craig owens.
This is a tumblelog, kinda like a blog but with short-form, mixed-media posts with stuff I like. Scroll down a bit to start reading, or a bit more to read more about me.
this picture is rad!
D.R.U.G.S. - Craig Owens by Melissa Terry on Flickr.
Makes me miss Australia that much more.. <3.
-Craig.
GUYS LOOK I’M SO EXCITED HFISHFOUGBSO
Want to be inspired? Listen to the words on this video, honestly. Apply them, and you can do whatever it is you want to in this world.
You don’t have to be the best at what you do, you just have to want it the most.
These days I see so many jaded musicians living amongst the world of rockers and it truly bums me out. It’s not that I had never seen these people before, as I grew up in the music scene of Flint, MI - where “jaded” is considered borderline positive. These musicians are jaded for a number of reasons, but let’s not focus on the negative. Let’s focus on why I personally vow to never become one of them, and why I believe you shouldn’t either. Why I consider myself to be living a dream life, and consider myself lucky enough to be living it each and every day…
My junior I year had a friend named Chris who was an upper class-man. We would ride around the back roads of Davison, Michigan in his maroon beater rocking The Atari’s “San Dimas High School” (among many others) literally SCREAMING along to every word in the car. 8 years later, this happens… http://bit.ly/bE4kTz — I get invited to sing that very song w/ The Ataris at Warped tour ‘09.
After driving around and listening to the music that made us who we were at the time, individuals among a crowd of kids begging to fit in.. we would hang at his place and watch Kevin Smith movies. The entire collection - from Clerks to Mallrats & so on. Then, 10 years later, this happens… http://k11themovie.com — I get to be in a movie with none other than Jay himself, Jason Mewes - who by the way is a super kind individual.
The point of this entire blog is not to brag, but to inspire. I see far too many jaded individuals, who I believe are much too young to be feeling this way. It’s not the new “cool”. So please don’t think that being an asshole, or judging anyone else’s taste in music, or the music that they create will get you anywhere in this world. You just look like that creepy boy or girl at the show in the corner with their arms crossed, pouting by yourself, whether you’re surrounded by others or not.
I’m just trying to share with you that I am living proof that a random, small town kid from Davison, Michigan with half the talent necessary to “make it” can make his dreams come true.. simply by working hard, persevering, and most of all - not taking a single moment of it for granted. You don’t have to be the best at what you do, you just have to want it the most.
To quote a good friend of mine…
” The world is yours, what you waitin’ for, just grab it. And always be yourself homey, ‘cause ain’t nobody better at it. “
-Craig.
Monday’s w/ Craigery x 2.
While on tour, sometimes things can get pretty hectic, and overwhelming. I decided to fly home for less than 24 hours to clear my head a bit / get a taste of normalcy then head back out to Houston to meet up with the tour. Well, unfortunately this landed on my Monday w/ Craigery day. So, today, I will be making up for it by suggesting two bands / songs that chaged my life at one point, and hopefully will do the same for you and yours.
Now I know that all of you older hardcore hipsters out there will call this one out fairly quickly. As this band were fairly popular in the underground hardcore scene a while back - who then branched off to create beautiful new projects that are worshipped by hipsters everywhere.
Anyways, I believe that I was in 10th or 11th grade, and a good friend of mine by the name of Tanner and I went to go see a band called “Murder City Devils” at St Andrews Hall in Detroit, whom I was in love with at the time. However, the entire drive the one band that he couldn’t stop ranting about was a band called “Botch”. They were opening the show that night. After seeing Botch perform, I was more than convinced, and so began my downward mudslide into the dirty, technical hardcore world of metal meets hardcore. This is a band that today has since broken up, but you know your favorite “heavy” (sub-genres are stupid and limitless) band of today? Well this is the band that inspired THIER favorite bands which slowly snowballed into today’s.. well, for a lack of a better word and without coming across too crass or snobby “unoriginal” sound of hardcore / metal.
I highly suggest that you first listen to the track “Saint Matthew Returns To The Womb” from the album “We Are The Romans”. Follow that with a track called “Framce” from thier “An Anthology Of Dead Ends” EP which showcases thier more mature / tighter sounding maturity, and has riffs that will give you at least a “semi”. Links to both songs are below, including links to purchase the records.
Botch.
Listen to: “Saint Matthew Returns To The Womb” - Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI0_jmR8HeY
Listen to: “Framce” - http://www.last.fm/music/Botch/_/Framce
Purchase either Botch album over at - http://www.last.fm/music/Botch
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While we’re at it, I am going to suggest the band I originally went to that concert for “The Murder City Devils”. Let me put it this way.. if it wasn’t for this band - I couldn’t see Chiodos mastering the dark synth the that way we decided to, and I would be half the frontman I am today if it weren’t for Spencer’s (singer) stage antics. I am not sure there was a point during the show where he didn’t have the entire grill of the microphone INSIDE of his mouth, while still performing.. pure punk rock chaos, with some sort of dark charm to it. I suggest “Press Gang” for you keyboard nuts out there, but be prepared - once you start, you’re never coming back. Below is a link to the track, and a link to purchase the record…
Murder City Devils.
Listen to: “Press Gang” - http://www.last.fm/music/The+Murder+City+Devils/_/Press+Gang
Purchase the record at the bottom of the page on link posted above.
Now quick, go listen - then brag to all of your friends how you found a new band that they will get ‘off’ on!
Holler from Arizona, where old people reign, and if you were on just the right amount of acid.. you could trick yourself into thinking that you were literally on the planet Mars.
From Mars,
-Craig.
