SonicMonkey

#FAWM – 04 – Rain in the Desert

Michael Hacker — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:54:13 +0000

Just working out some ideas here… nowhere even remotely close to being finished. Related posts:#FAWM – 01 – Figure It Out #FAWM – 02 – Moinin’ #FAWM – 03 – Hackerbel’s Cannon in Duh Related posts:

#FAWM – 03 – Hackerbel’s Cannon in Duh

Michael Hacker — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:01:33 +0000

A well-known classical piece meets face-melting metal guitar in a melty-faced face-melting facemeltapallooza. Prepare to have your ear holes blistered. WARNING: Do not listen at full volume. Brain liquification will occur. Related posts:#FAWM – 01 – Figure It Out Song-a-Week #15 – Final Hoedown #FAWM – 02 – Moinin’ Related posts:

#FAWM – 02 – Moinin’

Michael Hacker — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:38:16 +0000

Liner Notes:

Vocals were recorded on a Shure SM-57 into Pro Tools. I’m not happy with the mix, but I’m not going to mess with that until FAWM is over. I improvised a bit with the lyrics, so the words on the recording may not perfectly match those below.

Lyrics:

Woke up this moinin’
Couldn’t walk so good
Said I, woke up this moinin’
Couldn’t walk so good
Now if you thinkin’ I been drinkin’
You misunderstood

See, what I’m tryin’ ta tell you is

Woke up this mornin’
Got the moinin’ wood
Said I, woke up this moinin’
Got the moinin’ wood
I tried thinkin’ ’bout Hillary Clinton
Din’ do no good

1 and 1 is 2
2 and 4 is… somethin’ else
Pi is 3.1412… Gawd, I gotta pee
Gotta find me a woman
Treat me like she should
Roll over in the moinin’ and get rid o’ dis wood
Woah…

Woke up this mornin’
Got the moinin’ wood
Woke up this moinin’
Got the moinin’ wood

I tried thinkin’ ’bout Nancy Pelosi
Hillary Clinton
Rosie O’Donnell
Ruth Bader Ginsboig
Din’ do no good

#FAWM – 01 – Figure It Out

Michael Hacker — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:49:41 +0000

Behold! My first FAWM offering! Enjoy.

Liner Notes:

I threw this one together rather quickly with the help of my friends MasterWriter, Pro Tools 8, ProjectMix I/O, Vetta II, Variax, and MacPro (aka OctoMom). Look for them on future songs.

Believe it or not, this took up nearly 20 tracks in Pro Tools. (Yeah, I know! Doesn’t sound like it at all!)

Lyrics:

[verse]

I like to call my apartment a ‘flat’
Cuz I’m a hipster douchebag
I even talk with a British accent
But I was born in Iowa

[chorus]

I think I’m so much cooler than you
But I’m too cool to say that
You’re gonna have to figure it out
For yourself

[verse]

I do my hair in a pompadour
Cuz I’m a rockabilly wannabe
I own a hollow-body Gretch
But I don’t know a single chord

[chorus]

I think I’m so much cooler than you
But I’m too cool to say that
You’re gonna have to figure it out
For yourself

[verse]

I like to listen to spoken word
Cuz I’m a douchey beatnik wannabe
I snap my fingers to Kerouac
And wonder, “who the hell is he?”

[chorus]

I think I’m so much cooler than you
But I’m too cool to say that
You’re gonna have to figure it out
For yourself

[lame guitar solo over chorus]

[verse]

Did you just hear that solo?
If you say “yes,” I know you’re lyin’
Cuz I know that it blew your mind apart
And you can’t hear without a brain

[chorus]

I think I’m so much cooler than you
But I’m too cool to say that
You’re gonna have to figure it out

FAWM

Michael Hacker — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:46:15 +0000

Are you FAWMing?

FAWM stands for February Album Writing Month. Each February, hundreds of people all over the world are spending the entire month writing, recording, and releasing music. The goal is to complete 14 songs by the end of the month. Given that February has only 28 days, that’s a new song every other day! But the real goal was probably stated best by Jack London: “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club!”

