Tag: Rpm Challenge

RPM Challenge

The RPM Challenge starts in six days and long time participants are starting to freak out. Why? Because the website has been down… Since, like March.

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There is a Facebook group that is sort of standing in for the site in the interim, and the word there is that they lost their hosting, tried rewriting the entire site, then the two volunteer developers both had personal issues come up that (rightly) required all of their time.

Firstly, the folks designing and coding, and running the site do so as volunteers and thus deserve MOUNTAINS of thanks.

Second, the website is great but it’s not required. We can do the whole thing without the page. It’s helpful and all, but we can get along on our own.

Site or no site, the challenge is still on.

Another Random Wednesday

Don’t ask me about hockey.  I’m not over it yet.  I’m going to need some time to get over that epic of a choke.

I can’t think of a topic for this post, so here’s a picture…

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I have finally come across a camera accessory I want to get that isn’t a new lens.  I want to get my hands on a neutral density filter.  I want to go over to the Spicket Falls Dam and take a nice long exposure, and I want to do it during the day.  I want the motion of the water to blur together.  Pictures like that are cool, and I want to take at least one cool picture before I die.

Picture this, only with the falling water all smoothed out.

2010-02-28 - spicket flood level 015

Yeah. Cool.

I also want to get a Forest Lake parking permit. I think I can do that tomorrow during lunch. Maybe I’ll bring my camera along for the ride. Maybe I’ll make a lunch ahead of time and eat it by the water. Maybe.

I also want to get a few more songs recorded before July 4th comes along. July 4th is the start date for the FAWM 50/90 challenge. Write 50 songs in 90 days. Yeah, right. Maybe I should change it to the 10/90. That might be more manageable as a summertime project. There was also talk of a bunch of RPM Challenge participants doing some sort of mini-challenge this summer. I thought it was going to be in June, but the site has been down for maintenance every time I’ve gone to it. Today is no exception.

Oh well. I’ll figure something out.

Uploads

I am such a content whore.

The new RPM album can be streamed from three places. My first choice for you to visit would be alonetone, where every home recording I’ve made since 2007 is located, as well as some older stuff.

Next I would say try soundcloud. I liked that site when I first visited, but the free service is kind of limited, and their latest re-design is really bad. They took all of the intuitiveness they had and flushed it.

Finally, you can stream the new music from my bandcamp page. There is a catch to this one though. In order to get unlimited streaming time (like I ever would have run out) I had to put the music up for sale. For the love of all that is holy, please please pretty please DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM MY PAGE. I most definitely do not want your money. Listen if you want. If you like it then you’ll be my friend for ever. If you don’t like it then you probably have excellent taste in music because my tunes are crap. Just please, don’t buy anything from me. I’m putting this stuff up for all (re: no one) to hear, that’s it. Don’t try to buy my brain droppings.

While I’m at it, I wonder if I can embed a playlist from bandcamp…

Did that work?

Eventually I will have the record on my RPM Challenge jukebox page along with last year’s submission, but I haven’t gotten that far yet.

Until then… Listen, don’t buy.

Thanks.

RPM Day 28

Here is Robbie parked in front of the post office in Framingham, MA…
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Here is Robbie putting a certain CD into a certain envelope with a certain Portsmouth, NH address on it…
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That’s it kids, the CD is in the mail.

Let the Rock Immortality commence!

Rock Music for Old People

Finished

The 2013 RPM Challenge album is finished.  Or at least as finished as it will ever be.  I’m done, I’m toast, I’m fried.

I was debating on whether or not to drop one of the 14 songs.  I came close.  Last year I actually dropped two.  This year… ah screw it, I’ll keep ’em all.

I kinda think its kinda cute that you have to wait until track three to hear 4/4 time.  Neat, huh?

Here’s the soundcloud.com playlist:

Here’s a link to what I consider the “official” home of all of my stuff, alonetone.com.  Unfortunately the WordPress.com police won’t let me embed alonetone’s playlist.  If they did, you’d never see a soundcloud playlist ever.

(just for snitzengiggle’s let’s try embedding it and see what happens…  Nothing, just as I expected)

I need to head out tonight and get a disc in a jewel case and a padded envelope so I can mail this sucker into headquarters tomorrow.  I also need to find the design a CD cover website I used last year and then print it out at work tomorrow (when no one is looking).  Then if I can drop it in a mailbox tomorrow it will be on its way.

RPM Day 27

I have officially finished FAWM.  I have recorded the last note, mixed the last song, uploaded it all to alonetone.com, and declared FAWM done.

The RPM Challenge still needs a quick cover, I need to put the songs in some sort of order, burn a CD, and mail the sucker off.

Insert the satisfied sigh of relief right here.

RPM Day 26

I know it’s late for this, but I’ve had a busy day.  Deal, okay?

I added the final lead guitar parts to four of the remaining six songs.  I haven’t made a final mix of any of them yet.  I might do that tonight, or I might wait until tomorrow.  I’m so close to finishing that I can almost taste it.  I should probably start thinking of a cover, and maybe a title.  What do you think of Rock Music for Old People?

Two More

I’m up to eight songs completed now.  I just finished both of the songs that I had to go back and rerecord the vocals for.  Both songs have really been frustrating to me.  I thought I had the vocals done a week ago, but after a later listen I just couldn’t live with them… and give how bad most of the crap I leave in can be, that is really saying something.

This one needed the most work of the two.  It’s kind of a snooze.  I didn’t do a 12-bar blues this year, so this sort of takes the place of a slow blues tune.  I guess.

This next song was titled “So Frustrating” before it became a frustrating mess.  Sort of prophetic of me, eh?  Almost like I knew what was come.  I didn’t, but it seems that way now.  This is one of a couple of attempts this year to make 6/8 time rock.  I like this one, except for all the clipping.  Urgh.

I’m packing up for now.  It’s 5:22, I’ve been at this since about 7:00 or so.  My head is pounding, possibly from the headphones, and just as possibly from the fact that I have not had any caffeine today, and my fingers won’t play the guitar the way I want them to anymore.  I might sneak in another one later tonight, and I will definitely try to get one or two done tomorrow before work.  Only three days left.

I’m cautiously optimistic.