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Help/FAQ

“But what’s your question for me?” — Dr. Laura

This page may have the answers to your questions. If it doesn’t, e-mail me.

What is a discography?

dis·cog·ra·phy
Function: noun
1 : a descriptive list of phonograph records by category, composer, performer, or date of release

While some persons writing discographies limit them to just a list of albums an artist has recorded, the more comprehensive writers list foreign releases, limited editions, singles, promotional releases, videos, books, unofficial recordings, and anything else an artist may have recorded. The more extensive, the better. By far, the best discographer known to man is Lazlo Nibble. His format is the clearest of those that I’ve seen and many discographers use it. To see his discographies, check out his Discography Machine page. His pages have been an obvious influence on my pages, even though he’d probably call me a “bibley type.”

What is the purpose of a discography?

After reading discographies Lazlo had assembled for some of my favorite bands, I thought it would be handy to have a discography for Mortal just for my own use. Then I started files for Prodigal Sons, Ian Eskelin, Code of Ethics, and Ronnie Martin when I could assemble a web page that could be seen from anywhere in the world. Many fans have told me that the files have been incredibly useful for collecting releases by these bands.

Are you Mortal/Fold Zandura/Ian Eskelin/Code of Ethics/Ronnie Martin/etc.?

No. If I were, my pages would no doubt be much more interesting. E-mail addresses for the artists, where possible, are listed in the discogs and on their own pages. Please don’t send e-mail to me if it’s intended for them.

Do the artists or labels support these discographies?

Not directly, though they shouldn’t mind the free promotion. This list explains how “official” or recognized the individual discogs are:

aleixa: Kevin commented on how thorough it was. :) I was listed on their links page.
Code of Ethics: I sent Barry a letter via snail-mail and he asked to be sent a copy of the file.
The Echoing Green: Joey was familiar with the other discogs I had been doing, was happy to be discographized himself, and had linked his “discs” page to mine (at the old site). :)
Ian Eskelin: I handed Ian a copy of the discog at a show, but I wouldn’t blame him if he lost it.
Ronnie Martin: Ronnie appreciates the discog and found it very thorough. :)
Mortal / Fold Zandura: at a show, I handed Jyro a slip of paper with the URL; both he and Jerome were quite interested, and they even remembered some mail I’d sent them previously. :)
Paradigm Shift: I haven’t told them about it. I don’t think that they’re on the ’net, anyway.
Prodigal Sons: They publically thanked me in the notes for FAST & a…(Live). :)
Prophecy of P.A.N.I.C.: Brian and Daniel were impressed.
sheltershed: Wil asked me to do it.
One artist I know uses his/her/their discography as a reference to his/her/their own work. ;)

Why are the discographies in text format?

Plain text is the traditional format for a discography. Writing the discog as a text file allows it to easily be posted to a newsgroup and read on any computer using the simplest of programs—a text reader. The discogs have been written and maintained with BBEdit Lite and BBEdit (full version), which I heartily recommend to all Mac users. If you would like to serve up an HTML version of a discog, drop me a line and we’ll work something out.

I’m interested in porting the discogs to XML, when I find sufficient tools and enthusiasm for doing so.

What is the best way to read the discographies?

Use a monospaced font, such as Monaco, Courier, ProFont, etc., so that the columns will line up vertically. It’s best to use a text editor, not a word processor. I prefer to set the tab spacing to 4 spaces. (Moving these discogs to XML would allow more options for viewing.)

What is the basic format for the discog entries?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
::: Section Head (what type of releases are listed here) :::::::::::::::::::::
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Band Name: Release Name
  [date released - dd Mon yyyy] type of release

   fmt: yyyy cc (label; catalog number) [notes]
	  ti:me  ###bpm  Song Title (Subtitle in Initial Caps) [notes]
	  ti:me  ###bpm  Another Song Title (mix name in lowercase) [notes]
	[notes]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

dd = day of the month
Mon = the first 3 letters of the month
yyyy = year, stated in 4 digits
fmt = format, considering physical (ie: compact disc) and logical (ie: single) characteristics. See Lazlo’s help page to find out what means what.
cc = country of manufacture. A list of country codes is available, though frankly it’s a little more thorough than we need. These are the most common countries you will find in my discogs: US = United States; CA = Canada; UK = United Kingdom; DE = Germany; RU = Russia.
label = recording company that issued the item
catalog number = product code; a way for the label to keep track of what is what
ti:me = the length of the track, stated in hours (if applicable), minutes, and seconds
[notes] = further information

I start with the most obvious releases (albums and singles in chronological order), then work down into the more obscurely-related releases (compilation appearances, outside production/side-projects/remix work, and covers). I don’t think it makes sense to separate singles from the albums—it disrupts the chronological flow.

How did you find this information? How reliable is it?

Apart from the items that I own personally, it comes from mail-order catalogs, help from others, online databases, and other discographies. RadRockers Distribution is probably my best source for rare and promotional CCM items, whether for purchase (when I can handle the prices) or just for info. Also, the Alive 93-5 music database, maintained by WHJT-FM of Clinton, Mississippi, was very helpful for information on promotional releases. (It’s now gone.) Lately, I’ve been using The CDDB for a lot of info. The newsgroup rec.music.christian has also been a major source of information. However, it’s the individuals who send me info who help me the most. My eternal thanks goes out to them.

As far as reliability goes, I do the best I can. I can’t buy everything, so I have to go on the word of others in many cases. If I’m not reasonably certain about an item, I’ll put a note about it or question marks around it.

What are “BPM”?

Beats Per Minute. BPM is a measure of a track’s tempo, which is of extreme importance to DJs attempting to create mixes. I’m a bit of an amateur DJ, and it seemed a waste not to use the BPM data I’ve collected. (It worked for at least one Aphex Twin discog I’ve seen.) I’ve used a few BPM counters, and the best software I’ve seen is MacBPM. MacBPM relies on the user’s rhythmic perception (hitting the mouse button in time with the music), so I’m sure there’s a signifigant margin of error in my readings. Sorry.

Slight update: I’ve purchased a RED Sound Systems Micro BPM counter that is much more acurate and easier to use.

You may have noticed that I provide my master BPM list for download in 2 formats—not that anyone should care.

What did The C.O.D., your old handle, stand for? (pardon my grammar)

Read the computer development section of my bio page. I cannot divulge any more info on this subject at the present time.

Are you Circle of Dust?

No. Read the above question. I was The C.O.D. before Scott Albert formed his band.

Are you sure?

Absolutely. Ask again and I shall call you silly names.

Are you Mortal?

I’m not immortal, if that’s what you mean. If you’re referring to the band, no. I’ve seen the individuals Jyro and Jerome 3 times now; the 3 of us are completely separate self-aware beings.

This item probably isn’t necessary, since my current e-mail address has never been passed off as Mortal’s address, like my AOL address was.

Do you have connections?

Though I was once a college radio DJ, now I am only a financially-limited consumer. Please don’t ask me to get you promos or to help you contact Mr. CEO of XYZ Records.

Where can I buy stuff?

Try these links for hard-to-find CCM:

About those recommendations...

Particularly on pages with a lot of external links, I’ve highlighted a few resources that I find particularly useful or interesting. I don’t run a rating site, however. I don’t mind a few suggestions regarding upgrading to (or downgrading from) a recommendation, but if this takes up too much of my time or gets on my nerves, I may be forced to ignore all further suggestions.

I’m looking for so-and-so’s web site. Where is it?

I put what I know on my pages. If the info you want isn’t on my pages, it doesn’t exist, I don’t know about it, or I don’t think it’s relevant. Try searching Google.

What does “Soli Deo Gloria” mean?

In Latin, it means “to God alone be glory.”

Why do you use a Crapintosh? Don’t you know they suck?

I give such opinions the respect they deserve…

Does anyone really need this help file?

Probably not.