Some say I look like Andrew Garcia …. (yeah….many annoying conversations that started with ‘I didn’t know you were on American Idol!)

Some say I look like Rome from  Sublime……. Those people get a good swift punch..

My Aunt says that I have a twin where they live (which is also where I was born…so it could possibly BE my twin)

Today…….my drummer sent me this picture with the message, “I didn’t know you were in the airport with me!”

What the hell?!?!? People need to stop looking like me..
Or…. I need a new look…….
Forget “Lesbians that look like Justin Bieber”…
How about “Jordin Silver Lookalikes!”

I’ve never had really bad luck with Craigslist!! And I’m super glad to say there were no problems with this guitar either!!

My drummer and I went down to Tacoma…Totally had the wrong place that we were supposed to meet this KID (couldn’t have been more than 19 years old!) got caught in the rain with my roof down…We were accosted by scary homeless people that seemed to be following us..

But it was ALL worth it…Because this guitar is amazing!! It plays really well, has GREAT sound…plus it’s from the 40’s… I mean, how awesome is that? When all was said and done it wasn’t even that expensive….Plus this is my birthday present to myself….I’ve been wanting a new acoustic guitar for YEARS..This is finally the one that ‘worked out’…and I couldn’t be happier..

Won’t it look perfect in my group?

My drummer Marian (very small girl) and I are going IN MY SCARY-ASS ‘DEATH’ CAR, all the way to Tacoma in rush-hour I-5 traffic, just to meet some stranger dude in a McDonald’s parking lot so that I can buy this guitar..

WHAT COULD GO WRONG??

I have been wanting a new acoustic guitar for years. But I am so into Antique stuff that I didn’t want something that looks modern… I wanted something from out of the 40’s!! Not only cos that is when they actually built good stuff….But also ‘cos it’ll look good in My Band.

LOOK AT THIS THING! SO BEAUTIFUL! The dude says it plays great and the action is low…..(Of course, I will have to check it out in real life……but I don’t get a ‘weirdo/liar’ vibe from him..And I’ve been very lucky with Craigslist)

We’ve been going back and forth on price/trade for it, and I think we’re at the end….I just sent him an email with my final offer………We will see….
But I REALLY want this guitar……..
The thing about me, is I won’t go ‘over the top’ for things..If he doesn’t accept this offer, I won’t counter….
How cool is this thing, though!??! (It actually would kinda match my electric guitar (which is really awesome and rare!)..Look:

I mean…matches enough!!!
C’mon dude!! Take the deal!!!!!!!

<3 <3 jordin

UPDATED..He took my offer. But for $10 more he is going to throw in a hardshell case for it (How can you say no to that?!) and he is gonna meet me half-way since he is in Olympia……..I think this baby will be mine tomorrow! Finally. A new acoustic guitar! (Of course, this is based on the condition…as long as it plays as nice as he says it does…..I can’t wait!)
I wish I had a friend around here who knew more about guitars than i do….hmmm..

Last night I was watching ‘Jeopardy!’ and a commercial came on the tv…

“May 21st, CCR at the Emerald Queen Casino. GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!”

So I literally dropped everything and ran to my computer. Being unemployed right now stops me from doing some things, but it is NOT going to stop me from seeing Creedence Clearwater Re-f-ing-vival!!!!

I’m on Ticketmaster. Getting ready to get the tickets. $30, not a bad price to see this HISTORIC band….But  I notice something…. It doesn’t say, ‘Creedence Clearwater Revial’… It says, ‘Creedence Clearwater REVISITED’…….
So I google…..
JOHN FOGERTY is NOT in the band!!! Two ex CCR members started a ‘cover’ band of CCR songs!!
And it’s like, the drummer and the bass player..

That’s like George (RIP) and Ringo calling themselves ‘The Beetles’ and touring, or something..

How can they say “CCR” when it’s REVISITED not REVIVAL!?!?!?

