Apple praise snap



Call me cynical but I'm suspicious when I see three positive reviews for a product that's only just been announced -- especially when they're three positive reviews that are doubled-upped.

My former neighbour



This is one of the brown snakes that lived outside my last house. I'd just stepped over it walking out the door before these pics.



As it slid away it zigzagged down this staircase.

Wandered

Wandered by ShowcaseJase

Above is a draft of a tune I've written called Wandered. It's a demo recorded quickly with my BFF Jo and the lyrics could flow better.

Below is an instrumental version of the tune in an electronic style. It's a bit glitchy and reminds me a little of Boards of Canada -- although it doesn't have their awesome drum sounds. (I was listening to their earlier albums today and noticed their distortion and sometimes delay on the drums.)

Wandered by bassling

The opening drone reminds me of the wires a bit. It could use some birdsong to reflect the theme of the lyrics in the original.

Can women sell cymbals?



Previously I've commented on the use of sexy women to sell keyboards and speakers.
It's awesome to see this theme expanded to sell cymbals.

It reminds me of an experiment I read about while studying psychology. They found that by showing men photos of naked women wearing high heels they could train blokes to be aroused by shoes.

BTW the ads aren't working because I'm flaccid while looking at my cymbals.

Bearded dragons



Bearded dragons are kept as pets in some parts of the world but when I was living outside Wagga Wagga I'd often see them in the wild.



They're quite social animals for lizards. As pets they seem to really like being stroked on the neck.



Sadly a lot seem to end up run over on the road. Below is one I rescued from a fence.



Below is one I didn't get to rescue.



Bearded dragons were featured in my film clip for bassling's tune Hazmat.

Gently borrowed

Gentle Borrower by ShowcaseJase

This is Gentle Borrower from the 2008 RPM Challenge. It's the first recording of the track I wrote about copyright and musical inspiration. It was inspired by one of the most potent essays I've read about music -- Bettered by the Borrower by John Oswald. As I read it I jotted down ideas and later thought they would make good lyrics.

We share in ears
vibrations in air
it's more primal than blues
this form we share

I am a sound
a song that is true
this music that flows through me
can flow through you too

Gentle borrower
transform me
gentle borrower
transform me

Brainstorm elation
marks transformation
save condemnation for
straight imitation

There are more than these notes
there are more than these keys
an infinite soundscape
needs your diversity

Gentle borrower
transform me
gentle borrower
transform me



Here is a version of the song we recorded live using the wires as a reverb on the vocals by singing into a can, like one of the telephones you'd make with two cans and a string.



Below is my bassling remix of Gentle Borrower. If you click on the downward arrow you can download it.

Gentle Borrower (basslingspulsingwiresmix) by bassling

Tip for parents



Octopus straps are a great way to keep kids out of cupboards.

Fin



Pet goldfish seem to be good for one thing and that's to teach young children about mortality.

Curious review



Just saw this in the Sydney Morning Herald Spectrum section from Saturday, an album review without text. (You can tell it's the Spectrum because it's got that weird pie chart they use. I think the pie chart is weirder than a review without words but it's there every week.)

At four stars I wouldn't have thought the reviewer would be lost for words. Either they're a novice -- and, to be honest, I've read a few reviews lately that seemed like the sorta PR you get with the album as a reviewer -- or it is an album that I'm intrigued to hear for myself to form an opinion.

Once in a blue moon?

Previously I quoted Tim Rogers saying that no one knows how to write a hit song. Which soothes the pain of never getting Tim's opinion of my tune Blue Moon.

This is the version I might've performed for him:
Blue Moon (Jase's single take) by ShowcaseJase

And this is the version I recorded with my BFF in 2007:
Blue Moon by ShowcaseJase

And this is a slower instrumental version:
Blue Moon by bassling

Anyway, I've reconsidered the role of songwriting in producing a hit after this quote from Sia Furler in the SMH Spectrum section last month:
"You can market poop. You just have to listen to the radio to hear the poop being marketed."


Guess it could be any number of things. These opinions segue to my surprise at the popularity of this tune I knocked out quickly and didn't like much. If I were marketing my own music, I wouldn't have picked this track as a single yet it's been heard more often than any of my other recent work.

trip-hop by bassling

Maybe it's the name? Trip-hop might be a search term as a genre.

Then again, maybe I'm obsessing over numbers instead of my own enjoyment of music.

Maybe Prince was right when he said:

"The internet's completely over. I don't see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They won't pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can't get it.

"The internet's like MTV. At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated. Anyway, all these computers and digital gadgets are no good.

"They just fill your head with numbers and that can't be good for you."


(BTW this Prince quote is a very popular topic at present. I like the discussion here lots, especially the bit about carrying a church instead of a reverb unit.)