It’s done! After nearly a year of sporadic work my new record is in the can. It’s a damn good feeling. The album is titled Ghostwriting and, at ten songs, clocks in at a svelte 37 minutes. I am very proud of the tunes and am extremely excited to share them with you.
This was my second time collaborating with producer Justin Beckler, and it was a very rewarding experience. Justin is an extremely talented songwriter, arranger, and musician. He dedicates himself to making each song the best that it can be. I suppose he is like the song army in that way… minus the negative reinforcement (no songs were forced to do pushups throughout the recording process). We did have to leave a couple behind, but it was for the greater good. Unlike the last album, Justin played guitar and sang harmonies on several tracks, as well as contributing some percussion elements (sadly, we omitted his 45 second djembe solo- the music world is just not ready for it). He is a very tasteful player, and a great singer. Justin works with a variety of artists and I cannot recommend his services enough. You can check out his recording blog here. He puts on his pants one leg at a time, but once they’re on…
I was honored that Terri Binion agreed to sing on a couple songs. This was one of the last sessions we did, and we had a great time. It was a real thrill to hear her beautiful voice on the tunes!
Terri is a wonderful songwriter and one of my favorite singers. She has recorded two fantastic albums and is rumored to have a third in the works. You can check out Terri’s music here. Terri took me under her wing several years ago and I have learned a lot from her. She is wise and extremely kind. We have bonded over our shared love of demin shirts, Townes Van Zandt, and feather tattoos!
Good times!
I am so thankful to all the musicians who played on this album. Their contribution was invaluable. I would also like to thank Charles Brewer III, who took all the pictures you see and is an all around swell dude. Last but not least, thanks to you for following along! The album is slated to be released in early 2011, and I will have pre-order packages available soon. Check back here in the coming weeks for details. Much love and Happy Holidays!
xo mb
Howdy! It has been a minute since I have posted here. I hope you folks have been enjoying the summer. We are having a stick one here in FL. The forecast is as follows… hot as hell with a chance of afternoon oil showers (thanks BP!). I digress… I am happy to announce that my new album is nearing completion. Justin and I have been working hard and I am excited to share the results with you. We recently had a session with Mr. Sean Moore.
Sean is a very talented multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away we played together in a band called The Heathens. He has since released several solo albums and played in numerous bands. His most recent project, Viernes, just released their stunning debut “Sinister Devices.” Needless to say, he is pretty much the man- his playing is so powerful it can make your dog’s head disappear.
Sean played some beautiful stuff, Justin recorded it, I mostly read magazines. We all ate Chipotle. Another succesfull day!
I am hoping to release this, as yet untitled record, early next year. Check back in the coming months for pre-order information. You can check out Sean’s latest project here. The photos you see were taken by this man…
Charles Cleveland Brewer III.
Thank you for your time! I hope this finds you well…
mb
Hello friends! I am at hard at work these days… half the time has been spent knitting a collection of winter-themed sweaters, and the rest devoted to the recording of my new album. Justin and I spent a Sunday in Eustis, FL with Mr. Jimmy Spears. Jimmy is one of those frustrating people who excels at everything he does. Beyond the fact that he is a talented multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, he is also one of the world’s leading manufactures of cigar box guitars. They are very cool and you can check them out here….
Jimmy is a fantastic slide guitar player. He played lap steel and dobro on several songs. It was a real treat to hear him play my tunes. I am feeling a little captioned-impaired at the moment, but hear are some pics…
The next weekend, Justin and I had the pleasure of working with Andy Simonds. Andy is playing all the keys on the record and you’d be hard pressed to find a better musician. He has a deep understanding of music and is a certifiable wiz on the Hammond B3. He is also a genuinely nice fella and is the only human child in recorded history to be born with a full beard (sorry Andy… secret’s out). He wrote some beautiful parts and came up with some fantastic improvisations. I am honored that he was willing to be a part of this project. The record will be much better for it.
