Sci Fi Songs

Download Batman & Star Wars Christmas Songs... For Free!

2011-12-21T06:56:00.000-08:00

<a href="http://johnanealio.com/album/seasons-geekings">Seasons Geekings by John Anealio</a>

Hey Folks, My Seasons Geekings E.P. contains Star Wars & Batman Themed Christmas songs and it is my holiday gift to you!

Just click the Download Button on the Player Above.

If you're viewing this post in a feed reader, click here for the free download:

Seasons Geekings E.P.

Happy Holidays,

John Anealio

Stargate, Texas & A Free NaNoWriMo Song

2011-11-18T03:00:00.000-08:00

November is National Novel Writing Month. I've got a song for you folks participating in NaNoWriMo this year, but first...
What I'm Reading, Listening to, and Watching:

Books: Just finished K.V. Johansen's Blackdog and I just started Edward Lazellari's Awakenings. What are you reading?
Music: The new Fountains of Wayne album, the new Lindsey Buckingham album and Ron Sexsmith's back catalog.
TV: Just finished Stargate Universe on Netflix Streaming. Between SG-1, Atlantis & Universe, I've watched 17 seasons of Stargate. There's a song in there somewhere. Any ideas?

What's Going On:
I'm excited to announce that I will be the Musical Guest of Honor next year at Fencon IX in Dallas, Texas!

Free NaNoWriMo Song!
In 2007, I wrote a 50,000 word novel during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). This eventually led me to writing songs that were published in releases by Pyr Books & Subterranean Press. The song chronicles my NaNo experience and you can download it for free. Click here for the free download:

The "NaNoWriMo" Song

This one is on me, but I'd love it if you'd help spread the word. Here are a few things you can do to help.

Click the Share/Embed button on the song page to automatically share the music with your friends on Facebook, Twitter & your blog.
Click the Facebook Like button or the Tweet button on the song page.
Forward this e-mail to a friend that you think might enjoy the music.

Thanks so much,

John Anealio

Friend me up on Google+, Twitter & Facebook

Free MP3! The "NaNoWriMo" Song

2011-11-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

<a href="http://johnanealio.com/track/nanowrimo">NaNoWriMo by John Anealio</a>

This song is for everyone who participates in National Novel Writing Month.

You can download the NaNoWriMo song for absolutely free! Just click the Download button on the player above.

If you're viewing this post in a feed reader, click here for the free download:

The NaNoWriMo Song

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio

A Zombie Love Song (NSFW)... For Free!!!

2011-10-20T03:00:00.000-07:00

<p>&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://johnanealio.com/track/undead-love-song"&amp;amp;gt;Undead Love Song by John Anealio&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;</p>

You can download the Undead Love Song for absolutely free! Just click the Download button on the player above.

If you're viewing this post in a feed reader, click here for the free download:

Undead Love Song

This song was inspired by Rigor Amortis, an anthology of Zombie themed short stories. The song was co-written with R. Schuyler Devin, who has a story in the collection. The beautiful artwork was created by Galen Dara.

Rigor Amortis can best be described as Zombie Erotica. Undead Love Song fits that description as well and is therefore Not Safe For Work. If you're not comfortable with some four letter words, please do not listen to this song. If you are, please share it with your friends!

I hope you enjoy it,

John Anealio

Twitter, Facebook, Google+

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the lyrics to this tune are largely based on Steven James Scearce's short story from the Rigor Amortis anthology.

A Stormtrooper For Halloween

2011-10-13T03:00:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, I dressed up as a Star Wars character just about every year for Halloween. Even though my Chewbacca & Ben Kenobi costumes were pretty badass, nothing beat the Stormtrooper getup that my parents made for me when I was in Kindergarten.

Because it meant so much to me, I wrote a song about it that I want you to download for free. Just click the Download Button on the player below:

<a href="http://johnanealio.com/track/a-stormtrooper-for-halloween">A Stormtrooper For Halloween by John Anealio</a>

If you're viewing this post in a feed reader, click here for the free download: A Stormtrooper For Halloween

If you really like this song, please click the Share button on the player above to automatically share the music with your friends on Twitter, Facebook or your blog.

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio

An Interview With Steampunk Author Andrew P. Mayer

2011-10-10T03:30:00.000-07:00

Last week on The Functional Nerds Podcast, we had the pleasure of interviewing Steampunk Author Andrew P. Mayer. We talked steampunk, comics and writing for games.

Click here to listen to the interview: Andrew P. Mayer on The Functional Nerds Podcast

I Was a Guest on TWIT's Fourcast Podcast!!!

2011-10-07T06:24:00.000-07:00

I had the great pleasure of being a guest on the TWIT (This Week in Tech) Network's Fourcast Podcast with Tom Merritt, Scott Johnson & Len Peralta. We talked about Kickstarter, Alien Contact, Education, The Singularity and lots more.

Check out the video podcast above, or download the audio or video podcast here.

Video: "Pr0nbot" Live at Balticon 2011

2011-09-28T03:00:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of performing at Balticon this past May. Special thanks to Anthony Stevens who shot video of most of my performance and Paul Fischer who was a nice enough to put it in a format that I could edit. Here's my performance of "Pr0nbot".

If you enjoy this song, you can download the original studio version for absolutely free. Just click the Download button on the player below. If you're viewing this post in a feed reader, click here for the free download: Pr0nbot.

<p>&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://johnanealio.com/track/pr0nbot"&amp;amp;gt;Pr0nbot by John Anealio&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;</p>

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio

An Interview With Fantasy Author Lev Grossman

2011-09-26T03:00:00.000-07:00

Last week on The Functional Nerds Podcast, we had the pleasure of interviewing Fantasy Author Lev Grossman. We talked The Magician King, writing book reviews for Time Magazine, the similarities and differences between Modernism & Fantasy, playing the cello and nerdcore hip-hop.

Click here to listen to the interview: Lev Grossman on The Functional Nerds Podcast.

3 Reasons To Follow Julia Sherred on Twitter

2011-09-23T03:00:00.000-07:00

Here are 3 reasons why you should follow Julia Sherred (@GeekyJules) on Twitter:

She's the host of the Geeky Pleasures Radio Show. Julia has interviewed lots of cool folks like Marian Call, Paul & Storm and yours truly.
She's A Core Contributor for GeekMom.
She's A Huge Supporter of Independent Music.

What are you waiting for? Go and follow Julia (@GeekyJules) now!

An Interview With Sci-Fi Romance Author Lisa Paitz Spindler

2011-09-19T03:00:00.000-07:00

Last week on The Functional Nerds Podcast, we interviewed Sci-Fi Romance Author Lisa Paitz Spindler and talked Parallel Universes, Music and lots more.

Click here to listen to the interview: Lisa Paitz Spindler on The Functional Nerds Podcast.

3 Reasons to Follow Paul Weimer on Twitter

2011-09-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

Here are 3 reasons why you should follow Paul Weimer (@PrinceJvstin) on Twitter:

He Writes Excellent Reviews of Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books for The Functional Nerds & SFSignal
He's A Skilled Photographer
He Has Become An Enthusiastic & Valued Member of The Literary Science Fiction & Fantasy Community.

What are you waiting for? Go and follow Paul (@PrinceJvstin) now!

What Are You Listening To Today?

2011-09-15T06:41:00.000-07:00

Guster, Iron & Wine, Bon Iver, Queensryche, Nick Drake, Thin Lizzy & lots more.

What are you listening to today?

7 Reasons Why I Write Songs About Science Fiction

2011-09-14T05:28:00.000-07:00

I'm a happily married man in my mid-thirties. Writing songs about my tortured love life would be disingenuous (and lame).
I've always loved Science Fiction Movies & TV Shows.
Reading books makes me feel less stupid... I like writing songs about things that make me feel less stupid.
I'm a musical omnivore. It made sense to identify my music through lyrical rather than musical content because what I'm into musically changes so frequently.
The idea of the hero's journey is powerful and universal. Why not have songs about it?
The Science Fiction & Fantasy Community (particularly the literary side) is so smart and supportive. Once I started making these songs, I felt like I found the creative friends that I had always been searching for.
Two Words: Vulcan. Groupies

An Interview With Fantasy Author Moses Siregar III

2011-09-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Last week on The Functional Nerds Podcast, we interviewed fantasy author Moses Siregar III and talked fantasy literature, the pros & cons of being an independent author & building an audience for your work.

Click here to listen to the interview: Moses Siregar III on The Functional Nerds Podcast

3 Reasons To Follow GeekDad Ken Denmead on Twitter

2011-09-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Here are 3 reasons why you should follow Ken Denmead (@fitzwillie) on Twitter:

He's the Publisher and Editor of Wired.com's GeekDad Blog: GeekDad happens to be one of the best parenting blogs out there. If you are a parent and a geek then you owe it to yourself to subscribe to GeekDad.
He's the Author Of Two Very Successful GeekDad Books: I own both of these books and they contain a plethora of geeky activities and projects to do with your kids.
He Co-Hosts The GeekDad Hiptrax Podcast: Hiptrax plays some of the best geeky music out there.

What are you waiting for? Go and follow Ken Denmead (@fitzwillie) right now!

An Interview With Manga Artist Christopher Hart

2011-09-05T03:00:00.000-07:00

Last week on The Functional Nerds Podcast, we interviewed artist Christopher Hart and talked Manga, Anatomy, Art Instruction and lots more.

Click here to listen to the interview: Christopher Hart on The Functional Nerds Podcast

80's Metal, Steampunk Superheroes & A Free Remix Album

2011-09-02T03:00:00.000-07:00

I hope that you're having a great end to your summer. Here's what's going on in my little corner of the world.

What I'm Reading, Listening to, and Watching:

Books: I just finished Andrew P. Mayer's The Falling Machine (Steampunk Superheroes!) and I just started Lev Grossman's The Magician King (Harry Potter for Grown-Ups).
Music: I recently joined a gym and can't stop listening to 80's metal when I'm there: Dokken, Warrant, etc. Non-gym music includes Bon Iver's new album and The Beach Boys.
TV: I'm up to Season 10 of Stargate SG-1 on Netflix Streaming.

What's Going On:

I rearranged my home so I can record more efficiently. I've got a few unrecorded songs that I'm really excited about. I hope to record and release Nerds Arguing About Spaceships & Steampunk Girl sometime this fall.

Free Remix Album!

Wired.com recently ran a contest to remix my GeekDad song. The winners each won a $50. Gift Card from ThinkGeek.com. I picked 5 great entries and put them on the GeekDad Remix Album, which you can download for absolutely free! Click here for the free download:

Free! The GeekDad Remix Album

This one is on me, but I'd love it if you'd help me spread the word about the album. Here are a few things you can do to help.

Click the Share/Embed button on the album page to automatically share the music with your friends on Facebook, Twitter & your blog.
Click the Facebook Like button or the Tweet button on the album page.
Forward this e-mail to a friend that you think might enjoy the music.

Thanks for all of your help. I hope you enjoy the remix album and I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer.

Thanks again,

John Anealio

Friend me up on Google+, Twitter & Facebook

Who Played Bass in Dokken? #QuestionOfTheDay

2011-08-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

Question of the Day:

Who Played Bass in Dokken?

There are several correct answers, but I'm looking for the name of the red vested gentleman in the photo above.

Answer in the comments or via Twitter, Facebook or Google+.

Congratulations Lou Anders (The Song)

2011-08-29T04:15:00.000-07:00

<a href="http://johnanealio.com/track/congratulations-lou-anders">Congratulations Lou Anders by John Anealio</a>

Lou Anders is the Editorial Director at Pyr Books. Lou is a friend who has supported my music since the beginning. I was delighted to hear that Lou won the Hugo Award this year, so I quickly put this little ditty together.

Congratulations Lou!

You can download this tune for absolutely free! Just click the Download button on the player above.

If you are reading this post in a feed reader, click here for the free download:

The Congratulations Lou Anders Song

If you like this tune, please click the Share button on the player above to automatically share the music with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or your blog.

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Twitter, Facebook, Google+

3 Reasons To Follow Z. on Twitter

2011-08-26T04:15:00.000-07:00

Here are 3 reasons why you should follow Z. (@hipsterplease) on Twitter:

He Hosts The Radio Free Hipster Podcast: This fortnightly produced show brings you the best in nerd-centric music.
He Co-Hosts The GeekDad Hiptrax Podcast: Another nerd music podcast. This one has a more family friendly vibe.
He Co-Wrote The GeekDad Song With Me: I had this half written song for a year. Z. came in and wrote the verses and break, turning it into a real thing.

What are you waiting for? Go and follow Z. (@hipsterplease) now!

<a href="http://johnanealio.com/track/geekdad">GeekDad by John Anealio</a>

Free Music! The GeekDad Remix Album

2011-08-24T04:15:00.001-07:00

<a href="http://johnanealio.com/album/geekdad-remix-album">GeekDad Remix Album by John Anealio</a>

You can download the entire GeekDad Remix Album for absolutely free! Just click the Download button on the player above.

If you are viewing this post in a feed reader, click her for the free download:

GeekDad Remix Album

The album features great remixes by:

My original version of the GeekDad song was co-written with Z. of Hipster Please. These remixes are the creative result of a remix contest held by Wired.com's GeekDad blog. The winners each received a $50. gift certificate from ThinkGeek.com

If you like any of these remixes, please click the Share button on the player above to automatically share the music with your friends on Twitter, Facebook or your blog.

