The CDs Have Landed!

Got them last week!  Was going to start taking orders yesterday but decided to wait until after the Release show Sunday, so I can focus this week on strumming my gee-tar, perfecting my macaroni sheep sculptures and kissing the running trail trees with my eyes.

Plus, I need to find me a fabulous new blue shirt!!  And maybe even some super-funky pants.

Here’s the CD’s front cover.

Here’s the back cover. (Totally went for the barcode, Dudes!)

And this sticker… (but smaller than depicted here,)

will go on the outside of the shrinkwrap of the CDs to be sold in stores.

In total, “I Need A Man,” includes 8 full-color pages of art, photos, writing and other never-before-seen stuff.  And the songs sounded good before but now with the packaging they sound, IMHO, pretty darn great.  How is that?

CDs available locally at Waterloo Records, starting next week, I hope.

Mail orders available directly from me — each CD packed in a pristine bubble envelope with aromatic moonbeams, Texas morning air and a specially chanted Jannie love incantation.   With a free Jannie autograph, if desired — the latter which will necessitate shrinkwrap removal.

$10.00 USD per CD.   Low shipping and handling, details to be posted Monday on my new Buy CD page.

I plan to put the songs on iTunes too, when I figure it out.  And maybe Amazon.com or CD Baby or some other such dew-fangled thing, if it makes sense.

Oh!!  Guess what?!  I’ve put another 6 MP3 snippets from the CD up on my Song Samples page.  Have a listen if you’re so in the mood.  They vary from about 45 to 60 seconds each.

And friends, my posting may be especially light for the rest of this week, to give myself a little pre-show “vacation” and allow me to get over with joyful abandon to read all your blogs.  Yay!

So take care and I’ll see you soon!!    xo

Technical woes

Parrott Tracks Studio, 2006

Yesterday wasn’t the first time a computer made me cry.  No indeed. In January 2005 I wailed on and off for two days until two nice computer boys came right here to our house and in less than ten minutes correctly hooked up my interface cables, plugged my microphone and speakers into the right jacks, downloaded updated drivers, fiddled with some Input / Output settings, clapped their hands while clicking their heels twice and voila — instant home-recording studio!

Then, yesterday when the zipped files wouldn’t unzip no matter what I tried (and neither the free WinZip nor Stuffit downloads are actually free,) tears flowed again because I need those unzipped files to get my CD artwork finished.

But guess what?  The CD maker guy e-mailed the templates unzipped.  Yay-freaking-hoo!

Please tell me I’m not the only one who’s cried over technical woes?

(P.S.  I know I haven’t been around to y’alls’ blogs so much lately but after our show today I’m sure I’ll once again lovingly immerse myself in every nuance of your posts.  Thanks for your continued patience and support!)

Trout-fishing hip waders!

Sweetheart fuzzy-panted Kalyani loaned me her Crate amp for practicing!  How super-cool is that?  Not having to buy one of my own just yet means I can afford those trout-fishing hip waders I’ve been eyeing at the general store!

And you know what?   After a good open mike the other night and guitar progress lately, I’m starting to think I might really be able to pull off this music thing!  Just need to keep at the guitar, my most challenging part.  My big little show’s 77 days from today – but who’s counting?  Kalyani and I will be gigging together in the meantime at Flipnotics so I’ll be sure to put those dates on my Shows page when we firm them up.

Also on my music list…

— ask Jae if she minds Photoshopping another pic for my CD artwork.   Jae?  Sweetie-Pie?  (In addition to being a great songwriter and all ’round Excellent Human Being, Jae and her equally talented daughter, Willow, designed these Band Geek Tees.)  BTW, it’s Jae’s birthday today!

— update chord charts (time intensive,) get with the guys, talk arrangements.

— find or recreate CD with the background harmonies so Kalyani can have those to work from.

— CD duplications with lyric inserts.

— practice while sitting on my show barstool.

— practice river dancing while playing guitar.

— sew many bells on my fuzzy dress.

And you, blogging buddy, what’s on your list to get you where you want to go?

Sunday May 10th 7:30 p.m.

That’s the date for my CD launch show / party!

One-hour show here in Austin,Texas.  No cover charge. 

Friendly fully-clothed guest musicians TBA.

Small cute auditorium beside a paradisical garden.  

Downtown, but ample (free) parking, (unless the place next door is holding a special event, but parking shouldn’t be much of a problem in any case.)

“I Need A Man,” CDs only $10.00.  (Cash or check.)

Jannie Funster autographs and hugs – FREE!

Further details to come.

(Hope I don’t puke on my uke.  Whoops – sorry Patricia, for that visual.) 

Photos of the actual garden walkway and the auditorium at the venue!

Totally Somebody Now

photo credit: maximum threshold

I know it’s a very little thing in the Grande Scheme Of Things, but Kim Woodbridge over at (Anti) Social Development (thanks for the tip from Blogger For Hire Vered,) went rooting around in my site code and actually got the date, time and numbers in my comments!!!  It even worked retroactively.  Plus, she got my stats and SEO plug-in going (not that I know what to do with those yet but they’re there and waiting.)

And Barbara Swafford at Blogging Without A Blog done writ me up as “New Blog Of The Week,”  to which my initial reaction was Wayne & Garth’s to Alice Cooper, “I’m not worthy. I’m not worthy.”   But I soon got over it and bought me a throne.   And a bell to summon the servants.

Don’t you just want to run rampant through my newly vamped comments?

Don’t you just want to race over here and lift your glass to me?

Don’t ya just want to fling the star up on my tree?

Shit, the star!  I forgot to put up the star.

See ya!

[Or… how would you help me celebrate these momentous blog events if you were here with me right now?]