The Ryan Gregson Web-Log

In case you need a giant tongue costume…

Ryan — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 19:23:42 +0000

this is how you do it.

1 – Think about it, a lot.
2 – Research, a lot. (the online costuming community gets pretty creepy)
3 – Spend hours roaming Lowes, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Home Depot, Utah Furniture Supply, Delvie’s Plastics. Not to much an hour roaming gateway mall, weirding out all the retail girls by asking to get your hands on their old mannequins.
4 – You now have two big sheets of upholstery foam, and you have to turn it in to a wearable tongue costume. Where to start?
5 – Play a round of horseshoes.
6 – Dig in, with your walmart electric bread knife.

7 – Concede that the only way to smooth out those edges is with a half inch dremmel sander, akin to painting a fence with a toothbrush.
8 – Keep at it. Finally get around to buying a face mask and safety goggles. Because breathing in foam particles is irritating. And foam particles get stuck under your eyelids, making your eyes red and watery, giving you the appearance of a junky when purchasing snacks at Smith’s grocery.

9 – Feel hopeful for your project, freak out a little bit, then feel hopeful again. Repeat as necessary.
10 – Get to the fun part, painting the costume in Latex.
11 – Freak out again cause it’s not going like expected.
12 – Get some reassurance and “special fiber” from the special effects shop guy. (I have no idea what “special fiber” really is, but it was only used for thickening latex, I promise)
13 – Get to the real fun part, and paint with coloured latex.

14 – Finish painting, show off a little bit, and gear up for the next costume.

Start Sending Donations…

Ryan — Sun, 02 May 2010 20:29:10 +0000

…We’re buying it!
Abondoned Dino-Park for sale/

To The Near Future…

Ryan — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:26:30 +0000

Aught Songs – Rich

Ryan — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:43:38 +0000

Rich, by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. From their ’03 debut album “Fever to tell”. Next to “maps” this song hooked me on the YYY’s. No one does hip, fragile and dangerous like Karen O.
My performance and recording isn’t the tightest on this cover, but I feel I did pretty well on making this one my own.
This recording also features Handclaps! and a Bucket Drum! I’m no drummer, especially on a bucket, but I make do.

RichRich

and here’s the original:

The Morning Benders

Ryan — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:55:01 +0000

Just got a leak of their album “Big Echo”. So far so good, I anticipate growing to really love this album with some time, we’ll see.
meanwhile great video below;

Yours Truly Presents: The Morning Benders “Excuses” from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

Nought Songs – Your Ex-Lover is Dead (ft. Julia Mecham)

Ryan — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:19:51 +0000

Your Ex-Lover is Dead by Stars, released in 2004. 03-04 is when I really started getting into “Indie” music; and when a lot of songs I now consider classics of sorts, were created. The original finds Stars doing the best of what they do; love-torn heart-on-sleeve indie ballads. Since the original is also a duet, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to enlist the help of my very talented friend Julia Mecham. She’s a great singer and guitarist and songwriter, and she has a better ear for some of this stuff than I do, this track wouldn’t sound half as good without her input. Really, I tried to pass off things half as good. Oh and she came up with that great impromptu hook in the last section. Anyway it was fun recording with her and I’ve learned quite a bit on this song, so my objectives are being met.
Thanks again Julia for indulging me on this project!

Julia – Vocals, Organ, drums (before I ruined that sound file) and many other things we ended up not using.
Ryan – Vocals, guitar, mixing etc.

Nought Songs – All I Need

Ryan — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:46:18 +0000

So here’s my first official Nought Songs cover, All I Need, originally by Radiohead, Released this last year of 09.
This one turned out kinda interesting I guess.

Once again I’m going to be recording a bunch of these, hopefully involving many friends and others in the process. For practice and for fun.

(standard disclaimers of talent apply)

Shelia Take Two

Ryan — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:51:59 +0000

New and improved! now with more tambourine!
well, there might be some improvements on this one?

Shelia

Ryan — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:18:18 +0000

Over the next month or so I intend to record some covers, mostly songs that are favourites of mine from the past decade. My objective is to better learn how to record music, play music, sing and experiment with different vocal styles, and to involve friends in the process.
This here is just a practice run, a cover of “Shelia” by Atlas Sound.
Being a practice round, things are still pretty shaky, my vocals are no exception. Mind the flats and sour notes. Hopefully I’ll improve as time goes on.

What the Internet was made for…

Ryan — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 06:57:21 +0000

11 other strangers and I recreated these classic calvin faces. via buzzfeed.