Tag: Music

Flashback

I watched a video on youtube tonight of a band playing in a bar in DC back in the late 90’s. I saw the band play in a bar in Cambridge at around the same time… maybe about a year earlier. Whatever. That’s not the point of the post.

The point of the post was that I had what seemed like almost a full sensory flashback. I could smell the cigarette smoke, I could feel my ears ringing from the volume, I could feel the heat of the room and the crush of the people packed into the tiny space… it was weird and also kinda wonderful. The video was 26 years old and I almost felt like I was there.

How weird was that?

Seriously, underground bands playing live in the 90’s was the absolute best musical thing ever. EVER.

In an unrelated note, I have three guitar pedals in my amazon cart right now. If I pull the trigger on it, I hope I’ll have a band to use them with. We’re looking at trying to start up again next month, and next month is the day after tomorrow. Cross those fingers, kids.

Amp Sim

The RPM Challenge opened for sign ups for 2025 today. That seems a smidge early, but who cares. I haven’t signed up yet but I will. Soon. I am starting to feel the pull. I am starting to feel the anticipation. I am starting to look at my pedal board and recording setup at home and think about things I might want to change for this February’s challenge.

Last year I went entirely direct input into my USB audio interface. I have two amps with cab sim line outs and I used them both. Over the course of the last year or so there have been a ton of very good amp simulation pedals released into the world. Most are grossly expensive. TC Electronics has a series that is reasonably priced. Do I want to try one? They have one the sims a Fender Deluxe Reverb. I went looking for one on amazon the other day and they appeared to be out of stock. I checked again today at a couple of music vendor sites and they are definitely available. I must have misread the amazonian’s site somehow.

I would only ever want to use a device like this for home recording when there are people in the house. Otherwise I am playing through a real amp and just try to stop me. The demos for these pedals make it seem like they sound pretty good. Should I try one out? Should I take the amp sim plunge?

Or should I just splurge on an expensive new guitar? Or, should I splurge on an expensive new guitar?

Air Fryer: An Obsession

I cooked lunch for me and my wife today. I cooked it in an air fryer.

I am about to start cooking dinner for me and my wife. I am going to cook it in an air fryer. I just have to wait for the dishwasher to finish so my air fryer baskets will be clean, then I’ll start on dinner.

I think I might be a little obsessed with cooking in an air fryer. Is that even a thing?

The only thing left to do (apart for wait another five minutes for that pesky dishwasher) is to decide what music to listen to while I cook dinner in an air fryer. I’ve been listening to a ton of Tsunami lately. Also a pretty healthy dose of Throwing Muses. Maybe I should drift back toward prog. I’m thinking maybe some 80’s Rush… or maybe some 90’s King Crimson? I don’t know. Let’s just see where the world takes us, m’kay?

Bands

I want my band back. We were so close to having it back, what the hell happened? We were actually talking about trying to book a show around Halloween. Instead, we never played together again. Why? How?

What if I can’t get my band back? What happens then? If the band is over, do I want to start a new band? Do I want to join an existing band? The thought of either option is just overwhelming to me. Why? I don’t understand it.

I just want to play, you know? It is all the other stuff that has to happen to allow one to just play that I can’t wrap my tired, old man brain around right now. I could blame it on the holidays, but I was spinning my brain around this long before the holiday season started.

I just want to play.

Today’s Agenda

So Robert, what’s the plan for this fine December Saturday?

Oh nothing…

First I pick up the antibiotic cream stuff that was prescribed for the mess that is my left eye (ouch). Then I put some clothes in a backpack and maybe some gas in the car and maybe pack up some protein bars and snacks and water bottles. You know, like you do.

Then Jen and I hop into the car and mosey on up to New Hampshire to pick up my mother in law. Then we mosey on over to Vermont to meet up with the kids.

Then, later tonight, it’s nothing special. We just go to see my step daughter, Bellana, perform with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra again. They are doing a string of holiday shows this weekend and tonight’s the night for us. She’s in the chorus. You know, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus. Nothing special.

(Your humble narrator takes a moment to squeal with pride and glee)

I mean… is your step daughter in the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus? No? Oh. Groovy.

Road trip!

2024 NaSoAlMo Day 28/30

This will be the final NaSoAlMo post this year. The project is complete. Success!

I mixed the last two songs yesterday. I also came up with a final running order and took a cover photo with Hipstamatic. I tried putting text onto the photo but the app I normally use was acting buggy and I just gave up. Not a big deal.

Here’s a link to the final playlist on alonetone.

Here’s my not very imaginative cover pic:

Here are links to the songs, in the order they were finished which also happens to be the order they were started.

An “album” called Sevens and it is made up of seven songs in 7/8 time. The lyrics to all seven songs also deal with the same topic. I’m not going to say what but you can probably guess given current events. I guess this means that this is my first concept album.

I guess that concludes our internet music challenge projects for 2024. Up next will be the 2025 RPM Challenge in February. That’s the big one for me.

Finished

I just finished mixing the seventh and final song for this year’s National Solo Album Month project. I’m done! Not only that, I am done on the 28th day of the month, just like the February RPM Challenge. I might be hardwired to do album-in-a-month projects in 28 days.

Sevens

2024 NaSoAlMo Day 27/30

Day 27 (yesterday) was a day off from work so I had plenty of time to mess with music. I ended up mixing three songs. That means five out of the seven songs are done and done. Boom. Only two more mix downs left. I still need to find a cover photo for the “album” but I know what I want to do. I also need to finalize the running order but I have most of that worked out already.

Here’s the list of completed songs: