Vinyl spins to mp3?
image by traance
I’m hoping to get some help on this subject. I have a question I’ve been wondering about for some time now. What the hell is the benefit of converting an album on vinyl to an album of digital files??
I understand the basic reasoning that an mp3 is MUCH more portable than a vinyl record. I understand that sometimes there are older releases that you can find only on vinyl. But besides that I am at a loss for words. This just goes against the whole point of vinyl releases. Right?? (more…)
The Shape of the Earth
I discovered The Shape of the Earth via music blogs and have put their album on repeat ever since. Is this proof that mainstream promotion of an album has a very small impact on discovering good new music? I’m not sure. But I didn’t hear about them first from Pitchfork or Rolling Stone…
From the first listen of the album I was sold. There’s something about them that is brutally honest. It speaks to you but doesn’t get forced on your ears. They clearly put their music first and worry about the rest second. This is one of the many reasons why I love them. (more…)
Beirut, the child of Brian Wilson?
When I first heard Beirut I was sold. I didn’t need the buzz and background to make me fall in love with his music. I listened to ‘Gulag Orkestar‘ and knew what was going on. I was once that kid in his bedroom, recording the music he knew and loved. (don’t go looking for any of my 4-track recordings though…)
There is way more to Zach Condon than just a talented kid with some instruments and recording gear putting out records. He has moved passed it all and grown into something way more promising than an ‘indie’ kid recording his music. And while we’re on the topic, can his music be put into the ‘indie’ category?? Who the hell knows.
Crash Kings
If there was any band I really wanted to see succeed in the music world it would be the Crash Kings. Their music kicks ass. THEY kick ass. What more could you ask of a band?
I was lucky enough to have Tony Beliveau (keyboards and vocals) take some time out of their current tour and answer some questions regarding their sound, success, and what it’s like being a touring band based out of LA.
I highly suggest going to see them play this Sunday 1/31/10 at Great Scott in Boston. (or try to catch a date on the rest of their tour) Their record is phenomenal but live is where they shine. I spent a few years watching, having fun, and getting to know Mike and Tony (sadly don’t know Jason yet) but what I do know is that they are the real deal. They don’t mess around with music. They play what they believe and play what naturally comes out of them. We just happen to be lucky as hell, because what they produce is always incredible.
Check out what Tony had to say:
Being Peter Katis
photo by Michael Murray from the calcutta blog
Bands like Interpol, The National, Frightened Rabbit, The Twilight Sad, Fanfarlo, Mates of State have all become widely known, recognized, and loved amongst the music scene. They’re all great musicians who write great songs.
But there is one strong glue that holds all these bands together and has helped put them into our line of vision (or ears). That man is Peter Katis of Tarquin Studios. And guess what, he does it out of the comfort of his home.
I’m a sucker for the man behind the scenes because my entrance into music was known that if I was lucky, I would be the man credited in the liner notes. This is the life of a record producer/engineer who does it not for the money, but for the love of his craft. (more…)
Breaking news: Record labels can hurt music
The control that record labels have is no new news. It’s been a fight that’s been going on for years and we continue to reach that breaking point of making some sort of shift with it.
Many artists have and will try to rid themselves of this mess that major labels put them into. But to be successful and actually make a buck in the music industry as a musician means you need to be signed to a great record label. (if you’re looking my preference is Nonesuch and here’s to hoping this model changes)
The best case I can think of (and the one I spent all morning harping on) is the release of Fiona Apple’s ‘Extraordinary Machine’. There’s a whole story behind the release of this record. I can’t get all the facts straight because clearly I was not a part of it… But from what I gather it was a record Fiona wanted to give more credit to Jon than Epic Records wanted to. I’ve heard it was meant to be a Fiona Apple/Jon Brion release but Epic would not allow it. (more…)
Instructions for Insomniacs
I’m not one to promote new music. (and this music isn’t really new) Everything I find is because of fellow music bloggers and friends who just go nuts over music. So I’ll let them continue on with what they do best and occasionally I may chime in (kinda like now).
This band came to me from a friend we’ll call ‘Bob’. He and I worked together for a while and traded off music like it was sorority girls at slutty colleges. (I went to Berklee so I know nothing of sorority girls and their ways and apologize for stereotyping but oddly was the first reference I could think of).
Audio compression is a killer
I’m an audio nerd who can’t help but be bothered by what’s happening with records and videos these days. We are using WAY too much compression on albums and getting hurt by upload quality that makes video look OK but causes the audio to suffer.
I get flustered and instantly thrown off if I can hear compression. Compression is a tool that should never be heard by the listener. But most of you have suffered from it.
It’s kind of like taking depression pills when you don’t need them.
New Jack Swing
There are more genres of music than I can count on 20+ hands. But one that seems to have gotten lost in the mix (but desperately needs a revival) is New Jack Swing.
In the close circle of people I can really get into music with, New Jack lives on strong. (Ledyard being a strong advocate as well) But I feel in the mainstream it has been lost to the wind. And this deeply saddens me. It was incredibly successful at blending popular genres that have lived on: R&B/Soul and Hip Hop. Genres that fit each other like white on rice. (besides of course Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock mixing Hard Rock and Rap…)
What exactly is indie music?
The term indie music is thrown around all the time. And it always leads me to question what that term exactly defines. Is Arcade Fire still considered indie? How about The Shins? Probably not.
This year I came across the rawest form of indie I have ever experienced in my years of music listening. And I didn’t have to look further than the dyson name for it. It came from an unknown artist called Greg Dyson (yes, we’re related)
Music makes you hip. Trust me.
Am I claiming that I am hip? Hell yes! Many people might disagree with that statement… But I stand by it proudly. Call me a hipster, call me indie, call me a geek. I will stand by any name you want to throw at me. I’d like to be called chief or holmes though at least a few more times in my life…
I just read about this topic today that has been going on for decades (especially when it comes to music blogging) but Paste Magazine did a great article on the Evolution of the Hipster. It’s really a laughable matter. We all would love to be ‘cool’. It’s in our blood people! You can deny it all you want, but some part of us wants to feel cool. That topic is not up for debate. Ask your therapist. (more…)
The ‘Why I love music: Lifetime list’
I tried to wrap my head around doing a decade list, an 09 list, a ‘Why I love Brian Wilson’ list. But then I decided to challenge myself. I could come up with my favorite albums of the year or decade pretty easily (aside from ordering them which brings the challenge of making that into a list…)
But then it occurred to me. I don’t just love albums, I love music and everything that surrounds it. So here I am. Opening up to everything about music that I love. And damn, ordering it down to the top 3 reasons was a challenge that took several bottles of wine and late nights. (more…)
The pain and love of a music blogger
We are a large and ever-growing breed. We help each other out. We fight like brother and sister. We argue when there is nothing to realistically argue about. We write about music. And we, are music bloggers.
Some of us play music, some of us are just fans, some of us produce, and some of us just love music and everything about it. I would say the common bond is that all of us have that same passionate love. This is what we do in our spare (or the lucky few) full time. And we do it because we love ever minute of it. (for the most part…) (more…)
Do we own music anymore?
Look at how happy this man (let’s call him Joe) looks from Expected Behavior. Proudly standing next to his walls and walls of Compact Discs. The music hoarder in me can’t help but feel incredibly jealous of him. I bet they’re all alphabetized, sorted by genre, or color…(I wish my vinyl collection looked like this). (more…)
One night is all it takes
[audio at the bottom. listen while you read!]
I consider myself an extremely fortunate man when it comes to the musicians I have been able to work with. The top of the list might be Jay McCarrol (not to be confused with Jay McCarroll)
Jay is one of the most unassuming musicians you will ever meet. He sits down at a piano and instead of playing one of his songs (which he almost refuses to do if there is an audience) he will serenade you with Disney songs, video game scores, and my personal favorite, Jurassic Park scores. (more…)
Largo LA LA
When I bought tickets to go see Jon Brion at Largo (audio warning on the link) in LA did I expect to see a good show? Absolutely. Could I ever imagined the night of music I had in store for me? NOT. A. CHANCE.
