Orion Williams writes silly songs. His previous efforts include a song about why you shouldn’t poop in your pants and a song about the benefits of doing your homework. The newest song details the tragic dropping of a phone. Continue reading
Music
Yes.Mustache’s Rocket League parody (Elton John’s Rocket Man)
Yes.Mustache has a new song up about Rocket League and it’s a parody of one of our favorite Elton John songs, Rocket Man.
The song plays with the themes of Rocket League all while parodying a classic rock song. My favorite part is the end when the family is trying to get Yes.Mustache’s attention and he’s just “gotta play one more game”. Rocket League is some addicting stuff. This Rocket League parody is so good, it might have you addicted too.
Yes.Mustache is music inspired by Video Games
We love music and video games. Yes.Mustache is a new music project from folks who seem to feel the same way. Yes.Mustache is a self confessed “music inspired by Video Games”.
Yes.Mustache has launched an official YouTube channel to go along with all of their new video game inspired music, as well as an official website for all those songs about video games.
We wish you the best of luck, Yes.Mustache. In a world with so much music inspired by video games, you have a long road ahead of you.
Sunset Overdrive gets an UNofficial theme song
Sunset Overdrive, the open world action game set to release this October exclusively for Xbox One, oozes style and energy. So far, in the trailers and gameplay footage we’ve seen from the game, there hasn’t been a song that represents the style and energy we would expect from such a game.
Yes.Mustache is a musical act that observed the previously mentioned “style and energy” and has released an “Unofficial Theme Song” for Sunset Overdrive. It’s a pop-punk styled tune that drops quite a few references to the game.
It’s a fun song. Check it out if you like your songs on the upbeat side with a helping of wall-running and exploding mutants.
http://yesmustache.toolofgod.com/sunset-overdrive-unofficial-theme-song-released/
Five Saturdays – Review
On the surface the concept seems kind of odd. A successful cover band sets out to write and record five original songs over the course of five successive Saturdays. What business does a cover band have writing and recording original work? I mean, if they are any good, why are they a cover band?
(Disclosure: I was given a pre-release copy of Five Saturdays by A Band of Ninjas in exchange for my review. Also, the guy who plays guitar may have bought my frozen yogurt once.)
A Band of Ninjas has been delighting audiences around California’s Monterey Bay for years now. The band is made up of Brian Coehlo (Qway-Low) on vocals and Orion Williams on guitar and background vocals. Their renditions of popular hits from the last couple of decades are worth your time to seek out on YouTube. Or better yet, if you find yourself in the Monterey, CA area, hit up a show.
Their original project, aptly named Five Saturdays, is now available on all the major services. The project was born out of a commitment to their followers to write one original tune a week for five weeks. What came of that is found on Five Saturdays. Of course, a cover band writing and recording original songs is bound to break the rules wherever possible. Therefore, six songs emerged.
Five Saturdays kicks off with the playful but thought provoking Superhuman. That’s followed up with Little Things. Coehlo’s vocals really shine in Little Things. The pace of the lyrics speeds up in spots and Coehlo’s pitch and delivery is spot on. At the midpoint of the album, Don’t Count Me Out demands your ear. Its one of those songs that halfway through, you’ll want to restart and give your full attention. The snappy Disappointed, Kid really showcases A Band of Ninjas. Coehlo and Williams harmonize perfectly and Williams’ guitar can’t be ignored. When you stop and realize that all that sound is coming from one acoustic guitar, you can begin to grasp the level of talent the Ninjas bring to their music.
Speaking of ninjas, their secretive yet deadly nature sparks intrigue and fascination amongst people of all ages. How convenient then that we are privileged to get acquainted with A Band of Ninjas. In the track titled What’s It Like (To be a Ninja), we are treated to an inside look of the life of a Ninja. The sixth and final track is the real gem of the entire project. A Dying Light opens with a haunting bass line that makes you forget there is only an acoustic guitar at work. Coehlo sings with a passion that can only come from someone who is singing a song they’ve lived.
Five Saturdays will leave you wondering why this duo of assassins bothers with cover songs. Pick up the project from the music service of your choice and then catch them at a show. They are known to take requests. Demand these tracks. You won’t be disappointed.
Scribblenauts meets Barenaked Ladies (Unicorns, and Llamas, and Emus. Oh my!)
Acoustic Rock cover band A Band Of Ninjas combines the forces of Video Games and Music and produced this darling visual aid to a classic Barenaked Ladies song.
Presonus forces legacy users out the door? Goodbye Presonus.
In addition to occasionally writing for fizmarble.com, I play in a band. I write, record, and produce music. I depend on my various PCs for this and also among other things, an audio interface.
For years I used a Presonus Firepod (Later called the FP10) generously donated by my friend Jaret. It originally cost quite a bit (450-600 dollar range), and so I didn’t hesitate to pay the $100 repair fee when it eventually crapped out.
