Chris Merritt – Songs I Wrote During My Visit To The Land Of Make-Believe
(songs removed – check out the store for more info on the re-titled Demos Of Nod, including 5 free tracks!)
Enjoy
Enjoy
Enjoy
Love,
Chris
News Report
In the sound and the fury of moving to Faulknerville, unpacking, and finishing this new record, I have neglected to keep up with my own news (and, for that matter, updating the website in general). There’s some really sweet things happening, too, so read on!
Stephen Groo Video
A very special man lives in Provo, UT. His name is Stephen Groo, and he is a filmaker, and something of a cult figure. He is the founder of Utah Wolf Productions, and the creator of over 120 films, including full-length movies, trailers, and music videos. His community of fervent fans include Jack Black and genius Jared Hess. If you are new to the world of Stephen Groo, I highly suggest visiting www.utahwolfproductions.com and watching some videos NOW! Just click on ‘Productions’ and then click on any of the custom logos. As an introduction, my recommendations would be: Tale Of Mermaids (fantasy), Major Tom, Lollipop, and Hypnotized (music videos), and Challenge Of Faith (drama).
When I was introduced to Stephen’s creations almost two years ago, I too joined the legions of Groopies that just can’t get enough. It soon became my dream to one day have a Stephen Groo-directed music video of my own. Well, two weeks ago, that dream became a reality. My actor friend Wes Nease flew from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City and starred in a music video for Dr. Jerk – directed and edited by Stephen Groo himself.
Enjoy. I know I did!
Weezer + Piano
An attentive commenter named Alex kindly informed me that Rivers Cuomo of Weezer was looking for a pianist, and taking YouTube submissions. I think I entered mine too late (the ‘video response’ option had been disabled already), but I’m still happy with it and it was fun to do. Check it out here. I think I look a little fatter than I really am in this. I mean, I’m fat, but not that fat. I think it’s the flowy shirt I had on. Just a warning. Anyway, THANKS ALEX!!! Huge kudos for that one, mate.
Mom’s Music Video
And yet another on the growing list of Chris Merritt music videos is the new Tower Of Sand video, made by none other than my wonderful mother. My mom has many hobbies, and one of them is dressing up animals. She is notorious and feared among the feline community. She is referred to among pet dogs as “The One Who Cannot Be Named”. And now, putting all her talents and video editing skills together, she has filmed, edited, and animated an amazing music video for Tower Of Sand. Check it out here. At times it reminds me of Disney, and at times it reminds me of Tim And Eric’s Awesome Show Great Job.
I guess now I know where I got the creativity from.
Israeli Write-Up
I thought this was really cool. From Tal:
You won’t be able to read it ’cause it’s in Hebrew, but I recommended your music to a guy who writes a column about cool indie music in a Israeli news site. He published a recommendation about you as ‘artist of the week’. You can check it out here http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3640817,00.html
Thanks Tal!! Man, and I thought Japanese was hard.
Okay, well, I’m sure there are more news items, but that’s all I can think of for now. More updates soon! I’ll get back into the flow of updating the site, I promise! New Year’s resolution.
Love,
Chris
Brilliant!
Hi! Wow, so I finally got all unpacked and settled in (so did the kitties), and I hopped on the website to check the comments, expecting like 7 or 8, and I see 45 freakin’ comments!!! Amazing!!! It felt really good to see such an awesome response. I honestly wasn’t expecting it, and I’m excited that there’s interest in a new album. And the comments are hilarious! Many made me literally quake with laughter. It’s good to know that there are people out there as excited as I am about this music. However, I did say 50 comments, so there will be no free Christmas album. Expect a release sometime in early 2009 for a mere 10 or 11 bucks. Thanks for trying guys.
Just kidding! I was overwhelmed by the response. I’m working on mixing the new record right now, actually. It shall be in your ears Christmas morning. Wake up, drink coffee, unwrap presents, put the dog out because it’s going nuts, try on weird clothes, fake “I love it!”s, bring the dog back in, trash the wrapping paper, come to www.chrismerrittmusic.com, download the new album, and blast the mother. It will be a new tradition.
I feel really good about the new songs. I think you’ll like this album better than the album currently in your CD player.
What IS the album currently in your CD player? I have some Frank Black in mine. Or is it Black Francis? I think it’s a mix.
Love always,
Chris
Later today = tomorrow
Hi, here are some songs from the new album.
This one is called Sherlock Holmes:
and
This one is called On My Own:
and
This one is called Long Distance:
SO!
HERE’S THE DEAL: I was thinking about just releasing the album on Christmas morning for free, here on the website. If you guys are interested, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post with something Christmas themed, followed by an exclamation mark. For example, “Santa!” or “Jangly Bells!” or “Red Nosed Cervidae!”. Anything. If I get 50 comments on this post, I’ll consider you guys interested and make sure its done on time! But it has to be 50. So inform a friend or two and tell them to jump on and comment! I’ll check it in a day or two when I’ve unloaded my life in Virginia.
