Julie's NEUZ. . .

New song.... Monday, 5/11/2009

2009-05-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hello peepull ;)

I had a really REALLY cool weekend - I wrote and recorded 2 new songs!

I would love to share one of them with you (the other is not quite ready).

This song, entitled "Mr. Ayers" was inspired by a mentally ill and homeless

musical virtuosa named Nathaniel Ayers. His story was brought to the world

by LA Times journalist, Steve Lopez. The story has recently been made into

a movie you may have heard of, "The Soloist" starring Jamie Foxx and Robert

Downey Jr.

Here is a link to the 60 minutes piece on it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=907pVLbXdHg

The song is below....just click on the "play" button. If you would like to download the song, just email me at julie@julieneumark.com and I will email you an MP3. I will only keep this song posted for a short time, so let me know soon!!

Cheers to y'all - I hope you enjoy!!!

Live, love, and let loose,

Julie

The beautiful circle of life - Wednesday, April 29, 2009

2009-04-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

April 29th, 2009 -

Today I blog because I am human. Not because I am a musician who has just finished a tour...not because I am plugging my next gig....not because I was signed by a label. Today I blog as Julie Neumark the person, the woman, the individual. Today I blog in celebration of the circle of life and all of it's mystery and wonderment.

Four years ago today, I lost my father, Michael Neumark, to Cancer. No...to cancer. This ruthless and growing parasitcal destroyer does not deserve to be capitalized. My father surrendered peacefully the night of April 28th, 2005, just moments after midnight, technically making it April 29th but emotionally my family will always feel more of an attachment to the 28th.

Last night, April 28th, 2009 at 11:20 pm, my brother and sister-in-law welcomed a beautiful baby girl into our lives, Sloane Elizabeth Neumark, weighing a healthy 7lbs 8oz. This is their first child and would have been my father's first grandchild.

I have not been able to stop thinking about the coincidence or serendipidity or fate or whatever you want to call it, of the situation. There are 364 OTHER wonderful days in the year...why did little Sloane choose that time to make her grand entrance? I don't have an answer....I spent some of my morning googling "baby birth parent death same day" and stuff like that and found nothing. I even through the word "reincarnation" into my search thinking I might find something that way, although I am not suggesting my 59 year old father has come back to the earth as a 7lb baby girl. Still, nothing. I just can't stop my mind from wondering about it all. This "perfect circle"....

I have to get back to the work I am doing but I think I'll put on Live's "Lightening Crashes"

Touring Holland with BETH HART - Chapters 3, 4, 5 and 6

2009-03-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

Hey folks ~ I decided to combine the last 4 chapters into one great big wonderful chapter, 'cause baby, I am be-hiiiiiiiiiiiiiind! I still have a whole other tour to the midwest to tell you about!
Let's see, where did I leave off? Oh ya, the first show with Beth, in Rotterdam (when you say that word, really roll your "R"...it's how they do it and it's fun). After the show at Watt, we actually go to really sleep for the first time in days. It was wonderful. I followed it up with a big brunch and then an even bigger workout at this really cool gym. Then, it was show time again.

That night, we played a show to pub full of people in the heart of Rotterdam. AJ and Judith, the promoters of the night AND our new best friends, took us out for sushi (see above) after we had our sound check. You can see a tiny collage of shots from that night. You can also see video from that
show at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AXl87V0nCk That show was so much fun - we played for 3 hours! Thanks to AJ and Judith for all of their time, energy, and love!!

The next day, we boarded a train to Nijmegen. It was thursday, the night of my second show with Beth and her band. This time, we would be playing a soft seat theatre that held about 1,000 people. I was pretty stoked. :)

When we arrived, we saw that there was a billboard out front with our names on it. I am a self-admitted dork and I still get a kick out of seeing my name up there! Once inside, we were shown to our dressing room and I tuned up in the hall while Beth's boys were sound-checking. This was going to be a cool night because they had the whole stage set up like a living room. Both our set and the beginning of Beth's were acoustic. It made for a really warm, homey feel.

This show was cool too because the Govert de Roos' assistant, Marlinde, was there the whole night following me around, taking shots. At first, I was really self-conscious (and I have a new-found respect..well sort of...for reality tv stars....it's harder than you'd think to have a camera perpetually in your face!)
The show was REALLY cool and after I played I rushed out to the merch table where people were standing for autographs and photos. It was busy but super fun!! I posted a clip below you can check out if you want - Holly was taping our very last song backstage right before we ended. Be sure to listen to the applause at the end...lol, it sounds like a REAL audience!! After a short meet and greet with fans out front, we headed back in to watch Beth. It was really sweet, right when she took the stage and started her first tune she said, "How about that Julie Neumark? She is the shit!!" :)

Backstage with Otto (L) and Dave (R) before the show...

On stage in Nijemegen...

Live VIDEO - (shot from backstage) "Lady"

FRIDAY: Off on a train to Utrecht for an instore performance at Plato. We hung out in Utrecht for the day and I had the most delicious chicken sandwich. Utrecht is a really sweet little town with cobblestone streets and little shops and restaurants all around. Over to the left you can see me standing by the "Dimestore Halo" display in the store.

Friday was also Holly's birthday and our night off! It was time to celebrate! We hopped on a train back to Amsterdam, quickly checked into our hotel and headed out to meet up with Scott, Tom, Jon, and Todd (plus some of our other new Dutch friends, Theo and Carolla). First though, Dave and I took Holly out to dinner and got her a, well, a make-shift cake with a sparkler in it. See below.

Then we headed over for some darts and pool with the rest of the crazy Americans (except for Beth who was smartly resting her voice and seeing a movie). It was a whole lot of fun...a little too much fun, haha....and a very late night.

Holly "pool shark" Lucille showed off her skills on Mr. Jon Nichols. Um, keep practicing, Holly....guitar playing isn't Jon's only skill... ;)

The next morning came quickly, as Dave and I struggled to get our butts out of bed and head over to the radio station where the 2 Meter Sessions is taped. Here is a picture of us in the studio where we recorded 6 songs for the show. It tooks us a few to warm up but then we were on fire and really geared up for our final show of the tour in Zaandam that night.We arrived to a friendly stage manager who showed me to my dressing room where they had scrawled my name and a welcome in chalk on the door (this place was very rock and roll). Inside, the walls were covered with names of bands who had played there before us, their logos, artwork, quotes, you name it - all written in black sharpies. I, of course, added my own with my logo ;) (see below)

Next to my dressing room was Beth's with a similar welcome sign (see below).
It was really cool that night, about 1/2 before my set, I hear Beth making her way down the hall and then knock on my door. She had come in early to give me a little "mentoring" advice on performance, the business, etc. This woman has a huge heart and I so so appreciate her thinking of me and passing along her words of wisdom - Beth man, YOU f***ing ROCK!! The show was great - probably our strongest of the tour...we were SO loose and just really having a good time.

This is a photo taken by a fan during the set. I felt so present during this performance...like I wanted to soak up every last second of it. It wasn't long before it was over and then it was off to the fans to meet and greet and then watch Beth play one last time on this tour. It was nothing short of fantastic as was the entire experience of my first tour in Europe. :)

After the show, we all ended up hanging out in Beth's dressing room for a couple of hours before calling it a night. It was fun not only to hang out with Beth and boys again but also to meet and talk to some of the great people who were part of this tour - Theo, Carolla, Bianca and as well, new Dutch friends Jette, Jannita, and more!!

Sadly, the next day we packed up our things and headed back to the airport to fly 9 hours back to LA...

WE WILL BE BACK!!!!

xoxo ~

Julie

http://www.julieneumark.com/

www.myspace.com/julieneumark

http://julieneumark.hyves.nl/

3/13/09 - Leaving on a jet plane...for the midwest!

2009-03-13T07:41:00.000-07:00

Hey there friends!

Just wanted to touch base and thank you all for your love and support. I have now posted 2 chapters of the Holland Tour and will be posting a 3rd one after I return from my tour to the midwest. Thank you for taking the time to read these and commenting...I love commenting! It's like getting mail :)

Tomorrow I leave for a 9 day tour to the middle of our lovely country, playing parts of Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Illinois. Dave Carducci and I are sharing the tour (he will play with me, I will play with him AND we have a handful of new songs that we actually co-wrote!).

Stay tuned...I will be blogging when I can get internet access! Here are a list of the shows...be sure to tell all your friends and family that might live nearby!!

MONDAY, MARCH 16 - RUMBA CAFE - COLUMBUS, OH - 9PM, $5 COVER
TUESDAY, MARCH 17 - THE SOUTHGATE HOUSE - NEWPORT, KY - 8:30PM, $5 adv., $8 at door
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18 - TRAPPERZ - LASALLE, MI - 9PM
THURSDAY, MARCH 19 - BILLY'S LOUNGE - GRAND RAPIDS, MI - 9PM, $5 COVER
FRIDAY, MARCH 20 - THE OTTAWA TAVERN - TOLEDO, OH - 9PM
SATURDAY, MARCH 21 - UNCOMMON GROUND(edgewater) - CHICAGO, IL - 9:30PM FREE

Cheers,

Julie

www.julieneumark.com
www.myspace.com/julieneumark

February 28 - Touring Holland with BETH HART - chapter 2

2009-03-01T17:39:00.000-08:00

This lovely photo of me is on a train from Amsterdam, post photo shoot with world renowned Govert de Roos, to Rotterdam where my first show opening for Beth was taking place. I was STARVING and managed to put together a bit of "emergency" sustenance to get me through to the show (because once we reached Rotterdam it would be check into the hotel and off to sound check at the venue). Just in case you are curious, my "wrap" consisted of a wheat free, gluten free tortilla, a slice of Nori (seaweed), and baby carrots and almonds wrapped up inside....oh, and a beef jerky-like stick that was made of ostrich. Yum. Lol.....

When we arrived at the venue, the people there could not have been nicer, they showed us to our HUGE dressing room, complete with snacks and beer and wine. :)

Next,it was off to sound check. Wow. This was a big stage with a big sound board. We walked in while Beth's band was still sound checking and it was fun to catch up with Scott and the boys...it made me feel like I was at home. We had a nice, long, indulgent sound check (ah, now I knew we were not in the US of A....) and we went back upstairs to hang out in the dressing room before we went on.

More sound check photos.....

Sound Check.....

