Vlayman: *3 Shitesongs*

bandcamp; vlayman;
THD; Geronimo Cowboys;
blog.
I mix with olive juice.

Braven; The Constant Gardener; Constantine; Hangman; Dark Crimes – short movie reviews

The first kinda sucked but the daughter likes Jason Mimosa-man. 1/5 olive.

The second was terrific, well-paced, beautifully shot, directed and scripted, and particularly well-acted. Weiss and Fiennes are note-perfect, the mystery and whole plot works and is believable, and LeCarre’s book results in an awesome movie. 5/5 olives.

The third is a cult classic. Stone-faced Keanu is suitable, Stormare and the androgynous actress are unforgettable, and even LaBoef is tolerable.  The FX were never great and haven’t aged well, but the conceits and the story are entertaining as hell, especially with a cuppla glasses of plonk.  3.5/5 olives.

The fourth totally sucked, except Urban’s brooding sucked and annoyed, but Pacino somehow made it just barely watchable. 2/6 olives.

The fifth was a revelation of sorts: Jim Carrey is a for-real actor!  That the movie is small-budget Euro-noir and every character repulsive on some level, and it is shot so dark and so many die – well, it’s Euro-noir, and I loved it. I’m also a Charlotte Gainsbourg fan. 4/5 olives.

File naming/organization

At TOMB, I posted:

I do a lot of internet collab’ing so I have to have a system, particularly if there is more than 1 other participant.

My tracking naming sequence will look like:
Newsong_Dr+Bass+Vox_RUff_122918
Newsong_Dr+Bass+Vox+JoeGtrs_RUff_122918
Newsong_Dr+Bass+Vox+JoeGtrs+PetePiano_RUff_122918

When all instruments are tracked (before mastering) a mixing naming sequence will look like:
Newsong_RUff1_123018
Newsong_RUff2_123018
Newsong_FinalA_123118
Newsong_FinalB_123118

bandcamp; vlayman;
THD; Geronimo Cowboys;
blog.
I mix with olive juice.

Vlayman: *6 Shitesongs*

1. Sanctions – w JimC 04:10
2. My Worst Instincts – w Jim C 03:57
3. Bottle to the Throttle – w Snarl 03:22
4. Butterflies (Tell Me) – w Silversmith 03:58
5. Good Enuff for Me – w Vezina 03:50
6. Negotiation – w Vezina 05:24
7. BonusEducationalDisco 19:31

bandcamp; vlayman;
THD; Geronimo Cowboys;
blog.
I mix with olive juice.

scumble: *Gift Horse*

 

1. Do It Herself 03:48
2. Finger 03:14
3. Depressed (I Loved You Best) 04:18
4. The Gift Horse 03:23
5. The Royalist 04:57

It’s a dangerous thing, it is, and who knows what it’s made of or painted with, much less what’s inside of it, and do beware of where it shits because bloody oats ain’t the half of it, and when they’re hiding it somebody’s gotta keep ridin’ it, bareback or saddled, aborigine or Greek-stylee, in pleasure and pain, and here it comes again, the Gift Horse …

released December 17, 2018

drums: nettage, except,
AndyMc: drums on “Depressed”
JimC: drums on “The Royalist” and “Finger”
Bass and vocals: Vlayman
All other sounds: Grankspoine
Prodoosht, performt, recorded, mixt, masturded, sequenced at FetaCentralRecording, DDL, Chicago by Vlayman
Grankspoine’s tracks performt and recorded in Ye Merry Olde
Fartwerk: Grankspoine

all rights reserved

bandcamp; vlayman;
THD; Geronimo Cowboys;
blog.
I mix with olive juice.

“Necessary” bass pedals

Asked about ’em at talkbass, I said:

None are “necessary”, some are more common than others.

FWIW, my order of preference as to how I use ’em is: compressor/limiter, OD, distortion and/or fuzz, then mebbe a chorus, some kind of pitch and/or envelope filter, flanger or phaser, then mebbe delay or reverb or trem/vibe, finally looper (as in loop the riff).

In pedal form but arguably more of a utility class, would be a DI, tuner, looper (as FX loop), buffer …

EQ and pass-filters can be an effect or a utility, or both (I s’pose comp/imiters, also).

There’s other overlap (both in “class”, but also, a chorus can sometimes be a vibe and vice-versa, an OD can become a distortion or fuzz, etc), and there will definitely be disputes, so YMMV!

A cuppla-4 short album reviews

Smashing Pumpkins: Shiny and Oh So Bright – This is the comeback from these guys. Sorry that D’Arcy ain’t here, but this is what they sound like, not like what Zwan, or Billy solo, or 1/2 Pumpkins – this is what the band sounds like. And it sounds good. Corgan’s vocals have never been better, he’s even moderated the nasality, and the guitar playing is heavy rhythms, altho’ I could dug more soling. Great rhythm section – Chamberlin is till a monster. What folks might be gonna not like – and I luv – is the Rick Rubin production, dry and almost demoey in it’s lack of special FX – no cathedral drums or years-long delays, alytho there is a little Hendrixy panning, and plenty of loud-soft-loud, and the occasional surprising keys/strings and BVs. I give it 4.5/5 olives, and call it my 3rd fave SP album already.

Mudhoney: Digital Garbage – This is the funniest, rocking-est, bitterest and best-produced they’ve been. Songs about Faecesbookin’ yer suicide, evangelical/political hypocrisy,  serial killers and “Neanderfucks”, and Turner’s so under-rated lead guitar, the section rocks and Arm rages. 5/5 olives.

Pixies: Indie Cindy – Not sure if I reviewed this before, but 5 years after its release, I’m on my second copy because I hadda buy another when I misplaced the first. (Found it, and now one is home, and one at work.) Anywhat, this is a kinda lost masterpiece that has only gotten better with a little distance. When it was first released it was panned as a compilation of EP’s, and because a studio bassist replaced Kim Deal, and because they toured performing complete albums and the reunion was perceived as a money grab. Now, I love her (the latest Breeders is reviewed below) and her absence – particularly her quirky writing but especially her vocals – is noteworthy, but this has always been Black Francis’ show, as magnified by Santiago’s odd guitar and the wholly under-appreciated drums of David Lovering. In 2018, this flows as much as any other Pixies record, doing the loud-soft-loud thing they basically created in indie-punk music ( and copped by so many – see SP: S&OSB above), with the sideways spoken-word Boston rap that he does so well, and the hilarious sci-fi and sexual innuendo lyrics, with that unique omnipresent under-current of defensive violence and perversion. Shout out to Gil Norton for making it sound like a Pixies record, updated. 4/5 olives

The Breeders: All Nerve – On prior releases, particularly TK, they kinda devolved into tedium at times, particularly when they wanted to groove. They can groove, but I think they are best as a pop band, and if that pop-band is “woke”, and substance abuse-informed, and just a little twisted by women who kinda scare me – all the better! 4/5 olives, my fave from ’em.