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Music Collection: A Christmas Music Box is BACK!

Kali — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 06:19:36 +0000

A Christmas Music Box” RETURNS FOR 2011, from STRANGEBEAT PRODUCTIONS!

StrangeBeat Productions presents “A CHRISTMAS MUSIC BOX,” yet another holiday tunes compilation just in time for Christmas! (originally released on December 1, 2010!)

NEW FOR 2011, We’ve compiled a full CD’s worth of NEW SELECTIONS for your Christmas listening, as well as a few minor touchups to some old favorites! Read on…

A Christmas Music Box 2011!

VOLUME 1: From Mannheim Steamroller to Elvis himselvis, these FOUR DISCS of Christmas tunes provide plenty of variety for your holiday parties, gatherings, and personal time.

JASON SEZ - For those of you who have “acquired” Christmas music from me in the past, much of this material will be familiar. Approximately 20 minutes of music have been added to round out these four volumes to full CD length, and the mp3s have been carefully retagged (and in some cases re-ripped) to match the quality of the next set we have for you!

Disc 1 – 22 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

Disc 2 – 23 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

Disc 3 – 24 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

Disc 4 – 22 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

VOLUME 2: Enjoy the many moods of the holidays with selections ranging from traditional instrumentals to jazz and rock ‘n’ roll. We’re giving you a whopping THREE DISCS worth of our favorite Christmas tracks PLUS the following:

KALI SEZ - Disc four is a bonus collection of vintage holiday recordings, as selected in 1970 by Jack “The Voice of Disneyland” Wagner for the Disneyland and Magic Kingdom “Main Street U.S.A.” Christmas music loops. These tracks can be randomized or played in order as they appear in situ at the parks!

Disc 1 – 28 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

Disc 2 – 27 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

Disc 3 – 25 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

New for 2011! All David Rose Christmas Album tracks have been re-ripped from the new 2011 CD remaster; PLUS, six tracks from the original record that were NOT selected by Disneyland for the Main Street USA loop are included as bonus tracks. Enjoy the complete David Rose Christmas Album alongside beautiful music straight from Disneyland and Walt Disney World!

Disc 4 – 30 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (128kbps)

NEWLY AVAILABLE FOR 2011!

Here’s 27 new holiday selections for your listening pleasure; choice cuts from 60+ years of incredible Christmas music, and even more perfect accompaniment for your holiday festivities!

Also available:

Tracklisting and liner notes on selected tracks:

Three .txt files are included, each containing informative and (we hope!) entertaining liner notes.

Artwork:

Each folder contains a 720×720 .jpg file with the corresponding artwork for each disc.

Compilation produced by KALI PAPPAS and JASON PITTMAN
Art Direction by KALI PAPPAS
Engineering by JASON PITTMAN
Liner Notes by JASON PITTMAN and KALI PAPPAS

Audio collections: This is Haunted Halloween is back with more!

Kali — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 07:17:03 +0000

"This is Haunted Halloween" collection CD art...

- A festive two hour collection of holiday tunes, originally debuting on October 1, 2010! -

Disc One is packed with a selection of macabre party hits, from a new extended mix of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to Sheb Wooley’s campy “The Purple People Eater.” Disc Two follows with pieces reflecting the darker side of Halloween. Here, spooky film themes, ghoulish classical favorites, and other grisly tunes mix it up with creepy sound effects perfect for a stormy night.

Produced by Jason Pittman and Kali Pappas, this collection offers new presentations of old classics alongside several fun surprises. But beware — this is not your average Halloween mix tape. Listen and share! If you dare…

NEWLY AVAILABLE FOR 2011!

Enjoy 40+ minutes of freaky tunes and scary sounds. Comprised from a variety of sources, this mix is perfect for your Halloween party needs, or even just scaring the local trick-or-treaters!