It took me from Windows Vista to Windows 7 and eventually Windows 8 on the same desktop PC. It worked beautifully on Windows 8 by the way, but the desktop was ~6 years old by this time, and a failing hard drive and old hardware beckoned me to upgrade to a new PC, a PC with *gasp* Windows 8.
Of course I didn’t think twice about the Presonus Firepod’s compatibility with the Windows 8 PC. After all, I had been using the Firepod on Windows 8 for several months on my older, upgraded PC. Why would the new PC behave any different?
Ahh, poor, poor ignorance. Little did I know that the “great” minds at Presonus would be so cunning, so conniving. Whereas my Firepod worked fantastically with Windows 8 when it was upgraded from Windows 7 with the Firepod driver already installed, installing the driver on a Windows 8 PC was a different story altogether. No no, poor ignorance, Presonus had behind the scenes altogether blocked their driver installer from even running on a Windows 8 PC. So, if you had the driver installed first and then upgraded to Windows 8, you’re golden. If on the other hand you ignorantly try to install the Firepod/FP10 driver on Windows 8, you will receive a popup from Presonus telling you that the driver is not supported on your Operating System.
Gee Presonus, if you wanted me gone, why didn’t you just say so? This is how you support your customers? By forcibly blocking the driver installer from working on a modern OS. This ensures that customers need to upgrade. But if you think this customer is going to upgrade to another Presonus product, you have sorely miscalculated.
Instead, a reasonably priced and very stable audio interface now sits on my desktop where once sat the Firepod/FP10. Now, an Avid Fast Track C600 processes my audio, including the recordings of Twiztid praising the demise of Presonus in a chorus unfit to print here.
If you are in the same boat, check out the Fast Track C600. Amazon has them for a pretty sweet deal (duh), and Presonus can say they have taken my last dollar. Now, let’s make some music!
[easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B005LG0XRS” locale=”us” height=”84″ src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41G7ZMfkbpL._SL160_.jpg” width=”160″]
Update: Reader Alex has shared in the comments section a workaround to the installer issue. Follow his method if you want to keep that Presonus pumping out the jams. He writes:
1. Download the “FireBox Installer v5.13 – PC” from their website (http://www.presonus.com/support/downloads/firebox)
2. Right click on the downloaded file “PreSonus_FireBox_Installation.exe” and choose “Properties”
3. Click on “Compatibility” tab
4. Check “Run this program in compatibility mode for:” and select “Windows 7″
5. Click on “OK” and run the installer again and it should work this time and install all the drivers flawlessly
Thanks, Alex!
An interview with video game music composer Waterflame (CastleStorm, Castle Crashers)
Video games, like movies, rely on many parts to make up the whole. These parts can be categorized by what you see and what you hear. As a good flim director knows, the music/sound effects can make or break a scene or even an entire movie. Unlike movies though, video game music is often called to be dynamic and evolving, based on the location and current situation of the player character. Whereas movies are entirely scripted, a video games pacing is determined largely by the player.
Because of this dynamism, video games require a music composer who is adept at setting the stage and can marry sound with an intended visual.
Christian M. Krogsvold, AKA Waterflame, is a composer from Norway, has been involved in several indie game projects, had his music featured in the very popular Castle Crashers, and been the recipient of Newgrounds’ “Musician of the Year” award. He also provided the music for Zen Studio’s upcoming game CastleStorm.
Waterflame has released over 200 songs, many of which can be downloaded for free. His music spans many genres and moods. Some songs evoke a dreamy feeling of relaxation, or perhaps flying through space, exploring distant planets. Others feel like a fight for survival against a seemingly unbeatable foe. From ambient textures to exciting adventurous romps through an enchanted forest, Waterflame has the ability to capture the scene and the setting in audio form.
As an avid gamer and musician, it’s an honor to be able to interview a master of his craft who works simultaneously in two exciting industries, Games and Music.
Free for all – ringtone giveaway
A couple of weeks ago I entered into a contest. The competition was to create the best “ringtone” for cell phones. Each entrant was allowed two entries. I chose one silly (Dubstep Ringtone), and one serious (Sailing on the Sunset). They were both defeated, and I lost the contest.
Not wanting these to go to waste, I offer them now and forever as ringtones for your cell phones.
Give a listen. If you like them, then use them.
Celebrate Robert Moog with this google doodle.
Electronic music pioneer Robert Moog received the honor of having a Google Doodle created in celebration of his 78th birthday. We could talk about the gear he created and the music he made and inspired, but you should read up on that after you mess with this synthesizer. Mess with the filter and oscillator knobs, and record your own jam. Enjoy it here!
After playing with the Moog Google Doodle (Moogle?), you can read more about the man, here.