For more information, check out the FAWM website: http://fawm.org/

Happy New Year

Michael Hacker — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 03:25:54 +0000

In looking back at 2009, a lot has happened. I’ve been laid off twice. I’ve decided to go to grad school. I’ve lost weight, gained it back, and lost (some of) it again. I traveled a lot for work and pleasure. And, I failed to complete my 2009 song-a-week project as it was intended.

But did I actually fail? Sure… in the technical sense I did fail. I failed the explicit goal of writing, recording, and releasing a new song every week. Even the “songs” weren’t really songs most of the time. But the implicit goal was to get myself thinking about music again, to get myself playing and writing again, and to get my ass back into the studio… again. And in this, I have succeeded.

Now I have more skill with my equipment, more skill in the recording and mixing process, more confidence in releasing my stuff out into the ether, and some ideas for new songs. I also have no excuses.

Happy New Year, everyone. May 2010 be better than 2009 was.

AAAARGH #PHXDrama

Michael Hacker — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:26:45 +0000

This is Phoenix. This is Phoenix on booze, frustration, and social media. I know I probably shouldn’t have done it, but I did. Blame Jeremie for twisting my arm and talking me into it. Names were omitted to protect the innocent. (stir… stir… stir…) Related posts:[SaW38] – Ho Down Related posts:

[SaW38] – Ho Down

[SaW43] – Charcoal Sobriquet

Michael Hacker — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:54:34 +0000

I’m way behind. I made it through 10.5 months without missing a week, and now I’m weeks behind. Not going to let this get me down. Related posts:Song-a-Week #2 – Blue Minor Song-a-Week #8 – Winter Song Related posts:

[SaW42] – Boulder Creek

Michael Hacker — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:43:18 +0000

Here I am in Boulder Creek, CA again. The weather is wonderful and the food and company is even better. My friends live in the mountains, and a creek runs through their back yard. I guess the sound of the water running and the other various mountain critters talking put me in a bluegrass mood.

Song-a-Week #27 – Deaf

[SaW41] – Ballady Thingy

Michael Hacker — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:12:59 +0000

Sorry for the late submission. I’m going on a business trip, so things may be a bit delayed over the next week or two. Related posts:Song-a-Week #1 – Kung Fu Fighting Song-a-Week #11 – You’re Not The Bossa Me Related posts:

[SaW40] – plink

Michael Hacker — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 06:48:49 +0000

This is me… rediscovering my African heritage. (Shut up.) No related posts. No related posts.

[SaW39] – bukanggg

Michael Hacker — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:40:18 +0000

I’m tired. Leave me alone. Related posts:Song-a-Week #28 – Late Song-a-Week #21 – Wha? Related posts:

[SaW38] – Ho Down

Michael Hacker — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:40:00 +0000

This one is a bit weird. I don’t think I’ve ever tried something in 3/4 time before. I blame it on copious viewing of dance shows and Glee. Now if I could just get Lacey Schwimmer to dance a waltz with me… No related posts. No related posts.

[SaW37] – Kanwe East

Michael Hacker — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:18:48 +0000

Kanye West jumps up on stage at the VMAs like a douchebag and makes a little girl cry. Obama calls him a “jackass.” Hilarity ensues.

[Note: No celebrity impressions were used in the making of this song. Everything you hear was actually uttered by the POTUS and captured on some sort of recording medium.]

Song-a-Week #27 – Deaf

[SaW36] – 11:11

Michael Hacker — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:48:47 +0000

I called this one 11:11 because that’s when I started writing it. (Also to mess with Karen.) No related posts. No related posts.

[SaW35] – porque

Michael Hacker — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:02:12 +0000

I’ve spent the better part of a week hiding in the Santa Cruz mountains, poking my head out periodically to actually do some real work in downtown Santa Cruz. All that, and yet I’ve managed to eke something out and STILL look sexy. How do I do it? I dunno. Anyhoo, I decided to call it “porque,” which doesn’t really mean anything. In fact, I’m not even telling you how I pronounce it. You know… just to be extra mysterious-like.

[SaW34] – Dre Ain’t Got **** on Me

Michael Hacker — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:18:37 +0000

This is my attempt to dig down into my R&B/Hip Hop roots. (Yeah, a white boy can have Hip Hop roots!) I was kinda using Dr. Dre’s slow jam beats as inspiration. How’d I do? No related posts. No related posts.

