SONGS FROM THE MEKONG - The First Teaser

a BORED OF DIRECTIVES production (www.boredofdirectives.com)

Beginning on June 4th, 2011, five musicians will venture to the jungles of Cambodia to embark on an ambitious creative feat. Armed with an arsenal of instruments and talent, Malaysian troubadour Azmyl Yunor, Malaysian hip hop songstress Nadhira, Canadian MC Vandal, Canadian comedian and songwriter Steve Northcott and American bass player Gary Blanton will commit to trying to write and record five songs in five days.

What makes this already challenging task even more daunting is the distracting scenery forever pulling us away from our creative venture: Gorgeous lakes, rivers, waterfalls, unique villages.

Follow our adventure as we update our site daily with video blogs and the written word.

Here is the first in a series of trailers using songs from each artist's library.

Azmyl Yunor.  One of Five Musicians involved with the Doc.

Song: Coming Home by Azmyl Yunor

Catch Us Live Somewhere on This Planet
Peace

Steve


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www.boredofdirectives.com/OBPath.html

Twitter: twitter.com/#!/OnTheBeatNPath
Blogspot: onthebeatandpath.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OnTheBeatAndPath
CBC Radio 3 (Original Canadian Indie Music): radio3.cbc.ca/#/bands/On-The-Beat-and-Path

OTHER BORED OF DIRECTIVES PROJECTS:

TITS (Totally Incorrect Travel Show): www.boredofdirectives.com/TITS.html
Window To The World: www.boredofdirectives.com/windows_to_the_world.html
Stand Up Comedy: www.boredofdirectives.com/northcott_comedy.html

steve@boredofdirectives.com
gary@boredofdirectives.com

Artist Sites:

Azmyl Yunor: www.facebook.com/azmylyunor, www.myspace.com/azmylyunor
Nadhira: www.facebook.com/nadhiramusic, @nadhiranishaa, www.nadhira.biz
Vandal: vandigital.blogspot.com/, themovemint.wordpress.com, www.myspace.com/vandigital

Countdown to the Jungle and Vanessa's "Pregnant"...Again.

Bored of Directives
Creative Studio Blog
Day 137, May 30th, 2011

With May coming to a close, we felt it was imperative to write about what we are doing, where we are going and why we haven’t written in a while.  We don’t want everyone to think we are doing nothing around here.

Currently we are in the process of putting together a 23-minute documentary for the BBC.  Which in itself is an exciting project even if 23 minutes doesn’t seem like a long time.  But when you are putting together the video, 23 minutes feels like forever.  We won’t know if BBC accepts our doc, we won’t know when it will be aired (or if), but rest assured, we will let everyone know when it goes down.

Because of this project and the potential television package we are working on, there hasn’t been a lot of new material released, for this we apologize.  Rest assured, there is new footage coming.  In the meantime, Gary has added a few new songs to the official site for you to enjoy.

1) Live Sitar/Guitar jam from Episode 1 (India)

This track is a 17-minute jam with Erik and I and a few Indian fellows (Vishu and Chandu) throwing down on the beach in Goa.  It’s worth a listen.  Or two.  It plays when you arrive on the ON THE BEAT AND PATH PAGE.  Because it is 17 minutes, give it a moment to load.

2) Fairwhether Friend or Fare Whether Friend or Fair Weather Friend

I think this track gets spelled differently every time we write it.  It’s a demo of us in the studio.  There are more layers to come on this song but you can enjoy it in it’s early stages.  It’s a reflection of the wonderful people you meet while traveling.  Become a close friend in two days and potentially will never see again but will always remain close.

This is a pretty wild week as we are prepping for a summer of action.  Firstly, if you have no plans this week and are around, I am performing stand up this Thursday for TIME OUT COMEDY THURSDAY in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  Official online invite is here:

www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=104869016270510

The following night, Friday June 3rd, myself and the regular members of the ON THE BEAT AND PATH band will be playing some live music at Cavell’s in Sri Hartamas alongside local expat rockers Lif Bomba.  We’ll play some ON THE BEAT AND PATH originals, former BENCHMARX songs and we’ll toss in some spicy covers.  I think things get underway around 9:00.

5 Musicians, 5 days, 5 songs     www.boredofdirectives.com

Then at 4:00 am on Saturday morning, Gary and I are off to the airport to depart to Cambodia.  Along with three additional musicians: Azmyl Yunor, Vandal & Nadhira we will attempt to write as many songs as we can and record them in the jungles of Cambodia for five days.  We’ll write about our adventures and post them on our official site for all to see throughout the week.

www.boredofdirectives.com/OBPath.html

Not much time to do anything else around here but we are including to the list trying to sell a book and a sit-com.  If there are any lit agents out there, we’d love to show you a little of what we have in mind.

Randall has asked to go to Norway for the summer as he recently discovered there is an inheritance waiting for him.  Apparently it is Nordic tradition to go through a series of Brewster’s Millions-type challenges before he can collect his riches.  I imagine the next time we see Randall, he might be wearing an even shinier shirt.

Vanessa has called in sick.  3rd pregnancy scare of 2011.  That’s ridiculous.

We’ll continue the Rolling Stone Smackdown in the next blog.

Please, Catch Us Live Somewhere on this Planet.

Peace,
Steve

www.boredofdirectives.com/OBPath.html

Twitter: twitter.com/#!/OnTheBeatNPath
Blogspot: onthebeatandpath.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OnTheBeatAndPath
CBC Radio 3 (Original Canadian Indie Music): radio3.cbc.ca/#/bands/On-The-Beat-and-Path

OTHER BORED OF DIRECTIVES PROJECTS:

TITS (Totally Incorrect Travel Show): www.boredofdirectives.com/TITS.html
Window To The World: www.boredofdirectives.com/windows_to_the_world.html
Stand Up Comedy: www.boredofdirectives.com/northcott_comedy.html

steve@boredofdirectives.com
gary@boredofdirectives.com

Searching for Music in a Laos Hmong Village

Searching for music in Laos wasn't easy.  Not as developed as Bali or Saigon, access to Laos' music scene is still rather challenging.  On our last day we met some friends who introduced us to their village elders who happened to be musicians.  They performed for us, with us and explained to us what the music means.

Catch Us Live Somewhere On This Planet

Peace

www.boredofdirectives.com/OBPath_index.html

Twitter: twitter.com/#!/OnTheBeatNPath

Blogspot: onthebeatandpath.blogspot.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/OnTheBeatAndPath

CBC Radio 3 (Original Canadian Indie Music): radio3.cbc.ca/#/bands/On-The-Beat-and-Path

I Know It All Seems Like NBA Playoffs and Photoshoots but... Day 134, May 4th, 2011

I know everyone is reeling from yesterday’s shocking announcement.  I know there will be some mixed reactions.  I know a lot of people have been living their lives, trying to get on with their daily routines, wondering when this was going to happen. Expectations have been set extraordinarily high.  Prayers have been answered.  Thank you for your support as we work on our projects, producing what is necessary to get everything “TV ready”.  Believe me, it’s been hard on us.  Oh yeah, Bin Laden also died.

I took part in a fun little interview with Star Newspaper today (pardon me for using the word “little” in this situation.  I understand it isn’t appropriate usage.  I only use it as I was faced with similar adjective-ity today and wasn’t sure exactly how to respond).

I am trying to get comfortable giving interviews.  I know Tom Cruise loves giving interviews.  He gives interviews as though he might be up for an Oscar for the part.  I never know how I am supposed to behave.  

There are some interviews that are incredible conversations fueled by the desire to learn more, to evolve thought forcing me to think about what I am doing and where I want to go.  Then there are interviews that feel like a first date and I find myself asking questions merely to break the muted silence of a pencil scribbling.  There are some that feel like a job interview, as the person conducting the interview has no idea who I am.  This was the sort of interview that ended with me in a water fountain.  These are my favourite interviews.  Job or otherwise.  This interview will be in Star Newspaper…um…sometime after today.

It is business as unusual in the Bored of Directives office.  As announced yesterday we are pausing the remaining releases of the Season Two episodes (Myanmar/Thailand, Borneo, Malaysia) as we work towards post production for possible TV viewing.  Stay tuned.

Gary and I are also in full pre-production mode for a documentary we are filming in Cambodia where we bring 5 musicians in to the jungles of Cambodia to write and record 5 pieces of original music.  Production will begin in early June and we look forward to spending time and creating with Azmyl, Vandal and Nadhira.

For those who believe that it is all fun and games in the BoD Office, well, you are sort of right.  For the next 72 hours that is.  Our offices will be closed from May 5th to May 8th as we fly to Bali, Indonesia to record some music, perform some music and to throw Frisbees at our friends.  More tomorrow as we release a special Killer B themed Studio Blog.

As always, a winner must be chosen in our RollingStone Throwdown.

