The best feedback I have ever received!

The other day I got an email from someone on Facebook and opened it up and was absolutely excited about the results! It isn't often you get an email as good as this out of the blue, so I decided I would post it. Here goes:

"Hey Drew, this is -------, ------'s friend. I had you as a guest on my radio show a few weeks ago.
For the sake of mine and -----'s relationship I have done my best to keep quiet, but I feel like I need to tell you some things. You're a conceded dick and I have no idea why or where it comes from. Your “music” is terrible and why you think you’re so great is an unsolvable mystery to me. You are incredibly untalented and the biggest waste of space I have ever met. I had to pull all of those dreadful songs off of our system the second you left, because I was afraid of what people would think of our station if they heard them. Also, next time someone tries to do you a favor and get you some exposure, do your best not to disrespect that person and act like a total douche. The whole interview you acted like you were too good to be there and spent the whole time talking down to me. Who does that? Not even people with talent do that.

If you think it's just me take a glance at the feedback I got from your interview:
-The guest was full of himself and had horrrrrible music.
-Who was that DOUCHE!?!
-That guy definitely needed to be salted. Plus his music sounded like two whales raping each other.
-That guy had no tact whatsoever in everything he was saying. I mean, if I were a musician doing an interview on the radio, I think I would try and promote myself and my music instead of making myself look like a total idiot, right? Isn't that just common sense? He obviously doesn't want people listening to his music, so let's grant him that wish!
-Why the hell did you have on the world's sh*ttiest musician on as a guest today? And why was he such a f_____?
-What awful music, we hated it!

Do yourself and everyone else a few favors. First, for the love of God, stop humiliating yourself with that pathetic "music,” you’re just awful. Second, grow up. Nobody likes someone who thinks they're all that, especially when they aren't. Lastly, do what you can to make up for the damages you have caused. You could start by apologizing for ruining my show that day. You embarrassed me because you yourself are a walking embarrassment.

Good luck with the rest of your life. I hope it gets better for you. Sadly though, I don't see that happening.

p.s. You and your "music" are no longer welcome at -----------."

For anyone that might wonder how I responded, I wouldn't want to leave you out of the story arch. Hopefully this isn't the end. It's just off to the best start already. Either way, here is how I responded, hopefully it is up to par with my general expectations from any angle:

"ha ha. thanks ------. You're a funny guy. What an interesting email to send to somebody you don't really even know. We spent not even 20 minutes together. Also, I was under the impression that we were just joking around and having a good time. Apparently you didn't catch that joke. Sounds like you're pretty upset about all this. But thanks so much for letting me know how you really feel. I like this email. No hard feelings man. Hopefully with so many people listening to your radio station I can still play music."

To celebrate this occasion I decided to find a video that would match the theme of this post. So thanks for tuning in! See you next time!

The Best Thing I Have Ever Seen

I love WEEZER.

Geraniums EP available for free download!

I posted a new EP for free download on my website (www.drewdanburry.com) plus a few extra songs. For easier access you can just use the links below though.

Free Promotional EP for the upcoming 2010 albums:

http://drewdanburry.com/downloads/Geraniums.zip

Promotional Demo that didn't make the cut for the upcoming album Goodnight Gary (right click/save as):

http://drewdanburry.com/downloads/TwoSidesbyGorillaBiscuits.mp3

Promotional Demo that didn't make the cut for the upcoming album Goodnight Dannii (right click/save as):

http://drewdanburry.com/downloads/JPHaynie.mp3

But everything is posted and available at www.drewdanburry.com. Just click on the Official Website Downloads Link and you'll be in business. You can pretty much download the whole discography outside of the most recent release.

Also, for those near or close to Provo, UT or happen to stop into Provo, UT ever, my wife is opening a tailoring shop downtown at 55 North University Ave on Monday November 2nd, appropriately called "Lady Danburry Tailoring & Design".

We're actually having a big GRAND OPENING show in Provo at the store Nov 14th with free treats, prizes and live music. So feel free to stop by if you can.

I took the GRE. I think it went well. Preparing grad school applications is overwhelming, but I've been taking it step by step, so it's not too bad, just daunting. I've been lucky enough to have work available on a daily basis substitute teaching but it is tiring and I now have received a rather devastating cold from overworking myself a bit. There are some upcoming albums that I am excited about in 2010. And that's pretty much all I got going on. Work, grad school applications, two new albums coming up, the lady opening a store...there's some other stuff to fill in the schedule I guess. Sometimes even eating and sleeping. Ha ha.

Dear Christina Applegate

Photos courtesy of "Justin Hackworth"

How does Christina Applegate get better looking with age? Is her wisdom and inner beauty coming out through her skin? Because if so, she must be the most wonderful person on the planet. She's like the opposite of Dorian Gray.

The other day I picked up a magazine for a couple of seconds waiting in line at the store, and I saw a picture of Christina Applegate on the cover. Therefore I repeat the same question, how did Christina Applegate get better looking with age? Isn't it usually the other way around? She has this very wonderfully aged loveliness. Something I'm not going crazy about, but still something I appreciate, feel like mentioning and for some reason find extremely interesting.

Are George Clooney and her in the same genetic category?

I am posting some pictures below so we can compare and share our thoughts on Christina Applegate. And perhaps Falcon, the boy who rode in a balloon and didn't. At the same time. But that's another magical story outside this realm.

5,195 miles in 6 days!

Emergency Umbrella (the label I am signed to) has been having a rough go on the finances and is having a huge fundraiser to help stay alive, not get records thrown away and essentially are offering a REALLY great deal on records so that they can stay alive. The link is here:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1118557283/help-emergency-umbrella-records-clear-an-over-crow

Also, I myself have just had a really rough month financially, so to help raise money I decided I would give away most all of my music for free. So if you don't have it. Go grab it! And if you feel like it's worth anything, feel free to throw a paypal donation my way. My wife and I would appreciate it immensely. Here's the link:

http://drewdanburry.com/freedownloads.html

It's been harder and harder for me to find things to talk about on this blog. It's such an oddly egocentric and narcissistic feeling to write things on a page and expect others to care. To not feel like you are being silly, ridiculous and outright assuming that people are interested in you and what you have to say.

A friend convinced me at some point that I should not only start a blog but to keep it up on a regular basis. That there are people who care about what I do musically. But it's just so odd to assume such a thing, it's strange. I think most of my life I have completely undermined any affect I might have on my surroundings because of how insignificant I have felt. How little I have accomplished or done with my life.

But what it comes down to is simple: If what I did musically was decent then there would be some decent demand for what I'm supplying, and to pretend it's there when it's not seems silly.

I guess I just feel like after all this time of touring, and playing and working so hard at this, that it would get a bit easier. That at some point in time I wouldn't lose money. That after working for months organizing a tour only to come home in the red and have so many bills weighing over my head...well...it brings me down.

And what do the people who love me want? Because there are so many out there who have been so kind and so helpful and give so much of what they have in such definitive acts of kindness and gratitude. Placing so much love and support and assistance to my table. People who in reality, I do this for. If they knew it was killing me would they want me to stop? Because they love me? Or is what I do something that helps them get through their day? Is there something in this crazy lifestyle decision I have made that somehow helps others?

Because I can't see what others say or feel. I can't see if it's making any positive difference if it's doing anything. But what I do know is that it's heavy on me. And not just me but on my wife. And at some point soon I'd like to start a family. I'd like to make my wife happy and provide a secure home for her to fill with her radiant and amazing love. Because we both have so much to give, and starting a family seems like such a wonderful thing to do. And "the road is no place to raise a family".

What happens next? I don't know.
I guess I'll have to make a decision sometime.

The great thing is that it's my life and I get to decide. Just like I get to decide right now if I will press the button to publish this post and disclose the sentiments of my heart.

But there are two albums in my hand right now. Ready to be released. Two more albums on paper ready to be put to tape. And who knows what the future holds?

Here is a photo from Pop Montreal courtesy of Sébastien Théraulaz!

and the winner is...

The results are in courtesy of random.org!

The grand prize (which is a complete Drew Danburry discography and T-shirt) goes to:

Ashley Cook!

The runner up prizes (a Drew Danburry album of their choice) go to:

1. Dathan Denton
2. Andrew White
3. Michael Carlos
4. Maurice Spencer Teilmann
5. Liam Dysart
6. LaShay McDanel
7. Sharie Reynolds
8. Steve Stamps
9. Russ Woods
10. Sci-Fi Greg

Thank you EVERYBODY SO MUCH for all your help. Hopefully soon we can do it again. or something. In fact, here is a download link to hear an EP I am giving to everyone just out of the kindness of my heart. Feel free to pass the link along and post it places. Much love.

