MyndJack Radio Blog

Myndjack Radio Idol Season 3 is well underway! Also underway are the legendary and sometimes incendiary GROUP Performances. Our shows producers, including Myndrunner and the irascible Major Manny Minor are quite fond of the Group Numbers … Some would say obsessed.

Talk around the water cooler here at MJR Studios has it that those two have images of spangled, rhinestone encrusted semi-fashionable gown clad young women of the female persuasion, being trotted out on the grand stage of some Miss -Ellaneous competition to attempt singing some Barry Manilow tune or other.

Those of us in the know are aware that this is of course, far far from the truth. The real story behind the media fed frenzy of insidious rumour is that what they really have careening off their coconut’s interior’s is a disturbing image of All Digital Radio’s own Alan Attebery dressed in what the layman calls Drag, and not of the racing sort; although .. having intimate personal knowledge of said cerebral imagery .. that dress was a bit racy! A little black number, slit to the hip, strategically placed peek-a-boo cut……… waitaminute! What am I…? Whoaaaaaa

Let’s get back to the issue at hand.. Shall we?

MyndJack Radio Idol Season 3 has a whole truckload of wonderfully talented performers aspiring to be your NEXT Myndjack Radio Idol. And I don’t make that assertion (check it out, I used aspiring and assertion in less than two sentences) lightly. I have audibly verifiable proof yer’ honorships!

Exhibit 1:

Build Me Up Buttercup featuring Montario Hill, Nick Smith and Jay Danger. More fun could not be had by a barrel o’monkeys … unless aforesaid primates possessed a bottle o’Parrot Bay.

Exhibit 2:

Wannabe featuring Intern Jessica, Goodnite Irene, Mr. Voice and Patrick Coombs. The Spice Girls could merely have WISHED to have inspired this kind of admiration and turbid flatulence from Farm Animals.

Exhibit 3:

Waterfalls featuring the vocal stylings of Joanna Pearl, Jazzy, Joseph Smith and Ann T. Maim. Turn the lights down low with your main squeeze an’ get busy ya’ll.

Exhibit 4:

I Don’t Feel Like Dancing with MCS, Kyle Higly, “Daz” Gray, Frauletta and Mrs. Voice .. They may not feel it .. But YOU’LL feel like dancin’.

I rest my case .. Here come da Judge!

Nation, you’ve seen a lot of Kick-Starter campaigns that we’ve been behind and they have all been awesome. We want you to now take a moment to check out our good friend Felicia Barton’s Kick-Starter and how she is giving back to you based on your donation.

In addition to being a part of her new solo project, involving the hit “Lost Words” played (sorta)EXLUSIVELY here on MyndJack Radio, you get the BIG PAYBACK for your donation. Even $1 can help out, but how about being named Executive Producer on the album? Or a special Birthday Greeting from Felica herself? Or even a private one-on-one vocal coaching session via Skype with Felica?! You might even get a hug (that’s worth $5k right there!)

So, MyndJack Nation, dig deep for our girl Felicia and let’s get her some serious and long-overdue pimpage out there in the music industry! You KNOW you love you some Felica….prove it!

A special message from Felicia:

Click here to get started and be a part of something AWESOME!

Tune in LIVE tonight at 9pm EST / 6pm PST for your Tuesday Eargasm of MyndJack Radio!

Here’s whats on tap:

Special Happy Birthday to a valued member of the MJR Nation! (heh, I said member!)

Talk about Gonzo Radio (Saturdays on Livestream) and the comedy of Bobby Mac (aka. Mr Voice)!

Special Guest: Canadian Idol finalist and Comedian Mark Day!!!

…and a SHOCKING announcement from a controversial decision that will change the face of the MyndJack Radio Idol Top 11 FOREVER!!!

Join us in the chatroom LIVE during the show!

I log into my Gmail account this afternoon after taking the last 24 hours off from anything radio related, a much needed break from the events of last week. I find this banner at the top of my email page stating “You are almost out of space for your Gmail account. Once you run out of space, you will not be able to send or receive any emails until you delete some items.” It then provides two links, one suggesting I click here to view their tips on how to manage my account or I can….wait for it….purchase additional storage.

