02.08.2010

AMERICAN alternative musician to guest Tangra Studios!minstrel to guest at the Tangra Mega Rock studio today!!!

Jim Guittard made it big a couple of years ago, after annihilating all competition on his magic carpet ride to the position of English teacher at a Pernik grammar school. He even wrote and sang a song in support of the teachers’ strike.

He then made a live appearance in the Tangra Mega Rock studio and as he was leaving an entire onion fell out of his trousers, which we found rather amusing.

This, in turn, inspired him to write the song ‘Onion Peel’, which has been in rotation at TMR since then. That was back in the Autumn of 2008…

Today Jim Guittard is back and will be guesting in the TMR studio at noon!

source: http://radiotangra.com

Tracklist:

1    You Know (Spirits of Summer Edit) – Botany Bay
2    Der Flug des Schmetterlings – Schattenspiel
3    Billows – The.Princess.And.The.Pearl
4    The Creek – Orange Crush
5    Beach (Acoustic) – Jim Guittard
6    Five Guitar Song – I Said Yes
7    Joyrider – Danny Spacecat
8    Ich Segele Übers Meer (Instrumental) – Seelenlauf
9    Summer Dreams (In Clouds Above) – Deadstar
10    Things Weren’t Always This Way – Ben Woods

Skeksis Netlabel Project, out of Austria, included my song “Beach – Acoustic” as part of their summer-themed compilation for free download. The songs are quite nice and peaceful with optimism. Please take a listen or download it for free here:

Also, please look into Skeksis’ previous compilations. There are 11 others that are all themed differently, all for free download.
http://skeksisnetlabel.wordpress.com/

Recorded Beck’s song off his 1998 Mutations album back in 1999. I played the 12-string acoustic guitar, sitar, and did the lead and background vocals. This was one of the songs I sent as demo when I applied to go to the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California. I attended there for about nine months or so.

The song is lo-fi and made from a Tascam 4-track recorder. Pic was taken in around October 1999 when I first arrived to Hollywood.

Back in 1997, at the Battle of the Bands event at Highland Park High School in Dallas I performed in my brother Bob Guittard’s band as a sitar player. I betcha no one has ever played a sitar there before or after me there at HPHS!!

At the gig, I came out dressed in Indian gear with sandals and sat on a cushion.

Kids in the audience screamed, “What is that!?!”

My brother sang lead vocal and played acoustic guitar. I sang back up and the played the sitar. Another guy named Graham Cathey played the percussion. It was a trip.

My brother’s band didn’t win. Oh well….

Please Listen, Download and Enjoy!!

The “Rise” album is a set of songs, that I hope, capture the times in which we live.

At the heart of it all is the message to stay true and be happy amongst the chaos in the world that is often pushed at us through the propaganda lense of the media.

The songs were done in a rough do-it-yourself lo-fi Psychedelic folk-freak way because this is what I do. Some of the songs were rather improvised especially with the lyric.

“Rise Up America” was written just about the time of the G20 summit in Pittsburg in September 2009. It is meant to be a sort of wake up call for Americans and also people around the world. It has already been recorded by an artist in Italy.

http://www.archive.org/details/RiseUpItalia

Please feel free to record your own version if you wish and post back at Jamendo or elsewhere. I give you permission. Details about song is here:

http://jimguittard.com/?p=677

The album was recorded on my 8-Track Tascam machine in Portland, Oregon, Dallas, Texas, and Sofia, Bulgaria.

Credits:
Jim Guittard: Lead and background vocals, electric lead and rhythm guitars, acoustic 12-string guitar, bass, shakers, percussion, drums, keyboard, and effects.

My wife helped out on the vocal for Roller Coaster Ride.

All music is written by Jim Guittard.

All lyrics are written by Jim Guittard with the exception of “Independence” which the words are adapted from the “Declaration of Independence.”

Mixed, recorded, and edited by myself.

Back in late September 2009 I wrote a song called “Rise Up America” and recorded it after seeing all the chaos go down at the G20 summit in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. I made a call for anyone who wanted to record this song to do so and to even change the words to their own country so that it is more personal.

It’s been a little while now but we’ve now got another version and from Italy.

Here are the two songs for Italy and America together:

Download the Italian version here for free:

Here is my original song with video from the G20 Summit:

I recently got an email from an Italian artist simply known as Alex or “d0ct0r” who heard my song and wanted very much to record it and make his own version for Italy. He sent it to me and this is what you are listening to. I like it very much.

