Tell Me a Story

Hey everyone,

This one goes out to all y'all in Sunnyvale California. Thanks for hanging out at this questionable corner of the Internet.

We are forever attempting to storm the gates of Heaven here, however, we've been known to get the address wrong.

Today, the clouds cleared for this little dove to land on my shoulder.

I now offer it to The People.


TELL ME A STORY (Lyrics by Joe Nolan)

Tell me a story
maybe one the never ends
bring me to glory
like you would your only friend
When they come to stone me
Have some mercy left to lend
Tell me a story baby
One that never ends

somewhere down the river there's a mission
there's a mill with a spinning water wheel
there's a hawk up in the sky
who's just busy getting high enough
to see if this here story is for real

there's a woman with a baby by the water
the autumn burning brightly in her hair
the current carries off her fears
the water stands in for her tears
and tomorrow she'll be far away from there

Tell me a story
maybe one the never ends
bring me to glory
like you would your only friend
When they come to stone me
Have some mercy left to lend
Tell me a story baby
One that never ends

there's a man with a rifle near the hedgerow
with his red dog running ragged on the green
when you look into his eyes
they are made of alibis
he's the saddest person that I've ever seen

there's an angel with an arrow near the treeline
tonight he'll fly off across the sea
he's not tempting fate
in the way he hesitates
he is patient and he's waiting there for me

Tell me a story
maybe one the never ends
bring me to glory
like you would your only friend
When they come to stone me
Have some mercy yet to lend
Tell me a story baby
One that never ends

Tell me a story
maybe one the never ends
bring me to glory
like you would your only friend
When they come to stone me
Have some mercy yet to lend
Tell me a story baby
One that never ends


This is the new video for my song "The First to Know"





Love,
Joe Nolan

Use this player to listen to my new CD. Consider purchasing a song or two at your favorite digital outlet and help us stay awake here at Insomnia!

Check out my profile at Reverb Nation to see my updated press and bio.

Listen to my earlier releases, and enjoy free downloads here!

The Sleepless Film Festival Presents an Academy Awards Special - A Drink with Mickey Rourke: An Evening at the Shamrock Social Club, Part II

Avast!

Welcome to the Persian immersion!

Please find a space on the rug and sit facing East. The wine has only just started to pour.

Cold Southern mornings are marked by a damp cataract the blurs the air and makes your bones feel wet. Then again, your bones are already pretty wet, what with all the goo.

Clearly I am going over the top in my recent fascination with Mickey Rourke, but The Wrestler was such a great movie, and he was so fantastic in it. For the most part, I don't think we see very much good acting in films nowadays. When I am watching American movies from that great age of the 1970's (Altman, Cassavetes, Hopper, Scorsese, DePalma, Coppola, Lucas, Schrader) or even Euro flicks from the 60's/70's like the movies of Roeg or Godard, the acting in these films tends to be honest and sincere action and dialog - no more, no less.



Nowadays we see to many actors ACTING! This is what makes Rourke such a wonder in this film. There is a scene where Rourke tries to re-establish his relationship with his estranged daughter. It's probably the most emotional scene in the film, and the nature of the scene is such that there is an immediate danger of the acting becoming forced, attenuated, cliche and overly-sentimental. For one moment in the scene - Rourke's biggest moment in the film - he spins perilously close to the edge, but he doesn't wobble. He glides right up against it, and then he glides away. Not only is the scene moving because of its content, but also because while we are watching Randy the Ram reclaim his dignity in his daughter's eyes, we are simultaneously watching Rourke reclaim his squandered gifts and his place as one of the best actors of his generation.





Here is a great, long interview with Rourke in the full-flush of post-Wrestler hype. This chat took place before Rourke received his Academy Award Nomination.




This is the new video for my song "The First to Know"





Love,
Joe Nolan

Use this player to listen to my new CD. Consider purchasing a song or two at your favorite digital outlet and help us stay awake here at Insomnia!

Check out my profile at Reverb Nation to see my updated press and bio.

Listen to my earlier releases, and enjoy free downloads here!

The Sleepless Film Festival Presents an Academy Awards Special - A Drink with Mickey Rourke: An Evening at the Shamrock Social Club

The Academy Awards are upon us and - as every faithful reader of this blog knows - we are crazy for film! As every reader - so brilliant, so dangerous - also must know, the Academy Awards are mostly bullshit.





Just like the Grammy Awards, these American pop-culture celebrations can never seem to decide if they are honoring art or commending commerce.

Will these two never get along?



That said, they sometimes surprise, recognizing real talent over box-office tallies, true vision over crafty hacksterism.

Although neither Darren Aronofsky or his brilliant film The Wrestler got their just due at nomination time, the performance of Mickey Rourke has received the nod.



Here at insomnia we are long-suffering fans of the long-suffering thespian. We wanted to bum his smokes in Diner. We wanted to steal his haircut in Rumble Fish. We wanted to join his revolution in A Prayer for the Dying, and we wanted to be make out with Lisa Bonet in Angel Heart.



After famously destroying his career - and resurfacing with his original dream of boxing greatness - Rourke has made a steady comeback, capped off by his Best Actor nomination for his portrayal of Randy the Ram.



