<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!-- generator="FeedCreator 1.7.2" -->
<rss version="2.0">
    <channel>
        <title>James Bouchard Blog</title>
        <description></description>
        <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/</link>
        <lastBuildDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:50:15 +0100</lastBuildDate>
        <generator>FeedCreator 1.7.2</generator>
        <item>
            <title>More of a Mystery</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/367</link>
            <description><![CDATA[I've got this new song up, and I'm pretty happy with it, by golly!  ]]></description>
            <author>toots</author>
            <pubDate>Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:14:03 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Collaborations</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/367</link>
            <description><![CDATA[I frequently collaborate with people over the internet, and send me a message if you think you'd like to work on something together...I might have time and the inclination.
I have been collaborating with Kelli King from San Antonio, Texas, as The Fritters, and I have a number of other things I've done, including Lisa Purdy (ledebutant) from Seattle, Isaea in Germany, and Emily Rohm in Chicago.  ]]></description>
            <author>toots</author>
            <pubDate>Mon, 30 Apr 2007 02:52:31 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>my gear?</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/367</link>
            <description><![CDATA[I'm working with your off the shelf eMac here, and I plug my stuff into a Behringer MX602A mixer and then into a Tascam US122 to get sounds into the puter. I have a Kurzweil KME-61 keyboard which is awesome! and an Oktava MK219 condenser mic and a Shure SM57 mic and an AKG mic. I have a Peavey Delta Blues amp with 1 15" speaker. I have a bunch of guitars: Tele Custom '72 Reissue, drastically frankensteined Les Paul Jr., Epi Sheraton II, Guild G37 acoustic, Yamaha F412 acoustic, Gibson longneck banjo, a Fulltone Fulldrive and a modified Boss SD-1 and a couple other effects I don't use too much when recording. ]]></description>
            <author>toots</author>
            <pubDate>Wed, 21 Apr 2004 04:25:00 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Union Label</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/367</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Union label is the band I'm in. It's John Rapoza on bass, Matt LeBlanc on guitar, Jeff Aliison on drums, and me on keys and guitars. We recorded a 4-song EP in a studio called Q Division, that is in Cambridge, MA, USA. Matt Tahaney and Matt Beaudoin recorded it using ProTools. I did pre-production for my overdubs in Garageband, but we only ended up using one of the keyboard tracks that I recorded in Garageband. John and Matt LeBlanc grew up together in Fair Haven, MA, and started the band a long time ago. I met John through mutual friends and we played in a band called Fire in the Boathouse. Jeff joined that band as a drummer and when Matt and John re-formed Union Label after the demise of FitB, they asked us to join. We play in the Boston area and if you would like to buy a copy of the CD, feel free to contact me... I've posted the songs here to enjoy on a streaming basis, but eventually Union Label will have its oown website and I'll link to that. ]]></description>
            <author>toots</author>
            <pubDate>Sat, 11 Sep 2004 18:41:47 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>links</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/367</link>
            <description><![CDATA[If you like my music, check out my progeny Gray's page, as he's sung on a bunch of things for me (and some of the songs here should be there). He's been doing his own thing and his songs are here: http://www.macidol.com/jamroom/bands/988/ ]]></description>
            <author>toots</author>
            <pubDate>Sat, 11 Sep 2004 13:48:32 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Home Sweet MacIdol Home</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/367</link>
            <description><![CDATA[I have needed a place to post my music on the web for quite a while. I have found a home here at Macidol and I find this place easy to use and attractive. I like the discussion forums and the constant additions of new original music from all over the globe.  Thanks for checking out my music and MacIdol in general. ]]></description>
            <author>toots</author>
            <pubDate>Mon, 31 May 2004 04:26:20 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>new songs</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/367</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Hey, I've been at this GB for a while and am having a ton of fun. I always have new songs up and if you bookmark this site and come back from time to time you'll probably always find something new. I am always interested to hear any comments. E-mail me if you want a CD of the tunes. 