This is the same scam that Photobucket used to run when it would suddenly, out of the digital blue tell me that I have nearly maxed out my memory space; however, I hadn’t uploaded anything new to Photobucket in over a year (Tinypic FTW!). So how could I suddenly be out of memory space if I hadn’t done shit with my account? Well, I could purchase more space if I wanted to, according to photobucket for a nominal fee.

I’ve been in sales for nearly 10 years and I am still sickened by these short-term score scams that continue to plague the commercial world today. One can be an honest salesperson, but greed and pride can corrupt companies that may have started out with the most honest and simple of intentions. Sales has become a close or be closed mentality instead of providing something for someone that they truly need or want at a reasonable price at the expense of long term profit.

Take my time at Enterprise Car Sales for example, when my newly promoted Regional Manager told me to lie to a bank in order to get a credit-risk customer approved for a car loan on a car they couldn’t afford. I refused not only because it was dishonest, but also it was not the right thing for the customer. The customer would have defaulted and we would have had to buy back the $20,000 loan. How wise is it to spend $20,000 to make $3,000? And people wonder why our economy crashed in 2008.

So, back to my Gmail thing. At the bottom of the screen, it says that I am at 7231 MB of my 7598 MB of storage space, which conveniently equates to about 95%. Wow, I’m glad they notified me now in the middle of MyndJack Radio Idol when I am counting on several megs of audio to be sent my way, but it started creating some questions in my mind:
1. How did they come up with 7598 MB as my limit? Kind of a random number if you ask me. Wouldn’t 7500 MB or 8000 MB make better sense? And I don’t recall seeing anything about this when I signed up for Gmail in the first place.
2. I deleted about 20 megs of old emails (some MJR memories are gone forever…sniff) and still had the same warning. That threw up another red flag. How come I had to delete about 100 emails to reduce my storage by only 20 megs and yet today is the day I suddenly reached my memory storage limit? I’m glad they notified me today before things really got out of control!
3. Was this always my storage limit or did they decide this today?
4. Does everyone on Gmail have the same storage limit? Or do some have higher than others? Again, why did they decide on 7598 MB as the limit for me and do others have the same?
5. …and why is it that when I click on the link to learn how to reduce storage space it takes me to the same purchase option screen as the link to actually purchase more memory space?

I contend that the answer to all of these can be summed up in one word. Greed.

I’ve had my Gmail account for almost four years and I’ve never had to reduce my email storage. I’ve taken it upon myself to organize it better and delete a lot of spam, but that was so that I could find the important emails I’d been saving much easier. This is the first time I’ve been notified of any limit on my Gmail account and I find it quite interesting that the red flag at Google went up today when I have apparently been just as close to breaching this limit for the last couple months.

It’s obvious to me that this is simply a way for Google.com to get users like me to pay more money for the storage space they already have. Someone in a boardroom somewhere came up with the idea to suddenly tell users that they are close to their storage limit and scare them into buying more space. It’s like a landlord suddenly saying that you’ve come to the limit of the number of months you are allowed to rent your apartment, but you can conveniently purchase more months for an additional monthly rate or you can GTFO!

The thing is, it is Google’s servers and I have no problem with there being a limit, but be upfront about it. Don’t try to scam people. There is no need to trick people into purchasing more memory when all you need to say is “Hey, we need to start charging for more space so we gotta cap you on your memory storage. We know this is news to you but it’s our servers and if you don’t like it, go play with your Yahoo!”

We are still in a survival of the fittest mentality, only this time the jungle is commerce and the predators are companies like Google, Microsoft, etc. We depend on them, but we are at their mercy when they turn on us because we let them. Like my former Regional Manager at Enterprise, it’s easier to make the quick buck now at the expense of integrity because no one is gonna be around long enough for it to catch up with you.

So I guess what I’m getting at is that there is that don’t try to pull a fast one. Be an honest salesperson and you will always have my business. Greed will do us all in. You can still be successful without compromising your integrity, just be honest about the money you are making. If you can’t be honest about what you are doing, then you obviously know what you are doing is wrong.

This year will be an amazing one: not only is it Alex Nester’s official release of her second album, it is also the 10th Anniversary of her being cancer-free!

