One Way: The Blog

Prologue

Much like the awkwardness of adolescence, making a record is a long, complicated journey. There’s the writing, arranging, recording, mixing, mastering and all the logistics and money. There are also a lot of misguided assumptions about record-making. So let me give you a quick tour of this album and share with you what I’m experiencing.

First, some background. One Way originated at Cornell University, where I was forced to create a senior thesis for my major. Having already written the songs for my first EP, Introducing Danny Ross!, which was heavily influenced by Ben Folds piano-pop, I wanted to write the kind of music I was now listening to—in the style of Wilco, Ryan Adams, Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley, Brian Wilson, The Beatles. I wanted lyrical songs, ambitious arrangements and challenging material.

Over the course of one year, I worked with professors to map out music and lyrics for over 20 songs, learned musical notation, composed string and horn arrangements, and worked with seventeen musicians to create an album with a coherent storyline. These were personal songs about my growth into adulthood and I considered them to be an arrival for me as a composer and lyricist. We performed it live for 200 people on April 17, 2006 and received Summa cum Laude.

Now, in 2008, with one year’s experience in the New York City circuit and an established working band, I’m able to finally get in the studio and make the record.

Part 1: The Plan

So I had 14 songs to record with a ton of arrangements and players needed. Talk about a logistical nightmare. So where does one start?

First things first, I needed a partner, or producer, that met several qualifications: 1) Someone who was intimately familiar with Pro Tools, the modern software used to record music; 2) Someone that would act as a second set of ears whose musical taste I could trust; 3) Someone with a lot of experience making records who could help in logistics and timeline.

The natural choice was Rob Guariglia. Rob is an enthusiastic guy with a hip musical mind who played guitar with Grammy-nominated artist Ryan Shaw. Not only did Rob meet all the standards, but we had already worked together on Introducing Danny Ross!. Rob signed on in February 2008, and between Ryan Shaw’s tours with Van Halen, Rob and I would begin working on One Way in March.

Fortunately my band of players were ready to go and they had a large network of musicians to help with strings, horns, organs, etc.

“Real” was the word that constantly came to mind. We wanted a natural sounding record with no synthetic sounds and genuine gutsy performances. We also decided early on that we would have nothing but top-notch musicians. So our first step would be to record the drums and bass live together at a recording studio.

Myth-bunker #1: You don’t need to be in the recording studio for the entire length of making the record. You only need to be there when recording an instrument. Once you get all you need at the studio, you can cull through the material on your laptop on a subway if you want to.

Rob had a great relationship with Galuminum Foil Recording Studios in Brooklyn and we would begin the process there. This gave us the foundation for our plan:

1) Record drums and bass for all 14 songs in one sitting at the studio. Have the players record 3 or 4 takes of each song.

2) Once done at the studio, go back to Rob’s apartment and cull through the takes, comparing one section at a time. Perhaps Take 1 had the best Chorus, or Take 3 had the best bridge. In this way, we’re choosing the best sections of each take to create a “super-take” of sorts. This is called “Comping”

3) While at my dayjob for the Congressman, Rob would edit the part to ensure it’s played in time and sounds good with the track.

4) Repeat these steps for piano, guitar, horns, strings, organ, etc.

Soon the parts add up to create a completed song! But you can see how this becomes an overwhelming process when dealing with the players, the studios, the money, the composing, the rehearsals, the scheduling, etc.. And of course there are always unexpected bumps along the way.

Now that you know the plan, hear how it all went down in Part 2 next week…and with the mad pics!

TO BE CONTINUED! (bum bum bum)

Danny Ross: "A Jewish Christmas" ( Part 3 of 3)

12/25/07 – Christmas Day, Uno Spin

We woke up Christmas morning like most American children, to a vicious game of ping pong. I came out the victor in overtime, drenched in sweat and emptied of adrenaline. Cousin Madison was pretty skilled for a 4 year old. Talk about a backhand.

Since we already opened our gifts on Christmas Eve over egg bake and special cider (See blog post below for details), we spent the morning waiting for guests to arrive for a 4:00 Christmas dinner. I felt like I was living in South Florida all over again, at Boca Pointe Country Club’s Early Bird Special (Try the brisket).

Dani’s dad built a really sweet new house on Lake Madison (complete with a sauna, or as us Jewish folk say it, a schvitz), and even took us golfing there earlier last year. Let’s just say we were the renegade crew on the course (we got busted with too many people on a cart…twice). It was my first foray out of mini-golf, and it was frankly jolting to putt without a windmill. It was also a little intimidating for me, as Dani was a third place contender at The 1999 Madison Junior Invitational.

But I digress. I got some pretty great gifts from Dani’s dad and extended family, while I was happy to give him The Band’s The Last Waltz CD. Soon afterward, I would buy Music From the Big Pink and their self-titled record. Their old-time American lyrics about characters like Virgil and Chester are a great resource for any folk-oriented songwriter. I’ll be naming my first child Virgil Chester Ross, male or female.

Next thing you know, Mrs. H, Grandma, Dezi Dog, Uncle Rich and Aunt Diana were all playing Uno Spin as Jane was finishing up dinner. And what a meal it was: Savory Christmas Ham, creamed corn, strawberry salad, cheesy-scalloped potatoes. I felt like a goy, but mm was it good.

It was also one of the few meals I’ve attended where somebody said grace, just like they did on “Family Matters” and “Home Improvement.” I was getting the full gentile experience.

So after stuffing our faces and feeling sleepy, it was probably a bad time for Aunt Diana and Uncle Rich to project a slide show of their recent trip to South America (also straight out of “The Wonder Years”). As interesting as it was, I think Grandma of all people was the last one awake to see the finish.

After an intense game of Uno Spin, in which Dani’s dad won twice in a row (I’m convinced he’s a professional Uno Spin player by trade), I made my way downstairs and had successfully endured my first Christmas Day.

12/26/08: Christmas Lights, Cheeseballs

Now that Christmas was over, what’s left to do in Madison, South Dakota? Hit the streets of course! See the big city! And so we went to the wonderful 2^nd Street Diner and had ourselves some world-famous cheeseballs. By the way, let me put it out on the open now: I do plan on opening Madison’s Famous Cheeseballs here in New York City, serving a variety of cheeses and dipping sauces. That idea is trademarked, so hands off corporate America!

Back on the tour, we saw the old high school, the Naked guy’s house (self-explanatory) and even the La Boca Vista Trailer Park. I wrote a song called “Madison Bound” for more stories on the small town.

That evening was a Heinemeyer family tradition. We all loaded up in the car, got some boxes of pizza, and drove around town, judging the town’s best Christmas lights. I heard some great stories, including when Ross and his friends moved some decorative wooden deer around in provocative positions. It was a great night, and this kind of thing definitely reinforced that sense of warmness and family in the Christmas tradition. In that same vein, we finished the night with a viewing of Knocked up. “You look like Robin Williams’ knuckles”

12/27/07: Meeting the Mayor, Hunting Pheasant

Today we were able to stop by the Zimmerman-Smith Museum. We saw relics of Madison’s past: rifles from the Civil War era, a 1919 Oldsmobile and learned of Lake Madison’s worst boating accident.

Fortunately for me, Mr. Heinemeyer was the city’s Finance Officer, and we got to meet the Mayor and go to a City Commission Hearing. As a politics dork, and a staffer for a Congressman here in NY, this was actually a very exciting moment for me—hearing about local airport policy, saying goodbye to the city attorney upon his resignation. I was wondering if Barack would turn up to make a speech.

We capped the night by stuffing our faces at the Midwest’s most delicious restaurant, Johnny Carino’s, seeing Johnny Depp’s Sweeney Todd, and playing beer pong at a buddy’s basement while watching The Lion King. (An effective combination as predicted) Apparently, from what I was told the next morning, I insisted on referring to Ross’ friend as a “Cosby sweater.”

On a side note, I was asked by a few different people on the trip if I was interested in shooting pheasant with a rifle or pistol. These were scenes straight out of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and I always quickly changed the subject…

12/29/07: The Wedding

We finished our trip by attending the wedding of Dani’s high school friends, Jen and Chris. Besides hunting, this was probably our biggest cultural difference: South Dakotans marry young, New Yorkers wait till their 30s.

This of course meant another trip to church. Twice in five days. But there was no glass breaking like Jewish weddings. And “Here Comes the Bride” was blasting on the pipe organ. We scurried in just as the ceremony started, and right before the bride and groom walked down the aisle. It might have been embarrassing if we ran past them to grab decent seats in the pew.

Speaking of which, what’s the deal with that awful pew exit system? It took us 5 hours to leave the church.