]]> http://jordinsilver.com/2010/04/21/ccr-is-coming-to-seattle-well-tacoma/feed/ 1 http://jordinsilver.com/2010/04/04/albums-that-shaped-my-life/ http://jordinsilver.com/2010/04/04/albums-that-shaped-my-life/#comments Sun, 04 Apr 2010 19:13:14 +0000 Jordin Silver http://jordinsilver.com/?p=1014 I was checking out my iTunes, and realized I have never posted about the albums that have changed and shaped who I am. So, with some down time..Here it is….And yes, it is as random as you’d think.

This is in no particular order. I don’t even really expect anyone to read everything, but maybe if one of these albums influenced you, you’d read about what it did to me too..

PS-I hope the alignment isn’t horribly off, on your computer… It looks fine on mine, but I KNOW that isn’t always how it is.

311
‘Transistor’

This album came out around the time that my parents finally got the internet on our little IBM Thinkpad. Every time I listen to this album, I have memories of putting the cd into the computer and checking my ‘hotmail’ using ‘aol im’ and going into ‘chat rooms’.

Yes..The early days of the internet…

The Beatles
‘Meet The Beatles’

When I was around 8 my parents got me a drum set. My dad handed me a copy of The Beatles ‘White Album’ and told me that this band was a good influence. I was into “Vanilla Ice” at the time so “The Beatles” were lame…. Little did I know later in life one listen to this album would converted me into a Beatlemaniac for a good portion of my life.

Cindi Lauper
‘She’s So Unusual’

No one will ever know if this was my first or second album that I owned, but it was one of the first. I have very vague memories of this because I was born in ‘82, and this came out in ‘83. But I do remember listening to the record spin and play ‘Money Changes Everything’ ‘She Bop’ ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ and ‘Time After Time’ CLASSIC ALBUM

Dashboard Confessional
‘The Places You’ve Come To Fear The Most’

Have you had the moment, where something comes along, and for the first time in your life, it finally explains who you are? That was this album for me. I finally felt like a part of something. That other people felt the same as me. I’ve always said, ‘I was emo before there was a name for it’.

“A reading from the book of Chris Carrabba”

The Beach Boys
‘Endless Summer’

True story, I learned how to play the drums (for real this time) in a weekend while playing this record. Yes, I had to play lightly, because if I hit to hard, the record would skip. This album has all the classics hits.

I liked a random song on it, most. “Wendy”

Michael Jackson
‘Thriller’

This is the other album that we are unsure if it was my first, or second. I remember being very young and listening to it. The ’scary’ voice in the song “Thriller’ used to give me nightmares.

I think MJ was a total weirdo, but the music on this album speaks for itself.

New Found Glory
‘New Found Glory’

In 2000, my girlfriend came down to my college and my roommate and her ended up getting together. I was hurt. But then I realized I was in love with my OTHER friends girlfriend. I didn’t have anywhere to turn. But a friend handed me this album, and after one listen it totally described what I was going through. I lived by the words in this album.

No Doubt
‘Tragic Kingdom’

I met Gwen Stefani in Summer ‘09. I told her I had 13 copies of this album, and she gave me a weird look. I was too nervous to tell her it’s cos I listened to it SO MUCH, it would skip, then I’d have to get a new one.
This album changed me a lot, because I had been listening to nothing but The Beatles for 2 years, then something about this album helped me move on to more ‘modern’ music.

Salt N’ Pepa
‘Very Necessary’

You weren’t ANYONE on the bus in 1993 unless you were listening to this tape. For real. I actually had to get a copy of this from my Aunt because my mother thought it was too risque. Upon further analysis, one of the songs was called, ‘Sexy Noises Turn Me On’… I was 11….

It WAS too risque.

The Spice Girls
‘Spice’

One summer night in ‘96 I was playing guitar to the music videos on MTV. This one song came on with a very distinct piano line. By the time the video was done I had figured out the part on my guitar and thought, ‘That was a fun song to play, too bad I’ll never hear it again’..

That song was “Wannabe”

Taking Back Sunday
‘Tell All Your Friends’

After the honeymoon was over with my best friends girlfriend, she ended it. I was so hurt and annoying. My friend brought me into ‘Boarders Books And Music’ in Raleigh, NC, put the big black headphones on my head and said, ‘I think you’ll like this’ then played this album. He was wrong.

