brendonthomas-blog

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Just Announced! ForeverInMotion @ The Pizza Stone in Chester, VT - March 16th

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Raise your vibes!

All your thoughts and feelings are energy, and energy is vibration. Learn to raise those vibrations and watch your life change dramatically.

1. Find something beautiful and appreciate it.

Beauty is all around us, from the morning dew to the evening stars and everything in between. Most go through life not noticing all the beautiful things that are around them, and yes it’s every where, so take the time to notice them, and appreciate them when you see it. Whether it’s the scent of a flower or the way rain ripples in puddles of water, appreciate the beauty life has to offer.

2. Make a list of all that you are grateful for.

Making a gratitude list shifts your vibrations from focusing on what you do not have to what is already abundant in your life. There is more to be grateful for than you could possibly imagine. You can start with “I’m Alive!” and expand from there. Gratitude is the Attitude.

3. Meditate.

Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes and breath in and out. Too often we rush through our days with a scattered brain leaving us in a state of anxiety and stress, Meditation helps to calm your spirit down and put you in a peaceful state of mind. 10 Minuets of meditation a day can change your life forever.

4. Do something for someone else.

Giving to someone else shifts your thinking from “I don’t have enough, to I have more than enough to give to others.” Abundance is a high vibration.

5. Stop complaining and gossiping.

Complaining and Gossip puts you in a very low vibration. Ask yourself “Are the things you are talking about bringing you more of what you want?” if not then, Stop complaining, and start finding ways to rejoice.

6. Move. Exercise. Get active.

Vibration requires movement, the more you move the better your vibrations move. So Get Active! Dance! The happier you feel, the more you will draw happy experiences to yourself because you are operating at a different frequency.

7. Realize that you have more control over your life than you thought.

You are not a victim to circumstance, past, family upbringing, trauma, or anything else. You can change your life in an instant. Just realize this. In many wisdom traditions this is called “total responsibility.” No one is responsible for how you feel right now but you. It isn’t a curse. It’s a blessing because it gives you your power back.

8. Breathe.

Just sit and try to make your breath longer, fuller, and more relaxed. It has a direct affect on your nervous system and helps to calm you down. A calm vibration is a high vibration.

9. Do Something You’re Afraid Of.

Fear holds us back from being in a state of love and happiness, and facing those fears opens you up to a greater world of possibilities. Fear of Heights? Go skydiving. Scared of public speaking, say a poem at an open mic. You’ll begin to realize your fear was worse then the actual problem, and a sense of relief will wash over you.

10. Have a Meaningful Conversation with a Friend.

Rather than gossip or complaining, talk about you ideas. What do you have planned for yourself? what do you think is the nature of reality? Are we spiritual beings having a human experience? Talking about these things with someone helps to raise both your vibrations by thinking big. If you don’t have someone to talk to about these kinds of things with, there’s a community of higher minded individuals right here.

- See more at: http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/10-ways-to-raise-your-vibration/#sthash.P3mtx9K6.dpuf

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A song for my grandmother, Georgette Thomas.

Georgette Thomas, 83, of Chester, passed away peacefully on February 13 after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. She was known best and adored as the innkeeper of The Hugging Bear Inn & Shoppe in Chester, her business and passion since 1982. She is survived by her sister Phyllis; her children, Laura, Paul & wife Diane, Sue & husband Jim, Kris & husband Bob; and five grandchildren. Georgette was born in Brooklyn, NY on August 15, 1930 to Susan Sohner and George Poehland, a prominent violin maker. She was raised in Jamaica, NY and graduated from Jamaica High School. She attended Green Mountain College in Poultney, VT, as well as Syracuse University. As a young woman, Georgette worked as a social worker before having children, and again when her children were older. She was actively involved in the politics of New York state, the Civil Rights movement, prison reform and literacy programs in state prisons. Georgette was also a lobbyist for women's rights, fair wages for women in the state of NY, and organized groups to work for safe and legal abortions. "Georgie," as she was known by friends and family, loved the Adirondacks. She spent many summers there during college and with her children. She enjoyed folk music of the 60's and often brought her kids to folk festivals. Her passion for words and poetry remained with her throughout her life. Her grandson, a musician and songwriter, says he would always mix the vocals on his albums loud enough for his grandmother to clearly hear the words. Customers in her teddy bear shop would find his lyrics & music, along with artwork and photos of all of her grandchildren, proudly on display as she would never miss an opportunity to boast their accomplishments. During her years at the Hugging Bear, you could find Georgette conversing warmly with guests, doing yard work, or shoveling snow with an unshakable smile. She remained healthy and active throughout most of her life. In 2011, she took a trip to the Galapagos Islands where she snorkeled, sailed, and observed the unique wildlife. A few years prior to that, she spent a winter's week in Yellowstone cross-country skiing. In her life, Georgie embodied love. She will be remembered by her family, friends, and many others for her kindness and compassion. A memorial celebration will be held in the Spring.