Then it was off to the reception. It wasn’t shrimp cocktail and fresh crab meat at The Tribeca Rooftop. Again, a cultural shock. But it was a nice affair and the groom’s 16 year old brother made the funniest wedding toast I’ll possibly ever hear:

“I've been told that the best man's speech should be as long as the groom's lovemaking. So thank you and have a good night”

Then we danced to the “YMCA” (I guess some things don’t change), and “Achey Breaky Heart” (and some things certainly do).
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And that about does it for this Jew’s first Christmas. Hope you had as much fun as I did. See ya next time!

Danny Ross: "A Jewish Christmas" ( Part 2)

12/24/07 Christmas Eve

I awoke this morning to a delicious smell wafting through the door and into the basement. As I ascended the staircase into the kitchen, my senses were engorged with the savory and sweet all at once, as if Ratatouille himself was at the helm. It was then I realized that this was no ordinary breakfast. This was Mama Heinemeyer’s world famous eggbake. Picture it now: a warm square of egg deliciousness smothered in cheese, mixed with ham, and topped with bread crumbs. I had nearly three servings before nausea started to settle in, but mmmmm good!

After a healthy breakfast, there were two pressing items on the agenda: 1) Buy ugly Xmas apparel at the thrift store 2) Take pictures with Santa at the mall.

Let me first give credit to the Heinemeyer family for being ridiculous enough to indulge these Jewish Christmas fantasies. After our stint at Savers, I changed into my new holiday gear in the mall bathroom and walked out a true gentile rock star. Sporting a snowman sweatshirt, red turtleneck and a bad haircut (it happens to everyone), there I was, moments away from meeting Santa!

I mean how can you resist this guy? Have you seen a bigger jew in your life? And wow, what an impressive looking Santa for such a barren place. I mean shit, that guy looked like Santa. Waiting in line among the other toddlers, I would be happy just to shake hands, take the picture and relive that moment in my memory forever.

But as I approached Santa, with my over-anxious smile and jittery legs, I nearly fell over with excitement. The 4-year-old South Dakotans truly knew they were witnessing a freak of nature. Finding a cozy seat next to Santa, I sat readying my smile for the camera. But something was wrong. I heard screaming. There was some sort of technical error. The film would have to be changed. What was happening?

And so there I was, sitting next to Mall Santa, awkwardly waiting for Ms. Clause to change the film. My palms became sweaty. “Soo, where ya from?” I nervously spoke. “Busy time of year I bet? Hehe….” I was beginning to think that perhaps this was the real Santa, as he sat silently grinning. He made no response. Still, nothing was happening.

Utterly and inexplicably determined to engage in mindless small talk with this man (part of my Hebrew instinct), I continued. “I’m from New York. Just here with the girlfriend’s family…It’s funny, ya see, cause I’m actually Jewish. Yep, it’s my first Christmas. You probably don’t see that too often out here!...Ya know, I bet you and me have a lot in common.”

Looking back, I don’t think I’ve seen a more utterly perplexed face in my life. But he was a jolly old man, as predicted, and those awkward few minutes were worth this priceless photo:

Now it was gift exchange time, woo! I don’t know if it’s standard practice nationwide to do it on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day, but that’s what we did. I watched as Grandma opened her “Studs N’ Spurs” male model calendar, Mama H opened her “Pigeon Poop” candies, Ross got the Planet Earth DVD set, and Dezi dog received her brand new outfit. What a stunner! Most notably I got a new Woody Allen book. That figures. (Actually, I asked for it)

Then it was off to the airport to reclaim my luggage, which as you remember from Part 1 of the Xmas Blog, was hurried away in a snowstorm never to be found again. And so it was to my surprise that my oversized red bag was sitting there when we arrived. No paperwork, no fussy stuff. Just off I went.

And so I changed into my wrinkled suit in the backseat of Mama H’s Honda Accord, stretching my lanky limbs around to everyone’s dismay. We were on our way to Madison, South Dakota, a 40 minute trip, to see Dani’s dad, and to attend my first-ever church service

Heading up, we absorbed the new Radiohead album, “In Rainbows,” which upon first listen sounded like the most accessible recording they’ve done in years while keeping their weirdness intact. I particularly liked the song “Nude.” As you can imagine, it was pretty awesome listening to this music as we drove past the frozen plains.

Arriving at church, we immediately saw Dani’s ex-boyfriend. How wonderful that was for me. It turns out he still lives in Madison, a quaint town of 6,000 people. Apparently he’s been hanging out with Dani’s family even after Dani went to college and dumped the poor guy. For example, he stores his motorcycle next to Mr. Heinemeyer’s in his garage.

We found our way to the pew just as Christmas service was starting. The pastor got up to make his sermon: “I’ve seen the Christ child. You may not believe he was the Christ Child. But I saw him. I knew it was him. I looked into his eyes...the Christ Child” And then like a Conan O’Brien character, the large man with glasses behind me, with a deep-throated, nasally Irish-tinged voice lunged into “O Holy Night.” It was truly a service for the ages.

Overall, though, the whole affair was less gaudy than I imagined. There weren’t talks of mayonnaise or Nascar. It seemed pretty normal. After all it was a Lutheran church, not Catholic.

We ended the night with a viewing of “National Treasure 2,” a hollow but intensely entertaining movie, stuffing ourselves with popcorn and Sour Patch Kids. Then it was off to bed we went. Ah, I love Christmas. And it’s not even Christmas yet…

The First Danny Ross Christmas (Day One)

Picture it now. A Jewish boy from the Jewishest part of Long Island meets a girl from the middlest part of Middle America. There, in the snow-covered plains of Madison, South Dakota, he celebrates his first Christmas in December 2007. Singing hymns, eating glazed ham, crashing weddings and sitting on Santa's lap are only the beginning of this one-week adventure in social experimentation we like to call...

12/23/07 (Day One)
The First Danny Ross Christmas

I sit now listening to "Classic Sinatra" within the confines of my warm blanket in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This is considered the big city here in SD, but as far as I'm concerned, if you've got a Panera Bread, Best Buy and California Pizza Kitchen sitting next to an interstate, I would pretty much call it the suburbs.

Outside the moon's glow overlooks a frozen landscape, and I'm about to doze off to sleep in this dark, tired basement. But it wasn't such a cozy day. In fact, you could say it was a stressful day. And yet another way of saying it, is that Northwest cancelled my god-damn flight to South Dakota, leaving me stranded at the Minneapolis Airport in a snowstorm. And that wasn't even a Larry Craig joke. (But now it is. Zing!)

I put my name on standby for the next flight, but was told that my chances were pretty slim. Arguing with the NWA attendant, I felt like I was living that scene in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. "You don't understand, tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I have to get on that plane! Kevin!!!" I guess she could be excused for leaving her 8 year old son on the other side of the country. But you'd think they'd notice at security or something. I mean there are 2 hours of waiting at the gate for Christ sake.

And I did a lot of that today. While I managed to get on standby, I was a mere 20th on the list. That means an entire basketball team would have to miss this flight. Thankfully, I could count on the Knicks to miss just about anything. (Zing!) Pacing like an anxious New Yorker in front of the "Departure" monitor...and then in front of the storm-filled windows... and then in front of the $14 dollar tuna fish sandwiches, I thought of calling Al Gore, hoping that he could make a phone call and miraculously bring the sun back up 12 hours early like in The Truman Show. He can do that, right?

Preparing myself for an overnight stay in the city of Prince and Kirby Puckett (R.I.P.), I was stunned to hear my name announced on the next flight to Sioux Falls. Paraded with yelps and applause, it was truly like moving onto the next round of American Idol. Only my prize wasn't fortune and fame, but boarding a tiny commuter plane in the middle of nowhere through a deadly snowstorm. Suddenly I knew how the Big Bopper felt.

Landing in the Sioux Falls Airport I kissed the ground, and probably a couple of old ladies too. I was drunk at the time. But I wasn't out of the clear just yet. Pacing in front of the luggage terminalɧ and then in front of the luggage claim desk... and then in front of the NWA Check-in, I learned that my bag would not be coming in that night. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe St Patrick's Day. It looked like I might be wearing this green and pink Reebok sweat suit for a long time to come.

But I quickly turned my frown upside down. After all, it was the South Dakota way. I would be heading to Dani's house. (That's right. My girlfriend's name is Dani. We have the same name, get over it.)(Okay fine, I'm a narcissist. I know.) I was greeted with a big hug and kiss by Dani's mom and we proceeded to Culver's Restaurant, described to me as a notch above McDonald's while slightly below Applebee's. Fine dining in the Midwest ladies and gentlemen.

Heading home I was greeted by a cacophony of sound. First, there were the kitties, Roni and Bear. Then there was puppy dog Dezi. And finally there was Dani, her brother Ross (Yes my girlfriend's name is Dani, and her brother is Ross. I'm not kidding) (Okay fine, yes, seriously, I have daddy issues), and of course there was mom and Grandma.

To equate them with celebrities, Dani would be a combination of a younger Meg Ryan mixed with, say, Ron Burgandy. Ross is maybe Topher Grace in That 70's Show with a badass streak. Dani's mom let's say is Goldie Hawn mixed with Cheri Oteri. And Grandma was like, well, any other Grandma, except that she'd swear at the least expected moment.

After an exhausting day, I needed some of that Christmas warmth I heard so much about. And sure enough, there was that glowing tree, presents underneath, and three stockings above the fireplace. Mom boiled up a pot of the famous family cider, which consisted of apple juice, orange juice and a barrel of melted Red Hot candies. I hung up the "Care Bears" and "My Little Pony" ornaments that Mom so sweetly got for me (Thanks again for that by the way), and I was feeling a whole lot better about the world.

Then it was off to the kitchen table to play a Midwest card game sensation known as Skipbo. Now I'm familiar with Uno (and a state champion 2002), but this I had never heard of. In either case, Grandma was known to be a shark and my competitive juices were flowing. Miraculously, after 40 grueling minutes of painstaking strategy and maneuvering, I won Skipbo, and with it, the respect of an elderly Iowan woman, who just might love me back someday.

With a busy day like today, tomorrow's schedule is even fuller. Let's just pray my luggage comes in. Fortunately there's church in the morning. Speak to you then!

- Danny

PS - Mom if you're reading this ... none of this actually happened. Your good Jewish son would never go to church or hang up ornaments on a Christmas tree in South Dakota. Back to sleep for you. It was all just a terrible, terrible nightmare.

The Perfect Roommate

I’ve spent the last month or so showing my apartment to potential new roommates, as my roomy Matt is moving to LA to have his dreams crushed. (I give it a year before he quits PAing for "Prison Break") In the process, I’ve met over 20 people and developed a routine I’m fairly proud of.

"This here is the dishwasher, which, of course, is a lifesaver! Hahaha!"
"I’m a pianist yes, but I mainly play AC/DC covers. Hahaha!"
"I’m Jewish... Don't go"

I wish you could see me now showing that laundry room with my high waving hand gestures, talking up the heat ventilation with unbridled enthusiasm, justifying the vitality of the neighborhood in my "high-pitched-I-want-to-be-your-friend" voice.

But alas, it was not to be. Alone, curled up in my bed, and weeping, I looked out the window in despair at a world that didn't want Danny Ross as a roommate. Was it the tomato sauce stains on the kitchen counter? The roll of toilet paper strung out across the living room floor? The hollowed-out cat carcass on the windowsill? Hard to say.

But it was at that point, 20 visitors, 3 committed signers (who ultimately pulled out) and 45 tubs of Raspberry Ciao Bella Gelato later, that I made the brave decision to leave Manhattan. Where one could purchase hot cinnamon cashews on the street corner. Indeed, it would be a loss. But the decision was final. I would in fact be moving to Brooklyn.

I told myself, "Now all you Brooklyn lovers, just relax. I'm not sold yet. BK will have to prove itself to me over time, much like the McRib Sandwich or Pete Rose. And for all you Brooklyn haters, just relax. I’m not moving to Williamsburg."

And of course 20 minutes after I made this life-changing, world-altering decision, I received an email from a nice guy named Rob who decided to take the apartment and move in with me. I said "Jesus, Rob, we just met. You have to romance me a little. Buy me wine, take me dancing." To avoid the hell that is moving in NYC, I immediately accepted his offer and said goodbye to Brooklyn forever. Well it was a good thought I suppose.

This week's music picks: Elvis Costello's Get Happy!!, Sam Cooke's Live from The Harlem Square Club

This week's shows: Elizabeth and The Catapult (Wed at Rockwood); Andrew Bird (Fri at The Beacon)

Probably your best friend,
Danny Ross

Baked Brie, Harry Potter, Fights with Shirtless Bicyclists…

I’ve been sort of taking it easy the last two weeks. You know, eating lots of white chocolate, watching Scrubs, listening to Monster Ballads, playing Uno. The usual. In reflection, there’s lots to look back on. For one, I finally bought the That Thing You Do! DVD Deluxe Edition. But also since June 30th I’ve had my record release show (our band’s first show), my 23rd birthday, July 4th and the midnight showing of Harry Potter. You can imagine how stressful this all is for me.

Let’s see ,what else ….Racket ball. Never played it but I hear wonderful things…I went out to the Astoria Beer Gardens on Saturday. That was awesome. I also went to a few parties. It’s always a bit strange when you only know 2 or 3 people and you have to resort to quietly making fun of others in the corner, or starting drunken political fights with complete strangers and then trying to convince them to see your band (a Ross family pastime). However at one such party, a baked brie with raspberry drizzle was presented, which always makes the 40 minute trip worthwhile.

So I was recently crossed by a shirtless bicyclist on the street. I was walking casually along the crosswalk with my lunch, humming Marvin Gaye’s “Sensual Feeling,” eager as always to scarf down my custom-made spinach salad when I saw this shirtless bicyclist approaching. And so I did the classic juke-right, ensuring that I’d walk behind him as his vehicle passed. Well he stopped dead in his tracks in front of me. “The cross walk is over there.” he uttered softly. I smiled and continued on. “RIGHT? ISN’T THAT RIGHT?” he shouted. In shock I turned around and there he was, the sweaty shirtless bicyclist giving me the look of death. And so daringly, I reciprocated. Squinting my boldest squint, my brow furrowed, I shot back my trademarked “I hate you” face. It was a moment frozen in time, like when Harry met his fate with Lord Voldemort.. From this day forward, I renounce anyone that rides a bicycle (mainly because I never finished learning. That’s right, I don’t know how to ride a bicycle-deal with it). I also continue to call for the demise of shirtless men in public. See my June ‘96 blog for the official decree.

But what a few weeks it’s been. If you were at the show on June 30th, you saw that crowd of 100+ people squeeze into The Bitter End. It was truly a special night for me and the rest of the band, so thanks again to those who came and supported us. After the show we all literally walked down in a huddled mass to my apartment for the after-party, like Moses leading the Exodus. You can imagine how it went from there (We got drunk.) Even if it took me 20 minutes to hang up the banner, it was a definite success, standing ovation and all. Now we’re getting set for our next show @ Pianos on Sat July 28th.

Since we last spoke I picked up new records by Ryan Adams, The White Stripes and The Traveling Wilburies. Hope all is well and see you on the 28th you big loveable bear!

Probably your best friend,
D Rock
(That’s a nickname I just made up for myself. It’s hip-hop lingo. You just take the first initial of your name and add Rock to the end.)

The First Post

It's 2:30 on a Sunday night and I find myself watching Fresh Prince of Bel Air on TV land. That dang Carlton. This after watching The Sopranos finale and a documentary on insomnia (Why am I fascinated with sleep?). Now I've flipped to the Ovation channel to see George Clinton and Funkadelic in concert. Overall a pretty successful night of television…

Let’s see, what else… Oh I got a bill in the mail today. Pretty standard bill. Cable. Got a cable bill… Oh yes, and Chinese food for dinner. Shrimp with mixed vegetables. I really like those baby corns. They get too much flack those baby corns. You’ve got to admit, they’re pretty adorable…. Tell me you’re not still reading this.

Writing a blog is a fine line. Do I write about every pedestrian toothbrushing and my regular laundry cycle? Do I wax philosophy and discuss the meaning behind my art? Or do I give you snotty recommendations of music and film, belittling your opinions because you live above 14th street. Well the answer is a winning combination of all those things.

But generally I'm just getting psyched for the June 30th Record Release Show in NYC. I’ve been rehearsing with the band out in Brooklyn, working the phones to generate some press {Check out the latest articles in the Press Room) and writing crappy blogs online to get people psyched. Oops. This is our first show as a band and the release of my first album, Introducing Danny Ross!, so it’s a pretty big event... I’m not nervous or anything. The show is on Saturday June 30th, 8PM at The Bitter End in Manhattan’s West Village. Anyone who’s anyone will be there. No pressure.

As far as music, I’ve been listening to the new albums by Wilco, Peter, Bjorn & John, Paul McCartney and the Elvis Costello reissued catalogue, especially Almost Blue and Trust! And of course I’ve been prepping up for the new Ryan Adams album.

Happy listening and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do (especially when it comes to Chinese food.)

Probably your best friend,
Danny Ross