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My new favourite music player on Linux. It keeps track of my library, yet is not a nausea-inducing eyesore like Rhythmbox and most other iTunes-inspired players. It’s written in Python for GTK+, so it doesn’t need 100MB of KDE libs to run it (hi, Amarok!). As always, installation is just
sudo apt-get install quodlibet
Category: Music
As an avid producer and consumer of music, I made this.
Categories
How to choose the right cover versions
Cover versions serve two main purposes for a fledgling band. Firstly, a new band may only have four original songs. But add on a few covers, and all of a sudden they have enough material to fill a 45 minute slot. Secondly, they assist in maintaining the attention of an audience who are probably totally unfamiliar with your original material. Here are a few guidelines to choosing the perfect cover versions. They’re only guidelines, so there are exceptions, but if you do break them, you need to be able to justify your decision.
Familiarity
Choose a song that your audience will know.
As I said above, one of the main reasons why a band would play a cover version is to maintain the attention of the audience. If you play a song that they don’t know, then you gain absolutely no benefit. In fact, you’ll be making life unnecessarily hard for yourself. It’s relatively easy to draw a positive response from an audience member if you play a song that they know. It’s harder to draw a positive response if you play them one of your own songs that they haven’t heard before. But if you play them a song that they haven’t heard before, and it isn’t even one of your own original compositions, then they’ll have practically zero incentive to listen.
When to break this rule: If you love a song so very very much, and you can play it exceptionally well, then you might want to do a cover version of it anyway. This is, in effect, saying to your audience “I love this song, it’s amazing, you absolutely have to hear it.” But your performance has to be outstanding for this to work. If you’ve only been playing guitar for six months and you attempt this move, then there’s a 90% chance that you’re making a big mistake.
Originality
Choose a song that hasn’t been “covered to death”.
When was the last time that you heard a group of four pimply teenagers play Creep and found the experience to be wholly transcendental? When was the last time that you heard a group of middle-aged men play Yesterday and thought anything other than “Oh great, this one again.”
You should be aiming to select songs that are well-known, but have somehow been overlooked for covering. You want your audience’s response to be “this is a fantastic song, how come I’ve never heard anyone do a cover version of it before?” If you can elicit that response, you’re guaranteed success, even if the quality of your performance is modest.
When to break this rule: There are three clear circumstances: If you know your audience, and you know that they will accept it; if you know that your performance is exceptionally good, and this will be the greatest cover version of song X that your audience has ever heard; if you are doing “something substantially different” with the song.
Playability
If you can’t play it, then don’t try to play it.
It’s 24 hours until the gig, and the song still sounds crap. Don’t try to convince yourself that it will be alright on the night, because it won’t. It will be even worse on the night. When you look back on a gig, the most vivid memories are always the songs that you shouldn’t have played. If you ask me really nicely, I’ll upload an MP3 of my band’s cover of Neighbourhood by Space, and you’ll see what I mean. Every time I think of that gig, the first thing that comes into my mind is that song.
When to break this rule: There’s no excuse for breaking this rule. If you’re worried about your set being 4 minutes too short, then just spend a little bit of time chatting with the audience. They’ll appreciate it. If you’re too shy to talk, then just leave the stage 4 minutes early. I assure you, it’s much, much better than the alternative.
Entertainment value
Choose a song that will entertain you and your audience.
If the song is long and repetitive, then your audience will probably get bored. If you don’t enjoy playing it, then your performance will be lacklustre. Don’t settle for a second-rate song just because you know how to play it. Remember, these cover versions are here to help you to keep the audience alive. Make them count.
When to break this rule: If the song is so good that even a half-assed effort can’t ruin it. No examples spring to mind, but it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that they exist.
It’s about the song
Avoid the “hey, aren’t we ironic” cover version.
At my second gig, we did a cover version of Wannabe by The Spice Girls. This was a big mistake.
For the first 30 seconds, the audience might get the joke, and might chuckle. But then you’re stranded there on stage and you have to finish the song. It’s quite embarrassing.
