A song from the forethcoming Admitting There’s a Problem from Buzzie.
I Need a Good Day
* watch I Need a Good Day directly on YouTube. See also the full-size version.
Thanks for listening,
@jmacofearth
John McElhenney aka: buzzie
I’ve been thinking of this little experiment for a while. Go back in your history and recall all the MAJOR ALBUMS of your life. No googling, memory only. And share the list in chronological order from the earliest major love affair to your current FAVORITE. (do this from memory as best you can, this is not a reference but a survey of your memories)
First Known Crushes
High School Begins
Today a friend on facebook shared a link with me of our college dance band. Wow, I had no idea this stuff existed. Listening to an REM medly right now. The cassette tapes held up pretty well. Thanks to the keyboard player Karl Rehn for preserving this historical blast.
Stuck in Neutral – SOLD OUT – at Cafe Brazil (archive page)
Carnival of Sorts/Radio Free Europe – REM (mp3)
Have fun with that.
All it takes is an inspiration these days and with the magic of technology something so simple as a visual palette for a song. The story sort of tells itself. And the object of our desire is Helen Mirren from 1967′s Herostratus. Give it a click and let us know what you think.
@jmacofearth
permalink: http://goo.gl/qnYmb
No checking your iPod for reference, no taking more than 5 minutes on this exercise. Name the top 15 most influential cds in your life. “If you were stuck on a desert island… blah blah blah” NOTE: I’m only sending this to YOU because I actually want to hear what you think is essential listening. You can write a note of your own and then TAG me back along with people you would like to know more about, musically. That’s it. Rock On!
1. U2 – Boy
2. Led Zepplin 2 (Whole Lotta Love)
3. Coldplay X and Y
4. Radiohead – Ok Computer
5. ACDC – Back in Black
6. The Guess Who – Best of
7. OK Go – Oh No!
8. Steely Dan – Can’t Buy a Thrill
9. The Who – Quadraphenia
10. Led Zepplin – Houses of the Holy
11. Collective Soul – Collective Soul
12. The Beatles – Revolver
13. Mr. Mister – Go On
14. Level 42 – World Machine
15. Eric Johnson – Tones
+++
@jmacofearth
permalink:
This EP is dedicated with thanks to my friends in the WYRE* class that just ended. Man did I need that. This quick-release EP is for you guys and girls who have grown so much these last 11 weeks. And the full CD is coming. Hold me to it. You can get it now from CD BABY. (free listens available too)
The title comes from a conversation I had with Krista where she said she and her kids were “shooting beer cans off the buddha.” In a later conversation she let me know they were indeed tallboys from her neighbor. When asked if she drank tallboys, she replied, “No, I don’t.”
The tracks on this EP tell a shortened version of the full-length “Admitting There’s a Problem” CD that still requires a few tweaks before it’s ready for prime time. I wanted to put this out in celebration of this moment in my life, at the close of our group and a terribly painful phase in my life. I pause this evening and breathe as I anticipate the next adventure.
The tracks on this EP are:
@jmacofearth
permalink: http://goo.gl/tUmEL
You can see and hear all the Buzzie releases on the Buzzie’s CD Baby Page.
*WYRE – When Your Relationship Ends group
Today was one of those days. I was looking for a song. I was full of it. I had an idea of where to start.
I got clear of my obligations around 6pm and headed home to get on with it. And then technology got in the way.
I really wanted to start with a drum pattern, a ROCK drum pattern and build the sound from there. So I opened my mac and started loading WIN7 under parallels so I could run Sony’s ACID PRO, where I store a lot of my drum loops. And nothing worked right. I could not get WIN7 to access the web so I could serialize and activate a new version of ACID PRO.
Okay. I moved on. I opened iDrum, a drum loop program for the Mac, no parallels and WIN7 needed. And also no inspiration.
All right, punt on the drum pattern, let’s go straight to the guitar. And jumping back from technology a bit further, let’s get the Taylor warmed up. No electronics just wood and steel. And… it literally took me 15 minutes to find a guitar pick. (I’ve just moved into a new house and my studio is not even close to being unpacked, but this was ridiculous!)
So I found the pick and tuned the Taylor, oh about an hour and a half after I started my tune quest, and I was finally strumming the first chords. It would’ve been easy enough to give up, move on, do something else. But when I put the capo into the 3rd position something connected. A tone, a feeling, the crisp cool air coming in from the open sliding glass door, the little dog at my side and the cat looking sulky at me from the carpet.
And just as the first verse was coming together my phone went off. And magic of the universe it was the person I was *sort of* writing the song about. And I just kept on writing and texting and writing and singing. And though this person was 20 or so miles away, and couldn’t know that they were in the middle of a songwriting session, there was something inspiring about the interconnectedness of it all.
It’s here and it’s free from NoiseTrade.com.
click to download entire cd
Please enjoy my pre-CD release of a small handful of new buzzie songs and one radiohead cover. It’s free for the taking, so grab it. (tipping appreciated but not necessary)
Namasté,
John
(image is of iPad as control surface using Digital Performer, cool huh?)
Yesterday I bought my first drumkit. It’s the least satisfying thousand bucks I’ve ever spent, partially because I don’t play drums, and partially because I kinda dread setting them up… but…
I now have drums!
So today I’m recording drums with my old buddy from Blue Cartoon, Barry Simon. And a couple things I won’t have to worry about today.
I picked up a set of Roland’s V-Drums, and man have they come a long way! Now I can record Barry’s performance in both sounds and midi. Then if I want to “collective soul up” my song I can simply replace the “wilco-trapkit” with the “heavier-things-kit.” Viola!
Barry can even run the recording session with the iPad.
Let me know if you want to hear some daylies. (grin)
It wasn’t hard. And I had some help from Scrambles. Here is the outta-da-box experience with my new Roland V-Drums.
That all looks pretty serious. Like a drum kit.
All racked up with no where to go.
Had to go with the Iron Cobra.
Even the box had instructions.
Da Brain. Where all the sounds and midi comes from.
The pedal to nowhere. It’s virtual baby!
Even the box is pretty.
As close as V gets to real drum sounds.
Wiring up the brain. A little help from my furry friend.
Rockin da House Kit.
All set. All I need is a drummer. And a bit more cowbell, of course!
Here’s a quick peek at what happened here on Sunday when Barry Simon, formerly a bandmate in Blue Cartoon, came over and added some drums to my song. I’m pleased. Granted this version has no bass yet, and the mix is still not quite right, but I think the shape of the song is beginning to come out. Thanks Barry!
A Good Day (mp3 download)
Enjoy, and let me know if you have any thoughts.
