This is a video taken and edited by our fellow banjo amigo Jim Stuby. He takes us on a bike ride through Cape Henlopen State Park. This song was recorded about a couple years ago. Jim has used our songs in a few of his videos, check out my personal favorite video taken at Henlopen Point at Cape Henlopen State Park in Deleware.

Bike Ride Video by chilljam is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at chilljam.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://chilljam.com.

The fourth and final video recording we have from the Greene Turtle set is a improvisational performance of Swimming with Sharks. I’d written the words to this about a week before the show, reflecting on a very difficult work project I’d recently completed over the winter. During our set, Jeremy switched into jamming on this chord progression and I immediately thought the words might work with the progression so I just started singing along to it.

I really don’t know what to say about these past months
So much time spent bringing Frankenstein to life only to realize that I was the mad scientist.
I just need a little lightning the next time I flip the switch.
I keep getting phone call after phone call and putting everyone on hold.
I just need a little more time before it’s perfect.
Of course I’ve eaten.
A cereal bar and some caffeine will put me right again.
I can’t worry about tomorrow. I just gotta make it through today.
Cause
We’re all dancing the steps and I’ve gotta stay one step ahead.
I can see the sharks in the water
Swimming ceaselessly with their suits and ties on
Get in. The water’s just fine.
So what’s the next step genius?
All that planning and bleeding leads to more planning.
Maybe I’ll just put a toe in the water.
Check the temperature and see how warm Hell is.
Such a thin line between soul selling and buying. You never know who’s the dealer.
You trade the time for money. And the money for more.
There’s always more on the shelf.
They’re having a sale today.
So maybe I’ll just take a lap or two. I can swim with the sharks and survive.
Do I want to?

Swimming with Sharks by chilljam is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at chilljam.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://chilljam.com.

Here’s the third video installment of our set at the Green Turtle. It’s a cover of Hurt, by Nine Inch Nails. Unfortunately, the beginning of the song wasn’t caught by the video so it starts off in the second verse.

Hurt by chilljam is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at chilljam.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://chilljam.com.

The second video from our set at the Greene Turtle. Here’s a live version of Streetlights on Asphalt.

Streetlights on Asphalt
Night walking through rain slick streets
she was only looking for a ride home.
Too many cigarettes and too many drinks
and he said just one word too many.
So she walked right out of that crowded bar
no one goes there anymore anyways
All she needs to do is get home
so she can sleep this off
then she’ll decide what she really wants to be.
But for now, she just needs a ride.
The footfalls fell without her notice
she was just too drunk to hear it
The next thing you know
her picture’s in the paper
and everyone’s wondering what happened to the girl next door.

The streetlights kept gleaming on the black asphalt

He was going downtown to have a good time.
It’s been a long day with a long shift and he’s tired of giving
them all the fake smiles.
Just one night out to clear his head and maybe it’ll all mean something tomorrow.
Standing outside that dark warehouse
where the music marched out like it knew which direction to walk down the street.
“If I just keep moving”, he said, “I just might find a way out of this place”.
So he took some pills from some kid who’s name started with an “S”.
and let it take him away to the tracks.
He didn’t feel anything when the whistle came calling.
but he didn’t have to get up for work the next day.

And the streetlights kept gleaming on the black asphalt.

He knew his mom wasn’t coming home today.
She went out looking for the man to fill her up.
She was running on empty.
So bored and alone with the sound of the rats in the walls.
No one even knew they lived there anymore,
They were thrown out months ago but the slumlord never bothered
to come down and tell them himself.
It was all cardboard and needles anyway.
So he took the stared down the chamber and took one last look
and knew he wouldn’t need to scrimp to make rent again.

And the streetlights kept gleaming on the black asphalt.

Streetlights on Asphalt by chilljam is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at chilljam.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://chilljam.com.

Apologies to everyone for disappearing for so long.
Several weeks ago we were asked to perform at a fundraiser for Team Maryland at the Greene Turtle in Frederick. We agreed to play but wanted to work out a fluid set mixed with songs we could improvise on, yet work with some structure. We also threw in some covers, such as this video of Jeremy and Neil playing Blackbird, by the Beatles.
Keep an eye out in the next couple of weeks as we release other performances from this set.

Blackbird by chilljam is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at chilljam.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://chilljam.com.

This jam took place at our friend Tony’s house during the 2nd BiedenQue of the summer. Jeffrey Socha kicks off this funky jam off on the drums with the organ chopping through it while Matthew Hundley rips it up on the guitar. Joe feels the jam and fits his vocal style nicely with it..

BiedenQue Jam by chilljam is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at chilljam.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://chilljam.com.