 Cheers! ]]></description>
            <author>toots</author>
            <pubDate>Mon, 31 May 2004 19:43:45 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Downloads? Drop me a line!</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/367</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Hey, I noticed that some people have downloaded my songs...I'm really honored. Drop me a line if you like and let me know what made ya do it, I'm always interested in feedback. ]]></description>
            <author>toots</author>
            <pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2004 20:06:45 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>daft folk</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/367</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Thanks all for all your reactions to my modest little acoustic guitar improvisation. I am surprised at the reaction, but I do like this little tune a lot myself, so I do understand it's appeal almost as much as I appreciate its limitations. It's quite pleasant to listen to, and I have enjoyed using Garageband to mix and edit it to its present state.  ]]></description>
            <author>toots</author>
            <pubDate>Thu, 01 Jul 2004 03:08:47 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>It is...</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/367</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Well on this new song I must admit I copied an Acoustic Guitar loop for the main lick in the verse. 
When I was trying to come up with the right guitar part, I was trying out loops, and found one sort of worked, and so I used that as a basis for my real guitar part...an interesting idea, as an example of how you can use loops to develop a part. ]]></description>
            <author>toots</author>
            <pubDate>Thu, 08 Apr 2004 04:38:34 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Pleasant Day</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/367</link>
            <description><![CDATA[I'm not sure exactly what Maurice is talking about here, but there is a reference to an argument that got edited out of this sort of jazzy rap-py stream of conscience rambling by the 6-year old Maurice. I think I cut a whole bunch out in favor of a sort of be-bop melodic experiment. There are vocal da-doo scatting harmonies courtesy of the Kurzweil Take 6 vocal samples. The marimba is a reference to Scooby Doo cartoons, as that's the noise made when someone is running away... ]]></description>
            <author>toots</author>
            <pubDate>Fri, 16 Apr 2004 04:59:57 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>new blues song</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/367</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Just to explain how I recorded my new blues song "I Don't Know Where She Goes When She's Gone"...just as a point of comparison, the rhythm guitar is recorded direct using the Jam Pack Heavy Blues amp sim, the lead guitar a miked-up tube Peavey Delta Blues amp with my Boss SD-1 overdrive. The guitar is a '62 frankensteined Les Paul Jr.. The organ is an Alesis Q6 synth, the bass  is an Upright Walking Bass loop. Drums and conga are loops. Harmonica on the end is a Lee Oskar Em harp run through a Jam Pack Megaphone plug-in. And Oh, this long slow fade out is intentional, it's called a GE fade from old '60's studio technique. It's really long, though... I've had this song around for years, and as I make my way through my songbook, it was this guy's turn.]]></description>
            <author>toots</author>
            <pubDate>Mon, 05 Apr 2004 04:32:52 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>top of the charts!</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/367</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Wow! It really is a thrill when you get to the top of the daily charts! ...I love this site! "I Don't Know Where She Goes When She's gone" started out so innocently ...cheap thrills... On the other hand, I mostly do like the guitar in that song...]]></description>
            <author>toots</author>
            <pubDate>Mon, 05 Apr 2004 04:29:05 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>The name thing</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/367</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Hi again. This is James Bouchard. Though I have put out a CD under the name Jim Bouchard called Toots Rambles. I read something somewhere how James was a much better name than Jim, so when I registered here I chose to make my musical name James. It may be confusing for those that know me as Jim Bouchard. And then there's those that know be as Toots (in the forum here at MacIdol and some other sites) But there's not much difference between all of us. Really. I also really like James Brown and James Taylor, and I often think of myself as a cross between the two. ]]></description>
            <author>toots</author>
            <pubDate>Tue, 14 Sep 2004 17:02:54 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>The Chains We Choose-My Competition 2 entry track details</title>
