Nasty Nathan’s Waterloo Underground
CD’s going to die like the eight track and cassette? From where I sit all of music is taking a turn. Is it for the worse? Only time will be the judge, but one good thing is people are starting to care about the quality of the recordings. I have even seen bands selling flash drives with artwork, video and the album! That sure seems like a lot of media for a cheap price but hey, you can keep your favorite music with you on your key chain! Ha! Roll a joint on that! Oh yeah! People don’t even do that anymore. They got to funk it up with fake grape smelling tobacco leaf paper and call them blunts. lol
NASTY NATHAN’S WATERLOO UNDERGROUND With Austin growing by leaps and bounds and everyone moving in and out of town, there is a silver lining to all the madness. Garage sales. Yes, garage sales and all the hidden treasures they hold. I just happened to run across a brand new Kenwood turntable at one said sale, still in a box no less. I secretly walk nonchalantly over to the table and try to hide it from everyone’s attention. But it was too late. Someone else had an eye on it, so I walked the “scoot butt boogie” and BAM! I got there first and picked up a brand new, stateof-the-art fidelity stereophonic turntable with a brand new needle for $20!!! GOOOOAAALLLL!!! Mine all mine! All I have to do is make it through my “honey do’s” and I can rock like it is 1978! So after doing the weekend chores which include painstakingly picking thru the fresh veggies at the local Farmers Market, we make it home with my new toy. So I commence to unloading the Sequoia, thinking about my new acquisition and I remember I have been carrying a box of some of the best vinyl in all of South Austin for almost twenty years! I rush through the boxes in my storeroom and the overwhelming feeling of doom takes over. NOOOOO! All my vinyl, GONE! POOF! Well no, there was
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haunted sounds of Halloween 1982 and Meatloaf’s epic, Bat Out of Hell! There is one more but we won’t get into that album. (Sheriff. Hahaha! Oh the shame) All my roommates through the years had taken all the best albums of my youth. Gone was 2112, so long, Rumors, bye bye, Jazz! Man! I remember hours and hours were spent getting stoned and listening to that crackling of warm rock sounds, like Pink Floyd’s Animals, Legs Diamond’s Fire Power. Michael Schenker Group. McCartney’s Wings. All with that great opening song rocking until the needle came up, with a sizzle and a pop, and rested in its final resting spot, just waiting for you to flip it, clean it and rock that perfectly picked side B opening number. I stared at the artwork for days it seems now. Looking at the ship as it went over the edge of the world for Kansas Point of No Return. How much Michoacan, Acapulco Gold, and plain ole Red Bud was cleaned on those albums. How many days studying David Gilmore with twelve, yes twelve, great songs on each and every album. Artwork on the front, middle and back with the words printed out on the paper vinyl protector. That’s what I signed up for. I bought into it. The whole shebang. I wanted to be an artist, just like those people on those extended play record albums and have everyone of my songs be as important as the song before it!
Nowadays we are lucky if we get a picture with your mp3. We spend hours, days, months toiling over what you hear, read and see for you to buy my life’s work for $.99 a song. Squished waves of music played on the smallest ear buds people can stand. Bands are getting smart and putting out EP’s now. Or have they turned lazy? Have people’s attention spans really gotten that short? Are people really that lazy that they can not stand to listen to an hour of music that people have worked so hard to put out? Am I the last of a dying breed that still makes CD’s? Are
I know I am starting to show my age with this album thing? The cool thing is I see people are starting to press vinyl once again. I recently got the new HONKY album 421 on vinyl, but on the inside it gave me a place to download it to my music playing device. Talk about cool! It seems like people are listening to the fact that it is a warmer medium. Maybe there really are ghosts in the grooves and there is nothing like going to a second hand book store and finding the gem of a lifetime, Styx Equinox for $.99!!! I do remember 45’s and 33 1/3 record speeds, eight tracks, cassettes, mini dvd’s, vhs, beta tapes, laser discs, compact discs, wave files, mp3’s and flash drives. You know
it all doesn’t matter if you don’t support it. So no matter what the medium is, get it! Buy it! Share it! Blog it! But most of all go see it. These are just tools to get you the music so you can sing along with at the next show! SEE YOU AT A SHOW SOON!!! Nasty Nathan www.stupiddrama.com waterloounderground@yahoo.com Catch Nathan at Maria After Hours (Maria’s Taco Xpress, 2529 S. Lamar) every Wednesday through June from 9:30 pm to 12:00 am. Nathan is the main songwriter/guitarist/singer for Austin’s Acoustic Rock Band NATHAN’S STUPID DRAMA and a veteran of the Austin music scene since 1987.
presented by
meet arlen & zach ness
contests
biker games
military bike by zach ness lathan mckay’s evel knievel collection
after parties
DoUg Danger jUmp austin
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Instrument Cables: The Life of Your Sound weave of shielding/ground wire. The tighter the weave the better, the more wires in the weave the better; it makes an incremental difference as each one of these very thin wires well not only connect you to ground, which you will want a good strong connection to, but it will also act as a barrier from RF frequencies from outside the cable. For the final tidbit on cable integrity, make sure that the conductive “hot” wires in the center are nice and stout. Some inferior cables tend to have very thin soft wire. This is undesirable. Though there is a point of relief inside the cable tip. The better your wires twist and adhere together with solder the better and more solid the overall signal path will be. Instrument Cables: The Life of Your Sound As we have previously discussed there are many factors that make up the foundation of your “sound” as it were. There is your instrument, your amplifier and even your effects and what order your effects live in. But did you know that your cables can make a significant difference in the way electron path, and therefore sound flows through your rig. It’s true, it’s true…in fact there is an entire industry built around this fact. Companies such as Monster and Mogami have made their name providing uncompromised cable quality, gold and platinum tips and even lifetime guarantees… at a generous price tag as well. They are great. I personally have some myself and can definitely say that they are worth the money. The quality is unsurpassed in my studio cables by the name brands. “But I can’t afford a $40 guitar cable”. That is more than understandable, I was there at one point and truly I only have a few cables of this quality for specified purposes. But don’t worry, you can still get a great quality sound without these boutique beauties. Let’s take a quick look at a few key elements that you should look for in a cable either store bought or hand-made. A quick look at the diagram above gives us an inside view of what a general unbalanced, or “instrument” cable looks like. You basically have the “Hot” conductive wire in the center surrounded by a layer of insulation, a weave of “Shielding” or ground wire followed by an outer insulative layer or “jacket. One key element to look for is the type of connector on the end. Try not to buy solid molded cables if possible. They tend to be made if very thin wire and have very little shielding around the conductor. In addition if it breaks on the road now you buy a new one, whereas with a two piece screw type connector you can onep the tip and repair away. Another key point is the quality of the shielding in the wire. One side effect of wires is that when the source on one end is amplified on the other the conductive wire becomes a happy home for RF interference. This can be manifested anywhere from a mild buzz to a complete AM radio station…I’ve seen it happen. The key again is quality cable. Whether you are handy with a soldering iron and make your own cables as I and many engineers do or buy off the shelf take a quick second to open the cable and inspect the
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Now that we have learned what goes into the construction of a quality cable, let’s take a quick look at the proper care of cables. Believe it or not but there is a proper to care for cables to assure that they will last for years, even without regular maintenance. There are a couple of key points here. The first is connecting and disconnecting the cable itself. Please for the sake of your cables and sanity itself don’t yank the cable tip out of jack with the Indiana Jones stage whip action. This is bad for so, so many reasons. For one you are causing extreme stress one the relief point where the cable meets the tip, eventually causing cracked wires inside the cable and crackle later. You can also cause the tip to snap off inside the ¼” jack and then you have some real fun. You could even cause the entire jack to break or pull out of the device itself. The proper way to unplug your cable is to have a hand on the device the cable is plugged into and one on the cable tip gently pulling in an outward motion. I know it’s common sense but more people do it than one might think Finally the biggest key to proper care of your cables is rolling. I know it seems fast to roll a cable over your shoulder and around your elbow, then tie a loose knot in the end right? Please don’t say yes. This is wrong cable technique on so many levels and is quite literally one of the worst things you can do for the lifespan of your cables…period! Remember your cable is made of a lot of very tiny and thin wires on the inside. It looks sturdy, I know but it is made of spun metal, copper as a matter of fact, one of the most malleable metals around. Every time you pull that wire around the angle of your elbow that you are causing the copper inside to bend that direction. Cables have memory. The metal inside of them tends to “remember” which way it has bent previously and will want to continue to do so. This is what causes that signature