When to break this rule: I’ve successfully broken this rule once before, but I’m not going to tell you about it. For now, just take this one as gospel.
It’s about the music
Consider how the song sounds when the vocals are inaudible. Added 2008-04-22
As a fledgling band, you’re going to be playing gigs in venues with terrible acoustics, useless sound engineers, and heaps of background chatter. To your audience, the vocals will be unclear and indistinct. It will sound not unlike the lead vocalist is humming the melody. So try that. Practise the song, but instead of singing the lead vocals, just hum the melody. What does the song sound like now? The same four chords repeated over and over again for four and a half minutes? That’s what your audience will hear. Maybe you should drop that song from your repertoire.
When to break this rule: When the song is so well-known and singalongable that the audience are going to be drowning you out anyway. Or if you can be absolutely certain that the vocals will be audible (ie if you have played a gig at a certain venue with a certain sound engineer and your friends in the crowd told you afterwards that they could make out the vocals clearly on every song, then it’s a decent bet that you’ll get similar results on a subsequent occasion).
When to break all of these rules
When you’re just starting out. Your repertoire is limited, and you have to do what you must. But as time goes by, you should aim to replace your weak cover versions with stronger ones. Right now, you have a valid excuse, but it doesn’t last for long, so don’t get complacent. Your band won’t fulfil its potential until you’ve ditched the deadweight.
What about recording?
Putting cover versions on your album or demo CD is generally a bad idea. “Filler” is bad enough when it’s original material, but when it’s someone else’s song, it’s bordering on the criminal.
When to break this rule: If you feel that your version is better than the original, or significantly different, then by all means, show it off. Here’s a list of good examples.
It’s been a busy week, which is why things have been quiet round here. Here’s what’s been going down.
Allotment
Karen and I have spent a lot of time on the allotment. Whereas it did look like this, it now looks like this:
We’ve cleared a lot of brambles, dismantled the rotted cold frame, had a big bonfire, and put some carpet down to suppress weeds. We also found some rhubarb of the variety *Hey, Free Rhubarb!* and planted it in an appropriate location. It’s progress, definitely.
My first MP3 player
On Wednesday I got my first ever MP3 player. As you can see, I’m right on the cutting edge here.
It’s not even a state-of-the-art device. It’s a Creative Zen Stone, a little thing with 2 GB of storage and no LCD display. For £30, you can’t go far wrong. I also got a little FM transmitter so that I can play it through my car stereo, which is now over 5 years old.
Electrocuting myself
While investigating a faulty kitchen light, I think that I may have accidentally electrocuted myself. I have a small blister on my thumb, and one on my forefinger, where I pinched a screw. As far as I can see, it’s not radiating heat, so electrocution seems the likely candidate. In hindsight, it should have been obvious that said screw would be live.
Playing Tomb Raider
I rented Tomb Raider Anniversary for a week. I played the original, many years ago, and it’s interesting to see what has been added and what has been taken away. I’ve bought a second hand copy so that I can complete it at my leisure.
Teaching Bernard to spell his name
Not putting too much pressure on him at this early stage, obviously, but it does yield such gems as this one:
Bernard: “R”
Me: “No, that’s not an ‘r’, it’s an ‘n’.”
Bernard: “Buck, buck.”
Me: “Heh, not ‘hen’. ‘N’.”
Categories
What I want for Christmas
*This is a companion piece to a similarly-themed article on Karen’s site which, all things being equal, should be published at roughly the same time.*
I’d quite like a new hard drive for my computer. It currently contains a 40GB drive and an 80GB drive, and what with photographs and MP3s and occasional TV shows, I often find myself running out of space.