By the way, these posted songs are presently unmixed and unfinished. There’s about 15 or 16 of these.
I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!
-Chris
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“Holy Crap!! A New Record!!” -or- “I was going to move back to Los Angeles, but then I remembered that Los Angeles makes me feel suicidal.” -or- “I miss Virginia. Yeah, I do, really.”
Hi! I hope everyone is well. Remember that time that I had a website and then didn’t update it for the last 3 weeks or something ridiculous? Those were good times. Well, say goodbye to those times, because YOU ARE NOW ENTERING UPDATE TOWN, OR “UPTOWN” AS LOCAL RESIDENCE CALL IT!!!!! WELCOME!!!! Leave your lack of posts at the door, because here in Update City (population 40,000), UPDATES ARE AN EVERYDAY OCCURRENCE!!!!!
What a strange post this is turning into.
So here’s my lame excuse for the lack of updates, followed by some exciting news!! I’ll give you a hint: it rhymes with “new album coming in two weeks.”
I have been moving. Life has taken a strange and sudden turn, and I find myself moving to Virginia six months sooner than expected. I’m in Springfield, MO right now, halfway between Utah and Virginia, with everything I own stuffed in my car. My two little kitties, Salt and Pepper, have come along for the move. They are no strangers to the road, and I think they’re enjoying the scenery.
In other news, I’m working on a new album. It’s really a new batch of demos, but I’ve decided that there’s not really a difference anymore. The new songs are fully fleshed out, finished, and produced. So I’m just gonna start calling it an album, and the name of it will probably be: “Songs I Wrote During My Visit To The Land Of Make-Believe”.
Later today I shall post some new samples. I think you’ll really like ‘em.
Also, there’s a new music video. Yes, you heard me right. A new Chris Merritt music video, which also happens to be the greatest music video of all time. More on that later also.
Thank you for your time and love. Come back later for some new music.
Love,
Chris
Demo
This one’s called Creshendoll and it’s from Bundle Of Joy.
#497
Take some time, watch a movie.
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Velour Show This Saturday!
Do you live in the state of Utah? If so, plan on coming to the biggest and craziest show of the year! The place will be full to the brim with the biggest Merritt fans on the planet, Provo folk. The show is THIS SATURDAY night at Velour in Provo, UT. The show starts at 8:00 PM. Playing with us is the incredible Elizabethan Report (Bring a diaper just in case if you plan on watching them perform). Starting off the show with some great acoustic songs is Parker. You can be sure to expect Cruise Elroy, Quinn, Cell, and all the classics, as well as a few new ones I’ve been cooking. I might even bust out the guitar for the first show ever. Here’s the poster for the show (I made it myself):
Demos
Hey gang. Sorry about the slow updates. I’m going through some really, really crazy changes right now; the kind of changes that make you see things more clearly than you’ve ever seen them, but also make your heart crawl down into your stomach and refuse to come out even when you offer it treats. It’s times like these when I reflect on the most profound statement I’ve ever heard in my life. Here’s the story.
A few years ago, I drove from Southern California up to Santa Cruz and played a show with my favorite band of all time, Craig’s Brother. The guy running sound that night was about 50 years old, black, and massive. He stood out in the venue against the skinny punk rock kids that showed up for the show. He came up to me afterwards, outside on the street, and told me that he liked my music more than anyone else he had done sound for. He told me that most of the other bands that play there just go for a certain shallow style or sound, but that my music had soul. It was one of the most sincere compliments I’ve ever been handed.
We started talking music, and it turns out that he played professional jazz and blues bass, and was only running sound for some extra cash. We started talking about jazz and he invited me to come and sit in on a jam session that he was playing in a couple days, but tragically, home was about five hours south. We walked to his parked Harley. He put on his helmet and got on the bike. Then he looked right at me, and said, “I’m an old man, and I can tell you one thing for sure: the music never gets old. The bullshit? Yeah, the bullshit gets old. But the music… the music never gets old.”
And then he started up his Harley and drove away.
#287
Here’s an ancient one for you, from an old tape, called Maybe Its Good You Went Away. I was probably about 18. The lyrics, that at the time were meaningless, seem to be pertinent now.
love,
Chris
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Demos
This one is called I Been There Before. A better name would have been Unoriginal. This song makes me laugh at myself. It’s also from Bundle Of Joy.
#494
It’s not original in any way, and that’s the reason that I stay.
Because, because, because I need to change it.
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Demos
Here’s one for you called Good Idea. It’s one of my favorites. It’s from the batch of demos called Bundle Of Joy.
#514
Singing it soft but it comes out louder.
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