In a bit of a bind
 

So basically I'm in a position where I have no musicians around to start a band with, except for a bassist in a similar position. I desperately feel that I will grow as a musician if I worked with others, however I'm quite isolated. I would do an online band, but I am short on funds and cannot afford any decent recording gear. Also, online band = no gigs, which is something that I also want to be able to do. Any advice would be helpful.

Buy a keytar.

If you really want it, move. Or search em out. I highly doubt you are the only person that plays an instrument in your area.

As much as I would love to, I'm quite broke to be honest.

Ok, perhaps not the only, but the only one interested in anything relatively heavy besides the bassist.

Maybe you should expand your music tastes.

Trust me, I have a wide music taste. I'm talking about I want a decent hard rock/metal band. All anyone plays around my area is acoustic and blues.

Alright, fair enough.

By the way, I am working with the bassist to start up some jam sessions by ourselves, so I'm not 100% sure anything will come from that.

Craigslist

I have an awesome idea for a fully functioning live solo project but I'm not going to share it with anyone lest I want to do it at one point. >>

+1

Sell you body on craigslist and use the proceeds to buy that keytar.

Ok, so try this.

It costs less than $500 to get started recording. (Check here and here in the recordings forum. Talk to the regulars, if you've any questions. Most of them pop up a time or two in either the Recordings Chat Thread [aka "Llama Thread"] or if you make your own thread.) Use a virtual drum simulator (SSD4, which is a studio quality drum sim, costs $40 for the basic [aka "custom"] sets). If you can't save up at least some of that holiday cash, then you're just not doing it right.

Meet with the bassist. Write and/or practice some songs. You and him/her record stuff. Listen to your recordings and evaluate them. Look at each other and say, "We could have done this part at 1.35 [for example] better" or "We really need to hit harder at 5.75". And so on. Start writing, playing, and recording music. When you get some quality stuff, go ahead & throw it up on bandcamp or facebook or whatever.

This guy gets it

That's actually not a bad idea^^. Thanks for the advice.

bassist or you switch to two piece. turrible two

A two piece without a rhythm doesn't sound like a good idea.

switch to *drums.

I actually do play drums fairly well, but then I'm stuck in a drummer+bassist setup. Then I will need all the mics to record the drums, etc.

not necessarily!