Another metal tune, this version has an extra bit on the end I don’t remember. Hmm. Well, you get to hear it here. I’m preparing for an exam, and I need to bolt. No time to go look for the other version. I’ve got to say though, that I continue to be blown away by the traffic this site has been getting lately. This isn’t a big comic by any means, but it sure got bigger. Toocheke seems to be treating the non-SSL traffic as if it’s real, which means we’ll be over 5,000 uniques this month. But even if those are ghosts, and only the SSL traffic is real, it will still be over 2000 uniques. AWstats is only detecting 23 bots, so the bulk of the traffic either isn’t bots; or the bots are passing as real people most of the time. I may be feeling more positive than I should. After all, easy come, easy go. I’m probably boring everyone with the traffic comments, but how does the SSL traffic increase by seven times in two months? Especially in the summer months, when webcomic traffic is supposed to plummet.
Here’s a western metal sound. It’s the song I used for the webcam intro video on YouTube. “Suck It” is genuinely great (IMHO). Ironically, it came out of an attempt to find the sound for the first version of “R Kelly in P Major,” which was a Jpop track. That song did suck, but this one doesn’t. Metal won’t be the band’s main sound, but it may show up every now and then. OM-MINUS uses up most my energy for metal though, and has been getting all of my creative time lately – which isn’t much, but the great thing about making music with A.I. is that it can be done on the side of most computer jobs.
While I’m on the topic, let me show a screencap of one of my tracks in Audacity –
It’s possible to write a script that pumps out 300 mediocre tracks per day, and it’s possible to get ChatGPT to write lyrics within an established genre, then plug the lyrics into an AI program and get a generic, but decent, track from that genre. Getting A.I. to make a type of music that doesn’t exist in the material it has trained on is a different matter entirely. Images too – I wanted an image of a steam engine that derailed and rolled over on its side for the cover of the Way of the Waifu album “Little Engines that Couldn’t,” but I couldn’t get any of the A.I.s I tried to generate a steam engine on its side. Only upright. I don’t give up easily, but that one beat me. Maybe I should have taken one into GIMP, put it on its side, and told the AI to fix the lighting and perspective on my edited image. That’s similar to what my music making process is like.
The top greyed-out track is the output from Treblo (formerly Sonauto, they rebranded for reasons that make sense to them).
That output was not directly generated by a prompt in Treblo. It is a few generations of descent away from a not-so-great track generated in Udio before Warner Music Group inserted themselves. I’ve been trying, and am currently trying, to make a good version of that track in Treblo; and along the way Treblo is spitting out bits and pieces that can be expanded into other tracks (like “Suck It” was). Growing those tracks might result in a section good enough to also be spun off into another track. This has been more productive for me than prompting with words. A.I. in general, and Treblo in particular, are very good at ignoring word prompts. Treblo can be very good when fed music though, but it usually needs some help from a DAW (Audacity, Soundforge, etc).
The 2nd track is empty space I added to the front of the first track.
Come to think of it, the top track has already been edited in Audacity. I used the envelope tool to fade the end out better, then cut a section out of the intro because it was too long, then cut out the intro and fed it back through Treblo to fix the skip where I cut the unwanted section out. I made a dozen or more “fix” generations, and took the three best back into Audacity.
The second track from the bottom is the full track with the original intro cut off.
The third track from the bottom is one of the “fix” intros, which was still missing a little something. The bottom track is a copy of the third track from the bottom. I shifted the bottom track over because there was a part that could repeat, and used the envelope tool again to silence the parts of the track I didn’t need.
This process can be repeated again and again and again. The track currently following this one (but only as of this morning, so it could change), is a more extreme example. It started as a vocal section in a piece of total garbage, that was cut out and regenerated a few times. It was extended many times, things were cut out in Audacity and replaced with other things, then run back through Treblo, then back to Audacity. Over and over again. I can’t even publish my music on Treblo, because Treblo doesn’t recognize it as music created in Treblo.
In the end, A.I. is just another tool in the tool kit. It can either be used amateurishly, which will show; or it can be mastered – and that will also show. The right answer isn’t to ignore it and pretend it will go away. It won’t. The right answer is to use it to do more. Don’t make a song, make an album. Make an album, and the videos, without having to sell out to a studio. More fully realize a unique personal vision that can’t be made any other way. There aren’t many artists who get to work without studio interference, or who don’t have to compromise on the vision with the other members of the band. Now it can be done.
A pleasant instrumental intro for the B-side album, “B-Sides and Spiritual Beings.”
“Spiritual Beings” is a reference to Nine Inch Nail’s “Ghosts” albums, which are collections of pieces created while searching for a sound for the next studio album.
I tried a few different genres on this album to see what would fit with the group. While their signature sound is a mix of surf rock and shoegaze, they can dip into anything.
It doesn’t always happen We never get to the start Starting off on the wrong foot first impressions gone wrong Not realizing what you could have till the moment has moved on
Love is like 9000 It’s over The story’s finished and you didn’t choose me
Love is like 9000 It’s over The credits roll Final chapter’s closed For a moment I thought- Maybe? but you didn’t choose me
I was there all along How did things go so wrong? Things should start slow and take time to grow A heart moving at its own speed Moving only when the heart leads She’s moving faster than me I’m not ready yet, please don’t leave
I can see her talking close to you Don’t, I’m starting to love you too There’s nothing in the future that isn’t blue Too slow to put my feelings through Can’t speak, don’t know what to do Nine thousand, I’ve come in number two
It’s over
It’s over
It’s over
It’s over
It’s over
It’s over
Do you feeeeeeel? I do stiiill And I wiiiill Be the one for you
Here’s the second take on this song. The first one was more in the Jpop genre than this version is. I dialed in a bit more of a western pop/electronica sound, but it’s still got a strong Jpop/anime sensibility to it.