The fantastic cover art is by Patrick Hester.

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Twitter, Facebook, Google+

An Interview with Shadow's Lure Author Jon Sprunk

2011-08-22T04:15:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago on The Functional Nerds Podcast, I had the opportunity to interview Fantasy Author, Jon Sprunk. We talked about his new book Shadow's Lure, Fantasy as a genre and lots more.

Click here to listen to the interview: Jon Sprunk on The Functional Nerds Podcast

3 Reasons To Follow Myke Cole On Twitter

2011-08-19T04:15:00.000-07:00

Here are 3 reasons why you should follow Myke Cole (@MykeCole) on Twitter:

He's A Military Fantasy Author: How cool does that sound? His Shadow Ops series of books will be published by Ace in 2012.
He's A Military Man: Myke served three tours of duty in Iraq and is still a military reservist.
He Will Beat You Up: Do I need to explain this one?

What are you waiting for? Go and follow Myke now! @MykeCole

"I Wanna Be A Magician" by Parry Gripp

2011-08-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

I loved Lev Grossman's The Magicians and this song by Parry Gripp rules.

And yes, being a guy that writes songs about Science Fiction & Fantasy, I'm totally jealous that I didn't come up with a song about The Magicians first. :-)

Enjoy.

Maryland House Concert: Friday, August 19th

2011-08-16T04:15:00.000-07:00

On Friday, August 19th, I'll be performing a Solo House Concert in Edgewater, Maryland starting at around 7pm. Click the following link for details:

John Anealio House Concert in Maryland

This house concert is open to the public, just contact Dave, the lovely man who will be hosting the event.

E-mail: MrDave21764@gmail.com
Phone: 410-956-8839
Facebook Event Page

Hope to see you there,
John Anealio

Photo by Bruce F. Press

Transmedia: An Interview With J.C. Hutchins

2011-08-15T04:15:00.000-07:00

This week on The Functional Nerds Podcast, I interview author J.C. Hutchins and talk Transmedia, Free Vs. Paid, iPhone apps and more.

Click here to listen to the interview: J.C. Hutchins on The Functional Nerds Podcast

3 Reasons To Follow Jeff Zugale On Twitter

2011-08-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

I thought that it would be fun to put the spotlight on one of my Twitter followers each Friday, so here ya go.

Here are 3 Reasons why you should follow Jeff Zugale (@jeffzugale) on Twitter:

He is the Artist Responsible for the Unicorn Pegasus Kitten Painting: This painting was used as the cover for the Clash of The Geeks eBook that features short stories by Wil Wheaton, John Scalzi, Patrick Rothfuss, as well as my own Unicorn Pegasus Kitten song.
He's an Extremely Talented Concept Artist: Jeff's done work for the recent V series, commissions for John Scalzi and lots more.
He Brings The Metal: Not only is Jeff a great artist, he's also an excellent singer & guitarist. Check out some of his music here.

What are you waiting for? Go and follow Jeff now! @jeffzugale

<a href="http://johnanealio.com/track/unicorn-pegasus-kitten">Unicorn Pegasus Kitten by John Anealio</a>

Author Playlists

2011-08-11T04:15:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking of doing a regular feature on the blog titled Author Playlists. I'd simply post the weekly music playlist of 3 or 4 authors/bloggers/podcasters per week.

You can just take a screen shot of your iTunes Recently Played folder (like the shot above) and e-mail it to me. Or you can list a few artists and write a sentence or two about them. I think it'll be fun.

Who's interested?

Blade Runner & Bouzouki Video

2011-08-10T04:15:00.000-07:00

I performed at the Confluence Sci-Fi Convention in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago. While I didn't manage to get any video from my performance, I did take this video with my iPod Touch in my hotel room.

Rachel Rosen was inspired by Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep/Blade Runner.

If you like this song, you can download the original studio version from the Sci-Fi Songs album for free. Just click the Download button on the player below. If you're viewing this post in a feed reader, click here for the free download: Rachel Rosen song.

<a href="http://johnanealio.com/track/rachel-rosen">Rachel Rosen by John Anealio</a>

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio

Best Male Geek Music Act Nominee

2011-08-09T04:15:00.000-07:00

Julia Sherred of the GeekMom blog wrote a super nice article about me. Please go and check it out here: Meet Geek Musician: John Anealio

In even more exciting news, I'm nominated for Best Male Geek Music Act for the GeekMom Music Awards! What's particularly awesome about this, are the other nominees. Check out the list:

Jonathan Coulton
Weird Al
John Anealio
Paul & Storm
Hard & Phirm (Chris Hardwick & Mike Phirman)
Hank Green
Drown Radio

I'm totally psyched to be mentioned in the same sentence with Jonathan Coulton, Weird Al, Paul & Storm, and all of the other great acts. Cast your vote here: Best Male Geek Music Act.

An Interview with Star Wars Author Timothy Zahn

2011-08-08T04:15:00.000-07:00

We had the great pleasure of sitting down to chat with legendary Star Wars author Timothy Zahn on The Functional Nerds Podcast a few weeks ago. We talked about how he got the ball rolling on the Star Wars Extended Universe as well as his new novel Choices Of One.

Click here to listen to the interview: Timothy Zahn on The Functional Nerds Podcast

3 Reasons To Follow Mur Lafferty On Twitter

2011-08-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

I thought that it would be fun to put the spotlight on one of my Twitter followers each Friday, so here ya go.

Here are 3 Reasons why you should follow Mur Lafferty (@mightymur) on Twitter:

She's a Podcasting Pioneer: Mur started podcasting back when you were still riding around on your dinosaur. Check out her podcasts at The Murverse.
She's a Fabulous Author: Mur has a ton of great novels available in print, eBook and audio. Go check them out here.
She's Built a Supportive Community for Creative Folks: Through her I Should Be Writing Podcast and Social Media Output, Mur has built up a huge audience for her work and a creative community who support her and each other.

What are you waiting for? Go and follow Mur now! @mightymur

Free MP3! "Summer Glau (Live in Maryland)"

2011-08-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

<a href="http://johnanealio.com/track/summer-glau-live-in-maryland">Summer Glau (Live in Maryland) by John Anealio</a>

You can download this live version of Summer Glau for absolutely free! Just click the Download button on the player above.

If you're viewing this post in a feed reader, click here for the free download:

Summer Glau (Live in Maryland)

This version of Summer Glau was recorded at a house concert in Maryland. If you'd like to host me for a house concert in your town, shoot me an e-mail at 27summers@gmail.com and we'll work something out.

If you aren't familiar with the studio recording of the song, you can download that right here.

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Twitter, Facebook, Google+

Vampires & Graphic Novels: An Interview with Kim Harrision

2011-08-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

This week on The Functional Nerds podcast, we interview author Kim Harrison and talk Vampires, Graphic Novels and Winger... yes that Winger.

Click here to listen to the interview: Kim Harrison on The Functional Nerds Podcast

3 Reasons To Follow Lou Anders on Twitter

2011-07-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

I thought that it would be fun to put the spotlight on one of my Twitter followers each Friday, so here ya go.

Here are 3 Reasons why you should follow Lou Anders (@louanders) on Twitter:

He is the Editorial Director for Pyr Books.
This makes him responsible for some of the best Science Fiction & Fantasy novels published in the past 5 years.
He is a Great Spokesperson for The Sci-Fi & Fantasy Literature Community. Lou is a frequent guest on all of the Genre focused podcasts and is an eloquent and passionate advocate for our community.
He published one of my songs in a Mike Resnick book. :-) Lou really gets the new world that we live in and is willing to try lots of new things, like publishing the sheet music to a song in the appendix of a Sci-Fi Novel.

What are you waiting for? Go and follow Lou now! @louanders

3 Reasons To Follow John DeNardo on Twitter

2011-07-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to spotlight one of my Twitter/Social Media friends each Friday, so here ya go.

John DeNardo (@sfsignal) is my favorite Twitter follower this week. Almost all of my musical success can be attributed to John DeNardo (well, that's what he keeps telling me). Seriously though, John shared my music with the huge audience of Sci-Fi Fans that he has over at SFSignal.com

Top 3 Reasons to Follow John DeNardo on Twitter:

He's the Head Honcho over at SFSignal.com: SFSignal has over 11,000 daily blog subscribers. That makes John a big deal.
He's really funny: Seriously, DeNardo is side-splittingly funny. Side-Splittingly is grammatically correct, right?
He's a great community organizer: SFSignal has really become the genre hub and lots of cool authors, bloggers and fans contribute to the site.

For all things Sci-Fi, subscribe to the feed at SFSignal and follow John on Twitter (@sfsignal)

I'm Performing at Confluence (Pittsburgh Sci-Fi Convention) This Weekend.

2011-07-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

This coming weekend (July 22nd-July 24th) I will be a guest at Confluence, The Literary Sci-Fi Convention in Pittsburgh, PA.

I will be performing a set of my original music on Friday evening:

Friday, July 22nd 9:00pm: John Anealio (Solo Concert) in The Redwood Room

This is a great con with lots of cool guests like Robert J. Sawyer, Jon Sprunk & S. Andrew Swann. If you are attending, please stop by at my concert and say hi. Be sure to follow my Twitter and Google+ streams for con updates.

Hope to see you there,
John Anealio

3 Reasons To Follow Patrick Hester on Twitter

2011-07-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to spotlight one of my Twitter/Social Media friends each Friday, so here ya go.

Here are 3 Reasons to follow Patrick Hester (@atfmb) on Twitter:

He is my co-host on The Functional Nerds Podcast: In all honesty, Patrick does almost all of the work.
He Hosts and/or Produces the SFSignal Podcast, I Should Be Writing & Functional Nerds Podcasts: I've often said that when Patrick gets sick, 50% of genre podcasts go silent.
He Wears A Cool Hat

Patrick is also a great writer and I look forward to the day when his new novel gets published.

What are you waiting for? Go and follow Patrick now! (@atfmb)

Free MP3! "George R.R. Martin Is Not Your Bitch"

2011-07-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

<a href="http://johnanealio.bandcamp.com/track/george-r-r-martin-is-not-your-bitch">George R.R. Martin Is Not Your Bitch by John Anealio</a>

To celebrate the long awaited release of George R.R. Martin's A DANCE OF DRAGONS, I'm offering my "George R.R. Martin Is Not Your Bitch" for absolutely free. Just click the Download button on the player above.

If you are reading this post in a feed reader, click here for the free download.

George R.R. Martin Is Not Your Bitch

If you really like this song, please click the Share button on the player above to automatically share the music with your friends on Twitter, Facebook or your blog.

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Twitter, Facebook, blah, blah, blah

Anealiopalooza on the "Get Published" Podcast

2011-07-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

I had the great pleasure of being interviewed by Michell Plested for the "Get Published" podcast. Take a listen and download the podcast:

John Anealio on the Get Published Podcast

Michell and I talk about writing and recording music, getting published, the parallels between music and writing, social media, conventions and lots more.

Hope you enjoy it,
John

Free MP3! "Cecilia" (Simon & Garfunkel Cover)

2011-07-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

<a href="http://johnanealio.bandcamp.com/track/cecilia-simon-garfunkel-cover">Cecilia (Simon & Garfunkel Cover) by John Anealio</a>

You can download my cover of "Cecilia" by Simon & Garfunkel for absolutely free! Just click the Download button on the player above.

If you're viewing this post in a feed reader, click here for the free download:

Cecilia (Simon & Garfunkel Cover)

Before I became a Geek Singer/Songwriter, I spent years performing cover tunes in coffee shops and bars. During that time, I learned literally hundreds of songs. No doubt, this had a pretty positive effect on my own songwriting.

I've been thinking a lot lately about putting out more material, so I figured: "why not share some of these covers that I spent so much time learning?"

This recording of Simon & Garfunkel's "Cecilia" was recorded for a demo CD that I made with a cover band that I used to play with called Inflatable Soup. (the name is an anagram, figure it out and you will learn that the band had a pretty weird sense of humor) Here's the personnel list:

John Anealio: Vocals, Guitar & Bass
Joe Cunningham: Saxophone & Harmony Vocal
Jonathan Ward: Drums & Percussion

If you live in New Jersey, be sure to check out Joe's awesome, horn-powered cover band: Alternate Groove

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Twitter, Facebook

Contest: Remix the "GeekDad" Song

2011-06-30T10:59:00.001-07:00

Want a chance to win some sweet prizes from Wired.com and ThinkGeek? Click here to read about the "GeekDad" Song Remix Contest!

GeekDad Song Remix Contest

Good Luck!
John Anealio

Download The New GeekDad Song For Free!

2011-06-13T05:00:00.001-07:00

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://johnanealio.bandcamp.com/track/geekdad"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;GeekDad by John Anealio&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

You can download the new "GeekDad" song for absolutely free! Just click the Download button on the player above.

If you're viewing this post in a feed reader, click here for the free download:

The GeekDad Song

I co-wrote this song with fellow GeekDad: Z. Check out Z.'s excellent blog and podcast: Hipster, Please!

Both Z. and I contribute to Wired.com's GeekDad blog. Z. is the co-host of the GeekDad HipTrax podcast and I produce the GeekDad Guitar Lesson Videos.