There has been a lot of ink spilled on his journey, but The Sleepless Film Festival would rather hear from the man himself.

Here are two long interviews that allow Rourke to tell his own story on his own terms:

First, The Mickey Rourke Story: One of the best actors of his generation, Mickey Rourke is nominated for an Academy Award for his role as a down-and-out pro wrestler in Darren Aronofsky's film, The Wrestler. In this interview, Rourke talks about his troubled childhood, his early fame, his thirteen year exile from Hollywood, his passion for boxing, and his new work with Robert Rodriguez and Aronofsky.



And now, Mickey Rourke-The Angel Heart Interview: This candid interview with Rourke can be found on the DVD extras of the special edition of Rourke's film Angel Heart. Rourke talks about his bad behavior, boxing, his dog (who makes a cameo) and the great Eric Roberts.



Now for something completely different...

This is the new video for my song "The First To Know"!




If you liked that, you'll love this!



Love,
Joe Nolan

Check out my profile at Reverb Nation to see my updated press and bio.

Listen to my earlier releases, and enjoy free downloads here!

The First to Know

What up?

Just a quick word and a promise-keeping on my last post.

Here is the brand new short film The First to Know. Directed by Chris Rubin de la Borbolla, this enigmatic video stars Jen Rieger as Anna Karina as the Mystery Girl.



Where is she going?

What is she saying?

Who is the mysterious stranger with the camera.

The soundtrack is my eponymous song from my new CD, Blue Turns Black.







Borbolla also directed the short film REvolution, that also starred Rieger as the Damsel in Distress.



REvolution has already made a splash on Nashville's Music City Arts Channel 9. If you live in Nashville, keep your eyes open for the new one soon!

If you want to check out the other songs on Blue Turns Black, look no further...



Love,
Joe Nolan

Check out my profile at Reverb Nation to see my updated press and bio.

Listen to my earlier releases, and enjoy free downloads here!

Thirteen Chinese Brothers

Hey y'all.

Just a quick update and a word of thanks.



This is a rather extensive site, and as those of you who have explored it know, there is a lot of info up here including: poetry, blog posts, lyrics, free downloadable and streaming music, music videos, CD sales, press and bio information, links to my other published writing on music/art/culture, updates on live music performances, an intermittent online film festival. In short, this is the portal for my creative output, and the traffic here is a good indicator of who, what, and where my audience is.



I am pleased to announce that in the month of January, joenolan.com has had over 13,000 visits - a new record. This has also been evident in the steady digital sales of my new CD Blue Turns Black, in the YouTube views of Chris Rubin de la Borbolla's short film, REvolution, and in the comments, emails and real-life testimonies I have received about the strange efforts that exert themselves in this sphere.


A million thanks - and a Buddha Bow - to everyone who has been enjoying this blog and the rest of this site! Please check in often and please repost, share, tell your friends, burn CD's, have a blast.

Also, I reinstated the RSS/XML subscription button at the bottom of my post signature. If you don't already subscribe to this blog, let's hook it up! If you are an avid reader, send the link to someone else who might enjoy it.



Thanks again for all of your interest. Check out the new blogroll on the right side of this page. Friends and family, heroes and enemies, but all cool bloggers!

Stay tuned for news about the new short film "The First to Know", featuring the song from Blue Turns Black. Also look forward to a post about the Rolling Stones, Morocco, The Great God Pan, and the sound of pipes just over that next hill...



Love,
Joe Nolan

Check out my profile at Reverb Nation to see my updated press and bio.

Listen to my earlier releases, and enjoy free downloads here!

New Newness

Hey everyone,

Well it's just a few minutes after Christmas and I wanted to check in and say hello. I have had some great moments with friends and family the last few days and I hope you can say the same.

By way of another gift to you, I offer the lyrics to a song I wrote in the airport on Tuesday. I was delayed in Nashville on the way to Detroit and took the time to scrawl this out.

"Like I Never Knew You"

Put a penny on the railroad track
The ones that leave here don't turn back
Fast steel sounds frightening
Hot copper smells like lightning

And I don't think I know the way
No I won't be coming back today
Lately I can see right through you
It's like I never knew you



Seen the snake shine in the sandbox
Heard the hornets in the hollyhocks
You go to the school of hard knocks
You're still not ready for the big shocks

And I don't think I know the way
No I won't be coming back today
Lately I can see right through you
It's like I never knew you


I'm not bothered by no goodbye
But I can't stand to hear a woman cry
I like to call it an alibi
But that don't mean that it's not a lie
Seen the coyotes in the barnyard
Seen the scarecrow hold a dead man's card
Pray your way into a zone of zen
But you can't go home again

And I don't think I know the way
No I won't be coming back today
Lately I can see right through you
It's like I never knew you


Merry Christmas!

Check out my latest CD here...




Explore this Santa's Workshop and listen to - and purchase - my new CD at your favorite online outlet. Also click the VIDEO button to watch the short film REvolution featuring yours truly on the soundtrack.

Enjoy!

Be gentle in your sleepy hands on this world.
Be a killer in Heaven.

Love,
Joe Nolan

Check out my profile at Reverb Nation to see my updated press and bio.

Listen to my earlier releases, and enjoy free downloads here!

Support this site! Buy Joe's Music! ...