Roulette Never Looked This Good

A massive game of roulette to determine the next song played are you kidding me?  That is AWESOME.

It truly makes the live experience one of a kind and adds a touch of interactivity that can't be faked from just looking at a computer screen.  I get the goosebumps knowing I'll be seeing this show in March.  March 7th to be exact.  I'm going to get a ton of pictures from that one.  Wish it could be video but my phone has that uber distortion feature that makes all video audio sound like garbage.

Live music has and always be the way we are suppose to enjoy music.  No wonder these guys were named "Best Act in the World Today" by Q Magazine last month.

Should There Really be an App For That

Click for How to Geek's tips on organizing a music library

Remember that movie “Click” with Adam Sandler?  He wanted everything in life to be condensed into one universal remote to help control his life and then it blows up in his face in the long run.  The concept is the same as what this article, “Industry Opinion: The Future-Proof Music Library”, is talking about.  Only it’s talking about people’s music libraries.

The snapshot of the article is somehow pulling all your music from all the different formats you have it in (CD’s, Vinyl, digital, streaming, etc.) and compiling it into one universal library via an app or online platform.

It’s an interesting thought in regards to storing music in the future but for the most part it just takes a little elbow grease to convert CD’s or Vinyl into digital files to be stored in one place.  Personally I wouldn’t insult the Vinyl format and dumb it down to a digital track.  It’s almost like ordering a gourmet meal at a nice restaurant but asking them to prepare it in the microwave.  So now we're just talking about those easy to lose, easy to throw CD's.

The thing is, you already can have all your music in one place.  Just obtain it legally and put the effort into organizing it.  I think the real issue is just the organization process of the whole thing.  CD’s are lying around the house, Vinyl’s are dusty, and digital files may not work and it’s logical to want it all in one place and to make that process easy.  But is it realistic?  Regardless of the way you do it, the CD or Vinyl, would need to be converted to a digital format, if we’re talking about a universal digital library, so you’re spending time doing that anyway.

The biggest thing that sparked my attention however, was taking playlists off of streaming sites, like Spotify, and putting them into this universal library in hopes to keep it forever.  I couldn’t help to think that sounds a little too hopeful.  The business model that makes a streaming service a streaming service is paying a monthly fee for access to their music catalog and you license the use of their music for as long as you’re paying for it.  When you stopping paying, you lose the playlists you’ve created.  That’s just how it works.

Without actually downloading the track from the streaming service you’re simply borrowing it for an undetermined amount of time.  You can’t just take that music, throw it in another library, and expect to keep it even after you’ve terminated your subscription to the streaming service.
Formats come and go with the years and some people are really dedicated to having hard copies of music instead of throwing it all into a digital format of sorts.  Being able to scan CD’s and put it into Spotify, like Covify for example, is great technology but it’s not too much easier than just looking it up, highlight it all, drag and drop into a playlist.  It’s essentially just another method to burn a CD into your computer.

People who love Vinyl, or CD’s for that matter, tend to take care of their albums and organize them because they are proud of their collection.  If the real worry is being able to take music from streaming services to another platform, then the question is do streaming services offer a clause to make that happen?  Maybe that’s in the form of an exit fee to obtain the rights of your playlists or it’s an understanding between streaming services to allow that to happen.

I think the cure is to watch a few episodes of hoarders and get the bug to organize the music you have without causing more of a mess and downloading more apps to help with a simple organizational problem.  Think about it.

Pull Up Spotify PULL UP

Apparently good accounting makes a world of difference, who knew.  This article “Accounting Explains How Spotify’s Business Model Can Succeed” I found on Billboard.biz, points out some interesting facts.  Spotify’s current business model shows that almost every dollar brought in by the users exits the company immediately to rights holders leaving Spotify near empty handed.  The current model will run the company into the ground.  If by adding new members to your business ultimately means the company loses money there’s something wrong.  On top of that, the cost of employee salaries grew quicker than revenue sales.

This article mentioned that the heaviest Spotify users will end up having to pay more for a higher tiered subscription to help their profit margin.  I’m a very heavy Spotify user and I personally don’t like having to pay more for a company’s inability, for whatever reason, to maintain a sustainable business model.

Of course there are a lot more variables to this situation than I’m getting into, but I hope the company can figure out how to balance out their financials.  Really makes me wonder what all was involved in that Facebook deal with Spotify and who’s benefiting more.  It’s a good thing Spotify still has room to grow and has the users to support it so they can fix the situation hopefully without upsetting the heavy users, like this guy.

Genre Lock

Ok so I’m curious.  When a band first starts out.  First starts rockin out in someone’s basement or garage, are they really locked into one genre or style?  You hear it all the time how bands don’t sound the same and fans disappear.

Linkin Park comes to mind obviously.  They started out so ruthless with their rap rock and they evolved into more of a mainstream alternative act.  Course they still include elements of their former selves but nothing quite as special as Hybrid Theory and Meteora.

There is a pretty similar process bands go through over the years where the music changes and warps into something they didn’t start out playing.  Is that really a bad thing?  I used to think so.  I would get so heated when the style changed for a new record.  I wanted what they've established themselves to be, not this new image and style they are trying out.  I remember thinking, “Great, now I have to wait til the next album to really get what I wanted to hear.”

The process they go through is following all the fleeting influences in a musician’s life and slowly narrowing in on a style that incorporates all the parts they want it to.  It’s a painful process and drives you mad sometimes.  There would be times where I’m sitting in my drummer’s basement just frustrated as hell because I can’t get the song to sound like it does in my head.

Bands are going to change.  If they are meant to survive throughout time they have to change.  Everything else changes so why should creating music be any different?  Influences come and go, so those elements come in and out of the music throughout the years.  I actually enjoy being surprised with new styles now.  I just reviewed the new Muse album and that was what sort of sparked this post.  Lots of people don’t like the way it sounds because they changed.  If it’s a good band that have proved themselves throughout their careers, why not trust the tangents their music travels?  At what point is it selling out to make the same music you have been making simply because it does well in the market?  If the artist isn’t fully behind what they do, and just do it for others, it loses the warmth and passion.  Those things come through in the recordings, they really do.  I can tell you numerous times where I had to redo a recording because the energy wasn’t there.

Don’t get me wrong.  I hate to see things I liked about a band disappear in following albums, but here’s a good way to look at it.  Yeah you might not like that album so much, but it’s only one album.  It’s the same if you just don’t like a certain part of a book or a movie.  Same concept.  The overall picture of what the artist does and has done is still there.  Who knows, maybe somewhere down the line you’ll go back to that album and actually develop a liking of it.  I recently did this with Foo Fighters Colour and Shape.  A problem arises if they lose their style completely.  Even then, the artist is being true to what they feel like.  If they don’t they are crucified, if they just make music to please others and to do well in the marketplace, they are “sellouts”.  Not too much room for a win-win here.  I’d prefer the artist to stay true to what they feel like creating.  I may drop out of their fan base if they lose their original style that I liked but I still respect them and there will always be the songs that I do enjoy.

The real question is what kind of follower are you?  Do you more just like certain songs by an artist?  Or do you thoroughly enjoy the artist and all that they do and represent?  Neither is right or wrong.  Think about it.

Album Review: Muse The 2nd Law

Impressive is probably the best word I could use to describe the new Muse album entitled The 2^nd Law.  It is set to be release October 1^st in the UK and October 2^nd in the U.S.  October 2^nd. The 2^nd Law. October 2^nd.  The 2^nd Law.  See what I’m doing here.  Could’ve been a promotional thing because the album has been pushed back a couple of times.  Another probable reason is so they don’t clash with the release of the The Killers new album  Battle Born.  Both were supposed to come out September 17^th but Muse changed their date.

This is the bands 6^th studio album and there are definite signs of maturity and evolution from where they started.  The production is superb.  There are a lot of digital elements to the songs.  Then again, Muse has always had that sort of electronic twist and effects in their music so that’s not really a surprise to me.  Plus, they mentioned there were dubstep influences in the album before it was released free to stream on iTunes.  Oh what a happy night it has been finding out I’m able to listen to it tonight.  What homework?

The production and composition that was put into this album is what’s impressive about it.  The instruments are clear and have their place in the mix.  The bass tone is nice and fat with a touch of distortion to it where needed.  It really fills up the space and drives most of the songs.  It seems like they were very conscious of making a full sound and covering all frequencies.

Matt’s voice is as impressive as ever.  The upward bend in his voice for the chorus in “Supremacy” is classic Muse and is what hooks me on that song.  His control over his falsetto is on point.  It reminds me of “Supermassive Black Holes” in that aspect.  It also sounded like it should be in a James Bond movie.  Just a side note.  The tremolo and wobble in the bass on “Madness” is freaking awesome!  It’s incredibly thick and swells perfectly.  It’s a nice solid round sound that makes your head throb.
Songs like “Madness” and “Survival” open up so beautifully.  You can really feel the song take a breath and mature on its own.  They cover a full spectrum of lows and highs, and along with orchestral elements, it’s what makes these songs peak and sound so pristine.  The amount of emotion they captured in this album grips you by the gut and forces you to listen.  I’m sure there are some really cool hidden gems in the mix I haven’t picked out yet, but I always love running into those.  It’s like a mini Christmas for my ears.

It’s not as sappy and love influenced as I was preparing for.  There is still the classic world is ending the system screwed us feeling.  The love element that the band was talking about prior to the release is still in it but not as present as I was expecting.  I won’t lie, I’m happy about this.  They are good at writing those songs (despite Matt saying he hasn’t really wrote about relationships before because he has) but Muse has a world is ending brand and it gives them the style they have.  In my opinion at least.

Man are there some bangers in this album though.  Songs like “Follow Me”, “Animals”, and “The 2^nd Law: Unsustainable” stand out to me.  Holy crap “Follow Me” is cool.  The surging bass sound just like a surge of electricity.  It’s something you’d hear from some energy-photon-futuristic-whatever in a sci-fi movie.  The snare really pierces the mix.  In a good way.  The kit sounds distant in the mix and wet with some reverb and other effects.  Not to mention “The 2^nd Law: Unsustainable”.  Are you kidding me?  This is such a ridiculous song!  The news caster verse is great and something different.  When the break hits you really feel it.  I think they took the idea of the drop from dubstep and used it in this album.  Thing is, Muse has always had “drops” in their songs.  The bridges have really gotten heavy; “Stockholm Syndrome” comes to mind.  “Unsustainable” is really unique and definitely one of my top picks of the album.

I really like how they ended the album with a two-part composition again.  The last song "The 2nd Law: Isolated System" wrapped up the album nicely.  I think it could become something Muse continues to do with their albums.  They should at least.

Dom really gets into some good grooves too.  I like his beats in “Animals”.  Mixed with Matt’s beautiful guitar lick early in the song makes for a unique sound.  Dom used more effected kits and such this time around but it fits with what they were going for.  I like the variety.

I am a raving Muse fan, BUT there are some things I don’t personally like about the album.  I really wish Matt would have joined in with Chris on his two songs “Save Me” and “Liquid State”.  Chris has a good voice but I think blended with Matt’s voice could’ve sounded better.  I wonder if they tried that and decided against it or anything.  I know Muse likes to do lullaby type songs but “Explorers” really just about put me to sleep.  It’s a slow song and the melody the dreamy keys plays is a little cliché and sappy for me.  I think that slot of the album could’ve been used for something else.  The album is borderline too electronic for me too.  There is a touch of 80’s early 90’s in melodies and tones of the kit and keys.  They made it work for this album but it’s a fine line they walked.  Muse has some pretty raunchy natural guitar tones I would hate to see disappear completely into the digital realm.

Ok so obviously Chris is singing solo on a couple of songs.  This is new.  His voice is really pure and smooth.  I am curious how much it was fixed in the mix though and what was added to it.  Not to say it’s bad but it just sounds really pure.  The songs are solid though.  “Save Me” has a little Pink Floyd to it and plenty of spacey guitar echoes.  I’ll say it again.  I REALLY wish Matt would have backed up Chris in these songs.  Matt’s voice is signature to Muse; it’s just how it is.  I think it really would’ve filled up the mix.  I’ll be honest, I keep listening to them and I can’t quite tell if Matt is really low in the mix or blended in really well, but I don’t think he is.  My point is I think his voice should have been on the tracks for the sake of the albums cohesiveness.  Props to Chris though completely.  I’m glad they were put on the album.  Muse is not shy of trying things out.  The bass line in “Liquid State” is classic Chris.

Releasing the album free on iTunes was a smart idea and I personally thoroughly liked being surprised with the news that I could listen to it tonight.  It’s definitely a journey listening to it from start to finish and I like how they did that as well.  Not separating it into tracks enforces the idea that it’s put together like this for a reason.  I will be buying this CD.  Progression is growth and growth is how you survive in today’s music industry.  I love how they bring something different and unique to the table every album.  Especially the last two.  They really went out on a limb with a couple of aspects but because it’s from Muse its ok.  I think they did a damn good job of branding themselves if they have the flexibility to wander and touch other genres and still stay true to their image.  Very impressive album.  I’ll be curious to see how it grows on me.

What Have You Been Listening to?

Alright so here’s the situation.  You’ve really been into this particular band lately and every chance you get you put it on.  For whatever reason, you instantly liked what was coming out of the headphones.  If someone asked you what you liked about it what would you say?  You don’t know?  Just sounds good? The words mean something meaningful? The guitars sound sick?   What are you really listening to?

I’m sure I’m not the only one to notice this but doesn’t mean I’m not curious.  There is a bit of a divide among music listeners.  There are the ones that latch on to what’s being said, and the ones that are hooked by the instruments and their respected riffage.  Each side seems to miss things in the mix.  I don’t mean to say people are literally not hearing something in mix.  What I mean is some just don’t place too much importance on certain aspect so it gets skipped over because something else catches more of your attention.

Everything was recorded and kept for a reason ladies and gentlemen and there are important elements in the mix that might just be a little hidden.

I’ve ALWAYS listened to the instruments.  A lot of the time I don’t even know parts of the song simply because it’s not what gets me.  Even my favorite songs I’ve heard more times to count I’ll only know what the words sound like, not what they actually are.  I always thought that’s how it was for everyone and I questioned why the songs would be published if there are parts that people can’t understand.  That can’t always be prevented though and I get that so didn't really think much of it.

I started noticing friends would always be so on top of the lyrics though and know every word.  They didn’t have to look up the words they just knew what they were.  At first I thought my hearing was already going to hell and I didn’t doubt it so just thought, “oh well it was bound to happen anyway lets be real.”

Sometimes, however, there would be conversations about the way the song sounds and a particular melody line that sounds good.   Now the lyrical people get to feel like they’re missing something.  Most didn’t even notice or hear what we were talking about, nor understand it.  Sort of like how I don’t understand how certain phrases of words sound so good and others mediocre wordplay.
Ok so you like this but miss out on this.  The words can’t stand on their own and the music can’t stand on it’s own. 

The answer is obvious.

It’s the combination of the words and the music that makes it good of course!

Big original revelation right?

Well hold on.

If some people miss out on the full impact of the words or music, how is that magical song marriage ever complete?  How do you ever enjoy it to its fullest potential?

Actively listen to every part of the song.  Absorb everything and you’ll find those hidden gems in the mix that you were always meant to enjoy.  Whether that’s a higher vocal harmony that gives it a certain kind of class, or a sneaky bass line that drives the whole section.  Readers and your average music Joes tend to like words while musicians tend to listen for instruments.  Of course there are exceptions to this but without getting overly analytical, it tells me there's something else that makes you more attentive to certain parts.  Whats the real influence for the mix in your head?  Think about it.

A Free Recording Studio? By Converse? Yes Please!

Wow.  I was looking around at a few companies I might want to intern for and Converse was the first one I looked into.  I knew they started a new music branch to their company but I didn't know exactly what it was.  Here's what I found out.

Converse opened Rubber Tracks studio in July of 2011.  The studio is in Williamsburg which is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York.  The outside of the studio is all sorts of tagged up (graffiti) by local street artists Shepard Fairey and Mr. Ewokone.  It's a professional recording studio staffed with engineers and producers to help the artist get the music out of their heads and into the headphones for everyone else.

Now here's where my mind blew up.  IT'S A FREE STUDIO!  In Brooklyn!  Bands apply to record there and are chosen to come kick it and make some music Rubber Tracks style.  The way of thinking here is to eliminate the main road block in getting studio time, that whole pay them money for time bit.  Of course the studio can't accommodate everyone that's why the studio picks who gets to record from a whole stack of applicants.  They chose bands in a 2 month window and have a 12 recording cycles a year.  Applicants aren't necessarily chosen based on talent but more for how much they can bring to the table.

What I mean by that is exactly how much stuff they can fit on a standard 6' table and whoever can cram on the most gets to record.  I know I shouldn't need to say that's not really how it works but for transitions sake, it was a joke.  They are looking for how much presence you have on your social media platforms, the drive to compete, the willingness to be different, more or less that "spark" that makes you special and will make the music that's recorded special.

After applying you will be contacted, if chosen, within 30 days and the recording date would be about 2 months after the application is submitted.  The band will get 1 to 2 days of recording and will retain all rights to the music created.  However, the smart thing to do is to give Converse limited rights so they can publish it on their sites and help you promote it.  I didn't just make that up, Converse actually explains they will do that on the Rubber Tracks site.  Who wouldn't want Converses help in promoting anyway?

Aside from all this they have gear reviews from the artist's perspective and from the staffs perspective.  I actually learned a few things from some of the videos talking about mixing and microphone techniques if you only have 2 mics.  Being a broke musician this is pretty relevant.  When I say broke I mean low on cash and literally a lot of the gear my buddies and I own is broke.
Converse did it right.  Create a space for musicians to be musicians and they will come.  From the companies stand point its smart because artists of all shapes and planets are anxious to create their music and Converse gets that content to turn around and promote their company.  They also had the presence of mind to say, "Hey! Let's have videos on gear, the artists that have been here, and tips and tricks in the studio as well."  They only thing I would say is to make Rubber Tracks website more of a BAM here's Rubber Tracks kind of feel.  It sort of came off as being a little side project by being just a tab from the main website.  Make a whole new website completely separate from the main Converse website.  They have the right idea so far, as far as making it easy and simple to navigate, but with a little more flare to it, it'll really make the studio "speak".

From the artists stand point, IT'S A FREE RECORDING SESSION!  That's all that needs to be said to the artist.  The application process is nothing and they encourage you to keep applying if not chosen.  As an artist you know your going to have to bang on that door until someone finally gets up to see who's making all the noise.  I've had to borderline harass venues for shows and sponsors for money, it's just the nature of the business.

What I'm trying to explain is, Converse is looking for how much drive you have to succeed and at the same time telling you to keep applying if you really want to get there.  If that's not a clue that reapplying is crucial for the opportunity to record at Rubber Tracks, I don't know what is.  It really shows how close the company tries to stay to the consumer and how far they are willing to go to make the recording process easier and more enjoyable. In the long run, the atmosphere always comes through in the recording and I think Converse did a hell of a job here.  I'd love to intern at Converse and you better believe if I have the option to apply I will be showing them this post.  Because I can.  The bands even get free Chuck Taylor's!  How cool is that?  Can you even imagine the kind of opportunities that can be made from having studios like this all over?  Think about it.

Here's this weeks track of the week by Recess called "No Games"

P.S. these photos ARE NOT MINE.  No need for a copyright battle or nothing please and thanks.

The One Way Ticket to Selling Out Comes From Apple?

Here's the situation,  a sponsor approaches an artist to provide entertainment for an event.  Does this seem out of the ordinary?  If the artist decides to provide the entertainment does it make them a sellout?  Sounds to me like every other event artists play.  They were approached with an offer because someone thought their music would best suit the night.  I don't see any real argument to say this artist is a sellout yet.  Alright here's a little more information.

The event is a new product launch from Apple.  Apple's  release event for the iPhone 5 was on September 15th in San Fransisco and decided to make an event out of it complete with musical guests.  Ok, now there are some more variables like who's the artist, do they fit the product, do they fit the audience, etc.  On face level I still don't see the argument for selling out.  The artist didn't have to change their image and music to accommodate the client rather they were chosen BECAUSE of their music and image.

The artist is the Foo Fighters, a rock band with some serious underground punk roots from back in the day.  Naturally seeing them in front of a big Apple logo upset some of the fans.  A lot of people had something to say about them apparently selling out because of this.  Fans even went so far as to say they no longer like them simply because of this.  Alright I can see where that uneasiness comes from.  This is the Foo Fighters we're talking about.  This band has been through the dirt and grime of the industry and were bred in a time of taking it to the man in the suit.  They don't do corporate events.

Remember the saying, that was then this is now?  Rings true here.  The music business was so much different a decade ago.  Come to think about it, the business isn't the same as it was a week ago.  A sellout to some people simply means making money from a different revenue stream other than out of a strictly artistic nature.  Associating an artist to a brand or to sell a product was forbidden unless they want to suffer the wraith of the music scene.

Times have changed.  In order to keep up these days, the artist NEEDS to tap into other revenue streams WHILE maintaining a consistent image.  What if Apple held this event at The Forum in California (A venue the Foo Fighters have played before) instead of Apple headquarters?  Apple is just the sponsor supplying a venue for the artist to expose their music.  In this case, it's an intimate setting so the Foo Fighters played an unplugged set.  ITS NOT SELLING OUT IT'S APPROPRIATE.

You can probably guess I'm a Foo Fighters fan.  Matter of fact they are a major influence of mine.  Knowing the band like I do it does not seem out of ordinary for them to play this gig.  They are an incredibly versatile band and have proven time and time again where their passion comes from and have always been true to the music and image they represent.  Regardless of the artist or sponsor, if the music and image isn't put in question just to make a buck, it's not selling out it's just smart placement then.  Who gets paid for what shouldn't be the focus.  Realistically, Apple has done so much for the music industry and for so many artists that any artist should be honored to play that gig.  It'd be different if they helped launch a new test drug that makes your hair gold.  It's for a device you listen to music on and for a company that is heavily invested into making music an interactive experience for the customer.  I'm as much of a skeptic as anyone about big corporations and I don't feed on what's dished out without thinking about it a little deeper.  After thinking about this situation it makes me wonder why the "selling out" mindset stayed so ancient in a world desperate for the next big thing.  Think about it.

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