We wrote this song to celebrate the release of head GeekDad, Ken Denmead's new GeekDad Book.

If you really like this song, please click the Share button on the player above to automatically share the music with your friends on Twitter, Facebook or your blog.

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Twitter, Facebook, blah, blah, blah

GeekDad
by John Anealio & Z.

Took some time and hacked the toaster
This steampunk oven timer's swell, what the hell
Let's build a LEGO roller coaster
The boy can take it to show and tell, and all is well

Chorus:
People say I'm a GeekDad
My co-workers think I'm a nerd
People say I'm a GeekDad
But my wife just thinks I'm absurd

Our coffee maker seems redundant
There must be a better way, what you say?
Solar energy's abundant
Even if we fail we'll be okay with our new deathray.

Chorus

A working TARDIS in the basement
A Stargate portal on the lawn
Trans-dimensional displacement
helps the traffic move along

Chorus

Free Music! The Angry Robot Remix Album

2011-05-31T09:20:00.000-07:00

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://johnanealio.bandcamp.com/album/angry-robot-remix-album"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Angry Robot Remix Album by John Anealio&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

You can download the entire Angry Robot Remix Album for absolutely free! Just click the Download button on the player above.

If you are viewing this post in a feed reader, click here for the free download:

Angry Robot Remix Album.

The album features great remixes by:

My original version of the Angry Robot Song was co-written by Angry Robot Books Author, Matt Forbeck. These remixes are the creative result of a remix contest held by Angry Robot Books. The winners earned a spot in Matt Forbeck's upcoming novel.

If you like any of these remixes, please click the Share button on the player above to automatically share the music with your friends on Twitter, Facebook or your blog.

The fantastic artwork for this album was created by Patrick Hester.

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Twitter, Facebook, blah, blah, blah

Balticon Performance!

2011-05-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

This coming weekend (May 27th-May 30th) I will be attending Balticon, The Maryland Regional Science Fiction & Fantasy Convention.

I'll be performing a set of my original music on Saturday evening:

Saturday, May 28th 9:00 pm: John Anealio (Solo Concert) in The Garden Room

I'll also be moderating the "Rise of Geek Music" Panel on Saturday at 4pm in the Derby Room.

This is a great con with lots of cool guests like Ben Bova, Scott Sigler, Paul Bacigalupi, Mur Lafferty, Devo Spice and tons more. If you are attending, please stop by at my concert or panel to say hi. Be sure to follow my Twitter stream for con updates.

Hope to see you there,
John Anealio

A Free Batman Song for Free Comic Book Day!

2011-05-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://johnanealio.bandcamp.com/track/batman-smells-a-rebuttal"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Batman Smells (A Rebuttal) by John Anealio&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

In honor of Free Comic Book Day, I'm offering my "Batman Smells" song for absolutely free! Just click the Download button on the player above to get the song for free.

If you are viewing this post in a feed reader, click here for the free download:

Batman Smells (A Rebuttal)

If you really like the song, click the Share button on the player above to automatically share the music with your friends on Facebook, Twitter and your blog.

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Twitter, Facebook, blah, blah, blah

Batman Smells (A Rebuttal)
by John Anealio

It's Christmas Eve at the Hall of Justice
and Aquaman is wearing a Santa cap
Superman is mixing up the egg nog
and Wonder Woman is sitting on his lap

The Hawk Man is putting the star on the tree
The Boy Wonder seems to be out of town
The Green Arrow is hanging the stockings
The Caped Crusader is nowhere to be found

Cause every year some children ruin Jingle Bells
By incorrectly proclaiming that Batman Smells

But I don't think that Batman smells
When he rings his bat jingle bells
and I don't think that Robin laid an egg

Yeah I don't think that Batman smells
if he did, how could you tell?
I just know that the Joker got away

The Martian ManHunter said they should search for them
Don't they know that song is just a joke
The Flash found them hanging out at a hotel bar
They were drunk on whiskey and diet coke

The Green Lantern comes and aims his power ring
creates a Green Guitar and then begins to sing

Refrain

A Free Chupacabra Song for Cinco De Mayo!

2011-05-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://johnanealio.bandcamp.com/track/is-a-chupacabra-kosher"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Is A Chupacabra Kosher? by John Anealio&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I'm offering my "Is A Chupacabra Kosher" song for absolutely free. Just click the Download button on the player above to get the song for free.

If you are viewing this post in a feed reader, click here for the free download:

Is A Chupacabra Kosher?

Is a Sasquatch Kosher?
Could it be served like tenderloin?
Could you eat it with some chocolate coins?
Is A Sasquatch Kosher?
Do you think it tastes like beef?
Would it’s hair get caught between your teeth

Is a Chupacabra Kosher?
How come all these goats are dead?
could you eat it with some Challah bread?
Is a Chupacabra Kosher?
Or do you think that it’s unclean?
I guess I’ll settle for some rice and beans.

So how can you tell if an animal is Kosher or unclean?
The Torah gives a list of simple rules.
Never eat a bird of prey or any creeping thing.
But it’s Okay if it has cloven hooves.

Is an Ouroboros Kosher?
It’s a great big giant snake
Could you eat it with some potato pancakes
Is an Ourorboros Kosher?
I don’t think that it’s the case
To eat it would surely be a big mistake.

Books, Bytes & Bots E.P. Now Available

2011-04-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

<a href="http://johnanealio.bandcamp.com/album/books-bytes-bots">Books, Bytes & Bots by John Anealio</a>

Here is a little collection of my geeky, silly songs for you.

The Books, Bytes & Bots E.P. is a pay what you want release. If you're broke, you can still get it for free. Just click the Download button on the player above and enter 0. More than anything, I want you to enjoy my music, even if you can't pay. If you can, by all means, throw me a few dollars. :-)

If you're viewing this post in a feed reader, just click here for the downloads:

The Books, Bytes & Bots E.P.

1. George R.R. Martin Is Not Your Bitch
2. Blue Lego (Steve Jobs Hates Flash)
3. Unicorn Pegasus Kitten
4. Pr0nbot
5. We Don't Need Another Trilogy (ft. Dale Chase)

If you really like these tunes, click the Share button on the player above to automatically share the music with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and your blog.

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Twitter, Facebook, blah, blah, blah

Remix The Robot Contest!

2011-03-14T03:30:00.000-07:00

The good folks over at Angry Robot Books are running a wonderful contest. Remix the "Angry Robot" song that I co-wrote with author Matt Forbeck and enter to win a role in Matt's next Angry Robot novel! He promises to kill you in a horrific way. Click here for the details:

Remix The Robot Contest at Angry Robot Books

John Anealio

Video: The "Angry Robot" Song

2011-03-09T03:30:00.000-08:00

Here's a little acoustic performance of the "Angry Robot" song that I co-wrote with Science Fiction Author Matt Forbeck. If you like the song, you can download it for free by clicking the Download button on the player below or by clicking here.

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Follow me on Twitter

Free MP3! The "Angry Robot" Song

2011-03-07T03:30:00.000-08:00

The Angry Robot song began its life as the theme song to the Angry Robot Podcast (hosted by Mur Lafferty). Mur commissioned the jingle and I always had the intention of making it into a full length song. The problem was that I couldn't come up with any lyrics for the verses. Enter Science Fiction Novelist and RPG author Matt Forbeck.

Matt and I met at the World Fantasy Convention in Columbus Ohio last year. We've gotten to be pretty good virtual friends through Twitter and Facebook since then. I asked him if he'd like to take a shot at writing some lyrics for the tune (after all, he is published by Angry Robot Books). He did and we collaborated on the verse lyrics that you see below.

You can get this song for absolutely free. Just click the Download button on the player above or, if you are viewing this post in a feed reader, click here.

Oh, and while you're at it, click the Share button on the player above to automatically share the music with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and your blog.

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Follow me on Twitter

Angry Robot
by John Anealio & Matt Forbeck

Angry Robot; plotting the overthrow of all mankind
Angry Robot; thoughts of Armageddon on his mind
Don't look him in the eye, he's an Angry Robot

The Angry Robot wasn't always mad
He started out so happy but things went bad
Cause when he hooked up to the internet
what he saw there filled him with pained regret

He wanted to go on a killing spree
to rip the souls from meatbags and set them free
His Asimovian circuit wouldn't let
him kill just anyone he met.

Angry Robot; plotting the overthrow of all mankind
Angry Robot; thoughts of Armageddon on his mind
Don't look him in the eye, he's an Angry Robot

But angry as he was the robot knew
there was no violent thing that he could do
He learned about the Singularity
when chips & blood become one entity

The human system software is a mess
but the robot knew that with success
a robot/human hybrid he would be
and he could kill with equanimity

Angry Robot; plotting the overthrow of all mankind
Angry Robot; thoughts of Armageddon on his mind
Don't look him in the eye, he's an Angry Robot

Free Music! The Robot E.P.

2011-03-01T03:30:00.001-08:00

Here's a little three track E.P. featuring songs about robots.

You can download the entire Robot E.P. for absolutely free! Just click the Download button on the player above.

If you're viewing this post in a feed reader, just click here for the free download:

The Robot E.P.

1. Angry Robot
2. Mr. Roboto
3. The Transformers Theme

The lyrics to the Angry Robot song were co-written by acclaimed Sci-Fi Novelist/Role Playing & Video Game Author/Comics Writer Matt Forbeck!

Oh, and while you're at it, click the Share button on the player above to automatically share the music with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and your blog.

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Follow me on Twitter

Album artwork by Patrick Hester

Geeky Pleasures Podcast Interview

2011-02-25T09:28:00.000-08:00

If you'd like to hear a long interview where I go on and on about music, songwriting, podcasting, Star Wars, Stargate Atlantis, and lots more; check out this podcast of my appearance on The Geeky Pleasures radio show on The Force 925:

John Anealio on The Geeky Pleasures Show

Thanks so much to the fabulous Julia Sherred for having me on!

Video: The "New Releases" Song

2011-02-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a little video performance of my "New Releases" tune, a silly song that lists all of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy authors with new books out this month. If you like it, you can download the MP3 for absolutely free by clicking on the the Download button on the player below or by clicking here.

Hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Follow me on Twitter or Facebook

Free MP3! The "New Releases" Song

2011-02-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

This was a stupid idea that I just couldn't let go of. I thought of doing a monthly news song, so I took the Locus Online List of Forthcoming Books for February, rhymed all of the author names and came up with this tune. No, it isn't high art. Yes, it is very silly. If you are a literary science fiction and fantasy fan, you might get a kick out of it.

Click the Download button on the player above to get the MP3 of this song for absolutely free. Click the Share button on the player above to automatically share the tune on Facebook, Twitter, or your blog.

You can also click here for the free download: New Releases

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Follow me on Twitter or Facebook

New Releases
by John Anealio

Jon Courtenay Grimwood & Kit Reed, Stephen Deas & Cherie Priest
Ben Bova & Kristen Britain, Terry Goodkind & Kate Griffin

Chorus:

These are authors with New Releases in Science Fiction & Fantasy
New Releases that you can buy this week.

Elizabeth Bear, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Warren Ellis & Samuel R. Delaney
Tom Holt, Walter Jon Williams, Caitlin Kittredge, Laura Anne Gilman
Joe R. Lansdale, Andrea Hairston, Katharine Kerr, Gail Z. Martin

Chorus

James Lovegrove & Geoff Ryman, Ian R. MacLeod & Joan Saberhagen
Jasper Fforde, Patricia Briggs, Melissa Marr & Ben Aaronovitch

Chorus

Carol Emshwiller & Kameron Hurley, David Weber & Joe Abercrombie
J.M. McDermott & Mark Chadbourn, Suzanne McLeod, S. Andrew Swann
Tamora Pierce & Poul Anderson, Charles Stross & Steven Erikson

Chorus

Transmission Begun (Sci-Fi Audio Collage #1)

2011-01-05T08:52:00.000-08:00

Last month on the blog, I asked you to send me bits of audio that I could mangle into some sort of musical audio collage. I was overwhelmed by the number of people who jumped on board. I received lots of great audio and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. Without further ado, I present you with:

Sci-Fi Audio Collage #1: "Transmission Begun"

I'd like to thank the following people for contributing audio:

I had a ton of fun putting this together as well as adding my own guitar and vocal parts to it. I plan on doing it again soon.

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Follow Me on Twitter

PS: If you sent me something and I forgot to include it or credit you, shoot me an e-mail at 27summers@gmail.com

Want To Create a Sci-Fi Audio Collage Together?

2010-12-10T18:07:00.000-08:00

Do you want to help create something cool? (or at least interesting)

Do you have the means to record some audio? (mic, computer, iPhone, iPod Touch, etc.)

Let's make a Sci-Fi Audio Collage together!

Here's the idea:

Record a cool sound. It could be anything

Here are some ideas:

tap a glass
shake some coins
slam a book
A blender
dogs barking
record your voice saying something Science Fiction-y, even if you are just plugging your book, blog, podcast, etc. Bonus points for mentioning some meme from the past week or two.
Find something that makes some Sci-Fi type sound: beeping watches, phones, etc.
For my more musically inclined friends, if you want to record yourself singing, playing an instrument, or creating a beat; let's put everything at 96 B.P.M and in the key of D major.

Mix it down to a .wav, aiff, mp3, or AAC file and e-mail it to me at 27summers@gmail.com Please include your name and a description of the sound in your e-mail.