Bubbles
Life isn’t always hard Sometimes you draw the winning card Bless your heart, cupid’s darts The stars line up Best of luck The girl of your dreams Makes the scene
Blowing bubbles Best girl is no trouble No vices She’s the nicest Your heartbeat triples and doubles
Too good to believe Not deceived, you will see She’s best girl rest your heart and rest it easy
Easy choices The purr of her voice is making you believe that your kids won’t be stupid
You cry you’re ecstatic she’s good at mathematics So studious it’s Ludacris Poetic like she’s Jaydakis Butt boomin like Latifah Feeda man like a Queen and keep something empty – What could it be?
Your favorite light is never red Bad guys show up they turn dead
Bubble bubble best girl can be trouble bubbles seem weak but she turns buildings to rubble Her friends aren’t worthless and her friendships will last She can’t beat Romanée-Conti but she can beat Tuxedo Mask
Blowing bubbles Best girl is no trouble No vices She’s the nicest Your heartbeat triples and doubles
Too good to believe Not deceived, you will see She’s best girl rest your heart and rest it easy
This one is on the “experimental” side, and will likely annoy most people (edit – it was actually the most popular song in June. All of Dreilide’s songs were the most popular in June).
I liked asian chipmunk voice singing better when I made this, and less now. The first verse might be Elvish, or it might just be gibberish. The second and third verse are something that will be easy for the right person to figure out.
Dreilide’s vocal quality could be better in places, but I dig the psychedelic, southern rock guitar. I was pretty happy when that finally popped out. You’ll have to sit through a lengthy monologue from The Force Known as Michael Bay. It might be funny. The real one probably doesn’t sound like this, but what does a shapeshifting trickster god really sound like? The “real” one is just fooling you, he sounds like this.
Bikini Dreilide’s Garage
Let’s talk about titties!
Greetings, I’m the Force Known as Michael Bay! Blockbuster film director and the benevolent – and trustworthy – god of your universe and all others!
I love the female body, and I love filming the female body!
Just ask fox goddess Megan! Still got your casting tape, baby!
Remember how I had her bent over the engine bay of that old Camaro, in the kid’s movie about alien robots?
That was good stuff, but I want to go bigger and bolder!
I want to make my version of the Duke’s of Hazzard, but the whole cast will be hot chicks in bikinis!
It’ll have fast cars, and explosions, and explosions blowing off bikinis!
There’s no angle I won’t film a tit from, and I love ’em in all sizes – big, bigger, and biggest!
I’ll jiggle ’em and wiggle ’em, bounce ’em and jounce ’em, soap ’em and poke ’em, hang ’em out and drag them across the hood of the General Lee!
There will be titties as far as the eye can see!
We tried being sophisticated in the comic, and that sure didn’t work!
This time we give the fans what they want – tits and ass!
All the tits, and all the ass!
Yeeee HAAAAW!!!
Welcome to Bikini Dreilide’s Garage!! Where we prefer products made by Dodge! No replacement for displacement, four cylinders ain’t meant for racin’.
We’ve got V8’s and rear wheel drive, fat wheels that grip and don’t slide. Things besides cars that draw your eyes Wrenchin’ in the shorts that don’t touch the thighs
Make no mistake Your heart hits where your aim is if britches could talk these would say “I’ll make you famous!”
Bay – Who will wash my Ferrari?
Drey – Not me!
Just another daaaaay- -at Bikini Dreilide’s Garage! At night, gettin’ cheeky at the Piggy Lodge! Skin flash, get cash Moparts for 440 Darts Direct Connection to speed perfection!
Make no mistake Your heart hits where your aim is if britches could talk these would say “I’ll make you famous!”
Bay – Who will wash my Ferrari?
Drey – Not cool!
Southern honor demands satisfaction. Pop a wheelie, get more traction Take your pink in 8 seconds flat. Flatter than an ass that won’t bring a honky back! Now that’s flat!
Make no mistake Your heart hits where your aim is if britches could talk these would say “I’ll make you famous!”
Bay – Casting time! I need you to put the Daisy Dukes on, and wash my Ferrari. Make it sexy! Make it HOT!
Drey – Who would wash your Ferrari when it’s not that fast?
Dodge Charger, Road Runner, or Hemi Under Glass!
Bay – Richard didn’t drive that!
Sigh.
Let’s try something different.
We’ve got Richard Petty’s 1974 Daytona winning Dodge Charger, will you wash that?
The Devil of Level Cross rode into Georgia like a boss to a county you ought to know. He was lookin’ for two boys in a bright orange car who were musclin’ in on Thunder Road.
Now the Good Lord looks away when these ‘shiners go to war. Dukes in a heap of trouble Richard’s come to settle score. He might want to let them go, he doesn’t get real mad. But you’ve got to drive hard when Lee Petty is your dad.
The boys were easy to find. They didn’t know they had to hide. The King idled on up, invited them for a drive down a long country road and loaded with ‘shine. If they could beat him without losing any they’d get an engine made of gold. But if they couldn’t, Maurice would take their souls.
You could call this episode “Uncle Jessie’s Big Mistake.” The Duke Boys tried real hard but they couldn’t pull away. You can’t beat the Pettys with an engine that they made. And when Cooter installed it he should have taken off the restrictor plate.
Pretty car, pretty boys but neither so fast. Soon it was clear that the chase wouldn’t last. The blonde tried to jump but Maurice didn’t care. He shot the General’s tires out while it was in the air. Maurice got their balls and Richard got the bat. Tires weren’t going to be the only things flat. When a Jeep with long legs drove by.
The Pettys liked what they saw so the Duke boys didn’t have to die, if cousin Daisy would only switch sides.
M.4R and M.3R
