Recording Studios Face Uncertain Future (NPR)
December 11, 2009
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121304883
Here is an interesting story on how digital recording (your laptop) is replacing expensive recording studios. There is a 6 minute audio segment from NPR at the top of the above link.
“”The real value for most bands isn’t the equipment,” says McTear. “A guy at Guitar Center or Sam Ash would like you to think it is. They’d like you to think if you just spent 3 grand, you’re on your way to making your record because you bought the equipment. The sort of unseen, disappearing player in all the records being made today is collaboration — between artists, engineers and producers and studio musicians — all those people.”"
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Elbow’s Guy Garvey speaks about new album
December 7, 2009
“There are “20 odd” song ideas on a board in the Manchester studio so far.
“We listen back every few weeks and have a culling,” says Guy, 35. “It goes on like that, until there are really solid foundations for 15 or 16 songs.
“It’s gone from shoegaze to psychedelia and it’ll change again next week. The shoegaze has left behind discord: Moogs and Mellotrons, backward guitars and celene strings.”"
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Apple buys LaLa.com but I’m sure I still won’t get my dream features
December 5, 2009
Apple has bought online streaming music service LaLa.com. While this surely changes the game, I’d really like to see a site offer the depth of features that I’ve been dreaming about for at least 4 years now. Yet I don’t even see people trying. I can’t be the only one with these ideas in my head.
In case you’re wondering just what these features are… I sure won’t mention them here. If you’d really like to know and want to open a professional dialogue about it… I’d be delighted.
Topics: music, tech | No Comments »
MOG introduces All Access on demand music for $5 a month
December 2, 2009
“Today MOG launched MOG All Access, a revolutionary new online music listening service unrivaled in quality and ease-of-use.
MOG All Access is the extraordinary music listening service we full-time music fans have always wanted. You can listen to just about every album and song you can imagine (about 6 million songs), all-you-can-eat and on-demand for just 5 bucks a month. Yeah, pretty much all the music you can get at your nearest record store, for the cost of parking. And no, we are not pulling your leg!
In a cybersea overpopulated with subpar machinery, MOG is your state-of-the-art periscope to the sublime. On-demand music is just the beginning of the MOG paradigm. We’re creating a league of our own with features like:
- Personalized radio capabilities that put other online radio & satellite radio to shame
- Easy playlist creation and cool tools for discovery and sharing
- Sky-high quality streaming at 320 kbps…the highest sound quality in the industry
Highly regarded tech blog Techcrunch.com says “…it is a significantly better user experience than any other music service I’ve tried, including Spotify, MySpace Music and Pandora”.
Get the free trial right now, no strings attached:
http://mog.com/plans/trial
Want to learn more before embarking on our fantastic voyage? See the video guided tour here and see for yourself why we’re so pumped about the service that’s changing the online music listening experience forever:”
http://mog.com/promos/overview
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The Catherine Wheel’s epic debut ‘Ferment’ to be re-released early 2010
October 30, 2009
The Catherine Wheel’s epic 1992 debut release Ferment will be rereleased sometime early in 2010 by Cherry Red Records. [Latest rumor is March 22nd] It will also include bonus tracks. [Rumored to include full album plus 30th Century Man EP along with Balloon and Intravenous. Note that Intravenous just might be the greatest b-side ever! Will be pressed with a 12 page booklet which contains new sleeves notes and writings from Rob, Dave and Neil, along with pictures etc.]
Ferment contained the alternative rock hit ‘Black Metallic’ which has appeared on many “Top Alternative Songs of All-Time” lists.
Members of Interpol and Death Cab For Cutie have even credited The Catherine Wheel for influencing their musical careers.
” (Cherry Red) doesn’t tend to remix (or even remaster) much but just put out a “clean” version of what was originally released plus contemporaneous singles/b-sides. ”
“The guy who is managing this for Cherry Red seems to have contact with the band (I’m told that they choose the track listing and one or more of them will write sleeve notes) and aims to eventually rerelease the complete catalogue. Current target release date for Ferment is March but I’m sure that could slip by a while depending on how things come together; still, a reason to look forward to 2010 other than just the World Cup !
I’ll pass on any interesting news I get and will pester the label boss for the best possible release whenever I can – he is a fan so it really should be as good as they can make it.”
Topics: music | 4 Comments »
Glorified cover bands still earn top dollar in a down economy
October 14, 2009
We are in a period of major music industry shake up. Labels struggling to sell their products and struggling to survive while trying figure out how to adapt to the world of digital music.
