Day 3: February 1st, 2010
Bethel Steele 

Bethel Steele is a folk-rock singer-songwriter with a hard driving rhythmic guitar, who has a powerful stage presence and a voice reminiscent of the quality of Joan Armatrading. She's got a genuine feel of unpretentiousness that comes out in her songs, leaving the listener with a warm feel of honesty, soul and comfort. Even her sweet and humble stage banter leaves you feeling that Bethel Steele is the real deal. Her CD “Come Home” was released in June of 2009 and has tinges of a country upbringing, dashes of pop and rock, but is nailed in the folk genre. www.BethelSteele.com

         Bethel suggested we write something about buildings and structure which I was instantly excited about because I hadn't written anything about either of those things before.  Moreover, Chuck E. Costa has a great song called "From the Drawing Board" that uses building imagery.  I figured I could do something like his song.   Songs can be tricky though.  They don't necessarily turn out the way you think 'em up.  At least that's how it works with me.  I'd make a horrible architect.  Clients would wonder aloud about what I'd created for them while I insisted that when I put the chimney in the basement I was listening to "what the building wanted."   
        Anyhow... I wrestled with the song for the better part of my day off and when I was done with it, I was feeling a lot like I'd put the chimney in the basement again and all the plumbing in the front yard.   Sometimes the creative process leaves you a bit myopic.  You shouldn't rush to judgment of your work after banging your head against it all afternoon on a day when you've only consumed some Ramen, a slice of bundt cake and a bit of green tea.  It's not the right time.   But I'm human, so I was judging and feeling pretty embarrassed by this thing I had signed up to show the world.  Yeesh.   So I went to the Lizard Lounge and thank goodness, for live music, beer and nachos.  Not to mention friends.  The combination is better than prozac--I'd suggest going heavier on the friends than the beer though.
        So I'm happy with the song for right now.  I like the place it started.  I always liked stacking blocks as a kid.   And I like the idea of things falling down in context of play 'cause you can just start stacking everything up again.  (Not sure I got that bit into the song).  
      Also I opened the book "Turning the Mind into and Ally" today and tripped over this Tibetan saying "Even if you're going to die tomorrow you can still learn something new tonight."   I like that.   That also seems not to have quite made it into the song, but that's ok.   I'll write other songs and it might make it into one of those.

Timmy Riordan

Timmy has been called ‘the hidden gem” of the Somerville/Cambridge music scene. In February 2009 he wrote and posted 28 songs on his website. This year he’s doing it again.  He has also decided there should be 8 day in a week (in honor of the Beatles of course) and has invited 32 of his songwriting friends to support him through the month by each writing a song themselves. Over the last summer he recorded 8 of those songs on a CD entitled “Peter Let Me In.” Each CD includes an original cover, hand-drawn just for you in Sharpie by Timmy. Proceeds from this hand-crafted album are all going directed to the making of “New York’s Ignoring Me” his next studio album to be released in summer of 2010.