Custom Leather Motorcycle Tool Bag - Come And Take It

Brand new custom 12" wide leather tool bag

We enjoy creating products that will live on for a few generations. Proud to have made this new tool bag for one of our biker brethren in San Antonio, TX. The tool bag is a custom one off based upon the Slogan "Come And Take It" used in 1778 at Fort Morris in Georgia during the American Revolution and more notably in 1835 at the Battle of Gonzales during the Texas Revolution. Nothing like a bit of defiance in the face of adversity.

Find out more on the original motto and the flag, Come and Take It

Detail of a mural in the museum at Gonzales, Texas featuring the Come and Take It flag.

Ugly Moto Definitely Creates Beautiful Prints

Great write up on Ride Apart on Classic Motorcycle art by Ugly Moto

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Check into all things A Ride Apart

"When my friend told me to check out Uglymoto.com I was curious to find out what the site is all about. After typing in the website address, I was welcomed by some tasty illustrations of racing bikes from a bygone era.

For me being a designer and a motorcycle enthusiast, I liked what I saw. The site is very clean and easy to navigate, and with the right subject matter it was alright in my book!

After admiring the welcome page for a bit, the next step then was to proceeded to explore what Ugly Moto had to offer.

Luckily you don’t have to be a vintage bike connoisseur to appreciate each one, as Ugly Moto has taken the liberty to thoroughly describe each bike’s accomplishments and their riders. One thing is for sure, you can waste a lot of time at work (err…during break) exploring this site.

Yamaha YZR 500 OW48, Kenny Roberts, 1980 World Grand Prix Championship.

Ducati 750 Paul Smart, 1972 Imola 200 Race.

Ducati 900SS, Mike Hailwood, 1978 Isle Of Man TT.

Harley Davidson XR750, Cal Rayborn, 1972 Trans-Atlantic Match Race.

Honda CB750 Racing Type, Dick Mann 1970 Daytona 200.

Honda RC174, Mike Hailwood, 1967 FIM World Championship.

To me each bike has a very unique art and style to them. It has an old school, almost hand drawn look of the past but also the precision line work of a technical drawing. It’s definitely the right style combination to bring the spirit of these machines to life.

Now, upon learning as much as I could about each bike I became even more curious to see what technique used used by the artist to paint in this style. Luckily, Ugly Moto had a “Video- The Making” tab where then entire process showcases the painstaking detail in an epic time lapse.

After watching the video, I am in awe at the amount of work needed to make one painting! The effort and details that are invested in working out the line work in digital format, and combining the sensitivity of human artistry makes me appreciate the passion the artist put into the subject matter.

Now to the Artist, I guess I should have clicked the ‘About’ link first, but I’m writing this article in the manner of how I went about exploring the site; bikes first, people second (you know, how we all do it).

Ugly Moto is created by Francis Ooi, a motorcycle enthusiast; who is based in Singapore as a creative director for an ad agency. In his spare time, however, he switches gears and becomes a digital artist painting various beloved mechanical thoroughbred steeds. Each illustration takes more than a month with 800 components and layers to finish.

On his page, it lists a 1994 Ducati 900SS and a 2010 MV Agusta F4 as part of his current stable. Francis is not only a man with talent but also wonderful taste!

The illustrations can be purchased for $65.00 each but prints are limited (100 per model) so you’d better snag one while you still can."


Ugly Moto Project from Francis Ooi on Vimeo.

The Story Of The Focusrite Recording Console

Focusrite crafts one of the finest recording sound boards in the industry

Find out more on Focusrite

"Having developed modules for the world's leading mixing consoles, the company's first recording console, the Focusrite Forté, was launched, before a streamlined version called the Studio Console was put into production. Only 10 Studio Consoles were ever made, and six remain in operation to this day -- the documentary tells the stories of these consoles and the people who used them.

