You may post new episodes of shows like Battlestar Galactica and The Office on the iTunes store, but you have to do it faster. I can usually find a new episode of such a show from the BitTorrent network an hour after it airs, and can have it downloaded before the night is over. If I miss my show, I want to see it ASAP, not 24 hours after it airs. Get your shows up faster, because I’d much rather pay for and download a new episode right away with the iTunes store instead of waiting for my P2P download to finish. As long as I can get it faster via P2P, I will.
Archive for the ‘Media’ Category
A note to TV show producers
Friday, April 6th, 2007Back From the Bo-Zone / inside
Wednesday, January 17th, 2007Just got back from Bozeman a few hours ago. Jesse, AJo, Andy, Cullen and I went there to check out how their ResNet program compares to our DirectConnect program. It was informative, despite the fact that we spent twice as long traveling (eight hours) as we did doing what we came there to do (four hours). They’ve got complete control of their network (we don’t), so they can do stuff like VLAN switching and bandwidth control much easier than we can. Their web-based tools aren’t as pretty as ours, however. This is a result of my design-first, code-second philosophy.
We stayed at the Western Heritage Inn, which sounds like a front for a white power group (“Free racist mint on every pillow!”). We all played Mario Kart 64 until the wee hours of the morn; this includes my boss Jesse, which pretty much makes him the coolest boss ever.
On an altogether unrelated note, last weekend I finished vocals for inside, the new record that I’ve been working on for two years. Tracks:
- I Miss You – slow, moody homesickness song.
- This Could Be Any Day – uptempo piano pop with strings.
- Fret – a worried dirge.
- Temperamental – frenetic song about changing moods at the drop of a hat.
- Mary’s Plea – A synth-folk number about abortion.
- Jenny Lewis Will Never Go Out With You – The name says it all. Power pop.
- Here There Be Monsters – A riff-heavy song with horns and strings.
- Let’s Get Away – Lolling folk about hitting the road, Jack.
- Written Off – An angry folk song about cowardly homophobes.
- Soap – A peppy song about a shower (more philosophical than prurient)
- Torn – A synthy yet rocky song with beats.
- Polarize – Quasi-raggae horn-infused polemic.
- Glut of Food – Synthy
- The Highway – Folk-rock about Interstate 90.
It sounds pretty good. I’ll probably have CDPrintExpress run up copies again, considering the fantastic job they did on Pick Your Poison. I also have plans in the works for an EP by Page Fault, my hardcore pet project. It’s an EP called Two Minute Hate.
But first, I plan to record some B-side vocals over the weekend while I’m visiting my parents. A country song about finding god (“Lifted Up”) is first on my list. I haven’t really found him (perhaps he’s hiding under the covers), but I find songs like it beautiful. I would also like to re-record the vocals for “Synth Pop” (not its final title), a former album cut for inside but now relegated to B-side status. I might also do a ‘stripped’ version of “Written Off”, with just vocals and acoustic guitar.
Reason #2232513 to Hate the Content Industry
Sunday, January 14th, 2007I’ve been reading a lot of stuff on Memory Alpha, the Star Trek wiki (one thing about this blog is that I’m never shy about my geeky leanings). I read quite a few articles dealing with Star Trek Nemesis, and decided I wanted to watch it. Since Carrie and I are up in Kalispell, (which apparently has no equivalent of Crazy Mike’s), we could only find a copy on VHS (gasp, horror, horror! What antediluvean technology!).
This was only the beginning of our troubles, however. It turned out our VCR only had RCA composite outputs, while our TV only had a coax input. But not to fear — her brother’s new PC was a ‘Media Center PC’ with RCA inputs. So I had to go through the grueling Microsoft Media Center setup (my favorite part — Microsoft Customer Experience Improvement Program), because apparently there is no simple ‘play video input’ program.
So I get it all set up, including picking a fake brand for the TV and remote codes. We put the tape in, get ready to watch (on a smaller display, LOL), and see the beautiful picture of — Macrovision. That’s right. Because obviously, why rip a DVD with DVD Decryptor to get a perfect (or near-perfect, if I don’t want to be buggered with a dual-layer DVD) copy of the movie when I can record an analogy copy I rented from a video store.
Give up on the copy protection for videotapes, guys. There are easier ways for us to pirate stuff.
