Ronan Leonard, the creator of this feature, will take the reins for the first edition of it.
A little bit about the writer: Ronan Leonard, makes and performs music under a few aliases, hosts his own gameshow Ringo: Music Bingo; runs open mikes, 3 separate DJ nights, operates a bandroom in the city; is a freelance journalist and makes jokebooks. He is neither famous nor critically acclaimed since 1999.
for more of him/me go to www.corksongs.com
1) Chandrasonic’s guitar tips
As someone who’s known as an acoustic guitar-strumming singer, surprisingly I draw very little inspiration from that field (or is that surprising, do people think about me as much as I expect?). The music of Asian Dub Foundation challenges me and excites me more than a million scrawny middle class white fella singing about their suburban problems and clichéd insight. [a proviso, Scottish men with acoustic guitars seem to transcend my previous statement of disinterest]. Chandrasonic here lays down his almost manifesto for using the guitar. http://www.asiandubfoundation.com/guitartips.html
2) Productivity 501
A shared resources site for many self employed or creative workers; where we flag articles, computer applications or just simple websites. Many are computer related ideas, as well as workspace management to general ways of processing information, ergo all or any things that help towards your own productivity.
3) Found Magazine
A fantastic site where people from all around the world send in found notes, pictures and personal items. The most trivial of human things grounds me when I am having an angst ridden, French Poet style, self-obsessed day. I hosted them on tour last year and will be doing something bigger with them in Ireland in late 2010 (or so is the plan). Join their mailing list if you like, you get a daily dose of simple humanity, for free. How bad. www.foundmagazine.com/
4) TuneSmith: Inside The Art Of Songwriting
As a songwriter, and much importantly a music fan, “The Art Of Songwriting” is my favouritest tome on the subject. Now I understand about a fifth of the book, but it is written by the guy who wrote MacArthur Park, which is the most ambitious pop song that was ever conceived, not to mention released; and his level of understanding of written and recorded music is massive. My music is very removed from his output but this is the musical equivalent of a contemporary artist still needing to know the fact Leonardo Da Vinci existed and what he did. I always find it baffling when people don’t know what they are being alternative to
www.amazon.com/TuneSmith-Inside-Songwriting-Jimmy-Webb/dp/0786884886
5) The Hideout
I think this must be the best Independent Venue (by that I mean non-government funded and not owned, wholly or in part, by a major corporate structure) in the world. But much more than it’s independence, I am constantly tickled by their imaginative and brave bookings and in-house events, thing like Block Parties; touring artists doing three-day residencies supporting a headline act every night: nights with titles like “Chicago Metaphysical Circus”, “Immediate Sound Series” and “Hideout Dance Party” etc. They seem to question convention just like I like to think I do. On that note, when people ask me where I get my ‘crazy ideas’ (I would know for having creative and outside the box ideas and solutions to problems), and I am amazed cos there’s plenty of people like me out there in the world; we’re not that renowned though.
