LFTI Lives!

Hello!

...Wait ...what?! What's this? A post from beyond the grave?! It's the ghost of LFTI!!!!

Don't freak out. There's no such thing as ghosts. And even if there were, we're not dead. In fact, we've just finished re-releasing ALL of Life from the Inside on the new My Damn Channel Comedy Network!

LFTI is now full and uncut!

We even created a new YouTube Channel for it: http://www.youtube.com/user/LFTIseries



As it was initially intended to be all those years ago in 2006 when we shot the show BEFORE really doing any research about distribution. Turns out, YouTube (which was brand spankin' new at the time) had some policy about videos only being about 10 minutes long. They were also presented in 4x3 aspect ratio, like a 1950s television set. So, we used to have to letterbox all of our anamorphic videos before posting them. And there was a ridiculously low file size limit as well, which meant that bitrates needed to be tiny too. Low resolution!

If that last paragraph has you confused, good. You're probably a much happier person for having no idea what all that useless crap means.

Needless to say, the early uploads of LFTI (especially on YouTube) look horrible. I'm pretty sure they're going to use them in ophthalmological schools as examples of what it's like to have degenerative eyesight disease.

So, they needed to be fixed. And they "have been." Why quotes? Well, because nothing's perfect when dealing with technology. So, I'm sure they'll be "fixed" again sometime in the future. I assure you it's our never-ending dedication to the show that drives us, and not the fact that we have nothing better to do than recompress LFTI videos every few years.

Yup.

There's another reason that I'm writing this blog post however. Slowly but surely, I've been "updating" the LFTI website. So, I've been going back through these old blogger posts and tagging them accordingly in order to better integrate them with their corresponding episodes.

So, if you haven't been here in a while (like me), why not poke around a little and reacquaint yourself with the good old days!

That's what I've been doing.

And, if you're looking for some kind of KATR Pictures fix (that's us), go to our website and see what we've been up to since Life from the Inside!

katrpictures.com

It was nice talking to you again!

ROBB

Vampire Zombie Werewolf

Hey there, LFTI fans!

I'm taking the time to post a little something on this blog because I just realized that there may be a few of you out there who rely on this RSS feed to get all your KATR Pictures News.

Well, we've got a brand new show!

It's called Vampire Zombie Werewolf, and you can see it here:

vampirezombiewerewolf.com

Have no fear, we haven't forgotten about LFTI. there are some interesting LFTI-related things in the works. But for the time being, we're busy trying to get VZW out there (and it's a full-time job, trust me).

Take a look at the trailer. And check out our new show! We're pretty proud of it :)

For Your Consideration

Original music from our show Life from the Inside!



Streamy Consideration by robbpadgett

Want to learn more about (most of) this music? Read all the music posts on this blog:

http://blogfromtheinside.blogspot.com/search/label/Music

As always, thanks so much for your support! We really appreciate it.

ROBB

We're Stuck in the 80s

You can tell we're stuck in the 80s by that song posted there, just above this sentence. If you haven’t started playing it yet, maybe you should. It’s the perfect accompaniment to this blog post! Isn’t that strangely coincidental?

Wow.

Kismet.

It’s New Music Wednesday!

Okay, so if you’ve been reading this blog regularly (and if you are the person who reads this blog regularly, I just want to say “Hi, mom. Don’t worry, other people will care about this stuff someday. I know… I know, mom! Don’t say that, mom… They can’t possibly all just be jealous… Okay. I love you too.”) you’ll know that I’ve taken “great” pains to come up with original 80s music for our last episode. And some of it has been more successful than others.

This, I think, is one of the more successful attempts.

It’s a tune called “Stuck in the 80s.” It’s funny, when we conceived episode 8, the 80s were but a quaint memory. A novelty. Little did we know that just a few short months later the 80s would come roaring back. Most notably in fashion. In fact, every time I see a skateboarding kid wearing tight, tapered jeans and spiky hair, I just want to grab him and shout, “we tried that! It didn’t work. We’ve lived in regret ever since. Don’t make the same mistakes we did. Oh, and teal is never a good color.” But they wouldn’t listen. They’ll chalk it up to “experimantation.” But we’ll know the truth. It’s misguided rebellion. And it’ll ruin every photo they take for the next year-and-a-half.

…kids…

So, Stuck in the 80s was my attempt to write a song in the style of Oingo Boingo. I never really listened to Oingo Boingo when I was a kid. I wasn’t really into New Wave music. Actually, I wasn’t really into anything contemporary. When other people were listening to Cyndi Lauper and Madonna, I was listening to Glenn Miller and New York Voices (Yes, I was a strange kid, and yes, my jazz tastes have matured since then. I was pretty into Duran, Duran and Hall and Oates if that helps? It doesn’t, does it?). But, I do have a great appreciation for bands like Oingo Boingo. They were just a little too hip for my young ears.

Anyway, I had a good time writing and recording this song. I had a good time writing all of the songs for episode 8. I can’t wait for our next episode. I think I’ll keep this soundtrack thing going. But who knows? Episode 9 is really long. There may not be enough time for a lot of music. Plus, it’s not really a genre piece. Though there might some need for early 2000s music… hmmm… I’ll let you know.

ROBB

By the way, if you’re dying to put this song in context, you can hear it during Episode 8, Part 3! Why not go here and see for yourself! In fact, why not just watch the entire episode over again?!

Why not indeed.

Also, this song has been posted to the Life from the Inside Facebook Page! We would love it if you went there and became a fan. Loooove it. Not on Facebook? Well, why not? It’s fun. It’s free. It’s face-y.

