less talk more rock

Sword & Sorcery EP: A video game project by the awesome pixel artist Superbrothers is coming soon!

Read his ideas on video games: http://boingboing.net/features/morerock.html

I just have to say that I am excited to see something like this: a true attempt at video game storytelling without all the stats, clutter, and talk to mess it up. Can't wait!

.

More Angry Peasants today. Still working on some new music. I'll send some stuff out later this month probably. It is a slow process.

Some things I'm interested in right now:

Pepperbox Revolvers from the 1850's.
Leatherworking- Specifically gun holsters from the Civil War period up till 1900.
Bookbinding. I really wish I had more experience in that department.
Progressive Rock from the 1960's and 70's. YES.
Genealogy: Mid 1800's immigration and Queens, New York City.

you're a ... cartoonist?

Took me awhile, but I finally scanned in a new Angry Peasants.

long weekend?

Working on that RPM Challenge. I forgot how much work was involved in song writing (which is probably why I've put it off for the better part of 5 years). I've been working on songs that are new, songs that are kinda old (2 or 3 years), and one that is probably from 2005. I decided that I need to just clear them all out. So I've been finishing lyrics, and figuring out chords for most of them. I know I was supposed to start with brand new material for this thing, but I figured since I was going to have to redo everything anyway that it would count for the challenge.

I have a feeling I'm not going to get this done in time. Well... I hope so. I have to get it mailed off on the first. With all the work that has to be done, it looks like this will be a recording marathon on Saturday or Sunday. Long weekend.

When I get everything recorded, I will post songs here and on my RPM profile for listening enjoyment.

New Angry Peasants beginning in March! It will probably be a once a week thing for now. Wednesdays?

so

Working on stuff.


February seems to be a busy month. I'm trying to tie off some loose ends and revamp some of the other projects I've been working on forever. I've elected to participate in the RPM Challenge. Which is cool because I've been working on some new music ideas for a couple of months now. Everything is hooked up and ready to go, I just need to finish it on time. Since there's a real deadline involved here I probably have a good chance. I like the idea behind this, which is similar to the Album-A-Day project (a very challenging idea in itself). Working with what I have already... I've got one song in the works and ideas for 3 or 4 more. Working between two computers, I should have this in the bag.

I'd like to give a shoutout to Mark for allowing my music to be part of his awesome short film Lincoln. Look for it as part of the x96 film festival and throughout the internets. I give Mark credit for pretending to like all the short 30 second clips I've given him (I should put out a whol album of 20-30 second clips of music). Can't wait to see new episodes of Nottblock in the future.


I've finished drawing new Angry Peasants. I just need to ink, scan, and color them. I haven't been able to do that because my resources are being focused on music projects. I've come to terms with how hard it is to be a syndicated cartoonist. It seems like a relentless struggle to keep up with the pace. Even posting cartoons three times a week seems like a hard goal to reach. Once I get these last few drawings finished, I'll start posting them. Not sure how frequent it will be though. I have like 30 ideas backlogged, and it's just a matter of time and execution.

I been asked to run sound for the Lehi Arts Council production of Singin' in the Rain. I haven't heard anything from them in a few weeks, so I'll assume that once serious rehearsals start in March that I'll jump on board.

I'm tired all of a sudden.

more to come!

After a brief hiatus: More Angry Peasants... Soon!

music overload

I'm out of touch with music.

I've been this way for a long time now.

And here's my best guess as to why: most of my iPod is based around 90's alternative bands, and I refused to listen to the radio between 1999 until about 2006. Now there's a flood of Indie bands with strange names... and music that seems completely foreign to me. The musical guests on late night talk shows are either so different from what I usually listen to or just something I would never buy or download in the first place. So strange. Everything from commercials or soundtracks of artists and bands have seemed so... unknown. I refused to go to local concerts because all the bands were trying to copy Death barf for Cutie.

I'll be honest- I think I like most of my 90's alternative because many of those bands based their sound from 70's rock: early metal bands, progressive rock, etc. I love 70's rock. But I can't really figure out where all these recent indie bands get their sound from. Folk music?! Is it 80's alternative (because I never really liked that stuff that much)? Some of these groups seem like they've brought back the art punk/new wave/alternative idea of music that rebelled against the sound of the 70's. Who knows. Or is it an original art form that can't be defined? Some of these bands have been floating under the mainstream radar for so long that they have many many albums to listen to.

When I think about it, sometimes the indie scene is just another "my-obscure-taste-in-bands-is-better-than-yours" type of thing. So what? It can be said that the mainstream umbrella term of "alternative rock" that conquered mainstream radio in the 90's allowed this lo-fi, independent underground music to thrive until it too became popular a few years ago.

So I decided to look at the lineup for the Coachella festival this year, and every band that I didn't recognize, I decided to download one of their albums. I'm probably going to hate it, but it will save me the price of tickets to see the actual show. About 80% of the entire lineup was completely new to me. In a future post I'll review my findings. I might make a graph or create a musical degree of separation chart.

To the select few that read my blog:

What music/bands are you listening to right now?

wuh?

Geez... what a long day.

I think it's just this time of year again. From January until whenever the snow melts is the crappiest time of the year. I guess it's the cloudy days mixed with the cold. I just want to stay indoors and sleep until April or May. Why can't humans hibernate? wuh?

Nothing really to report. Looking for a better job (almost seriously this time), though I doubt the internet abyss will help me in that endeavour. Updating my resume. My blackberry is set to stun. There's something out there with my name all over it.

Listening to new music. Going to start Angry Peasants soon. I'd like to make some music soon too.. but I'll probably never get around to it.