Nat Osborn

Along the lines of the previous post: here’s a song that I recorded about a year ago and didn’t know what to do with. It’s too hard to replicate live seeing as there are about 6 vocal parts that are integral, then a full band, with two drummers would be necessary. That being said, the video release show at Crash Mansion on July 31st featured a 12 piece band that I hope to bring to Union Hall on August 29th, so we may be able to pull it off. It was probably the most ambitious I’ve been as a producer of my own material in my home studio up until that point, let me know if you dig it:
The Ghost Who’s Got No Past

When I first conceived of this website I thought of it as a way to connect with people who may be interested in what I do musically, a place to post about tours, travels and projects and most excitingly for me, a place to deposit music that I may not have any other place for. I tend to be overly critical and self-defeating when it comes to big releases (which is why I’ve been working on an album for two years on and off) and the idea that I could just throw rough, home-recorded ideas or scrapped songs up for people to do with them what they will was incredibly appealing, because despite the fact that I haven’t released a serious album in a while (mostly because of financial restraints) I tend to be pretty prolific with writing and even recording. I just don’t think any of it is good enough to put out there. So that being said, after a long, contemplative walk through Greenwood cemetery today I’ve decided to throw some of what I’ve worked on over the past year or so up online for people to check out, recognizing that it will not be up to the standards I tend to, and like to hold myself to. Given the competition out there, one must be focused on putting out the best material one can, right? Well, perhaps, and I assure you that the album will be the best I can make it when it comes out (hopefully sometime in the next few months, I’m getting back to work on it seriously again). That being said, I’d like to start sharing with you some music I’ve worked on that hasn’t seen the light of day for anyone besides myself and perhaps a few choice friends.
To start off, after I came home today I felt moved to play a cover song, something I don’t do enough of and the song that my finger’s were drawn to was written by an obscure British songwriter in the 60’s named Paul McCartney. It’s a live, late-night, rough recording and I fuck the lyrics up a bit but I hope you enjoy it. “Oh Darling”.
Oh Darling- Nat Osborn live (late night) cover

Here it is y’all.

The time has come… Crash Mansion 199 Bowery on July 31st from 8pm-10pm

No.11’s (Ryan Emmons, Julie Congress and Jen Neads) direction and production, Chris Flannery’s visionary eye, Casey Loomis’ unique and enticing choreography, and the hard work and creative input of many other artists who have all combined powers to create no, not Captain Planet… but a breath-taking new music video for my song “The Changing of the Guard”.

We’ve been hard at work for this for four months and I can’t tell you how excited I am to: 1. show the video to everyone and 2. play with a new 9-piece ensemble that I’ve been envisioning for quite some time now! The concert starts immediately after the showing.

The event is going to be a blast, cover is $7. Please come out and support the coming together of a large group of artists from a number of different mediums who have created a single, exciting new piece.

Here’s a link to the facebook event page.

http://www.facebook.com/natosbornmusic#!/event.php?eid=118949198151765&ref=mf

photos of the shoot:

Hey New Yorkers, if you want to see me play this month, come check out The Lovin’ Cup Cafe, every Friday in June of 2010 from 9:30 to 10:30. The Lovin’ Cup is an awesome little hang on North 6th st. right off the Bedford stop on the L train. Address is 93 N. 6th st. between Berry and Wythe.
There will certainly be special guests, new songs, new covers, and good times. I’m looking forward to this weekly thing (something new to me) because I usually like to plan each show instrument-wise and this will most likely stretch my repertoire in a very healthy way. Hope to see some old and new faces alike at the Cup.

….soon to come: pictures from the upcoming music video for “The Changing of the Guard”.

So I’ve been working a bit with a couple amazing horn players over the past few months, mostly for studio stuff. But when I was faced with a gig at Rockwood and an unwillingness to play another low key, largely acoustic show, which is attractive during the winter months, I realized that the sun is out and it’s time to get funky. So we put together a pretty high energy set and Mikey (trumpet), Joe (Bari sax), and Eric (trombone) killed it. These are the same guys you can see in the studio picture below. That session was for a track called “Dreaming Her Love Away” which you’ll hear in the future and which we played live. We also welcomed former Nat Osborn and the Free Radicals drummer extraordinaire, Mike Kaplan, back into the percussion section to add a little extra groove. The band has a new feel to it so I felt it deserved it’s own name and woke up with the idea the Diamond Allegory. Who know if it’ll stick but it was the first show of Nat Osborn and the Diamond Allegory. Here’s a compilation of some of my favorite moments from the show, thanks to Rockwood for providing the live recording:

Compilations of moments at Rockwood 5/14/10

Lots of music in the works…  I’m working on a dance piece for York Dance Works, a film score for a NYU grad student named Sehaj Sethi, as well as continuing working on my own album.  There are some other, very interesting projects currently in the works and recordings being made, but more will be revealed about that in time.  In the meantime, please enjoy the piece I wrote for the last York Dance Works collaboration, “Burro Burracho Bolero”.  It’s a long piece with very distinct sections that come together at the end thematically, so please listen to it and enjoy it if you have some time  (something not many of us have in this super rapid, internet age existence).

Burro Borracho Bolero

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This thursday, April 29th, I get to become one of the first people to play the best new venue in NYC.  Rockwood Stage 2 is the new big brother to my favorite room in New York City.  Stage 2 has all of the mystery and chill charm of Rockwood but is about three times as large.  It’s got a gorgeous, massive stage that is almost conjures the look and feel of a 1930’s Burlesque Caberet (remember that, those were the days).  It’s beautifully lit, has a great balcony for above viewing, a well stocked and sultry bar, and is one of the best venues I’ve been to in NYC so I’m honored to play there.  Please come check out this show on April 29th at 7pm.

This concert is also a goodbye party for one of my very dearest friends in NYC, Marissa Block.  She actually booked my first show in college and has helped support me ever since.  She’s a staple of the Rockwood scene and it is fitting that we get to say goodbye to her as the new stage opens, new beginnings my friends. New Beginnings.

Hey folks,

Myself, Bunny B (drums), Gab Bowler (bass) and of course, the hairest man in soul, Lyle Divinsky (myspace.com/lyledivinsky), hit the road last week to play a few shows at College’s in the Northeast.   I would love to thank everyone who came out at Bard, Bennington, and Skidmore to check us out, hear some tunes, and generally welcome us with open arms.

We started the trip off listening to the new Erykah Badu album (dope), driving alongside the setting sun on our way to Bard College.  We arrived at my lovely sister Madeleine’s friend’s house to an amazing dinner spread, big bottles of wine, and a bunch of lovely friendly girls (all of which is a touring band’s dream to arrive upon).  We feasted and then headed out on our way to the school to set up at SMOG, the Bard student run performance space (basically a large garage with sound equipment).  Seeing as it was the first beautiful, warm evening of the year, we were inspired to move the stage outside and set up outside.  It turned into a vibrant, joyous occasion with Bardians (?)  giving us plenty of positive energy to feed off of.

The following day turned out to be just about the most glorious pre-blossomed spring day the world has conjured in recent history.  It was a long epic adventure, starting with us smoking a spliff in a waterfall basin and ending with us playing a show at Bennington college, but highlights also included exploring Bard’s amazingly beautiful campus: forests, a cliff, and a victorian stone wall garden, and watching old footage of James Brown, the Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, Smoky Robinson and the Miracles, and the Rolling Stones all at an old concert in the 60’s.

Friday and Saturday were spent at Lyle and my Alma Mater, Skidmore College.  After we bitterly parted with our good friend Gab, we spent much of Friday teaching the talented Mike Parker both my and Lyle’s entire repertoires for a concert the next day!  The show went quite well and featured some very talented friends of ours, Simon Dufour on alto sax (killer), Zach Nicita on drums (check him on youtube, he’s a monster: http://www.youtube.com/user/ZMoney99999), and a cameo harmony appearance from our good friend Jodie Levinson.  Lyle, Bunny and I are off to Boston this week and are stoked to be joined by one of our favorite people and musicians, Andrew Clinard on bass.  We’ll also be accompanied by Lyle’s pops’ Phil and his guitar player and friend Andy.  Hope to see you there, TT the Bears April 21st in Cambridge at 9pm.

Photos:

(L to R: Lyle, Gab, Bunny, Nat) Our feet are actually in a waterfall basin at this moment

during "Dreaming Her Love Away" session

Side projects are one of my favorite things, I envision many, pursue a few, and complete only a couple (as of now… I have tons of ideas going forward for other projects).  I currently have a couple things in the works with some close friends of mine.  I won’t tell you too much about it but I do want to share this one photo of myself in Maze studios cutting some horn tracks for a new track that you will all hear in the near future.  Thanks to Mikey, Joe, and Eric for rocking this session, and thanks for Alex Bilowitz for producing the shit out of the track and this session.