Can anyone else see the photo of my baby girl scrolling along the bottom of the page like CONSTANTLY?! I mean, you know, she's cute and everything but... In other news, I had a dream that I went to Michelangelo's house to pick his genius brains. Sadly for me, he wasn't there (this is probably because I don't know what he looks like and my poor brain wasn't up to working it out), but his gorgeous muse let me in and fed me cake (she looked just like her picture, only blonde), and as I was leav... (293 more chars)
Guitar playing has suddenly hit a level, and I guess that's okay, but it does make me think that it's not as easy as I originally (and rather cockily) thought! Also, I have ditched my wondefully forgiving baby mic and have started using the industrial-size-warts-and-all beast-with-pop-filter and everythang. I am not liking the results. My voice sounds colder, thinner, much less cuddly. So...my cover versions may be a while in the making...maybe I'll ask for permission to submit them as my... (583 more chars)
So I was warbling my way through 'Why Do You Come See Me Now' (with only a short pause in between chord changes...), and it doesn't sound good. So I grab 'Town's On The Edge'...no dice. 'Folk Punk Baby'... 'Breaking and Entering'? No. Something is very wrong. I am a minute away from recording 'No Reply', so I give that one a go somewhat glumly, and...gah! Horrific. This is how thick I am (not that this is the extent of my thickness, you understand) - flipping guitar is out of tune... ... (248 more chars)
My fingertips are happily shredded, but I am playing through the pain and am becoming completely obsessed with being competent enough to play on next year's cd. :-) Sadly, baby Jasmine has all but given up on sleeping EVER, so I'm not even going to attempt recording anything as I can
hardly speak for exhaustion (poor me, I know), but I am playing and
loving your songs (and my husband thinks I sound "cute" - it must be the wonderful way in which I miss all the really high and low notes and ... (483 more chars)
Next year I'm going to do it on my own with just the acoustic guitar that I'm learning to play this year. (1)
I'll have total freedom over the product, as opposed to trying to build
songs around other people's guitar samples - so my cd will reflect
what's going on inside me, as opposed to a 'best I could do' effort.
And I'll be able to concentrate on my vocals and song-writing as
opposed to spending all my time trying to come with vocal melodies in
pre-decided keys that frankly hurt my ... (785 more chars)
Go me! As of tonight, I can play Colin Garvey's wonderful 'No Reply'.. .and my fingers feel like they should be bleeding and my voice is packing up completely. Ahh, but the transition from Em to G is getting easier. As the original* is a simple acoustic guitar and vocal arrangement, my version doesn't bring anything new to the mix and will no doubt be hidden underneath a bridge somewhere. Tess *If you haven't already heard it - you must - it's a fantastically crisp performance and this b... (15 more chars)
And just as I was beginning to give up hope, 3 stunningly presented cds arrive in the post! Count them...1, 2, 3! Joshua Wentz - GMOVJ Angie Fights Crime - E Is For Everything Alternate Modes of Underwater Consciousness - Midnight In The White Room No time to listen until tonight, when I shall resist the urge to listen to them all on random play, and take each in turn and listen to them as they were intended. Thanks guys! Tess
...or so Radiohead would have you believe. LIES!! I have been playing for about 10 minutes and, not only have I had to file all the nails off my left hand (I'm not terribly girly, but I did like having fingernails), I've also started shredding my fingers. Oh and my strumming sucks. According to my guitar handbook, strumming either comes naturally or it does not. Hmm. So I'll be finger picking then. Have written a very simple song using five chords (at least I think they're chords...at l... (278 more chars)
Haven't been able to do ANYTHING for about a month due to house re-think (family keeps growing...house is definitely shrinking...), and my studio stuff being all boxed up with nowhere to go. It's so very extra especially super frustrating because I have a load of mixing tips from you guys and can't get my hands on any of my stuff. Apparently, I'll have to wait another week or two, and then...I'm going to take up ACL's suggestion of producing one song a month (for the next 10 months - so tha... (100 more chars)
So far, I have only received one cd (from Winterstar), and know of at least two others that have been sent. So if you have sent a cd to me then I promise I am not being horribly ignorant...I am still waiting in anticipation, and will let you know when I receive it. In hope, Tess