.......then it was SHOWTIME! As Dave and I waited off stage behind the enormous metal doors, I took a deep breath and looked at him..."we are about to play in front of over 1,500 people...you ready?" We took the stage with wild abandon and begun the set with the take-no-prisioners political Dylan-esque song, "Spare Change". People quieted down. They were listening. Then they clapped. Huh. I think they liked us. Our quick 7 song set flew by and before I knew it, we were leaving the stage with a lot of cheering behind us. I ran right into to Scott, upon exiting the stage who told me that Beth was standing there watching half my set and that she wanted to say hello. We ended up chatting for the next 30 minutes before her set. It was great to catch up with her and it felt so good to hear how supportive she was of having me on tour as the support act.
(Below: a clip from the show - "Spare Change")

After Beth's show, (which was phenomenal, as per usual!) I experienced something I had never experienced before....mad amounts of people at my merch table wanting to buy cds, posters, t-shirts AND have them autographed by me....it was nuts. People wanted photographs with me too. This was a whole new world to me. Normally, in the US, I can handle the buying/selling/signing at the merch table all by myself, but this time, I needed the help of 4 other pairs of hands (thank God I had them!). It was truly humbling and utterly amazing.

So, that concludes chapter 2....I hope to get chapter 3 up very soon...so stay tuned! The next leg of the trip includes a packed solo show for me at a pub in Rotterdam as well as the next show with Beth in Nijmegen in a gorgeous soft seat theatre. Cheers til then!!

~Julie

February 11, 2009 - Touring in Holland with BETH HART...chapter 1

2009-02-11T14:37:00.000-08:00

Hello to all you crazy and wonderful people!! I am back from my European debut and, minus some jet-lag, feeling pretty GREAT :)

***to the left, Beth Hart and I after a show***

It was a whirlwind, I tell ya...a beautiful, amazing whirlwind. There is SO much to tell so I am going to break the blogs up into chapters. Here is chapter 1...

Sunday, January 25th I headed to LAX with guitar player / tour manager, Dave Carducci and videographer / merch girl / security / emotional support, Holly Lucille. The flight was 9+ hours but we all slept most of the trip (well, except Dave...he has a bit of flying anxiety). We arrived in Amsterdam at 12:45pm on Monday and we were off to the Lloyd Hotel, both our first night's lodging accomodations and the venue of our showcase show that evening.

I had no more than stepped out of the cab when I was greeted by Otto, my label contact and the man responsible for setting this whole thing up. He met our weary eyes with a great big smile and welcomed us to Holland. (Below: Otto and I )

That evening, after a couple hours of restorative and totally necessary napping, Dave and I went down to the music room of the hotel to sound check while Holly gathered up the video camera and merch. In the few short hours we had been in Holland, we found one thing that was hard to get used to...everyone was so freakin' nice! Really...we kept waiting for the other shoe to drop or the alterior motive but no, there was none...the people were just friendly as f***! I am going to just post some photos below so you can see the venue and some of the people who were part of that evening. It was a great kick-off to the tour!

Holly, all packed up with the merch for the night!

The Merch table (complete with a half-naked photo of me, courtesy of Kris DeLano)

Me with J.J., the adorable sound engineer intern...he isn't a small guy :)

The larger-than-life projection of my photo (Christina Donnelly) and biography onto the wall above where we were playing.......

Vincent, the exquisite sound engineer at The Lloyd
Good friends, Debra Pear and Dawn Landon...they came all the way from LA to see me!! :)

During the performance.....

New Dutch fans, watching the strange America Girl rock the night away ;)

We played for about 2 1/2 hours to an attentive and appreciative crowd. I kept my eyes open as long as could, meeting and greeting new faces, until I finally turned in around midnight, Amsterdam time (no idea what time it was in LA....). I had to get ready for a very big day on Tuesday....not only was it the day of my first big show supporting Beth but that morning I had a photo shoot with the world famous photographer, Govert de Roos...he has shot everyone from Janis Joplin to John & Yoko to Jimi Hendrix...you name it, he's shot it....more on all of that in Chapter 2.

Stay tuned!! In addition to more blog chapters, I am beginning to edit together all of the video footage from the tour and there is some GREAT stuff you won't want to miss!!

Cheers!!

Julie

http://www.julieneumark.com/

1/9/2009. . . Going to the Netherlands to open up for BETH HART!

2009-01-09T15:25:00.000-08:00

Hi there, peeps :)
It's been a while and I hope you all closed up 2008 with a feeling of satisfaction. 2009 is certainly of to a rip-roaring start!!
I will be traveling over to Holland to open for BETH HART on her Netherlands tour. I am ecstatic, to say the least. And I'm taking Mr. Carducci with me! (SEE ABOVE: DAVE CARDUCCI AND ME...PHOTO BY CHRISTINA DONNELLY)

Since the very first time I met Beth, almost exactly 3 years ago, she has been nothing but a gracious talent and a total inspiration. Over the past couple of years, I have gotten to open for her a couple of times in Los Angeles and we have kept in touch. Then, when my album got picked up in The Netherlands, all the pieces just came together and it was a perfect fit for me to open!

While I am there, I will also being doing various radio shows, meet and greets, and appearances to promote "Dimestore Halo".

I am really looking forward to this opportunity - I think it is going to be an amazing experience and I feel incredibly blessed.

I will keep you all posted through blogs and vlogs so stay tuned for more!!
xoxo ~
Julie

Genghis Cohen tomorrow night.....9/18/08

2008-09-18T11:05:00.001-07:00

Hey blog reading peeps -

Just wanted to remind you all (in the LA area) that I have a show tomorrow night at GENGHIS COHEN

740 N. Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Show is at 8pm sharp (only a 45 minute set)
Cover is $7

I will be playing a combined set with Dave Carducci (1 on my friends)...I will also be touring with him for the 9 CITY MIDWEST TOUR starting Sept 25 - Oct 5.....Check out my calendar of shows....if you don't live in LA and can't see the show tomorrow night, maybe we are coming to your city! And if we're not and you'd like us to, demand me (by using the icon on my page) and I will come to you :)

Fall Tour with DAVE CARDUCCI.... 9/18/08

2008-09-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

Next week I leave for a 10 day, 9-city tour of the midwest!

Coming with me and sharing the bill is band member (and singer/songwriter in his own right), DAVE CARDUCCI. Check out our calendar of shows below:

9/26/2008 7:00PM - Private Fundraiser - Cincinnati, OH

9/27/2008 8:00PM - Common Grounds - Lexington, KY

9/28/2008 8:00PM - The Iron Post (w/ Eleni Moraites) - Urbana, IL

9/29/2008 9:00PM - Uncommon Ground - Devon - Chicago, IL

10/1/2008 9:00PM - D'Vine - Indianapolis, IN

10/2/2008 9:00PM - Juke's Bar - Grand Rapids, MI

10/3/2008 11:00PM - Mickey Finn's Pub - Toledo, OH

10/4/2008 12:00PM - Cafe Classics - Monroe, MI

10/4/2008 8:00PM - Molly Malones (w/ Eleni Moraites) - Covington, KY

Hope this finds you all well - and, I hope to see some of you fellow midwesterners while we're out on the road!

I got Signed!!.......8/26/08

2008-09-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone :) Here's a little update for you....

I got SIGNED. . .

Hyena Records in Europe has a new artist.....JULIE NEUMARK! It all became official a couple of weeks ago and I am absolutely thrilled to be on their roster. DIMESTORE HALO will be released in the Benelux (Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg) in mid-October and I will be making media appearances over there in November. Stay tuned for more details!! :)

"DIMESTORE HALO" will be released in its all new edition with brand new artwork,lyrics, liner notes, a free download of a song not on the original album, and some fun little suprises for you within the packaging itself! It's pretty rad...I really want to give BIG thanks to JAMI ANDERSON, the grammy nominated album designer on the project (she will be following it up with a new website for me that matches!). Take a sneak peak at the front and back covers:

I hope this little Neuzletter finds everyone well and enjoying the end of the summer. Happy Labor Day to everyone...be sure and get in that final BBQ before fall rolls in and stores start playing "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas". Sheesh. :)

Hugs to you all ~

Julie

New Tour Dates.......7/24/2008

2008-08-24T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hi friends

It's been awhile and yes, I admit, I have been SERIOUSLY neglecting my blog but there has been A LOT (and I mean a lot) of things brewing in the pot!

Personally, I have recently made a very big and scary adult leap and purchased a home here in Los Angeles...ahh! Mortgage!

In music...wowo! It's been a whirlwind! (still is). It's tough because there are a bunch of things I can't really mention (that I can almost mention) but I will tell you this - they are super exciting.

Here's a little hint: one of the big ones has to do with Europe (oooo!!)

I have been spending a lot of my time writing, both for new "Julie Neumark" tunes and also I have begun a project with another very talented singer/songwriter. This project is in the infant stages but I can already tell it is going to be so fun! There will be more for you to read on this (and hear!) soon...

Check out my new tour dates...the fall midwest tour is almost together! Dave Carducci are touring acoustically and coming to some new cities (which I am really excited about) - Indianapolis, Lexington, Champaign/Urbana, Milwaukee - as well as hitting up some of the wonderfully supportive "regulars" - Cincinnati, Covington, Chicago, Grand Rapids, Columbus, and Toledo. Mark your calendars and save the date!

Alright - that's it for now...but I will be back REALLY soon to fill you in on some of the details....promise!

New Video from my tour.... 6/9/2008

2008-08-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody!

I just wanted to let you all know that I have posted a video of my tour this past April....

In this video, titled "Who Are You?", you will meet the band, see some behind the scenes, and a live performance from our first show in Grand Rapids, MI......

Be sure to check it out!

Hope you all are well!!

Julie

Tour Blog....and photos from the road 5/1/2008

2008-08-24T15:44:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Now that I am back and starting to feel some slight sense of normalcy creep in, I have had the chance to upload some photos (check them out on my page) and reflect on this whole journey.

The tour started out with me flying into Chicago to meet and rehearse with a band I have never played with, the night before we took off on the tour. Shit. Does that sound scary to anyone else? I should mention that I DID have my man, Dave Carducci with me from LA. Dave was opening for us most nights of the tour and was serving as my right hand guy as well. We all met at a bar called Twisted Spoke, around the corner from the rehearsal space and then headed over. There, I met Jeff Kelly (drums), Aron Topielski (bass), and Aaron Weistrop (lead guitar) and, of course, Ted Wulfers, who I had met several times before and, in addition to sharing the tour with me, was playing lap steel for me on a few tunes.

After a round of drinks and exchanging niceties, the "how was your flight?" question, and a few awkward silences, we headed over to play some music. And then we played through the first song....

Wow. wow wow wow! These guys were total pros. They had practically flawlessly learned all of the tunes off of my album by ear. I finally let out the breath I had been holding since the plane took off in LA. Things were going to be cool.

