Simon Fairbairn – Aural Antidotes for a Prescribed Life

And so the new site design continues in earnest:

New Website Preview 29th March

As you can see, things have been moved around a bit and I’ve added a sketch of a drummer because, well, all good websites need one – Google, listen up.  This makes the design stage almost complete – all that really remains is to cut it up and put it back together again using CSS and XHTML which is a more of a technical challenge, but still good fun.

In other news, the recordings are still being tweaked. I have a few more vocal tracks to lay down and then there should be three spangly tracks to go along with the spangly new site.

I’ve been working on learning how to play Alive by Pearl Jam, including the solo, which is going well. Eddie Vedder has such a relaxed vocal style that it’s actually really hard to play and sing at the same time, even though the verse chords and rhythms are pretty straightforward. Good fun.

Also today I finished up Karma Police by Radiohead – another great tune with some really interesting changes. The way they use descending bass lines in that song to create this kind of marching forward momentum is just genius.

Finally, I’ve been working out a new song on piano.  It’s got some real nice power to it and I’m hoping I can use it as a base to express how much I absolutely adore singing playing music. Each time I try to write a song about it, though, the words come out kind of trite and lame.  Maybe this time I’ll nail it.

Along with recording, I am working hard on redesigning this site cause, let’s face it, the default Wordpress theme is not the last word in design cleverness.

In that spirit, I present a sneak preview of my new site theme:

A preview of the new site

Of course, it’s very early days but I’m very excited about it.  When I was toying with concepts, I knew that I wanted something that reflected the whole DIY ethos of the new independent music movement. It had to be something sketchy and lo-fi, rough and ready, stuck together out of whatever was around.

As the idea evolved, It became clear that duct tape had to be included. It is easily the most rock and roll of all the stationery.

I’m hoping to have it mostly done by next week, but then I am about the worst person in the world at estimating time frames, so I’m going to say that it’s done when it’s done.

The recordings are still coming along. One track is almost finished and will be posted up here soon. In the meantime, here’s a cake:

Simon's First Cake

This is, in fact, the first cake that I have ever baked.  It’s for my partner’s birthday and has more chocolate in it and on it than is legal.

We are just about to cook pancakes for breakfast, before heading out to Bradford to visit the National Media Museum today to learn about the inner workings of television and film.

Then we will be eating cake.

So, my good friend Dunstan and guitarist from the pioneers of the new Sheffield Sound, GretaNova, came over last weekend and put down some awesome lead lines over what I had done so far.  There is a particularly rocking solo that comes at the end of Big Brother that just takes that song up a whole other level which I am really excited about.

Two solid days of solid playing has solidified the bass and drums into a solid foundation on to which I can layer some lovely guitar and vocal type sounds.