Here’s something Jeremy played around with coming home from Easter break.
The easter colors rubbed off on him a little as it was the main influence behind the editing.
Neil brings us to another dimension with this doumbek beat.

Color My Beat by chilljam is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at chilljam.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://chilljam.com.

If you like this, check out our archives.

Well, quite a lot of background work has been going on in the last couple of weeks and we now have a brand new website set up. This site allows for much easier syndication of the songs, videos and other content we post up each week, making it easier for you to be able to access the material in whichever way you prefer. Within the next couple of days, we should have some podcasting capabilities set up so that you’ll be able to download the music we put out there through a subscription method rather than having to remember to always come back and check the page on a week to week basis.
Additionally, we’ve added some great new “Chilljam Radio” players to contain all of the archived material so that those of you who wish to listen to the music in sequence are able to do so. Personally, I love to listen to music while I work through the day on my Mac. Our previous page didn’t really allow for a good way to listen to more than a single song at a time. These new players now allow you to listen through entire albums, or even listen through the entire collection all at once.
Please feel free to comment and post feedback so we can continue to build the site in a way that fits your needs.

Now, as to this week’s song. We have another video for you. This week’s video includes the same set of lyrics as last week’s but is a session from the following week. Rather than play at Neil’s house, as we have been for quite awhile, we played this song at Jeremy’s house, with completely different instruments so the effect is a completely different feel from the previous version of the song. Please enjoy!

The Miner’s Son (Just Hold On Miner)

Too many days down dark holes
And you forget what time it is
But youre not forgotten
We’re all still here with our hungry hope.
Waiting for the homecoming.

We keep going to school and going to work, and coming home to dinner on the table and then a bedtime story

….

Well let me tell you one about a boy who kept looking for the day his father would emerge from the earth
he’d rise up like a god
Exuding the will to push me to stand

I know he’s in there for me, he says.
I’ll just hold on another day for the rescue.

He keeps waiting and holding on.
The hero will come.

Raise the pillars to the sky in calling
Break through the clouds
A brilliant spotlight
On the stage
Just a word to set us up
Or a word to take me down
When my wings are melting

Just hold on, miner.
Someone is coming.
You’ll see light again
If you just hold on and remember
All of the things so important.
The reason you risked
The reason you sacrificed

The boy’s grown up now and ain’t doing half bad.

Just Hold On Miner by Chilljam.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at chilljam.com.

Too many days down dark holes
Waiting for the homecoming.

We keep going to school and going to work, and coming home to dinner on the table and then a bedtime story

He’d rise up like a god
Exuding the will to push me to stand
I know he’s in there for me, he says.
I’ll just hold on another day .

In calling
Break through the clouds
A brilliant spotlight
On the stage
Just a word to set me up
Or a word to take me down
When my wings are melting
Before I come on down

Just hold on, miner.
Someone is coming.
Hold on hold on and remember

All of reasons
The reasons you went down there
The reasons you risked
The reasons you sacrificed
The reasons the reason you went underground

Down deeper

The boy’s grown up now and ain’t doing half bad.

The Miner’s Son by chilljam.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at chilljam.com.

For something a little different this week, we played a bit over at Jeremy’s house and I brought my camera along to try taking some video of the band. We’re planning some future work with video and I wanted to capture some stuff while we were all playing.
I hadn’t really planning on keeping any of the audio along with the video, however, this particular video came across pretty decently so I thought it’d be a good one to share on the site.
Now, I don’t think we really planned on having any vocals while we played and didn’t set up anything to capture vocal work but I just felt like singing so I just pretty much sang/yelled as loud as I could control over the instruments. Surprisingly the mic picked it up ok and this is what we ended up with.
Hope everyone enjoys it.

Identity

I’ve been falling apart
Ever since you left me here
To waste away in rust
I used to know you
You used to love me
But you’ve moved on
It was bound to happen
A child is only called
until time says otherwise
And what we’re left with is faded tattered notes
About the way things used to be

It will all live on
I will live through this
And return to you when you’re done the day to day.
All of the things you used to love will still be there
Waiting for your return
Like your front door after the journey.

I know the days are long
You’re just trying to get by
Each day stretches on like
Rubber bands across and across
And across
Each Layer you peel like an onion
And yet another remains.

But the core is still there and the meaning still true
Don’t haunt yourself with concern for loss.
Just brighten the picture and focus the subject.
It’ll develop on the other side and you’ll
Find yourself still standing

It will all live on
I will live through this
And return to you when you’re done the day to day
All the things you used to love will still be there.
Waiting for your return
Like your front door after the journey.