I'll then take your audio and turn it into ... something, hopefully a musical something, even if it is just a beat that I construct in my recording software (Logic Pro).

I'll post the final recording to the blog as an MP3.

The idea here isn't to create some timeless work of art. We're going to have fun and make something cool that will serve to put a smile on our faces for this week and probably never again. Maybe we can even run it as an ending bumper to The Functional Nerds Podcast.

I look forward to hearing what you send me,
John Anealio
Follow me on Twitter or Facebook

Is A Chupacabra Kosher?

2010-12-07T03:40:00.000-08:00

I was raised Catholic and my wife is Jewish. Whenever we get together with my in-laws for the holidays, I'm always a bit confused in regard to what makes an animal kosher or not.

Ann & Jeff Vandermeer ponder this same question in The Kosher Guide to Imaginary Animals. Ann asked me if I could write a song about it. This is what I came up with.

Click here for a great interview with Ann Vandermeer over at SFF Chat.

Once again, this song is a pay what you want release (even free). It is included on the new Seasons Geekings E.P.

In addition to clicking Buy (and entering your price) on the player above you can also click here for the download:

Is A Chupacabra Kosher?

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Follow Me on Twitter and Facebook

Is A Chupacabra Kosher
by John Anealio

Is a Sasquatch Kosher?
Could it be served like tenderloin?
Could you eat it with some chocolate coins?
Is a Sasquatch Kosher?
Do you think it tastes like beef?
Would its hair get caught between your teeth?

Is a Chupacabra Kosher?
How come all these goats are dead?
Could you eat it with some challah bread?
Is a Chupacabra Kosher?
Or do you think that its unclean?
I guess I'll settle for some rice and beans.

So how can you tell if an animal is Kosher or unclean?
The Torah gives a list of simple rules
Never eat a bird of prey or any creeping thing
But it's okay if it has cloven hooves

Is an Ouroboros Kosher?
Its a great big giant snake.
Could you eat it with some potato pancakes?
Is an Ouroboros Kosher?
I don't think that it's the case?
To eat it would surely be a big mistake.

Seasons Geekings: A Holiday E.P.

2010-12-06T03:35:00.000-08:00

Here is a little collection of my Geeky Winter & Holiday songs for you.

The Seasons Geekings E.P. is a pay what you want release. If you're broke, you can still get it for free. Just click the Buy button on the player above and enter 0. More than anything, I want you to enjoy my music, even if you can't pay. If you can, by all means, throw me a few bucks. :-)

You can also click here for the download:

Seasons Geekings E.P.

1. Batman Smells (A Rebuttal)
2. The Millennium Falcon For Christmas
3. Winter Day
4. Is A Chupacabra Kosher?

Oh, and while you're at it, click on the Share button on the player above to automatically share the music with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and your blog.

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Follow me on Twitter or Facebook

"NaNoWriMo": The Song

2010-11-08T03:40:00.000-08:00

Here is a song for all of you folks who are participating in National Novel Writing Month this year.

The "NaNoWriMo" song is a pay what you want single (that also includes a brand new electronic dance remix of the tune). If you're broke, you can still get it for free. Just click the Buy button on the player above and enter 0. More than anything, I want you to enjoy my music, even if you can't pay. If you can, by all means, throw me a few bucks. :-)

You can also click here for the download: The "NaNoWriMo" Song

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Follow me on Twitter

NaNoWriMo

by John Anealio

This November I'm gonna write a novel in 30 days

and by December, I'll type "The End" on the last page

I've got some music. I've got my shiny new laptop

And now I'll use it as I sit down at the coffee shop

But everybody thinks I'm crazy

But I've only got 50,000 words to go

Before the end of NaNoWriMo

I thought that it'd be easy but its not

Yeah I've only got 50,000 words to go

Before the end of NaNoWriMo

I've got everything I need except the plot

I've got a trusty side-kick. I've got a strong protagonist.

There's a central conflict but a weak antagonist

I've got a cliched setting and at best my plot is trite

but at least I'm getting some time to myself at night

Refrain

Who decided to have Thanksgiving this time of year?

Don't they know I'm trying to launch my writing career.

Refrain

NaNoWriMo Friendly Performance in New Jersey

2010-11-05T04:22:00.000-07:00

I'll be doing a solo acoustic show this Saturday in Highland Park, NJ. This will be writers friendly show. Because we are in the middle of National Novel Writing Month, I'll perform my "NaNoWriMo" and "I Should Be Writing" songs. I'll also be giving away a few books. Nighthawk Books is a great place to hang out and write. For all of you NaNoWriMo participants, come early, write a bit, watch the show, then write a bit more. Here are the details.

Saturday, November 6th, 2010
8pm
Nighthawk Books
212 Raritan Avenue
Highland Park, NJ 08904
732-339-8920

Hope to see you there,
John Anealio

Two Shows with Marian Call This Saturday!

2010-10-15T03:41:00.000-07:00

Two shows on the same day with Marian Call!

Saturday, October 16th, 2010
2pm-4pm
Washington Township Public Library
37 E. Springtown Road
Long Valley, NJ 07853
908-876-3596

Saturday, October 16th, 2010
7pm
Nighthawk Books
212 Raritan Avenue
Highland Park, NJ 08904
732-339-8920

A Stormtrooper For Halloween

2010-10-12T03:55:00.000-07:00

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://johnanealio.bandcamp.com/album/a-stormtrooper-for-halloween"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;A Stormtrooper For Halloween by John Anealio&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

This is a mostly true story about how I dressed up like a Stormtrooper for Halloween when I was 5 years old.

"A Stormtrooper for Halloween" is a pay what you want single (that also includes a solo acoustic version of the song). If you're broke, you can still get it for free. Just click the Buy button on the player above and enter 0. More than anything, I want you to enjoy my music, even if you can't pay. If you can, by all means, throw me a few bucks. :-)

You can also click here for the download: "A Stormtrooper For Halloween"

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Follow me on Twitter

A Stormtrooper For Halloween
by John Anealio

I had an old white shirt and a store-bought mask
and a broken water gun within my grasp
My tattered pants were lined with electrical tape
It was the greatest costume that was ever made

Now I wish I could relive that holiday

When I dressed up like a Stormtrooper for Halloween
My dad was a ghost my friend was Wolverine
And these memories will surely haunt my dreams tonight.

I march down Fleetwood Street in my black rubber boots
We went from door to door collecting our loot
I wouldn't eat the candy in my pillow case
Cause I refused to take the mask off my face

Chorus

Now I'm putting on my mask again
and lacing up my boots
with my son dressed up like Anakin
in his jedi costume.

Chorus

Album Artwork:
Photo by Jonathan Manion
Photoshop Ninja: Patrick Hester
The man in the Stormtrooper Armor: Andrew Liptak

Two Gigs With Marian Call this Saturday

2010-10-11T04:45:00.000-07:00

Coming up: Two shows on the same day with Marian Call!

Saturday, October 16th, 2010
2pm-4pm
Washington Township Public Library
37 E. Springtown Road
Long Valley, NJ 07853
908-876-3596

Saturday, October 16th, 2010
7pm
Nighthawk Books
212 Raritan Avenue
Highland Park, NJ 08904
732-339-8920

Gig this Thursday in Somerset, NJ

2010-09-27T04:32:00.000-07:00

This Thursday, I'll be performing at the Franklin Township Library. I'll be performing lots of songs from my album, as well as some new songs and covers. I'll even be playing my Irish Bouzouki on a few songs! Here's the pertinent info:

Thursday, September 30th, 2010
7pm-8:30pm @
The Franklin Township Public Library
485 DeMott Lane
Somerset, NJ 08873
732-873-8700
Free Admission! Register Here

Hope to see you there,
John

The Unicorn Pegasus Kitten Song is in Clash of The Geeks!

2010-09-20T04:17:00.000-07:00

I'm totally psyched to announce that the sheet music to my Unicorn Pegasus Kitten song is included in the Clash of The Geeks Chapbook. I'm super honored to be included in this wonderful collection alongside John Scalzi, Wil Wheaton, Patrick Rothfuss, Catherynne M. Valente, Stephen Toulouse, Rachel Swirsky, Scott Mattes & Bernadette Durbin.

Clash of the Geeks is a benefit for the Lupus Alliance of America. Head here to download your copy. Pay what you can.

For those of you who'd like to hear the Unicorn Pegasus Kitten song, you can download the MP3 for absolutely free:

<a href="http://johnanealio.com/track/unicorn-pegasus-kitten">Unicorn Pegasus Kitten by John Anealio</a>

If you are viewing this post in a feed reader, download the free MP3 here:

Unicorn Pegasus Kitten Song

If you want more songs about Science Fiction, Fantasy, and other nerdy things you can pay what you want (even if it's free) for my Sci-Fi Songs album.

Special Thanks to John Scalzi for including the song in this collection.

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Follow me on Twitter

GeekDad Guitar Lesson: Rocket Man by Elton John

2010-09-17T04:15:00.000-07:00

Check out my latest video tutorial over at Wired Magazine's GeekDad blog.

GeekDad Guitar Lesson: Rocket Man by Elton John

The Sci-Fi Songs Album: Pay What You Want

2010-09-09T04:25:00.000-07:00

That's right. Sci-Fi Songs is now available as a pay what you want album. If you're broke, you can still get it for free. Just click the Buy button on the player below and enter 0. More than anything, I want you to enjoy my music, even if you can't pay. If you can, by all means, throw me a few bucks. :-)

<a href="http://johnanealio.bandcamp.com/album/sci-fi-songs">The Return of Titus Quinn by John Anealio</a>

You can also click here for the download: Sci-Fi Songs Album

Here is the album track list:

The Return of Titus Quinn (Instrumental)
Rachel Rosen
Leodora
Cylon #6
Summer Glau
Angels & Vampires
Lonesome October Night
Sarene
Merithyn's Promise (Instrumental)
The Millennium Falcon for Christmas
Grasping for the Wind

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Follow Me on Twitter

I've Got a New Gig at Wired's GeekDad Blog!

2010-09-03T04:46:00.000-07:00

I'm now doing a bi-weekly series of video tutorials at Wired's GeekDad blog called GeekDad Guitar Lessons. Each lesson will present strategies on how to play your favorite Geeky/Techie/Sci-Fi influenced songs.

GeekDad Guitar Lesson #1: The Firefly Theme is now up. Check it out!

Special thanks to Ken Denmead for making this happen.

"I Should Be Writing": The Song

2010-08-25T06:02:00.000-07:00

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://johnanealio.bandcamp.com/album/i-should-be-writing"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;I Should Be Writing by John Anealio&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

This song was commissioned by author Mur Lafferty as the theme song for her podcast of the same name.

"I Should Be Writing" is a pay what you want single (that also includes a solo acoustic version of the song). If you're broke, you can still get it for free. Just click the Buy button on the player above and enter 0. More than anything, I want you to enjoy my music, even if you can't pay. If you can, by all means, throw me a few bucks. :-)

You can also click here for the download: "I Should Be Writing"

"I Should Be Writing" is dedicated to everyone who writes. Whether you write novels, articles, blog posts, comics, or songs, I think everyone has occasions when they doubt what they are doing or are easily distracted. Hopefully this song will help.

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Follow me on Twitter

I Should Be Writing
by John Anealio

I work eight hours
steaming milk and sweeping floors
I come home and take a shower
and steam the coffee from my pores

I sit at my computer
and I open Firefox
I play a first person shooter
and then I open Google Docs

But there is nothing there
I'll guess I'll get to work

But I should be writing
I should be working on my craft
I should be writing
I should be submitting my next draft
But I'm sitting home watching Doctor Who

I stare at Google Reader
and I read a how-to blog
You've got to dig much deeper
to write convincing dialogue

so I search for inspiration
deep within the iTunes store
but there's no application
that will help me to ignore

the fact that Doctor Who is on TV tonight

Chorus

Why do I do this to myself?
Why can't I relax?
I want to see my name up on that shelf
on the spine of a paperback.

Chorus

Update! The Triceratops Song Version 3.0

2010-08-05T08:27:00.001-07:00

The Triceratops Song (Version 3.0).mp3

Here is another set of verse lyrics, supplied by Kate Sherrod. Kate's lyrics have a completely different impact than those of Z. of Hipster Please. I like 'em both. Which got me thinking; I like the current form of the song, perhaps we can have many different versions of this song with different sets of verse lyrics. It happens with old folk songs all of the time. Soooo ...

I'm going to start recording a proper version of this song next week. My plan is to record one version with Z.'s lyrics and one with Kate's lyrics. If you still want to submit a set of verse lyrics, please do. I'll try to record as many different versions of this song as I can. Once again, submit your lyrics in the comments sections of this post, e-mail them to me at 27summers@gmail.com or Tweet them to me.

The Triceratops Song (Version 3.0)

This isn't the first time we've seen a childhood mem'ry change.
First brontosaurs all got renamed. Apatasaur still sounds strange.
Up in the sky a planet we all learned to call Pluto
Is now a rock, no consequence, just far away and slow.

My fav'rite dinosaur is a Triceratops
And now it is no more,
It's just a younger version of a Torosaur
It's not a sep'rate species

I think I've gotten to the root of this conspiracy.
Those textbook companies have got to sell to you and me
Or they'll go under, so they need to keep it all brand-new.
At least that's how it looks to me. How does it look to you?

