The new year is here and everything is newer than I thought it would be. New job for me (see my blog on MySpace) and new music in the works too. I have a lot of new musical loves right now too. One of them is the album "Rock Formations" by the band Yawning Man. Why have I never even heard of them before? They've been around since the 80's and apparently influenced several bands I respect greatly like Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age. Hmmmmm, I love this album soooooo much - it's my theme music for the start of this year. Here's a little sampling of some things I've been listening to, so that if you're interested and adventurous you can check them out on the nebulous webulous:

• Yawning Man
• In Heaven and You
• Hammer No More the Fingers
• Maple Stave
• Maia Banks
• Aaron Robinson

Firstly, Happy Halloween my little weeble wobbles. Secondly, apologies for never getting the video blog thing happening, there just was no time. I love the concept, maybe next time around. AND THERE WILL BE A NEXT TIME!

On Thursday last week I got a nifty review and song-highlight on NPR's "Open Mic" feature which is the on-line only part of All Songs Considered, highlighting unknown artists around the country. Was a great honor to be featured and the review really made my day year! Click here to read all about it.

The Ghostly Apple Tree tour with my band The Cue was more than I could've hoped for, those guys made me laugh so much and we met so many wonderful people and had such a great time traveling and playing music! Even though the band was temporary, I'm totally inspired to make new music and tour again!! check back for news on that soon!

This will probably be the last update for a little while but I'm hoping to post some kind of video blogs while we're on the road. The 3-week tour kicks off on October 1st (!!) and I am scrambling to finish finding funds for the trip: Dawn Dineen & The Cue hit the road promoting the new CD. If you find yourself with the means to support an independent artist monetarily... PICK ME!! It's so rewarding!!! AND EASY:

... AND - There is going to be a last minute CD Prerelease Party at Bossa in Adams Morgan on Saturday September 15th!! 8pm to 10pm - 10$ at the door gets you into the show and a copy of the CD. This will be a blast!! Come out and celebrate with us! Bossa is at 2463 18th Street, NW - Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202.667.0088 Get there early because parking is tricky. We play at 8:30pm sharp!

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

So... my new CD is called "The Ghostly Apple Tree" and I'm putting it out on my little DC record label called Yarner Records. The "official" national release date is September 25, 2007! New songs from the CD will be posted on MySpace next month and I've started booking some local shows and a 3-wk East-Coast tour for October.

I'm really excited and grateful for how plans are rolling along! I have a new newsletter as well which you can sign up for on the 'contact' page. I need the help of kind souls who love original music now more than ever, help of all varieties...

Being a receptive audience, coming out to shows and offering encouragement is priceless. Additionally, as an independent artist, I have very limited funds to cover the costs of mastering and duplicating the new CD as well as taking myself and 4 to 5 other people on the road in a rental van for 3 weeks while taking time off from all of our day-jobs. We are looking for places to book shows, places to sleep and $$$ for gas and other expenses. Please consider sharing resources with us if you can spare the time/money/inclination/smile!

I do have a PayPal account if you're interested in donating on-line for the expenses of getting this record out into the world!!! (*note that PayPal will charge a small "shipping" fee for each donation)

I have also started a new blog to document the experience of booking this tour because it is my first tour longer than 3 days! For lots of details on what we're doing and how we're doing it, I'll be blogging daily: http://dineendawn.blogspot.com

So much has happened this year and it's half over so quickly! I've taken some pretty huge steps at renewing my life this year, basically opening up a can o' whoopass on my physical, mental and spiritual health. I feel great!

I've started performing on stage again after 4 whole years away from it and have plans to do a lot more when the CD is ready to release. I'm on the last bits of tracking and the mixing will be complete in July. The Airport Boulevard record I've been producing is nearly done, 2 more songs to mix, then mastering and it's DONE DONE DONE! The official Airport Boulevard CD release is October 23, 2007. My release date is still TBA.

All of my regular updates are happening at MySpace these days though... you will see far less info here. It's just much easier to update and keep in touch with people through MySpace. If you're not using or interested in MySpace, have no fear... this website will get a makeover this summer and new mailing list newsletter will finally happen. If you signed up for the mailing list previously, don't be fooled by the lack of mail... I'm just getting all my ducks in a row to get back to it!! Thanks for listening/reading/rocking out. -xodd

It's been 4 years since I got up on a stage and performed my own music for an audience. There are many reasons for the hiatus but alas, maybe a light at the end of the tunnel. I have 2 shows booked!

