Tag: Garageband

NaSoAlMo Day 11 Update

Today is November 11. The day we honor those who fought for our country. For me, it’s also been a NaSoAlMo day. I have all the “songs” I am going to need. Right now the count is at seven songs and 33 minutes. That’ll do. All of the songs have the full arrangement spec’d out, all of the rhythm guitars, bass, and drums finished, and a random keyboard here and there. All that remains is lyrics, melodies, vocals, and lead guitar.

The mess that is the new version of GarageBand has taken 90% of the fun out of this for me. There are little things that are just infuriating. When in measure display mode, you used to be able to click on a beat within a bar and the play head would snap to that spot. Now, it snaps to the spot until you let go of the mouse button, then it moves a fraction of a beat to one side or another. Sometimes it would take four or five clicks to get it into place.

Other changes are gigantic. Where are all the effects? What do you mean I can’t add anything other than compression and EQ? And while we’re on the topic of compression and EQ, where the hell are all of those incredible presets that the old GarageBand had? This alone has pretty much destroyed any chance I had of ever being happy with a recording again.

Anyway. Seven songs. Lots of padding, I’m afraid. None of the songs are under three minutes. Very proggie of me, if I don’t say so myself. I have an idea of how to tie everything together into one big suite. I bought some sound effect tracks from iTunes last night. I think I am going to try and make the full 33 minutes sound like a listener flipping around a radio dial. Silly. Stupid, even. It’s just my sort of stupid silliness though.

19 days to go. Really, I don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of finishing this one on time. I don’t care though.

GarageBand for OS X Mavericks Review

I had to upgrade GarageBand on my MacBook today in order to use files from my iPad. Here is a quick review based on my first thirty minutes or so of use.

The new Mavericks version of GarageBand…

SUCKS!

I HATE IT!

What did you idiots do? This was the best program on Earth for quick and easy recording projects. Now it’s GARBAGE!

I am so pissed off.

National Solo Album Month

If you don’t like music, specifically bad music, then I owe you an apology in advance… Because if I can keep motivated, we’re looking at a months worth of bad music on this little page. November is National Solo Album Month, or NaSoAlMo for the cool kids. I’ve tried this many times, but never saw my interest last beyond the first few days. I’m hoping this year will be different. The plan is to do all the same stuff I do for RPM In February, but focus more on acoustic guitar (for rhythm parts at least) and to try and use different drum and bass sounds in GarageBand. I started piecing together an idea tonight. Just like Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock, it’s just a primary rhythm thing… And that is the last time you’ll ever hear me speak of my music in the same breathe as Jimi’s.

Let’s hope I stay motivated. I want to have some kind of creative (noisy) output to offset my slowly losing my mind at work.

Rock on, brothers and sisters.

Crazy Day

So much going on, it’s crazy. The World Series starts tomorrow, and if you hadn’t heard the Boston Red Sox are involved. I ran my group meeting for the first time today and magically nothing caught fire or exploded and no one died. Can you believe it? Mac OS Maverick is downloading on this iMac as I type this. Maverick… does that mean the next OS release has to be Goose? Did I mention that the Sox are in the World Series? I really didn’t dream that, it’s the truth. I think the cat may have barfed again. I just heard her trying to bury something under the tile floor. She hasn’t figured out yet that no matter how much she digs, nothing ever gets covered up. There is going to be an update to GarageBand. Just in time for NaSoAlMo. Cool, huh?

What else…

Oh yeah, the RED SOX ARE IN THE WORLD SERIES!

NaSoAlMo

Every January I get psyched up for the RPM Challenge in February, and for the last two years I’ve actually finished. Every October I get psyched up for National Solo Album Month in November and I lose interest after a day or two.

Why? It’s essentially the same project. Why can’t I keep my focus through both? I don’t know.

This piece of crap is the only thing I’ve ever started during a NaSoAlMo that has ever been finished. Of course it wasn’t finished on time.

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I have this vague idea of doing something with all of the rhythm guitar parts being played on my 12-string, but the action is so high on that guitar that playing is painful. I don’t think I would get very far.

I want to do it. Maybe I will. I don’t know. Maybe. We’ll see.

A New/Old Song Called Thoughts

This was written at the same time as Laughing. The plan was to try writing songs that I could sing while playing the guitar. I think I played my first bedroom recording of this (with me playing my brother’s drums, gasp!) to Mike the bass player but he passed on it. This song should be brand new to everyone else on Earth. I always liked it, but never pushed anyone to play it. I don’t know why. As for the meaning of the lyrics? I have no idea at all.

A New/Old Song Called Laughing

I don’t remember a whole lot about this one. I wrote it along with two others in my bedroom at my parents’ house, probably in 1993 or 94. I know the idea was to write stuff that I might be able to sing and play at the same time. This was played by at least one of the short lived, unnamed bands I was in during the mid 90’s, but never to an audience. As for what the lyrics are about? I haven’t a clue.

Just a Dream

That’s right kids, it’s 1989 all over again.  I was getting ready to graduate from High School and I was co-writing some major prog rock with the guys in Tempest Fero.

Dig the crazy little bits at the end of the quiet sections where the time signature changes from 4/4 to 3/4 to 6/8 all in the blink of an eye.  Dig the pseudo 3/4 groove that Jeff used to do under the 4/4 riff Jim, Mike, and I used to play during the heavy verses in the middle section.  I think that groove evolved out of him actually playing in 3/4.  Polyrhythms, kiddos.  Dig it and rock until your brain melts and leaks out of your cranium.

 

2007 is Finished at Long Last

Well now, you all have been looking forward to this moment, I’m sure.

I just finished mixing the seventh of the seven unfinished songs from my failed attempt at the RPM Challenge in 2007.  Six years later, and it’s finally done!  (well… if it were done there would be 10 songs, because that’s the rule for RPM, right?  So it’s not done really, it’s just the seven unfinished songs that are done.  Yeah, whatever)  It’s Miller Time!

The Time Will Come ’13

Oh good, thinks everyone reading this, another crappy song from the 80’s.

You guessed it!

The Time Will Come as written by Tempest Fero (aka me and my band back in high school).

I don’t remember much about how this came about. I know the lyrics and the melody came from Jeff the Drummer but that’s about all I remember. Hell, I couldn’t even remember the title until I found a cassette tape labeled Tempest Fero.

I have one more T.F. song planned. There are still two more that I will add to the mess if I can just find a tape. One of them is our 10 minute marathon song.

Wish me luck.