Jon came out to a stage full of gear to perform a show he puts on every Friday night. It was incredible. He ran around that stage in his tan, pin-striped suit like a musical madman. His brain tossing and turning, wondering what instrument and song to do next. Did he have a show put together? Yes. But MAN is he one who can improvise at a moments notice. (hence his SPOT ON cover of Don’t Fear the Reaper in the style of Les Paul) (more…)
You HAVE to move to Brooklyn
This is all I heard through my years at Berklee College of Music. Get out of Boston. Go to New York, LA, Nashville. Anywhere but Boston.
Did it get old? Yes. But did I do it? Yes…
I moved to Manhattan and tried my hand as an engineer/photographer (don’t ask) for a few months. Was it what is was hyped up to be? Not even close. I have some great stories to tell but that’s about it. (more…)
End on a high note?
I always bring up the question: Stones or Beatles? We all know that The Beatles decided to bow out after a landmark album (Abbey Road) but the Rolling Stones decided to carry on. Was it worth it?
The Stones have probably made a lot of money off of continually touring, but is it hurting the legacy they will leave behind? Are enough people saying: Give it up already!?
The Beatles made more money on 9/9/09 than they did during their whole time as a band. Why? Because the legacy they left behind is one that rivals Beethoven and even Einstein. They will go down in history while still overcoming an impossible accomplishment of remaining current. (more…)
The Longwalls get to shine
MTV is long gone. But the art of making a good music video is still alive. We just now have a million different mediums of getting the video out to the viewing public.
The Longwalls just recently shot a video on the grounds of Hollwood East brought to us by Plymouth Rock Studios and Rock Media. What a hell of a job they all did with it. (more…)
Animal Collective defines hype
They have done it. A band has managed to create as much buzz as The Beatles. But they have done it while holding the same amount of musical ability as Paul held in his left testicle. (on an off day mind you)
Merriweather Post Pavilion was the first actually listenable Animal Collective album I have been able to sit through. I started with Sung Tongs and have given every one of their albums since a chance. Why did I give every one a listen? Because everyone else said they were brilliant. (Pitchfork, I blame you first) (more…)
Trust your engineer
Most average music listeners don’t know what an engineer does. This honestly, is how most of them like to be known. If the engineer does a great job on an album, the people who really care will take the time to seek out who put to tape the amazing sounds the band was creating.
The average music listener will pick up an album, listen to it, and say yey or ney pretty quickly within the first track or two. And I KNOW this has a lot to do with what the engineer has done to it. (more…)
7 of the saddest songs ever
Ok. So Tulsa actually created 14 songs to date. So my title might be misleading.
But they’re last release ‘I Was Submerged’ is what drove me to pinpoint it to 7 songs. This pinpoints more of a summary of a band who are short lived that create masterpieces, and then POOF! they’re gone. (more…)
John Tesh is a brilliant loser
Firstly, despite my title, I DID use your most recent head shot John. That better at least show you that I care…
And really the title and the next few links leave me little to actually write about you. You have done one truly amazing thing in your life that I could never ever take away from you. You gave us basketball fans ‘Roundball Rock’. (more…)
The Beatles how they were meant to be heard. In Mono?
I’ve read all about The Beatles. Geoff Emerick’s book sums up everything you would want to read. EVER.
He stressed how much time they spent working on the mono mixes of the records. Makes complete sense. 3 or 4 track recordings? How the HELL are you supposed to make those true stereo?
Well I have listened to the new mono remasters. And you know what? I love them. Most records sound better in stereo. It’s how we’re used to listening to them. But The Beatles records weren’t meant to be listened to in stereo, it was an afterthought. And anything you do during the record making process that is an afterthought is almost always a bad idea. (more…)
I am one man who writes (pretty poorly) about music because I love it. I study, play, produce, engineer, analyze, and obsess about music. Enjoy all the topics I can muster up to write about.
