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Monday, May 25, 2009

An Open Letter To Google.

I wrote a letter to Google several months ago, hoping it would meet this criteria. Didn’t hear back, but you Gmail users out there might get a kick out of it.

Greetings, Google!

We are a band called Good Night, States, and we would be remiss if we failed to credit your products for their assistance in our current and future musical successes.

Steadily flowing waves of interwebstuff have carried Good Night, States demos, songs yet unsung, cradling them gently from a Sent Mail folder in New Jersey to three Inboxes in Pittsburgh and a fourth in Philadelphia, via countless Gmails, neatly strung together as pearls of conversation between friends. Golden stars hang in the heavens of my Inbox each time I remind myself to take action on one of the 7305.100824 emails I have received relating to Good Night, States. I label, I archive, I am at peace with my email.

My publicity spreadsheets are nestled snugly in Google’s Documents, available for perusal anywhere in the WORLD (!) that there is internet, cohabiting with a family of press releases for, not one, but EVERY city in which we perform. AND, Google, let me tell you, The Every Show Checklist is a joy to behold and to share with all five members of Good Night, States, as we attempt to check off the forty-seven tasks that must be performed before, during, and after Every Show.

What can I say about the Calendar, glorious Calendar! At a glance, it brings joy to my misty eyes, sometimes in the form of our lead guitarist’s forthcoming dentist appointment, sometimes the gentle reminder that I missed yet another newspaper’s print deadline and forgot to schedule someone to work for me during our next songwriting session.

I will not omit, however, that there have been dark days. I have, at times, waited not fifteen, nor thirty, but at least forty-five seconds for Gmail to load before finally wandering off in search of some chocolaty snack that would assuage my impatience and despair. However, the care with which you decorate your logo on various holidays and the joy brought to my soul when I recall our drummer falling for your Gprint April Fool’s Day joke mitigate the occasional utter failure to load my precious cargo onto my screen.

And your newest creation: the BARS, the UPLOADING BARS! The ecstasy of watching a file slowly creep its way into my email is second only to the bliss when our van, loaded to the gills with instruments and careening through some unknown crowded megalopolis, screeches to a halt outside the club within MINUTES of Google Maps’ estimated driving time.

Well, what say you, Google? Are you ready to listen? Are your ears saying, “I’m Feeling Lucky”? Get ready for the glorious sounds of Good Night, States, the melodies that have melted the hearts of SPIN online magazine, dozens of bloggers, and show attendees throughout the Northeast. Google us, Google. You’ll see. We’re attempting to take over the internet, thanks, in part, to your glittering portfolio of products.

Your Google Friends Forever (GFFE),
Good Night, States
www.goodnightstates.com

Monday, September 15, 2008

Striking YouTube Gold (Internet Curiosities #2)

My favorite blog, Boing Boing unearthed another gem last week. This video (see below) was posted on youtube recently and has quickly become a hit around the interwebs. After you watch it, you’ll realize why.

This blogger recently interviewed the lead singer and has more back story for you to read.

Check it out!

UPDATED: Apparently some people are questioning the authenticity of the video (below). Further information here and here.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

This is serious. (Internet Curiosities #1)

Out of all of the Good Night, States members, I believe that it is safe to say that I spend the most time on the internet. Partly because I’m easily distracted by entertainment, partly because I have found a plethora of amazing blogs to read.

One of my favorite blogs is BoingBoing. BoingBoing’s tag line is “A Directory of Wonderful Things” and it is definitely true. You will find many strange and interesting things on BoingBoing that are happening both in the real world and on the net.

Recently, I came across a BoingBoing post that showcased a new video game that is coming out soon. It is called Guitar Praise - Solid Rock. “[Y]ou’ll soon be rockin’ with the best while praising the Lord!” (from the GP-SR website). My jaw hit the floor.

Frankly, I am appalled at the way the “Christian” marketing machine rips off what is popular in the name of having a “sanctified alternative.” Shouldn’t Christians be pressing ahead in creativity (since they claim to have a direct connection to the Creator) rather than reverse engineering products that are popular and marketing them to youth groups?

When you get down to it, is this game instilling any different values than Guitar Hero or Rock Band? Is Guitar Praise truly a “holier” option? Does anyone else have an opinion about this? Leave them in the comments section.

P.S. Look for more of these “Internet Curiosities” posts as I come across things in my internet travels

Guitar Praise - Solid Rock