Celtic Rock CD Nears Completion

Well, after a year of gathering music and finally listening to it to find out what I want to add, I'm almost done with The Secret World of Celtic Rock, a compilation celtic music CD benefitting The Celtic Cultural Center of Texas.

Right now, I've bands like Black 47, The Elders, The Electrics, The Rogues, Fathom, Heather Dale, and well, many others. There's just a couple more tracks and the graphics that I'm trying to finish up with before it's all done, but it looks like the CD will be packed with a good 15+ artists.


Buy CD: The Secret World of Celtic Rock

Not Enough Renaissance Festival Music?

Who says there's not enough Renaissance Festival music out there?

Okay, I'll admit that it's not the easiest stuff to find online. So I'm compiling a list of Renaissance Festival music that's available on CDBaby.

CDBaby is a great website. Small commissions which allows musicians to make the most from their CD sales. And of course, a good shopping cart is the best thing out there for selling more CDs online.

Any case, if you're looking for Renaissance Festival music, start at the Renaissance Festival Music CD store.

Oh! And if I missed anyone, let me know.

Gmini 400 and Canon Powershot Combo

Man! I just back from traveling through Europe and realized one of the most brilliant digital photography combos ever.

Before Christmas, I bought an Archos Gmini 400. This new Audio/Video "jukebox" is being billed as the competition for the iPod. I'm sorry to say to Apple. There's No Competition. The Gmini 400 kicks the iPod's ass!

Not only does it play music (more specifically ANY MP3 or WMA file), but it also plays videos, games, and I think you can even cook your dinner with it...

Okay maybe you can make Chicken Cacciatore, but it does allow you to transfer photos from your flash card! That means, you can take an UNLIMITED NUMBER OF PHOTOS with your digital camera. My Canon Powershot S30's batteries were dying before my Archos Gmini 400.

I was a total photography fiend in Europe. I quickly filled up a flash card, transferred the pictures to my Archos Gmini 400, and started taking more pictures.

I remember my friend Tiziano tell me, "Oh, don't take a picture here. There are better pictures to come." I couldn't help but giggle wickedly as I explained I can take a ZILLION PICTURES!

I wrote a full Archos Gmini 400 review here, but I don't think I really realized the potential I had when I decided to combine it with my Canon Powershot S30.

The only thing I need to do now is find a digital camera with a longer battery life. Then I will be an invincible Photography Emperor!

- Problems with the Archos Gmini 400

Cats Interviewed by Me

As I prepare to record my Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers CD, I decided it was time to post info about two of my chief inspirations for the CD. I have a Soundclick website with free music downloads, so why not use the Soundclick interview for my two tabby cats.

The CD, of course, takes Irish songs and rewrites them about cats. So I think it's only appropriate that I translate their cat language into something that humans can read. Their responses are quite amusing.

A Cat Gift that You Love or Hate

It's amusing and I've never gotten so much free publicity. Yes, I'm talking about my Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers CD. Since I started the new website, I've been getting a lot of publicity for the CD. It's definitely an idea that people love... or hate. What's really cool is that I'm getting used to that.

I admit it. In general, I don't like to hear negative feedback. I take it too much to heart. It takes me being well-prepared for the negativity in order to hear or read it. And maybe that's the reason that I'm starting to enjoy hearing ALL the feedback from my cat CD. I'm prepared because over half the people who hear about it think it's the dumbest idea they've ever heard.

And that's okay.

Yeah, it bugs the emotional me a little bit, but I know something that these people don't know a thing about--marketing.

Some of the greatest products ever made evoke emotional responses. They either love it or hate it. Take the iPod. Fans love the ease and simplicity. Non-fans complain because of its lack of versatility with other music formats.

The Brobdingnagian Bards music has earned us some love and hate mail too. But honestly, our CDs have never generated the response that this Cat CD is getting.

I think what a love about the idea of it is that it's the first product I've ever thought up that has that emotional appeal. It's also one of the first that is tightly focused on a targeted niche. Meaning, this CD is not for everyone.

I saw a website post from someone who made that very clear. They said something like, "this is the first CD I will NOT be buying from Marc Gunn." And that's just fine. Because if you don't like cats... You probably won't like this CD. If you don't like Irish songs... You probably won't like this CD.

It's a very narrowly targeted niche that might not even sell fifty copies. But for those who fit that niche, I'm anticipating that you will listen and have a meowing good time.

Full-Time Musician Countdown

July 1, 2005 is my scheduled as my last day working for THE MAN. Or more appropriately, working for someone else.

In 1992, I was in Amway. My upline asked me what my dream was. He was looking for something that could be bought: a car, a house, a vacation. The problem was money has never been important to me. My dream was to become a full-time musician... like my idol, Elvis Presley.

Unfortunately, the Amway philosophy of spend money to make money left me in decapitating debt. It's taken thirteen years, but at long last my dream is realized. This summer, I will be a full-time musician. The counter below gives the time when I will reach my goal.



There are, however, a few websites that will make this possible as well:

• Celtic MP3s Music Magazine
• Bards Crier Music Marketing & Promotion Ezine
• Houston Web Hosting Discount
• Directory of Free Music Downloads, and of course,
• Brobdingnagian Bards - Celtic Folk Music at Renaissance Faires

If you're a musician trying to follow your dream, don't give up. It might take a while, but it can and will happen with enough persistence.

#1 Folk Band in Austin - Vote

It's that time of year. The Austin Chronicle Music Poll is here again.

Last year, The Original Celtic Renaissance duo, the Brobdingnagian Bards, were voted the #2 for the most-popular folk band in Austin! We'd love to be number one this year. All it takes is a couple minutes of your time.

I posted some suggestions for categories to vote for us and some of our favorite Austin band suggestions as well.

Vote at Austin Music Poll Suggestions

P.S. Anyone in the world can vote, but only Once. So please help us out and get your friends involved in making us the #1 Folk Band in Austin.

THANKS!!!!!