Song-a-Week #33 – Les

Michael Hacker — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 06:47:13 +0000

This is for Les Paul. It was improvised and recorded in one pass. Sure, there are plenty of “mistakes” in there… but I think that’s the whole point. Related posts:Les Paul (6/9/1915 – 8/13/2009) Related posts:

Les Paul (6/9/1915 – 8/13/2009)

Les Paul (6/9/1915 – 8/13/2009)

Michael Hacker — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:38:28 +0000

Les Paul, the man who pioneered the solid-body electric guitar, effects including tape delay and phasing, and multitrack recording… is gone.

Rock and Roll would not exist without you, sir. Rest in Peace.

Song-a-Week #33 – Les

Song-a-Week #32 – My Brain

Michael Hacker — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:01:40 +0000

This week, I decided to try something different. Indaba Music is running a contest wherein entrants are asked to remix the Weezer song “My Brain (Is Working Overtime).” I thought I’d take a shot at goofing around with it, and this is what happened. I figure, how much more different from the original could I get?

I promise… no more covers or remixes next time.

Song-a-Week #31 – FML

Michael Hacker — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:13:51 +0000

Here ya go, Ren. Be nice. The main guitar and vocals were recorded simultaneously. Yes, that means I played and sang at the same time. There was really no other way to do it if I wanted the song to breathe and flow as it did. Thanks, Bob. Please don’t sue me. Related posts:Song-a-Week #7 [...] Related posts:

Song-a-Week #30 – Ladder

Michael Hacker — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 06:55:58 +0000

Man, am I getting lazy. This has got to stop. No related posts. No related posts.

Song-a-Week #29 – Easy

Michael Hacker — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:58:55 +0000

This is part of a song I’ve been working on. I have some lyrics. I have some chords. Not all of it fits together yet. Time will tell. E C#m7 Bm7 E C#m7 G#7 A Bm Fm Bm G Gm Related posts:Song-a-Week #24 – Wind Song-a-Week #10 – Thursday Song-a-Week #26 – Chunk Related posts:

Michael Hacker — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:19:47 +0000

No related posts.

Song-a-Week #28 – Late

Michael Hacker — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:27:38 +0000

It’s late. I’m tired. But… I had to get this down before I passed out on the couch and forgot how to play it. ‘Night. Related posts:Song-a-Week #5 – Stalking in the Rain Song-a-Week #3 – Montalban [SaW39] – bukanggg Related posts:

Song-a-Week #27 – Deaf

Michael Hacker — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:25:39 +0000

I was on vacation all last week, hiding out in the beautiful mountains outside of Boulder Creek, CA (near Santa Cruz and San Jose). Needless to say, between training, playing with kids, and generally not doing much of anything, I sloughed off on the music-making. Today, while upgrading my MacBook, I decided to play around with creating something in Garage Band on my studio computer without being able to hear it. You heard me… I did it all visually, with no idea what the finished product might sound like. Strangely, it’s actually kinda cool.

Song-a-Week #26 – Chunk

Michael Hacker — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:29:36 +0000

This week’s sketch is called “Chunk” because I literally just threw the word up. Brain vomit, if you will. I’m afraid it’s a bit Nirvana-sounding for my tastes, but I’ll live with that. I may revisit this one later… add lyrics, re-record it. Who knows? Related posts:Song-a-Week #23 – Foot Soldier Song-a-Week #10 – Thursday [...] Related posts:

Song-a-Week #25 – C is for Cookie

Michael Hacker — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:20:34 +0000

I know, I know… another cop-out. Jeremie and I did this for my other show, so I figured it counts. Granted, it isn’t something I wrote, but it does reflect my “growing” remixing skills. I need to remind myself that this project is more about purely learning and doing, not so much about what I’m learning or doing.

Fame and Fortune

Michael Hacker — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 04:11:34 +0000

OK, maybe not so much fortune. Come to think of it… not much fame either. But, I digress.

I recently had the good fortune to earn yet another mention by one “Big” Al Wagner of Project Studio Network fame… this time, on his person blog: Home Studio Guru. Although I didn’t get the answer I wanted to hear [ahem], I did get excellent information that allowed me to make a better decision. Thanks again, Big Al!