The next day, I headed over to drummer Jeff's pad to we could be picked up together by Ted in the big van. There I met his cute little cat and found out that he was sought out by Frito Lay to do some sort of top secret "crunch" test. Damn. That sounds way more exciting than my cubicle....

When Ted arrived in the 8 passenger van that I would come to call home for the next 2 weeks, he had already picked up Aaron guitar player and Dave. All we needed was our bass player and we were off to Grand Rapids to kick off the tour!

I will write more later and, as well, I will be posting weekly webisodes edited together from behind the scenes footage and performances from each venue, so STAY TUNED!

Back from the road..... 4/27/2008

2008-08-24T15:43:00.000-07:00

hi all :)

I am back from my tour! Phew....touring....is not glamourous, haha....it is exhausting but we had so much fun and met so many great new fans and friends.

Starting in May, I will be posting one webisode per week documenting the "behind the scenes" of the tour....you don't want to miss it....stay tuned.

While I was on tour, I did a radio show in Cincinnati. To hear the full segment, click on: WNKU radio - Julie Neumark.

They posted one of the songs I performed live on You tube and I posted the video on my page...check it out!! :)

I hope everyone is well - stay tuned for more pics and stories as well as my upcoming webisodes!!!

xoxo,
Julie

Julie on the Radio 4/23/2008

2008-08-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll (we're headed to Nashville next on this tour so I gotta get into character)

Hope this finds you all well....we are about 3/4 of the way through our tour and it's been going really well! I do believe we will be coming back to the good old midwest sometime around August. We have been so lucky with the weather too...it's been gorgeous.

I have so much video too.....as soon as I get back I will be editing and posting....so stay tuned!!! Ted Wulfers and his band have become my long lost brothers - they are amazing guys and incredibly talented...we have been so lucky to have been touring with them!

We've got 3 more shows....check out the page for more details on Nashville, Louisville, and Chicago (***though, the venue is possibly changing....I'll keep you posted.)

In the meantime, I was on the radio when I was in Cincinnati and here is the link....
take a listen when you get a chance. Unfortunately, Dave Carducci was hit with some bad food poisoning (yuck!!) so I was solo for this -

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wnku/local-wnku-698420.mp3

Stay well - see you at one of the upcoming shows or back in LA!! :)

Julie

Leavin' on a TOUR!! 4/10/2008

2008-08-24T15:40:00.002-07:00

The TROUBADOUR.... 3/24/2008

2008-08-24T15:40:00.001-07:00

I've been asked to play at the TROUBADOUR!

I am very excited, as the Troubadour is one of my favorite venues to see/hear live music, I have always wanted to rock out there myself.

It is going to be a GREAT night of live music, so don't miss it!! Doors open at 8pm and tickets are only $8....they will be available through ticketmaster, I will send out the link when I get it....in the meantime -

JULIE NEUMARK and THE SWEET NASTY
Wednesday, April 2nd
@ The TROUBADOUR
9081 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069

Hope ya'll can make it!! :)

Julie

WINNING the GIRL ROCK:Battle of the Bands - 3/24/2008

2008-08-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

Hi! I just wanted to thank everyone who came out to support me and my boys at the battle of the bands finals on friday night. We all had so much fun and I was so amazed at the turnout!! I have so many wonderful and supportive friends and fans!!

I am VERY excited to say that not only am I getting to play in Palm Springs with Corday at the Girl Bar pool party at Dinah Shore, BUT I also got a full endorsement deal with Daisy Rock guitars!! Yee! I can’t wait to pick out my new geeeetar.....

I want to thank Daisy Rock for the opportunity and also Jennifer Corday for putting this whole thing together. It was such a postive experience and every single band in the finals was super nice and professional...I think it was a really great night of music.

So that’s all the news for now...I’ll keep you posted and see many of you at Dinah Shore!!

xoxo,
Julie

Ann Driscoll / Layne show at Genghis Cohen - 3/21/2008

2008-08-24T15:34:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to a double-billed show, ANN DRISCOLL / LAYNE at Genghis Cohen. Ann and I actually wrote a song via the internet over the past couple of months and last night she had me up on stage to perform it with her. It’s called "Tell Her" and I got it on video...it’s up on youtube if you wanna take a look!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtywjbpKxos

I have to say, I was really really impressed with Ann’s show and how far she has come since I last saw her play. She really put on a show...and by that I mean, it wasn’t just her standing up there playing her songs...first of all, she had a great band - these guys know their shit (AND they are all absolutely adorable!!) The set order was well thought out and Ann’s casual and witty banter and connection with the audience made you feel like you knew her. (Well, I DO know her)...but you know what I’m saying

This was all followed by a set by Layne, my friend Laurie Geltman’s band. Laurie is a seasoned performer and kickin’ guitar player. This was a more acoustic and more intimate setting than I’ve ever seen Laurie in and it was really nice. Her band set up in a bit of an unconventional way, kind of in a circle on the stage. It was really cool.

Such a great night of music! If you haven’t already, you should really check out both of these women:

www.myspace.com/anndriscoll

www.myspace.com/laynemusicusa

And (shameless plug for me) don’t forget if you are in LA tonight, come over to Girl Bar for the Girl Rock Battle of the Band Finals!!

661 Robertson Blvd (across from The Abbey)
West Hollywood, CA
DOORS @ 7:30, show at 8pm
tickets $7
Cheers,

Julie

Advancing to the finals of GIRL ROCK:Battle of the Bands - 1/3/2008

2008-08-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to your support before the holidays, we won our round of Battle of the Bands and we now advance to the finals in March. Woo hoo!!

The whole evening was put together so well and all of the bands were amazing...thank you to everyone who came (and voted for us!)

If we win in March, we will get an endorsement deal with Daisy Rock guitars and a slot to play at Dinah Shore in April. Please come support us and enjoy a really fun evening at Girl Bar on Friday, March 21st!

Happy New Year to you all...2008 is gonna be great!

My new Christmas song 12/20/2007

2008-08-24T15:24:00.000-07:00

I wrote a new song last night…. "Mama Merry Christmas." I've never written a Christmas song and I always notice that other artists are posting Christmas songs on their page or releasing Christmas singles…I never really had any interest in writing a holiday song and, well, this one kind of came upon me. I didn't ask for it. It wrote itself.

To me, Christmas has changed in my life from what it was for 29 years to what it has been for the past 3. I guess I was really lucky and didn't even know I was, growing up with a mom and a dad under one roof and Christmas full of traditions and magical feelings. From trimming the Christmas tree with my parents and little brother while listening to the Beach Boys Christmas album to sitting down to our Christmas dinner (the only time out of the entire year that we ever sat in the dining room and used the fancy settings) with just the four of us sharing our memories of the year about to end and our hopes and dreams for the next, it was pretty fucking ideal. Every year on Christmas Eve, my father would read, "The night before Christmas" and then we would all sit around the tree in the dark, looking at the lights and listen to Christmas music before heading off to bed. In the morning, we would all wake up and my dad would always have to be the first one downstairs to make sure….well, to be honest, I'm not sure what he was making sure of….that "santa" was gone? Whatever it was, it was always a big deal that no one went down before him. It was a tradition; a tradition that ended along with all of the others when my father passed away in April of 2005. Now, in 2007, I sit in Los Angeles for my first Christmas away from my family; my brother is in New York with his wife and in laws; my mom is at home in Cincinnati.

It makes me sad, too sad to even really let myself feel, that all of this wonderfulness surrounding this holiday for me has ended. I've felt myself in the past 3 years want something radically different from Christmas….re-define it so that the season is something new rather than a rememberance of what is gone. This year my Christmas will be spent with Holly and the animals…we've decided to make a bed on the floor and watch the entire season of 24.

Next year, we will be heading to Cincinnati to spend Christmas with my mom. I know that this year is really difficult for her, not having my brother or I home. I think this song came out of having a whole lot of love and compassion for her while sharing the common bond of the loss of my father and all that went with him.

I guess one of the reasons I never wanted to write a holiday song before is that, much like this time of year, there is this pressure I felt to "make it cheery." Well, just as I don't want anyone to tell me how I should feel this time of year, I don't want anyone to tell me how to write. This season is traditionally one of cheer but realistically a very painful time for many, many of us. I think a lot of people will be able to relate to this song…or at least, as with all of my songs, that is my hope.

So, to all of you out there: have a holiday….have a happy one, a sad one, a scared one, a funny one, a drunken one, an angry one, a regretful one, a loving one….have whatever kind you want to have. Peace to you all.

DIMESTORE HALO now available!! 10/30/2007

2008-08-24T15:23:00.000-07:00

Hi!!

The release party on Sunday was a blast!! Thank you to you local myspacers who made it!! I sooooo apreciate your support!! If you weren't in town or you weren't able to make it, the good news is that NOW you can order your very own copy of Dimestore Halo by clicking on the "BUY NOW" icon on my myspace page! It is located in the BIO section, directly below the image of the album cover. For those of you who signed up for pre-order, go ahead and click on the "BUY NOW" as well and you can place your official order this way.

Hope you all enjoy it....I look forward to hearing from you!! :)

Julie :)

Pre-order your copy of DIMESTORE HALO now! 10/17/07

2008-08-24T15:05:00.001-07:00

Hey ya'll

As many of you know, I am having a listening party for my album, "Dimestore Halo" in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 28th. I hesitate to call this a "release party" because my official release will not be until Spring of 2008. However, I really wanted to celebrate the completion of the album as well as thank family and friends who have been such a tremendous support throughout this journey.

For this event, I am having 300 Limited-Edition albums manufactured. That's right...once they are gone, they are gone. You won't be able to get a copy of "Dimestore Halo" until the album is officially released through the distributor this Spring.

So, if you are like me and don't like to wait for things, I am offering you this opportunity:

The option to PRE-ORDER! All you have to do is respond to this blog (or the bulletin) and place your order before October 28th and I will set aside that number of CD's for you. For a flat rate of $12/cd or $11/cd for orders of 5 or more, I will ship your order to you. After the 28th I will be in touch to get your shipping information and settle up payment.

I hope this finds everyone well....and I hope to see you local folks at the party on the 28th!!!

Cheers,
Julie :)

Hell-egation - 10/10/2007

2008-08-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

hey hump day blog readers...sorry i have been MIA of late.....the upcoming release of my album has had me running around like Clark Kent in a room full of kryptonite. things aren't slowing down, by ANY means, they are only getting started and I have been challenged by a weakness of mine....the ability to delegate.

Why pass off to someone else what you can do by yourself?

Well, what I am finding is that not only was Rome not built in a day, but it also was not built by one man.

