MC's August 2014 Issue by Music Connection

SESAC

W E LC O M E S P O P S U P E R S TA R

MARIAH CAREY

Singer, Actress, Producer, Visionary, SONGWRITER. We are proud to have you as part of the SESAC family. sesac.com

MORE THAN

A PEDA

LBOAR D. IN A

You’ve got to go, lik gig of e, now a lifet . It’s a ime. W paych or pat hen y eck, a ience, o u n opp a b r u rive, t t you ortun bust y here w better ity, ma our b o s o n a ybe th u ’ c t n k b d trying e muc own, m incred e h time to loa ible. Y Or, yo aybe , d o u cou pay b s u a p c a h o c with y a u e a ld slip l l f g d g s r age o tack a ent a our ha your g the sl verag v n a rd-ear d i n g eek F r a a s e n o c s d k c ned g so the h s ly Rig i y l s l tem o it wou ear. airlin 5 into n you l d e can m your g a r k e play d S T i uitar n he Fl atra l odgeb case a y Rig ook a all nd hit w 5 k is a c ward. 21 to omple nes in t e the fo , prof pedal otprin ession s for t of a al rig 1/3 th p with m i x 3-ban e i e. You cost a ammo d EQ, get 5 t 1/3 th Tec a D t “ he siz LA de m boost, h u s t-have e. A g lay w and o ” e i g t n u h i u g r i t g n a g i e p n l chassi orious -temp g SansA s less o, lush Plexi mp™ than distor r w e i v nothin t e h rb, a 2 12” l tion, a g to p ong. A 1dB c ll pac rogra lean k e l want i d m g h i nto a or pat tning to hav gunm ch. Ju rod fo e for etal st the r insp every essen iratio gig. t i n a l , blist The lo with ering vable, tones totabl sessio you e Fly ns, stu Rig 5 dio re is per hears fect fo als, ba r fly g Freed ckup r igs, fa om ne i g st-tur , or ev ver so narou e n unded as you nd so sw r main eet. rig.

Design

ed and

Manuf

www.t

acture

ech21

d in th

nyc.co

e U.S.A

PEDAL .

CONTENTS 36

Informing Music People Since 1977 !UGUST s 6OL s .O

Wiz Khalifa

In our exclusive interview, the mercurial hip-hop star talks about his controversial socal media techniques and how he scouts artists for his management/label company, Taylor Gang Records.

By Daniel Siwek Photos: Miko Lim

44 SESAC 40

Gear Rentals MC explores the affordable pieces of rented audio gear that can help live performers and recording artists boost their impact.

By Kurt Orzeck

Directory of Rehearsal Studios 53

Directory of Gear Rentals: Audio/Video /Cartage/Tech

Trevor Gale discusses his organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts on behalf of songwriters and publishers. By Andy Mesecher

Departments 08. Close Up 09. Assignments 10. New Toys 14. Book Store 16. Up Close 18. Studio Mix 23. Business Affairs 26. Signing Stories 28. Song Biz 32. FilmsTVsTheater 34. Mixed Notes

Reviews 47. Album Reviews 48. New Music Critiques 50. Live Reviews

Compiled By Denise Coso

20. Producer Crosstalk: Stuart Epps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Rob Putnam 22. Exec Profile: Attorney Gary L. Gilbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Andy Kaufmann 30. Songwriter Profile: Jim Mize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Dan Kimpel 46. Career Connection: Jake Round, Pure Noise Records . . . . . . By Andy Kaufmann 70. Tip Jar: Rehearse Your Vocals Right! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Jeannie Deva 4

August 2014

musicconnection.com

Be sure to follow Music Connection on Facebook and Twitter.

The opinions expressed in Music Connection, as well as all Directory listings and contact information, are provided by various sources in the music industry. Music Connection is not responsible for any business transactions or misadventures that may result from your use of this information.

E. Eric Bettelli PUBLISHER E. Eric Bettelli Mark Nardone GENERAL MANAGER / ADVERTISING DIRECTOR ericb@musicconnection.com

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER / SENIOR EDITOR markn@musicconnection.com

Denise Coso John Curry OPERATIONS MANAGER / DIRECTORIES EDITOR denisec@musicconnection.com

ART DIRECTOR artdirector@musicconnection.com

Andy Mesecher

Steve Sattler

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Barry Rudolph

steve@creativesalesresource.com

Ray Holt DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MARKETING

andym@musicconnection.com

NEW TOYS barry@barryrudolph.com

Bernard Baur CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

rayh@musicconnection.com

bbatmc@aol.com

Siri Svay

Dan Kimpel

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER sirimusicconnection@gmail.com

SONG BIZ dan@dankimpel.com

Jessica Pace &),- s 46 s 4(%!4%2 j.marie.pace@gmail.com

FEATURE WRITERS

Andy Kaufmann andy.kaufmann@verizon.net Rob Putnam toe2toe6@hotmail.com Editorial Interns Jake Hansen intern@musicconnection.com Ted Jamison intern@musicconnection.com Carter Woghan intern@musicconnection.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Carl Anthony, Allegra Azzopardi, Bernard Baur, Danica Bellini, Brett Bush, Jeannie Deva, Gary Graff, Eric A. Harabadian, Corey Irwin, Ted Jamison, Andy Kaufmann, Jessica Pace, Victoria Patneaude, Rob Putnam, Adam Seyum, Daniel Siwek, Vincent Stevens, Laurier Tiernan, Brooke Trout, Albert Vega, Jonathan Widran, Ellen Woloshin PHOTOGRAPHERS Allegra Azzopardi, Bernard Baur, Daren Cornell, Jody Domingue, Jim Donnelly, Kevin Estrada, Corey Irwin, Apple Kaufmann, David Klein, Tony Landa, Dave Long, Thomas Long, Jessica Pace, Victoria Patneaude, Scott Perham, Rob Putnam, Alexander G. Seyum, Danny Seyum, Mark Shiwolich, Daniel Siwek, Vincent Stevens, Brian Stewart, E. H. Tiernan, Paula Tripodi, Brooke Trout, Albert Vega, Ellen Woloshin MANUFACTURED AND PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Music Connection (ISSN# 1091-9791) is published monthly by Music Connection, Inc., 3441 Ocean View Blvd., Glendale, CA 91208. Single copy price is $3.95, Canada $4.95. Subscription rates: $35/one year, $59/two years. Outside the U.S., add $25 (U.S. currency) per year. We are not responsible for unsolicited material, which must be accompanied by return postage. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission of the publishers is prohibited. The opinions of contributing writers to this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Music Connection, Inc. Copyright ÂŠ 2014 by E. Eric Bettelli. All rights reserved. Founded by: J. Michael Dolan / michael@jmichaeldolan.com

NEW CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 3441 Ocean View Blvd., Glendale, CA 91208 Office: 818-995-0101 Fax: 818-638-8015 Email Address: contactmc@musicconnection.com Website: http://musicconnection.com Legal Counsel: Christopher J. Olsen / chris@chrisolsenlaw.com

Subscribe to MC NOW!

musicconnection.com/store/subscribe 6

August 2014

musicconnection.com

– JONATHAN WIDRAN

SOUNDCHECK STUDIOS http://soundcheckstudios.net

Serving Fellow Musicians: A hard rock drummer and former drum department manager at SIR, David Lee launched Soundcheck Studios as a 24hour lockout rehearsal facility in 2005. Converting an empty warehouse to a dynamic 28 room facility—ranging in size from small drum rooms of 10-ft x 10-ft to full size band rooms of 20-ft x 25-ft to a full showcase room, each with a 17-ft ceiling—he developed a comfortable, safe environment with a creative vibe. In addition to minimal “noisebleed” between rooms (thanks to six inches of airspace between two walls with sound board insulation and

drywall), the North Hollywood facility has central A/C and heat in all rooms, secure gated parking, closed circuit TV monitoring and easy load in/out. It was also one of the first studios in L.A. to offer free wireless Internet access. The Revamped Showcase Room: The crown jewel of Soundcheck Studios has long been Room #3, a 30-ft x 40-ft space with a 20-ft x18-ft stage and drum riser. It has been used by everyone from Idina Menzel to Filter as well as members of Rage Against the Machine. With a recent extensive remodeling, it has evolved into a live rehearsal and showcase room, completed with a full concert style, 4-way PA system. The room is now fit for optimal audio and video quality, with black velvet curtains wrapping around the walls to give the sound engineer complete control. It has LED lights and an available Pro Tools rig. The dynamically outfitted room includes a new private full bathroom with shower stall and is ideal for industry showcases. The Grand Re-Opening: Though Soundcheck Studios has been open during remodeling, it will soon be celebrating its Grand Re-Opening. Lee says, “The building, now more than ever, has a musical artistic vibe. We had a graffiti artist do mural artworks on the doors of each room and in our new lounge area. We moved the vending machines into the walls themselves, added lounge chairs and a charging station. We ultimately want Soundcheck to become a hotspot for many up-and-coming artists, and a springboard for their success.” Contact Soundcheck Studios, 818-823-8774 8

August 2014

musicconnection.com

Nicki Farag

Dustin Hinz

Def Jam Recordings, a division of Universal Music Group (UMG), has promoted Nicki Farag to Vice President, Promotion. In her new position, Farag’s duties will call on her to help strategize and coordinate the release of records at Top 40 Radio, to devise marketing plans, and to further develop and create awareness at Top 40 Radio for Def Jam artists across multi-media platforms. She will serve as a West Coast liaison between the artist, their management, and radio to nurture and solidify strong, longlasting partnerships. Farag will be based in Santa Monica. For further information on this appointment, please contact renata.muniz@ umusic.com.

Guitar Center, Inc. (GCI) has announced the promotion of Dustin Hinz to Vice President of Brand Experience and Entertainment Marketing. Hinz is a 17-year veteran of the GC family. Since beginning his career at Guitar Center in 1997, he has been committed to developing the retailer into one of the most respected brands in the music space. From the creation of the award-winning music television series Guitar Center Sessions on DirecTV and the brand’s artist empowerment programs, to his work on GC’s recent re-branding initiative “All We Sell is the Greatest Feeling on Earth,” Hinz’s vision for consumerfacing marketing programs have become the lifeblood of the retailer’s brand strategy. Contact christopher.bennett@guitarcenter.com.

Andrew Gould

Kourtney Kirkpatrick

BMG Chrysalis US has promoted Andrew Gould to Senior Vice President of Creative, based in Los Angeles. Previously, he was Vice President in the department. In his expanded role, Gould will continue to focus on acquiring and developing talent, creating opportunities in the marketplace for BMG artists and songwriters. Since joining the company in 2012, he has been instrumental in the cultivation and expansion of the company’s roster, working alongside prolific talent such as Aalias, Mitch Allan, Chris Braide, busbee, Andra Day, Jason Evigan, Jarrad K, Rob Kleiner, the Monsters and Strangerz, New Politics, Bebe Rexha, Alex Tanas of the band Magic! and Sam Watters. Contact Alison.voetsch@bmgchrysalis.com.

Razor & Tie has hired Kourtney Kirkpatrick to Director, Film & TV Music. She joins the label with an extensive background in synch placement and licensing. Kirkpatrick will be based in Los Angeles and report to Brooke Primont, Razor & Tie Senior Vice President of Music Placement and Licensing. Leigh Prior to joining Razor & Tie, Kirkpatrick was at Big Yellow Dog in Nashville where she was the Head of Film/TV licensing from 2010. She has had placements with Hart Of Dixie, Grey’s Anatomy, True Blood, Nashville, Pretty Little Liars, to name a few. She is a graduate of Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Contact kbrusca@razorandtie.com for further information.

Syd Schwartz

Charlie Shapiro

Syd Schwartz has been named Vice President of Digital Marketing for Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment. As a new senior member of the Legacy Marketing team, Schwartz will lead the label’s digital marketing efforts, working closely with senior staff and the entire marketing department in the conception and development of digital campaigns for Legacy artists. He will manage and oversee the digital marketing team across all three areas: social media/CRM (customer relationship management); digital technology; and digital marketing/outreach. Schwartz is based in New York. Contact Tom.Cording@sonymusic.com for further information on this appointment.

Tone Tubby, manufacturers of premiumquality hempcone speakers for electric guitar and bass amplification, has announced the appointment of Charlie Shapiro as Technical Marketing Specialist. In his position Shapiro is involved in a wide range of the company’s activities including marketing and sales, customer support, and product development and engineering. Shapiro is a musical instrument industry veteran with more than 40 years of experience as a producer and engineer and has been a consultant to a variety of companies in areas ranging from MIDI/word clock synchronization for digital audio workstations to the prototyping and field-testing of the classic 1980s Audioarts Model 4100 Paramqualizer. Contact info@tonetubby.com.

Erik Tarkiainen

Alex Oana

HARMAN Professional has announced the appointment of Erik Tarkiainen as Vice President of Global Marketing. Tarkiainen will lead global marketing strategy and execution across the Professional Division and will drive new initiatives in online marketing, social media, public relations, events marketing and education. Tarkiainen joins HARMAN as a proven leader in marketing strategy and communications with a strong background in audio technology. His experience includes serving as Vice President of Marketing Communications for Line 6, as well as cofounding audio processing and music effects pioneer, iZotope. Most recently Tarkiainen was Vice President for lynda.com. Contact Daniel@brand-definition.com.

Vintage King Audio, an international dealer of modern and classic pro audio equipment and top restorer of vintage recording gear, has welcomed Alex Oana in the role of Community & Content Development. Oana has made significant contributions to the pro audio and music communities over a 25-year career as an award-winning recording engineer and producer, pro audio journalist, musician, live sound engineer, sales rep and product designer involved in development, manufacturing and marketing. His most recent success was as the co-creator of the Raven Multitouch Audio Production Console from Slate Pro Audio. For further details on this appointment, contact mrbonzai@mrbonzai.com.

Vice President, Promotion Def Jam Recordings

Sr. Vice President, Creative U.S. BMG Chrysalis

Vice President, Digital Marketing Sony Music - Legacy Recordings

Vice President, Global Marketing HARMAN Professional

VP, Brand Experience and Ent. Marketing Guitar Center

Director, Film & TV Music Razor & Tie

Technical Marketing Specialist Tone Tubby

Community & Content Development Vintage King Audio

August 2014

musicconnection.com

– BARRY RUDOLPH barry@barryrudolph.com

THREE NEW SSL DUENDE NATIVE PLUG-INS X-Phase, X-Saturator and X-ValveComp bring the total number of Solid State Logic Duende Native plug-ins to 10. X-Phase ($329) is an all-pass filter and time alignment tool for manually aligning time and phase differences between microphones that are recording the same source on multiple tracks. I’ve been using it to correct the slight phase shift between drum tom-tom tracks and also for dialing in “phasey sounding” stereo keyboard recordings. X-Saturator ($119) allows you to add your own mix of 2nd and/or 3rd harmonic distortion to recorded audio to add analog character. There is a Drive control for setting the amount and the Depth and Shape controls sculpt the added harmonics. X-ValveComp ($119) uses tube compressor emulation for adding harmonics/vibe and also switches between Peak and RMS modes. I like the Auto Make-Up gain, parallel compression mode and its full compliment of adjustable compression controls. The on-screen transfer function curve follows your settings and offers quick visual feedback of its operation. Lastly, all Duende Native plug-ins will be ported to 64-bit by September 2014. Look for AAX-64, VST and AU versions soon. http://solidstatelogic.com/duende

OGRE STOMP PEDALS Should I be concerned? At least a little worried? My stomp pedal board will never be the same after I dropped the Ogre Thunderclap Distortion pedal into its signal chain. It’s one of three new Ogre guitar stomp pedals that are packaged as disembodied heads of menacing and nightmarish demons sculpted in die-cast aluminum. They come in four anodized colors—gray, red, green and yellow and, when activated, all three pedals have glowing blue eyes (LEDs) to look up and “watch” you! The Kronomaster Delay and Tubeholic Overdrive pedals are alien heads fitted with retractable frontal lobes that flip back to expose their essential controls. The Kronomaster digital delay has Time, Wet/Dry Mix and Feedback controls—you can get any delay sound from tight doubling to long musical slaps. Tubeholic has Level, Tone, and Gain controls and uses a NOS diode for symmetrical clipping but also works outstandingly for clean boost as well. The Thunderclap Distortion pedal is an even scarier-looking creature whose four horns function as level, bass, treble and gain controls. I found it to have a wide gain range great for metal tones especially with high-gain amps—the Fender Blues Junior I used never sounded as nasty as it did with this pedal. All three of the new Ogre pedals sell for $299.99 MSRP each. http://ogreusa.com

CAD EQUITEK E70 DUAL-CAPSULE CONDENSER MICROPHONE The CAD Audio E70 is called dual-capsule because it comes with two interchangeable capsules. Either the omnidirectional or cardioid capsule screw on to the mic’s body and provide the two polar pickup patterns used for probably 90% of all studio recordings. A condenser mic with an omnidirectional capsule has a flatter frequency response when near the sound source— it picks up the entire sound of an instrument or singer including the room’s ambience. A cardioid polar pattern has the advantage of rejecting sounds off-axis to its front pickup making it popular for live sound and in the recording studio. I used the E70 to record an acoustic guitar in a very live room using the omnidirectional capsule. At about two feet away from the guitar, the omni pattern established the size of the space my guitar player was sitting in while playing his Martin—this is a very lifelike sound—bright and clear without any EQ. With the cardioid capsule, it was all the same with less of the room and more of the low frequencies of the instrument. The E70 is an FET-based condenser mic with transformer-less output, switchable hi-pass filter, and a 10/20dB attenuator switch. The E70 will record up to 145dB SPL that comes from close drums and loud guitar cabinets. It requires 48-volt phantom powering and comes with a shock mount, stand clamp and windscreen. Also great for recording choirs, orchestras, stringed instruments, and pianos, the E70 sells for $129 MAP. http://cadaudio.com

ARISTIDES INSTRUMENTS 050 BASS GUITAR Newest in the Aristides line of guitars and basses made from Arium is the 050 Bass. The 050 uses an exoskeleton design made with a 34-inch scale neck, a 12inch radius fret board, C-shaped neck and 1.85-inch GraphTech nut. The 050 weighs in at 9.26-pounds and comes with an active/passive electronic system with Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder pickups, two-band active tone control and two push/pull volume controls. Hardware is available in chrome, black or gold finishes and includes an ABM aluminum bridge, Hipshot Ultra-Light machine heads and Schaller strap locks. Each guitar is set up with D’Addario Nickel Wound XL .045 - .130 strings plus an anti-theft security microchip. Available in aluminum, matte black, and blue metallic finishes, the bass ships with an Aristides logo leather strap in a Gator GC Bass case. The Aristides sells for $3,683 MSRP. http://aristidesinstruments.com 2014 musicconnection.com April 2014 musicconnection.com 10 August March 2014 musicconnection.com January 2014 musicconnection.com

April 2014 March 2014 2014 January

musicconnection.com 15 musicconnection.com 47 47 15 musicconnection.com

– BARRY RUDOLPH barry@barryrudolph.com

BBE SM500 SONIC MAXIMIZER BBE’s now offers their unique Sonic Maximizer in a single channel module for the 500 Series rack units. I’ve been a long time user of both the single rack space BBE 482i and 882i Sonic Maximizer two-channel signal processors and always had at least two channels inserted into my mixes or recording signal chains. Now as 500-series modules, I can freely add as many channels as I require—just plug additional modules into my API Lunchbox®. The SM500 units retain the overbuilt design of the rack units with stylish red faceplates, knurled aluminum control knobs and true bypass switching. The BBE Sonic Maximizer processor brings clarity and presence to your music mixes or individual instrument and vocal tracks using two simple controls: Process and Lo Contour. It does this by splitting the audio into two separate bands, adjusting their phase relationships and augmenting high and low frequencies. I evaluated a pair of SM500s patched directly after a stereo limiter I was using for a special compression effect. Many times under heavy compression, the overall sound of the audio is dulled—there is a loss of high frequencies. The SM500s worked great to restore this loss and the Lo Contour let me “carve” the low frequencies exactly. It adds an indescribable “polish” and extra clarity to mixes, stereo pad tracks, brass sections, and overly thick and dulled, drop-tuned guitar tracks. The BBE SM500 Sonic Maximizer is an excellent addition to any studio’s 500-rack and sells for $499.99 MSRP. http://bbesound.com/products/sonic-maximizers/SM500.aspx

IZOTOPE BREAKTWEAKER iZotope and GRAMMY®-nominated composer and technologist, BT, bring you a drum sculpting and beat sequencing environment that is not easy to describe. BreakTweaker is an all-new programming instrument/engine that combines rhythmic beat slicing with pitched melodic composition. iZotope’s BreakTweaker runs in most all DAW hosts and has three distinct modules: Sequencer, Generator and the unique MicroEdit Engine. BreakTweaker allows for real-time, live or preprogrammed performance manipulation at high resolution—things like pitch, rhythm, and other textures of over 2GB of drum samples and wavetables that are included. The goal is to create your own unique collection of reinvented drum sounds and loops by blending drum samples and complex patterns using its synthesis features that are easily triggered and sequenced using any MIDI controller. BreakTweaker is the next step from iZotope’s and BT’s Stutter Edit plug-in. BreakTweaker is now available for $249 MSRP and includes three add-on Expansions: Vintage Machines, Cinematic Textures, and Kicks & Snares by Beatport Sounds. BreakTweaker Expanded is also available as part of iZotope’s Creative Bundle for $299 MSRP which also includes Stutter Edit, Iris, and Trash 2. http://izotope.com/products/audio/breaktweaker

MANLEY LABS CORE REFERENCE CHANNEL STRIP The Manley Labs Core is a 2U single-channel recording strip comprised of a microphone preamplifier, compressor, equalizer and FET peak limiter. The Core starts with a factory hand-wound Manley IRON® microphone input transformer and a Class-A tube mic preamp circuit similar to the Manley VOXBOX® and Dual Mono & Mono Microphone Pres. It’s interesting that Manley’s ELOP® (Electro Optical Limiter from the Manley VOXBOX) is placed before the mic preamp—making it virtually impossible to clip. It has a fixed compression ratio of 3:1 but does feature continuously variable attack, release and threshold controls. Next in the signal chain is a solid-state equalizer featuring classic low and high shelves (80 Hz and 12 kHz) with a +/- 12dB range. The midrange peaking equalizer section is switchable between a range of 100Hz to 1 kHz or from 1kHz to 10kHz with a continuous adjustable frequency control and a cut/boost range of a +/- 10dB. Lastly is a super-fast attack FET limiter. It has a continuously variable threshold and release controls, peak LED, and 10dB output makeup gain control for up to 70dB total channel gain. I also like the Core’s large VU meter with its three-position toggle switch for reading gain reduction, mic pre-amp output and main output. Core’s front panel has: a 1/4-inch instrument input jack, mic/line switch, 48-volt phantom, 120Hz high pass filter and polarity invert switches, variable input attenuator and 40 or 60dB pre-amp gain range selection. The Manley Labs Core sells for $2,250 MSRP. http://manley.com/mcore.php

TC ELECTRONIC TRIO OF LOUDNESS PLUG-INS The LM1n, LM2n and LM6n are the three new loudness meter plug-ins for audio and video editing systems from TC Electronic. Available now in AAX (Pro Tools 10 and 11), VST and AU plug-in Native formats and require an iLok2 account (free) for authorization—with or without the iLok2 dongle. These meters comply with all major broadcast standards, including BS.1770, A/85, R128, TR-B32 and OP-59. The new LM1n is basic and has a minimal footprint that can be kept onscreen at all times—it does not have the Radar screen. It measures loudness in the same way as LM2n and LM6n but displays values in program loudness (L), Loudness Range (LRA), Max Momentary Loudness (M), Max Short Term Loudness (S) or Sliding Loudness (10 Sec) as well as True-Peak clipping instantly. Both the LM2n and LM6n offer a lot of new features such as dedicated settings for Max Momentary or Max Short Term (S) Loudness display. LM2n measures any mono or stereo signal while LM6n supports mono, stereo and 5.1 surround. LM6n also features detailed logging for documenting delivery specs in accordance with major broadcast standards. Great for stereo music mixers like me, get the LM1 for $79. The LM2n is $149 and the LM6 is $449. http://tcelectronic.com/production/products/#meters BARRY RUDOLPH is a recording engineer/mixer who has worked on over 30 gold and platinum records. He has recorded and/or mixed Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hall & Oates, Pat Benatar, Rod Stewart, the Corrs, and more. Barry has his own futuristic music mixing facility and loves teaching audio engineering at Musician’s Institute, Hollywood, CA. He is a lifetime Grammy-voting member of NARAS and a contributing editor for Mix Magazine. http://barryrudolph.com

12 August 2014

musicconnection.com

BOOK S T ORE

Master Audio from the Audio Master Through the eyes and ears of GRAMMY® Award-winning legend Roger Nichols, beginning and experienced Pro Tools users will learn the ins and outs of recording audio like a pro.

What’s Exactly the Matter with Me?

By P. F. Sloan and S.E Feinberg (paperback) $19.95 A first-person anecdote-filled guide through the years of prolific songwriter P. F. Sloan, who between 1965 and 1967, had 150 songs recorded by major acts like the Mamas & the Papas, Johnny Rivers, the Turtles, the Fifth Dimension, and many more. Unsurprisingly, he wound up exhausted and broken, beginning a long journey into psychiatric hospitals, survival, healing and ultimately, redemption. With the assistance of Feinberg’s quick witted sensibilities, Sloan’s voice is wise, informative and humorous.

Music 4.0: A Survival Guide for Making Music in the Internet Age By Bobby Owsinski (paperback) $24.99

This is a completely updated version of Owsinski’s best-selling Music 3.0. With the addition of fresh interviews from several of today’s successful music industry innovators, Owsinski reveals new and proven pathways to success in the modern music world. Music 4.0 is for the musician overwhelmed by the seemingly never-ending options of the fast evolving Internet, and provides with some new high- and low-tech tips for inexpensive marketing and promotion.

Features: Planning a recording session Choosing the right microphone Roger’s personal tips for mixing and automation A DVD-ROM with Pro Tools VHVVLRQ ÀOHV VHW XS E\ 5RJHU And much more

Visit alfred.com/roger-nichols

14 August 2014

musicconnection.com

Horse-Doggin’: The Morrell Archives Vol. 1 By Dave Morrell (paperback) $11.69

Lively memoirs by longtime record company promo man and Beatles collector Dave Morrell chronicles the music, the madness, the mayhem and the fun as teenage Morrell (N.Y.C. circa 1971) journeys from superfan to music biz insider. An enthusiastic writer, Morrell takes you along on his madcap, music-fueled true-life adventures––including brushes with John Lennon, Terry Reid, Joe Franklin and many others.

The Music Industry Self Help Guide By Michael Repel (paperback) $16.99

The author has lots of on-the-ground DIY experience as a performing musician and independent label owner, and in his book (subtitled “Taking Your First Steps Towards Trampling Over The Obstacles In An Independent Market”) Repel taps into it to present a development strategy for directionless artists and bands who want to forge a successful career in music.

Rush FAQ

By Max Mobley (paperback) $24.99 Rush FAQ documents the story of the Canadian prog rock power trio––including the evolution of the band’s sound––from its origins in a church basement to its induction ceremony at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With wit, humor and authority, music industry veteran and unabashed Rush geek Max Mobley examines the music, gear, personalities, and trials and tribulations of one of rock & roll’s legendary acts.

November December 2013 2013 April 2014 August

musicconnection.com musicconnection.com 21 musicconnection.com 15

– JONATHAN WIDRAN

SWING HOUSE STUDIOS http://swinghouse.com

20-Year History in Hollywood: In 1994, frustrated with the poor accommodations at many of Los Angeles’ rehearsal facilities, Phil Jaurigui—a guitarist who had moved from San Francisco a few years earlier—borrowed on his credit cards and launched Swing House with one rehearsal room and a recording booth where the vibe was fun, the ambience was colorful and there was air conditioning. Future superstars like Sugar Ray, the Wall-

flowers, Green Day and Red Hot Chili Peppers camped at his original 1,500-sq. ft. facility on Cahuenga Boulevard. Later clients included Iggy Pop, Maroon 5, the Goo Goo Dolls and Rage Against the Machine. Expansion of Space and Services: Swing House moved in 2001 to Tim Burton’s former film studio, a 7,800-sq.ft. facility at Willoughby and Formosa that involved an expansion to five rehearsal studios (including two stages) and two recording control rooms. Swing House also evolved into an all-purpose facility, renting equipment for backline, staging and PA systems, and providing Production for outdoor events and parties. Clients included Indie 103 FM and artists playing Coachella. Swing House’s success led to producing such popular events as the Sunset Strip Music Festival, Culture Collide and Abbot Kinney Festival. Imminent Move to New 21,000 Sq. Ft. Facility in Atwater Village: Swing House is celebrating its big 2-0 in a huge way, relocating in late summer 2014 to a new 21,000-sq. ft. location in Atwater Crossing (making it the city’s largest tour rehearsal staging facility so close to Downtown L.A.). The expansive space will have two production stages up to 2,000 sq. ft. each with an attached production office, green room, bathroom and shower, two rehearsal rooms, two control rooms, a tracking stage and seven dedicated production rooms to host producers in residence. “We want to encourage a community of producers who will bring in artists who will also use Swing House’s various other rooms and services throughout their careers,” says Jaurigui. Another convenience is a 30+ car parking lot and a loading dock and tour bus bay. Contact Swing House, 323-850-4990 16 August 2014

musicconnection.com

unleash your inner

ROCK STAR Choose Full Compass for great deals on guitars, amps, and accessories from leading manufacturers. The Latest Gear. The Best Prices. All Right Here. Top Brands Including:

Call a Sales Pro Today!

Call 800-356-5844

or shop fullcompass.com

Request your FREE 540-page catalog

Leading The Industry For Over 35 Years

YOUR CAREER IN AUDIO IS ONLY 12 MONTHS AWAY! Contact us to learn how you can quickly become skilled in studio recording, live sound engineering, audio production/post production for film and television, and video game sound. Grab your seat before itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too late.

Expanded Curriculum Learn More at CRAS.edu Financial Aid and Veteransâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Benefits available for those who qualify.

1.888.604.4075 | CRAS.edu 2300 East Broadway Road, Tempe, Arizona 85282

Consumer information available at: www.audiorecordingschool.com/consumer.html

August 2014

musicconnection.com

Freese Gets Biblical In L.A. The Carmelite Sisters have come together with a little help from their friends at Studio City Sound. Session greats Laurence Juber, Tim Pierce, Matt Laug, Josh Freese, Dave Darling and many more helped to record the sisters’ seventh album, Lean Into The Wind. Produced by Grammy Award-winning engineer Tom Weir, the new album combines traditional and contemporary praise music, all written by the Sisters themselves. Pictured in Studio City Sound: drummer Freese with the Carmelite Sisters.

Myers Packs A Punch On Fender Studio Session At Capitol Records Meg Meyers recently performed at the Fender Studio Session at Capitol Records in Hollywood, CA. The 27-year-old soft-spoken songstress, who was born in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, packed quite a punch with her confessional lyrics and hard-edged indie rock, reminiscent of Tori Amos or Fiona Apple. Watch the video at http://fender.com/features/sessions.

English Studio Adds Prism Gear Castleford, England-based The Chairworks, one of the largest residential recording studio complex in the area, has bought two more Prism Sound ADA-8XR multi-channel AD/DA converters to add to its growing roster of the units. The Chairworks has invested heavily in its facilities recently to its 96 channels of Prism Sound ADA-8XR conversion which aids artists to capture their performances through a large selection of first class microphones and vintage pre-amps. Get full details at http://prismsound.com.

Anya Systems Used For 2014 Petty Tour EAW has announces that Sound Image has joined the global network of Adaptive Performance Partners through the purchase of an Anya system. The system will be immediately deployed on the Tom Petty Hypnotic Eye Tour. Award winning FOH engineer, Robert Scovill, insisted on using Anya after putting the system through an extensive evaluation at a private event. The arena tour, featuring Steve Winwood, will additionally make stops at the scenic Gorge and Red Rocks amphitheaters along with a special night at Boston’s historic Fenway Park. Visit http://tompetty.com/tour.

DAVID GOGGIN

More Studio News

Disney, Sac Kings Share NorCal Studio MeringCarson advertising agency, with offices in Sacramento, CA, regularly make the trip to San Francisco’s Studio Trilogy for audio post-production. MeringCarson serves a roster of clients that include Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, Visit California and the Sacramento Kings (NBA). “California Rocks” was a recent campaign posted by Trilogy’s post engineer Chris Konovaliv, with agency producer Christina Staal and creative director Scott Conway on hand for the recording of talent from all over the country via ISDN. Pictured (l-r) at Studio Trilogy: MeringCarson ad agency creative director Scott Conway, producer Christina Staal and Konovaliv. 18 18

August 2014

musicconnection.com

Applied Acoustics Systems (AAS) has announced the availability of String Studio VS-2 for Mac OS X (10.6 or later) and Windows (XP, Vista, 7, or 8). VS-2 is an updated 64-bit (AAX-, AU-, and VST-compatible) version of its original String Studio VS-1 string-modeling synthesizer plugin released almost a decade ago. The new interface divides String Studio VS-2 into three panels: Play, which presents shortcuts to the performance and effects parameters, including bypass switches for quick edits, as well as a genuinely apt Arpeggiator—offering synchronization resolutions,

playing algorithms and rhythmic patterns that will spruce up any chord progressions into percolating melodies or pulsing sequences. Edit lets users tweak and create sounds by cleverly combining acoustic modeling parameters and classic synth features. FX adds all-new Equalizer and Compressor modules, to add punch and definition to any sound so it cuts through any dense mix or stage setup, as well as an overhauled, reinvigorated and polished multi-effects processor featuring chorus, delay, phaser, flanger, distortion, notch filter, wah-wah, and reverb. See https://applied-acoustics.com/string-studio-vs-2.

– ANDY MESECHER andym@musicconnection.com

DAVID GOGGIN

PENSADO AWARDS

First Pensado Awards A Success The Pensado Awards, a show created by the producers of the acclaimed online video series Pensado’s Place to acknowledge today’s emerging brand of music professional and “recognize the faces behind the sound,” held its inaugural live ceremony, June 28, at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica, CA. A video production of the event is now available at the Pensado’s Place YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/user/PensadosPlace). Winners are now available online. Above (l-r): Pensado’s Place founders Dave Pensado and Herb Trawick; Below (lr): Producer/engineer Young Guru (Jay Z, Beyoncé); singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb; producer/engineer Marcella Araica (Madonna, P!nk); and producer/engineers Chris Lord-Alge (Muse, Green Day).

PHOTOS: CHARLEY GALLAY/GETTY IMAGES

God Smacks Ocean Producer-engineer Dave Fortman (Evanescence, Slipknot) returned to Ocean Way for overdubs and the mix for 1000HP, the new album from Godsmack. Their new album will be released Aug. 5 on Republic/Universal records. Pictured (l-r) in Ocean Ways Studio D: Wesley Seidman, assistant engineer; Jeremy Parker, Pro Tools engineer; Dave Fortman, producer/mixer; and Ema.

Mindcage Team With Ozzy Producer In Nashville Classic progressive metal fusion band Mindcage have entered the mixing stages on the upcoming special edition of Our Own Devices with tripleplatinum producer Michael Wagener (Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper) at his acclaimed WireWorld Studio just outside of Nashville. The original version of Our Own Devices was self-produced by the band and Wagener completed vocal and guitar solo overdubs as well as the mix. Pictured is Wagener in the studio.

August 2014

musicconnection.com

19 19

PRODUCER CROSSTALK

STUART EPPS

From studio runner to heralded producer/engineer

By Rob Putnam

roducer, engineer and all-around industry veteran Stuart Epps started as a teenaged runner with Dick James Music (known especially for being the Beatlesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; publisher via Northern Songs) in England. He graduated to engineer and later toured America as Elton Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assistant. He worked in A&R for a time and also produced and/or engineered Led Zeppelin, Bill Wyman, Twisted Sister and Oasis, among countless others. These days from his home studio in Berkshire, England he finds that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much he can do for fledgling, unsigned bands around the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;an approach he calls â&#x20AC;&#x153;remote producing.â&#x20AC;? With respect to how he came to work with newer, unsigned artists, Epps references sites such as Myspace and Music Xray. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not like in the old days where you could book an appointment with a record company,â&#x20AC;? the The three most important producer observes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Someone in the things heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s learned as a street canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see anyone [in the industry] producer are: without a personal introduction. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no good sending tapes anymore. That s 0ATIENCE ) DON T ALWAYS lND THAT doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen. So [Music Xray] is EASY BUT AS A PRODUCER ) HAVE TO very good for unsigned and non-professional artists. It helps them contact s 0ASSION -USIC IS NOT JUST A JOB a producer or someone at a label. ) FOUND MY PASSION FOR IT WHEN ) â&#x20AC;&#x153;Initially I was just critiquing tracks WAS THREE ) M AS PASSIONATE TOfrom various artists,â&#x20AC;? he continues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But DAY AS ) WAS THEN IF NOT MORE SO then I began to think â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really doing much.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; So when I thought I could s 0ERSEVERANCE %VEN WHEN make a track better, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how this all EVERYONE ELSE WANTS TO GIVE UP started. No oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got thousands of dol"EING A PRODUCER IS LIKE BEING THE lars to spend on records like we used CAPTAIN OF A SHIP 9OU RE THE ONE IN CHARGE )F THERE ARE PROBLEMS

to. Everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got a home studio and YOU HAVE TO lND A WAY AROUND thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s changed the whole industry.â&#x20AC;? THEM The artists he works with record tracks at home and send via email or FTP. Of course the recording quality of what he receives is variable. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It ranges from rudimentary to ready-for-release,â&#x20AC;? he explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I download their WAV files, mix the tracks and send them back. This soon led to even improving them by adding keyboards or other artists. The mad thing is that sometimes I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even talk to the artist. They send me their files, I do my thing and send them back. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just as exciting if not more so than working with a band live. In a way, those days are almost ended. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work in the studio with bands like Zeppelin or Elton John where theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on the other side of the glass. Now Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much more like a jigsaw.â&#x20AC;? Not all artists are as successful as theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to be, obviously. What does he see as the key to success? Talent, dedication and perseverance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I always say that talent is important but being focused and having the will is perhaps even more important,â&#x20AC;? he asserts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The artists that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen succeed are the ones that are almost desperate for it to happen. Elton always wanted to be number one and he never gave up. But the greatest artists originate within teams of peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;producers, engineers, studios.â&#x20AC;? When Music Connection spoke with Epps, it was through his favorite piece of studio gear: the AKG C12 microphone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It came out of the Rolling Stonesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mobile studio,â&#x20AC;? he explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For females, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got a smooth sound and quite a lot of bass. Many modern microphones are harsh. Now that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re recording digitally, we have to be careful that [what we record] doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come out sounding clinical.â&#x20AC;? Currently Epps is working with approximately 30 artists throughout the world on demos, singles or albums. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m still working with artists like Elton, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m working much more with new bands and discovering new talent.â&#x20AC;? Contact Stuart Epps / Epps Music Production, stuartepps@talk21.com

20 August 2014

musicconnection.com

Start Here

MA-300 Multi-pattern large diaphragm, vacuum tube condenser microphone with a 15dB pad and switchable bass roll-off

MA-301fet

Multi-pattern large diaphragm, solid-state condenser microphone with a 15dB pad and switchable bass roll-off

www.mojaveaudio.com Follow us on

August 2014

musicconnection.com 21

– ANDY KAUFMANN

Gary L. Gilbert

I want the record company to feel good about the artist and don’t want them to have a bad taste in their mouth about the – ANDY KAUFMANN negotiation.

Partner / Co-Chair of Entertainment & Media Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

The Right Branding for the Right Artist You try to get a brand that is relevant to the artist and reflects that artist’s image. Everybody knows about branding, but it’s a very hard area to get into. Branding is a different demographic than the record buying public, so you’re dealing with companies, retailers, people who maybe understand the recording artist or maybe they don’t. So whether it’s vodka or a car or whatever, it has to be tailored to that artist and enhance the value of that artist in the public’s eyes. A lot of these deals have done well and some haven’t. It’s a very subjective thing, but when it works it’s beautiful.

Years with Company: 6 Address: 11355 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064 Phone: 310-312-4232 FAX: 310-312-4224 Web: http://manatt.com E-mail: ggilbert@manatt.com Clients: Death Cab for Cutie, Megadeth, Sugarland, Sara Evans, Lyle Lovett, k.d. lang, George Benson, Kenny G BACKGROUND: Gary Gilbert was a journalism major at the University of Missouri for just one year before shifting gears and falling into law, then serendipitously becoming a music attorney. While he’s helped nurture acts into megastars, Gilbert continually works with young artists. Finding His Career I went to law school for one reason: so I didn’t have to make a decision about being a grownup for three more years. My father was a businessman, so I figured if I don’t like this law thing I’ll be the boss’ son. But my father screwed that up by dying. That was the first time I realized, as a second year law student, that oh, I guess I have to be a lawyer. I was able to get a job at one of the prestigious Westside law firms as a litigator, didn’t like it and decided I didn’t want to do this anymore. The firm said, we don’t want you to leave. Why don’t you try the corporate department? So I became a corporate lawyer for about three-and-a-half, four years. I didn’t hate it or anything; I just didn’t like it. Then a guy who did music came into the firm. He wanted a lawyer in the corporate department to do music-related stuff and nobody else wanted to. I’ve always loved music, so I started working with him and found I liked it. Creative Spark Shortly after that, a friend from law school said, hey, there’s this guy starting a new firm that’s music only. Do you want to talk to him? They made me an offer and I became a music lawyer. Not only could I tolerate being a lawyer, but also I really liked it. I like the creative part of it. I still never loved the lawyer part, but I always loved the music. So I stumbled into it, but I’m happy I did, because if I didn’t, I don’t know what I’d be doing. I’d like to say I knew I wanted to be a music lawyer, but that wouldn’t be true. I planned to be a creative writer. The law enabled me to be around the music business and that’s what I still like about it. I’m not tired from that at all yet. I’m still invigorated by it. Experienced Supervision I do pretty much everything. I do mainly artists, but I also represent some managers, producers, songwriters, small record companies and executives. Tangentially, I do TV, film, branding, all that other stuff, but we have other people at the firm who do that as well. I specialize in music, but I have a background in litigation and corporate, so if a client gets sued I’m the one who supervises that. 22 August 2014

musicconnection.com

“I’m looking for people who are self-starters. The people who are winning today are entrepreneurial.” Get Moving I’m looking for people who are self-starters. The people who are winning today are entrepreneurial. It’s a lot different than it used to be. I like the way it is today, because there are more opportunities. And there are many different ways to get there. It’s the same with A&R people. If you present a CD to an A&R person, chances are they’re going to want to know what the story is. Even if the CD is great, they want the train to be moving before they jump on.

Small But Powerful: We’re a full-service law firm. We do everything you’d want: estate planning, corporate, all the stuff involved with general legal needs. But by the same token, our department functions like a boutique. It’s a very concentrated department. I’ve been in law firms where, if I need to sue somebody I have to refer that business to another firm. I don’t like my firm suing a record company; I think it’s bad business. But we have the expertise to do anything. One of my clients is Sugarland and in 2011 there was a disastrous stage collapse in Indianapolis. I’ve been working in conjunction with our insurance lawyer since that time. If I didn’t have her in my firm, I would have had to retain somebody at a different firm to do the work. So the client gets the benefit of my involvement plus somebody I trust and work with on a daily basis to help that situation.

Your Album’s Just a Springboard The record deal today is sort of the engine that drives the rest of the career. It’s no longer the end; it’s a means to an end. The record deal enables you to do all the other stuff: the branding, the touring, the merch, the digital stuff, book deals, reality TV deals, whatever. You don’t do a record deal and assume you’re going to go triple platinum. Those days are over. You’re trying to build a career, not just be a recording artist.

Satisfying Success It’s very satisfying when you represent an artist who is playing The Roxy one day and Madison Square Garden another.The first time I saw k.d. lang perform was probably 1987. I didn’t know if she’d sell records. All I remember is I thought, wow, this person is really talented and someone I’d love to work with. Then I got the opportunity to do so and it’s been very satisfying (these last 30 years). But I never knew—would she sell a lot of records? All I knew was she was incredibly talented. That’s how I approach things. It’s not a matter of, well, how much money are they going to make me? I look at the creative aspect and assume everything else is going to take care of itself.

Balanced Incentives In general, a record company presents you with an agreement draft and you try to whittle that down. It’s about maximizing the benefit to the artist and minimizing what the record company takes, while still enabling the record company to have an incentive to market the artist. The record company will tell you it needs pieces of all these other areas in order to market the artist. I don’t necessarily dispute that, but I try to minimize that so you not only incentivize the record company to work with the artist but also maximize what the artist takes out of the deal. My approach is tailored to the given situation.

The Well-Rounded Attorney If somebody wants to be a music lawyer, they’re best served getting other kinds of experience, because when you’re an entertainment lawyer you’re kind of full-service. If your client gets sued and you don’t understand the process of litigation, I don’t know how you supervise it. You turn it over to a litigator and then you have to rely on that person to do the right job. I have an idea whether somebody’s good or bad at their job, because I’ve done it. So, if you can be patient enough, get other experience. There are all sorts of things artists do besides touring and making records.

– BERNARD BAUR

Affairs delivers up-to-date information about the signings of new artists, significant developments at major and indie labels, as well as news of managers and attorneys who are active in the A&R aspect of the music business. So that MC can provide the most current information possible, please send any industry news, buzz or rumors that need to be verified to BBatMC@aol.com.

OPPS

The 11th Annual IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards) will feature a Grand Prize worth $11,000, including radio promotion to over 250 stations in U.S. and Canada, as well as $12,000 in additional prizes across eight categories. IAMA is open to, and focuses on developing new markets for acoustic artists and labels. Submissions from all over the world will be considered. Judging is based on excellence in music performance, songwriting, composition, song choice, music production, originality and artistry. Artists can enter in a number of categories such as: Best Male Artist, Best Female Artist, Best Group, Folk, Alternative, AOG (Open Category), etc. A panel of established artists and industry professionals will select the winners. All songs must be original and submitted online or via CD. Artists may also perform original material not yet released and/or written by other songwriters or composers. Deadline to enter is Nov. 7, 2014. See http://inacoustic.com. The 10th Annual Classic Rock Awards is coming to America for the first time. Traditionally held in

London, the prestigious rock & roll awards ceremony will take place Nov. 4 at the Avalon in Hollywood. With awards voted for by Classic Rock readers and a special awards section honoring the giants of rock, the centerpiece of the night is the “Classic Rock Living Legend Award”—a testimonial for a genuine rock icon. Keeping in line with the Classic Rock brand, exclusive performances add to the “wow factor,” recently including: Alter Bridge featuring Slash, Cheap Trick, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jeff Beck, Chrissie Hynde and Joss Stone. See http://classicrock.teamrock.com. Hit Songs Deconstructed has announced the launch of a new weekly music chart. “We launched the charts to provide songwriters, producers and music industry professionals with a unique and timely snapshot of today’s hit songwriting characteristics and trends,” explains David Penn, founder and Editor-inChief of Hit Songs Deconstructed. Rather than focusing on individual rankings, their Music Charts track the characteristics of the songs that are currently topping the Billboard Hot 100. These include lyrical themes, instrumentation, first chorus occurrence, intro length, sub-genres, lead vocal gender, song titles and more. The Music Charts are published weekly and are free of charge at http:// hitsongsdeconstructed.com. Plateau Music is seeking talent to develop and produce. They are specifically seeking singers and singer-songwriters who are looking for a label and/or a producer. Their mission is to make your goal of becoming a “Major Recording Artist” a reality. Does that mean everyone can become a huge star? Of course not—that’s not how it works. What it means is

JAMES WINS TOP HONORS AT IAMA Los Angeles based singer/ songwriter and recording artist Kelley James won top honors at the 10th Annual International Acoustic Music Awards. He did it by winning the “Overall Grand Prize” as well as “Best Male Artist.” James’ music fuses acoustic folk, pop and alternative styles. His song “Wonderful Place” beat out other notable artists, such as: Jude Johnstone (Best Folk Award winner) and Amirah Ali (Best Female Artist winner). Eschewing the traditional path of record labels, James built his career on the road by playing over 1,000 shows in the past five years, including sold-out shows at a variety of famous venues. To find out more about this high-flying artist, go to http://kelleyjames.com.

DAVID KLEIN

MUSIC CONNECTION’s Business

A STARR ON THE WALK OF FAME Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr was honored with a commemorative star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It all took place on July 7, which is Starr’s birthday, in front of the Capitol Records tower on Vine Street. The Beatles legend just concluded a tour with his 12th All-Starr Band, which featured Steve Lukather, Richard Page, Gregg Rolie, Todd Rundgren and Gregg Bissonette. Pictured along with Starr are, among others, his wife Barbara and Matt Sorum. that Plateau will employ methods used by successful artists so you can attain a competitive edge that will give you that chance. If interested, submit your best song for consideration to http:// plateaumusic.com.

,!"%,3 s 2%,%!3%3 SIGNINGS

Burger Records has announced the release of Whoop Dee Doo by the Muffs, their first full-length album of new material in 10 years. Packed tight with the catchy ear candy the band have become known for, Whoop Dee Doo should be a welcome addition to their catalog of well-loved, stone classic songs. The group is made up of Kim Shattuck (lead vocals, guitar), Ronnie Barnett (bass, backing vocals) and Roy McDonald (drums). Formed in L.A. in late 1990, they’ve attracted attention for their energetic, exciting live performances as well as a rock solid body of studio work. After singles released by Sub Pop, Au Go-Go and Sympathy For The Record Industry, the band recorded three critically acclaimed albums (The Muffs, Blonder & Blonder & Happy Birthday To Me) for Warner Bros/Reprise. Follow them on Twitter, @TheMuffs. California singer/songwriter Jenny Lewis has returned with The Voyager, released by Warner Bros. Records. This is the former Rilo Kiley frontwoman’s third solo album and first in six years, following 2006’s Rabbit Fur Coat (with the Watson Twins) and

2008’s Acid Tongue. The album is Lewis’ most personal recording to date, documenting her struggle to cope following her father’s death in 2010 and the subsequent break-up of Rilo Kiley. “Making this record got me through one of the most difficult periods of my life,” she says. “After Rilo Kiley broke up and a few really intense personal things happened, I completely melted down.” She worked on the record with Ryan Adams at his new studio, Pax Am at Sunset Sound. Go to http://jennylewis.com. Speaking of Adams, he has confirmed Sept. 9 as the release date of Ryan Adams, his new album and the first to be released on the combined Pax Am/Blue Note imprint. Produced by Adams himself at his own Pax Am Studios in Los Angeles, the eponymous record is the singer/songwriter’s first full-length since 2011’s acclaimed Ashes & Fire. The opener “Gimme Something Good” was released as a single and, at press time, it was No. 1 at the Amazon. com music store, marking the first time a physical single has been the store’s top-seller. See http:// paxamrecords.com. Jerry Lee Lewis is set to release Rock & Roll Time on Oct. 28 via Vanguard Records. Rock & Roll Time was originally co-written and recorded by Kris Kristofferson in 1974. Lewis’ rendition features guitarist Doyle Bramhall and Jon Brion. Recorded at the House of Blues Studio in Memphis, TN, this 11-song collection pulls from the vaults of Chuck Berry (Little Queenie), Bob Dylan (Stepchild), Johnny Cash (Folsom Prison August 2014

musicconnection.com

– BERNARD BAUR

Blues), and Jimmy Reed (Bright Lights, Big City). Lewis will also be releasing a new book, Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story, a biography co-authored with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Rick Bragg. Interviewing the American icon over the course of two summers, Bragg shares Lewis’ often outrageous story as no one else ever could—straight from the legend’s mouth. To get the latest on “The Killer,” go to http:// jerryleelewis.com. Living Colour are putting the finishing touches on a new album titled Shade. The group (vocalist Corey Glover, guitarist Vernon Reid, bassist Doug Wimbish and drummer Will Calhoun) are currently in the studio with producer Ron Saint Germain (U2, Sonic Youth, Bad Brains). Germain, who’s mixing the record, was the engineer on Living Colour’s Grammy winning, multiplatinum debut Vivid, which was released in 1988 and shot to No. 6 on The Billboard 200. According to Reid, “Shade is the sound of a band coming to terms with its shadows and light.” For more news, visit http://livingcolour.com.

Alfa Garcia is a young artist who has a spectrum of colors in her palette, “a songwriter with a knack for tickling a mainstream ear” (Music Connection, January 2014). Garcia has a singular vocal style amid a revolving door of instruments, from guitar, to piano, to ukulele, to kazoo. Her album World Go Blue entered the CMJ Top 200 National Charts and the College Radio Charts Top 100. It was recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles under the helm of producers Marc Lacuesta (Point of Grace, Francesca Battistelli) and Paul Wight, and features top Nashville musicians. Garcia’s music can be heard on Keeping Up With the Kardashians, MTV’s Friendzone and the forthcoming indie film, Old Fashioned (Skoche Films). Garcia is a Kawai Pianos artist, alongside top-billing acts like OneRepublic and Muse, and endorses Mya-Moe Ukuleles, and Walden Guitars. See http:// alfa-music.com.

PROPS

Music legend Micky Dolenz has teamed up with Beads of Courage. When the actor/musician toured with the iconic pop-rock band the Monkees in the ‘60s, “love beads” were worn as a fashion accessory. Now Dolenz is wearing beads of a different kind, but no less a symbol of love. As a celebrity participant in the Carry A Bead Program, Dolenz wore sets of glass beads

DANIEL SWARTZ, REVAMP.COM

Concord Music Group has acquired the catalog of renowned American R&B, soul label Vee-Jay Records. The catalog includes over 5,000 master recordings from Little Richard, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, Jerry Butler, the Staple Singers, Gene Chandler and the Dells among many others. Go to http://

concordmusicgroup.com for additional details.

PERRY IS CROWNED DIGITAL QUEEN Katy Perry has made Gold & Platinum history. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has recognized her as its most awarded digital act in history. Eighteen Katy Perry songs, from early favorites like “I Kissed a Girl” and “Hot N Cold” to new releases like “Dark Horse” and “Birthday” are included in Perry’s 72 million cumulative Digital Single Certifications, making Perry the first artist to surpass the 70 million digital award threshold—20 million ahead of any other artist. Pictured (l-r): Greg Thompson, Exec VP, Capitol Music Group; Cary Sherman, Chairman and CEO, RIAA; and Perry. Visit http://katyperry.com for more. 24 August 2014

musicconnection.com

DIY Spotlight THE AJAY PROJECT Celebrating the universal message of love and respect, The AJAY Project released a multilingual single that honors mothers worldwide. The song, “You Made Me” presents 10 vocalists who contribute a variety of native languages to the track, including a Hindi version and an English version. Originally penned by project leader, AJ Satsangi, it is dedicated to his mother. The track delivers a heartfelt devotion to all the moms of the world, acknowledging a mother’s unconditional love and appreciation. Keeping to a DIY spirit and approach, the AJAY Project asked fans to comment on its YouTube page and nominate their favorite charity to receive donations, so that the project could encompass people around the globe. AJ Satsangi’s journey to music has been far from easy or conventional. Despite a strong desire to pursue music, the accessibility to instruments and musical education is scarce in his home country of India. And, besides the limited resources, the profession of a musician is looked down upon. So, after graduating from college, he moved to Hollywood, CA to pursue his musical aspirations and has worked with numerous artists and musicians as a producer and co-writer. Throughout his hardships and triumphs, Satsangi was determined to start his own project and follow his own rules, which provided the spark for the AJAY Project. The intention of the project is to remain DIY and continue to inspire and honor people, especially mothers, around the world in various ways. Visit http://theajayproject.com

Have a successful DIY strategy to share? Email bbatmc@aol.com throughout the Monkees’ recently completed nationwide tour. Those beads, along with hand-signed encouragement cards, were sent to hospitalized children as a way to honor their courage and provide an extra dose of encouragement for the challenges they’re facing. “I was happy to wear the beads,” said Dolenz. “It’s an honor to be able to do something to lift the spirits of kids with serious illnesses.” Beads of Courage is a nonprofit organization providing innovative arts-in-medicine programs for children coping with cancer and other serious illnesses. The program currently serves more than 30,000 children in 259 hospitals throughout the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Japan and the United Kingdom. See http:// beadsofcourage.org.

THE BIZ

Google has acquired Songza to compete with Apple’s Beats. The deal is said to be worth more than $39 million. No immediate changes are planned for Songza, which will move from its Long Island City headquarters to Google’s New

York office. Google will look to incorporate Songza into its Google Play Music service, YouTube and other products. The acquisition comes on the heels of Apple’s deal to purchase Beats Electronics and its streaming music service for $3 billion. Amazon also has jumped into the music streaming market with the launch of its Prime Music service. Rdio has expanded its global footprint with a launch into nine new countries (for a now-total of 60). To celebrate the launch, Rdio has created the “Rdio’s 60 Countries 60 Streams,” a playlist that features one track from each of the 60 countries in Rdio’s network. With Rdio, music fans can access a massive catalog of over 25 million songs or start their own custom station. Visit http://rdio.com for further information.

BERNARD BAUR was voted one of the “Top Music Business Journalists” in the country. Bernard is the connection between the streets and the suites. Credited with over 1,200 features in a variety of publications, he’s a Contributing Editor at Music Connection.

The Truth About TAXI… An Unedited Forum Post from TAXI Member James Kocian http://forums.taxi.com/post353820.html#p353820

i Friends, It's been awhile, but I'm still here!! TAXI has been the singular catalyst for me in the past 2 years. I am closing in on 2 years of membership and my experience has been overwhelming. I will be at the Road Rally this year, as I've recently been invited to speak at the 'Successful Members' panel. This is all beyond humbling to me, and I feel indebted to Michael and his incredibly talented staff.

Taking Risks…

In a nutshell, TAXI has motivated me and allowed me to take creative risks; to dabble in genres I didn't even know existed, and to develop relationships with high-level music professionals I otherwise would NEVER have had access to.

Major Publishers

So far this year I've signed 13 songs with major publishers. I'm writing with people all over the USA, and have made regular trips to Nashville a part of my routine. I've been co-writing with a guy who has had multiple (recent) #1's. It boggles my mind actually.

Once in a Lifetime Opportunity!

I'm writing Hip Hop tracks for a well known rapper's next project, and I'm connected to a MultiPlatinum, Grammy-Winning Producer who allows/asks me to regularly send him material to pitch to the biggest artists in music. That in and of itself is enough is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and it's been ongoing for nearly a year. There's more, but this isn't about me. It's about: T-A-X-I Have I mentioned that I live in GREEN BAY, WI? I mean, sure, we have the Packers — but it isn't exactly a music hub for anything more than Journey tribute bar bands.

I really can't stress how invaluable TAXI is to people who are willing to put the CRAFT into the ART of songwriting and music production. The "Forwards" section of the [TAXI] forum itself is worth the membership fee. Why?

Figured Out What Elements I Missed…

It's not to brag about Forwards. What I did was hit the [TAXI] Forums after I got “Returns” and found members who received “Forwards” for the same listings. Then I went and LISTENED. I analyzed the differences in our songs. Lyrics. Vocals. Arrangements. Instrumentations. Productions. I re-read the listings, and figured out what elements I missed. And I adjusted accordingly. Where else can you get that? The success of members (at least this member) is a TEAM effort. And I am honored to consider TAXI part of my team. It is possible to succeed. To “make it.” To realize our dreams. Don't quit. Don't settle. Don't lose hope. And stick with TAXI.

The World’s Leading Independent A&R Company

1-800-458-2111 • TAXI.com

June 2014

musicconnection.com

MY CRAZY STONEY LARUE GIRLFRIEND Date Signed: August 2013 Label: Capitol Music Group Type of Music: Pop Band Members: Myah Marie, vocalist; Cosmo Douglas, vocals; Justyn Armstrong, vocals; Bennett Armstrong, vocals. Management: Craig Logan - Logan Media Entertainment, 310-614-1304 Booking: Brian Ahern - WME Entertainment, 310-859-4511 Legal: Adam Zia - Abner Chernis LLP, 310-566-4888 Publicity: Kristen.Kanopka@umusic.com Web: http://mycrazygf.com A&R: Mike Flynn

n its formative years, times were tough for Hollywood pop outfit My Crazy Girlfriend. Indeed, shortly before their signing, the band were kicked out of the small studio apartment the members maintained within sight of the Capitol Records tower. But a chance listen by a well-placed Capitol exec, thanks to a mutual friend, altered the group’s course profoundly. “We were doing the whole L.A. circuit,” Jusytn Armstrong says of the time immediately before the band’s signing. “The Viper Room, The Whisky––the whole Strip. We were doing a rehearsal when our friend Larry Wade was hanging out with [A&R rep] Mike Flynn. Mike had just arrived at Capitol. Larry was skipping through songs on his iPhone when he came to one of ours. Mike heard it and asked him to play it again. He did and [Flynn] loved it.” At the time, the band wasn’t even in the market for a label. The members had planned to simmer for another six months before considering pitching themselves. “Mike wanted Larry to bring us in immediately,” Armstrong

“Mike wanted Larry to bring us in immediately. He didn’t even know what we looked like.” recalls. “He didn’t even know what we looked like. We ended up canceling the show we had the next day so that we could make the meeting.” The get-together went smoothly enough to merit a second. “Every song that we played for him he loved more than the one before,” Armstrong recalls. The second meeting included chunks of Capitol’s upper management. They checked out My Crazy Girlfriend’s live performance and a deal was offered. The band landed management around the same time as the Capitol deal. In fact, the band’s current manager Craig Logan was suggested by A&R rep Flynn (the two are longtime friends). Logan also reps Dido and Cher Lloyd. My Crazy Girlfriend kicks off a fall tour with Little Mix that starts in Boca Raton, FL and spans the country. The still untitled album drops sometime in the fall. The single “Crazy Stupid Love” was released in March. – Rob Putnam 26 August 2014

musicconnection.com

Date Signed: November 2013 Label: Entertainment One Music Type of Music: Modern Country Management: Enzo DeVincenzo - Red Light Management, 377 Management Booking: Henry Glasscock - WME Legal: Denise Stevens - Loeb & Loeb Publicity: Jules Wortman, jwortman@wortmanworks.com Web: http://stoneylarue.com A&R: Van Fletcher - Entertainment One Music

he charismatic and lyrically astute singer/songwriter Stoney Larue was born in southern Texas but relocated to Stillwater, OK as a teenager, where he discovered the “Red Dirt” music community. It was an experience that set him on the path to creative enlightenment. “It was kind of a commune really,” says Larue. “It was a songwriting collective where I met fellow songwriters like Jason Boland, Mike McClure and Cody Canada. Each was into rock, country or somewhere in between. I like to be a chameleon whenever I’m around anybody, so I just absorbed all of that. It’s the inevitability of being around stuff that motivates you.” Further collaborations with Tulsa musicians the Organic Boogie Band got Larue fronting a group, which led to extensive touring and the recording of his debut independently released album Downtown. “I’d been on the road for 16 years and was never signed,” says Larue. “I’ve had a couple of opportunities, but I always felt I was not able to express

“I’d been on the road for 16 years and was never signed.” myself artistically. I knew I wasn’t gonna send a label the poppiest thing I had or what I knew would sell. I was gonna send what I did and they passed on it every time.” Over the years Larue had maintained a friendly relationship with Van Fletcher, who was originally with Universal South. When he joined Entertainment One, he pursued Larue and was instrumental in brokering a deal. “Entertainment One is one of the biggest production companies for television and music in the world,” continues the soft spoken Oklahoman. “Working with Van is gonna be really cool. He obviously saw something in me that others didn’t. I know what the template is for writing songs and there is a general way of doing it. I’m not saying that’s a good or bad thing. It’s just not my way. Things needed to happen exactly the way they were supposed to.” Stoney Larue’s upcoming album for Entertainment One is entitled Aviators and is set for global release, Oct. 28. “People have told me it’s a little bit more refined and defined,” explains Larue. “I guess that comes with wisdom from the road. At least I’d like to think I’m somewhat wise after playing out there all this time. I can’t confirm or deny that, but I do know what not to do.” – Eric A. Harabadian

T. MILLS

Date Signed: October 2010 Label: Columbia Records Type of Music: Pop Management: Adam Mersel, Dr. Luke Booking: Peter Schwartz - The Agency Group Legal: Renee Karalian - Carroll, Guido & Groffman LLP Publicity: Carleen Donovan, Carleen@pressherepublicity.com Web: http://tmillsmusic.com/us/home A&R: Mark Williams, Harley Wertheimer - Columbia

hen California-native T. Mills found himself with the opportunity to shoot a music video with a friend at the low cost of $100, he didn’t think much about where it would get him. He especially didn’t think it would draw the attention of six major labels––and hitmaker Dr. Luke––all vying to get him to sign a deal with their companies, and yet, that’s exactly what he got. “I had heard the horror stories,” Mills says, “like signing to a major label and your album doesn’t come out, or they lose interest in you, or you get dropped, so it took at least six months for us to structure the right deal and get everything executed. But at the end of it, Columbia was definitely

SOMEKINDAWONDERFUL Date Signed: January 2014 (Downtown)/April 2014 (Capitol/Vertigo) Label: Downtown Records/White Clover Records Band Members: Jordy Towers, lead vocals; Matt Gibson, guitar; Ben Schigel, drums; Steve Basil, bass & keyboards; Sarah Dyer, percussion. Type of Music: Neo Rock/Soul Management: Nima Nasseri Booking: Jenna Adler, Bobby Koehler - CAA Legal: Bob Lieberman - FPL Law Publicity: carla@pressherepublicity.com Web: http://somekindawonderful.com A&R: Nima Nasseri

ometimes you never know where life will take you. That was certainly the case with singer/songwriter Jordy Towers. He had a modest career as a solo artist, toiling in obscurity for a major label. Feeling the need to rethink his position, and determined to make some changes, he headed back to visit family in suburban Cleveland, OH. One January evening in 2013, Towers stopped at a local bar for a chance meeting with some musicians that changed his life. He met guitarist Matt Gibson and drummer Ben Schigel over some beers and found they had a lot in

“It took six months to structure the right deal.”

“[We] finalized the deal this winter. It took some time.”

the perfect partner and the right home for me and my music.” Drawn to the label’s roster and track record with their clients, the then 21-year-old was sold on their willingness to allow him to release a free album for his fans. “Some label people looked at me like I was crazy,” he recalls. “They were like, ‘You know that we’re a record label, right? We sell music and that’s how we make money.’ But I had this idea in my head and it was something that I really wanted to do and Columbia got behind it.” Keeping a level head was also a main focus of the rapper/singer, who admits to not feeling excitement over the deal until the final stages. “I didn’t think people really got record deals. I just thought it was something like in the movies, so I didn’t want to get my hopes up,” he laughs. Mills also emphasized a bit of advice straight from the label itself: “Don’t mistake activity for achievement. That means you can be as busy as you want, but checking things off your checklist means nothing, and that really stuck with me.” Mills is currently in the studio recording a full-length album with Dr. Luke and his creative team that will debut this fall. Until then, listeners can download his latest EP All I Wanna Do via iTunes. – Victoria Patneaude

common. Schigel owned a recording studio that was literally down the street from the bar. He and Gibson had just lost their singer and Towers was looking for a new musical situation, so they decided to go back to Schigel’s studio and kick some ideas around. Three hours later the result became their eventual first single, “Reverse.” The succeeding days found them writing other songs that would comprise their debut album. “It was a long reveal,” shares Gibson on the road to their label deal. “We talked to a few labels. We started talking with Downtown around June of last year and finalized the deal this winter. It took some time.” They were approached by Downtown Records co-founder Josh Deutsch who heard the demo for their song “Reverse.” “The demo for that song is the one you hear on the radio,” says Schigel. “Josh liked the fact that we were producing ourselves and doing a lot of our own visuals. We were already a packaged thing, you know?” “Reverse” is a soul-stirring tale of love gone awry, told in a unique and compelling narrative style. The official video for the song is helmed by celebrated director Marc Klasfeld and will dovetail nicely as a promotional tool to run concurrently with SomeKindaWonderful’s self-titled album release. – Eric A. Harabadian August 2014

musicconnection.com 27

ICS Names Judges

Gerry Goffin: Hit Songwriter Gerry Goffin, who collaborated with his then-wife Carole King to write some of the biggest hits of the '60s including “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?,” “Up on the Roof,” “One Fine Day” and “The Loco-Motion,” died recently at his home in Los Angeles. He was 75. Diana Ross’ recording of “Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To),” which he wrote with Michael Masser, reached No. 1 as did Whitney Houston’s “Saving All My Love for You,” another Masser collaboration.

Steve Winogradsky for NARIP Music attorney, author and publisher Steve Winogradsky, Esq. will offer up a detailed explanation of songwriter, music publishing and co-publishing deals for the National Association of Recording Industry Professionals (NARIP) on Aug. 7 at SAE Institute in Los Angeles. Winogradsky is the author of the book Music Publishing: The Complete Guide. Visit http://narip.com.

The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has announced its judging panel for the 2014 competition, which is now accepting entries. This year, ISC has expanded on the participation of music industry executives, offering the opportunity for artists to have their music heard by the highest level of decision-makers in the music business. Judges include presidents and CEOs from Republic, Atlantic, Warner Bros., Elektra, Columbia, Virgin, Sony Music Latin, Mercury, Wind-Up, Tommy Boy, Alligator, S-Curve and Concord Music Group. ISC gives away more than $150,000 in cash and prizes (shared among the 68 winners) including an overall Grand Prize consisting of $25,000 cash and $30,000 in prizes. Open to both amateur and professional songwriters, ISC offers 22 categories to enter, representing all genres of popular music. This year’s ISC panel includes recording artists Tom Waits, Pat Metheny, Sara Evans, Bastille, Casting Crowns, Avicii, Wayne Shorter and John Hiatt. Prominent among the industry executives are Monte Lipman, founder and Chairman/CEO, Republic Records; Craig Kallman, Chairman/CEO, Atlantic Records; Dan McCarroll, President, Warner Bros. Records; and Jeff Castelaz , President, Elektra Records. See http:// songwritingcompetition.com.

Andrew Gould Upped at BMG Chrysalis

Andrew Gould has been promoted

ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Awards Mike Will Made It was named songwriter of the year and Warner/Chappell Music publisher of the year at the 27th annual ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards in Los Angeles. The ceremony also featured special presentations to Jermaine Dupri and Ne-Yo, recipients of ASCAP’s prestigious Founders Award and Golden Note Award, respectively. Pictured (l-r): Paul Williams, ASCAP President; Jermaine Dupri, Founders Award winner; Nicole George-Middleton, ASCAP VP of Rhythm & Soul; and John Titta, ASCAP EVP of Membership. 28 August 2014

musicconnection.com

to VP Creative at BMG Chrysalis U.S., based in Los Angeles. He was previously a VP in the department. In this expanded role, Gould will continue to focus on acquiring and developing talent, along with creating opportunities in the marketplace for BMG artists and songwriters. Since joining the company in 2012, he has been instrumental in the cultivation and expansion of the company’s roster, working alongside clients such as Aalias, Mitch Allan, Chris Braide, busbee, Andra Day, Jason Evigan, Jarrad K, Rob Kleiner, the Monsters and Strangerz, New Politics, Bebe Rexha, Alex Tanas of the band Magic! and Sam Watters. Gould began his music industry career as an A&R executive at Epic Records before moving to EMI Music Publishing. During his time at EMI as senior director of creative, he worked with writers and artists such as Jim Jonsin, Toby Gad, Savan Kotecha, Kevin Rudolf, Chiddy Bang and Steve McEwan. He was also an early champion of Sia as a pop writer, working very closely with her. Gould is a classically trained pianist and a graduate of the Wharton Business School. Visit http://bmgchrysalis.com.

Songwriters Hall & Universal Song Contest

The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) and Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) have partnered to host the Songwriters Hall of Fame Song Competition. The contest is open to everyone, including both amateur and

Wendy & Lisa Honored by ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) hosted its 29th annual Film & Television Music Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. KCRW host and music supervisor Liza Richardson presented the inaugural ASCAP Shirley Walker Award to Emmy-winning composing duo Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman (a.k.a. Wendy & Lisa). The Shirley Walker Award honors those whose achievements have contributed to the diversity of film and television music. Pictured (l-r): Melvoin and Coleman.

– DAN KIMPEL dan@dankimpel.com

professional songwriters. The winner will receive an exclusive publishing contract with Universal Music Publishing Group and two non-transferrable tickets to the 2015 SHOF Annual Induction Gala, where they will be recognized from the stage. Four second place winners will receive other prizes, including creative and career mentoring by SHOF inductees and honorees. Songs will be judged based on melody, composition, originality and lyrics. Entries will be reviewed by a listening committee of top industry professionals, and finalists will be screened by a celebrity judging panel headed by SHOF Chairman Jimmy Webb and Evan Lamberg, President UMPG North America and includes legendary songwriters, producers, record company and publishing executives. The competition is now accepting submissions via its exclusive partner Sonicbids. To enter, please visit http://sonicbids. com/songhall. Deadline is Sept. 22.

IES Summit Offers Artist Showcases

WCS Conference Registration

Performing rights organization SESAC has signed singer, songwriter and producer Mariah Carey for representation. A multiGrammy winner, Carey is the bestselling female artist of all time with more than 200 million albums sold. For complete details, visit http:// sesac.com.

If you register by Aug. 20, you can save substantially on registration at the 34th Annual West Coast Songwriters Conference, coming up on the weekend of Sept. 13 and 14, with a kick-off event on Friday, Sept. 1. Held at Foothill College in Los Altos, CA the conference prides itself on an “Up Close and Personal” approach in a warm, intimate setting. Visit http://westcoastsongwriters. org for registration information.

The Indie Entertainment Summit (IES) is set for Aug. 6-9 in North Hollywood and Los Angeles with 80 major seminars, legends inducted in the IES Honor events, industry showcases at a variety of SoCal venues, and the Deal Link series of one-on-one meetings with industry decision makers, the event also offers major networking events music showcases. A Special Induction of Rick Rubin will feature messages from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Linkin Park, Slayer and System of A Down among others paying tribute to the legendary producer. IES Songwriter Honors go to influential writer/producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (Janet Jackson, Boyz II Men, Michael Jackson, Usher, Mariah Carey, New Edition and George Michael). All attendees get an official showcase. Visit http://iesfest.com for all details.

Womack: Late Soul Great Bobby Womack who toured as a gospel singer in the ‘50s, played guitar in Sam Cooke’s backup band in the early ‘60s, penned hit songs recorded by Wilson Pickett and the Rolling Stones (“It’s All Over Now”) and composed music that broke onto the pop charts, has died at age 70. In 2012, his Damon Albarn and Richard Russell-produced collection, The Bravest Man in the Universe, featuring co-writes with Harold Payne, ushered the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer into a powerful final act in a storied career.

Carey to SESAC

Dr. Luke Is Alive with Clive DAN KIMPEL, author of six music industry books, is an instructor at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA. He lectures at colleges and conferences worldwide.

Clive Davis, Dr. Luke, Colbie Caillat, Brian Tyler (film composer) and other entertainment industry figures who are committed to fighting cancer, diabetes and additional life-threatening diseases took part in the 10th anniversary of Songs of Hope. This special event and silent auction supports lifesaving research at City of Hope. This year’s Songs of Hope X award recipients included the Clive Davis “Legend in Songwriting” Award presented to Dr. Luke. Pictured (l-r): Davis and Dr. Luke.

Ryan Cabrera: New Music

Songwriters Hall Names Inductees This year the Songwriters Hall of Fame selected inductees Ray Davies, Donovan, Graham Gouldman, Mark James and Jim Weatherly. Philly Soul pioneers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff (1995 Hall inductees) received the Johnny Mercer Award, the organization’s highest honor. And Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons was presented with the Hal David Starlight Award, given to young songwriters. Pictured (l-r): Gamble and Huff.

Platinum-selling pop singer/songwriter/ musician Ryan Cabrera has announced he is back in the studio, working on new music to be released this fall on Dynamite Music. This will mark the first release from the new boutique label—founded by Mitch Davis and Marco Liuzzo—in partnership with Caroline, the independent division of Capitol Music Group/ Universal Music Group. Cabrera is working with a select coterie of writers and producers, including Shelly Peiken (Christina Aguilera, Ed Sheeran, Celine Dion) and DJ White Shadow, aka Paul Blair (Lady Gaga). August 2014

musicconnection.com

Jim Mize The Arkansas Seer

By Dan Kimpel According to Oscar Wilde, “The best work in literature is always done by those who do not depend on it for their daily bread and the highest form of literature, Poetry, brings no wealth to the singer.” This phrase applies to songwriter and recording artist Jim Mize. In his day gig, the Conway, AR native is a property damage specialist at Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance of Arkansas where he reports on claims from disasters including hurricanes, tornados and fatal car wrecks. With his latest eponymous release on Fat Possum Records—his third, in a recording career spanning 14 years––the 57-year-old artist taps deep veins of Southern truths and small town idiosyncrasies. “I’ve been doing it for years,” says Mize of his music career. “I haven’t made a lot of money at it, but shoot, I enjoy it when people enjoy it. Especially when the women come up and hug me.” Wielding a mean Telecaster, Mize summons a spirit both unvarnished and immediate. Bolstered by guitarists, John Paul Keith and Jimbo Mathus, the band echoes psychedelia and honky-tonks. Silhouetted on rural roads, against summer skies and full moons, Mize’s characters are brought to vivid life. Arkansas is home. “Except for a little army tour, this is where I’ve lived,” confirms Mize. He recalls one trip to California, back in the ‘70s. “I drove out with this guy in one of those square Winnebagos with an air conditioner on top. We didn’t get two hundred miles ‘til we knocked that thing off, so all we had were oscillating fans. We ended up in Manhattan Beach with two sisters who worked at a racetrack. There was topless sunbathing and pot growing in the back yards.” Breasts and buds notwithstanding, Mize clearly prefers his hometown. “The South has a culture to it, and people are basically nice to each other. “Songwriters, all of us, have got our antennas up,” observes Mize. His song “Eminence, Kentucky” details an unsettling relocation. “I saw the name of the town on a truck. I thought, ‘I like that. It’s a cool name.” For “Empty Rooms” he recollected the continuing plight of an old friend. “I bet he and his wife had been divorced five times and then got remarried. Sometimes we’ll be out and come back and there’d be a moving van at his house.” The details are stark, visceral and telling as a nosy neighbor peeks from a window and crayon drawings stain bare walls. “Eye to Eye” is surreal and hypnotic, noting a woman who “came in with the carnival.” Mize says that these traveling visitors to his small town always made an impression. “The people who worked there just looked weird,” he claims. An older Mize song, “High” was recently included in the soundtrack for the Joss Whedon-scripted supernatural romance In Your Eyes. Mize likes the opportunity to pair his music to picture. Not that he knows how the song ended up in the film. “I guess the label sent it to them. I don’t know. But I love soundtracks.” The label is Big Legal Mess, an independent record label based in Oxford, MS and distributed by Fat Possum Records. Mize considers the label’s Bruce Watson, to be his “sounding board,” as he says, “We’ve got a running joke. I’ll go in with six or seven songs and play ‘em, and he’s like ‘What else have you got?’ But I love the process.” “Need Me Some Jesus,” is a rough crosscurrent of gospel and honky tonk. “I live right in the Bible Belt. I don’t want to sound preachy. But it’s always a battle between good and evil, isn’t it? There are different layers of that. My son passed away last year. He and I, we played a lot of guitar. The song came out of that.” Mize is looking forward to a future when he will be seeing fewer calamities and more audiences. “I will be retired in a year or two, I want to dedicate full time to music. Hopefully I can get that palette right where that transition will be a little bit better for me. What I would like is for people to enjoy my music. That’s the juice.” Contact Cary Baker, cary@conqueroo.com 30 August 2014

musicconnection.com

August 2014

musicconnection.com

DROPS

From a first-time collaboration between bestselling suspense writer Stephen King and Lifetime movie network for women comes the Lifetime original movie Big Driver starring Grammy nominee Joan Jett as well as Golden Globe nominee Maria Bello, and Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis. The film is set to premiere this fall, based on a novella published in King’s collection Full Dark, No Stars. Big Driver tells the story of a mystery novelist Tess (Bello), who vows revenge after being assaulted while stranded on a New England road. Production begins this summer in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Contact Kristine. Tiongco@AENetworks.com.

FRED DURST

MARIA BELLO HEAVY METAL MOVIES: Guitar Barbarians, Mutant Bimbos & Cult Zombies Amok in the 666 Most Ear- and Eye-Ripping Big-Scream Films Ever, written by Mike McPadden, is now available from Bazillion Points. This relentlessly entertaining book is an apocalyptic overview of a century of “loud, inspiring, groundbreaking, taboo, revolutionary, disgusting, and uplifting cinema fused at the roots to the DNA of heavy metal and its million offshoots.” Written in highoctane style, the book explodes with over 666 of the most intense movies of all-time, including headbanger classics like This Is Spinal Tap, Heavy Metal Parking Lot, Conan, Trick or Treat,

Black Roses, Black Sabbath, Night of the Living Dead, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Rock ‘N Roll Nightmare, River’s Edge, Gummo, Lord of the Rings, Over the Edge, RoboCop, Savage Streets, Hard Rock Zombies, Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, Evilspeak, The Devil’s Rejects, Monster Dog and The Wicker Man. Check out http://bazillionpoints. com for more details. Noisey, a branch of VICE begun in 2011 to document the year in music from newcomers and veterans alike, recently premiered The Truth, a film by Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, alongside a phone interview with the filmmaker in which Durst talks about wanting to be a good father and more. Durst directs and stars in the film, which reveals a strange and philosophical side unknown to those who recall him in Limp Bizkit. Watch The Truth and read Noisey’s interview with Durst at http:// Noisey.Vice.com/Blog/FredDurst-The-Interview. More coverage of the filmmaker can be found at http://Noisey.Vice. com/en_uk/tag/Fred+Durst. Contact Laura.Rothkopf@Vice. com for further details. A historic Morrissey concert from 1995 makes its DVD debut on Sept. 9. Released by Parlophone and entitled Introducing Morrissey, the concert follows the recent edition of the artist’s solo 1994 No. 1 album Vauxhall and I. In February 1995, after said album’s release, Morrissey hit the road for his first U.K. shows in more than two years. The film captures two nights of this tour at Sheffield City Hall and the Winter Gardens

32 August 2014

musicconnection.com

in Blackpool, two performances that took place on Feb. 7 and Feb. 8, respectively. Directed by James O’Brien, the concert is an hour long and features six songs from Vauxhall including “The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get” as well as “Boxers,” “Jack the Ripper” and a cover of Johnny Mercer & Henry Mancini’s “Moon River.” Contact Jason. Elzy@Rhino.com to find out more about Introducing Morrissey. Invada Records, the label owned by Geoff Barrow of Portishead, is partnering with Ubisoft Music with the release of Brian Reitzell’s music score for the video game Watch_Dogs. This announcement follows the success of Invada’s Record Store Day release this year of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon’s original game soundtrack. Watch_Dogs is contending for the year’s most popular gaming title, and its soundtrack is rife with atmospheric synthesizers from Reitzell, who has composed for the U.S. drama series Hannibal and worked on numerous scores with director Sofia Coppola. In his work with her, he has collaborated with French band Air and Kevin Shields of alt-rock band My Bloody Valentine. The music for Watch_Dogs enshrouds a sci-fi story of hacker Aiden Pearce journeying through an alternate version of Chicago in search of redemption after causing the death of his niece. The soundtrack dropped on vinyl and CD July 29. Contact Judy Miller Silverman at Judy@MotorMouthMedia.com.

– JESSICA PACE j.marie.pace@gmail.com

OPPS

Nelson, the Beach Boys and Bob Seger, have recorded at Studio A, and the public’s support prompted the owner of the development agency to publicly vow not to buy the building if the studio cannot be preserved. Furthermore, the Save Studio A campaign garnered further discussion on historic music preservation in Nashville. Learn more by visiting http:// BenFolds.com/news/supporters-gather-historicrca-studio-savemusicrow.

Actors, musicians, other industry types and anyone else with an interesting story to tell may be eligible to guest on Ron’s Amazing Stories, a weekly podcast that reaches five radio stations in Georgia, Nevada, Pensylvannia, Colorado and Florida. Contact producer and host Ronald Hood at RonsAmazingStories@Gmail.com and visit http://RonsAmazingStories.com for more information.

A Portland, OR-based company called Vadio, which powers online video players for companies across four continents, recently announced a partnership with Vevo, a leading platform in music video and entertainment. Through the collaboration, the Vevo catalog of over 100,000 music videos, live concerts and programming will be available to Vadio’s streaming media partners. For further details, contact Samuel Threadgill, SThreadgill@MPRM. com.

The Hot Girl and “That Guy,” a weekly live radio show and podcast that has placed three times in the Stitcher Radio Top Movers List, is promoting up-and-coming artists in the TV, music and film industries. Wannabe guests can contact Chad Brockbrader with booking inquiries at Admin@ PodcastAttic.com. See http://HotGirlThatGuy. com for further details.

Industry folks are welcome guests on Radio Random, a radio show and Internet podcast whose topics venture into a little bit of everything. The show's host Russell can be reached at Russell.McLain@Outlook.com. See http://RussellMcLain.com for more information. No topic is uncovered on twice-weekly radio broadcast and recorded podcast Cave Radio Broadcast based out of Detroit. That includes film, TV and other entertainment business professionals. To inquire about guesting, contact NextUpCaveRadio@Yahoo. com and learn more about the show at http:// CaveRadioBroadcasting.com/en.

In July, Keith Clinkscales, the CEO of the multiplatform music network REVOLT, announced that REVOLT will hold its inaugural music conference in October in Miami to foster the network’s growth. It was also announced that Andre Harrell has taken over as Vice Chairman and will lead the REVOLT Music Conference (RMC), creating new opportunities for the network through business development and outreach to technology companies, brands and the music industry. Harrell’s industry credits include producing Strictly Business starring

PROPS

Local H has released a fan-funded concert film entitled Exit Stage Right to benefit the band’s former drummer Brian St. Clair, who recently announced that he is battling prostate cancer. All proceeds will go to St. Clair as he undergoes treatment. The film was shot in October 2013 during the his final show with Local H at suburban Chicago venue H.O.M.E. The film can be viewed by visiting http://LocalH.vhx.tv. A minimum donation of $10 is suggested. The legendary Stax Records will be paid tribute in a new Broadway show as Concord Music Group has teamed with Grammy-winning and Academy Award-nominated producer Stuart Benjamin to begin development of a musical production based on the dramatic story of the soul music label. The book will be written by Matthew Benjamin. A spring 2016 Broadway premiere is targeted. Contact Joel.amsterdam@ concordmusicgroup.com. Singer/songwriter Ben Folds went to bat in late June on behalf of RCA Studio A, a legendary recording mainstay on Nashville’s Music Row that Folds has rented and used since 2003. After hearing that a local developer intended to buy the building, Folds penned an open letter asking for public support to save the studio. Founded by Chet Atkins and Owen Bradley in 1965, the studio is owned by a mix of nine of Atkins’ and Bradley’s descendants. A slew of legends in entertainment, such as Dolly Parton, Willie

BRIAN ST. CLAIR Halle Berry in her first role, producing the hit show New York Undercover, and producing dance film Honey starring Jessica Alba. To learn more, email Kai D. Wright at KWright@ REVOLT.tv.

JESSICA PACE lives in the Nashville area and writes about music, local government and education. Contact her at j.marie. pace@gmail.com.

Out Take

Winifred Phillips

Video game composer, author Email: Winifred Phillips, WinifredPhillips@ gmail.com Web: http://WinifredPhillips.com Most Recent: A Composer’s Guide to Game Music Winifred Phillips launched into the video game industry in 2004 after composing the score for the video game God of War for Sony. Her credits include scores for The Da Vinci Code, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Legend of the Guardians, which was the first video game soundtrack album released by WaterTower Music, the film music record label of Warner Bros. Her most recent project is a book, A Composer’s Guide to Game Music, released in March 2014. “I’m a gamer and have always been one, and it’s an exciting way to tell stories,” Phillips says. “It combines lots of qualities of TV and film with interactive technologies that let the audience feel personal choice, which is interesting to me as a composer; it makes me feel like my contribution is more a collaboration with the audience, because they are mentally engaged with me and with the experience. It’s true for all storytellers and writers creating the video games.” Phillips works with six computers, large sample libraries and System 6000 for digital processing, but she also uses live musicians and vocal chorales in some projects, like Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation. “It’s an exciting way to merge organic quality into the technological aspects of music creation,” she says. “The creation can be a fairly long process. My role is to get inside the developers’ heads and look at the concept art, design documents, any materials I can absorb and understand.” The composer herself plays a lot of games, but says the role-playing game Final Fantasy VII was a major influence on her. “One of the most vivid scenes is the final battle where the music turns into this big choral passage when it suddenly breaks into live battle, and it really grabs your heart. I didn’t know music could elevate an experience like that and show the importance of the moment.” Phillips is now working on two projects, but cannot divulge details because of nondisclosure agreements.

August 2014

musicconnection.com

If It’s Hot And Sticky, It Must Be Warped It’s summer time, which means the Vans Warped Tour is in full swing. This year’s artists include Breathe Carolina, Echosmith, Less Than Jake, of Mice and Men, the Ready Set, We the Kings, A Skylit Drive, Anberlin, Finch, Bayside and much more. For video coverage from day one, visit https://you tube.com/user/officialwarpedtour. For upcoming dates, see http://vanswarpedtour.com/dates.

WE ARE THE IN CROWD

LESS THAN JAKE

ICON FOR HIRE

WARPED TOUR BONNAROO

CITY & COLOUR

ICE CUBE

CHROMEO

Meanwhile, in Manchester, TN.... PHOTOS: PAULA TRIPODI

Now in its 13th year, the Bonnaroo Festival recently came to a close in Manchester, TN. This year’s line-up had no shortage of star power, with headliners Elton John, Kanye West, Jack White and more. Additional artists included Chromeo, City & Colour and Ice Cube. For a complete wrap-up, visit http://bonnaroo.com. For more MC coverage, check out http://musicconnection.com/?p=27451

34 August 2014

musicconnection.com

PHOTOS: THOMAS LONG

BREATHE CAROLINA

– ANDY MESECHER andym@musicconnection.com

Teye Guitars Hung In Hollywood Boutique guitar company Teye Guitars has made a deal to be sold in Hollywood’s Caffé Etc. Nestled in the heart of town, (on Cahuenga and Selma) the hot spot has its share of professional musicians coming through on a daily basis before and after meet-ups, concerts, rehearsals, etc. For further details see http://teye-guitars.com.

Tidbits From Our Tattered Past

Soundtrack Of Summer Tour Gives Thanks to Philly Fire Department On behalf of Styx, Foreigner and Rock To The Rescue, as a thanks for cooling down their burning buses on July 2, proceeds from the sale of The Soundtrack Of Summer tour CDs at “The Soundtrack of Summer” show in Camden, NJ on Thursday, July 3 (totaling $10,000), were donated to a local firemen’s charity, Philadelphia Fire Department Local #22 Widows Fund. The quick response from firefighters stopped the blaze in its tracks, which meant the tour could continue. The final show of the tour, with just Styx and Foreigner, is Sunday, Aug. 17, in Des Moines, IA at the Iowa State Fair. Pictured (l-r): James “JY” Young (Styx), Mick Jones (Foreigner), Don Felder, David Crosby, Tommy Shaw (Styx).

1995–MC Success!–#13

JIM DONNELLY

The Fray At The Greek

Hot off the heels of their fourth album, Helios, the critically acclaimed Denver-based foursome the Fray came through Los Angeles recently, gracing the stage at the historic Greek Theatre. The band will be hitting New York in September before doing the Canadian circuit. Visit http://greek theatrela.com/events for upcoming events at the Greek.

In our cover story on altrockers Better Than Ezra, drummer Cary Bonnecaze recalls how a high score for their demo in Music Connection led to the band's major label deal and subsequent chart success. Still together, the band is about to go on tour in support of its new album All Together Now. Elsewhere in the issue are club reviews of Joan Osborne, Ednaswap and Samiam. We also profiled label promo chiefs John Fagot and Jim Neill.

LA Music Awards Press Event at Whisky A Go-Go

RAQUEL GARCIA

Over 130 nominations were presented at the World Famous Whisky A Go-Go (in Hollywood, CA) for the sold-out event sponsored by NashHoldingsInc.com. Industry panelists educated the LAMA Whisky audience. Pictured (l-r): LAMA founder Al Bowman; Bobby Nash, CEO of Nash Holdings Inc.; LAMA nominee Monica Beal; stage model Serena; and event host H.R. Cole.

EWASKO.COM

Martin Short Performs At Alex Theatre Grand Reopening

Glendale Arts, in Glendale, CA, celebrated the completion of the landmark Alex Theatre’s multimillion dollar expansion and renovation when Emmy- and Tony-winning performer Martin Short joined artistic director and conductor Matt Catingub and the Glendale Pops Orchestra for a special evening of comedy, music, song and dance at the vintage venue’s Grand Reopening celebration. Recalling the glamour of Old Hollywood, guests entered in style by walking the red carpet, and were treated to a pre- and post-theatre reception and guided tour of the Alex’s new 6,600 square foot expansion.

1989–Taupin/Fogerty–#22 MC focused on songwriting in this issue via interviews with John Fogerty, Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin and others. Said Fogerty: "I might as well go with my fastball and my best curve—forget all the other stuff––and go with what got me here." Said Taupin: "I write quickly. Don't let anyone tell you that it's going to be better if you take a long time to write a song."

August 2014

musicconnection.com

By Daniel Siwek Photos by

Miko Lim

36 August 2014

musicconnection.com

YOU’VE HEARD ABOUT “the shot

heard ‘round the world,” but what about “the Tweet shared ‘round the world?” The day before Music Connection was set to do a “phoner” with Wiz Khalifa, the hip-hop star was pulled aside by TSA at El Paso International Airport for not having identification. He was subsequently arrested when they discovered he was in possession of 0.5 grams of marijuana. Instead of trying to bury the story and cancel the next day’s press interviews, however, the mogul (yes, in addition to having his hand in several business ventures, the Pittsburgh native, born Cameron Thomaz, is ranked No. 8 on Forbes magazine’s 20 Highest Paid Hip-Hop Stars, earning $14 million bones) beat TMZ to the punch and Tweeted his now infamous “Jail Selfie,” and then happily talked about the Tweet that day. It’s been speculated that Khalifa got arrested on purpose so he could promote his new mixtape, appropriately dubbed 28 Grams, which dropped the following day. His follow-up Tweet read, “They’re trya figure out how many grams I had. How ironic.” The lesson goes beyond turning lemons into lemonade. The takeaway is that artists need to know that a mastery of social media is vital to their career. On top of being a Multiplatinum-selling, 5x Grammy nominated artist, Khalifa’s sophomore album O.N.I.F.C. debuted at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 album sales chart, No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop album chart and No. 1 on iTunes’ albums chart. But the numbers that seem the most relevant these days for the “Black and Yellow” star (and all artists trying to maintain a high profile) are the 14 million Twitter followers, the 33 million “likes” on Facebook, the 2.5 million followers on Instagram, and his nearly 250 million combined views on YouTube. Not to go all Lefsetz on you, but maybe those numbers are more important than album sales? The Wiz spoke to us from Paramount Studios in Hollywood, where he was putting the finishing touches on his latest album, Blacc Hollywood, due out Aug. 19 on Atlantic Records. You can also catch him this summer on his personally curated Under the Influence of Music Tour, tickets having been available since, wait for it…4/20!

Music Connection: Let’s start with the most talked about Tweet in recent history: how savvy are you that you managed to turn being arrested into a social media event? Wiz Khalifa: I’m gonna try to say this in the coolest way: not to come off like some guru or something, but really it’s just about making the best out of every situation, you know what I mean? Kinda like I see the bright side of everything. If you lock me up and I have my cell phone, I’m gonna have some fun. That’s how it was. MC: Apparently they are investigating how it happened. Did they let you do it because you’re a famous rapper? Khalifa: They can investigate these nuts. I wasn’t surprised that I was in there with my cell phone because I’m the man, and they’re just now figuring this shit out. I’m not some guy. They locked up that dude. It was cool. But on a more humble level, it wasn’t like “Do you know who I am?” It was more like everybody was kinda thrown off by it, like “Are they really messing with you?” MC: Is it safe to say you’d like to see pot decriminalized? After all, there’s a strain named after you. Do you see yourself expanding your brand to the lucrative pot business? Khalifa: It’s called “Khalifa Kush” and it’s available in Northern Cali only, and if I did market it, I wouldn’t be the face of it, you would just hear about it. It’s a good question, but that’s not really what’s important to me right now. Honestly, I like [the laws] the way it is. There’s people who understand and there’s people who don’t. It gives us our own way, and we have our own rites of passage that the rest of the world can’t really comprehend. I don’t mind that there’s people that frown at weed and that there’s people who look at me crazy because I have tattoos or because my clothes are ripped. That’s why I do what I do, so I can be different and not the norm, and so I can show people, like, “Fuck you, I do what I want and I get everything out of life that I’m supposed to get!” And that’s what the album Blacc Hollywood is about. That’s what the energy of “We Dem Boyz” is about. It just gets everybody all together in the same tone; just take over, run shit in a real creative way. MC: You performed that song on Arsenio Hall’s show, and the way you held the mic and moved was more like you were fronting Guns N’ Roses than a hip-hop crew. You’re going for that raw rock & roll vibe? Khalifa: It’s the energy of not really being formerly accepted in the crowd, like being a true piece of shit and just having friends who live in our own world; we practice together, listen to the same music, and it’s like you said, we’re more like that garage band feel than like a hip-hop act, you know what I mean? And when it comes down on stage, you just feel everything, you see it in our faces, you see it in our movements, and it’s just all real.