Now that Italy is involved with the spirit behind the original song, my call still goes out for others to get involved. It’s up to us to take our world back from fear and destruction. We must rise above fear and anxiety!

Let’s keep this song chain going. It is important to get the spirit of optimism out. Thanks Alex!

Here’s previous post on Rise Up America.

All the best,
Jim Guittard
Sofia, Bulgaria

Bulgarian Nap Time by jfguittard

Simple song that I wrote in tribute a country-wide tradition in Bulgaria. It is on Saturday and Sundays between 2PM and 4PM that it is expected that people are quiet and resting. I find this tradition rather cool and hope that it can be observed in America. I recorded only the singing during this time and at a low level as my wife was telling me the neighbors were trying to sleep.

Very deep lyrics.

Bulgarian Nap time
Are you asleep?
Bulgarian nap time
Are you asleep?
Bulgarian nap time.
Are you asleep?
Bulgarian nap time.
Are you asleep?
Bulgarian nap time.
Are you asleep?
Bulgarian nap time.
Are you asleep?
Bulgarian nap time.
Are you asleep?

Do-it-yourself album with various artists who are mainly lo-fi. I’m the 9th track.

1. Waterplea – That One December’s Eve 04:14
2. Left Limb Stef – About You (with The Left Limbs) 02:59
3. Solarein – Cube (Reprise) 02:30
4. Project Bluebird – Firewatchers (with BlackHeart) 05:53
5. Bill Strange – Dance On Fire 02:59
6. brokenkites – wood between the worlds 05:13
7. Fili O (so cool) – shakespeare’s sonnets 04:10
8. Karl Mundt Project – frivolous and spurious 03:26
9. Jim Guittard – You Can Not Knock Me Down 02:37
10. Hippocrypt & The Metro Gnomes – I Fell Off Bonnie When I Was Young
11. half past sun – What I usually hide 03:36
12. Le Cirque Hanté – Surya 04:54
13. Artwood – While I was waiting for you
14. Quint Baker – Hand 02:20
15. The Peach Tree – For Marie 03:13
16. aiRless pRoject – baby you can drone my car (lowly trip) 07:54

To Download:
http://albums.diymnetlabel.com/album/iv

I’ve got to figure out which are my strongest 20 songs. I’m submitting it for some project and want to get your input.

Let me know which songs you enjoy the most or think is unique high quality interesting or whatever.  You can list 5 or so so that it is not so overwhelming.

The albums are:

96/98 (1996 – 1998)
Busted In Bulgaria (2008)
The Notorious G.I.D.D. (2005)
California Daze (2002)

They can be heard here:

http://www.jamendo.com/en/..artist/Jim_Guittard

The newer stuff can be heard here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jim-Guittard/33600816077

or

http://www.reverbnation.com/jimguittard

Thanks for your help.

JG

Road trip shenanigans. Part of the 2010 “Take My Life Back” tour.

Part 1

Part 2

It’s a joke. Obama gets to joke around with his propaganda press conferences so I thought I would too.

Song in 1st clip is called Haluva and can be downloaded for free at:
http://www.jamendo.com/en/album/55876

Music by Jim Guittard

Here’s a song about keeping the faith while facing extreme diversity and hype. Enjoy!

Here are the lyrics:

“The Sun Shines Today”

Push on through.
You know it ain’t true.
Just keep it up.
Drink from the cup.

No matter what they say,
The sun shines today.
Keep up the lovely art.
Avoid the fiery dart.

Nothing’s very solid.
It’s all a bit spotted.
Your treasure chest may disappear.
It could be very near.

What’s the answer?
Avoid the big cancer.
Do what’s fun.
It has all begun.

Money can’t guide you.
Only what is true.
Live by the wisdom.
This isn’t dumb.

Nothing’s very solid.
It’s all a bit spotted.
Your treasure chest may disappear.
It could be very near.

Push on through.
You know it ain’t true.
Just keep it up.
Drink from the cup.

Nothing’s very solid.
It’s all a bit spotted.
Your treasure chest may disappear.
It could be very near.

Nothing’s very solid.
It’s all a bit spotted.
Your treasure chest may disappear.
It could be very near.

Words and Music by Jim Guittard