*UPDATE: Didn’t get a hard drive, so I ordered myself one on the 27th. I decided to go for a 250GB Seagate Barracuda.*
I also need some new slippers. I have made frequent announcements to this end, and I think I can be pretty certain that someone will have heard my call. My current pair were from the market, and within weeks the seams had given way and my toes were pointing out the front. I tried to patch them up, but it was only a temporary fix. I’ll miss the ventilated slippers, in a way. I enjoyed those moments when I was making coffee in the kitchen, minding my own business, only to be startled by small fingers tickling my toes. I’d look down, and there would be Bernard, seemingly unperturbed by the aroma. Perhaps there wasn’t even an aroma to be perturbed by. Another perk of ventilated slippers.
*UPDATE: Yeah, I got slippers. Two pairs.*
I want to rediscover my love of music. Over the last few years I’ve found myself listening to music less and less, and songs that once filled me with emotion are now leaving me cold. My CD collection is dull and uninspiring, and for the most part, I can’t be bothered to go to the effort of picking out something to listen to. My finger traverses the spines, every case that my finger bumps over seems to contain something pointless and unappealing. I reach the end of the row, and repeat the exercise on the shelf below. Once upon a time, music was a core part of who I was. Now, it’s just a neglected category on a blog.
*UPDATE: I’m enjoying Norfolk & Western and Of Montreal. I’ve also managed to get the radio in the car working again.*
I also wouldn’t feel too violated if aliens came down and fixed the leaky gutter outside the front door.
*Next week’s stunt post will be on the subject of New Years Resolutions – look out for it on Monday.*
*Hey, I did this last year too! Maybe it’s turning into a “thing”?!*
1: Blitz “to do” and “to buy” lists
Karen and I have a big “todo” list. It used to be a handwritten sheet of paper, pinned to the notice board, divided up into “things to do” and “things to buy”. Nowadays, it’s on a wiki, and it is basically divided up into “tasks for Karen” and “tasks for Pete”. The principle is the same.
Anyway, over the course of the year we’ve really kept on top of this list. Sure, lots of things have been added to it, but we’ve managed to keep it at roughly the same size, and there are very few items on there that have been on since the start of the year. I’m quite pleased with this.
2: Less computer time, more films
The most crucial point here was to spend less time surfing the Internet, pretending that absorbing all this data is good for me. Instead, I wanted to spend more time watching films, basking in the unashamed brainlessness of it all. I think I’ve succeeded, more or less. I’m sure that next year’s resolution will be something along the lines of “Less films, more blah”. Maybe computer games. If Rockstar released a “GTA San Andreas Stories” for the PS2 I’d be in heaven.
3: Quality, not quantity. Less reading and writing blogs
I’ve certainly managed to write less, and I feel like the quality is higher. However, I’m still reading more blogs than I need to. But it’s hard to stop myself, when there’s so many well-written sites out there.
4: Make more music
My actual resolution set a much more specific target, which I am not going to print here, for reasons of my own. Suffice to say, I have failed to meet this target in the most magnificent manner possible, despite having revised it downwards twice during the year. Some things just aren’t meant to be.
5: Stop being afraid of strangers
Who are you? Get away from me! Argh!
6: Keep writing with my pen held properly
Back story here. Towards the end of last year, I started making an effort to improve my grip. Basically, this resolution has been an unquestionable success. I now hold a pen like a normal human being. This is so fucking awesome.
7: Less nostalgia
Another success. I used to dwell on the past, thinking about all those good times that passed me by in the blink of an eye. But now I realise that one day, I’ll look back on today (or hereabouts) and wish that I hadn’t wasted so much time being nostalgic. There was the threat of a vicious cycle there, but I’ve managed to break it, and now I am able to appreciate every moment as it happens.
8: Be a leader, not a follower
Hahahahahah.
9: Stop worrying about other peoples’ blogs. Their spam comments, botched templates and missing alt-tags are their own problems
Tick.
10: When someone sends you a link saying “Click this, it’s really funny/cute” then don’t, because it’s just that sneezing panda yet again.
As mentioned here. Haven’t seen the sneezing panda since.
