"Destiny is a feeling you have that you know something about yourself nobody else does. The picture you have in your own mind of what you're about will come true. It's a kind of a thing you kind of have to keep to your own self, because it's a fragile feeling, and you put it out there, then someone will kill it. It's best to keep that all inside."
- Bob Dylan
Influences
Acid Mothers Temple, Al Green, Alexander 'Skip' Spence, Alice Coltrane, Almendra/Spinetta, Animal Collective, Annie, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Arthur Russell, Astral Social Club, The Band, Bartok, Bach, Badly Drawn Boy, Beach Boys, Beach House, The Beatles, Beck, Belle and Sebastian, Ben Folds Five, Berlioz, Bill Fay, Bill Evans, Billie Holiday, Blind Willie Johnson, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Brian Eno, Bright Eyes, Buffalo Springfield, Buffy Saint-Marie, Bulent Ortacgil, The Byrds, Caetano Veloso, Can, Caribou, Charlemagne Palestine, Charlie Parker, Coctea Twins, Coldplay, Comus, Congos, Congregacion, Copland, CSNY, Curtis Mayfield, Dave Van Ronk, Deerhunter, Devendra Banhart, Diana Ross, Donovan, Dr. John, Duncan Browne, El Perro Del Mar, Elizabeth Cotten, Elliott Smith, Elmore James, Eric Satie, Erik Amlee, Family Fodder, Faust, Fennesz, Flaming Lips, Fleet Foxes, Fripp and Eno, Gary Higgins, Gene Clark, George Harrison, Glen Cambell, Glenn Gould, Grateful Dead, Grazia De Michele, Harold Budd, Harpers Bizarre, Harry Nilsson, Haruomi Hosono, Herbert, High Llamas, Hobart Smith, Howlin' Wolf, Iasos, Idris Ackamoor, Iron and Wine, Isaac Hayes, J Dilla, James Brown, Jeff Buckley, Jens Lekman, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Cliff, Joana Newsom, John Coltrane, John Fahey, John Jacob Niles, John Martyn, Johnny Cash, Jon Hassell, Joy Division, Judee Sill, Junior Boys, Keith Hudson, Kevin Ayers, Kinks, Labradford, Lassie Foundation, Leadbelly, Lee Perry, Lo Borges, Loren MazzaCane Connors, Love, Lubomyr Melnyk, Mahler, Marvin Gaye, Mew, Mighty Diamonds, Miles Davis, Milton Nascimento, My Bloody Valentine, Neil Young, Nick Drake, No Age, Oasis, Os Mutantes, Palestrina, Pavement, Pearls Before Swine, Pernice Brothers, Pete Seeger, Peter Tosh, Philip Jeck, Pink Floyd, Popol Vuh, Prayer Chain, Prince, Rachel's, Rachmaninov, Radiohead, Ravel, Ravi Shankar, Richard Youngs, Rob Crow, Robert Hargh, Robert Johnson, Roberta Flack, Rolling Stones, Rufus Wainwright, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Sam Cooke, Sandy Bull, Schoenberg, Scott Walker, Serge Gainsbourg, Sigur Ros, Silver Apples, Slowdive, Sly and the Family Stone, Smashing Pumpkins, The Smiths, Snooks Eaglin, Stan Kenton, Starflyer 59, Stars of the Lid, Steve Reich, Stone Temple Pilots, Stravinsky, Sufjan Stevens, Sun Ra, Susumu Yokota, Syd Barrett, Taj Mahal Travellers, Takehisa Kosugi, Talk Talk, Tangerine Dream, Teenage Fanclub, Terry Riley, Thelonious Monk, Thom Yorke, Tim Buckley, Tim Hecker, Tomasz Stanko, Tortoise, Townes Van Zandt, TV on the Radio, Tyrannosaurus Rex, U2, Ulan Bator, Van Dyke Parks, Van Morrison, Velvet Underground, The Verve, Vetiver, Vibracathedral Orchestra, Wagner, Weezer, Woodie Guthrie, Yes, Youssou N'Dour, Yusef Lateef
Sounds Like
Elliott Smith, Neil Young, Nick Drake, Fleet Foxes, Bob Dylan, Tim Buckley, Beach Boys, Beatles
"What I’ve heard reflects real
talent and a discerning heart.
Much fun to boot."
- Van Dyke Parks
The new album will be called "Besides" or "Songs for Chris Hill." It was performed live with a few overdubs here and there. No fancy editing, just the songs and the words. I feel especially happy with the lyrics. I've played various instruments since I was little, and have never really tried writing lyrics. These just sort of came out. I spent most of the summer composing and recording this elaborate song cycle type thing in collaboration with a friend (still a work in progress at this point), so I didn't want to overdo this. In fact, these were just extra songs that had been bouncing around for a while. I just wanted to do something with them finally.
These 12 songs were put together and recorded from late September through the end of October. I'm in the process of figuring out how I want to distribute it; whether to go label shopping or just release it independently (although that might be a little bit of a strain because I'm a grad student at the moment). If you know someone who might be interested in hearing it, please feel free to pass it along to them. A more detailed explanation of the songs, the lyrics, and how they were written is included in the blog entry from October 30, called "lyrics, titles, etc."
I'm posting these 10 songs, and leaving 2 off (Let the Girl Decide and For Demetrius Grey; I can't give it all away). So if you're interested in hearing the rest of the songs, or getting them in better quality, send me an email (ryanwinger@gmail.com) and I can send mp3's to you. At this point, I'm just looking to share the music, not to make a fortune. I'll probably start printing up CDS to sell in December. Enjoy!
Best Wishes,
Ryan
Tracklist:
1) Focus Feel
2) Emma Jean
3) Chimes of Commerce
4) It Could Wear You Down/Children Can Walk In Vain
5) Let the Girl Decide
6) For Demetrius Grey
7) I Keep Falling Down
8) Bootlegged
9) Having Fun
10) City Song/After the Dance
11) I Can't Change Your Life
12) For Maria†
Thank you for adding me. I'm so glad to be your friend. I love your music. The sounds is simple but dramatic, gentle and heartwarming. You have really good taste in music. Keep up your great work. Greetings from Japan. Cheers! Sun
Hi Ryan! I hope all is well with you and that you're enjoying life. Have a great day! Cathy :) "Keyboard Cathy" www.myspace.com/keyboardcathy www.keyboardcathy.com
hey man, i was just wondering if you are still interested in doing a show in DC. im setting up tour right now and i will be in the area on June 15th. let me know
Did I ever respond to your comment from Nov? I'm a bit slow... and quite useless, really. How are you? I'd like a CD please if you are selling them yet.
hey Ryan:) u know that i really loves your sound... big respect and love and today i just want to say onemore... happy new year8!!! greets from tokyo! electronoise group- shota
how is everything going? how was the show that you had a while ago? what have you been up to? oh i hear your comeing down for chirstmas. i guess i will see you there. and if i can i would love a cd
hey ryan...cool stuff...i'll just brag a little and say i was very very lucky enough to see elliott smith on his only australian tour...friend of mine told me to come and see him...friends do good work sometimes...have a listen to ryan sterling...in my top friends list...think you'll dig it...til then