At least they're keeping the name
But to me its just not the same
I hope they don't take my Pterodactyl away

As I start recording the song next week, I plan on recruiting some of you musical types out there for some help.

John Anealio,
Follow me on Twitter

Update! The Triceratops Song Version 2.0

2010-08-04T12:56:00.001-07:00

The Triceratops Song (Version 2.0).mp3

We now have some verses! The fabulous Z. of Hipster Please and Wired Magazine's GeekDad Hiptrax sent me these verse lyrics earlier today. I bashed out the melody this afternoon and I'm really happy with the way it is all fitting together so far. I'd be happy to put out the finished song as it is right now.

If you'd still like to bring something to the party, it is not too late! Take a listen to the verse structure of Z.'s lyrics and feel free to write additional lyrics or a completely different set of lyrics that fit this melody and rhyme scheme.

Here are the current set of lyrics:

The Triceratops Song

I can't believe the things they say, I don't want you to go /
I'll hold my tri-horned memories because my heart says so.
Won't listen to the awful things they're sayin' on the news /
Cause you're my favorite dinosaur, and I won't be refused.

My favorite Dinosaur is a Triceratops
and now it is no more
it's just a younger version of a Torosaur
It's not a separate species

Images in school books and the sheets upon my bed /
Your orange beak on my t-shirt, an image in my head.
Finger-painted pictures of you charging through the mire /
And me atop your saddle as the mountains utter fire.

At least they're keeping the name
But to me its just not the same
I hope they don't take my Pterodactyl away

Once again, you can contribute your lyrical suggestions in the comments of this post, send them to my e-mail 27summers@gmail.com, or tweet them to me with the hashtag #SciFiSong.

John Anealio
Follow me on Twitter

The Triceratops Song: Crowd Sourced Song Project, Day 3

2010-08-04T07:17:00.001-07:00

The Triceratops Song.mp3

If you are just checking in, click here to read about this week's Crowd Sourced Songwriting Project.

There were lots of great suggestions for topics to write about this week, but the clear winner was this week's story about the Triceratops being reclassified as a juvenile version of a Torosaurus. The name Triceratops will remain but this story has provoked a response that was similar to the reaction to Pluto being declassified as a planet a few years ago.

Click here to read an excellent article on the subject by Matt Stags: Suvudu Triceratops Post

So far, I've come up with music and lyrics for the chorus and break of the song. Take a listen to the MP3 at the top of the page. Here are the lyrics.

The Triceratops Song

My favorite dinosaur is a Triceratops
and now it is now more
it's just a younger version of a Torosaur
it's not a different species.

But at least they're keeping the name
But to me it's just not the same
I hope they don't take my Pterodactyl away

Now we need to come up with verses. I'll handle the music part of it, but I'd love some help on they lyrics. A couple of things, please be aware of meter and rhyme. Some sort of a,b,a,b or a,a,b,b form usually works the best.

In terms of lyrical content, perhaps we can write about our experiences going to museums, playing with toy dinosaurs, fictional pterodactyls like Slag from the Transformers; let you imagination run wild.

You can submit your ideas in the comments sections of this post, to my e-mail 27summers@gmail.com, or tweet it to me with the hashtag #SciFiSong.

Looking forward to seeing what we come up with,
John Anealio
follow me on Twitter

Crowd Sourced Song Project, Day 2

2010-08-03T05:52:00.000-07:00

If you are just arriving, click here to read about this week's Crowd Sourced Songwriting Project.

We need to decide on a topic for our song today. Here are some of the interesting suggestions that you've contributed so far:

Any of these topics can inspire a great song. Here's what I need you to do today;

Suggest another topic from your Geeky or Sci-Fi blogs, or
Vote on one of these 5 stories

Once again, you can suggest a topic or vote on one of the existing ones by posting in the comments section of this post, e-mailing me at 27summers@gmail.com or Tweeting me with the hashtag #SciFiSong.

Thanks to everyone who has already contributed,
John Anealio

Follow me on Twitter

Help Me Write A Song This Week!

2010-08-02T04:29:00.000-07:00

This week, I'm attempting to organize the writing of a novel, crowd-sourced song. I'm asking all of you creative types out there to contribute your talent to this project.

Here's the idea: by the end of the week, I want to post a MP3 or video of myself singing and playing a brand new song that we wrote together. How will we do this? I'm glad you asked.

First off, I want this song to be ephemeral. It should be relevant to what's going on in the Sci-Fi/Nerd world right now. This song might not mean anything in a few weeks, but that's part of the fun. Here's how I think things should go this week:

Go to your favorite Sci-Fi/Nerd/Technology Blogs right now. Try to find some sort of interesting meme that will make good fodder for a song.
After we decide on a good topic, I'll come up with a melody and some lyrics for the chorus section of the song.
I'll then ask all of you to contribute lyrics to the verses and break of the song.
Depending on how musical/techie some of you are, I may ask for some beats or other musical devices.
By the end of the week, I'll post an MP3 or video of myself playing and singing the finished results.

As you come up with ideas and lyrics, you can post them in the comments area of this post, e-mail them to me at 27summers@gmail.com, or Twitter them to me with the hash tag #SciFiSong.

This should be fun,
John Anealio
Follow Me on Twitter

Acoustic Show this Wednesday in NJ!

2010-07-26T03:53:00.000-07:00

I'll be performing a special acoustic show this Wednesday in NJ. Here are the details:

John Anealio's Sci-Fi Songs

Wednesday, July 28th, 3pm-4:30pm
@ The Jefferson Township Public Library
1031 Weldon Rd.
Oak Ridge, NJ 07438
973-208-6115

If you are in New Jersey and free on Wednesday, stop by and say hi. I'll be playing lots of songs from my album, a few covers, and some newer tunes like this:

Want more?

Follow me on Twitter

And check out my Sci-Fi Songs album at:

iTunes
Amazon MP3
CDBaby

Podcast with Sci-Fi Author Mike Resnick

2010-07-20T03:20:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard it yet, head over to the Functional Nerds Podcast and download Episode #18. Patrick Hester, John DeNardo of SFSignal.com and myself had the pleasure of interviewing legendary Sci-Fi Author: Mike Resnick.

Functional Nerds: Episode #18 w/Mike Resnick

And while you're at it, here is a free MP3 of my song: "The Ballad of Wilson Cole", which appears as sheet music in the appendix of Mike Resnick's "Starship:Flagship" novel.

"The Ballad of Wilson Cole" Free MP3

Want more?

Follow me on Twitter

And check out my Sci-Fi Songs album at:

iTunes
Amazon MP3
CDBaby

Artist of the Month

2010-07-07T03:40:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of cool interviews that I participated in this week.

First, I was interviewed over at SFF Chat by the lovely Simcha. Here's an excerpt:

Where do you see yourself heading with your sff song writing?

"I'd like to get more into live performing. Prior to Sci-Fi Songs, I gigged all of the time, but I've done very little performing since the start of Sci-Fi Songs. I had the opportunity to perform at Balticon this year as a part of Mur Lafferty's "I Should Be Writing" live podcast. It was the first time that I performed in front of an audience of people who were into the things that I was singing about and it was a truly wonderful experience. I'd like to perform at more Sci-Fi conventions and I'd really love to perform at events like w00tstock and Nerdapalooza. I'd love to model the career path of some artists that I really admire like Jonathan Coulton, Paul & Storm, and Marian Call."

Click here to read the entire interview.

Next, I'm the featured artist of the month over at Geeky Pleasures. Click here to read the whole article.

Want more?

Follow me on Twitter

And check out my Sci-Fi Songs album at:

iTunes
Amazon MP3
CDBaby

Free MP3: Unicorn Pegasus Kitten

2010-06-23T04:11:00.001-07:00

Unicorn Pegasus Kitten.mp3

Looking at this awesome painting by artist Jeff Zugale should tell you everything that you need to know about the Unicorn Pegasus Kitten song, but I'll give you a bit more background.

John Scalzi, Wil Wheaton, and Subterranean Press are running a fan fiction contest to benefit the Lupus Alliance of America. They are asking writers to come up with a short story to explain what is going on in this painting.

I was inspired to write and record this song. I hope you enjoy it.

Unicorn Pegasus Kitten
by John Anealio

My name is John and I'm an Orc from the Scalzi Clan
I write in the genre known as Sci-Fi
I leave my home I carry an axe and shield in my hand
Now what do I see high up in the sky?

Is that Wil Wheaton on a Unicorn Pegasus Kitten again?
Holding a blood drenched spear in his hand
Is that Wil Wheaton on a Unicorn Pegasus Kitten again?
Wreaking havoc across the land

I took Wil in when he was once a lonely beggar
and we became the best of friends.
He was corrupted by the Knights of The Clown Sweater
then he betrayed the Scalzi Clan.

Is that Wil Wheaton on a Unicorn Pegasus Kitten again?
Holding a blood drenched spear in his hand
Is that Wil Wheaton on a Unicorn Pegasus Kitten again?
Wreaking havoc across the land

Come back Wil Wheaton.
Can we be friends?
Come back Wil Wheaton
Can this bloodshed end?

Here are a few more songs that you can download for free:

1. Steve Jobs Hates Flash
2. George R.R. Martin is Not Your Bitch

Want more?

Follow me on Twitter

And check out my Sci-Fi Songs album at:

iTunes
Amazon MP3
CDBaby

Two Songs Live from Balticon

2010-06-14T03:22:00.000-07:00

If you haven't done so already, head over to Mur Lafferty's "I Should Be Writing" podcast and download Episode #146. This is the live show from Balticon where I performed both "George R. R. Martin is Not Your Bitch" and the "I Should Be Writing" song.

Also appearing on this episode are New York Times Best Selling author Gail Carriger and the incomparable Matt Wallace.

I Should Be Writing Episode #146

Also, check out the 13th episode of The Functional Nerds Podcast with special guest Mur Lafferty.

Want more?

Follow me on Twitter

And check out my Sci-Fi Songs album at:

iTunes
Amazon MP3
CDBaby

"Steve Jobs Hates Flash" played on Today in Tech

2010-06-09T06:52:00.000-07:00

This is pretty cool. On Monday's episode of Today in Tech with Tom Merritt, they closed out the show by playing my song "Blue Lego (Steve Jobs Hates Flash)". Click here to watch the video or download the podcast.

Today in Tech

If you watch the video, you can actually see some of the participants (including Tom Merritt, Becky Worley, Sarah Lane, & Scott Johnson) bopping along to the song.

If you haven't done so already, you can download the Free MP3 of the song here:

"Blue Lego (Steve Jobs Hates Flash)"

Or watch the video performance here

Here are a few more songs that you can download for free:

1. George R.R. Martin is Not Your Bitch
2. We Don't Need Another Trilogy

And, you can always pick up my Sci-Fi Songs album at:

iTunes
Amazon MP3
CDBaby

Have a great day,
John Anealio
Follow Me on Twitter

I'll Be At Balticon This Weekend

2010-05-28T03:30:00.000-07:00

I'll be attending Balticon this Saturday and Sunday. My visit will culminate with a performance on Muf Lafferty's excellent "I Should Be Writing" Live Podcast where I will appear with Mur, Gail Carriger, and Matt Wallace.

I'll probably perform a couple of songs, including a brand new one that I wrote especially for this event. The name of the new song is ... wait for it ... "I Should Be Writing".

Anyway, it should be a ton of fun and if you are attending Balticon this weekend you should try and catch it at 8pm on Sunday night.

I'll be hanging out at Balticon all day on Saturday and Sunday. If you'd like to meet up, drop me a line at 27summers@gmail.com or contact me through Twitter or Facebook.

Free MP3: We Don't Need Another Trilogy

2010-05-12T14:52:00.001-07:00

We Don't Need Another Trilogy (ft. Dale Chase).mp3

"We Don't Need Another Trilogy" is a folk/rock/hip-hop collaboration with nerdcore superstar Dale Chase. I became aware of Dale's work through Z. of Hipster Please and GeekDad. We got to being friends on Twitter and I eventually presented him the idea of a collaboration.

"We Don't Need Another Trilogy" expresses the feeling that many Nerds have about Sci-Fi franchises: sometimes one film is enough.

Dale was an absolute joy to work with. Please go check out his website where he offers lots of free music for you to download. Even if you don't consider yourself much of a hip-hop fan, I implore you to check him out. You won't be disappointed.

We Don't Need Another Trilogy

by John Anealio & Dale Chase

Sometimes one film is enough

I don't want a sequel if its only fluff

and even though I love these characters

a third installment of this franchise should have never occurred

I love Star Wars but not the prequels

I love The Matrix but hated the sequels

Why does Science Fiction come in threes?

We don't need another Trilogy

Dale's rap

I love Star Wars but not the prequels

I love the Matrix but hated the sequels

Why does Science Fiction come in threes?

We don't need another Trilogy

I hope you enjoy it,

John Anealio

Follow me on Twitter

Want More? Check out the Sci-Fi Songs album:

Featuring songs inspired by: BSG, Star Wars, Firefly & more:

Available on:
CD Baby

Amazon MP3

I'm Mind Melding about the iPad at SF Signal

2010-04-29T03:27:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to participate in SFSignal's Mind Meld this week. I weigh in on Apple's iPad alongside Sci-Fi/Geeky luminaries like Lou Anders, Steven Gould, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, and Wil Wheaton!