So last night I waltzed into Second Life for the third time to try and sort out my audio options (I couldn't hear any music previously, which is kind of essential for today's listening party). Anyway, so I followed Fence Flatley's instructions and then took myself off to a bar (Bushy Beard's, or something) where they were playing live music to test it out. And oh my goodness, my socks flew off. I ended up staying there for over an hour marvelling at this avatar with the voice of a real m... (772 more chars)
So I did it...I popped myself in the queue and I was reviewed by Beckwith. Okay, it does sting a bit to begin with - you've actually asked for criticism, rather than tentatively asking your mum if she likes your song because you know you'll get an obligatory 'Yes, Dear.' But there were a few compliments to soothe my shaking ego and, more importantly, a load of constructive points that I can use as a springboard for improvement... So, my four major notes for next year: 1. I have to stop ... (1084 more chars)
This evening, I set myself up with an avatar in Second Life, ready for the listening party... And oh my, what an unpleasant place it is... People are either psychopathic or awfully "friendly"...I left the tutorial area (where some dude with a sword was practically standing on top of me while I tried to work out what to do with my hair) and immediately met a bloke on a bridge who told me that he loved me. In capitals. I was just beginning to instant-message something back about it being awf... (352 more chars)
...arrived this morning! Way-hey! It's like wandering through an adventure of moods and emotions, made all the more personal by the minimal vocals (though I do think the very delicious female tones at the beginning tease you in to wanting more). Beautiful, unsettling. It's like a soundtrack to your latest dilemma. Or your childhood regrets. I have this terrible compulsion to write vocals for every instrumental piece of music that somehow invades my subconscious, whether it needs it ... (237 more chars)
No CD for me this year, it would seem. I posted it myself. From my parents' post office. On the 29th. OK, so the challenge was to finish the CD, not necessarily for it to survive the post...so...this sentence doesn't really have an ending, it just kind of peters out... Am disappointed because my name will appear at the bottom of the participants list as "not received" from now until next year (when I shall send two copies) but you've got to get these things in to perspective, haven't ... (207 more chars)
I'm not happy with myself this year. I'm suddenly remembering all my
pre-February ideas and wondering what on earth my cd was all about...
:-/ In other news, I am putting out feelers for guitar lessons, and this is a huge positive step. Can't wait for February! Tess
I am going to start learning to play the guitar (I bought one a few years ago, a nice one, and I have a BEGINNER'S BOOK). I am also going to pester Michelangelo for mixing advice. This is my pledge. What's yours? Tess
I am going to start learning to play the guitar (I bought one a few years ago, a nice one, and I have a BEGINNER'S BOOK). I am also going to pester Michelangelo for mixing advice. This is my pledge. What's yours? Tess
(Thursday, 28 February 2008) Written by Sister Savage
So I have dumped another song. But it's okay because I am going to
record something tonight and just go with it. Absolutely. :-) I'm not a
completer-finished, am I! Worse case scenario - I have to go with
the one I've just dumped... But anyway, still aiming for the post
office tomorrow morning (because it's Mothering Sunday this weekend,
and I have to get my mum a card...). *disappears off in to distance muttering about the price of flowers* Tess
(Wednesday, 27 February 2008) Written by Sister Savage
:-) Hee! After my shockingly glum post yesterday, Michelangelo sent me a BEAUTIFUL backing track to do with as I please, so I wrote my final song last night and recorded it this morning. So, after much drama and throwing myself at the mercies of my fellow RPMers (Gumbo Stu also makes an appearance this year!), it looks like "Trashcan Chic" will be signed off tomorrow (after one final listen, and the the car cd player test, of course). Aiming for the post office on Friday morning. Thank yo... (265 more chars)
(Tuesday, 26 February 2008) Written by Sister Savage
Wrote another song this afternoon, again with baby-appendage. She was feeling sleepy, so I sang softly (as usual). Have decided to scrap two of my finished songs and try to write another tonight, as the others just don't fit with the rest of the stuff. But that means using just the synth, as I've run out of guitar samples from my lovely friends...so it could all be even more odd. Oh why am I posting this absolute rubbish? Two things are worrying me: (1) Everyone else seems to be finishin... (508 more chars)
(Tuesday, 26 February 2008) Written by Sister Savage
I can no longer bare it. WHAT does the karma count mean? And why is mine just "1"? Is it the number of challenges you've done? If so, mine should be "2"!
Well I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel (and it's not the headlamps of the oncoming train). Thanks to a contribution from Gumbo Stu (on Hairpin), my album is practically complete. Just have some final mixing to do and maybe correct the odd vocal horror...hmm, actually the mixing can wait! As ever, have been amazed and inspired by the support from everyone involved in this project. And I'm not counting my chickens here - I could still fail to reach the deadline (post offi... (198 more chars)
(Saturday, 23 February 2008) Written by Sister Savage
Well more of a twitch, actually. I have just discovered that I am another song down as a friend of mine who was going to send me some final guitar parts has suddenly been struck down by something vicious in the intestine... It was meant to be a reworking of 'Premonition' (original demo in my profile), so I'm a bit stuck. Can't use the demo as it was recorded before Feb... ... ... ... Looks like I really WILL be reciting poetry over a disco beat! The last week is always the best. As you wer... (11 more chars)
Finally came up with a name for my cd. But now I am thinking that *nervous laugh* it's all a bit too tempting to pop a picture of a rubbish tip on the front cover... Anyhoo! Have just 1 week left and I still need to write 2 or maybe 3 songs. I am going to do it though... I was working towards an album of 7 original (written in Feb) songs and 3 re-works of older songs but the closer I get to the finishing line, the more uncomfortable I am with this. Thought about dropping out but NO, I w... (142 more chars)
(Tuesday, 19 February 2008) Written by Sister Savage
So I spend the whole evening recording "vocals" on my latest effort (up tempo love song for cats) only to listen back and find that NOT EVEN I can tell which notes I was trying to hit.
(Saturday, 16 February 2008) Written by Sister Savage
I've been listening to a *lot* of demos tonight and I am just astounded by the quality this year...not only of the song-writing itself but the production! It's inspiring and intimidating. REALLY looking forward to this year's jukebox. Though I'm sure jukebox is spelt with a "d". Tess
(Wednesday, 13 February 2008) Written by Sister Savage
Am very very behind as I...oh who cares, we all have reasons not to finish. But, spurred on by friendly demo comments, I throw myself back on to the horse (so to speak, stay with me) only to develop a THROAT INFECTION. Love you. In hope but fading fast...Tess x
(Wednesday, 06 February 2008) Written by Sister Savage
Misery! I am finding it so hard to find time to do this... (I have a 1 month old, and a toddler...). I finished song 1 today (though I hope I get time to redo some of the vocals at a later stage) and am already finding the challenge of writing and recording another 9 very very daunting. Is it cheating if I record new versions of songs I have already written? Tess x
So I'm just about to head into the studio (okay, it's a keyboard, a mic and a computer in the garage), coffee in hand, poetry in heart..and I get a call to say that my in-laws are coming to stay for a few days... Grrr...
Go to the Wikipedia home page and click random article. That is your band's name. Click random article again; that is your album name. Click random article 10 more times; those are the tracks on your album. My Band : Mythical Kings of Sweden My Album : Frozen Pictures Tracks : 1. North Carolina Highway 100 2. Simple Interrupted Stitch 3. Joseph Ruskin 4. Plant Perception 5. Marvel Animated Universe 6. Book Entry 7. Ludger 8. Port of Long Beach 9. Chloroleucon Chacoense 10. Melissa Fiorenti... (3 more chars)
