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Two New Songs On the Horizon

Posted on September 3, 2022September 3, 2022 By kcwm No Comments on Two New Songs On the Horizon

It’s been 2.5 months since I released “Go On” and “It Feels Familiar”. I’d hoped to have more music done by now, but this year hasn’t been great for me, health wise.

As the title of this post indicates, I am working on two new songs for upcoming release. One of them is a rocker and one of them a friend of mine said he was referring to as “Crashing Pumpkins” because it’s a “sleepy one”. He meant it in a good way.

Without any further ado, let’s get into the meat of it.

A Recap of Q2 and Q3 of 2022
The Rocker
"Crashing Pumpkins"
A Recap of Q2 and Q3 of 2022

Man, 2022 is turning out to be a challenging year. Every time I seem to get some kind of momentum going, something creeps up to knock me back down.

In April, I had the fortune of coming down with what I believe to be salmonella poisoning. This resulted in three trips to the ER, with one of those trips resulting into a readmission to the ICU for being back in DKA. Fortunately, they got on top of things and I was out the next day.

That salmonella poisoning resulted in an h.pylori infection that followed me until June. I had to have a colonoscopy and endoscopy. I was put on antibiotics, went on vacation to Colorado, came home, and released “Go On” and “It Feels Familiar”. Things were looking up.

At the end of July, I followed up with my new GI doc and got the all clear. I then scheduled hernia repair surgery (because a 7-day ICU stay at the start of the year will take care of your out of pocket expenses), recovered from that and caught COVID-19 for the first time.

COVID-19 cleared up, I’m completely recovered from surgery, but I’m exhibiting the symptoms of the h.pylori infection again.

Like I said…2022 is turning out to be a challenging year.

The Rocker

The first song I began working on is a song that I wrote during my hiatus in 2021 and recorded after releasing “It Feels Familiar”. I will generally record a song and then listen to it multiple times, make adjustments, and then when I’m happy with what I hear, I tweak it for release. In listening to this song, I realized two things:

I rushed the heck out of the guitar parts

When it comes to writing guitar parts, I generally stick to a fairly straightforward strumming pattern. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, right? Right. Except for this song, I came up with something that’s not straightforward.

Ok, we’re wading into the shallow end of music nerd stuff, and I might be talking out of my ass here, so anyone who knows better, feel free to correct me.

When you count music, you generally count “One, two, three, four” for the beats. Now, instead of that, count “One and two and three and four and” like you’re counting 1/8th notes. I wrote this staccato part where I play a quick chord on the 2nd and 3rd beat, and then on the “and” of four. Oh yeah, I also rushed the heck out of it.

So, of course, as I write subsequent guitar parts based on the rhythm guitar, and the rhythm guitar was written differently and rushed, the other guitar parts were rushed. It wasn’t pretty.

There was a significant phasing issue

You might be, “KC, what’s a phasing issue?” and that’s a very fair question. Of course, you know sound waves are like, well, waves. When you record something using a single mic, there’s a single sound wave to line up, but if you record the same thing using multiple sources, sound reaches those sources are different times…milliseconds.

The further away the sources are, the more out of alignment the sound waves get. When they don’t align, and especially when they’re running opposite one another, they start to cancel out each others frequencies. You end up with this weird, hollow effect. It’s INTERESTING, but it doesn’t often sound good.

There’s a setting in most recording software that allows you to invert the phase and bring the tracks back into alignment. It will still sound a little off, but this normally makes things sound better in a lot of situations.

My issue? I record two different amps with three different mics, two on one and one on the other. One of my cats knocked the amp that I dual-mic about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch off. The sound waves were not in alignment, but were not out of alignment enough for inverting the phase to work.

I could have spent time adjusting tracks by milliseconds…a lot of time, or I could just rerecord the song. I opted to record.

Then health got in the way.

It’s September 2nd and I’ve just now rerecorded that song. Fortunately, no phase issues this time. I just have to work on mixing issues and then tweak it for release. That’s a much easier solution and I hope to have it done by Labor Day.

