Finally, after a day of mind-boggling frustration and bother with my podcast host, I'm now happy to announce that Underwood and Flinch 23 is live. This episode is the first part of a chapter that I would have ideally liked to record as one big episode, but it was just taking me too long, so I've split it in two. Needless to say, the rest will follow

Click the image to uncork the episode

This episode sees the different strands of story start to come together as Underwood and the Flinches go for a night out in Almacena.

Currently recording Episode 23 and making slow progress. Why? Why when the text has been written and re-written till it reads perfectly, should it be proving problematical? Because nothing but nothing throws up sentences that don't work like reading them aloud. This goes especially for dialogue. So far I've recorded over an hour of audio, yet only covered two of 16 pages. That's because as I read, I hit things I don't like, and I re-write them, or just look away from the text and say whatever comes to mind naturally (again, especially with dialogue).

I find that the more crafted a piece of dialogue is, the less it sounds like something someone would really say. So I'm going to now go and cut about 75% of the audio I've just recorded, and save the remainder, knowing that that remainder, however small, will at least (I hope) be good stuff.

Then I'll record the other 14 pages :-)

I've had a couple of emails from listeners in the States, unsure as to what Big Fish, Little Fish, Cardboard Box etc is (as referenced in Episode 22 of U&F). This YouTube video illustrates all the moves including stacking the shelves and shopping trolley. So now you can learn the moves and impress your friends at parties.

Happy birthday to me, from Jon Cape, who made the U&F video. This latest vid from Jon is a promo for this site, so where better to proudly display it? Thanks Jon, you're a gentleman and a dude 

Welcome back to Underwood and Flinch. Episode 22: Sergei, Anton and Ivan have some catching up to do, David has to come to terms with his new role in life, and Underwood learns some hard truths about the modern world.

Click to download.

Click image below to listen live.

Swans Way at iTunes

Back from vacation and back in the writing seat. Mrs Mike and I had a wonderful time in New York. We managed to cram in as much tourism and sightseeing as we could, and more importantly, we made some great new friends (see below).

Thanks to everyone who came for making it such a special night, it was great to meet you all. We hope to see you - and many more listeners - same time next year, when we return for what will hopefully be a longer trip that will take us to NY and beyond.

I've posted more pics from our trip and the meet-up on this Flickr page.

A Bulletincast for April. Talking about the NY meet-up, details now confirmed:

Location:Rudy's Bar and Grill, 627 9th Avenue New York, NY 10036-3702, (212) 974-9169

Time:Saturday, 01 May 2010 19:00

Also features a new recording of One Among the Sleepless Episode 1. The original was done on a Skype mic and I've been meaning to re-do it for ages. I've used the same microphone as I used on episodes 5-33 of the original podcast, so this new recording begins the process of unifying the overall sound - dynamic - thing.

Click the image to link to the MP3

I hope you enjoy it :-)

Bugles parp and trumpets quack! Fish sauce crystallizes into a solid lump of anchovy goodness and middle aged men fall off gym balls at the news that I and my wife are going to be in New York to meet you, should you be around, on the evening of Saturday May 1st.

Uncle Velvet is trying to nail-down a suitable venue, but we need to know how many we can expect in advance, if possible. So if you can make it, let us know by posting here or on the Facebook Event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=110974775604721&ref=nf 

I can't sign any of my books, because as you know, they are only available in podcast form at the moment (I can try to sign a podcast, but it might be tricky). There may also be a reading, but it's impossible to say at this time, because we don't know where we're going to be. So the sooner you RSVP, the more likely that will be ;-)

I thank you, and look forward to meeting you in the flesh.

Hello Listeners

Sometimes 13 is now live. It's one of the most labour-intensive podcasts I've ever done (it took five days to make). It's also - I think - one of the best.

The featured story is HP Lovecraft's, 'From Beyond', one of my favourites among HPL's shorts, and one I've wanted to read for a long time - not just because it's among my favourites from Lovecraft, but because it also gives me the chance to go into maximum ham overdrive on the acting (which I do with gusto).

The cover art was specially produced by Jon Cape, who made the recent U&F video and a number of other groovy 3-D art renders which you can also find here in the galleries at MBP.com

Click the pic for a direct link to the episode

Music comes from The Dandy Warhols and Lene Lovich (you can swipe a free download of Lene's MP3 'Birdsong' below), and also Ambient Light, who made the weird and wonderful music used on the recording of From Beyond.

This is the last Sometimes before the re-commencement of Underwood and Flinch, and perhaps the last one ever, because it takes so damn long to produce an episode. I always start out thinking that each one will be simple, basic and straightforward, but it always becomes more and more fiddly and complex as new ideas occur to me during production - and before I know it, a whole day has gone by, then another, then another. Seriously, it's an insanely complicated podcast to make, and the whole thing just slips by in sixty minutes without touching the sides. Mind you, even though Sometimes drives me (and my wife) mental, I enjoy every minute of making it ... though I'm not sure if she does ;-)

I hope you enjoy it - and if you do, please leave a few kind words at

iTunes, thankee kindly, guv'nor.

Links

Website Forum: Things To Do in New York City (pease add your ideas)

Facebook Shrinking Choc Bar Group

The Dandy Warhols

Ambient Light

Jon Cape

Podioracket

Seth Harwood

And Lene Lovich

Lene Lovich
"Bird Song" (mp3)
from "Lucky Number (The Best Of)"
(Oval Music)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at eMusic
Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Napster
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at Amazon MP3 Buy at appliedSB (Groupietunes)
Buy at mTraks
More On This Album

I've been meaning to do this for ages and I've finally done it; I've taken all my readings of classic short stories from 'Sometimes' and released them as a stand-alone podcast with the help of the good people at Podiobooks.com.

It's interesting for me to listen to these again as I can hear the room I was in and the mic I was using when I recorded them. For example, 'The Cold Embrace' was recorded in a huge sitting room with an open kitchen attached (inc. the original fridge), and using the same mic I used for One Among the Sleepless, while 'Dagon' for example, was recorded in a small room with my current mic. I could go on about good and bad rooms and microphones all day, but I won't bore you. To cut a long story short, the podcaster who rents apartments and houses has to use whatever four walls come to hand, and some lodgings give rise to better podcast audio than others. There see, I'm already boring myself. I'll shut up.

The podcast is available here at Podiobooks

And here at iTunes.

Any kind words or reviews you feel like leaving will be very gratefully received. My thanks in advance :-)