Khalifa: It’s just a lot of energy that’s relevant to me and my people around me. The beats that I selected, a lot of new young producers are popping now. It was just fun. I just go in whatever zone I’m doing and I just try to bring out the best energy that’s relevant to right then, and I don’t have to worry to much about making hits or TV or radio; and that whole process is eliminated when you’re working on a mixtape, so you get to get more of a representation of what’s cool to the artist as opposed to what’s going to do best for the label. MC: With titles like “James Bong,” do you have any favorite tracks on 28 Grams? Khalifa: “Incense” and “Foreign.” “Incense” is small and melodic and “Foreign” is more high energy. “Incense” is produced by Purps and it’s definitely more trippy and spaced out. A lot of people know me for making those kinds of songs, especially from my previous work; songs like that are really popular because they put you in a zone where if you don’t smoke or get high you still get high just bopping to the music. I’ll always put out stuff like that. MC: Your songs have many themes, but do you see yourself moving past the pot theme at any point? Khalifa: No! That’s my life. MC: Back to your social media savvy: It seems that the number of Twitter and Instagram followers and YouTube views are more relevant than record sales these days. What’s your take on the importance of social media? Khalifa: It’s super important as far as keeping people up to date on what’s goin’ on in your mind, especially for an artist like me because I built myself on social media and through the fact that I’m personable with my fans. I reach out to them and take their points of views, and do things with them that are fun and involve them. Social media gives artists like me that platform to always take it to the next level and just go beyond expectations, and that roof; you know, corporations and businesses try to build a box around you but social media always allows you to break through that box–– and every chance I get I’m going to use it. [Social media is more important than record sales] because of me and artists like me who use and abuse it to the point where that’s how you can find out how cool somebody is. It wasn’t like that before, but now it’s like, “Oh my gosh, you have this many followers on Instagram?” And then that’s where advertisers come through, and there’s a lot of money involved and anything that makes people money makes them happy.

MC: Your free mixtape, 28 Grams, just dropped in June, do you have a different mentality when you make a mixtape versus an official album?

August 2014

musicconnection.com 37

Birth Name: Cameron Jibril Thomaz Management: Will Dzombak and Constance Schwartz Booking Agency: Peterschwartz@theagencygroup.com Album Sales: 1,526,863 (U.S.) Singles Sales: 14,109,943 (U.S.) Twitter followers: 14.4M Facebook Likes: 33M But the most important thing for me is that we define that culture. Twitter switched their layouts and their settings according to what we want and how we use it; they track it and, you know, calculate shit better based on how we freely use this shit. So it’s awesome. MC: Can you give us a brief history of your label situation? Khalifa: I was signed to Rostrum, an independent label, since I was 16. I got a distribution deal with Warner Brothers and two to three years later when I dropped “Say Yeah” they gave me a single deal and then they optioned for an album. They gave me the money, but they never put the album out. They really didn’t have much of an idea about what to do with me, and that was before social media, so they just kinda let my project go away. I asked to be released so I could try to do some other things and they were really, really nice about it. They were like, “Yeah sure, we don’t want to hold back your career.” And as soon as they did that I was able to release music and content online freely, all alone. I was doing stuff in my basement and that’s when Kush & Orange Juice dropped and I got a deal with Atlantic, but still with Rostrum

38 August 2014

musicconnection.com

as an independent. The rest is legal stuff, you know what I’m saying? At the end of the day, I’m happy, I’m comfortable and I don’t have any plans on moving anywhere else. They let me perform, they let me go on tour, they let me collaborate with other artists, they let me release free music and mix tapes and content to my fans, so I would rather be there. MC: How do you discuss with your label things like releasing free songs online and other potentially sensitive subjects where art and commerce could possibly collide? Khalifa: It’s all about communication, just being an artist and in control of your project, and that started by managing myself and doing everything on my own. But when you’re working with a building full of people, of course, you have to have sit-downs to get on the same page. MC: You’ve also got your own label/management company, and brand, Taylor Gang Records. What’s the philosophy there? Khalifa: Taylor Gang is its own thing. It started off as a movement and now it’s a label. We got Taylor Gang Films, all different merch, where we’re doing licensing, and you know, weed

paraphernalia and shit like that. So it’s really a lifestyle. I just gear everything toward my fans. That’s the way I like it, and it will always be that way because I’m one of the artists who looks at what they demand as what’s important; not what stores are going to buy, not what’s going to cost the most and bring me the most money but what’s going to make my people the most happy. Then we find out ways to make money out of that. MC: What does it take for an artist to impress you enough to sign them to a contract with Taylor Gang? Khalifa: I don’t just go on the Internet and tell an artist, “Hey, I like your music, sign to Taylor Gang.” I have to really be inspired by shit, I gotta listen to you and be a fan of your music, the artwork, the way you dress, the way you talk, what you do. I gotta wanna walk through your neighborhood with you before we do anything. Those are the kinds of people that inspire me and those are the only type of people that I keep around me; so it’s not just business. MC: Who were your mentors when you were coming up in the biz?

Khalifa: I really donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look at anybody in the game as a mentor, because Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m really trying to outdo anybody that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m seeing right now. I would say that people inspire me when I see their work and I see how good they are at what they do. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of people who are really generous with knowledge and other things, people who I respect and who I look up to. E. Dan [producer, Eric Dan]. And my homey Sledgren [also producer] for sure. Will, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my best friend and my tour managerâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;we basically built our business togetherâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;and all my artists who Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve signed inspire me to make me try to be better in some way, shape or fashion.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just go on the Internet and tell an artist, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hey, I like your music, sign to Taylor Gang.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; I gotta be a fan of your music, the artwork. I gotta wanna walk through your neighborhood with you.â&#x20AC;?

need something from them later, so just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take anything personal and have confidence in youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re own business structure. That really helps to push me forward. MC: Any inspiring words for artists who read Music Connection? Khalifa: I would say donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take anything personal; have confidence in your own business structure and just be aware of your surroundings. You learn as you go; everybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story is their own so you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take one personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experiences and make guidelines out of that. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the energy that you put out, you get back. MC: On July 24 youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll embark on the Under the Influence of Music Tour, featuring Young Jeezy, Tyga, Ty Dolla $ign and Rich Homie Quan. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like you are Perry Farrell and this is your Lollapolooza. How do you manage the responsibility

of curating a line-up? Khalifa: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like I said, you gotta step up, you have to take ownership. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m one hundred percent involved. We handpick the lineup, just making it the best that it can be, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m even meeting people who say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hey, man, I want to go on tour with you,â&#x20AC;? and then Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get a phone call from them like a week later asking to go on tour. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that real. And Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not just putting you on tour and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m gonna be on my bus and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to see me. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m getting these kids high as hell. I made Rich Homie Quan throw up off a dab yesterday already, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going down. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really living this shit and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best part of it. This is real life man and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re loving this shit. Please look out for the tourâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;get your tickets! Contact Greg Cortez, greg.cortez@42West.Net

MC: How do you inspire the artists that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re helping? Khalifa: I give the same knowledge and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m open with people so they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to go through the same things that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gone through. You have to have people that you love there with you because this is a lot of work, you know what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m saying? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s once in a lifetime, and some of this stuff we never even dreamed of doing or imagined, so you gotta share that stuff with people who it really matters to. I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a combination of all of that and staying real, and staying influenced and inspired by real things, and not getting caught up in the business or being famous or the next career move, or what the best life moves are and having people around who promote that. E. Dan always showed me the way when it came to that, for sure. MC: Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking to us from the studio where youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re working on your new album, Blacc Hollywood; since we havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t had a chance to hear it yet, can you tell us about it? Do you have a favorite line, or one that sums it up? Khalifa: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always been the type of artist that you know whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on in my life through my music. So Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to keep that, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely an artistic approach to each project, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the main focus, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important. I want everybody to interpret it their own way. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if I have a favorite line. Oh! On this song called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wheezy.â&#x20AC;? The big thing that has to do with my shit sometimes is the way I say something. I can say some shit, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll say it really crazy and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be wild. In this part of the song I say, [sings and elongates the words] â&#x20AC;&#x153;They say I run the game. Lit-er-ally. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m about to go insaaaane, mental disease.â&#x20AC;? That describes the album. MC: How do you handle obstacles or setbacks in your career? Khalifa: I just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take anything personal. I know that everything is based on relationships, and you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ruin a relationship over one or two things. You might really, really

0WFS ZFBST PG 4530#& UVOJOH UFDIOPMPHZ 1"$,&% */50 " 4-&&, )"/%)&-% 56/&3 .",&4 5)& 4530#01-64 )%Ć&#x160; 5)& ĹŤ#044ĹŹ 0' "/: 56/*/( 5"4, UI PG B 'SFU "DDVSBUF 5VOJOH Ĺ° )6(& 56/*/( 4$3&&/ Ĺ° 07&3 48&&5&/&% 56/*/(Ć&#x160; 13&4&54 3&$)"3(&"#-& #"55&3: Ĺ° 1-":#"$, 50/& (&/&3"503 Ĺ° "7"*-"#-& .&530/0.& 015*0/ Ĺ° 64# 1SPHSBNNBCJMJUZ

/petersontuners

Trusted by professionals since 1948.

The Sound of Precision www.PetersonTuners.com | USA | 708.388.3311 ÂŠ2014 Peterson Tuners. The terms Sweetened Tuning and StroboPlus HD are trademarks of Peterson Electro-â&#x20AC;?Musical Products, Inc. Buzz Feiten Tuning System is a registered trademark of Buzz Feiten Design Co., Inc.

August 2014

musicconnection.com 39

Gear Rentals: Affordable Ways to Boost Your Impact By Kurt Orzeck 40 August 2014

musicconnection.com

FOR AN INDIE MUSICIAN IN 2014, making a record or putting on a performance can be as simple as having a computer equipped with Pro Tools or a similar digitalaudio program. But when it comes to making a greatsounding record, or putting on a high-impact sonically impressive live performance, another factor comes into play: gear. Top-notch microphones, pre-amps and audio interfaces are essential, industry experts say. While the notion of having to rent or even buy multiple pieces of equipment might seem looming for indie musicians, there’s some good news: They can make records that don’t sound cheap, on the cheap. And they can sound great on tour without lugging heavy pieces of equipment.

Don’t Cut Corners

Gary Ladinsky has learned a lot about pro audio since he started working as an engineer with the Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles in 1971, and during his time working with Van Morrison, the Moody Blues, Cheap Trick and other iconic rock bands. His biggest piece of advice for indie musicians? Don’t cut corners with rental gear.

“If I’m an artist and it’s my album, I want the best equipment possible, since the album is going to be around for the rest of my life.” – Gary Ladinsky, Design FX Audio “Would you want to pull out an album 30 years after it’s made and have it sound crappy and distorted?” he asks rhetorically. “If I’m an artist and it’s my album, I want the best equipment possible, since the album is going to be around for the rest of my life.” As the owner of Design FX Audio, which Continued on next page

Rent To Own?

THAT COULD BE THE BIGGEST

gear-related dilemma that an indie musician faces––and his decision could break the bank. James Trunko––drummer for selfdescribed “outlaw biker hard-rock band” Dead in 5; Crud (also featuring Sponge singer Vinnie Dombroski); and Mound Road Engine, a metal gang for which he plays double-bass drums––suggests that his peers opt for the rent-to-own scenario. Doing so allowed him to make payments on an agreedupon purchase cost, instead of plunking down a large amount of cash all at once. Trunko is particularly keen on a Yorkville 350-watt P.A. with an integrated mixer and amplifier in one portable head that he bought on a rent-to-own basis from Music Castle in Royal Oak, MI. The conveniently sized P.A. has a six-channel head with two full-range Samson speakers on speaker stands. “I/we use the P.A. primarily for band rehearsals and small shows, where it is only necessary to amplify the vocals, above the volume of the guitar amps, bass amp and drums. The P.A. is not powerful enough to run a full drum set, guitar amps or bass amp through,” he says. “On occasion, I have run a small amount of bass drum through it. But again, it does work great for running just vocals through––and then adjust the volume of the guitar amps and bass amp, to get an ‘even mix.’” Prior to purchasing the Yorkville 350-watt P.A., Trunko had to rely on other musicians’ “crummy, half-broken-down P.A.’s,” he says. But then he decided to throw down about $50 a month to rent and eventually own the Yorkville. He also ended up buying his own speakers, stands, mics and cables––not to mention, on the lighting front, DMX-controlled LED par 64-thin-pate lights and a Chauvet Obey 40 DMX that a couple of his friends use to control them. Trunko adds that his wife Dana Forrester —who plays bass for Dead in 5 and Crud––

followed his gear-buying lead by purchasing a Line 6 G55 wireless transmitter for her bass. “It works great and frees her up from being tied down to an ever-tangling guitar cable!” he exclaims. While Trunko raves about the rent-to-buy option, indie musician Jeff Kempiak––who only performs occasionally, due to a day job–– offers a different rental tip for his peers: Do your homework and plan accordingly. “I almost include rental fees on a rider, but that doesn’t always translate to us making money on the rentals. Most of the time we are lucky to break even on it,” he says. “Back in the day, venues or fest organizers never balked at a reasonable rider. Nowadays they don’t want to see extra fees, period. I’ve found it better to get an idea of what we will need to rent and try to include rental fees in the band’s fee upfront. Give a little more wiggle room for negotiations as well.” Over the course of his career, Kempiak has rented P.A.’s, mixers, speakers, amps, keyboards, lighting systems, special effects––even fog machines and a van. But typically, he rents Peavey amps, EV speakers, Shure wireless mics and Denon mixers, which can range from $125 to $1,000, depending on whether he’s renting a given piece of gear for a one-off show, or for touring or the duration of a days-long festival. Additionally, Kempiak says he has rented amp sims for recording “with great results.” “I have a Fender G-Dec that makes for real easy recording with a USB output,” he adds. “I have tried using the G-Dec live, and it’s just not as easy to switch between tones as it is with pedals and a solid tube amp.” Kempiak also suggests that indie musicians pay a little extra for delivery and setup. “I have worked with [Second City Music in Chicago] for probably 20 years,” he says. “They deliver, set everything up, make sure it works, make sure we understand how it works, then come pick it up at the end of the night. That is totally worth the extra money to dish out.”

“I’ve found it better to get an idea of what we will need to rent and try to include rental fees in the band’s fee upfront.”

August 2014

musicconnection.com 41

specializes in gear rentals for audio recordings, Ladinsky is proud to say that his company was one of the first to commit to Pro Tools. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We could see the writing on the wall,â&#x20AC;? he says. What Ladinsky has found over the course of Pro Toolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lengthy dominance in the recording fieldâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been in vogue for about 10 years nowâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;is that once musicians realize they have a great recording system on their hands, they discover they want equally strong microphones, which are harder to come by. In fact, according to Ladinsky, a Telefunken ELA M 251E large-diaphragm tube condenser mic can run upward of $25,000. And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where a company like Design FX Audio comes in, helping musicians to fill in the gaps without breaking the bank. Ladinskyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s company charges only $150 for a daily rental of the aforementioned Telefunken, and charges only $125 for Neumann KM-54s, KM-56s, M-147s, M-149s, U-47s, M-49s, M-50s and U-67s; and Sony C-800 Gs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People want a good front-end coming into their digital recording system,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Especially for vocals, you want to get the best sound into the recording machine, as clean as possible. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to have a poor signal that you have to manipulate and fix.â&#x20AC;? Beyond tube microphones, Design FX Audioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other popular rentals include mic pre-amps, converters, virtual systems and reverb devices. Ladinskyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s company also rents out speakers and amps like Genelec 1030 6.5 inches, 1031A 8 inches and 1032 10 inches; KRK E8 8-inch Monitors, S12 Subwoofers and 15-inch threeways; and Yamaha NS10s, MSP10s, MSP5As and PC2002 Stereo Power Amp 240 watts.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Computer systems will continue to get more advanced, but to get quality sound, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t skimp on some things, like microphones.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Traci Bradford, Audio Rents â&#x20AC;&#x153;I only buy the things that people want to rent,â&#x20AC;? he explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The industry has gone through a lot of changes, but people are going to continue making records and will hopefully want to us the best stuff possible, so it sounds good in the future.â&#x20AC;?

Old Becomes New

Indie musicians who have already discovered the value of high-quality mics and other gear have likely found a common denominator across the rental items: Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re vintage. Traci Bradford of Audio Rentsâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;as the largest and oldest pro audio equipment rental house in Hollywood, specializing in recording and post-production equipment, and offering 42 August 2014

musicconnection.com

audio-recording gear stretching back to the 1970sâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;says its most popular rental is the Neumann U87A. It can cost about $3,000 to buy but only $50 to rent per day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Computer systems will continue to get more advanced, but to get quality sound, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t skimp on some things, like microphones,â&#x20AC;? says Bradford, seconding Ladinskyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sentiments. As for mic preamps, Audio Rents customers tend to opt for the Avalon VT737sp, a Class A mic pre with EQ and compression that also costs $50 per day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you want to go higher-end, a lot of people are using the Neve 1073 [which runs $70 per day],â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has actual modules taken out of an old mixing console from a recording studio and put into a powering supply. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s super-duper vintage.â&#x20AC;? Bradford adds that Audio Rents is also delving into audio interfaces, into which musicians plug mics or guitars that feed into their computer. However, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not renting out as many effects boxes, which have tapered off due to computer plug-ins, she notes. While LAFX Recording Services hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been around as long as Audio Rents, the closely held 15-year-old company prides itself on having stuck with analog gear in the early 2000s while its competitors overindulged on digital equipment that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stand the test of time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Younger artists are wowed by the vintageness of tube microphones and tape machines,â&#x20AC;? says owner Anne Vicari. Lex Marasek, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rentals manager, says artists continue turning to mics that are vintage because â&#x20AC;&#x153;it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get any better. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s some places where technology has hit a break wall. Pro Tools gigs like hard drive converters have gotten very good, but what hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t caught up is some of the original Neumann mics that demand a high price tag.â&#x20AC;?

Hitting The Road

While indie musicians in the studio may be going into the wayback machine in search of the best quality microphones, those hitting the road have their sights firmly set on the future. With road expenses like van rentals, gas and setup becoming ever more costly, artists are looking for smallersize gear. Enter the in-ear monitor, which is quickly replacing traditional, large monitors. John Hoik, back line manager at Third Encoreâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;which offers back line rentals, cartage and a storage facility, in addition to five fully equipped studiosâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; says that, in the touring world, gear is going digital and becoming smaller, lighter and more affordable. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s being phased out are actual physical wedges,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In-ear monitors are easier to travel with and are becoming more affordable. Five or six years ago, only Michael

Jackson and Justin Timberlake could afford them, but now everyone can.â&#x20AC;? Beyond in-ear monitors, digital boards are also shrinking in size, getting so small that musicians can bring them on airplanes as carryon luggage, Hoik says.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;In-ear monitors are easier to travel with and are becoming more affordable. Five or six years ago, only Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake could afford them, but now everyone can.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; John Hoik, Third Encore Drummers who perform live can use playback systemsâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;often in the form of laptops with digital interfacesâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;for tracks that require instruments that canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be re-created live, sending the feed to the front of the venue, according to Hoik. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There might be a certain synth pad sound going on in the chorus of a track that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want a keyboardist to play, so youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d play along to a click track instead,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Artists canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always afford to take four singers on tour to sing backup on one song.â&#x20AC;? Baker Lee, audio production coordinator of Studio Instrument Rentals US (which calls itself the biggest and best-equipped full-service music equipment rental and production facility in the industry), says that powered speakers have become popular across the board among touring artists, having taken off in use starting about five years ago. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With powered speakers,â&#x20AC;? Lee explains, â&#x20AC;&#x153;[Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s] no need for power ampsâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;plug and play.â&#x20AC;? While they can come in various sizes and capabilities, and can be used in a line array for live shows or for a studio as monitors, he points to the Behrenger X32 consoleâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;which costs about $2,300â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;as being one of the more inexpensive options. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The consoles are not as large as some of the analog and also all the outboard gear is built into the console, making it so an engineer can mix without external racks,â&#x20AC;? Lee adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sure if things are more affordable now, but one can certainly get more for their money.â&#x20AC;? Contacts For This Article r%FTJHO '9 (BSZ -BEJOTLZ EGYBVEJP DPN r"VEJP 3FOUT 5SBDJ #SBEGPSE BVEJPSFOUT DPN r-"'9 JOGP!MBGY DPN MBGY DPN r4*3 'SFE 3PTF TJSMB DPN r 5IJSE &ODPSF SEFODPSF DPN 818-753-0148

Gear Talk with LIKE GEAR AT A CONCERT,

Rami Jaffeeâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;one of rockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s go-to keyboard sidemanâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;can often fly under the radar. But his contributions are as numerous as they are impressive. Jaffee playing the Hammond B3 organ on the Wallflowersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; self-titled debut in 1992, regularly records and tours with Foo Fighters, and has also lent his talents to Pearl Jam, Pete Yorn, Soul Asylum, Stone Sour, Joseph Arthur and Coheed and Cambria. To boot, the keyboardist co-owns Fonogenic Studiosâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;a recording studio and performance space in Van Nuys, CAâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;with musician Ran Pink. With more than 30 years of experience tickling the keys in both studio and live formats, Jaffee spilled about his favorite pieces of gear and imparted some gear-rental advice for budding indie artists.

Rami Jaffee

of various vintage. Lately, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve popped out so much playing with random side projects (After School Special, Jonny Kaplan & the Lazy Stars, etc.), and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll pop a Nord Electro into a Quilter amp and make some great noises. Â r 8IJDI QJFDFT EP ZPV SFOU BOE XIJDI EP ZPV PXO 8IZ EP ZPV DIPPTF POF PS UIF PUIFS I own most everything I play, but if I have a session at Henson Recording Studios and their Hammond is fired up, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m game to play it.

r $BO ZPV UBML B CJU BCPVU XIZ ZPV GBWPS FBDI PG UIPTF QJFDFTmmXIBU UIFZ CSJOH UP ZPVS TPVOE XIBU QSBDUJDBM BEWBOUBHFT UIFZ IBWF FUD I favor classic instruments mainly in their purer forms. I feel that with older gear I get r 8IBU UZQFT PG HFBS BOE CBDLMJOF FRVJQNFOU a certain â&#x20AC;&#x153;helpâ&#x20AC;? from their imperfections that people XPVME ZPV SFDPNNFOE SFOUJOH PS CVZJOH really seem to connect GPS VQ BOE DPNJOH BSUJTUT XIP EPO U IBWF B with. But just the same, if MPU PG NPOFZ UP TQBSF PS BSF MPPLJOH GPS UIF I have some new gadget NPTU DPOWFOJFOU PQUJPOT Guitar Center Nord-type Great question!!! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve mentioned new thing, I can manipulate it keyboards that kinda rock and even new pro using my memory of the audio gear by boutique companies, BUT these vintage sound of the real pieces are definitely not cheap! Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so deals. Just have to use much cool stuff that is very reasonable in price your ears and have a damn and amazing sounding like Audio-Technica good imagination. microphones (Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been using mine for two Â decades on drums and keys and vocals ... r 8IJDI QJFDFT IBWF ZPV VTFE super affordable and badass), the Microkorg UISPVHIPVU ZPVS DBSFFS BOE XIJDI is not even $500 and it smokes fat ass synth BSF OFX BEEJUJPOT 8IZ IBWF ZPV IFME PO sounds like its elders. Apogee makes super affordable recorders like the duet or the one and UP TPNF BOE CSPVHIU JO PUIFST The Hammond B3 organ launched my career it sounds incredible. I mean, press-the-soft-limitand will never go away. It always teaches me and-turn-that-shit-up incredible! things that inspire me to play every day. This doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t close me off of trying new keyboards, r 8IBU TQFDJĂ D QJFDFT PG HFBS BOE especially with amazing boards out all the CBDLMJOF FRVJQNFOUmmGPS CPUI UPVSJOH BOE time, like the Microkorg, the whole line of Moog SFDPSEJOHmmEP ZPV VTF GPS FBDI NVTJD and even new Oberheim stuff. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve even been QSPKFDU GPS XIJDI ZPV QFSGPSN messing around with the new Buchla stuff. Fun. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a wide wall of keyboards weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Â talking about, but you will almost always see r 8IBU USFOET IBWF ZPV OPUJDFE BNPOH a Hammond B3 organ and a Leslie speaker ZPVS GSJFOET JO UFSNT PG HFBS 'PS FYBNQMF hanging around. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s become my favorite toy, BSF ZPV BOE PUIFS NVTJDJBOT USBOTJUJPOJOH but touring with the new Mellotron M4000D has UP XJSFMFTT JO FBS NPOJUPSJOH TZTUFNT BOE been a highlight out with the Foos. NJDT BOE TNBMMFS CPBSET In the studio, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m open to all things that Trends are strange these days. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s make people smile ... everything from an old always some smaller newer something that is Marxophone to a Stylophone I bought from very musical and easy to carry or set up, but Urban Outfitters, but mostly organs and pianos

most of my loaded peers seem to hang on the original recipe stuff because they can afford it. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m the same way. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made so much loot playing these damn things, I almost feel like I owe that gear to keep it nice and healthy at any cost. Obviously, to the up-and-coming musician, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s killer to be able to grab a small Nord and have pretty great organs, electric/acoustic pianos, clavs and some grindy amp knobs to have at your fingertips in a minuteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time! r 5BML BCPVU BOBMPH WFSTVT EJHJUBM %P ZPV QSFGFS POF PS UIF PUIFS HFOFSBMMZ PS GPS TQFDJĂ D UZQFT PG HFBS BOE CBDLMJOF FRVJQNFOU Funny question, because I really started to master the digital world by using plug-ins side by side with their analog counterparts and really finding settings that were warm and right on. It just takes a tiny bit of time and using your ears to get something magical, especially if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been lucky to have had a career in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;90s when it was ONLY analog, so youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d know what warmth actually is. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been blessed to play and record with people like the Foos who are in a mad tape/analog revival. So again, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m around so much warm analog action that when I get to my Apogee converters and have some compressor plug-in up, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only a matter of a few seconds of twiddling that I hear something spot-on to goodness.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so much cool stuff that is very reasonable in price and amazing sounding.â&#x20AC;?

r %P ZPV TFF BOBMPH HFBS BOE PS FRVJQNFOU FWFOUVBMMZ CFJOH QIBTFE PVU DPNQMFUFMZ Analog is having such a nice comeback right now, I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say goodbye just yet. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure modern companies are not happy, because unfortunately the world is moving more and more into smaller and disposable gear. The patents are out. If there continues to be purists for the analog movement, they will keep those vintage pieces alive as well as boutique companies making great new analog gear. Contact amanda@abc-pr.com August 2014

musicconnection.com 43

SESAC

hile Performance Rights Organization SESAC has been around for over 80 years, its venture into songwriting royalties has been unique. Founded as a way for European publishers to receive royalties in America, the company didn’t begin accepting songwriter contracts until 1970. Over the years it has progressed from Contemporary Christian formats, to R&B, hip-hop, country, to now handling all genres including film/TV composers. In this exclusive interview, Music Connection sat down with SESAC’s Senior VP, Writer/Publisher Relations, Trevor Gale, to discuss the importance of PRO education, the differences between the three major PROs and why SESAC chooses to remain a smaller PRO (36,000+ members) unlike its American competitors (who average over 600,000 members). Note: Before joining SESAC, Gale was a prominent producer, songwriter, drummer (Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Run DMC). Music Connection: According to Sesac.com, the PRO focuses on advanced technology for its songwriters. Trevor Gale: Yes. We pride ourselves in pushing [innovation] as a goal. We have a few projects that we are soon to unveil which will demonstrate those goals. We’ve tracked with [Broadcast Data Systems] for many years and

44 August 2014

musicconnection.com

“We want everybody who delivers music to be a success.” 6

we were early [adopters of] direct deposit. We’re working really hard to stay ahead of the curve. In the meantime we are in the garage tinkering and throwing wrenches over our shoulders on some innovative new things that we will soon unveil. We do a lot of things to make life easy for our clients/writers. They can register their songs online, handle e-applications, direct deposits, etcetera. MC: Doesn’t SESAC also offer monthly payouts, versus the quarterly norm? Gale: Songwriters can opt-in for monthly payments if their songs are radio based. Some of our writers still prefer the quarterly system, [so we have both]. We’ll be rolling that out across all formats soon. Currently it’s just for our writers in radio activity (whether it be pop songs, R&B, country, etc.) and not so much our television writers. MC: What differentiates SESAC from other PROs? Gale: We pay faster than ASCAP and BMI. At the worst it’s one quarter [earlier]. We strive to make our payouts a little bit [higher as well]. We can’t be the smallest of the three American rights organizations and pay less. So we endeavor every day to make sure that we’re paying a little bit more. We also pride ourselves in the ability to give a lot more personalized attention. When it

comes to knowing what my writers sound like, get to their shows, etcetera, I think we trump ASCAP and BMI on that. You are able to get somebody on the phone more readily here. MC: Is it free for a songwriter to join SESAC? Gale: Yes it is. Traditionally we’ve had the stipulation that we either need to hear your music or are recommended. That’s helped us keep our exclusivity, so to speak. We don’t keep the exclusivity to [turn off songwriters], we try to keep the level of writers that we work with at a certain height. We want writers who are very serious about what they’re doing and are professionally minded about their craft. That’s what keeps us able to give personalized attention to feature them in our publications, on our websites and be in touch with them. MC: Do different PROs offer higher payouts for varying genres? Gale: I can’t really say because the rates are consistently moving around. But in a very large general sense, SESAC endeavors to pay better than ASCAP and BMI. We actually end up, in many instances across many different genres/formats, paying better. Even though the percentage we collect may be smaller, because of the size of clientele we represent, we are able to do a pretty decent job at providing an adequate payout. Of course, every once in a while ASCAP

– ANDY MESECHER

1) John Mullins; Jason Ingram; Tim Fink; and Trevor Gale at the 2013 SESAC Christian Music Awards 2) Trevor Gale with artist/songwriter Charli XCX who was named Songwriter of the Year at SESAC’s 18th Annual Pop Music Awards. Charli XCX also won Song of the Year honors for “I Love It” 3) Trevor Gale; publishing executive Jon Platt; and Dennis Lord 4) James Leach; Bryan-Michael Cox; and Trevor Gale at SESAC’s 2014 Pre-Grammy Brunch 5) Juli Newton Griffith; Dustin Lynch; and Shannan Hatch at SESAC’s 4th Annual ACM Awards after party 6) Swizz Beatz; Michelle Williams; and Rico Love at SESAC’s 2013 Pop Awards 7) SESAC executives James Leach and Trevor Gale (far left) and Linda Lorence Critelli on the SESAC Pop Music Awards red carpet with American Authors, who were on hand at the awards to perform their huge hit, “Best Day Of My Life.” The song has dominated the airwaves and has been featured in advertisements (Lowe’s, Toyota) and in feature-film trailers (Delivery Man, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty)

rates may change a little bit and they’re paying more than we are in a certain genre, or it moves for BMI in a certain genre. But we have a very mindful finance department who are looking to make sure we are always competitive with respect to payouts. I couldn’t say to you, “Yes, in country music we pay 10 times more,” but I know across the board our payments are extremely competitive with BMI/ASCAP. We couldn’t stay in business for 80+ years if we were not doing that. MC: Who should attend SESAC’s yearly Bootcamp? Gale: All writers who are seeking to improve their knowledge base of this ever-shifting industry should attend Bootcamp. A Dr. Luke—even though we don’t represent Dr. Luke—could get away with skipping it (laughs). But if you’re working to be on a similar level, Bootcamp is a great thing. It is a full course of education and information that we cram into one day. We cover things like music publishing, film/TV music, songwriter advice (including spiritual advice not just direct songwriting advice). It is a great platform from beginners all the way to advanced writers. MC: What is SESAC EDU? Gale: We put together some materials for educators across the country [to inform students about PROs]. We believe that a

professional songwriter might be in his/her late 20s, but they didn’t start that way. They began probably as a teenager or younger and that knowledge/information/education on how things work is very important. I talk to songwriters every single day, and every time a new songwriter comes to me, they tell me a version of the truth about the business that is somehow or another warped. “I can just sing this song and because I sang it, it is copyrighted, right?”….“NO!” So we have put a premium on educating young people from an early stage in their career where they are really still trying to figure it all out. We want to make sure that even if they go to ASCAP or BMI, we want them to understand how the business works. … The educated songwriters are the best songwriters: They understand what to do, how the money flows, etcetera. It makes their lives and our lives better and easier. MC: Specifically with your personal musical history, how does that play a role in what you do with SESAC? Gale: I am honored and thankful that God has given me the chance and opportunity to make music and participate in the music business before I got to SESAC as a creative person. It’s helped me so much in understanding who songwriters are as people. In our line of work, the commodity is people. The product that we

represent is songs, but they come directly from people. The people hold them dear. I thank God I have the ability to understand who they are as people and what they’ve been through in order to share those great songs/ emotional masterpieces with the world. Being able to look at it from that perspective and not just, “Yes, what percentage of the song did you write? Okay we’ll get your check in an hour and a half, blah blah blah.” That’s all important and key, but the first thing is to understand that this is their life that you’re dealing with and talking about. MC: Creative people don’t necessarily trust people with suits on, traditionally. Gale: “The suits.” It’s important for [songwriters] to get the feeling that this person from SESAC knows what I’m talking about and understands what I’ve gone through to get these two songs on Adele’s new album. I think [songwriters] actually get that and respect it, which makes them more comfortable entrusting their music, their lives, their careers with that company. Sometimes you hear a song and you think this artist came out of nowhere and made a hit record. But this person has lived at the YMCA, on an ex-bf’s couch, got thrown out of their house because their father hated music––it’s a lot to know, what went into creating that music. Contact SWilliams@SESAC.com August 2014

musicconnection.com 45 45

– ANDY KAUFMANN

Building a Label from the Ground Up Jake Round of Pure Noise Records

ake Round was a high school teacher before befriending someone who knew the label manager at Fat Wreck Chords. Since the legendary punk indie was his “hero” label, he flipped when they offered him an internship. He subsequently expanded his resume by working at Rise Records and helping out on multiple Warped Tours, in addition to accepting a job with AMP Magazine, all of which he did while playing in his own bands. When Round decided to break out on his own, the natural choice was to become a

their business remains technically separate from the label. While open to signing new bands, Round isn’t necessarily looking. Having grown up in the scene he’s now part of professionally, he’s naturally aware of any acts worth investigating. “Looking to sign bands is sort of like looking to find a girlfriend,” he theorizes. “It’s not really the way to do it.” What he’s looking for, more than anything, is good songs and a willingness to work hard. Once those things are in place, he’s willing to overlook a lot of shortcomings.

service, accommodating his particular specialty of mid-sized punk artists. “If you’re a band that fits that niche, I can serve your needs really well,” he proffers. “We’re a small company and we’re flexible, so if a band is really particular about one thing or another I’m happy to accommodate that, within reason.” At the same time, with the group Story So Far he’s proven his ability to handle a catalog that has sold nearly 100,000 records. When asked whether he would ever sell the label, Round responds it is unlikely. The

“Looking to sign bands is sort of like looking to find a girlfriend. It’s not really the way to do it.”

booking agent for himself and his friends. That incarnation of Pure Noise never took off, but when his friends in No Bragging Rights started complaining about their label, a new possibility emerged. “I was sort of helping them, because I’d made some contacts working at the magazine,” explains Round. “I said, well, what if I put the record out?” Borrowing money from his mother to fund their recording, the label’s inaugural release came out in March 2009. Their second album, a split 7-in. featuring Transit and Man Overboard, reached listeners that December. The recordings sold well and the roster expanded to include noisy hit makers like Handguns, Reggie & the Full Effect and My Iron Lung. The label’s robust profits necessitated the recent hiring of their first employee. To save money, Round shares an office with the graphic design buddies he has on retainer for album artwork, even though 46 August 2014

musicconnection.com

“In the early development stages, you have to be willing to tour five or six months a year,” instructs the label’s President. “And then once it starts to crank, you’ve got to be willing to do it nine or 10 months a year. Not everybody’s willing to be on the road that much. It’s a conversation I have with every young band I sign.” Artists who wish to submit material should do so via their website. Round signs artists to what he calls, “Standard non-rip-off deals.” For the time being, he doesn’t take any publishing and typically utilizes two-album contracts. “Two records is a reasonable commitment for everyone involved. If at the end of that point any party’s not happy, we don’t have to do business together.” Round is proud of the fact that, until now, not a single artist has left. “I don’t expect that to last forever,” he reasons. Pure Noise has thrived, he believes, because the label is able to provide boutique

label is, after all, a family affair. “The Story So Far kids I met playing in bands. I’ve known them for six or seven years, before the label even started. They live 15 minutes from me. The guys who do art for me play in one of my bands. And my mother’s my accountant. It would take a pretty ideal situation for me to consider giving up control.” He’s also seen what happens when indies are sold to majors, citing Alkaline Trio as an example of a group that got shortchanged. In the meantime, the label is now between two and three times larger than it was just a year ago. “If I could have the kind of year I had last year every year, even if it didn’t get any bigger, that would be a damn nice life. I’m very grateful to all the people who’ve supported the label over the last five years,” he humbly concedes. “That’s sort of what doing this stuff is about.” Visit http://purenoise.net/contact

– ROB PUTNAM

Nils

Jazz Gems: The Best of Nils

Baja/TSR Records Producer: Nils

Jeffrey Halford & The Healers

Rainmaker

Anyone who doesn’t “get” the smooth urban jazz genre would be wise to open their musical sensibilities to the infectious charms of German born guitarist Nils, whose tight in the pocket grooves, instantly hummable melodies and crisp, fluid electric lines have been the source of numerous radio hits over the last decade. Jazz Gems is a comprehensive look back on all his chart hits, which includes his 2005 breakthrough “Pacific Coast Highway” and a retro soul-blues twist on Toto’s “Georgy Porgy.” Nils was also inspired to keep his legacy going with the snappy “After The Storm.” This set could easily be retitled “The Best of Contemporary Jazz 2005-2014.” – Jonathan Widran

Shoeless Records Producers: Bruce Kaphan, Jeffrey Halford, Paul Olguin Each song plays like a scene from a movie. The tunes are vivid takes on love, relationships and the human condition. Halford is the writer and has a rich, emotive voice that is an uncanny blend of Petty, Dylan, Knopfler, Robertson, Cooder and the like. From the southwestern landscapes depicted in “Rainmaker,” the love rekindled in “Thunderbird Motel,” to the S.F. street scenes of “North Beach,” the poetic guitarist and his crew deliver the goods with a well-crafted fusion of blues, country, folk and rock. A distinctive Americana sound that is equally fresh and familiar. – Eric A. Harabadian

il sogno del marinaio

Nightmare and the Cat

clenchedwrench Records Producer: il sogno del marinaio

Capitol Records Producer: Eric Valentine

Here we find American jazzpunk legend, bassist Mike Watt, doing what he does best, “jamming econo” in a trio format. This is ‘il sogno del marinao’ (‘The Sailor’s Dream)’s second release, and Watt teams up with Italianos Andrea Belfi on drums and Stefano Pilla on guitar, to playfully explore the musical area between solid groove and the avant-garde, with occasional vocal “spielin’” by Watt. The overall musical canvas is not quite as dissonant as some of his previous work, and sometimes even recalls post-punk ensembles such as Slint or Tortoise. It’s always interesting, though, and in a live setting should be fantastic. – David Arnson

Nightmare and the Cat’s debut full-length Simple is a delicious romp through an indierock wonderland. Intertwined with the slight taste of pop catchiness is a hint of danger in some of the darker lyrics, which creates a delightful amalgamation of sound. There are several standout tracks, ranging from the ritualistic sounding “Traditions,” to the moody “X’s On Your Eyes,” to the upbeat “Mae” that—when combined with tracks pulled from their previous two EPs—take listeners on a ride through the band’s growth. It isn’t just a great introduction to the quintet, but also a glimpse at just how far they’re going to go. – Victoria Patneaude

Darkest Hour

Andy Grammer

8 – Dave Pensado Simple canto secondo “Where else are you going to get8to ask Chris Lord-Alge or Leslie Ann Jones a direct question?”

Darkest Hour

Magazines Or Novels

Sumerian Records Producer: Taylor Larson

S-Curve Records Producers: Various

While most thrash outfits don’t survive seven full-length releases, Darkest Hour have done it in stride. But with aging members comes an evolution through new partnerships––which is a sugar-coated way of saying that the band’s team-up with producer Taylor Larson (Periphery) for their eighth release may have been questionable. The “clean-vocals” are soothing to hardcore/hybrid fans, but jarring to the DH faithful—personally, I don’t mind. But naysayers shall fear not as “The Great Oppressor,” “Lost for Life” and “Hypatia Rising” include the moshing material needed for future circle pits. – Andy Mesecher

Singer/songwriter Andy Grammer follows his successful 2011 debut with a batch of playfully rolling, foot-stompingly infectious anthems, including “Back Home,” where he celebrates his roots with a booming production and high energy backing vocals. The production of Jon Levine, Jon Bellion and others puts Grammer into the modern pop-rock realm with a bang, but his mix of whimsical and incisive lyrics and knack for writing singalong melodies might make one fantasize the deeper emotions he might plumb were these musical magazines and novels a bit more acoustic oriented. – Jonathan Widran

Hurray for the Riff Raff

DragonForce

Small Town Heroes

ATO Records Producer: Alynda Lee Segarra

This is what happens when a teenage Puerto Rican punk from the Bronx runs away from home and rides the rails until she lands in New Orleans and starts making albums. Throwback folk at its finest—Alynda Lee Segarra’s easy-going, alto vocal brings sweetness with a serraded edge a la Fiona Apple. The simple lyrics expertly tap into the universal, whether it’s musings on unexpected brushes with human mortality “Crash on the Highway” or a murder ballad gone feminist protest song (“The Body Electric”). Watch out for the killer metrical shifts on “End of the Line.” Mighty fine. – Ted Jamison

Maximum Overload

Metal Blade Records Producer: Jens Bogren DragonForce’s swing for the fences with the help of producer Jens Bogren (Opeth, Devin Townsend) pushing the band to greater glory. These tightly orchestrated wizards of chaos hit the ground running at 100mph and never let up. The hyperactive guitars of Herman Li and Sam Totman rip, roll, careen, and harmonize to create a caffeine-fueled rollercoaster ride of Nintendo metal. The band gets vocal assistance from Matt Heafy of Trivium on “The Game,” “No More,” and “Defenders” to great affect—while the shameless rape and pillaging of “Ring Of Fire” fails awesomely. – Oscar Jordan

To be considered for review in the Album Reviews section, you must have a record deal with a major label or an independent label with an established distributor. If you do not, please see our New Music Critiques section. August 2014

musicconnection.com 47

The Silent Scene

Dominic Gaudious

Contact: general.manager@thesilent scene.com Web: thesilentscene.com Seeking: Label, Booking, Distr., Film/TV Style: Pop-Rock, Pop

Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship

9 8 8 9 8

7 8 8 9 8

9 7 7 8 8

These NY-based peachfuzzed popsters and their savvy producer serve up tunes that are expertly rendered to please pop radio. The hooky “Collecting Hearts,” with its artful blend of pop-rock, R&B and edm, is nothing if not radio-ready. “Skyscraper” and “Heartbeat” are songs that extend the formula and add edm bridges whose killer impact will get the girls dancing. Again, the commercial shine of these tunes couldn’t be more calculated––or expert. The performances are all here, too, amounting to a sort of edgy One Direction. Any label looking for a polished recording act with radio-play potential would do well to check these guys out.

Contact: dominicgaudious@gmail.com Web: dominicgaudious.net Seeking: Film/TV, Booking Style: Eclectic/World

Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship

9 7 8 8 9

This project, the Dominic Gaudious Didgeridoo Experience, finds the composer/ guitarist backed by super sessioneers like bassist Tony Levin and guitarist Stu Hamm on a slew of mostly instro ditties suffused with that most exotic of windpipes, the didgeridoo. “All Aboard” invites us along on this passion project, which mixes in sitar for added flavor. “Wild Man” puffs along with some Mid-East vapors as the players shift gears on a dime, dishing out dazzling solos. Vocalist Michelle Amato is a welcome presence on “Italy to France,” whose Euro-metal overtones allow for harmonized guitar histrionics. Though not for everyone, Gaudious’ didg’-fueled album is certainly a break from the tired routine.

The Honorable South

Zach Caruso

Contact: thehonorablesouthmgmt@ gmail.com Web: thehonorablesouth.com Seeking: Label, Booking, Film/TV Style: Electric Soul, Rock

Contact: zach@zachcaruso.com Web: zachcaruso.com Seeking: Booking, Label, Mgmt, Film/TV Style: Blues-Rock

We’re taken by this New Orleans act fronted by the fetching Charm Taylor. With its Iggy-meets-Black-Eyed-Peas-meets-EDM algorithm, “Overdue” has a stance that’s a tight fit for today’s pop world. It’s a stoner “hands-in-the-air” song filled with cool sonic touches and lots of vocal tracks laced with sexy guitar. “Bye Bye” is a slinky reggae-fueled track with a Lily Allen vocal lilt. “Champagne” is a put-down song as Taylor lashes out at wasteful, well-heeled dance-club schmucks. We sense this is very much a band, a complete organic unit, as opposed to a singer with support. While the material so far is rock solid, we feel the band has not written its hit single yet.

Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship

7 7 8 8 9

Caruso’s brand of modern blues-rock is chick-friendly, mainly due to his popcentric voice. His guitar chops will lure the guys like free beer. Add in the support of alluring singer Alicen Ragonese and you have a potent cocktail. On “Rusty Cage” her entrance really adds urgency as Caruso’s sinewy, groove-heavy lick catches the ear. His guitar soars and sears on “Might Be The Rain” and his agile bassist is also a fun standout. We like how Ragonese is allowed to take the mic front and center. Upbeat blues-rocker “Nobody Knows My Name” is a dead-ringer for Fleetwood Mac. Does Caruso want to be a chick magnet or a guitar hero? That is the question that even John Mayer hasn’t quite answered yet.

Chamberlain Tripp

Ice Cold Glory

Contact: funhousemusic@SBCglobal.net Web: chamberlaintripp.com Seeking: Label, Booking, Film/TV, Distrib. Style: Western Soul, Rock, Blues, Soul, Roots Americana

Contact: icecoldglory@gmail.com Web: icecoldglory.com Seeking: Label, Radio, Touring, Film/TV, Distribution Style: Rock/Metal

Recorded live in studio––“old-school to Pro Tools”––this expert outfit brings a full complement of sounds, conjugating the verb “to blues-rock” with a sound that varies nicely from tune to tune, thanks to a rotation of lead vocalists. “Look Around” leans to the pop spectrum; “Party Girls” delivers a deeper vocal growl and a tasty sax; the breathy, Dylanesque “Oh Little Darlin’,” with its harmonica and piano, covers the gospel-folk-blues angle nicely. A seasoned group of players, each is allowed to chime in with relaxed, in-the-pocket precision. All of it is captured by clean, spacious production that convinces the listener that this act could easily entertain any crowd for hours.

A riffy Tulsa power trio, ICG bring prodigious musicianship to the table. As good as guitarist Will Oglesbee is, drummer David Pilgrim’s precision is relentless. Meanwhile, singer/bassist Kenny Lee Jr. emits an acidic aggression at the mic. Songs such as (the unfortunately muffled) “Lost In Translation” (about a meth’d up street urchin), “Unstoppable Force” with its alluring breakdown; and the catchy, Metallica/Alice In Chains hybrid “Paradise” are good enough to fill a bar with fervid fans. There are some good riffs and licks here but the material needs to get even better. And always check your sites’ mp3s, guys—make sure they sound bright and clear for industry ears.

Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship

7 8 7 8 9

Music Connection’s executive committee rates recorded music on a scale of 1 to 10. Number 1 represents the lowest possible score, 10 represents the highest possible score. A final score of 6 denotes a solid, competent artist. For more information, see Submission Guidelines on next the page. 48 August 2014

musicconnection.com

Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship

7 8 8 8 7

7 7 8 7 8

6 7 7 8 7

Blee

Julian Rhine

Contact: info@bleeworld.com Web: bleeworld.com Seeking: Film/TV, Bookings Style: Hip-Hop

Contact: julian.m.rhine@gmail.com Web: JulianRhine.com Seeking: Booking Style: Hip-Hop/Rap

Is this a passion project by a mature man with hard-won wisdom to share? That’s our hunch as Blee’s determinedly upbeat message has churchy overtones, a sincere message to avoid the nonsense of life. “Feeling Like A King” has a heavenly beat, a chanted hook that is a statement of purpose, an optimism in the face of darkness. Perhaps an octave change could add interest here? The similar “Something For the Pain” deploys stately strings in contrast to hip-hop’s usual urgency. Most distinctive is “Top of the Morning” where the artist’s Utopian vision is seasoned with a medieval trumpet fanfare and a reggae structure. Blee’s work is utterly lacking in street edge. And that seems to be quite a’ight with him.

Not sure why this artist depicts himself as a rap/hip-hop artist. In fact, he shows remarkable versatility that goes beyond. The ambitious outing “No God Flow” alternates Rhine’s dark, late ‘90s Rage Against the Machine vocal rant with angelic female backups that yield impressive results. Primarily a pop and rock song, “Better Than The Gun” has a lyric intensity and a surge or synths that grabbed and kept our interest. The artist whipsaws us onto the dancefloor with the clubby, 4/4 “Chive On,” a song that pushes all the bootyshake buttons for a ride on the K-pop bandwagon. As an artist looking for live bookings, this Brooklyn act will need to convince that his stylistic versatility will be able to keep a diverse crowd enrapt.

Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship

7 8 8 8 7

Betty Moon

Shiny Shiny Black

Contact: evolvermusicinc@gmail.com Web: facebook.com/bettymoonmusic Seeking: Publishing, Booking, Film/TV Style: Alt/Ambient/Soul

Contact: amber@shinyshinyblack.com Web: shinyshinyblack.com Seeking: Booking, Film/TV Style: Americana, Roots, Indie Rock

We quite like this artist’s vision; it’s her execution that falls short. “Valentine” with its soulful vocal and jangly guitar is a wistful, downcast number whose soothing “Ooooo’s” have a seductive appeal and a string section that provides a featherbed of luxurious sound. Problem is that Moon’s lead vocal is buried by it all and it reduces her to a bystander in her own movie. The problem persists on her other tracks, like “Amourphous” and “Ladder.” Both songs conjure an uber-moody vibe that we like, but the poor sound mix causes the tracks (seemingly purchased from beatmakers) to upstage her lead vocals. We advise this artist to hook up with an engineer who can correct this crippling issue.

We’re somewhat split on the merits of this stripped-down Northern Indiana triad whose raw-boned guitar riffage didn’t prepare us for the smooth lead vocals of Nathan Butler. Some of us felt it was a serious stylistic mismatch. Informed by vintage garage-rock forebears, songs like “Look Me In The Eye” and “Love Kill” have a sludgy, twangy, guitar-bass-drums engine pushing a decent hook. “Six Shooter” with its snarling six-day-stubble guitars and overall scratchy texture is an example of how Butler misses an opportunity to deliver much more vocal spleen that he does. While we dig the no-frills, stripped-to-theprimer character of this band, there’s still some work to be done.

Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship

7 8 8 7 7

Melissa Moshé

Girl Friday

Contact: Mele128@hotmail.com Web: melissamoshe.bandcamp.com Seeking: Film/TV Style: Indie Folk-Rock

Contact: princessexiled1.jmsc@gmail.com Web: https://plus.google.com/ 106484436361464178953/about Seeking: Mgmt, Label Style: Alternative

Recordings that simply capture an earnest keyboard-based singer/songwriter and her backups performing straightforward coffeehouse fare might garner serious interest from film/TV folks––but not if, like these, they are demo quality. Still, the pure tonality of this performer’s singing voice is quite appealing and is a sturdy starting point for her to develop an overall product. Her best song, we agree, is the catchy “Anything But This” whose slide-guitar twang lends a warm Americana glow. “Green & Blue” and “A Simple Life,” meanwhile, strike us as textbook coffeehouse tunes whose lyrics are perhaps too literal for a voice whose tone seems to promise something more oblique and poetic.

Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship

6 6 7 7 7

Artist Julie Chilelli’s Girl Friday project yields tunes that are altogether dark and spacey—her own brand of psychedelic synth-pop. The artist’s persona is like a mysterious sorceress who exists in a swirl of galactic synthesizers. Each song, however, is hampered by poor sound quality that undercuts her vision. We urge her to add variety to “Take A Ride,” “Here In LA,” and “Now My Future”; though they feature some decently funky propulsion, each is over-reliant on a retro-spacy, synthetic “whale-cry” effect. Perhaps, considering the similar feel of these songs, Chilelli would do well to create a musical-theatrical project.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: There is absolutely no charge for a New Music Critique. We critique recordings that have yet to connect with a label or distributor. To be considered please go to http://musicconnection.com/get-reviewed. All submissions are randomly selected and reviewed by committee. August 2014

musicconnection.com 49

Paddy Reilly’s

New York, NY

Contact: w3pr@yahoo.com Web: https://facebook.com/ WhiskeyoftheDamned The Players: Eoin McCarthy, guitars, lead vocals; Matt Schuetz, bass; Brian Link, accordion; Andrew Weber, drums.

Musicianship: Lead singer and the band’s main songwriter, Eoin McCarthy has been at it since early childhood. As a teenager he toured with his father, where he received some guitar guidance from no other than Van Morrison. McCarthy plays ambitious lead guitar solos and has a strong and steady voice. Schuetz throws in some intriguing bass lines while Weber’s flamboyant drum wizardry extends

Pehrspace

WHISKEY OF THE DAMNED to utilizing other props (a beer keg) during the set to alter the sound and the visual. The addition of Link on accordion further tweaks the band’s sound. Performance: Unphased by a lengthy technical glitch, the band took the stage unapologetically ready to deliver. They relished the spotlight and knew how to bask in it, changing up their staging at various points throughout the set. Though they operated relentlessly on all cylinders, at times you longed for a respite, maybe a ballad or two. Relief came in the form of an interlude with drummer Weber doing a few acoustic numbers on guitar no less. But frenetic, energy-laden treatments seem to be the

AMY KNACK

Material: Irish-inspired music is at the heart of this venue’s music scene, but its reach extends into many sub-genres like country, blues and rock. Enter Whiskey of the Damned. Billed as Celtic rock, they vacillate between hard rock and modern punk with a nod to their Irish roots. Thematically, the lyrics lean toward the darker side and are sometimes hard to decipher due to the fast pace of the songs. Most of the repertoire moves at fever pitch in almost manic fashion. “Another Day Dead” opens with a melodic bass line with a “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”-like arrangement, setting it apart from some of the other more straightforward rock tempos. Then there is “Thumpkeg,” their twist on a song about drinking with an underlying bluegrass vibe and a confessional lyric “Listen up. I know I probably drink too much.”

band’s usual fare and the venue, with its high-spirited party-like atmosphere, was an appropriate choice. Summary: Good-natured rebellion is at the center of Whiskey of the Damned’s music, offset by plenty of audience-friendly stage antics. They give a committed performance; however, given this group’s musical abilities, adding a few more ballads would better balance the set and showcase more of the band’s dimension. They have shared the stage with artists like the Wallflowers, the Doobie Brothers as well as McCarthy’s early mentor, Van Morrison, and are currently touring in support of their new release Monsters Are Real. – Ellen Woloshin

Los Angeles, CA

Material: “Love So Fine” starts the set as a vast, expansive tune with guitar and a droning dulcimer. Its simple chord changes give the audience an accessible grasp on the sounds to come. “Chasing Ghosts” follows—a tune that could be a single with an ear-sticking chorus juxtaposed with ominous verses, featuring lines like, “These constant shadows tightening their grasp, won’t they let me rest?” Their penultimate song, The Smith’s “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” pleases the crowd while the final “Beneath the Shadow of the King” rocks a keen mandolin solo. Musicianship: Steps of Doe put their surest feet (or hooves?) forward in their multi-instrumentalism and vocal integrity. Throughout the set, Falck and Batti efficiently switch between guitar, banjo, mandolin and dulcimer, offering a wide range of textures. While emphasizing folk sensibilities, the duo shy away from raucous, blue-grassy shredding, favoring melodic assuredness in their solos. Batti brings with her a DIY looking pedal board, adding distortion and delay to her mandolin! Who does that!? It’s awesome. Vocal harmonies are pure and clear as glass. Falck’s soprano has a musical theater edge, 50 August 2014

musicconnection.com

STEPS OF DOE nicely complementing Batti’s smoldering alto. Despite the lack of monitors and the slightly muffled microphone/PA system, the duo remain in tune and in control. Performance: Steps of Doe approach the performance space as well-rehearsed musicians who care about their sound. They replace contrived between-song banter with spartan, assured silence—glances at tuners, the swift shrug of traded straps— sacrificed only for brief moments of bashful social media plugs and jokingly scolding the audience for “snapping instead of clapping.”

JON SIMON

Contact: stepsofdoe@gmail.com Web: http://facebook.com/stepsofdoe The Players: Molly Falck, vocals, dulcimer, guitar, banjo; Keena Batti, vocals, guitar, mandolin.

Their persona is comfortable and inviting, never awkward…unless it’s on purpose. Summary: The key to Steps of Doe is that they bring truly original sound. Their old-school vibe harkens back to the age of ‘60s folk acts in Greenwich Village, while their open fifth and parallel octave harmonies reach even further back into almost medieval, troubadour territory. At the same time, their lyrics and distortion pedals frequently snap the listener back into the present tense. The marketability factor is high with this group, so keep an ear out for their upcoming release. – Ted Jamison

JON MULLANE

The Viper Room

West Hollywood, CA

Contact: info@jonmullane.com Web: http://jonmullane.com The Players: Jon Mullane, vocals, guitar; Peter Dolomont, lead electric, acoustic guitar; Drew Allsbrook, bass; Tim Spier, drums. Material: Canadian artist John Mullane covers the pop-rock genre’s spectrum with strong songs comparable to the heavier Bon Jovi on “Sin City” and the mellower Aerosmith on “Any Other Way.” The style of verse is consistent and catchy. This includes what is arguably the most radio

Whisky A Go Go

KERSTIN ALM

music can be outright fun on several rock numbers similar to Van Halen and even Oasis, enough so that they make you want to hear violins in the composition. Allsbrook really locks in with the band, contributing lovely melody lines and selective input from his fivestringer. Mullane’s vocal is somewhere on the cusp of Bryan Adams and David Lee Roth. He plays guitar on most of the songs but does take to vocal only on numbers like “Got It Goin’ On.” Dolomont and Allsbrook harmonize throughout to add a layer of vocal depth to these songs.

friendly of the set, “My New American Girl.” The cadence is immediately captivating: “She’s the fire/She’s desire/She’s the news of the world. A perfect smile/and a little wild/there’s nobody like her.” The catchphrase “So bad she’s good for me” and even “I’m gonna make you move” from the song “Sin City” is indicative of a strong ability to write a good hook. “The One That Got Away” and “Any Other Way” are reflective and romantic heartbreak ballads adding a change of pace to the set. Musicianship: The band is adept at breakdowns, transitions and timing and Spier can knock out a powerful chorus. Melodically the

Performance: The show started half an hour past what was advertised but once the band got going they had a strong introduction with a video montage for the opening of “Sin City.” The band was very personable toward the crowd. Dolomont transitioned throughout the set with frequent instrumental segues. The band did appear to be having some difficulties with playback or monitor issues at times. Similarly, the vocals were frequently lost in a mix that seemed to be too bass heavy. Guitar chords were nearly non-existent until echoing at the finales. The reverb boost on the vocals for the ballads, however, worked well. Summary: This band has the knack for rock and is a good fit for placements like “Make You Move,” which was featured by NBC during the Beijing Olympics. For the latest sample of what Mullane is working on, check out his new single “Any Other Way” from his album Shine. – Brooke Trout

West Hollywood, CA

Contact: tom@fixtpublicity.com Web: http://sixdaystilsunday.com The Players: Starlin Cross, vocals; Eric Griffin, guitar; Devlin 9, drums; Malice, bass.

Musicianship: Like most metal bands, Six Days ‘Til Sunday pack their songs with bonerattling drums, distorted bass and screaming guitar licks, but they seem to possess more stage presence than musical skill. Cross’ angst ridden vocals fit the vibe, but sometimes lose the strength needed to power through the chaos. Devlin 9’s double pedal dominates the overall structure of the songs, but his timing sometimes falls short. Malice and Griffin complete the pandemonium with grimy bass lines and typical guitar solos. All in all, this band is a metal machine that needs a little maintenance.

confidence. Cross, Griffin and Malice made good use of the stage, jumping on top of the monitors for dramatic effect. While there wasn’t anything extraordinary about their set, the fact that they never lost a fraction of energy made up for it. In the end, Six Days ‘Til Sunday brought in a pretty solid crowd that seemed to really enjoy the show.

Performance: Equipped with fog machines and lights, this group hit the stage, oozing

Summary: Metal might thrive on layers of decibels, but there is still a need for solid

ALLEGRA AZZOPARDI

Material: Los Angeles-based Six Days ‘Til Sunday plant themselves between Marilyn Manson and Avenged Sevenfold with a blend of goth rock and heavy metal. Their dark lyrics and layers of deafening sound are not something to be taken lightly. With songs titled “Disease” and “A Bullet for Your Thoughts,” this band stomps over any warm and fuzzy feelings that stand in their way. While nothing in particular differentiates Six Days ‘Til Sunday from others in these genres, they do get by with a couple of catchy hooks that have potential to reel in a solid fan base.

SIX DAYS 'TIL SUNDAY structure beneath the mayhem. Six Days ‘Til Sunday have the look, the instruments and the stage presence down; they just need to fine-tune their musical foundation. Playing more dates at the clubs that line the infamous Sunset Strip might be all this band needs to tighten their act. – Allegra Azzopardi

August 2014

musicconnection.com

The Satellite

Los Angeles, CA

Material: Taylor Locke and his musically dexterous backing band walk the line between toned-down, mellow rock and dirty, sexy rock & roll. The songs, while painted with a melodic, acoustic backdrop, possess a raw cathartic energy. There is not one song in the set, however, that accurately characterizes Locke’s sound. “Burbank Woman,” a gentle, echoing track driven by a light 16th note beat, differs from the raspy “Call Me Kuchu,” which has a bluesy attitude. One commonality that unites the material is the theme of unrequited love, especially during the well-crafted choruses where Locke attacks the high melodies. Locke is certainly no stranger to songwriting. Songs like the powerful “Don’t Be a Stranger” build as they go and pack a healthy dose of raw energy. The frontman thrives and is most comfortable showcasing his rasp over the crunchy, distortion-filled material. Musicianship: Locke’s romantic vocals and confident guitar playing are commensurate with his ability to expertly craft songs. The backup singers never veer off pitch and enhance

The Satellite

VINCENT STEVENS

Contact: locketaylor@gmail.com Web: N/A The Players: Taylor Locke, vocals, lead guitar; Kyle Frederickson, guitars (lead, slide, rhythm), keyboards; Joseph Guese, bass, guitar; Benjamin Lecourt, drums, glockenspiel; Art Webb, keyboards; Shay Astar, backup vocals, percussion; Grace Kelly, backup vocals.