As always, the photos were taken by Mr. Charles Clevelend Brewer III. To view more of his excellent photography, check out his blog at…
www.charlesbreweriii.blogspot.com
I hope this finds you well. Thank you for your support and interest in my music. For those of you that may not know, I am an independent musician operating outside the context of a label and management. My albums are funded through a combination of touring and dishwashing (no lie), and from the support of people like you. If you are in the position to contribute financially to the recording process you can do so at this secure site…
All contributions are greatly appreciated! Much love to everyone. I hope to see you down the road…
mb
Howdy Folks! Been a while since I have posted here. I hope you are all in good spirits. I have been staying busy here south of the south… I am making a new record! I have been writing these songs over the past couple years and I am excited to share them with you. Justin Beckler (aka “The Professor”), who produced “Me and My Friends,” will be producing this new album (working titles include… “SEXploration,” “The Proof is in the Pudding,” “The White Album II,” and “Yankee Candle Foxtrot”).
He is something of a musical scientist and I couldn’t be more grateful to be working with him again. I will be joined on this project by a talented cast of musicians, raconteurs, and traveling salesmen. We began our musical voyage yesterday at the home of Mr. David Nix- guru, shaman, motorcycle mechanic. David recently moved in to a new house and was nice enough to allow us the use of his living room. He thought the best way to get to know the neighbors would be to have an eight-hour drums and bass session. Genius. He spent most of the day in quiet contemplation…
I have been a fan of Anthony Cole for many years. He is one of the areas finest musicians- a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who plays keys, saxophone, bass, and guitar. He has also been a professional drummer since the age of ten! When I was ten I was a professional nose-picker, I have since gone amateur… Anyway, I am thrilled and honored to have him playing drums and percussion on my record. He has an amazing feel, and is always down to experiment- as seen here…
I first saw Matt Laphan play bass with Terri Binion several years ago. I was blown away. He has a very melodic playing style and is groovy as hell. Can I say groovy? Is that cool again yet? Moving on… Matt knows a ton about theory and is pretty much a musical genius. He is also a real gentleman.
These dudes are seriously good.
Well, if that didn’t bore you too much be sure to check back for updates. I will have more pictures, stories, bad jokes, and video, as well as information about pre-ordering etc. I hope this finds you well my friends…
mb
PS… all of the photos you see, including the one below of the stoic vertically challenged native, were taken by one Charles Cleveland Brewer III.
Due to Brando-Skyline disorder, I cancelled my show in Johnson City and headed to Nashville a day early.
Stayed the night at Dylan and Ruthie’s again. The following day, Dylan and I explored the Country Music Hall of Fame. We saw some cool things in glass cases…
Gram Parsons’ Nudie suit…
Tuesday I met up with my friends Dustin and Lauren Overbeek. They are really sweet folks and Dustin is a great songwriter… www.myspace.com/dustinoverbeek. They let me crash in their spare bedroom with an adjoining bathroom… luxury! Tuesday evening I performed at The Basement. Mike Grimes owns the venue and the amazing record store located directly above… Grimeys. When I arrived, Mike was loading in the bands and then proceeded to run the soundboard… Jack of all trades! He is an awesome dude. It was a real pleasure to perform there. I spent the next couple days bumming around Nashville. The weather was beautiful and I must say I understand why so many are drawn to this music mecca. Scored another set Thursday night at Imogne and Willie’s- a cool boutique specializing in vintage americana garb. Friday I headed down to Memphis to visit Graceland… a pilgrimage of sorts. I have read both of Peter Guralnick’s excellent Elvis bios and have always been fascinated by The King. It was a surreal experience. The man had interesting taste in home decor. One room, “The Jungle Room,” boasted a green shag carpet with matching shag ceiling. I made the mistake of asking the gift shop attendant, “Do you ever get sick of the music?” Staring back at me with icy blue eyes, she replied, “Never.”
“Too much fucking perspective…”
Headed South and slept in the van 100 miles outside of Baton Rouge. Currently, I am sitting in the River Center Theatre while the Avetts soundcheck. Scott is working out a new tune, the lyrics being… “Aint it funny how people date those that look similar to them? This is true in the case of Matt Butcher. Though his girlfriend is much prettier…” I couldn’t agree more. Adios!
