PETER  HAZEN
writer, musician, artist
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November is National Novel Writing Month!

11/1/2014

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Last November 310,095 participants tried their hand at writing a novel. Or at least that's how many were registered for this event. Well, this year I'm going to go for it. Are you?

National Novel Writing Month, lovingly called NaNoWriMo for short, challenges you to write 50,000 words in 30 days. For those who are bad at math, that equals a lot of writing, every day. The challenge commences today and I am responding to the thrown gauntlet with candor. By this time next month I'll have a first draft of a manuscript tucked under my arm everywhere I go and I will be haughtily referring to myself as a 'Novelist'.

To celebrate this month and my new illustrious career as a writer, I am doing a give-away of my first book on Goodreads. Keep Halloween going with my darkly twisted short stories. If you haven't read #lovingthealien yet, or if you want to get another one for your friends, head to Goodreads and get a free copy now! Offer ends in four weeks.


Goodreads Book Giveaway

#Lovingthealien by Peter Hazen

#Lovingthealien

by Peter Hazen

Giveaway ends December 01, 2014.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

FAQ:   Frequently Asked Question about NaNoWriMo


Q: It's nice out today, do you want to go for a hike?
A: No, I'm busy writing

Q:  We're going out to dinner, do you want to join us?
A:  No, I'm busy writing.

Q:  It's my/my son/daughter/mother/uncle/friend's birthday and there's a party at my house, are you coming?
A:  No, I'm busy writing.

Q:  My/your/everyone's favorite band is coming to town! Should I get you a ticket?
A:  No, I'm busy writing.

Q:  Can you show me how to [anything]?
A:  No, I'm busy writing.

Q:  There's twelve monkeys riding an painted-orange elephant down the middle of the road, honking horns and shrieking wildly, are you coming down?
A:  Yes, I gotta see that! Any good writer needs new material.

Q:  How do you focus enough to get that much writing done in one month?
A:  I can't' tell you, I'm busy writing.

Q:  Where do I sign up for NaNoWriMo?
A:  Right Here
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Fresh: Carl Daniels & The Black Box

10/16/2014

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    What is "Carl Daniels & The Black Box"? The title invokes mystery: when a plane goes down in the middle of the ocean, the black box may hold the answers. When I asked what it meant, Carl told me that's just how he sees this project. Usually he's just one man with a guitar, but now that he's working with Rustic Justice there is a new element in the mix; he calls this unknown variable "the black box". With experienced producer Mirk expanding and transforming his sound, Carl goes into the recording booth with his vocals and his six-string, and he comes out supported by what sounds like an entire band.
    What emerges sounds very different than Daniels is used to, but that's not a bad thing. The release of the Carl Daniels & The Black Box EP heralds the birth of something new; it's six tracks are a crash-course tour-de-force that touches on a wide range of sounds that currently occupy alternative radio.    
    The single and the first track on the album, “The More” comes in right away with bells chiming to an irresistible beat, announcing the arrival of a new indie epic that follows in the footsteps of Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros, Of Monsters and Men, and Mumford & Sons. You can't help but bob your head along to a song that sounds like you've known it your whole life. The swinging beat and the simple sincerity of the vocals gives me some of that same joyous feeling I get listening to T Rex and other glam rockers.
    “Chasing the Ghost” and "Lovely Lovely" have that foot-stomping honesty that people love so much in bands like The Lumineers and Mumford & Sons. The haunting, hair-raising backup vocals carry over onto the third track; "Teeth" offers the image of being of being bitten, perhaps eaten by the world. With lyrical tenacity Daniels questions the suffering we all must endure from simply being alive. What starts as a creepy, slow dirge picks up halfway through with a gospel beat, once again keeping you guessing. Like most of Daniels' work, this is more than a pop song; it takes you on a journey, if you let it.
    "No King No Crown" features Mike Thornton’s wailing electric blues guitar a la B.B. King, and is a statement of empowerment "I don't gotta be no king and I need no crown." This continues the message from "Teeth" that resonates through the entire album: at the core of things, you must rely on yourself; your happiness is your responsibility. For placing this encouraging message within a flurry of otherwise melancholy images, I must say thank you, Carl, for throwing us a bone.
    The last track, "Drinks With Chinaski" is probably my favorite of the bunch – And it's not just because I was invited to experience the open, creative environment of a Rustic Justice recording session by jumping in and laying down the organ! The lyrics read like a hazy bar scene out of Bukowski, and the music goes through distinct sections: starting with a jazzy groove, exploding halfway through into a passionate outburst, and then holds that intensity at a fever pitch until nearly the end of the album, finally releasing you with a few sultry measures of bossa nova, like a flame that burns bright and then extinguishes gracefully as its last bits of fuel turn to purified, white ash. The romantic bar scene invoked paints another beautiful portrait of pain and angst. But if you think Daniels sounds like just another whiny hipster, give it a closer listen. In almost every image of angst, there is a hidden golden nugget of salvation, just waiting for you to pick it up.
    One of the things I truly love about Daniels' music is how dynamic it is; he takes the simplest building blocks of music and with them he weaves a winding story. His songwriting stands on its own; catch Daniels playing guitar at any bar or coffee house and you'll see a crowd enchanted. Let the same crowd listen to the same songs done with The Black Box, and you may see them boogie down. I suggest you pick up the EP and do the same.

   
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"Old Love Songs" by Sonia A

6/20/2014

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"As an activist, I've always felt guilty about my inability to write a good campaign song or a folky political sing along. I've kept my collection of sad country songs close to my heart. Inspired by the end of an epoch in my life, and the rapid decay of my mistreated vocal chords, I set out to record them all in one big outburst. Love and fire have been the disastrous and magical driving forces of my life--I've often wondered if I love to sing because I need to process the inspiring highs and lows of love, or if I fall in love just to have inspiring experiences to sing about. For the bitter and for the beautiful, here are the love songs of the past six years, love for family, friends, lovers and the earth. Thanks for listening."
    ~Sonia A
    Once upon a time in 2006, Sonia and I traveled around the country together in a van with a rag-tag crew of other motley progressives - what many would probably call "hippies". We cooked over the fire and traded songs almost every night for about three months. I spent countless hours listening to her voice, passionate and yearning as she rendered versions of Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash songs that made the originals seem dull by comparison. I was pleasantly startled each time she told me she had just played an original song; I couldn't tell it wasn't another cover from classic country radio. Her vocal style is along the lines of Lucinda Williams or Gillian Welsh, with flavors of the Natalie Merchant and Ani DiFranco she grew up singing, mixed together into something that is entirely her own.
    "The Pies are Burning" is one of my favorite songs ever. Funny and true, it is the tongue-in-cheek recounting of trying to keep a relationship together by ignoring obvious problems. When I get to see her in person, I always request "All the Way Down" so I can hear her powerful, wailing style. Some of the tracks are missing, and due to the limits of technology they may never be recovered. Unfortunately the one we wrote together, "Circle The Room" is one of the casualties. Maybe we'll get around to recording another version, but right now she's busy raising a newborn, so it will probably have to wait. And you won't see her performing anywhere, but do feel free to show your support and pay for a download.
    If you love banjos and/or beautiful female vocals, dig into this.

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Love Mold & Moon Wings (not as gross as it sounds)

6/20/2014

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    Emmy Raviv is the kind of person who can cause a room to hush simply by being quiet, not loud. She is a gentle spirit, and when people hear her soft soprano cooing they bend their ears to listen. I have heard each one of these songs live a hundred times, in many different settings. Her meandering melodies, sentimental poetry and pleasantly pensive guitar always remind me of Joni Mitchell, with hints of Feist and Natalie Merchant.
    Raviv is one of a few people that I almost had a band with. We learned each other's songs, played a few gigs together, had a great time singing harmonies together on old jazz standards... and then that was that. I wish that she still lived in this country, but alas, Emmy Raviv has moved away to Israel, where she's studying opera. You're only chance of catching her on this continent is maybe in the summertime in Maine, and even then, she is elusive. But she left us this recording of some of her original songs.
    If you're lucky enough to catch her at the Burdock Gathering, don't bother singing along at the fire; Raviv keeps you guessing and she may never sing one of her songs the same way twice. Each performance is an exploration, a new discovery. I think people sense this and that is why they listen so intently with held breath; Raviv can quiet the crowd just as easily around a campfire, at a cool cafe or a busy bar. I can only imagine what she will do with her incredible voice after several years of classical operatic training!

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One year of haiku: Happy Anniversary to me!

5/19/2014

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I've been writing haiku for a year straight. On my blog, there is a haiku for every day from last May to this one! Phew! Go back to the beginning and read them all:

http://www.peterhazen.com/haiku-blog/archives/05-2013/3

It actually began last March when I was invited to write one a day for a month; I had so much fun that I just didn't stop after that. Keep on the look out for the publication of my haiku collection - coming soon!

I think I'll give myself a break for a while. Maybe I'll start up again with a different style, tanka or sonnets or limericks.



The best way to build
a time machine is to have
already built one.
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Chew on this: "Blades Plural" is a hypnotic gem

5/9/2014

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    It was three or four years ago when I was working the front counter at Local Sprouts Cooperative and doing some of the booking for live entertainment, and Ahmad Hassan walked in and asked if he could play our piano. I had lobbied hard to get that piano into the cafe, and I was pleased to find a pianist of this caliber drawn to it. He laid his hands on the keys and quickly displayed a deep understanding of the instrument's history, moving seamlessly between classical, jazz, and a more modern sense of rock and hip-hop. I invited him back as often as possible.
    These days Hassan is working his harmonic magic with
DJ Moore, Andrew Scherzer, Tyler Quist in the band Jaw Gems. Laid atop a bed of masterfully crafted electronica beats, his melodies have never been more at home.
    On Facebook, their genre is listed as "psych//soul". Their brand new album has the high class of a martini - shaken, not stirred. Blades Plural is as cutting as the title suggests. This is exactly the kind of music that I actively seek out in order to make my life better. This is the kind of music I put on to help me relax, to stretch to, to cook dinner to, to play in the background while I'm working, writing, gardening, making out on the couch, or walking around town with my headphones on. Put it on and let it take you where it may.
    The release party for this album is tonight, 8pm at Bunker Brewery down on Anderson St. in Portland, ME. If you are in town, you might want to consider being there.
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Crow Folk ; singing is good for the soul

5/6/2014

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     The Setting: Kellogg St. is up on Munjoy Hill in Portland, Maine. On the third floor of this house at the bottom of the street, you can see the ocean from all of the east-facing windows. Like living in some retirement magazine, we can see a few lighthouses without moving from the kitchen table. The picturesque illusion breaks apart as a giant cruise ships float in, blocking the view and inducing the blowing of loud foghorns. The seagulls chatter back at it.
    I'm staying here with my old friend, Sarah Crow. She might have other names, but that's the name that most people know her by, and I don't bother to pry. We've known each other for over ten years, sharing many of the same experiences, memories, friends. Although we have very different perspectives on those times in the past, our shared history invokes a kind of magic that I don't find with most other people. Traditionally, the way I become closest with others is through music, specifically through singing together. There's a special kind of connection that happens when your voices join together. (I actually read an article recently that showed that our brainwaves synchronize.) I make a lot of friends beside the campfire. Once you've got a really solid harmony down with somebody, the kind that just pulls at your heart and your stomach and makes people around you go “Oh!” – then you know you've got a friend for life. At least that's been my experience.
     It's getting late, as it does almost every night, because the children are feeling wound up and pushing to stay up past their bedtime. They've just put on a dance-show for us, or maybe a magic performance, or a series of comedic skits. Sarah makes sure their faces are washed and their teeth are brushed. While she reads out loud from a chapter of a book to help them fall asleep, I tune up the guitar and banjo in the office and set up the microphone. My laptop computer is almost ten years old and a little worse for wear; when I boot it up it sounds a bit like a airplane taking off. I wrap the back of it in a towel to try to dampen the loud whirring sound from it's broken fan.
     Finally the house is quiet. (Quiet except for the muffled roar of my computer.) These peaceful moments are few and far between. We sit across from each other, on either side of the microphone. We crack some beers and try to catch our breath. Then, we sing.
     To start things off, a nice laid-back acoustic version of Living With Lions, replete with Sarah's sweet harmonies and banjo accompaniment. Next, our interpretations of four of my favorite traditional folk songs (passed down for so long there's no known origin): I Know You Rider, John Barleycorn, The Lakes of Ponchetrain, & St. James Infirmary.
     Listen and enjoy. Don't forget to sing along; that's what folk music is for!
     This is just a sampling of what we can do, bound to be the first of many, so stay tuned. I have a bunch of new songs that need to get recorded. Combined with Sarah's original songs we'll have another record in no time! If you want to support the release of our next album, please donate here:

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    Peter Hazen is a writer & musician from New York State. He lives and works in Portland, Maine.

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