            <link>http://macidol.com/jamroom/bands/367</link>
            <description><![CDATA[This is a song I wrote under the influence of a folk song called Long Chain, which is about an escaped prisoner that chooses not to have his chains removed. So it's sort of about how people tend to be comforted by the constrictions of their circumstances. It's also inspired by biking. So it's also about using the chains to drive us to greater heights. And finally inspired a little by "Vertigo". I tried to cut the lead vocal myself, but couldn't come up with the right alt-rock feel. So I called up my son Gray, and he nailed it in a couple takes and I kept them all. I love working with Gray, as he is a truly talented singer who really knows how to deliver a song. Totally recorded in Garageband: Track 1: Panned left. Telecaster Custom 72 Reissue Electric Guitar, ambient looped parts, recorded through Boss DD-20 Giga Delay to Peavey Delta Blues 115 amp mic'ed with a Rode NT1000 mic, switches to my handclaps in the choruses. Measures 75 to 91 have a JamPack string loop of Orchestral Strings 01, 12 and 60, and around measure 111 there's a string part from the Kurzweil KME-61 which is from the "lyrical strings" patch. Track 2 Panned center. Squire P-bass recorded direct using GB Edgy Bass preset. Track 3: Panned slightly left. Tele rhythm guitar part to Fulldrive 2 to DD-20 Giga Delay to Delta Blues amp mic'ed with a Shure SM-57 mic. Track 4: Panned slightly right. Lead guitar is Epiphone Sheraton II to Fulldrive 2 to Boss SD-1 overdrive to Boss DD-20 Giga Delay to Delta Blues amp mic'ed with a Rode NT1000 mic, effected with a slightly eq'ed Arena Rock GB preset. JamPack Abstract Atmosphere Loop 004 is tacked on around measure 120 Track 5: Panned left. Tele second lead guitar part to Fulldrive 2 to DD-20 Giga Delay to Delta Blues amp mic'ed with a Shure SM-57 mic, comes up in parts using volume curve. JamPack Abstract Atmosphere Loop 035 is tacked on around measure 116 Track 6: Panned right. Tele second lead guitar part to Fulldrive 2 to DD-20 Giga Delay to Delta Blues amp mic'ed with a Shure SM-57 mic, comes up in parts using volume curve. JamPack Abstract Atmosphere Loop 041 is tacked on around measure 117 Track 7: Panned center. Stereo drum track starts with drumstick clicks that I recorded using SM-57, goes into Drums on Demand Volume 4 drum loops various "CC Rock" patterns, switches to "Odd Time" patterns around measure 75 for the bridge, and back to "CC Rock" to measure 116, with some Jam Pack Atmospheric loop at the very end. JamPack Abstract Atmosphere Loop 016 is tacked on around measure 121 Track 8: Panned center. Stereo drum track comes in on measure 3-5 with a Drums on Demand V3"Dry Punchy" Intro loop, switches to Ride cymbal hits on the verses, DOD V4 "Ch." patterns for bridge, with some "Roomy Chorus" tom -crash fills thrown in, in the bridge switching to DOD V4 Class Brush loops, and then back to "Ch." for the end. JamPack Abstract Atmosphere Loop 048 is tacked on around measure 120 Track 9: Panned center. KME-61"wah clavinet" patch recorded stereo direct, very low volume, switches to "lyrical string" patch in the bridge, and back to clav for the last verse/chorus, and then Jam Pack Club Dance Beat 033 on to end, with an Atmospheric loop stuck at the coda Track 10: Panned center. Gray's lead vocal recorded with Rode NT1000 using GB "Live Performance" Vocal Preset (Take 1) little loop on the end from Gray's vocal performance Track 11: Panned left. Gray's second vocal recorded with Rode NT1000 using GB "Live Performance" Vocal Preset (Take 2)-effected with Cow Delay free plugin, volume curved up in parts just to reinforce sections. Little loop on the end from track 10 delayed to form a round. Track 12: Panned left. Gray's third vocal recorded with Rode NT1000 using GB "Live Performance" Vocal Preset (Take 3)-effected with Track Exho GB preset "Straight Eights" and Cow Delay free plugin, volume curved up in parts just to reinforce sections. Little loop on the end from track 10 delayed to form a round. Track 13: Panned left. Gray's lead vocal from track 10 and shifted slightly to the left to delay it and panned left -effected with Black Water Reverb free plugin, volume curved up in parts just to reinforce and provide sustain in sections. Little loop on the end from track 10 delayed to form a round. Track 14: Panned center. My harmony vocal recorded with Rode NT1000 using GB "Male Rock" Vocal Preset (Take 2)-effected with GB Chorus and Tremelo. Recorded to a bounced rough mix due to sluggish performance of the eMac, solo'ed and bounced to iTunes and brought back into original song as stereo file. Master Track effects are: GB Echo: "Shift to Bright" GB Reverb: "Medium Hall" Optional Effect: C3 Multiband Compression free plug-in using "Mastering 2.4dB" preset GB Equalizer: "Clear Vocals" GB Compression unchecked I have sort of explained where "The Chains We Choose" comes from in my initial post of it, but I can elaborate more here. 

