Tag Archives: Indie Rock

Soros Jamming

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I wrote my first song about George Soros during COVID because I felt we’d become so Balkanized as a country that there was little that opposing factions could say to one another. The binary polarization had made dialogue nearly impossible to have.

I also recognized that this division and strife was being funded on the left with money from George Soros.

Liberal Democrats had become so enraged about anything connected to Donald J. Trump.  A term called “Trump Derangement Syndrome” was coined on the right to describe and explain it. Stephen King definitely suffers from it. Probably Rosie O’Donnell, also. This seemed odd because there was a time when Trump was a beloved cultural icon, offered referred to as a “tycoon.” But not any longer. Most on the left have imbibed the narrative that Trump is anathema to our democracy.

Additonally, the left conveniently began turning a blind eye to the rioting and mayhem fueled by Antifa and BLM groups. You may as well lump in the litany of vaccine and mask mandates for businesses and schools and it began to feel like chaos was a strategy that Soros was funding, with the playbook being written by Saul Alinsky. This is an overly “glowing” account of Alinsy’s how to get whatever you want.

I have a beautiful chartreuse cat named Lucy. Lucy tends to pester me when I get up before my wife and she will not relent until I feed her. I began capturing snippets of Lucy each morning and I thought I’d do just Lucy, some drums and some heavy guitar and see how it sounded. I was also recording tracks for a full-lengh release that would become Living In Some Strange Days.  What eventuallyl became “Soros Jam (Biden Mix)” ended up on that disc.

[Lucy resents being compared to Kamala Harris]

Now, we’re watching the Democrats, the “party of democracy” once again reveal that they hate the other half of America and could care less about democracy of any kind. They’ve kicked Joe Biden to the curb and installed Cackling Kamala Harris (who sounds like my cat, Lucy) as their choice to unseat The Orange Cheeto. How will it all shake out? No one knows.

And of course, America’s legacy media organizations feign objectivity, yet peddle a set narrative favorable to Democrat’s political success. To say our media industrial complex ‘lies through their teeth” would be a gross understatement.

All this to say, I thought it was time to dust-off my jam, remix it and add a new snippet at the beginning, while tweaking the knobs a bit on EQ and other things.

Back from the Road/TennVaMa Tour 2024

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Six years ago I set out on a musical journey that I had no idea where it would lead me, if anywhere. Tragedy was its catalyst and something necessary for me to pursue.

I can still remember my first few awkward open mic appearances, just me and an electric guitar, trying to figure out what it as I wanted to be as a performer. I certainly had bands and artists I aspired to be like, or allow them to inspire me through their music. I’ve recited many of them before: Neil Young, Guided by Voices, Swearing at Motorists, Lou Reed, Pavement, Polvo, Elliott Smith, and so on.

Moving to Lynchburg in some ways was necessary in order to get out from under a mortgage. The city is cheaper in terms of housing and other factors–the weather is considerably more moderate compared to the harsher climate of the Northeastern part of the U.S., particularly the winters.

In terms of music however, there isn’t any sort of underground music scene. I know gurus like Matt Bacon talk about connecting and building collaboration within your local scene, but there’s really nothing here to connect to. My few attempts reaching out to a handful of people playing original music have been rebuffed. For the past 18 months, I’ve been figuring out some sort of Plan B. Rather than play 65 or 70 times a year like in the past, I’ve managed a handful of shows, playing covers mainly, which I no longer want to do. Continue reading →

The Final Leg

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Two more sleeps at home before I hit the road for the last dates of my first regional tour.

The vision for this tour came together at the end of January. That’s when I first reached out to Happy Nomad Booking. I had an itinerary in mind that I hoped would take me to places that used to be solid indie rock stops: places like Morgantown, WV, then over to Pittsburgh, then back down through Virginia, before heading south.

Morgantown never materialized. I did play Harrisonburg, then Friday night was a great gig in Raleigh, aka, “indie rock city.” I sing about it on “Out of the Mainstream.”