figure eight pattern of cables that have wrapped this way for so long. Every one of the bends in the thin wire is a possible point of weakness once brought to temperature by the flow of electrons which will eventually lead to splits in the middle of the cable that cause unwanted noise. Now that you know what not to do, let’s take a quick look at how to properly roll your cables the way the pro’s do. Known as the “Stage roll” or “Over/under” technique this rolling style comes from the same method used by sailors to roll slack line in the deck of a boat so it can be deployed without tangle. There are numerous videos online that show in much greater detail the mechanics of the process with close-ups and angles. But with the two images above you can clearly see that the key is twisting the cable on itself so that it would look like a loosely coiled spring if spread out. Yes it’s true. It does take around an extra 10 seconds to roll your cable properly. However the time is way worth the avoidance of internal frays in wires that cause crackle or hum, and once learned the process actually becomes second nature. Add to this a Velcro tie that is readily available for around .20 cents each at your local hardware store and now your wrapping your cables like the pros and can sleep at night knowing that your cables are happier and healthier for a long, long time. ~Christopher Jordan has been a live audio/video engineer and recording artist for over 15 years and owns AustinHotMods.com an Austin,TX based pedal modification and repair company.~ Have a comment, technical question or an article suggestion? Visit our contact page on AustinHotMods.com and let us know. ~Christopher Jordan has been a live audio/ video engineer and recording artist for over 15 years and owns AustinHotMods.com an Austin,TX based pedal modification and repair company.~ Have a comment, technical question or an article suggestion? Visit our contact page on AustinHotMods.com and let us know.
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ROT Biker Rally Downtown There are many ways to be a part of this exciting rally addition! ROT Rally has expanded for 2014! The new event called “ROT Biker Rally Downtown, presented by Austin360º” is expected to attract tens of thousands of Rally goers, motorcycle enthusiasts, families and Austinites of all ages. The primary focus of the downtown venue is to emphasize motorcycle vendors, builders and national manufactures in a family-friendly atmosphere. This FREE event will include motorcycle demo rides, industry leaders, manufacturer
June 13-14, 2014
displays, vintage car show, attractions, vendors, food and live music. The new
r o t r a l ly. c o m
venue is an expansion of the ROT Biker Rally, held at the Travis County Expo Center, Austin, Texas for the previous 19 years. The ROT Biker Rally Expo
A two-day, family-friendly festival held on the grounds of the Austin American Statesman located near the Congress Avenue bridge, Austin, Texas.
Center is open to wristband holders only and attendees must be 18+ years and up. Dates for 2014 are June 12-15, 2014.
Downtown Austin
ol apit to C
Co lora do Riv er
e enu s Av gres Con
Sidewalk across Congress Ave. bridge
June 13-14, 2014 r o t r a l ly. c o m
Ba rt on
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e enu s Av gres Con
Sp rin gs Rd .
Main Entrance
Staff Parking
Industry Demo Rides Industry Spaces Attractions Food Vendors Bars/Beverages Vendor Spaces Music Stage
YAMAHA
HARLEY
INDIAN/ VICTORY
Vintage Car Show Demo Ride In & Out to Riverside Dr.
Motorcycle Parking Patron Parking
rotrally.com
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2014 Upcoming Shows June 6.7 The Music Ranch Anniversary presented by Zapata Entertainment 6.2 1 Lil Chris Texas Chantmus sic Presents: Solano Records Album Release Party 6.28 Sam and The Robopimps Presents: Summer Breeze 1
July
7.4 Far From Grace/Ace Stone/Fake Fossils/ Water Black/JR Cano and TBA 7.11-12 NATIVE 2014 7.18 Zapata Entertainment Production, lineups TBA 7.19 Sam and The Robopimps Presents: Summer Breeze 2 7.26 Rockstar Magazine’s 1st Annual Show
August
8.9 Country Show, lineups TBA 8.16 Evie’s Birthday Party 8.29-30 Funky Fest, lineups TBA Septmeber 9.12-13 A Blue Morph and Black Bunny Production, lineups TBA
October
10.3-4 TMR Presents The First Annual Rocktober Bruhaha and BBQ Cook Off! 10.10-11 TMR and RAD First Annual Reggae Fest, lineups TBA 10.17-18 WeirdFest 2014 10.24-25 RedNek Olympix Special Guest TBA 10.31-11.1 The Music Ranch First Annual PumpkinMan Fest
November
11.8 Big Lou’s Third Annual BBQ & Jam 11.27 Hippy Thanksgiving
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M The Ranch Heats Up for the Summer T R
The Music Ranch
By Serena Brown
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he heat is on at The Music Ranch. Our staff and volunteers are working feverishly to get ready for TMR to go national next year. Our team is phenomenal right now. We have been truely blessed to have the Staff and Volunteers to help us build this venue. Word has been getting around town about TMR.
