Invention USA co-hosts and inventors: Reichart Von Wolfsheild and Garrett Lisi

Chris Badynee: Inventor of The Bogdon Box Bass

We’re proud to announce our that our fabulous fret-less bassist, harmonicat and resident inventor of the Bogdon Box Bass, Chris Badynee, will be featured along with his revolutionary bass on the Invention USA – Series Premiere Friday December 9 at 10 pm/9c on the History Channel.

For centuries, America has been an engine of invention and innovation, creating technology that has shaped world history. From Ben Franklin to the Wright brothers, from Thomas Edison to Steve Jobs, the United States has been a constant generator of revolutionary ideas. To this day, in basements and backyards around the country, Americans are striving to turn their dreams into the next big thing.
Invention USA follows Reichart Von Wolfsheild and Garrett Lisi, both innovators and scientists with ties to investors, as they go in search of the next breakthrough invention. Whether they’re traveling the country to visit garage innovators at home or meeting with inventors at their Los Angeles testing lab, Reichart and Garrett will put prototypes to the test and give a tough, no-nonsense evaluation of each invention’s potential. If they like what they see, they’ll invest to help bring the product to market. The stakes are high and dreams are on the line: Every idea has the potential to change someone’s life… or even the world.

On the series premier this Friday (12/9/11) at 10 pm, hosts Garrett and Reichart meet a musician (our hero, Chris aka Bogdon) who has turned a cardboard box into an Upright Bass, but he may be singing the blues after their decision. Later, they drop in on a Boston inventor who has created a safety device for descending from skyscrapers in case of an emergency.

Brother Chris…no matter what the outcome (and you probably know already) of the show is, you are always a winner with us! Dream On People..Dream On!

peaceloveone! ~Skeleton Crew®

Skeleton Crew® New Single | Faith

Detroit (November 11, 2010) – On November 11, 2010 Skeleton Crew® will release their first single, “Faith,” on their own recording label, Skeleton Crew Music. The new single is available for digital download on iTunes, Amazon.com, CD Baby, ReverbNation, Nimbit and most popular digital music download sites. “We’re excited about taking control of our music catalog and how it is presented to the public,” said William Pilipchuk, Skeleton Crew® lead singer. “We’ll be following this release up with a re-mastered version of our debut album “pre-historic…dig!,” a collection of un-released demos and new music in 2011.”

Record Producer, Marc Pastoria

“Faith” was produced by Grammy® Award winning record producer Mark Pastoria (for his work on the Luther Vandross Tribute Album with Aretha

Author, Mitch Albom

Franklin) and recorded at Harmonie Park Studios in Detroit, Michigan. The song was originally released as the band’s contribution to the Christmas in Detroit 3 project. Proceeds from Christmas in Detroit 3 went to author/columnist Mitch Albom’s S.A.Y. Detroit Charity to help the homeless in Detroit. “’Faith’ is still available on Christmas in Detroit 3,” adds Pilipchuk, “and we encourage everyone to purchase that incredible recording at http://www.christmasindetroit.org.” “Faith” single cover photograph by artist Julio Pallone.

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This not-so-stereotypical Detroit band has enjoyed a wealth of accolades bestowed on them by their hometown in recent years. The band garnering top honors at The Motor City Music Awards as “Band of The Year” and pre-historic…dig! was named “Best Pop/Rock Record.”

Skeleton Crew® was the first Michigan band to release an “Enhanced CD,” technology that combined video and computer interactivity in addition to the music tracks. “pre-historic…dig!” was also one of the first “Enhanced CD” releases in the country, even in advance of enhanced products from the Rolling Stones and Madonna!

As performers, Skeleton Crew has opened shows for such diverse acts as: The Rembrandts, the Smithereens, Robert Palmer, Todd Rundgren, Tesla, Kenny Loggins, Foreigner and Eddie Money. Venues have ranged from 2000-seaters, to the outdoor DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan, Tiger Stadium in Detroit and The Palace of Auburn Hills arena.

