WTF part 2

ha...four years later i update.

honestly, i lost the login for this thing years ago, and lost interest.

that is, until i found an old spreadsheet with login info :)

so, here's some up to date info:

--the plumbing business failed miserably. "they" always said you shouldn't engage in business that you aren't passionate about, and i really didn't like the plumbing game at all. i got ripped off by general contractors more than once, and ultimately it was the fact that i was a small fish in a big shark tank.

so, F the contracting biz. my experience only taught me to Distrust All General Contractors.

the biz died in '08. then, my mom took ill, followed by my dad. i spent most of 08 driving between both of 'em to keep 'em alive. they live about 150 miles apart; there was a LOT of driving, so much so that i actually became a better driver: cruise control, speed limit, the whole works.

they're still alive today, our mom and dad. god bless 'em. they gave me life, and continued to keep me alive as i struggled to gain employment in the Tech sector.

i did get some tech work in '09, but pretty much bad employment luck has followed me, up until this week, when i picked up what may be a goodie. combination PC tech/desktop support/webmaster. not bad for a dobro-playin ex-plumber.

speakin' of dobro, '08 marks my reemergence into the world of live music performance. from 08 to present, i've played in six or so bands, and a lot of open mic nights. for now, i'm in one band, called "ish." it's like rock, only with turkish and indian percussion, it's got some reggae, but folk-ish...you get the picture.

so, updated music links. these websites were created by me

dobrocat.com
ishband.com

check 'em out, oh intrepid traveler, if you have a minute and a penchant for original sounds.

i'm also freelancing some web design. well, who the hell isn't in this day and age, eh?

resodelic designs

thanks for reading this far. this has got to be the MOST pathetically written and updated blog on the interwebs, but it's mine, and you're reading it.

happy trails

Blog??? WTF???

so, i see that it has been over a year since i added to this blog...

yet, i see that there have been some views. no doubt random hits on the "next blog" button...


well, what the heck, i'll provide an update:

• the job search took too long. i have started my own plumbing business.
  
  the link is here
  
  i've been in for one year, and it has been an interesting ride. i am definitely proving the theorem "wrench smart and business stupid," but at least i am learning.
  
  no law suits, no damage, plenty of satisfied customers.
  not a bad start i'd say!!
  
  
• i have also implemented a music website.
  
  the link is here
  
  i tired of giving control of my "art" to unseen parties, so i have a streaming-only site. there is a contact page provided for those who need a download.
  
  
• i have written some new tunes since last october. i have been orienting my output toward the dobro and it's been working just fine. all my tunes and collabs are featured on the music site.
  
  
  all in all, lotsa learning in the past year, which is a good thing, especially when one is forty-two and climbing!!
  
  

~web stuff~

my sites have been set up by my friend and fellow musician joe "numnutz" wilk. i met joe through the cubase users forum, and he was kind enough to offer his services. check out my sites...there are links there to both his web business as well as his band.

there ya have it. nothin' like a quick update...

Inspiration

It’s all about the music these days it seems.

I was feeling rather uncreative a couple of weeks ago.  Here I have a freshly-built DAW, instruments, effects, and zero inspiration.

Feeling frustrated, I discussed this situation with Kevin Evans, who gave me a couple of lyrics to play with.  On the first set of lyrics, I wasn’t quick enough, and he had already gone to Ian Rushton with them.  These became The Corners Of Her Room.  I do play the flute on this piece, which appears about 2/3 into the tune…

The second set were lyrics called “She’ll Look To You,” which I interpreted to be about redemption thru procreation contrasted by the inevitable loss of innocence.  

I got inspired one day messing around with me redrum drum machine, programming minimalist patterns for atmosphere, when bing a light went on and it just seemed like it was the perfect setting for the words.

I quickly cooked up some equally minimalist chords,  sang a rather r&b vocal to the words, and sent that off to Kevin.  He came back with a vocal that was nothing like what I sent him, and his delivery just about knocked me off of my seat.  He captured a plaintive quality, and reflected the delicate nature of the subject matter.

After going back and forth on this for a week or so, we ended up enlisting Wim Koopman from Holland on saxophone, and Nick Crosby from New York State to play a guitar solo, which became a duet with himself…

The order of solos are myself on 1st guitar solo, Wim on sax, Nick on the duet with himself.

The song can be streamed if you click on the title.

She’ll Look To You

Lower the lights, take a breath, listen to the words…

Noo toon

After much musical inactivity, I managed to churn out another tune.  The words came out as if I swallowed an emetic.

Catharsis??  Kind of, I do feel a bit better…

I knew my voice wouldn’t do it justice, so I asked my friend Kevin Evans to handle the lead vocal, which he did.  He also helped me tend to several remixes, a job akin to pruning…


Ennui


That link will take you directly to the stream.  If you cannot stream, there is a download button on the page that will allow that too.

Another thanks to Kevin for yet another great internet collaboration experience!!

Scrub Records

Allrighty then……

I got the omd deal sussed out.  Thanks to my cubase.net colleague Dave Smith, I discovered the joys of Scrub Records.

Their format is similar to the late ArtistBlast, and they have no pop-ups and fewer ads.  I can now happily do some “deep linking” to my songs anyhow, and I will do so here shamelessly.

Playing Cloud Music

The Last Son

Another Fine Day

Dobro Impressions of the Three Bs


Unfortunately, my other collaborations with Kevin Evans and Ian Rushton are still where I have indicated in the post below.  I have included links to their pages here anyhow.

Thanks for giving a listen…Please comment here if you actually do listen; I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts.

@#$!%&*

That’s right—


I have been trying in vain to present some decent links to music that I have made or participated in.  ArtistBlast is dead and gone, a victim it seems of decent connections and reliable up time.

Soundcluck is failing as far as links go.  I have tried several times to put up links to stream the songs—I figure you are viewing this without wanting to screw around too much with searching for songs that in the end are, well, just songs…

I am proud of what I have been doing musically.  Well, these sites are not being very cooperative in my bragging efforts, so I will just have to present links to the sites where my collaborations exist.

Kevin Evans put up a site called Drift.  Here you will find both of my collaborations with him, although “The Last Son” is also up at my soundclonk site.  I encourage you to listen to “Easy”—it is a very original tune, and I do some fair rippin’ up of the ol’ dobro there.

Ian Rushton’s site at soundclot is a bit more of a challenge.  The song “Distant Horizons” is there roughly half way down the list…

I hope you have time to give them both a listen anyways…

In the distance, a death knell

Forget about all of the stuff I wrote below regarding Artist Blast…

In a most typical dot com fashion, they disappeared without hardly a “by your leave…”

This is surprising too, being that they lately have instituted higher bit rate on their radio station.  They also started an affiliate program, which I signed up for as well.

Par for the course for me I’m afraid.  I joined Artist Blast when I won a lifetime membership (ha!) by creating a promo spot for their internet radio station.  I’m the guy who never wins anything, and now we can see why…

So, I will be posting songs somewhere else, and updating links to those that I have collaborated.  If you like the music I make, stay tuned…