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For Georgette

Its 5 am and I can't sleep. If for nothing more than the transcendent vibrations these words may project her way, I want to express my love & gratitude for the woman in this photograph, my grandmother Georgette. Since the night my family moved back to Vermont when I was 4 years old, when she took me for a walk in the cemetery next to her Inn to explain what it was and that I had nothing to fear as the only ghosts were "friendly ghosts." And since the repeat mornings I crashed her kitchen wearing superman pajamas & bear paw slippers shouting "pancakes!" in front of her B&B guests, she has been one of my true soul companions; a critical guide and muse to the man I've become, and an example of compassion & love I'll be hard pressed to match in all the years I have left on this earth. Even up to this last Christmas eve, she's never missed one of my shows at home. Two years ago she explored the Galapagos at the age of 80! A few years before that she cross country skied for a week in Yellowstone. Since 1983 till this last year, she's run a successful bed & breakfast in Chester, VT called The Hugging Bear Inn & Shoppe. People from around the world have been coming to visit the Inn annually since I was a kid, in part to dig her badass teddy bear collection, but mostly, I'd wager, just to bask in her infinite awesomeness. Last February I got the call that she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. To see how hard Georgie has fought this thing, far beyond the doctor's expectations, and how my family has handled this insane time with such grace... it crushes me and lifts me up in the same breath. I can't describe it. The part of me that understands death knows that she's almost ready to make her exit and transition back to the great mystery from which we all came. The beautiful letting go... her final dance. In this way I am happy for her and I hope she knows how much light she's leaving behind. That other part of me: the emotional, conscious human being who has been staring out of his bedroom window at 6:03am watching snow fall as he tries to put words to a feeling so REAL it makes him numb... he's gonna miss her. More than any facebook post could convey. More than any song he'll ever write. I love you Georgie. Thank you for everything.

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A fan review of Transients (must read)

An open letter to Ian Astbury of The Cult,

The album is not dead. It’s living in shitty apartments and waiting tables in New York City.  Rather than being spread across the country on car radios, it’s locked away in guitar shells only to be released in subway stations. Yes, maybe the album got lost for a while amidst the poppy noise of the early 2000’s, but it’s beginning to find itself again. Legends are continuing to push out records such as Paul McCartney’s ‘New’ and Elton John’s ‘The Diving Board,’ and we’re seeing the album format in it’s entirety reenter pop music with works such as Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ ‘The Heist’ and Fall Out Boy’s ‘Save Rock and Roll.’ However, beneath all the hustle and bustle of music greats and pop tones, the album continues to thrive in the hands of acts such as Beck, Motion City Soundtrack, and most recently Foreverinmotion.

‘Transients’ is Foreverinmotion’s fourth album, which have all been written and recorded by (initially) small town musician Brendon Thomas. His first three albums mostly focused on the natural world that surrounded Thomas either in his hometown of Chester, Vermont or the sights he’s seen traveling the country while showcasing his tunes. Thomas describes ‘Transients’ as his “New York City chapter… a series of subconscious still shots taken from the 4 ½ years I lived, created, loved, got my ass kicked, and seized opportunities I could only dream of had I lived anywhere else in the world.” Upon completion of Transients, Thomas moved to Philadelphia, where the other members of his side project, The End of America, currently reside.

