Joel Corriveau

Schmoyofaux

Joel — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:12:11 +0000

I love the Gregory Brothers, I really do. But there’s something fishy going on here. This video has 304 views and 6,518 likes.

Just thought that was strange….

I wondered at first if this was some kind of spam-bot script that “primes the pump,” for a potential viral video. (We’ve all got to make a living!)

But, Dan points out that there really IS something fishy with the way Youtube counts views, and a video will often stick at either 301 or 304 views. I found a forum post that was theorizing that this IS the result of bot use, and Youtube waits until your actual views catch up to the bot-likes, or something. But…. who knows for sure.

Maybe Youtube really does just suck at tracking views. I had no idea.

Here’s the video, after all that.

24 hours later, here is what the stats look like.

216, 454 views
9,106 likes
391 dislikes

Merry Little Christmas

Joel — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 21:35:16 +0000

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Here is a merry little tune I recorded yesterday afternoon. Andrea Caswell performing, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Enjoy! Download

Louis CK vs Uniform Motion

Joel — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:22:48 +0000

While browsing Twitter, I often find myself opening several tabs of videos, bands, soundcloud pages, etc. And then I work my way through them. I just sat through a hilarious juxtaposition of 2 different pieces playing simultaneously. I’d like to try to recreate this moment for you now.

First, the soundtrack

I Was Crushed by a Forty-Foot man by Uniform Motion

Now, the visuals

[Note: I don't think Soundcloud renders in Google Reader, so you might have to hit ye old "v". And, I think virtually 98% of my friends who read this site, are reading this in Reader. Hence.... etc.]

Echo Echo – Catch

Joel — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 22:18:42 +0000

Catch by Echo Echo
Dear Friends

I am proud to announce that today I released my first thing. Ever. I have been making music for over 22 years. And I have been recording music in recording studios for 12 years. And this is the first finished release. Kind of a big deal.

If an embedded player didn’t show up in your feed, go here to have a listen, and download if you like. Echo Echo – Catch.

Echo Echo is a project I have been working on with Andrea Caswell for over two years now. Catch is a 4 song EP released as a free digital download. It’s kind of a “Hi, my name is…” gesture. We have several more songs in the pike for a full album to be released in 2012.

If you like what you hear, please send it along to anyone you think may be interested.

Halloween Kids

Joel — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:15:50 +0000

You can’t see it, but I’m holding a box of Orange Tic Tacs.

If you don’t recognize our costumes, here’s our inspiration.

What’s New with You?

Joel — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 03:32:24 +0000

I continue to teach with Rainbow Songs. As do I continue to love it. I’m always looking for new material, or new ways to improve the class. How to get more participation from the children, from the grown-ups. What new songs can I lead? What new jokes can I tell? How can I deepen the quality of experience? This job is a blast. And fortunately, I’ve been able to take on locations that are closer to where I live. I’m currently teaching 5 mornings a week with Rainbow Songs, and of those 5, 2 of them are within a 10 minute bike ride. And the other 3 are a half minute TTC away. Not too shabby.

On the 6th day of the week, I’m doing admin work for the Rainbow Songs Foundation, and then teaching a speech therapy/music private lesson. And then I’m at a family shelter, running a music class for the moms and children who live there. (This shelter is also a 10 minute bike from my house.)

On the 7th day… there is always something. Lately, we’ve been running fundraisers for RSF. I’ve Greg’s bachelor party soon. And his wedding soon after. And that garage isn’t insulating itself. (The garage is 80% done. One more wall needs to be framed out and insulated.)

We’re still living in the basement of our house. The goal with the detached garage is to insulate it, and get the furnace in it safety checked, so that the garage can become an additional lounge/sewing/music-rehearsal space. Probably one more weekend of work. I’ve just got to find that weekend. I’m thinking late November?

We renewed a 1 year lease with our tenants which runs until August 31, and we’ve been fairly open with them that we’ve got our sights set on taking over their space after that time. Because….

We’re having a baby. Every day it becomes a bit more real. I’m more excited than terrified, although that can fluctuate. Mostly excited. The little person is expected around the Ides of March. Beware, Julius, beware. At which point, our modest and open-concept bachelor basement will become even tinier. Hello sleep deprivation. Hello maternity leave!

The thought of Julie and little Polkaroo attending my classes makes me so happy I want to cry. Not sure if that makes sense. But I’m super damned excited. Every day I am around other people’s babies, but I can never really squish them up and throw them around like they’re my own. I look forward to working a little less, and attending some Rainbow Songs classes (that I am not teaching). Can’t wait.

Echo Echo is wrapping up. Look forward to an EP this November, and an LP in February. I’ll be sure to post more info here when I’ve got something for you to hear. I think these songs are really great, and I look forward to setting them free so that they can find iPods to live on, and ears to excite.

I’m just finishing up Red Dead Redemption. What a stellar game. And such an immersive world. The sound design is fantastic. I highly recommend it. I’m more than halfway through the zombie DLC. Not sure what(if) I’ll play after this. The XBOX had been on hiatus for quite a while, and I only recently brought it out to get back into RDR.

I’m reading GRRM’s A Song of Ice and Fire. I’m about 150 pages into A Feast of Crows. I’m not hooked yet. Too much minor character BS. I really enjoyed books 2 and 3. I churned through them both pretty darn quickly. I hope this one will pick up. And I haven’t decided if I’ll buy the newest right away, try to get it from the library, or wait for the trade paperback (to match all of the other paperbacks in the series that I own.)