Available for download NOW:

Audio files:

- 2011 “Skerrymix,” a longrunning single audio file filled with frightening ambiance and creepy musical sounds. A perfect haunt, trick or treat, or party loop! See if you can spot our favorite macabre influences from film, music, and more!

- Disc 1 – 17 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (128kbps LAME MP3)

- Disc 2 – 14 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (128kbps LAME MP3)

Expanded notes on the collection and the various tracks:

– Liner Notes.pdf

- Liner Notes.rtf (text only)

LINKS:

http://tinyurl.com/2011SKERRYMIX

http://tinyurl.com/NOTES2011

http://tinyurl.com/hauntedhalloween

http://bit.ly/hauntedhalloween

Mirror:

http://tinyurl.com/strangebeat

http://bit.ly/strangebeat

A new (improved) Halloween music compilation and more…coming soon!

Kali — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 07:47:09 +0000

This is Haunted Halloween!

Hi everybody! Fans of our holiday audio compilations will be happy to learn that we’re reformulating our Halloween music collection for 2011. Jason and I can’t give you any details yet, but it’ll be unique and lots of fun!

I’m also brewing a new design for this blog and Strangegirl.com as a whole, in addition to some new fashion-related posts. Yay!

More music stuffs from Jason and/or Kali:

Disney Theme Park Audio: Adventureland Veranda Loop Take 2!

Kali — Mon, 16 May 2011 01:11:38 +0000

So the talented and dedicated Michael Sweeney just notified me that he was able to finish reconstructing the 1980s-1993 Walt Disney World Adventureland Veranda area loop! You may remember that two years ago I purchased and ripped a copy of George Bruns’ Moonlight Time in Old Hawaii album, the source of several of those generation 2 Veranda loop tracks (I’ll just call it version 2/generation 2, because we’re only aware of one other area loop presumably used for this restaurant area, and it’s been attributed to 1973 and Jack Wagner, voice of Disneyland/WDW and compiler of the Main Street Christmas area loop).

Anyway, Michael obtained a live recording of this later Adventureland Veranda loop from Mike Lee of Widen Your World and went to town. Find the updated Adventureland Veranda tracklist here.

Groovy Adventureland Veranda area loop links:

Music Collection: A Christmas Music Box

Kali — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:21:45 +0000

- StrangeBeat Productions presents yet another holiday tunes compilation, just in time for Christmas! -

A Christmas Music Box "cover" art.

VOLUME 1: From Mannheim Steamroller to Elvis himselvis, these FOUR DISCS of Christmas tunes provide plenty of variety for your holiday parties, gatherings, and personal time.

JASON SEZ – For those of you who have “acquired” Christmas music from me in the past, much of this material will be familiar. Approximately 20 minutes of music have been added to round out these four volumes to full CD length, and the mp3s have been carefully retagged (and in some cases re-ripped) to match the quality of the next set we have for you!

Disc 1 – 22 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

Disc 2 – 23 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

Disc 3 – 24 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

Disc 4 – 22 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

KALI SEZ – Here’s a bonus collection of vintage holiday recordings, as selected in 1970 by Jack “The Voice of Disneyland” Wagner for the Disneyland and Magic Kingdom “Main Street U.S.A.” Christmas music loops. These tracks can be randomized or played in order as they appear in situ at the parks!

Disc 1 – 28 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

Disc 2 – 27 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

Disc 3 – 25 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

Disc 4 – 30 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (128kbps)

Compilation produced by KALI PAPPAS and JASON PITTMAN
Art Direction by KALI PAPPAS
Engineering by JASON PITTMAN
Liner Notes by JASON PITTMAN and KALI PAPPAS

Available for download NOW!

This is Haunted Halloween!

Kali — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 07:11:44 +0000

"This is Haunted Halloween" collection CD art...

- A festive two hour collection of holiday tunes, debuting on October 1, 2010! -

Available for download NOW:

Audio files:

- Disc 1 – 17 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (128kbps LAME MP3)

- Disc 2 – 14 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (128kbps LAME MP3)

Expanded notes on the collection and the various tracks:

– Liner Notes.pdf

- Liner Notes.rtf (text only)

Artwork:

- 3 .psd files, complete with gutters and ready for conversion/printing (CYMK)

- 5 .jpg files, at screen resolution for viewing (RGB)

- 1 .jpg file, 800×800 pixels, for use as cover art in your preferred media player

LINKS:

http://tinyurl.com/hauntedhalloween

http://bit.ly/hauntedhalloween

Mirror:

http://tinyurl.com/strangebeat

http://bit.ly/strangebeat

This is Halloween…

Kali — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 07:00:17 +0000

T h i s * i s * H a l l o w e e n

Goblins on the doorstep,
Phantoms in the air,
Owls on witches’ gateposts
Giving stare for stare,
Cats on flying broomsticks,
Bats against the moon,
Stirrings round of fate-cakes
With a solemn spoon.

Whirling apple parings,
Figures draped in sheets,
Dodging, disappearing,
Up and down the streets,
Jack-o’-lanterns grinning,
Shadows on a screen,
Shrieks and starts and laughter
This is Halloween!

~ Dorothy Brown Thompson

Stay tuned for something special…

Emma DVD Review

Kali — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 07:29:22 +0000

So, my Emma 2009/2010 DVD arrived today via Amazon, and I’ve perused the special features. As far as I know, this BBC DVD version from Amazon is the same as the DVD that ShopPBS.org will ship next month.

Disc 1 includes featurettes on the Emma filming locations and costumes, bringing you short interviews with crew and cast about the visual side of the production.

Design board for the Squerryes Court dining room.

The “Locations” piece primarily covers Squerryes Court as Hartfield and Loseley Park as Donwell Abbey, describing the crew’s intent to use space as a metaphor for the various characters’ existences and as an indicator of each character’s social station. Emma, for example, inhabits an elegant home with an easy, unobstructed floorplan which represents her personality and life experience:

“Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.”

Donwell Abbey, by contrast, is more venerable in size, style, and age, which very much suits the character and social status of Mr. Knightley:

“The house was larger than Hartfield, and totally unlike it, covering a good deal of ground, rambling and irregular, with many comfortable, and one or two handsome rooms. It was just what it ought to be, and it looked what it was; and Emma felt an increasing respect for it, as the residence of a family of such true gentility, untainted in blood and understanding.”

The featurette also briefly covers decor choices and the tricks involved in shooting winter scenes in June(!). While the snowscape longshots at Squerryes Court were indeed filmed during winter, the Knightleys’ rear garden snowball fight was shot on a 27-degree C day! This recalls the snow scenes from the 1995/96 Pride and Prejudice adaptation, which were filmed in July of 1994, if I’m remembering correctly.

Snow in June at Squerryes Court!

The costume featurette was of particular interest to me. There were several conversations with costume designer Rosalind Ebbutt, who shares various elements of the design process. Ebbutt brainstormed ideas via collages of period images, fabric swatches, and color samples for each character. Frank Churchill’s even included a photo or two of Mick Jagger, whom Ebbutt felt captured the dashing worldliness of the character. In addition to remarks from the designer, we also hear from the actors. Romola Garai, Louise Dylan, Blake Ritson, Tamsin Greig, Rupert Evans, Laura Pyper, and Jonny Lee Miller all comment on the collaborative design process, how fashion reveals character status, personality and transformation, and the nuts and bolts of wearing period fashion.

Harriet and Emma: Twins!

Tamsin Greig, for example, describes Regency underpinnings (chemises, custom corsets made specifically for each actress, and in some cases, a “bustle” pad). Romola Garai shows her little chatelaine watch as an example of a costume accessory that denotes Emma’s status as “lady of the house.” Louise Dylan describes how Harriet Smith’s wardrobe begins to mimic Emma’s as the older girl’s influence grows. And Jonny Lee Miller discusses Mr. Knightley’s practical yet elegant wardrobe as an outward manifestation of the character’s personality. “I can see myself gambling in this,” he jokes, indicating his beautiful brocade waistcoat and velvet tailcoat.

Disc 2 contains the music featurette and an interview with Sir Michael Gambon (Mr. Woodhouse), filmed on location at Squerryes Court.

The Music piece includes interviews with composer Samuel Sim, Director Jim O’Hanlon, and Producer George Ormond, and generally overviews the process of scoring a television series. Director O’Hanlon describes Sim’s Emma soundtrack as having “one foot in the period and one foot in today,” allowing the film to sound historically-appropriate while maintaining a freshness accessible to modern ears. Sim and O’Hanlon also discuss how Emma’s main theme, or motive, is reiterated over the course of the miniseries to accentuate onscreen moods and actions.

Samuel Sim and Jim O'Hanlon "spot" musical cues.

In addition, we learn a little about the planning or “sketching” period, during which the composer creates the main theme and ideas for the various musical cues that will be required in the finished miniseries. We also get to glimpse a “spotting” session with the composer, director, and producer, which involves watching the film, matching up extant music cues with the footage, and coming up with plans for additional cues not yet written. The featurette concludes with a recording session at the legendary Abbey Road Studio of Beatles fame. This is totally off-topic, but it’s worth noting that the score for the upcoming “World of Color” show at Disney’s California Adventure was recorded just a few weeks ago at Abbey Road.

I haven’t yet watched the DVD version of the miniseries itself, but I understand that it DOES include various short scenes that aired on the BBC but not on PBS.

In all, I think the bonus features were worth the DVD purchase price (I paid around $23, via Amazon). The packaging is a beautiful, book-style box – gatefold, I guess you could say? – with photos of Garai on the cover and on the discs themselves. There’s a panorama of the Box Hill picnic on the inside.

Related information:

Wrapping up Emma 2009/2010…

Kali — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:19:24 +0000

Well, I’m home from a lovely visit to Orange County and Los Angeles. Yes, we went to Disneyland. Yes, we stopped by Kiyonna. Yes, I bought something. One dress. ONLY ONE. Really.

Anyway, here’s the latest scoop on Emma, which wrapped last night on Masterpiece Classic:

If you were one of the #emma_pbs Twitter winners from last week, make sure you follow me/respond to my direct message so I can get your mailing info to the good folks at PBS.org and so you can get your awesome Jane Austen action figure. Remember, I’m @magicskyway.
Vic’s thoughts on Emma 2009/2010.
Laurel Ann has posted some final thoughts on this latest Emma miniseries at Austenprose.
The 2009/2010 Emma DVD is now shipping. I can’t wait until it arrives! TV.com’s Emma DVD review is fairly extensive. Here’s another review of the DVD edition, from BlogCritics. Remember, the DVD version includes unique special features and a few “deleted scenes” that aired on the BBC but not on PBS.
Eventually, I’ll post a fashion review and screencaps from the third hour of the miniseries.

Haunted Mansion What?

Kali — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:50:39 +0000

Kali and friends at the Mansion's 30th anniversary festivities, 1999.

So I’ve been woefully out of touch with the Haunted Mansion scene lately, partly because I don’t have time and partly because I’m sick to death of the merch-o-rama effect that surrounds every attraction milestone. I didn’t attend the 40th anniversary festivities that coincided with the D23 Expo back in September, but I did find this cute interactive Haunted Mansion feature at the Disney site. It features a version of Rolly Crump’s Corridor of Doors wallpaper (for your desktop – basically a larger version of what I offer at Better Haunts & Graveyards), a video clip on the mansion, a stretching portrait gag, little photo galleries, and more. Oh, and it also features my Disney alterego, Marc Davis’ April D., morphing from April to June to September to December.

Go there…