96/98 Compilation Album For Free

Between 1996 and 1998 I put down a few songs in a rather spur of the moment on my 4-track recorder. Lyrics were made up basically on the spot while the tape was rolling. The sounds are pretty lo-fi and the clanging of metal in some of the songs were spoons, pots and pans that made up our primitive percussion. Jim Seagroves helped out on the racket kitchen percussion sounds as well as general chanting or making a nuisance out of everything.

Back then Jim and I called ourselves “the Gidds”. Basically, it was our little gang name growing up. We listened to NWA in high school and wanted to be white thugs. We had our own language and mockerized the neighborhood. Some of the songs we speak in German.

I play the acoustic and electric guitar, sitar and sing the songs. My brother Bob Guittard played bass and guitar on a few tracks as well as beat on a hand drum. Warren Barry played the organ on Once Around the Moon as well as added to the weirdness.

I used a Dr. Groove Drum machine. I hope you like these weird songs. At the time of the recording I was listening to a lot of Beck’s Odelay. Please enjoy and make comments.

Here is the link where you can listen and download the album for free:
http://www.jamendo.com/en/album/55876

I wish Word Press would allow a widget here so that you could listen. Not at this time.

How Really Free Are You?

Let’s break it down. I may be wrong but let’s see.

1. Are you burdened by student loans that force you to work jobs you really do not like so that you can pay it back?

2. Are you underneath a mortgage on a home?

3. Do you pay loans are your car?

4. Are you able to get up and go anywhere you want?

5. Do you bring your work home with you? (If you enjoy your work, then that’s a different story).

6. Are you so obsessed with the latest gadgets and things?

7. Do you have a lot of credit card debt?

8. Are you happy and satisfied or at least moving towards what you perceive to get you there?

9. Would you keep working your job for free because you like it?

10. Are you doing overtime just to stay afloat and not go into the tank?

11. Do you have free time to do the things you enjoy?

12. When was the last time you got up and felt you were really making a difference?

13. Are you burdened down with fear?

14. Are you too busy?

Solutions:

Don’t watch T.V.
Rent or share a home with someone.
Stop buying things.
Quit your job and do something worthwhile.
Turn on, tune in and drop out.
Take some risks.
Do your part.
Become self-reliant.
Create yourself, do not let others create you.
Resist greed, anxiety, depression and fear.
Help others.

Now if you’re buried under debt and such, I wouldn’t suggest turning on tuning in and dropping out but I’d suggest really finding out what makes you happy and to move in that direction at least. It has been a long road for me and I’m still working on it and I’m rather on the debt free side but just looking for my niche that is helpful to society and to me.

I told my uncle once that if it takes me 50 years to get there, then it takes me 50 years to get there.

Ex KGB Discusses Subversion

Turn On Tune In and Rise Up!

Music and art can change our World for the good. You already know how chaotic it is these days if you are awake: Swine Flu hype, G20 Riots, Vaccinations, Nuclear Standoffs, RFID chips, health care arguments, economy, Iraq War, terrorism, the New World Order, 1st amendment violations, unemployment, and the list can go on and on.

Now if we all rise up together we can push the oppressive things out of the way. I have compiled a Jamendo only playlist of artists I really like because of their honesty and musical quality. Please download at the link below and pass around. We can do this. It isn’t over and as long as we are breathing we can do something.

And here is another idea: If you can play guitar or piano, sing or write, get going and make a song about whatever you are going through. No matter what. Flood the internet with your viewpoint. Let’s not give in to the elite bullies in charge who want to manipulate, con and destroy us with their fear-mongering. These are all distractions.

if you paint or draw do that, too. Flood the internet with your world. We have more numbers behind us than those elite. They hide behind their power and wealth. Come and get going.

Make youtube videos, too and post. Do it!

Here’s where you can play or download the playlist for free:

Turn On, Tune In, and Rise Up Playlist

1. Rancho Relaxo – From The Hip
2. Rancho Relaxo – Quebec
3. The Zombie Drivers – There Is No Law
4. The Zombie Drivers – Shine in the Rain
5. The Henry Chinaski’s Ashtray – A Girl Got A Car Accident
6. The Henry Chinaski’s Ashtray – One-eyed-woman’s dream
7. The Ragas – Blues Raga 2
8. The Ragas – What Ya Say
9. The Dada Weatherman – What Gandhi Said
10. The Dada Weatherman – Flying On A Cloud
11. Timado – True Blue
12. Timado – Turning
13. THE GOLDEN DAWN – Enjoy the Nature
14. The Golden Dawn – Let the Sunshine In
15. I Am Not Lefthanded – Falling
16. I Am Not Lefthanded – Long Goodbyes
17. Jamison Young – Live On A Moon
18. Jamison Young – Cold World
19. Blancheneige Bazaar Orchestra – Monkey Boy
20. Blancheneige Bazaar Orchestra – Meshugge
21. Jim Guittard – BJM-Like Song
22. Jim Guittard – The Sun Shines Today
23. Ben’s Imaginary Band – Connectiveness
24. Ben’s Imaginary Band – My Self-Centered World
25. Charline Lucie – Crimes de compagnie
26. Brad Sucks – Overreacting
27. Brad Sucks – Gasoline
28. Waterfalls – The Dandy Bell
29. Waterfalls – Get Tight And Loose
30. alterlabel -Optimystic
31. Blood Ruby – Midsummer Fires
32. Blood Ruby – Babel Babel
33. Illusion of Art – Machines
34. Illusion of Art – La Plano
35. The Heavens – Echo Serena
36. The Heavens – This Beautiful Machine
37. The Wagner Logic – Conflicting Sound
38. The Wagner Logic – So Hard
39. Glass Waves – Hey Nuclear
40. Glass Waves – Virginia Tech
41. FATHER JOHNSON – Treat Ya Kind
42. FATHER JOHNSON – Transcending
43. ARTSomerville – Are You Sleeping?
44. ARTSomerville – I know, I know
45. Chapter 9 – In the Universe
46. Chapter 9 – Small Apocalypse Song
47. The Verandas – Rescue Me
48. The Verandas – Anemone
49. Charlie Gibson – Eu Só Posso Cantar
50. Charlie Gibson – Porto ou Faxinal

The American Dream Has Been Outsourced

Do you remember how Hunter S. Thompson was searching for the American Dream in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas?

Well, the American Dream has been outsourced overseas. In what country it resides is a mystery. With all the bad economy, dream seekers have gotten the hell outta Dodge.

You say, “This is an outrage!” Yeah, it is an outrage.

Our nation is the most divided it has been since probably the Civil War or at least the 1960s. In 2009, we aren’t killing each other as in the Civil War but a war IS going on and I don’t mean the Iraq or Afghanistan Wars.

The present war is a war of ideas, principles, and the American Dream is quickly being put to shame.

The Framers in the Declaration of Independence guaranteed the following:

“That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

It further states that, “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

Folks, something is completely out of whack as they say and we must do something.

Read your Declaration of Independence here:

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html

Weird New America

Yeah, I was bored and wanted to make fun of myself and the whole youtube deal of fame by making 4 stupid videos.  Each video built on the prior video.  You can hear the audio of video 1 in video 2 and in video 3 you can hear the audio from video 1 and 2 and in video 4 you can hear the audio in video 1, 2, and 3. This was the first videos I made with my webcam.

It’s a collage of sound.  Most of life, we interact and get ideas from film and T.V. and so it was like I was in the film interacting with myself in real life.  Weird I know but you’ll understand when you watch.  I also put in miscellaneous commercials because I get tired of the commercials in America that brainwash us.

Here’s Video 1:

Here’s Video 2:

Here’s Video 3:

Here’s Video 4:

There are at least 3 partial songs in the videos. Can you name them?

Mockery Driven Purpose

Have you ever thought that our real enemy is ourselves?  America is falling from the inside not because of terrorists or other outside forces.  Americans need to get up from their deep sleep and take our country back.

What was America built and founded on?  Why did our ancestors come here?  Have we lost our roots?

Now alot of us are all driven by a purpose of mockery:  money at all costs, prestige, sex, fame, notoriety, wealth and fortune.  I don’t think our founding fathers would want to be a part of our current culture. 

What can we do?  Demand better, resist fear, greed, anxiety, and  mockery driven purposes.  Everybody is wondering.  What next?   Must I stay in this never-ending situation?  What should I do?  What does it all mean?  Does God care?  Why should I care anymore? 

Get up.

Letter To Dallas Morning News

America is rather silly right now. More and more news is negative about the crisis at hand. Where are the positive stories about good news. All we hear is bad and slanted toward going deeper and deeper down. Let’s write some positive stuff. It is funny that my having spent two years abroad as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bulgaria isn’t worth mentioning. Many papers that I have contacted have turned down the story.