Follow “Big” Al on Twitter: @AllenWagner

No related posts.

Song-a-Week #24 – Wind

Michael Hacker — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:23:24 +0000

I was working on a completely different song with a completely different vibe, but this riff kept coming out of my fingers. Well, who am I to argue with inspiration? So, I saved the other project and started this one.

The guitar tone sounded vaguely reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix’ tone on “The Wind Cries Mary,” so I decided that “Wind” might be a good name for it. (Wind as in “blows” rather than wind as in “me up.”) Normally, I wouldn’t do a guitar solo at all, let alone like the one I did on this piece, but for some reason, it seemed to fit.

I think there are some lyrics floating around out in the ether for this one… just haven’t managed to grab them yet.

Song-a-Week #23 – Foot Soldier

Michael Hacker — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:54:54 +0000

Don’t ask me why this sketch is called “Foot Soldier.” That was just literally the first two words (in that order) that popped into my head when I asked myself, “Hey… self… what the hell are you going to call this thing?” That oughtta learn me not to ask me any more stupid questions.

McDSP June Specials

Michael Hacker — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:47:16 +0000

McDSP is offering 20% off on their Emerald and Classic Packs this month in TDM, RTAS and AudioSuite formats. Additionally, you can snag Analog Channel LE (the one Charles Dye always talks about on PSN), Chrome Tone LE, CompressorBank LE, FilterBank LE, ML4000 LE, Revolver LE and Synthesizer One LE for $79 (per plugin, not for the whole kit and kaboodle, smart alec)! All are available in RTAS and AudioSuite formats.

No related posts.

Song-a-Week #22 – spleeeeejg

Michael Hacker — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:14:41 +0000

This is your brain. This is your brain on Iowa. Funktastic. Related posts:Song-a-Week #15 – Final Hoedown Song-a-Week #21 – Wha? Related posts:

Song-a-Week #21 – Wha?

Michael Hacker — Wed, 27 May 2009 07:55:28 +0000

Last week was an all-week training thingie at my dojo. I had 6 houseguests and am exhausted. Not only that, but I managed to dislocate a few ribs. Oh, and I leave for Iowa soon, too. So… yeah. All you get is a chord progression. Deal with it. :-p Related posts:Song-a-Week #18 – Am Thing [...] Related posts:

Song-a-Week #20 – Genius, Baby

Michael Hacker — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:06:31 +0000

This is a song parody I put together for my show, Evil Genius Radio. If you’re familiar with it, you’ll see it there, too. Er… hear it. Unless you’re synesthetic or something. If that’s the case, you might even end up smelling it. If so, I apologize in advance. Should you be unfamiliar with the show, you probably won’t get about 99.999% of the jokes. Just sayin’.

Song-a-Week #19 – Van Diemen’s Land

Michael Hacker — Mon, 11 May 2009 00:41:27 +0000

This is a cover of my favorite U2 song. I had intended to attempt singing it, but my voice is not cooperating today. So sorry. Related posts:Song-a-Week #16 – Don’t Say (Demo) Song-a-Week #1 – Kung Fu Fighting Song-a-Week #11 – You’re Not The Bossa Me Related posts:

Song-a-Week #18 – Am Thing

Michael Hacker — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:24:03 +0000

I’m noticing a disturbing trend of naming songs after the key (I think) they’re in. Hmmm. I might have to do something about that. Anyhoo, this week’s itty bitty ditty is a chord progression I’ve been playing with while teaching myself to play piano. It’s quite simple, but my fingers are still more accustomed to keyboards than fretboards, so simple is good. I even experimented a bit to try and spice things up with an Em -> Emaj chord change in there, and I rather like how it sounds. I’m working on some more involved stuff that I couldn’t get finished this week; I hope to have it all done for next time.

Song-a-Week #17 – B#

Michael Hacker — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:03:32 +0000

Get it? B#? B sharp? No? OK. See… B# is really C. But the song isn’t even IN the key of C. It’s in Bb (B flat). Or maybe it’s G-something. Possibly C-ish. I really have no idea. Still no? Nothing? Oh well. Enjoy anyway. Related posts:Song-a-Week #18 – Am Thing Song-a-Week #11 – You’re [...] Related posts:

Song-a-Week #16 – Don’t Say (Demo)

Michael Hacker — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:05:18 +0000

This song was originally written for piano by my friend Karen Waxler. We tried to record her playing and singing it while she was visiting last week but, unfortunately, it didn’t work out (we had better things to do). Someday soon, I hope to finish it with her and release it to the world. This is my humble interpretation on guitar. I really hope she likes it.