My voice is gone. Which is sort of like Floyd Mayweather losing his hands, or Pamela Anderson losing her breasts. It’s my moneymaker. And I got nothin. Let’s backtrack…
I had a great time last weekend at the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion. It was the best festival I’ve ever been to. The lineup was fantastic… Justin Townes Earle, Dr. Dog, Belleville Outfit, Sam Quinn and many more. I played two sets… the latter of which at a place called “Sunny Side Cafe.” The irony did not escape me. “Hi, my name is Matt Butcher and it is a pleasure to be here at the Sunny Side Cafe. This song is called Giving My Sadness a Name…” The crowd was very generous and I even ran into an old friend I had not seen in many years. Guess that’s why they call this thing a reunion.
On Sunday, Jill Andrews and I recorded a version of “Sadness” in an interesting location. More on this later… Sunday night I played at the Camel in Richmond with a psych-folk trio. As I walked in, they were draping the stage in tie-dye blankets, saying… “We like to take people on a journey.” To which I replied… “Is it far? I’ve already driven about 400 miles today.” True Story. They were very good though! Sitar, banjo, mandolin, standup bass… it was pretty damn pshychadelic. Slept in a parking lot.
Day off on Monday, so I headed to the Blue Ridge Parkway near Floyd, VA… home to FloydFest and some of the creapiest antiques in the nation…
I decided to camp out on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Why, I don’t know. You would think that after 1000 miles driven by myself I had plenty of time with my own thoughts. I guess not. I arrived at a campsite that was completely deserted, minus the caretaker who was very sweet. Had it been a weird mountain man with a glass eye, I would have turned around immediately. It was pretty damn scary. I felt like I was living the beginning of a Rob Zombie Flick. They had all these wooden bunny rabbits nailed to the trees. In daylight… adorable. At night under a flashlight… demonic.
Slept fitfully and woke up sick the next day. Good one Matt! You’re out of the band…
Got to Greensville, SC on Tuesday feeling sick as a dog. Luckily, I would be staying with two of the nicest people in the universe… Seth and Erica! They really took care of me. Spent most of Wednesday lying on the couch watching Netflix. I thought it would be cool to watch “Air Force One” as I had not seen in it in many years and loved it as a kid. Apparantly, I used to be an idiot as this movie is a collosal piece of shit! I managed about twenty minutes before turning it off. Sorry Harrson, I still love you… just stick to intergalactic battles and digging up old things with mystical powers. Wednesday evening I pulled myself together and performed at Erica’s recently opened gallery/venue, Greenville Presents (www.greenvillepresents.com). I had a great time! Everyone that came out was super sweet and very attentive. It was a rad place and I hope to make it back soon. Thursday night I arrived in Asheville. I had dinner with my friend Chelsea Lynn at one of my faves… Rosetta’s Kitchen. Vegan collared greens with mushroom and cornbread and vegan gravy. Yep. Chelsea is a great songwriter. You can check her stuff out at… www.ChelseaLynnLaBate.com. After great food and conversation we drove up the side of a mountain to her sweet Asheville pad. Elevation… 3700 feet. I couldn’t hear a thing for about a half hour. These FL ears are not used to such heights. It is an amazing house. Check out the view from the rooftop deck…
And the backyard…
Today I played Bobo’s Gallery at 5pm. Started playing to three people, but by the end of the set I had a crowd of about 20… half of which I knew! It was pretty crazy. The Legendary JC’s were in town and stopped by to show some love. It felt great. Had two good buddies walk in right as I started playing “Me and My Friends.” Good timing. Met Chelsea Lynn and her cello accompaniest, Tommy, over at the Root Bar at nine. By the time I took the stage my voice was completely shot. I felt like a dick as I made the sound guy pull out all the stops and then proceeded to play two songs before calling it quits. Woops. Drinking Tea right now back at the Chalet. I like that word… Chalet. It reminds me of hot chocolate and matching scarves and mittens. Anyway, I hope I am better tomorrow. I have a show in Johnson City and I currently sound like a cross between Nashville-Skyline era Bob Dylan and a very sick Marlon Brando. Fingers crossed. Good night all!