The album starts off with the title track, as a steady acoustic guitar takes the listener back to the previous albums of Foreverinmotion. About a minute in, the listener is swept up into the speedy sounds of rock & roll and the big city. Thomas describes a complicated relationship with the city he calls home, commenting on the everyday frustrations of working low-paying jobs that so many artists in the Big Apple go through. He also critiques the life-style that so many New Yorkers take part in, putting their nose in their smartphones and standing idly by while the city spins around them. He offers the listener the question “What’s left of us when all the satellites come down?” This complicated relationship continues into the second track on the album, ‘New York City.’ With enchanting lyrics such as ‘For all the times I’ve sworn to leave you/ All the times I’ve had enough/ You invent for me another a reason to stay.’ Foreverinmotion contrasts the usual sound we’re used to being associated with New York. The packed avenues, the loud dance clubs, and the bright flashing lights of Times Square all seem to be put in slow motion on this track.

After ‘Rain in the Afterlife’ and ‘Trials,’ two beautifully slow and haunting songs, the album picks up the pace again with ‘Lightning.’ The song kicks right off with a killer solo by Thomas, then continues on a fast pace with lyrics describing how Thomas’ misses the open country and natural world he left behind when he moved to New York. With a nod to his sophomore album, ‘The Beautiful Unknown,’ Thomas describes how he wishes to ‘Drive out west and chase the wind/ Like all the times I’ve done before.’ This is of course a reflection of one of his more celebrated songs from his earlier works, ‘Turn and Chase the Wind.’ ‘Lightning’ helps prevent ‘Transients’ from entering the mid-album lull that so many records in this genre have fallen victim to.

The next two tracks, ‘Flesh, Blood, Bone,’ and ‘Wild Animals’ slow down the album once more, and continue to describe Thomas’ struggle being seemingly so far away from the natural environment that has surrounded him throughout his life and the frustrations that have come along with adapting to the city lifestyle. ‘Wild Animals’ especially highlights the struggle that so many individuals encounter, and that is sometimes it seems just as if we’re ‘howling at the moon,’ searching for something that God only knows the path to.  

The album concludes with the song ‘Fevers,’ which is arguably the most haunting song, both lyrically and musically, I’ve heard since Coheed and Cambria’s cult favorite ‘On The Brink.’ Although brighter, ‘Fevers’ delivers wonderful vocals as well as swooning instrumentals. A wonderful way to conclude the album, this track offers the listener a chance to be thrown into the woes of discovering where you belong, as the New York chapter of Brendon Thomas’ life comes to a close amidst a background of ambient noise that is overwhelmingly present in metropolitan life.

Overall, ‘Transients’ offers a brilliant soundtrack to the lives of New Yorkers and country-goers, and everyone in between. This album makes a statement to all those who fell under the impression that the album is all but extinct, as well as sends a message to aspiring artists attempting to find their place in this world that constantly seems to become more complicated and noisy. Foreverinmotion beautifully captures New York life in a way that is unfamiliar to so many music fans. This album will remain as a beacon for creativity and artistry amidst a growing community of musicians pushing to get singles and iTunes downloads. ‘Transients’ should serve as a benchmark for every artist planning to release music in the year 2014, as the album format hopefully begins to inch its way back into the hearts of music fans worldwide.

A fan of Music,

James Neary

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New album Transients comes out tomorrow

The new album comes out in 1 day! After some reflection over the last week, I feel inspired to give "Transients" an introduction. This album is my New York City chapter. Its like a series of subconscious still shots taken from the 4 1/2 years I lived, created, loved, got my ass kicked, and seized opportunities I could only dream of had I lived anywhere else in the world. The title relates to how fast things move in the city; the people and dreams that come and go, including myself and my own. Though it wasn't intentional, the album was finished only two weeks shy of my last day in New York. On January 1st I moved to Philadelphia. I did it in part for a change of scenery, but more so in part to be where I can afford to devote most of my time to this music thing I love so much. It might sound corny, but sometimes life is poetic in its timing & transitions. Few experiences compare to the feeling of creating something new that you're proud of. I wrote and played the whole lot on this album and had a blast doing it. Finding the perfect running order of songs, listening to it loud in the car to ensure that it sounds alright even on sh!tty speakers over highway noise, and finally packaging, shipping, and knowing that its on the way to other human beings to be experienced and shared: that's amazing. It'll never get old, and I hope it never dies. I can't thank you all enough for the help with this one. That kickstarter campaign scared the crap out of me initially, but you guys came through, and now here we are on the other end! How cool is that? I'm a lucky dude and I won't forget it. xo Brendon

http://www.foreverinmotion.net/transients

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The new single and title track from my upcoming 4th album "Transients" is out now.

