The End and Explanation of our Journey

 These last few months have been a time of serious incubation.  We have been working on our album, and have come across many... shall we say pleasantly difficult surprises along the road.  Ramona The Band suffers from having too many songs to choose from.  Every time we get around to saying, 'we should just pick the songs, finish them, and release the album' we start picking the songs.  Then we start finding several songs in "the vault" that we had completely forgotten about.  We wrote, and recorded them on the spot, and then saved a copy somewhere strange, and subsequently we would never have listened to them since recording them.  So then we get all excited about this great new material, and so of course it should be on the album.  But often our songs start out as a scratch track with a very skeletal instrumental track of sometimes nothing more than a drum beat, and perhaps a base line and a few piano notes here and there.  That is what I will write words to, and then melodies, harmonies, etc. and record on.  So when we find these hidden gems, it is truly only a potential diamond in the rough; and A LOT of work then has to go into flushing out the basics of what we have into a nice, plump, full-fledged song.  Well, that process alone on a song or two can suck us in for a months at a time.  And also, during that time, we may just write and record a few more gems that will creep up to the surface in another six months.  So it's quite the lovely, but crazy-creative cycle that we exist in. 
      

     Thus, I hope that you can understand why it has taken us a good while to get this album "finished".  But because of all of the wonderful time that we have had, every one of the 14 tracks that we have chosen are the true cream of the crop.  In a really wonderful way, they each remind me of some monumental moment in our 2 and a half years as a band, and also, in my rather wild journey through life.  We have starved for these tracks, we have lost blood for these tracks, lost sleep, money, freedom, tears...  But we have also gained so much by committing ourselves fearlessly in the pursuit of creative truth to humanity. 
    

      Therefore, and am very excited to see how my creative truth resonates with those that it comes in contact with.  Because for me, in all of the art forms that I have studied, the ideal goal is to translate the truth of a character, feeling, or idea, to everyone that comes in contact with it.   I can't claim to know yet how my shot at musical truth will go over yet.  But I look forward to finding out, regardless of the outcome.  So thanks to all of you that have listened, seen, and even shared with us.  Because, at risk of sounding cliche, without everyone of you guys that are reading this right now, and even a good number that aren't; absolutely none of this would be possible.
 
My warmest, and happiest regards,
 
-Dion Vox

ALBUM

     Okay, okay, I know that I went on a righteous rant about how I was going to be posting more regularly.  And clearly I've have an idealistic streak in me that won't quiet down.  But the truth of the matter is that I don't really have a computer of my own with internet access at the moment... So  the whole 'regular post' thing has turned out to be more difficult than I thought.
     But as a quick update - we are in the final stages of finishing our first full-length album!!!!!!  This Thursday will be the final day of mixing, and then this puppy will be mastered!!!!  No exact date for the release yet... but stay tuned as we have several surprises coming your way.  I'm talkin' songs you've never heard, sounds you've never heard, voices... and an even bigger mind-blower of an announcement comin' your way.  We have so many amazing artists collaborating with us on this project, and as soon as the album is wrapped up, I will be able to give you a proper list, so that you can check out their other awesome work.  But to the as-of-yet-unnamed:  THANK YOU!
     All in all, June has been a wild month.  I have had family celebrations, gatherings, deaths, and an album to finish throughout all of it.  Mostly though, it has made me to feel grateful for everyone that I know, and everything that I have, as well as everything that I hope to do.  I swear, if you guys could get in my mind, and know everything that I hope to be able to give you... Well then I suppose it wouldn't be much of a surprise, but you would know of the extent of my love that I have for the art of creation, in all of the forms that it takes.

Much love to all,
-Dion Vox

keepin' on

     Well, the road to hell may be paved with good intentions... but I would like to think that so is the road to heaven.  The Blog and I... an unlikely pair, and yet meant for each other.  I actually think that once I get into the habit of blogging, there will be no stopping me.  But habits take some acquiring, and that has been my modus  operandi  as of late:  trying to acquire new habits.
     I have lived my whole life pushing myself to my limits.  Lovely growth has occurred in such an environment, but also some monumental crashes and failures.  It all goes hand in hand I suppose.  However, for the first time in my tender young life, I can feel myself aging.  Rather, I'm not sure that I could do some of the things that I used to.  Where the hell did I get that energy?  I still pride myself in my current work ethic... until I look at my old work ethics that I have had in the past.  There was A LOT more energy wasted, or misplaced, or exhausted.  But it was still there.  Now I would like to think that I am a little more discerning with my energy, but it is starting to appear more finite to me (or perhaps time really is just speeding up, as I also suspect!).
     So in recognition this limitation that I have discovered, I am trying to get my behind back in gear.  New habits, new health, and then hopefully - new energy.  In short:  forgive my while I stumble and bumble about a bit as I try to get this train rolling at top speed.  I have never done it on purpose before.  And things are always harder when they are meant to be.

-Dion Vox

WOW

Well, life has changed, and my ability to have unfettered computer and/or internet access was on the fritz for a good... almost year??? So some 'splainin' is due:

Scobra and I moved from LA up to Seattle in order to finish our LP and have the space and time to build up the live show to new levels of WOW. To move to a new city is never particularly easy, but thus far, it has been an enlivening and enriching move. I am also happy to report that we now have two new members of RTB for our live shows. Erin Boyt is dancing, or should I say, moving so beautifully and creatively that she is breathing art unto herself. And then we have Andrew McInnis, who is our drummer, and general savant of all things creative and cool. So the new blood is of good stock, and is enriching the whole band and vision.

For myself, this has been a pretty crazy transition mostly due to the fact that I myself grew up in Seattle. This is where much of my family is, as well as much of my history. There are the obvious pros and cons that I have discovered about returning to such things. But all in all, I actually believe that it is strengthening me, forging me in some pretty hot coals, but i'm growing sharper by the day.

I've got to be honest, on one hand, I feel like I am gaining great clarity in what I value. But by the same token, I am also realizing that I have no idea where I am going. I know where I would like to go, but I have started to realize that living in the future or the past is a waste of the present. And so I try to be tactical and concise with my current actions, so that they may feed what I hope to be future actions. But like I said, I don't know where I'll be in 6 months, let alone a year. And when I think about how crazy and sped up the past has been, I'm not sure that I could rightly say where I'll be two weeks from now. But I'm also getting better at not worrying...

I am also working on becoming more disciplined with myself again. I am a rather cyclical creature, this I know, and this I must respect. But I think that it is time for me to become a hard-ass with myself again, and I suppose that one of the tests of this will be if I can actually maintain regular posts on this blog for once... Which I have threatened to do before... But now will be a second or third round of reckoning as far as that goes.

All in all, if I write any more, I will be rambling - so in theory you will hear more soon.

x0 - Dion

VENTING

Well, I am in a foul mood.  And since I am sitting in my room alone, and have no one to vent to, I figured that I would vent my frustrations here:

Money is the devil...  And my day job is a demon.

Let's see, I worked my day job today.  I have heard that the word JOB stands for Just Over Broke.  But in my case, I have a job, and I am still Just Under Broke.  It's a JUB.  I am a waitress (ha ha, me and every other young, aspiring female in LA without a taste for prostitution) and by the end of my shift, I had a grand total of 10 tables.  That's it.  AND of course, the electricity bill was due, and the tips from 10 tables did no cut it.  I ended up having to resort to selling a bunch of my clothes out of the back of my car in the parking lot outside after my shift.  Perhaps I shouldn't complain.  I did end up selling enough clothing to pay the bill, and have 4 dirty dollar bills left over (which are now gone, because Scobra and I had to eat).  Glorious... Bullsh*t.  Now I can't make a meeting tonight that could give RTB a lot of new opportunities because there's a $10 cover for the place we're meeting at.  Even cooler... NOT!

The day even started on a tragic note: watching my neighbor get his car towed because even though he paid the outstanding tickets on it, the city didn't have it processed in time for it to count.  OH! And did I mention that I actually SHOULD have a few dollars in my bank account, but apparently when I deposit a check, that takes a lot of "processing" time too.

RAAR!

There's more that I could complain about, like how many times a day I get sexually harassed at work... But what's the point?

I'll just keep chuggin' along, like the little engine that hopes to high heaven that she can.  And as for all of my complaints, while I feel trampled, I'm not done yet.  This little lady has developed a decent pain threshold over the few years that she has existed thus far.  I even feel a little silly now, for being such a baby about this.  Don't think that I don't know how lucky I am in so many ways.  Ah well, I guess that I just needed to vent.

Sorry to whoever read this and thought that I was going to say something more interesting.

El Fin,

-Dion

ABSTRACTION

I came to the conclusion today that I have taken on the role of explorer of the human experience and emotions.  So perhaps that is why life can seem so intense feeling at times.  Although, realistically, I'm sure that everyone feels that their life is intense (and justifiably so too) in some way.  At least that's what I think anyway...

I have had a lot to think about lately.  And part of me has gotten frustrated with myself for not being more 'time efficient' and spending too much time just thinking.  But then at the same time, a large part of who I am, and what I make from my point of view, comes from processing a lot of information and forming opinions about it.  And in a certain sense, I feel as though all that I really do in life is go in and out of fazes of acceptance.  I go from a state of accepting what has been bothering or confusing me.  As in: processing a lot of information and coming to some sort of conclusion as to how I feel about it.  And then discovering some new thing (or things) that have completely exploded my beliefs and shattered what I thought I knew.  Which is again, troubles to me.  So then I begin the process all over again towards acceptance.  

On one hand, I believe that this is a wonderful way to live.  It certainly keeps my rate of growth and expansion up.  It keeps me from getting stagnant as a person.  It means that I am constantly in a state of learning new things.  But on the other hand, from strictly a struggling-living-being-point-of-view: it can be taxing.  It's as if, like muscles, without the proper nutrients even the soul can experience growing pains.

