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You are viewing the most recent 20 entries October 31st, 200911:49 pm: My God...
...I'm actually gonna finish "ASCII Cupcake" this weekend. This is so crazy. I actually kinda thought it might never get finished. Heck, it might even be available for purchase before Xmas, though we'll have to see how fast mastering goes. Not to mention posting to iTunes etc. That crap can be really slow. -m Tags: ascii cupcake, cosmicity
August 19th, 200909:06 pm: You're gonna hate my upcoming EP.
I played one of my new Cosmicity songs ("Resignation") for a few friends yesterday and it solicited... no reaction. They literally changed the subject when the song ended. I've got a pretty bad feeling about the reception of this EP when it comes out. Ah well... too bad, public! I'm putting it out anyway! ;-) -m Current Mood:  determined , cosmicity, resignation
May 27th, 200912:56 pm: Depeche Mode "Peace (Cosmicity Remix)" - PLEASE VOTE!
Okay, voting has started in the Depeche Mode remix contest. I could really use your help! You can hear the Cosmicity remix here: http://www.beatportal.com/remix/detail/peace-cosmicity-remix/IF YOU LIKE IT, YOU HAVE TO "SPIN" IT TO VOTE FOR IT . That's what counts as a vote. To be able to "spin" it, rather annoyingly, you have to sign up for a beatport account. I know it's a pain, but I'll very much appreciate your vote! (If you have any trouble signing up for an account, this link will take you to the main page to do it: http://www.beatportal.com/remix/contest/depeche-mode-remix-contest/ ) Thanks again. I really appreciate your continued enthusiasm! And, should I lose the contest (as I suspect I might with SO many entries by pro remixers), your vote will definitely coax me into sending you a free MP3 of the track. (If by some miracle I won the contest, I wouldn't be able to send it to you because Depeche Mode would own it, but then you could buy it!) -mark Tags: beatport, cosmicity, depeche mode, peace, remix
May 21st, 200906:18 pm: Depeche Mode "Peace (Cosmicity Remix)"
Yes, I too have fallen victim to the silly Depeche Mode remix contest. I do realize that it is very unlikely that I'll be able win due to the massive amount of talent entering (well-known DJs and artists) with tons more remixing prowess and recording tech behind them (not to mention the contest is sponsored by Beatport which is all about obscure variations of house music and DJ culture stuff - a million miles from my world), but the lure of doing a DM remix is just too great for a lifelong fan to ignore, I think. Please note that you can't vote for it just yet, only listen. Voting starts next week. If you like what you hear, I ask that you please take the time to go back and vote next week when I post the new link. It'd make me feel good to have more than 0 votes, and I'd really appreciate it! :-) http://www.beatportal.com/remix/detail/peace-cosmicity-remix/-m Current Mood:  accomplished , cosmicity, depeche mode, peace, remix
May 12th, 200911:44 pm: Cosmicity Website - It's all new.
I've rebuilt the ol' Cosmicity website to make it cleaner and easier to navigate. Okay, truth is, I don't have the time I used to have for website building/updating (plus, everyone just looks for a band's myspace page first anyway), so I moved all of Cosmicity's info over to iWeb. I know, I know. Designers fart on iWeb. But you know, it's convenient and it makes clean websites! Anyway, if you feel like any important content is missing, I'd love to hear your suggestions. http://www.cosmicity.com-m PS - I'll make it more customized with the release of "ASCII Cupcake" later this year, I promise. Right now, I'm a little short on fresh Cosmicity images. PPS - There's a short demo version of a potential "ASCII Cupcake" song that plays from the homepage. Tags: "still", ascii cupcake, cosmicity, cosmicity.com, website
April 5th, 200904:57 pm: Proxy
I recorded the vocals to one of my new songs, called "Proxy", today while Sara and Zoe were out for a while. When I was all done and I was listening to playback, I burst into tears and I couldn't stop crying. Whether anyone else in the world ultimately likes this song or not, it says exactly what I feel. All of these songs do. When completed, "ASCII Cupcake" will be, far and away, the most cathartic collection of songs I've ever written. If I didn't have music to turn to as an outlet, I'd have self-destructed months ago. -m Current Music: Cosmicity - "Proxy" , cosmicity, proxy
March 24th, 200901:44 pm: I'm huge in Uruguay (no, really!)