The Slip

Reason has given me the slip. At least it did about a month and a half ago when I wrote the lyrics for the tune that I’m about to share with you.

Tune? Did someone say “tune?!” Yes. I did. Haven’t you been paying attention? No? You’re looking at that graphic there on the right, aren’t you? It is pretty swell. You’ll get to see a lot more of it in the future. But that’s a topic for another post.

Today it’s New Music Wednesday!

The only reason to get out of bed in the middle of the week when you really think about it.

Anyway, today’s offering is in the classic 80s style. In case you don’t remember, in the 80s there was strange fascination with the 50s. I blame the movie Grease. Even though it came out in ’78. That’s close to the 80s. And things took longer to catch on back then. Yeah, sure. Why not.

But some of the most famous 50s/80s musical crossbreeding was accomplished by the new wave band The Cars. They were unmistakably planted firmly in the 80s new wave scene, but there was a lot of 50s throwback in their style. Especially in Ric Okasec’s vocals.

I’ve always liked The Cars. When I think of the 80s, The Cars invariably come to mind. That’s why they were a shoo-in to be emulated on the LFTI Episode 8 soundtrack.

Now, I’m not sure exactly how well I actually emulated them. I wasn’t really going for a sound-alike or anything. I was mainly going for their essence. Plus, they’re very talented musicians and I’m just one dude with half of their talent (on a good day).

The lyrics were something that came as I was composing the song, though they weren’t finished until after the episode aired. This didn’t matter too much since the version in the episode is instrumental. Like 80s musak. In case you’re curious, you can hear it in Part 4 after the “time-elapse” montage (around “Universal Truth #37”).

But now you can hear the lyrics here! They’re fascinating. I had a lyrical theme for all of the music in this episode. Since the episode is about a cult and brainwashing and such, all of the songs have something to do with mind-control or subservience or group think (albeit, sometimes very tenuously).

So, without further ado, I give you The Slip!




Pretty slippery.

You can also hear this song on the LFTI Facebook Page! Why not go there and become a fan if you haven’t already? Sure. It’ll be fun!

LFTI Facebook Page

Now I’m off to get some very important design work done. What am I designing? Well, it’s for LFTI…

And it’s a secret.

Ooooooohhhhhh!

ROBB


Fun Fact: If you listen closely just before the vocals start in The Slip, you can hear my Blackberry go off. It sounds like a baseball hitting a metal fencepost (at least that’s what it sounds like to me since, during my little league days, most of my hits went foul. Straight behind me). Or, if you will, it sounds like a metal chime. A little “dong.” Maybe that’s a poor choice of words. And hurtful to some. I guess the real question is “why the heck didn’t I edit it out?!” The answer: because I didn’t know it was there until after I mastered the tune. And now I kind of like it anyway.

Let’s Get Violent

And effeminate?

Sure. Why not? When I was younger, I, like most red-blooded American kids of my time, was a fan of the early 80s, folk-punk stylings of the Violent Femmes.

Of course, like most red-blooded American kids of my time, I wasn’t a fan until around 1991 or so…

But the important thing is that some of the Violent Femmes most influential and popular music was created in the early 80s. And even if it didn’t enter the general American zeitgeist until a decade later, it’s a moot point here.

Authenticity is my only concern. And thus it was when I set about creating the soundtrack for LFTI Episode 8.

But, hold on, why am I talking about the soundtrack from LFTI Episode 8? Because it’s…

…say it with me…

New Music Wednesday!

I’ll wait for the applause to die down.

Done? Good. For this soundtrack I was trying to span across a few different early 80s music genres. I never quite got around to full on pop music (though I do have a discarded Huey Lewis-type song. And, no, I can’t post it because I never actually finished it. There’s a distinct possibility that it’ll appear in a more contemporary fashion in LFTI Episode 9. We’ll see.).

And I wanted something that sounded contemporary without destroying the “integrity” of what I was trying to do with the soundtrack. The Violent Femmes fit that bill nicely. I’ve always been impressed with how ahead of their time they were. It’s an obvious solid decade at least. They gained popularity in grunge era even though they created their music in the punk era (yeah, okay, “potato, potato”). When you hear a Violent Femmes song you think of the 90’s (unless you’re an OG). Like how when you look at the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and say, “man, how 70s!” And then the more enlightened people around you point and snicker and belch out, “you mean, how 1910s and 20s, ignoramus! Ha ha ha! What a dolt!”

Assholes.

Anyway, being a Violent Femmes fan and caring more for historical accuracy than verisimilitude, I decided to add a Violent Femmes-y song. Of course, you don’t really hear the song too well in the episode. And that’s just fine. I’ll post it here instead. That way, instead of being heard by thousands, it can be fully enjoyed by tens. That makes you, as a person which I just know is about to listen to the song, super-duper special.

So, this the point of the post where I would direct you to our Facebook page to hear the song. Well, screw that. I’m posting it here today too! How’s that for “added value?!” Of course, I’ll still direct you to the LFTIU Facebook page so that you can become a fan and such.

LFTI Facebook Page

Now, listen to the song! (and marvel at a new music hosting site that I’m trying out. The sound quality is a bit lower, but it’s definitely stylish!)


Oh, yeah. Maybe I should mention the lyrics? It’s about co-opting the whimsy of youth to sell the truly materialistic world of adulthood blah, blah, blah…

I know! I’m no Violent Femmes! I could never write “Body and beats. I stain my sheets. I don’t even know why.”


And here’s the tune from last week. You can read all about it here.



And don’t forget to check back here for the next New Music Wednesday! Of course, it seems like it’s nothing but New Music Wednesday around here. That’s because Tanya and Steve broke all their blogging fingers.