Played a small dive bar near downtown called The Night Rider. Funky space and amazing sound (low ceilings always help). What was cool is that the original act, a power trio that wasn’t a good match for me, cancelled. Cooper Uglow ended up being a last minute replacement. He was perfect, playing solo, opening my show. Got to talk some inside baseball with him and Joe, the terrific bartender for the night. I rarely get to talk music with people who get my vibe.
Continue reading →

Loading Them Road Cases

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Since moving to Lynchburg, I’ve been making a musical transition. Oh, I’m still making and playing music, but my journey has diverged from the path where it began seven years go. Back then, I was just hanging on, struggling with the loss of a son, and my guitar became a means of finding some way forward after a devestating and seemingly senseless tragedy.

I initially thought I wanted to see if I could work-up a setlist that would allow me to get booked into clubs and other venues on the “cover circuit.” Every state and region has one.

What I learned is that if you have enough drive, and you can get on the phone and/or craft a compelling booking pitch, you can play regularly. Or, at least that was my experience in Maine. Before I knew it, I’d moved into playing some clubs in Boston, thanks to making a connection with a small booking agency. My first few years of playing live music, I’d play 60 to 70 gigs a year. That changed when COVID hit.

Then, my wife and I made a monumental decision. Real estate was at its peak in New England. We realized that this was our time for a new adventure and no more winters in the northeast. Off to points south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Lynchburg had affordable housing and it wasn’t a dump like some places that are affordable. But Lynchburg also has been a very hard nut to crack in terms of trying to book shows. I’m not going to belabor the reality that I was initially bitter and then, disappointed in the lack of places to play original music in the city and nearby.

Lynchburg, Virginia, USA downtown skyline.

What that initial experience provided, however, was the chance to really work on my songwriting craft. I’ve been putting out material on a regular basis. Then, putting it out on various streaming platforms, the central one being Spotify.

What has happened over the past two years is that my streams on Spotify have slowly ticked upward. Unlike many of the local musicians who get all the gigs, but have less than 100 monthly streams, my numbers have shot beyond 1,600 monthly streams and continue hitting upward. I attribute this to being willing to “feed the algorithm,” or the “Al Gore Rhythm,” as one of my songs on my new release, Some Singles+ talks about. Continue reading →

February Is a Tough Month (for Love)/RPM 2024

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This year’s RPM Challenge was a walk in the park for me. Maybe, if I’d decided to push it and make a full-length and not an EP, it might have been a bit harder. But for some reason, the song ideas were flowing and I even have my next single in the can from this creative exercise.

My latest release

With this release, I embraced a bit of genre-shifting, or at least, I diverged somewhat from my usual indie rock. Granted, the first two tracks align with most of my previous input, save that the overall quality of recording has improved.

On the opening track, “Al Gore Rhythm,” I wanted to tackle the notion that to succeed in music these days, it really does come down to “feeding the beast,” which are the social media algorithms (or, Al Gore Rhythms) that seem to drive everything, talent or songwriting prowess be damned.

The second song on the new release, is an update in my musical narrative that really began with the death of my son, Mark Baumer. January was the 7th anniversary of his death and music has allowed me a space to find some healing of sorts. “100 Days (7 years later)” is an update on the story about Mark, and also serves as the single on this release.

The next track is probably one of the peppiest numbers I’ve done (at least in terms of music and melody, if not lyrics). Breaking out of my usual 115 BPM, “Rocket Store” could certainly fit the bill as a single. On this one, I really embrace Auto-Tune on my vocals.

During the making of FIATMFL, I’ve been playing around a bit with synth loops and other effects. That exploration delivers the fourth track, “Synth Wave Sweep,” which uses a synth loop to create a bit of “space” on the record between songs.

In 2008, I wrote my first Moxie book, Moxietown, which detailed how Moxie and my hometown of LIsbon Falls became epicenter of the Moxie universe. The central figure in that narrative was Frank Anicetti, “the Moxie man,” or better, “the Mayor of Moxietown.” This track, a simple acoustic number is my paean to one of the more interesting characters I’ve met in my lifetime. Glad I took the time to pay attention his stories.

The final track is me, my electric guitar, and a pedal board. Decided to have some fun, crafting a song, “Future Gaze,” best described as shoegaze, with lots of delay, distortion, and compression.

If you use Spotify, please add me to your playlists and give the new single a spin or two when it drops on Friday.

It’s a Wrap on 2023 (JimBaumerME Newsletter)

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Bunker Rock/JimBaumerMe

Movin’ On (A New Musical Home)
Vol. 3/Issue 2

I’m actually working on this newsletter on the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. I don’t love this time of year, where, at least in these parts, the days start out dark and the light fades far too early.

Dec. 20 follows Dec. 19, which this year would have been the 40th birthday of our late son, Mark. It was nearly seven years ago that he was hit and killed by an SUV along a desolate stretch of highway in Florida’s Panhandle while attempting his second walk across America. Many of you know the story, so I won’t elaborate.

Continue reading →

The Music Shift (I Don’t Sing Like Taylor Swift)

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The song “Music Shift” is about music approached as an avocation, if not a vocation. The idea of working a “shift” in terms of labor dates back to 1809 and mining. Playing guitar may not be mining but it helps to approach music with that same sense of purpose and consistency.

I begin the song by saying that playing music is a “grift.” This emanates from much of today’s music promotion being about “pay to play.” Yet, this is nothing new. We know about the days of payola. In our time, it’s the constant enticements to pay for this or that in terms of getting your music streamed. Even if your song(s) get played, you’ll make little to nothing because any profits from Spotify or other platforms aren’t funneled equitably to the creators of the work. The con works because musicians want their music heard by others.

Since I began writing songs and getting my music out there, I’ve had a sense that people really don’t understood what I do. I play indie/alternative rock with influences from lo-fi bands like Guided by Voices. For fans of Taylor Swift and her overly-produced schlock and corporate façade, lo-fi with a DIY orientation sounds foreign.

Continue reading →

Spotify Heavy Weather

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Just like Oliver Anthony, I release my new songs via Distrokid. It works well because for a minimal annual membership, I can launch multiple tracks/albums via a host of streaming platforms.

Streaming seems to be where it’s at (even if no one makes any money), so I thought I’d take Distrokid’s suggestion and create a playlist of my own, including two of my own tracks. My playlist, “This is Indie Music” is a really good gathering of my influences and the bands/artists who inform what I do as a songwriter and guitar player.

Have at it!!

Oh, and feel free to add my songs to your Spotify playlists.

Spaceship Flying Saucer Bluze/AB Records Issue #105 (June 2023)

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Very pleased to be featured in the latest Aldora Britain Records – AB Records e-zine, The Independent and Underground Music e-Zine, Issue 105.

Tom Hilton champions true independent music from all over the globe. He obviously understood what I’ve been trying to do, especially the past two releases. Thanks, Tom!!

Spaceship Flying Saucer Bluze
Indie rock is an infinite field of sonic possibilities. It is a bracket that has been employed by thousands of bands and artists from all around the world. Some have lived up to its legacy, and some have fallen behind.

Out of Lynchburg, Virginia, contemporary singer-songwriter JIM BAUMER carves out his very own space on the alternative indie spectrum. Outings such as 2022’s Living in Some Strange Days and this year’s Home Sweet Home have stood up and been counted.

These selections showcase Jim’s fantastic approach to music, a glorious crossover of experimental rock, lo-fi pop, and one-man band indie. This musical approach provides a strong foundation for tales of darkness and pain, but also hope and real-life optimism. It is this relatable edge that really brings these LPs, and Jim’s music, to life.

Earlier this year, following the release of Home Sweet Home, Aldora Britain Records had a chat with this underground artist to unearth his journey so far.

Jim Baumer has previously contributed his track ‘Kick the Darkness’ to our ‘Knighted’ compilation. Listen or download HERE.

[If you enjoy this content, please consider making a small, magazine-sized donation at the following link. Thank you!]

Aldora Britain Records: Hello Jim, how are you? I am excited to be talking to such an innovative and creative contemporary artist. Thank you for your time. Let’s start off at the very beginning. What are some of your earliest musical memories and what was it that first pushed you towards pursuing this passion of yours?
Jim Baumer: My first memories of music were when I was eight years old, listening to my local AM station in the early 70s. Back then, you heard a great deal of rock on AM radio, not like today in the US where it is all talk radio garbage.

[Jim Baumer live, Loose Shoe Too, Appomattox, VA, May 2023]

I can remember one Thanksgiving, hearing the full version of Arlo Guthrie’s ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ and thinking his talking blues was the greatest thing ever. Then, bands like Blue Cheer with their version of ‘Summertime Blues’ blasting out of the stereo console at my house. Also, our local drug store downtown carried rock mags like Creem and I remember reading about Marc Bolan and Lou Reed when I was like nine or ten.
Aldora Britain Records: And now, let’s take a leap forward to the present day and your impressive solo output. I love the lo-fi and DIY attitude that you have. That really appeals to me, for sure! Where does this drive come from, and what would you say this DIY approach brings to your musical output?

Continue reading →

Home Sweet Home/RPM Challenge 2023

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Last Monday, I finished my final mixes on my last two songs for the RPM Challenge. What originally began as a 5-song EP, over the course of February, became a 10-song album. Honestly, I wasn’t’ totally surprised that I had more songs in me than a mere five.

Home recording is a solitary activity. I don’t know how many people there are that would self-identify as home recorders. What I found enlightening during February, thanks to RPM’s attempts to connect all of us, is that there are more of us than I thought.

I’m not really sure where my music fits into the larger context of the rock and roll universe. I’m guessing I’ll always occupy some very small, obscure niche. And yet, I sometimes wonder why my music fails to gain any traction at all.

When I tell people that I “play music,” they invariably ask me, “what do you play?” It’s hard to give them an answer that satisfies how I categorize my music because my points of reference are generally obscure bands in the context of popular music.

My music has a definite point of origination—most likely 1992, when I first heard Guided by Voices double CD compiling Vampire on Titus and Propeller. I found it at WBOR, when I’d come in to listen to new music for my weekend radio slot I was doing at the time.

Another group of original songs.

The album possesses an aesthetic that’s all but disappeared in today’s music landscape. It’s like a lo-fi dream that walks through my own rock and roll journey from early 70s AM rock, through prog, punk, some British invasion, garage rock, with a tinge of psyche thrown in. Granted GbV aren’t the only point of reference for my music as it’s evolved over the past few years, but I think they are important.

This latest offering spends some time working its way through 90s shoegaze and has echoes of British bands Swervedriver and maybe even Ride and tracks like “Living in the Worst of Times” and the instrumental, “The Fool.” It also continues with populist subject matter that was part and parcel of last April’s release, Living in Some Strange Days.

The song, “They Don’t Care,” an acoustic number that I basically captured in one take after watching YouTube news footage of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, comes from realizing that we now have a uniparty that doesn’t care about poor people, black or white. East Palestine is an echo of disasters involving water and necessities of life that had already played out in Flint, Michigan and Jackson, Mississippi, before. As a result, life in America is become untenable for most.

“Guitar Story” is a song about the past six years, from picking up my old Yamaha guitar, and now, being able to play well enough to carry my songs (and some covers) as a one-man-band of sorts. It would be the “single” on the record, I think.

I called the 10 songs Home Sweet Home because the music emanates from our move and it also is an ironic title, also. If the past three years (or perhaps, six), I feel less at home in this world than ever before. Moving to a new geographic location is less jarring than the rapid-fire changes being thrown at us by elites via technology, social media, and now, AI.

The new release now gives me four musical collections. Similarly, I’ve published four books. I’d like to publish another book that draws upon my musical journey over the past few years. Maybe I can combine writing a book with releasing new music in 2024 during next year’s RPM Challenge.