Thanks for noticing… (Part 2)
Thursday, November 9th, 2006
In case there was any question about whether or not other states even care about Montana, here is proof that they probably don’t. CNN managed to get the name wrong of the senator-elect who tips the balance of power in the Senate in the Democrat’s favor. It’s Jon Tester, not Jim Tester, idiots! When I checked last evening, the mistake had already propagated to other websites.
I’m glad we can go back to people not caring about us now.
And, on a side note, bye-bye, Conrad Burns. I know you’re flabbergasted that the voters might actually punish you for being, well, a cranky old idiot, but them’s the breaks. It’s time to concede, you old codger! To quote Ray Charles, “hit the road, jack!” Don’t let the Senate door hit you on the way out.
Nightmare Before Christmas Special Edition – Danny Elfman et al
Tuesday, October 24th, 2006Nightmare Before Christmas – Four and a Half Stars
Bonus Material – One and a Half Stars
I was eagerly awaiting this record, because The Nightmare Before Christmas is my favorite animated movie, and its soundtrack is one of my favorites, too. I’m a big fan of both Danny Elfman and Tim Burton. Plus its release date seemed perfect: a week before Halloween, a week to get me psyched.
What a letdown. Now don’t get me wrong — I absolutely love the first disc, which is just the soundtrack from the original movie (which I already own). I’m talking about the special material. Another reason I was anticipating this album so fervently was that it had rock bands doing covers of some of its songs, as well as demo versions of songs sung by Danny Elfman. The demos are illuminating and entertaining. Most of the songs from the rock bands, however, are not. With the exception of Marilyn Manson’s and Fiona Apple’s contributions, those are the worst songs on the disc. Since there are so few of them, I’ll go over them one-by-one.
Marilyn Manson – “This is Halloween”
Manson’s cover of “Blitzkrieg Bop” on the We’re a Happy Family Ramones compilation totally mangled the song. He doesn’t do that here, although I think his touch would have been more appropriate on this song, as opposed to the Ramones classic. Basically, manson took his horrortronica and wrapped it around the movie’s opening song. It works, although Manson’s attempts to ‘do the voices’ kind of sucks.
Fiona Apple – “Sally’s Song”
This is definately the song for Fiona Apple to cover, and not because it’s the only female lead vocal in the musical. The reason she’s perfect for it is that it fits her stage personality — brooding, lonely, and longing. It’s a simple piano, drums, bass, and vocals numbers, and it works. I think I even like this version better than Catherine O’Hara’s. Definately the best of the covers.
Fall Out Boy – “What’s This”
Fall Out Boy deserves credit for trying. This version is probably the most altered of all the covers. There are actual electric guitars here, and they do fit into Fall Out Boy’s usual style of music. But it’s not altered enough. I foresaw this version of the song to be, well, a romp, with more energy than the film’s. It comes close. I think I hear a synthesizer in the background — whatsamatter, Fall Out Boy, jealous of Panic! At the Disco?
She Wants Revenge – “Kidnap the Sandy Claws”
What a piece of shit. Elfman’s boistrous melody and tempo are transformed into this steaming, staggering electronic afterbirth of a song. I’m fairly certain the singer hits the same note throughout the whole song. And it goes on for five minutes. I think they may have been trying to convey the ominous danger that Lock, Shock, and Barrel will present to Santa, but that’s not the point of the song. It’s funny because they’re singing so merrily about beating Santa Claus to death. When it’s performed as a psycho techno death jam, it just sucks. This is either the fault of the composer or the interpreter, and I’m pretty certain I know which one it is. Way to ruin my favorite song from the movie, assholes.
Panic! At the Disco – “This is Halloween”
This version is too much like the film’s, down to the voices and instrumentation. These songs are supposed to be covers from rock bands, right? I’d love to hear either a synthesizer, ‘phat beat’, or electric guitar, guys.
The demos, on the other hand, are some of the best material on the bonus disc. They’re not simple voice-and-piano demos (like on the Little Shop of Horrors revival soundtrack), they’re fully fleshed out. There are alternate verses and extra bits that didn’t make it to the film. Some of the songs (like “Making Christmas”) go on a bit too long, but the point of a demo is to find out what works and what doesn’t, and to cut where appropriate.
