What Every Blog Needs

I told Kilzer that I was going to record a demo this weekend.

I tried, I really did. But I just couldn't get anything going. Nothing at all. It was depressing. Sorry Mike.

But what I did come up with instead is the "Next Big Thing" for bloggers.

Theme Music.

That's right.

Theme Music.

Every good blog has it's own theme music, right? WRONG. It's just not happening out there. So what I've done is I've created a series of samples for you to...well....sample. What you need to do is to let me know which one you think would fit best with the blog. I'll take the winning jingle, maybe add to it, or maybe not, and I'll include it in an inline player (like the ones below) at the top of the board, so you can hear it whenever you'd like.

I'll add a poll on the right side of the blog, so be sure to vote there, as well as add comments below stating why you like the one you do.

Ready?

Here we go!

***EDIT: If you're having trouble getting the player to work, you might have to install an ActiveX control. There should be a prompt to do so at the top of the webpage (below the menus and buttons) if you need it. I've also added direct links to the files if you'd rather play them in your own player.***

1. Welcome Download

2. Gettin' It Download

3. Take It! Download

As you can tell, they're not the highest quality songs every written, but I had a lot of fun learning about the new studio, and a lot of fun making this crap up. In fact, I had one spell there where I couldn't stop laughing for 10 minutes! It's one thing if that happens when you're around other people, but by myself? I think I might need to be committed. :)

Anyway, thanks ahead of time for voting.

Sidenote: 50th post! Woohoo!

Mike's Here!

HOORAY!

Now, if you know me and think I'm talking about Kilzer, you're way off. He's not here. He's there. Or somewhere, depending on when you read this. But as of this writing, all I know for sure is that he's not here. I think he's off camping with Regan or something, if I remember correctly. Or maybe he's back in town spending time with his "special lady." Or maybe she's his "lady friend." I don't know. I don't keep track of his lady friend goings-ons because:

a) it's not my job

and

b) if I did keep track, it'd sound terribly like something from Soap Opera Digest Weekly...

....which would of course read as follows:

***content deleted by author as it was determined that any reading by anyone would detrimentally affect every culture everywhere. ***

See? TERRIBLE!

Anyway, why are you all so obsessed with Mike all of the sudden? Maybe you should be reading his blog here (SPOILER ALERT! I think his next post will be about his camping trip, and I'm pretty sure this will be the time that Regan finally talks Mike into zipping their sleeping bags together at night to "keep warm." ha ha ha).

So what I was really try to talk about was "mikes", or "mics" if you prefer, or "microphones," as it were.

What you can not really see from the above photo is that the drum set is all miked (miced? microphoned, as it were?) up and is ready to go.

To paraphrase the Emperor from Return of the Jedi:

"Now witness the power of this fully armed and operational recording studio!"

Yep. Apart from feeling a need to quote Star Wars, we're good to go.

Here are some amazing action "pics" or "picks" or "pictures," as it were:

Here's me pretending to play the keyboard

(as you can clearly see, the keyboard's not even turned on)

Lessons from previous photo:

1. I desperately need a haircut

2. I desperately need a piano bench

Here's me pretending to operate the recording console

(as you can clearly see, the computer's not even turned on)

Lessons from previous photo:

1. I need to go on a neck fat diet

2. I still need a haircut

Here's me pretending to open a door

(as you can clearly see, the door's not even turned on)

Lessons from previous photo:

1. That t-shirt has really held up well over all this time

2. I feel like I have to mention the haircut and neck fat issues again

I already know what some of you are going to say. And no, I'm not "so tan!!" I'm actually just as ghostly white/nearly transparent as I always was. In this case, I'm just filthy from pulling weeds all afternoon. For proof, please see the completely un-photoshopped photo below, which is a close-up of my thumb from the previous photo:

Yuck. And, if you're feeling especially masochistic today, feel free to click here for an even closer zoom.

Yeah..... dirty.

At least it's not this dirty. Ugh.... makes me nauseous just thinking about it.

Back to the point though, the Yurt Recording Studio is up and running (if we ever figure out how to turn everything on), and I'm filthy and need a shower.

And a haircut.

Now, once again, I know what you're going to say, as you folks are so predictable. "Where's the new music then?" Allow me to remind you this is a "recording studio," not a "magic song writing machine." So without songs, I've got nothing to record. But now that the studio's done, we're turning to Phase 2, which is:

A Magic Song Writing Machine.

(patent pending)

We don't have all of the kinks worked out yet, but we do have some promising scribbles on a few stained cocktail napkins, so yeah, it's basically almost done.

Oooo! And we have an official description of it's functionality, as provided by Mike Kilzer:

"It's like a device.... You put a bunch of ideas in it, and out spews a giant turd of excellence."

Truer words were never spoken, my friends.

With that I'm going wrap this up with a video. All this talk of music, and I'd feel bad leaving you completely empty handed...or empty eared, or whatever. So here's a recording of a live performance of, as best as I understand, some traditional Hawai'ian music, played by Kalewa. Enjoy.