"Phone Call To Infinity" article in my local newspaper: The Evanston RoundTable! How cool is that?

Natalie Wainwright from Evanstons' RoundTable (local newspaper) wrote an amazing article about my latest release "Phone Call To Infinity".

I can't describe how wonderful I felt after reading this!

http://evanstonroundtable.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=3434&TM=80931.68

Thank you Natalie so very, very much!

This really made my latest EP and the holiday's that much more special! :~)))

Love to all,

Ian

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"Phone Call To Infinity" now available on CD Baby!

Yeah.....it's official!

My 2010, 3 - song EP entitled "Phone Call To Infinity" is now available on CD Baby! Just select this here link: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/iannarcisi3

Both the album (mp3) and individual songs (mp3) are available on CD Baby.

The physical CD (slip jacket and picture disc) will be available from my web site (ianmusic.com) 12/30/10 and from CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon, etc. 1/14/11.

The digital album (mp3) and individual songs (mp3) will be available on iTunes, Amazon, etc. 1/7/11.

I hope you enjoy these songs as much as I loved making them!

More music and video to come in the months ahead!

Happy Holiday's everyone!

Thank you for listening!

Ian :~)

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Finishing touches...

"Phone Call To Infinity" is nearing completion. Currently my wife and I are working on the CD jacket design while Tim (sound engineer/co-producer) is working on mastering the 3 - song EP. I plan on having the physical EP for sale on my website (ianmusic.com), some time next week. I plan to have both the physical EP and digital EP/individual songs for sale on CD Baby and iTunes by the end of the month.

Crazy-ass times!!!  :~P

Happy Holiday's everyone!

Ian

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"Behind The Dawn" completed

Song 3 entitled "Behind The Dawn" was waxed and polished on Sunday. I recorded the drums, keys and vocals last on Sunday, November 14th, Erik laid down the bass track Wednesday, November 17th, Dave added his magic guitar playing (electric and acoustic) Thursday, November 18th and Tim and I mixed down and mastered the song Sunday, November 21st (Tim is absolutely amazing at what he does!). Now that all three songs ("Absent Today", "Five Below Nothing", and "Behind The Dawn") are finished, it's time to get this music out to the masses! My goal is to have my 3 song EP (not titled as of yet) released on my web site (www.ianmusic.com), CDBaby and iTunes either the second, or third week in December. I have yet to take the photo that will set the overall theme to this EP and my wife and I need some time to get all the graphics laid out, but, as always, we will get to it.

The HD video will have to wait as my PC (named "Bad Ass") took a dive. My new PC parts arrive Friday and I should have "Bad Ass II" (wow, how original!) built the same day. So, this weekend may be a video editing extravaganza! This would be perfect seeing that Chicago may have its first weekend covered in snow with high's this coming Friday in the 20's (we were in the 60's yesterday with tornadoes nearby!) Welcome to Chicago's winter! I love it! :~)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Ian

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New song to be recorded next week!

Just to keep you all informed....

My website was down temporarily for maintenance purposes. All is good now!

I will be in the studio starting next week. I will have song 3 (yet to be titled) completed by the end of this month.

I will be releasing a 3 - song EP (yes, CD and all the fancy photography) mid to late next month. The three individual songs will also be available on iTunes and CDBaby.

Also, I will be previewing my "Five Below Nothing: The Creation Process" HD video late this month on my site.

Lots and lots to do! :~P

Ian

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Three song EP to be released mid December

A slight change in plan. My latest song which was completed last week entitled "Five Below Nothing" will not be released until mid December. It will be placed along side my recently released song "Absent Today" and my third song (to be recorded in mid November) and all will be released as one, big, happy EP. My plan is to print 50 EP CD's and have these available for purchase via my site (ianmusic.com), CDBaby and iTunes. And, like all the releases preceeding, I will be out, camera and all, finding the perfect shot for the cover. My wife and I will be designing the overall graphical theme for the CD and website. As far as digital downloads are concerned; my goal is to have my EP available digitally by mid to late December from the aforementioned sites.

...and there's plenty more where that came from: I have 15 other songs on the back burner! I have 10 hours of in-the-studio HD video which also includes live interviews with Tim, Erik, Dave and myself (I will be editing all this into a documentary some time in the winter) and I plan on releasing another 3 song EP in May 2011. So stay tuned! Let this music take you where you need to be......

Again now, don't forget: mid to late December = 3 song downloadable/physical CD release!

Full of love,

Ian

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Song 2: "Five Below Nothing" is nearly complete!

After 3 days in Studio Ballistico having Tim (studio engineer, co-producer and all-around nice guy) record my drums, vocals and keyboards on top of having Erik (bass), Dave (guitar) recording their tracks, and, oh yeah, a videographer shooting the whole recording process in HD; "Five Below Nothing" is nearly finished. This song was quite the challenge!

Available for sale on October 24th via CDBaby, iTunes.