Skeleton Crew® also merits a musical footnote in the career of superstar Beyonce Knowles as being “that scary band” that defeated the then 12-year and her group Girl Tyme on Ed McMahon’s Star Search.

Skeleton Crew® is asking all those who download the free song to consider becoming a “tributary of peace.” John and Yoko were at the forefront of the modern peace movement. Their vision embraced new technologies to encourage peace and love throughout the world. Noting that the Internet is like a mammoth “river of peaceful possibilities,” Skeleton Crew® lead singer, William Pilipchuk would like to encourage the masses to follow in Yoko’s footsteps as she continues to harness the powerful connectivity of the Internet to help humanity embrace and share peace and love.

Mitch Albom

Mitch Albom is a bestselling author, a nationally acclaimed newspaper columnist (with the Detroit Free Press) a radio host (with WJR-AM) and a television commentator (with ESPN and ABC.) His well-known book, “Tuesdays With Morrie”, is now the best selling memoir of all time, with nearly 10 million copies sold worldwide. Albom, along with playwright Jeffrey Hatcher, adapted the book into a hit play, which opened off-Broadway late 2002. That play is currently being performed in regional theaters throughout North America. Albom’s first novel, “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” was published in 2003 has been on the New York Times bestsellers list for more than a year. With a screenplay by Albom, “Five People” has been adapted into an ABC movie starring Jon Voight, Ellen Burstyn and Jeff Daniels.

“We can’t thank Mitch enough for the opportunity to help promote this positive message on his radio show,” said Pilipchuk. The broadcast can also be heard streaming on the Internet at http://radiotime.com/station/s_29965/WJR_760.aspx. After downloading the Free MP3 of I Am The Walrus, Skeleton Crew® encourages everyone to visit Yoko Ono’s website, Imagine Peace, at http://www.imaginepeace.com to see how she is utilizing the Internet to spread positive messages. Visitors to the site may find some inspiration on how they, too, can help change the world.

Happy 70th Birthday John Lennon! peaceloveone! ~Skeleton Crew®

To commemorate John Lennon’s seventieth birthday on October 9, 2010, Detroit-based indie band Skeleton Crew® will make an MPFree (Free MP3) music download of their version of John’s “I Am The Walrus” available to the world. The high quality, 320 kbps MP3 download can be downloaded for free the entire month of October at these two download links:

CloudApp: http://cl.ly/e11f2c7e6cb07949ec59

Droplr:  http://drp.ly/9Jxz. There’s just one (positive) catch.

Skeleton Crew® is asking all those who download the free song to consider becoming a “tributary of peace.” John and Yoko were at the forefront of the modern peace movement. Their vision embraced new technologies to encourage peace and love throughout the world. Noting that the Internet is like a mammoth “river of peaceful possibilities,” Skeleton Crew® lead singer, William Pilipchuk would like to encourage the masses to follow in Yoko’s footsteps as she continues to harness the powerful connectivity of the Internet to help humanity embrace and share peace and love.

Noted mind, body and spiritual guru, Dr. Deepak Chopra, expands on this sentiment in explaining the theory of Quantum Physics as an energy that flows freely between all things and the universe making us all interconnected. “In John’s opening lyrics to ‘I am The Walrus’ he sings: ‘I am he, as you are he, as you are me and we are all together,” in other words, as Pilipchuk points out, “John clearly defines Quantum Physics in one line of his song: amazing!”

In this era of instant-everything where it seems people are talking more and listening less, one thing has remained constant: we’re still listening to music. “The celebration of John Lennon’s 70th birthday is the perfect time to once again embrace his medium of choice – music – to encourage the world to start listening to each other, keep the peace and stop the proliferation of fear and hate,” said Skeleton Crew® drummer, Greg Tyler.

After downloading the Free MP3 of I Am The Walrus, Skeleton Crew® encourages everyone to visit Yoko Ono’s website, Imagine Peace, at http://www.imaginepeace.com to see how she is utilizing the Internet to spread positive messages. Visitors to the site may find some inspiration on how they, too, can help change the world.