I am off-again on-again entertained by an eReader. But the thought that I pay approximately the same amount for an eBook as a real book? And then the batteries die, or the platform becomes obsolete, or I want to lend it to a friend, BULLSHIT. Bleh. The price per unit will have to significantly drop before I’m interested in eBooks. Weight and volume is not enough for me to pay premium and sacrifice the longevity and functionality of PAPER.

I just watched an episode of He-Man. What the balls is up with Adam/He-Man’s voice? Who thought that was a good match to the character art? Seriously.

If you’ve made it this far, huzzahs. It’s likely you’re one of my Google Reader circle of friends. It’s time for you to dust off your blog and let me know what’s new with you.

Goodbye Google Reader Share Features

Joel — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 02:59:05 +0000

Today Google canned the Share functionality of Google Reader. I’m disappointed, as this was a pretty large source for my news, pop culture and funny photos. I will miss receiving updates from Gord, Andrew, once in a while Brandon, and most of all Dan.

And, I will miss the laziest way to share with my circle, “shift S” to share, before I “j” my way on to the next item. Lazy, I know.

Google+ can go lick a tree, I don’t care to migrate to a service and wait for my friends to migrate. Bleh. Dan poked his finger right in my ribs and told me to update my blog more often.

Maybe I will. Maybe I will.

Sonoio: Red and Blue

Joel — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 01:20:49 +0000

For the past month, I’ve been listening heavily to two albums by Sonoio (pronounced so – no – ee – oo). This is a solo project by Alessandro Cortini, who you may not know, but may have heard before. He played synthesizers with Nine Inch Nails between 2004 and 2008.

There is a commonality between the musical choices of Sonoio and my favorite NIN songs. (Hint: I’m less into the thrashy-screamy, and more into the industrial-melodic.) If you enjoyed Ghosts, and the more melodic sing-along (feel good) Nails tunes, check these out.

There are two Sonoio albums out: Blue (2010) and Red (2011). Both are fantastic. Very synth heavy. And I can remember remarking aloud how, a while back, I stated that I would never like or even APPROVE of vocoded vocals. The world does not need another vocoder. Well, he proved me wrong. This is the most tasteful usage of vocoder in pop music that I have ever encountered. I was wrong. (Imogen “Hide and Seek, you’re #2)…. (of a list of 2).

Red

Blue

[The Topspin embedded players don't seem to translate to Google Reader. Go hear to here the music I was sharing.]

I’ve gathered that the color-theme is Buchla related. And we can expect the next release to be another Buchla color. I think that’s green and orange? (Looking forward to Orange. Sounds juicy.) What.

If you are interested in hearing Cortini talk about his artistic process, experiences, and a bit about his Buchla system, have a listen to this talk he gave at Concordia Univeristy. I was in New Zealand at the time, and so pissed that the Electroacoustics guys brought someone so cool in, so soon after I graduated and left Montreal. Esti.

Can’t afford a Buchla 200e, but you’re curious for a software emulation? (Bearing in mind that the whole point of a hardware synth is to get your hands on, and your mouse put away.) Still, I’m saving my pennies for Aalto, a soft synth – inspired by the Buchla.

Foo Fighters in the Garage

Joel — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:53:20 +0000

The Foo Fighers have finished recording their next album, in Dave’s garage. I’m intrigued.

The most hilarious thing, is that they have an enormous live room with a top of the line recording studio (Studio 606). But they want what they can’t have… a garage.

Here is (I think) a track from the record.

And another.

I’ve been a big fan for a long time. (Wasn’t such a big fan of Wheels.) But certainly looking forward to hearing this album. The style, attitude and fuzzy sound remind me of the Foo Fighters self-titled album, which according to legend, Dave played every part on, and tracked the whole thing in a week. (Who knows for sure.)

Rawk!

King of Limbs and Radiohead in Rainbow Songs

Joel — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:08:47 +0000

UPDATE: You can go to The King of Limbs website, log in, and download your purchased album.

Monday of this week, Radiohead surprise announced the release of their next album The King of Limbs for digital download this coming Saturday. Apparently, download codes have already started being sent out to preorders a day early. I’m looking forward!

Look! It’s Thom Yorke! And he’s a tramp! (My acting professor will love this: anything Radiohead and existential clown.)

A couple weeks ago, in my music class, I was teaching the cabasa. And one of the examples of “where you may have heard a cabasa,” was in the Radiohead song Paranoid Android. People would chuck, I would move on. But after making this joke for a couple of days, the joke then evolved into, “We are now going to sing Paranoid Android.”

Then THAT joke evolved into me sitting down at the computer and kinda sorta learning out to hack out a recognizeable rip on the Paranoid Android intro (which is bloody unintuitive to my style of play) AND the much more recognizeable bass riff leading “You will remember.” And THAT got some laughs.

The following week, a dad said, “What Radiohead instrument are you showing this week?” Hmmm… a bit character from the video for “There There”? (At that point I was showing wooden frogs, a wood block/guiro hybrid.)

So I’m thinking that dad might dig it if I am able to throw in a song from King of Limbs on the CD player during Parachute time, tomorrow. I know this is riveting. I’ll report back.