Making Music with the iPad and an iRig

I talked a little about this amazing setup in an earlier post, but only briefly touched upon the many possibilities. With your iPad and an iRig, capturing your music on the fly has never been easier or more convenient. Just plug you guitar or mic in, choose an amp head, some effects pedals, and let it rock.

There are several iRig products available from IK Multimedia. The guitar interface and the microphone rig are the most useful. The microphone even comes with a mic so you're ready to go, but you can use it with your own microphones as well. Both packages come with cool software and some great effects, and you can purchase a seemingly endless number of add-ons as you need them.

Using an iRig is easy, Plug your instrument and headphones into the iRig and the iRig into the iPad, and bingo, you're ready to lay down some hot tracks using your favorite recording studio app. I talked about a few of those in an earlier post. There are some decent choices available today in a variety of price ranges. Garage Band will do if your price range is free.

Now, when I talk about effects and amplifier heads, you guys and girls know what I'm saying. There are apps you can use with your iRigs (such as AmpliTube and VocaLive). Add these to Garage Band or any of your favorite DAW (digital audio workstation) apps and you have all the effects, instruments, and studio time at your disposal you'll need to record your tunes. With some of these tools and a little time, you can fine tune and distribute your stuff straight from the iPad.

How's that for technology? I come from a time when I got giddy with a four track studio machine. I could never afford a lot of effects at a time, so I had to get the best amp I could and choose between one or two effects pedals that I could get the most out of.  Now I'm a kid in a candy store, experimenting with so many great sounds and techniques  it makes my head spin.

Who Wants Some Nashville Pussy?

If you haven't heard this band yet, you're missing out. A little hard rock, a little southern rock, a little psychobilly - these guys and girls are outrageous. Classified as sleaze rock, this is not your mom and dad's rock band for sure, unless you're mom and dad are pretty fucking cool.

The band is actually not from Nashville. They're from Atlanta, Georgia, and if you're familiar with Ted Nugent's intro on Double Live Gonzo to the song Wang Dang Sweet Poontang, you can figure out where they got the name for the band.

Blaine Cartwright (vocals, rhythm guitar) formed the band with his wife Ruyter Suys (lead guitar). Jeremy Thompson (drums) and Bonnie Buitrago (bass) round out the current line-up of the band, which has seen a few members come and go since its birth 1997.

The band's first album (released in 1998), entitled Let Them Eat Pussy, sets the tone. Nashville Pussy has released a total of five studio albums, a couple live performances, and an EP. Some of the titles include High as Hell, Say Something Nasty, and Get Some! Song titles include You're Goin' Down, Fried Chicken and Coffee, Piece of Ass, Blowjob from a Rattlesnake, Keep on Fuckin', and too many more classics to name.

Nashville Pussy is by no means tame. I like them. The music is loud, in your face rock 'n' roll that makes no apologies. The band will probably never be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but they will be in great company.

If you're looking for something rude to get you in the mood, grab a little Nashville Pussy.

Gibson SG Bass

Back when I was in my early twenties and playing in a band, I was lucky enough to have a beautiful American-made Gibson SG bass. I bought it from somebody for fifty bucks. It was a classic. I had it for about three months and traded it for a hot pink B.C. Rich bass.

What a dumb ass.

But I thought the hot pink B.C. Rich was more rock 'n' roll. I played it for a long time. It served its purpose. I never did get over regretting the swap, though. I still miss my Gibson SG bass.

What a dumb ass.

Somewhere that SG made a lot of good music for somebody.

I do have a picture somewhere of my little sister playing it. I'll have to dig that up and scan it sometime. At least then I can look.

Who Gives a Damn About Queen?

That used to be my attitude. Until recently (and I mean within the last few months), I never gave two shits about the band. I simply wasn't impressed. Yeah, I've always liked You're My Best Friend, We Will Rock You, We Are the Champions, and one or two more of their hits, and I really dug the entire The Game album, but other than that, I had no use for them.

I'll take a moment now to let everybody boo me off the stage.

Then my wife made me see the error of my ways. She loves Queen. For her, I gave them a shot. I listened to The Game first because, hey, I already knew I loved that album. I listened to News of the World next because I knew I could somewhat stomach that album. Next I listened to A Day at the Races and then A Night at the Opera and then Sheer Heart Attack, and hey, these fuckers aren't bad. Freddie Mercury is an undeniably intense singer and Brian May's thick guitar tone is outrageous. He can play his ass off too. Hell, all of the guys in the band can play. Where have I been?

Looking back, it was always that part in Bohemian Rhapsody that did me in. You know the part I'm talking about. The part that begins with "I see a little silhouetto of a man" and ends with "Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me." And everything in between there.

I don't like every Queen song I hear, but I hear a hell of a lot that I do like. I can appreciate the band. I give a damn about Queen.

But I still can't listen to "(Galileo) Galileo, (Galileo) Galileo, Galileo Figaro Magnifico."

Just can't.

Touch

Remember the band Touch? Not the 1960s band. I'm talking about the rock band from New York, formed in 1978. They made two records (Touch and Touch II) then disappeared. The first record was 1980 and the second came in 1982. I loved the first album. Tracks like Don't You Know What Love Is, Black Star, and When the Spirit Moves You are off the charts and demonstrate why I consider this band (and the first album in particular) a forgotten classic. Even the second album, which doesn't quite live up to the first, is pretty damn good. Both albums still hold up musically today.

By the time I got around to buying the first Touch album it was already out of print. I scoured used record stores and ended up going to a record convention to find it. I was able to buy it for a mere thirty bucks. I rushed home and slapped that baby on my record player and wore it out. Touch: The Complete Works was released on CD in 1998. It's out of print now, but if you look around, you can still find it. Great music, killer band.

Individual Kisses

Kiss Solo Covers

Does anybody remember 1978 and the KISS solo albums? Of course you do. This marked the first time in rock history that all members of a band would release solo albums on the same day. Although the albums were solo (none of the members played on each others' album), the albums were released collectively as KISS albums. The goal was to give band members a platform for expressing themselves musically outside of KISS while maintaining a group project feel. How wise a decision this was is up for debate. Some fans believe it was the beginning of the end for the original line-up. It doesn't matter. These albums are classic.

If you were a die-hard KISS fan at the time, the solo records were something to drool about. I did my fair share of slobbering and had to wipe the album covers clean numerous times.

The question is this: Which of the solo albums was your favorite or which do you feel was best? I loved Ace's the most when the solo records came out, but over the years I have loved and grown to appreciate each of the records on its own terms. If you ask me which is my favorite today and then ask me next week, you are likely to get two different answers.

For now:

Paul Stanley.                          

Gene Simmons

Ace Frehley

Peter Criss

Paul's record was the most KISS-like in sound. Ace was my favorite dude in KISS at the time, hence his solo album was my favorite. If Ace hadn't been my favorite KISS member, it's likely Paul's solo album would have been my favorite. No musical acrobatics here, but there doesn't have to be. Songs like It's Alright, Wouldn't You Like to Know Me, Move On, and the cool ballad Hold Me, Touch Me speak for themselves.

Gene's record was odd for me at the time. I liked most of the stuff on it, but I was still too young and too much into the KISS sound to appreciate True Confessions, Burning up with Fever and Gene's rendition of When You Wish Upon a Star. I understand them better now. I can certainly dig the uptempo ballads like Mr. Make Believe, See You Tonight, and Always Near You/Nowhere to Hide as well as the gritty grind of Radioactive and Living in Sin.

Since I thought Ace was the coolest guy in the group, his album was my favorite by default. It wasn't just that, though. Rip It Out, Speedin' back to My Baby, What's on Your Mind, and New York Groove were near masterpieces. A couple of the songs on Ace's album could have been KISS songs, but he got a little further away from the sound than Paul did. Good stuff for sure.

Peter's album is the last on my list, but that doesn't mean I don't like it. Peter strayed farthest from the KISS sound and was booed for the effort by KISS fans. Wasn't that the point, to express yourself musically outside of KISS? Peter did a stunning job of that and ended up with the least successful of the solo records. Although his album is last on my list today, it has been at the top of my list on other occasions. There are some beautiful songs here. I Can't Stop the Rain and Easy Thing are wonderful ballads, Hooked on Rock 'N' Roll and Rock Me, Baby are ass-kicking foot stompers, and That's the Kinda Sugar Papa Likes and I'm Gonna Love You burst with an R&B groove that keeps you moving. It's always been claimed that Pete is tone deaf and can't sing in tune. I have never heard him out of tune and I love the tone of his voice.

Let me see your comments. Which KISS do you like best?

Black Star Riders - Band and Album of the Year

Damon Johnson, Scott Gorham,
Ricky Warwick, Marco Mendoza,
Jimmy DeGrasso

Black Star Riders is my pick for band of the year in 2013. They actually formed officially at the end of 2012. Their debut album All Hell Breaks Loose is my pick for album of the year. To discuss this incredible band, I first have to give props to one of the greatest rock bands of all time, Thin Lizzy, and to one of the greatest frontmen of all time, Phil Lynott.

Black Star Riders rose from the ashes of Thin Lizzy.

If ever there were a band that could fill the void left behind by Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders is that band. Led by former and long-time Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham, Black Star Riders features an all-star lineup that rocks the fucking house. With Ricky Warwick on vocals and guitar, Damon Johnson (alongside Scott Gorham) on lead guitar, the incomparable Marco Mendoza on bass, and Jimmy DeGrasso on drums, this band is in top form and unstoppable.

I'm billing this band as the evolution of Thin Lizzy. Not a copy of Thin Lizzy, mind you. Black Star Riders are the rightful heir to the Thin Lizzy throne. This band, in my opinion, is the legitimate next generation of Thin Lizzy.

The songs on All Hell Breaks Loose have a Thin Lizzy sound but exhibit orginality as well. Bound for Glory, Hey Judas, and Kissin' the Ground especially blew me away. Most of the songwriting was done by Damon Johnson and Ricky Warwick, demonstrating these guys are capable of delivering the goods. Any of the songs on this album could have been on a new Thin Lizzy record and Phil Lynott would have been proud. The guys, however, chose not to record under the Thin Lizzy name out of respect to Phil. A wise decision for sure, and in the end, I believe that decision lends more credibility to the work.

Black Star Riders is a band I hope to see and hear for some time to come.

The track list is as follows:

1.	"All Hell Breaks Loose"	Ricky Warwick, Damon Johnson, Scott Gorham, Marco Mendoza, Darren Wharton	4:15
2.	"Bound for Glory"	Warwick, Johnson	4:08
3.	"Kingdom of the Lost"	Warwick, Johnson	4:43
4.	"Bloodshot"	Gorham, Warwick, Johnson	4:02
5.	"Kissin' the Ground"	Warwick, Johnson, Marti Frederikson	3:06
6.	"Hey Judas"	Warwick, Johnson, Gorham	4:11
7.	"Hoodoo Voodoo"	Warwick, Johnson	4:15
8.	"Valley of the Stones"	Warwick, Johnson, Gorham	4:15
9.	"Someday Salvation"	Warwick, Johnson	3:05
10.	"Before the War"	Warwick, Johnson	3:39
11.	"Blues Ain't So Bad" Special edition digipak bonus track No. Title Writer(s) Length 12. "Right to Be Wrong"   Warwick, Johnson, Gorham 3:35

The Line Between Hard Rock and Heavy Metal

Where is the line between hard rock and heavy metal and does it really matter? Who is the forerunner of heavy metal? A lot of people will tell you Tony Iommi is the godfather of metal and that Black Sabbath is the first real heavy metal band. To me, Black Sabbath is a hard rock band all the way, although lyrically and visually they had some elements now associated with the heavy metal genre that may lend credibility to the assertation that Black Sabbath is a metal forerunner. As far as I am concerned, you could make the same argument for Ozzy once he struck out on his own. He certainly introduced a sound and visuals that have become synonymous with the genre.

Bands like Judas Priest brought the metal sound more to the forefront by leaving the blues influence out of the music and focusing more on the highly distorted guitar sounds, the metal imagery, and metal-oriented lyrics. Motörhead, to me, could be classified as metal, but the lyrical and visual elements are primarily hard rock.

A Google search for metal bands will yield lists that I think are rather loose in their interpretation of what bands are considered heavy metal. Kiss, for instance, frequently appears on such lists. By no means do I think of Kiss as a metal band. I love Kiss, but heavy metal they are not.

Glam metal, pop metal, commercial metal, death metal, industrial metal, punk metal - I guess if you start putting more specific labels on bands, you could surely classify more bands as metal, but it begins to border on petty when we get to that point.

Bands that are undeniably metal include Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, and Megadeth. These bands cannot be classified as anything else. Judas Priest is metal, to be sure, but not hard enough (and sometimes a bit too polished) for some of the die-hard metal lovers. I'd like to see some comments regarding Judas Priest and their position in the metal hierarchy.

Glam metal bands (also referred to has hair metal) include Poison, Ratt, Dokken, Kix, and Helix. Bands like Cinderella, Bon Jovi, and Great White often get thrown in here, though these bands fall more clearly in line with the hard rock genre for me. Whitesnake (a band I adore) went from being a blues-based rock band in the seventies to a wanna-be metal reinvention in the eighties and beyond.

You can argue the finer points of this topic forever. In the end, I'm not sure how much it matters. A good band is a good band. Good music is good music. Label it what you will.

Movie Soundtracks

I have pretty strict ideas about what constitutes a good movie soundtrack. A record full of songs, no matter how great the songs are, does not make a good soundtrack if those songs are just thrown together and have nothing whatsoever to do with the movie they are associated with. A movie soundtrack, in my opinion, should be so closely aligned with a movie that listening to it will always transport you back to the key moments of the film.

My five favorite movie soundtracks are:

Eddie and the Cruisers

Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives

Dirty Dancing

Saturday Night Fever

Grease

Every song on these soundtracks brings me back to the movie experience. Hell, I can't listen to John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band without thinking I'm listening to the fictional Eddie and the Cruisers. Dirty Dancing was when I realized Patrick Swayze could write and sing. John Travolta starred in two of the movies and on the soundtracks, and then Olivia Newton-John . . .what a voice. These are some of my favorite movies and the soundtracks are just as spectacular.

Live Jive

Picking favorite live albums is tricky business. There are a lot of good ones. If I'm pressed to choose, my five all-time favorites would be Thin Lizzy's Live and Dangerous, Bob Seger's Live Bullet, Kiss Alive, Cheap Trick at Budokan (the complete-set edition), and Ted Nugent's Double Live Gonzo. Not necessarily in that order but pretty damn close.

There are quite a few other live records that deserve mention. REO Speedwagon's You Get What You Play For comes to mind. It's raw and damn good. It captures the band in their hungry days and in all their live glory. My only beef with the record is the lack of Kevin Cronin raps. Kevin has an awesome vocal interaction with the audience and that element was edited out of most of the performances on You Get What You Play For, which took away some of the beauty of it.

Are You Ready by southern rockers the Atlanta Rhythm Section is another live record I'm particularly fond of. I remember when I was sixteen years old, I took a bus through the worst parts of town in St. Louis to get to the arch on 4th of July because the Atlanta Rhythm Section was playing. I made it and got to sit right in front of the stage. A great experience. The guys kicked ass. Are You Ready captures the guys at their best and, although it isn't a recording of the show I saw, it brings back fond memories of a great concert experience for me.

Head East Live! is a cool concert album. Does anybody remember Head East? They had two big hits, Never Been Any Reason and Love Me Tonight. Despite the lack of constant hits, the band has always been a classic rock radio staple and their records (particularly the first four leading up to the live album and the one immediately following the live album) are consistently good and well worth listening to over and over. Head East Live! captures the band in all it's energetic glory.

Two live Sammy Hagar albums blew me away. Unfortunately, they were not double live records and only captured a small portion of Sammy's set at the time. Because the records were so fucking intense, though, they rank as some of my favorite live records. All Night Long and Live 1980 capture Sammy's onstage insanity. While both albums are short, they are so intense they feel like full concerts. I can listen to them repeatedly without getting bored. Together they make the perfect Red Rocker  concert experience.

Still Life: American Concert 1981 by the Rolling Stones is another short concert album that feels like a full show. The song selections here and the energetic performance by the band make this an enjoyable listening experience. Are there better live Stones records out there? I'm sure there are, but for me, this is a quick listen that will get the heart pounding and the feet moving.

There are other live records I could talk about. I'll highlight some more later. For now, if you take the time to listen to any of these, I'm sure you'll enjoy the experience.

Let me know what your favorite live albums are.

A Perfect Marriage of Flavors

This isn't music related, but hey, we can't live on music alone. This is worth a mention. My wife created the perfect dipping sauce. Sriracha hot chili sauce (a beautiful creation) and olive oil. Great for many things. I particularly love it for pizza rolls. The sweet heat of the chili sauce combined with the richness of the olive oil is a perfect marriage of flavors. Try it.

Bon Scott or Brian Johnson?

How 'bout a little rock 'n' roll showdown. Which AC/DC singer do you prefer, Bon Scott or Brian Johnson? Although Brian has been singing for the band for thirty plus years, I think he still has to walk in the shadow of Bon Scott. That's ridiculous to me. Bon Scott was with the band for about six years, and yeah, his voice is on some of the most iconic AC/DC records out there, including the mega Highway to Hell record, but his time in AC/DC was relatively short. His contribution can't be denied, but when you look at the success of the band with Brian at the mic, there is also no denying the importance of Brian Johnson to AC/DC either.

My wife didn't even realize there were two singers involved. To her, the singer on Highway to Hell and Shook Me all Night Long were the same. I can certainly hear the distinct difference in vocal tone and styling, but this illustrates a good point. AC/DC could not have replaced Bon Scott with a better singer. While Bon Scott's voice was well suited to the music of AC/DC, Brian Johnson's voice is equally suited. At this point in rock 'n' roll history, I couldn't imagine another singer in AC/DC, including Bon Scott if he were still alive.

Here's the thng for me. Bon Scott recorded some great material with AC/DC. Highway to Hell, Bon's last record with the boys, still ranks as one of my favorite AC/DC records of all time, right along with the killer Let There Be Rock. That said, you can't downplay the greatness of post Bon Scott records like Back in Black, For Those About to Rock, Stiff Upper Lip, or Black Ice. It really isn't a competition. Both singers are intense and perfect for AC/DC. My opinion, however, is that Brian Johnson should not be walking in Bon's shadow. He has, since 1980, carved his own legacy with the band, and in my eyes, he is the iconic AC/DC singer.

Anybody have a different take?

Gibson Les Paul or Fender Stratocaster?

Do you prefer one over the other? The hard rock guys tend to use the Les Paul while the country and blues guys go for the Strat. This is just a general observation. Some guitarists need one (or more) of each. There is certainly a distinct tone and playability to both these guitars. Where do you stand?

Songwriting Apps for the iPad

There are a ton of apps available to help you create music on your iPad. I have been trying them out. Just  ask my wife. I am  extremely picky about what I use. It has to do exactly what I want it to do or I move on to something else. I do that until I find what works and then I endlessly talk about what I find that works for me. These are some of the most useful apps for songwriting on the iPad. I use and recommend them all.

SongWriter HD by SimonApps is my main songwriting app. It allows me to write lyrics and chords, tab out guitar parts, and export my songs for backup. There are alot of extra cool features that give me full control over every aspect of the song. It's easy to use and great for creating lead sheets. Get it in the iTunes Store for around five bucks.

Notion by Notion Music, Inc is an app I use for full on music notation. This app is like using full-fledged music notation software like Finale and Sibelius. Seriously, this does it all. It even plays your compositions using real sampled instruments. This is for the serious composer.

Garage Band by Apple is billed as a recording app for beginners, but there is so much you can do with it that pro musicians will find it useful. First off, the virtual guitars, basses, keyboards, strings, and drums are awesome. They provide a quick way to add some tracks to a song when there are no instruments available to you. The big thing for me, though, is using Garage Band and an iRig to take advantage of the many popular amplifier set ups and effects pedals Garage Band offers. It is literally like having thousands of dollars worth of equipment on my iPad. I use more professional DAW apps for more professional recording, but Garage Band is a great place to sketch out a tune. The plus side is it's free for the iPad.

Auria by WaveMachine Labs, Inc is a full-fledged professional recording app that allows you to record and mix with studio quality results. This is the way to record and mix on your iPad.

Music Studio by Alexander Gross is a full-fledged recording studio that doesn't quite stack up to Auria, though it offers more features and possibilities than Garage Band.

These are just the apps I recommend. There are many more. Let us know what you use.

Top 5 Favorite Bands

I'm forever thinking about music. If I'm not writing my own tunes, I'm listening to music. I think about what I like, what I don't like, what inspires me, and what doesn't. I often compile lists. It's interesting to see how my lists differ from those of others. My own lists vary from time to time. Here is a top five list of my favorite performers. Again, this is subject to change, and frequently it does, depending upon my mood or what a particular performer or band is doing at the time. For now, though, these are my favorite five performers. This list also happens to be the five performers who have most influenced my songwriting and playing over the years.

Thin Lizzy

John Mellencamp

Bob Seger

Rod Stewart

Kiss

Who are yours? Let me see some comments.

My Songwriting Process

Everybody who writes songs has a process. Some wait for the inspiration to strike. Others pick up an instrument and pound away until a song emerges. I don't wait for the muse. There are songs inside me all the time, waiting for me to pick up an instrument and hammer them out. The instrument could be my voice, a guitar, a keyboard, a pen and paper, or computer software. However I do it, I like to get it while the getting is good. Ideas are fleeting. I capture them when they are there.

Typically, I grab a notebook, pen, and my guitar. I write out lyrics and chords so the basics of the tune are there. If I happen to be near a computer, I create the chord and lyric sheet in Sibelius. Even if I write in a notebook, the basic lead sheet will end up in Sibelius anyway. That's where I notate the separate parts in full (guitar, bass, keyboard, or whatever other instruments the song will use).

I write any time of the day or night, although I tend to do some of my best work in the middle of the night or very early in the morning.  A bottle of cold brew usually accompanies my nightly writing sprees, particularly on hot nights. My current ale of choice is Shock Top End of the World Midnight Wheat, made with midnight wheat, chocolate malt, chili, and spices. My morning writing sprees are accompanied by lots of coffee (usually espresso or French roast). These little things, while not necessary, are a fine addition to the writing process.

More recently, I have begun using the iPad for most of my songwriting and recording sessions. With my iPad and iRig, I plug my guitar or mic straight into my iPad and use recording apps to lay down tracks. Garage Band, Auria, and Music Studio give me the ability to create instantly. Garage Band lets me use various amp settings to process my guitar sound. I write in an app called Songwriter HD and use Dropbox to back up everything.

The creative possibilities are endless. I take advantage of all I can to write and record my music.

The State of the Music Industry

The music industry isn't changing. It has changed, baby. Wake up and take a long whiff of the coffee. Some of it is for the good, but there's much more of the bad. Not just the music industry either. The changes have hit the book publishing industry and the movie industry as well.

The biggest problem?

People think the artistic things we create are theirs for the taking. Not trying to piss anybody off, but it's true. People don't want to pay artists.

Yeah, you can still make a little money with your music, but not the same kind of money you used to be able to make. There are no mega superstars like there were before. It just isn't happening. Even the established superstars are struggling to make money today.

Good thing some of us don't do it for the money. To do it for a living, we need to get paid, but we can do it anyway, whether the money is there or not. Some of us have to write songs and play. It isn't a choice. Music is what I do. It's the same for anybody who was born to write and play.

There is a bright side. The traditional record companies may be all but gone, but indie music has made giant leaps. Digital music, computers, and a plethora of songwriting and music recording software and apps have put the power of music creation and song distribution in the hands of the musicians. We get to write and record our music without expensive studio time. We can do it on our computers or tablets. That's awesome stuff.

It's a different industry for sure, but it isn't all bad. In fact, the freedom to create has never been better.

The Power of Music

Think about it. Music is for everyone, not just those of us who write it and play it. Those of us who write and play the music do it for the masses as well as ourselves. More than any other art form, music reaches out. A lot of people read books, but there are certainly people who don't. Movies are popular too, maybe more so than reading, but there are still those who never really watch movies or much TV. Not everybody can appreciate a good painting or sculpture either.

But almost everyone listens to, has listened to, or will listen to a song at one time or another. Most of us are transported instantly to a specific time and place simply by hearing a familiar tune. Music makes us laugh, cry, shake our groove things, and teaches us life lessons.

Music is power.

As a songwriter, my biggest thrill is writing a song people can relate to on some level. That's what songwriters do. It's our job. Our job is fun.

Take a moment to think about the songs that remind you of a special time and place in your life. Sit back, close your eyes, and listen to that song. Let it sweep you away.

A Glowing, Shameless Introduction

The world is my oyster and I came to claim the fucking pearl - Carl Hose

Those are my words. The concept isn't original but the phrasing is. I appreciate every breath I take, I love my family and friends, and I make every day count. I'm married to a woman who is beautiful in every way, I have awesome kids, and my career is booming.

I'm claiming the pearl.

I am the author of the anthologies Deadtown and Other Tales of Horror Set in the Old West, Weird Horror and Other B-Grade Tales, Fematales, Fematales Supernatural, Dead Horizon, the zombie novella Dead Rising, and the erotic anthology Pornocopia, all published by MARLvision Publishing.

My work has appeared in many horror anthologies and magazines, including Cold Storage (which I co-edited), Peep Show, Deathgrip: It Came from the Cinema, Deathgrip: Exit Laughing, Champagne Shivers, Tentacles, Butcher Knives and Body Counts, Through the Eyes of the Undead, Silver Moon, Bloody Bullets, Vicious Verses and Reanimated Rhymes,  Writer's Journal, and Lighthouse Digest magazine. I am also editor and publisher of the Dark Light anthology to benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Years ago I chose to focus on writing short stories and novels. I don't regret the decision, but that chapter of my life is finished. I've decided to pursue something I started as a kid - writing and playing music. I guess you could say I'm re-inventing myself, but that isn't entirely accurate. I wrote my first song when I was twelve. I still play that tune today. I played in a band when I was in my twenties and continued writing songs. Songwriting, and music in general, is my first love. I'm happy to be back at it, and judging from the songs I'm writing, doing it better than ever. I'm not re-inventing myself after all, just picking up where I left off.

I am also going to let my Internet website go in favor of blogging. This is a much more immediate and satisfying outlet for my love of music than a static website.

Carl's Jukebox will be about the music I love. Not only my music, but the music of the performers I have been inspired by. I want to create something for music fans and musicians alike. If it's music related, you'll find it here. A word of warning, though. I am opinionated. I like to say what I feel, regardless of who likes or dislikes. I do, however, love healthy debate and differences of opinion.

I plan to keep Carl's jukebox as fresh as possible and hope to attract a loyal following of music lovers of all kinds. I am new to the blog thing, so this is a work in progress. I hope together we can make it entertaining and successful.

Love and thanks to:

My wife Marcee for bringing unconditional love into my life.

My kids, Nick, Haley, Seth, Ethan, Caleb, and Ireland.

The audience that pays attention to the things I do.