In honour of Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd.'s 25th Anniversary (and 29 years since the creation of the Focusrite brand) the company are running a dream recording competition, giving you and three of your bandmates a once in a lifetime opportunity to record a track with Grammy award-winning Producer, Guy Massey at the world famous AIR Studios in London, UK."

Are Your Songs Being Skipped on Spotify?

Are you ADD about getting to the next track?

Read more great articles on Inc.com

"Music blogger Paul Lamere recently analyzed Spotify's data for skipping frequencies.
He wanted to learn more about the circumstances under which Spotify users are skipping a song and moving on to the next one, rather than listening to the tune all the way through. 

For business leaders, who are constantly trying to hold the attention of a room during meetings or presentations, the insights are startling. For example, Lamere assessed how often a song gets skipped in the first five seconds that it's playing. His finding? "The likelihood that a song will be skipped within the first five seconds is an astounding 24.14 percent," he writes.

In other words, nearly one out of four songs gets skipped before it even has five seconds to make an impression. 

Lamere compared this five-second skipping rate to skipping rates after 10 seconds, 30 seconds, and before a song finishes. Here are the results:  

• First 5 seconds: 24.14 percent likelihood of skipping to the next song.
• First 10 seconds: 28.97 percent
• First 30 seconds: 35.05 percent
• Before song finishes: 48.6 percent

Lamere's numbers are an eye-opening reminder of how important it is to seize the attention of your audeince in the first few moments. Especially, the stats suggest, the younger members of your audience: "Young teenagers have the highest skipping rate," writes Lamere. "Well above 50 percent, but as the listener gets older their skipping rate drops rather dramatically, to reach the skipping nadir of about 35 percent."  

In other words, even ostensibly patient older listeners--you know, those who remember when you had to stand up and flip the vinyl record--skip more than one out of three songs. 

While Lamere's study is new, the business takeaway is something that meetings experts have been touting for years. For example, Patrick Lencioni, author of Death By Meeting, believes it's vital to hook listeners within the first 10 minutes: 

The key to making meetings more engaging--and less boring--lies in identifying and nurturing the natural level of conflict that should exist. One of the best places to learn how to do this is Hollywood. Directors and screenwriters learned long ago that movies need conflict to hold the interests of their audiences. Viewers need to believe that there are high stakes on the line, and they need to feel the tension that the characters feel. What is more, they realized if they didn't nurture that conflict--or drama--in the first 10 minutes of a movie, audiences would lose interest and disengage. Leaders of meetings need to do the same by putting the right issues--often the most controversial ones--on the table at the beginning of their meetings.

Writing a hooky tune or a Hollywood script is one thing. In actual meetings, what can leaders do to make sure the attendees are engaged and invested in the subject from the outset? One method is to ask questions that bring latent conflicts to the surface. "When people seem to be holding back their opinions, the leader must draw out feedback and put all issues on the table to be discussed," is what Jeff Gibson, Lencioni's colleage at The Table Group, once told me. 

The key: Don't think of conflict as a negative. Think of it as the natural by-product of an intelligent group discussing a complex topic.

As for presentations, it's no secret: Hooking the audience in the first 30 seconds is vital. If you're presenting to executives or investors, well, you know what they're usually looking for: bulletpoints and takeaways, up front. "Say you're given 30 minutes to present. When creating your intro, pretend your whole slot got cut to 5 minutes," advises presentations expert Nancy Duarte on the Harvard Business Review blog. "This will force you to lead with all the information your audience really cares about--high-level findings, conclusions, recommendations, a call to action. State those points clearly and succinctly right at the start, and then move on to supporting data, subtleties, and material that's peripherally relevant."

Of course, it's hardly a news flash that hooking listeners (or readers or viewers) at the outset is important. But there's a reason that experts like Lencioni and Duarte are in business: Sometimes, even talented executives need to be reminded about the fundamentals of one-to-many communication. On the subject of reminders, Lencioni is fond of quoting the legendary English author and critic Samuel Johnson (1709-1784). Johnson famously said: "People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed."

Keep that in mind, the next time someone on your team forgets an obvious step. And remember: Make it catchy, and make it fast, the next time you lead a meeting or give a talk."

Rory Kelly Feature Review In Subterraneo Heavy From Spain

Rory Kelly - Kings Never Sleep

Link to the review on Subterrano Heavy

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"From North Carolina comes the new album RORY KELLY . We are talking about a self-taught musician who previously formed part of the formations and CRANK COUNTY DAREDEVILS, INTETHOD thrashers, sleaze rock group that came quickly to international success . With such a history behind him and after the dissolution of his previous band , in 2010 Kelly decides to form his own musical project , signing nothing more and nothing less than his father, Mike Kelly, with whom he has been playing since childhood . With his father on drums and a seasoned ear by previous experiences, his first band TRIPLE THREAT edited RORY KELLY Get Me Back To You. The swamp rock roll of this album put him in the crosshairs of the good American reviews and artist turned for two years throughout the Southeast U.S.

After Billy Miller recruited bassist veteran after passing through bands like Voodou or SUPER SPORT and became fixed component of the band. Consolidated a more stable and professional bassist input rate, the trio launches Do not Shake my family tree along a line that combines the best of country, roots rock and the blues. With this hodgepodge RORY KELLY is devoted to a group of strong influences with an easy and effective operation live .

After a period of rest and several tours, as well as in Latin Europe (including an extensive tour in 2012 for our country) finally at hand your new job : Kings never sleep .

What this album offers us ?. Well obviously , southern rock . But one southern rock with many nuances, as the album has been influenced by a very pleasant base in blues guitar riffs , some dirty distortion and of course leave the country that makes listening through the cd is a breeze . Nor should we forget some nuances which folk stand at times.

Overall the work could be another example of the innumerable Southern Southern roots rock groups but the truth is that Kings never sleep has a lot to offer the listener. No job is a simple piggy rock nor superfluous reaches typical yankee soundtrack movie set in Texas.

The album kicks out with " Lay to Waste " , a spectacular theme that introduces us to the 10 tracks that come after, with powerful riffs, dirty distortion. "Kings never sleep " is the song that gives name to the album and the fact is that no wonder that the issue surpasses its predecessor by offering a touch more country . Thereupon traveled to a western movie with "Black Widow" , a medium very enveloping while automatically conveys the image of a badass cowboy looking at over the wide-brimmed hat . "Walking Wounded " surprised by its power , and is an issue with certain influences trashers not leave behind the line so far has followed the disc. The vocals on this track are becoming more distorted and torn .



We continue with "Menace to society" , the blues is imposed with some catchy tunes and very powerful bridges . In "Would Listen" hear acoustic guitars that emulate the melodies of a banjo, a distorted voice and a more country air if possible. A catchy tune to the core. With " Stood your ground" seems the pace is relaxed with a quiet intro worthy of NICKELBACK Canadians , however Southerners meter cane again after the intro , making a really heartbreaking effect. He continues " Hittin the botton " closer to progressive rock to southern rock theme treble choirs with very successful afterlife and a powerful chorus. Perfect riffs , in my opinion, the best song on the album. " Look Away" gives us more of the same , only this time the bass is imposed with an exceptional rate. In " 16 Tons " we find more and more choirs eighties look with an air of classic heavy metal , plus a few more quick tap .

The climax of the album is "To Life " (yes, dead , no death, why that title is unknown to me ) , a degree in Castilian that brings an instrumental track with a funky bass and a more psychedelic battery that give the track a tarantinesco air. It has not seemed the most successful drive to end the issue , the above issue was proper , but the truth is that the instrumental sounds not bad despite being different from the rest of the album.

11 tracks lasting between two and four very agile and easy to listen minutes. The disk failure is that all subjects are similar to each other and something that can get a bit tiresome , but if the subjects of separate tracks you realize that the quality is undeniable. The mixtures are brilliant , is not surprising since we talk about an artist of international renown.

In short, precise work with a good sound that the listener will appreciate. The feeling never leaves Kings sleep is undoubtedly the " now going to repeat the themes that I have liked more to satiety ." A band that will continue where it is if it continues its line and will surely attract many lovers of the country to its direct . Hope to see you soon for our Iberian lands ."

Could Apple Really Be Buying Beats Music?, From Yahoo Tech

Could Apple really be buying Beats Music?

Read into Yahoo Tech

"Apple is close to acquiring Beats Electronics, the Dr. Dre-associated company most well-known for its premium headphones, for $3.2 billion, according to multiple reports. If the acquisition goes through, it would be Apple’s largest purchase of all time.

The acquisition was first reported by Financial Times. The New York Times, Bloomberg News, and the Wall Street Journal all later chimed in.

Beats Electronics was founded by rapper Dr. Dre and music mogul Jimmy Iovine in 2008, and is currently the largest maker of high-end headphones in America. Beats is most famous for its “Beats by Dre” over-the-ear headphones worn over the ear, which are popular with rappers and celebrities, and which start at around $300 per pair. Beats also makes in-ear headphones and a Bluetooth speaker, Beats Pill.

It’s not clear which part of Beats that Apple might envy. Recently, Beats introduced a streaming music service, Beats Music, to compete with Spotify, Rdio, and iTunes, after acquiring the MOG streaming service in 2012. Though critics applauded the design of Beats Music, it has reportedly been slow to pick up subscribers.

For Apple, meanwhile, a Beats acquisition could help it continue to dominate in digital music, where it has reigned supreme since its launch of iTunes in 2001. Digital sales on iTunes have been declining steadily in recent years, and Apple has long been rumored to envy an all-you-can-listen streaming music service, similar to those offered by upstarts Spotify and Rdio.

Spotify, Rdio and Beats Music all offer the same basic service: Stream all the music you want on any device for $9.99 per month. Apple does not have a directly competing service: listeners can pay by the song or album in the iTunes Store, and a new service called iTunes Radio lets them listen to any of their downloaded songs on any device for $25 per year.

In 2012, the phone manufacturer HTC bought a 51 percent stake in Beats for 300 million, though it later sold back 25 percent of its share. In 2013, HTC installed Beats-manufactured speakers in its HTC One smartphone. That phone won plaudits from critics for its audio quality. Beats speakers could also hypothetically be worked into future iPhones and iPads."

First Listen: Sturgill Simpson, 'Metamodern Sounds In Country Music'

Sturgill Simpson featured on NPR - First Listen for Metamodern Sounds In Country Music

Listen to the full streaming album on NPR

"There are so many "whoa, stop" moments in the first three minutes of Sturgill Simpson's second album. A few selected quotes, which Simpson delivers in a stretched-out Waylon croon: "I've seen Jesus play with flames ... met the devil in Seattle ... met Buddha yet another time," "Don't waste your time on nursery rhymes and fairy tales of blood and wine," "Marijuana, LSD, psilocybin, DMT, they all changed the way I see," and "There's a gateway in our mind that leads somewhere out there beyond this plane / where reptile aliens made of light cut you open and pull out all your pain." Wait, what?

In case you need a clue as to where Simpson is coming from, the title comes in handy: Metamodern Sounds in Country Music nods to the genre-expanding Ray Charles classic Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, and tells you he's going to fold country's conventions over on themselves as if he's trying to create some kind of musical space-time portal. He shows up on the cover in a photo that looks as if it had been pulled out of a Civil War-era locket, with long hair and untrimmed mustache. The background, of course, is outer space. Here's a list of the jobs held by the eight people Simpson thanks in the album's credits: molecular biologist, psychonaut, science-fiction author, astronomer, theoretical physicist, psychopharmacologist and computer programmer. The way Simpson is gunning, he's going to freak some people out.

The funny thing is, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music is absolutely country, from the roadhouse-ready "Life of Sin" to the lonesome-skyline blues of "Voices" to the revival-tent call-and-response stomp of "A Little Light." The two covers on the album are of Buford Abner's "Long White Line" (which appeared on both Charlie Moore & Bill Napier's Truckin' Favorites and Aaron Tippin's In Overdrive) and When in Rome's 1988 hit "The Promise," which appeared in the closing credits to Napoleon Dynamite. Both would sound at home at the Ryman.

Nothing on Metamodern sounds forced; Simpson has perfected the trick of distilling classic country from many eras and moving away from it at the same time. (Don't believe him in "Life of Sin," when he sings, "The boys and me still working on the sound.") That trick takes skill and affection for the history of the genre, as well as a willingness to stand alone. If nothing else, someone should give this guy a medal for coming up with the phrase, "You play with the devil, you know you're going to get the horns." But Simpson does things all over Metamodern Sounds in Country Music that seem familiar at first but blow your mind a little bit the second time you hear them."

Rory Kelly Feature Review In Via Nocturna, From Portugal

 

Rory Kelly - Kings Never Sleep

Link to the review on Via Nocturna

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"Honestly we had not found anything interesting in the previous substantially disc Rory Kelly, ( Do not Shake My) My Family Tree . However, with this new proposal trio originating from the mountains of North Carolina, Kings Never Sleep , changed our opinion . This is indeed a good disco boogie southern and bluesy hard rock . With the curiosity of the drummer of the trio's own father be ... Rory Kelly and have some experience in more extreme sounds as was the case thrashers infamous Old Bridge Militia , Kings Never Sleep brings eleven new themes a bit less revolutionary but equally damning . Adults will be the correct term ? Clearly . But while sweating to bars and clubs Misty . But Rory Kelly also demonstrates ability to reinvent itself . So there is an acoustic blues and something experimental ( Black Widow) , a rural country blues to smell , also acoustic ( Would not Listen) and even an instrumental spectacular with Mexican flavor ( Hasta La Muerta ) . The rest is very rock'n'roll , very southern feel with some great musical moments as Menace To Society , Look Away or 16 Tons . Now we're convinced !"

Rory Kelly review in Via Nocturna from Portugal

Official - Hellbound Glory - Streets Of Aberdeen on CMT Edge

Leroy Virgil of Hellbound Glory featured on CMT Edge with "Streets Of Aberdeen"

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Find out more on CMT Edge

"Leroy Virgil of Hellbound Glory wanted to write a song about his hometown of Aberdeen, Wash., but one that took the opposite approach of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “American,” which pokes fun of Aberdeen.

“I thought it was cool that people in Aberdeen could embrace people making fun of them, but I wanted to write another song from the point of view of someone actually from Aberdeen,” Virgil tells CMT Edge. “So I came up with the song title ‘Streets of Aberdeen,’ and I started thinking of the idea of the haunted river, and it just came to me.”

That haunted river is the Wishkah, which is tied to two local legends. First is Billy Gohl, a serial killer in the early 1900s who robbed and murdered transient sailors and disposed of their bodies in the river. The other is Kurt Cobain, whose fans still make pilgrimages to the bridges of the Wishkah to pay respects in his hometown.

“Streets of Aberdeen” is the lead track to a new Hellbound Glory EP, titled LV, that will be released May 13. Describing the new music, Virgil says, “It’s a little more stripped-down and acoustic just because that’s what I wanted to do with this song. I would say it’s a little bit deeper than some of my old stuff.”

(More EPs are on the way, with a loud and rowdy one set for July 3 and possibly another in the fall.)

Although he now lives in Reno, Nev., Virgil recorded LV in Aberdeen. Coincidentally, the recording studio is located in the former sailor’s union building where Gohl killed his victims. Most of the scenes in the video for “Streets of Aberdeen” were shot there, too.