"Crashing Pumpkins"

No, that won’t be the title, but I think it’s pretty funny to hear my friend describe it as that.

After releasing Volume Three, I took a break from music and streaming in general. I’d still pick up my acoustic, write songs, and record them on my phone. I racked up about 14 total songs, including the drum tracks for what would become “Go On” and “It Feels Familiar”.

I find that writing drums to existing guitar parts is exhausting. I decided to abandon most of the songs I’d written on my acoustic and go back to putting together drum parts and then writing.

Things Come Together Quickly

I grabbed drum parts from the first MIDI collection in the list, put the drums together, and I had the rhythm guitar written and arranged in about 20 minutes. I mean, the chord progression is quite basic, but I normally have to fiddle around until I feel like I can move on.

This time, instead of potentially losing the idea for the song, I recorded  a quick scratch track, just straight line out into my pedal board (RIP), and through my Strymon Iridium pedal. I added a tough of overdrive just for shiggles. I was also getting a lot of string noise, so I turned on a delay pedal to turn that bit of noise into a cool effect.

I then immediately turn around and start working on the second guitar part. The chord progression is E – B – A and the second guitar part I come up with is practically the vocal part of “Yellow Ledbetter”. Well, that won’t fly at all.

I changed my approach, came up with the framework for a part, and recorded a second scratch track in one take. It’s messy, but it captured the essence of the part.

And Then Things Come to a Halt

I chew on the song for a few days and then it’s time for surgery. Then I caught COVID. Then I had to recover and deal with the absolute fatigue and exhaustion from that.

I tested positive on August 14th and it really wasn’t until last week that I could actually sit, play guitar, and not feel wiped out. That was such a struggle for me, but at this point, I’m faced with another struggle.

My Brain is not Cooperating

For as quickly as I wrote the second guitar part, I cannot remember what I did. Even when I listen to the scratch track I recorded, it sounds foreign to me. It feels like I’m trying to copy another guitarist’s style, and that’s the oddest thing.

I mean, it SOUNDS like something I’d write, but I’m just at a complete loss to get the last 30%. People often talk about COVID-brain and I always thought people were exaggerating, at least part of me did in some dark, cynical corner of my mind, but now I know it’s quite real.

What’s Next?

My goal is to spend this Labor Day weekend getting that last 30% figured out and recorded.

As the name my friend gave it (and is not the permanent name) implies, this is a return to a more laid back track. The rhythm guitar is an acoustic guitar and the second guitar part is this distorted, atmospheric part that doesn’t move terribly fast.

Recording acoustic guitar is interesting. I tend to get a lot more string noise, and the original scratch track is full of string noise. When I rerecorded the acoustic with proper mics, I still got some of the string noise, but not as much.

I decided to bring that original scratch track back in and added a phaser effect to it, and now I have this slightly distorted, high pitch string noise repeating, and swirling guitar track in the middle to add to the cool, lazy atmosphere I’m going for.

I just have to make sure the second guitar lives up to and adds to that atmosphere without it becoming complete and utter noise.

I hope to release this song a week or two after that rocker goes live.

In a world of noise, be sound.

• KC

KCWM, Volume Four

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Cold the Winter · Skylines and the Horizon

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I have a number of minis I’m working on at the m I have a number of minis I’m working on at the moment. Here’s my table of things in different stages of #tabletopquality for use in my #dnd campaign, some of which haven’t been started or might not be used. The kobolds you see will be painted green.

When I started the genie, I didn’t realized my pre-painted one was also blue. It still works though. 

I’m still not sold on the idea of a steel dragon but it could be cool and I already have a “large” silver dragon. I used magnets on the bottom of the dragon, the large and huge bases, and I can stack them if I need it to be an adult-sized dragon. I just need to decorate them in complimentary ways. 

 I have an idea for mini painting streams and these are some of the things I’ll be painting on there.
I have a soft spot for kobolds in my DnD campaigns I have a soft spot for kobolds in my DnD campaigns. My players have met one that has hinted at future quests, they fought some green-scaled kobolds, and I foresee more in their future. 