To celebrate, Alex is hosting #BurnItDown …To Rise Above It! …a benefit concert to share her music with you held at the world famous Troubadour…and all proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society and the Marcelle Erian Foundation! And as an added bonus everyone in attendance will get Alex’s new album “#BurnItDown” as a gift for their generosity!

It’s going to be a night of music, fun, giveaways and celebrating our successes in the fight against cancer! You could even win a TRIP FOR TWO TO THE BAHAMAS!! This is the concert event you don’t want to miss, with all the proceeds going directly to fighting cancer. Celebrate Alex’s 10 years of being cancer free with the MyndJack Nation and the entire world!

Deb and Myndrunner will be in the LIVE USTREAM Chatroom during the concert and running the LIVE Auction including Tito Jackson’s Autographed Guitar, Conan O’Brien’s Band Autographed Drum Lid, collectors T-Shirts, CDs, and rare surprises that you can’t get anywhere else! All donations and bids are graciously accepted to go towards the fight against cancer.

Click here to enter the USTREAM and click Chat to join the viewing party!

Tonight at 11pm EST – 8pm PST!!!

Tonight is the night, Myndjack Nation!

Your Top 16 will take the stage and perform LIVE before our celebrity panel of judges, including the original badass rocker chick from American Idol Season 1, Nikki McKibbin!!

Nikki will be debuting her new single “Made It” tonight at the beginning of the show and chatting with us about how personal and powerful the title song really is to her and can be for everyone. Nikki has had a long journey to this moment and now she’s ready to rock our worlds! You don’t wanna miss our chat with Nikki right at the beginning of the show!

Then, we will kick off the Top 16 performances with two very shocking announcements regarding the contestants! Rumors are flying around about one or more contestants being disqualified, dropped out, or eaten by wild jack-a-lopes! We will set the record straight and reveal the SHOCKING news tonight!

And the power is in the hands of the MyndJack Nation! You will determine who will continue their MyndJack Radio Idol Journey, and whose dreams will be crushed this week. The Voting Poll for the Top 16 will open immediately after the show tonight at “http://tinyurl.com/VoteMJRI3” (be sure to book mark this!)

Here is how voting will work:
• Voters must first register for MyndJack Forums. Don’t worry, no spam or anything, this is just a formality to keep the voting kosher. All you will need to do is create an account (if you don’t already have one), log in, and then you are on your way.
• Voting will take place in the appropriate poll thread on the MyndJack Radio Idol Season 3 board. Results will not be made public until approx 6 months after the contest is over.
• Voters need to vote for the contestant(s) that they would like to see advance. Voters may only vote once per contestant with a maximum of 12 votes this week. Detailed instructions for voting can be found in the Original Posting for that thread.
• If you have any questions, concerns, or comments specifically about the poll, please email any one of us on the MyndJack Radio staff and expect a prompt response…well, prompt by our standards anyway.

Also, don’t be a stranger! Come hang out in the MyndJack Radio chatroom during our LIVE show and get to meet the contestants, MJRI Alumni, and the rest of the MyndJack Radio Nation! Who knows? If you play your cards right, Manny Riva might even serenade you!

The excitement is about to explode out of the bowels of the Sir Darryl Theater in Chicago……
…because THIS…..is MyndJack Radio….IDOL!!!

-MyndCrest

Check out our friends who are sponsoring this epic event!!!

OMG!!! It wouldn’t be MyndJack Radio Idol without SHOCKING announcements, and this Tuesday we will have TWO!!! That’s right, you won’t believe the TWO SHOCKINGLY SHOCKING announcements and how SHOCKED you will be when you hear them!!

Of course, less shocking but certainally just as exciting if not more so is the MyndJack Radio Debut of Nikki McKibbin’s new single “Made It” which will be aired this Tuesday night! Nation, you do not wanna miss our chat with Nikki as she makes a triumphant comeback…wait, don’t call it a comeback, she’s been here for years!!!

Season 2 runner up Dee Teufel will also be joining us as well, and both will be joining Deb Della Terza and Professor Kast on the judges booth as your TOP 16 take the stage, but not before BOTH of our SHOCKING announcements are…um…announced.

Hold on to your hats, fasten your seat-belts, and cash in your frequent flyer miles…because THIS is MyndJack Radio Idol!

Check out our friends who are sponsoring this epic event!!!