I'll be opening up the night for the new 4-piece Airport Boulevard and Big Honey at The Quarry House Tavern in Silver Spring on Saturday May 5th and I will be one of the artists showcased at When Worlds Collide on Sunday May 20th, a biweekly event to highlight both hip-hop and rock artists in the DC area - hosted by Adon Entertainment at Velvet Lounge. Click the Tour link above for more info.

A good friend dragged me out to Adams Morgan last night to hear some original music. I was totally blown away and this is not an easy thing to happen these days... Check out the truly beautiful sounds of Janel and Anthony: www.myspace.com/janelandanthony.

Jennie from Airport Boulevard convinced me to submit an entry to the NXNE (big music conference in Toronto in June of this year). What the heck... here's a link to the EPK on Sonic Bids.

All I'm focusing on right now is finishing up my new album (full-length) and finishing up the 8-song EP for Airport Boulevard. I'm playing rhythm guitar and singing backup in Airport Boulevard these days although it's possible I'll be back on drums in the band next month... Meanwhile we play Iota in Arlington, VA with Big Honey and the beautiful band private eleanor on January 30th.

Who knew Airport Boulevard could be a fantastic Elvis cover band? Hmmm, "Elvis Boulevard"? We are the first act in the Jungle Room Saturday December 2nd at NIGHT OF 100 ELVISES, a crazy-fun fund-raising event for Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. $50.00 ticket includes food, drink and tons of Elvis!!!

A lot of people have asked me what happened to all the sound samples I used to have on my various websites. Some people have also asked me when they'll be able to hear something from the new CD. If you're one of those inquring minds, you'll probably also know the basic back-story; I am an independent musician that put the brakes on 3 years ago and went on a hiatus of sorts from the moving gears of public performing and promotion.

I'm not afraid to admit that I've had to do a lot of searching within to reconcile certain concepts regarding the monetary sale of art and performance verses artistic/psychological/emotional/spiritual value. I've never been comfortable with any of the "selling" part and when I spent a lot of time in that part of the process, I lost sight of why I was doing it in the first place. I don't think that's an uncommon experience for any cognitive artist.

Oh right, back to the question of why I don't have sound samples. There's actually a less mysterious reason. For the past 8 months I took on 2 temp jobs in Washington DC that were related to politics/elections on top of opening my new one-room music haven, Yarner Recording Studio, and my schedule became absolutely nuts. I've had to squeeze in time at my studio in a sleepless stupor and thus my recording project took on a kind of Frankenstein element with lots of chopped up sessions. In addition to working on my own stuff, I've also squeezed in a lot of recording and some recent shows as drummer and guitarist for a friend's band Airport Boulevard. BUT... to make a long story shorter... now that the elections have happened, I'm about to wrap up my latest stint in the land of temp day jobs and am going back to work on my new CD. So... there are going to be new sound samples up very soon. Very sooooooon.... yeah, very soon. Uh, huh....

Push play (there is sound too). This photo project is amazing; this guy took a picture of himself every day for 8 years and strung it all together into a video. Since the schedule I've been keeping lately has made me feel like I've aged 8 years in 2 months, I thought this very appropriate.

I've played in bands for a long time (guitar and voice) , at least 15 years and like most rockers I've sat behind a drum set once or twice to see if I could keep a beat like Ringo. It's always gone pretty well, probably just because I pay attention and have good rhythm.

About a year ago I decided to start doing it more often and even did some easy playing on my own recordings and the EP project I'm working on for my friend Jennie Gundersen as band moniker "Airport Boulevard". About 3 months ago we decided to put a full band together for an Airport Boulevard live show but we lost our drummer before the first practice so I volunteered. I took a few lessons and Thursday August 10th we had our first show, my first ever on drums. What a blast!! We opened for a touring band from NC called Beloved Binge (nice nice nice people) - GREAT MUSICIANS: www.BelovedBinge.com Thanks for the cool photo Eleni!