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?j2jkymxmdlu

Sincerely, Drew

Daytrotter, Pygmalion, Etc

Tour is tiring. We are tired. But I'm excited for tomorrow because I'm playing the Pygmalion Music Festival tomorrow right after Iron & Wine and Daytrotter is posting our recording session as well! Exciting right?

Also, the Drew Danburry Giveaway Contest is ending in a few days and I will announce the winner soon. So everyone be ready.

The album will be picked up for mastering in a few weeks. I'm hoping to put it up for free download. As well as every other album I've released via the new website. It should be undergoing some changes when I get a chance. Whenever that is.

Hope things are going well for everyone. We're doing great. Just driving and playing shows. Thanks to everyone who's always so kind to us. More news soon.

The Drew Danburry Giveaway!

I'm having a "Drew Danburry Giveaway Contest". If you didn't already click the link above, here is the link below:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=131999507399&ref=mf

First off, EVERYONE gets a free new song for participating.

The grand prize is a complete Drew Danburry discography and T-shirt. (I'm limited on some supplies, so I might have to burn a couple cds for some albums)

Then ten extra participants (runner's up prize) not chosen for the grand prize get an album of their choice for free.

Here are the rules:

1) You must post a link and talk about the new Drew Danburry website having free downloads (www.drewdanburry.com)
AND
you must also post a link to my Myspace and make mention of how Drew Danburry is touring right now and playing shows all over the country!
(www.myspace.com/drewdanburry)

For anyone who wants to earn extra credit and get their name in the running for the grand prize more than once you can grab your favorite Drew Danburry video off of youtube and link it or embed it or post a bulletin about it. (www.youtube.com/drewdanburry)

All of this can be done on Facebook, on Blogs or pretty much wherever as long as it is helping to spread the word on the new website and on my tour. Videos and well written blog entries would especially help!

SO PLEASE help spread the word and I will shower you with gifts and gratitude and all that I can bestow because it is my livelihood out there on the road and I'd really like to make ends meet!
THANK YOU!

i forgot to mention I'll give a free album advance for the upcoming 8 song ep I'll be releasing soon to anyone who invites their whole Facebook friends list to this event.

Wow, now with all that boring business behind. Here's more: I'm about to go on tour and play the Pygmalion Festival in Illinois with Iron & Wine and the Pop Montreal Festival with Os Mutantes! Pretty cool! I wish I was really playing the same show with those bands instead of just at the same festival. Ha.

And the new website which I've already mentioned has plenty of free downloads and other such fun stuff. Links to reviews. Cool bio. Etc.

Alright. That's that. Gotta run! Hope everyone is great!
Drew

Grad school, Pop Montreal, Brad Pitt, and other such wonders.

It's late and I am about to drive to San Francisco. Which I'm super excited about, because my dear friend Blake from the band TaughtMe and I will be mixing and matching the 30+ songs that will evolve into what eventually become next year's release entitled "Goodnight Dannii". It will most likely be preceded by an EP called "Goodnight Gary". So we'll see what happens. But I'm excited, really really excited to finish this album and see how it comes out.

As a side note, Weezer is entitling their new album "Raditude" and interestingly enough, I just barely was listening to NPR's All Songs Considered Podcast and came across the bit of information that Lou Barlow is releasing an upcoming album named "Goodnight Unknown"...so I guess what I'm saying is that at least I know what I'm saying goodnight to, eh, Dannii? Ha ha.

I just got accepted to play both the Pop Montreal and the Pygmalion Music Festival this Fall so I am planning some touring out to the midwest for September and have some other plans that one can find out more about here.

Also, I am considering and undergoing the process to apply to grad school, beginning this Fall and actually applying in January. So we'll see how that goes? Any suggestions as to what school I should go to?

(change of subject)

I saw an amazing film recently called "Hi, My Name is Ryan" and have been really impressed with the new Deer Tick album "Born on Flag Day". And speaking of musical acquaintence's albums that are great, Viking Moses's "The Parts that Showed" and the Awful Truth's "Object Permanence" are fantastic as well. Maybe at the end of the year I should do my own best of the year list with some download samples or something. Who wants that?

