julyforkings.com is back!  yay!  

this post is a little late (but just a reminder, you can visit julyforkings.com instead of .net  

there really is no difference between a dot com and a dot net in terms of functionality, but doesn't it just sound better?   i've been trying to get this domain back for a few years.  i am in shock that i finally have.  just in time for the new record.  

individuals and corporations backorder popular domains to snatch them up and put up ad space the moment they expire, effectively making money off someone elses's hard work.  then, they separate themselves with several layers of other companies so it is nearly impossible to track down the actual registrant.  granted, it was my own fault (i accidentally let the domain expire in the first place and they bought it the same day) but i do think it is unfair to make money off someone else's years of hard work establishing a brand name.  in the real world, this kind of behavior would be considered unethical and even illegal--i could never buy a lot and open a store called wall-mart to sell aluminum siding.  but on the internet, it's quite acceptable to buy amyhedges.com and peddle shrubbery. 

so that is my rant of the day, but this story has a happy ending!  (go on and visit julyforkings.com) :)  

so that was good news, coming while i was in the studio working with john finishing up the mix of roses a few weeks ago.  late that night on the way home from the studio i saw a shooting star, right over cincinnati.  which is very strange, as there is the most light pollution directly over the city but i swear that is where i saw it.  i took these as good omens, and i feel good about releasing this album.  

some people have been asking so here ya go, the track list:

JULY FOR KINGS

Monochrome

1  Houses Made of Stained Glass

2 Say It Now

3 Fighting Fire

4 Six Hour Drive 

5 Emma

6 Roses

7 100 Pianos

8 Falling

9 Like A City

10 Sam 

11 Blue

too many one word titles i guess.  i like this track order.  we spent a long time thinking about it and rearranging it to get it to flow in the best way possible, lyrically and musically.  there were songs that did not make the cut but that we started recording and might finish as b-sides at some point:

Song for Rachel

As the Walls Fell Down

Lighthouse

Perfect World 

I am hoping to revamp joehedges.com sometime this summer to include some new paintings and photo prints for sale, as well as possibly creating an mp3 of the month club for the new songs i am always writing if there is any interest.  i make music all the time but only release albums every few years.  this would be a way to kind of keep up with what i am writing as it happens.  and if god forbid i cannot make at least one decent song in one month, i have stores of other songs that you have not heard.  i think it would be a good challenge for me though, to make 12 really good songs every year, and you can hear them as they are made.  it would be like working for you.  i want to work for you and make songs for you.  i really don't want to do anything else.  i guess i could take subscriptions for 1 year or 2 years i haven't settled on a price yet, or if there are other perks or whatever.  just something i am kicking around.  

also, i am considering going to europe next summer 2010.  this would be to study drawing in Scottland with an instructor from NKU, and also to play solo acoustic shows in austria, germany, france, england and italy.  to make this happen i will need some help from you european fans...   I don't know if it's too early to start planning yet, but i would like to route a two week tour probably in late June or early July.   could you help me figure out what venues to play (small, good sound, singer/songwriter type rooms) and whose couch i could sleep on?  i'm serious about this.  i've always wanted to do this.  

there is one month until the CD release show!  i want to get some confetti.  a ton of it.  it could drop from the ceiling or fly out of a cannon.  which do you prefer?