Pray for their speedy recovery.

ROBB

Oh, snap! Yes I just called Steve and Tanya out on this blog.

I Need My Brain Washed

Because it’s dirty.

And very soon you’ll need your ears washed because it’s New Music Wednesday!

Today’s musical selection takes us on a journey. A journey back in time. All the way back to LFTI Episode 8. Remember that? It seems like it was only a few weeks ago.

It’ll also take us on a journey through the Internet. Because this New Music Wednesday is taking place exclusively on our LFTI Facebook page!

LFTI Facebook Page

Don’t worry; you don’t need to be a “fan” of the show to hear the music. Just scroll down the page and you’ll see the Music Player on the left. The new song is at the bottom of the list (but while you’re there it wouldn’t hurt if you became a “fan.” Just sayin’.)

Maybe I should tell you a little about the tune?

Sure.

It’s called “Brainwashed.” The goal here was to write a “radio” song that would fit in with the theme of Episode 8. One that had some 80s influences, but was a modern song. What came out was an 80s punk/00s pop/alternative fusion thing. A catchy little tune. But not so intrusive that it couldn’t be used as background music. It was always my intention to put it under the scene of Jennifer and Lou racing to rescue Ashleigh. So… I did (you can hear it in LFTI Episode 8 (Part 3 of 4).

It was one of the first songs I wrote for this episode. It was the second song I recorded for it.

And it’ll be the first Episode 8 song posted to the internet! There are 5 more. I went a little crazy with the music for Episode 8. But it was fun. So there.

Head on over to the LFTI Facebook page and give it a listen!

LFTI Facebook Page

And also don’t worry if you don’t want to support Facebook’s attempts to take over the world. The song will be posted here next week! You can give it a listen then!

Don’t forget that another New Music Wednesday will be coming next week (along with this particular song… I hope this doesn’t get confusing)!

Stay bitchin’!

ROBB

ALSO Nice write-ups at The Comics Waiting Room and ShockYa.com. Thanks!

Dizzy LFTI

I know, we’re always a little dizzy, but in this case it’s more than the general disorientation that we’re known (some may say “loved"?) for.

I refer, of course, to a particular piece of “music” that I arranged for the latest episode of LFTI (haven’t seen Episode 8 yet?! Watch it! But be warned, it may be addictive).

It’s “New” Music Wednesday! Hooray!

For those of you who love us enough to have watched the episode already (see that? I’ve always found that guilt can be a great marketing tool. After all, it got me to empty a lot of garbage cans in my day, and make a ton of phone calls. I never realized until now that my mom must’ve been working for both the phone company and the sanitation department!), you’ll know that in the episode, Mason becomes enamored of an iPhone and various applications contained thereon.

One of those applications is a game that he plays while having a conversation with Guy. I’m not quite sure I can mention which game that is here. Needless to say the game contains a lot of dizzy bees.

But we couldn’t use the music from the game (there really isn’t any to speak of while playing). That’s a licensing nightmare that is best avoided. So, I figured that the best bet was to create some original “video game” music. And seeing as how the episode dealt with the early 80s, I felt that the video game music should have a retro flavor. But it should also tie into our show in a subtle way.

Well, I ditched the “subtle” part and went straight for this:

Do you recognize the tune? No?! And you call yourself a fan?! …oh… you don’t. Well, fair enough.

Anyway, here is the song in its original form:

The LFTI theme!

Man, this thing has gone through more permutations than Madonna. It’s had more lives than Shirley MacLaine. Can I get my point across with any more hackneyed old jokes?

Nope. I’m even too lazy today to think of bad jokes.

Oh, wait! It’s been rearranged more times than Lindsay Lohan’s sexual orientation.

Oh, snap! I’m cappin’ on the Lohan!

That’s right, the LFTI Theme. And, incidentally, according to IMDb, Shirley Maclaine was known as “the girl with big red curls and weak ankles.” And she loves horses.

Nicknames were more specific back then. I was known as “that fat kid.”

I’m pretty indifferent about horses really.

So, there you have it. A glimpse behind the scenes of LFTI’s music (and Shirley MacLaine’s childhood). Be sure to watch Episode 8! And don’t forget, if you have an iTunes account, we would love it if you went there and rated us and wrote a little review! Also, if you’re on YouTube and haven’t already, why not subscribe to us? That would be fun! Become a fan on Facebook! Really, it would be swell if you did.

PLUS I’m going to release the music exclusively on our Facebook page first! And I like to think that some of this music is pretty cool.

Thanks again to iTunes for featuring us again this week!

ROBB

Reverse Engineered

Okay, so it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything on this blog. Let’s just acknowledge it and move on shall we?

Good… wait. Don’t look at me like that. Fine. Whatever. Let’s just pretend that we can be adult about this then. Does that work? Pretending to be an adult is easy. I do it every day.

Yeah, so, this post is going to be a short one. Sorry. I’m still trying to finish up some Episode 8 music believe it or not (those of you in post-production won’t find it hard to believe).

But I wanted to take a break from LFTI music to talk a little about… well… LFTI music.

That’s correct! Gird your loins, it’s another New Music Wednesday!

And this isn’t one of those lame ones where I talk and talk about what “inspired” me to write a certain tune or nonsensical crap like that (forget I said that last sentence the next time I post a New Music Wednesday). No, this one will be “informative” for “real.”

