Bass Porn : My Bass Lute/Sitar

Though I have no formal training, my brother was once a pretty good luthier. He was schooled in Phoenix, and actually built some lovely instruments before addiction got the better of him. I have to say, I learned a great deal from him, and it has been invaluable to me.

If put to the task, I could probably build a guitar or bass myself, given lots of time, a bit of experimentation, and the proper tools. My brother taught me a bit about everything but the wiring thereof. This is something I have since found out was not his strong suit to begin with, so I am rather glad he didn't try to educate me about it. I have since taught myself to patch bad cables when needed, but beyond that, I am electronically clueless.

The project I hope to finish one day, however, does not require wiring, so I should eventually be able to bring it to fruition. What I am endeavoring to create is a Bass Lute, or Sitar. It will probably have elements of both. All that is really holding me back on this project is finding an enormous gourd for the back of the body, and a sturdy piece of bamboo with a rather large diameter.

The front of the body is already more or less complete. I carved it from an old acoustic top with "F" holes, and hand painted it. It started as a simple lute, or "teardrop" shape, but I have since carved it into the shape of a skull, and it hangs in my work room as a decoration at the moment. I even used it as an ornamental piece one year at Kersey Valley Spookywoods, the haunted house where I work.

Also found at http://fullofknowledge.com/2013/07/bass-porn-my-bass-lutesitar/

Kobra and the Lotus

I'm really digging this band right now. I had heard a bit of their earlier stuff, and I really liked it, but I believe Kobra Paige's voice has gotten even stronger. Their self titled debut is a "must hear".  

Once again (probably as usual), I am likely to incur the wrath of some of my fellow metal heads,but I suppose that is inevitable, one way or the other. It is; after all, my blog, which means my opinions reside herein, so...here goes.

Personally. I tire of all metal having a repetitive vocal style. I refer to two styles in particular. One of these is the seemingly constant need to either scream or growl. Now, I don't mind hearing a bit of it, my own vocal style can be a bit caustic at times, but does it have to be so redundantly present? Can you at least show me that you can sing, like say, Opeth, for example?

The second of these I liked initially, but now it is getting a bit "cliche" in both metal and goth rock. I am referring to operatic vocals. I like them, they are great, but does every goth or metal band with a female lead have to sound like either Nightwish or Reliquary?

Enter Kobra and the Lotus. I really like these guys. They are a breath of fresh air. Some might argue that they are reminiscent of 80's metal bands like Iron Maiden (personally, I hear Helloween), and maybe that is one reason I am growing so fond of them. I do miss 80's metal, I suppose. I don't miss the "hair metal" crap, but I do miss the true metal of the 80's. I do hear a lot of that in this band, but there is also a fresh sound in there I haven't quite been able to pinpoint as yet.

One thing I know I really love is Kobra Paige's vocals. She mingles some of the operatic elements (being classically trained from what I hear), but is careful not to over do it. She also adds a bit of the metal "raunchiness", but doesn't do that to the extreme either. It is all very balanced. 

My kids tell me I just like her because she sounds like me (or like I used to, at any rate), and THAT I can only take as a complement. They weren't even being sarcastic or trying to insult me this time, either. At any rate, Kobra and the Lotus are a good solid metal band. The musicianship is impeccable, and they are lead by a true "metal goddess". 

Check them out for yourselves : 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEpzKdQ1e2U

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/kobra-and-the-lotus/id632705399?ign-mpt=uo%3D4

http://www.kobraandthelotus.com/

Also published on FullofKnowledge : http://fullofknowledge.com/2013/08/kobra-and-the-lotus/

Been Busy!

Sorry to have not posted much lately. I have been very busy. Spookywoods rehearsals are upon me. The majority of my time; however, has been spent on this...

http://fullofknowledge.com/2013/07/the-seven-tablets-of-destiny-part-1/

I just completed Part 6, but the links to all are in the one above.
Anyone interested in Ancient Aliens, or Ancient civilizations in general should check it out.
It is historical fiction, and I fully intend to be the "Dan Brown" of Ancient Astronaut theories!

Songwriting on Bass

Working on some new songs with a friend who writes great poetry that I think will make great songs has me thinking back to something my brother used to tell me back in our "power trio" days. He always argued, when I came up with song riffs without his valuable assistance, that you could not write music on bass. I say you can. Perhaps I will show you all just how that works for me in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, some feedback from my fellow bassists and musicians, please? Do any of you write your music on your bass, or do you switch to guitar to do so, as my brother says is so necessary? Personally, I always thought my brother said that simply because he wanted to be the one to write all the music, as I usually had the lyrics covered.