Video will appear on the web further down the road as I am the designated editor.....:~)

Ian

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Absent Today lyrics

HOLLOWED OUT BETWEEN THE TREES YOU'VE SPOKEN

WALK AWAY FROM ALL YOU'LL EVER NEED

CAVE INTO AN EMPTY GLASS YOU'VE BROKEN

FAR TOO LONG

HERE ALL GONE

BLOWN FAR AWAY

ABSENT TODAY

BEHIND YOURSELF YOU KNOW YOU'RE REALLY THERE

INSIDE YOURSELF YOU KNOW YOU REALLY CARE

WAKE THE NIGHT

FEEL THE FIGHT

GLOW THROUGH THE HAZE

ABSENT TODAY

ALL NOT LOST

ANY COST

REACH FOR A RAY

BALANCE TODAY

:~)

-------------------------------------------------

The lyrics in this song "Absent Today" are screaming to you to look deep inside yourself! Deep within is the true essence of you! The kind, loving being ("Behind yourself you know you're really there. Inside yourself you know you really care.") It's never too late to crack the filaments of the fictitious you - the you you think you are. It's time to delve into yourself and weed out the superfluous crap! Now go "glow through the haze" and find your inner balance!!

- Ian -

 

 

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New single "Absent Today" released!

Song one of three has been released! "Absent Today" is now available for purchase on CDBaby and iTunes. It took Tim (co-producer/sound engineer), Dave (guitarist), and Erik (bass) and I a good 4 days to record, mix and master. I must say am quite proud of this one!! Everyone did such a fantastic job! My drums didn't require any tuning!!! Seriously! I pulled them out of their cases after over a year (kept them in my storage room) and lo and behold - perfectly tuned! Keyboards were a snap considering I didn't even have to lift a finger. I simply recorded them on my Tascam recorder at home and uploaded them to Tim who then added them to the studio tracks!! Gotta love that!!! I really hope you enjoy "Absent Today"!!! Song number 2 will be ready towards the end of October, so keep an ear out!!!! :~)

Ian

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New 3 - song EP to be released in December!

On Sunday, August 22nd I will once again be hauling my acoustic Ludwig drumset up 3 flights of stairs (StudioBallistico is one stop short of the stratosphere), to begin my next creative adventure! This will be the day I record the drum tracks, vocals and some other things I can't mention (surprise) for my next 3 - song EP. No title for the EP just yet, however, "Absent Today" will definitely be one of the three songs. The following week will include visits from Erik Swanson (bass), Dave Bowers (guitar) and Tim Sandusky (co-producer, sound engineer and musician). "Absent Today" should be complete by the end of August. I am planning song 2 (completed on keyboard and drums on my home digital recorder) to be recorded at Studio Ballistico in October and song 3 in November. Please visit Posterous, or Blogger for all the latest regarding the upcoming release!

Ian

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My live radio interview on 6.3.2010 (podcast) with BlogTalk Radio host Tania-Maria...

If you missed my radio interview here is the podcast: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ian-narcisi-fear-no-evil-jun/id313536829?i=83824782

Make sure you open it with iTunes when prompted, or you will not see the podcast listed. Opening it using iTunes will take you right to my iTunes store and the podcast! :~)

Enjoy!

Ian

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LIVE RADIO INTERVIEW THURSDAY, JUNE 3RD (7p PDT/10p EDT). YOU ARE INVITED!

Ok, gotta promote. At 7 p.m. PDT, 8 p.m. MDT, 9 p.m. CDT and 10 p.m. EDT I am being interviewed live on
BlogTalkRadio for 1.5 hours. Consider yourself invited! Radio host Tania-Maria and I will be discussing my 05'-09' releases and reminiscing...I also will talk about what music is to come and when it most likely will ...be released.... http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129809600366097&index=1

Hope you all can make it! :~)

Ian

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Music sitch

It has been over two months since I last wrote. I have 14 new songs in the making. Nine songs are ready for drums and vocals. Five songs are a simple melody that will turn into full-blown songs in the weeks and months to come. It's this ninth song that is challenging me big time. I pushed myself to the limit on this one! "Heavy", solo parts at the end (piano). By "heavy" I mean "physically challenging". I have to actually practice my chromatic rises and descending arpeggio's to pull this one off. I know that it will all pay off in the end. Once complete it is on to the next five. I have simple melodies and chordal changes and due to this may jump straight into drums adding the keys later. I really do love writing songs on piano, but sometimes you just gotta get the hell away from it before all the songs start sounding like.....well......piano songs.

Studio time? Not in the plans at this point in time. I was thinking of some live stuff (and still am), but not sure when this will all come about. Another victim of the recession. I got out of that pit a month ago, but you know; these things take time to heal. So, as a result everything has been pushed back. No biggie. I will just keep on writing and recording at home until I can give Tim, Erik and Dave a call and we will begin working on the next album. Life is auspicious................