I didn’t just ‘like’ it….I ‘felt’ it.

Third Eye Blind
‘Third Eye Blind’

I stole this album. From someone. I can’t remember who. The very first song I ever performed live with a band was ‘Semi-Charmed Life’ and guess what? I didn’t know ANY of the words. I totally made them up. There is video of this…But I own the only copy To know anything about putting together a great song, you HAD to have been influenced by this album.

Tegan & Sara
‘The Con’

As a musician, the first thought that came to my mind when I heard this album was, ‘OH S**T! Tegan & Sara just wrote MY story’. Every song was exactly how I felt about things going on in my life. I wish a lot of lesbians would stop swooning over them for their looks and actually listen to what they have to say. They’re lyrics are deep, their music is catchy, and those girls can write AMAZING songs.

Ace Of Base
‘The Sign’

In 1994 my family moved from one side of town, to the other. I had to make new ‘neighborhood’ friends. Our closest neighbor had a daughter exactly my age. She was funny, and went to another school. We had a good time. Then one day I was listening to this album and she told me ‘Ace Of Base SUCKED’…. I never hung out with her again.

The Used
‘The Used’

One of my bandmates in ‘02 told me that if I listened to this album, it would change my life. And it did. I ‘felt’ this album just as much as I did with Taking Back Sunday. I remember one time my friend was sad about her girlfriend, so we drove around in my little red convertible with the top down in the North Carolina sun, SCREAMING these songs. I was in a rough spot too…..It helped us both.

Vanilla Ice
‘To The Extreme’

I got a copy of this from my little brothers friend. He brought his tape over and I played it in one tape player, then set up another tape player next to it to record the songs. That’s how we did it back in 1990. I had a microphone machine in my basement called a ‘Star Stage’, turned off all the lights, and would rap ‘Ice Ice Baby’ to my stuffed animals. Yes, from the beginning, I was a ’star’. haha

MC Hammer
‘Too Legit To Quit’

My parents bought this album for me for getting good grades. Remember when tapes used to have those big plastic things with locks on them so that you didn’t steal them?

I remember being upset with this because it had ‘Too Legit To Quit’ but it didn’t have ‘U Can’t Touch This’. That’s very upsetting for a 9 year old….

The Beach Boys
‘Still Crusin’

My parents went shopping one night, and brought this home for me. I was around 11. I haven’t listened to this in a while, but I remember it being ’80’s Beach Boys. You know, with all those ‘electronic’ sounding instruments, instead of real ones. Kokomo was on this. But my favorite was the song ‘Make It Big’….Because i remembered it from my FAVORITE MOVIE, ‘Troop Beverly Hills’

The Starting Line
‘Say It Like You Mean It’

In my North Carolina drivers license I am wearing a ‘Starting Line’ t-shirt. I discovered this group along with The Used and Taking Back Sunday, and they are probably the band I’ve seen most, live.

At that time in my life it was great to hear a song with the lyrics ‘She’s just a lost cause that you’re waiting on!”

Reel Big Fish
‘Turn The Radio Off’

Oh yeah….Late 90’s this is the album that influenced my whole ‘SKA’ obsession. And I was obsessed. I had a 13 piece ska band called, ‘The raSKAls’…Horns and ‘dub style singing’ was something I was SO into. There were a few local ska bands in Maine too. The Taxis being the greatest of them (in my opinion). Rustic Overtones. The Skatistics…..and don’t forget The raSKAls…

Dashboard Confessional
‘A Mark A Mission A Brand A Scar’

This is the album that had the Electric Version of “Hands Down” which I would put up in my top 2 favorite songs of all time, and somewhat consider my ‘Theme Song’.

Sadly this is the album in which I thought Dashboard ‘lost it’….But hey, $10 is a fair price for the song “Hands Down” especially the last 1 minute 10 seconds of the song.