This is taken from a message I just received on myspace from a DJ who spins there: "Every friday and saturday people get crazy with "Perverse" here at Alexander Disco Pub.. I'm so glad to tell you that people come to us to ask what is that wonderful song we sing non stop. I will record it and post it here for everyone to see the success of Mark Nicholas in Uruguay. Keep it uP!" Just when I'd started believing that album didn't really get too far... -m
Tags: mark nicholas, perverse, uruguay
March 9th, 200903:37 pm: ASCII Cupcake
1. In general, how many original (new) songs need to be on an EP? (Just asking 'cause, you know, I'm working on an EP (working title is the subject line), and I want to meet with expectations and all. I've got 4 solid new songs, and couple of "danglers" I'm not sure about... but I'm all about quality over quantity. Or, perhaps more to the point given my personal situation right now, finish-sometime-this-decadeability.) 2. Do you want to hear early demo stage samples as I work, or would rather wait 'til they're much more polished? 3. Does the working title frighten you away with its oddness, or is it okay to make it an inside joke as long as it uses cool words like "ASCII" and "cupcake"? -m PS - We expect to be going in for more tests on Zoe this Wednesday. I've decided to avoid posting about that stuff here on LJ (to keep this blog a little bit more music focused), so for extremely current news about Zoe as it happens, please add me as a friend on Facebook or Twitter. Don't worry - I'll add you even if I don't know you well, as long as you actually want to read about my daughter. I'm just trying to spare casual Cosmicity fans my day-to-day reports.
Tags: ascii cupcake, cosmicity, ep, zoe
February 25th, 200903:49 pm: Reposted from Facebook: 15 Random Things About Me
I'm breaking down and posting this MEME, hoping it'll distract me from a bad day. I'm going to skip some things everyone knows about me (ex: I love fast food) for things you might not, in the hope of making it a bit more readable. 1. I was almost a writer instead of a musician. While I'm extremely proud of the music I've written and recorded, and I think that's definitely where my greatest god-given strength is, I probably SHOULD have become a writer for the sake of my overall well-being. I'd have a more useful college degree (BA instead of a BM!), more potential for a career that pays, and more opportunities for success in general. My parents both warned me about getting a degree in music, but I wouldn't listen. Stupid teenagers. 2. When I think about what I will do if/when I get laid off in this bad economy (I live in Detroit and work for an advertising agency tied exclusively to Chrysler), my immediate thought is that I'm fairly screwed for employment. My job type (Broadcast Producer) is very specific, and there just aren't jobs to replace the one I have. So, I'd probably become a stay-at-home dad and try and pick up some kind of managerial retail job at night. Not sure we could survive like that, but if it happens, I guess we'll find out. 3. If I had the time, credentials, and consequence-free environment to try any other career, I've often considered high school teacher, politician (fine idea 'til the person running against me for office distributes the lyrics to my last album), and most often, small business owner. I have several retail store ideas, my favorite of which is a store that sells nothing but rare/imported junk food/candy/soda. The ultimate unique party store. (Example: We'd stock 7-Up cola from Poland, Apple Juice Soda from Mexico, all the European Cadbury candy bars, Canada's Poutine or Ketchup flavored potato chips, etc.) 4. For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to grow up and have two daughters. Though she's been struggling with health problems since birth, I'm already blessed with one daughter, Zoe (almost 8 months old now). My wife, Sara, has never really been into the idea of a 2nd child. And really, I don't blame her at this point. Her pregnancy was constantly painful and awful in general, and with all that's happened with Zoe's health since her birth, having another child is almost incomprehensible right now (emotionally and financially). Still, I can't help thinking about having another someday. Maybe things will look different to both of us in a few years. 5. Unbeknownst to anyone but a couple of the people that are closest to me, I suffer from two medical conditions that cause me constant pain and distress. These are conditions beyond the regular conditions that most of my friends already know about (like allergies and asthma). They are both publicly unacceptable to discuss (no, I don't have AIDS or anything - I'm not dying), so I don't discuss them, but they are a source of much additional stress in my life. (And also, no, they are absolutely not related to Zoe's problems in any way. We've checked, checked, and checked again. No connection.) 6. I think the thing I miss most about our lives before Zoe got sick is the ease with which we used to laugh. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade Zoe for anything, but I do wish Sara and I could find a way to get back into our old mental state. We used to generate pop culture references and ideas for new movies (remember Vampires vs Zombies, Sara?) constantly, and generally just kept ourselves laughing through life with relative ease. We still do that, once in a great while, but it's rare, and now perhaps it's even burdened by guilt... the notion that somehow, if you're thinking about Vampires vs. Zombies, your attention is not focused where it should be and you're a bad person. Even though we both know it's not as cut-and-dry as all that, and we know people need to find a way to laugh even in the worst situations, it's still hard to convince yourself deep down. 7. I tell people that I don't wear contact lenses because I can't stick my fingers in my eyes (it was tough for me) or because of my allergies (it was a concern), but the real reason is that my glasses have become a life-long safety blanket, a social shield, and I don't know who I am without them. Hell, now that I think about it, I bet you don't know who I am without them either! ;-) 8. I regret using my real name for my last two albums (Duchess 33 and Perversions). I don't regret the albums - I'm quite proud of them, actually - just that I used my real name. I think it would have worked out better if I'd come up with yet another Pseudonym to publish those under. As it stands now, the music I'm currently composing fits better with the Cosmicity sound, so I'll be going back to that here in 2009. But does that mean it's any less me... less "Mark Nicholas"? Not at all... if anything, it's more me than ever, with ridiculously personal lyrics. So, I guess I kinda just wish I had put those 2 albums out under a name like Yticimsoc. (Only KMFDM fans will really get that joke.) 9. If I ever do take the time to try writing, as I've been threatening to do for over a decade, the biggest challenge I will face will be which script idea to attempt first. I have tons. I'll probably go for a relationship movie first, though, since that's always been my lyrical bread and butter and I've got a lot of comfort with that. Plus, I think writing believable, conversational dialogue is my strength. Well, I mean, I'd HAVE to write the Vampires vs. Zombies movie with Sara first, THEN a romcom. 10. I absolutely love romcoms. When it comes to movies, I'm somewhere between a basement-dwelling, dorito-chomping sci-fi geek and a teenage girl. I seriously LOVE cheesy romcoms. You name it, I've watched it. And Sara hates them. Passionately. She groaned through every second of Music and Lyrics, and I gobbled it up. (Watched it again recently.) Yes, I know these are generally not top-notch films, and I certainly wouldn't model any screenplay I'd attempt to write after one of these movies, but they make me feel happy, and that's hard to beat, right? (I WOULD, however, model my screenplay after a relationship movie like Before Sunrise. No shame there.) 11. Socially, the best time in my life was high school. Most people will tell you that college was the best, but for me it was high school, without question. When I was in high school, I had the time to really nurture friendships and generate social activities. And when you invest a lot of time in friends, it pays off. I had lots of great friends that offered seemingly endless support... and I had SO MUCH fun. That might be due in part to the fact that I was often in charge of creating our social outings, so I could customize them to my liking, but I think even more than that was the level of closeness I felt with my friends then. I'd be hard-pressed to point to any friends in my life now that I'm close to the way I was with them. Sara (my wife) is the only one I truly talk with that freely now. (There are a couple of others in my life that I still open up to, but again, not at the same depth that I used to.) I deeply regret that. I regret losing closeness with those friends very much, yes, but also the friends I've made since. I had a few great friends in college, and though they're on my Facebook friends list now , they're not friends like they were. I regret that. I've had a couple more since college that I've let slip away. I regret that too. Someday soon, I hope to have the time to start turning that around. I've lost my social skills, but with practice, I think I could find them again. I know it'd be worth it. I remember what it was like. 12. Even though I had my dog Schmee for 12 years - since she was just a tiny puppy, Sara (who's only known Schmee for maybe 7 years) has expressed far more sadness at her loss than I have. Don't get me wrong: I miss her very much. She was the best. I cried uncontrollably after she passed and the whole car ride home. But since then I've been able to compartmentalize it, I guess, so I've been doing pretty okay. Sara, on the other hand, cries every time Schmee is missing from an activity she used to enjoy (like dropped crumbs in the kitchen or jumping into bed at night.) I guess I just have that guy ability to turn it off when I need to. That kinda makes me sad. Still, I think this also speaks volumes about Sara that people probably don't know... just how incredibly sensitive she is underneath the shield she wears day-to-day. She really really is. 13. I hate getting my hair cut, but I love having freshly cut hair. It's really the process I hate... I don't like having someone touching me like that for whatever reason. I feel the same way about massage. I would never go for a massage. It would not be relaxing for me at all. Not one bit. BUT! If I know someone, I feel kinda the opposite. I'm certainly fine with massages from Sara and stuff. And I actually wish there was more physical contact with friends and co-workers (not dirty - get your minds out of the gutters). I think I'm actually a person who likes to hug but doesn't have the guts to start that ritual up. But yeah, I wish I was more of a hug person with my friends and stuff. 