We/ve moved our official blog! Please direct your funny little browsers to http://commontoneblog.blogspot.com. So, please check it out early and often!

James Landon did a bang-up job ironing out all the technical issues and Common Tone is now safely ensconced back in iTunes where we belong. Click on one of the links over at commontoneblog.blogspot.com to bring up yer iTunes and check out our listing there.

Our March 2007 episode, #8 overall, is now uploaded and ready for listening. Featuring part one of an interview with composer Karen Amrhein (with part two ready to go for episode #9), there's a glitch here and a digital artifact there, but overall it's another jolly collection of information, mixing serious observations with irreverent yammering as only Common Tone can do it. CD'S MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE: --Karen Amrhein, Fresh Produce (2004), mix of chamber and orchestral music; self-produced and available at www.happylemonmusicpublishing.com as well as at iTunes. --Karen Amrhein, Still Life (2005), chamber music; MMC Recordings #MMC2136; available at www.happylemonmusicpublishing.com, MMC Recordings, and via all online & regular retail outlets that sell classical music titles. --John Harbison, The Flight Into Egypt And Other Works By John Harbison (1990), chamber & orchestral music; New World Records #80395-2 --The Raveonettes, Pretty In Black (2005); Columbia Records. TECHNICALS: Format: MP3, 192kbps Size: 52mB Duration: 38:30

We're back! Common Tone #7 is now available, the first new episode in a year and a half. It's a short one, basically getting our feet wet and getting reacquainted with the old gear and accustomed to the new gear. We had planned on talking about composer Michael Hersch and doing a phone interview with composer Karen Amrhein but we had to postpone those segments to the next 'cast.

Welcome back and please write to us at commontone@gmail.com to let us know your thoughts. And visit our lil' slice of retail heaven at www.zazzle.com/commontone!

TECHNICALS: Format: MP3, 192kps Length: 18mB Duration: 13 minutes

Common Tone #7 is currently in pre-production and should be released later this month. Episode seven will be the first new episode in more than a year. In honor of our momentous return, we have re-released the original six Common Tone episodes. CT episodes one through six were originally released in 2005 and have been unavailable since early 2006.

We hope that you enjoy these first six shows and that you'll stay tuned for episodes seven and beyond in the coming months. In the meantime, drop us a note at our temporary home, commontoneblog.blogspot.com. We'd love to hear from you! Thanks for your continued interest and support.

Check out our brand new MySpace page at myspace.com/commontoneshow and be our friend. Everyone can use a friend, right?

Common Tone Episode 6 was originally released on September 5th, 2005 and is now available once again for download.

 

While this episode features a discussion on the life and works of synthesizer and electronic music pioneer Dr. Robert Moog (1934-2005), its focus is really just classic silliness. We introduce a few technical advances, audition some theme music options, introduce our first mailbag segment and t-shirt contest and, at the frantic request of a listener, we also address the plight of the Naperville Carillon.

As if that's not enough, we also experience our first technical problems.

Sound like fun? Episode 6 is very busy, with more humor and less serious music than any prior episode.

Don't forget our store at Zazzle.com. There's a message forum so you can interact with us & leave comments or questions. Check out our Wear It Proudly series, featuring some of the shiniest foreheads in modern classical music. They're way funny. Buy one and show the world what a sophisticate you are.

Thanks for listening, and please direct your comments to us at commontone@gmail.com

TECHNICALS: File Format: MPEG-4 , File Size: 44.9 MB , Running Time: 49 min.

Common Tone Episode Five was originally released in August 2005 and features part one of our discussion of the Kronos Quartet, their origins and performances, and focuses on the George Crumb composition Black Angels. It also includes the usual amount of humor and digression that you've come to love. It also has the same mellow, mixed-back microphone sound for Jim as in Episode Five, thus answering the question, "Does the consumption of cheap beer affect the sense of hearing during recording sessions?" Part two of this discussion- about Kronos, not cheap beer- will be in Episode Six. Don't forget: our new store at Zazzle.com. There's a message forum so you can interact with us & leave comments or questions. Check out our new Wear It Proudly series, featuring some of the shiniest foreheads in modern classical music. They're way funny. Buy one and show the world what a sophisticate you are. Thanks for listening, and please direct your comments to us at CommonTone@gmail.com or stop by our blog, commontoneblog.blogspot.com. TECHNICALS File Format: MPEG-4 , File Size: 3.1 MB , Running Time: 39 min.

The fourth episode of Common Tone was released back in August 2005 and features a discussion on the music of American composer George Rochberg and includes Part B of his famous String Quartet No. 3 performed by the Concord Quartet. It also includes fewer digressions than normal and more stammering by Jim than in all three previous episodes combined. It was probably the Pabst Blue Ribbon. Episode 5 is now in post-production and will be released early next week, so stay tuned. In the meantime, don't forget: our new store at Zazzle.com is ready for you to peruse and sit a spell. There's a message forum so you can interact with us & leave comments or questions. Check out our new Wear It Proudly series, featuring some of the shiniest foreheads in modern classical music. They're way funny. Buy one and show the world what a sophisticate you are. Thanks for listening, and please direct your comments to us at CommonTone@gmail.com or visit our blog, commontoneblog.blogspot.com. TECHNICALS File Format: MPEG-4 , File Size: 33.8 MB , Running Time: 37 min

The third episode of Common Tone was released this evening and is now available for download. This episode features a discussion on the music of American composer David Diamond and includes the 1st movement of his Symphony No. 2 performed by the Seattle Symphony and conducted by Gerard Schwarz. It also includes the story of a brush with a Supreme Court Chief Justice and a few more surprises. Don't forget: our new store at Zazzle.com is ready for you to peruse and sit a spell. There's a message forum so you can interact with us & leave comments or questions. Jim designed the T-shirts, with new designs going up every few days. They're way funny. Buy one and show the world what a sophisticate you are. Thanks for listening, and please direct your comments to us at CommonTone@ gmail.com or stop by our blog, commontoneblog.blogspot.com. TECHNICALS File Format: MPEG-4 , File Size: 30.6 MB , Running Time: 33 min