DJ AM

So, DJ AM apparently killed himself (this is what I think, anyway), and nobody's really spoken about this. Well, I guess that's because Ted Kennedy's funeral coverage is all over the news. But, as much as I hate to admit this, I guess that's understandable.

But anyway, most of what I've heard about Adam Goldstein's death has been negative. I can understand that many people are quiet about it out of respect for his family and friends. Some people, however, heard that Adam's body was found alongside drug paraphernalia and said things such as "well, he deserves it for being a druggie".

Yes, the man struggled with drug problems all of his life.

He also lived with chronic depression.

Anyway, goodbye DJ AM, fellow musician who, despite his vices, seemed like a nice guy...

Skratch Magazine

Check this out.

These guys support underground music. If all goes well, expect to hear a lot more about them.

NYC Venues- Parkside Lounge

So, let's start off with one of the better venues in NYC- Parkside Lounge. Everything here is great- the staff most importantly, plus the house equipment. They booked our band and admitted that they did not usually book punk bands. Still, they made a concerted effort to help us in every way. Plus they actually give bands beer and water, which many places don't do. Even other places, while they charge a cover, find ways not to pay you, and then they make you pay for drinks. Parkside isn't into that. You don't get paid for the show, so the least a venue can do is give you some beer (as well as a proper sound check, thanks). If you're ever by E.Houston and you want to check out a cool music venue, drop by Parkside for their variety of live acts and their cool atmosphere. Bands looking for a place to play in NYC should DEFINITELY consider Parkside to host their music.

Philly!

So, I am in Philly until Sunday. Gotta check out some live music if I can. More on that later. For now, I think I'm going to start a small series of entries detailing small music venues in NYC- mostly places I've played, while others will be simply ones I've seen friends' bands perform.

Double Vision- Live At The Annex 7/12/09 (Part 1)

Posted everywhere ever, now posted here for whoever may be lurking.

Well, my friend suggested I should write about other things...

But I can't do that while the header reads "Music and Such".

Though 'such' can imply that I'm writing about other things. Like my birthday tomorrow.

Anyway, I'll be going out of town for a couple of days, to the city of brotherly love. Gonna check out the local music scene while I'm there, and of course, gonna hand out some CDs and keep working on my "electro-whatever" tracks. Yeah! Maybe when I'm done, I'll put out a download-able E.P.

Oh, and guess what?

My senior recital is going to ROCK! Spring 2010!!

Electro Pop!

Laid down the rhythm track for a new piece. Got some basic demos for a few others. Hopefully over next week I can get some more stuff done. It's sounding good.

Procrastinating...

...because I have to retake my Piano IV jury in September.

Because I think the Secondary Piano program at MSU is in need of some serious revamping. At least we should have some real piano benches in our new piano lab, in our new fancy building. I hope anyway. That would at least solve a small fraction of our problems. It was actually kind of funny (not really) to have my private teacher tell me, upon our first meeting last week, that I've been sitting at the piano incorrectly since Piano I. So, strike one for the secondary piano teachers- at least the ones who never explained the proper way to even sit at a piano to the students. Now pedaling is a lot easier, which we never even went over in detail for the two years of piano I've had to endure. Strike two.

Please tell me why we can't ever, ever have professors that agree on how secondary piano is taught? Why it's a crapshoot with the professor you get? If you get a good one, you'll be thoroughly prepared. If you get a bad one, you'll be surprised on your jury. No one should ever be surprised on a jury for a secondary instrument.

I simply don't understand why we have to learn ten plus pieces for a jury when, for our primary juries, we learn three or four. Plus, out of those ten, you are actually only quizzed on maybe half of them. But you don't know what you'll be asked to do, so you end up spreading yourself thin trying to practice everything possible. Wouldn't have two or three solid pieces be a lot more logical? Strike three.

I seriously feel the secondary piano program at MSU needs some changes, fast. I know I'm not the only one to fail the Piano IV jury. Maybe a change will be made if we all band together, make our voices heard. Something has to be done.

Wow!! What an awesome (and cheap) Delay Pedal

Danelectro PB&J

Just got this baby last week- it's fantastic. I've been hooking it up to my keyboard to see what it can do- turns out it can do a lot. I need some more time to mess with it to see what it can really do, but everything sounds great. It's got all sorts of delay- from a quick echo to tons of reverberations. A great buy for only $60.

The Che Cafe (California)

The Che Cafe is a hotspot for music-loving college students to gather and listen to local bands. It's a club that promotes peace, yet is named for a murderer. During the 1960s, Che Guevara would round up members of the Cuban population he called "lumpen" and throw them in prison. To him, lumpen were music lovers, musicians, homosexuals, artists, any sort of "longhair" type.

So, it's funny that this club, named for Che, is promoting everything he hated. The Che Club has a great message, but the owners and the patrons are grossly misinformed.

Les Paul

Les Paul, legendary guitarist, inventor, and philanthropist, dead at 94.