Session Drummer | Studio Drummer | Touring and Worship Drummer for Hire | Dale Baker | Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, NC

Drummer Hunter : Find your next drummer here!

Today I received an email from Todd at Drummer Hunter in Austin, Texas.  He has set up this online site for drummers looking for bands.  It seems like a promising idea and I like it's narrow, niche-like focus.  The concept for the site is sort of like a mash-up of Craigslist, MySpace and E-Harmony. 

Right now, the site looks fairly basic, but it only launched at the first of the year.  But for what the site offers, fancy graphics and crazy ads aren't really necessary and I think would discourage folks from trying out the site. 

Basically, if you're a drummer, you need to post your details here.  If you are a band looking for a drummer, you need to visit the site.  I think in time, this will be the way regional and some national bands will find available drummers.  Of course, if you live in LA, there is one guy out there who hooks all the musicians up with the bands (or so I've been told).  In my humble opinion, this site looks like it could eventually become the online version of this guy in LA.

Here's a blurb from the press release I received today via my inbox:

"Drummer Hunter, launched New Year’s Day, is an online social utility designed specifically to connect drummers with bands, and vice versa. It’s “online-dating” approach is aimed at engaging the overlooked niche of drummers – a niche musician Todd Hansen, creator/founder of Drummer Hunter knows all too well from 15 years of playing and touring as a drummer in the indie-music scene."

and then later...

"Drummer Hunter’s “online-dating” approach allows drummers and bands to create profiles that specify: location, influences, styles, party preferences, practicing/touring availability along with MP3s, videos, myspace / website links all in a searchable database. Plus, each profile receives a public URL. Thus allowing the band or drummer to promote them self outside of the site as well."

Check out Drummer Hunter...I hope to get my profile on there at some point...so be on the lookout for that.

"Thanks Scientology!"

Man, for the sake of Tom Cruise, I hope this writer's strike ends soon. From watching his video, I'm struck by how much he, as an actor, needs a writer to make him look and sound cool.  I just finished watching the Jerry O' Connell video, and then that led me to this one:

Hackintosh

Now that the "Free Mac" deals are few and far between, I stumbled upon this site about creating a Mac computer from off the shelf parts, for $600-800.  It looks like a pretty smoking machine, but I don't know if I'm up for all the work and coding/ hacking stuff, though there is a version where no coding/ hacking is required.  Still, if I get desperate, I might give it a try.  I figure I've got a couple more years of use out of my PC.  Anyway, it might be worth a try.

The first post I found about this was featured over at Lifehacker.  Here is the link to the post, "Build a Hackintosh Mac for under $800."  The author even has a parts list over at Newegg.com.  Here's an excerpt from the post:

"If the high price tag for Apple hardware has kept you from buying a Mac but you're willing to roll up your sleeves and get adventurous, you can build your own "Hackintosh"—a PC that runs a patched version of OS X Leopard.  What?!, you say. Apple's move to Intel processors in 2006 meant that running OS X on non-Apple hardware is possible, and a community hacking project called OSx86 launched with that goal in mind. Since then, OSx86 has covered major ground, making it possible for civilians—like you and me!—to put together their own Hackintosh running Mac OS 10.5."

U2 in 3D

I've got to figure out how to see this in an IMAX theater before it hits the regular theater circuit in February. Everything I've read about this makes it sound like an awesome "event."  Plus, it's probably it's the closest I'll get to seeing U2 live anytime soon.  Here's the widget I downloaded from the u23dmovie.com site.

Snake Charmer and Destiny at the Stroke of Midnight

With a title like that, what do you expect? 

Well you should get ready for a grand opus from Daniel Hart, aka The Physics of Meaning.  I'm listening to a rough mix version of the album I played on a while ago, and according to Perry (who came over for dinner tonight), the mastering of this project should be completed soon.  This album sounds awesome...and I'm listening to it on my tiny MacBook speakers.  It is so cool, I'm really pleased and thankful to have been a part of this project. 

Daniel's violin playing, singing, and guitar antics have never sounded better.  There are a few different drummers on the CD, so it's been fun listening to the other guys and how they interpret Daniel's stuff.  Sonically the record reminds me of some of the old XTC records, and parts of the Frank Zappa catalog.  Anyway, it's exciting to hear this stuff again...I can't wait for the final version!

You can keep up with Daniel via his MySpace page...catch him on tour with John Vanderslice, or with one of the other groups he tours with...

Yay!

Relief!  Now my blog posts will show up when I hit save.  I know it seems like a small thing, but for me it's taken me since Christmas to figure this out. 

Awesome.

Alright, one more time.

I just changed a few things in the "engine room" and so let's hope that fixed it for good!

Apparently not.

Ugh.  Well, that didn't work out like I'd hoped.  Back to the grindstone!

Is it working, now?

Just another quick post to see if I've finally figured out the bugs in my site.  Here's hoping for no error messages when I save this post...fingers crossed...here I go!

Video: Flying into Y2K

Remember all the fuss about Y2K?  Well, it just so happened that the best time my wife and I could find to visit our friends in Europe was over the Christmas - New Year's holiday of Y2K.  My wife was in school, and so a vacation between semesters seemed to work well for us - summer was out because I was touring in Sixpence then and summer was a busy time for us.  So we found ourselves in Dallas, New Year's eve 1999.