I pulled the old minion old rule from #dnd 4e…enemies that have 1 hp and auto fail most saves. Kobolds (and goblins) make great minions. 

 I have quite a few, so I foresee more red (two of them are pre painted), green, and blue scales in my future. They might be #tabletopquality but I’m ok with that. I have fun and painting is relaxing for me. 

The red plastic minis came from a D&D board game, and tall but one of the gray and white ones are from @reaperminiatures #bones4 and #bones5
In March of 2021, I discovered the Lovepedal Purpl In March of 2021, I discovered the Lovepedal Purple Plexi and it was finally the closest I’ve come to getting that Marshall-in-a-Box pedal sound. 

Earlier this year, I picked up a Lovepedal Vintage/Modern, which is a Purple Plexi and Church of Tone in one enclosure. 

Not too long ago, I came across a post @cklabofficial posted of their take on a Purple Plexi/Jubilee, two pedals I owned at the time. I really like CKLab pedals and would have loved to have it, but, alas, I missed out. 

I reached out and asked about the possibility of a 2-in-1 from CKLAB. This is the result. 

I am beyond stoked. This will make my 3rd CKLab pedal and I hope to own more. I love the idea of support local makers and, seeing as how the Vintage/Modern is my go to drive, this will be my #1. 

Visit their store on Reverb and buy their pedals so I’m not tempted to. Seriously. The LSDelay I bought is so damned cool. 

#supportlocalpedals #cklab #miabpedals #gooddudes #newpedalday
A couple of #WIP #dndminiatures projects from this A couple of #WIP #dndminiatures projects from this weekend. I intend to use both in the #dnd campaign im running, but it will be a while before I do. 

I need to add some white lines to the texture around the iris and add something to the black section of the base. 

The mold lines on the pumpkin dude are bugging me now that I see how clear they are in the picture. Will cut those down and fix the color. 

I intend to prime up some of these #reaper #bones5 minis I have sitting on my shelves and paint them on stream. I might only paint to a #tabletopquality but it’s still fun and relaxing to do.
After picking up almost all the paints in the thir After picking up almost all the paints in the third picture, I’ve taken up mini painting again. I decided to start with a treant to work into my #dnd campaign. 

This is still a work in progress. I started with some normal paints and then added some contrast paint on the beard and to accent some of the wood. I need to make some adjustments to the paint. 

I plan to add leaves to the top but my foliage is too crumbly so I need to get some bigger chunks. 

It’s been fun. I’m likely going to stream some #minipainting on stream. I have minis to paint to get on the #tabletop, which is also the level that I paint at but it works for my table.
This kid. This past Saturday marked 10 years with This kid. This past Saturday marked 10 years with our wonderful child…a blend of her mother and I in so many ways. 

I can’t wait to see what the next 10 years bring us. She has a good head on her shoulders. 

I’m a proud parent. She’s weird AF but I wouldn’t have her any other way.
Cross post from Twitter, but I have more room here Cross post from Twitter, but I have more room here. 

This is my current stable of electric guitars, minus my Epiphone ES339.

PRS S2 McCarty 594: “Fat” rhythm. This guitar has “coil tap” which  changes the sound of the respective pickups giving me a lot of flexibility. 

Fender Telecaster (sunburst): Lead/rhythm. I do 90% of my 2nd guitar and lead work on this. It’s on every track I’ve recorded since 2018. 

Squier Classic Vibe ‘60s Stratocaster: General rhythm. Newest addition. Everyone needs a strat, even if I rarely grab one. 

Fender Road-worn ‘50s Telecaster (purple): Bright rhythm. 

Gibson Les Paul Classic: “Fat” rhythm. My #1 guitar. It’s crunchy compared to the smoother sound of the PRS

PRS SC245 Ted McCarty: Bright rhythm. 

Squier ‘51 (modified): Lead

Yes, some guitars overlap but they sound different than their role-siblings. Wood, pickups, etc. I compare guitars to chocolate…yes, they’re all guitars but they do things differently. Hersheys doesn’t taste the same as Toblerone or Ritter Sport. Milk chocolate differs from dark chocolate. Heck, I even threw a peanut butter comparison up there. 