STEEL CAGE MATCH (continued):

ROLLING STONE TOP 500 SONGS OF ALL TIME SMACKDOWN

Today’s Challenge: J and K!

Commentary:

First, the eliminations:

I am only adding the "K" bands to this discussion because there are only three songs, and one band in the K’s.  J’s are already an extremely strong letter group.  I wouldn't feel right eliminating all of K, so I will have to choose one song for continued contention, Lola, and cut the other two Kinks songs.

The Contenders:

J’s are full of people that I would love to have over for dinner at my house: Johnny Cash, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix.  Don’t tell me you wouldn’t lose your mind if the Godfather of Soul, James Brown sat at your dinner table and complemented your mashed potatoes.  Then Janis Joplin stands up and starts singing into a turkey drumstick as Rick James starts eying the family pet.  It would be the most extraordinary dinner party ever conceived.  I would have Donald Trump host it just to put him in a situation so far out of his element that by the end of the night he would be in the fetal position, tucked away in the corner of the room sucking his thumbs.  Amazing.  The whole time this is all going down, Buckley is sitting in a rocking chair singing, Hallelujah. Who wouldn’t want that evening?

The Winner:

I won’t pick Imagine, just because.  Fire and Rain deserves to be in the conversation, just because.  Jackson 5 always puts me in a good mood and I am in the middle of a pretty intricate lobbying session to name my first child, Tito.  However, because today’s blog is already way too long, I am just going to choose Great Balls of Fire for two reasons:

1)    To incite any and all discussion regarding my ignorance

2)    Jerry Lewis would make an amazing grandfather and oddly, that is very important when choosing the greatest song of all time.

Today’s Competition:

Jackie Wilson

(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher

Jackie Wilson

Lonely Teardrops

Jackson 5

I Want You Back

Jackson Browne

Running on Empty

James Brown

Papa's Got A Brand New Bag, Pt.1

James Brown

I Feel Good

James Brown

It`s A Man's Man's World

James Brown

Please, Please, Please

James Brown

Say It Loud -- I'm Black and I'm Proud

James Brown

Sex Machine

James Rick

Super Freak

James Taylor

Fire And Rain

Janis Joplin

Me And Bobby Mcgee

Janis Joplin

Piece Of My Heart

Jeff Buckley

Hallelujah

Jefferson Airplane

Somebody To Love

Jefferson Airplane

White Rabbit

Jerry Butler

For Your Precious Love

Jerry Lee Lewis

Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On

Jerry Lee Lewis

Great Balls Of Fire

Jimi Hendrix

Purple Haze

Jimi Hendrix

All Along The Watchtower

Jimi Hendrix

Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

Jimi Hendrix

Foxey Lady

Jimi Hendrix

Hey Joe

Jimi Hendrix

Little Wing

Jimmy Cliff

Many Rivers to Cross

Jimmy Cliff

The Harder They Come

Joan Jett

I Love Rock N' Roll

John Lennon

Imagine

John Mellencamp

Pink Houses

Johnny Cash

I Walk The Line

Johnny Cash

Ring Of Fire

Johnny Cash

Folsom Prison Blues

Joni Mitchell

Both Sides, Now

Joni Mitchell

Help Me

Joni Mitchell

Free Man in Paris

Joy Division

Love Will Tear Us Apart

Kinks

Waterloo Sunset

Kinks

You Really Got Me

Kinks

Lola

Winner of the A’s: AC DC’s HIGHWAY TO HELL.

Winner of the B’s: Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues

Winner of the C’s: The Clash’s London Calling

Winner of the D’s: Dolly Parton’s Jolene

Winner of the E’s: Elton John’s Rocket Man

Winner of the F&G’s: Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive

Winner of the H&I’s: Howlin’ Wolf’s Spoonful

Winner of the Jays and Kays: Jerry Lewis’ Great Ball of Fire

Lake Week still makes met moist and I have seen it 8 times?  Are you looking to be left damp?  Do you find our references to refreshment annoying?  Either way, enjoy the soothing tones of our conversation lakeside:

boredofdirectives.com/windows_to_the_world.html

Please, Catch Us Live Somewhere on this Planet.

Peace,

Steve

www.boredofdirectives.com/OBPath_index.html

Twitter: twitter.com/#!/OnTheBeatNPath

Blogspot: onthebeatandpath.blogspot.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/OnTheBeatAndPath

CBC Radio 3 (Original Canadian Indie Music): radio3.cbc.ca/#/bands/On-The-Beat-and-Path

steve@boredofdirectives.com

gary@boredofdirectives.com