5 Feb
This week’s song is a great one by Steve Earle — inspired at least partially by The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. It’s a great song sung by Irish immigrant Buster Kilrain during the Civil War.
Recorded as just me and my acoustic in my studio on my Sony ICD-SX700 voice recorder.
Direct Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHRPBcBXLp0
29 Jan
Even though my experience with this company was quite painful, long, and drug out, I’m going to attempt to keep this review short.
Bottom line: Although the design and ordering process is very easy, streamlined, and simple, placing an order with this company, based on my personal experience, runs a very high risk of cumbersome delays, phone tag, and a major investment in your personal time.
29 Jan
This week’s podcast is “Remedy” — the song that brought the-awesomeness-that-is-Seether into my life. The song rocks, and I sing it with Town Crier.
Recorded as just me and my acoustic in my studio on my Sony ICD-SX700 voice recorder.
Direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unXG4YGyGgY
28 Jan
This is a cause that I have come up with, and I think it a noble one. Get more details on the Facebook group page, but the jist is:
U.S. taxpayer dollars should never allow a U.S. official (Representative, Senator, President, judge, or anyone else whose salary is paid by public taxes) to make MORE than the salary for his/her position.Example: If a Senator’s 2009 salary is $174k, but he/she made $80k on a real estate deal in 2009, they would only be allowed to keep $94k in wages from the federal government.
President Obama said in his State of the Union speech last night:
Families across the country are tightening their belts and making tough decisions. The federal government should do the same.
I think my idea is a very simple way for him and for Congress (and others) to demonstrate that. Check it out.
22 Jan
This week’s song is “Country Roads,” originally performed by John Denver (of course). I did a demonstration about music recording to some students at my old school in Sept. 09, and I thought it would be a good choice for a podcast.
As usual, this recording is a simple live version done on a Sony ICD-SX700 Voice Recorder.
Direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6eu7HdlAz0
21 Jan
This is a script I made to take advantage of the ffmpeg package in linux to quickly convert an mp3 to avi using a static image. I personally use this technique for uploading my songs to YouTube. I originally found the conversion command here.
All you need is a linux distro with ffmpeg installed, a jpeg or png image, and an mp3. Note: It is highly likely other image formats, audio formats, and output video formats will work, but I have only used jpeg/png+mp3+avi and so cannot attest to results otherwise.
Usage: bash mp32avi.sh <image_file> <mp3_file> <output_file.avi>
Code (mp32avi.sh):
#!/bin/bash
FFMPEG=`which ffmpeg`
if [ "$FFMPEG" = "" ] ; then
echo "Please install ffmpeg.";
exit 0;
fi
if [ $# != 3 ] ; then
echo "Usage: $0 <image_file> <mp3_file> <output_file.avi>";
exit 0;
fi
if [ ! -f $1 ] ; then
echo "Source image '$1' not found.";
exit 0;
fi
if [ ! -f $2 ] ; then
echo "Source mp3 '$2' not found.";
exit 0;
fi
if [ -f $3 ] ; then
echo "Output file '$3' exists. Overwrite? (y/n)";
read CONFIRM
if [ "$CONFIRM" == "y" ] ; then
echo "Overwriting '$3'"
else
if [ "$CONFIRM" == "Y" ] ; then
echo "Overwriting '$3'"
else
echo "Operation canceled.";
exit 0;
fi
fi
fi
TIME=`$FFMPEG -i $2 |& grep 'Duration' | awk '{ print $2; }' | sed -e 's/,//g'`
$FFMPEG -loop_input -i $1 -i $2 -acodec copy -y -t $TIME $3
15 Jan
As many of you know, I’ve recently started to build a bigger fan base (well, a noticeable fan base) through Facebook. In that effort, I’ve decided to start uploading my podcasts to YouTube to make them easier to share. So, I’ve decided to “rerun” the previous podcasts and rename (quite strikingly) the series as “Weekly Acoustic Podcast.” (I know, catch your breath!)
Anyway, the process of rerunning should take 2-3 months, and after that I’ll begin uploading new material.
This week’s song is “I’ll Be,” originally performed by Edwin McCain in the 90s. It is one that I sing with my band Town Crier.
My podcasts are recorded as just me on my acoustic guitar in my studio on my Sony ICD-SX700 voice recorder. Enjoy!
Direct link: “I’ll Be” » Jeremy Tharp Weekly Acoustic Podcast Episode 1
14 Jan
As many of you have seen, I’ve started a new effort to garner fans through Facebook. In an effort to connect those fans, I’m migrating my method of posting files over to YouTube. Therefore, I’m just going to repost previous podcasts with the embedded mp3 video. Think of it as “reruns.” Of course, I’m actually starting it over.
It will also now (quite catchingly and strikingly) be called the “Weekly Acoustic Podcast.”
The whole “rerun” process will take from two to four months, then I’ll get back to uploading new material each week.
Be sure to check me out on Facebook!
8 Jan
Well the challenge worked.
For those who don’t know the back story, my friend Phil Taylor and I, having been somewhat lacking in the new material, challenged one another to write and record a new album before and to be released on January 1, 2010. This was in approximately November (2009 of course).
Knowing my own lack of spare time, I knew I would not be able to do full studio productions, but I felt confident I could write the songs. After all, I had made a 2009 resolution to write new material, and I needed some catalyst (kick-in-the-butt).
I had originally intended to do 13 songs, but I ran shorter on time than even I anticipated, so I settled on 10. I would release the album as my podcast on January 1 (how convenient that it fell on a Friday). I figured that would would be perfect, because in my business I had missed 2 weeks of podcasts already. Unfortunately, even at that, due to the New Year’s gig I did with Town Crier, I lost my voice, so I even missed the January 1 podcast.
At any rate, I finally got the songs recorded (once again on my trusty Sony ICD-SX700), and here they are.
Unlike usual, I did do minimal editing, but only to do some equalization correction. The recordings were not perfect anyway (they include the occasional flub and some cameos of my son screaming), but I wanted them to be as “tolerable” as possible.
My goal is to do full productions of this album by March of this year (2010), but I admit this is highly ambitious. 
So take a listen, enjoy, and feel free to impart your reactions here!
12 Dec
My site has been down for about a week, so this is posting late, but here is this week’s podcast.
I chose to play “Alone” off my album “Triad,” and my friend Phil Taylor talked me into covering one of his songs. I chose “Love Song” from his album “Tales of Love or the Lack Thereof” (recorded both by Phil and his former band Unborn).
I had a few moments of hitting the mic / other background noise on this. I’m not sure why, but just in case you hear it and wonder. 
podcast.0015.Jeremy Tharp-Alone
podcast.0016.Phil Taylor-Love Song
As usual, it’s me on my acoustic — no editing, recorded on a Sony ICD-SX700 voice recorder.
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