TAYLOR LOCKE Locke’s refined vocal tone. Webb creates a haunting ambiance, Guese assertively lays down his licks, and both Locke and Frederickson effortlessly strum tasty guitar riffs. Frederickson could, however, be more assertive with his solos. Lecourt, the man who hammers the skins, truly drives the band with tasteful fills. Performance: Taylor Locke and company confidently strode through a polished setlist that built like an orchestrated crescendo. Locke played musical ringleader, a la Jack White, and attacked his vocals. His vocal range declined toward the end of the set, however, and sounded tired and strained. Locke compensated with his energetic solos,

which were like fights he picked and won with his guitar. The rest of the band aided Locke in captivating the crowd, especially on “So Long,” where Lacourt busted out his flashy chops. Astar and Kelly never wavered on their complex harmonies and fueled the catchy choruses on “Don’t Be a Stranger” and “Time Stands Still.” By the finale, “Call Me Kuchu,” Locke had the audience in his clutches and closed the song in a hard-hitting, distortion-filled frenzy. Summary: Taylor Locke is back on the music scene with his self-titled band and they know how to lay it down with polish and confidence. Some further fine-tuning will only enhance the already strong material. – Vincent Stevens

Los Angeles, CA

Material: The fusion of rock and blues goes back generations, from classic artists like B.B. King and John Lee Hooker, to contemporary aficionados like the Black Keys. Falling somewhere in between those two pockets is the Record Company, a band with an old soul that harkens back to the pioneers of the genre, but whose sound still manages to be modern. Major radio airplay would seem to be in the band’s future, with alt-rock being the most likely format. Musicianship: As any passing fan can note, blues vocals lose their weight if someone dares to “mail it in.” Listeners must believe the singer has seen dark days, been through the storm, yet somehow survived. The Record Company is fortunate to have one of the best new voices in blues fronting their group, Chris Vos. He is their emotional leader, belting out lyrics while baring his soul. Bassist/guitarist Alex Stiff works in perfect harmony with Vos. At times he gives the frontman room to shine, while at others he takes over for a blistering solo. On drums, Marc Cazorla provides a steady backbeat, nimbly managing time changes. Each member plays multiple instruments, adding depth and gravitas to all of their tracks. Performance: As a capacity-crowd filled The Satellite, the excitement was palpable. The 52 August 2014

musicconnection.com

THE RECORD COMPANY fans’ enthusiasm would be rewarded from the moment the Record Company took the stage. The group displayed a swagger normally reserved for more seasoned acts. On “A Hard Day Coming Down” Vos’ voice commanded the room, while on “Baby I’m Broken” his harmonica cut like a knife. Later, a raucous crowd sang along to the soulful, driving sound of “Medicine Man.” Switching gears, “This Crooked City” toned things down. In a more smoker-friendly era, this mellow tune would have garnered lighters in the air, its chorus proclaiming, “If you need money, I swear I’ll steal millions, and take care of you my darling.” The party was soon ramped back up with “Feels So Good,” the title track from the band’s

new EP. Its infectious drum part (reminiscent of Iggy Pop’s “Lust For Life”) got the whole crowd dancing. The band closed their set with the blues classic, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” eliciting a sing-along and standing ovation from everyone in the room. Summary: Armed with power, passion and a penchant for great songwriting, the Record Company seem poised for mainstream success. Their sound is bluesy enough for Bourbon Street, but accessible enough for mainstream rockers. A summer tour will keep them busy until September, with a new EP available now; just the next step for one of the most promising young bands in recent memory. – Corey Irwin

COREY IRWIN

Contact: therecordcompanymusic@gmail.com Web: http://therecordcompany.net The Players: Chris Vos, vocals, guitars, lap steel, pedal steel, harmonica; Alex Stiff, bass, guitars, vocals; Marc Cazorla, drums, piano, vocals.

Annual Directory of

U.S. Rehearsal Studios

MC’s exclusive, expanded list of rehearsal studios will help you connect with a qualified facility––anywhere in the U.S.–– that’s a perfect fit for your band or project. All data has been updated for 2014 and verified by the listees. ALABAMA GUEST HOUSE STUDIOS, LLC 641 Mockingbird Ln. Eclectic, AL 36024 334-580-0155 E-mail: ghs@guesthousestudios.com Web: guesthousestudios.com Basic Rate: $50/hr min. 2 hr

ARIZONA MUSICIANS CHOICE REHEARSAL STUDIOS Hourly and Lockout 2155 E. University Dr. Ste. 101 Tempe, AZ 85281 480-96-MUSIC (8742) Web: musicianschoicestudios.com Basic Rate: Please call or email for more info. Additional locations: 3727 Robertson Blvd. Culver City, CA 310-836-8998 16200 Hawthorne Blvd. Lawndale, CA 310-214-0330 PERFECT TIMING ENTERTAINMENT 4113 N. Longview Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85014 623-206-5097 Web: www.perfecttimingentertainment.com Basic Rate: please call for info SCOTTSDALE STUDIOS 9525 E. Doubletree Ranch Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85258 480-767-3777 Web: www.scottsdalestudios.net Basic Rate: please call for info SER SOUNDWORKS 190 E. Corporate Pl., Ste. 3 Chandler, AZ 480-649-8074 E-mail: rockstar@sersoundworks.com Web: www.sersoundworks.com Basic Rate: please call for info

CALIFORNIA / NORTHERN ANNEX REHEARSAL STUDIOS 2554 Grant Ave. San Lorenzo, CA 94580 510-908-5126 E-mail: info@annexrehearsalstudios.com Web: www.annexrehearsalstudios.com Basic Rate: please call for info Additional location: 2254 American Ave. Hayward, CA 94546 510-908-5126 HOUSE OF HITS REHEARSAL STUDIOS 2751 Academy Way Sacramento, CA 916-923-2525 E-mail: hoh@rehearse.com Web: Facebook JACK LONDON REHEARSAL STUDIOS 632 2nd St. Oakland, CA 94607 510-759-8857 Web: www.jacklondonrehearsal.com LENNON REHEARSAL STUDIOS & MUSIC SERVICES 468 Ninth St. San Francisco, CA 94103 415-575-3636 Web: www.lennonstudios.com Contact: studio mgr. Basic Rate: please call for rates Special Services: Rooms for rent by the hour and by the month, centrally located MUSIC SPECTRUM 43 Bay St. San Rafael, CA 94901 415-459-2259 E-mail: john@musicspectrum.net Web: www.musicspectrum.net Basic Rate: $17/hour

RDM2 STUDIOS 6651 Brisa St. Livermore, CA 94550 925-443-7362 E-mail: info@rdm2studios.com Web: www.rdm2studios.com

Anaheim. All studios are fully air conditioned (with private a/c control) and include complimentary Wi-Fi. All buildings are one story for easy access and studios are constructed specifically for music production and rehearsal with multiple layers of drywall and soundboard. Band, Drum and Production rooms available!

REHEARSE AMERICA 8923 San Leandro St. Oakland, CA 94621 510-326-5881 510-569-7074 E-mail: oak@rehearse.com Web: www.rehearse.com Basic Rate: please call for info

ATWATER DELUXE REHEARSAL 2471 Fletcher Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90039 323-665-5800 E-mail: rehearse@atwaterdeluxe.com Web: www.atwaterdeluxe.com Basic Rate: starting at $17/hr

Additional location:

AWESOME AUDIO 5725 Cahuenga Blvd. N. Hollywood, CA 91601 818-753-7563 Fax 818-753-7963 Contact: James Basic Rate: call for rates

5749 88th St. Sacramento, CA 95628 916-381-4500 E-mail: srs@rehearse.com SHARK BITE STUDIOS 632 2nd St. Oakland, CA 94607 510-663-8346 E-mail: mail@sharkbitestudios.com Web: www.sharkbitestudios.com Basic Rate: please call for info

CALIFORNIA / SOUTHERN 7EVEN STUDIOS 1793 E. 28th St. Signal Hill, CA 90755 562-988-7771 E-mail: info@7evenstudios.com Web: www.7evenstudios.com Basic Rate: please call for info ABC REHEARSAL STUDIOS 2575 San Fernando Rd. Los Angeles, CA 90065 323-874-2408 E-mail: pmcinla@gmail.com Web: www.abcrehearsals.com Contact: Argel Cota, onsite manager Basic Rate: please call for information and specials Rooms: Over 50 studios, onsite parking, monthly rentals only. High-quality durable walls. Services: onsite manager Clients: signed and unsigned bands Additional location: 7413-7415 Varna Ave. N. Hollywood, CA 91605 323-874-2408 E-mail: pmcinla@gmail.com Web: www.abcrehearsals.com Contact: Chris Pendleton, on-site mgr.

BEDROCKLA (Rehearse, Rent, Record, Relax) 1623 Allesandro St. Los Angeles, CA 90026 213-673-1473 Web: www.bedrockla.com Basic Rate: call for rates Services: Fully backlined/air conditioned hourly rehearsal studios, monthly lock out rehearsal studios, retail store, backline/event rentals/ cartage, full recording studios, 5.1 surround mix studio, guitar, bass, & drum repair, amp/ electronics repair, event/film location BLACK DIAMOND STUDIOS 401 N. San Fernando Rd. Los Angeles, CA 90031 424-835-1087 E-mail: info@blackdstudios.com Web: www.blackdstudios.com Basic Rate: please call for info Services: Fully secured professional 12 large lockout studios.

ALLEY MUSIC STUDIOS 5066 Lankershim Blvd. N. Hollywood, CA 91601 818-980-9122 Contact: Shiloh Web: www.Alleymusicstudios.com Basic Rate: please call for info ALMOST HOLDEN COLLECTIVE 2821 Ocean Park Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405 424-238-8881 E-mail: almostholdencollective@gmail.com Web: www.almostholden.com Basic Rate: please call for info AMP REHEARSAL 5259 Lankershim Blvd., Unit B N. Hollywood, CA 91601 818-761-2670 E-mail: owners@amprehearsal.com Web: www.amprehearsal.com Services: First all-inclusive rehearsal and recording studio Basic Rate: $15-30/hour ANNEX STUDIOS / THIRD ENCORE 7 Valley Locations, 1 Anaheim 818-753-0148, Cell 310-924-4516 Contact: Wynnsan Moore / Colin Mulholland E-mail: colin@3rdencore.com Web: www.3rdencore.com Services: Third Encore’s Annex Studios are 205 Premium 24hr Monthly Lockout studios located in 8 buildings in NoHo, North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys and

C O M P I L E D

BOMB SHELTER REHEARSAL STUDIOS 7580 Garden Grove Blvd. Westminster, CA 92683 714-240-7345 E-mail: britt@bombshelterrehearsal.com Web: www.bombshelterrehearsal.com Contact: Britt Trace Basic Rate: call or see website Rooms: 6, including a large Showcase Room with stage, sound and lights. All rooms have a P.A. system. Rooms are set up to your preference, let us know what you need. Equipment: Mackie, QSC, Sonor, Audix, Ampeg, Marshall, B-52, Yorkville, Traynor, Pro Tools, Trident, Universal Audio, Rode, etc. Services: Rehearsal rooms, recording and audio production, voiceover, editing, overdubs, jingles, radio, sequencing and midi, location recording, record your rehearsal, guitar repair and maintenance, CD duplication and graphic design, CD mastering, free wifi, music lessons

B Y

CASCADE STUDIOS 6611 Santa Monica Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90038 323-461-3800 Web: www.cascadestudios.com Basic Rate: please call for info Services: A professional rehearsal studio complex located in the heart of Hollywood. Cascade Studios offers 12 premium hourly rehearsal studios with sizes ranging from 10’ x 15’ to 35’ x 45’. All hourly rehearsal studios are air-conditioned, fully-equipped with a complete backline. We have studios ranging in size and hourly rates to meet various needs of small local bands and touring musicians alike. Advance reservations are not required, however, it is highly recommended up to 2 days in advance for evening hours after 5 p.m. daily. Cascade Studios offers full range of backline equipment rentals from top manufacturers. A full (printable) equipment & price list will be available online very soon. CENTERSTAGING 3407 Winona Ave. Burbank, CA 91504 818-559-4333 Fax 818-848-4016 E-mail: info@centerstaging.com Web: www.centerstaging.com

D E N I S E

Contact: Brent Basic Rate: call for rates60 CIDE SHOW REHEARSAL STUDIOS 18205 S. Broadway Gardena, CA 90248 310-324-4056 E-mail: info@cideshow.com Contact: Sherman Basic Rate: $10/hr Services: Lockout Bldg and Rehearsal CREATIVE MUSIC ROOMS 4935 McConnell Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90066 424-835-0501 E-mail: info@creativemusicrooms.com Web: http://creativemusicrooms.com/Index.aspx Basic Rate: call for rates Services: 24-hour access, 365 days/year. DD MUSIC COMPLEX 11123 Burbank Blvd. N. Hollywood, CA 818-762-3737, 818-693-3700 Web: www.ddmusiccomplex.com Contact: Pat Ashby D.O’B. SOUND 8531 Wellsford Pl., Ste. I Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 562-464-9456 E-mail: dobsound20@yahoo.com Contact: Larry Ramirez, Derek O’Brien Web: www.dobsound.net; www.facebook.com/DOB.SoundStudios Basic Rate: Rehearsal Rates from $20 per hour, recording $45 per hour. Call for block rates Services: Full recording, mixing and mastering studio, video production, 5 fully equipped rehearsal rooms and guitar repair shop. DOWNTOWN REHEARSAL 1000 S. Santa Fe Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90021 213-627-8863 Fax 213-614-8633 Contact: Mike Basic Rate: please call for info Rooms: Sizes ranging from 12’x19’ to 22’x24’. 12’ ceiling. All studios have ceiling fans, carpeting and phone jacks. Studios are secure, private & clean. Clients: Numerous label and unsigned bands. Services: We have 62 studios at Santa Fe location and 212 at 7th Street location. Additional location: 2155 E. 7th St. Los Angeles, CA 90021 323-263-2561 Contact: Chris ELECTRIC JUNGLE PRODUCTIONS Fullerton, CA 714-738-6271 Basic Rate: $195 to $1000 30-day lockout Rooms: Call for more information ELEVATED AUDIO 14677 & 14651 & 14661 Aetna St. Van Nuys, 91411 818-909-9029 E-mail: elevatedaudio@gmail.com Web: www.elevatedaudio.com Contact: Fran Basic Rate: $19/22 per hr. EXPOSITION REHEARSAL & RECORDING STUDIOS 9214 Exposition Blvd. W. Los Angeles, CA 90034 310-287-1236 E-mail: contact@expositionstudios.com Web: Expositionstudios.com Studio Specs: 6 rooms ranging from 14x16 to 28x15. Rates: Ranging from $22/hr to $25/hr. FK STUDIOS 2640 South Myrtle Ave. Complex A-11 Monrovia, CA 91016 626-600-2045 E-mail: KyleGarcia@fkstudios.com Web: fkstudios.com Rates: call for rates

C O S O August 2014

musicconnection.com

Annual Directory of Rehearsal Studios FRANCISCO STUDIOS 4440 District Blvd. Vernon, CA 90058 323-589-7028 E-mail: francisco.studios@yahoo.com Web: Franciscostudios.com Contact: Ray Basic Rate: call for monthly or hourly rates Rooms: Over 100 Monthly Lockouts, private parking, Free Wi-Fi, Freight elevator, 24-hour Video Surveillance, 5 miles from downtown L.A., A/C Services: monthly lockout hourly, recording, guitar and drum lessons; free wifi. Additional locations: Phoenix, AZ (4 locations) 602-229-1250 Contact: Zach 125 E Pennington St. Tucson, AZ85701 520-300-1116 Contact: Frank 6100 E. 39th Ave. Denver, CO 80207 303-320-8440 E-mail: franciscostudiosdenver@gmail.com Contact: Kreston GEMINI STUDIOS 714-545-2289 Fax 714-545-2276 Web: www.geministudios.com Basic Rate: $625 for 200 sq. ft.; $555 for 150 sq. ft.; $475 for 100 sq. ft. Services: Gemini Studios has been serving Orange County musicians, performers and bands since 2001. We offer clean and affordable 24-lockout rehearsal studios located in central OC. We have two locations all close together and we are dedicated to providing the best private monthly music studios available. Check out our website, which allows you to reserve your studio online or get on the waiting list. Whether you’re a solo musician looking for a spot to jam or a band needing a practice/rehearsal studio of your own or to share, Gemini has the studio solution to fit your needs. Practice Well. Clients: Sameer Gadhia//Young the Giant, Dustin, Teppei, Eddie, Riley//Thrice, Chris//

Saosin, Brandon Saller//Atreyu, Steve//The Color Turning, Greg Martz//Alpha Hotel, Seven Year Itch GLENDALE STUDIOS 1239 South Glendale Ave. Glendale, CA 90248 818-550-6000 E-mail: info@glendalestudios.com Web: www.glendalestudios.com GROOVE WORKS STUDIOS 1446 W. 178th St. Gardena, CA 90248 310-403-5104 E-mail: info@grooveworksstudios.com Web: www.grooveworksstudios.com Basic Rate: $35. hr. Services: small, medium and large specially designed for live sound GUITAR CENTER STUDIOS 6400 Owensmouth Ave. Woodland Hills, CA 91367 818-883-4GCS E-mail: info@gcstudios.com Web: http://woodlandhills.gcstudios.com THE HIT JOINT 2380 Glendale Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90039 323-666-7625 E-mail: chris@thehitjoint.com Web: www.thehitjoint.com Basic Rate: call for rates HOLLOWAY PRODUCTIONS 9541 Santa Fe Springs Rd. Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 562-941-5949 E-mail: hollowayproductions@gmail.com Web: www.myspace.com/hollowayproductions Contact: Edward Holloway Basic Rate: $16/ $18 an hour Services: Seven rehearsal studios: Drums, 2 half-stack guitar amps, Bass amps, PA system and 4 mics in every room. Clients: Walt Disney, Poncho Sanchez, Johnny Polanco, Jose Rizo Jazz on the Latin Side Allstars HOTHOUSE REHEARSAL STUDIOS 11823 Slauson Ave., Unit 41

Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 562-945-1300 E-mail: richard@hothousestudios.com Web: www.hothousestudios.com Contact: Richard Morales Basic Rate: $12-$20/hr. Room Specs: Studio A 20’ x 28’ Studio B 16’ x 16’ Studio C 16’ x 16’ Studio M 17’ x 21’ Auditorium 20’ x 31’. All acoustically designed. Special Services: Video prod. and recording capabilities, live video streaming, website promotions, ground level parking in front and back, cater to special events. Equipment: Each Studio: 2 Marshall half stacks, Ampeg bass rig, Pacific DW maple drum kit with cymbals, concert grade PA system with microphones and stands, power amps, mixing boards, keyboard amps. IMPERIAL SQUARE MUSIC STUDIOS 12631 E. Imperial Highway, Ste. C125 Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 562-868-8928 Web: www.imperialsquaremusicstudios.com INTERNATIONAL CITY STUDIOS 3260 Industry Dr. Signal Hill, CA 90755 562-494-6100 E-mail: booking@internationalcitystudios.com Web: www.internationalcitystudios.com Basic Rate: call for rates JACO STUDIOS 7825 Industry Dr. Pico Rivera, CA 90660 562-328-3615 E-mail: jacomusicstudios.@gmail.com Basic Rate: call for rates JC SOUND STAGES 6670 Lexington Ave. Hollywood, CA 90038 323-467-7870 E-mail: jcinhollywood@hotmail.com Web: www.jcsoundstages.com Contact: JC Basic Rate: $200/300/480/day. see website for local unsigned band rates KOOS REHEARSAL STUDIOS 1300 S. Beacon St., Ste. 101

• 21,000 SQ FT FACILITY W/ LOADING DOCK, 30 CAR PARKING & BUS BAY • 2 STAGES: 2000 & 1250 SQ FT W/ PRIVATE BATHS, DRESSING ROOMS & PRODUCTION OFFICES • 2 REHEARSAL ROOMS: 600 SQ FT W/ WOOD DANCE FLOOR & 400 SQ. FT • RECORDING STUDIOS W/ NEVE/API CONSOLES, DIGITAL AND ANALOG RECORDERS • 7 PRIVATE WRITING STUDIOS FOR “PRODUCERS IN RESIDENCE” • FULL RENTAL DEPARTMENT: AUDIO,BACKLINE,STAGING & EVENT PRODUCTION • PRIVATE OFFICES FOR MUSIC MINDED BUSINESSES • COFFEE HOUSE/DINING & BAR ADJACENT TO THE FACILITY 54 August 2014

musicconnection.com

SUMMER ‘14 REHEARSALS EVENT PRODUCTION RENTALS RECORDING

San Pedro, CA 90731 310-765-9022, 888-360-KOOS E-mail: studios@koos.org Web: www.bandrehearsalstudios.com Basic Rate: $50 - $75 per day LA REHEARSAL MUSIC STUDIOS 5327 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026 323-871-1676 E-mail: larehearsal@gmail.com Web: www.larehearsal.net Contact: Brent Becker Basic Rate: $20/40/hr MATES REHEARSAL & CARTAGE 5412 Cleon Ave. N. Hollywood, CA 91601 818-762-2661 E-mail: robertbrunner@matesinc.com Web: Matesinc.com Contact: Bob Brunner Basic Rate: please call for info Rooms: Studio A & B 28x25 (stages 28x16) soundstage 50x60 (stage 50x24) monitor specs. Available upon request. Private bathrooms, lounge, easy load-in, plenty of parking. Also new soundstage, 41x23 private lounge, production office, bathroom. Very private, isolated location. Services: cartage, worldwide freight, rentals Equipment: List available upon request. MDM MUSIC REHEARSAL STUDIOS 4524 Brazil St., Ste. B Los Angeles, CA 818-241-5015 Fax 818-241-5017 Contact: Arbin or Robert E-mail: info@mdmmusicstudios.com Web: www.mdmmusicstudios.com Basic Rate: call for rates Services: Upscale rehearsal studios with a full backline. Great acoustics, no feedback MUSICIANS CHOICE REHEARSAL STUDIOS - HOURLY 3727 Robertson Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232 310-836-8998 Web: musicianschoicestudios.com Basic Rate: Please call for more information

SWNG.HS.ATX NEXT LEVEL SH*T SWINGHOUSE.COM

Download at www.musicconnection.com/industry-contacts MUSICIANS CHOICE REHEARSAL STUDIOS - HOURLY 16200 Hawthorne Blvd. Ste. A Lawndale, CA 90260 310-214-0330 E-mail: shovelhead66@hotmail.com Web: musicianschoicestudios.com MUSICIANS CHOICE LOCKOUT STUDIOS - MONTHLY Lemona Ave. Van Nuys, CA 310-836-8998 Fax 310-836-8932 E-mail: shovelhead66@hotmail.com Web: musicianschoicestudios.com Basic Rate: Please call or email for more info. Additional locations: West L.A., Hollywood, LAX/Westchester MUSICIANS PERFORMANCE STUDIOS, INC. 9650 Ninth St. Ste. C Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 909-944-0100 Fax 909-944-0116 Contact: Keith Jones E-mail: info@musiciansps.com Web: www.musiciansps.com Basic Rate: $8-22/hr two hr/min. Services: Full Line Store, Equipment Storage/ Rentals, Recording, Video Recording, Guitar, Bass, & Drum Repair and Custom Building, We Offer Repairs on all Electronics NIGHTINGALE LOCKOUT STUDIOS - N. HOLLYWOOD 10623 Magnolia Blvd. N. Hollywood, CA 91601 818-562-6660 E-mail: nightingalesound@sbcglobal.net Web: www.nightingalestudios.com Contact: Mike Basic Rate: Monthly Rates only Rooms: 8 studio lockouts, clean, acoustically designed, about 400-500 sq. ft., central A/C. You will get your money’s worth. Only Monthly lockouts Services: we can supply drums, guitar and bass rigs, storage, and only the best P.A.s. Just tell us what you need! Clients: too many to list

NIGHTINGALE STUDIOS - BURBANK 156 W. Providencia Ave. Burbank, CA 91502 818-562-6660 Fax 818-562-1932 E-mail: info@nightingalestudios.com Web: www.nightingalestudios.com Contact: Mike or Jay Basic Rate: $18/$45/hr. Rooms: 33 studio rooms. Video screening studio with 12’ x 7’ HD projector and screen. Most studios linked into central recording control room allowing convenient rehearsal and recording capabilities from your studio. Acoustically designed fully equipped studios from 100 sq. ft. up to 800 sq. ft. We have monthly lockouts, drum rooms, affordable showcase stage, weekly, and daily arrangements. We provide top security, and a clean “vibey” atmosphere. You will get your money’s worth! Hourly and Monthly Lockouts. Services: Full Pro Tools rig with very qualified engineer for live and session recordings, Community Showcases, we rent guitar and bass rigs, P.A. systems, and storage. Just tell us what you need! Equipment: PA systems have all been recently updated with new state of the art QSC, Spectr Audio, Yamaha, and Electrovoice equipment. What sounded great before, is now off the charts Clients: too many to list

562-695-4500 E-mail: info@purerockstudio.com Web: purerockstudio.com Basic Rate: please call for rates

PASADENA REHEARSAL STUDIOS 2016 N. Lincoln Ave. Pasadena, CA 91103 626-296-0310 E-mail: alan@pasadenarehearsal.com Web: www.pasadenarehearsal.com Contact: Alan Dyer Basic Rate: $18-24

2510 S. Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90007

PM STUDIOS 3311 Winona Ave. Burbank, CA 91504 310-213-8584 Contact: Patrick Web: http://pmrehearsalstudios.com Basic Rate: please call for info PRODUCTION COMPANY MASTERING, RECORDING & REHEARSAL STUDIO 2647 Pacific Park Dr. Whittier, CA 90601

PURE ROCK STUDIOS 673 Valley Dr. Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310-379-6477 E-mail: rockzionrecords@hotmail.com Web: www.rockzion.com/productionco.html Basic Rate: please call for rates R2 STUDIOS 13143 Saticoy St. N. Hollywood, CA 91605 818-255-5502 E-mail: r2studios@sbcglobal.net Web: http://www.r2studios.net Contact: R2 Studios Basic Rate: monthly lockouts ROYAL REHEARSAL 2609 S. Hill St. Los Angeles, CA 90007 213-342-1176 E-mail: royalrehearsal@gmail.com Web: www.royalrehearsal.com Basic Rate: please call for rates Additional location:

RP STUDIOS, INC. 5716 Cahuenga Blvd. N. Hollywood, CA 91606 818-859-0090 Web: https://www.facebook.com/ RPSTUDIOSINC Basic Rate: Please call, monthly lockout SOUNDBITE STUDIOS 1975 Riverside Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90039 323-666-1609 Fax 323-666-2104 E-mail: service@soundbitela.com Web: www.soundbitela.com Basic Rate: call for rates SOUNDCHECK STUDIOS 11736 Vose St.

N. Hollywood, CA 91605 818-823-8774, 323-627-5766 E-mail: info@soundcheckstudios.net Web: www.soundcheckstudios.net Contact: David Lee Basic Rate: call for rates SOUND MATRIX STUDIOS 18060 Newhope St. Fountain Valley, CA 92708 714-437-9585 Fax 714-437-9877 E-mail: info@soundmatrix.com Web: www.soundmatrix.com Contact: Chris Whiting Basic Rate: see website for rates SOUND STREET STUDIOS 7025 Canby Ave. Reseda, CA 91335 818-609-9972 E-mail: info@soundstreetstudios.com Web: www.soundstreetstudios.com Basic Rate: $13 - $28/hr. STAGE ONE 23092 Terra Dr. Laguna Hills, CA 92653 949-367-9693 E-mail: questions@stageonestudios.com Web: www.stageonestudios.com Contact: studio mgr. Basic Rate: please call for rates STUDIO INSTRUMENT RENTALS (S.I.R.) 6465 Sunset Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028 323-957-5460 Fax 323-461-7120 E-mail: lainfo@sir-usa.com Web: www.sirla.com Contact: Fred Rose or Joey Yarmoluk Rooms: All rooms come complete with 8 mixes of EAW monitor systems and stereo sidefills, Soundcraft SM-12 consoles, new consoles all Midas, Crest Amplification and Shure mics. Lighting available upon request. Room sizes vary from 27’x36’ to an 80’x50’ show stage. All rooms come with stage and air conditioning. Services: Showcases for major labels, event services, etc. Equipment: Backline, audio, lighting / drum rentals.

THIRD ENCORE -ÌÕ` ÃU-Ì À>}iU,i Ì> ÃU >ÀÌ>}i xÊ*Ài iÀÊ,i i>ÀÃ> Ê-ÌÕ` ÃÊ ÀÊ/ ÕÀ }Ê > `Ã >V iÊ,i Ì> U *À Û>ÌiÊ-Ì À>}iÊ V iÀÃ

200 + PREMIUM 24-7 LOCKOUT STUDIOS In 8 Valley and Orange County Locations Triple Dry Wall Construction s High Ceilings s A/C in Each Studio #LEAN "ATHROOMS s 7I&I s 3AFE 3ECURE s !MPLE 0ARKING 4(%3% !2% 425% 02/ 15!,)49

SERVING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY SINCE 1987

n£n®ÊÇxÎ ä£{nÊUÊ >ÝÊn£n®ÊÇxÎ ä£x£ NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA WWW.3RDENCORE.COM August 2014

musicconnection.com

Annual Directory of Rehearsal Studios SWING HOUSE REHEARSAL, RECORDING, RENTALS & CARTAGE Atwater Village, CA 323-850-4990 E-mail: info@swinghouse.com Web: www.swinghouse.com Contact: Melanie Barker Basic Rate: see website THAT BRITISH PLACE 1551 16th St., Unit B Santa Monica, CA 90404 310-880-7941 Contact: Gaz and Zoe Jones E-mail: info@thatbritishplace.com Web: www.thatbritishplace.com THIRD ENCORE 10917 Vanowen St. N. Hollywood, CA 91605 818-753-0148 Fax 818-753-0151 E-mail: help@3rdencore.com Web: www.3rdencore.com Contact: John Hoik Rooms: 6 air conditioned studios from 900-2,400sq. ft., each including a private production office and full monitoring P.A. Fullservice, professional facility. Quiet, safe, clean and very private. Great parking. Daily, weekly or monthly lockout rates available. Services: Full instrument and backline rental, featuring large selection of all major brands including Mesa Boogie, Yamaha, DW, Roland, Tama, Orange, Vox, Sabian, Zildjian, Ampeg, Korg and Marshall gear. Private storage lockers, cartage services. Equipment: All rooms come with Adamson / Lab Gruppen monitoring system. Digico, Avid, Yamaha, Midas consoles available. THUD STUDIOS 5430 Vineland N. Hollywood, CA 91601 818-378-8162 Web: www.thudstudios.com Contact: Jeff Abercrombie Services: 24 lockout facilities T.K. PRODUCTIONS - FULLERTON 1129 E. Elm Ave. Fullerton, CA 92831 714-680-3036 E-mail: tkprod1@aol.com

56 August 2014

musicconnection.com

Web: www.tkprod.net Contact: Mike Basic Rate: $325-$700/month Additional locations: T.K. Productions - West L.A. 1939 Pontius Ave. W. Los Angeles, CA 90025 310-876-9666 E-mail: tkprod1@aol.com Web: www.tkprod.net Contact: Boom Basic Rate: $325-$1500/month T.K. Productions - Ocean County 714-680-3036 E-mail: tkprod1@aol.com Web: www.tkprod.net Contact: Mike Basic Rate: $350-$660/month T.K. Productions - N. Hollywood Sherman Way & Laurel Canyon 310-876-9666 E-mail: tkprod1@aol.com Web: www.tkprod.net Contact: Rick “Boom” Steel Basic Rate: $290-$750/month T.K. Productions - Las Vegas 3311 Meade Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89102 702-303-4094 E-mail: tkprod1@aol.com Web: www.tkprod.net Contact: Jimi Russell Basic Rate: $325-$700/month TRU-ONE RECORDS & REHEARSALS 2100 E. Howell Ave., Ste. 208 Anaheim, CA 92806 714-634-4678 E-mail: truonerecords@aol.com Web: www.truonerecords.com Contact: staff Basic Rate: $16-$20/hr. Fully equipped rehearsal rooms Friday/Saturday & Sunday book 2 hours get 3rd hour free (any room) Live Rehearsal Demo for only $25. UNCLE REHEARSAL STUDIOS 6028 Kester Ave.

Van Nuys, CA 91411 818-989-5614 E-mail: uncleesca@sbcglobal.net Web: www.unclestudios.com Contact: Scott Walton Basic Rate: please call for info URBAN AUDIO STUDIOS 3210 Central Ave., Ste. 5 Duarte, CA 626-301-0221 E-mail: urbanaudio@earthlink.net Web: www.urbanaudio.bz Basic Rate: $30/hr. 3 hr.min VALLEY CENTER STUDIOS 5928 Van Nuys Blvd. Van Nuys, CA 91401 818-989-0866 E-mail: info@valleycenterstudios.com Web: www.valleycenterstudios.com Contact: Siavash Basic Rate: call or see Web WEST L.A. STUDIO SERVICES 2033 Pontius Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90025 310-478-7917 Fax 310-479-5961 E-mail: ricky@westlastudios.com Web: www.westlastudios.com Contact: Any W. L.A. staff Basic Rate: P.A. only: $19-$23/hr. Fully Equipped: $13.00-$26.00hr. Rooms: 7 rooms, AC, newly refurbished from $10-21/hr. including P.A. and mics. Add full backline for $5.00/ hr. more in any room Services: Rehearsal, rentals, sales, repair, advice, laundry, BBQ’s, and the best coffee anywhere. Equipment: Mackie, JBL, Crowne, EV, Bagend, Fender, Behringer, Yamaha, GK, Mesa Boogie, etc. Clients: We respect the privacy of all of our clients. For over 19 years of serving our clients, many of who are now our friends. We have a friendly and helpful staff whose number one goal is to create an environment that nurtures your musical creativity.

