The new batch of demos is here!  It’s called Songs From Brokeland and it’s available for download right here, right now!

Please buy a copy for $5.45.  It would really help me out (see title of album!!)

Click here:

Chris Merritt – Songs From Brokeland (Demos 2011)

I’ll be back online later – now work!  On zero hours of sleep!!!!  I stayed up all night finishing this for you lovely people  Hope you LOVE this thing!!

Update:

Here are some more songs:

By the way, here’s the track listing:

1. You And I Pull Close 2. Million 3. Mechanical Mind 4. Junkie 5. Poor Places 6. Come On, Daisy 7. Coney Island 8. Spider 9. Silly Asshole 10. Bird 11. Sucker Punch 12. World Won’t Wait 13. New Life 14. Burn Me

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Here’s one of the new songs – be sure to grab the new batch of demos when it’s done!  All proceeds will go to merchandise and the band as we try to get this thing going, man!

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here are some old mixes:

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Sorry for the lack of updates, pretty people.

I’ve been busy finishing a new batch of demos.  There are ten or so brand new songs.

They will be available soon as a digital download for $5.

Tomorrow I will post some samples.

Send me your questions via text message at 801-6-TEXT-CM!

Have you ever done a cover? -Susan

You know, I have never really recorded a cover, but I have some that I want to do. I used to have a list somewhere. Tom Petty, Beach Boys, Weezer, Craig’s Brother. Mario Bros, Enterprise Theme, Linus And Lucy.  Oh yeah!  Once we did the Family Matters theme at a show!  The most exciting thing I’m working on is this rock trio arrangement of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sheherazade! It will be some work.  Is it a “cover”?  Any other cover ideas?

You ought to do a rendition or cool new version of the beatles song ‘martha my dear’ off the white album.

Truth.  What a great song.  Listen…genius melodies, clever and fun arrangement, dynamic recording, fun with time signature, key changes, and TUBAS!!!  What happened to the state of rock music?

Hey Mr. Chris Merritt, i’m a huge fan, my name is Aly Webb, and my boyfriend knows your mom (not to be creepy)! I now listen to/love your music. I was wondering if you could write a song about teenage relationships maybe, about how they may or may not work, but it’s worth it to hope, right? Thanks for your time, and keep on being spiffy!

Thanks for your question.  Sure, here is your song!

When will you be in virginia again id really like to see you perform -Anonymous (but I’ll name you No Punctuation McGee)

Hey Chris, any plans to come play in Austin, TX anytime soon? Like for Austin City Limits or South by Southwest? -David

Dude, I love you since Utah. Your music is addictive. Incredible. Don’t stop. Tour. Come to Utah. Dont ever sell out. Seriously, you’ve got a gift. Will you tour -Anonymous (but I’ll name you Short Sentence Sam)

Soon.  I (and band) will do a proper tour soon.  Who wants to be in charge of booking?  Not it!!!  Sonny?  Bobby?  Brett?

I was wondering if you could ever send out music, like just piano chords or whatever, to aspiring closet pianists? Like, specifically, Sugar. Because i love that little tune. -Brenton, Resident of Ashburn, VA

First of all, take your piano out of the closet because it’s dark and cramped in there.  You know, I’ve had a few  requests to for sheet music.  Sounds like something I could spend a little time on and sell in my shoppe!  What a good idea, self!  It’s on the list with 8 billion other things to do.  Here are the chords to Sugar: [verses] [ Gb   Bbmin  Ab  Db]  x2    [Gb  Db  F7/A Bbmin  Gb Db Absus Ab] [pre-chorus] [Ebmin Absus sort of] x2 [chorus] [Db  Abmin Ebmin Bb   Gb  Bbmin  Gb  Db/F  Eb Db/F  Ab] [bridge] [Ab/C   Db   Fmin  Gb6]  Got that?  I will hint that in the bridge, your right hand plays the melody and vocal harmony, so Eb and Gb x5, resolve to Db and F, and then F and Ab x5, resolve down to Eb and Gb.

Hey, I’m from Leesburg VA and I wanted to say that I met someone who claimed to be your mother at Rust Library about a year and a half ago. She gave me Pixie and The Bear which I’ve found to be possibly the most enjoyable album I’ve recently heard. I look foward to seeing you in concert.

Haha!  That’s great!  She has big stickers of my face on the back of her car too.

Send me your questions via text message at 801-6-TEXT-CM!

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Hey dudes.  I’m reminding you of our next show so you can plan ahead:  Friday, Feb 11.  Brooklyn, NYC.

We’re playing ye olde Lincoln Tavern, which is right by the Prospect Park stop on the Q or the B train!  We’ll be starting around 9:30 PM.

I think it’s 21+.  I’m sorry younger fans.  I wish we lived in a less stupid world.  But on the plus side, at least you’re still young, you lucky son-of-a…

Oh, and it’s FREE!!!!!

A special Tuesday Tapes today – here’s a beautiful new video from Sonny!  It features meditative shots of Coney Island set to Surfin’.

We have this idea of going to Coney Island in the snow when nobody is there and filming shots of me walking around alone in the cold, and splicing them in.  What do you think?

Send in your texts with any questions at 801-6-TEXT-CM !!

What was your inspiration for the title of your album ‘Pixie and the Bear’? – James

In my wildest dreams, I hoped to call the album Jesus And The Bear, and use Jim Woodring’s awesome painting Jesus And The Bear as cover art.  I wrote Jim a letter or two and he wrote me back every time.  He’s a super funny and generous guy.  Unfortunately, Mr. Woodring wrote me that he wasn’t “allowed” to do album covers.  Funny, he did an EP cover for Mika.  Incidentally, when we I moved to nyc, drummer Brett Ripley and I met Mika’s dad and had coffee with him randomly.  He told us about Mika’s new success and how much money he’s put into this kid’s career, which added up to 4 or 5 million or something.  They spent 900 grand on a new video alone, so I imagine they threw Mr. Woodring a decent little bone.  Anyway, I decided to do all my own album covers after Mr. Woodring turned me down.  Even if they sucked, the idea was they would get better and better and it would be more genuine and “me” anyway.

So the title evolved to Pixie And The Bear, which is named after my family’s two dogs in Virginia.  Pixie, a small Jack Russell, is the pack leader.  She is small, bossy, angry, and intelligent.  Bear is an enormous Rottweiler who is relaxed, shy, and always loving.  I thought their personalities fit each side of the record really well.  Pixie is the “rock” record.  Over-the-top, loud, drums, bass, etc.  The Bear is much more chill and acoustic.

Originally, I was going to name the record The Ghost And Mr. Chicken, after this movie.  Someone convinced me not too.  I kind of like that title better now.  Oh well.  That’s what happens when you take people’s stupid advice.  But I like Pixie And The Bear too.  Here’s the cover art, which Roland Osborne colored and made pretty:

So many good texts coming in.  I will answer them all soon!  Sorry, I gotta run to work now.