New Band Name

Today is the deadline for the new band to come up with a name. We're closing in on a month until the big debut show and it's time to start building a buzz and what not. You can't build a buzz if you don't even have a name.

Initially I thought we would use the name Fossils for Fuel. I've had it for awhile and have been wanting to use it for a couple different ideas but the others aren't in love with it. Plus, my flaming skull logo scared the drummer. Honestly, I don't think it's right for us myself.

So, I began searching for ideas. I started hitting up Wikipedia and thesaurus.com for ideas. Of all the names I came up with, my favorite by far is Rocket in Super 8. The rocket part should be self-explanatory but in case you don't get it, we're a "rock" band. You know, we're "rockin' it". Super 8, while some may say is a reference to a hotel chain, is actually a reference to old school Super 8 video cameras. So it's kind of retro, kind of sentimental. You know, we're "rockin' it old school", which works because it seems as though we will focus on classic rock in the cover stuff and the original stuff is very blues/psychedelic rock with a touch of Foo Fighters for good measure. Alas, the name is not a hit with the other band members. :(

Another old name idea that had come up in discussions, "Pilot in the Ocean", is a name I came up with a couple years ago. I have no idea where it came from but I liked the sound of it. When I got into steam punk I thought it would be a good name for a steam punk band. Apparently, they like this name. I don't dislike it, but I don't think it fits.

Just for the record, I hate naming bands. I'm not generally very good at it. Our band in high school was called "Eternal Illusion". After high school I put a band together that was going to be called "Next Day Heir" but eventually became "Scream 13". I once thought it would be cool to name a punk band "Courtney Killed Kurt". If we were a bunch of hot young Asian chicks I would want to call the band "Geisharai". Just for the record, that's not what we are.

My head is ready to explode. We need a name. Help. Please.

Blog Entry #1

Hello & welcome to the Brandon Ruck's Working ClassProject Blog.

Blogging. It's not something I consider myself to be extremely good at. I tend to write in brief discriptions. I like to summerize. It's why when I started writing years ago I chose poems & song lyrics. They don't rely on extremely large amounts of detail. I could never write a novel. I don't have the attention span. Yet here I am. Blogging. I guess it's just the way of the world (wide web) these days.

So, I'm a musician. Mainly I'm a guitar player & a singer. I do dabble in mandolin, drums, resonator, piano, bass and occasionally borrow a six-string banjo from my friend Steve. I write my own music & lyrics. I guess I'm trying to tell you that I'm a songwriter. You know, a singer-songwriter. I also do enjoy playing other people's music. I know. I'm opening up a can of worms there. There are those who are totally anti-cover song and believe me I resisted for quite a while. Here's the thing though, I'm out of work. I had been doing air conditioning work for like ten years or something and the economy took a dive head first into the toilet & took the work with it down the drain. Lay offs followed. I looked for work. Maybe not quite as hard as I should have but jobs are scarce. I need to make money somehow & I decided that if I have to make money why not do it playing music. I don't know if any of you have ever tried to make money playing your own music but in my experience, you're lucky if you get paid enough to cover your gas to the gig. Don't forget about drinks. Maybe a bite to eat. Oh, and then there's things like microphones, guitar strings, guitar picks, guitars, amps, tubes for the amps, effect pedals, pedal boards, cables, capos, tuners, slides...you get the picture. It's not cheap to be a musician. At least not one who goes out and plays. So, I joined a cover band (The Sofa Kings). At the time that I joined this band I was working, just not very much. Now, I'm laid off again and really need to bring in some money playing music. So, I sold some stuff, an old mixer & a 1986 Firebird that had been sitting in my driveway for two or three years and I traded in my prized Soldano Hot Rod 50+ guitar head and bought some P.A. speakers in an effort to play some happy hour type gigs. More covers. I'm ok with it. Would I rather play my own music & get paid for that? Yup. I'm working on that too. In the mean time, cover gigs that pay are top priority.

I do play original music too. I've been slacking but am working on getting out and doing the singer-songwriter thing again. I'm also trying to put a band together to play acoustic based alternative folk rock music. I also am a guitarist/mandolinist/resonator-ist/singer/kazoo-ist(maybe) for Tampa Bay area Twang Rock band Steve Vaclavik & the Woeful Ones. It's fun. It's different than the music I've played in the past. There's some twang involved. There was a time when I wouldn't even listen to music with the slightest bit o' twang but I'm open minded & the most important thing is that I like the songs & the guys in the band. Playing with them has made me a better songwriter & musician. It's pushed me out of my comfort zone & I'm better for it. You can see more about us @ our MySpace page .

To book me at your venue/party/event/wedding/divorce/corporate event/cruise ship/birthday party/whatever email me @ booking@brandonruck.com.

You can find my original music @ my MySpace page, a MySpace page that I set up for a band that I'm trying to set up & soon on my very own website that is being worked on as we speak (blog) by my good friend Jose Gomez.

There you have it. Blog entry #1. It's probably not my best work but I'll keep trying. Maybe I'll get better with time, er, age. Check back for more.

Thanks,

Brandon.