While trusting continues to be a challenge, I am realizing that I cannot do this all on my own.....a very valuable lesson as I continue to move forward.

With that having been said, I leave this blog-shorty with one of my favorite quotes by one of my favorite bands, The Ditty Bops:

"Wisdom doesn't follow just because you age."

Happy Hump day!

Yellow Bellied Fear - 9/19/2007

2008-08-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

Yellow-bellied fear is callin' on my cell phone

I'm pretendin' not to hear, but he won't go away

I'm sorry I can't take your call today

But if you leave your name and number I'll get back to you someday

CHORUS:

Someday when I'm rich and famous

Someday when I am thin enough

Someday when my family's baggage, isn't weighin' me down

Someday when I'm less addicted

Someday when I'm perfect in this life - I'll call you back

Yellow bellied fear was waitin' on my doorstep

When I came home late, that February night

He said, "Won't you have a cup of coffee with me please?"

I said, "Not tonight, it's late and I need my sleep"

CHORUS:

But

Someday when I'm rich and famous

Someday when I am thin enough

Someday when my family's baggage, isn't weighin' me down

Someday when I'm less addicted

Someday when I'm perfect in this life - I'll call you back

BRIDGE:

Oh, I can't be bothered by the details of my life

I would rather ignore what's goin' on inside this head of mine

Can't I just take a pill

That says I will

Grow big

"Cause it's easier to fall asleep than take responsibility for anything!

CHORUS:

Ya,

Someday when I'm rich and famous

Someday when I am thin enough

Someday when my family's baggage, isn't weighin' me down

Someday when I'm less addicted

Someday when I'm perfect in this life - I'll call you back

(I'll call you back I'll call you back someday, oooooo....I'll call you back I'll call you back someday, oooooo....)

Welcome to the September 19th edition of the HUMP BLOG OF LITTLE DAME.... the above is a new tune I'm working on / just finished...been busy and out of town so I'm sorry I don't have many other ponderings to offer than that today....but hopefully you will get something out of reading it...wish you could hear it, but it's just not ready for public consumption. Ha, now isn't that fitting with the theme of my song.....lol.

There are some things and life that we will probably NEVER feel ready for: kids, marriage, buying a house (or so I hear, since I have done none of the aforementioned "deeds"). So, we can either spend our lives running from Mr. yellow bellied fear or we can pick up the phone...we can go have coffee with him....hmmm, that is why i don't think this song is finished yet....i want there to be an evolution of the narrative voice......hmmmm...have to work on that....

stay tuned.....

hope you are all well, out there, wherever you are.....

cheers,

tHE hUMP bLOG oF lITTLE dAME ;)

Beth Hart-Attack - 9/12/2007

2008-08-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

Gotta knock you right off your pedestal,so tired of having an idol..." -Julie Neumark, "Pedestal" 2002

Hump day is upon us once again. ha.

Tonight I have tickets to see Beth Hart at the Roxy. Yes, this is the first time since June that I haven't shared the stage with Ms. Hart at one of her LA performances. I am a ticket holder like everyone else....and I can't wait! Don't get me wrong, it has been slammin' opening for her but it will kind of be nice and...peaceful....to anonimously stand amongst a crowd of equally enthused fans and just lose myself in the music of one of my favorite musicians.

I first met Beth Hart not long after I had been introduced to her music. New Years Eve, 2005. It was at Jimmy's Nascar Bar and Grill down in Fullerton, CA. A tiny dive of a place that holds maybe 75 tops? The perfect venue to see her for the first time....intimate, laid-back, very REAL. During the opener, I was befriended by Shelly (one of my good pals today!), a seasoned Beth Hart fan (I was referred to as a virgin all evening.) ;) Beth was just sort of hanging out in the corner booth during the opener and Shelly offered to take me over and introduce me. I was flipping out. I could hardly breathe. I held it together, walked over and said hello and that I was a musician and she was a huge influence. She smiled, said thank you, and told me I had a cool jacket. Then Shelly (an amazing photographer, btw) took our picture. That's all I remember. Ha. You can actually see that photo in my myspace albums.

The show was amazing...life altering, for me at least. Beth continued to be an influence in my writing, my performance, and my life. Then in February of 2007, once again down at Jimmy's, I got another chance to say hello to Beth. As it happened, I had a show coming up at The Mint and I gave her a postcard. Scott, her husband walked over and they smiled thanked me and said they would be there. I really wasn't expecting them to come...until...they did...ha!

I couldn't believe it. I walked over to her and said hello and thanked her for coming. We shot the shit for a bit, trading stories about pre-show rituals, nerves, etc., and then she and Scott sat down and I took the stage. It was a blast, probably one of my strongest performances to date. When I finished, Beth called me a rockstar and told me what a great songwriter I was. "I mean, your the real deal, man!" she said, in true Beth Hart fashion. She told me that if she had a recording of the song I opened with (Bobbi) she would play it every morning.

I may have stepped down off the stage post-performance, but my feet still hadn't hit the ground. Before I said goodbye, we exchanged numbers and made plans to write together in the future.

We kept in touch and in June I opened for her at Knitting Factory and in July I opened for her at The Roxy. It was a blast. Someone who I had placed so high on a pedestal had not only made the transition to human for me, but was becoming a colleague and a friend.

Pedestals....the quote at the beginning is not just narcissistic...it does have a point. That point is about pedestals and the people who we put up on them. I've been doing this with one person or another my whole life. In 2002, I wrote a song about it called "Pedestal." Today, I was inspired to blog about Beth Hart, not only because I am going to see her tonight but because she is someone who, for a time, I placed on a pedestal.

Yesterday I read an online blog about that very subject and I would like to share some of it with you:

We put people on pedestals. We put them on these pedestals because as
mortals, we need someone to look up to. We develop an expectation that once
a person is on this pedestal that they will never come off that pedestal.
Once a person is there, we often create exceptionally unrealistic
expectations for that person. We often expect far more from that person
that we would ever expect of ourselves. When something happens and that
person does not meet our expectations we feel that they have somehow fallen
from grace............

If we take everyone off the pedestal and just become a detached observer
of human behavior where we can, we can be in a far more balanced place.
This isn't easy. It is very hard. The hardest ones are removing our
parents from their pedestals. This is especially poignant as they age and
make mistakes and stop being the person we always knew. We have to adjust
to their changes and just see them as a bit more needy, or forgetful or
cranky. We can still love them. We can still be OK.

Pedestals are artificial environments. No one really wants to be there.
Try removing people from their pedestals, ceasing judgment of them and
seeing them as ordinary mortals. Maybe then we won't feel so bad when they
make mistakes or have lapses in judgment or fail us. Maybe that is the same
level of compassion that we will ultimately want for ourselves. ~ Tina Erwin, The Light Times

Now, Beth Hart never "fell" from her pedestal...for me, that experience was unique and I was able to lift her up off the pedestal I had placed her on and bring her safely back down.

I've always been curious about the idea of idols and pedestals...I guess I figured it had to be pretty universal, even before I read Tina's latest edition of The Light Times.

I hope that this will touch some of you and if nothing else be comforting.

'Til next hump day,

tHE hUMP bLOG oF lITTLE dAME

Chewing on Plywood - 9/5/2007

2008-08-24T14:59:00.001-07:00

Happy hump day. It still feels like tuesday. I'm all thrown off from the weekend.

Sometimes I just feel like chewing on plywood.

But first, I want to thank all who read and commented on the photos....I learned A LOT from what you all had to say and no decisions have been made just yet, just a whole lotta thoughts rollin' around in this head o'mine.....

Back to the plywood....

One of those "thoughts" rolling around in my head the idea of CONTROL. All of us want it, none of us have it, yet the idea of it can become all-consuming....hmmm, almost controlling....

I've been struggling with the idea of it and how it's shifting in my life quite a bit lately. I am a very pro-active - go-getting - don't-waste-time - kinda person. I'm INCREDIBLY impatient (** something I am perpetually working on.....I even got the chinese symbol for it tatooed on my left shoulder....unfortunately, I can't SEE my left shoulder so it doesn't quite serve as the "reminder" I'd hoped). I find that I am extremely impatient with the process of releasing my album...having to delegate responsibility of tasks that I would usually do.....having to depend on others to do their job. Trusting. Stepping back. Relinquishing some control....

My manager keeps telling me that "these things take time" and that there is a very specific course of action and order of operations we need to follow. I get that intellectually but, shit, emotionally it's ummm.... "challenging." (***euphemism for "fucking frustating")

So, I've been spending a whole lotta time letting my anxiety over choosing the right photo, the right song track order, the right graphic designer, the right marketing company....etc., etc., etc....really ache inside of me.....

All things that I should just be so GD appreciative of getting the chance to stress over...

And then I had an experience the on Monday night that put it all into some perspective for me:

I had my neighbor over for some long overdue beers I'd promised her for her birthday. She is also a musician and we were talking about our careers and all of the challenges that come with it. She asked me about my story and how my manager and I came to work together....she asked me what I felt he had done to help me move forward in my career. I sat back and smiled and realized how lucky I am...how lucky I am to have found someone who believes in me, who has spent countless hours creating cds to help influence my writing, who set the bar higher than I was setting for myself when it came to my writing, who worked with me to come up with a business plan / proposal so that I could go out and get investors to help finance this project, and someone who, to this day, encourages and cares about me in addition to "my career." All this, based on belief and faith.

I realized that I don't tell my manager how much I appreciate him and so I decided to send him an email telling him of this experience.

Although not all of you out there are in the process of releasing an album, you are all, I am sure, embarking on some endeavor, whether it be in your professional or personal life, where CONTROL is an issue....a mighty strong force to be reckoned with. I welcome the opportunity to hear of some of your stories, your pitfalls, your triumphs around "control."

I know "letting go" of some of my personal control will continue to be challenging and I know I will continue to have days where I just want to chew on a piece of plywood, but I have perspective on my side for the present time....perspective to remind me of my appreciation for all my opportunities.

Til next time,
hUMP bLOG oF lITTLE dAME....

The Hump-Blog of the Little Dame - 8/28/2007

2008-08-24T14:56:00.000-07:00

Julie's got a blog…..Julie's got a blog….her gun day's just a dog….

Apparently there is a pattern developing here, a dangerous one, because what happens when I run out of songs that I can oh-so-creatively substitute with my blog-related lyrics?

Well, I guess I shall cease to blog when that day comes.

Welcome back, fellow cubers and other friends! This is my second official edition of:

THE HUMP-BLOG OF LITTLE DAME...

Why am I calling it that?

