Louie McNeal

New stuff on the way

I got featured on a show devoted to presenting local (KY, OH & WV area). Great quality image and audio. If you'd be interested in booking a session (it doesn't pay anything but it doesn't cost anything either) contact me and I'll set you up with the people who are in charge of the show. (expired link)

My band's last show was March 20th of last year. Our first show this year is March 19th. That's one day short of a full year since we have had a stage to ply our trade. I think a year off might have done me some good. Practiced last night and the voice was strong and I was hitting notes I hadn't in maybe 10 years. Maybe I needed the rest.

The band is excited to get back to work. It don't make us rich, but it does pay for a few groceries and some gas for the week. Now I can finally tour this album I recorded in 2019. The time away from live performances really made me appreciate playing shows all the more.

It forced me to take a look at my life and the 25 years on the road. When all you have ever been, or wanted to be was a working musician... when that is suddenly taken away, you ask yourself, "Who and what are you if you don't have that immediate gratification you get from turning a crowd on with your music?" I didn't really get a clear answer to that question, but I understood it enough to know that I really should never take gigs for granted. Man. I have missed it so.

I spent so much time staring out the window with a desperate look on my face, like a kid that has to stay inside while all his friends are outside playing. It was a pretty pathetic display for a guy my age, but it was what it was. Hopefully we have gotten through the worst of this mess and we can ease swiftly back into something that more resembles normality.

If you're in Ironton, OH on March 19th, stop by Frogtown and check out the happy smiles on me and the rest of the band. We are all grateful to be back to work after such an interruption.

Cheers

Thank you all for the plays/listens.

I have put up a new tune in the cue that I wrote some time back and just recently took a stab at recording. Its a unique song compared to what usually passes as "the usual style" of tune that normally haunts my confusing catalog of musical complaints, rhythmic nihilism and melodic personality disorders.

That being said... Its not too far out in left-field as to compel me to assume a secret identity in order to test it out anonymously (I would never stoop so low...) on unsuspecting music sites (located somewhere in eastern Europe... hypothetically).

The song is called Trick's On Me (My Time).

I wrote this song several years back about a stripper I had the pleasure of knowing (by her real name... yes, they have real names... did you know that?) for a short hell... I mean spell. What kind of parents out there would actually dare to name their baby girl "Cinnamon" or "Athena" or... "Walter" after all ( the coolest parents on the planet, that's who.)? Ah I was such a sweet mess back then. Not like now. No sir, not like now at all. Now I am so much more of a mess than I ever thought a mess could get. And I have a decent imagination. Especially regarding messes and how messy the messiest of messes can get.

Anyway, back to the song before I venture too far down another rabbit-hole of my award-nominated anxious introspection and terror-filled reflection (if I haven't already passed that point as it is).

Its (the song, that is) done in three distinctly different parts.

The first part comes first (that's a rule), followed closely by the second part (again... rule) and then briefly back to first part, concluding of course with... the third part (then ever so briefly followed by the first part again, because, why the hell not?).

The complexity of the music is far too good for having me as its writer to be honest, but every once in a while, the universe throws you a bone, just so that you don't always feel like dropping out of law school in your senior year was such a catastrophic mistake (noting that- though over half your classmates are either in jail, in congress or trying to find a way to milk one more bloody nickel out Lennon/McCartney outtakes- things could have gone worse).

The song!

Yes, the song is a fairly moderate tempo that makes it naturally listenable before the first note is struck. Its a magic tempo that I am sworn to secrecy to keep. Sorry, don't ask. And don't try timing it either.

I have it disguised in another false-tempo altogether that has nothing to do with actual time (or time as we view it). Its complicated math that I am just too tired to go into at the moment. Let's just say that it uses numbers, letters, the Prince symbol and the odd hieroglyphic sprinkled in here and there.

Recording the song.

I opted to open it up with a plucked Cello serving as the rhythm source paired with duel acoustics. The drummer is hanging back a little, partly because I wanted to highlight the rhythm Cello and partly because I hadn't paid him yet.

After the first part of the first verse finishes, the drums get going and we hear the first of the electric guitar (which was on loan because I don't own any electric guitars and probably never will).

Vocally, the verse lyrics are conversationally sang, like a 3am conversation with a crooked accountant, or a 63yr old coke dealer who doesn't want to wake their mother.

The second part of the verses are more sang than talked, and not so much at whisper this time. It goes through 4 quick verses (or 2 average sized verses, separated briefly by the titular refrain) and then the lead break.

The lead guitar is not winning any technical awards but its at least in tune and approachable, not pretentious in the least. The electric guitar tone is pretty harsh for my taste, but the dog didn't leave the room when it was played, so I guess that's good enough for me.

After the lead break we come to the second part of the song (that I wish I could have used more percussion instruments on, but I'm not spending that kind of money on things that are more annoying than useful. I have an ex-wife that burned me out early on that bad habit. I've done my time. But still... would have been handy to have that day) where the pace of the song quickens while still staying in the original timing (told you before... magic). The vocals come at a faster cadence and are a tad freer from the strict melodic insistence of the first part of the song.

Then the third part of the song comes along, with its gentle descending scale to the passing fifth before a soft resolve back at the root and a slightly cheeky false-ending, quickly followed by the refrain and then a slight coda (because I always wanted to write one of those sumbitches).

So that's the new song that's up for anyone wanting to have a listen.

I have had a few of you ask for some more tunes from me, so I figure this would be one of those songs that helps me differentiate the casual-yet-polite listeners from the freak-show rejects who demand a better view into my music window (hey, don't look if you aren't ready to see).

Again thanks for the continued plays/listens.

To be completely honest (or as close as I can get to that), I wasn't expecting much when I joined this site, but have been pleasantly surprised (and a tad frightened at times) by the response(s).

I am well-represented on a whole herd of independent music sites of similar make-up as this one but in spite my short time here, I seem to be getting faster song-play counts than some of the other ones. Even some high profile ones that I won't mention their names because I don't want anyone feel like I am trying to spam them.

Chances are, if you type my name into google you will have no problem finding any and all of them if you feel adventurous. Hours of enjoyable music for your listening pleasures, or at least a background noise for your pets while you are away at work or school or... wherever you go that isn't within their line of site.

Just ignore all the non-music related sites that come up on that search. Those are full of goddam lies and intentional misrepresentations that the media just aches to distort in order to fill out a slow news cycle.

*Granted, a few of them are true, but what 25 consensual adults- dressed up as characters from their favorite nursery rhymes- do in the privacy of a hollowed-out school bus in the middle of the woods is their own damn business.

Stay safe out there, wear protection (in every form you can), and stay the hell away from me you plague-ridden wretches, at least until this pandemic is over. In fact, even after all this contagion shit is done with, just stay the hell away from me then too. Unless you come to a show, when that's allowed again. But still... let's keep that 6 foot rule in place for a good long while if we can.

If you've managed to read all the way to this point... You really must be bored out of your minds. Haven't you got something you should otherwise be doing? The internet has free porn for Christ-sake. There are mini-series all over the place about serial-killers. Tons of shit on UFO's and mysterious occurrences that science can't explain. YOUTUBE!! Have you ever heard of it? You can find anything that your conspiracy-theory heart desires on there. Flat-Earthers!! Great Lucifer's tail... you can refine any confirmation bias you have on that site.

Anyway. Here's an idea... Buy something!! The button is right there, isn't it? All the hard work is already done for you.

All you have to do is click the damn button!

Click it!

I dare you!

If you don't buy a song, then the Covid virus wins. Do your damn part.

All the cool kids are doing it.

Shouldn't you?