New Song: "Wanted"

I had started to write a an explanation of my recording process, but since I don't know what I'm doing, it would not only bore you, it wouldn't offer any real insight into music recording.

I will tell you that these songs begin with me singing along as I strum or pick my acoustic guitar, and from there I try to figure out how to arrange them. That is, what the song should sound like, and what instruments to use to get that sound, subject as always to the limits of my singing and playing.

Here is "Wanted":


Here are two other recent recordings:

"Hope":


"Better Day":

Back on Instagram

I have returned to Instagram. Find me at "photoquist." I had deleted all my photos from the service after it had announced in 2012, I think, that it would let commercial advertisers use people's photos, presumably for a fee that it would not share with the user. It backed off that idea in the face of a massive backlash, but I had enough concerns to stop using it then.

With no new horror stories lately, I dip my toe back in the water, if only sharing web-sized photos for now.

Hope

I wrote this last year playing my acoustic guitar, and have played electric versions of it jamming with friends. This is my first stab at recording it. The drums are loops. I played the rest: guitars, bass on my synthesizer, and a synth string. Oh, and I sing again. I should have warned you about that sooner. Sorry.

In case you missed my other recent recording effort, here is "Better Day."

Better Day

This is a song I recorded recently at home. It gives me a chance to test some (caution: web geek jargon ahead) new HTML5 code that will play music and video on websites like this one without Adobe Flash, which won't work on my phone, and apparently many devices, including Apple products. Owning no Apple products, I can't say that last part for sure.

Anyway, here's the tune, on which I sing (you have been warned), play lead and rhythm guitar, and bass on my 25-year-old, 8-note polyphonic synthesizer, add drums using loops, and mix the whole mess together with a free program called Sony Acid Express. (Get your free copy at AcidPlanet.com.)

Let's hope it works, especially after all that preamble.



Update: It works! I got the code from html5media.info, in case you seek an free and easy way to embed MP3 (audio) and MP4 (video) files into web pages and blog posts.

Bulldog Puppy Rolls Down Hill

We all find our own ways to amuse ourselves. You wonder if the puppy gets dizzy doing this and, if so, does she like it?

Bruce Springsteen plays Lorde's "Royals"

Bruce Springsteen opened a concert in New Zealand Saturday with a cover of Kiwi teen sensation Lorde's hit "Royals." He did change the lyric, "you can call me queen be" to "king bee." Never mind that there's no such thing. When you're the Boss, you can take such poetic license.