Mass Media Week

This week’s songs will all be about subjects that I encountered when being entertained by mass media. So, songs I’ve written after reading newspaper articles, hearing radio stories, seeing art installations, feeling television pulses, inputing keyboard maneuvers.

This new song, today, is one I wrote after seeing the movie “McLintock!” starring John Wayne as some sort of cattle barren in the Old West. It was a really ridiculous movie. I saw it just this past Saturday night at about 1am after biking back from a Barehand Jugband show on North Hooker Street on Goose Island. I think the basic premise was something about how settlers were afraid to move into John Wayne’s community because there was a strong Native American presence. (Note, that in the movie the Native American’s were referred to as “savages” and portrayed by actors as drunk idiots.) John Wayne (McLintock) had no problems with the Indians, though, and even seemed to like them a little bit, or was maybe just amused by them.

Anyway, John Wayne was having trouble getting people into his new settlement, and then his estranged wife shows up with her full bouncing bosom and loud mouth, telling him that she wants to take their daughter with her someplace. (Note, that this is the first mention of any daughter.)

Then John Wayne punches out a guy that he’s hiring into his cattle company and so the guy becomes his good friend and let’s John Wayne taste his mother’s biscuits, which are the best biscuits John Wayne has ever had (although I thought they looked a little small). John Wayne then meets this guy’s mother, who turns out to be a complete knock-out-fully-loaded-babe. So John Wayne hires her as his new cook and makes his old Asian cook “retire.” (Note, that the Asian cook is played to be a crazy little man who speaks in broken English and is always angry about something, but who loves and respects his Big White Master, in this case, played by John Wayne.)

Then there’s a big fight scene in a mud pool.

And then I wrote this new song and went to bed.

I like the music for this song, the words may just be there as place-holders for some other song. Who knows.

Also, my two new albums, “It’s Chicago” and “Andrew Francis,” are due to arrive on Tuesday, August 10. I guess that’s when they “drop.” I’m not having any kind of big-time CD release show, but I am playing at Jerry’s in Wicker Park this coming Saturday (August 14) at 10pm. I’ll have the albums there for sale. I’ll also have them for sale this week at Gallery Cabaret during the open mike on Thursday. They’ll be available for a special discounted price. And, of course, they’ll be available for purchase through itunes and CDBaby.

Okay, that’s enough marketing….see ya.

Okay. I’m back after Break Week. I got this song going last week after a practice with the Barehand Jugband. We were looking for a song to introduce all the members during our shows. I pieced this one together with a bit of a song I wrote probably about a year ago that the band played once. But the verses in the middle I wrote last week.

Then I recorded each part and layered them on top.

The jug is actually a beer bottle that I was drinking out of. (I did finish the beer after, spit and all, just like National Jug-Blowing Champ Clay Goodpasture.) The washboard is an old washboard. I really start to pick up speed and technique near the “fiddle” section. Listen close. I’m just strumming the banjo as hard as I can. I didn’t even attempt fiddle or trombone, although I could have substituted a slide whistle for the trombone. Sounds about the same.

Anyway, that’s that for today’s new song.

Last week I worked extra hard and pulled together both my new albums, “It’s Chicago!” and “Andrew Francis.” Everything is due to arrive done by the beginning of next week. I’m not having any kind of “official” release party or show, but I will have the albums with me wherever you see me, so just ask for one. They’re pretty cheap for full-length albums. 6 bucks each, or you can buy both for 10. All prices are, of course, negotiable. Everything will also be available on itunes and all that racket.

Tomorrow night I’m at Schuba’s Tavern for the Chicago version of the New York Songwriter’s Circle. The showcase is run by Heather Styka and should be a pretty good time. Come check it out. I’ll be playing all new songs off the albums.

Here’s a video of a song I played at the Schuba’s show:

Next week, on the 14th I’ll be at Jerry’s along with Jonas Friddle.