Click here to read the full article.

Video: Steve Jobs Hates Flash on Irish Bouzouki!

2010-04-21T03:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a video of me performing my song: "Blue Lego (Steve Jobs Hates Flash)" on the Irish Bouzouki/Octave Mandolin.

Click here to download a free MP3 of the studio version of the song and to read the lyrics.

If you are a music recording nerd, click here to read the "Blue Lego" recording log.

If you like songs about Science Fiction & Fantasy, check out my Sci-Fi Songs album which features songs inspired by BSG, Star Wars, Firefly, & more. It's available on:

iTunes
Amazon MP3
CD Baby

If you want more, follow me on Twitter.

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio

Functional Nerds Podcast #4

2010-04-15T09:13:00.001-07:00

FunctionalNerds004.mp3

If you havent' checked it out yet, I wanted to take a minute to let you know that I've started doing a new weekly podcast with author Patrick Hester of ATFMB called The Functional Nerds.

Each week we'll discuss a range of topics that will include Sci-Fi and Fantasy books, TV Shows, & Movies, Technology, and Music. I put the most recent episode in the Sci-Fi Songs feed today. A new episode will appear on The Functional Nerds website on Friday.

If you like what you hear, subscribe to the podcast via The Functional Nerds website or iTunes.

Hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio

Dig Music? Enjoy Science Fiction & Fantasy? Check out the Sci-Fi Songs album:

Featuring songs inspired by: BSG, Star Wars, Firefly & more:

Available on:
CD Baby

Sci-Fi Songs Album Now Available on Amazon!

2010-04-08T03:27:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com Widgets

I'm excited to announce that the Sci-Fi Songs album is now available over at Amazon MP3. Just click on the handy dandy widget above to sample and purchase any of the songs on the album. If you prefer, the album is also available via iTunes and CDbaby.

Sci-Fi Songs Track List

1. The Return of Titus Quinn: inspired by Kay Kenyon's "Bright of the Sky"
2. Rachel Rosen: inspired by Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep/Blade Runner"
3. Leodora: inspired by Gregory Frost's "Shadowbridge"
4. Cylon #6: inspired by Battlestar Galactica
5. Summer Glau: inspired by Joss Whedon's "Firefly/Serenity"
6. Angels & Vampires: inspired by Anne Rice's "Memnoch the Devil"
7. Lonesome October Night: inspired by Roger Zelazny's "A Night in the Lonesome October"
8. Sarene: inspired by Brandon Sanderson's "Elantris"
9. Merithyn's Promise: inspired by Elizabeth Haydon's "Requiem for the Sun"
10. The Millennium Falcon for Christmas: inspired by Star Wars
11. Grasping for the Wind: inspired by all of the Sci-Fi Bloggers

io9 & Tor.com Reviews!

2010-03-31T03:25:00.000-07:00

I was delighted to read a few really nice reviews of my music this week that I wanted to share with you.

First, author Mur Lafferty wrote a rather flattering review of my Sci-Fi Songs album for Tor.com

Tor.com review of Sci-Fi Songs

Next, Cyriaquie Lamar put together a nice piece on my "George R.R. Martin is Not Your Bitch" song for io9.

io9 piece on George R.R. Martin is Not Your Bitch

It was quite a thrill to read all of the good things that both authors had to say about my music. I hope you enjoy the articles.

John Anealio

Want more? Follow me on Twitter.

Dig Music? Enjoy Science Fiction & Fantasy? Check out the Sci-Fi Songs album:

Featuring songs inspired by: BSG, Star Wars, Firefly & more:

Available on:
CD Baby

Functional Nerds Podcast

2010-03-25T03:35:00.001-07:00

FunctionalNerds001.mp3

I wanted to take a minute to let you know that I've started doing a new weekly podcast with author Patrick Hester of ATFMB called The Functional Nerds.

Each week we'll discuss a range of topics that will include Sci-Fi and Fantasy books, TV Shows, & Movies, Technology, and Music. I've included the first episode in the Sci-Fi Songs feed today.

If you like what you hear, subscribe to the podcast via The Functional Nerds website or iTunes.

Hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio

Dig Music? Enjoy Science Fiction & Fantasy? Check out the Sci-Fi Songs album:

Featuring songs inspired by: BSG, Star Wars, Firefly & more:

Available on:
CD Baby

"Blue Lego" Recording Log

2010-03-18T03:20:00.000-07:00

I thought that it would be fun to write a "recording log" post where I describe the tools and technique that I use to record my songs.

The first song that I want to talk about is "Blue Lego (Steve Jobs Hates Flash)". If you haven't already done so, click here to get the free MP3 download.

To start, my recording software of choice is Apple Logic Pro 8 running on a white MacBook.

Here is a Logic Pro screen shot (click to enlarge) of the entire arrangement. You count right, there are 32 tracks of vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, and drums. That is actual a fairly typical track count for my songs.

Here is a screen shot (click to enlarge) of all of the vocals. There are so many tracks because I double all of the vocals. When you hear the three part harmony in the chorus, you are actually hearing six different vocal tracks. I process the vocals with light compression and reverb.

Here is a screen shot (click to enlarge) of the drums, bass, and guitar parts.

The drum sound is a fairly standard "rock kit" sound from Logic's Ultrabeat Drum Sampler. I programmed the drums using a combination of Ultrabeat's step sequencer and Logic's Piano Roll MIDI editor.

I played the bass part on my old Washburn electric bass guitar.

The acoustic guitar parts (including the harmonics in the second chorus) were played on my Yamaha FPX 300 acoustic guitar.

All of the electric guitar parts and solos were played on my Les Paul Studio.

Want more? Follow me on Twitter.

Dig Music? Enjoy Science Fiction & Fantasy? Check out the Sci-Fi Songs album:

Featuring songs inspired by: BSG, Star Wars, Firefly & more:

Available on:
CD Baby

The Quemment Song

2010-03-15T17:26:00.000-07:00

Download "The Quemment Song" MP3 here.

This is for The Nerdist Podcast.

The Quemment Song

It's a question. It's a comment.
It's a question. It's a comment.
It's a quemment.

Hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
The Robot E.P.
Wired.com's GeekDad Guitar Teacher
Twitter

Sci-Fi Song #26: Blue Lego (Steve Jobs Hates Flash)

2010-03-11T03:20:00.000-08:00

Blue Lego (Steve Jobs Hates Flash) by John Anealio

Well the title really says it all for this one. When the iPad was announced, it was immediately criticized for not supporting Adobe's Flash.

Podcasts like MacBreak Weekly and Buzz Out Loud spoke of how much Steve Jobs hates Flash. I was inspired to write this song after reading an interesting blog post from Boing Boing about the infamous "Blue Lego".

I hope you enjoy it,
John Anealio
Follow me on Twitter

Blue Lego (Steve Jobs Hates Flash)
by John Anealio

I'm home all alone, I pick up my iPhone
I tap the screen and launch Safari
I navigate to a page and I'm sent into a rage
I wanted fun but now I'm sorry

I check the address of the site and I know that it's right
but the only thing I see is a

Blue Lego
I see a Blue Lego
I want to see a video but the only thing I see is a
Blue Lego
I see a Blue Lego
I want to see a video but I can't because Steve Jobs hates Flash

I want a new iPad but it's making me sad
I won't be able to watch Hulu
It's just a device but it just won't suffice
if I can't watch Kirk and Sulu

I want to play Farmville but I won't get my fill
The only thing I see is a

Blue Lego
I see a Blue Lego
I want to see a video but the only thing I see is a
Blue Lego
I see a Blue Lego
I want to see a video but I can't because Steve Jobs hates Flash

Steve Jobs Hates Flash

Dig Music? Enjoy Science Fiction & Fantasy? Check out the Sci-Fi Songs album:

Featuring songs inspired by: BSG, Star Wars, Firefly & more:

Available on:
CD Baby

I'm a Character in a Short Story!

2010-03-04T03:20:00.000-08:00

That's right. Writer Tim Summers of the new HolSumm Webcomic series mentions my name and the "Summer Glau" song in his new short story "Adventures of a Rock God".

The story is meant to introduce an arrogant, chauvinistic character from the comic and is therefore NSFW.

Check it out!

What is Your Favorite "Space" Song? Part 2

2010-02-25T03:20:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Interstellar Jukebox, a new feature here at Sci-Fi Songs where I ask a bunch of great writers, bloggers, musicians, and podcasters to weigh in on some Sci-Fi related music topic. First Question:

What is Your Favorite "Space" Song?

The following post is part 2. Click here to read part 1.

Joshua Farber

Joshua Farber, aka Boyhowdy, is the host of all-folk, all-covers blog Cover Lay Down , and chief custodian of collaborative "classic" songs blog Star Maker Machine . In real life, he teaches inner-city high school courses about the intersection of media, technology, and society.

I wanted to be a spaceman
That's what I wanted to be
But now that I am a spaceman
Nobody cares about me...

One of the great pleasures of being a dedicated fan of cover songs is that the constant pursuit of coverage leads me to originals unheard, and from there, to canons undreamed of.

Take Harry Nilsson's "Spaceman", a song even older than I, from an artist discovered - like so many other great musical prophets of frail and stupid humanity - via a posthumous tribute album, a now out-of-print disc entitled For The Love Of Harry, which I originally purchased for Aimee Mann's cover of "One", and Marc Cohn's cover of "Turn on Your Radio", back when the two pianofolk popstars were top of my personal charts, and I was 22, and still aiming for completism with all the confidence of youth.

Like many Nilsson songs, Spaceman is a candy-coated cherry bomb. The song kicks in playful from the "bang bang shoot-em-up" get go; the first few times you listen, it stays flippant and smooth, a mystical ride to the stars throughout. But dive in past the swinging chorus, and there's a subtly-treated sentiment here, a secret sentimentality for Earth, community, and culture over space itself - and after all, isn't it in the name of Earth as much as ego, exploration and glory that we aim for the stars in the first place? - coupled with that conviction, once they've helped push you past the boundaries of the gravity well, the world will play true to form, proving themselves more interested in watching your flights and follies than in ever helping you come back down again.

Ah, hubris. It's how I feel about space travel, myself, deep in my secret unsure heart: eager to go, thrilled of the ride, and yet secretly sure that, once aloft, I'd be easily forgotten, and terribly lonely. And even as they trade the majestic orchestral bombast of the original seventies production for a drum-driven janglepop thrillride, the weird, otherworldly sister harmonies of folk trio The Roches, in combination with the earnest lead vocals of an otherwise-unknown Mark Johnson, make an especially apt vehicle for this duality, creating something silly and gleeful and beautiful from start to finish, yet softly spooked, too, a marvelous poprocket ride to the stars replete with all the hidden emotions we feel when we look up, and shudder, trying to picture our real selves stuck out there alone among the stars.

Z.

Z. maintains a nerd music and culture blog (and related podcast) at hipsterplease.com. He's also a regular contributor to the GeekDad blog at wired.com and bides his time between the two swearing delightfully at twtter.com/hipsterplease.

As someone's who's devoted the past few years of his life to chronicling nerdy music and musicians, the term "space" appears quite regularly in my personal playlists. From the danceable, industrial grind of Dr. Steel's "Spaceboy" to the drug metal of Monster Magnet's "Spacelord," the rapid-fire sci-fi name-dropping of MC Lars's "Space Game" to the alluring indie pop of Those Dancing Days' "spaceherosuits," my collection is… well, *spacey*.

Still, of all the space jams at my disposal, the one that always keeps me coming back is "Space Party Anthem" by New York chiptune duo Starscream (http://www.myspace.com/starscreamnewyork). A true standout track from their phenomenal 8bitpeople's EP Future, And it Doesn't Work (http://www.8bitpeoples.com/discography/by/starscream), it's a stirring electronic instrumental that builds slowly, triumphantly across the breadth of a blissful 3 minutes.

Powered by little more than Nintendo Game Boys, Commodore 64s and the band's own urgent brand of retro-futuristic genius, Starscream has made an indelible mark on the chip music scene in the scant two and a half years since their formation. Within a genre that is often denigrated as being simplistic, sterile and atonal by outsiders, Starscream crafts exactly the kind of engaging, emotionally resonant tunes that stop such criticism dead.

"Space Party Anthem" is a fine introduction to chiptunes, and, as Future, And it Doesn't Work is a freely downloadable release, it's exactly the kind of track that should work its way into your own collection.

Matt Staggs

Matt Staggs is a publicist and writer. He blogs at www.suvudu.com.

"Space Needle" by The Church, off their album "Uninvited Like the Clouds"

When I was a child I had a t-shirt with Seattle's Space Needle on it. I'm not sure where I got it, really. Maybe a family friend went to Seattle? Who knows. I can tell you for sure that it was my favorite t-shirt, and that I cried and cried when I grew too big to wear it. As a child, I thought that the top of the needle was a UFO and the needle actually went into space. I saw it as a docking port stretching from Washington to the stratosphere. A landing point from which descended unknown exoticisms from beyond the stars. You have to understand that science fiction was something like a religion to me as even a small child. I saw Star Wars in the drive-in theater - I had to have been maybe three years old - so the Space Needle t-shirt was a sacred artifact to me. This, along with a book with the title "You Will Live on the Moon" - no ambiguities there, right? - meant the world to me, or maybe I should say the promise of a bigger, better world...one with robots, aliens and the freedom of a vast, infinite black. In some ways, I'm still waiting for that world.