To add insult to injury, I had to buy the entire record off of iTunes; I couldn’t get just the new material. I wouldn’t feel so slighted if I had only paid for the new stuff. So I can’t even recommend just getting the demos and the covers from Apple and Manson. I guess you can always rip or BitTorrent, however…
oooooooOOOOOOOOOO….
Sunday, October 22nd, 2006
In case you were wondering, like Doctor Girlfriend, whether Klaus Nomi was from the future or what, here he is in his plastic tuxedo (“All but ze bow-tie!”).
Working on New Album… again
Sunday, October 22nd, 2006I have been mixing/remixing inside. Two tracks had vocals I recorded back in January, so I got those mixed. So I have nine songs with vocals recorded that have been mixed. That leaves five songs that still need to have vocals recorded. This probably will not be until Christmas break, because I really don’t have an opportunity to record vocals in my dorm room.
I found this really neat program called Synthfont that allows you to play a MIDI file with various SoundFonts or VSTis, which is something I’ve been searching for for years. I just downloaded it today, but it looks like I may need to re-render my tracks with it. In the past I’ve used QuickTime, but it throws in reverb that basically bugs me and, as far as I can tell, one cannot deactivate. Synthfont seems a little bit buggy, but it has a neat ‘Render to File’ option that does exactly what I want.
I’m going to install Windows XP on my iMac to dual-boot. I feel kind of dirty doing it, but I need a lean, mean copy of XP for recording and mixing, and it seems like it’ll be easier to dual boot on my Mac, with Boot Camp and all. Apparently, my year-old PC is too slow to play my mixes smoothly, with all the software I run on it. I would use GarageBand on the iMac for mixing, but it’s just not ‘there’ enough to do what I want. If there was no limit on the number of AudioUnit effects you can use with it, I might try it. I’ve mixed stuff with GarageBand in the past, but it’s been a real pain.
I’ve been working on the album art for inside. It’s going to be the same type of packaging as Pick Your Poison was. There will be a color, eight-page booklet (probably from CDPrintExpress) with lyrics and art. Without giving too much away, I’ll reveal that I’ve been browsing the Morgue File for some of the art that will be in the booklet. It should be pretty thematic and cohesive, if all goes well. I’ve been using Scribus for the layout, since for the past decade or so I’ve been using Adobe PageMaker 6 for Mac OS 9.
I think that inside will be available freely online, with PDF files for the artwork. I’ve used so many free tools, artwork, SoundFonts, and programs that I feel I should give something back to the world of free software/media. The album will also be available for purchase (those CDs will cost me money, after all), although I doubt anyone will buy it. 😉
Battlestar Galactica – “Exodus, Part 2”
Friday, October 20th, 2006Holy cow. Part of me expected the Vichy France-like state of affairs of BSG to continue the entire third season. I had a sneaking suspicion that it would end with this episode — after all, it is called “Exodus.” And it’s not really over, either: there are collaborators to deal with, flashbacks to see, and Cylon acts of retribution to withstand.
I wish I had put it up last week (so you’d know I’m not lying), but I totally called the destruction of the Pegasus. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, they say, so I figured that the ship would go. It was either that or the Galactica, but that would require renaming the series, wouldn’t it? The destruction of the two Cylon Basestars was another added bonus, and made me almost as happy as the destruction of the Ori and Wraith ships in the Stargate SG-1 episode “The Pegasus Project.” Adama’s tactic of jumping into the atmosphere, launching vipers, and jumping away was neat, but it was fairly reckless. The best ‘sci fi’ shot of the episode was definately the Basestars pounding the holy hell out of Galactica. I expected a commercial before we got to see Pegasus give the Cylons what for. And Lee totally went all Worf on ’em when he gave the order for ramming speed.
Speaking of changes, Ellen Tigh’s death (at the hands of Saul, no less) opens up a world of dramatic possibilities. I think her poisoning/death scene with Saul was one of the best moments of the show. But what happens now? Will he shave the beard in remorse (I hope not; I like Pirate Tigh)? Will Colonel Tigh descend deeper into his alcoholism? Will we see Ellen again, confirming the wide rumor that she is a Cylon? I personally doubt she is, because why would theBrother Cavill model have traded sex with another Cylon for Saul’s freedom? The drive of the skinjobs on the show is to frak humans, not each other. This is also why I believe that Baltar is not a Cylon — that theory’s just crazy.