I fixed the guestbook but it's still vulnerable to SPAM so I don't know how much longer it's worth keeping alive. Everyone seems more into posting comments at MySpace these days anyway... ah, cyber-evolution. Sorry to anyone who was trying to post but sorely rejected by the endless SPAM prevention, code entry requirement... I know - it was like "Groundhog Day"...

So, I went to the Beechfields showcase at Revolution Records and was at least a party of one from DC... Well, if you weren't there, here's what you missed:

1. You missed an opportunity to learn more about the label firsthand and how it's growing a community of like-minded artists in the Baltimore area.

2. You missed 3 great sets performed by 11 seriously talented, passionate and loveable musical artists.

3. You missed Mike Nestor, the founder of the label, gracefully educate the in-house Nihilist about the acceptance of art's true calling.

4. You missed moments of lovely music, shared with an audience by the people in the photos below. I took some short video highlights, click on the photos to view! (be patient - will take some load time):

For my peeps in DC... The Beechfields record label co-op, based in Baltimore, is hosting a great label showcase with 3 of their bands at DC's coolest music store: Revolution Records at 4215 Connecticut Ave NW. Friday July 7th starting at 8:30pm. Put your iTunes downloads away for a minute, go wild and browse CD's for a change, plus listen to 3 seriously talented groups of artists play LIVE, YES LIVE! You will especially NOT want to miss The Chris & Joylene Show because they are a THRILL to catch live!! I very much concur with the philosophies that this label runs by; come show your support for the art-form of independently created music!!

Do you ever feel like your life is suddenly morphed into a David Lynch film? The surreal becomes prevalent and the logical becomes infrequent. That's my life these days (without elaboration) but also: I'm still recording my new CD and deeply progressing. I'm also still finishing up producing and recording an EP for Airport Boulevard plus playing drums in Airport Boulevard, our first show is August 10th at the Staccato Bar on 18th Street NW in Adams Morgan, DC with a band called Beloved Binge from Durham, North Carolina.

"...you got your good things and I got mine."

May 2006: Doo-doo, the artist removed his song from the Internet...This is my favorite song right now, I love it so much it's painful!!!!!!!!! Oh yeah, by the way... my new CD is really close to being done and something crazy and wonderful happened in the last month and a half - I added water and grew one of my dreams! Take a look!

The new CD is cooking up nicely!!

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Birthday to me on November 27th (same as Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Lee)! Here's what's new with me...

I'm in a great period of productivity and creativity with my recording and songwriting. Progress on the new CD is flowing, growing and taking on a life of it's own which makes me pretty darn excited!

Lastly I wanted to recommend an incredible book that I can't put down right now. It has rocked my world and soothed my soul and I want everyone who sees this to go buy this book either for yourself or for anyone at all that you know who pursues some kind of art, whether it be as a hobby or more seriously!! It's the gift-giving season so go do it!! Click on the photo of the book cover above for on-line info from Borders books. "Art and Fear - Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking" by David Bayles and Ted Orland

I'm hoping the new CD will be released in May/June 2006 but sound samples of final mixes will be likely on-line much sooner. I'll keep posting updates here and through my mailing list. Have safe and joyful holidays!! - DD

Happy Fall! Audio samples now up and running on a new "My Space" page. Samples of new songs coming soon. Check out the cool note that Poe left for me there!!! She rocks!!!!!!

...and if you're not a member of My Space, go see the new page with audio samples and then come back here to sign the new guestbook/message board! It's all the rage.

It has gone something like this, I find myself "writing" lyrics in the shower and mixing songs while I brush my teeth. I've picked up instruments I've never played before, made instruments out of things that didn't start out as instruments and I've learned to make the best of recording in a bedroom instead of a studio. I've also surgically implanted an iPod in my back pocket and in the hallways of my day job I study production ideas and review rough mixes of my own material. I feel like a secret agent.

The result? There will be two new works of music from my label Yarner Records in early 2006. One is a full-length recording of new Dawn Dineen songs and one is an 8-song EP that I produced (and played on) for my good friend Jennie Gundersen who goes by the moniker "Airport Boulevard". I'm so excited about both of these CDs, so much heart has gone into making them!

If you're interested in learning more, please drop me a line or sign up for my mailing list to receive updates by email. Either way, thanks for your visit! - Dawn