The Music Ranch has become something of a local celebrity, even though TMR is still only in development. Our capacity is getting bigger everyday as we clear more area for shows. The Ranch can accomodate any sized audience. We have enough land to hold 10,000 and with our volunteers prepare the grounds for anynumber of people. Our garden is growing steadily and it exploded after all that rain. Everyday we are picking sqaush, corn and arugula. We can always use help weeding. The garden is a sanctuary. Our resident owl likes to keep watch over us while we work. The garden stage is available and ready to be broken in. We’ve got a lot going on this summer. June is our anniversary. On the 6th and 7th we are celebrating our Anniversary with a bang. Gabe Zapata with Zapata Entertainment is hosting The Music Ranch Anniversary Party. In July,TMR is hosting NATIVE on the 11th and 12th. Check out our calander for more events this summer. We are always looking for talented and skilled individuals to make their mark on TMR. Especially those that are self motivated entreprenuers. If you would like to volunteer are be involved at the ground floor with The Music Ranch we would love to talk to you. Like us on facebook and get invites for our shows. For information call G @ 512-574-2767.
Thank you Janie Balderas for being here
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V Elixer Interview J How did you find out about The Music Ranch? Originally I found out about the music ranch through Rockstar magazine, everything I read about that was happening out there I knew it was something I and the band would want to be part of,the atmosphere and the vibe of the people ,just the open friendliness of every one is great.
J What is your genre? Elixirs music would be called Southern Grunge Rock. Elixir is an original music band with a splash of Cover songs thrown in.Elixirs original songs is influenced by Seattle Grunge with a southern rock twist that has a sound of its own.
J Tell me about your band and how they got together. Elixir has been together 14 years. Formed in Rockdale,Tx in February 2000. The band was formed out of a jam session among friends. Since forming the band has recorded 3 cds of original songs,and has played all over Central Texas, and as opened up for many regional & national acts. Just recently in April 2014, Elixir was part of the Hawgs of Texas rally in Columbus,Tx. Elixir looks forward to playing Rockstar Magazine Fest on July 26th @the music ranch. See you there. Check us out at: elixirrocks.com Thanks Gino!! -Jerod Swift/Elixir
Jerod Swift/lead guitar Bob Buchanan/vocals & guitar Ray Mendoza jr/drums Zack Gallop/ bass
Over 80 Acres Corporate Events Concerts n Festivals n Vendor Booths n Private Parties n RV Park n Camping n Hike and Bike Trails n Skate Park by ATX Skate Ramps n Pedicabs n BYOB (No Glass) n Multi-Day Events n 1 stage, 3 stage and multi stages avail. n Camping avail. for SXSW, ARF, ACL, Fun Fun Fun Fest n Dog Park & Day Care n All Friendly Pets Welcome n Multi-Day Events n Southern hospitality in Austin Weird n Musicians and bands Welcome to Rehearse on our Stages Anytime n Blank Canvass for Painters, Sculpters, Carvers and Artists n Disc Golf by Underpar Golf n Paintball by Ken Davis and TAZ n n
Black Smith fromThe Diamonds and Iron show on KOOP.org Radio had this to say when he updated his status the other day.
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Those of you that know me... know it’s all about heart. I support you in everything you do because you’re ****** awesome like that. You do things your way, and if the rest of the World don’t like it... they can go **** off! right? So cheers to You Mother*******! for doin’ things your way... I respect that. I respect the heck outta The Music Ranch too for the same reasons. Their hearts in it and these folks have been supportin’ the Metal scene for longer than you know. Gino and company put a ton of effort into it, and do it right. Where the fuck else can you have a Metal Campout away from all the bullshit & downtown drama? Nowhere! So let’s throw down for their anniversary and show them Austin still has a pulse. Make plans now to celebrate their Anniversary at the Music Ranch. Support. Respect. \xxx/
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