Philanthropy has the best of me even on a bad day.

After attending a show last night I got to sit in on a mixing and a listening with Andrew H. Scarborough and Jorge Balbi Castellano of The Black Apples. It was late and I was tired but it didn’t matter because the music cut through my selfish emotions and lack of energy and woke me the hell up! Holy cow! How can I explain how good this new album of theirs sounds? I was lucky enough to hear it before all you allzz. I sat there and thought to myself that their music has always been great, fun listening and this is no different however I know they poured a lot into this new album and it shows. I hope I can only do the same as time goes by.
I am not trying to write a review of the Black Apples at all as I am not a music critic in the least bit but if I really like something then I want to write about it.

The Black Apples

In the courts of obsidian between the stones of imprisonment.
Maybe I mean oblivion.
As I got into downtown today I realized how soon this will happen less and less. I also realized I wouldn’t see the same familiar faces anymore that I often do. The faces of someones son or of someones daughter who now lives between life and no life between you and I as we hurry past them to get somewhere that is seemingly so much more important than stopping to talk or to help a human being. It kinda inspires thoughts in my mind then turned to words then turning to possible lyrics. That last sentence is not of real significance though. Homelessness here in Los Angeles seems most likely since it’s warm here most months of the year. I often wonder how they got there and what will happen to them in a much shorter time than things happen to you and to I. I have routinely stopped to give the ones I see the most what it is I may have without trying to seem mightier than them and maybe with a look in the eye or an actual word or 2. Some of these people have simply tried their best and this is the best they can do with all they have ever had or were given. I am no different than you. I walk past them on many, many occasions not having the time to deal with their very real and very immediate issues. Sometimes all I can do is continue to walk but with regret and with thoughts in my mind. As it becomes colder now even here in southern California I realize how much harder this life is. I have done the once a year Thanksgiving en treatments to the cause. It’s not enough. Not enough for at least myself anymore…
If I ever end up there myself I hope you stop to say hi.

The above is, I hope next in a set to come. I didn’t realize at first Andrew made a comment in it.

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More whithered than the dryest seed on the hottest star.

Well, all bad things come to an end. Whew, thank goodness. Wait, they still aren’t over yet. Dammit. I am trying to make my daily routine to downtown come to an end. I’ve had enough of this area and the firmament here is not as much clean or attractive for me anymore. Not in the people I see nor in the air I breath.

The seeming er-repressive constancy of the daily grind. Obviating the coercion of far off laughter from a nameless evil that drives the soul of humanity. Your humanity into the dust and leaves you more withered than the driest seed on the hottest star.

Wow, what a downer right? Especially during the holidays. I’m not talking about me by the way or my mentality. It’s not meant to bring you down so much as it is just meant to remind that we all go through the same things day in and day out. Damn, I need a drink.
I fired up an old phone today and found that little diddy I posted above. I wrote that a long time ago.
Not sure how I was feeling at the time but I was tracking demos about’s then that’s for sure. Real inspirational for the type of music I was doing at the time. Well, I am still sorta doing that same type of music with that same sort of mood. Sorta. That’s when I used to live in Pasadena Ca. Now I live in the Silverlake district of Los Angeles. There is a lot going on there. It’s a Hip cum Bohemian part of town. I feel as though that area at the bottom of my street was the first area to own this title before the “Hipster” expansionism. Now most of the east side of Los Angeles can evoke some of this same genre and feeling.

Got a bit of news. It’s funny. Seems as though whether it’s a coffee shop or a back alley in a pleasant place you simply find yourself giving yourself away. Cryptic? Not for some. Now I understand the immature behavior I have experienced lately and it makes you wonder about past behavior. Either way, for now I wonder how many bullets I have dodged? I’ll never know for sure but one thing I do know is that I’ve dodged my last ones from some. Some people are just perpetually “up” to something… On to important things though.

Here is a song from a friends band that I used to listen to ceaselessly way back. Like it a lot. I am sure you will like it also. Eagle Winged Palace.

hmmm, here is another one.
This seasons nightly frost making it abundantly clear that my human shell is meager in the face of the harsh valid air of a river valley and a foothills mists. I stare helplessly however wantonly at the expansive dark sky harboring no colors my human eyes can make out. No twinkle I see for the chill of the night has obscured even the stars from view.

You can own and look into a thousand mirrors but it’s still the same reflection.

I’m in this video. Valley. I look different now from the time this was shot. My hair anyways. And currently I am not wearing the same clothes either. Forward Fast Productions made this possible. Director is Karrie Wimberly and producer is David McClymonds and director of photography Michael Koshkin. It was a hot few days but everyone still worked hard and I appreciate all the work. The DP’s came all the way in from New York. Not just for me but another project as well. Hammering out another new one. It’s all in it’s infancy though. The reason I am mentioning this again is this video is about ready now. Now UsvsThem runs with it.

Forward Fast Productions
Forward Fast Productions again

Funny, story. I went to a coffee shop the other day and this guy who was trying to hide from me put his hands to his face as I walked by to hide himself. He never looked better with his hands blocking his face.
Anyways , I pretended to not acknowledge that I had seen him so he wouldn’t be so scared. So tired of squirrely, swarm y people with so little constitution. Weeding them out now. I suppose I can be scary looking especially soon after I arise from bed. Especially if I’ve been up all night…

How does one see right through you yet see exactly who you are at the same time? Well, that’s up to you and your own actions isn’t it? People do not need to physically see you to understand who you are. Hmm, not sure where I am going with that but it seems very fitting.

There have been so many positive foreshadowing s lately that there is just a wonderful, positive overcast in my life right now. Sometimes even the weather looks good whether you agree with it or not. The other night I went to go see a band (Devotchka) that people I know were playing in. They are part of the section quartet and I am excited to be working with them very soon as they are arranging strings for me on a new song now. I am very excited to hear the outcome. Andrew is very good friends with them and has worked with them closely in the past. His judgment has never steered me wrong yet.
I had a very good conversation with Andrew again last night and he , once again put me back on the right course mentally.
Section Quartet

The person who knew me best was the one without sight.

The person who knew me best once was a person without sight. They did however have the best insight one could ever have.

What I said to someone leaving once. You’ve got a pretty fucking big sail there on your boat but where’s your wind?

So far I’ve gotten off to a great start on what today seems like will be a great day. This , for me is contrary to other days usually. Coffee time. Those who know me will know where I’ll be. I need to organize my evening as there is so much to do. A Christmas party in Los Feliz and a show somewhere else someone is taking me to as a surprise… It’s nice to be treated well.

I was talking to my friend Dave Schless yesterday and I was reminded of people with great insight. Dave is younger than I but is great at knowing almost exactly who people are. I mean he is dating a great friend of mine Dia so of course he knows what he is doing! Dave did a piece on my show in Eagle Rock at the festival they have there. It was published on The Ruckus. Here is the link below.

http://www.whatstheruckus.com/2012/11/in-pictures-wrightwood/

One last thing I forgot about. The song Valley has the sound in it of an axe picking away at rock. That file or track was the only one thing left from my original demo of Valley and I needed a sound like that. I remember standing there thinking then I decided that a sound I accidentally made earlier was perfect. I fired up garage band and got a coffee saucer and a butter knife and tracked away. Later I asked Andrew (my producer)if I could replicate it but he told me he could just take that raw file track straight from Garage band and Import it into Pro Tools. Don’t get me wrong, I never mix butter with coffee.
There , so where’s that Coffee? Off I go.

I’ve got a bad Habbit. I mean Hobbit.

I’ve got a bad habbit. I mean The Hobbit was bad!
Yes, I saw it but before I go off and say too much I’ll let you all watch it yourselves.

I was going to post a lot today including about the single Valley being here and being there but in the wake of this school shooting that just happened I am very mad and do not feel comfortable and happy posting on things that seem unfitting in the wake of what happened in Connecticut. Actually it’s a mass killing.

That’s it for today.

You’re Not The Boss Of Me! Now Give Me My Paycheck!

I’ve never met a person who didn’t like me, said the narcissist.

I recently took a trip up north. It’s none of your business what I was doing. I mean … what I was doing was strictly business. It’ll come to light I promise. I had a great but short time there. Re acquainted myself with friends I hadn’t seen for some time who are doing well. It was a nice sabbatical also. I could never live there. If you have ever seen the film noir movie Dead On Arrival then you would understand me when I say it was a tiny bit like that for me bouncing from San Francisco to Los Angeles then to Riverside County to see family all within such a short period of my life. Who am I to complain. I’m not.
As a footnote I have decided that one of my new favorite actresses from that era has moved from Kim Novak to Gene Tierney. Oh well, changes…

Back to the real world today and my real job for this time being. The corporate environment is failing. My job in downtown has become a circus and It’s time to move on from there also. I stuck my neck out once again today. Let’s see if the staggered repercussion is getting it cut off. (my head)

What about music? My song is up on the standard DSM’s now. Amazon, ITunes etc…
This is Valley. Click here if you dare
Forgot to add that Diffuser.fm wrote a nice little piece on Project Wrightwood and Valley in general.

Peter Mercado ends his musical hiatus with Wrightwood, a beautiful project that pays homage to legends like Elliot Smith and contemporaries Earlimart. The soft, low hum of Mercado’s voice has a certain class to it that not all modern artists possess, and when laid over his lackadaisical — not lazy — music, it evokes pleasant calm in the listener.

Today’s free MP3 download, ‘Valley,’ is appropriately titled, considering the California resident named his persona after a tiny Golden State mountain town.

“‘Valley’ is a song inspired by a combination of landscapes that are dear to me and of people who have passed from my life,” Mercado told Diffuser.fm. “It came to me while traveling through these places, thinking of these people. But for me, the best meaning for ‘Valley’ is from the listener who takes what they want from ‘Valley’ and attach themselves in the way they like best.”

Oh, by the way. It’s raining so I like this song when it’s raining. Strange though that it’s a warm rain.
Better a warm rain then a cold shower.

The Hollywood Diet and all it’s Grapefruit Juiceness.

Nothing is weightless. Even our thoughts are measured by those who would read them.

I decided not to put my quotes in the subject line as it makes things look too busy. Speaking of busy, I have been just that lately plus on a none related note I started drinking grapefruit juice again as it has been my vice in the past.
It suppresses appetite, promotes caloric burn and , to me tastes good. Not all feel this way but in the 40’s it was all the fad of some Hollywood people that would abuse it by literally not eating anything else.

Today I am mastering the song Valley. Confusing? I really can’t explain the order of things right now. It just is this way. I started out the day early by talking (communicating) with Andrew Lynch my producer. He, himself was getting ready to go to work on a new project that I believe I am not able to mention. So why did I just mention that? He was making sure I had everything I needed to get down to the studio to get things going for the morning and meet Mark Chalecki the mastering engineer. He has a great setup for client listening while he is working. This starts the first of many mastering sessions with him I am sure. As you can see from the link below. He used to work for Capitol Mastering. He really knows what he is doing to say the least.
Marks mastering room was spacious and in it he has 2 white pieces of furniture that catch your eyes immediately almost more so than all the of vintage looking mastering gear also in there reminiscent of a control area for the Death Star from Star Wars. The pieces of furniture are mid century and you get a feeling of being in an workspace for sound that harkens back to the 60’s era control rooms for recording. Well, except for the mac computer in there also.
I took a cab there which was refreshing and at the same time nerve wrecking as my car is in the shop right now. I realized once again that in Los Angeles when without your car you really are almost as if out to sea without a thing to float on…

Mark Chalecki link
Contact:littleredbook@mac.com

Looks like the next session will be in the new year. That’s not to far away though.

Not necessarily in the order that makes you happy.

How does one become happy? You accept the sadness and the tumultuous times that life prescribes you. You really don’t have a choice anyways right?
Oh , who am I to say. I create my own “tumulation”. Lets create some new words here on top of that.
Today a song of mine has been released. Valley. It can be found , featured and written about here.

http://diffuser.fm/
and for a much more filtered search here. Second feature down the page.
http://diffuser.fm/category/songs/?nav

Throughout the day you will see me update this entry as I get more info on whats going on with ProjectWrightwood. I should get my day started.
You know that reminds me. What’s with coffee shops nowadays?

This whole idea was strictly a Fantasy (I’ve got something to say, I’m just afraid that if I open my mouth you might hear it)

E7 pickup
Am , Well, i’d rather not be up a tree, out to sea or written into books that were strictly for fantasy.
I’d rather be with you…I’d rather be with you u…G major barre
E

Something super simple to get my day stared. Although it started hours ago meeting with people for coffee.
What am I missing? Hmm,wonder if I should say “I’d rather be”? Ah, who cares, makes no difference.

Moving on though. I thought to post this bio of ProjectWrightwood , as I have called the project in general in the past. It was written by my good friend Joe Ragusa who is a contributor to Under The Radar magazine. I trust Joe’s opinion of me as I know he is honest and if he didn’t like it he would really say so.

”There’s something particularly important to me there,” says Peter Mercado cryptically about the small town Wrightwood in the mountains of San Bernardino County in Southern California. He’s chosen that locale’s name as the title to his latest solo effort, a collection of songs that embody the soul of an artist who is re-acclimating himself to the world of music after a prolonged absence. But despite the small town moniker, Wrightwood’s songs are in no way provincial in their appeal. They capture a universal yearning that threads through the best of modern-day singer-songwriters and reaches back to the earliest traveling bards whose songs mesmerized audiences in innumerable locales. Wrightwood reflects, with an uncanny prescience, the hopes and sorrows of the listener who has experienced the volatilities of love and life – a talent that’s essential in creating (so-called) timeless music. But lest that sensibility may sound a bit too heady, the songs’ sentiments are discreetly wrapped in melodies of unearthly beauty that at once disarm and invite you into their world.

Peter Mercado spent the formative years of his life in the farmlands of the Coachella Valley, witnessing Cesar Chavez-led labor rallies and coping with the loneliness of a child growing up in a working class family where the adults spent long hours away on the job. It was that loneliness that prompted Peter to pen his first song, “Latchkey Kid”, while still in high school. After graduation and a stint in the Navy, where he honed his guitar playing skills, Peter drifted through numerous bands based in the Inland Empire and San Bernardino County. It was only in the 2000s that he began making headway with his music. Foremost was with the band Awestruck Dumbfounded, which enjoyed a place on Shmat Records’ roster, a label long beloved by indie musicians throughout Southern California. During this time, Peter also began a friendship and working relationship with Andrew Lynch, a singer-songwriter and audio engineer who would play a pivotal role is bringing Wrightwood’s songs to life. But then in 2007, Peter suddenly walked away from writing and performing music and chose to concentrate his efforts on domestic concerns. His sabbatical wouldn’t last long. By 2009, Peter turned back to music to cope with the emotional fallout of his attempt at marriage. The resulting rough demos, the product of countless late nights recording in the quiet of his apartment, would become the backbone of Wrightwood’s repertoire.

With the encouragement of friends and family, Peter brought his demos into the studio with Andrew Lynch, who helped focus and refine their raw energy into re-recorded songs that exude an understated sense of power while still possessing a fragile beauty. Witness the magnetism of a song like “4am”, with its forthright lyrics and irresistible melody, carefully complemented by discreet instrumentation and unburdened by any sense of overproduction. That song, along with nine others, will be imminently released as an album. Each track emanates with a sense of unassuming and powerfully effective craftsmanship, and the remarkable chemistry between Mercado, Lynch, and the participating session musicians is palpable throughout the recordings.

There’s very little of the cerebral in Wrightwood. This isn’t math rock, prog rock or art rock. Instead, the songs spring from the heart, which give them an instant accessibility and feel a lot like entering a familiar room after being away for long time. Hopefully, Peter will keep that room open to us for many years to come.

A new video ( My drive is cast more in my mind rather than at my fingertips)

A new music video was made this week but of the same song Valley. This was a live recording of me actually singing the song instead of lip synching to the pro recording by Andrew Lynch.
This was done at the request of Us vs Them so that they could have a good video of the song to pitch to people to make them more interested in Peter Mike Mercado the performer. (that would be me I suppose)
here are a few pics below.

There were quite a few people on this one. One director, 2 DP’s , one sound guy and a production designer/stylist Tamar Michelle who also did set production for the shoot , and her assistant Colin.
http://www.tamarmichelle.com/

There will be more credits added to this entry later. For now though I need to update an entry below and continue to explain what has been going on all this year. One thing to keep in mind is that some of the sound files in other entries in this really , really long scrolling website (“blog”) have been set to private until the correct dates have arrived.

Lastly , I like creating my own quotes.