COLORADO COLORADO REHEARSAL STUDIOS 2200 Larimer St. Denver, CO 80205

720-956-0148 Web: www.coloradorehearsalstudios.com Basic Rate: $150-420/month Services: 24 hour availability; monthly rentals DOG HOUSE MUSIC 525 Courtney Way Lafayette, CO 80026 303-664-1600 E-mail: contact@doghousemusic.com Web: www.doghousemusic.com Basic Rate: From $45/hour for equipped studios; $400-450/month for empty studio lease EREBUS MUSIC Denver, CO Web: www.erebusmusic.com SOUNDSTRUCTURE STUDIOS 3131 Walnut St. Denver, CO 80205 303-291-0602 E-mail: jam@soundstructure.com Web: www.soundstructure.com Contact: Sam Basic Rate: please call for further information

CONNECTICUT CARRIAGE HOUSE STUDIOS 119 West Hill Rd. Stamford, CT 06902 203-358-0065 E-mail: johnny@carriagehousemusic.com Web: www.carriagehousemusic.com Basic Rate: please call for info RVP STUDIOS 221 Bull Hill Ln. West Haven, CT 203-934-7579 Contact: Gabrielle Raucci, Studio Mgr. E-mail: gabrielle.rvpstudios@gmail.com Web: www.rvpstudios.com THE STUDIOS AT 55 55 Colony St Meriden, CT. 06451 203-687-9354 E-mail: pete@vervecity.org Web: www.thestudiosat55.com Basic Rate: please call for info

Download at www.musicconnection.com/industry-contacts 7TH CIRCUIT PRODUCTIONS 228 N.E. 59th St. Miami, FL 33137 305-757-7277 E-mail: info@7thcircuit.tv Web: 7thcircuit.tv Basic Rate: please call for info

E-mail: info@starkelakestudios.com Web: starkelakestudios.com Basic Rate: please call for info STAY TUNED STUDIOS 5570 Florida Mining Blvd. S., Unit 105 Jacksonville, FL 32257 904-292-9997 Web: www.staytunedstudios.com Basic Rate: call for info

ATOMIC AUDIO 3212 N. 40th St. , #302 Tampa, FL 33605 813-245-7195 E-mail: info@atomicaudiorecording.com Web: www.atomicaudiorecording.com Basic Rate: $12/hr., $265/mthly

STUDIO 26 3078 S.W. 38th Ct. Miami, FL 33134 305-505-7956, 786-899-2707 E-mail: PJ@Studio26miami.com Web: studio26miami.com Basic Rate: please call for info

MARKEE MUSIC 1700 South Powerline Rd. Deerfield Beach, FL 3442 954-794-0033 E-mail: mark@markeemusic.com Web: www.markeemusic Basic Rate: $46 1st 2 hrs/$21 per hr/$360 per day

TEK STUDIOS 6902 Commerce Ave. Port Richey, FL 34668 727-247-7087 E-mail: tekstudios@gmail.com Web: www.tekrehearsal.com, facebook. comtekstudios Basic Rate: call for rates

SOUNDMAZE 229 E. Lemon St. Tarpon Springs, FL 34689 727-938-9997 E-mail: info@soundmazestudios.com Web: www.soundmazestudios.com Basic Rate: please call for info

GEORGIA ATLANTA ROCKSTAR REHEARSALS (partnered with Avatar and Thunderbox Studios) 255B Ottley Dr. Atlanta, GA 30324 770-296-5530 Web: www.atlrockstar.com, http://www. facebook.com/ATLRockstar Basic Rate: please call for info

SOUTH FLORIDA REHEARSAL STUDIOS 1885 N.E. 149th St., #100 North Miami, FL 333181 305-949-5303, Fax 305-947-3030 Contact: Glenn Wexo E-mail: sfrsmusic@gmail.com Web: www.sfrs.net

Additional location:

STAR STUDIOS 12187 S.W. 132 Ct. Miami, FL 33186 305-235-5043 E-mail: sing@blackstarstudiomiami.com Web: www.blackstarstudiomiami.com Basic Rate: please call for info

728 Ralph McGill Blvd. Atlanta, GA 30308 THE BASS MINT 1376 Chattahoochee Ave. NW Atlanta, GA 30318 404-671-4253 Contact: Ronnie Garrett E-mail: ronnie@thebassmint-atl.com Web: thebassmint-atl.com Basic Rate: please call for info

STARKE LAKE STUDIOS 275 N. Lakeshore Dr. Ocoee, FL 407-565-9778

CROSSOVER ENTERTAINMENT GROUP 1310 Ellsworth Industrial Dr. Atlanta, GA 30318 404-352-3716 Fax 404-352-4403 E-mail: xover@mindspring.com Web: www.crossover-studios.com Basic Rate: please call for info SOUND LAB MUSIC STUDIOS 2190 Brandon Trail Alpharetta, GA 30004 678-205-5288 E-mail: soundlabinfo@soundlabatlanta.com Web: soundlabatlanta.com Basic Rate: please call for info VISION STUDIOS 3875 Green Industrial Way Chamblee, Georgia 30341 404-435-6725 E-mail: mason.lutz@visionstudiosatlanta.com Web: visionstudiosatlanta.com Basic Rate: please call for info

HAWAII JOLT RECORDS 1001 Dillingham Blvd., Ste. 224 Honolulu, HI 95617 808-845-0539 Web: joltrecords.com Basic Rate: please call for info PINEAPPLE SHACK STUDIO 3-4684 Kuhio Hwy Lihue, HI 96766 808-639-6195 E-mail: cowboybobbyd@gmail.com Web: http://okauai.com/pass Basic Rate: $50 per 4 hrs. VIBE ASYLUM 1008 Kawaiahao St. Honolulu, HI 96817 808-591-2334 E-mail: benny@vibeasylum.com Web: www.vibeasylum.com Basic Rate: please call for info

ILLINOIS FAB SOUND REHEARSAL 2113 W. Walton St. Chicago, IL 60622

312-714-0401 E-mail: fabienvander@aol.com Web: www.fabsound.info Basic Rate: please call for info MUSIC GARAGE 345 N. Loomis St. Chicago, IL 60607 312-997-1972, Fax 312-267-0712 E-mail: themusicgarage@gmail.com Web: www.musicgarage.com Basic Rate: please call for info OLD CHOCOLATE FACTORY MUSIC 4710 W. Augusta Blvd. Chicago, IL 60651 773-287-7700 E-mail: ocf@ameritech.net Web: www.chicagomusicrehearsal.com Contact: Studio mgr. Basic Rate: please call for info REDLIGHT STUDIOS The Karlov 367 N. Karlov Ave. Chicago, IL 60624-1804 708-485-0010 E-mail: rentalmanager@rehearsehere.com Web: www.rehearsehere.com Basic Rate: please call for info Additional location: Ukrainian Village 1648 W. Kinzie St. Chicago, IL 60622-6396 SUPERIOR ST. 2744 W. Superior St. Chicago, IL 60612 773-227-5550 E-mail: info@superiorst.com Web: www.superiorst.com Basic Rate: please call for info

INDIANA MUSIC GARAGE 6828 Hawthorn Park Dr. Indianapolis, IN 46220 317-576-9643 E-mail: info@mymusicgarage.com Web: www.mymusicgarage.com

ChicagoMusicRehearsal.com An hourly 40 by 22 foot Rehearsal Space with a stage, 24 channel Mackie and much more for $25.00 per hour.

Music... Gotta Love It !!!

tour bus parking available

773-足287-足7700 ocf@ameritech.net

ask about our 23 monthly rooms

Old Chocolate Factory LLC Music Rehearsal Studios

www.chicagomusicrehearsal.com

August 2014

musicconnection.com

Annual Directory of Rehearsal Studios LOUISIANA THE MUSIC SHED 929 Euterpe St. New Orleans, LA 504-412-9995 E-mail: info@musicshed.net Web: https://www.facebook.com/ musicshedstudios Basic Rate: hourly rates SOCKIT STUDIO 10379 Mammoth Ave. Baton Rouge, LA 70814 225-216-0167 E-mail: dkirkpatrick@sockitstudio.com Web: www.sockitstudio.com Basic Rate: call for rates STUDIO 101 1001 S. Broad New Orleans, LA 70125 504-237-5404 Web: www.studio101nola.com Basic Rate: hourly rates TIPITINA’S FOUNTAINBLEAU REHEARSAL 4040 Tulane Ave. New Orleans, LA 70119 504-891-7996 Web: www.tipitinasfoundation.org E-mail: foundation@tipitinas.com Basic Rate: call for availability Services: Rehearsal, Equipment Storage, Music Office Co-Op. TIPITINA’S MUSIC STORAGE & REHEARSAL/SHREVEPORT 700 Texas St. Shreveport, LA 71101 318-934-0000 Contact: Mr. Christopher E-mail: chris@tipitinas.com Web: http://myspace.com/shreveportrehearsal Basic Rate: call for availability Services: Rehearsal, Equipment Storage, Music Office Co-Op Additional locations: 2600 Government St. Baton Rouge, LA 225-389-0133 Web: https://www.facebook.com/ tipitinascoopbrupdates 203 Jefferson St. Lafayette, LA 337-534-0951 Web: https://www.facebook.com/ TipitinasCoOpLafayette 2128 Hodges St. Lake Charles, LA 337-433-5779 Web: https://www.facebook.com/ tipitinasmusicoffice?fref=ts

MAINE MY THRILL STUDIO 46 Blueberry Hill Rd. Winterport, ME 04496 207-223-5082 E-mail: mythrill@mythrillstudio.com Web: mythrillstudio.com TRU-FI REHEARSAL STUDIO Falmouth, ME 207-200-6350 Contact: Teddy Rasch

58 August 2014

musicconnection.com

E-mail: tr@musictoyz.com Web: www.tru-fi-rehearsal.com Basic Rate: $50/hr

MARYLAND BAND REHEARSAL 239 N. Franklintown Rd. Baltimore, MD 21223 443-831-2263 E-mail: bandsrme@yahoo.com Web: www.bandrehearsal.net Services: Full recording services available Additional locations: 4501 E. Fayette St. Baltimore, MD 21224 1310 Franklin Ave. Essex, MD 21221 INNER SOUND REHEARSAL 4132 E. Joppa Rd. Nottingham, MD 410-256-2699 E-mail: tmattucci@innersoundstudio.com Web: www.innersoundstudio.com Basic Rate:$40/hr 3 hr min ORION SOUND STUDIOS 2903 Whittington Ave., Ste. C Baltimore, MD 21230 410-646-7334 E-mail: info@orionsound.com Web: www.orionsound.com

MASSACHUSETTS BRISTOL STUDIOS 169 Massachusetts Ave. Boston, MA 02115 617-247-8689 E-mail: voice@bristolstudios.com Web: www.bristolstudios.com Contact: Jason Basic Rate: call for info CHARLESTOWN REHEARSAL STUDIOS 50 Terminal St., Bldg. 1 Charlestown, MA 02129 617-241-0016 Fax 617-242-0457 E-mail: info@charlestownmusicstudios.com Web: www.charlestownmusicstudios.com Basic Rate: please call for info JAMSPOT INC. 111 South St. Somerville, MA 02143 617-666-PLAY (7529) E-mail: somerville@jamSpot.com Web: www.jamspot.com Basic Rate: please call for rates Additional location: 14 Teal Rd. Wakefield, MA 01880 339-219-027 E-mail: wakefield@jamspot.com MUSIC STUDIOS OF ARLINGTON CENTER 399 Massachusetts Ave. Arlington, MA 02474 781-646-0243 E-mail: info@arlingtonstudios.com Web: arlingtonstudios.com Basic Rate: please call for info PRIORITY MUSIC COMPLEX 1071 Main St. Hanson, MA 02341

781-718-6148 E-mail: info@prioritymusiccomplex.com Web: www.prioritymusiccomplex.com Basic Rate: please call for info

MICHIGAN DETROIT SCH. OF ROCK & POP MUSIC 1109 S. Washington St. Royal Oak, MI 48067 888-988-ROCK (7625) E-mail: info@detroitschoolofrockandpop.com Web: www.detroitschoolofrockandpop.com Basic Rate: please call for info HIVE COLONY 22727 Nagel Warren, MI 48089 586-531-1458 E-mail: info@thehivecolony.com Web: www.thehivecolony.com Basic Rate: please call for info MUSIC FACTORY 24536 Gibson Warren, MI 48089 586-619-5100, 586-246-3742 Web: www.detroitrehearsalspace.com Basic Rate: Room rates start at $125 per mo

MINNESOTA BEATSUITES 1015 Currie Ave., N Minneapolis, MN 55412 612-339-BEAT (2328 E-mail: info@beatsuites.com Web: beatsuites.com Basic Rate: please call for info HUMANS WIN 1423 29th Ave. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418 612-968-9484 Contact: Lance Conrad E-mail: humanswin@gmail.com, lance@ humanswin.com Web: humanswin.com Basic Rate: please call for info TAYLOR SOUND 8000 Powell Rd., Ste. 100 Saint Louis Park, MN 55343 612-208-2864 E-mail: info@taylor-sound.com Web: www.taylor-sound.com

MISSOURI PANAMA REHEARSAL STUDIOS 450 S. Union Ave., Ste. F Springfield, MO 65802 417-597-3508 E-mail: info@panamarehearsalstudios.com Web: www.panamarehearsalstudios.com STUDIO CITY KC 615 E. 6th St. Ste. 123 Kansas City, MO 64106 816-474-5920 E-mail: restes@studiocitykc.com Web: www.studiocitykc.com SKY RECORDING 9 W. 19th St. Kansas City, MO 64108 816-283-8795 Fax 816-471-1030 E-mail: katm@19below.tv Web: www.skykc.com

MONTANA ROCKY MOUNTAIN RETREAT STUDIOS P.O. Box 8 Basin, MT 59631 406-225-3349 E-mail: BasinStudios@jeffbb.net Web: http://rockymountainretreat. studioroma.com

NEVADA DK PRODUCTIONS 4850 W. Oquendo Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89118 702-227-1777 Fax 702-227-1781 Web: www.dkproductions.com Basic Rate: please call for info MDV ENTERTAINMENT 4131 W. Oquendo Rd., Ste. 2 Las Vegas, NV 89118 702-736-4635 E-mail: mdventertainment@gmail.com Web: www.mdventertainment.com Basic Rate: please call for info STEVE BEYER PRODUCTIONS 133 N. Gibson Rd. Henderson, NV 9014 702-568-9000 Fax 702-568-9090 E-mail: steve@sbeyer.com Web: www.sbeyer.com Basic Rate: please call for info T.K. PRODUCTIONS - LAS VEGAS Desert Inn & Valley View 702-303-4094 E-mail: tkprod1@aol.com Web: www.tkprod.net Contact: Tina Basic Rate: call for rates

NEW JERSEY FRANKENSOUND REHEARSAL 832 Ridgewood Ave. N. Brunswick, NJ 08902 732-745-2778 E-mail: fsrehearsal@frankensound.com Web: www.frankensound.com Basic Rate: please call for info EIGHTSIXTEEN 9 Butler Blvd. Bayville, NJ 08721 732-606-1590 E-mail: EightSixteenMusicStudio@gmail.com Web: eightsixteen.com Basic Rate: please call or see web REDBANK REHEARSAL 60 English Plaza Red Bank, NJ 07701 732-530-8794 E-mail: info@redbankrehearsal.com Web: www.redbankrehearsal.com Basic Rate: please call for info

NEW YORK BAND SPACES NYC 206 6th St. Brooklyn, NY 11215 646-657-8345 E-mail: spaces@bandspacesnyc.com Web: www.bandspacesnyc.com Basic Rate: please call for info Additional location: 188 N. 14th St. Williamsburg, NY

Download at www.musicconnection.com/industry-contacts 353 Ten Eyck St. @ Morgan Brooklyn, NY 261 Douglas St. Brooklyn, NY CARROLL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT RENTALS, LLC 625 W. 55th St., 6th Fl. New York, NY 10019 212-868-4120 Fax 212-868-4126 E-mail: irent@carrollmusic.com Web: www.carrollmusic.com Basic Rate: please call for info FUNKADELIC STUDIOS INC. 209 West 40th St, 5th Fl New York, NY 10018 212-696-2513 E-mail: FunkadelicStudios@gmail.com Web: www.funkadelicstudios.com Basic Rate: call or see website MICHIKO REHEARSAL STUDIOS Roberto’s Winds 149 W. 46th St., 3rd Fl. New York, NY 10036 888-767-6SAX, 212 302-4011 646-366-0240 E-mail: info@rmichikostudios.com Web: www.robertoswinds.com Basic Rate: please call for info MONTANA STUDIOS 823 11 Ave. - 4th Fl. New York, NY 10019 212-757-9797 E-mail: montanastudios@aol.com Web: www.montanastudios.com MUSIC GARAGE, THE 177 S. 4th St. Brooklyn, NY 11211 718-218-9127 E-mail: themusicgarage@gmail.com Web: www.musicgarage.com Basic Rate: please call for info RIVINGTON MUSIC REHEARSAL STUDIOS 188 Stanton St. New York, NY 10002 212-353-0585 Web: www.rivingtonmusic.com Basic Rate: please call for info PURPLE PIANO STUDIO 106 North 3rd St. Brooklyn, NY 11211 718-487-9806 E-mail: booking@purplepianostudio.com Web: www.purplepianostudio.com Basic Rate: please call for info SMASH STUDIOS 307 W. 36th St., 18th Fl. New York, NY 10018 212-244-9066 E-mail: studiomanager@smashny.com Web: www.smashny.com Basic Rate: please call for info STUDIO, THE 251 W. 30th St., Ste. 3WR New York, NY 212-967-6124 E-mail: music@thestudio.org Web: www.thestudio.org Basic Rate: please call for info ULTRA SOUND REHEARSAL 251 W. 30th St., 4th, 5th, & 6th Fls. New York, NY 10001 212-714-1079 E-mail: booking@ultrasoundrehearsal.com Web: www.ultrasoundrehearsal.com Basic Rate: please call for info

NORTH CAROLINA BANDTASTIC STUDIOS Southend District Charlotte, NC 704-491-1213 Web: www.bandtasticstudios.com Basic Rate: please call for info DYNAMIC REHEARSAL STUDIOS 241 Horizon Dr. Raleigh, NC 27615 919-848-6666 E-mail: info@dynamicrehearsal.com Web: www.dynamicrehearsal.com Basic Rate: please call for info HAGGARD STUDIOS 8320 Litchford Rd., Ste. 200

Raleigh, NC 27615 919-819-5629 Contact: Jimmy Web: www.haggardstudios.com Basic Rate: $15 hr

OHIO FIRE FLY STUDIOS Toledo, OH 419-350-6454 E-mail: fireflystudios@roadrunner.com Web: www.firefly419.com JMO MUSIC STUDIOS 2001 Courtright Rd. Columbus, OH 43232 614-443-5544 Ext 206 E-mail: info@jmomusicstudios.com Web: www.jmomusicstudios.com Basic Rate: please call for info ROCK & ROLL CITY STUDIOS 5500 Walworth Ave. Cleveland, OH 44102 216-651-1020 E-mail: thestudio@rockcitystudios.com Web: www.rockcitystudios.com Contact: Studio mgr. Basic Rate: please call for info

OKLAHOMA 79TH STREET SOUND STAGE 1001 NW 79th St. Oklahoma City, OK 73114 405-767-9799 E-mail: 79thstreetsound@gmail.com Web: okcsoundstage.com Basic Rate: monthly rates THE DOWNTOWN MUSIC BOX 535 N. Ann Arbor Oklahoma City, OK 73127 877-446-3330, 405-232-2099 E-mail: info@downtownmusicbox.com Web: www.downtownmusicbox.com Contact: Tony Curzio

OREGON ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK PDX 2329 N.W. 23rd Pl. Portland, OR 97210 503-241-2609 Web: Facebook Contact: David Wall Basic Rate: please call for info SUBURBIA STUDIOS 632 SE Market St. Portland, OR 97214 503-736-9329 E-mail: injamike@suburbiastudios. comcastbiz.net Web: suburbiastudios.net Basic Rate: hourly and monthly TOADHOUSE REHEARSAL STUDIOS #1 1810 N. Columbia Portland, OR 97217 E-mail: adam@toadhouserehearsal.com Web: toadhouserehearsal.com Basic Rate: call for rate Additional Location: Toadhouse Studio #2 1303 N. McClellan Portland, OR 97217 E-mail: Nick@toadhouserehearsal.com

PENNSYLVANIA AURUM RECORDING 116 Shurs Ln., Ste. B Philadelphia, PA 19127 215-487-2588 Web: Facebook Basic Rate: please call for info

TENNESSEE DIAMOND SOUND STUDIOS 240 Cumberland Bnd Nashville, TN 615-244-BAND (2263) E-mail: josh@dsstudios.com Web: www.diamondsoundstudios.com Contact: Josh Diamond Basic Rate: please call for info S.I.R. NASHVILLE 1101 Cherry Ave. Nashville, TN 37203 615-255-4500 Fax 615-255-4511 E-mail: tninfo@sir-usa.com Web: www.sir-usa.com Basic Rate: please call for info SOUNDCHECK 750 Cowan St. Nashville, TN 37207 615-726-1165 Fax 615-256-6045 E-mail: info@sounndchecknashville.com Web: www.soundchecknashville.com Basic Rate: please call for info TOY BOX STUDIO, THE 2407 Brasher Ave. Nashville, TN 37206 615-697-9545 Web: www.thetoyboxstudio.com Basic Rate: please call for info

TEXAS AUSTIN MUSIC ROOMS Austin, TX 512-450-8188 E-mail: kirk@austinmusicrooms.com Web: www.austinmusicrooms.com Basic Rate: Hourly and Monthly Rates FRANCISCO’S STUDIOS 2300 Mckinney St. Houston, TX 713-225-3112 Basic Rate: please call for info

POSITIVELY 4TH STREET 375 W. 400 S. Salt Lake City, UT 801-359-6108 E-mail: positive4thst@gmail.com Web: www.practicespaceslc.com Basic Rate: call for rates

WASHINGTON CHOPHOUSE STUDIOS 1122 E. Pike St., PMB 1121 Seattle, WA 98122 206-206-227-4592 E-mail: info@chophousestudios.com Web: www.chophousestudios.com Basic Rate: please call for info EVOLUTION STUDIOS 13212 N.E. 16th St. Bellevue, WA 98005 425-641-3626 E-mail: eden@bandrehearsal.com Web: www.bandrehearsal.com Contact: Eden Basic Rate: please call for info JAMACADEMY 17802 134th Ave. N.E. #19 Woodinville, WA 98072 425-402-3700 E-mail: schedule@JamAcademy.com Web: www.spotlightstudiosnw.com Services: Hourly rehearsal rooms equipped with backline gear. We sell strings, picks, drumsticks, cold soda & snacks. Some off-site equipment for rent as well. ROY’S PLACE REHEARSAL STUDIOS & RECITAL HALL 4926 196th St. S.W. Lynnwood, WA 98036 425-425-9790 E-mail: info@roysplacestudios.com Web: www.roysplacestudios.com Basic Rate: please call for info

MUSIC LAB STUDIO 57 500 E. St. Elmo Austin, TX 78745 512-326-3816 E-mail: Elmo@musiclab.net Web: www.musiclab.net Basic Rate: please call for info

SEATTLE DRUM SCHOOL 12510 15th Ave. N.E. Seattle, WA 98125 206-364-8815 E-mail: info@seattledrumschool.com Web: www.seattledrumschool.com Basic Rate: $35 per half hour and $65 per one hour lesson

Additional location:

1306 W. Oltorf Austin, TX 78704 512-707-0560 E-mail: oltorf@musiclab.net

1010 S. Bailey Seattle, WA 98108 206-763-9700

PRO REHEARSAL & RECORDING 3150 Iron Ridge St. Dallas, TX 75247 214-634-3433 E-mail: rooms@prorehearsal.com Web: www.prorehearsal.com Basic Rate: please call for info

SEATTLE REHEARSAL 2424 1st Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98134 206-287-1615 E-mail: jodiopitz@yahoo.com Web: seattlerehearsal.com Contact: Jodi Basic Rate: please call for info

RHYTHM ROOM REHEARSAL STUDIOS 1410 Brittmoore Rd., Ste. A Houston, TX 77043 713-465-6122 E-mail: info@rhythmroomrehearsal studio.com Web: www.rhythmroomrehearsal studio.com Basic Rate: please call for info SOUNDCHECK 1901 E. 51st Streeti Austin, TX 78723 512-444-0023 E-mail: info@sounndcheckAustin.com Web: www.soundcheckAustin.com Basic Rate: please call for info

COLUMBUS REHEARSAL STUDIOS (CRS) 1020 N. Delaware Ave., 3rd Fl. Philadelphia, PA 19125 215-427-1020 E-mail: info@crs1020.com Web: www.crs1020.com/dirs.html Basic Rate: please call for info

Additional location:

SURREAL SOUND STUDIOS 2046 Castor Ave., 2nd Fl. Philadelphia, PA19134 215-288-8863 Web: www.surrealsoundstudios.com Contact: Joseph Lekkas Basic Rate: please call for info

DYNAMIC SOUND REHEARSAL STUDIOS 241 Horizon Dr. Raleigh, NC 27615 919-848-6666 E-mail: info@dynamicrehearsal.com Web: www.dynamicrehearsal.com Basic Rate: please call for info

3542A E. TC Jester Blvd. Houston, TX 77018 719-290-0335 E-mail: monika@soundcheckaustin.com Web: SoundcheckHouston.com

STUDIO SEVEN 110 S. Horton St. Seattle, WA 98134 206-286-1312 E-mail: info@studioseven.us Web: www.studioseven.us Basic Rate: please call for info.

WISCONSIN MADISON MUSIC FOUNDRY 2818 Index Rd. Fitchburg, WI 53713 608-270-2660 E-mail: info@madisonmusicfoundry.com Web: madisonmusicfoundry.com Basic Rate: call for rates TBC STUDIOS 10201 W. Appleton Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53225 414-536-7337 E-mail: info@TBCStudios.com Web: www.tbcstudios.com

UTAH

August 2014

musicconnection.com

Gear Rentals: Audio/Visual/Cartage/Tech

Annual Directory of

If you’re looking to rent some gear, be it audio, video, lighting and more, this exclusive MC list is for you. And if you need to have gear repaired, or need stuff transported, we’ve got that covered here as well. This directory has been updated for 2014. ALABAMA ADVANCED AUDIO & VIDEO 2338 Whitesburg Dr. Huntsville, AL 35801 256-519-6484 E-mail: tucker@advancedaudio.tv Web: http://www.goaav.com HOLT AV 401 28th St. S. Birmingham, AL 35080 800-322-4658, 205-328-5231 E-mail: info@holtav.com Web: www.holtav.com Additional location: Huntsville, AL 35805 256-652-4658 E-mail: dick.finnorn@holtav.com

ALASKA ACTION VIDEO PRODUCTIONS 430 W. 7th Ave. Ste. 100 Anchorage, AK 99501 907-277-8115 Fax 907-274-5287 E-mail: actvid@alaska.net Web: www.actvid.com TALKING CIRCLE MEDIA 5630 B St. Anchorage, AK 99518 907-245-3209 Fax 907-245-3339 E-mail: info@talkingcirclemedia.com Web: www.talkingcirclemedia.com Contact: Jonathan Butzke

ARIZONA AGGRESSIVE MEDIA 3370 N. Hayden Rd., Ste. 123-135 Scottsdale, AZ 85251 480-926-6733 Fax 480-452-0837 E-mail: info@goaggressive.com Web: www.goaggressive.com AUDIO RESOURCES (AVR) 4323 E. Cotton Center Blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85040 877-643-4204, 602-643-4200 Fax 602-643-4270 E-mail: salesdepartment@avrinc.com Web: www.avrinc.com MP&E 16585 N. 92nd St., Ste. B104 Scottsdale, AZ 85260 480-596-6699 Fax 480-596-0004 E-mail: phoenix@hdgear.tv Web: www.mayovideo.com QUICK AV RENTALS Phoenix, AZ 866-416-1800 E-mail: sales@quickavrentals.com Web: www.quickavrentals.com VER Video Equipment Rentals 4625 S. 32nd St. Phoenix, AZ 85040 800-794-1407, 888-584-TECH E-mail: info@verrents.com Web: www.verrents.com

ARKANSAS LITTLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT P.O. Box 4364 Little Rock, AR 72214 501-396-9435 E-mail: info@littlerockentertainment.com Web: www.littlerockentertainment.com

CALIFORNIA / NORTHERN AUDIOVISTA 1130 Suffolk Ct. Los Altos, CA 94024 650-428-1854 E-mail: info@audiovista.com Web: www.audiovista.com Contact: Jim LaForest BLACK CAT SOUND SERVICE Grass Valley, CA 95949 530-268-1620 Fax 530-268-3267, 530-277-3020

E-mail: chrisc@nccn.net Web: www.blackcatsoundservice.com Contact: Chris Christensen

musicconnection.com

23851 Via Fabricante 202 Mission Viejo, CA 92691 949-455-4163

AMP CRAZY AMP REPAIR Hollywood, CA 323-654-4908 E-mail: ampcrazy@aol.com Web: www.ampcrazy.com

GUITAR SHOWCASE RENTALS 3090 S. Bascom Ave. San Jose, CA 95124 408-377-5864 E-mail: info@showcaseswapshop.com Web: www.guitarshowcase.com, www.showcaseswapshop.com Contact: Bert McIntyre

AMP SHOP/BASSEXCHANGE 13701 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 818-386-5500 Web: www.bassexchange.com

McCUNE AUDIO/VISUAL/LIGHTING 101 Utah Ave. S. San Francisco, CA 94080 800-899-7686, 650-873-1111 Fax 650-246-6702 E-mail: pmorris@mccune.com Web: www.mccune.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no

ASTRO AUDIO VIDEO LIGHTING 6615 San Fernando Rd. Glendale, CA 90201 818-549-9915 E-mail: jorger@astroavl.com Web: www.astroavl.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes FX: yes Stages: yes Cartage: no

Additional locations:

AUDIO DESIGN AND SERVICE, INC. 10764 Vanowen St. N. Hollywood, CA 91605 818-754-0467 Fax 818-754-0495 E-mail: info@audiodesign-service.com Web: audiodesign-service.com

222 Ramona Ave., Ste. 1 Monterey, CA 93940 800-372-3611, 831-372-6038 Fax 831-372-0513 E-mail: bender@mccune.com 168 E. Liberty Ave. Anaheim, CA 92801 800-486-7686 714-578-1900 Fax 714-525-6002 E-mail: hodonovan@mccune.com

AUDIO PERCEPTION INC. Los Angeles, CA 818-693-0134 E-mail: Info@audioperception.com Web: www.audioperception.com Technical Services: Yes Studio Equip: Yes Musical Equip: No Lighting Equip: No FX Equip: No Stages Equip: No Cartage Equip: No Special Services: Studio design, install, acoustics and wiring. Custom cables patch bays and panels. Audio and DAW tech support, upgrades, and instruction.

