This IS what came out. I think it’s one of my favorite things I’ve written yet. I’ve titled it “The Thought of Time.” Enjoy.

The Thought of Time.

In an instant, all the clocks began to chime. Click. Click. Tick. Tick. Tock. Tock.

Miraculously, they all seemed to make noise at the same exact time. Buzzing away like the “ohms” of some giant meditation.

One-by-one, the glass casings began to snap and explode, spraying shards of clear glass across the room, some pieces catching on the minute hands of opposing clocks, others wedging into cracks in the wall or the wall itself. Still, some shards hung dangling by a clear sliver, waiting for the next chime to vibrate it out of existence.

Underneath all of this, a molten stream of time came pouring through the air like an invisible flow of lava. In a different realm of reality, it destroyed everything in sight, making it look as if everything was as-is, unharmed. But, the lava of time tore through existence like a burning brand, leaving it’s mark among faded hourglasses and decimated books of history.

It poured through every opening it could find, singeing the invisible atoms of air and filling each shadow with a gap of space that could only be filled by a microscopic sliver of the next second’s shadow.

Under the floorboards, a giant, soundless rumble poured through the mulch and the dirt, slipping across skeleton bones and the skin of worms and the rough exterior of oak tree roots. It seeped deeper and deeper down through the mantle, meshing with the metals and orbs of stone, piercing through the solid lining until it permeated through the molten core of earth, swishing around like a baby in the womb, circling itself over and over, burning up in excitement and spiraling about like a nauseous child. It tumbled over itself, over and over again, until it poked through a hole in the other side of the earth’s center, slipping through the solid rock, sliding through the slippery sludge of the dark-side’s rocky mantle, pressing upward with the might of a million excited electrons, screaming through a tangled labyrinth of plant parts and animal bones, screeching like a starved eagle shooting for the sunlit sky, and finally breaking through a small patch of desert sand, only to pop out and lay parched among a cemetery of stone.

After resting for a moment, it looked blindly about the vast expanse of white and tan, which echoed into the distant haze of reality’s mirage. The thought of time laughed and then smiled, and then kept its lips taught in a stern, unemotional manner.

It breathed in deeply; waving its wings and arms like a baby bird and spoke aloud to any of existence that was willing to listen.

“All that is, was, and all that will be, has yet to come.”

A deep, temporal yawn echoed off the chasms of the great desert and the thought of time disappeared from all view, leaving the earth and existence exactly as it was only moments before.

A few feet away, tucked behind a deceptive sand dune, lay an old, weathered man with bony ribcage, piercing brown eyes, and a long, beaten beard.

Breathing heavily, his eyes poured crystal tears and his exhales left a resonant sound tapping at the back of his throat. Click. Click. Tick. Tick. Tock. Tock.

—–

Thanks for reading,

Brett

I’m almost back to Austin after a few months on the road from Austin-to-Boston and around the northeast. I promise a very detailed update and blog post soon!

BUT…more importantly, I’m chilling in the beautiful mountain town of Murphy, NC and I JUST found out I was accepted as 1 of 15 finalists out of 400 for The Recording Conservatory of Austin‘s UNSIGNED ARTIST COMPETITION.

CLICK HERE to vote for ‘Brett Randell’ for the TRCOA Unsigned Artist Competition

I don’t normally do these contests, but I could win a ton of money for recording, studio time, musical equipment, and other stuff…this means NEW CD! I’ve been working on a bunch of new music and this would be a great opportunity to record.

Please click here and vote for my name! I’d appreciate it

Thanks!

Brett

Before we begin, let me say that cats love my guitar case. On my tour up from Austin-to-Boston, I had four cats in four seperate cities sleep in it. My cat, Dyna, has been rolling around in it nonstop. Entertain yourself with some cat in guitar case pics:

So, I’ve been back in NY for a few weeks now, well, a week in upstate NY, 4 days up in Maine, couple days in NYC, and then back to my hometown of Mahopac for a bit. Things have been great and I’m really loving this north-east vibe. Especially the green rolling mountains everywhere, 80deg weather (as opposed to 3 months of 100+ in Austin), and hanging with my family and friends.

A view from a hill 10 minutes from my house.

My house in Mahopac, NY (and my faithful highlander that's traveled from Austin-to-NY 7 times now).

