I'm in a New York state of mind.

I just wanted to let you all know I'm out on the road with Bruce Robison.
This is just a short little hop with a few select dates but it's been a strange and interesting affair so far.
We flew into Buffalo and did our first gig at the Sportsmen's Tavern.
Quite a few people were sporting cowboy hats and boots.
I wondered if they were real cowboys or just dressing up because we hail from Texas.
I was born and raised in the Lone Star State but I was dressed like Lou Reed.
Tonight we played in Lowville NY.
I've never been here but it's a beautiful place.
I went for a long run out in the country and passed a dairy and saw some Amish folk complete with horse and buggy.
We did our gig at the Historical Society.
There were stuffed birds and mannequins and paintings whose eyes seemed to move when you walked past them.
I play some interesting gigs with Mr. Robison.
Tomorrow we're playing in Albany at the Swyer Theater with Iris Dement and then it's off to the Big Apple.
I'll be playing a show with my old friend Adam Levy at Banjo Jim's in the village.
www.banjojims.com
Adam Levy is a wicked guitarist and he's done tours and recorded with Norah Jones and Tracy Chapman.
In fact, if you know that Tracy Chapman tune "Give Me One Reason", Adam's guitar is the first thing you hear.
I'll be doing some Fastball tunes, some Small Stars tunes and a few new ones so I hope y'all can make it down.
On Tuesday Bruce and I are playing in Easton, Maryland at the Nightcat and Wednesday we play in Philadelphia at the Tin Angel.
http://www.nightcatmusic.com/
http://www.tinangel.com/
I'm opening both of these gigs and then playing guitar and singing harmony with Bruce afterwards.
If you come to one of these shows, please come say hello.
Salut,
MILES

P.S. Here's a new tune for ya

Smell the Cork Episode 2

Sorry I haven't written in a while.
I've been pretty busy.
I also feel like I'm channeling Ellen Degeneres so read the rest of this post in her voice.
I did get to go skiing in Steamboat Springs CO.
I normally associate skiing with something crazy and borderline suicidal like dancing on the ledge of a tall building with a Long Island Ice Tea in your hand or running across six lanes of freeway while dressed in a bear suit.
Skiing has always felt like that to me but this time I got lessons and I learned how to turn.
That was a good thing to learn.
No more crashing for me, no sir.
I was in Colorado to play a gig but the people that hired us threw in free skiing as a perk.
That's one of the great things about being in a band, all the little perks.

I did find time to tape another episode of Smell the Cork.
My guest was the fabulous Ray Benson.
He doesn't bill himself that way, I just think he's fabulous.
You can listen here:
http://smellthecork.libsyn.com/

Salud,
Miles

"Weird Al" Yankovic

Songwriting has taken me to many interesting places.
Recently I got to go to the Hanson's (yes that Hanson) annual songwriting pilgrimage called Fool's Banquet.
There was an amazing cast of characters there; Adam Green, Har Mar Superstar, Imani Coppola, the Hansons and "Weird Al" Yankovic to name a few.
I found time to share a bottle of wine with Weird Al and tape this interview.
Salut!
http://smellthecork.libsyn.com/

Goodbye Aughts, Hello Tens

It's the last day of 2009.
Time to take down the tree, shave my beard and learn to speak Mandarin Chinese.
I managed to get one more song in before the decade ended.


There's many more to come as well as a few other surprises just around the bend.

新年快乐
Miles

Bah Humbug

I've been listening to Christmas songs on the radio for the past day or so.
This is akin to Chinese water torture.
Sure it's fun for awhile...
but after you hear "Let it Snow" or "Baby It's Cold Outside" for the 500th time, you're ready to commit Hari Kari.
They play the same hundred Christmas songs over and over and over.
Sure there's different versions but I have to turn it off now before I have a conniption.
Also, lyrically these songs are all written from the point of view of someone who's actually seen...snow.
"Let it Snow" "Frosty the Snowman" "Walking in a Winter Wonderland". etc.
I live in Austin Texas.
It snows here maybe once a decade.
When it does, everything shuts down.
There's a panic run on the grocery stores that resembles Russia during World War One.
By noon the next day, all the snow has melted.
So snow is a non-event and a pain in the ass.
Sort of like the Fourth of July.

Working for tips

A few people said they'd be happy to buy the Mp3's I'm posting.
I didn't want to bother with all the rigamarole of putting these tunes up on I-tunes and they really are just demos and what have you.
I enjoy sharing them with you.
I've decided the best solution is to set up a tip jar of sorts.
If you like what you hear and want to tip me for the mp3, please do.
If you want to give me a bunch of money for no reason, that's cool too.

Songs! Songs! Give Me Songs!

Hello all.
It's December. Time to drink Brandy, grow a beard and watch a Wonderful Life.
I've also found time to write some songs.
The songwriting game is in full effect.
This time I had the choice of combining any of these two words:
Junkie
Gymnast
Spirit
School
Busy
Hands

Somewhat predictably, I gravitated toward the word Junkie.
Here is the result: