Riley Hodges

“Life On Mars” is an Americana Music Album.

Life On Mars is all about dreaming of a better place filled with love and empathy.

When I set out on this journey 4 years ago to the day, or thereabouts…

Entering 2017 was a time of great change during our nation’s inauguration.

Previously, I had been inspired on a journey through Iceland in September and October of 2016.

When I returned home I felt compelled to write, and to speak my mind…

So here we are again, and we have righted the ship, but not without sustained damages.

Recently, I’ve been working on a TV show that I created called Cosmic Cocktails where I announced the date of my Life On Mars album release, which has been postponed and is now a Listening Party on Thursday, 1/21/21.

With that said, I’m excited to tell you that I’m finally committed to a release schedule that makes sense and I think you will enjoy!

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, there are still some delays that I cannot account for – most importantly, the Vinyl Record I have been working on is taking longer than expected (I do have test pressings completed and you can check them out during my Listening Party on Thursday, 1/21/21).

So today I am making a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT:

TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF MY LAUNCH SEQUENCE WHERE I WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING THE MUSIC OF “LIFE ON MARS“

The Launch sequence begins with a Listening Party this evening, Thursday, 1/21/21 at 7PM where I will ask fans to engage with me on my ‘gram account @RileyHodgesMusic

I will be asking fans to comment words or feelings that come to mind that I will then use to inform my release schedule and I will create an interactive game for fans to play along with me and help write the “Story of Life On Mars” – check out #OURSTORY_LOM on the ‘gram.

From there I will be highlighting each song on the album in order of appearance, including:

• A new Blog Post written and informed by your feedback and comments for #OURSTORY_LOM
• A new Music Video for each song
• Special Offers

You can also Preorder the Vinyl Record for “Life On Mars” by visiting my website here.

We all know that nasty cold that lingers on for weeks and weeks…

Well, it’s been 4 years and I’m still sick…

Donald Trump may be the worst President ever, and just like the inflammation he has caused, we’ll be in recovery for a long time.

But Donald Trump didn’t pave the way for what he ultimately did to our country. That was the Republican Party, now, for all intents and purposes, defunct.

When I read a book called Practical Paleo recently, researching a nutritional plan, I was struck with the similarities of anti nutrients, or defense mechanisms from plants, and how they can exacerbate your immune response to create chronic conditions if left untreated.

In the same way, our country, and the world, has suffered 4 years of this ongoing inflammation, and we are ready for a break. So much so that this has created for ourselves the worst cold we’ve ever known.

Covid-19 didn’t show up completely unannounced, that was the President’s job. But what it did do is wreak havoc on our already taxed immune system. We were ill-prepared, and now we’re just ill…

But the country is looking up with the Presidency of Joe Biden as he prepares to take the Oath of Office on Inauguration Day this Wednesday, 1/20/21. Yay for USA!

Howdy Friends, Fam, and all you Dreamers out there!

It’s a New Year, and I’ve got a proposition for you:

Listen…

Listen to the sound of the trees rustling in the wind, and the sun warming your skin.

Hear the Moon cry in the night, and the animals fight for their right.

It’s a menagerie of thoughts and ideas abound… a cosmic stage, round and round.

This Thursday you can tune-in to my Cosmic Soiree kicking off at 7PM for a listen of:

Life On Mars…

Listen, reflect, and engage… during my fireside chat with Life On Mars spinning on vinyl and yours truly to walk you through each song…

• Follow @RileyHodgesMusic on Instagram
• ^{Thursday 1/21/21 7PM: Fireside Listening Party}
• ^{Saturday 1/23/21 2PM: Join as we continue the fun, with a Q&A + a Hoedown of sorts…}

You can help us launch this thing the right way, with friends and family despite the distance we all share at the moment.

I'll also announce a release schedule where you can follow along, song-by-song and word-by-word, as we write the Story of "Life On Mars."

Psychedelic Cumbias From Peru

When I first arrived at Fingerprints Music on Thursday, it was the perfect opportunity.

I had already purchased items online that I was there to pick up, so naturally we browsed some more…

I didn’t know what I was looking for when I eventually made my way to the right side of the store where hip hop, soul, punk and music of the world was written on the name cards separating thousands of vinyl to choose from.

It didn’t take me long to discover what I was looking for:

Wow, so much yes!

I also didn’t know it until after I joyously showed Melissa my discovery, that she was actually looking for a record of Peruvian Music.

Our search was complete after 20 mins and a brown bag of vinyl to smile about.

When we arrived home, we started drinking some white wine with dinner and dropped that needle:

Side A let’s you know right away that it’s time to dance, so we danced.

If Side A were Downtown, maybe Side B is Uptown. Who knows really, it’s all about your imagination.

It’s upbeat, psychedelic, and sacalo!

I promise you that you will smell the food just as much as you will taste the smoke rising from the vibrant cumbias.

Eventually you come to find that it’s past 4am from a night on the town. Blurred lines and colored vibes mark the dreamy landscape that you have come to find.

That 1am strut y bailar now feels like the morning sun because you’ve danced all night and you’re ready to curse the name of your last broken hearted late night booty call.

Side C seems a bit wobbly, indeed the record refuses to lock in place. The groove is definitely all there, and the vibe is everywhere. Maybe you’re still drunk as well.

If disc 1 was on land, then we are no longer there.

There’s a wah wah and a guapa to tell you more…

All in all, I give this record special privileges in my collection to play my heart for the passion that I know exists. In a world of misfortunes, this music belongs both among the stars and in our everyday life.

We can bring the cosmic realm all the way down to the ground and shake the night away knowing there’s a world worth dancing for.

Step inside:

Track List:

Have you received your Passport to Mars?

Upcoming Launch Codes: _{follow the accounts below to get started}

1/21/21 – Listening Party Livestream @RILEYHODGESMUSIC – comment + interact with the music of LIFE ON MARS on VINYL as we TEST LAUNCH at 7PM.

1/23/21 – Preorder Party Livestream @RRILESS at 2PM – be among the first to help us get off the GROUND with your signed copy of LIFE ON MARS – ^{PREORDER IN ADVANCE & RECEIVE A SPECIAL PRIZE.}

CHECK BACK OFTEN FOR MORE UPDATES – FULL LAUNCH SEQUENCE SCHEDULE PENDING…

This is just a picture, a pixel of words.

For whom do we long for and for whom are these blurbs?

Myself!

It’s the one thing that wants to emerge.

For you! It’s the one thing that keeps me encour’ged.

For them! It’s the grass on a shoulder of whistles, and though hast now understood the riddle.

How should we make sense of all this?

We do it all the time.

The world is complex, and we tend to seek novel moments.

Fans want something and I’d like to know what that is…

What do y’all want to do?

Why y’all here?

How much do you read?

How much do you listen to music?

What kinds of things are interesting to you?

A / S / L ?

Are / You / Up?

What style of music do you like most?

How do you listen to your music?

How much of the behind the scenes do you like to see?

Do you like magic?

What’s your favorite kind of burrito?

What about ice cream?

Pizza? Duh…

How about nachos vs. chicken wings?

What’s your favorite song of all time?

Comment a word and I’ll use it on my next blog post and tag you on tha ‘gram.

I’m going to solve all of the problems in my mind!

By virtue of my efforts I will also bring about change for all of humanity!

THIS IS OUR STORY AND I’M THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD!

IT’S ALL A HOAX, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT!

I’M JUST A RELATABLE HUMAN WHO WANTS ATT3NTION!

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!

I KNOW THAT HALF OF THE WORLD IS SICK, AND THERE ARE SO MANY LIES!

BUT I WILL GLADLY SET US ALL FREE!

WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO!

_{Relate lunatic anarchist troll to our story, perspective shift…}

_{Character says crazy stuff, hoax…}

An album of loud purple sounds. Someone popped their eggnog on a fruitcicle and created a new dessert.

When you go looking for an album of magnificence in groove and the possibility of a meow style, you pick downtown for the bass line and uptown for the tempo.

All the guitars work together like a saddle fits on a horse. Everybody finds their way.

Of course the drums do all the talking when they say n”sp “sp “sp “tat “tat and that bass is walking like it don’t care none except right here.

When people say things about me, I’m the baddest mountain. Like a thunder rolled in and said “hey!” Where all my dancers at?

Track One starts out clean and keeps riding till it’s over, no stops, just a belly up slouching cruise with a clear wind carrying the salty coastal air.

Track Two begins calm, but then finds an off ramp and gets subdued when it seems to find a clearing toward the beach.

Track Three is like a reflection of your grandmother’s memoirs that jot down everything from cookies to coastal swims. Beach days are fun, and everyone gets along just fine.

Track Four is a little more calm except when it tends to escalate for a minute as if to say, “hey, I’m here.”

Track Five continues onward like a boat on an anchor, swaying in the sea. The world can’t help but to bring rain. It’s just life.

Track Six reminds us of our mothers and fathers of the world. Those who lift us up.

Track Seven reads like “a Day in the Life,” and sings like “Bitches Brew.”

Track Eight tells us when to be happy and it’s all the time. “Could you be loved?”

Track Nine has more to say. And it’s that “we want more wine, and whiskey, and a good night’s sleep as much as possible. Someone needs to remind us of this more often, and that’s what this song is all about. Funk layered with harmonies and horns and a laid back approach to life in general. Just finding connection and being willing to embrace it for what it is and to do good wherever possible.

Track Ten someone told me to write them a song and here it is. I’m here for you.

Track Eleven slow grooves and a soft voice with some percussive style, congas and hand drums. Where a groove gets locked in. We are here.

Track Twelve bring rain and birds. In no particular order, someone lights a fire in the sky. With no warning, a siren calls and tempts.

Track Thirteen there is always morning to freshen the mood. The warm sun brings a calm. It feels good to soak it in and feel whole. Cosmic guitars bring a groovy vibe.

Track Fourteen we live in a musical space. Sound is our friend. We know it when we heart it. Soothing, vibey, a tip of the hat. A step in my walk. It’s all the same. Just groove with it.

~ Just Groove With It

All Rights Reserved 2021

Release Date 1/21/21

My mind is a monkey, and my body is round.

My heart beats faster while drowning in sound.

What life can bring will matter to some, and to others we fear for their life is gone.

Who the fuck condones violence to suit their own need?

A leader in charge doesn’t mean they can lead.

A leader can claw and bring about change while balancing is within our own range.

Was it me that knew I was already full?

Was it you so kindly that caused me to drool?

My mouth is frozen, like a glacier in time.

I have a path I want to follow, and a leader… it’s time.

I need to let it go for tomorrow will bring a better day.

Days for us to play around and lay in the fray…