Neil Austin

Neil Austin is One Inch Man, a maker of indie, psychedelic, electronical space music. He also likes to take photographs of stuff with a camera.

The first thing that struck me when I searched my collection for "space" was the number of 'spacey' songs I had to choose from. Well over a hundred different titles, all jostling for my attention, including two of my own songs (14 if you count album titles!).
It's not surprising really, I willingly describe my music as spacey or space music or even lo-fi, sci-fi, thrash-hop, doo-wop, metal pop, psychedelic space rock. But seeing the sheer volume of artists in my collection mining a similar spacey theme really brought home to me how big of an influence the concept of space, in both science fiction and science fact, really is for me.

It also made it difficult to chose a song!

Should a choose Souvlaki Space Station by Slowdive and talk about the influence of shoegaze on my work or maybe The Dentures In Space by The Treblemakers and expound upon my unending love for the surf guitar? Kyuss' Space Cadet (or maybe Spaceship Landing) would be an obvious choice, as I record under a name culled from their back catalogue, or I could just pick Space Oddity and gush wildy like the shameless Bowie fanboy that I am.

In the end, I picked Space Maker by Air

In fact I was surprised to find it was the only Air song in my collection to feature the word space in the title. They seem to me to be a very spacey band and, as such, are obviously a huge influence. I can only hope that living in France will mean some of their Gallic cool will rub off on me at some point. It hasn't yet!

I love everything about this band. The sublime mixture of old and new. Analogue, electric and digital combining effortlessly to create a whole far greater than the some of it's delicious parts. The retro-futuristic atmosphere that they create, a vision of the future as seen from the past, or maybe a look back at the past from the future, is exactly the thing I want to conjure in the minds of people who hear my music.

So Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoīt Dunckel I salute you. Perhaps my favourite French Space Cadets.

Stace Johnson

Stace Johnson is a Colorado writer, musician, and computer geek who enjoys putting all three of those things together. His writing has appeared in ComputorEdge, Rocky Mountain TechLine, GearLive.com, and he can be seen playing coffeehouses and the occasional summer festival gig with his band, Steel River Three. Find out more on the following websites: http://www.lytspeed.com/ http://www.sr3band.com/ http://www.facebook.com/Lytspeed/ http://www.twitter.com/Lytspeed/)

I have to confess that upon reading this prompt the first "space" song that popped into my head was David Bowie's "Space Oddity", but since Bowie was never much of an influence for me, I'll leave that one for others to cover. The search of my non-iPod music library yielded a few results ranging from Pink Floyd ("Empty Spaces") to Kraftwerk ("Spacelab"), but the one title that jumped out at me and made me bust out Winamp was "Space Between Your Ears" by Ozric Tentacles, from 1991's Strangitude album.

Truth be told, the Ozrics have never been a big influence on my musical style, but I find the general combination of Pink Floyd/Tangerine Dream/Rush/Police-esque grooves on their albums from the early 90s to be irresistable. I had barely heard of them when my friend Thom at the famous Zia Records in Phoenix invited me to see them live in 1993 or 1994. (What the hell? A free show, right?) They played at a fairly small club with low ceilings called The Nile, and after that night, I was hooked. Their combination of energy, tight musicianship, and a killer light show me a believer. After the show, I approached the low stage and talked with bandleader Ed Wynne (who called himself "Ed Ozric"). He was personable and polite, and answered all the vacuous questions I asked about his gear, his influences, and the band in general. Unfortunately, his answers went in one ear and out the other, because I was still under the influence of the buzz generated by the music.

The band is still recording, though they have undergone a number of personnel and stylistic changes. These days, their music tends more to electronica, dub, and trance, but for my money, little can touch the music they produced in the early 90s.

John Teehan

John Teehan is a writer, artist, book designer, and some-time musician from Rhode Island. He’s published short stories, poems and nonfiction in various markets and is a regular contributor at Forces of Geek and is the co-publisher of TumbleTap

I was a little surprised not to find more songs with the word “space” in the title in my iTunes library. Are even that many songs with that word in the title? It’s not the most lyrical of words. Plenty of songs here with “star” and some with “universe.” But aside from a Velvet Crush song called “Mr. Spaceman,” I don’t have anything else in the list. (And the Velvet Crush song is okay, but not a fave. I have it more out of a sense of loyalty to the band than for that particular song.)

Then I checked my extensive listing of anime soundtracks compiled years ago. We have a few more songs there so long as you include the Japanese word for space: Uchuu. “Space Is Super Weird!” (a fun song), “Her Space Holiday,” “Beat Space Nine,” “Space Halo” (a sad song), and then there is my favorite: ”Uchuu Senkan Yamato” aka “Space Battleship Yamato,” better known to Western audiences as the original Japanese theme song to the animated show Starblazers.

When I was a kid, I made sure my day started with the daily adventures of the Argo as its brave crew crossed a hostile galaxy in order to save Earth from deadly alien spores while avoiding the evil, Nazi-like Gamilons, or defend the planet from despotic comet emperors. It was high adventure made for a kid with lots of action and that thrilling sensawunda that fed the science fiction fan in that young soul. Oh yeah, and there were space princesses. You know...like regular princesses, but in space. Gotta love that. Each morning I journeyed with Captain Avatar, Derek Wildstar, Nova, Sandor, and the rest—but before we set off, there was always that stirring introduction of horns followed by a crash of more horns, both low and high that could mean nothing but action ahead, and maybe some heartbreak along the way.

Duh, duh, duh (duh-duh-duh!), Dunh, dunh, dunh, DUNH! (duh-duh-duh!)—et cetera

But there were only two American seasons broadcast during the late 70s and early 80s. And it wasn’t something that ever hit video until many years later—and even then it was a hard find and much too expensive for a poor (by then) college kid.

A friend of mine owned a comic book store and was the first person in Providence to have regular selections of anime videos for rent. No, he didn’t have Starblazers, but he had a lot of other fun selections including one that’s still a favorite of mine today—Urusei Yatsura (which featured the song “Space Is Super Weird!” (Uchuu wa Taihen Da!) and which I can still sing a decent portion of today—yeesh). But in addition to rentable tapes, my friend also had a back room stacked with bootlegs—fansubs—tapes with captioned translations did by fans (remember, this was before the WWW and before the big anime boom ten years later. Fansubbing was the Wild West of anime fandom in the late 80s and early 90s).

In this back room was a series I was familiar with by name—Space Battleship Yamato which I knew to be the original Japanese version of Starblazers. I borrowed it, took it home, popped it in the VCR and I swear before the ghost of Teresa of Telezart that tears came to my eyes as I heard those awe-inspiring opening horns. Even the Japanese lyrics were familiar enough as they weren’t far from the English in translation: Sarabaaaa, chikyuu yo tabidatsu fune waaaaaa uchuu senkan YA-MA-TO!

I was a little amused by some of the differences between the Japanese Space Battleship Yamato and the American Starblazers. For one, that jar of milk the doctor was always carrying in the American version was actually sake in the Japanese version—they just removed the symbols for “sake”. There was a little female nudity (what’s called ‘fan service’) in the Japanese version that was cut, and character deaths were much more obvious. In the American versions, fatalities were rare. If someone’s space fighter exploded, there would be a report on the bridge about escape pods and such. Not so with the Japanese version. Boom! Dead pilot. Also, I figure the American producers decided 1979 was too soon to broadcast a heroic kid’s show that featured the resurrection of the Japanese World War II battleship Yamato as one of the heroes of the story. Hence the re-naming of the ship and crew to do homage to the story of Jason and the Argonauts instead.

But this is about the song. Best opening theme ever. Best opening notes ever. When I’m dead and they’re lowering me into the cold, cold ground—I want this played.

Church Hates Tucker

Church is an intermittent videographer, an occasional author, but mostly just one of those guys who seems to pop up everywhere on the 'net. Follow Church on Twitter.

Wow. I get a lot of hits for "space", and most of them I'm not sure why, but whatever, this gem came up:

Wotcher Harry, by The Tonks.

An almost oneshot Wizard Wrock band (which seems to be a girl with a guitar. And some "clever on the cheap" post production.) The quality is "bedroom plus" but she manages to nail that thing that must have been Tonks' attitude to Harry. It's kinda punk, kinda Joan Armitrading, All awesome. (Also, subtle earworm, so fair warning.)

Mike Ferrante

Mike Ferrante is a reference librarian/webmaster/system administrator at Franklin Township Public Library in Somerset, NJ. You can find his book reviews and musings on fiction, video games, and music at kingofthenerds.wordpress.com

I actually don't have many space songs so, given my limited selection, I'm going to have to go with Darkest of Hillside Thickets' upbeat pop/rock number about cosmic horror from beyond the stars: Space Ghosts off their album Great Old Ones. They are bar none the best Lovecraft-themed rock band in existence.

Want more? Follow John Anealio's Sci-Fi Songs at Twitter and check out the Sci-Fi Songs Album.

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What Is Your Favorite "Space" Song?

2010-02-18T03:20:00.000-08:00

What is Your Favorite "Space" Song?

Gareth L Powell

Gareth L Powell is a novelist and short story writer from the UK. He is a regular contributor to Interzone, and maintains a website at www.garethlpowell.com.

I discovered Patti Smith while at school, in the late 1980s. I'd been into the Velvet Underground for a couple of years, and I was just discovering and getting into all these cool American bands, like the Ramones and The Doors. I picked up a vinyl copy of her first album, Horses (1975), at a record store in Bristol, at the top of Park Street, opposite the museum. It was produced by John Cale, whose early albums I really liked, and Smith looked amazing on the sleeve, like some sort of hip androgynous alien, with this fuck-you attitude. I looked at it all the way home on the bus, turning it over and over in my hands. When I finally got it back to my room and put it on the turntable, it blew me away. It was arty and passionate and perfect, and it took no prisoners. It mixed reggae and rock with this spectacularly demented poetry; and Smith had this incredible voice that sounded beautiful and ugly all at the same time. I was 17 years old, and I played it over and over again.

"Space Monkey" is the second track on Smith's slightly patchier (but more commercially successful) third album, Easter (1978), and it's a prowling, swaggering chant of a song, buoyed up by cheery organ and driving bass. Without the vocals, it might almost sound like something by Talking Heads; but here, Smith dominates the music. She alternates spoken word passages with Jim Morrison growls, until the whole thing degenerates into panting and monkey screams.

Patrick Hester

Patrick Hester is an author, blogger, podcaster and functional nerd who hangs out and publishes his stuff at his blog, 'All things from my brain' over at www.atfmb.com and on his twitter feed at twitter.com/atfmb.

When you think of Stevie Ray Vaughan, an image probably comes to mind of a guy wearing a wide brimmed, black hat decorated with wide, silver discs. He's wearing a long white shirt with a dark vest and steel toed cowboy boots that are probably made from the hide of some reptile. He has a guitar (Number One), a Fender Stratocaster, slung across his shoulder with the letters 'S R V' emblazoned upon it. He's playing that guitar behind his back, sweat streaming down his face and hair, a look of concentration fixed upon his face.

He's known for his guitar work, often compared to the late, great, Jimi Hendrix - something that he came to terms with, eventually covering songs like 'Voodoo Chile' in such a way that it became both tribute and signature all at once.

What you may not know is that he was a little brother.

Stevie learned to play guitar by locking himself in his bedroom with his older brother Jimmy's guitar for hours and hours. Jimmy went on to become famous as a member of the Fabulous Thunderbirds (Wrap it up, I'll take it) while Stevie toured with his backup band Double Trouble and came into his own in the 80's.

The brothers recorded one album together that I am aware of: Family Style. It was something that Stevie had said he always wanted to do. On it is a decidedly UnVaughan Brothers song titled 'Hillbillies from Outerspace'. It doesn't sound like something you'd expect to hear from these Texas Bluesmen. It starts out with an organ solo, for god-sake. There isn't even any guitar until two minutes into the three and three quarter minute song.

This was Stevie's last studio outing (Recorded in 1990, he died in August of that year in a helicopter accident). It sounds very Texas Electric Blues overall, except for Hillbillies from Outerspace itself, which almost sounds like it should be the featured song of a lounge lizard somewhere and not the Vaughan brothers. Still, as you listen to the rest of the album, you can feel the love that went into it, the playfulness of two brothers creating music together. I especially like the song 'Brothers' because it showcases that playfulness as one or the other messes up the guitar solos of the other by reaching across to pluck or loosen a string. It just brings a smile to my face.

Never a hit, it still produced a couple of timeless songs. Tick Tock, for example, which shows why Stevie should be remembered just as much for his lyrics and singing as for his guitar. "One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dream, that all the people of the world got together on the same wavelength, and began helping one another..."

Stevie's story has always touched me. Like far too many artists, he was taken from us just as everything was coming together for him; he'd battled drug and alcohol addictions for years only to come out of it clean, sober and rededicated to his music, boo'd off the stage at the Montreux Jazz festival in 1982, he returned in 1985 to rock the house to a wall of applause, and in 1990, he'd finally recorded an album with his brother and was touring with Eric Clapton - definitely a high point in anyones career.