Seems that greed and money is the only thing that is important to write about these days. There are a lot of hardworking, sacrificing people out there that need notice. And I am writing to toot my own horn maybe. I taught in rough school in Pernik, Bulgaria for two years getting paid less than $400 a month. I returned to America just last November and like everybody else I am also looking for a job. I have seen how the world views America and it is not so positive. We need to do our part and get back to hard work in whatever it is.

I think America is obsessed with money and careers. You know what? It doesn’t matter so much the career that one takes if there is passion and purpose behind it. If you want to be a street sweeper then go for it. There is respect in working hard and not just collecting hand out and doing nothing.

Jim Guittard
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Bulgaria
Dallas, Texas

Wake Up Now Americans!!!

A lot of stuff is going on right now that is more than mind-boggling.  There are a lot of folks out there that have been negligent, ignorant, selfish and greedy.  This I believe is why all this bailout, stimulus package has come about.

Do you think that throwing money at these people will help?  No!  Because it is an internal problem of the mind.  It is bad habits and total disregard for doing the right thing.  Yeah, in the old days people worked hard to get somethere.  There are a lot of Americans still today that do work hard to get somewhere. 

My Great Great Grandfather immigrated from France in 1846 to Ohio.  He didn’t know English.  He learned it and struggled his way to become a country doctor in New Bedford, Ohio.  He struggled through hard winters and cared after people with pneumonia and other diseases of the day.  There were no cars and he went around by horseback making calls on patients and would be gone from home days at a time.  THIS IS AMERICA!

Many people have the “lottery” mentality wishing for everything under the sun to come there way without any lifting of fingers.  It is sickening.  I believe America will fight the good fight.  There is something higher at play, here.  Will we exist as a nation of hard workers or a nation of “lottery” lovers.  The time is now to wake up and not settle for the mediocre, “I can’t” mentality.  Get up, stand up, rise up!  For God, For Country, For Honor!

Whose in charge here?  We have forgotten what the country was made of.  Overseas we get trashed for how America is now.  They expect us to lead!  How can we lead if we can’t even see through the confusion and chaos?  I lived overseas for two and a half years and I was confronted on few occasions about American Politics.  Let’s put it aside and go back to our roots.  It’s burning within each of us.  And by the way, Mr. Attorney General, Americans are not cowards.  Shame on you!  They stand for what is right.

Dr. Francis Joseph Guittard

Learning to Live with Pain

This article may poke fun at things but really it is written with best of intentions and I’m no therapist.  Think for yourself. 

I’ll start with America. Yeah, we’re having a helluva a time right now.  That’s what the news says at least.  This is a place where people live with the least amount of pain compared to the rest of the world. You say prove it! Okay, well, here it is.

There came a shift, I believe, in the early 1990s. Prior to the 1990s, people were living more constructively with their pain. Now, they do not live with it; they put it aside for the quick fix. You have all seen the drug commercials that hit television in the 1990s?

Prior to the mid 1990s, when people had shyness, or anxiety they confronted their fears head-on and worked through the “pain.” During my college days, I signed up for acting and speech courses. I also joined a Toastmasters group and took a pricey Dale Carnegie course. I was doing the deal.

Now alot of the public resorts to taking pills, first. I was sucked into the whole pill popping scene of the late 1990’s. It was after seeing a Paxil commercial. I went to my psychiatrist and requested Paxil and he prescribed it. It was so easy. I saw a commercial and in a few days I had pills. Now think about this phenomenon. Just look on Youtube and you will see testimonials about this.

The basic video is: I saw the drug commercial and went to see the psychiatrist or M.D. but they were too busy and so I talked to a nurse and told her my symptoms and then I got a prescription.

The follow up video goes something like: Now I am having side effects and cannot sleep or I am gaining weight. The doc is changing me to another medicine. I’ll see how it goes but maybe I should get off pills.

The third video goes something like: The new pills are not working either. I keep telling the doctor that I can do it on my own but the doctor insists I give it a try.

Then the video maker usually falls off the face of the earth. What happens next?

The next video comes out something like this: I am so mad at these doctors. They know nothing. I am better off just living with the anxiety than these side effects.

Through it all, I have held onto my guitar more than the pills. I’m no doctor or therapist.  Do your own research. The doctors know best about certain mental conditions that require medicine.

In my experience, it was more trouble and money than it was worth it. I should have learned to just live with the pain instead of buying into a quick fix.  I’m an artist by the way, and this is what drives me. 

So here it is, keep pressing on, don’t give up, don’t complain, just get on with it.