New album update!

Hey guys,

Just wanted to drop you all a line and let you know that I've been busy plugging away on album 2. It's been quite an amazing process, and I have some really awesome, talented people helping me along the way, including the incredible Dennis Morehouse, who is one of the best drummers/songwriters (and friends) that I know. This next album promises to be one of the best yet I feel, and I can already see I'm reverting back to my alt/grunge roots (anyone who's ever known me can vouch that I am the grunge foreverchild, hehe)...minus the mouth marbles of course, haha!

In all seriousness though, I've made myself completely vulnerable during this process, and I'm just going where my music takes me. This is the most stripped down you'll probably ever see me (short of me just rawking it out on my acoustic guitar), but I think you'll appreciate it so much more, because it is completely raw and honest. It was very important to me that I make this record by myself for myself this time around, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy making it :)

I'll be laying down vocals on my latest track this week, which is an as-of-yet untitled rock/pop tune in the style of Foo Fighters/Von Bondies, so I'll probably have a little preview for you all to snack on very soon.

Also, for all of you who haven't yet had a chance or who haven't heard, please help your favorite rawk sistah out by voting for me at http://soundtrack.mtv.com/profile/alexxcaliserawks. The more votes I get, the more visible I become to MTV's music supervisors (who ultimately decide what music is played on MTV shows) and new fans like yourselves. Every little bit helps, and I deeply appreciate the support!

Please keep in touch and I'll keep you updated on the writing/recording process. YOU RAWK!

~AC

Finding Out What's Important

If you ever find yourself becoming overwhelmed by all thevarious tasks and roles associated with being a Do-It-Yourself musician, make it a point to PRIORITIZE. You're only one person, and one person can only do so much. You have to accept the fact that in order for certain aspects of your career to improve, some other things may have to suffer until you start acquiring some more hands and/or capital along the way.

For instance, if you spend all your time promoting on Myspace, then your playing will suffer. If you spend allyour time in the garage or the studio, no one will know who you are. It's all about finding a happy medium and PRIORITIZING the things that are truly important in your life and career. Instead of trying to do everything at once and becoming frustratedthat nothing is moving forward, schedule times for promoting,practing, rehearsing, etc. Not only will you be perfecting the art of time management, you'll also be able to gauge just how much time you'respending on a certain task. You may come to find that your playingis suffering because you're focusing too much on the business side of your art, or you're not taking enough time to exploit it.

Luckily, there are some things you can do to take some weight off your shoulders. Don't ever be afraid to ask for help, especially from those who believe in you and your art. This is HUGE, especially when you're first starting out and/or don't have the means to faciliate your music. If you don't have enough time to effectively promote your band, employ one of your loyal fans, friends, or family members to help you. Make sure, however that they're trustworthy, willing to put in the time, are knowledgeable about the local music scene and know how to work all the social networking websites, forums, etc. If you can't pay them, offer incentives like backstage passes or free schwag, or, you can always just give them the tried and true sad puppy dog face :) Works like a charm.

You should also at some point draw up some kind of business model for your project. After all, having a band is the same as owning a business. You're your own CEO, just remember that. Figure out your plan of action, what it will take to execute your plan, and what strategies you'll take to make your plan known. This will not only force you to think outside of the box and come up with unique ideas on how to market your music, but you will also be forced to PRIORITIZE, and list in order of importance all the things neccessary to make your "business" a success.

Once you figure out what's most important, you'll cut all the unneccessary stuff out of your life and save yourself some huge headaches. Think of it as trimming the fat. So, do yourself a favor. Make prioritizing your highest priority (I know, such a profound statement...) Good luck and godspeed my friends...

~Alexx Calise

In it for the right reasons?

There comes a time in every musician's life when he/she asks his/herself, "Why the hell am I doing this? I'm broke, I'm starving, and I'm nowhere near where I want to be or should be..."It's definitely a valid question. As artists, we constantly struggle and sacrifice. We constantly experience rejection. We constantly need to validate ourselves and our art. We're no picnic, and neither is this business for that matter. Ultimately, you have to decide for yourself where it is you want to go, how far you're willing to go for it, and above all, if you're in it for the right reasons...

Having a dream is truly a beautiful thing (and by all means, follow it!), but the reality of this business is, you could have all the talent and drive in the world, and you may never be able to make the connections you need, or sustain a confortable living doing what you truly love to do. If you think that becoming a rich, famous rock star is going to be the answer to all your problems; emotional, financial, what have you, then you're sadly mistaken. Your personal success should not be determined by how much you can make or how famous you can get, but by how you feel inside. If you know in your heart that you won't be happy doing anything else, and there is no other path for you, then you're free, and there's no need to read any further.

Also know that what you do is not who you are. Never in any way, shape or form should you attach your career pitfalls or plateaus to your person. I still struggle with that to this day to be truthful, but I'm learning to accept the fact that having a "bad show," not landing a certain opportunity or not being at a certain level (playing or career wise) is not a reflection of me. I know that I'm a good person, I know I'm doing the best that I can, and I know I do what I do because I love it. Not because I expect anything from it. If you expect nothing, it's always a lovely surprise when the universe actually throws some candy your way.

The only thing you really can do is what you're doing. If, however, what you're doing isn't working, fix it. A major reason why the industry is crumbling right now is because the powers that be are operating the machine with an old manual. You're an artist. Be creative. There are ways to get yourself noticed so long as you put forth the time and effort to find out what those ways are. Don't give up. Just keep on trudging on and remember why you're doing what you're doing.

The key is having patience. Some people spend ten years playing dives and getting shafted before they achieve any kind of success. If you were to experience success instantly and without having to work for it, you wouldn't appreciate it nearly as much as if you had truly bled for it anyway. While you're "waiting," be productive with your time. Get involved in a project you can believe in, write, practice, find out as much as you can about the business.I'm telling you from personal experience that the only way you will be happy and successful in this industry is if you know in your heart that no matter what the outcome, you will always have your music...and yourself. Don't let other people define "success" for you, and certainly don't ever "quit" because it's not paying the bills or it hasn't yet earned you a plaque on the wall. When you picked up that guitar as a little kid, were you really thinking, "Oh man, this thing is gonna make me some bread!" or, were you thinking, "I love this instrument, and I just wanna play"? Maybe your luck will change, maybe it won't. One thing that should always remain constant is your love for what you're doing, and if it means eating Ramen noodles and peanut butter and jelly for a while, so be it. Just play with heart and you'll see that the stars will align for you, promise.

Wishing you much success!

Always,

Alexx Calise

This really is the City of Angels...

After shopping for groceries at a Von's the other day, I started my car, and I heard a loud, whirring sound. I thought I'd run out of oil or that I needed steering wheel fluid because I couldn't cut the wheel, but it turns out that a rat had crawled under the hood of my car while I was inside (probably seeking shelter from the cold weather we've been having here), and somehow managed to take off one of my fan belts—not chew it off, but completely remove it altogether. It was quite an elaborate job, but this rat was obviously a fan of McGyver.

So, I manage to get it 4 blocks down the street to an Autozone on Pico Blvd (Of course it's the weekend, and there are no repair shops open. There would be no story otherwise). I'm pissed, I'm freezing, and I'm a girl. What the hell do girls know about fixing cars? Well, a lot apparently.

I thought she was just a cashier or a phone operator, but I was way off. Lori asked me to pop the hood to see what the problem was. The next thing I know, this girl is on her hands and knees in the freezing rain, fixing my car. I told her that there was no need for her to do all of that, and that she'd gone way above and beyond the call of duty, but she just smiled and said she was used to it. After all, she rides her bike to and from work every day, despite the torrential downpours we've been having here lately.

I was so impressed, and so grateful. If it were me, I don't know if I would have been so selfless. I don't do well with cold weather (I am a Floridian after all), and I sure as hell wouldn't be so willing to dig around under the hood of a stranger's car knowing that there's a dead rat lurking around there somewhere.

Well, for the next 2 hours that it took to fix it, Lori and I joked around about the "hood rat," and talked about life, relationships, and her love of cars. I found out that she's in mechanics school, she's a violinist, and she grew up with good Southern values (her father was from Texas) despite living her whole life in California. I knew that a regular mechanic would have charged me an astronomical amount of money for the amount of labor that went into repairing that damn car, but she didn't ask for anything. I could tell that all she wanted was to talk to someone and do what she loves to do most: fix cars. Never have I met someone so kind, and so willing to help someone they don't even know.

Life is so funny sometimes. Even in the oddest or stickiest of situations, something good can be drawn from the experience. In this case, it was Lori. If it wasn't for this extremely unusual and unfortunate incident, I probably never would have met her. I also wouldn't have gotten home that night, or, if I did, I would have had to inconvenience one of my friends to come and pick me up and then chance leaving my car unattended in a questionable neighborhood. I don't know what I did to deserve the treatment that I got the other night, but I must be in check with karma. Lori was my little glimmer of hope that day.

Sometimes, I feel ravaged by life out here—the constant struggle to survive, the competition, the extremeness of it all; but she truly brightened my day, and I felt compelled to tell the whole world about her.

A lot of people would probably agree that Los Angeles isn't so deserving of its title, but every so often, someone or something comes along to prove that miracles do happen, and that angels do in fact, exist. You just have to believe.

~Alexx Calise