- Feature Poem: The Sailboat Armada
- Musings: Help the Brobdingnagian Bards #1 on CDBaby

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Greetings <:firstname:>,

Last night, I finished tracking all the last of the lead vocals for my cat songs. Tomorrow, the Bards next CD, Brobdingnagian Fairy Tales will head to the printers. The week is looking pretty durn good!

What's Next with the Cat CD?

Now that the vocals are all recorded, the next step is to add additional instrumentation. I have a bunch of Celtic musicians who volunteered to record on the album including fiddlers, a harpist, a banjo player, and bodhran (a Celtic drum) player. Three of my possible musicians are from Italy!

That really makes me happy too. It's so exciting to see the many possibilities available thanks to the internet.

Now, those brief connections I made while playing at an Irish session in an Italian castle outside of Rome are paying off, because I might have some of these folks perform on my album. That's just too cool.

This also means that the album is completely on schedule. I will have it completed by the end of July and officially release it in October. So if you haven't done so yet, please adopt an album today, because your kind donations will make this album a hit for cat lovers everywhere!

Help the Brobdingnagian Bards #1 on CDBaby

In the last Brobdingnagian Crier, I asked the Nagians if they were interested in helping make Brobdingnagian Fairy Tales a #1 hit. Come July, the CD will sell on CDBaby. If I can organize a good portion of our fans to order the CD in one week's time, it is highly likely we will have a #1 hit CD on that website. And you will benefit greatly from this hit CD.

Now, you really need to understand how exciting this oppotunity is. CDBaby is the world's largest independent music CD store. This means that just about every active musician not signed to a label probably has their CDs there. There is no larger CD store that sells just independent music.

Well the Brobdingnagian Bards fan base is large enough that one big push could easily make us one of the top 10 sellers on that site, if not #1!

To that end, I will notify you when the new CD is available and will be honored if you will order that CD in July. And I'll make it worth your while.

Right now, I am gathering up a collection of freebies by some of our favorite musicians. These free gifts are exclusive to people who buy the CD and include free MP3s from bands like Queen's Gambit, Cantiga, Christene LeDoux, Black 47, and the Bedlam Bards; plus free eBooks, outtakes, rejected MP3s, and some exclusive live MP3s. All of these will be given away to say "thank you" for your order. Plus, you will save 30% off the Suggested Retail Price.

This is a great deal. All you have to do is save a few extra bucks to order the CD in early to mid-July, and keep an eye on this newsletter. I'll let you know what happens.

Upcoming Gigs

With all the work on the new Bards CD, Andrew's not done much booking. Consequently, I have taken over a portion of the Bards Booking. So you can expect more to come.

This weekend, we're in Sedalia, Missouri for the Hamlet of Mid-Missouri Renaissance Festival. The following week, we return to Saradora's Coffee House for the first time in five years.

I'm also planning gigs in Louisiana, Missouri, Colorado, Tennessee, Georgia, and New York over the course of the rest of the year. If I didn't mention your town, talk to me about hosting a house concert or how you can help organize a gig for us to play.

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Sorry for the long message, and thanks for purrs. If you have a moment, drop me an email and say, "hello". Slainte!
- Marc

The Sailboat Armada
by Marc Gunn & Kristen Roger, May 28, 2005

This song was written over Memorial Day Weekend. It was inspired by hearing that Kristen's dad paints sailboats. Kristen mentioned a sailboat armada, and swarthy sea shanty sang through my head in the key of Arrrrr!

O' supper time was over
As we left the Port Pub across the bay
When we saw a frightful sight
As the day turned to night
An invasion like none you've ever seen.

The sails fluttered with many colours.
The boat captains, horrifyingly clean.
Wearing Hawaiian print shirts,
Sandles, and dock shorts
T'was like a Yuppy Convention out at sea.

Thus sailed the Sailboat Armada
As the wind swept away the salt breeze.
On the seven seas I've roamed,
And no worse terror I've known
Than 300 Yacht Club Members out at sea.

Five ships led the race to dry dock
Like the America's Cup with canons.
When a bikini breasted lass
Stepped up to the mast
And was on knocked on her ass by the shifting wind.

Somehow I survived the Sailboat Armada
Nevermore will I venture out to sea.
On Memorial Day I paint yachts
For yuppies to hit rocks
As a silent war against rich conformity.

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Marc Gunn is a musician, photographer, poet, author, American Scotsman, songwriter, music download connoisseurs, web designer, Rennie, online entrepreneur, and a bunch of other labels that don't a whole lot, but all entirely independent.

The world is dominated by massive organizations that strangle the life out of the independent arts. You can stop it at the source. Your good will and support of the arts through kind donations, purchases, and friendly word of mouse will make your feel great!

Really Brobdingnagian
by Kh'wyn. A quick drawing made at Dragon Con last year.

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