New Computer Blues

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Tangled Wire Studios Computer

No, that’s not the name of a song. I recently upgraded my computer at Tangled Wire Studios. My old computer had been with me since 2003, a senior citizen as far as computers go.

While my new computer is smoking fast, there are still some bugs I am ironing out. Moving 8 years of accumulated files and programs to a new computer has turned out to be quite a undertaking. I am confident that once I get all the wrinkles ironed out, I will have an excellent Digital Audio Workstation.

Please check back for updates and new music!

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News Update

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My cover version of Neil Young’s “Running Dry (Requiem for the Rockets) was recently featured on the cool website, Cover Me (Covermesongs.com). If you get a chance check out the site and their eclectic selection of cover music and artists.

I have also finally entered the world of Twitter. After playing around with it for the last day, I have to wonder what took me so long. My twitter name is @marwoodwilliams. Click below for more information.


Follow marwoodwilliams on Twitter

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New Song: D-Day

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Here’s an instrumental song called, “D-Day.” The song has nothing to do with the Normandy Invasion of World War II. The title is all about key of the song – D.

Here’s the back story to the song: I have been playing around with this basic instrumental since the late 1980′s. Back then, I owned a fun digital delay pedal (Digitech PDS 2020) which had a feature, reminiscent of the old reel to reel players, called “sound on sound.” In non-technical terms, this feature would allow you to store and record short musical phrases. For example, I would play a two note bass line, then add a repeating chord and with little effort, I had backing music to accompany on my guitar. The song is a favorite with jam buddies because of its simplicity and flexibility.

On this version, I play all the instruments. I added a little introduction and had fun playing around with the arrangement. It’s the first recording I have been able to use my mountain dulcimer and my recently acquired conga drums.

Please feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions or comments.

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Recording Spotlight: Thrift Store Scores

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Hello. My name is Marwood W. And I am a Thrift Store Addict….

Thrift Stores can be a great resource for the self-recording musician. I have found some wonderful treasures rummaging through thrift stores in the Seattle area. Aside from finding useful cables and patch cords for dirt cheap, (For example, Monster Cable products for under a buck.) I have found some other gems that have helped me in my music creating process.

Here’s a breakdown of some of my favorite Thrift Store Scores:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found this 1960′s or 1970′s “Granada” Japanese made Classical Guitar for under $25.00 at a local Goodwill Store. After replacing the old and mismatched tuning pegs and strings, I ended up with a very playable and good sounding gut string guitar for under $50.00. If you want to hear it in action, check out my song “Look at Us Now.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next on my score list is this basic mountain dulcimer I picked up for about $20.00. When I bought it, the thrift store clerk asked, “You want to buy that musical thingy?” While he didn’t know what the instrument was, I knew I found a gem. This dulcimer is not much to look at – in fact, I suspect it was a kit that someone put together. The inside label reads, “Hughes Dulcimer Co. Denver Colorado” with a date stamp of March 20th, 1981. I really enjoy the “droning” sound this produces. Keep a look out for Check out my song, “D-Day,” (which I hope to release very soon) to hear it in action.

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Inkster Recordings: My Internet Archive Net Label

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I have started a non-profit internet recording label on the Internet Archive Site:

The internet archive is an excellent hosting site for multimedia collections, and in my opinion, it is an example of what’s great about the internet.

I have also created a tumblr site for Inkster Recordings. The jury is still out on tumblr. I think it’s an interesting site – but the software and posting capabilities lag far behind WordPress.

At the moment, I am using the net label to release my own music. In the future I hope to release material from different people and side projects.

In the meantime, I have a new batch of music I am currently working on and I hope to have a collection release in the next month or so. Please check back for updates.

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