<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!-- generator="FeedCreator 1.7.2" -->
<rss version="2.0">
    <channel>
        <title>Stuart Walker (aka Gumbo) Blog</title>
        <description></description>
        <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/</link>
        <lastBuildDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:52:32 +0100</lastBuildDate>
        <generator>FeedCreator 1.7.2</generator>
        <item>
            <title>What was New in 2007?</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/1482</link>
            <description><![CDATA[So this is the new entry page for the site. 'Bout time it got updated. What has happened since last years RPM Challenge?

The first thing I did was to record a slower version of a track that  got left off the RPM album (Time Will Tell) for being too harsh and fast. I actually didn't want the sentiments on a CD that would be played in the house for my family to listen to. It is a vision of the way people might have viewed the sight of the their home when they were forced to emigrate, relating particularly to the Irish 'Famine' times.

The song was <a href="http://www.macidol.com/song/18409" target="_blank"><span class="bb_url">"The Last Tree Standing"</span></a> and <a href="http://www.macidol.com/jamroom/bands/367/" target="_blank"><span class="bb_url">James Bouchard</span></a> grabbed it with both hands and produced this beautiful version: <a href="http://www.macidol.com/song/18433" target="_blank"><span class="bb_url">The Last Tree Standing</span></a>. I love the way Jim gets into the lyrics and gives a different yet thoroughly sensitive reading of the tune.

The next song I am really proud of, though it hasn't seen the light of day yet. I'm waiting for a certain sassy city gal to come wandering past and settle in to a bit of singing one afternoon (or two). It's called Chillin'.

Then there is a song that took perhaps equally long to see the daylight. <a href="http://www.macidol.com/song/19227" target="_blank"><span class="bb_url">Everybody's Body is an Ocean (Yeah!)</span></a> was a puzzle over how a collaboration with <a href="http://www.macidol.com/jamroom/bands/1481/" target="_blank"><span class="bb_url">slumbering</span></a> might work out. Written as a quick Clash reggae rocker, the lyrics explore the Yin and Yang of our two styles. slumbering contributed the beautifully oceanic backing vocals and <a href="http://www.macidol.com/jamroom/bands/388/" target="_blank"><span class="bb_url">B&Massa</span></a> (aka SteveJayFromTassy)  added a great bass part, and then it sat on the shelf  until I realised that I really didn't need to add much more to it. A bit of polish and it was already good to go. One of my favourite tracks, and an interesting insight into the process of collaboration.

Also around this time <a href="http://www.macidol.com/jamroom/bands/1225/" target="_blank"><span class="bb_url">Gilbert Neilson</span></a> tried an interesting experiment and took the lyrics to "First To Know" and wrote his own melody, without listening to the original version. He did a cracking version, and it's interesting for me to hear how the rhythm of the words works it's way into his song, too. His version is called <a href="http://www.macidol.com/song/18767" target="_blank"><span class="bb_url">I Just Called</span></a>. I added a guitar part and some harmony vocals. Gilbert's voice is something else. I'd love to see him playing live some day.

There were a few new songs over the summer, and some covers that are posted at my <a href="http://www.icompositions.com/artists/cStu" target="_blank"><span class="bb_url">iComp page</span></a> then it was time for <a href="http://www.talklikeapirate.com/" target="_blank"><span class="bb_url">International Talk Like A Pirate Day</span></a> (September 19th) and I wrote and recorded <a href="http://www.macidol.com/song/20226" target="_blank"><span class="bb_url">Give up Yer Gold (or we'll send you below)</span></a> that day.

A few days later I saw the Old Crow Medicine Show in Galway and that has set me off on a new splurge of tunes known collectively as <a href="http://www.macidol.com/jamroom/bands/1482/albums.php" target="_blank"><span class="bb_url">The Campfire Inferno</span></a> which kept me busy up until Christmas. 

