2010, new year, new beginnings.
I’d like to start by saying welcome to my new website! This site is the new 1 stop shop for everything I do. Ransom, Blue Collar Prophet, Graphic design, Dj’ing and of course updates on Authority Zero. Make sure you bookmark the site, and subscribe using the mailing list to your right! Thanks for stopping by!
I’m honestly happy to say that 09 is over…. I’m really looking forward to a new year and a fresh start! I think I’m gonna use this post as just an overall update…
Authority Zero is officially in the studio starting next week. we spent last week with Ryan Greene doing pre-production, i have 2 more days of that this week then its off to do drums! I was talking to a friend last night saying how much i love working with Ryan in the studio cause he pushes my abilities above and beyond and i always end up being a better drummer and learning so many new things even though during the process I’m likely to get really frustrated hahah!! Well either way I’m stoked to get started, I think this record is going to be really great and I’m stoked to show the rest of the world what we’ve put together in the past months.
p.s. If anyone reading this doesn’t know who Ryan is here is a link ..::Ryan Greene::..
On an AZ side note we are playing a Rhythm and Booze show at Dirty Pretty in Scottsdale on the 14th of this month so don’t forget to come check it out!!
Blue Collar Prophet stuff is still coming along good but my focus hasn’t been so much on that as much as it’s been on a project I have with my boy Keith called Translator. Some of you may know this project or heard me talk a bit about it but I’m sure most haven’t. This I can honestly say is the only thing that is I’m super proud of coming from 2009…. I won’t go into detail about it right now but keep your eyes peeled for Translator. I promise you’re gonna love it!
Designing has been slow through the holiday’s but I’m hoping it will pick up now that the new year has started. I’m working on a few logos and such for a some bands right now but other than that i don’t have much on my plate so I’ve just been painting a bit more. If anyone needs any graphic work done feel free to contact me and get a quote!
I’m working on a new painting right now that I’m super stoked on. I’ve posted a couple photos on twitter and facebook of the progress of it if you would like to see.
Ransom is getting some new designs right now that will be posted up for vote when they are done. My idea is to go exclusive with it. I want to start letting everyone vote for there favorite design and then only make 36 or so shirts to be sold. Keep watch right here for more updates on that or follow me on twitter for more minute to minute updates.
Well I think that’s it for the first post of 2010. Again I’m happy to say that 09 is over and I’m really looking forward to all the opportunities of 2010! Cheers, JIM
A New Authority on the Horizon…
I’ll just say that man is writing tough sometimes… One thing i have realized over the years of being in a band is that writer’s block is a REALLY easy thing to get. Authority has this problem but the nice part is, that when your in a band that every member of the band writes music it’s a rare occasion that you run into all members have writers block at the same time so that’s nice 
Blue Collar Prophet on the other hand is all me… and when i get writers block i really feel like someone is handing me a puzzle with nothing but mismatched pieces in it. Yesterday i pulled up my software to start a new track, ya know start fresh and stay positive! YA ummmm NO… HAHAH! i was sitting there playing with my keyboard for like 45 minutes before i just said FUCK IT! its a little bit frustrating when all you want to do is get something out but your head is blocking that from happening…
One thing I’m happy to report about though is ALL my paperwork with both my distribution company and my publishing company is done now! This means that in a month or so I’ll be releasing my first “solo album”. actually i’de like to get into that a little for a second.
My solo album is called 240, (don’t ask me why i just liked the ring that set of #’s had to it so i went with it). 240, (the more I’ve listened to the 7 tracks on it), i think really is more of a compilation than an album. Over the years of writing music I never payed attention to what “style” I was writing ya know, I just wrote the songs that i wanted to write or was inspired to write at that time. Now when i decided to move forward with releasing those songs I’ve realized that they don’t sound AT ALL the same hahah! but hey whatever! I like all 7 tracks and hope that all of you will like them as well. This time around I’m actually focused on writing a hip-hop based record so we’ll see how that goes
I think that the Authority Zero stuff is coming along nicely. I will say its a little weird cause this is the first time we’ve done a record with out the original line up in the band but i think the new guys are doing great and have great input and ideas for us to run with. who knows maybe a fresh set of ideas from fresh people with give this record the kick start it needs! I’ve been thinking about the album art for this record allot lately. I hate it though cause we are still early in the writing process and so its hard for me to judge where the album is going and therefore what type of style i should go for. I think maybe when i have some free time I’ll just start throwing some stuff together and see if anything jumps out at me. never hurts to get a head start anyway
OK well that’s all for today, i’m out the door to a meeting!
CHEERS!
New BCP Music!
So i’ve been working on a new BCP (blue collar prophet) track for a while now and finally finished it! I’ve decided that the next “album” i do is going to be based all around hip hop just becaseu it is truly my one love and its what got me started loving beats and eventually getting into the drums ya know. I think i alsmost owe hip hop sometimes for my career in music cause it was the driving force behind ALLOT of what I do with both my solo project and with Authority Zero.
This track was completely Hip Hop inspired and i’m really stoked on it. I may find an MC to do some vocals but i haven’t completely made up my mind on that just yet. I have a frew friends in mind who might also lay down a few tid bits here and there so keep your ears open and your eyes peeled here for an update on Trip Top! Hope you all enjoy!
Blue Collar Prophet
I’ve been doing some solo writing… All electronic music. Check it out and let me know what you think! Click Below
http://www.reverbnation.com/c./a4/1055568/459333/Artist/459333/Artist/link
A Life Filled With Art….
So over the last few weeks i’ve really been working on ALLOT of art in all different forms!!!
For those of you who may not know, i have a solo project called Blue Collar Prophet (click the link to listen). I’ve been writing electronic music for a number of years now, mainly just screwing around really. I’ve remixed some songs here and there, or added some beats to songs without, but all in all i just loved creating new beats and new sounds as often as i could. Now day’s I’ve focused my attention to writing original songs designed for any application i can put them into. My main focus is trying to get them out to video games, movies, commercials etc. I just signed a Publishing deal with The Royalty Network so I’m super stoked on that, and that should get me headed down the road i want to travel! Other than that I’m looking into all the different distro options out there so that way i can make all my stuff available to the public! Just in case any of you REALLY wanna buy a song i did I’ll be keeping everyone updated on the progress of this as it moves forward using all the different outlets i have, myspace, facebook, twitter etc and of course here!
Aside from my music ive also been painting allot lately and i have to admit i’m kindof proud of myself haha! Looking at a few paintings hanging on my wall that I did a while back and then looking at what i’m currently working on it nice to see some progression ya know! Now i’m not saying I’m good hahah cause i’m surrounded by a few friends and a beautiful woman on the daily who are absolutely AMAZING painters, but I like my stuff and that is all that matters to me… I’ve actually decided to post up my paintings in our store for sale!! I won’t be selling prints but rather the original painting! So keep your eyes open i should have them up sometime next week.
On top of all of that i’ve also been doing some misc graphic design here and there for a few people. I just did a logo for my buddy Garrick Michael (DJ), a business card for a friend Gina, a poster design for Landon Shill, and i’m about to start working on a beer label titled “Siempre Loco” (named after the authority song). I’m really trying to keep up on doing graphic design as much as possible cause honestly I LOVE doing it. SOOOO if you know ANYONE out there who is in need of a designer for ANYTHING send em my way!
As you can see Its been a pretty crazy couple of weeks but i’m honestly Stoked to have so much going on in my life and so many outlets of expression.
Catch you all on the flip side!
A day full of sounds!
Yesterday was absolutely amazing! I started my day relaxing at the house started a new book and enjoyed some time in solitude. One of my good friends Keith called me because we had plans to work on a couple of tracks we had started a while back. Keith came by and creativity was coming out of us like Niagara Falls! The tracks are SICK! We did some more vocal work and some builds for chorus’s and things and I even got down on some vocal work myself! (i never do this) We spent about 6 hours working on these tracks till our brains got “studio fried” and then went to keith’s to BBQ some hot dogs. One of our good friends Ralphie came over and brought his acoustic guitar. The next thing i know all three of us are out front with acoustics’s and jamming away again. We ended up writing 4 more songs in about 3 hours and let me tell ya my fingers are killing me today hahaha! I haven’t played an acoustic guitar in a long time….. All in all yesterday was filled with creativity and music and I couldn’t have asked for a better day with friends.
Thanks boys!
