Blue Collar

No one can deny the coolabilty of Bachman Turner Overdrive. I find their version of this song to be the topmost entry in the BTO catalog of cool. My version is a melodica, a ukulele, and a TV-voice filter. Not quite as cool as the original.

- Mark Otis

Music and Lyrics Copyright 2009 Mark Allen Johnson

Destination Popcorn, Confuscious

Composed in April 2006. A bit of something to fast dance to, but in a mild and slow manner.

An Tan A Soup

A bit of electronica I composed late last year with some wonderful software called "Live". I was thinking about bugs when I made this, and still do when I listen to it.

I hope this makes you think about bugs, too. But only in a sweet, snuggly way.

Post at last

The past few weeks have been fraught-n-filled with activity: new school for our first grade son (he loves it and is progressing just fine, just fine), work madness with more crazies and an' plenty to do (not cursing that, tho'), and the wonderful, first-ever San Francisco Ukulele Festival. We attended this fine fete with only a smidgeon of an idea as to what we should expect, until we heard that Uke Master Jake Shimabukuro was showing up to play for free at the tail end of it all. He had performed the night before to a paying crowd at the Herbst Theatre, but extended his stay in SF to pass on some good ukulele vibes for free. And this in the middle of a tour of Japan. Extremely Nice fellow. Awesome ukulele player. We purchased his latest CD, shook his hand, and he signed my ukulele.

Our other favorites at the festival were The Frisky Frolics, and Tippy Canoe and her Paddlemen.

I am now throwing up on my blog some old stuff that I recorded in various formats over the last few years.

The following roughly-recorded lump of something is originally from Steely Dan. Their version shines much brighter than mine, but I still love playing this one (over and over and over again). I recorded this in March of 2006, in not too pleasant recording conditions, it seems.

Give me some of that ol' ELO (and you keep quiet, Alvin)

This one is a late B-day uke-out to my older brother, as it was his fine taste in musica that helped develop my fine taste (not that any of that carries through to this blog. The special things are kept very secret, aren't they?).

Some fun ala' ELO and those rascally, singing cousins of Chip and Dale.