The fifth place finisher is back to help you out! And I’m not OMG16!!11! anymore! (I’m OMG17…)

After a rocky start, I improved greatly week by week until an untimely elimination in the top 5 (all for the best though, I left for California vacay a week later). My “Telephone” duet with runner-up Dee Teufel and my parody of “Tik Tok” was voted the thirteenth and ninth best performances of the season, respectively.

My strength as a mentor will be helping you find your voice and giving you praise where you’re great and harsh criticism where you suck. I can help you advance every week by being the best mentor you can ever imagine! I got through the competition by using relaxation techniques known as watching little shits….running around a public pool and making sure they don’t drown. I can do the same for you!

So what are you waiting for? Message me! ^_^

TJ Jannak will join Deb Della Terza, Kristen Baldwin, and Michael Slezak on the judges panel for Group 4 Auditions of MyndJack Radio Idol Season 3, Tuesday at 9pm EST!

Check out our friends who are sponsoring this epic event!!!

My advice, first, is DO NOT DO KARAOKE!! Which, for this purpose I will define as performing ‘straight’ any song originally recorded by a performer whose vocal style or aesthetic resembles your own in any way. That person has already been there, and done that. You doing it again, no matter how ‘well’, is redundant.

All of the group two ‘good singers’ fell into the same trap of obviousness and imitation. (The ‘kid’ does ‘Over the Rainbow’? Sorry, but no.*) So did Ann T. How can she seem like anything but an ersatz Joan Osborne singing a Joan Osbourne song? Now, if she was singing an Ozzy Osbourne song in the style of Joan Osbourne, that might be interesting…

Hmm, why didn’t I make that connection last night? Four Horsemen… “War Pigs”!! Seriously. But a woman wouldn’t want to imitate the Ozzy vocals, but rather bring a ‘woman’s emotional perspective’ to the song – the cannon fodder of imperialist wars now include both genders, and if the combat soldiers are still mainly men, they do have mothers, sisters, daughters, wives… (This is just an example. I wouldn’t ask Ann T. or anyone else to do something they did not themselves find interesting in some way…)

So, how do you ‘make something your own’ using karaoke backing tracks designed to mimic the original as much as possible? (Unlike Daughtry or Cook, you can’t find innovative covers by other out-of-the-main-spotlight artists and have Ricky Minor copy the arrangement for you…)

1. EVEN IF YOU STAY WITHIN GENRE, DON’T PICK A SONG RECORDED BY ANYONE WHO SOUNDS LIKE YOU. The women, for example, should look for songs associated with men, and vice versa. If you have a clear voice like Joanna, do a song by someone who had a rough voice (Joe Cocker, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner…) and make it work for your gifts to the point where we say ‘It should have been that way in the first place.’ (I once heard a pop-rock bar band do a great cover of ‘Respectable’ where they smoothed it out, took out all the grit, and made it kind of bubble-gummy. It was fast, kitschy, fun and entertaining as hell…)

2. WRITE NEW LYRICS. And as I said, they don’t have to be funny. Turn a cheezy lyric into a genuinely passionate love song, or refit a love song with Alanis/Trent Reznor lyrical angst.

3. The next idea would require MJRI to loosen the rules for theme weeks, but people could also write lyrics for songs that were done as instrumentals, segments of classical music, or jazz: ‘Green Onions,’ ‘Rumble,’ a little Mozart or Bach, Ramsey Lewis, anything!

4. Since a couple contestants went a cappela, and have voices strong enough to do that, that really opens up opportunities for changing the arrangement – altering tempo, rhythm etc. (For a somewhat cheezey example of how a song can be reworked keeping the same words and melody, think of Neil Sedaka’s two versions of ‘Breaking Up Is Hard To Do’.) Along this line, I would encourage the folks that have the vocal skill for a cappela to learn how to multi-track with Audacity or some other simple sound editor, so they can create duets with themselves, and develop altered arrangements simply using their voice.

NOTE: Greatest cover record of last 10 years – minimalist (re)-arrangement, totally outside of obvious genre definitions, totally “made it his own”: “Hurt” by Johnny Cash. Could have been done a cappella, or with just a guitar…

Check out the latest artistry from Griff Heartfield at his new website here!

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