Well, I didn't finish the EP I promised. I had planned on writing, recording, mixind and mastering a 3-song EP today. I was going to work on it all day long, but I had to schedule a band rehearsal for the early evening. I really didn't have a choice, and the rehearsal was very, very worth it. But I have two demos of the songs I worked on over on the music page, and I should be able to finish the songs in the next few days. So check them out.

I want to announce that this Sunday, August 28, I will write, record, mix and master three songs completely from scratch and post them on my website. Yes, it will be a concept EP, but more importantly it will be something to keep me from playing World Soccer Winning Eleven 8 for PS2 - my god that game is great.

In other news, there appears to be another Wil Holland running about. He has proposed a solution to the Turing Test, the test by which Universal Artificial Intelligence will be proven (or something like that). I haven't finished reading his theory (since I'm at work and, therefore, should be working) but it's fascinating thus far. Check it out.

A big update on the band's status is coming soon.

The Anniversary EP will be published on the Sundays in Spring site in a couple weeks... not that that's a big deal, since you can download it on the music page right now.

The new EP (Anniversary) is up in its entirety, and remastered mp3s of the UV Effect are up as well.

Some R&R is in order, but not a whole lot.

Actually I tried to relax this past weekend and almost died. I went tubing with some friends up in central CA (tubing down a river, not behind a boat). The very first rapids that we came upon (in like the first 2 minutes of the trip) had a huge boulder right at the top. Obviously we were to avoid heading for the boulder, so you can guess where I ended up going. I tried to stick my foot out and push off the rock but the water was way too powerful - as soon as I anchored my foot the force of the water pushed the tube, and the rest of me, underneath and I ended up riding the rapids tubeless (not to mention helmetless and life vestless). Needless to say my knees and shins hit various rocks on the way down while I kept thinking "if I hit my head I might die". Turns out my body is far more seaworthy than I usually give it credit for, but I was pretty scared nonetheless.

Moral: Stay classy San Diego.

It's finished. I'll get it on the news page soon, but for now here is the new EP:

Lost on Purpose:
Anniversary

1. London
2. Ohio 2
3. Lonely Road
4. Thank You Music Guru
5. Centum Cellas
6. Black Widow

Note: I just noticed something. London and Black Widow are not quite right; they're both supposed to have fades at the end of each song. Either I accidently put up the wrong files or the fades didn't get processed correctly... ok, so there's a 98% chance it's my fault. The correct versions will be up tonight anyhow.

I think... the new ep... is done. If I am correct, expect it to be up - somewhere - over the weekend. Here is the track list:

1. London
2. Ohio
3. Lonely Road
4. Thank You Music Guru
5. Centum Cellas
6. Black Widow

These titles should tell you a lot about the songs... riiiight. Here's a hint: they're all really good. Honest.

I decided to make a few changes to the new EP, so it will probably be several days until it's ready. Patience is a virtue...

Just wanted to throw out an update on the new ep - I have a strong feeling it's going to be finished by Sunday. And since it's being released by a netlabel it should be up for download not much later than that, although there's still the question of artwork. 5 songs are confirmed, (including Thank You Music Guru, a near-complete version of which is on the music page) a sixth song is probable, and a seventh is quite possible. I'll get a track listing up as soon as it's confirmed.

There's a new song up on the music page.

I just heard a report on npr today about music videos, and how mtv doesn't play them anymore and labels are hesitant to make big budget ones (and supposedly viewers don't care). The big thing is now co-branding; big videos get made when corporations fund them in part.
I started thinking about it, and I have three thoughts. One is that music videos aren't dead, and that the reason for their decline is due mostly to quality. The report talked about the golden age of videos - in the 80's - when bands like Devo created an identity for themselves with their art-film videos. (Their video for Whip It was made - for free - by an art student friend of theirs). When videos became ultra popular corporate America stepped in and made big budget videos like TLC's Waterfalls. Then CGI became a big deal and it got way overused and that's where we are now. There are a few alternative music video-viewing channels out there, but they all play the same lame-ass videos that MTV occasionally plays. I think it's possible for a return to quality videos to revive the genre.
My second thought is related to the first, that an indie consortium of amateur music video makers could be successful. Technology is such that a lot of people can now make decent quality videos, and if there was a reason for them to do so, an outlet for their videos, they would make them.
My third thought is that music videos as we know them are in fact dead. The rise of the internet has resulted in an expectation for demands to be met almost instantaneously. If I can go online to check out a video right now then there's no reason for me to wait to see it on MTV. And if all that matters is the song anyways, then I'm just going to download it from a P2P site. There's an overload of information these days, and traditional filters for music (radio, MTV) can't deal with the pressure of the flood. New music is seeping through the cracks, and artists are appealing directly to listeners for attention.
I believe this is all a good thing. The overload will result in certain types of music standing out from the pack - good music. A well-crafted song will be an oasis in a desert of mediocrity, and listeners will cling to quality artists for support and emotional fulfillment (the whole point of music, right?). Likewise, if these artists create videos of sufficient quality they will be rewarded. I envision videos similar to Thriller, the Michael Jackson mini-movie. I think of a move towards 'music movies' - 15 to 20 minute short films that are much more than simple vehicles for songs. I'm picturing full blown concept music videos - a series of songs that tell a meaningful story that are then portrayed as a short film. Everyone talks about the internet being the death of albums and the subsequent rise of singles, but I think the opposite will also be true. People will get sick of listening to one song at a time, just 3 or 4 minutes of emotional attachment, and will seek a more lasting relationship. A musical story will be the answer. Or so I think.