Song-a-Week #15 – Final Hoedown

Michael Hacker — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:36:39 +0000

This is your brain. This is your brain on MIDI and Hair Metal… Related posts:Song-a-Week #22 – spleeeeejg #FAWM – 03 – Hackerbel’s Cannon in Duh Song-a-Week #6 – First Related posts:

Song-a-Week #14 – SlumDog

Michael Hacker — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:30:33 +0000

So, I finally watched “Slumdog Millionaire” and was inspired to see if I could put together something Indian-y. This is what I get for watching movies. Related posts:Song-a-Week #5 – Stalking in the Rain Related posts:

Song-a-Week #5 – Stalking in the Rain

Song-a-Week #13 – PTB

Michael Hacker — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:58:56 +0000

Speak and Spell is evil. That’s all I’m going to say. Related posts:Song-a-Week #20 – Genius, Baby Related posts:

Song-a-Week #20 – Genius, Baby

Song-a-Week #12 – Plop

Michael Hacker — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:34:55 +0000

I worked on this one in Sea-Tac airport in Seattle on my MacBook while waiting for my flight back to Phoenix after a very tiring, very cold, very rainy, very overcast weekend. Read into that what you will. Oh, and would you like to hear all about the 16 year old girl who sat next to me on the flight who plays guitar in a “screamo” band and who was being sent away by her parents to live with her grandparents in Colorado for doing drugs, skipping school, and starting fights? It’s quit fascinating, I assure you. I even took notes. Perhaps they’ll end up a song.

Song-a-Week #11 – You’re Not The Bossa Me

Michael Hacker — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:47:36 +0000

Well, Tanager Audioworks has FINALLY released SongFrame for MacOS X. Needless to say, I’m going to be playing with it a lot, as I have promised Big Al I’d give him a software review for PSN. I just got Pro Tools 8, which is (so far) pretty amazing. This week, I’m experimenting with software more than anything. (Digidesign’s new AIR virtual instrument “Mini Grand” is veddy nice.) Anyhoo, this is my attempt at a Bossa Nova. Nothing is quite right, but then, that’s what makes it one of my songs, isn’t it? I’m off to Seattle next weekend, so next week’s song is either going to be a little early, a little late, or right on time. Not sure which yet. Enjoy!

Song-a-Week #10 – Thursday

Michael Hacker — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:06:28 +0000

This is another thing I wrote years ago, but I didn’t quite know what to do with it. Guess what? I still don’t know what to do with it. Other than record and upload it, that is. Which, as you can see/hear, I have done. There may be room for lyrics in there somewhere, but it would likely require a bit of a rearrangement. If anyone has ideas for lyrics or even just a feeling, let me know! BTW, the name “Thursday” comes from the fact that today is Thursday. That’s some high-caliber songwritin’ for ya!

Song-a-Week #9 – Cognitive Dissidents

Michael Hacker — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:53:16 +0000

Just a sketch again this time. This project is proving to be more and more difficult with each passing week. Life, and other projects, just keep getting in the way. If I don’t start using a more systematic (if not downright mechanical) process to accomplish this more methodically, I may fail. Another thing I’m learning is that I need to keep the imagined grandiosity of my song concepts in check. The important thing isn’t so much what I’m doing, but that I’m doing.

Song-a-Week #8 – Winter Song

Michael Hacker — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:18:53 +0000

Sorry to disappoint my throngs of fans, but I’m phoning this one in. This week was busy as hell, the weekend was jam-packed, I’m exhausted, very sore, and I have a headache. (Waaa, waaa, waaa.) But, since the “show” must go on, I’ve uploaded a quick snippet of something that has been stewing around in my head for several months. I’m not sure where to take it, but I wanted to make sure I got something up.

