Author: Jody Whitesides

  • LA Moment Naked Homeless

    LA Moment Naked Homeless

    naked_eyes_always_something_there_to_remind_meYesterday I had what could be called an LA moment. I was on the phone to business setting up a lunch meeting while sitting in my car parked on a street about to go into a restaurant for another meeting I was about to have. All music related. As I’m one the phone, I notice a homeless man sitting in the dirt off the sidewalk in the corner of a walled area. He was about 20  yards from me. He sat up, which is what got my attention. Then he looked wearily around like either in a drunk stupor or a sleepy daze. He then proceeded to remove his pants. It was right then that I told the person on the phone “I’ve seen a lot of things in LA, but I’ve never seen this.” They asked me to describe it. Yikes.

    The poor soul took his pants off, lifted his legs into the air while on his back and let his junk fly free in the wind. I did not take a picture. I also didn’t think it was a wise idea to confront him about his situation, he did seem like he could fly off the handle at any given moment despite his daze.

    I’d liken it to a train wreck. You don’t want to look, but you’re unable to ignore it. Don’t ask if I took pictures. I didn’t. Nor did I take video.

    Fortunately he did put his pants back on. Then laid back down to sleep.

    The humor I impart today is that there is a song called “Always Something There To Remind Me” – this holds so true for Los Angeles.

    LA Moment with Naked Eyes

    YouTube player

    I walk along the city streets you used to walk along with me,
    and every step I take reminds me of just how we used to be.
    Well, how can I forget you, girl?
    When there is always something there to remind me.
    always something there to remind me.
    As shadows fall, I pass a small cafe where we would dance at night.
    And I can’t help recalling how it how it felt to kiss and hold you tight
    Well, how can I forget you, girl?
    When there is always something there to remind me.
    always something there to remind me.
    I was born to love her, and I’ll never be free.
    You’ll always be a part of me.

    If you should find you miss the sweet and tender love we used to share.
    Just go back to the places where we used to go, and I’ll be there
    Well, how can I forget you, girl?
    When there is always something there to remind me.
    always something there to remind me.
    I was born to love her, and I’ll never be free
    You’ll always be a part of me.
    ’cause there is always something there to remind me.
    always something there to remind me.
    always something there to remind me.

     

    Enjoy your day and may it be memorable!

  • Universal Audio Apollo Mic Pre

    Universal Audio Apollo Mic Pre

    Apollo UA Mic PreCome with me as we give the Universal Audio Apollo a shootout at Utopia Parkway studio. My Avalon 737 was at the factory so we decided to give George’s Apollo a shot at being the mic pre of choice. We set up a couple of different channel strips to see which input path would give us the best signal for my Telefunken C-12 and my voice on my song “Thump Thump Thump”. It was down to a Neve with an LA2A and a 610 with an 1176.

    [sarcasm]It’s riveting. So riveting. Especially if you’ve never been in a recording studio.[/sarcasm] Recording isn’t always the fun and games that people think it is. We do actually spend time figuring out exactly what the best course of recording a sound is. Time consuming comes to mind. Office managers determining a project’s work path is probably the best analogy. After that the real work begins. Laying down the musical parts.

    Universal Audio Apollo Mic Pre

    YouTube player

    Thump Thump Thump recording

    Testing mic pre’s.

    Testing the Apollo mic pre. Okay Universal Audio.

    I lie awake in the middle of the night.

    Channel strip two. Well it’s actually one, but I flipped them around.

    Well… we’re. It’s the second take on the channel strip on the Apollo.

    There’s a push and a pull.

    I lie awake in the middle of the night

    There’s a push and a pull. As the gears begin to grind.

    You know what? That, the 610 sounds more… rock-and-roll. If I was to put a… it has more “ah! to it” more ah.

    There’s more meat to it.

    That how, that’s how I would describe it.

    It’s got more protein, more girth to it. Okay whereas the neve LA2A has a bit more of a refined thin thing.

    Yes it’s interesting, I guess there’s a difference in the models. Cause it’s basically the same mic going through 2 different model emulations and they do sound different. Yeah. They are so hard core. I mean really truly. More hard core than most companies are. They want their stuff to be right. and they just really won’t stop until they are.

    It’s the 610 76 that wins.

    Okay, to give us the meat.

    To get the song to ether.

  • She Looks So Perfect

    She Looks So Perfect

    she looks so perfectThere’s a tune that’s passed through my iTunes radio called “She Looks So Perfect” recently. The surprising thing is that iTunes Pop is saying that this band’s other single called “Good Girls” is the #1 on the chart. I’m wondering why the hell it is. Mostly because the first time I heard GG – I immediately was like who the hell would rip off Blink 182, RUSH?!?, Green Day and other pop punk bands so blatantly? I mean the riffs of the guitars in Good Girls were so obviously stolen it’s silly. I decided, who did it and found it was a band called 5 Seconds of Summer.

    I was taken aback because I really enjoy She Looks So Perfect. It’s got that typical teen angst anthemic quality – retaining a very familiar vibe without being so blatant of a rip-off. My favorite line in the song is “She looks so perfect standing there in my American Apparel underwear and I’m so down; Your lip-stick stain is a work of art I got your name tattooed in an arrow heart and I’m so down.” It’s pure fun and I dig it. It’s a perfect beach/summer romance. My only hope is they’ll branch out into their own thing.

    She Looks So Perfect

    Hey, hey, hey, hey
    Hey, hey, hey
    Hey, hey, hey, hey
    Hey, hey, hey

    Simmer down, simmer down
    They say we’re too young now to amount to anything else
    But look around
    We worked too damn hard for this just to give it up now
    If you don’t swim, you’ll drown
    But don’t move, honey

    You look so perfect standing there
    In my American Apparel underwear
    And I know now, that I’m so down
    Your lipstick stain is a work of art
    I got your name tattooed in an arrow heart
    And I know now, that I’m so down

    Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey
    Hey, hey, hey

    Let’s get out, let’s get out
    ‘Cause this deadbeat town’s only here just to keep us down
    While I was out, I found myself alone just thinking
    If I showed up with a plane ticket
    And a shiny diamond ring with your name on it
    Would you wanna run away too?
    ‘Cause all I really want is you

    You look so perfect standing there
    In my American Apparel underwear
    And I know now, that I’m so down
    I made a mix-tape straight out of ’94
    I’ve got your ripped skinny jeans lying on the floor
    And I know now, that I’m so down

    Hey! Hey, hey, hey hey
    Hey, hey, hey, hey

    You look so perfect standing there
    In my American Apparel underwear
    And I know now, that I’m so down
    Your lipstick stain is a work of art
    I got your name tattooed in an arrow heart
    And I know now, that I’m so down

    Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey
    Hey, hey, hey, hey
    Hey, hey, hey

    You look so perfect standing there
    In my American Apparel underwear
    And I know now, that I’m so down (hey!)
    Your lipstick stain is a work of art
    I got your name tattooed in an arrow heart
    And I know now, that I’m so down

    Enjoy your summer kick off!