Category: Uncategorized

1-0 After Two

I spent a few minutes recording tonight. I finished one of the two unfinished song idea projects including the rhythm guitar parts. I also snuck in a new song project that I think will end up being a guitar and voice only kinda song.

I should be sitting here right now trying to come up with another idea or two, but the Bruins are playing the Canadiens. We are down 1-0 after two periods. They are about to drop the puck on the third. How can I not listen to the rest of the game?

Game on!
Go Bruins!

Tyler Seguin scores to tie the game 14 seconds into the third period! No way I’m working on music now!

RPM Day Six

Not much for new material yesterday.  I added a little bit to one of the two not quite done ideas.  I did manage to take four of the little song projects and try ordering the pieces into actual song structures.  Of course I don’t actually like any of them, as usual.  I think some of these takes that I thought were acceptable are no longer acceptable.  We’ll have to see.

RPM Day Five

Twice yesterday I found myself sitting alone waiting for something and made use of the time by working on new song ideas on my iPhone. One is probably as complete as can be for right now. The other is going to need some more work. On top of that, I snuck in another just-before-bed idea on my iPad, although its not terribly good.

I think that puts me at eight works in progress in only four days. The slow down is going to come, but for now I’m feeling pretty good.

Thinking positive.

Double Digits

Today is a truly momentous day. Today is the day that my step son turns 10!

Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear best step son ever,
Happy birthday to you!

Double digits. 10 years old. Wow, it seems like yesterday he was just nine, right?

RPM Day Four

Today is day four of the RPM Challenge (and FAWM too, but somehow that always takes a back seat) so let’s recap yesterday.

I added rhythm guitars to three of the five current projects. I can’t call them songs yet, because they are still just phrases without any arrangement. One of the projects is the one that lives on my iPhone. For some reason, using my telephone to record my guitar just tickles me. We have come a long, long way since my days of working the 24 track studio at Northeast Broadcasting School.

Last night before bed I also started on project number six, which is another bass/drums/electric piano noodle. I finally caved in and used the key of E minor, but I put this one in 6/8 time to avoid at least some of the rawk cliches.

I may not have a chance to get anything done tonight, so it’s a good thing that I am way far ahead of the usual RPM pace.

Keep thinking positive!

Headphones

I think I might have stumbled upon one of the reasons that my home recordings sound like utter shit. One of the many, many reasons. Turns out my headphones suck like no headphones have ever sucked before.

I think it was 2003 or 2004 when I bought myself an 8-track recorder and a 16 channel board. I bought a pair of headphones from radio shack at the same time. I didn’t buy their cheapest cans, but I didn’t buy their best either. All I wanted was something better than the cheap crap that came with my portable CD player. Over the years I went through a few pairs of headphones, but I never invested in anything terribly good.

Today I was recording guitars on my iPhone and iPad so I used my radio shack cans. I didn’t think anything of it. At least not until a few minutes ago when I brought up the music app and tried to play the indie rock genius mix playlist.

Uh oh, thinks I. This sounds freakin’ terrible! 100 times worse than the Apple ear buds. What the hell?

For Christmas I got my beautiful wife a pair of Bose QC 15s. I plugged those into my iPad and low and behold! It was like listening to 90’s indie rock in heaven. I swear, Urge Overkill and The Breeders wouldn’t have sounded that good if they were in the room with me.

Yeah, definitely time for an upgrade in the headphones department. I’m not talking about getting QC 15s or anything like that, but the time for decent headphones has arrived at last.