Zabazoo?

Hey everyone. I might move this blog to a new name, called "Zabazoo", which is a bit more zippy than "jeffliebert". What do you think? Please comment. I know you're out there...

Thank You Trent!!!

When Radiohead came out with "In Rainbows" WAY BACK in February, their "pay what you want" strategy was considered revolutionary. Finally a band had recognized that there was no fighting it. The world had shrunk to the point that pretty much anyone could go over to someone's virtual bookshelf, pull off a cd, pop it in their virtual boombox, and hit play and record at the same time. It was just too easy, and it probably would cost more to fight it than not. Their strategy paid off...people downloaded, people enjoyed, it was relatively cheap to do, and people paid anyway! Genius!!!

And now, a mere 3 months later, always ahead of his time, Trent Reznor has raised the bar even further. He is giving away the latest Nine Inch Nails release FOR FREE online...not only free but in lossless formats like FLAC! I almost shat myself when I heard that part! One of my biggest complaints about the so-called music download revolution is that although every song can be downloaded for around a dollar, they are mostly only available in compressed format like aac, mp3, or mp4, so the only way to get a pristine copy on your hard drive is to buy the cd and rip it into a lossless format. I don't buy the cd for the graphic art and the lyric sheets. I buy it for the sound! Radiohead's kinda free download was only available in mp3 format, which for purists (read weirdos) like me, necessitated buying the cd (I haven't done that yet, but I probably will "have to" at some point ).

You can download the CD at www.nin.com. Now, on his website he writes

"we encourage you to
remix it
share it with your friends,
post it on your blog,
play it on your podcast,
give it to strangers,
etc."

So, you can check out the streaming audio here, or download the whole damn thing yourself...your choice! Thanks Trent! And may more artists follow suit!!!

PS: I'm listining to it now, and it's DAMN GOOD! GET IT!

Tyler Ramsey

I can't stop listening to this song by Tyler Ramsey called "A Long Dream". The best word I can use to describe it is "hypnotic". The lyrics are pretty minimal, but this song is all about mood. Tyler Ramsey is the guitarist of "The Band of Horses", a popular indie group in their own right (Check out "The Funeral" by them). He's is an exceptional guitar player, one of those who makes you wonder whether there are 2 people playing together or overdubs done in the studio. But, although I've never seen him live, I'm told it is all him playing on one track. The main riff on this song is kind of a rip off of Jimmy Page's "Bron Yr Aur", but the melody is all original. Ramsey just released his first album, which is called "A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea", which I have just ordered from Amazon and should be receiving in a few days. Enjoy!

Here's a live version of "A Long Dream". I actually prefer the studio version because of the hypnotic effect of the electronic effects added in the studio, but this is pretty damn good too.


Here's a video of The Band of Horses song "The Funeral". I can't get enough of this song!

The Exboyfriends...becoming REAL Ex's

Yes, it's true!!!!!!!!!!! My group, The Exboyfriends, after 15 years together has decided to call it quits. This a bittersweet time, and I can't help but get nostagic for all the great times we've had as a group. Whether it was traveling all over the country, being on Howard Stern, performing at my favorite venues in NYC, and just generally hanging out, partying, and making great music with a great bunch of awesome guys. It truly has been a dream-come-true for me. I'm not going to write a long treatise on all the ways being in the Exboyfriends has changed my life. Words will cheapen any sentiment, especially with my crappy writing. In general, I'm trying not to be too nostagic about things. After our last gig (April 12th, Mercury Lounge, 7:30PM), we'll still hang out as friends, make music in other ways, and have countless memories of this great thing we created.

I'm really excited about our final gig. We're going to pull out all of the stops, pack the Mercury Lounge, and bring it down for one last time. And after the last note, we're going to keep partying all night long. And you are invited, if you've got the stamina! Well, not you...just you and you over there. You were an asshole to me last time, so you stay home. The rest of you are ok.

Thank you to all of our fans who supported us, our good friends, our family. You are a huge part of what we were, are, and will always be.

Bill Evans

A friend sent me a link to "Waltz For Debby" by Bill Evans on youtube, which was fantastic. But it lead me to this one, which is just so buttery soft and succulent. I'm not even a big jazz fan, but I was touched. I hope you enjoy it too.