I (as I’m sure almost everyone else did) also called it that Kacey wasn’t really a Cylon-human hybrid. Why the hell would Hera have been so important to them if Kacey was allowed to fall down the stairs (or more likely was pushed down the stairs by Leoben)? But wouldn’t it have been more interesting if we hadn’t found out that Kacey was someone else’s daughter? Imagine the overwhelming tension Starbuck would feel on each Viper run, with her daughter waiting for her to retrn? That would have been good storytelling.
Tom Zarek is apparently a Laura Roslin fanboi now. Will she become President again? Will there be a few episodes about some sort of Interstellar Constitutional Convention? Will Zarek become the new Vice President? If RDM and company can get the politics into the show without being preachy and boring, I think they should go for it. It’s dangerous ground, however — remember the Next Generation episodes about the Klingon High Council? I found those shows to be awful.
Finally, I wish more had happened with Baltar. I read in Entertainment Weekly that a regular on the show stabs him in the neck with a pencil. I’m so disappointed that didn’t happen! Clearly, he’s stuck with the Cylons. That element of the story, the cowardly traitor dreading being discovered, is gone. Unless Baltar becomes a super-scientist double agent! It looked like the preview for next week’s episode showed Gaeta as one of the colonials on trial for collaboration. I bet he is cleared of charges when it is revealed that he was the informant for the Resistence.
Predictions for next week:
- Jammer is put to death.
- Gaeta is put on trial, sentenced to death, and awaiting execution when he receives a repreive because it can be proved that he gave the Resistence their intelligence.
- We’ll learn something ominous about Hera.
- Baltar is taken captive by the Cylons, who bring him to their homeworld (this might be a few episodes in the future).
Missoula Sold Its Soul (For Adult Contemporary)
Friday, October 6th, 2006Well, the Rolling Stones are finally gone, having sucked the life out of our great city Wednesday night. They turned our quiet little campus into a madhouse of 40-somethings looking to recapture that ineffable feeling of youth and 18-somethings screaming “I can’t get no sa-tis-fac-shun!” out of their dorm rooms and reminding those 40-somethings that, hey, it’s okay to be old. Everybody was grabbing for a piece of the pie, and nobody’s hands were greedier than our very own University. It’s not enough to wash our credibility down the drain by signing an exclusive contract with ‘Killer’ Coke, they now sell our campus down the drain, too, just so some geriatric old fucks can waltz in here, play a few songs they penned 40 years ago, and make off with all our money and most of our pride, to boot.
From what I can tell from the reviews I’ve read, the Stones managed to do what everyone expected — they played a lot of hits, one or two new songs to remind us that yes, they’re still making records, and fire off a lot of fireworks to distract us. From what? From the maddening realization that the Stones hadn’t written a song that was actually relevent in two score years. It was all part of the show, the six story stage, the roaring spotlights, the old chestnuts, not new to anybody’s ears in decades, and we all suspended disbelief. Where the hell was the emotion? Somehow, these dangerous boys, who had the gall to declare their Sympathy for the Devil, were nothing short of… familiar. It’s hard to seem dangerous when half your audience is made up of people who have to be up at 7:30 A.M. so they can drop their kids off at school.
The emotion died a long time ago, along with the danger. It’s been replaced with glitz, with 70 tractor trailers and a six-story stage. It’s been replaced with 20,000 screaming fans, not screaming because they might share a moment with Mick or Keef, but screaming for the sake of… screaming. Real rock ‘n roll died a long time ago, certainly before I was born, and even the fringes — punk rock and death metal, for example — are gasping for air. It’s not rebellious anymore. It’s packaged. It’s merchandised. It’s $80 tickets. It’s 70 tractor trailers. It’s withered old farts, appealing to something they helped create, but not letting sleeping dogs lie, making a joke of the very thing they helped to create.
Why is OLGA down?
Saturday, August 19th, 2006Why is OLGA down? Because musicians want to A) find out how to play or B) share with others how to play their favorite songs. And apparently the musicians are upset, instead of flattered (which any other decent human being would be). What a way to say thanks to your fans, jerks.
By the way, if you ever needed another reason to hate KISS, here it is. (Read the ‘take-down letter’).
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