Song-a-Week #7 – President

Michael Hacker — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 19:19:06 +0000

I wrote this one years ago. Since I just got a new Ibanez Exotic Wood EW20ZW Zebra Wood Acoustic Guitar [cough... sponsor... cough], I thought it was time to record it to test out how the new geetar sounded recorded. I have to do a bit of EQ tweaking, but otherwise, it’s pretty nice. I also stereo mic’d the acoustic (at the sound hole) with an EV Cobalt. Some of you were asking to hear me sing. Well… you asked for it. I did all the vocals into a Shure SM57, believe it or not.

Song-a-Week #6 – First

Michael Hacker — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 09:38:13 +0000

This is just a sketch I made while playing around with a new songwriting tool called SongFrame by Tanager Audioworks. So far, it’s pretty flexible and very interesting, but there are a LOT of bugs in the MacOS version. Once the full (hopefully bug-free) version comes out, I plan to do a product review. (This was also a lesson in just how shitty Pro Tools 7.4 is for working with MIDI. I wonder if an upgrade to PT 8 might be a good idea…)

Song-a-Week #5 – Stalking in the Rain

Michael Hacker — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 22:04:27 +0000

This is officially my first drug-inspired song ever. I “wrote” it late last night between 4 and 6am while on under the influence of percocet. I put the finishing touches on it by laying down some guitar this morning. Hope you like it. Related posts:Song-a-Week #28 – Late Song-a-Week #16 – Don’t Say (Demo) Song-a-Week [...] Related posts:

Song-a-Week #4 – bawk

Michael Hacker — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 05:25:46 +0000

This one’s for you, Triner. No related posts. No related posts.

Song-a-Week #3 – Montalban

Michael Hacker — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:31:07 +0000

As you probably know, Ricardo Montalban passed away this past week. Famous for his roles as Khan on Star Trek and Mr. Rourke on Fantasy Island, he was a staple of my youth, as he likely was for all Americans of my generation. This “tribute,” if you will just sorta came to me. Related posts:Song-a-Week [...] Related posts:

Song-a-Week #2 – Blue Minor

Michael Hacker — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 09:47:11 +0000

This is a piece I’ve been toying around with for years. Until the other day, there was something missing. Then… out of nowhere… my fingers just found the right chord to start off the next section. It still isn’t complete… there might be room for a bridge and lyrics… but it’s pretty close.

Song-a-Week #1 – Kung Fu Fighting

Michael Hacker — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:27:28 +0000

So, I’ve done it… I’ve made a New Year’s Resolution to produce 1 song a week for the entire year. I’m looking at this as more of a sketchbook than a real attempt to make anything good. I’m using it to motivate myself, get back in the practice of writing, recording, and playing, and to work on both my musical and recording chops.

That said, I found myself wondering… what would it sound like if Tom Waits had written “Kung Fu Fighting?” The following humble submission is what my brain and fingers came up with. It was recorded in GarageBand and Pro Tools with my trusty ProjectMix I/O, Vetta II, and Variax 700.

Happy New Year

Michael Hacker — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 04:08:51 +0000

It’s (almost) 2009… stay tuned for some big news! Related posts:Happy New Year virgin post Related posts:

iTunes Problems

Michael Hacker — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 08:52:49 +0000

According to Apple’s own support forum:

Podcasts which were recently added to the Store, or which recently changed their image, are experiencing delays in the appearance of those images. Once the issue has been resolved, podcasts with valid images will display correctly.

In the meantime, the best action to take is to ensure that the image in the podcast, and the itunes:image tag, are present and valid in the feed. More information is available here:

http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcaststechspecs.html#image

Le Sigh.

test post – pls disregard

Michael Hacker — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:36:10 +0000

I’m still trying to get Podcast Alley to allow me to claim my podcast. Doesn’t seem to be working…

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-747a555cbfde1c7e8c80e26ad7f7ad43}

virgin post

Sketch 08.23.08

Michael Hacker — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:02:32 +0000

Another quick sketch of a different idea. Related posts:Sketch 07.23.08 Related posts:

Sketch 07.23.08

Sketch 07.23.08

Michael Hacker — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:26:08 +0000

Just a quick sketch so I didn’t forget an idea. More to come. Related posts:Sketch 08.23.08 Related posts:

Sketch 08.23.08

More NiN News

Michael Hacker — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:39:47 +0000

From Trent Reznor:

Nine Inch Nails is pleased to announce the expansion of the Ghosts project into the visual world. The band has teamed up with YouTube to host a “film festival” around Ghosts. The concept is for you to take whatever tracks you feel inspired by and create what you feel should accompany them visually. You will be able to see all of the submissions, and a team (including Trent) will be sorting through them and setting aside ones they feel are exceptional. Eventually (within a couple of months?) we hope to present a virtual “film festival” with Trent and some special guests presenting selections of your work.

