Podcast Troubadour

Carnival of Space-The Musical!

2007-09-25T07:03:00.000-04:00

On 9/27/07 the traveling "Carnival of Space" will be pitching tent at www.wanderingspace.net. I've made 3 pieces especially for the carnival. The first two have been combined with a little expositionary dialogue to make a radio drama we'll call "Carnival of Space-The Intro." Play it in the embedded player below, why don't cha?

If I get around to it or if I have any requests I'll be putting up the two musical parts separately for folks to also use as they please in podcasts, film, blogs, etc. I also made a funky lil' space jam we'll call "Carnival of Space-Funky Fresh" because that's what it is. Dig it in that funky embedded player below.

To some folks "Space music" is a sort of sub-genre of ambient music (for more see Wikipedia "Space Music)." I'm not sure how many sub-genres should be made of ambient music, which is fairly minimalistic with not a lot happening, but I do like some of this stuff. And it is fun to make. Back when I was first discovering the joys of listening to podcasts and when I used to operate a machine on a factory floor I discovered and enjoyed a particular space music podcast made by a groovy dude in the Netherlands. Here's a link to his latest website :http://spacemusic.nl/Podcast.html

Some people like to have this type of thing just playing in the background as they relax, meditate, enter data in spread sheets, make sweet sweet space love, or launch into actual outer space. Of course space music also serves a purpose in space films, whether they be fictional of non-fiction.

I've made a bunch of music I think people could describe as space music. Below are a few examples. You may need to "allow pop-ups" to play these songs, and you might want to open the player in another window or tab. As always these songs are available for free through Soundclick.

Science Nature Space 23

Space Music Boot Strap 2nd Draft

Gonna Be Swell

Hillbillyspace

Openended

Space Age Theme

Undertow

Oh yeah, if you want to hear some more music you can go to my website PodcastTroubadour.com where I've got most of my recent and not so recent stuff. A wide range of music that could be described as Funky, Quirky, Ambient, Pretty, Silly, Soundtrack, Instrumental, and stuff I've made for specific purposes like podcasters. You'll see below I've recently been having some luck and fun making songs for the Tom Green Show, but if you go back to the older posts you'll see I've made music for a bunch of different podcasters.

New Video for "Shiny Shiny Tin Foil"

2007-09-15T14:23:00.000-04:00

Tom Green in Shiny Shiny Tin Foil

This is a video I made using clips from the Tom Green show, The song is by me. If you vote for it, I think it actually counts at "Funny or Die", which blows my mind. I'd like to make another video with clips from Tom Green Show viewers, and maybe this will inspire folks to film some cool tin foil shenanigans.

I'm thinking marchers, runners, swimmers, skiers, skaters, bikers, bartenders in tin foil. Tin Foil people working at McDonalds. Tin Foil army in the night with shiny lights on them. Tin foil people on the streets. Mothers yelling at their fully grown children not to wear tin foil (acting please). Etc Etc. If you make clips to include in the viewers video leave a comment here and include how I can get your video.

Year of the Mustache - The YouTube Video

2007-09-12T14:21:00.000-04:00

Tom made this video of the song I made for the show. He made the video live during his show. My wife Michelle and I edited the video and put it up on Youtube. Tom sorta told me to. So here it is. For all the national internets to enjoy.

So now that we know how to edit video and post video we'll soon make a new video for another song I made for the show, "Shiny Shiny Tin Foil." Anyone with Tin Foil footage, please leave a comment below or email me at JeffShields@PodcastTroubadour.com.

Also, If anyone would like the MP3 of the song you can also email at JeffShields@PodcastTroubadour.com and I'll send you a copy.

Completely Different Tin Foil Song

2007-09-01T14:13:00.000-04:00

Deputy Alsoknownas made a video using my first tin foil song. I think the video is pretty dang cool but I thought I could do better in the music department. This morning I made a better tin foil song called "Shiny Shiny Tin Foil"

"Shiny Shiny Tin Foil"
You can click on the Player to hear the song. I hope he can use the new song. Anyone is welcome to use the song in video. You can download it from Soundclick for free.

It has been a very exciting and happy week for me. It's very inspiring to make music that I'm pretty sure someone will hear. It was super cool having Tom be nice to me on Skype and seeing him play the heck out of my "Year of the Mustache" song. I woke this morning farting around making a slower acousticky version of "Year of the Mustache." Anybody got any extra lyrical suggestions?

Year or the Mustache song getting played

2007-08-31T14:04:00.001-04:00

Wowsers. Tom Green is having some fun with the song I made on his show and he has said he likes the song. It's a little mind blowing. I'm going to make some more music this weekend. It's very encouraging to be heard.

The Song - "Year of the Mustache"

Anybody looking for more of my weirdness can go to www.podcasttroubadour.com and listen to the Grodzki songs and the songs I made for Podcasters. Other than my outright goofy music, a lot of my music is instrumental(no vocals) that might work behind video.

I did not get enough sleep last night. I stayed up to Skype into the Tom Green show. Last night I played music that no one but my wife, Michelle, heard. The playing music that no one but Michelle heard is no different from many a night here at our house, only this time I thought I was making music live that people were hearing. I don't know if the Skype crapped out, the mic levels were wrong on my Skype computer, or if someone at the Tom Green Show heard my awful noodling and turned the rotten level down on that racket. When Tom asked me "what happened to the music?" I didn't understand what he was asking. At the time I was thinking maybe he thought my music playing was not so good but today after playing some of the show back I hear that I could not be heard.

It's probably better to not be heard, than to be heard and considered lousy. At least in the case were maybe hundreds of thousands of folks possibly listening is concerned. That's why I like recording music at home on my computer, because I can record over and over again till I get it acceptable.

Could someone make a comment.

I'm used to making music that almost no one hears. It's still fun. But writing something like someone is actually going to read it but not knowing if anyone is going to read it feels a little nutty. I know at least one person read this blog. Say hi to me, one person, please. This way I feel a little less loopy writing this.

Crazy people with company may not be much less crazy but at least they don't feel as crazy. I think that's partially what the Tom Green Show is about. Something about crazy people keeping company with crazy people. It's a beautiful thing man.

I wonder how much I should be concerned about my lack of sleep?

Tin Foil - the first song

2007-08-29T13:52:00.000-04:00

I made this song right before Tom Green's Tin Foil Show. Interstingly enough he used my mustache song instead. I made it after a long day of work and I made it quickly. It sounds like it.

One new song, One Remix

2007-08-26T13:49:00.000-04:00

I made a quick little ditty of a song today that might work nicely as background to some fun video goodness. Members of the Tom Green freeky deeky video making crew are more than legally welcome to use the tunage.
The song's name is Quirky and you can click on the name of the song and a pop up player should let you hear it, although you need to sign up for Soundclick to download the song.

I also uploaded a heavier remix of Year of the Mustache which might suit some video makers needs nicely.

09-05-07 I've now made the "remix" the main mix, which means folks looking for the the song will be hearing the "remix" not the original. The original levels were sorta low and I think Tom played the "remix". I hate the idea of people being forced to play with the volume on their computer just to hear the song so I've made the louder mix the mix. I think this is the best thing to do for all of us concerned.

Use my music, it's cool by Tom

2007-08-26T13:45:00.000-04:00

Here's an email I sent to Tom Green and his response
As a member of the Tom Green fan club I recently got an email from Victor who was giving a bunch of useful tips on how to make and submit a video for your show. Included in the list of steps to follow was "4. Don't use any music, I know it might seem like it'll make the video better, but you'll have a better chance of having Tom pick your video if you don't put any music in it.".
While you were on holiday I started a deputy blog http://tomgreen.com/blogs/podcasttroubadour in the hopes that someone might like to use my songs and music in a video for your show. I wrote a song "Year of the Mustache" and another song "Positivity Tom Green" and I figured they might go well with video shenanigans. So what's your policy/preference/inclination/fear of litigation regarding music in videos? Am I barking up the wrong tree asking strangers to collaborate with me in an effort to make something for the show?

Sent by Podcast Troubadour, North Carolina

okay, put music in... but only if you made the music yourself. how about that. That's cool.
Tom Green

Here's another song

2007-08-22T13:43:00.000-04:00

I made this song and someone should make a video to go with it. Positivity Tom Green is the name of the song and you should click on the link to play the song.

Anbody listen to my Song, "Year of the Mustache"?

2007-08-20T13:42:00.000-04:00

In my previous post, I provided a link to my song, "Year of the Mustache", but I don't know how anyone would find my blog here. If someone has the means and inclination to make a video with my song I also failed to tell them that it is available at Soundclick for download (or I could email it to them). But of course if no one hears the song or wanders to this blog...

I made a song "Year of the Mustache"

2007-08-19T13:40:00.000-04:00

Link to my song The Year of the Mustache
Somebody make a video please.

Lay the Funk Down.

2007-07-13T22:05:00.000-04:00

I made a new song today, Oh boy. Not finished but nothing ever is.
Lay the Funk Down 24

Podcast Troubadour visits The Tom Green Live Show

2007-07-07T15:21:00.001-04:00

I have neglected blogging for a long long time. That is because I find blogging boring to do, and I have reason to believe that very few people end up reading this. BUT if one were to google "Podcast Troubadour" you get this blog, and I just visited the Tom Green Live show last night and on the off chance that someone were to google my name and find this site, I figure I better say something. First off, if you want to hear my music got to PodcastTroubadour.com.

I've been watching Tom Green's show lately and I really appreciate what he's doing. Most of the time the show is an hour or more long with some guest. When his guests are funny, engaging, or interesting, the show can be pretty fun and interesting. Most talk shows only allow for a small smidgen (7 minutes or so) of host/guest interaction, and a lot of times the guest is obliged to deliver some semi-canned "story" or entertaining snippet. There isn't time for guest to be any realistic version of themselves or anything other than an "entertainer." Tom Green's show allows for plenty of time for guests to be something other than a quick delivery mechanism for cleverness. If the guests are cool (which happens often enough) and Tom and the guest get into a talking groove, the show can be more like hanging out with the people on the show, and less like the abundant shiny commercial fare the networks generally offer. I think that's pretty cool.

The flip side of this format is that sometimes the guest can be pretty boring to me, and in that case, you've got an long hour stuck with someone you really rather not hang with. Another innovative aspect of Tom's show is that he does allow for lots of viewer call ins. Tom is trying to run a weird new "democratic" show with lots of viewer input, and while the goal is noble and one I really appreciate, the democratic process as lived out on a live web show can be messy, ugly, and sometimes, worst of all, boring. Sometimes callers can ask cool questions and truly contribute to the show, while other times, Tom answering calls left and right can disrupt the groovy fun flow of the show. And then there are the prank callers who sometimes call in frustrating numbers and with rarely humorous or even comprehensible pranks.

Anyways, I dig what Tom is doing and how he is trying to do it. It seems like the show really is like a new wave pirate radio station. Even though Tom is eager for sponsorship, the show does feel very free, independent, and non-commercial. Oh yeah, and I think Tom is funny. The song at the end of this bit below is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. I understand other folks might just find it stupid, and if this clip isn't funny to you, you may not enjoy Tom's show. You know what they say "One man's funny is another man's indication that Armageddon is nigh".

I hope I get the chance to make some fun stuff (prerecorded) for Tom to use on his show. That's why I called into his show. Rock'n Leonard Mills (who is reputed to be an alter ego of Tom Green) was hosting the show the night I called in. And although, through the powers of Skype, we did jam live for the free national webovision, unfortunately Mr. Leonard Mills may not have been in his best form. He may have been hindered perhaps from an overly enthusiastic effort to imbibe fluids which, when consumed in excess, have the potential to be something less than hilarious. Although I suspect our brief performance may have been amusing, the show taken as a whole may be considered by some to something less than flattering and not as funny as intended. With that in mind the show may not end up being posted on the TomGreen.com site. In which case, if you weren't lucky enough to see me on the show live, you may just have to take my word for it.

If Tom posts any clips of the show I'll add a link to the video.

Oh yeah, I hammered out two quick little ditties on July 4th for Tom.
Tom Green Lounge Theme
To Mc Tom Green

The Podcast Troubadour Is For The Peeps

2006-07-24T19:16:00.000-04:00

I would like to make some music for Podcasters to use. I'm even open to making unique music on request for Podcasters to be used as intros to a show, or intros for segments within a show. A few months ago I came across a post at Top of the Pods from a dude named Jude, who was planning to start his own podcast. I emailed him and offered to make some music for his show. I believe the podcast is to be called "The Mighty Frogcast" and the focus of the show is something about old style video games, including the likes of Frogger. Jude, a 14 year old residing somewhere in England, wanted springy fun video gamey music. I knew I had some fun old bloops and bleeps in my sound library, and in an unusually productive week, after work, I knocked out 5 songs to possibley be used for his show (and now anyone else is welcome to them). I was quite pleased with a few of them. I was very lazy in the naming of the songs but all 5 songs linked below are really quite different from each other.

Frogger1
Frogger2
Frogger3
Frogger4
Frogger5

or...
in Jude, the podcaster's words,

"One day, i was sitting at my pc, listening to top of the pods, and i decided, hey, why dont i do a podcast of my own. At the moment that the thought left my head, somehow, a button beeped in the jeff cave, a Jeff, podcast troubadour leapt into action. He found my blog and asked if i wanted some music done for it. Surprised at the promptness of this, i agreed to let jeff do me some music."

I gave him the idea of what i would like ( beeps and mario style noises), and he set off to do that, and within a few days, i had the first one, that brings us on to :

Frogger1: Mostly comprised of the old game style bleeps and bloops, with some underlying piano/keyboard as the song moves further along. Quite upbeet and fast, although toward the end, the backing begins to drop away, the way it finishes, it can easily be put onto a loop or just left as it is.

Frogger2: With some more beeps in there, this time, the other instruments are more noticable in there. Some stringed instruments of variation, possibly a guitar. (i dont know my stringed instruments as well as i should). The clash of different instrumnets behind the front beet creates an interesting effect, finishing with a lone instrumnet of some description.

Frogger4: I dont know if i got a number threee, i dont think i did. Not as fast as the others, thye beeps and bloops are deeper, with a more echoing, haunting effect behind them. I can pick up quite a number off different sound effects in there, giving a very interesting sound to the whiole thing. Into the last few minutes, the backing drops away, leaving a lone rythm to carry on.

Frogger5: the beep sounds, quite a lot different to be honest, but i have found this best for the larger areas of speach. I slightly less stand out than the others, which makes it slightly better for the longer speach areas. As with the others, towards the end it becomes quieter, with just one instrument left."

Space Music Hosted by TC

2006-05-31T17:59:00.000-04:00

I suspect Space Music is not for every type of listener, but I really enjoy the minimal mellow music with occasional grooves that this show plays and promotes. I also especially appreciate the host of Space Music, TC. He is a most enthuisiastic host, with a very fun accent, who goes to great lengths to put on a super groovy show. I submitted a "real" song I called "Space Music Boot Strap", and I was very pleased to hear TC incorporate my ambient song within his show Space Music #54 Pandora's Box. I like to make mellow funky music and I've posted a lot of that type of stuff I've previously made at Soundclick under my name, Jeff Shields. If you're looking for some groovy atmosperic music to use in the background of a Podcast, a Film, or a Yoga Class it may be that I, Jeff Shields, The Podcast Troubadour, can hook you up. If I haven't made what you need already perhaps all you need do is ask, and The Podcast Troubadour might just be at your service.

My Own Creation Myth (With Explicit Links)

2006-05-23T17:21:00.000-04:00

Everyone is always asking me, "Jeff Shields, Podcast Troubadour, how did you get the crazy name, daddy oh, it's like so far out, man." And I'm like," dude, that's a super long crazy story, and like, I totally don't know where to start, man." And then they're like "totally, like, dude, man, like fill me in on, like, the whole groovy, thing," and I'm like, "don't harsh my natural hip mellow with all your super reporter inquistivosity... man...dude..." and then I'm like adding, "tomorrow, man, when I've drank a cup of the Cheetah pooh coffee, like then, I'll so super tell you, man, and you'll like totally have your mind like so totally blown more than even like William Hurt in Altered States, and then they're always like, "Like I never saw that movie, but man, I totally dig William Hurt, he's was so cool in that movie, "Contact," and then I have to correct them, "you mean John, one needs to carefully differentiate among the many Hurts including Mississippi John Hurt." And then they're like "I'm so completely ultra out of that sweeet Cheetah pooh coffee, but I've got some bark I could roast up." Inevitabley the conversation quickly dwindles at this point, and the next day I leave town hoping the truth never catches up to me.

Days, Weeks, Months pass. Eventually I'm arrested in one humorous mixup or another. I'm forced to call whomever I haven't imposed upon too much as of late. In repayment for posting bail I'll frequently reward my reluctant savior with what I think is a great tale. And on those occasions I attempt to the best of my ability to unravel the deep, rich tapestry that has been miraculously woven into a strange story, the story of the creation of The Podcast Troubadour.

In my most serious sexy deep voice I begin.

I make music. I have for a long time. I have made music with many a good friend (you know who you are and I fear I've lost most readers already so I'm going to cut the details for the moment), and a few nincompoops (the nincompoops rarely know that they are, and are unfortunate in having already lost the amigos who would have told them that they were in fact acting like a total nincompoops) along the way. Everybody grew up, more or less. I haven't.
Still making music. 22 years ago I mooched my first 4 track tape recorder from the richest kid on the block, and then I begged another from a kid who actually worked to pay for one, and eventually having out-borrowed my welcome, I bought one. In the last six years I gradually got hip to the whole digital cornucopia available, bought some gear, bought some more gear, learned how to use some gear, recorded music, made more music, gave away music, and then made some more music.

For awhile now I figured the internet was where it's at, Skee Bob Ba Loo Bob Bam!
I thought,"man someday I'm gonna get on a train and get on that internet thing."

Last year the terrific wife, Michelle, and I went on this super groovy group honeymoon trip led by one of my best friends, Stevey Boy Wonder Katz and his shiny new wife, Edeline. After Steve and Edeline's wedding all of their freaky relatives and buddies were invited on a far out trip out west. One of those buddies of Steve's was a one Thomas Romer traveling with his luvley wife Mary Alice. This guy Tom claims to be some kinda wunderkind graphic artist and a Co-creater/Co-Owner/Co-Director of an ultra cool Graphic Design Firm, The Chopping Block.
I know this jerky from way back to the sullen days of high school, and the two of us get along just super great 'cept for a few scuffles and the punch up at Steve's wedding. Well Mr. Successful sees I'm a desperate type of guy and generously offers me the opportunity to contribute to this super top secret side project he's working on. The side project has yet to be unleashed upon the world, but I got one of them there high speed connections, and as per Tom's orders I did make a mother trucking boat load of songs for the #1 site on the internet, Grodzki.com.

If you don't know who Grodzki is, I'm almost at a complete loss for where to start, but let us just say as an opener that he's the guy to ask, any question, any question at all. I think Tom is like at the fourth or sixth of level of consciousness attainment status at the Grodzki Center, and he's somehow deeply involved in their outreach/mindcontrol unit. At some point after my sending Tom the 15th or 16th song for Grodzki.com (many of which are available at the mildly profane Grodzki site) he mentioned that podcasting was where it was at, skee deedle dee zoo bam. Even the reclusive Grodzki Center is planning on producing a podcast in the near future, according to their 100 year Golden Dragon Itinerary.

I decided I'd make some music for some podcasts, any podcast that would have me. Tom told me I needed a name. A ceremony was held at an undisclosed location, and voila, The Podcast Troubadour was born.

Podcast Troubadour Totally Rocks the Podcast, "No One's Listening."

2006-05-03T17:50:00.000-04:00

"No One's Listening," a podcast devoted to the noble cause of making media criticism and media literacy hip and groovy, played my mega-rock hit theme song Rock'n No One's Listening on their most recent show, Media Archives 2.06 Part 3. I'm afraid the song was so rock'n to the extreme, they may never be able to play it again, but at least I, the Podcast Troubadour, can say "I once visited a podcast that on other occasions interveiwed the likes of Noam Chomsky, Lawrence Lessig, Jimmy Wales, and Ben Fong-Torres."

Someday perhaps "No One's Listening" will also use my other submission to their show, "Let's Talk to Frank," an intro to my favorite recurring bit where the host, Irene Mcgee, talks to her depressed old lime colored Imac. Until then I can't say when the Podcast Troubadour will be heard again on the internet ether, for the the troubadour is at a loss for whom might be a hospitable host for his humble humming and musical meanderings. Along the roads of Podcastdom, there are the established castles of media mainstreamia, the decripit sod huts of unlistenablia, and on occasion the rare pleasant, relevant, entertaining, welcoming homestead podcasts run by intelligent and and independent folks. Okay I've beaten this metaphor till it's a silly horse. Ta ta.

The Troubadour Visits "Top Of The Pods"

2006-04-08T20:07:00.000-04:00

Soon after becoming hip to the podcast scene I learned that podcasters are supposed to use podsafe music in their broadcasts. My wife, Michelle, turned me on to this wacky lil' British show called Top of the Pods. It is, as the anouncer in intro to the show always reminds me every time I listen to the show, "one of the best produced independent podcasts around." I think they have a fairly similar sense of humor to mine, and they had made frequent requests for listeners to send in audio recordings of themselves saying hi to the show. I figured, "here are some dudes with a good sense of humor, who are crafty and creative in the use of audio snippets, and who are asking for outsider input. Perhaps I can make something useful for them."

I made two songs initially for them one weekend, Funk Top of The Pods and Countrified for Top of The Pods. They played Funk Top of The Pods on their epidsode "top ten things i would do if i could pause time." You can also hear them calling me, and me sounding completely baffled and dumbfounded by the time delay, the fancy shmancy Skype thingy I'd never used, and that fact that I was talking two guys (pronounced gays (listen to the show to understand) from England who are real regular podcast celebrities.

After talking with them I also made this "Please Stand By," recording which I hope they'll someday find a use for.

And I recorded this odd hello from me to them. All of this was shortly before I had decided to don the monicker, "Podcast Troubadour."

So far I have been unable to convince these humorous lads that they should use all of these fandiddlytastic recordings and that they should take me up on my offering of mad musical skillz, for I, the podcast troubadour, only wish to please my lords and entertain them and their kingdom, as troubadours are wont to do. But readers, privy to the weirding ways of the blog, just as ye may travel to and fro visiting strange webby lands, I too have not ceased my journey since this humble beginning. There are tales made since that I have yet to tell, and I will have further travels that may prove more fruity and magestic in the telling. For now I conclude this modern tale and ask you to return to my abode another day, for by then I will come up with something else silly to say.

Introducing the Legendary Yet Unfamiliar Podcast Troubadour

2006-04-02T08:33:00.000-04:00

I am the Podcast Troubadour Koo Koo Ca Chew.
Yesterday, instead of mowing the lawn, I made a ditty to be used by Mugglecast, which is a Harry Potter podcast. The goal was something that evoked the sound and feeling of the Harry Potter music without treading into the territory of copyright infringement. I've been told the internet is the wild wild west of the present. I still would rather not get a knock from the knuckle of Johnny Law as my six gun is rusty and I've sworn off violence. I am only a humble ham farmer now raising up these hocks as best a former sociopathic gunslinger can. Them hams don't need no six gun, just feed, antibiotics, and a lil' gin now and again.

The song I made at the cost of an unmowed lawn, Techno Mugglecast, is probably not as wacky or fun as Mugglecast wanted, but they have many show segments so I'm hoping they might find a use for this background/intro music.

Last week I made my first song, 5 Minute Mugglecast News, for those zany mugglecasters and the news segment of their show. I'm very pleased with this number and I think it will be a big hit with the kids of today with their harpsichord fetishes and fondness for ye olde timey news broadcasts.