youth works

Perennially amazing folks Alliance Youth Works have a shiny new website, as designed by (the incredibly hard to stalk online) Craigery. (Nontheless, if you do wish to stalk him, there's a lengthly news story about him winning a scholarship for basically being a geek here.)

It's a very attractive website. But then, I did take a lot of the pictures, and what I presume is video - I say presume, because it utilises Shockwave which is still not accepted by Intel-based Macs. Apparently for no particular reason.

holding down my hands

Mr Andrew Good (of the short-lived Andy Good Experience - joke) has released three tracks of an EP online through the Arise Lurgan website. And they are bloomin' marvellous. So stop whatever you're doing right now until you have clicked to them here (go to the 'Amplify" section) downloaded and listened to the lot. I can seriously declare that Holding Down My Hands may be my favourite song of the year so far.

(But then I don't listen to the radio much!)

make like a shepherd...

I remain irritatingly drawn to Flock, despite the fact that it inexplicably crashes every time I check out the Times Online US Election blog. But this is what happens when you try to make Firefox sexy, I guess.

happiness is...

A discovery of some wonder made at the studio yesterday:

One of these + some of this + something like this + a couple of these = this.

(Ok, and a little of this.)

God and itunes

Was driving home earlier, and got a one of those freaky moments. God spoke to me through iTunes.

I will elaborate (whether you like it or not!) Was on my way back from the last big studio session (see below and probably the next post too) having a bit of a moral dilemma about something. Now, my MacBook was hooked up to the car and on shuffle (not as dangerous as it sounds, officer, I assure you...) and had been chugging away happily. But, having muted the sound system for a minute whilst driving and focusing on (a) a twisty bit of road and (b) the argument going on in my head, I turned it back on to be greeted by the following:


David Crowder* Band - Turn Your Ear (O Praise Him)

Turn your ear to heaven and hear the noise inside...

System of a Down - Chop Suey!

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit/ Why have you forsaken me...

Editors - Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors

We've all been changed, by what we were / Our broken hearts smashed on the floor / I can't believe you, if I can't hear you...

Bruce Springsteen - Your Own Worst Enemy

Your own worst enemy has come to town...

Matchbox 20 - Bright Lights

...when all your love is gone, who will save me? / I'm all lost and alone out in this world / Maybe, maybe maybe you'll find something that's enough to keep you / But if those bright lights don't receive you just turn yourself around and come on home...

Trust me, this didn't feel coincidental... it might not have been a bright light and divine bellow, but the message was coming through pretty loud and clear.

And as the clock turns over, it is Easter! Woohoo!

we must go

Spent yesterday working on the recording of a praise album in support of Mollie's Mission, a vehicular trek from Norn Iron to Cape Town in aid of several children's charities, including the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund. So 13 hours were spent back at the COISC using the Church of the Res for session recording, produced again by the good folks at Komodo (who, many moon's ago, all the MNC stuff was recorded with.)

Was split reasonably evenly between the safe acoustic and more personally groundbreaking lead (electric) duties. Been playing for about a month with Dave's Hot Rod Deluxe, which although breaking the unforgiveable axiom - Fender + Fender = Musical Suicide - has actually been quite nice with my Strat. However, it just wasn't coming over right in the mix (a bit too wah) so to crunch things up a bit everything was channelled through an almost antique Marshall Valvestate. My word. A long way from my dodgy G50 RCD.

Actually, I was more pleased with my Tanglewood acoustic. Frequently accused of buzzing, particularly when capo'd on lower frets (mostly, I think, the result of the neck being snapped in half three years ago) it came across beautifully.

Certainly, compared to the painstaking process of the somewhat legendary MNC experience (somewhat documented via youtube herein) this varitable blitz of session recording was relatively smooth! There's still a lot of vocal and guitar stuff to be recorded and redubbed, but it's a pretty snappy turnaround for what sounds like a pretty unusual, great praise CD. (Unusual because it is great - as for my sins I've implied far too much before!)