“This isn’t a contest and you don’t win elaborate prizes – it’s meant to be an experiment in collaboration and a chance for us to interact beyond the typical one-way artist-to-fan relationship. We’ve discussed some interesting ways this could go, including multiple installments of the online “film festivals,” to broadcast TV specials, to a one-time live performance of the entire Ghosts record with your visuals involved. It really depends on how this progresses and develops.

We are all very much looking forward to what you come up with, and hope you enjoy the experience. Visit http://www.youtube.com/ninofficial for information on how to participate”.

Reznor Speaks Out

Michael Hacker — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 15:22:49 +0000

In an article on ARS Technica, Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor called Radiohead’s well-publicized internet album-release “insincere.” While he admitted the idea was “shrewd,” he said it amounted to nothing more than tricking fans into paying for low-quality MP3s, while promoting just another traditional record release.

For more details, read the full story on ARS Technica.

No related posts.

Jonathan Coulton

Michael Hacker — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 23:14:04 +0000

Jonathan Coulton roxxors my soxxors. All of his songs are under Creative Commons, which means that people can use them for their own nefarious purposes. Often, this comes in the form of bad music videos on YouTube.

Among the early favorites:

He has a MySpace profile as well.

No related posts.

IndabaMusic

Michael Hacker — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 22:27:50 +0000

“IndabaMusic.com is an online collaboration and networking platform for musicians and music professionals. Members can connect with our international community to create online recording sessions – mixing tracks recorded all over the world using our online mixing software.”

Could be interesting. I just signed up for an account and will review it after I get a chance to play around a bit.

More NiN News

NiN

Michael Hacker — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 23:20:00 +0000

following announcement: as of right now Nine Inch Nails is a totally
free agent, free of any recording contract with any label. I have
been under recording contracts for 18 years and have watched the
business radically mutate from one thing to something inherently very
different and it gives me great pleasure to be able to finally have a
direct relationship with the audience as I see fit and appropriate.
Look for some announcements in the near future regarding 2008.
Exciting times, indeed." />
Trent Reznor made this announcement on the Nine Inch Nails website yesterday. Could be interesting. Frankly, I still don’t see it helping the small, independent musician to get noticed.

Featured “Artist”

Michael Hacker — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 16:05:47 +0000

So, I was the featured artist today on TalentDatabase.com. Cool, eh? I guess I need to get some new material done…

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Project Studio Network

Michael Hacker — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 21:05:32 +0000

The guys over at Project Studio Network have seen fit to mention me yet again! That makes 3 mentions in 6 episodes. Now I feel the pressure to maintain the publicity!

If you haven’t checked it out yet, what’s wrong with you? Get over there, subscribe, and listen away. It’s like Car Talk for audio nuts!

Project Studio Network

While My Ukelele Gently Weeps

Michael Hacker — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 06:47:43 +0000

Tommy Emmanuel and Jake Shimabukuro have it out…

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A Man I’ll Never Be

Michael Hacker — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 05:00:42 +0000

A guy named Mike Masse performed and recorded his own version of Boston’s “A Man I’ll Never Be” as a tribute to the late, great Brad Delp. Those who are fans of Project Studio Network have likely already heard it, but in case it slipped past you, here’s a link to the song as well as a thread discussing it on GearSlutz.com.

I recommend the following strategy:

Download the MP3
Turn off the lights
Put on a pair of headphones
Turn it up
Close eyes
Enjoy

I’ve talked to Mike, and he’s a real class act. Give the song a listen or two (or 3, or 100, or 1,000) and let him know what you think of it. Grab the MP3 while you can… I don’t know how long he’s going to leave it up there.