Now it's February again and the 2008 RPM Challenge is underway. Expect new tunes on an almost daily basis. (Eeeek!!) ]]></description>
            <author>cStu</author>
            <pubDate>Sat, 02 Feb 2008 18:19:56 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>RPM Challenge</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/1482</link>
            <description><![CDATA[February is the official home of the <a href=http://rpmchallenge.com/>RPM Challenge</a> and in my Jamroom at the moment you will find a series of songs in the various states of Polish and Sophistication that comes from trying to make a CD of at least ten songs from scratch during the 28 days of this month. It's been a fascinating and frustrating process as the wellspring of ideas ebbs and flows, and new songs appear in sporadic fashion. Literally sometimes. All dressed up in funny looking clothes. If you want to know more about the songs, read on ...

<a href=http://www.macidol.com/song/18276>The Rhythm and The Rhyme</a> is a lofi fast sprouting, grow in any weather Blues that reminds me of Them. It's all on the trusty old yamaha acoustic, bass 'n' lead 'n' all.

<a href=http://www.macidol.com/song/17976>Time Will Tell</a> was first out of the box and still sounds the most polished to me, even though it was made in a night. My voice is weird in it, too. Kind of 'pleasant'.

<a href=http://www.macidol.com/song/17996>Demon Eyes</a> is an idea that was fielded by Matt Griffin (Frogmorton) a week before the start and then the lyrics came spilling out after reading Dylan's 'Chronicles' the night before the first (of the month). It equates Demons with our unconscious urges, those "why the hell did I do that" moments.

<a href=http://www.macidol.com/song/18005>One Track Mind</a> was just messing about and finding a jaunty lick on the Telecaster. Homemade percussion and while the lyrics aren't particularly striking, there is a lovely feel to this track. One of my faves, so far.

<a href=http://www.macidol.com/song/18048>Kali-Ma</a> is the track I've spent the most actual time on. Another track on the Demons theme that began the project. This one is more specific, but so widespread that I see it walking the streets everday.

<a href=http://www.macidol.com/song/18101>Ain't Got There</a> - a quick and dirty rockabilly ditty messing with the "acoustic bass" (trusty yamaha + vocal transformer effect). It also meets the disatisfied percussion demon that has prowled the studio this month, so is built on a Tabla loop. Weird and wonderful in it's own way.

<a href=http://www.macidol.com/song/18244>Dream Tonight</a> is a melancholy acoustic trance into and through the idea of sleep, a word with many connotations pertaining to rest and consciousness. Inspired in equal parts by a friend and by Tiffany Aching.

More to come in the next few (extremely few) days.

In fact, the album is complete, all 12 songs, and can be seen on the <a href=http://web.mac.com/craniosacral/iWeb/RPMChallenge/Time%20Will%20Tell.html>"Time Will Tell Album Page"</a>

 ]]></description>
            <author>cStu</author>
            <pubDate>Sat, 10 Mar 2007 11:12:00 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Creative Commons License</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/1482</link>
            <description><![CDATA[<a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-sa/3.0/88x31.png"/></a>    This work is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0  License</a>.

I thought I'd better put a bit of explanation up about the License by which I share the files hosted here at MacIDOL. Unless you get express permission:

they are non-commercial. (You can't make money from them)

derivative works are cool <b>if you share alike</b> (with the same license). mash away, but give a link back to the original.

Having said that if you have a hit on your hands buzz me and we'll open a bottle.

 ]]></description>
            <author>cStu</author>
            <pubDate>Mon, 19 Mar 2007 13:13:03 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>The Doors Of The Kingdom</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/1482</link>
            <description><![CDATA[I'd been wondering how to share the great tracks I hear here (hear, hear) and <a href="http://www.macidol.com/jamroom/bands/1482/radio.php" target="_blank"><span class="bb_url">Chumbo Gumbo Radio</span></a> is one option, but there are other things which deserve to be seen or heard on the Weird Wonderful Web. So I started a Blog as an ongoing Collection of Discoveries. So the Blog contains all kinds of music from all over, while this Radio Station is the songs from MacIDOL artists that I've posted about. And a few extras.

It's called <a href="http://doorsofthekingdom.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span class="bb_url">The Doors Of The Kingdom</span></a> ]]></description>
            <author>cStu</author>
            <pubDate>Sat, 24 Feb 2007 10:34:22 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Gumbo is gone ... well almost.</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/1482</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The name Gumbo is trademarked for musical use so I have reverted to my given name, and after a while will drop the Gumbo part altogether. Sad but true. Should make it easier to Google for me though ... that was a nightmare! ]]></description>
            <author>cStu</author>
            <pubDate>Mon, 31 Oct 2005 16:54:24 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>New Collabs!</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/1482</link>
            <description><![CDATA[This intergalactic music colaborating is great fun (even on dialup).
Recently <a href=http://www.macidol.com/jamroom/bands/62>Maggie Osterberg</a> put a searing geetar on <b>"I Don't Need Love"</b> - a two minute ranting rockabilly fireball (he says ;~)

Then <a href=http://www.macidol.com/jamroom/bands/388>B&Massa</a> cooked the bass on the Spaghetti Surf New Orleans Protest Song <b>"Aftermath (Co-Exist Peacefully)"</b> vocals by George Bush. Fekker, The telecaster makes his first appearance here.

And <a href=http://www.macidol.com/jamroom/bands/441>Finer</a> added the bass and upped the ante on <b>"Gettin' In Step"</b> with more than a nod to the Rollin Stones circa '67. Think Swagger!

There's more in the Pipeline. ]]></description>
            <author>cStu</author>
            <pubDate>Sun, 09 Oct 2005 09:31:13 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Blues Radio</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/1482</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The June 20th Edition of B&Massa's <b>Blues' Radio</b> features 'the music of Gumbo'

Whisked down to sunnier climes at no small expense for the interview, you can hear the fun in the Archives. Download the show from the <a href="http://www.macidol.com/bluesradio/" target="_blank"><span class="bb_url">Blues Radio</span></a> page - it's number 6.

Nice one, B&Massa. ]]></description>
            <author>cStu</author>
            <pubDate>Wed, 29 Jun 2005 17:31:59 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Collab Shock</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/1482</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Momentous step forward in the state of interocean communication recently was Robert Andrews leavin just enough space in a song to inspire me to hitch on a vocal backup, which Rob liked enough to put up in his jamroom. I'm touched and chuffed that folks are listenin to it, and you can hear it <a href="http://www.macidol.com/song.php?band_id=801&song_id=6106" target="_blank"><span class="bb_url">here as a QT stream</span></a> More from Rob in <a href="http://www.macidol.com/jamroom/bands/801/music.php" target="_blank"><span class="bb_url">Robert C Andrews' jamroom</span></a> - amazin' to me that we can do this hangin' out on different continents ...it's called <b>"Pocketful Of Misery"</b>

UPDATE: "Pocketful Of Misery" is currently (Oct '05) number 66 on the Alltime Most Popular MacIdol.com Song Chart, pushing a thousand plays! It's a Hit! ]]></description>
            <author>cStu</author>
            <pubDate>Sun, 09 Oct 2005 09:42:04 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Greetings!</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/1482</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Well if you've got this far you're looking for something else, other than those things you already have, something which captures your imagination, and makes your smile wider, your eyes light up and your toes dance. What you've stumbled upon is a collection of songs and tunes in various states of undress, I assume you can handle it. We create, we find a groove, and join in, we know when it works, and if you don't like it there is always the "Next" button ... if you got the soul  tho' drop a listen and clue me in, I'm all ears (fingers, thoughts and other bits) and I love something about all these tunes ... ]]></description>
            <author>cStu</author>
            <pubDate>Mon, 02 May 2005 08:48:22 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
    </channel>
</rss>
