Should Be Famous--the best music you've never heard » Clayton Pixton

Episode 16: Yankee Doodle and Susan Easton Black

cdpixton — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:53:56 +0000

The first of what I hope to be several simpler episodes put out on a weekly basis.

I recorded this version of Yankee Doodle for a potential film placement and it needed a gloomy or haunting version of a patriotic folk song. Hope you enjoy. Also similar recording of O Suzanna!

Susan Easton Black is the thought of the day. I recently finished listening to her recorded lectures–two college semesters worth–on the topic of Church history, meaning the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Was a very good experience for me as was my actual taking of one of her classes in person back at BYU. She does all her lectures without notes, very engaging, avid speed reader since her youth. Susan Easton Black should be famous. She’s a prolific author if you’re interested, so look her up.

9/11 Song: New York Make-Believe

cdpixton — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 01:49:12 +0000

On this 10-year anniversary of one of the most horrific events in modern memory, I thought I’d offer, for anyone who might care to hear, a song I wrote about it.

I happened to be living in NY at the time and so got a strong taste of the whole thing, the smell of destruction and of smoke, the grey dusty war-zone feel of the streets near ground zero after the tragedy, the general feeling of soberness in the city, and yet the great strength and sense of community that occurred.

This song was written on a piano at NYU in a building that had overlooked the twin towers, and is a reflection of my own feelings.

Episode 14: Amazing Grace

cdpixton — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 15:11:17 +0000

Just saying hi and playing you something I did recently–an arrangement of Amazing Grace on guitar. It was for a church music night kind of thing. Singing with me is Aubrey Nielsen and Kimberly Barlow is on violin. Enjoy.

–Clayton

This is a video podcast too–video is below.

Episode 13: Sailing, by Christopher Cross

cdpixton — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 04:31:08 +0000

Last time I asked you to suggest a cover for me to do. You did, and here’s my rendition of Sailing, by Christopher Cross. Thanks for all the suggestions! Hope you like it.

–Clayton

This is a video podcast too–video is below.

Episode 11.5: Kyrstyn Pixton, a Commercial, Fur Owa, and Magnetism

cdpixton — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:45:03 +0000

Well greetings, podcast listeners. Tell me, why is nobody commenting and yet so many are downloading? You can’t possibly agree with me so perfectly on everything I say. Am I not provocative enough, in a good way, I mean?

In any case, I still love you and thank you for listening. And I invite your comments. The place to do that, of course, is shouldbefamous.com.

This (in-between) episode features a little ditty written by my sister Kyrstyn. Brilliant little thing she probably came up with one day when she was messing around, I’m sure. Also a couple other things, plus a thought or two on gravity, acceleration, and magnetism.

Peace.

–Clayton

Episode 11: Courtney Atack, Gravity, and Acceleration

cdpixton — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:38:06 +0000

Pretty exciting. This is the very first video podcast of the Should Be Famous Podcast. Boy are you in for a treat! (hee hee hee, ha ha ha, Oh HO HO HO!!!) Ok I can’t lie. You’re not really. But it does help me to explain gravity and acceleration (they’re the same thing).

And I threw in some other stuff as I played back some hot new recordings by my phenomenon of a sister, singer-songwriter/vocalist extraordinaire Courtney Atack.

The podcast is available in plain mp3 format as well (no video).

Episode 10: LDS Music–Burn it or Build it?

cdpixton — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:24:58 +0000

That is the question we seek to answer in this episode. We also try a little to get at the essence of LDS Music (music with an LDS (Mormon) theme, or even just any music by an LDS artist). We play some unfiltered examples.

Joining our discussion as an expert on the subject is Cherie Call, a popular and very involved LDS artist and all-around cool gal with some cool music herself. Her child also appears at moments, whining in the background (we think it’s charming).

For your benefit, here are some of Cherie’s recommendations, which you might check out if you’re interested, and which we may ourselves in a future podcast: Christian artists–Sara Groves, Nichole Nordeman, and Chris Rice. LDS artists–Scott Wiley hymn arrangements (esp ‘Nearer’), Michael McLean (Forgotten Carols), Kenneth Cope, Mindy Gledhill, EFY CDs, Dan Beck.

Episode 8: Fiddlesticks!

cdpixton — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:17:18 +0000

No, I’m not mad. I’m talking about the celtic-american-folk family group. I spoke with Dad Marco and one of the three daughters, Liz. Very interesting family and they’ve done some great things musically. And they’re actually pretty good about getting their music out there (unlike some people I know). Listen to this stuff. If you like, go to www.fiddle-sticks.com. They’re also on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, and Deseret Book.

At the very end that’s me imitating a song of theirs on piano.

Episode 6.85: Tape Saturation

cdpixton — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 04:22:25 +0000

Me playing with a cassette tape deck, seeing what it does to the sound to overdrive it. Some of the distortion is from overdriving the input, probably, and some from analog tape saturation. Either way, it sounds coooool! I explain what’s going on in dumb-person terms.

I really do have some real podcast episodes coming up.

Episode 4.5: Fat Vocals, Overdriven Piano, and My New Favorite Song

cdpixton — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:35:39 +0000

Here’s another “in between” episode. I share a couple of nerdy engineer tricks. (1) How to fatten a vocal sound (one method), that I learned from the mixing engineer of InsideOut, and (2) Overdrive, on a piano. Also, my new favorite song, well, at least a catchy one I was listening to the other day–a remix of Umbrella, a song by Marie Digby. Enjoy!

–Clayton