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Famous (redux)

Michael Hacker — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:27:16 +0000

It seems that the fine, upstanding (did I mention good-looking?) gentlemen on The Project Studio Network have seen fit to mention me again… only this time, they plugged my website. When I followed the link, I noticed that the page didn’t lay out properly, so I had to comb through the code to fix the glitch. It should be ok now… let me know what you think.

To view the blurb, click this link and scroll down to “Viewer Mail”:
[The Project Studio Network]

iMusic?

Michael Hacker — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 07:55:18 +0000

According to RUMINT, music mogul Jay Z and the squeezalicious Beyonce may be preparing to join up with Apple, Inc. to start a new online record label of some sort. Jay Z is currently the CEO of Def Jam Records and Beyonce is, reportedly, nearing the end of her contract.

According to MediaTakeOut.com:

Jay Z will announce he’s leaving his position at Def Jam to create a new “super label” with Beyonce.

In an exclusive interview, MediaTakeOut.com spoke to a key person involved in creating the new label. And according to that insider, the new label will launch early next year. Tells our insider, “It’s a done deal. [Jay Z] already has Beyonce and [Mathew Knowles] on board … She’ll be finishing up her contract [with Sony], and I expect that she’ll sign on to the new label shortly afterwards.”

Regarding Apple’s alleged involvement, MTO had this to say:

It’s not clear yet which major label will house the new super label. But according to our insider, it’s not going to be Island Def Jam. The tipster explains, “Jay Z brought the idea to Def Jam first, but they thought he was asking for too much money.” The insider continues, “Now they’re shopping the deal around to the other majors and to Apple [the creator of iTunes] – who is very interested in doing business.”

Could this signal the beginning of the slow transition from the old guard to the new? Could this indicate a transition of power from the few who control the money, means, and machinery to the many who just want to make a living from their music while keeping their artistic integrity as unskanked as possible?

I’m not ready to put any money on it just yet. At this point, it just looks like yet another step in the further pimpification of the internet. Only time will tell.

Shame on SonicMonkey.com

Michael Hacker — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:11:47 +0000

Click the pic for a bigger version…

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Apparently… I’m famous

Michael Hacker — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 22:29:02 +0000

While listening to one of my favorite podcasts, what should I hear…? You’ll have to take a listen for yourself.

Head over to The Project Studio Network
The latest show may start playing automatically. If it isn’t #79, click [Show #79] to start it playing
After the entire show loads, FFW through the first 2/3rds of the show by dragging the little dark gray rectangular playback head to the right
Listen for the “listener mail” segment
When you hear them start to talk about “On The Media,” put your ears on… it’s right after he says “that is classic.”
Sit back and enjoy

Look for this thingy… it’s the Flash player

Steve Vai in his studio

Michael Hacker — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 22:20:57 +0000

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Elvis Train

Michael Hacker — Thu, 10 May 2007 04:13:48 +0000

OK, OK… I know I haven’t done anything with this since… oh, August of last year. Here’s the scoop. Right after I posted the first test podcast, I quit my job and started back to school. It hasn’t been so much of an issue of time, but rather motivation and material. Well, I’m going to try to fix that, despite still being in school and working to get into a graduate program (that, alas, has nothing to do with music). Wish me luck.

This is a song that my old band “wrote” and recorded way back in the olden days before the terrorists won. I think it reflects a more innocent time, don’t you.

Note that at no time were alcoholic beverages of any kind imbibed. (No, really.)

Me: guitar / background vocals
Nico: background vocals / squeals
Shannon: drums
Ben: bass / unfortunate lead vocals

virgin podcast!

Michael Hacker — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 23:39:57 +0000

Welcome to the SonicMonkey Music Podcast! In the coming weeks, we’ll be bringing you guitar lessons, gear reviews, tricks and tips, and interviews with musicians, famous and not-yet-famous, on a variety of topics relevent to the independent musician. Related posts:virgin post test post – pls disregard Related posts:

virgin post

Michael Hacker — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 05:17:26 +0000

Oooooh… sounds sexy! This is my first post on what I hope will become an interesting little project. I will be covering guitar, songwriting, gear, home recording stuff, etc., and maybe do a few interviews along the way. Stay tuned for the first podcast! Related posts:virgin podcast! Happy New Year test post – pls disregard Related posts: