This is just a drive-by boast to say that I'm going to start taking guitar lessons from Richard Lloyd via Skype tomorrow.

Whoa! Who knew that was a thing? How're you doing, Hayden?

Wow! That's awesome, Hayden!

I submitted a song for critique to my songwriting hero, and he started out the response by saying, "Now don't mistake my being blunt for rudeness..." And I was all happy because I was about to get ripped to shreds by this bigshot. I responded to him, "Well, I know you, Rick, so if it didn't sound at least a little rude, I wouldn't believe it was really from you!"

I'm going to start taking guitar lessons from Richard Lloyd via Skype tomorrow.

Suh-weeet!

Hayden - that is totally awesome. I hope you keep us updated!

Thanks, y'all! It's quite exciting!

I'm doing well, David. Been super-busy at work, which is nice after being sidelined with no work for so long. Both of my bands are on hiatus right now related to being old-person bands: in one, the drummer just had hip surgery, which is both funny and kinda horrifying. In the other, the singer/other guitarist (this is Mark Edwards, Jon) has been ill for about six months with damage to his leg and foot. He's been on and off a bunch of medications and hasn't felt well enough to play for months now. I'm hoping he'll turn around soon because this whole ordeal has been very tough on him.

Sorry to hear that about Mark, Hayden. Tell him he's in my thoughts.

Will do, sir, and thanks.

Famous album covers, converted to death-metal versions: [link]

They are poorly done, which adds to their charm. The Satan and Garfunkle ones might be my faves.

OK, this is the freakiest thing I've listened to in ages:

REM's "Losing My Religion" shifted into a major scale

Michael sez, "Someone has gone to the trouble (I don't know how but would suspect using Melodyne DNA or somesuch) of processing REM's minor-scale downer hit 'Losing My Religion' so that all the minor notes are now major. When I followed the link I thought it'd be a cover, but no, it's the original, processed. It's uncanny - the song is just as familiar as always but the impact is utterly different. Kind of like finding a colour print of a film you'd only known in black and white, or seeing Garfield minus Garfield for the first time. I like it."

I like it, but it also makes my brain hurt. It's the weirdest thing--part of my brain thinks it's beautiful while some other part thinks it's an audio abomination.

eta: Major Scaled #3 : The Doors - " Riders On The Rainbow"

For some reason, it made me nauseated? Not figuratively-- it felt the same as looking at those 3-d image things that I can never do.