14. Though I am known for loving junk food and fast food (I REALLLY do love that stuff), when I was single, my favorite meals were generally far healthier. I used to sometimes eat pistachios, peas and rice for dinner, and many variations on that theme. Carrots and peanut butter... all kinds of odd but healthy things that don't actually sound like a meal. I really love to snack, and I had essentially figured out a way to snack until I was full while still getting a decent balance of food. Far more balanced than I eat now, actually. Gotta figure out a way to turn that thinking into proper meals for my family so we can get back on track somehow. 15. The most important thing I've accomplished with my life so far is probably writing the song "Crucify". I didn't really realize it until somewhat recently, but this song was pivotal. It is the song that led me to my wife. She heard it, then became a fan of my music, played some of it in her club, which eventually led me to her when I saw my music on one of her playlists and then brought her a new single I was working on. It is also the only song I've ever written that has directly changed someone else's life. I had a guy write me years ago to tell me that he and his wife had their first kiss listening to this song, and eventually it was played for the first dance at their wedding. It was the first song I ever published on a real record label. It was the song that established the musical direction that I've been on for the rest of my life. Everything I wrote before then I kinda consider part of a learning curve. But "Crucify" marked my arrival as a skilled songwriter. And finally, it is the song that has best stood the test of time. I've recently been posting all of the "fan favorite" Cosmicity songs on the competitive website thesixtyone.com . (Basically, listeners vote for the songs they like.) "Crucify" has been far-and-away the favorite Cosmicity song, receiving tons more votes than anything else I've ever posted, even though it is now 12 years old and up against many other songs of mine, some recorded as recently as 2 years ago. That's it. If you actually read all of this, well, thanks for caring enough to plow through it all. I appreciate it. :-) Tags: 15 things, facebook, sara, zoe
January 20th, 200909:55 pm: Cosmicity
In the cracks, I am still working on the music. Progress is slowly being made. I like the sound so far, but I fear it may be lyrically the saddest music I've ever produced. Can't be helped. Gotta write what you feel. Good thing nobody listens to lyrics. I'm sure when it comes out I'll get lots of "I love to bounce around to that song" even though the lyrics are about giving up on life or some shit like that. Also of note: The new Cosmicity album may not be called "Music for Headphones" anymore. I've made such a turn with the content that it doesn't seem to apply. My current working title for the EP (yes, an EP as opposed to a full length) is "ASCII Cupcake". I actually have 3 up-and-running demo songs, so the next month or two might bring an audio sneak preview. Assuming I keep finding time to get little bits of work done, that is. -m PS - There's a little glimmer of hope with Zoe this week. I'll write more about it next week if it holds true until then. Current Music: Obama Inauguration Celebrations on TV , zoe
January 8th, 200909:48 pm: Zoe - A bad day. Diagnosis doubts. What the future holds.
Things with Zoe are not well. Her episodes look worse and she is now very clearly behind on her development (missing milestones), and that's been confirmed by our Pediatrician a couple of weeks ago and our U of M Neurologist today. What seemed like a clear Sandifer's diagnosis just over a month ago is now in serious doubt, so the remaining doctors are trying to figure things out the hard way now: She'll be going in for Fundoplication surgery soon in an attempt to stop her reflux, and then see if that stops her episodes and gets her overall development back on track. It's really our only remaining play, as we've done literally everything else you can do (from scans and tests for epilepsy to medicines and treatments for reflux - nothing resulting in anything concrete to help her or diagnose her.) If the surgery fails (which it might - it only has a 60% success rate, depending on what article you read - plus they have no idea if the reflux is truly the 'cause of all of her other problems) then we're back at square one trying to think of something else.
I wish I had better news to share with people when they ask about this because we have so much support and optimism always pouring in, but it's just bad right now. She's in pain all the time and she's 6 months old with the skill set of a 2 month old. That's just the way it is. Still, I really appreciate everyone's inquiries and support. There's more to the story, but the details go on for years so I won't get into all of them. In short, we'll also be getting her a hearing test soon, and revisiting the eye doctor in Feb., among other things. With as bad as things are with Zoe, it's really tough to tell what's working right and what's not, so you've just gotta keep ruling things out, just to make sure. We'll also be contacting Early On so we can get some help moving her development along as best we can. On Zoe's bad days she's all episodes and sleep, so there's not much we can do on those, but on good (episode-free) days she seems to have the strength to try, so we'll just have to make the most of that time so that she can hopefully start accomplishing a few of these milestones (like sitting up, rolling over, grabbing objects, etc.) The Neuro doctor today also spent a lot more time than we would have liked talking about Infantile Spasms. That is definitely what her episodes look like on the surface, no question about it (and that diagnosis would explain her lack of milestone development), plus we had fresh video to show him which illustrates that her episodes look even more severe now than even a month ago. But obviously all of the other doctors we've ever seen (including two other Neurologists) and hospitals have thought of this before, and it was ruled out after 3 - yes 3 - normal EEGs including a 24 hour video EEG (as well as numerous other brain scans). Still, this Neurologist says that if we have no luck with her reflux surgery (which he definitely wants us to do first, ASAP), that we'll have no choice but to have yet another EEG and check for it again. We'll cross that bridge if we have to come to it, but we definitely don't want to. Infantile Spasms are a life sentence - they're not like other forms of epilepsy that can be treated with medication and fade with age. If Infantile Spasms were the diagnosis, she would never be normal (mentally retarded, at the very least). -m
Tags: fundoplication, infantile spasms, sandifer's syndrome, surgery, zoe
December 21st, 200811:45 pm: Lil' freebee bootleg remix
As most of you know, Sara (DJ Ginger Snapp) and I like to occasionally make quick little bootleg remixes of tracks that, well, lack a beat! Our latest is for Love Lockdown by Kanye West. Why? Because it needed a beat! If you want it, you can grab it here: Follow this link: http://www.thesixtyone.com/#/SM/Or if that doesn't work, you can go to that site and search for S+M, you'll find our remix. -m PS - This was custom made for Sara's set on IPMRadio.com Saturday night. It was awesome. As soon as she puts it up for download, I'll post a link to that too. Current Music: zoe stirring in her crib , love lockdown, remix, thesixtyone
December 12th, 200808:08 am: Horrible
Here's perhaps the worst reality I've ever had to face: With the 14B big 3 automaker loans dead, our entire livelihood now depends on President Bush. Without his help in the next week or so, Sara and I (and all of Detroit, to be sure) are going down and there will be literally no hope for us. -m Current Mood:  worried , big 3, detroit
December 9th, 200803:59 pm: My Christmas List
Dear Santa: All I want for Christmas, this year and for every year hereafter, is for my baby girl to be healthy and free of pain. Very sincerely, -mark
Tags: christmas, santa, zoe
November 23rd, 200809:30 pm: Completely avoiding what's actually on my mind.
It just occurred to me that demographically I'm exactly in the middle between Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and Nights in Rodanthe. Which means what? "Knocked Up" or "Baby Mama"? Yeah, I paid the ticket price and watched those films because Hollywood said they were for me, but they really weren't. I'm not sure anyone's making movies for me. They're mostly for the young, and that's a little bit depressing. So, I sneak into the theater and watch the "Nick and Norah's" Hollywood has on offer and very quietly love them. My heart doesn't know it's 35, except perhaps when I eat at White Castle. -m Current Music: phantom menace on spike tv in background November 19th, 200810:03 pm: Read my little article.
I wrote a short article for passivepromotion.com on the advantages of having a presence on YouTube (meant to help out indie musicians). Musicians or wannabe musicians will probably find it a little more interesting, but heck, read it even if you're not! :-) (No, it's not a funny article like the ones I used to write for synthpop.net. Sorry. At least it's got links to homespun videos, and those are always fun right?) I'm planning on writing a few more of these articles in the coming weeks. I've always enjoyed writing, as most of you know, so why not share a little of what I've learned over the years so other musicians might benefit? -m Current Music: new color theory album , passivepromotion.com, youtube
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