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Work in progress: Scenes from the Zoo

“Scenes from the Zoo” is my next project for betterwithmusic’s library.

Pop melodies with distorted guitars. Powerpop. Some grunge and shoegaze tunes too. In the line of Wavves and Best Coast, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and The Jesus & Mary Chain. Nirvana, of course. Dinosaur Jr. and My Bloody Valentine, Japandroids, The Men etc.

Referring to other projects of the library, I could say that “Scenes” it’s more optimistic and positive than “The Crowd”, more rogue than “Traveller’s Guide”.

You can make an idea about it, I think so. But a sound is worth a thousand words.

A Shot: The Story of “Railroad’s Whiskey Co.”

At the end, the story of each song is the story of the videos where it plays, of the ideas that the song accompanies. But it’s also true that most of these songs have a single origin. The memory, the place or the scene that inspired me when I wrote it. “My story”.

It’s an exercise I do sometimes: I think about a scene and try to put music in it. Something like going to the gym, but much more fun (at least for me).

“Railroad’s Whiskey Co.” for example. I imagined an off voice telling a story. With a surreal touch, black humor. Absurd. A man walking along a deserted road, dragging a heavy suitcase. Exhausted, sweating alcohol. Without destination. This was my video, my story for Railroad’s. And the story of John…

There are times when two stories overlap. Someone who doesn’t know the origin of the song but posts a video that may just be my original idea, or something very similar. Moments when the music seems tailor-made. Which makes you think “Hey, That’s it”.

Productions that could be a videoclip or promo of the song but no. Not my story, despite appearances.

GQ April 2013 Issue

After the video of John Hawkes for December’s Issue, this month I return to collaborate with Condé Nast, on two of their productions for GQ magazine.

This time you can hear me on the videos of the Knicks center Tyson Chandler, and the new king of late night TV, Jimmy Fallon (what a pleasure).

The songs are “Shine”, from Wake Up, and “Dirt” from 1Up.