"Hump" because it's Wednesday and Wednesday is often referred to as "hump-day" and I shall be continuing to release these on Wednesdays.
***incidentally, that is the second time I used the word "shall"….a word not too often used in colloquial English today. I think I shall bring it back….

It sounds like "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". I got excited by that and rushed to wikipedia to look it up to find some clever similarities between the two of us. Here is what I found: he had a hunchback, he was an orphan, he befriended Gargoyles (in the Walt Disney version). I: have lots of hunches about THINGS, I played an orphan in "Annie" as a child, and if I met a Gargoyle I would befriend it.
I am a "Little Dame"….first I am a dame ('cause I'm a girl) AND I'm little (only 5'3")
I think that anyone on my creative team for my upcoming album would nix it as a title pertaining to ANYTHING that is "Julie Neumark" because they would think it was "dumb" or "cliché" or "unoriginal" or "too original" or "too obscure" or "not obscure enough"…..seriously!
But THEY have the corner on what is BEST for me and my career because I have been told THEY can achieve something that I cannot with regards to my career: OBJECTIVITY

Hmm. Now I think I know what this blog shall be about (*that's 5 "shalls"!) :

OBJECTIVITY

I don't think it exists, at least purely in our human form. We always ALWAYS have some sort of bias, I believe. Even if it is indirect and oh-so-subtle. It's entertaining to me how we (myself included) walk around saying things like, "I can give you an objective opinion." It's an oxymoron right there! "objective opinion"….objective – "undistorted by emotion or personal bias" and opinion – "a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty" (*wordnet at Princeton.edu)
How can a personal belief or judgement that is not founded on proof or certainty be undistorted by emotion or personal bias??!!?

Isn't it funny how many different friends will give you all sorts of DIFFERENT "objective" opinions? Why do we so often hold objectivity as gold and subjectivity as the red-headed step child?

I guess what it comes down to for me is that I believe that subjectivity (a personal belief "based on individual personal impressions and feelings and opinions" – wordnet at Princeton.edu) is a beautiful, natural, and healthy human form of expression.

BRING ON THE SUBJECTIVITY!

It's real, it's authentic, it's honest, it's pure!

And, I am asking for a little of it from all of you.

There is no money to give.
There is no petition to sign.
It's really pretty shallow and all about me.

You see, I am in the process of choosing a photo for the cover of my upcoming album, "Dimestore Halo". My creative team and I are experiencing some "creative differences" due to our own "subjectivities."

I would love your all's subjective opinions.

Here's what to do.

I have posted my top choices on my in the album titled "Cover choices" in my myspace photos. Please take a look when you get the chance and send me a blog comment with your vote!

I thank you in advance for your subjectivity.

I'll be responding once again on Friday, so til then, don't get your panties in a bunch – it's just your life…

Bloggin....Bloggin' in the cube! Wed., 8/22/07

2007-08-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

sittin' in my cubicle
in my job that pays my bills
eating last night's Indian food leftovers
in a tupperware container with a green lid.

Ever since I wrote "bloggin'....bloggin' in the cube!" in my title I've been singing it over and over in my head to the tune of Ashford and Simpson's 1980's R&B hit, "Solid." You know, the one that goes, "Solid...solid as a rock!"

Don't be fooled by my google-supported musical-savanteness...I had no idea who did that song and I went through several rounds of both Google and Itunes to find that it was Ashford and Simpson.

Who the hell are they?

Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson are a husband and wife songwriting/producing team. They penned familiar tunes such as: "Reach out and Touch Somebody's Hand", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing Baby". They continue writing today and most recently are credited with the song, "Tears Dry on Their Own" from Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black."

Huh. A little piece of musical trivia for you.

But I digress. Or maybe I don't.

See, the reason I am writing this blog today is because I woke up this morning and I said to myself, "Self, you don't BLOG enough."

It's not that I think that I have some profound wisdom to impart on the great WORLD WIDE WEB (ha, or rather the 5 of you who read this thing). Rather, I KNOW first hand what it's like to sit in a cubical all day long while another 8 hours of your life is mercilessly sucked away into the chasm of corporate American and our desperate dependence on it. Basically, I'm just your average, regular person who paid someone to make my myspace look fancy, paid someone to take most of those photos...oh ya, and I happen to write a whole bunch of songs about life...maybe you can relate to some of them. Hope so, that's a big reason that I do what I do.

I'd like to start doing this...BLOG thing...at least WEEKLY. And I'd love to keep it casual and interactive. Please, let me know your raw, candid, honest thoughts. Ask questions. Give me something...something...we cubists must stick together! *Incidentally, even if you are not technically a cubist, I am sure your J-O-B isn't you, getting up every morning, heading out the door to something you actually enjoy doing AND getting paid for it!

If it is, then fuck you.

Ha. kidding....

So, what to expect? I dunno. I'm still figuring this whole thing called "Life" out. Maybe you are too. Maybe we can do it together. Huh? What do you say? Huh? Won't you be my neighbor?
Fred Rogers...a good man. Sincerely. Albeit, a bit creepy, how many of you honestly enjoyed him as a child? I did. Seriously. I did. I liked it when he changed into his tennis shoes. It made me happy.

Alright, suppose I should get back to what I am getting paid for.

Thanks for reading the BLOG...feel free to leave comments, questions, and criticism.
That's what this world is missing. Criticism. And judgement. Ya, not nearly enough of that.....

Opening for Beth Hart...neuz on the album, DIMESTORE HALO 6/25/07

2007-06-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

Opening for Beth Hart @ The Knitting Factory, 6/16/07

Thank you to everyone who came out in support for the show at the Knitting Factory! It was an absolute blast and so great to see so many of you there :) It was a thrill to open for one of my musical inspirations (and even more fun hanging out with her and her band til 2 am!) Definitely a night I will not soon forget!

Onto other neuz.....THE ALBUM, "DIMESTORE HALO"

Just wanted to put you all in the loop as soon as it was confirmed.....the album release and subsequently, the planned August release party, have been postponed. As you all know, this business of music can be a tumultuous and crazy one. Without getting into too much more detail prematurely, the delay is a positive thing and I won't be sure of the new release date/party until another very exciting piece of the puzzle is solidified. It's actually exciting, and for me makes the delay very worth the wait. I will be in touch with all of you as things progress. In the meantime, be sure to check out some of the new tracks on both my website and my myspace page.I hope everyone is well and I will be in touch shortly!!!

Brand NEU Bio....check it out! 4/17/07

2007-04-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

So the album is sooooo close to being mixed....like 1 song away!! Yippee!! And the rest of the train is chuggin' along. So much to be done! PR, album photo shoot / artwork, distribution, planning the cd release party....sheesh! No time to rest :)

In prep for some of that stuff (esp the PR stuff) I hired this really fabulous writer dude to write my new bio....I just posted it....take a read! Leave a comment! Lemme know your thoughts.....

Odd experience of the day: I was driving to the bank during lunch and as I was turning left, a large bald man in a turquoise plaid shirt made direct eye contact with me and then curtsied. Yes, he CURTSIED....like a bow, but what a girl is supposed to do I guess. He actually took hold of either side of the turquoise garb, held it out from his sides, and CURTSIED. Huh. I haven't been able to get it out of my mind all day. Maybe I'm supposed to pass it on? Pay it forward??? Hmmm....

Yoweee! Nice RE-view.... 4/10/07

2007-04-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

Music Connection Magazine reviewed my show at The Mint...here's a little excerpt from it:

"Neumark's vocal skills are outstanding. She has the passion of Janis Joplin, and a rare sincerity in her delivery. Hearing her sing makes you a believer in the song. And that, of course, is the hallmark of great artists...."

FULL REVIEW:

Julie Neumark: Americana singer/ songwriter with talent and looks.

Julie Neumark The Mint Los Angeles

Contact: Mark Sterling, 818-907-5556Web: www.JulieNeumark.com

The Players: Julie Neumark, lead vocals, acoustic guitar; Marvin McDaniel, guitar; Luis Oliart, bass, backup vocals; Drew Himez, drums; Holly Lucille, harmony vocals.

Material: Julie Neumark is an Americana artist with a blues orientation. Though she really isn't breaking any new ground in this genre, what she does is delivered exceedingly well. This style of music requires honesty, a real connection with humanity, and the ability to express emotional content. Neumark nails them all. Similar to Beth Hart, Shelby Lynne and KT Tunstall, Neumark has crafted a style of her own. Her songs reflect life, and all the passion, pain and joy it holds. At times, her lyrics are observational –– almost Dylanesque –– while other times they seem so intimate listeners may feel like they're intruding. The ability to craft songs with that kind of impact is one of Neumark's strengths, but not her greatest, which is her voice.

Musicianship: Neumark's vocal skills are outstanding. She has the passion of Janis Joplin, and a rare sincerity in her delivery. Hearing her sing makes you a believer in the song. And that, of course, is the hallmark of great artists. Her band plays up to her level with an intensity that's inspiring. In fact, these players serve the music, and their remarkable vocalist, as it should be.

Performance: With her "Rock Star" belt buckle and take no prisoners approach, Neumark gave this show her all. Indeed, she was a firecracker onstage. Between songs, she was charming, informative and endearing, which pleased the crowd.
Summary: Julie Neumark delivers the complete package. She's got the talent, the looks and that all-important ability to connect with her audience to produce a memorable show. Neumark simply needs to continue executing what she is already doing, until industry representatives take notice.

––Bernard Baur

New blogs from Vancouver!!! 1/26/07

2007-01-26T16:28:00.000-08:00

Hey all,

I have 2 new blogs posted at www.rags2record.blogspot.com .... go check 'em out!!!

“Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.” 1/22/07

2007-01-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

24 hours from now I'll be getting ready to fly back to Vancouver, B.C. to finish the vocals on my album. The tracks have been coming along nicely in this past month or so and the light at the end of my DIY- indy-album tunnel is finally gleaming.

I've been listening so much to the songs that sometimes all I hear is a wall of sound...or, even better, sometimes I hear each and every nuance of each and every instrument, becoming temporarily incapable of hearing the collective noise known as "the song."

I was in my voice lesson on saturday when my voice teacher had me close my eyes and remember what it was I was singing about. Wow. I had been getting so caught up in creating this "perfect" end product - pitch, rhythm, arrangement, dynamics, tone, etc., etc....that I had forgotten the point of music: communication.

I wrote these songs because thoughts and feelings were speaking so loudly inside of myself that I birthed them, one by one, as songs. Songs that I hope will speak to others and communicate basic, raw, human feelings in the form of music.

I've been spending my alone time (which is mostly in the car driving) thinking about each one of those songs and where my headspace was when I wrote them. Wow. Have you ever re-read a journal after you've gotten some distance from the place you were in when you wrote it? It's like that...

This album is all about the journey into my 30's and all of the self discovery that jumped on board and shoved itself in my face. It's naked. It's real. It's raw. It's a self-doubting, coming-of-age, risk-taking quest for self actualization colored by societal and personal observations, infatuation, heartbreak, and finally....love.

I am so looking forward with sharing it with you all.....and in the meantime, continuing to share with you this process....

Cheers,
Jules

Radio, Road, and Ranch Relaxo.... 8/22/06

2006-08-22T16:39:00.000-07:00

I am currently on about 2 ½ hours sleep….it is 3:31 pm on a Tuesday and I have been up now for 15 hours. I’m at work and I AM actually working but I am fighting off falling asleep at my computer so I am taking a little break.

We ROCKED Cincinnati! Two nights of shows followed by our debut as a band on live radio. (If you missed the radio show, check out the podcast of it at www.wnku.org or just click on the link at the bottom of this page)

Chris, Luis, Alan and I arrived in Dayton, OH late Friday night, rented a car and drove to Chez Neumark (dubbed “Rancho Relaxo” by Chris) where we cracked open a couple bottles of wine and my mom got to catch up with me and the boys. We were all starving and, much to our dismay, discovered that on a Friday night in Cincinnati, OH (we’re talking 12:30 am), all pizza delivery is closed and so are all grocery stores. Huh?! Have I become spoiled with big city living for the past 9 years? So, ma mere, Sue, always the resourceful one, busted out some steaks on the grill for our midnight feast. Luis did the grilling - I stayed clear because there was a spider the size of Utah camped out above the grill and those of you not familiar with my relationship with arachnids, just know it’s not an amicable one.

Saturday was all about sleeping in and rehearsing before Saturday night’s show. It was an outdoor show up in Cincinnati’s artisan district, Mt. Adams. The skies were threatening thunder storms but it passed and turned into a lovely night.
Luis kicked us off with a high energy set of his own stuff while the crowd trickled in and then we took the stage as a band and played back–to-back sets. It was a great turnout – some friends and family but a whole lot of locals and cool people just wanting to hear some live music. After breaking down our PA system and drums (something I am not accustomed to doing in LA) and getting paid (ha, ALSO something I am not accustomed to in LA), we headed back to Rancho Relaxo for another debaucherous evening of wine, food (Cincinnati’s infamous Skyline Chili…yum!!!), and of course a little tournament action on the old pinball machine.

Sunday night we headed back up to Mt Adams for a dinner show with local CLARK JENKINS (Big Whiskey) and Austin Speigel opening. They were super fantastic and very cool guys!
They were followed by Luis who really kept the momentum going for us to close out the night. It was an intimate and very attentive crowd. More Rancho Relaxo debauchery that night, though our game of choice switched to poker where Lovejoy (Chris) pulled a fast one, claiming he was a virgin poker player. Hah! And we fell for it as we watched him take us all to the cleaners….those drummers….you never can trust them ;)

Monday morning. All that wine and poker had gone to my head. I think we were all feeling it. But Sue rallied us to get up and get some lunch….and what better to feast on after a hangover? Sushi, of course! (Ok, that’s probably not the best thing but it sounded good to all of us….gosh, the Midwest has truly been sucked out of me…I’m, like, totally from like, California now). Post sushi feast we all get ready for the big night – the reason we came to Cincinnati in the first place: our live radio debut.

Last fall, Alan and I did a live acoustic interview and played a couple of songs on WNKU’s afternoon show hosted by John Patrick. I kept in touch with John (one cool cat, btw) and the station continued to give me airplay. This past spring they asked me to come back with the full band to their live on-air concert series, Studio 89. Enthusiastically, I accepted.

Cut to: last night – WNKU radio. We walked in expecting a teeny studio and instead found ourselves in a soundstage with an actual stage, lighting, monitors, (even plexi-glass for the drummer!). Pam, the host, introduced herself and got us waters and then we sound checked and chilled out and waited for the studio audience to arrive. I was surprised at how nervous I was. I mean, performing is not a new thing for me. I think it was a combination of 2 factors: 1) It was live! Ah! If I sound shitty or I’m pitchy or I hit the wrong chord, there ain’t no going back….it’s out there baby, for everyone to hear. 2) I only had about 5 or so friends/family coming – the remaining 45 people were listeners…bonified fans….people who had never seen me, didn’t know me, but were here purely because they had heard my music on the air and liked it and wanted to see me live. Ah. Scary. Exciting :)
So, I’m not going to tell you about it. If you didn’t hear it, just click on this link: http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wnku/local-wnku-526419.mp3 It was really cool though – and so much fun! :)

Alright, well now my “little” break has turned into quite a bit more – oops! (Gotta keep the day job for now!!) So, I’ll leave you all with that – stay tuned for more very soon!!!!

Bowling for Blogs.... 8/10/06

2006-08-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

hey everyone - check out my new blog - www.rags2record.blogspot.com . It's all about my journey of making a record - from finding a producer and recording through publicity and marketing and touring. I already have few posts up, so go check 'em out! And, please - don't be afraid to COMMENT!! I'd love to hear what you have to say ~

Ya, this is just a random picture of me bowling. I have a very evil look on my face. It scares me to look at it. I thought I would share it all with you.

xo,
jules

Neu tunage - "Wreck of a Woman" - 7/14/2006

2006-07-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

Wreck of a Woman

My newest song (which I posted my home recording of a few weeks back and then took down) is now up again on www.myspace.com/julieneumark. This version is a tad more polished, though still rough....in fact, all of my songs up right now fall into the "demo" category. They are the stripped down, bare bones of my most recent tunes. I spent a day or so in the studio with CARY BEARE (co-writer of "Take Me") and my boys, ALAN MALUNAO JR and LUIS OLIART recording these tracks live, old school style. (incidentally, i much prefer this to the modern day piecing together/"fixing in post" production method.)

This demo was created as a sample to give to the producers I am meeting with about potentially producing my full album this fall. I want them to have a really clean and raw feel for what I am bringing to the table and then I want to hear what they think they can bring to the table and hopefully i will find a marriage between the two with someone! Mark, my manager has just sent out the first two cds to two of the producers I am interested in and we are in the process of setting up meetings for late July / early August. I'll keep you posted!

So, this tune - Wreck of a Woman. I wrote it in about an hour or so. It came out fast like most of my favorites do...it's like there is a songwriting fairy or something that waves her wand and, poof! Insta-song! I was going through my heartbreak of late (which I have written about previously) and I just took a really honest look at the way i was behaving and feeling. One of the most difficult things in this process of letting go has been to just sit in what I am feeling. Not to "distract" myself in the various ways that we as human beings have gotten so good at doing through an array of debaucheries. Instead, expressing it all through music - I can't imagine not having that outlet. I just hope that this song and others can help other people to express and feel understood in their own paralell lives.

WRECK OF A WOMAN
by Julie Neumark

Wreck of a woman
Shootin the moon
Searchin for something
Losin my groove

I cant wait to get away from these
Childish games that youve been playin with me
I cant wait to get away from these
Childish games that youve been playin with my heart

Underneath
My self-destruction
I can start to see the light
Im in between
Hell and something better
Im gonna set you free from my mind

Wreck of woman
Lost in the crowd
My cry for attention
Is silently loud

I cant wait to get away from these
Childish games that youve been playin with me
I cant wait to get away from these
Childish games that youve been playin with my heart

Underneath
My self-destruction
I can start to see the light
Im in between
Hell and something better
Im gonna set you free from my mind

Wreck of a woman (I cant wait to get away from these)
Lyin in bed (Childish games that youve been playin with me)

Finger on the trigger (I cant wait to get away from these)
Fill me with lead (Childish games that youve been playin with me)

I cant wait to get away from these
Childish games that youve been playin with me
I cant wait to get away from these
Childish games that youve been playin with me
I cant wait to get away from these (I cant wait)
Childish games that youve been playin with me (get away)
I cant wait to get away from these (I cant wait)
Childish games that youve been playin with my heart (get away heart)

A 24 hour tour, a 24 hour tour..... 6/13/2006

2006-06-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to all my new nyc friends and fans! You guys really made the night great!! Especially new fans Stephanie, Jessica, and Carrie and your FABULOUS table....thanks for the shout-outs and sing alongs and I am humbled by your Ani Defranco comparison :)

For those of you who weren't able to be there...well, there wouldn't have been any room for you anyway! The place was PACKED! It was my first experience of wall-to-wall people at The Bitter End. Check out www.myspace.com/julieneumark to hear what

you missed...I posted a live version of "Spare Change" from the night. Once again, a big thank you to BILL MESSINETTI for sitting in with us...you are a pro and we were lucky to have you!!!!

So, 24 hours in nyc...just for fun, here are some "do's" and "don'ts" I wanted to pass along to you all:

DON'T get a car service from the airport, DO get a cab. I decided to get a car service so the car would BE THERE when we arrived at 5am and we wouldn't have to wait around to get a cab. HA! Instead, we waited around for the car service as we sleepily watched empty cabs drive by.

DO confirm late arrival at the hotel that you specifically booked for the night before you arrived just so you could have a bed to crawl into when you arrived at the crack of dawn off the red-eye. I actually paid for a friday night in the hotel just so we could sleep right away when we got in and because we didn't "confirm", they canceled the room!! PRICELINE never said anything about confirming!!!!! sorry aj! ;)

DON'T try and catch a cab in Time Square at rush hour. (Don't ask. Just DON'T do it)

DO get sushi from the place upstairs from The Bitter End...mmmmm, yummy....magic roll... :)

DO rock out with an amazing band to a room full of rowdy people. fun. :)

DON'T , in your moment of invincible rockstardom, let your libido replace your brain. (uh, this is what i've heard...just passing along.....)

DO get a late night slice (it absorbs all that alcohol and poor judgment, plus if you can't remember eating it, the calories don't count)

DON'T "rest your eyes" at 4am, one hour before your car service comes to pick you up and take you to the airport for your 6am flight. (you figure it out)

and finally,

DON'T do nyc in 24 hours!!!

So, I'm off to write, write, and write some more in prep for the upcoming album. Our next full band gig is in August when we venture back to OH/KY once again. Rock it. :) jules

Love, Loss, and Licorice - 6/3/2006

2006-06-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

Nothing makes takes the pain of heartache away better than licorice.

Ok. fine. but at least licorice is yummy. Red vines. Mmm.

So i've got a new song kids, posted on www.myspace.com/julieneumark. It's born out of heartache and drama and angst. It's a song about losing someone very important in my life.....someone who's had a tremendous amount of influence on the person I've become.

sorry to have "disappeared" for a bit from my blogging and such but I've been "dealing" for the past month....with life and all the goodies that come with it.

yup - the loss I speak of above has done a number on my heart. it's healing though, i'm on the mend (with occasional....ok, frequent...ALRIGHT...daily relapses). Man! no one ever prepares you for this shit, do they? it's just plain awful....there is no way out except for through...."sit in your pain." well, i channeled my creativity - at least i was distracted for a bit while producing it.

it is my first attempt at writing / arranging / performing / engineering / producing / mixing / mastering .... on my little Boss 8-track home studio. not bad but not great - at least you can get an idea where i'm going though.

it's definitely been theraputic. the song, i mean. that, and journaling. i've written almost 40 pages in the last month. it's becoming addictive. maybe i'll turn it into a novel. Or, a screenplay. Ya, everyone in LA has to have one of those.

anyway, C - you're out there, probably not reading this but if you are, i miss you and i hate you and i love you and i hope you're well and i hope you're struggling and i'm hurting - all at the same time. And, i miss me...the me that's stronger than this. the me that doesn't get wrapped up in someone and completely mind-fucked....but i'm gonna find that me again, she's just around the corner, with or without you -

Mopy Monday 5/1/2006

2006-05-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

wow. i am depressed today. you know when you're just sad and no thought you can think of makes you happy....and you only want to listen to moody, sad ballads....and your stomach is a bottomless pit for your insatiable sugar-craving tastebuds....and even the sunshine and blue sky won't turn up the corners of your mouth. ya, that's the kinda monday i'm having. i had a full weekend of partying. my friend ali was in town from new york. we might as well hooked up IV's to a vat of alcohol starting on friday....the effect would have been the same. man, i haven't drank like that since college. in my experience, when i drink steadily like that for a few days i never really get hungover (because i never really get sober) but the detox is a bitch. the "depressant" part of alcohol really comes into play. i guess that's what i'm feeling today. yuck. well, at least my work day is almost over. i am looking forward to going home to a good old turkey sandwich and a gallon of water. maybe tonight's the night to write that self-indulgent-mopy-poor-poor-me ballad i've always wanted to write. ha.
oh yeah - my show with MAMA HAGGLIN in fullerton on saturday night was pretty damn rockin' - and we almost got beaten up by a Hessian (for all you non-biker folk, that's a biker gang, like "Hell's Angels"....who knew these people really existed still?) But more on all that on my next post when the pedulum of my mood has swung back the other direction.

A tribute to my father, MICHAEL H. NEUMARK 4/28/06

2006-04-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

today, april 28th, 2006 is a weird day for me. it was the last day, one year ago, that my father was alive. it's strange for me to think that i haven't seen my dad in a year. a whole year! that's the longest it's ever been and it's only going to get longer. i remember i kept doing that with each month that past after he died. "wow, it's been a month since i've seen him...then 2 months...then 3 etc, etc, etc." i've learned a lot this year starting with the fact that grieving is not linear - meaning, yes, it does get progressively "easier" with time but it is more like riding space mountain at disneyland than driving through the plains of the southwest. you could be riding along smoothly and then wham! you drop 60 feet in .5 seconds. jarring, unexpected, scary and often painful. as far as my emotions go, something i used to keep so bottled inside of me, under my "control", i have learned to expect the unexpected.

I re-read my journal last night from an entry a year ago. i talked to my brother on the phone this morning and he said he'd been having all of these random flashbacks this whole week. not about the "end" but rather silly and uneventful memories of day-to-day life with my dad...a favorite burger joint he would take us to....his "Sam and Ann" stories (stories he would make up about the adventures that a brother and sister had together)....stuff like that. it made me smile to recall those things when jack (my bro) brought them up. i guess that's what they mean when they say you keep a person alive in your memories of them.

as i approach this evening (his time of death was a little after midnight EST on the 28th...technically the 29th) i am a little bit hung up on what i will be feeling between the hours of 9pm-10pm PST....that will be the hour, one year ago today, that we all (my mom and my brother and I) sat around in my parents bedroom waiting for hospice to come and pronounce him dead. his body lay peacefully in the bed while we all sat on the floor in a haze of relief and shock and sadness, our minds trying so hard to wrap themselves around what all of this meant. it was the middle of the night and apparently there were alot of folks releasing themselves and passing on, so it took hospice and the funeral home a couple of hours to get there. around 5am, all of the procedural things had been done and my father's body was en route to the funeral home. we all sat there, exhausted and wide awake, staring blankly at one another when jack made a suggestion. "Let's go drive past our past two houses and then go get breakfast at Bob Evans (a local diner). it seemed like the perfect idea and it's just what we did. i just may have to go eat breakfast at a greasy diner tomorrow morning...anyone care to join? ;)

it's funny how in some ways it seems like yesterday and in others - a lifetime ago. Dad, this day is for you - a day to celebrate who you were and the memory of you that lives on.

Home from the road....4/25/2006

2006-04-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

It's tuesday night and I am settling back into my life in Los Angeles. No more days of sleeping in, going to the gym and then playing and writing with the band all day before a show at night. Nope, now it's 5am gym, shower, off to the day job and back home again where I try to muster up enough energy to pay my bills, do my laundry, and maybe play a few tunes. Oh gawd, i sound boring and predictable. And, did I really just say the word, "muster"?

So - the rest of the tour. Saturday night was the Southgate House - it was probably the strongest performance we have ever had as a band. After playing the same set for 3 nights in a row we were so comfortable with our parts and ourselves and each other. The songs were really tight and the crowd was really good. There was a mutually contagious energy flowing all night. There we are to your left, I think it was taken during "Lady". I think people are digging the song! I handed out a couple hundred of the free singles on tour and I seem to be getting some great feedback. I can't wait to do the whole album.

Ann Driscoll - like I said, she joined us again on Saturday. I can't say enough about this kid. She's driven, talented, incredibly gracious and an absolute joy to share the stage with! In addition to doing her own set during the evening, she joined us to sing back up on a couple of my tunes ("Uncharted Water" and "Fairytale")I formally asked her to join us on stage again when we return with the full band in August. Here we are to your right during "Fairytale": Luis Oliart, Ann Driscoll, ME, and Alan Malunao Jr.

After the show, my mom took me and the guys out to Skyline (Cincinnati's world famous chili) - the perfect end to a perfect night. We rolled into casa Neumark around 3:30 am and unfortunately, yours truly was driving Alan to the airport at 5. "I'll just take a little nap...." 2 1/2 hours later (I swear my alarm didn't go off) I wake up an hour before Alan's flight. Alan (whose alarm also "mysteriously" didn't go off) and I jumped in the car and raced off to the Dayton airport at 6am (it's an hour away) to catch Alan's 7am flight. Well, you do the math....it didn't happen. Poor Alan spent the next 24 hours tying to get on a new flight. Check his blog for that....

so many stories and good times from this trip. I was saying to my manager, "I want to do this all the time!!! Make that happen!!!" I do believe it will. Things are definitely moving in the right direction. Stay tuned....

Up next: FULLERTON SHOW at THE TROPICS with my friends, MAMA HAGGLIN - Saturday, April 29th!!!!

Neuz from the 'Nati - mid-tour - 4/22/06

2006-04-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

It's saturday afternoon and I am getting ready for my show at the Southgate House tonight. Actually, I'm pissing away my afternoon on the computer. Luis and Alan walked down the street to get coffee and my mom is outside on the patio with the dogs. It's a gorgeous spring day here in the 'Nati. The tour has been great so far. Thursday night started off a bit slow at Jack Quinn's with the rain and it was a "school night" - ha, thursdays in Cincy aren't like Thurs. in LA. But....the crowd that was there was very enthusiastic and made up in quality what they lacked in quantity.ABOVE (L TO R): LUIS OLIART, JULIE NEUMARK, ALAN MALUNAO JR.

Luis shared the bill with me and man does he know just how to work a crowd. And, how to set up a PA. Funny thing about playing in these smalltown venues....there is no sound guy and usually you have to supply your own PA...we have lucked out (along with promising our first born) and have been provided with PA systems. However, there is still no sound man. I tell ya, thank GOD for Luis. He's been on the road a lot and has served as sound engineer extraordinaire at our shows. I don't know what I would do without him. Oh wait, I know - I would play acoustically in the street. Woo. Good times.

Last night kicked some serious ass! We drove down to Lexington (Univ. of KY) and played at an Irish bar just off campus that was a mix of locals and college kids. For you LA folks - think Fullerton. (If you've read my post about playing with Mama Hagglin at The Tropics you'll know that means that I LOVED it!!) We had about 75 peeps in there, dancing, drinking buying cds...it was great. Especially exciting was a new fan called Red. Red was very enthusiastic and was very upset to see that we didn't have a tip jar out. So, she took it upon herself to fix this. She pulled up a chair in front of the stage and threw some $1's on it, "Here's yer tip chair!" I was honored. I'd never had a tip chair before. We played 'til 1:30 am. It was nuts. Luis was nuts. He played his orignals and some covers in between all of our sets. I guess that's why he slept in until 2pm today.

So tonight before the show I am going to see a performance of a girl in college who is covering my tune, "Sexy" with a band at her university. How trippy is that going to be? To see someone cover a song I wrote? Wow. I feel famous. Almost.

Then we're off to the Southgate house. Tonight we'll be joined again by Ann Driscoll. Ann is a senoir at the high school that I graduated from (umm, a scary long time ago...ugh, I feel old). I've been sort of "mentoring" her and helping her to navigate her way through the music business. She has enough raw talent in her little pinky to be a crazy big success. Luis will be sharing the bill again as well. Should be a solid night - I am looking forward to it.

Shite - it's 4:25 - I gotta jump in the shower. Before I go though - I've been procrastinating. I really sat down NOT to give an itinerary of what I've been doing but rather to write a little bit about a man I want to pay tribute to today: my father, Michael Neumark. One year ago today was the last real interaction we ever had. It was a really difficult and painful and surreal time last April before he passed but there were also some wonderful moments. One of them was a year ago tonight. It was after dinner and I decided to put on a little solo acoustic concert for him and my family in the living room. At this point in time, he was extremely weak and it was really difficult for him to even smile. But every song I played, I got one from him. God, it meant so much to me that I was may be bringing him the slightest joy in his pain. The final song I played was a new one at the time...one that I had played the start of for him a few months before and he had really liked. Now, I had finished the song and as I played it I saw his eyes light up across the room in his brown leather chair and I smiled big inside. When I finished, I got the best gift I could have gotten: he clapped. He clapped! That must have taken all the strength he had and it meant the world to me. I gave him a big hug and a kiss and I said, "I love you Daddy." The next morning he had fallen into a coma and passed on a week later. Though I have many wonderful memories of my father, that one gave me the best closure I could have ever asked for. I will be thinking of him tonight as I play - and if I listen closely, I will hear him clap for me. :)

Italia! 3/19/2006

2006-04-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

Ah, Italy! 10 days away from cell phones, email, the day job and the LA music scene. 10 days of pasta, gelato, vino, and very old things. And, pasta. And, more pasta. Did I mention pasta?
This photo to the left is me, my brother's fiance Daisy, and my brother Jack overlooking St. Mark's Square in Venice. That's we we started the trip. Venice is so charming - it's a completely pedestrain city (except for the canals). The first night I went to bed with the windows open and fell asleep to an opera singer who had set up her "busking" in the courtyard of a church next to our hotel. It was lovely - I thought at least. Apparently she kept Jack and Daisy awake all night. The photo to your left is my mom, me, and Daisy overlooking the Grand Canal in Venice. Florence was our next stop. I don't have any pictures because I got the flu when I was there. It's all kind of a blur...except for Michelangelo's The David. Wow. I don't even know how to explain that. Go to Florence. Oh the other memorable experience in Florence occured at about 2 am in our sweet little hotel. Jack and Daisy were in one room and my mother and I were in another down the hall. At 2 in the morning, our phone rings. My mother answers. "Hello? What? Uh-huh....uh-huh....alright, come down here." My mother turns to me. "Scoot over, they are coming to sleep with us - apparently they heard what sounded like someone breaking a window in the courtyard and are afraid someone is breaking in." I was half asleep and half annoyed but must admit, if I was in their position I would do the same. So I scooted over in our (thankfully) King-size bed. Moments later, Jack and Daisy arrived and climbed into bed with us. We all layed there for about 30 seconds before busting up laughing. "We are NOT all in one bed right now....this is NOT happening!" I mean, I'd heard traveling with people brings you closer, but this was ridiculous. Needless to say, no one got a lot of sleep that night. Our final destination was of course, Rome. Or Roma, as the Italian's say. It perplexed me that we as Americans change the names of their cities to suit the english language. Like, Venice is really Venezia and Florence is Firenze. I mean, we change the entire spelling of the word. What's wrong with calling them by their actual names? I mean, I sure we would all still slaughter the pronunciation, by why translate a city name? I shared my distress with our group but no one else seemed to get it or care. Ha, oh well....so, Rome.
Very very old. Unbelievably old. Seriously...this is what I took away from it. It is an amazingly modern city with incredible history. The photo to the right is Jack, me, and my mom and the Trevi Fountain. Supposedly if you make a wish and throw a coin in you are guarunteed to be back someday. I made 3 wishes with 3 coins. I guess I'll be back 3 times. Rome was great - Vatican City, The Forum, the Colliseum, the wine! I bought 2 really great bottles (actually drank one with my friend last night) Mmmmm...so good. So 10 days out of the country taught me a few things...1) to appreciate the conveniences of American life - 2) to appreciate the simplicity of European life - and 3) i can probably never have pasta in the USA again. I have become a true pasta snob. ;)

MAMA HAGGLIN show - 2/26/2006

2006-04-16T00:36:00.000-07:00

Last nite reminded me why I am a musician. At 6:30 pm, my band and a few "roadies" (alright, they were friends - i love you guys!) piled into two cars and made our way down the constipated 405 to Fullerton. Destination: The Tropics - a good old fashioned dive bar - the kind LA can only dream about. After consuming an inordinate amount of fried grease at Bob's Burgers (which incidentally also serves tacos, pizza, omlettes, and the ever popular "fried mix"...don't ask) we headed over to the venue where we were greated by Caveman. Caveman, our bouncer/soundman/follow spot operator(read: waves a large maglite at the stage) for the nite, was clad in a bright yellow t-shirt with CAVEMAN written on it (so as not to confuse him with any other cavemen we may know), a full gray beard, and a black bandanna on his head.
I looked around; the place (not much bigger than a large one bedroom apartment) was packed. Packed with all eyes on me, wondering who i was. I admit, I am not really used to playing outside of my comfort zone - all of my LA shows are packed with my friends - people who know and love me and my music. These people were a bunch of strangers. We started off the set with Bobbi and as we were playing i looked around and noticed something amazing: these people were listening to me. They were paying attention. They were tapping their feet, bobbing their heads - a whole room full of strangers and they were digging our stuff! When we finished - man, what a response! Some guys shouted, "hey who are you?! do you have cds?" I couldn't believe it. In LA, it's like pulling teeth to see cds - but here, just an hour south of the city, people were asking for it! And, after just one song! These people were here to HEAR music - to be entertained, to FEEL something...not to "network", not to be "seen" and all that other LA bullshit. Bullshit that I have gotten so used to that I forgot that THIS is why I started playing in the first place. THIS is what I love - sharing my creation and experience with others; feeling and moving others to feel through my music. We wrapped up the set with my usual closer, "Me and Bobby McGee" - the place fucking erupted - Caveman threw money at us - what a rush! The poppy, garage-ish band, The Ashes played next to a still boisterous crowd followed by the headliners, and, my new buddies, Mama Hagglin. I probably overuse the word "rock" - but believe me, I have never meant it more when I say, these guys ROCKED. Jeff, Mitch, and Sandy brought the house down. They are all so fucking talented I can't stand it. At one point during their set, the PA went out so there were no vocal mics. Did that stop them? No. In fact, it's the best thing that could've happened. They broke into a rockin' jam of "Gloria" - Jeff (guitar) jumped onto the pool table, Mitch (bass) ventured out into the crowd singing one line of each verse to a different person and then got the crowd to sing the chorus ("Gloria, G-L-O-R-I-A, Gloria!"), and Sandy (drums) did THE most kick ass drum solo ever. PA? They don't need no stinkin' PA. When the PA did finally return, they did this blues song and asked me to come up and join them. What a fucking trip. I improv-ed all of this background wailing to Jeff's lead vocal. It was all in all, pretty kick ass. I talked with the guys from Mama afterwards and we are definitely going to hook up and do more shows together this spring, before they take off for the tour with BETH HART. I can't wait. And, Caveman might even give us a residency on their Monday night "biker night." Stay tuned. ;) Last nite I learned to remember and never forget what it is I love about making music.

Snowy Apple - 2/13/2006

2006-04-16T00:23:00.000-07:00

When life gives you apples, sometimes you just have to make applesauce...or something like that. I am now in day 2 of being stranded in Manhattan, post Bitter End gig on Saturday night. I do believe I picked the one weekend to play in NYC that there was a blizzard. The gig was great! Despite the snowy night, we had a great crowd and sold every last one of the cds! We will no doubt be returning to this great city soon...in warmer times. My guitarist, Alan, and I were scheduled to leave at 8am sunday (after the Sat. gig) but our flight was cancelled and rescheduled for this evening. I was frustrated at first, but as 5 of us sat in my brother's 1 bedroom manhattan apt. yesterday afternoon I thought to myself, "You know, this is nice. I can't do anything besides sit here and hang out with people I love and don't make nearly enough time for usually." Sad that mother nature has to be the deciding factor in something like this. I suppose it's a good reminder to make time for friends and family on your own, before uncontrollable forces of nature do it for you. Alright, enough blabbing on...i've got a plane to catch.....sunny and 75, here I come!!

Stood Up - 2/4/2006

2006-04-16T00:21:00.000-07:00

ok, i got stood up this morning. Well, I guess technically I got cancelled on. Of course the stander-upper/canceler probably doesn't see it that way. See, I'm obsessed and infatuated with this completely unavailable individual. So, naturally, I see it that way. My cell phone rings this morning, "Hi. I can't make it today - I'm sick." Bullshit. You're hungover. Nobody mysteriously gets sick on Saturday morning without the help of excess alcohol consumption the night before. Ok, maybe I am being a bit harsh but, come on - if you were really "sick" you could have called me yesterday to cancel. You were just out with some other chic, having fun and getting drunk while little old me was getting a good night's sleep because I've been counting the days 'til I get to see you! I told you. I'm obsessed. There is nothing sane or logical about this. And I am not proud. This is nothing new. I always fall for these "unavailables". Thank God, though, speaking as a songwriter - where do you think most of my songs come from? Although it is leading towards some nice strides in my career I am still left at (gulp) 30, never having had a real relationship. Well, by 8:45 - still clad in my boxers and wife beater - i had my guitar in hand with a verse, a pre-chorus, and the melody to a chorus written. Ah, torture yeilding creativity once again. This one's called "Tease." Hah. I am feeling much better.

Home from the 'Nati - 1/24/2006

2006-04-16T00:19:00.000-07:00

Morning all. I'm sitting here, back at my day job (not DOING my day job, 'cause I'm writing this journal entry....gee, I hope my boss doesn't read this). The 'Nati tour was great. Both nights (Jack Quinn's and the Southgate House) were packed and they want us to come back in April! It was so great to see so many familiar faces as well as new ones! Thank you all for your support! (And your tequila shots, Fred & Co., though my hangover does not thank you) In the meantime, I am going into the studio with Luis Oliart (my faithful bass player/utility guy) to record a single we just wrote with Producer John Carta. It's a really sexy song called "Lady," all about the devious ways women use their power of sex. It was all Luis's idea, because I of course am sweet, untainted, and innocent and no nothing of any of that....riiiiiiiight. Other than that, I am write-write-writing away and have a bunch of new songs for you all to hear at my upcoming NYC and LA shows! Stay tuned...

Happy Neu Year!!! 1/1/2006

2006-04-16T00:18:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is as excited about 2006 as I am. Even years are always better than odd I think. I had the best new years eve EVER last night...i went to see BETH HART play in Fullerton and i was lucky enough to get to meet her and get a pic with her...(see www.myspace.com/julieneumark) In addition to being an absolutely AMAZING live performer (for those of you who are not familiar with her, go get her DVD....NOW. I mean it, go right now to her website www.bethhart.com and order "Live at the Paradiso"...NOW, dammit!"). I was truly blown away. And you may think that someone this freaking talented might be aloof and unapproachable, ya? Quite the contrary - I found Beth to be one of the most approachable, down-to-earth, and humble people I've ever met. (And she said my jacket was cool). ;) She is incredibly gracious and is really doing this because she loves to play her music for people. What a refreshing way to start off the new year in an industry so often jaded with negativity.