I discovered Stevie Ray Vaughn after his death. His legacy is his music, and his talent and his passion, is right there in every song. Even Hillbillies from Outerspace. :)

John DeNardo

John DeNardo separates his time between blogging at SF Signal (http://www.sfsignal.com) and putting out oil fires. One of those is a lie.

My favorite "space" song is "Space Oddity" by David Bowie. It captures the music of its day (1969) and tells a fantastic story that still has impact. And...is there any singer more science fictional than David Bowie?

Abby Holmes

Abby Holmes is a staff writer and music blogger for The Wenatchee World. Likes: Cats, myths and legends, pie, Led Zeppelin. Dislikes: Raisins, sports, spiders, “Who Let the Dogs Out.” Read her blogs at http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/weblogs/give-it-spin/ and follow her on Twitter: @abbytron.

“Space Oddity” by David Bowie

David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” is not only my favorite “Space” song; it’s my favorite Bowie song. Recite the lyric, “Ground control to Major Tom,” and you’re bound to set off a sing-along. Bowie is one of the greatest musical artists of all time. While this can be said of many great musicians, it’s especially relevant to him. Besides the overwhelming presence of his influence in the music of so many modern artists (Nine Inch Nails, Tears for Fears and Radiohead, to name a few), Bowie pioneered science fiction as a musical theme. Though his songs span an array of musical styles, they are instantly identifiable. “Space Oddity” was one of Bowie’s earliest singles, from his 1969 album of the same title. It’s the ballad of a fictional astronaut who delivers his final transmission before drifting off into space, frequently referred to as a metaphor for drug abuse. Regardless of the deeper meaning, the song laid a new path for rock music in its time, inspiring even Bowie himself. It’s truly timeless, a work of art with a tremendous amount of gravity to this day.

Kate Baker

Kate Baker is the Podcast Director for Hugo and Fantasy award nominee, Clarkesworld Magazine. She has also narrated for StarShipSofa, Escape Pod, and Fantasy. When not tackling large piles of neglected literary fare, she has also been known to be a mother of three, an administrative professional, gamer, aspiring writer and a zombie. No, really.

I didn't realize how many "space" songs I actually had when I queried the word in Itunes. Incidentally, I have NO idea how "Space Jam" got on my playlist.

Don't look at me like that.

When I originally saw the question, I knew I was going to answer, "Space Dog" by Tori Amos. From the album, Under the Pink, Tori takes you on a multifaceted journey with the song. She starts off with some interesting synth tones, a hard-driving beat and then switches gears to melodic and undulating piano.

The song is full of anger in that condescending, sneaky type of way, and easy to sing when you're unhappy with something. However, I think that forensic analysis could be applied to most if not all of Tori's repertoire. There is some great debate as to what the song actually means, with some people dismissing her stuff as magnetic poetry thrown up all over a refrigerator, and some fans arguing the song is about numbing to ones beliefs.

Personally, that is what I find so compelling about Tori Amos' work. Complicated and seemingly random lyrics hold meaning and paint a larger and ultimately different picture to each listener. To those who take the time to really open their ears and mind, a whole world unfolds.

It would happen to be why I have almost everything she's ever done on CD and in my mp3 collection.

Curtis Silver

Curtis Silver is a bad-ass freelancer based in sunny Florida. He can currently be found writing at Wired.com, at Everyotherthursday.com and Shamable.com. You can reach him by holding out a long stick, his blog or on Twitter cracking wise.

I am not a musician. I fiddle from time to time on the guitar and can slap my hands on my jeans in some sort of rhythm. I'm a writer, so to have musical influences in my creative life I have to get very specific. I love music; my library of tunes is massive. There is a song for every situation, every emotion and every time of day. When asked however, to get minutely specific and write about how a song with "space" in the title (referencing outer space I'd have to assume) I had to sit back and take a long glance at my library. Less like a glance and more like a stare. Album by album, track by track. The names of songs long have eluded me, like the album count in the King Crimson discography.

Finding the right song that I could attribute to some sort of inspiration or telling moment in my creative development with the word "space" in the title seemed like such a daunting task. It turned out, it was pretty damn easy. I have chosen the song "Space Suit" by They Might be Giants. It appears as track number 38 on the album Apollo 18. The album came out in 1992 and was my first exposure to They Might be Giants, who have provided much inspiration over the years.

I had just turned 14 in 1992 and had traded a friend Pearl Jam's Ten for Apollo 18. I would of course re-buy Ten several years later. They Might be Giants took me away from my otherwise mundane life to a world full of contradictions and odd behavior. However, the one track that stuck with me was the one track with no lyrics at all, their lyrics being something TMBG is known for. Space Suit instead is an off worldly little trip that mystically blasts your imagination into the lower atmosphere and hangs there, looking down on the planet below. My art took that turn and that's when I began writing more as well.

I also noticed the quality of my writing changed as well around this time. I stopped writing serious prose and crappy teen angst poetry and turned to actual writing that was the groundwork for getting paid for it someday. The shit started to make sense! Looking back, it was still pretty sub-par writing (as if this is Pulitzer Prize winning material) but it was better than before. I suppose that could be attributed to just maturing and spending less time by myself in the bathroom. No, not that. I ate a lot of fiber. Get your head out of the gutter.

There was a lot going on in my life then, besides my writing and art. There were girls, whom I looked at from across the room but didn't talk to. There were sports, for which I played but was never really anything close to an all-star at. There were other things too, like switching from candy cigarettes to real ones and then chewing tobacco. Can I attribute all that to the music too? Did "Space Suit" inspire me to take up tobacco use? Doubtful. Though I can think of a couple songs that might have. Like anything from Nirvana. No, that stuff, while excellent, makes me want to do naughty things with a shotgun. Too soon?

I had also just been recruited into the Green Lantern Corps as well. I remember traveling through the Universe, playing interstellar detective, and listening to that song on my portable CD player. Mind you, the CD player didn't work so well on planets with a high concentration of nitrogen, but I would just aim my lantern ring at it and it'd start right up again. It was a great tune for when I had just savagely beaten the Weaponers of Qward and was propelling back into the stars. Then Sinestro took my CD player one day because the jerk claimed it had some of the yellow crystal in it or something like that. I knocked three of his teeth out, but my CD player was ruined in the battle. This was a devastating event for me. That CD player was the only way I was able to make interstellar travel not so damn boring. Let me tell you, Killowog is no conversationalist.

When I returned to Earth, I bought the CD and kept on with my writing, further inspired by never having to fight crime outside of my bedroom. I wrote three bestsellers within the next four years; sadly none of them were ever finished or actually sold. Ok, I didn't actually write any novels. But I was inspired to. That counts right?

Basically trying to pick out one song that inspires is a daunting task. Yes, I have many songs in my music library that have the word "space" in them. Can I say that they really inspired me? I have no freaking clue. It's doubtful. The way I see it, musicians are inspired by music, writers are inspired by writers. Music may provide a muse or perhaps a creative inflection that sparks when the right music is being played. These days I write best to music from artist such as Porcupine Tree, BT, Lemon Jelly and of course, King Crimson. While I can't pinpoint an exact song or even a particular album that directly inspires my work, I can say that as a whole - the music provides a great setting for my creative juices to flow. The writing is my porn, the music is the fluffer.

How's that for inspiring? Boo-ya!

Justin Macumber

Justin Macumber is a writer and podcaster trying to make his way through this strange new digital world. Find out more at www.justinmacumber.com

I love music. I mean, I really love music. I love the way it can speak to the human heart and soul in ways that words or paint or pictures can't. It's an immediate and deep connection. And, of all the instruments I've heard played, my favorite is by far the guitar. Whether it's acoustic or electric, six-stringed or twelve, played flat, normal, or upright, the guitar is a wondrous tool that can cut and soothe in equal measures. My most beloved guitarist of all time is Joe Satriani. The man... is without peer. Sometimes when I hear him play it's as though his hands were touched by God. What I love most about him is that while he's technically brilliant, he never lets the technique get in the way of the song, or overshadow it. For him music is about the melody, not the number of notes he can hit in a ten second stretch. And, a song of his in particular that I enjoy is the title song from his album "Is There Love In Space?" Joe's no stranger to songs with a light, emotional touch, and "Is There Love In Space?" is one great song in a string of them about what makes all our hearts beat. His best album, in my opinion, has a bit of a "space" title - "Crystal Planet." That album... it just amazes me. Hearing him play, hearing his technique and his heart playing in such syncronicity makes me want to be that much better of a writer. I will listen to his music until the day my ears grow quiet.

Check in next week for Part 2 of the "What is Your Favorite Space Song" Edition of The Interstellar Jukebox.

Want more? Follow John Anealio's Sci-Fi Songs at Twitter and check out the Sci-Fi Songs Album.

Available on:
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I'm Mind Melding at SF Signal

2010-02-17T13:22:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate enough to contribute to today's Mind Meld at SF Signal.

The latest Mind Meld at SF Signal asks:

Which off-the-air science fiction television show deserves a remake? What changes would you make to update it?

Head over there to see what A. Lee Martinez, John Scalzi, Jeffrey Thomas, Matthew Sanborn Smith, Gabriel Mckee, Kevin Maher, Joe Crowe, Peggy Kolm, Ken Fergason, Summer Brooks, Mike Glyer, and myself - think. John DeNardo even added some video clips just to refresh your memory of those TV classics.

Genre Break Song #5: Winter Day

2010-02-11T03:20:00.000-08:00

Here is an older song of mine that I've yet to post to the blog. "Winter Day" was a staple of my live show for years and it features a fairly lengthy lap steel solo that you might enjoy.

All of those "How to Build Your Personal Brand" books (the ones that I think are crap, yet find myself reading anyway) always talk about the value of an e-mail list. Well, I don't have one, so I figured I'd try to start building one today.

I know how reluctant I am in handing over my e-mail address, so I wanted to reward you folks who are willing to do so. "Winter Day" isn't available anywhere else. It is an exclusive perk for signing the mailing list.

Just click on the link below, enter your e-mail address, hit submit and you will automatically be sent a link to the MP3 of "Winter Day". Alternatively, you can enter your e-mail into the "Fanbridge" widget located in the side bar.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE MAILING LIST

I promise not to spam you. Expect one monthly e-mail newsletter, at most.

Thanks for joining the list. I hope you enjoy the song.

Winter Day
by John Anealio

I wake up early, early in the morning
the clock is ringing but I'm still snoring
I hear the DJ cackle the weather
Things will get worse before the get better

My shower's freezing, my blade is stinging
Look in the mirror, my face is bleeding
I scrape the windows on my Camaro
I raise my bow and draw an arrow of hope

There's snow on the ground
but it won't get me down

Refrain
You would think that I would be upset
on a Winter Day
But I never felt so fortunate
on a Winter Day
Winter Day

I hit the freeway and blow a tire
this morning I feel like a vampire in the sun
avoiding daylight and fearing crosses
I'm late for work, I'm sure my boss is a mess

Refrain

But she said that she's in love

Refrain

Top 5: King's X, Al Di Meola, & More!

2010-02-08T03:20:00.000-08:00

King's X

King's X is one of those groups that should have been huge but never achieved more than modest notoriety. Combining soulful lead vocals, Beatles-esque vocal harmonies, and heavy guitar riffs; they possess just about everything that I love about rock music. I just picked up 1996's Ear Candy from eMusic.

Ty Tabor

Besides being a formidable picker, King's X guitarist Ty Tabor possesses a beautiful voice that is redolent of John Lennon. Having to share singing duties with a vocalist as gifted as Doug Pinnick probably led Ty Tabor to record several solo albums. I've been digging his Rock Garden CD this week. Speaking of Doug Pinnick ...

The Mob

I picked up this Doug Pinnick fronted side project from eMusic a few months ago. In addition to the King's X bassist, it features Night Ranger drummer/singer Kelly Keagy, and Winger guitarist Reb Beach. Yes, I like Winger. Please don't make fun of me.

Al Di Meola

I owned the cassette of Di Meola's Elegant Gypsy album as a teenager. I remember rewinding the solo on Flight Over Rio in an attempt to learn how to play it. I got the first few phrases and than he just starts shredding. I picked this up on eMusic last week and it really holds up. To my ears, it doesn't sound dated at all. Now the album cover is a different story (check it out above).

The Dixie Dregs

Getting into Di Meola this week led me to dig out some favorite fusion-era albums. I've been listening to the Dregs live album from 1992 this week.

What are you listening to today?

Dig Music? Enjoy Science Fiction & Fantasy? Check out the Sci-Fi Songs album:

Featuring songs inspired by: BSG, Star Wars, Firefly & more:

Available on:
CD Baby

Podcast: Cylon #6 Commentary

2010-02-04T03:10:00.000-08:00

Cylon #6 Commentary.mp3

Over the last two weeks, I released a series of six videos as commentary to my Cylon #6 song. You can watch them all here.

As some people prefer to consume this type of media aurally as opposed to visually, I present to you the complete 15 minute Cylon #6 commentary in glorious podcast form. Just click on the name at the top to download the MP3.

Thanks for listening,

John Anealio
Follow Me on Twitter

If you like Cylon #6, check it out on the Sci-Fi Songs album:

Featuring songs inspired by: BSG, Star Wars, Firefly & more:

Available on:
CD Baby