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infinity will run out of rails if it isn't chasing its tail.

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NYC journal page

This is random. Here's a day captured in my lonely journal.

5/24/2011

I live in New York City. Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

Tonight I was a bartender, as I have been for many nights since I moved here in July 2009. I don't love it. Everyone is here to create and to become something while trying to survive in this circus.

I had beers with friends after work. Took the 2 train home. Listened to Ray Lamontagne and thought about how we all make assumptions about one another. No one really knows anyone. I observed a homeless man wearing headphones that connected to nothing. His lip looked infected. The young man across from me was well dressed and looked pensive. The woman beside me looked sad. That’s all I know. I bought eggs and  bread at the bodega on the walk from the train. Went upstairs. Decided to smoke a rare cigarette and observe the moment at 782 Nostrand Ave. Passed two men watching the Lakers playoff game recap in a carribean seafood restaurant. It is 3am. Met a dude named Chad who was returning from a rich woman’s party on the upper west wide of Manhattan. He lives two doors down. Saw a prostitute screaming at a man for money, puncturing the pavement in high heals as she marched down the street. Another man, her pimp I'd wager, followed her dressed in a red suit like a dust cloud in her bright anger. I noticed the man at the bodega was watching too. We laughed and engaged in a conversation, drawn to one another's relative sanity. Having bought eggs from him a half our prior, we were no strangers in the night. He was soft spoken. He told me he liked heavy metal music, and that this neighborhood is dangerous. He lives on Ocean Ave in Brooklyn. He pays twice what I pay for rent here in Crown Heights. I pay cheap rent living in the hood. He's a good person and I consider him an ally. I went back upstairs, feeling like a birthday balloon from the nicotine, ate some eggs and went to sleep at 4.

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The LIVE album Songs from the Road comes out on Tuesday December 11. Check it out on Bandcamp & iTunes.

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FALL TOUR ANNOUNCED!

Full details at www.foreverinmotion.net

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Tour starts on Thursday in NYC. Hope to see you!

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Do you know what happens when you get comfortable at a job making decent money?

Nothing.

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Expansion

Came across a midnight rant I wrote around this time 2 years ago. Poetic rambling social commentary stuff. I wear my heart on my digital sleeve and we live in a time of sharing... Expansion I want more beauty in my life. The soul needs to expand. In the city, you can’t see many stars. The evening skyline is a sight to behold, but not a worthy substitute for God’s work above our heads. I need the sustenance of life’s mystery; the conduit to all things inspired and in-tune to what really matters, whatever that is. Within us all is a poet; a warrior; a being of oceanic strength, with understanding, rhythm, and uniqueness that extends from the same pulsating energy that flows through and becomes all things. On the surface there is the human mind, which is not unlike a wild animal in most of us. Without boundaries and discipline it runs aimlessly, feeding on desires, material wants, sexual urges, addiction, illusion, and the ceaseless seeking of approval from others. These animals run in large herds throughout much of America, and New York is a major gathering place. Only difference I notice...  the animals here in the city tend to be awfully pretty sometimes. I’m learning how to gain control of mine, slowly. Some days we ride the countryside. Other days I’m being dragged down 7th avenue by the stirrup. On the bright side, the human mind is also capable of amazing things. Unlimited potential as far as I’m concerned. Everywhere I’ve been, there is abundant intelligence, artistry, bravery, and accomplishment. These things are what strike me on a more spiritual level. More often subtle in their ways, but I see them as clearly as the latter in my more lucid moments, which leads me to ask: What has come of the great possibilities of our lives? A lucky or wise few of us never lost sight. Some of us are realizing them. Others have to anchor down occasionally to focus on survival. I've danced that line when I needed to, but I never stray far. Some just don't come back. What really breaks my heart are stories of those who enter into a mode of long-term survival, all the while believing that some day the dream will take precedence again, but somehow the years pass. Year after year, job after job, until the day the dream just evaporates. Some forget or give up early, no thanks in part to hardship and a damaged sense of self-worth. Some are never even given the chance to dream. Bad parenting? Lack of encouragement? WTF? When you’re a kid, its scary to think how easily we make those iron-clad agreements with false notions, especially when they come from the people raising you. I'd wager that no one ever told young Shakespeare he couldn’t write for shit, or Mozart would make more money as a lawyer. My dad always said, “Son, it’s hell raising parents.” It seems commonplace in America to go about trading in your artistic potential as if it were the smart thing to do, swayed by society’s image of happiness in a life that appears more secure; the handsome American dream. It’ll loan you a shit ton of money for college, hand you a degree, get you a career job if you’re lucky, then ask for that money back (job or no job), give you credit cards and a mortgage that puts you in a house full of TV’s that advertise junk and drugs you don’t need; maybe you take a few vacations, and if you play the game right for 30 or 40 years, you can retire with enough loot to live happily ever after. Part of me finds the stability and comfort to be attractive too. I was drip-fed the same ideals growing up. It seems so normal and easy, but then, in my own life I’ve come to understand how material possessions and status have little correlation to real fulfillment. They only contribute to a fragile sense of worth. Now what about the fire? What are we passionate about? If there is no loftier dream in you than to earn a degree, a car, a house and a collection of nice things to put in it, I’m stoked for you. The point in all of this is to address my concern for our brothers and sisters who appear to live heartbreakingly complacent lives bordering on miserable. “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” - Henry David Thoreau Too many, too young, too soon.  I doubt alcohol and drug abuse would be nearly as common if more of us were given a fair shot at doing what makes us happy. THIS IS YOUR LIFE, AND IT IS ENDING ONE MINUTE AT A TIME. The first rule of fight club is you don’t talk about fight club, right? If we were to wake up from our half-frozen state and take back these possibilities for ourselves — to re-open the valves to our true potential — who are we supposed to be asking for this, other than ourselves? And what about the time lost? Is it ever too late? I don’t know. Every day is an opportunity for change. It is now summer time in New York City, and I am taking a leave of absence to be with the forest, by water, in simplicity with books, tea, guitars, messy hair and a healthy regard for only the most basic needs. Grow a garden within my being and invite the muse over for dinner. She can stay the night if she wants and we’ll talk and catch the sunrise like old times. I’m ready to work on my own mess. Send it out the door, pull back the blinds and let the view remind me what was always there and always is. Come around love. Come around spirit. Perfect needs not apply. Just give me what is, and I should breathe the air of possibility again. I’ll toss off my shoes in a fit and stomp around barefoot, kicking water and howling at the big dipper like I’m pissed at it for coming home so late without calling, but mostly just relieved to see it again. Put a crack in my shell and let some light back out! Meditate on cliffs. Collect thoughts and firewood. Sing like it’s my job. Then remember that it actually is my job. Ultimately get to know myself on a truer level, like a song you always liked but never paid much mind, then for once you really listen and times stops. The words, the vibe, depth; it all hits home at once and everything you need is there. Then you realize it was always there, since the first time, and it wasn’t the truth that was ever missing but that you just weren’t paying close enough attention to hear it.

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SUNRISE ON VINYL

The album Sunrise will be released on limited edition vinyl June 5th. Preorders have begun now. $15 plus shipping = two sides of pure analog bliss.

PREORDER HERE: foreverinmotion.net/vinylpreorder

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I was thinking about Buddy Holly today. Then tonight this photo came up.

The humility in that moment you realize how fragile we are yanked me down to earth face first in the cold hard dirt, and when I got up all I wanted to do was tell everyone in my life how much I love them. I mean really love them, and apologize for all the times I've taken them for granted because I forgot how fragile and special they are in my spells of blindness. Looking at Buddy here I get all messed up on time. How relative it is. Neither short nor long -- just a measurement for this physical trip -- and probably nothing more than a cute name for the Universe's ever-changing shape. 

Then to look at this photo of Buddy & Waylon and basically see myself and all my friends, still so young, hungry, ready and open to all the possibilities of life; seeing him owning it, embracing it all so perfectly in this moment... it was 53 years ago that his plane went down in the Iowa winter not long after this photo was taken.

Buddy, I don't understand the reasons for it, though I hope you do now, why your time was cut so short. I see your presence in this world every day, and for what it's worth, I just wanna thanks, anyhow.