11: Get some exercise
12: Get a project
Had one, but it went away again. I’m not sure whether that counts as a success or not. I should have been more explicit in my statement of the resolution (ie, “Get, and keep, a project”).
13: Improve posture
*Straightens back.*
Uhm… yes.
14: Don’t be so crap at making new friends. Actually, just see #5
Marginally better. But I’m still very bad at this whole “small talk” thing. Maybe I should see this as a strength, rather than a weakness.
15: Learn a bit of Polish
When we were contemplating a short weekend away in Warsaw, this seemed like a very worthwhile resolution. But then we changed our plan and decided to go to Center Parcs instead, so the resolution seemed less important. Still, I’d like to learn some Polish one day (I’m a quarter Polish, by the way) so it’s still something that I’d like to do.
16: Don’t keep getting up from the table in the middle of meals
On Karen’s request (though I added it to the resolutions list voluntarily). I am getting better at this, but I’m not yet perfect.
17: Take time in conversation
By which I mean, don’t just blurt out any old nonsense. Stop, think, come up with an intelligent response. This doesn’t really sit well with #14, as small talk needs to be relatively rapid-fire, so I don’t think that I’ll be able to do both. If you take too much time coming up with a carefully-executed reply, you tend to find that your audience has walked away. Meh, their loss.
18: When on the phone at work, replace “Cheers” with “Goodbye” and “No problem” with “You’re Welcome”
A bit more formality is probably appropriate in this environment. This one was quite a recent addition to the list, so will probably be carried over to next year.
Categories
Soundscape 1
My son asked me to help him record a song that he’s been working on. I’ve put it up here for you to listen to.
The song launches instantly into a dynamic and rhythmic first movement, with an up-beat tempo and airy feel. The listener is then startled when the music suddenly ceases, and is replaced by a very short, but very profound, acappella passage.
The artist can then briefly be heard adjusting his position in the studio. The second movement comes in at about 34 seconds, and it is an altogether much darker affair. It is a veritable assault on the ears, and contrasts superbly with the poppiness of the first movement. The lyrics here are much more sinister, chilling in what they don’t say, almost as much as what they do.
The artist is clearly exhausted, and spends the subsequent 40 seconds regaining his composure, while remarking on the quality of the coffee.
The third movement begins at exactly 1:29, and indicates the artist retreating into his shell, musing on his purpose and offering deep philosophical questions to the listener. It is by far the longest movement of the piece, and it tapers off gradually, in anticipation of the superb fourth, penultimate, movement.
The fourth movement, at about 2:25, is unlike anything that this reviewer has ever heard before in his life. Consisting of just the same note played three times, each time quieter than the last, it symbolises mankind’s lack of faith in his own judgement, gradually becoming less and less confident of his decisions as time goes by. Remarkable.
More studio noise, and then the final movement at 2:58. This movement is presented in a minor key, I think. By now, the artist’s exuberance has caused the guitar to go completely out of tune. Which says it all.
If I had to use one word to describe this piece? Majestimospheric.
(mp3 no longer online – email me if you are interested)
Categories
Fopped
> Music retailer Fopp has announced it is shutting down its 105 shops, as the firm becomes the latest victim of the slump in CD sales.
This is terrible, terrible news. Fopp was the only music store that sold desirable CDs at a reasonable price. It was the only place where DVDs were priced at £7, rather than all being on a “3 for £21” offer. It was the only chain music store that I could get enthusiastic about.
I feel a bit lost now.
*UPDATE: Bobbie Johnson feels exactly the same way as I do.*
Categories
Everyone’s Got Piles
More than seven months ago, I claimed to be feeling the distant aroma of inspiration. Well, what happened? I uploaded one song, then wrote a couple of others for another project, and then somehow found myself in a five-month slump. A number of factors have been responsible: the desire to live in a clean, tidy, well-maintained house; lots going on at work, leaving me ‘xhausted at the end of the day; spending time with the fambly.
