Cast of characters:

Jack Karasek — beats and seed idea

K2 and the Three [and the Four] -- @k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–beats

Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1– Roland Phantom workstation

Llanpsych–@llanpsych –Tez– electric guitar

Tea R. Sea @tea_are_sea -- Terry – Synthesizer

TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– mix, master, and production

This song began with Ken's oldest son, Jack, who laid down the basic rhythmic beat. Ken took over after that with the rest of the beats, though. Jack just graduated high school last week, and he's into hip hop and trap music, so he wanted to share some of it with his musician father, who is very proud of him.

  Tez was first up on this one, which surprised me when I went back and checked the workflow. He added the perfectly placed guitar hits throughout. Josh was next up, using his synth to add the falling bass line. Last, but not least, Terry came aboard, adding the moody, melodic, high register synth.

  When it was all finished, we asked out resident pro mixer, Stephen, to mix it for us. 

  This song was in its current form for about the past eight months. It was originally part of a series of vehicles Eclectic Collective composed for The Mysterious Decibel. He got caught up in life, though, and had to abandon the project. So, we sat on it, asking all the rappers we know if they'd be interested in having a go with it, but no one bit. So, with Jack's recent graduation, Ken revived it as a celebratory song for his son. It could still use some vocals, too, so think of this as an open invitation to anyone who want to do the honors. 

  We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed making it. 

  Oh, and just a side note for all of our friends who follow along with us, we will have  new one for you, the following Friday, the 11th. Thank you for keeping up with us! 


Throwing Rocks - Eclectic Collective w/ Jack Karasek and Tea R Sea

Recorded in Modesto, Ca.   Featuring  Hammond B3 Electric Organ solo. Gibson 335 Electric Guitar solo. Soprano Saxophone solo. Gibson L5 Jazz Guitar Rhythm. Hammond B3 Electric Organ Rhythm. Acoustic Stand up Bass. Drums Acoustic Full Drum kit set. Percussion Tree Chimes. 22" Zildjan Ride & Crash Cymbal. 

Carmel

Ocean Waves

For my beautiful little granddaughter just over 2 months old.

Vocals - Ivy Rae
Guitar - Me

A Little Tune for Little Ivy Rae

This song is a new one written this year and it's about how we've all become Broken Mirrors in some way. All of us, we were a loving people, not a cruel people, we were a caring people, not a hateful people, we were a hard working and strong people but also a very fragile people and I feel we've become a little bit more shattered in recent years. Our beliefs and hopes have diminished somewhat and this song reflects that broken mirror in us all. It's harder and harder to stay positive in this crazy hateful world today. I sang this one since Charlie was not available. I think the mix was too loud but I'm having problems with my computer and couldn't adjust the sound in my film editor like I usually do. 

VIDEO - https://youtu.be/CUpzZLL-xJc

I worked hard on the video and tried to follow the lyrics as close as possible. It will drop on August 1st on YouTube. It's about our lack of empathy as of late and this constant hatred for other people that I now sense in this great country of ours!.  So I asked myself, how did we get here? When a country starts depriving its citizens of basic needs like healthcare and not helping our senior citizens and ignoring the less fortunate among us and stop assistance for veterans (like me) that risked our lives for this country, then we're on a road to destruction and our government has failed us.  All I can do is write songs, so songs I shall write. I still believe in love, love is always the answer!  Take care & God bless!🙏😎✌🏼

“BROKEN MIRRORS"

WE LIVE INSIDE OUR CASTLES,
WE HIDE BEHIND OUR WALLS,
WARM AND SECURE, NEVER ENDURE,  
HARDSHIPS THAT BEFALL,             
THE CRESTFALLEN AMONG US,
THE ONES THAT WE IGNORE,      

PRETEND THEY DON’T EXIST,
PERHAPS THEY’LL MELT AWAY, 
THEY’LL DISAPPEAR, ALONG WITH FEARS, 
WE MAY BE THEM ONE DAY,
THEY REALLY NEVER MATTERED,
THE WRETCHED WE DEPLORE, 

BROKEN MIRRORS, BROKEN MINDS,
SOMETIMES WE CHOOSE TO BE BLIND,
CONVINCE OURSELVES, WE’RE MILES ABOVE,  
THOSE THAT BEG AND CRAWL,
 BROKEN MIRROR ALWAYS REFLECT, 
 WHAT’S BROKEN IN US ALL,

MAN IS A STRANGE CREATURE,
SO CRUEL BUT YET SO KIND, 
OUR TAPESTRY IS OUR ARTISTRY,
OUR HEART SOMETIMES SUBLIME,    
YET SOME HAVE A DARKER SIDE,
THEY LURK BEHIND SATAN'S DOOR,  

     BROKEN MIRRORS, BROKEN MINDS,
     SOMETIMES WE CHOOSE TO BE BLIND,
     CONVINCE OURSELVES, WE’RE MILES ABOVE,  
     THOSE THAT BEG AND CRAWL,
     BROKEN MIRROR ALWAYS REFLECT, 
     WHAT’S BROKEN IN US ALL.