Connie Marshall-Rautenberg | Applying Skeleton Crew Tattoo

Connie Marshal Rautenberg can be considered either the sixth or seventh member of Skeleton Crew depending on which configuration of the band you discuss. Over the years Skeleton Crew has performed at a select few weddings that has earned the band the additional honor of “Wedding Band!”

When we were asked to perform at our “Harmony Partner’s” wedding to a great guy and great musician no less, Art Rautenberg, we were honored. But we were totally not prepared for the surprise Connie had in store for us!

Connie has been true blue Crew since day one and our legacy owes a large part to her incredible efforts on our behalf. So I guess it really shouldn’t have come to much of a surprise when Connie revealed underneath her wedding dress the glorious-to-behold Skeleton Crew tattoo emblazoned on her ankle!

Connie was gracious to supply us with photographs of her getting tattooed along with some pictures of the band performing “Siren Song” and “Faith” at her and Art’s wedding held at the stately Detroit Athletic Club. A splendid time was had by all!

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

New CD by Strawberry Alternative | Back Again

Skeleton Crew is proud to announce the new album release of, “Back Again,” by our favorite drummer Greg Tyler and his solo project Strawberry Alternative! Here’s Greg to tell you a bit more about “Back Again.”

This CD, “Back Again,” follows up “Gone.”  We think it tends to be a little more of what we really sound like. It’s a little more rock and bluesy. The playing by everyone was just awesome and the disc turned out great, so of course we hope you enjoy listening to it. Some songs write themselves, “Invisible” for example; other songs like “Dangerous” took a bit more time.

Some songs on “Back Again” had the kitchen sink and we had to go back and listen and start taking stuff back out. Digital recording is a boon and a bane. The ability to track and re-track can be intoxicating. It can also be a trap. There were times when we said that’s it; it is what it is, because once you start to “create” what you think you hear it no longer has anything worth hearing. So that being said, if there was a bit of feedback, or the snare was a bit out of tune then it remained what you hear.

An album is a chronicle, a portrait of what happened that day at that time. When I listen to music recorded back in the day it makes me happy. Not because of the writing as much as the recording. At the very top of James Brown’s “GetUp (sex machine)” he counts in John (Jabo) Starks on drums. I think he used a speed king bass drum pedal. They squeaked. They always squeaked. I never had one that didn’t squeak. So, 1-2-3-4 and in comes the funky drummer with “squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak” on the bass drum and the recording. We tried to leave in the squeaks on this disc too. It’s not James Brown, but it was a lot of fun to record and hopefully…listen to as well!

Hopefully you will enjoy listening to this disc and it will make you happy. There is a little something for everyone. We even threw in a little bit of Vincent Price tongue-in-cheek horror. Check out the new Strawberry Alternative record, “Back Again,” available for download now on CD Baby!

Listen here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/StrawberryAlternative

Intel Superstars

“Skeleton Crew® is competing for $10,000 in the Intel “Superstars” Competition. We have “Callalili” (currently at 130 in Indie Pop & Pop voting) entered in Indie Pop & Pop Categories and “We Ought To Know Better” (currently at 81 in voting) in the Country category. You can show your support for Skeleton Crew® by going directly to the link below and following these steps:

1) Go to the “Superstars” tab on the Intel Facebook page.
2) Click on the genre tab you wish you judge in.
3) Follow the Facebook prompts to “Allow” the Intel “Superstars” application to run.
4) Begin judging!

Look for: The Skeleton Crew

Thank you for your love and support!

peaceloveone! ~Skeleton Crew®

http://apps.facebook.com/intelsuperstars/

Intel is proud to partner with Cakewalk, industry leaders of music creation and recording software, and has successfully launched the Intel “Superstars” Competition powered by OurStage.com. Rock , pop and country artists have been submitting their best orginal songs since July 1, 2010 and are relying on fans to vote. The Top 5 artists from each of the three competitions will receive prize packages including personal computers based on Intel® Core™ Processor technology with Cakewalk music software.

