Friday, September 25, 2009

Transmissions in Analog

Let's take a pause for the moment right now and I want to take you back in time. How far you ask?!? We'll see and find out how dated you really are or not.

Now, I like to consider myself a connoisseur of old school and new school with everything; from television, to fads, to methods of day-to-day living, to just about most things. But this is a topic that I'm sure you're all know is a fancy of mine if you have read other posts here on my blog. And especially from the title of this post you should be aware of what that topic is about... MUSIC. Such a great topic and my personal favorite thing to talk about being a musician and all (duh). Lately I've been thinking of how technology nowadays although gives us a vast medium of music delivery devices and production of music, it also kind of in my opinion alienates the true art and passion of what it was. Digital anything is friggin' awesome don't get me wrong, but my allegiance belongs to good old analog.

This has to go to what I grew up with. Let me take you back to the mid-80's where the only thing that was digital was the watch you were wearing on your arm. My family were just now getting into cassettes as a new medium of listening to music but we mainly had old records of Wild Cherry, Cameo, Four Tops, you named it, we had it on vinyl. It was then that we jumped into cassettes and a new genre of music was emerging; rap. It was times where if you wanted to get recognized that you passed out mixed tapes and took it on the streets (see, viral campaigning was cool way back in the day even ). And then we (friends, family, and I) made mix tapes of what we heard on the radio and started dubbing our own stuff pretty much what I believe music should still be like, shareware. And if I continue with that concept this is going to end up being a rant on DRM and for yours sake I'll stop right there. But that right there was the last great renaissance for analog as far as recorded media. Sure nowadays they're some bands that want to put out vinyl exclusives to some of their albums (Pearl Jam's self titled album having to be my favorite of the bunch), but that's just about as tongue and cheek as someone from the ghetto wearing a Michael Jordon throwback jersey, very cheesy and almost forcing a lackluster approach mocking the great media.

But that's not to say that analog only existed in the delivery of music, that's the tip of the iceberg. I'm a big fan of the acoustic sound, the original analog transmission of music. Before drum beat machines, before synthesizers, before electric guitars, there were music that was *gasp* unplugged. In fact if I could I would be playing an acoustic bass right now out on Mill and Fifth in Tempe right about now finding someone else that plays guitar and jam into the night. It's just the sound and feel of playing to a close group of people without the aid of an amplifier; it seems that it gives the art a more intimate feel when you're playing and the audience appreciates it more. I know I do from both sides of the coin. Besides, that can incorporate other instruments into that intimate feel, such as violins, flutes, steel drums, and xylophones (yes, I think of these combinations to make it sound good to me, but what do I know as a starving artist). Let the orchestra run wild as it all jams into the night air with sweet, unadulterated sounds. That's what I say...


So that's my short ode to analog. I hope that this short (compared to all my other ramblings) synopsis of the great transmission doesn't die off or fizzle, but to live on in a way that is most appreciated by all musical enthusiasts. Rock on...

BootLeG sampler.. signing out...

Monday, September 21, 2009

How BootLeG got his groove back

Yeah, I know it's been like for-friggin-ever between posts, but I have a good reason for such.  Honest.  For starters, I've noted on one of my first posts that I've seem to have hit a roadblock on writing songs.  After all; as a bassist/lyricist that thinks very highly on his talents; that was a hard pill to swallow.  I always hated hitting those slumps where I think for the longest time that I had peaked and can never reach any higher of an apex.  It's a real crappy feeling for anyone I would assume.  But that was also when I was working overnights and had some time in my hands.  But as we all know now that I'm back working daytime shifts and that leads me to a more compact constraint on outside interests.  But sometimes in the strangest of times, inspiration comes and then you just have to let it take hold.
 
I've been back on days for well over a month now.  And as for the past three weeks, I've actually have been productive in song writing again.  I have seven songs at the time of this post that I'm working on currently that are brand-spankin'-new.  And it didn't occur to me until a few days ago on what my muse was in song creation.  Oddly enough; public transportation.  It's my funnel to find out what I can create during my 90+ minute commute from work to home and vice versa.  I guess it's the ambiance of having all the different people that takes the bus from the princes to the paupers, all the peaks and valleys of our society gathered in a 45-foot long tuna can.  It's strange on how just a simple change to someones environment can create a catalyst of events.
 
I can even see how since the break from the last time I wrote songs which was probably just after the beginning of the year to three weeks ago how my style of writing changed as well.   It's strange how my taste in lyrics matured after each hiatus in my opinion.  I found that it's more of a redemption and new found life type of message in these recent lyrics versus others that was motivated by angst.  But that's not to say that I have angst in these songs as well, it's just that it's more than that in these.  Some of my lyrics are as follows:
 
Lyrics from If I'd Won the Lottery:  Who needs a second house when you already have one // who needs so many cars that you could lose count // all I ever wanted was a simple life // so the hell with all the toys that the world could provide...
 
Lyrics from All the Pretty Girls: Oh, you pretty girls // you just don't know the trouble you're about to get in tonight // living in your own world // the consequences you'll have in store, are far to dire so I make this song out to // all the pretty girls...

Lyrics from Nothing to Prove:  Allegiance, deceit, and lies, can never hide in the fashion that you're wearing // burn the chevrons off your sleeve and wear your heart proud when your the victor, faker...

And that's just a sample (no pun intended) of what I've been up to.  Hopefully once I get some things together I could post the full version but I'm a perfectionist like that and I would also would like to get some audio with it as well to post.  But that's gonna be a good while before that happens.  So until then, I'm just gonna have to keep up with perfecting these songs analog before posting them on my blog; but rest assure, they're gonna be friggin' awesome when I do.

To finding my muse, flowing with it, and finding a balance between my songs and finding time for my blog...

BootLeG sampler.. signing out...

Thursday, September 10, 2009

When two passions merge, pt 3

So this has been bugging me since I've started this about two months ago. Music and videogames is like peanut butter and jelly, two completely different things that are part of a complete good. But sometimes, we need a little marshmallow fluff to go with our peanut butter. That's all that I ask for, a little variety. But nowadays it seems like when someone thinks of music and videogames their pea-sized, narrow-minded brain routes them to either Guitar Hero or Rock Band. Sure, they're the big names in videogames now when it comes to what they're truly classified genre is called "rhythm based games"*, but it seems like the current reincarnations of such is just a constant rehashing of their big start and now it's getting to become mediocre.

It seems like that since the first Guitar Hero came into the picture, it unleashed all of our inner rock guitarist out in the open. Those who couldn't play a chord to save their life are now posting their high scores as viral videos on YouTube. People that couldn't spell Metallica was breaking out cans of whoop-ass playing "One" on expert, causing guitar enthusiasts like myself to drop their jaw in saying "WTF?!?" Basiclly its a self esteem booster that turns people with little or no talent in playing guitar to an icon in their own eyes. It makes posers out of anyone that plays it. And worst of all, those that can play guitar like myself (ok so I play bass, but it's essentially the same principle here) it is very disorientating on how to control that towards what you want to do naturally, slide to different frets on the fretboard. A very big annoyance if I do say so myself. And this argument had been said and done; beaten to death already, yada yada yada. It still grips the hell outta me. And now with the addition of faux bass, drums, and karaoke from hell, it's just got ri-friggin-diculous.

And it's not getting any better with the incorporation of all these epic expansions such as Beatles Rock Band, Guitar Hero World Tour, and other specialized instruments of torture for the musically retarded. Sure the novelty seems like it's peeking still and no sign of it dropping, but c'mon, it's not any different then the novelty of karaoke in a sake bar awaiting the hangover of spirits and sushi-mi. And besides, it's not like that's the only music based game that's out there. There's DanceDance Revolution, Karaoke Revolution, WiiMusic**, hell, DJ Hero was introduced at E3 lest we forget. So much other options but not as much of a cult following as to the big two. And why not if you can choose between a Gibson Flying V or Paul McCartney's bass.

Since I'll try to keep this short and not to look like I'm forcing angst over this too much, I like them. They're a fun break versus the same old doldrums of FPS and MMOs that are out there. And don't get me wrong, I love those too, and I'm also a musician to boot and if I can't feel like I play it, then it's pretty much wack to me. But then again just like music, I'm always competitive when it comes to videogames as a whole. So until next time, I'll be playing in my own rock band...


BootLeG sampler.. signing out...


*And just for a side note, in my opinion the first true rhythm based game has to be Simon way back in like the 80's. That was hardcore.
**And another side note I think that the most innovation when it comes to musicgames has to be WiiMusic. But they're still reasons why it suck. First of all it's lack of variety to what you can truly do with the wiimote, and second, the fact that you still look like a complete douchebag waving your wiimote controlling those miis in a symphony. Just my (and many others) opinion.