And I would be remise if I didn't at least recognize in myself that the last bit above may very well just be my own weakness towards creature-comforts.  I've ranted previously about my feelings towards the concept of 'comfort as a value'.  And I still think that comfort tends to lead to stagnation.  And yet at the end of the day, I am still just a creature.  I can't spend my life thinking that it's all about a struggling fight against our own fabric.  And I don't.  But it's still an interesting thread to follow...

I remember my freshmen year of english. It was then that I then concluded while arguing with many of my more privileged peers, that I don't think it's wrong to want something other than what you find yourself given when you are born.  The mother of invention after all is necessity.  And while I also think that it is equally possible to live one's life being perfectly content with what you are given... Well, given that us humans were blessed with an imagination, a large part of me likes to stick it out and see what sorts of wild dreams can be accomplished.  Who says there are limits?  I haven't seen any concrete ones yet.  In short, I wonder at the absolute phenomenon of the human imagination, and the power that it lends to us.

As I mentioned before, I think that, at least at this point in my life, I am an explorer of the human experience.  But the thing is, I don't find it necessary to do so in such a literal way.  To me, the best way that I have found thus far in experiencing humanity in all walks of life has been just that: imagination.  In many respects, I think that imagination has been our creator and our salvation (words to be taken more figuratively than literally).  It is to me, what gives us our past / history, our view of the present, and our expectations and goals for the future.  But it remains a tool that isn't connected to the rigidness of time.  It isn't literal.  And I am excited in many ways because I see such a potential in us leaving the information age, and entering into the conceptual age.  And what better tool is there in such an age than the imagination?  Or, I guess that I didn't phrase that quite right.  What I meant to say, is that I think that imagination has probably always been the most powerful tool in any given "age" or situation.  But I think that on the broad-scale of things, in the past it has always been used within the confines of the literal.  I guess what I'm saying is that I am just excited for the potential, on the broader-scale scale of things, to at least become more open to the use of this tool beyond the "grid".  But then... who quite knows what I'm scribbling about, and maybe it's all just me.  Either way, even if just in myself, I look forward to the house of the literal falling away.  No more doors and windows, opening and closing.  Just the open sky, and freedom.

Signing off-

Dion Vox

Keepin' on

     AH!!, sometimes I wonder why I have such a hard time posting more often.  But then, when I really think about it, I know exactly why.  When I have a lot on my mind, I tend to be very internal about how I weigh and process it.  And to be quite frank: I have had a lot on my mind.  I'm not saying that it's a good excuse, or that I should even be making any... I'm just saying-.

     See, and now I find myself in the same spot: I have self depreciated, and now what the hell do I write?  Money? Never had enough, still don't, maybe someday though...  Opportunities? Tons of them! Too many to really even keep a running list of.  I'm a lucky duck.  Music?  We recently posted two new songs, Bend, and Phenomenon Jubilee.  They were both recorded some time ago, and then got put in the "vault".  RTB can be quite a force, and within the last year and a half or so, we have scratched out at least 140 songs.  Often times, I will record the vocals, and then we will just move on to the next song without even playing it back.  So there's a healthy bunch of songs that we have laid down, that I have never even heard yet.  That was kind of the case with Bend.  Then, Phenomenon Jubilee was a song we recorded back in the earlier days (as in the winter before last).  I always liked it, longed to hear it again, and sang what I could remember of it to myself in the car...  So it was really fun for me to be able to share it finally!

     Ah, and then I suppose, if nothing else, I can run through a few cool new updates.  As I mentioned before, we got this great 'sponsored song' deal with Microsoft Windows through our ReverbNation site.  We get to give away free downloads of our song Catalyst, and then Windows pays us 50 cents per download.  Totally cool right?  Right.  And it was also rather flattering to see who our "competition" is.  They have some great other bands that they chose along with us.  And thanks to Scobra's tech-know-how and all of his cool friends, we have been steadily making our way up the charts both with the Windows sponsored songs, and ReverbNation.  I'll be honest, we've been on the charts (towards or at the top) for a while now.  And while I couldn't tell you what any of the literal or tangible benefits are of this, or even what it really means, it still strikes me as very cool to know that normal people who just work too hard, can actually accomplish things like that.  

     Well, I think I'm chatted out.  I will return and write something more artistic or poignant soon.  I'm very distracted right now because what with the fourth of July coming up, I keep hearing fireworks going off.  Only I live in the middle of Hollywood, so I am not used to the fireworks sound, and I keep thinking that there are raging gun battles going on down the block... so yeah, distracted.

     COOL! 

check out our ReverbNation site, there's a green banner with a sad-girl in the corner, and a bright yellow button to the right that you can click on to get Catalyst for free :)

http://www.reverbnation.com/ramonatheband

Over and Out

-Dion