Fleetwood Mac
‘The Dance’

In 1997 Fleetwood Mac were ALL OVER MTV & VH1. They had reunited, and no matter how much you wanted to avoid it, if you turned the tv on, there were 3 really old dudes and 2 old chicks playing music. Not cool for my MTV…..But then I listened closely. These were some of the most talented musicians I’d ever heard! Have you ever watched Lindsey Buckingham play guitar? He is my FAVORITE. Screw Hendrix.

Counting Crows
‘August and Everything After’

Did you know that The Counting Crows is one of Chris Cararaba’s favorite bands? (Dashboard Confessional). I got this album for having good grades, and it’s STILL one of the best albums I own.

The only thing that sucks is Adam Duritz doesn’t sing the songs live the way they are on the album. He ‘changes them up’ and that’s stupid.

The Dixie Chicks
‘Fly’

This is the only album I feel a little uneasy to put on this list, because I never technically owned it. But I did live in The South a little after it came out, and EVERYONE ELSE owned it. This was the first album that made me say, ‘Hey…. I can like country!!!’ Of course this is ‘Pop Country’ like Taylor Swift, but it’s still so good. The musical break in the end of “Cowboy Take Me Away’ still gives me goosebumps..Though my favorite is still “If I Fall (Your Going Down With Me)”

Blues Traveler
‘Four’

I am a pretty good guitar player now, but there was a time when I didn’t know you were supposed to push down on the strings. Seriously. I was about to give up, but then my parents invited their friend “Steve Buzzell” over so he would teach me something. I gave him the song “Run Around” and asked him to figure it out for me. He did. G C Am D…He wrote the tabs out and I practiced for MONTHS, the same 4 chords.. When I finally could change them, I decided to keep playing guitar!

Gin Blossoms
‘New Miserable Experience’

It was around my birthday in ‘93. I had this tape and my brother, cousin and I would give fake ‘concerts’ where I would sing and play a baseball bat. My mom said, ‘What do you want for your birthday? A guitar?’ and I said, ‘Sure, why not?’
I wrote the lead singer a fan letter, and a year later I got a letter back. He sent me a hand written letter and autographed guitar pics. I was young and stupid and used those pics to learn how to play guitar…

John Fogerty
‘Centerfield’

In my early life, I was really into baseball. My dad played the classic song “Centerfield” for me, a lot. One day I borrowed the album and realized there were other AWESOME songs on here. Especially “Rock & Roll Girls”. John Fogerty writes the perfect mix of catchy pop songs with a great message.

Plus I LOVE John Fogerty’s voice. CCR Forever!

Snow
‘12 Inches Of Snow’

Apparently this didn’t go as national as I thought, cos I am meeting a lot of people in the North West that DONT know who Snow was. I was obsessed. I loved how he rapped cos one of my hidden talents is I can rap really fast too. If you had the CD version of this album you got 2 extra songs. One was “50 Ways”…. I loved that song, but I only ever had the tape version, so my favorite was “Lady With The Red Dress On”…

Tegan & Sara
‘So Jealous’

All the lesbians were into this, and I didn’t want to be part of that….Stupid wussy acoustic Ani Difranco/Melissa Ferrick crap music…Tegan and Sara were the same…… Oh wait, what? There are drums? And these songs are really really f-ing catchy…
I was driving with my girlfriend and she put this album in. We didn’t speak. At the end, she said, ‘What are you thinking?” I said, ‘I didn’t want to like it, but that album was fucking GREAT!”

Taking Back Sunday
‘Where You Want To Be’

This album came out on the day that I moved from North Carolina to Seattle. I bought it, hopped in my little red convertible, and headed west. It was my dream. It was summer. I was alone. I have the greatest memories of being exhausted with the sun beating on me and singing along to this album. Thinking about how differently life was going to be in Seattle. Excited. Nervous. I can still smell and feel things from that trip when I hear these songs. Is that weird?

The Lion King
‘Soundtrack’

This was my first ever CD. Before this, I owned tapes. I found that if you plugged a set of headphones into my CD player’s ‘mic’ input, one of the headphones would end up being a microphone. I have a tape somewhere where I used that technique to ‘DJ’ songs off this record. ‘That was Hakuna Matata’ and now it’s ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’…The humble beginnings of my radio career.