The flight had so few people on it, the airline upgraded everyone.  Business Class became First Class.  Coach became Business class.  It was the only time I've ever flown Business Class.  What an awesome treat.  They served us Ice Cream in the middle of the night somewhere over the Atlantic.  I remember fighting off the sleep, because I didn't want to miss the incredible food they were serving us throughout the night.

I remember getting up at one point in the flight and peeking behind the curtains into Coach.  There was no one in coach...all the lights were out and a few flight attendants were sleeping on the empty seats.  It was a little spooky.

It's a blast from the past, but thanks to Ardyn, this memory was preserved for my wife and I to enjoy (and now you too!) 8 years later!

Video: Martin Short Show

This video was taped back in 2000 when Sixpence (with me on Drums) played on The Martin Short talk show. 

I remember the show because the house band was comprised of some awesome LA session players, including one of my favorite drummers of all time:  Will Kennedy.  Will played in the Yellowjackets and was also on some Andy Narell albums I used to listen to back in college.  The band leader was Sheila E's brother, part of the famous Escovedo family of musicians and percussionists (Pete E, played with Santanna, Alejandro E, is a great songwriter/ musician and of course Sheila E is pretty well known, and I'm sure there are more of them...those are the only ones I know of...).   

Also, I remember being back stage before we were about to tape our segment and Martin Short walks by to get to his place on the set, and graciously offered his hand and welcomed us to his show.  I thought that was a wonderful gesture.  He could've totally blown us off, but instead treated us with respect.  Thanks Marty!

Also, many thanks to Ardyn for the video!

Kiss Me with a mouth full of Sun Chips

Currently, you can hear my drumming and percussion on the song "Kiss Me" as part of an ad campaign over at Sun Chips.  As the song vamps in the background, a woman on a beach talks about "living brightly," and asks if you are prepared to take "small steps."  The video is...well...let's just say:  "interesting."  It starts with a beach scene, birds flying, ocean waves crashing and a spokeswoman that looks like my sister saying:

"Here's an idea that's so simple, it'll change your life.  It's called, (pause -look heavenward and smile) "Living Brightly."  Basically it's the power of small steps, the little things you do to make your life (pause, look at the camera) a little better.  For Sun Chips, living brightly means a number of things, like making delicious chips PACKED with Whole Grains - 18 grams in every serving because it's better for you, buying green energy credits, finding ways to harness the sun by (having) solar collectors at our plant in Modesto, California.  Small steps, but steps in the right direction.

For the rest of us, Living Brightly, is about whatever small things you do everyday to make your life a little brighter.  Make time for friends, wear sunscreen (evangelistic fervor building), surprise someone by buying them a cup of coffee, take a scenic detour, just because.  Or Volunteer. 

Once you get started (preach it sistah!), you'll will be amazed at the the kind of things that happen in your life, and the kinds of opportunities that just pop up.  Although the power of small steps, does bring up one small question: are you  prepared to take one?  We can all talk small steps that add up in the long run, steps that can change the world, so come on, (big smile) take the first step.  You'll be amazed at what will happen.  (Hold...look into camera, while smiling - cue John Mark Painter's accordian solo)."

Wow.  I can't begin to say how this affects me...

Frito-Lay, thanks for setting an example for all of us. 

What's next a church, your own Sun Chip religion, special prayers before we eat our Sun Chips?  A Sun Chip rosary?

Fascinating stuff from the world of advertising in this day and age.

Source:  Thanks to The Smart Set, for the tip!

Alright...just checking to see if the changes took effect.

Okay, I just changed some code on my Main Index Template, and now I'm going to see if this post appears when I save and publish it...here goes...

The Meaning of Love

The Meaning of Love (clicking this will take you to ReverbNation to hear the tune)
Artist:  David Finch
Album:  Colors
Studio:  Cross-Eyed Studio
Engineer: Randy Hayes
Vocals/all Guitars/Piano:  David Finch
Drums and Perc:  Dale Baker

Notes:  I played a little Drum n Bass pattern using my Remo Toy Snare that I won as a door prize at some PASIC convention back when I was in college.  I love that little snare, as it sounds like a drum machine snare or something along those lines...You can hear my playing on the whole record as well.  Purchase your copy at this link:  http://kunaki.com/Sales.asp?PID=PX00PAMRFT or at CD Baby.

David Finch: Colors

I played on Dave's newest project a while ago at Cross-Eyed Studio, and it is now out and available for you to gander at and purchase!  There is a great little write up over at Cross-Eyed that had the following nice things to say about me:

"Dale really proved his salt as one of the great studio drummers available in the area. He began by listening to and charting out each track, and then proceeded to knock each one out as though he had weeks to practice!  With tracking wrapped, we exported each track for easy re-integration into the Pro Tools files, and David headed west to spend the next year overdubbing, mixing, and polishing each track."

You can hear one of the songs in it's entirety at ReverbNation, and listen to snippets of the other songs at CD Baby.  You can then purchase the CD over at Kunaki. 

It was fun playing on Dave's stuff.  I got to use my little toy snare to create a little drum and bass beat for "The Meaning of Love" and was able to come up with some drum tracks I'm pretty proud of.  Dave is a great talent and I hope we get to work together again one of these days!