Tag: team

Meet our new lead developer!

Please join me in welcoming Jason to the Murfie Dev Team. Now, stand up and applaud his killer speech! (It’s actually a Q&A, but hey!)

Name: Jason J. Gullickson.

Nickname: Mr. Black.

Why I joined Murfie: I saw it as a way to combine my love of music, software development, and innovation with the added benefit of working with some of the smartest and most interesting people I know.

What I do at Murfie: I’m responsible for the software we write to make Murfie work. Right now, I’m focusing on making that software work faster and better as well as looking forward to what technology we will be offering to our members next.

What I do best: Make Things Work.

My favorite coding jujitsu move is: I’ve gotten myself out of some tight corners using “reflection,” but of course the best move is to avoid the corner in the first place.

The music I play the most: By sheer play count it’s got to be either Bach’s The Musical Offering or Metallica’s …And Justice for All, but lately Baba Brinkman and Professor Elemental have both been getting pretty heavy rotation…

The music format I dig the best: Live of course! But of the recorded mediums, I love the lossless digital formats we have now (although I’ll always have a soft spot for listening to Martin Denny or Juan Esquivel on a classic Marantz hi-fi).

What makes Murfie so rad: Murfie delivers on the radical idea that you can own a recording, and that music can be bought and sold online with the simplicity of physical media but with all the convenience of electronic delivery.

Who wears the cat’s pajamas?

Get to know the Murfie team, round 3

It’s that time again…to pry into the private affairs of Murfie pajama wearers. Some call it invasion of privacy, I call it asking questions. And giving people a voice…because gosh darn it, the people who work here know how to talk! William Shakespeare may say “Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice,” but I say all Murf-pack members get the power of speech. So, without further ado, let me introduce you to [my party people…thanks J.Lo]:

TYLER
Current location/hiding place of CD collection: Murfie, of course! https://www.murfie.com/shop/Tyler
Most embarrassing album I’ve bought: Rocked out to Spice Girls with my brothers back in the day…
The greenest thing I do: Delivered 944 pounds of jewel cases to Waste Management.
Physical media item that shouldn’t go all digital: Newspapers.
It’s a waste of time, but I still do this: Check Facebook.
Complete the sentence: Murfie is…like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get in a new kit in the ops room.

MELISSA
Current location/hiding place of CD collection: What CD collection?
Most embarrassing album I’ve bought: Brandy.
The greenest thing I do: Live with a roommate who’s on “energy patrol” 24 hours a day. We live in darkness.
Physical media item that shouldn’t go all digital: Calendars. I prefer my wall-size, handwritten, chalkboard calendar. None of this Google Calendar business for me.
It’s a waste of time, but I still do this: Schedule my Sundays around The Real Housewives of New Jersey…
Complete the sentence: Murfie is…the proud, nerdy, geeky side of me that few people see.

LEAH
Current location/hiding place of CD collection: Stacked in precarious piles on my stereo back home – they should really be at Murfie!
Most embarrassing album I’ve bought: Come On Over by Shania Twain.
The greenest thing I do: Among other “green” quirks of mine, I try really hard to avoid disposable bags or excess packaging…my friends laugh at me, because I do things like refusing the paper bag at Chipotle and sticking the foil-wrapped burrito right into my purse, or insisting I don’t need the plastic bags that stores offer me at check-out, even though it’s often a Tetris-style challenge to make everything fit into whatever bag I have with me…
Physical media item that shouldn’t go all digital: I think handwritten letters are so awesome to write and receive, and I hope that they aren’t ever completely phased out by technology.
It’s a waste of time, but I still do this: I’m a sucker for those dumb filler news stories and articles on the Yahoo homepage that I see on my way to checking my email, and I especially will drop whatever I’m doing to watch whatever viral cute animal or baby video they’re featuring.
Complete the sentence: Murfie is…such an innovative way to gain cheap access to new music – and it’s so interesting to browse everyone’s collections!

Where the cool people at?

Get to know the Murfie team, round 2

The people here at Murfie HQ are pretty cool. Prove it, you must be yelling at your computer screen. Well, I’ve already yanked the iron curtain away from our executive team, presenting to you all a Q&A session with our key players. Not enough evidence? I agree. To further corroborate my claim, I must harvest information from additional victims, er Murfie team members. Anddd, mission accomplished, here’s a window into more Murfie souls:

MITCH
Current location/hiding place of CD collection: Bottom of the bookshelf.
Favorite album(s): White Album by The Beatles; Enter the 36 Chambers by Wu-Tang Clan; Sly and the Family Stone’s Greatest Hits; Sunshine Hit Me by Band of Bees; Robots & Dinosaurs by Kokayi.
Vinyl, disc, or digital: Vinyl.
What’s so great about Madison? Unusually high creativity per capita.
Must follow news blog: http://tomhanksimals.tumblr.com/
Complete the sentence: Murfie is…like a swap meet in the parking lot of a used CD store where the owners know a lot about computers.

ALYSSA
Current location/hiding place of CD collection: er…in big plastic tubs under a table waiting to be put into their special murfie kit.
Favorite album(s): so, so many…i grew up listening to anything from the motown or atlantic labels in the 60s and 70s, but got a good dose of johnny cash and leonard cohen from the bike shop where i worked as a teenager. now, i can get down to a lot of things from cut chemist to lyle lovett to the black keys.
Vinyl, disc, or digital: digital, baby!
What’s so great about Madison? beautiful summers with plenty of great biking right outside of town.
Must follow news blog: http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/
Complete the sentence: Murfie is…addicting!

WILL
Current location/hiding place of CD collection: Why, murfie.com of course!
Favorite album(s): And Out Come The Wolves by Rancid; Dirty South Dance by DJ A-Trak; Swagger by Flogging Molly.
Vinyl, disc, or digital: Depends on how nostalgic I’m feeling, but nothing beats live!
What’s so great about Madison? The people. Being from LA, that Midwest friendliness can’t be beat.
Must follow news blog: NY Times, sprinkled with a little Huffington Post and The Guardian for a non-US take.
Complete the sentence: Murfie is…the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Everyday I come to work and see a cool album that I want to own. It’s like digging through some digital crates.