In Episode 8 (watch the episode), Mason (me) complains that his own successful jingle is driving him crazy. Since Kate (Mason’s old agent, wherever she is) has sold his new jingle through Mason’s backward nemesis Dixon it has been reversed and perverted from Mason’s original “progressive” masterpiece. Thus, whenever it plays on TV (which is a lot) Mason is tortured with reminders of his own inadequacies (ooops, sorry, getting nonsensical again).

But the question remains, what did Mason’s original jingle sound like anyway?

As it turns out, if you’ve seen the episode, you’ll already know the answer to that question. Hmmm?! Yup! It’s the first music cue coming out of the opening title. It’s been jazzed up a little bit (or maybe Dixon “jazzed it down?” It’s actually “Latin-y.”), but it’s the Pawn Pete Jingle backwards alright.

And now you can hear it here:

Jazzy!

And, just for comparison, take a listen to the Pawn Pete Jingle:

Pawny!

Alright. So there you have it! Don’t forget to watch Episode 8. Rate, comment, subscribe!

Oh, and if you have an iTunes account, we would really appreciate it if you rate us and write us a little review (or just rate if you’re internet shy).

Don’t make me bribe you!!!

Thanks to Eric and Blip.tv. Thanks to Jessica at Sevenload. Thanks to Alex at Revver. And thanks to all the wonderful YouTube people who have left us such nice comments. We’ve missed you!

ROBB

Too Dark?

Hey, as I promised…2 weeks ago, it’s time for another special installment of “Really Old Music Wednesday!”

In this chapter, we look at yet another song that I had written, recorded and subsequently discarded for LFTI Episode 1: The Mason Menace.

I should probably preface this by saying that a lot of factors go into choosing music for our episodes… wait, let me correct that. A lot of factors used to go into choosing music for our episodes. Especially the pilot episode.

One thing we were very conscious of was “tone.” We tried to be careful to set the right feel for LFTI. It was the first episode after all, and if you’re not at least careful on the first episode, well, then why are you doing a show anyway?

Nowadays, the music selection process is a bit different. Back in the Episode 1 days, specialty music was…special. Now I tend to write fun music just for the hell of it. Which makes for a lot more variety and fun (and also a lot more recording). But in the early days I wrote a bunch of “sitcom” music. Stings, intros, outtros, etc… all with a similar melodic and harmonic structure, though differing in styles. The plan was to use this music in every episode. That’s why the first and second episodes (which were released at the same time) have the same music. Needless to say, I got bored with that so we started adding more and more music starting in Episode 3.

Anyway, back to this particular tune. It’s called “In The Dark.” At least that’s what I named the file and since I don’t feel like changing it now, that’s the title (deal with it). Again, this song was recorded before I got the new computer and software, so it had a “rough demo” sound to it. But it’s somehow appropriate. It was also written before we actually shot the show (I think. Before it was edited anyway.). And we discarded it because it just didn’t seem to have the right “tone.” It was a bit too raw sounding. A little dark. Very “indie artsy.” Anyway, that was the feeling at the time. Let me know if you disagree, I’d be interested to know if you felt the music we used was a better choice that either of the alternate tunes that we rejected. The other tune is here.

So, without further ado here’s me doing my best “Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen’s Love Child” impression with “In The Dark.”

Yeah, so… that’s that I guess.

It’s quite the contrast from the tune that I’m working on right now. I’d love to give you a preview, but I’m not going to upload part of an unfinished song. Plus, I’d like it to be a surprise!

But I do want to give you a sneak peek. So, for all you piano players out there…




Have fun!

Episode 8 is coming soon!

ROBB

Old Music Wednesday

¡Hola!

It’s that time again. It’s time for New Music Wednesday!

One small problem though. I have no “new” music to share with you. I will have new music soon, don’t you worry. After Episode 8 is released, I’ll have lots of it! And it’ll be “cool” new music too. Alas, until then you shall have to resign yourself to some old music.

But I’m even running out of that! I was thinking “hey, I could post Dream Girl! It’s a cute song about a man’s love for a puppet that appears to him in his sleep. The LFTI fans might like that!”

And they might.

But I already posted that song. And, really, no one listened to it. But it’s still a good song (IMHO).

Then I thought, “maybe I should post that tune I wrote for Guy’s Boot Camp in Episode 7?! That’s a fun tune.”

Already did that.

“The piano music from the LFTI short Pairing?”

Done did that too.

“Hmmm… I have to beat Steve's last post though! It was cool and behind-the-scenesy and chock-a-block with factadactadilloes! Perhaps it’s time for me to really dig deep into the LFTI archives?”

And that’s what I did. Today I present the first song ever written specifically for an LFTI episode and actually used in an episode. (I wrote “Fine Print” the LFTI Theme earlier, but that was non-specific.) And here it is, a song I titled “Tongue Tied” mashed together with the jingle for Brenda’s Bridal Boutique:

Why don’t I separate those two songs and let you hear the full version of “Tongue Tied” you ask?

Well, because there is no full version of “Tongue Tied.” That’s all I wrote. I wrote it to sound like a full song that gets interrupted by that stupid jingle, but in reality, it was always meant to be that way. It made it easier to combine the two.

If I had written this recently, I would have written an entire song. In fact, someday I may go back and finish a full version of “Tongue Tied.” But who knows? Who has the time for that stuff? I have new music to write!

Okay, it’s a little known fact that the song you just heard, the song we used in the first episode of LFTI isn’t the original song written for that episode. I wrote another song to be used instead. But, ultimately I think I felt that it was a little too… sappy? I don’t know. It just wasn’t right. It was a full song. And that was probably one of the issues I had with it. I couldn’t combine it as easily with the Bridal jingle.

This original song is more about how Mason feels about Jennifer and I wanted to write something that was more about how Mason feels about not being able to talk to Jennifer, his situation and so on. That’s why I went with the one we went with.

But the original song isn’t bad. So, I thought I’d share it with you here! (It’s actually been on the long-neglected LFTI MySpace page forever, but no one ever goes there… including us.) So, without further ado, the unused LFTI tune “I’d Go”:

These songs do have that certain “demo” feel to them, but that’s because they are so old. I wrote and recorded them before we had even shot an episode (if I remember right). I made them on my old PC. Things have been upgraded substantially here at LFTI HQ since then. I love my Mac. I love Apple Computers. Oh, so much. Some might say too much? Nah.

And that’s it! Another Wednesday, another tune.

But I did promise some more sneak peeks of Episode 8, didn’t I? Okay, you win, here are a few more (I already gave you one without your knowledge, because I’m sneaky like that). You might find these sneak peeks handy.







Ha, ha! Get it?! “Handy?!”

Oh my god, I think I’m funny!

ROBB

Happy New Year!

Hope you had a great holiday season and New Year. It’s always hard getting back into the swing of things after the break. Time to take down the holiday decorations and get back to work.

Of course, just like when I was in college and used to leave my Christmas tree up until it started to turn to dust, the LFTI Holiday video will probably stay on the front page until July. You know, because we run a classy establishment here. Plus, one never knows how to get rid of Holiday videos, I mean are you supposed to recycle them? Drag them to the local park to be fed into a wood-chipper? Or can you just leave them on the sidewalk and let the garbage truck deal with it…? It’s a hassle, really. So, the front page it is, I suppose.

No, I’m kidding, that won’t happen. And how do I know? Because LFTI Episode 8 will be up way before then!

That’s right! You heard correctly. LFTI Episode 8 is being edited right now as we speak. And if things go well (cross your fingers) it’ll be online before you know it!

I think the biggest challenge will be the music. I have a few “ambitious” ideas. Nothing overly complicated as far as concept goes, but not the usual LFTI fare. Although, the observant viewer would probably note that LFTI hasn’t really had a “consistent overarching musical identity” lately. Which is fine with me, to tell the truth. It’s more fun this way.

Plus if this show had a more homogenized musical distinctiveness, it would be a different show altogether.

Speaking of… let’s talk about the future. What can you expect to see from LFTI Episode 8?

Would you like a sneak peek?

Hmmm?

I can’t hear you.

…really. Don’t talk to the screen. You look crazy.

Here are a few screen grabs from the scenes I’ve been editing:


That’s right! I’ve given away Ashleigh’s outfit for the episode!! I’m crazy! But what pants is she wearing?! Wait and you'll see. (Note: if you're British and "pants" means something different to you, then I wouldn't get too excited. I didn't mean it that way... Though if it'll get you to watch...)



Mason is holding something, Lou looks ashamed. Hmm… from such things great dramas spring.



What’s this?! Interesting…




But where’s Guy? Why have I not uploaded a picture of Guy?!

Because I hate him. That’s why.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this look into the future. Check back here often because I will be updating the sneak peeks as I edit! It’ll be fun!

In the meantime, why not go and check out the brad spanking new LFTI Facebook page!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Life-from-the-Inside/52459049881

Become a fan! It would be rad, sweet, bitchin’ and awesome to the max, like totally!

ROBB

Happy Holidays!

It’s that time of the year again. It’s the Holiday Season! Whoop-dee-doop and dickory dock, don’t forget to hang up your sock…

Sorry, I’ve been listening to a lot of Christmas music lately so random lyrics will pop into my head at the slightest provocation. And I’m very familiar with Christmas music. Honestly, I can listen to it all year long. Does that make me a freak? Perhaps. But that’s neither here nor there.

The reason we’ve gathered here today is to celebrate the holidays LFTI-style! So let’s get to it.

First, since it’s not on lifefromtheinside.com yet, I thought that I would post the latest LFTI Holiday Video Greeting here in the blog! Pick a present from under the tree, pour a glass of eggnog, shove a candy cane in your mouth, make a snowball, hang some mistletoe (if you can find it, seriously they don’t sell that stuff anywhere this year! Just because it’s poisonous for pets?! So is Drain-O, but I haven’t seen them pull that from the shelves…) light a fire (safely in the fireplace), split a yule log, trim the tree, hang garland, deck halls and get ready to get into the holiday mood with LFTI!




And now that you’re of a generous spirit…BAM! I’m gonna hit you with New Music Wednesday!

And what, you may ask, is the melodious offering this week? Why it’s the soundtrack to the LFTI Holiday video of course!

So, here it is, the less-compressed version of You Could Teach Santa (a thing or two):

UPDATE: The embed doesn't seem to be working. You can hear the song here:

You Could Teach Santa (a thing or two)

As you can see, it has hit about 98 in the Holiday Music category over at OurStage.com. Believe it or not, it has jumped from 170-something overnight. So that’s good. It only has 6 views as of this morning. So, if you want, feel free to play it everyday until Christmas. That might help the standings. Of course, you can also go to OurStage, create a profile and partake in the arduous judging process too, voting for this song all along the way (really, judging over there is no joke. It’s quite the process). But just playing it is fine too.

A little history about this song:

A few years ago, two Christmases in a row in fact, Tanya and I made Christmas albums for our families for presents. For the first album we recorded 10 original songs and for the second album we recorded 11 original songs. It was quite the undertaking (I had a lot more free time back then).

This song was on the first album and was written for my mother who really could teach Santa a thing or two about generosity, love and, as of last night, how to give his oldest son grief about his new Blackberry.

Now, so that you don’t feel cheated about receiving a “recycled” song, I painstakingly re-recorded this tune for the LFTI video. I mean painstakingly. The original was recorded on a smaller scale. In fact, I recorded it on my old computer with sample software (only 4 tracks) and the little plastic computer mic that came with it.

Oh, you know what, here it is, for the first time on the internet, the orginial version of You Could Teach Santa a Thing or Two:

Here is the link (embed not working)

You Could Teach Santa a Thing or Two (Original Version)

Have a Happy Holiday Season!

The New Year will bring all sorts of interesting stuff!

ROBB

Something's Coming!

Two somethings to be more accurate.

Robb here. I just thought I'd make a quick post to 1) apologize for neglecting the blog a little recently. And 2) explain why this poor blog has been so neglected.

It's because we hate it.

I'm kidding. There have been big doin's here at LFTI Headquarters. BIG doin's! I figured you might like a sneak peek at what's in store in the near future.

If you don't want a sneak peek of what's coming in the near future then look away from your computer monitor now (I'll tell you when it's safe to look again).

Check this out!





What are those?!

I don't know, but we have a LOT of them!

And, I didn't run this by Steve and Tanya (so don't tell them that I showed you this). But I thought you might also like to see something else that you have to look farward to.

This:





I really don't know what the hell THAT is. It looks like a cow examining a gingerbread house to me. But my eyesight is terrible. Seriously. I need to get Lasik. But I saw Tanya get hers done, and I tell you, watching someone peel the skin off another person's eyeball is enough to put you off the process.

Anyway, there's a sneak peek for you. Aren't you excited?!

I'll just assume that you are.

ROBB

Oh, and you can look at your computer monitor again.

Hello?

YOU CAN LOOK AT...

...Oh, forget it.

Triple Threat

Hugh Jackman is People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive.” What does that have to do with LFTI?

Nothing. It’s just that I don’t have any music or a crazy behind-the-scenes story to post and it’s my day to write on the blog.

Although I suppose it’s further proof that the people at People don’t watch our show. It’s yet another year than neither Steve or myself have even been nominated. (Okay, Steve I can understand but why not me?! Is it because that person on YouTube called me fat?!)

Anyway, there I was, watching the Today Show, minding my own business and wondering if Ann Curry was going to survive her altitude sickness (she’s on Mt. Kilimanjaro you know…it’s this big thing…), when suddenly, from the computorial area (another veiled reference to Episode 8) Tanya let out a brain-melting shriek.

All right, that’s not true. Tanya doesn’t “shriek.” And my brain is made of nearly unmeltable Tungsten. I was just trying to be dramatic. Tanya shows her frustration in a simpler way. It’s more of a steady pecking. Incessant. Constant. Pecking…

But that’s neither here nor there. Let’s move on while I still have a place to live.

The reason that Tanya was annoyed with People Magazine (online edition) is that the story about Hugh Jackman started with this sentence:

“He’s a triple threat: a star who can sing, dance and wield a weapon.”

Obviously, you can see her issue.

If you can’t, then chances are that you’re not a theatre actor (and if you don’t spell “theatre” the way I just did, chances are even greater that you’re not a theatre actor …or British).

Here’s the problem. A “Triple Threat” is an entertainer who can sing, dance and act.

That’s right. “Act.” You see, the term was coined back in the day when “acting” was a “skill” and people were called “actors” because they could “act,” because they “trained” and took their craft “seriously.” They weren’t called “actors” simply because they happen to be standing on a “stage” or in front of a “camera.”

Sorry, I went a little crazy with the quotes there. But that’s how much it annoys me too. My indigence spilled out to “innocent” words.

See, this isn’t just a problem that is confined to People Magazine. Lately it seems everyone is using the term incorrectly. I think it was Access Hollywood that referred to Brandy as a Triple Threat because she can sing, act and design clothes.

What!?

Maybe I shouldn’t be upset. At least they included “acting.” But this term actually has some meaning to those of us who know its true definition. To say that Brandy is a Triple Threat because she can design clothes cheapens us all. Most of all Brandy.

Brandy may well be a true Triple Threat. I don’t know how well she dances (I pay about as much attention to Brandy as she pays to me).

The same goes for Hugh Jackman!

“Wielding weapons” has nothing to do with it! Sure, it’s an impressive skill, but it’s not part of the “big three.” It’s something that an actor puts down in the “Special Skills” section of their resume. Right next to “can drive a stick shift car.”

I mean, if we start using the term Triple Threat all willy-nilly then who’s to say what skills constitute a Triple Threat? What can be included? Playing the saxophone? Cooking eggs? Stealing husbands? Tying cherry stems into a knot with your tongue?

I’m sure some people would love for those to be qualifiers. Angelina Jolie, I’m looking at you.

I would love to be a triple threat. I can cook eggs and play the saxophone (not at the same time…though I’ve never tried…hmmm…). Sadly, I don’t think those qualifications should count. I’ll have to settle for being a “Double Threat.” Although it could be argued that being good at two things isn’t that “threatening.” I think my official status is Actor/Singer who can “move well” (that’s code for “too fat to dance properly”).

And if “Triple Threat” continues to be thrown around without regard to its original definition then why the hell stop at “Triple?” I’m sure that Hugh and Brandy have other talents that they would like to have considered when others generalize their abilities. They’re snappy dressers. Quadruple Threat! They’re rich. Quintuple Threat (as well as a threat to the proletariat)! They seem like they might be tender lovers. Sextuple Threat!

Stupid.

My point is…

What’s my point? Oh yeah. My Point is that it’s Wednesday and I’ve posted.

ROBB (“Milluple Threat.” And, yes, I’m including my ability to create a motion-tracked vignette in Final Cut Studio’s “Color” program. So there.)


Don’t forget to watch LFTI! Where all the actors are at least “Single Threats.”

Steve is good with fonts.

Goin’ Nuts

Peanuts that is.

It’s time for another “New Music Wednesday!” This week I’ve got something that I’m pretty proud of.

If you’ve watched LFTI you probably already figured out that I (and Tanya and Steve, and Kathy when she was producing) like to create little “homages” to other works and styles (and if you don’t watch LFTI then what are you doing reading this?! Go watch!). Most of the time they’re not very specific, but in last year’s Halloween special and this year’s Thanksgiving special the tributes to Charles Shultz’s Peanuts are pretty obvious.

For “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Mason” I did a little Vince Guaraldi-esque theme and incidental music (and there was a tick-or-treater wearing a Charlie Brown ghost costume). We also created a “wall scene” at the end with cutout images from the short.

This year there were plans for another wall scene. But I wasn’t happy with the quality of the cutouts. They just weren’t right. So I got the idea to Peanuts-ize the cast. I think it was fairly successful. Especially since I was really rushed. In fact, in order for it not to turn out a total shambles, we pushed back the launch of the Thanksgiving short by a day.

The music was again a very important element and one that I looked forward to doing. Of course, once I actually started writing the music I had second thoughts. This kind of thing always seems so breezy, but I have to tell you, it’s incredibly stressful. Anyone who has ever stared at a blank page or lump of clay or white canvas or jeans that don’t fit anymore will know what I’m talking about (that last one may just be me). There’s the excitement of achievement mixed with an almost overwhelming despair that the result won’t meet your own expectations.

Incidentally, I think that initial feeling of despair is the reason that most people don’t do things of an artistic nature. It’s a high hurdle. In fact, in my opinion, it’s the only hurdle. How many times have you heard people say “I can’t draw (or whatever)! Nothing that I do ends up looking (sounding…) like it ‘should’!” What those people don’t realize is that almost everyone has the same thought. Even great artists (I’m not including myself here). The only difference is that they went ahead and did it anyway (and then, in some cases, tortured themselves for not living up to their own impossible standards).

Okay, so the music: Luckily, I was able to get over the early speed bumps and get the music done. It always helps to have a deadline.

This is pretty much the same type of deal as the music for ITGP,M. Only this tune is more upbeat. I once again incorporated a portion of the LFTI theme Fine Print. This time I used the bridge of that tune for the “b” section (or chorus, if you will) of this one. Now I think that I have culled all of Fine Print, so I don’t know what will happen when I write another special! I cross that bridge when I come to it I guess.

I’ll do another side-by-side comparison for you and you can hear for yourself. If you know the LFTI Theme then you may recognize what I mean. It’s the section that goes “They never told you the catch, some restrictions come attached…” You can hear a repeated and transposed cycle of that basic melody in the middle of this song.

So, without further ado, New Music Wednesday, Life from the Inside and I are proud to present the theme song from Thanks for Nothing, Mason, aptly titled…Thanks for Nothing, Mason.

Fine Print:

And also for your listening pleasure, here is the theme from It’s the Great Pumpkin, Mason:

As always, check back here for other exciting blog posts and new music!

Just so you know, I only yesterday received a new recording interface and it pretty much kicks ass. So the music quality will only go up (at least the recording quality, I can’t vouch for the content)! In fact I predict that the music for Episode 8 will rock. Some may even say it’s bodacious, bitchin’ and/or rad.

Stay tuned…

ROBB

Thanks for Nothing, Mason

Now if your name is Mason, that headline could seem like an out-of-the-blue insult. Rest assured, it’s not.

It’s the title of out latest Holiday Special!

That’s right! Last year’s Halloween Special, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Mason, went so well that we decided to do another, similarly themed, short this year.

Personally, I love these little holiday specials. They’re a lot of fun for me. I especially enjoy the music. It’s a good excuse for me to get my “Vince Guaraldi” on. Not that I need a good excuse, it’s more like I need motivation. And there’s nothing like a looming deadline to actually get me to do it.

So, I hope you enjoy our latest video.

And I hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Don’t forget to vote today!

ROBB

Answer: This Post

Question: What’s a striptease without the strip, Alex?

You see that? I started this post all Jeopardy-like. I was just feeling a little like game show host Alex Trebek. You know…Canadian. I feel a sudden urge to speak only in answers…and québécois, eh.

Before we begin, let me just take this opportunity to speak out about something that has actually bothered me for quite some time: The “answers” on Jeopardy.

For those who don’t know, Jeopardy gives a series of answers to which the contestants must respond with the correct “question.” Example: Answer: “Americans drink its milk more than any other animal.” Question: “What is a cow?”

Seems pretty straightforward to me. But most of the question/answers aren’t that simple, and for good reason; the show would be incredibly lame. Also the show wouldn’t be a rallying point for the country’s intellectually snobified.

Oh, you think I’m being too hard on Jeopardy-watchers, eh? Well, let’s deconstruct the show a little and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

If I were to ask you, “what is Dublin?” You’d probably answer, “It’s the capital of Ireland.” Then I’d ask, “Why is Ireland the richest country in the world?” You’d look at me expectedly and I’d continue, “Because it’s capital (capitol) is always Dublin!” And we’d laugh! Oh what a time we’d have! Being real.

Now ask a snobby Jeopardy-watcher “what is Dublin?” They’d say something like “in the early 70s, U.S. airplanes were granted landing rights in this city northeast of Shannon.”

And all reasonable people just slowly shake their heads at the pomposity. What kind of answer is that? I didn’t ask about landing rights or geographical proximity to other large population hubs. “What is Dublin?” It’s a simple question.

“What is horseracing?”

“In 1974, of Baseball, Football and Horseracing, it’s the one that drew the largest live attendance in the United States.”

Hmmmm….

Now tell me that Jeopardy-watchers aren’t a bunch of academic show-offs!

Anyway, I can’t sit here indulging my own sense of outrage forever, I have editing to do! Which brings me to the point of this post, to tease the next LFTI video! Yeah!

So here it is:




Teasy!

I finished the music yesterday and I’ve been torturing the cast and crew with it since. You’ll also have the opportunity to be tortured, two weeks from today on New Music Wednesday!

Can’t wait can you?

ROBB

New Music Wednesday

That’s right, you heard the headline correctly. It’s “New Music Wednesday” here at the LFTI blog!

Thank you! You’re too kind. No, please. Take your seat. Thank you. Thank you.

Okay, are you done celebrating yet?

No?

…

Now I’m starting to feel as if your overzealous adulation is just patronizing. But if you assure me it’s not…

All right, now lets get to the music! But, if I might, I’d like to elucidate on today’s musical offering in the most pretentious way possible.

Might I?

Yes, I might.

Today’s selection comes from the “hit” LFTI Short “Appreciation.” The official title is “Los Angeles Variations on Appreciation.” The name of which I have just this second christened it as a purely pretentious irony, noting that the musical theme does not actually vary during the piece.

Please take a second to start the playback, and then read the following critical analysis as intellectual accompaniment to this musical experience:

Los Angeles Variations on Appreciation: A Study.

A lone clave marks time, preamble to a subtly nuanced piece that makes use of traditional as well as non-traditional instruments. The formality of the string instruments and heartiness of the brass contradict the ukulele, vocalized “la-las” and whistling, serving as a commentary on the duplicity of Los Angeles itself.

The steady, relentless repetitive rhythm, bass and heavy horns lay a solid foundation for the more whimsical melody, invoking the monotony of LA city life that underscores the dreamlike flights of fancy of its inhabitants. Pizzicato strings rise to great heights only to do so again – with the same ending note – only four beats later, maintaining an almost cruel equilibrium. All of which is played up even more in the return to the “A” section where the plucked strings are counterpointed by falling trumpets repeating the low brass.

This ebb and flow leads to the dreamlike “B” section with virtually no perceptible build whatsoever. The melody of the chorus floats lightly above the already-established underscore before being awaken by the simple piano montuno from the opening and returning to the more familiar theme of the “A” section.

Copious use of glissando harp evokes the mystical namesakes of Los Angeles as the entire piece deconstructs to its inevitable end.

…And you have probably stopped reading this by now, haven’t you?

I don’t blame you. Did you at least listen to the tune? I hope so. I had a lot of fun working on it.

And thus concludes “New Music Wednesday.” Tune in next time when Spiderman says *mwahm*.

ROBB

(I apologize for those of you who are foreign fans and did now watch the Electric Company. That last sentence probably made no sense whatsoever.)

What Wine Goes Best With Piano?

A better question for this post might be, “what piano goes best with wine?” But I thought that was a confusing headline. That’s why I didn’t use it. In retrospect, it seems that I probably made the wrong decision. But I’m determined to keep looking ahead and leave the past where it belongs. We just can’t keep living in the past.

Speaking of not living in the past, have you seen our last video? It’s called “Pairing.” It went up the Monday before last and, with the economic crises and all, is just as relevant today as it was then.

Exactly the same amount of relevance. Guaranteed!

As you, loyal reader, have already surmised, it’s the Wednesday one week after the Monday on which a video hit the internet (not convoluted, trust me, it just seems like that to you because you don’t really understand my system) and that means the it’s “New Music Wednesday!”

Hey, I like that. “New Music Wednesday.” Makes me feel like a DJ at a fancy FM station! Look for the LFTI wet tee-shirt contest coming soon, and don’t forget that the 13,653rd caller will receive tickets to a private “online only” viewing party of all 7 episodes of LFTI as well as the shorts and specials! It’ll be taking place over at YouTube or Blip.tv or Sevenload.com and will be held at the winner’s discretion, all you need to enter is a computer and about 3.5 hours of free time (note: the cast and crew of LFTI are not obligated to participate)!

Anyway, let’s get to the music.

As you know, I struggled with this one quite a bit. I wanted fancy-schmancy piano music. New York style. Citified. Like all people who drink wine.

One problem: I’m not a fancy-schmancy piano player. Not even close. So what you’re about to hear required a lot of effort and some editorial magic.

So crack open a bottle of your favorite Petit Syrah and enjoy the theme from Pairing (I guess I just answered the question from the headline. Petit Syrah goes with piano. It’s not just for beets anymore!).

I’ve just finished the music for the next video and I have to say that I’m pretty happy with it. Now I just have to do justice to the end credits that I have planned!

Especially since Tanya just tweeted about how great they’re going to be. Thanks, Tanya. No pressure now!

ROBB

Left out of LFTI tweets? Why not follow us? It’s fun and free. And you won’t look like such a jerk.

Oops, I shouldn’t have said that. But it’s done now. Forget the past.

Onward to the FUTURE!


**Oh, one more thing. The Distractionation Bossa has reached #28 on the Latin charts over at OurStage.com! Sweet! It’s an all user vote system, so I have to be happy with that! Sign up and vote if you’d like to help out.