I have two basses and an acoustic. One of those basses is new so I’m not sure of the roles just yet. 

#kcwmmusic #dmcafreemusic #guitarsarelikechocolate #gearaddiction #guitar
Bought a new caddy from Michaels and was able to s Bought a new caddy from Michaels and was able to stack my unopened #nolzursmarvelousminiatures and #reaperbonesminiatures to better see what I have. 

Left row is full of player mini and humanoids, the middle row is made up of monstrous humanoids and undead, and the right row consists of elementals and fiendish things. 

I have a lot of minis to paint, but this helps me visualize what I have left between the shelves and this caddy.
Well… Well…
Ever since having COVID last month, she’s been a Ever since having COVID last month, she’s been a constant by my side when she can get in. She will lay with me or on the other pillow. She might be ornery, but she’s the bestest of friends. 

#tortiesofinstagram #tortitude #tortie #catsofinstagram #imakittycat #frausafriend #cat
Hey, uh @walmart, this isn’t how rollbacks work. Hey, uh @walmart, this isn’t how rollbacks work. #rollback
Not too long ago, we picked up a KALLAX shelf syst Not too long ago, we picked up a KALLAX shelf system from IKEA to store my #dnd minis on. It’s been handy for sorting the minis by “collection” like my Bones 4 and Bones 5 minis, but, as you can see in the 2nd picture, I lost plenty of vertical space. 

A few weeks ago, I saw a video on TikTok where a guy used KVISSLE letter trays to store his minis on. They are easy to assemble and the trays simply slide in and out without rollers. 

For most minis on a 1” or smaller base, it’s absolutely perfect AND there’s room at the bottom for the box sets like the Essentials Kit or Starter Set. For larger minis, you can see I removed one of the trays and that shelf has plenty of giants on it and the KVISSLE still has two shelves out of the picture (Ellie took it and sent it to me). 

He used spray paint to paint the shelves black but I’m opting for the white on black look. You can also buy magnets to install on the bottoms of the minis but I’ve yet to do that. 

It’s easy to amass a big collection of DnD #miniatures through the #reaperbones collections or the #nolzursmarvelousminiatures packs and having an easy way to organize them is incredibly useful. 

Now it’s just a matter of painting them. Oof.
My newest single, “Go On”, is live on Spotify My newest single, “Go On”, is live on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/album/0bTGahUMwQnPrIECWapOby?si=aGrl3wvhQAOugU3Yo07EeQ for your DMCA-free listening needs. 

#Distrokid put this image together and I dig it. Check it, and the other 90s-infuenced instrumental rock music on Spotify and other streaming platforms!

#dmcafreemusic #dmcafreerock #streammusic #music #guitarrock #guitar #kcwmmusic
He’s a good #pickle @teresa.aldaco @moriaheliz He’s a good #pickle 

@teresa.aldaco @moriahelizabethofficial
Started on 6/7/21, shelved due to significant burn Started on 6/7/21, shelved due to significant burnout, and delayed due to health reasons, "Go On", the 1st song of #kcwmmusic Volume Four is moving along. 

The EZKeys you see plays a more front & center role on this song than the last time I used keys on "Sometimes It Works Out" on Volume One. I might end up going with a more traditional piano, but so far I'm digging the setting you see pictured. 

As with my previous KCWM releases, I'm using Superior Drummer 3, though I plan to dig more into some of the presets and expansions to vary the drums, especially on some of the more laid back songs.

This album is the first of mine to feature acoustic guitar on numerous tracks thanks to a pair of Rode M5 mics, another significant shift. 

I'm definitely looking to add some more songs to the more relaxed playlist on Spotify. Acoustic guitar and piano definite help keep me in that headspace. 

I have two days off and I'm hoping to get the 2nd, and maybe a 3rd guitar, recorded. Then it's just a matter of spacing things out before getting this up on Spotify as a single for people to use. 

I'll keep you posted

#dmcafreemusic #dmcafreerock #songwriting #ezkeys @toontrack @rodemic
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