The Top 20 artists in each competition will also be automatically eligible for a $10,000 cash grand prize to be awarded in January 2011 by a panel of industry experts. The cash could be used to record an album, tour the country, or buy anything else a Superstar would need!

Help determine the top 10 in each genre. The quarterfinals begin August 25th.

Encourage your friends, family and fans to vote!

FANS: YOU be the judge! Be sure to rank the best artists on Intel’s Facebook page.

Skeleton Crew's Bogdon perfoming the national anthem | Toledo Mud Hens

Our very own bassist/inventor/genius had this to say after using his new invention, the revolutionary Bogdon Top Hat Harmonica Microphone, performing our national anthem before the Toledo Mud Hens baseball game: “i used the Bogdon Top Hat Microphone and it sounded SWEEEEET!”

New Bogdon Top Hat Harmonica Microphone

Bogdon has successfully created a small mic that fits neatly into the same palm that also holds a harmonica. This mic is designed to be cupped with both hands to amplify the raw overtones and textures that naturally occur when playing the harmonica. The Bogdon Top Hat Harmonica Microphone response is transparent which allows the harp player to use guitar effects, powerful amplifiers, and anything else without experiencing the usual microphone problems and unwanted feedback. The design is radical, the appearance is crazy, and the functionality is nothing less than amazing!

“The Bogdon Top Hat Microphone has broken live performance barriers to provide harmonica players the same freedom of expression that guitarists share.”

The simple task of being heard remains most important within the Blues Harpists list of desires. Being heard without hindering a harpist performance is almost unheard of. Tonal characteristics rely on hand positions. Creating a body of vocal tones is natural when performing your Blues Harp without a microphone, but once a standard microphone fills the harpist’s palm-cup, there’s no room for hand wah-wah and soulful tonal desires. A harmonica played into a mic on a stand has many comfort problems too. Cupping a mic with your hands is a breeding ground for unwanted feedback. Some classic microphones have their own “sound” which adds to the sound texture of a harmonica. But that “sound” does not offer the player his own control and tone. Many harpists enjoy sharing the same tone with each other and it’s becomes difficult to differentiate between one harpist and another. That scenario is not a band thing, unless the harpist seeks a unique character in sound texture, tone, and style. Bogdon offers a harmonica mic that doesn’t change or interfere a harmonica’ sound texture and tone. The Bogdon Top Hat Mic offers the opportunity for the harpist to control all aspects of his own personal sound and style. The Bogdon Top Hat Mic invites the harpist to add effects such as echo, chorus, flange, wah-wah, and the harpist can now control the amount of fuzz and distortion by combining a never ending combination of audio effects that were once only available to guitarists. The Bogdon Top Hat Mic allows the harpist to perform some songs with a clean natural tone, and then switch to a heavily distorted rocking tone, and everything in between. Bogdon doesn’t only offer the harmonica player the ability to be heard, but rather Bogdon offers the harpist control of his musical instrument.

In another first, Bogdon is offering a Lifetime Warranty on the battery. If you even think your TopHat battery needs replacement, we will replace it at no cost + shipping & handling. Visit Bogdon Music for more information: http://www.edencompanies.com/bogdon/index.html

Toledo Mud Hens

Skeleton Crew’s very own Bogdon Vasquaf (aka Chris Badynee) performs our National Anthem for the Toledo Mud Hens minor league baseball team on August 16, 2010. It’s “Harmonica Homage Night” at the ball park so get your tickets early by clicking on the link provided!

The first 3000 people through the door get a free harmonica! Brother Bogdon is singlehandedly changing the world “one stadium at-a-time!” Pick up a harmonica today and make a beautiful noise!

peaceloveone! ~Skeleton Crew®

Order Tickets here: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/promotions/index.jsp?sid=t512