Hello from Knoxville, TN! I am writing this from an amazing vegetarian restaurant I discovered- “The Tomato Head.” Well, “discovered” may be a bit strong. I don’t want to come across all Christoper Columbus on you. What a jerk. How can you discover something that has been occupied by indigenous people for thousands of years? Sorry. Tangent. Back on track now.. The last few days have been really good. I played Eddie’s Attic on Monday. I had heard a lot about this spot so it was nice to finally play there. It is a great listening room. Tuesday night in Nashville I played at the Exit Inn. This club has seen the likes of Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Ryan Adams and many more. It was a real honor to perform in such a cool room. This was my first of three gigs with The Bridge (www.myspace.com/thebridgebaltimore)- an excellent band from Baltimore in the style of Little Feat and The Band. These guys are monster players and super nice dudes. I got to hang out with my friend Dylan York in Nashville. We had a good time sightseeing in the rain. Him and his wife, Ruthie, put me up for the night. They are wonderful people. Wednesday I headed to Chattanooga. It had been storming in Nashville and it seemed to follow us down the road. The club was dead, but I enjoyed playing nonetheless. I left immediately following my set for Knoxville where I would be staying with singer-songwriter Jill Andrews (www.jillandrews.com) and her husband/manager Clinton. I arrived late and they were still up packaging cds to be sent out in the morning. Ahhh, the life of an independent musician… glitz and glamour galore. We chatted for a while and then I climbed into one of the most comfortable beds in the Southeast. The next morning I met Nico, their six-month old son. He seemed a bit suspicious of me, though I would be too if I had to relinquish my room to a stranger. Jill and i worked on some tunes, as we will be performing together tonight and this weekend at the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion. She played me some songs from her upcoming ep. They were fantastic! Later in the day I headed off to Ijambs Nature Reserve. It is one of the most beautiful places I have seen in a while- wooded hills, green ponds, light shining through yellow leaves. It definitely conjured a little Thoreau in my heart. And now I am here at the Tomato Head having just eaten one of the best sandwiches of my young life. Not a bad day! Much love to all. Will write more soon…
1998 Dodge Ram Van, ie…. SPARTACUS!
Dylan’s back yard… the Cumberland River.
“Why don’t you make like a tree…”
These boots are made for hiking.
Green.
“Hurry up and take it already..”
Hey there folks! Just wanted to say thanks so much to those that came out to see myself and the boys these past few days. My apologies to Thursday night’s Orlando crowd, as I was having a bit of an off night. Thank you for being gracious and supportive. Saturday we had the pleasure of playing at Common Grounds with a couple great acts. The Damn Wrights are a fantastic country trio fronted by my friends Rob and Jackie. Great songwrting and harmonies. The Quadraphones also perfromed. They rocked, and the singer was sportin a ‘64 Gibson ES 335 with a bigsby. So jealous! Even this morning I am a shade greener than usual. The crowd was very nice and we had blast playing. Thanks so much to Grooveshark and Nigel for having us. I had a great time playing solo on Friday in Tampa at New World Brewery. It was awesome to see Have Gun, Will Travel two nights running. I also spent some much needed time with my buds John Ralston, and Mike Dunn. This was the best Mike Dunn and The Kings of New England set I have seen in a long time. They played some killer new tunes from their upcoming album, “Sundowner,” and Mike sported a snappy pair of suspenders. John Ralston rocked, using Mike and the Kings as his backing band. That guys writes some amazing songs, he can really turn a phrase. The entire ensemble is on tour for the next couple weeks so be sure to go out and show them some love…
Speaking of tour, I am leaving tomorrow for two weeks. I am playing some solo shows throughouth the Southeast. I will be visiting a plethora of villes (knox, nash, green, charlottes) and will also be performing at the two day Rhythm and Roots Reunion in Bristol, VA. For more information you can visit the tour page at my website…
Photo by the fantastic Charles Brewer III. Here are some more…
Thanks for your time! I will be posting some stories from the road so be sure to check back. Some expected topics… “My bear attack,” “How to fight a Hell’s Angel and win,” and “Chupacabara: fact of fiction?”
Much love and take care!
xo mb
