I got a new recording app. It’s called J4T, and it has 4 tracks. So now I can do some layering. Lay down the bass lines, solos, sing harmonies to myself lol.
I just gotta figure it out. It’s a bit complicated trying to do it all through just a phone and the phone mic. I practiced with it tonight and did one song. I wore my headphones with one ear off, and it was a lil difficult trying to hear and play the bass riff and solo over the rhythm and vocals.
I only used two tracks on this song. I may have to get a set of gaming headphones with the flip-down mic. I’ll figure it out lol.
Today makes a year since I started blogging. This is my first time doing this. I’m still a noob. And I really appreciate the support from everyone. You guys are great.
Tuesdays are for Tunes Here we go… This is the first time we are dipping our toes into the realm of Hip Hop. We are talking about Digital UnderGround’s debut album, Sex Packets. This record is brought to us today by loia.blog Bryan has given us a lot of good music this year to listen […]
I haven’t done a Paste Studio post in a while, so I thought I would. If you’re unfamiliar, the majority of the performances are really good. Here’s a great one from Switchfoot. Enjoy.
Oh yes! Great Prompt! And I’m an expert at this sorta thing. I’ve traveled so much and I know what I’m effin’ talkin’ bout. Se se.
So the best way to explore a new city is on the back of a motorcycle being driven by a guy that looks like Arthur Fonzareli from the show Happy Days, while wearing just panties and a bra (regardless of your gender) and maybe even a cool Dolly Parton wig or something.
And just cruise around at a laid-back pace. Don’t be in a hurry. Stop by the ghettos. Go visit the landfill and see what the people are throwing away, this will tell you plenty.
Stop by all the local churches and go inside and see all the pretty people. Talk to the pastor. Introduce yourself. Let them know you’re on their team and that you went to school for this stuff. Tell them how they can get your new book. Then, as you’re leaving, give them the secret hand shake, rub the palm of their hand noticeably with your middle finger, mid-shake, and watch what happens next.
Then go to the nearest Chinese buffet and try and save as many cats as you can. Before it’s too late.
Then go have a snack and rest because you’ve earned it and worry about tomorrow tomorrow.
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Wesley Willis 1963 – 2o03, American Musician and Visual Artist
Mike Ness has lived a life most people wouldn’t have survived. He was kicked out of his parents’ house at just 15, and that’s when he started learning guitar. Not long after, the band’s original drummer, Casey Royer, handed him a distortion pedal, and that simple moment inspired the name.
At 16, Mike put together the first lineup of the band. By 17, he had dropped out of high school as Social Distortion started gaining speed in Orange County’s growing punk scene.
But success didn’t come easy. The early years were filled with chaos, drugs, jail, and rehab. By 1984, Mike was the only original member still standing. Everyone else had either quit or been kicked out. In the late ’80s, his heroin addiction nearly took his life.
Somehow, he kept holding on. He never let go of the dream, the band, or the music. He fought his way back when it would have been easier to quit. Decades later, Mike Ness and Social Distortion are still going strong. To me, that’s what makes their music hit a little differently. It’s not just songs—it’s the story of a guy who refused to give up.
Here are two great songs from 2oO4 “Footprints on My Ceiling” and “Nickels and Dimes.”
I also included an early years interview and a short behind-the-scenes video with Mike. I think it’s really cool to see him back then as a rebellious young guy trying to figure life out, and compare that to who he is today—a seasoned veteran who has lived through it all. It’s pretty amazing to see the journey.
One quick note “Footprints on My Ceiling” has the F-word in it. I’m not a fan of bad language in music, but it’s such a great song—and one of my favorites—that I look past it. 😄
🎧 Two Old Cats Like Us • When Something is Good Why Does it Change
So I’ve written several times about how I started playing guitar in 1988, but officially, it started a little bit before that. It was around ’83, probably. I was like 9 years old.
My friend DJ had a drum set and an electric guitar, and that summer we thought we were rockstars. He brought the beats, and I came up with the riffs and lyrics. We wrote our own songs back then. 😄
Those days are long gone. DJ is a pilot today for Delta Airlines, and me? I’m flying high too. 🎸 🥁 🛬
Here’s a great duet with Ray Charles and Hank from around that same time and When Something Is Good, Why Does It Change?
Hope yall have a great weekend, and thanks for listening.
I woke up around 4:30 AM this morning and laid there for a little bit. Lately I’ve been having a lot of creative thoughts shortly after waking up as I lie still in the dark and think… think… think.
Then the 1955 Chuck Berry song Maybellene came to mind just randomly. Haha… how strange, right? Social D does a great rendition of it. The other one is another well-written Mike Ness original, I Wasn’t Born to Follow.
Also, I’m really thinking back on my life today… if only.