“I don’t believe in ghosts or anything like that, and I’m not really into the supernatural. I just wanted to write a song. But if you listen closely, there’s some strange stuff in the background,” Virgil says of the audio track.

The LV EP also includes “Just a Shell” (a.k.a. “A Shell of a Hell of a Man”), which Hellbound Glory fans have been requesting for a while, as well as a catchy country song called “So Nervous, No Service,” inspired by growing up in Aberdeen. The collection concludes with “Goodnight, Irene” by Lead Belly, one of Cobain’s favorite musicians.

“If the river could sing a song, it would probably be that song,” Virgil says. “It’s so morbid and dark.”

Here’s the CMT Edge premiere of Hellbound Glory’s video, “Streets of Aberdeen.”"

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Rory Kelly Featured In RockTimes From Germany

 

Rory Kelly - Kings Never Sleep

Link to the German review 

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"North Carolina is really not the center of the world of Southern Rock . Although uniquely situated ' under the Southern Cross ' , but few bands have become nationally known . The trio of Rory Kelly is getting ready to change that.

The first release, "Get Me Back To You" , as the EP Family Tree - dubbed ' swamp rock ' - ' states ' have been well received in the biker scene. For the third album to be discussed here, " Kings Never Sleep ", you can even complete a deal for Europe, Rory Kelly's Triple Threat earned a European tour that will lead the band in June to Germany.

The term ' Southern Rock' I would " Kings Never Sleep " subsume reluctant . Rather, the flow of the ' southern ' inspired hard rock, the mid-nineties in bands such as Pride & Glory or Raging Slab manifested itself - ie Blackfoot meets Motorhead ! Consequently Sounds Singer Rory Kelly as a hybrid of Gregory Strzempka ( Raging Slab ) and Damien Okun (Clovis ) . The guitarist and bandleader is complemented by his father Mike on drums and Billy Miller on bass, forming a feverishly active rhythm section on which the son of man can scrub his board formidable.

Rory Kelly's Triple Threat is expected for kind-hearted ' little soul ' rather the wrong brand to be. The 'd do better to stick to its Piña Colada - this band is what whiskey guzzler. Kelly's voice goes through a crispy fried steak as through soft butter - a Tofubratling has , however, impose as little to nothing.

In " Kings Never Sleep " Rory Kelly's Triple Threat uses the ' traditional ' power trio - rail , so: no antics , the disc sounds like absolutely recorded live. It should not be the slightest problem to get these songs 1:1 on stage. Full throttle should thereby be guaranteed promise ... at least the eleven compactly arranged pieces.

" Lay To Waste " burst with a steam hammer in " Kings Never Sleep " , as if there were no tomorrow. The title song rifft contrast, punchy , but with the handbrake on , mid-tempo . With a ballad (and what one! ) Is then slowed for the first ( and only) time . "Black Widow" is probably the most beautiful I 've heard in recent years - sultry like a mosquito- infested night at some bayou.

The other strong moments put Rory Kelly's Triple Threat whenever tough sawing riffs be relined with a ' stompy ' Groove - " Hittin The Bottom " and " Look Away " ( with cool walking bass background) are here prime examples. Also on the plus side are the only asset supported by a razor-sharp Dobro "Would not Listen" and the wonderfully melodic passages with hard and playing " Stood your ground " . To conclude with is " Hasta la Muerte " still fine dusty Southwestern feeling - as sprung from a spaghetti Western - offered ; also fits this trio as chalk and cheese.

Heavy like a 16- tonner brettert Rory Kelly's Triple Threat "Kings Never Sleep" therefore - everything is late on the trees is rolled mercilessly flat. Harter, southern- inspired skirt for bikers and bikers who have the ass in the pants and the heart in the right place. Only the short playing time a little disappointed . Nevertheless, you should not afford to miss the tour dates !"

Rory Kelly featured in RockTimes - Germany