Yet there are consumers willing to pay top dollar for live music. Here are the top tours from 2008:
1. Madonna ($105 million)
2. Celine Dion ($94 million)
3. The Eagles ($73.4 million)
4. Kenny Chesney ($72.2 million)
5. Bon Jovi ($70.4 million)
6. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band ($69.3 million)
7. Neil Diamond ($59.8 million)
8. Rascal Flatts ($55.8)
9. The Police ($48 million)
10. Tina Turner ($47. 7 million)
What interested me is that another tour from 2008 grossed $35 million. The combined tour of Heart, Cheap Trick and Journey. Journey? The Steve Perry-less Journey? Obviously people are willing to pay top dollar for Journey even without their world-class frontman.
Another 1970-80s mega-band, Foreigner, is also still touring and charging $45 for a regular ticket or a whopping $129.50 for a “meet and greet – VIP Reception”.
Wait a minute. $130 for a meet and greet? This touring version of Foreigner only contains one original member, the guitarist. Everyone else is a hired hand from other somewhat famous bands. Are the fans aware of this? I’d like to poll these concert attendees afterwards to see if they knew that going in. If not, when did they realize it? (assuming they did figure it out) Perhaps they mention this during their set. Did they feel duped? Didn’t care and loved it anyway?
There is a Journey tribute band, called ‘Frontiers’, that charges $10 a ticket and plays at venues such as the House Of Blues in New Orleans.
Why are fans willing to cough up this kind of money? Is it for the sake of nostalgia? Years ago, around 1998, when I was working in San Rafael, California, we saw Night Ranger at the local bar with all 5 original members. We went because they were famous and because they were playing at a local small town bar for cheap. That’s special and nostalgic! Seeing a famous guitarist with a few semi-famous musicians from other bands isn’t the same. They didn’t write or record the songs. They can’t share meaningful stories about the old days and what the songs were about that warrant me sitting 100 yards back and paying for it.
I’m not saying these bands aren’t worth seeing at all. I just don’t understand the desire for anyone to pay premium prices when you can go see a local cover band for 1/10th the price that probably sounds just as good and stand 10 feet away. They would probably “meet and greet” with you for free and be delighted that you even showed up.
Topics: music | 2 Comments »
Nightmare Air (members from Film School)
October 12, 2009
Nightmare Air is a new 3 piece band out
of LA featuring 2 members from Film School.
They are playing with Land of Talk & Eulogies
at Cafe Du Nord on Nov. 2nd.
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The Dimes – The King Can Drink The Harbour Dry
September 23, 2009
If you’re looking for a nice, stress free, history lesson combined with a very nice, mellow, yet upbeat pop album then the The Dimes’ second release, The King Can Drink The Harbour Dry, is worth a listen or four. It’s being release on 12/01/09.
“History lesson”?! Yes, the lyrics from each song are based on early American history and Boston. Such as “Ballad of Winslow Homer”, based on the accomplished artist. Every verse is based on the title of one of Winslow Homer’s paintings.
Continuing to work with Engineer, Jeff Stuart Saltzman (Death Cab For Cutie, Decemberists), the band’s sophomore release is a continuation of historic themes that began on their previous full-length, The Silent Generation (2007) and continues on their early 2009 New England EP.
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The Dimes – “Ballad of Winslow Homer”
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The Dimes – “Walden and the Willow Tree”
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Their debut, The Silent Generation, garnered national attention from SPIN, Magnet, Under the Rader, NPS and USA Today.
I previously posted about The Dimes in 2007. Here is a song from that album which I love called ‘Jersey Kid’:
Recommended if you like:
Andrew Bird, The Shins, The French Kicks, Midlake, The Beatles
thedimes.com
myspace.com/thedimes
twitter.com/thedimes
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Amusement Parks On Fire, new “Young Fight” EP is out
September 16, 2009
Shoegazers Amusement Parks on Fire released the EP Young Fight via Filter on September 8th. This new EP precedes the February 2010 release of the Nottingham-based band’s third studio album and coincides with the start of their US tour opening for the Psychedelic Furs and the Happy Mondays. Young Fight features two previously unreleased B-sides and three tracks that appeared on earlier EPs and 12-inches.
Playing in San Francisco on Thursday 9/17 with The Psychedelic Furs.
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Cafe Du Nord tonight: Division Day, Bad Veins, lovelikefire, Hanni El Khatib (Skully’s in Columbus on 9/16)
September 4, 2009
Division Day
cafedunord bio of all 4 artists with links to music
| LINKS: | |
| DIVISION DAY | |
| BAD VEINS | |
| LOVELIKEFIRE | |
| HANNI EL KHATIB | |
Topics: music | 1 Comment »