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Chicago Blizzard Tuesday?? (2.9.2010)

    The weather geek in me always peaks whenever I see a significant weather event coming together. Tuesday's (2.9.2010) potential snow storm in Chicago is no exception. As it looks now two low pressure systems (one heading south southeast from Manitoba, Canada and one from the southwest US) are to merge somewhere over north central Missouri some time Monday evening (2.8.2010). The exact track of this storm is not written in stone, but given the right scenario (i.e. the storm tracks through southern Illinois, north Kentucky) Chicago has the potential to receive 6 to 10 inches of snow. To potentially add insult to injury, lake effect may play a part in this storm as well. As the slow-moving mesocyclone shifts east a strong east, northeast wind will develop. With the cold wind howling over the relatively-speaking mild, 34-degree Lake Michigan waters heavy snow squalls could form buffeting Lake, Cook, DuPage and even McHenry counties with even more snow (at this point in time the National Weather Service is predicting 8 to 12 inches in the aforementioned counties.) 
    From what I have witnessed over the past 33 years (yes, I have been a geek this long) this merging of two mesocyclones (aka low pressure systems) to form one blockbuster storm is a rare occurrence. Even more amazing is how the massive blizzard that recently nailed the central Appalachians two days ago is so similar to what is about to occur here in the Midwest! This weather scenario too was a culmination of two mesocyclones merging which were further intensified by strong jet streaks (areas of very strong wind within a given jetstream). On the edges of these jet streaks are areas of intense lift. Within a given winter storm these jet streaks create incredible snow amounts due to intense, vertical lift (Dulles International Airport's very recent record of 32.4 inches of snow over a two day period! This massive amount of snow shattered their January 7, 8, 1996 two-day snow record total by 9.2 inches!!).
    If you are reading this, live in Chicago, or anywhere near Chicago (Winter Storm Watches are popping up more and more all over the Midwest, Ohio Valley, Pennsylvania, Maryland [yes, potentially Washington D.C. again]) please keep abreast of what is inevitable - A BIG ONE!!
CHECK OUT ALL THE WATCHES AND WARNINGS DUE TO THESE/THIS STORM(S)!
Take care everyone,
Ian

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Evolution of a full-length number two (possible live tracks too?)

LATEST NEWS: On the home front - (NOTE: The next few sentences relate to my 24-track at home and NOT StudioBallistico.) I am about to finish the keyboard parts for song 8 (roughly titled "Tricky Fingers" because it was a bitch to learn!) Songs 1 through 7's keyboard parts are done. Some of the drum tracks are also complete. My goal is to have 10 brand spankin' new songs (all tracks [keys, drums and all vocals/lyrics] completed by mid February (by "brand new" I'm talkin' "NOT including 'Feel No Evil' songs". The 5 from that EP will stay on that EP).


Now it get's REALLY exciting!! Ready?


I never actually planned on recording live with the guys I record with in the studio, but it is looking more and more like we will this March. The funny thing is - it will be "live" in the studio! (sorry to disappoint some. No live shows just yet). This "live" thing is in the fetal stages now. What I would like to do is record perhaps 3 or 4 older songs "live" in the studio and add them to the future full-length. I mean we're talkin' a possible grand total of 14 friggin' songs here folks! No lie! Not sure which 3 or 4 songs just yet (perhaps "Forever Today", "Trouble Free", "Sparkle and Shine" and "Burning"? That all depends if Erik [bass] and Dave [guitar] can have a spare bass/guitar on the side when the "tune-down" sections hit.) No tricks here. I want as little editing done as possible. That is how I have always been. When I record a keyboard part I make damn sure I truly can play through it in the most polished way possible (as if I were going to play it live the next day) prior to actually recording it. So "live" will be "live" in the sense of  "no bullshit - I'm talkin' like: "We can play these songs 'live' if we had to without a hitch." No manipulation (editing, correcting notes, blah, blah, blee) to the tracks. On top of that will be an HD video of the whole shebang! This will be our debut on YouTube and anywhere else for that matter. I am not messing around here!


Not sure when this full-length will be ready for the outside world (guessing September 2010? May put the live stuff out a lot sooner.)


So keep an eye, ear and sixth sense peeled because here we come! :~)


Ian

India and its influence

It comes as no surprise that I found myself in India last month. Ever since I was a teen I was drawn to its people and its music. I won't delve into the trip itself. I'd rather write about how my 21- day adventure influenced my approach to music.

I heard a lot of Indian music while I was there. Most of the music was Indian pop, but every so often some Indian classical influence emerged.

Other than the fact that The Beatles were heavily influenced by it in the late 60's thanks to master sitar player Ravi Shankar (Amazingly, Ravi Shankar turns 90 this April 7th and he is still jammin'!), I honestly know very little about Indian music.

I took some incredible courses when studying at The American Conservatory of Music in Chicago (African Drumming with a Ethiopian tribe leader) and at Elmhurst College (World Music), yet nothing compared to watching a performance live in its native country.

I certainly know that Indian music has a profound affect on my emotions. No doubt there is something going on here on a much deeper level. Incorporating it into my songs comes naturally. I have been incorporating it into my music long before I went to India. ("Forever Today", "Trouble Free" and "Stargazer" definitely have this influence).

Currently I have a couple of new, Indian influenced songs on my future full-length release (postponed until the summer of 2010).

My Indian experience was amazing! I plan to share it with you through my music in the years to come. World music has always influenced me and the more I delve into it the more it is reflected in my music. So keep an ear out the next time you listen and let me know how my music influences you and what influences to hear! I would love to know! And, please - if you have any world music suggestions please share!