Music
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Annoyances
So, last night I was in a CD store, and came across Merle Haggard’s new CD Chicago Wind. Hag has been on a great song-writing streak lately so I was about to buy it, but then I see the warning label
[CONTENT/COPY-PROTECTED CD]
This product limits your ability to make multiple digital copies of its content, and you will not be able to play this disc or make copies onto devices not listed as compatible. Content/ copy protected CDs should allow limited burning, as well as ripping into secure Windows Media Audio formats for playback with most compatible media players and portable devices. In rare cases, these CDs may not be compatible with computer CD-ROM players, DVD players, game consoles, or car CD stereos, and often are not transferable to other formats like MP3.which annoyed me to no end. Who would buy something with that label? I haven’t listened to music directly off a cd in years, everything gets ripped when I first get the CD and then put on a shelf for safekeeping.
UPDATE : Yes, I have seen theSony rootkit news, quite extensively actually. I did not realize that the warning was actually on the CD, which just goes to show I’ve been buying nothing topical lately. I thought it was just when you tried to play it in a computer.
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Friday roundup
- Do your children determine your politics? The gender of your children that is? VIA MR
- Husband and wife entrepreneurship.
- Sugar in the Gourd – Old time radio.
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Funny
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My first live blog
Here I am at Jake’s recording a jam. This will be the first real test of the technology. I’ll keep you all posted.
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Synchonicity
Whilst going to see the A-Sides at Limerick junction last night I experienced a weird coincidence of sounds and scene. I was listening to the Waco Brothers album “To The Last Dead Cowboy” and for two miles the alienation of the music matched the inherent alienation of an urban landscape.
I was driving up McClendon, which actually goes for quite a ways. The neighborhoods were very nice, and very pricey, but also very old. It occurred to me that the builders and original dwellers of the neighborhood were long gone; it gave the neighborhood a strange, bruised feel. The houses had character and style, but they seemed lost without their original owners. The separation was somehow palpable (with the soundtrack).
Reading over this I don’t think I’ve captured the thought accurately.
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Band of the moment
The Barnyard Playboys – nothing complicated, just good old country punk. I got their album after seeing them at the Star Bar about six years ago (during my rockabilly period) and I haven’t listened to it in about 4 years. Still good, unpretentious stuff. Where else can one hear “Someone shaved a yeti” in song?
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The Toadpickers rise again!
Last night was the return of bluegrass to Jake’s Roadhouse. The usual crowd was there, only now it would appear that we are the house band. Halloween is when the bluegrass is going to be advertised again.
Jake’s was pretty much the same. The usual crowd was there. We played on the stage which is something we seldom did before. The low ceiling has been removed which makes sound a bit more lost than it was before. Also the entire place is much cleaner and better lit.
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Lessons learned from recording
Well, after about a week after hearing what I actually sounded like (via the USB mic) I have cut my practice speed by about 10%. So far I’m liking the result. The tone has improved a good bit, and I’m closer to reaching Norman Blake’s right hand goal of “shaking water off your hand”. It’s a whole arm motion, similar to throwing a baseball, with little wrist effort involved.
On another note, Mike has pictures from the Millions More March.
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Testing the condenser mic
I just recorded the old warhorse “Whiskey Before Breakfast” with myself on the lead and rhythm. On the whole I’m liking the new mic. It seems to do a fine job. I need to educate myself a bit on the whole recording process, but I do like it.
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USB mic review
For those looking for the review, let me say I’m not done experimenting with it (or the podcast) yet. I still need to record the music (which I’ll be creating) which will be a flatpicked version of Saint Anne’s Reel.
And, of course, religious podcasts are called “GodCasts“.