Bush
‘Razorblade Suitcase’

One dark night I was playing guitar. My CD player was on a high shelf. I do NOT believe in ghosts, and there is no logical explanation, but my CD player came FLYING off the shelf a good 10 feet and landed on this cd that was on my floor. It crushed it to pieces.

I always thought it was the ghost of ‘John Lennon’ pissed that I was listening to something other than The Beatles……and ya know, in the back of my mind, I think I’ll always believe that.

]]> http://jordinsilver.com/2010/04/04/albums-that-shaped-my-life/feed/ 2 http://jordinsilver.com/2010/03/12/phyllis-mcguire-wrote-me-back/ http://jordinsilver.com/2010/03/12/phyllis-mcguire-wrote-me-back/#comments Sat, 13 Mar 2010 07:23:00 +0000 Jordin Silver http://jordinsilver.com/?p=975

Who writes a good ‘ol fashioned ‘Fan Letter’ these days? Just my thoughts as I penned a respectful letter to a singer I have admired for a long time. Ms. Phyllis McGuire (born 1931). I found her address online and threw a letter in the mail last Friday.

Today before band practice I ran to my mailbox and saw a PACKAGE in it, to ME from PHYLLIS MCGUIRE!!!!!

Not only did she read my letter, she took time out of her schedule to WRITE ME BACK!! PHYLLIS F-ING MCGUIRE!!!! SHE WROTE ME BACK PERSONALLY!!! She mentioned some things in her letter, that I wrote in mine, so it wasn’t a generic letter. She also sent me some CD’s!!!

(memere would be SO proud)

I’ll scan the letter tomorrow!!! I am soooooooooooo impressed. And honored!!!! PHYLLIS MCGUIRE WROTE ME BACK!!

Take a listen to this, their hit ‘Sugartime’.

AWESOME! Haha!

(ps-I’m updating my blog under this post until this album comes out)

Tegan and Sara – Sainthood. Out October 27th

My favorite tracks? Well thank you for asking!
I can’t tell if i like “Arrow” or “On Directing” the best…
People are REALLY digging “The Cure”.

Does Sara sing, “Talking like a TEEN” or “Talking like a TEAM” in the song “On Directing?”. Lyric sites say, ‘Team” but that doesn’t sound right…Someone call her and ask…;)

I’m a WAY better musician/songwriter than I am radio personality. That’s for sure.

I’ve been in bands since I was 12. I was accepted to Berklee College of Music. I was pursued by a major record label about an ‘artist development deal’. My bands have opened for The Gossip, The Forecast, Team Dresh (and some other big bands I can’t remember now)

But all my life, all I’ve wanted was to be in a vocal group, like everyone was in in the late 50’s.

There is something AMAZING about the sound of the Beach Boys. Harmonies. The sound of oldies. Your grandparents record and that scratchy sound you get when the needle hits the record…..

It’s been a slow process to find musicians that are amazing at an instrument, amazing vocalists AND nice people, but we’re almost there. If you like the sound of The Early Beatles, The Early Beach Boys, if you have a soft spot for Doo-Wop music, and that song “Rock Around The Clock”……then check us out:

The whole point I am posting this is cos my friend Nikko shot some photos of me and one other member of the band….. Here they are:

10-9-09 Dash (guitar/vocals) and I (guitar/vocals) working on our new song “Be  My Girl Tonight”. This is historic for us, because it’s the first East End song that has an actual Doo-Wop part

Dash working on another guitar part for “Be My Girl Tonight”. This guy is one of the most amazing musicians I’ve ever met, one of the best singers. And is an all-around nice guy. Anyone who has been in a band knows how hard it is to find people that are those three things.

This is where we get to practice, for free. It’s ‘The Studio’ at 107.7 The End. I may have been laid off, but the PD still lets us go in at night and record our demo/practice. Very sweet.

If you wanna check out more of our music:
www.myspace.com/theeastend