favorite tracks... "Listening to Levon" is an apology to a wronged love that makes a nod to Van Morrison... "Dance Back From The Grave" is a gut-bucket funk tribute to New Orleans' resiliency... "You're A Shadow" is the bonus track you get if you download the album from iTunes, and it's a dark gem. I wonder if Cohn thinks this album was worth all the trouble. I do.

Bruce Hornsby - Camp Meeting
I will post later about how great Hornsby is, in depth. In the past year he's released a bluegrass album with Ricky Skaggs (which is also awesome) and this CD, with a crappy bassist named Christian McBride and an awful drummer named Jack DeJonnette. Wow, the three of them sure don't know how to play their instruments at all. Actually they're so good they make me want to throw my piano out the window and give up.

This is top-notch modern jazz piano trio material with a subtle tip of the cap to the rock/pop/bluegrass/mishmash world Hornsby has created for himself. No vocals, this is a jazz piano record. Ever wondered how Thelonious Monk's classic off-kilter blues-bop chart "Straight No Chaser" would sound chased by an obvious hint of "Not Fade Away," the Buddy Holly song made famous by The Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead? With these guys on the bandstand, it's gonna sound fun. Be warned, in spots this album gets harmonically heady, with some serious complexity and atonality. All in all, it's beautifully haunting.