Tommorow, I’m heading on a mini-tour up north. I’ll be playing the Utica Music Festival in Utica, NY on Fri and Sat, then I’m gonna spend 2 days chilling in the Adirondack mountains, then I’ve got 2 shows in Burlington, VT  a The Skinny Pancake(which I’ve heard is an amazing city), 2 days in Montreal, Canada, and then back down to NY… ONLY to head back out on another 4-day tour out to Bridgeport, Providence, Boston and back. TOUR INFO here: http://www.brettrandell.com/tour

THEN… I can rest. I think.

Well, I don’t want to bore you with words…so, I’ll post a bunch of pictures from my travels over the last month or so. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

Peace, Brett

My friend, Colby, and I, hiking Enchanted Rock outside of Austin, TX

Mmmm... New York Pizza. From my favorite place: Paolo's in Mahopac.

Our dogs.

A misty view from the cabin my friends and I go to every year up on Pleasant Pond - Caratunk, Maine.

Kole and I are 4 days into our Austin-to-Chicago tour and so far it has been awesome — full of amazing times and hilarious laughs. The places we stayed the first two nights had like 5-7 cats each and one of the cats sneezed on me all night long. It was awesome.

I’m laying on an incredibly comfy bed at dKwells house in Newburgh, IN which is a quaint historical town on the Ohio river with tons of trees, small historical shops, and mansions that line the rolling hills. Definitely a great place to relax for 2 days (and play shows for 2 nights).

Here are some recaps!

DALLAS,  TX

So, I used to think Dallas was terrible considering everyone I ever met that had been there or lived there said “Don’t go to Dallas. It’s terrible.” But… as couchsurfing usually does… my whole perception has changed and now I’ve found an amazing part of Dallas. Oak Cliff and the Bishop Arts District remind me of a mini Austin. Cool little art shops, coffee shops, great restaurants/cafes, and a nice funky vibe.

We stayed with one of the coolest ladies I’ve ever met. Wendi, a hippy/artist store owner, was a world traveler with long blonde dreads that dangled into different beads and decorations. Her house was full of a millon knick-knacks from around the world, as well as her art. She owned a store called “From The Ends of The Earth,” which stocked fair trade art goods and clothing as well as all the cool things she picked up from her travels.

That night, my good CS friend Aji, Kole, another CSer, Wendi, and I drank a bunch of wine, jammed out on guitars and a ton of different percussion instruments, shared stories, and passed around a sheet of paper which each person would draw on and then pass in a circle for the next person to add to. It ultimately  created some bad ass, crazy drawings (pic below).

After a good jam and great times with new friends, we got up, ate at a great local Mexican restaurant, stopped by Wendi’s shop, caught up with my old friend Dale from Israel, and drove off to Memphis.

MEMPHIS, TN

After an 8.5hr drive from Dallas, we finally pulled into the divey P&H Cafe in Memphis. I love a good dive bar and this turned out to be a sweet first show for our tour. Although most of the place was empty on a Tuesday night from 11-1am, Kole and I rocked out. Our new and awesome friend, Raven, came out with her group of friends and they were incredible and made the show even more awesome. Of course, free beer and homemade spaghetti always helps end a long day.

The next day involved one of the greatest things I’ve witnessed in my life. There is a classic hotel called The Peabody in Memphis and every single day at 11am, the  5″Peabody Ducks,” who live in a palace on the roof of the hotel, march around the roof, enter the elevator, ride the elevator to the lobby, and then march (or run) out of the elevator, down a red carpet, and jump in the beautiful fountain in the center of the lobby. All of this is led and monitored by the resident “Duck Master.”

Click on “DUCK MARCH” below to see a video of it!!

>>Duck march!<<

It was truly amazing. Watch the video above. The anticipation for the elevator doors to open and then seeing the ducks excitedly rush out across the rolled out red carpet in front of 100+ people was absolutely hilarious.

We went to the gift shop which had 100s of different duck items, grabbed a coffee, and then bounced to Indiana.

EVANSVILLE, IN and NEWBURGH, IN

After a nice 4.5 hour drive, we pulled into the awesome dKwells house in NEwburgh, IN. This city is beautiful – it’s a small historic town with huge, beautiful mansions overlooking rolling green hills and the wide, Ohio river. It reminded me of towns in Westchester and upstate New York. Our meals of the day drastically changed from a lunch of cheez-its, pringles, and beef jerkey – to a hot dinner of steak, mashed potatoes, guacamole salad, and peach tea (and amazing breakfasts of eggs benedict). It was a delicious contrast.

That evening, we played at the Deerhead Sidewalk Cafe in Evansville – such a cool spot with great locals. The music lasted 5 hours, with dKwells opening up with some of his great originals, Andrew Boom rocking out for a few songs, and then Kole and I took the stage for the next 2-3 hours. The people were great and the free beer and pizza rode us out through the night. Kole and I each have our own rooms and fluffy beds in David’s house, which is an amazing solace from the normal couches we crash on.

The next night we played at Cafe Arazu in Newburgh, IN which was an excellent, middle-eastern themed restaurant/bar. Another great show finished off with a midnight pool dip, some homemade beer, and dirty rum.

Now, we’re off to play a house show in Indianapolis… here is a message from our host who is cooking food and making cake for it “I’m having a cheesecake sampler table. Red Velvet, German Chocolate, Amaretto, Baileys, Chocolate, Mocha, White Chocolate Raspberry and New York style. Yum!” “

Tis a rough life being a musician : ) Catch you on the next update.

-Brett

Another Day Goes By

The sun bleeds yellow streams into the sea of sky.

It heats the great reservoir to the point of comfort, then retreats slowly.

The city scrapers pierce through the blue roof like giant steel splinters.

They ask for no forgiveness. They know she will forget.

A small, red ball is cradled by summer winds.

The grackles – bitter with their strident gifts – swear as it rolls by.

Their curses becomes a hundred blessings,

Rolling down crowded streets like fleeting ocean waves.

Children play with ash from burnt leaves.

The powdered charcoal becomes a flurry of bright pastels.

Viewed from the right angle – or, with enough sips of wine,

The colors display a transmission from the universe herself.

Elder statues breathe air of sad stories and stale mistakes.

They speak of the ‘Code of Hammurabi’ with bent fingers and glass nails.

The youngins at  lower heights, inhale an entirely different reality,

With smiles the size of atom bombs, they conquer the world.

Ancient men rock about in old-oak chairs.

Through beards dressed as blizzards, they utter their daily phrase,

“All is well as another day goes by.”

A watch rattles on one’s leather wrist, stuck in an hour forgotten long ago.

The night receives an echo from the day’s retire;

Time ebbs and flows like smoked whiskey in a tulip-shaped glass.

It leaves its inhabitants in a woozy, euphoric, half-curled smile type of daze, and

Ushers them into a cocktail mix of contentment and pure insanity.

-Brett Randell 6/13/11

Quick backstory: In the summer of 2009, I came to visit Austin for a week – I heard it was an awesome city with an amazing music scene, but didn’t know anything about it. After wandering around for a few days, I bumped into Tres Cozine, who was the doorman at Momos. He told me to come check out Dan Dyer and Suzanna Choffel…

After hearing them and seeing their live performance, I was convinced to move out to Austin. I flew home, packed up my bags, and drove out to Austin 2 weeks later with my dream. That being said, it’s an honor to perform after one of my local musical inspirations.

It’s only $5 – I play 1015pm- midnight. Here is the full awesome lineup:

630pm – Little Brave

8pm – Jake Owen & Bob Charles

915pm – Dan Dyer

1015pm – Brett Randell (that’s me) : )

12am – Jackie Myers Band (my awesome friend’s band)

Come out and enjoy a night of great music! Facebook event here:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=115835055164299

Peace,

Brett

I decided to focus more on short story writing than poetry for this one, so here is what I came up with. Enjoy:

The Brave Unkown

The boy awoke like a whip, cracked out of a nightmare that seemed as real as the dirt he laid on. Each breath touching the morning air was sharp and heavy.  He was barely 18-years-old but had truly lived more than most men twice his age.

“Tome,” he whispered softly. “Tome, are you okay?”

A smaller body moved next to him, lying on the small blanket, which covered the moss and sticks below. Through tired eyelids and ruffled hair, bright green eyes began to awaken.

“Yes, Joh…” the boy mumbled, “but I was doing much better asleep.”

The younger, barely awake boy couldn’t be more than 13 years old. He slept in ragged travelers clothes and had a small beanie matting his long hair. With arms tightly wrapped around his sack of supplies, he rolled over and sat up.

“I’m sorry to wake you, brother,” said the older Joh.  “I had a nightmare about the village. There was screaming and fire. And it was dark…very dark.”

Joh got up and brushed aside the vines that draped over the entrance to the cave. The sun was bursting with beautiful rays. At the angle they lay, they could see the light fractured into a million beams of white, darting through trees and chasing the birds.

“It was just a nightmare, Joh. I am sure they are fine. We still have a couple weeks before we must worry….”

They both sat silent for a second and then pushed their minds towards more positive thoughts. Tome rolled upwards and grabbed a juicy apple from his sack.

“We are running low on fruit. Perhaps we’ll have to go and find more?”

Joh looked at his sack, which sat with only one large lump, and nodded in agreement. They’d been on the road for over two months and had gotten used to scavenging for food.

“Let’s set off for the nearest farm.”

The two brothers rolled up their gear, tightened the laces on their boots, and cleaned the cave. Leaving their temporary shelter as untouched as they found it, they set off through the woods.

*********

Within hours, Joh and Tome ended up by a small creek. On the water’s edge, there stood a small, wooden mill. As it lapped up the creek’s water in never-ending circles, it powered something inside a wooden building nearly a half-mile away. Between the creek and the building was a large field of crops.

“Jackpot,” Joh said. “We can collect for the coming week.”

The boys rolled up their weathered pants and waded across the water. Small, transluscent fish darted around their ankles as they trudged along.

“I see corn…and potatoes and hmm… I’ll take a guess those are radishes,” said Tome with his hands cupped around his eyes like binoculars.

The boys emerged by the mill at the other end of the creek. A gigantic wheel, which dwarfed both the boys, spun in neverending circles, picking up and dropping water to power some mysterious cabin.

“Let’s take a look at this thing while we’re over here…” whispered Joh to Tome.

They walked up to the mill, marveling at it’s greatness.  It was over 30-feet tall, built of solid wood and had a tiny door for the farmer to enter. As they walked in circles around the giant structure, both of their eyes froze on the eastern wall.

Black, burnt marks streaked across the wooden exterior. They looked like large words, like some message, but it wasn’t in any language that Joh or Tome had read before. The symbols did not look beautiful or peaceful.

“That is not Tagluk….or Maldish…. or even any of the Farrish languages,” said Tome. “Have you read anything like that before?”

Joh nodded his head side to side. He walked up and placed his finger on the ash.

“Still warm.”

—————–

That’s all I got so far… maybe I’ll keep fleshing out the story and see what comes next.

Enjoy. The word was “Dust”.

Dust

Who am I?
I am the dust that surrounds your feet
As you walk down your trail of trials and triumph.

Who am I?
I am the dust that stains your fingernails
After years and years of labor and love.

Who am I?
I am the dust that weaves through the seeds in the sky
As they travel to places you’ve only dreamed of.

Who am I?
I am the dust lying dormant under layers of soil,
Remnants of an ancient civilization’s reign.

Who am I?
I am the dust that falls from the phoenix’s rebirth,
A figment of time and mortality.

Who am I?
I am the dust at the foot of a tombstone,
The finale for a character’s lifelong story.

Who am I?
I am the dust, wiped clean from the blinding white room
Where a new child was born.

Who am I?
I am the dust that created it all.
I am the spark.
I am the beginning,
I am the middle,
and

I am the end.

- Brett Randell 3/8/11

Algorithm

From the tip of the tree to the stoop of the stump,

A vine intertwined in infinite lines like a vortex through time to present it’s design.

The birds shared their words in chirps, hoots, and chimes, the herds of the woods resonated their minds.

A mathematical, pragmatical sabbatical from nature’s natural battle, would separate real animals from mindless, dumb cattle.

One world + one earth + many dimensions equals time’s formula’s frozen suspension – the tension resulting could bend, fold, and lessen the bonds that connect molecule’s prime direction.

But magnify closer, release your brains holster, and trigger the music of mental composure. An orchestra beaming with bright algorithms, that connects all the gaps, combines all the schisms.

And radiates infinite thoughts from your vision to view the world truly………

as it was meant to be.

- Brett Randell 2/18/11

Thoughts, comments, SPAM? post below : )