Not much to say. Steph’s internet connection is less than ideal and the awesomeness that is Skype can’t even save it. Sad days. The album is coming along. We’re pretty close to being done with editing and recording, minus vocals and “special parts”. Can’t wait for everyone to hear it.
Day 16
Why is he touching me? smile
Day 17
Got disconnected from Skype fake smile
Day 18
Upgrade from yesterday’s earbuds smile
As mentioned in my last post about the unreliable awesome hard drive in my MacBook, I am currently touring about the southeast. Not something that’s out of the ordinary for me but I feel like sharing this time. It’s been a fun week and fun day in particular. After dropping off my first child MacBook in Asheville I got to spend the night with my grandparents, who are great, in SC. Then it was on to the party in Winston-Salem with my close, close, close friends: the Russes. Lots of video games, VH1 Classic, and album recording/mixing … but mostly the latter. Yesterday we brought the portable rave to Columbia (SC) and today we had, not one, but two fun band appointments. In the morning we got to play for a local cable on-demand music program called Live at the Jam Room. The guys working there obviously knew what they were doing and were friendly to boot. We had a great three-song rock concert which, we hear, should be up for your viewing pleasure soon. Next we got to take our second batch of pictures with the coolest photographer in the known world (no exaggeration) Melinda Register. She already has a small selection from the shoot up on her myspace (see link above, but you’ll need a myspace account) and they look awesome. She took two hours out of her day to hang out with us bunch of bums and we had a great time.
We have a show tomorrow night in Raleigh which, hopefully, will be just as good if not better of a time that today. If you’re in the area come enjoy the rock!
What would any post be without the pictures? I must say, I think it’s starting to look nice and manly.
Day 13
Winston-Salem smile
Day 14
Recording cohorts smile (feat. Stephen Russ and Jamie Heiting)
Day 15
Columbia smile
So Thursday night, not too long after the posting of the awesomeness that is facial hair, the hard drive in my laptop decided to die. There wasn’t any reason - any unusual programs being run, it wasn’t in a strange location, it wasn’t being taxed - nothing. All I get is an error message, in response to which I restart my computer, and it just never comes back to me. The failure happened minutes after Apple Support stopped taking phone calls and, of course, the night before the launch of the new iPhone. So the next day, the numerous locations that would normally be thrilled to take a look at my MacBook were completely ignoring my calls in order to handle the hordes of giddy new iPhone consumers. The only place that would answer my calls is a repair shop in Asheville (NC) which, thankfully, happened to be on my way to SC (They were really friendly, helpful, and quick - I highly recommend Charlotte St Computer Repair if you’re in/near Asheville!). That was Friday. Today is Monday. There was no luck in recovering the data from my harddrive - it was apparently VERY serious about quitting. There wasn’t any real essential data on there but I did lose about a years worth of pictures and some great video of The Fire Tonight doing their thang. *sigh* Se la vie, right?
Well, now that the computer is back I have a new beard pic for you and one (from yesterday) that will be posted later (time travel!).
Day 12
Happy to have my baby (laptop) finally home smile
Stephanie and I are keeping in touch via Skype while she is away. I am a convert. It only costs $10/month for free and unlimited calling to anywhere in the world (rather everywhere that Skype is available). That’s any time of day too. If you just want to call people nearby (the US and Canada), you can opt for the $3/month option. $3/MONTH PEOPLE. That’s insanity. A mobile company in Europe has a cell phone that will work via Skype as well. Can you image your cell phone bill only costing $10/month AND you could make international calls … during the middle of the day … for no extra charge?
And without further ado, here are the beard pics. Now with captions!
Day 6
Early morning tired smile
Day 7
Audio nerd smile
Day 8
I want to be just like Switchfoot when I grow up smile
Well, I missed a few days. Some might say crucial days. But is there anything “crucial” when your goal is to passively grow facial hair? For those of you who are interested, I have an alarm on the phone to remind me to take pictures now. So no worries.
Had a great time over the holiday weekend with the family. Played some games, watched some movies - an all-around party atmosphere. I think the early stages of miss-your-spouse syndrome are starting to set in though. Never a good sign …
Here are days 4 and 5.
My wife left for Europe today and will be gone for 45 days. As a method of keeping track of how long she is gone I have decided to shave and take a picture of myself each day until she comes home. Some of you will be quick to say that this is a stupid idea. Don’t worry - you’re right. But cut me some slack, married people without their spouse are infinitely more pathetic than single people ever are.
Here is your first picture. I shaved this morning so this represents approximately 16 hours of growth.
There are too many cool/awful things that have happened in the last week or so for me to pass on a post. Enjoy it while you can.
Nate’s last show in Anderson was bitter sweet - because of Nate’s farewell and the unfortunate amplification situation. I was worried that we were going to have to send Nate off with a set of tunes where the keys and vocals were both inaudible. Thankfully we took a break, John worked his magic and got the system to behave, and we finished strong with some intense head banging and stage antics.
From Anderson we headed to the (uncomfortably) sunny state of Florida. We had a great time with Steph’s family. On our way back from our “camping” trip though, our Jeep was being towed and blew a tire. Normally, blowing a tire would only be mild nuisance to your schedule and wallet. In this case, the tire shredded, the pieces (basically) destroyed the front of the car, and the next two days were spent on the phone with repair and insurance peoples. Thanks to Steph’s Dad we were able to get the car fixed and the insurance situation squared away. I will post pictures soon.
Next we moved from the Tampa area to Orlando where we got to spend some overdue time with our friends Dana and Andrew. We surprised them (like everyone else on our trip) by having our puppy with us and, though they were gracious, Andrew is allergic and we felt pretty bad. They still love us though … we think : ) Andrew is an amazing cello player and we spent a few hours the morning we left recording some sweet cello parts for The Fire Tonight album. Can’t wait for you guys to hear them.
When we arrived home (at 11:30 after a 10.5 hour drive) we discovered that our home was infested with fleas. SUCK. Thankfully it turned out to only be our kitchen area but we’ve spent the entire day spraying, waiting, vacuuming, spraying again, waiting some more, vacuuming again, bombing, waiting, etc. I don’t much like the paranoia associated with tiny little bugs. Every time the A/C blows on my excessively hairy limbs it feels like a flea. Again, SUCK. Anyway, hopefully we can sleep with some peace of mind tonight.
The last thing I want to say is that Bonnaroo is going on right now about 30 miles from where I’m at. Stephanie is working right now and I’m hanging out with her. Somewhere above me in the hotel are the C-list (maybe they’re on a different list, I don’t read enough entertainment mags) celebrities Janaene Garofalo (Dogma, Half Baked, The Truth About Cats & Dogs and lots of TV show guest appearances) and Rob Huebel/Paul Scheer (Human Giant, Best Week Ever). I haven’t seen them. I’m not going to prank their room or anything. But they might come up and ask for something at the front desk. In which case there will be a story : )
Stephanie and I watch a good portion of our television online. VCR’s make you fast forward through commercials and are typically lower quality. We find the ease of use and short commercial breaks entirely do-able. Hulu is a site that originally started as a partnership between NBC and FOX and has grown to encompass several cable stations, film studios, and other video providers. There is A LOT of stuff on Hulu worth watching and their commercial breaks are typically shorter and handled better than other sites I have used (NBC.com, ABC.com, etc.).
I just discovered that I have 10 invitations for others to join Hulu. So naturally I turn to my “faithful” readers : ) The first ten people to respond to this wanting an invitation get one. Let me know!
In Article I, Section 8 of the US Constitution, Congress is granted the power to “…To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.”
At first, the length of a copyright was 14 years with eligibility for a 14 year renewal. Next 28 years with a 28 year renewal. Next 75 years or the life of the last surviving author plus 50 years without chance for renewal. And finally in 1998, depending on the circumstances, 95/120 years or life of the last surviving author plus 70 years.
The question that was posed to me by my teacher I will pose to you: Assuming that the last surviving author dies 100 years after the creation of a work, is 170 years really what the writers of the constitution meant by “securing for limited times”? As a songwriter it’s hard to choose sides. My brain says that 170 years is a crazy long time and completely unwarranted. My gut says that no one else should ever be allowed to make money off my hard work and creativity without paying me (or a surviving relative of mine). Should we revert to a system of 14 years with 14 years renewal options so that creative works can enter the public domain and become a force of creativity for generations to come? Or is the ownership of a copyright and inclusion/exclusion from public domain the measure of a works creative strength? I value your feedback and thoughts - please share.
One interesting note - copyright law has been extended every time “Steamboat Willie”, the original Mickey Mouse cartoon, has been poised to enter public domain. Consider that in the motives of our government extending copyright length.
Van Halen Sample Rate Issues
In this video Van Halen is playing to a recorded track of keyboards. The keyboards, for some reason, are not being played at the normal sample rate and are therefore being played back in a higher key. The band starts playing in the original key and … well, you’ll have to watch and see what happens : )
Amazing Cover of “The Final Countdown” (originally by Europe)
This tidbit title is total sarcasm. While I don’t find this video quite as funny as my friends (Stevo and Nate), some of you might. Let me know if it’s a youtube gem or piece of garbage … and if you managed to make it through the whole thing.
Right now I’m taking a class on the history of the recording industry. About half of our time is spent talking about the current state / downward spiral of the gargantuan. It’s awesome. Because most of the people who will read this will probably be interested in what I’m learning I have come to share.
A few recent happenings that signify a shift in the industry:
1. Radiohead releases it’s album, “In Rainbows”, online with a pay-what-you-want model. You’ve probably heard about this one already but some things that you might not know are: Radiohead hasn’t really released any sales data yet. Probably because they’re too busy burning the extra money they have just for kicks. Also, their CD went straight to #1 when it was released in hard copy. Proof that you can make free music online work for you.
2. Madonna signs with (no, not a label) a concert promoter. That’s right, folks. Who needs the big labels? Not Madonna … or anyone, really. While no specific details of distribution methods have been released she will likely make a deal with Wal-Mart, Target, and the like.
3. Paul McCartney signs with the Starbucks label. In a slap to the face that gets more vicious every day, the industry loses one of the greatest songwriters of the past 50 years … to people who make coffee.
4. The Eagles ink a direct release deal with Wal-Mart for their most recent album. What you might not know is that deal led to “Long Road Out of Eden” being the #3 top seller in America for 2007 with 2.6 million units sold.
Basically, everything is changing. Walmart is likely going to cut back their CD shelf space in 2008 by 30% (with other major retailers to follow, presumably). Labels are laying people off left and right because they aren’t changing their business models and trying to fight a losing battle against the digital revolution. The music industry as we know it will be dead shortly.
While it sounds like a grim, depressing, and terrible thing it’s actually not. What this means for the average consumer is that your music selection is going to grow exponentially - from old releases becoming available for the first time in a while to new artists springing up everywhere (including your neighborhood). Essentially, we are seeing the end of the “rock star”. There will still be some nationally known acts being promoted but everyone will turn to their niche rather than just accepting what’s being shoved down their throat.
Also, sometime in the next few years, I predict that radio will come back to the people. Right now Clear Channel owns like ALL of the radio stations in America. No offense, but only people with personalities and tastes more bland than vanilla listen to that kind of radio. It’s not good. It’s corporate manufactured garbage that isn’t being played because the DJ likes it or the industry respects it. It’s on the air because the labels think (they really have no idea, they’re just guessing) that you will like it. Music for the lowest common denominator. College radio stations, though often forced to play everything but the top 40, have programming created by students who (for the most part) are still passionate about what they listen to. Other stations, like WXRY in Columbia, are still pursuing the dream and playing what they actually like.
It’s a great time to be involved in music. But it’s scary too. Any comments, ideas, opinions, observations, etc. you’d like to share are more than welcome. Just out of curiosity, how do you get your music these days?
SUGGESTED READING:
- Our teacher signed us up for a free newsletter from Steve Meyer called “Disc & Dat”. It can be a little lengthy but his rants at the beginning are priceless.
- Something that Mr. Meyer linked to from his newsletter: “The 7 Most Unforgivable Grammy Award Snubs of All Time” is hilarious. The person who wrote the article is totally pissed and it makes for very entertaining reading.
Buy the new album from the following fine vendors!