But then I started to fear for my creativity, which is blatantly atrophying, so on one Sunday morning a month ago, I pushed myself to record this song that I’d been developing over the previous couple of weeks. I came to the realisation that all this sitting around in front of a computer is going to catch up with me soon, and if I don’t start taking better care of myself, I’m going to hit 30 and have the body of a 40 year old. The only option that I can see is to find time in my schedule for regular exercise, but as I am no longer a person with ample spare time, that will mean sacrifices elsewhere.
Anyway, enough mithering, here’s the song, and I think that it’s a cracker. It features an extra uber mega special guest on piano and backing vocals, Nathan, who was absolutely honoured to work on this prestigious project, I’m sure. He added his contribution yesterday afternoon, and we can finally consider the song to be finished.
Categories
Music Xray
I was recently sent a link to Music Xray. This company claims to have software that can analyse a piece of music, and by comparing the underlying mathematical patterns to those of hit songs, can indicate the probability that the piece of music will also be a hit song.
Maybe the system works, maybe it doesn’t. That doesn’t really concern me. What concerns me is what the very presence of this system means. It’s another symptom of the state of the music industry, an industry which is controlled by people with no interest in music, people who focus on grabbing money in the short-term and are unaware of the damage that they are causing to the future of music.
Music Xray, if it works, will only succeed in homogenising music, stripping out all of the quirks and mistakes and leaving behind a limited set of acceptable songs. And though these songs will be mathematically perfect, they will be devoid of soul and originality. They will cause a chemical reaction in your brain that brings pleasure, but they will not be intellectually stimulating.
Music will not die, because music does not require an industry to survive. However, we will end up with two distinctly different forms of music – the music which has been produced by computers to cause the desired response to make everyone part with their money; and the music which has been written by humans, complete with all its beautiful flaws, potentially even with these flaws exaggerated as a badge of authenticity.
And maybe one day there will be a backlash, and people will tire of being exploited. Then, the industry will reprogram their computers to emulate the flawed underground music, and the “real” musicians will have to prove themselves through different means. In many ways, we have already seen this happen, as the mainstream repeatedly hijacks new movements and then clumsily attempts to mass-produce what they see, leaving a noxious aroma over the rich, promising cultures which they invaded.
Who is to blame here? Is it the music industry for manipulating the market to seize every penny that they can lay their hands on, without any thought for their long-term livelihood? Is it the consumers, for having simple tastes and a willingness to keep paying silly money for the same thing? Is it the artists, for being so desperate for fame that they are willing to sign a contract that will probably never bring them any money? Or is it all of us, for thinking that we are invincible, and that bad things only ever happen to other people?
*UPDATE: I thought that my theory had a slightly familiar ring to it.*
It makes me proud, unhealthily so, that Bernard is absolutely enthralled by my guitar.
When I bring it into the room to play him a short gig, he noticeably perks up. As I play, he listens intently. And when I am finished, and I lean it against the coffee table, he keeps watching it.
The guitar seems to exert a curious magnetic force upon him too. If I pick him up and suspend him in the air, his body twists towards it, with his legs stuck out at funny angles for balance. He will also lunge towards the headstock if it is in ((the string of words “if it is in” looks funny)) (or near) grabbing distance, which is a move that needs blocking due to the existence of six sharp ends of wire.
Who knows what he’ll be interested in when he is older. I’m not going to deter him from doing what excites him, assuming that it’s legal and wholesome ((This word has all the wrong connotations, but I haven’t got any better ideas)). But I can’t deny that I have a vested interest in music.
Note to self: in future, if Bernard *does* show an interest in learning to play the, oooh, let’s say guitar, then bear in mind that he won’t be very good, initially. Be supportive, you big oaf. I suppose this applies to all of his endeavours.
*Other possible titles for this post:*
* *Off-White Room*
* *Crapping On Heaven’s Floor*
* *Baby Got Neck (ow, let go of my jugular you little scrote)*
* *My Baby Just Cares For Breasts*
* *While My Guitar Gently Pukes On Something*