I used to have an album that I got back in high school when I was just learning how to play guitar, in Woolworth's cutout bin for $.49 by an early sixties folk singer of little renown, Maxine Sellers. She had a version of a Jimmy Driftwood song, "Long Chain" that really knocked me out, all percussive acoustic guitar rhythm and harmonics, and a crazy expressive vocal. I loved that version of it and played that for years on and off. I guess Peter, Paul & Mary did another more mainstream folk version of it, but I never heard their version. 

Much later when I got a banjo at a yard sale and I was trying to figure out what I wanted to play with it, I figured out a way to play "Long Chain", and when I played it live in my psuedo-bluegrass band, that became one of my most popular songs. I changed a line in it to give it my own spin, but it's basically the same old folk song. 
I guess my spin comes from the fact that one of my buddies that I'd play with seemed to be tied up in knots emotionally, but his music drew from that source and was all the more beautiful for it. He chose to not rid himself of his chains though he could, was how I looked at it.

Anyway, I wanted to write my own song based on this idea, to explore the chains idea further as a metaphor. I was working on a banjo song along this line a couple months back, but I couldn't get it to really click the way I wanted it to, and I put it on the shelf (an instrumental bit of it surfaced here in "forest for the banjo"). I was jamming with the guys in my rock band and came up with a lick that was basically influenced by the simplicity of U2's Vertigo, and so I figured that would be a good framework to look at the "chains" idea in, as it was expressing some sort of urgency, being a I-III progression that would repeat like the links in the chain in the verse. There's a similar repetitive structure to the chorus but it ends on the #of the I chord (an F that resolves on E), which is like the weak link in the chain. When I arranged it I started off with that # chord, because I don't think I've ever heard a song start like that.

At the same time there was the discussion on the boards here about the rules for the competition, and I was thinking of those as chains, and then thinking of the choice that was made this past election in the US, and then also thinking about the links in the chain that we all make up through our various interconnections. I had a lot of concepts bouncing around the vacuum of my mind, but I didn't want to get too involved in writing a long song to bring all these ideas together, so I wrote the lyrics as shorthand, just thinking of the images I wanted to suggest and make passing reference to. It's like the details in the landscape as I bike past, a lot of which just give a general impression. Someone has pointed out to me that the choppy-ness of the lines are somewhat like links in a chain as well. I don’t know if lyrically it really is all worked out, as it still seems pretty surrealistic.

And then I was riding my bike to work and I really wanted to make a good song that would sound great on headphones while biking, with a chugging/pumping sort of rhythm. So I worked away at the music to this song, and in the end I think it came out pretty good, despite the fact that I wasn't happy with my vocal. I was really happy with Gray's vocal though, and it really impressed my wife. I thought of submitting something else up to the week before the contest was to end, but since I'd written this one for (and sort of about) the competition, and had optimized the mix with that in mind, I had to go with "Chains". 

It’s pretty much as I recorded it except there were a couple organ tracks in there that got cut out in the final mix, as they didn’t really add too much. The most interesting thing is Gray’s vocal is 3 takes where he didn’t listen to the other takes as he recorded them, but I ended up using them all as doubling in parts, because they matched up really well. It’s a consistent singer that can hit the same notes every time without listening to the previous takes. The other thing I am proud of is the guitar solo, which sort of sings, and I even get in what passes for a fast ascending run with only a few flubs in it.  

A close second choice when I was considering an alternate was "Curve" which is probably more typical of my personal style, but it's pretty unassuming, though nicely put together. That's my personal favorite, but I didn't think it would be as good an entry, and also if I was to place I would like Gray to get some exposure, since he's just starting out his career.
]]></description>
            <author>toots</author>
            <pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2005 19:21:52 +0100</pubDate>
        </item>
    </channel>
</rss>
