Archive for category Music
Guns N' Roses Members Reunite At Anniversary Show
Axl wasn’t on hand but the other members of the classic Guns N’ Roses lineup did attend the 20th anniversary party for their landmark debut “Appetite for Destruction,” which took place at the Key Club in Hollywood on Saturday night.
I suddenly feel very old.
A Musical Experiment
Anyone who’s known me for a few years is aware that I enjoy playing music. For a while there I defined myself as a musician first and foremost. Over the past couple of years though, my guitars have been gathering dust, which is depressing to say the least.
Today I ran across a video of Jonathan Coulton performing “Re: your brains” – a ballad about zombies – at the Penny Arcade Expo this year (see video below). While the video is hilarious, what got me thinking was his “Thing a Week” project – basically, he recorded a new song every week and made the songs available for free on his site. He described it as an attempt to keep the creative juices flowing, which is exactly what I’m lacking at the moment.
So, I thought to myself – why not try the same thing? I don’t think I’m up to recording a song per week, but I could at least *write* a song a week. It doesn’t have to be long, it doesn’t have to be good – it just has to be a song.
We’ll see how it goes – starting Monday 
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ2NIhVUUxg&rel=0]
Now this is fun
Posted by Lane in Entertainment, Music on November 22, 2005
Just found a link to Dean Gray presents American Edit – basically they took Green Day’s “American Idiot” and took bits and pieces of other songs and mashed them all together.
So you have “Boulevard of Broken Songs” which combines “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” with Oasis’ hit from a decade ago, “Wonderwall” (with a cameo by Aerosmith at the end) And it works surprisingly well They have several other tracks from American Idiot worth checking out.
Audioscrobbler
Posted by Lane in Computers & Gadgets, Entertainment, Music on May 2, 2005
Trying a new thinger on the site – Audioscrobbler… if you scroll down, on the right side of the page is a list of the last few songs I’ve listened to. It *should* update automatically, and eventually be able to track my listening habits. We’ll see if it works or not.
Not just another bum
Ah come on, Adrian, it’s true. I was nobody. But that don’t matter either, you know? ‘Cause I was thinkin’, it really don’t matter if I lose this fight. It really don’t matter if this guy opens my head, either. ‘Cause all I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody’s ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I’m still standin’, I’m gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren’t just another bum from the neighborhood.
OK, so it’s a little melodramatic, but I’m always looking for an excuse to quote “Rocky” I have the opportunity to audition for Tait tomorrow. I don’t think I have a realistic shot of getting the gig, knowing how many far more talented guitarists than I live in Nashville, but I’d just like to do well and make a good showing. At the very least I can say I gave it my best shot Right now I just want to get it over with, because my fingertips look like ground beef!
Regardless if I get the job or not, next week will be a big one… I close on my house Monday, and Friday will mark a year since my last chemo treatment. I *swear* I’ll write the second part of the cancer story soon. It’s been a very busy summer.
Deja Vu All Over Again
Posted by Lane in Entertainment, Music, Random on September 22, 2002
This is the first day it has actually felt non-summer-ish… appropriate, since Fall officially started this weekend.
I was just outside mowing my yard in the cooler weather, listening to some old Guns N’ Roses, and was practically knocked over by a wave of nostalgia. Suddenly, it’s 1988, the beginning of my sophomore year of high school… constant trips on the school bus to football games or band contests, wishing Kristin would pay attention to me 
That was also the beginning of my self-imposed morphing from junior high nerd to angst-ridden teen rocker guy. Kind of hard to do with braces and Bon Jovi, but I gave it my best shot!
Anyway, it got me to thinking about high school. While I wouldn’t want to go back and re-do it (not even “knowing then what I know now”), I do miss the friendships. A good dozen close friends that I hung out with on a regular basis, and even greater number of passing acquaintances I considered friends. That’s definitely the one aspect I would like to recapture… as long as I could do it without the acne, braces, 1983 Chevy Celebrity, mullet hair (yes, I proudly wore one throughout high school), girlfriend issues (more appropriately, the lack of one), etc. etc. etc.
I’m working on getting some video online from the last performance of my last band (April 2000, I believe)… it’ll probably be up tomorrow.
“Yowzah…”
My First iPod
Posted by Lane in Computers & Gadgets, Entertainment, Music on September 3, 2002
YEAH! Blogger is finally working…
I got a new toy today – an Apple iPod. Basically, a super-duper MP3 player that can hold literally thousands of songs… and it weighs less than a pound. That’s just coooool{/deep voice}.
I guess that means my old MP3 player is for sale. Then again, everything I own is for sale – right John?
Well, it’s 7:15, and I haven’t had dinner yet. Catfish or ravioli… decisions, decisions…
Happy Summertime!
Posted by Lane in Entertainment, Music on June 21, 1999
Happy Summertime! It’s officially my favorite season today.
As an additional bonus, DivX is DEAD! NEEEEEE-HAH!
Two great, great albums you should go out and buy today:
Def Leppard Euphoria – Yes, their biggest hit was “Pour Some Sugar On Me” a decade ago. Guess what? The new album is great – regardless of the stylings of the music and vocals, the songs are excellent, and that’s what it’s all about anyway. A+
Steven Curtis Chapman Speechless – My favorite Christian artist does it again. Not as groundbreaking as The Great Adventure or Signs of Life, but still an excellent album from one of the best. A
Music and Movie Reviews
Posted by Lane in Entertainment, Movies, Music on April 5, 1999
What I’ve been watching:
October Sky – Great great movie. Go see it! A++
EdTV – OK. Nothing special. Has a few laughs. C
The Matrix – Great action flick. Best thing Keanu Reeves has done since Bill and Ted. A+
Never Been Kissed – Drew Barrymore as a nerd? She actually pulls it off. Pretty good. B+
Death Warrant – Jean Claude Van Damme + Very few fight scenes = incredibly boring movie. D-
What I’ve been listening to:
Marvelous 3 Hey!Album – These guys RAWK! Go get it. A+++
Sugar Ray 14:59 – Not bad. Pretty diverse album. “Every Morning” is definitely the best song on the album. B-
Garbage Version 2.0 – OK so far – haven’t listened to the entire thing.
New Radicals – If the guy could sing, it would be much better. And calling yourself a band when it’s really a solo act is awful pretentious. C+
Goo Goo Dolls Dizzy Up the Girl – A little too “alterna-trendy” for me. Good songs for the most part. B