So… I just wanted to express my excitement.

Some or none of you know that I’m getting married in October to a beautiful girl named Genevieve. I wanted to share this not only because it’s an enormous step in my life, but that it changes Shaimus in some/many ways too.
Without getting into too much detail; the word “commitment” has become more important for me and everyone around my general vicinity. Purpose has been pondered and focus has been sharpened. Ultimately we feel big things are going to happen…
Just sayin. Keep your ears open.

Anyway, Shaimus will have some new songs out very soon actually! COMMITTING to some fresh material.
For now, here’s a take of “Across the Universe” (John Lennon) that I sat down and sang. Me + the piano. I feel like this song captures how I feel at this juncture of my life.

Click on the play button below to hear it:

Across The Universe

Love you all.
-Phil

Shaimus has been thinking a lot lately about our artistic evolution, our overall look and image.  With these thoughts, there are discussions of what’s happening in the music industry today, specifically in the world of bands.  I think Pop will be around forever.  With every decade, there will be someone who will push some kind of envelope.  There was Bowie, Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston…then Madonna and Britney…now Beyonce and Lady Gaga.  Oh yeah, and Rick Springfield…possibly the biggest and best Pop star in the history of histories.  I think there will always be Country music too…Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, George Strait, Garth Brooks, Shania Twain.  Oh yeah, and Taylor Swift…possibly the biggest and be-….sorry Taylor, can’t really finish that sentence, even as a joke.  You’re still adorable though.  BUT, Rock music changes every freaking second.  See?  It just changed again!  So we, as a band, have been branching out, listening to new music, music that college people are listening to and that young people are going to see live.  The truth of it is, Rock is dead.  But is that such a bad thing?  And what does that even mean anyway?  Maybe Rock is just not quite the Rock it was 20 or 30 or 40 years ago.  Maybe we shouldn’t even really call it Rock…maybe Stone, or Seed.  The genre is different now.  The guitars are clearer while sounding more ambiguous, the vocals are stronger while sounding meek and out of tune, and the drums are sloppier, while sounding powerful and tight.  This amalgamation of mind-fuck music is called Indie Rock.  Indie seems to be the way things are right now…Grizzly Bear, Vampire Weekend, The Dirty Projectors, Fleet Foxes.  Heck, I’m fine with it, and a lot of this music is actually quite good, inspiring even.  So does that define Shaimus?  Well, not exactly…we’re a more mystifying, multi-faceted mistress than most of these bands.  Hmm….is that why we can’t quit our day jobs yet?  Either way, I very much enjoy these discussions with the band.  It makes me ‘excite’ for what we can and will eventually shape ourselves into.  Music is cool…any thoughts?

Also, enjoy this picture of a guy dressed in Indie-style fashion.  I call him….Indie Douche: