Saturday morning randomocity and new song available!

I was going to wait until I had a few more songs done in this song cycle, but to hell with it. I've uploaded "Far From The Sun" to my Myspace and Reverbnation pages. Check it out--I think it's a pretty nifty little instrumental. You can hear it here: http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_8424522. You can download it, too, if you click "Become A Fan." You can check out the other stuff that's there, too, if you are so inclined. I'd be grateful.

You know, there was a time when I felt like if one were good all one had to do is make stuff available and eventually people would find it. I find now that this isn't the case. It should be, but it ain't. It's all about self-promotion, now. People only buy music from certain artists because they see the name over and over and over again, so they feel comfortable with it. Even if the music is just standard, by-the-numbers, boring pop. As a consequence a lot of deserving, talented artists labor in obscurity because they lack the resources to get their names out there, where people can see them.

It holds true for fiction, too. I got disgusted with the state of fiction a long time ago--I kept reading all these books by these "geniuses" that I was assured would just blow me away. Almost without exception I was not blown, though my money and my time was. Poorly written, standard plots, lousy characterization, and written at a third-grade reading level, for the most part. This is genius?

Sorry. I'm a bit fed up with the world this morning. I'm sure I'll regain my sunny, outgoing disposition after a nap.

To help me regain my temper, click over and listen to the tune. The more plays the better. I do appreciate every play I get--I know better than a lot of people how rare and wonderous it is to have someone give you their attention for a few minutes.

Give it a listen, let me know what you think!

Hard Rain

A heart full of sorrow, and as cold as ice


means I never worry, I never think twice

I've always been slow, been late to the game

But I'm gonna win it just the same



Lots of people told me not to even try

That I dream too big, that I fly too high

Someone has to win, someone has to succeed

Ain't no reason it can't be me



Cause I've been there though years of pain

I've walked home many times, though a hard, hard rain



I've been there, with a whole world to gain

I've walked home many nights, though a hard, hard rain



words and music by J Franklin Evans

Far From The Sun

Astronomers detected it entering our solar system.

It wasn't a hunk of rock. It wasn't a burned out star. It was huge, about the same size as the Moon, but far less massive.

And it employed navigational manuevers to enter into an orbit, far out, near the edge, past the orbit of Neptune. This indicated some form of intelligence. There it stayed, close enough to detect, too far away for anyone on Earth to get a good look at it.

It remained there for several months. We sent radio signals, x-rays, everything we could think of, and got no reaction from it. All we knew is it was artificial.

The nations of the world finally put their resources together, pooled their manpower, and built a ship. Not a simple robotic probe--that would have been too limiting and too likely to malfunction. This was a ship with a crew, carefully selected, highly if hastily trained, put aboard a ship built for another purpose. Sent on the way to rendevous with this artifact.

The day for the launch finally came. It happened, the ship sent on its way.

It took a very long time--years--for the ship to draw near the object. As it did something changed. The artifact began to expand, growing to almost seven times its former size. Was it reacting to the proximity of the ship? Was the crew in danger?

Finally the day came and they drew near enough to actually see the thing, and the entire world gasped.

It was a flower. Gigantic. Beautiful. Alien. Basking in the energy radiating from our sun.

As the ship drew near the alien bloom closed and sped away, on to its next destination. Gone. But it did leave several seeds behind, floating out there, just past the orbit of Neptune. One day they, too, will sprout. The world awaits.

And now, for my next trick . . .

My friend has read over my script for Seer and said she has some notes--I'm sure I'm going to be doing some serious rewriting on that project as soon as she has a chance to get put everything in an email. That's probably gonna be a long email. Heh.

But in the mean time I'm actually feeling like working on another musical project, now that Cold Iron is out of my system. The next song cycle won't be quite as personal as that one, and it'll be instrumental-heavy, too. And it'll only be six or seven songs, probably. It may be a while before I get it all tracked and uploaded, and I still have some lyrics to write, planning to do, etc. In other words it may be a while before anything new appears. Feel free to visit http://www.reverbnation.com/jfranklinevans to hear the stuff that's there now.

I'm calling the new one Far From The Sun. Here's the potential track list--subject to serious channging before it becomes finalized.

Artifact 420
This Is Who We Are
From Different Tribes
Far From The Sun
Lilly
Marked
The Night, Sideways