 BY JIM VALDES © 2025

"BROKEN MIRRORS" (Video - https://youtu.be/CUpzZLL-xJc)

Seem to be in permanent countdown mode: global warming,Trump’s tariffs, days left before the visa runs out. So I thought I’d plan an imaginary escape in this song.   https://youtu.be/WfT0n7nuGxE


Let’s start with the countdown
Whoop, whoop I’m going home
ZEHN
There’s nothing worse than Earthlings
NEUN
They have such weird chromosomes 
ACHT
They’re cruel and they’re deluded
SIEBEN
They’re fools, they’re mean, they moan
SECHS
So I’ve pimped up Elon’s spacecraft 
FÜNF
Just hope to take me home
VIER
Tune those raptor engines
DREI
Gotta fixe those propellent leaks
ZWEI
And fingers-crossed I’m blasting off 
EINS
Should be be home in about a week.
WIR HABEN ABGEHOBEN

The Countdown

LYRIC VIDEO  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yukpFvbhX-Y
So ~ I wasn't really intending on writing / recording another new song at the moment since I'm attempting to finish a number of other songs for my current project ~~but This One came to me one day in July & I felt compelled & decided to kind of drop everything  & record it, as I was hearing it as the possible song I may tag on as the Final Song of my new project once it is complete to close it out ~~
Would Love to hear any thoughts on it at all ! :-)
©2025 Donna Dior

THE LAVENDER

      Howdy everyone! Ok I did a little reshuffling here and bumped this song to the front of the line! I just finished the video and put about a weeks work into it! It's a comic relief song, a novelty, about getting old! They say we should write about things we know, and I know about getting older!😂 I wrote the song in 2021 during the pandemic because we needed some comedy then and I think we need some comedy now too! This is something my friends and me used to say at work all the time when we'd forget something or did something stupid like ask where your glasses are when they are on top of your head!😂 I tweaked the lyrics a little and took several curse words out of the song but kept a couple in, so beware people, please don't call the Profanity Police on me! They're mild words like "shit" and "ass" nothing more than that!  There are some words of wisdom thrown in there too like in all my songs. It's just a fun song and video! 

VIDEO - https://youtu.be/U--jt1-4FEY

     I wrote it to a Latin Rock beat, kind of like a Santana song. I remember it took me several weeks to record the backing track because I added a ton of stuff on it Bass, Piano, Acoustic and Electric guitars, percussion, I worked very hard on it, it's all just me playing eveything with a Drum Machine because I don't play the drums. A little bit Salsa, a little bit Rock & Roll because that's how I roll!😂 The vocals are all me and I recorded them last week, I was going to have Charlie sing it but I decided to do it myself because we've been stuck on this other song for a month now and I have like 30 songs ready to go. So please forgive the vocals! The video is funny and I spent a couple weeks on that as well. It's about getting old and forgetting words and your body hurting and falling asleep, and telling kids to get off your lawn! The usual things that come with getting older. Basically "Old man yelling at clouds" syndrome!😂 I know how that is!  The video will drop on YouTube in a couple of weeks! I hope everyone laughs with me and not at me! But I won't mind as long as you laugh a little!! So sit back and have a laugh on me! Cheers! 🍻

“WE GOT THE OLDS”
          
WE GOT THE OLDS, WE GOT THE OLDS,          
OUR BODIES ACHE, WE'RE ALWAYS COLD,            
WE CAN’T STAY AWAKE,         
WE GOT THE OLDS, WE GOT THE OLDS,         
WE HATE THE RAP, CAN’T STAND THAT SHIT,         
GET OFF OUR GRASS, YOU DUMB-ASS KIDS!           
WE GOT THE OLDS, 
WE GOT THE OLDS,

THE SLIP OF TIME, TORMENTS OUR MIND,   
THE FEAR OF FATE, FUELS ALL OUR HATE,    
THE TALKING HEADS, THE WALKING DEAD,      
THE HAMMER FALLS, UPON US ALL,

WE GOT THE OLDS, WE GOT THE OLDS,         
OUR BODIES ACHE, WE'RE ALWAYS COLD,             
WE CAN’T STAY AWAKE,         
WE GOT THE OLDS, WE GOT THE OLDS,          
WE HATE THE RAP, CAN’T STAND THAT SHIT,          
GET OFF OUR GRASS, YOU DUMB-ASS KIDS!         
WE GOT THE OLDS, 
WE GOT THE OLDS,
     
THIS CLIMATE CHANGE, HAS US DERANGED,   
THE BULLETS FLY, EYE FOR AN EYE,      
CORONA COUGH, THE RICH GET OFF,      
THE FOLLY OF MAN IS WHAT GOD DEMANDS!

WE GOT THE OLDS,         
WE GOT THE OLDS,         
WE GOT THE OLDS,
           
WE HATE THE RAP, CAN’T STAND THAT SHIT,         
GET OFF OUR GRASS, YOU DUMB-ASS KIDS!      
WE GOT THE OLDS, WE GOT THE OLDS,

WE THINK WE ARE, THEREFORE WE’RE FEELING,   
OUR MIND A WAVE ON THE OCEAN OF BEING,        
DAMN, WHAT THE HELL DID WE JUST SAY?     
WE CAN’T REMEMBER DAY TO DAY!
     
WE GOT THE OLDS, WE GOT THE OLDS,         
OUR BODIES ACHE, WE'RE ALWAYS COLD,           
WE CAN’T STAY AWAKE,         
WE GOT THE OLDS,          
WE GOT THE OLDS,          
WE GOT THE OLDS.
          
BY JIM VALDES
 © 2021

"WE GOT THE OLDS" (Video - https://youtu.be/U--jt1-4FEY)

Everything is gone

Riding that camel can be risky.

2005 Washburn R305 parlor guitar, 1928 Gibson A2 mandolin, 2 tracks.

Ride that camel

future star of the obituary column

Bon Iver - Skinny Love (cover)

All music, songs, lyrics and artwork are original, unless noted. No AI used, I have spent a lifetime learning.
Collaborations welcome.
 I advise playing on a good Hi-Fi or at least good headphones, otherwise you will miss all the lower frequencies and  only hear half of the music : )

A Little Tune for Little Ivy Rae

Garddwr Porffor