Frisco's Weblog Webcome to my Welblog !

Go on Itune and download Kissing Families (video) from Silversun Pickups. Just do it... now... Note that as a side effect, you might feel the urge to get all the Carnavas and Pikul album tracks...

A home-brewed Google Gadget (and Java Applet) that displays Chords and Scales on a Guitar Fret (and Keyboard), as well as Musical Notation. Notes, Chords, Scales, Positions, Capo, Guitar and Keys can be dynamically configured... Enjoy !

Clear Channel pulled the plug on the Bay Area alternative radio Channel 104.9 on January 1st... That is enough to start blogging again... As if the pain was not big enough, they replaced it with... (sensible audience should stop reading now)... "la romantica"... (old fashion romantic songs from south america)... Damn, it hurts badly... Why on earth would they do that... As a quite fair punishment, Clear Channel CEO should be sentenced to listen to "la romantica" for life, without parole...

I spent yesterday evening listening to live music bands at the Tongue'n Groove" Club, on Van Ness and Union Street, in San Francisco. It was a night of showcases from Blue Bear School of American Music Band Workshop students. I like this place, and the opportunity it gives to all kind of people to perform. I actually played twice on this stage in the past... So, I went home this evening with one song in mind... Of course bands, and songs within a band, are unequal, that what makes the charm of such an evening of music. I enjoyed it all, but I have to say that one particular song, I had never heard before, took my mind away for few minutes. The band influence was mostly rock, but for this song, the lead took an acoustic guitar. After the show, I had to ask the singer... She told me that it was a song from The Arlenes, Titled "Lonely Won't Leave me Alone". Turns out, the Arlenes original version is actually made available for free (and legally ;) on the web, so, should you be interested, here it is: arlenes_1.mp3... The band arrangement that night was really good... decifering the esssence of this song might not be too challenging, but I wanna rather believe that mister Bill "Sputnik" Spooner was just nicely inspired that particular workshop rehearsal day...

The Blue Bear School of American Music, is an cool place to go for music lessons (guitar, piano, singing, and much more). It is located in Fort Mason, San Francisco, on the Marina (you get a nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz...). Teachers are all mind blowing musicians, whether they are young dudes booking local gigs or ex rock stars (no names, check it out yourself ;).