Recently I helped "star" in a commercial some friends made for an Old Spice contest. It is pretty ridiculous, and I'd love to know if you think it's funny, so here's one link to see it and here's another link to vote on it. Here's the actual commercial below though.



I've been hoping to be involved more with film lately and I've had a lot of friends I studied film with doing some wonderful things. For example, I've been waiting so long for it, and I am SO EXCITED to present, Jared Hess's new film's trailer, "Gentlemen Broncos". This is going to be the movie of the year. This, or Star Trek. Or maybe this, and Star Trek tied with Harry Potter. Or maybe just Wolverine.



The other day my friend Brent and I were talking about making funny noises when we fell and he told me I need to see this, and now I am showing you, it's pretty mean to laugh at, but well...



Okay, so that's it for this post, outside of the fact, that I ought to mention I am going to start posting celebrity pictures just because that's well, you know...my FAVORITE thing to talk about! So this week I'll go with my favorite man crush celebrity. Guess who wins? Yay for Brad Pitt! And you know that song where Shania Twain says, "So you're Brad Pitt, that don't impress me much"? that one? well don't you think it's funny that she said that? Because she's totally saying that he's like the best looking man on the planet by singling him out on the song...right? Anyways, you're the best Brad! You're better than Jason Priestley!

Lady Danburry Giveaway and Belinda Carlisle

First things first, Lady Danburry is giving away a satchel and it's awesome:

You can find out more about this crazy autumn giveaway on Facebook or on the Lady Danburry Blog. I would say it is completely un-american to dislike free stuff and if it's high quality art with a usefulness and a purpose that you are disliking and not finding a desire in than it's outright communist. Maybe I shouldn't joke with such terminology, but I think perhaps even political correctness has it's faults at times.

Second things second, I have a bunch of free music to share:

Ok Ikumi remix of "Gary's Valentine's Day" (previously unreleased)

Download Here

Emergency Umbrella Sampler (an album full of awesome tracks from awesome bands!)

Download Here

Third things third, I just posted up new dates on my myspace page and will be touring this Fall for a short stint. Anyone interested in booking show? Contact me and thanks in advance for all your help!

Best for last:

This past week, I took a trip to my own personal paradise and on the way there became friends with a long time acquaintance. We basically talked for the entire 12 hour car ride about pretty much everything and drove up into the mountains for the few days we had planned. As we neared our destination up on our mountain road with the trees all around us and a fresh breeze from a nearby lake we heard the most beautiful sound ever. Skateboards.

For three days we skateboarded and swam in the lake and I played music by a campfire at night for the fellow campers. All the other staff there were fun and kind and down to earth, I was skateboarding with all sorts of well known professional skateboarders and didn't even know it till later. Everyone at the camp treated each other as equals and everyone was friendly. It was literally the most beautiful thing I've experienced in a long time. It was simple. It was fun. It was skateboarding.

I think for my friend Cris and I what really made it especially surreal was the fact that growing up we watched videos of this particular camp over and over and it always had this distant faraway feeling to it. So actually being there at the camp was almost hard to believe, if I wasn't falling on purpose I was pinching myself to make sure I hadn't died and gone to heaven. The entire first day we couldn't get over the fact that we were even there let alone how much fun it was.

I think what also really made the camp wonderful for me was how appreciative and sincerely interested everyone was in my music. Which is actually something I struggle with as the music world is so "hip" that it's hard to ever reach people on a human level because oftentimes a show becomes a critic's contest or a fashion show rather than a music event. So in short, I guess what I'm saying is that I found my own little heaven on Earth. And it is the YMCA Element sponsored Skate Camp. and it doesn't get much better for yours truly. If I could spend my summers there every year, I wouldn't hesitate.

Special thanks to Matt for bringing me out there and for Josh for playing drums with me and for everyone at Skate Camp '09. It was so incredible. I wish I had a better capacity for words to communicate how much it all meant to me. It was great.

For anyone that hasn't seen this film, Skateboarding is not Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 or the X-games or... I'd highly recommend it. It's what skateboarding means to me. Here's some fun youtube videos. The end.





Alaska Beard Contest Promo Photo