[Writing Software] Liquid Story Binder Tutorials 9 and 10

I’ve been meaning to upload the latest in the series of my Liquid Story Binder tutorials, but they’ve taken longer than I expected to make – and I’ve been busy with other projects in the midst of things.  Here are installments 9 and 10.

Something new to offer for the Sequences (Tutorial 10) tutorial – I provide audio commentary.  I’ll probably finish out the basic tutorials with audio commentary, then go into my advanced tutorials with audio comments as well.   I don’t know if I’ll redo the previous tutorials with audio commentary – it’s only as I have the time to do it, and provided that the quality sticks with them.  I will say that simply going through each tutorial with my voice make the videos less lengthy and more concise.  Forgive my voice though, it’s not perfect. XD

If you have any questions or comments, as always, feel free to make them on the blog, my Youtube Channel, or via my email address.

[Writing Software] Liquid Story Binder Tutorial: Outlines and Checklists

Latest installment in my series of Liquid Story Binder XE Tutorials: Brief looks at using the Outline and Checklist features in the program.  I should have more videos coming up in a little while, but keep watch on the blog for more.

General updates and new blog posts

Hi all,

Finally managed to sit down and plot out my next several posts to update on the blog.  I think I’ll be updating this a lot more often since I’m back into the habit of regularly posting.

So as far as the agenda goes – I’m updating my favorite English and Japanese albums of 2009 in two of my “My Favorite Things” posts – it’s a tradition that I’ve been able to work with since last year, so it would be fitting for me to have a list this year as well (unranked as usual).   I’m about halfway complete with the Japanese albums post, but it may take me a little bit to complete the English one.

I’ll be updating the “Current Updates” page when I’m finished penning these two entries.  I have a lot of individual album and single reviews to write, and I have to update the Japanese artists on Itunes blog that I have.  It’s in dire need of updating, as many artists have been added (and taken off, unfortunately) since the version 9 upgrade.  I’m not sure when it will be complete, but I’ll continue to keep you posted.

Wishing everyone well so far in the New Year!

Best,

Rose

[Music] Maroon 5 – “Call and Response” album review

My last review of a Maroon 5 album came in the form of their sophomore effort “It Won’t Be Soon Before Long” , released back in 2007. I recalled it as an eclectic mix of experimentation for the group with confident and dynamic appeal.    Well, if you’re looking for some of that same eclectic appeal, then I think “Call and Response” is an apt compilation to take into consideration, as it delves into remixed variations of the songs they’ve released both on their sophomore and debut releases.

When I initially listened to Call and Response in its initial release, I’ll admit it was a challenge.  One could consider this album taking familiar material within a set vein and reinterpreting it into a completely different guise.  Any artist or group can grow with taking apt risks and growing with experimentation, but I think it also depends on how those elements come together and how cohesive the effort can come across. Remix albums can be even more challenging than simply going in a different genre direction, as the challenge means making the sound work with the track rather than it being the song and different beat being thrown together without cohesion.   The collaborations on this album, for the vast majority of the album, are ones I applaud the gents for in collective consideration, but I do think there were parts that could have been improved upon slightly in retrospect.

I’ll expand a bit on this after the album cover and tracklisting in the extended review.

Maroon 5 – “Call and Response: The Remix Album”

Released: December 9th, 2008

Tracklisting:

1. If I Never See Your Face Again ft. Cross (Swizz Beatz)
2. Wake Up Call ft. Mary J. Blige (Mark Ronson)
3. Sunday Morning (Questlove)
4. Makes Me Wonder (Just Blaze)
5. This Love (Tricky Stewart)
6. She Will Be Loved (Pharrell Williams)
7. Shiver (DJ Quik)
8. Wake Up Call (David Banner)
9. Harder To Breathe (The Cool Kids)
10. Little Of Your Time (Bloodshy & Avant)
11. Little Of Your Time (Of Montreal)
12. Goodnight Goodnight (Deerhoof)
13. Not Falling Apart (Tiesto)
14. Better That We Break (Ali Shaheed Muhammad)
15. Secret (DJ Premier)
16. Woman (Sam Farrar)
17. This Love (Cut Copy)
18. If I Never See Your Face Again ft. Rihanna (Paul Oakenfold)

[Music] The Dead Weather – “Horehound” album review

The Dead Weather is really a supergroup in composition, and quite a collaboration between artists, I have to say.  With Allison Mosshart from The Kills on vocals and guitar,  Jack White of The White Stripes  on vocals and guitar, Dean Fertita from Queens of the Stone Age on guitar, and John Lawrence from The Greenhorns on bass, it’s just as good of a collaboration as you’d think it would be – with a combination of blues, rock, and stoner rock all rolled into one.  It’s the type of album you’d feel excited to hear live whether you’re in one of those small, smoky clubs where you hear the band play or in a large stadium rocking out.  My ears were pleasantly surprised and impressed.  And trust me, I’m a tough customer to please.

The creation behind The Dead Weather had me grinning from ear to ear when I read from Alan Cross’s account – The Kills were the opening act for The Racounteurs, of which Jack White is a part of.  White had been ill and Mosshart was asked to sub in for him.  He was impressed, and after a drunken night, they headed to Tennessee to record in studio.  That’s quite a story, or at least the variation of it I was able to catch.

I do consider myself a fan of Allison Mosshart’s vocals – she has a grit that is literally not found in many considerations in modern music, and she brings it just as convincingly as her work with the Kills.  Jack White provides a nice amount of chemistry with Mosshart vocally, and the cohesiveness of the accompaniment between White, Fertita and Lawrence through each track gives it an immediate punch and flavor that makes it radiate confidence, poise, and edge.  The album alternates between its own distinct set of moods, some which maintain a punch that lasts throughout the song (“I Cut Like A Buffalo”, “Treat Me Like Your Mother”) while others choose a steady build to a point where it errupts in the cusp of emotion (“So Far from Your Weapon”, “Rocking Horse”).

I’m even more impressed by how well the syncopation plays out in many of the songs on this album between the musicians, it brings the right amount of tension and anticipation noted in the genre, without ever going terribly crazy (though there are some moments when I think Jack White makes me shake my head at his usual inflections, but it’s considerably tamer here).

I’ll have more to say on the album’s cohesiveness, content, and charisma (interesting use of alliteration, don’t you think?  I swear it was unintentional) after the tracklisting and cut, but color this one of my favorite albums of the year. Hands down.

The Dead Weather – “Horehound”
Released: July 10, 2009

1. 60 Feet Tall (5:33)
2. Hang You From The Heavens (3:38)
3. I Cut Like a Buffalo (3:28)
4. So Far From Your Weapon (3:40)
5. Treat Me Like Your Mother (4:10)
6. Rocking Horse (2:59)
7. New Pony (3:58)
8. Bone House (3:27)
9. 3 Birds (3:45)
10. No Hassle Night (2:56)
11. Will There Be Enough Water? (6:20)

[Writing Software] Liquid Story Binder XE Tutorials: Project Goals and the Character Generator/Dossier Tools

Continuing with my series of Liquid Story Binder XE tutorials, here are the latest two videos in that series.  The first noting the Project Goals tool of the program (where you can set your deadlines and word counts accordingly) and the second noting Character Generator/Dossier Tools  (where you create your characters).  Both are really neat tools to use and can help you plot and organize your story for their respective functions.

[Writing Software] Liquid Story Binder XE Tutorials: Managing Your Chapter

This part of my series of Liquid Story Binder XE Tutorials shows you some ways to manage your story in Chapter Mode. They’re in 5 parts, but brief enough to go through the pertinent features of what the program has to offer.