PRO AUDIO REPAIRS 3150 18th St. San Francisco CA 94110 415-401-7828 E-mail: info@proaudiorepairs.com Web: www.proaudiorepairs.com RENTAL EXPRESS VIDEO 2225 Palou Ave. San Francisco, CA 94124 415-255-9883 Fax 415-255-0139 E-mail: info_desk@expressmedia.tv Web: www.rentvideo.com

AUDIO RENTS INC. 1541 N. Wilcox Ave. Hollywood, CA 90028 323-874-1000 E-mail: info@audiorents.com Web: www.audiorents.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: no Lighting: no FX: yes Stages: no Cartage: no

STUDIO INSTRUMENT RENTALS 520 Townsend St., Bldg. B San Francisco, CA 94103 415-957-9400 Fax 415-957-9470 E-mail: sfinfo@sir-usa.com Web: http://www.sir-usa.com VER Video Equipment Rentals 410 E. Grand Ave. S. San Francisco, CA 94080 866-680-0250, 650-837-9480 Fax 650-837-9488 E-mail: info@verrents.com Web: www.verrents.com

AUDIO REPAIR SPECIALISTS 6603 Independence Ave., Ste. E Canoga Park, CA 91303 818-346-3762 E-mail: info@arsrepair.com Web: www.arsrepair.com

CALIFORNIA / SOUTHERN ABSOLUTE RENTALS 2633 N. San Fernando Blvd. Burbank, CA 91504 818-842-2828, 310-560-2372 E-mail: info@absoluterentals.com Web: www.absoluterentals.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes Stages: yes Cartage: yes

BERTRAND MUSIC ENTERPRISE, INC. 13179-5 Black Mountain Rd. San Diego, CA 92129 888-780-1812 Web: www.bertrandmusic.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no

ADVANCED MUSICAL ELECTRONICS 8665 Venice Blvd. W. Los Angeles, CA 90034 310-559-3157 E-mail: advancedmusical@ca.rr.com Web: www.advancedmusical.com

Additional locations:

AMETRON PRO-AUDIO/VIDEO SALES & RENTALS 1546 N. Argyle Ave. Hollywood, CA 90038 323-466-4321

C O M P I L E D 60 August 2014

E-mail: info@ametron.com Web: www.ametron.com

B Y

BROADCAST STORE, INC. 9420 Lurline Ave., Unit C Chatsworth, CA 91311 818-998-9100 Fax 818-998-9106 E-mail: sales@broadcaststore.com Web: www.broadcaststore.com *Note: pickups by appt. only CALIFORNIA STAGE & LIGHTING INC. 3601 W. Garry Ave. Santa Ana, CA 92704 714-966-1852 E-mail: sales@calstage.com Web: www.calstage.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes FX: yes Stages: yes Cartage: yes CANOGA SCHOOL OF MUSIC 7361 Canoga Ave. Canoga Park, CA 91303 818-340-4021 Web: www.canogaschoolofmusic.com Studio Equip: no Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no CAPITAL AUDIO RENTAL Burbank, CA 818-953-9099 Web: www.capitalaudiorental.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no CASCADE STUDIOS 6611 Santa Monica Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90038 323-461-3800 Web: cascadestudios.net Studio Equip: no Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: yes CENTER STAGING 3407 Winona Ave. Burbank, CA 91504 818-559-4333 Fax 818-848-4016 E-mail: kerry@centerstaging.com Web: www.centerstaging.com Contact: Kerry Jensen Basic Rate: call for rates CLASSIC EQUIPMENT RENTALS 6050 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028 800-446-3278, 818-847-2133 E-mail: classicequipmentrentals@gmail.com Web: www.classicequipment.com Contact: Jason Cropper Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes

12439 Poway Rd. Poway, CA 92064 858-668-3244 910 E. Highland Ave. San Bernardino, CA 92404 800-696-5338

D E N I S E

BRETT ALLEN STUDIO RENTAL N. Hollywood, CA 818-506-5568, 323-253-2277 Fax 818-506-5581 E-mail: brettallen@earthlink.net Web: www.brettallenstudiorental.com Studio Equip: no Musical Equip: yes Lighting: No FX: no Stages: no Cartage: yes Special Services: The most extensive collection of guitars, amps, effects and tuners in L.A. Los Angeles’ finest in studio guitar tech service, intonation and setup specialist.

C O S O

Download at www.musicconnection.com/industry-contacts Lighting: no FX: yes Stages: no Cartage: no DAVID O. BROWN AUDIO TECHNICAL SERVICES 30473 Mulholland Hwy., Ste. 56 Agoura, CA 91301 818-874-9895 E-mail: recordingdoc@aol.com Web: www.audiotechnicalservices.com, www.microphonerepair.com DESIGN FX AUDIO P.O. Box 491087 Los Angeles, CA 90049 800-441-4415, 818-843-6555 Fax 818-562-6978 E-mail: tony@dfxaudio.com Web: www.dfxaudio.com Contact: Tony Pinnick Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: no Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: yes DIGITRON ELECTRONICS, INC. 7801 Telegraph Rd., Ste. D Montebello, CA 90640 323-800-4923 E-mail: repairs@digitronelectronics.com Web: www.digitronelectronics.com DRUM DOCTORS Glendale, CA 818-244-8123 E-mail: info@drumdoctors.com Web: www.drumdoctors.com Studio Equip: no Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: yes DRUM PARADISE 11803 Vose St. N. Hollywood, CA 91605 818-762-7878 E-mail: info@drumparadise-la.com Web: www.drumparadise-la.com Studio Equip: no Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: yes FRET HOUSE, THE 309 N. Citrus Ave. Covina, CA 91723 626-339-7020, 800-BET-FRET Web: www.frethouse.com Studio Equip: no Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no FUTARA SPECTRUM AUDIO 665 S. Manchester Anaheim, CA 92802 714-535-6201 E-mail: service@futara.com Web: www.Futara.com GARDS MUSIC 848 S. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA 91740 626-963-0263 E-mail: orders@gardsmusic.com Web: www.gardsmusic.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no Additional location: 215 W. G. St. Ontario, CA 91762 909-983-3551 E-mail: gardsontario@gardsmusic.com 11837 Foothill Blvd. Rancho Cucamonga, CA 909-481-1515 E-mail: gardsrancho@gardsmusic.com GEARWORKS PRO AUDIO 4150 Lankershim Blvd. N. Hollywood, CA 91602 818-753-0083

E-mail: info@gearworksaudio.com Web: www.gearworksaudio.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: no Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: yes GPS ELECTRONICS 13045 Tom White Way, Ste. I Norwalk, CA 90650 562-802-0840 Fax 562-802-0846 E-mail: gpselectro@yahoo.com Web: http://www.gps-electronics.net/ services.html GREGG BUCHWALTER 818-785-8611, 323-960-4358 E-mail: greggbuchwalter65@hotmail.com Web: www.buchwalterb3svc.com Clients: Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, the Who, Procol Harum, Alanis Morissette, House of Blues (W. Hollywood), S.I.R., many churches and studios in Los Angeles and Orange County. *Note: Hammond and Leslie specialist. Recording studio and production available. GUITAR CONNECTION, THE 633 Rose Ave. Venice, CA 90291 310-396-3009 E-mail: theguitarconnection5@gmail.com Studio Equip: no Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no GUITAR MERCHANT, THE 7503 Topanga Canyon Blvd. Canoga Park, CA 91303 818-884-5905 E-mail: theguitarmerchant@yahoo.com Web: www.guitarmerchant.com HIT N RUN SOUND Cartage and Tech Service N. Hollywood, CA 818-478-2019 Web: www.hitnrunsound.com E-mail: darren@hitnrunsound.com Tech / Cartage Service since 1988 Local and long distance. Licensed and insured. Awesome references HOLLYWOOD SOUND SYSTEMS 1541 N. Wilcox Hollywood, CA 90028 323-466-2416 Fax 323-460-2676 Web: www.hollywoodsound.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: yes HOOK - THE STUDIO MICROPHONE RENTALS Los Angeles, CA 818-759-4665 E-mail: mfrenchik@fastmail.net Web: www.thehookstudios.com Contact: Mike Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: no Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no Tech Services: no INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC INC. 1501 Thousand Oaks Blvd. Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 805-496-3774 Web: www.instmusic.com Studio Equip: no Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no Addition locations: 3171 E. Main St. Ventura, CA 93003 805-648-9388 3328 State St. Santa Barbara, CA 93105 805-569-5055 KEYBOARD CONCEPTS & DAVID L. ABELL FINE PIANOS 5539 Van Nuys Blvd.

Sherman Oaks, CA 91401 818-787-0201 Fax 818-787-1219, 800-22-PIANO E-mail: info@keyboardconcepts.com Web: www.keyboardconcepts.com Studio Equip: no Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no Additional locations: 3704 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, Ca 91107 626-583-9126 3232 Santa Monica Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90404 310-586-5588 18285 Euclid Ave. Fountain Valley, CA 92708 Tustin, CA 92782 714-544-0088

Web: www.mccune.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no Additional locations: San Francisco HQ 101 Utah Ave. S. San Francisco, CA 94080 800-899-7686, 650-873-1111 Contact: Pat Morris E-mail: aamccune@mccune.com Monterey McCune Office 222 Ramona Ave., #1 Monterey, CA 93940 800-372-3611, 831-372-6038 Contact: Vince Hucks E-mail: bender@mccune.com

Agoura Design Center 28501 Canwood St., Unit B Agoura Hills, CA 91301 805-379-9888

MEE Music Equipment Rentals Glendale, Ca 602-955-3750 E-mail: meerental@gmail.com Web: www.meerentals.com Contact: Sam DeMarco

LA FX RECORDING SERVICES P.O. Box 827 N. Hollywood, CA 91603 818-769-5239 E-mail: info@lafx.com Web: www.lafx.com Contact: Dan Vicari Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no

MICWORKS INC. PROFESSIONAL AUDIO ENGINEERING & SUPPLY 17150 Newhope St., Ste. 701 Fountain Valley, CA 92708 714-435-0342, E-mail: sales@micworks.com Web: www.micworks.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: yes Stages: no Cartage: no

L.A. SOUND COMPANY INC. 9001 Canoga Ave. Canoga Park, CA 91304 818-772-9200 E-mail: rentals@lasoundco.com Web: www.lasoundco.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no

MIKE KAHRS KEYBOARDS P.O. Box 2166 Crestline, CA 909-338-9682 E-mail: info@sound-management.com Web: www.sound-management.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes FX: yes Stages: no Cartage: yes

LON COHEN STUDIO RENTALS N. Hollywood, CA 818-762-1195 Fax 818-762-1196 E-mail: office@loncohen.com Web: www.loncohen.com Basic Rate: call for rates Services: We rent top of the line backline (guitars, basses, amps, keyboards and drums) which can be heard on records from Aerosmith to ZZ Top and can be seen on television from Conan to Lopez. We also offer cartage, temp. controlled storage, and world class guitar, bass and amp repair.

Additional location:

MATES REHEARSAL & CARTAGE 5412 Cleon Ave. N. Hollywood, CA 91601 818-779-0009 E-mail: Robertbrunner@matesinc.com Web: matesinc.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: yes McCABE’S GUITAR SHOP 3101 Pico Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405 310-828-4497 Fax 310-453-4962 E-mail: mccabessm@aol.com Web: www.mccabes.com Studio Equip: no Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no *Note: Rentals are limited to instruments $500 or less. No day rentals McCUNE AUDIO/VISUAL/LIGHTING 168 E. Liberty Ave. Anaheim, CA 92801 714-578-1900 Fax 714-525-6002 800-486-7688 E-mail: hodonovan@mccune.com Contact: Hugh O’Donovan

2466 Fender Ave., Ste. E Fullerton, CA 92831 714-870-6716 MORNINGSTAR PRODUCTIONS, LLC 41213 Sandalwood Cir. Murrieta, CA 92562 888-409-4810 E-mail: office@msmp.com Web: www.msmp.com Studio Equip: no Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes FX: yes Stages: yes Cartage: no MUSICIANS CHOICE STUDIOS 3727 S. Robertson Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232 310-836-8998 E-mail: shovelhead66@hotmail.com Web: http://www.musicianschoicestudios.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes FX: no Stages: no Cartage: yes Additional locations: MUSICIANS CHOICE STUDIOS - CULVER CITY 3825 Willat Ave. Culver City, CA 310-836-8998 MUSICIANS CHOICE STUDIOS - LAWNDALE 16200 Hawthorne Blvd., Ste. A Lawndale, CA 90260 310-214-0330 MUSICIANS CHOICE STUDIOS - L.A. 3774 Las Flores Ct. W. Los Angeles, CA 90064 310-420-8622

August 2014

musicconnection.com

Annual Directory of Gear Rentals: Audio/Visual/Cartage/Tech MUSICIANS CHOICE STUDIOS - VAN NUYS 7799 Lemona Ave. Van Nuys, CA 310-420-7706 MUSIC MAKER RETAIL STORE 5701 E. Santa Ana Canyon Rd. Anaheim, CA 92807 714-974-0830 E-mail: info@musicmakerinc.com Web: www.musicmakerinc.com Studio Equip: no Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no NIGHTINGALE STUDIOS - BURBANK 156 W. Providencia Ave. Burbank, CA 91502 818-562-6660 E-mail: nightingalesound@sbcglobal.net Web: www.nightingalestudios.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no

Additional locations: Long Island City, NY 212-206-8794 800-367-0777 E-mail: info-ny@propiano.com 760 Tennessee St. San Francisco, CA 94107 415-641-1210 Fax 415-641-1870, 800-367-0777 E-mail: info-sf@propiano.com PROSOUND, INC. PROFESSIONAL SOUND AND MUSIC Musicians Repair Service 4593 Mission Gorge Pl. San Diego, CA 92120 619-583-7851 E-mail: sales@prosound.com Web: www.prosound.com

10623 Magnolia Blvd. N. Hollywood, CA 91601 818-562-6660

RAL AUDIO SERVICES 21025 Arminta St. Canoga Park, CA 91304 818-886-4002, 866-455-3997 Fax 818-886-4012 E-mail: contact@ralaudio.com Web: www.ralaudio.com Contact: Richard Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes FX: yes Stages: yes Cartage: no

NORTHSTAR MOVING 9120 Mason Ave. Chatsworth, CA 91311 800-275-7767 Fax 818-727-7527 E-mail: info@Northstarmoving.com Web: www.northstarmoving.com Cartage: yes

RP STUDIOS, INC. 5716 Cahuenga Blvd. N. Hollywood, CA 91606 818-859-0090 Web: https://www.facebook.com/ RPSTUDIOSINC Basic Rate: Please call, monthly lockout

OCEAN WAY Technical Services 6050 Sunset Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028 323-467-9375 Fax 323-467-3962 E-mail: rob@oceanwayrecording.com Web: www.oceanwayrecording.com

SAN DIEGO SOUND AND MUSIC REPAIR 6563 El Cajon Blvd. San Diego, CA 92115 619-582-8511 E-mail: jmaxwell@sdsmr.com Web: www.sdsmr.com

PAUL JAMIESON STUDIO RENTAL 10929 Chandler N. Hollywood, CA 91601 818-762-5759, 818-209-6590 E-mail: paulbjamieson@hotmail.com Contact: Paul Jamieson Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no Storage: yes Cartage: yes

SANTA MONICA MUSIC CENTER 1901 Santa Monica Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90404 310-453-1928 E-mail: sales@santamonicamusic.com Web: www.santamonicamusic.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no

Additional location:

PETE’S MUSIC AND GUITAR SHOP 2060 S. Euclid Anaheim, CA 714-534-7383 E-mail: guitarfish@petesmusic.com Web: www.petesmusic.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no

Additional location: Culver City Music Center 10862 Washington Blvd. Culver City, CA 90230 310-202-6874 E-mail: sales@santamonicamusic.com

28780 Old Town Front St., Ste. A4 Temecula, CA 951-308-1688

SEQUOIA SOUND SERVICES 5183 Inglewood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90066 310-397-4826 Fax 310-391-1191 E-mail: sequoiasnd@aol.com Contact: Teri Cray Live Sound: yes Technical Services: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no

PLATINUM AUDIO RENTALS Hollywood, CA 818-563-1176, 310-428-8022 E-mail: info@platinumProAudio.com Web: www.platinumaudiorentals.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: yes

SINGER MUSIC 1217 N. Hacienda Blvd. La Puente, CA 91744 626-917-9300 Fax 626-917-9302 Web: www.singermusic.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no

PRO PIANO, LOS ANGELES warehouse only (not open to the public) 310-474-2216, 800-367-7777 E-mail: info-la@propiano.com Web: http://www.propiano.com Studio Equip: no Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no Cartage: yes

SoCAL PRODUCTIONS 1623 Maria St. Burbank, CA 91504 818-565-3333 E-mail: rentals@socalps.com Web: http://www.socalps.com/ Studio Equip: Yes Musical Equipment: No Lighting: No

Additional locations: 29800 Bradley Rd., #107 Sun City, CA 951-301-8088

62 August 2014

musicconnection.com

FX: No Stages: No Video: Yes Cartage: No SOUND CHECK AUDIO Los Angeles, CA 90036 323-939-7777 - By appointment only E-mail: info@soundcheckaudio.com Web: www.soundcheckaudio.com Studio Equip: no Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes FX: yes Stages: no Cartage: yes SOUND-MANAGEMENT 2466 E. Fender Ave., Ste. E Fullerton, CA 92831 714-870-6716 E-mail: info@sound-management.com Web: www.sound-management.com Contact: Mike Kahrs Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes FX: yes Stages: yes Cartage: yes SOUND STREET STUDIOS 7025 Canby Ave. Reseda, CA 91335 818-609-9972 E-mail: info@soundstreetstudios.com Web: www.soundstreetstudios.com Contact: Ed Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no SOUND-TECH STUDIO 24300 Country Rd. Moreno Valley, CA 92557 951-243-6666 E-mail: soundtechstudio@yahoo.com Web: https://www.facebook.com/ soundtechmusic Contact: Allan Johnson Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes FX: yes Stages: no Cartage: no SRS Synthesizer Rental Service 2268 Ben Lomond Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90027 323-660-4065 E-mail: info@2SRS.com Web: www.synthesizerrentalservice.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: yes Stages: no Cartage: yes SST, INC. Synthesizer Systems Technologies, Inc. 10907 Magnolia Blvd., Ste. 425 818-907-7780 E-mail: sst.shop@yahoo.com Web: www.sstsynths.com Services: Synthesizer & Computer rental Additional location: Nashville, TN 615-327-3500 E-mail: sstnash@bellsouth.net STUDIO 116 CORP. 13136 Saticoy St., Unit G N. Hollywood, CA 91605 323-274-0220 E-mail: rental@studio116corp.com Web: www.studio116corp.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no Services: We are an Event production company. We rent sound, lighting & projection for all kinds of events. STUDIO INSTRUMENT RENTALS 6465 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028 323-957-5460 Fax 323-464-7120 E-mail: lainfo@sir-usa.com

Web: www.sirla.com Contact: Fred Rose Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes FX: yes Stages: yes Cartage: yes Additional locations: 74830 Velie Way, Ste. E Palm Desert, CA 92260 760-340-4864 Fax 760-836-0252 E-mail: psinfo@sir-usa.com Web: www.sir-usa.com 4620 Santa Fe St. San Diego, CA 92109 858-274-1384 Fax 858-274-1906 E-mail: sdinfo@sir-usa.com Web: www.sir-usa.com STUDIO WEST OF SAN DIEGO 11021 Via Frontera, Ste. A San Diego, CA 92127 858-592-9497, Fax 858-592-9580 E-mail: hunter@studiowest.com Web: www.studiowest.com Contact: Hunter Levy, Studio Manager Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: no Lighting: no FX: yes Stages: no Cartage: yes Tech services: yes SWING HOUSE REHEARSAL & RECORDING 3229 Casitas Ave Los Angeles, CA 90039 *As of Sept 2014 323-850-4990 E-mail: info@swinghouse.com Web: www.swinghouse.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes FX: no Stages: yes TECH SHOP, THE 3940 Laurel Cyn. Blvd. #228 Studio City, CA 91604 818-508-1070 E-mail: info@the-techshop.com, info@ recordingstudiowiring.com Web: www.recordingstudiowiring.com Services: Wiring & Installations, Gear Repair, Acoustical Consulting and Design. THIRD ENCORE 10917 Vanowen St. N. Hollywood, CA 91605 818-753-0148 Fax 818-753-0151 E-mail: help@3rdencore.com Web: www.3rdencore.com Contact: John Hoik Rooms: 6 air conditioned studios from 900-2,400sq. ft., each including a private production office and full monitoring P.A. Fullservice, professional facility. Quiet, safe, clean and very private. Great parking. Daily, weekly or monthly lockout rates available. Services: Full instrument and backline rental, featuring large selection of all major brands including Mesa Boogie, Yamaha, DW, Roland, Tama, Orange, Vox, Sabian, Zildjian, Ampeg, Korg and Marshall gear. Private storage lockers, cartage services. Equipment: All rooms come with Adamson / Lab Gruppen monitoring system. Digico, Avid, Yamaha, Midas consoles available. Additional locations: See Annex Studios Listing for 7 additional Valley lockout locations and 1 Anaheim lockout location. TIM JORDAN RENTALS 11320 Chandler Blvd., Ste. D N. Hollywood, CA 91601 818-755-9011 E-mail: info@timjordanrentals.com Web: www.timjordanrentals.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: no Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no TREW AUDIO 3325 Cahuenga Blvd. W. Los Angeles, CA 90068 888-293-3030, 323-876-7525

Download at www.musicconnection.com/industry-contacts E-mail: info@trewaudio.com Web: www.trewaudio.com VALLEY SOUND MUSIC TECHNOLOGIES 5527 Cahuenga Blvd. N. Hollywood, CA 91601 818-755-2801 E-mail: stretch@valleysoundla.com, zita@valleysoundla.com Web: www.valleysoundla.com VIDEOCAM 1261 S. Simpson Cir. Anaheim, CA 92806 888-772-8226, 714-772-2002 E-mail: info@videocam.net Web: www.videocam.net Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes FX: no Stages: yes Cartage: no VIDEO RESOURCES 1809 E. Dyer Rd., Ste. 307 Santa Ana, CA 92705 800-261-7266, 949-261-7266 E-mail: ecar@videoresources.com Web: www.videoresources.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: no Lighting: yes FX: no Stages: yes Cartage: no Additional location: 110 Campus Dr. Marlborough, MA 01752 508-485-8100 VINTAGE STUDIO RENTAL N. Hollywood, CA 818-994-4849 Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: yes VIRTUAL SOUNDS TECHNOLOGY 1270 Lincoln Ave., Ste. 1000 Pasadena, CA 91103 626-794-8196 Fax 626-794-0340 E-mail: sales@vstservice.com Web: www.vstservice.com WESTCOAST SOUND, INC. 3030-A S. Fairview Ave. Santa Ana, CA 92704 714-850-0471 Fax 714-850-9972 Web: www.westcoastsound.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no WEST L.A. STUDIO SERVICES 2033 Pontius Ave. W. Los Angeles, CA 90025 310-478-7917 Fax 310-479-5961 E-mail: ricky@westlastudios.com Web: www.westlastudios.com Contact: Rick or any W.L.A.S.S. Employee Studio Equip: yes

Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no WILDFIRE STUDIOS 640 S. San Vicente Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048 323-951-1700 Fax 323-951-1710 Web: www.wildfirepost.com Studio Equip: no Musical Equip: no Lighting: no FX: no Stages: yes Cartage: no Additional locations: 800 Common St. New Orleans, LA 70112 323-951-1700, Fax 323-951-1710 2505 Jefferson St. N.E. Albuquerque, NM 87110 323-951-1700 Fax 323-951-1710

COLORADO CEAVCO AUDIO VISUAL 6240 W. 54th Ave. Arvada, CO 80002 303-539-3500 Fax 303-539-3501 E-mail: solutions@ceavco.com Web: www.ceavco.com Additional location: 5078 List Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80919 719-636-2866 Fax 719-636-2857 FAV Ford Audio-Video 4230 Carson St. Denver, CO 80239 800-654-6744, 720-374-2345 E-mail: logah@fordav.com Web: www.fordav.com IMAGE AUDIOVISUALS 2130 S. Dahlia St. Denver, CO 80222 800-818-1857, 303-758-1818 E-mail: rentalsales@imageav.com Web: www.imageav.com SHAPED MUSIC, INC. 1760 LaPorte Ave., Suite 3 Fort Collins, CO 805241 970-221-2315 E-mail: randyc@shapedmusic.com Web: www.shapedmusic.com Services: Shaped Music, Inc. is your sound, lighting, and backline production company serving all of Colorado including Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Grand Junction, Telluride, Aspen, Vail, Steamboat Springs, Keystone, Copper Mountain, and beyond. We also serve all of Wyoming, Nebraska, Utah, and New Mexico. *Note: National touring & festivals also available. Pro Audio sales. SPECTRUM AUDIO VISUAL 351 W. 45th Ave. Denver, CO 80216 800-477-4752, 303-477-4456 E-mail: info@spectrumav.com Web: www.spectrumav.com

S.S.S. PRODUCTIONS 11165 Clarkson St. Northglenn, CO 80233 303-875-5678, 720-296-1548 E-mail: events@sssproductions.net Web: www.sssproductions.net

CONNECTICUT M COMMUNICATIONS 48 Union St. Stamford, CT 06906 877-287-4697 Fax 203-324-9482 E-mail: rentals@mcommunications.com Web: www.mcommunications.com

DELAWARE MIDDLETOWN MUSIC 4380 Summit Bridge Rd. Middletown, DE 19709 302-376-7600 E-mail: sales@middletownmusic.com Web: www.middletownmusic.com

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CONNECTING POINT MULTIMEDIA, INC. Washington, DC 888-434-8880, 703-527-8220 E-mail: info@cpmmonline.com Web: www.cpmmonline.com QUICK AV RENTALS Washington, DC 866-416-1800 E-mail: sales@quickavrentals.com Web: www.quickavrentals.com ALL SOUND PRO (see main office under Pennsylvania) Bob: 717-496-1645 or Shelby: 717-809-6904 Email: allsoundpro@gmail.com or bob@allsoundpro.com Web: www.allsoundpro.com Contact: Bob Ranalli, Shelby Bacz Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes Stages: yes Cartage: yes-locally VER Video Equipment Rental Washington DC 866-583-7837, 301-731-9560 Fax 301-731-9570 E-mail: info@verrents.com Web: www.verrents.com

FLORIDA A.A.V.I.D. Automated Audio Video Integration and Design 11714 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Ste. 3 Miramar Beach, FL 32550 850-502-4154 E-mail: info@aavidps.com Web: www.aavidps.com BUDGET VIDEO RENTALS 1825 N.E. 149th St. Miami, FL 33181 800-772-1111, 305-945-8888 E-mail: rentals@budgetvideo.com Web: www.budgetvideo.com CCI HD 7980 N. Atlantic Ave. Cape Canaveral, FL 32920 321-783-5232

E-mail: info@cciflorida.com Web: www.cciflorida.com COMMUNICATIONS CONCEPTS, INC. 7980 N. Atlantic Ave. Cape Canaveral, FL 32920 321-783-5232 Fax 321-799-1016 E-mail: info@cciflorida.com Web: www.cciflorida.com CP COMMUNICATIONS 3506 St. Valentine Way, Unit #6 Orlando, FL 32811 800-373-6827, 407-843-4225 E-mail: kevin.obrien@cpcomms.com Web: cpcomms.com GREAT SOUTHERN STUDIOS, THE 15221 N.E. 21st Ave. N. Miami Beach, FL 33162 305-944-2464 Fax 305-944-9920 E-mail: info@gssmiami.com Web: www.greatsouthernstudios.com MIDTOWN VIDEO 4824 S.W. 74th Ct. Miami, FL 33155 305-669-1117 E-mail: info@midtownvideo.com Web: www.midtownvideo.com, www.facebook.com/midtownvideo QUICK AV RENTALS Ft. Lauderdale, FL 866-416-1800 E-mail: sales@quickavrentals.com Web: www.quickavrentals.com STUDIO INSTRUMENT RENTALS 12200 N.E. 14th Ave. N. Miami, FL 33161 305-891-3350 Fax 305-891-3550 E-mail: miinfo@sir-usa.com Web: www.sir-usa.com Additional location: 3400 Rio Vista Ave. Orlando, FL 32805 407-826-1374 Fax 407-826-1364 E-mail: orlinfo@sir-usa.com TAI AUDIO 5828 Old Winter Garden Rd. Orlando, FL 32835 800-486-6444, 407-296-9959 E-mail: info@taiaudio.com Web: www.taiaudio.com VER Video Equipment Rentals 1611 Cypress Lake Drive Orlando, FL 32837 888-582-0350, 407-582-0350 Fax 407-582-0370 E-mail: info@verrents.com Web: www.verrents.com

GEORGIA ATLANTA SOUND AND LIGHTING 1400 Vijay Dr. Atlanta, GA 770-455-7695 E-mail: aslscott@mindspring.com Web: www.atlantasoundandlight.com CONCERT AUDIO Atlanta, GA 770-434-2437

August 2014

musicconnection.com

Annual Directory of Gear Rentals: Audio/Visual/Cartage/Tech E-mail: andrew@concertaudio.com Web: www.concertaudio.com

Web: www.novatoo.com Contact: Tim Novak, rental sales Mgr.

FRESH TOUCH MINISTRIES, INC. 2000 W. McIntosh Rd. Griffin, GA 30224 770-228-2307 Web: www.freshtouch.org

QUICK AV RENTALS Chicago, IL 866-416-1800 E-mail: sales@quickavrentals.com Web: www.quickavrentals.com

LIGHTNIN’S 2555 University Pkwy. Lawrenceville, GA 30043 770-963-1234 Fax 770-338-4151 E-mail: mpruehs@lightnin.net Web: www.lightnin.net

SOUND CORE MUSIC & VIDEO 122 S. Illinois Ave. Carbondale, IL 62901 618-457-5641 Web: www.soundcoremusic.com

ON EVENT SERVICES 6550 McDonough Dr. Norcross, GA 30093 800-967-2419 E-mail: service@ONeventservices.com Web: http://www.oneventservices.com PC&E ATLANTA Production Consultants & Equipment 2235 DeFoor Hills Rd. Atlanta, GA 30318 404-609-9001 E-mail: marketing@pce-atlanta.com Web: www.pce-atlanta.com QUICK AV RENTALS Atlanta, GA 866-416-1800 E-mail: sales@quickavrentals.com Web: www.quickavrentals.com SMARTSOURCE 1850 MacArthur Blvd., NW, Ste. A Atlanta, GA 30318 404-352-0900, 800-888-8686 Web: http://www.smartsourcerentals.com/ smartsource-locations/atlanta VER Video Equipment Rentals 2105 Nancy Hanks Drive Norcross, GA 30071 770-300-0401 Fax 770-300-0341 E-mail: info@verrents.com Web: www.verrents.com

HAWAII MYSTICAL SOUNDS PRODUCTIONS P.O. Box 75152 Honolulu, HI 96836 808-947-3115 Fax 808-947-3115 E-mail: mspdjs@gmail.com Web: www.mysticalsoundsproduction.com

ILLINOIS AAA RENTAL SYSTEM 3020 W 167th St Markham, IL 60428 708-210-1200, 312-666-2100 E-mail: info@aaarental.com Web: www.raarental.com AV CHICAGO 619 W Taylor St. Chicago, IL 60607 312-229-4100 Fax 312-943-9688 Web: www.avchicago.com CHICAGO HD CORP. 1 E. Erie St., Ste. 350 Chicago, IL 60611 312-951-9610 Fax 312-951-9612 E-mail: info@chicagohd.com Web: www.chicagohd.com

STUDIO INSTRUMENT RENTAL 2835 North Kedzie Ave. Chicago, IL 60618 773-478-8500, 773-478-8555 E-mail: chinfo@sir-usa.com Web: www.sir-usa.com SWING CITY MUSIC 1811 Vandalia Collinsville, IL 62234-5307 618-345-6700 E-mail: swingcitymusic@ameritech.net Web: www.swingcitymusic.com Additional location: 244 S. Buchanan Edwardsville, IL 62025-2109 618-656-5656 VER Video Equipment Rentals 3810 N Carnation St. Franklin Park, IL 60131 847-671-4966 Fax 847-671-4936 E-mail: info@verrents.com Web: www.verrents.com ZACUTO 401 W. Ontario, Ste. 100 Chicago, IL 60610 888-294-FILM (3456), 312-863-FILM (3456) E-mail: rentals@zacuto.com Web: www.zacuto.com

INDIANA SOUND COMPANY, THE 51535 Bittersweet Rd. Granger, IN 46530 574-277-0032 E-mail: cpaluzzi@nkn.com Web: www.thesoundcompany.com STUDIO ONE INC. 25833 SR. 2 South Bend, IN 46619 800-888-9700, 574-232-9084 Fax 574-232-2220 E-mail: info@studioOneSB.com Web: www.studioonesb.com

IOWA CONFERENCE TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 333 S.W. 9th, Ste. N Des Moines, IA 50309 515-280-9800, 800-743-6051 E-mail: info@prattav.com Web: conferencetech.com Additional location: 820 N. 15th Ave. Hiawatha, IA 52233 319-363-8144, 800-743-6051

KANSAS THE EVENT LINE Kansas City, KS 888-254-6535 E-mail: info@theeventline.com Web: www.theeventline.com Additional locations: Atlanta, GA Warehouse 770-562-0318 (Atlanta) 205-572-4599 (Birmingham) 615-724-3422 (Nashville) St. Louis, MO Warehouse 314-255-2882 (St Louis) 618-307-0030 (Metro East) 217-718-3908 (Springfield) Kansas City, MO Warehouse 816-659-7600 (Kansas City) 785-422-3605 (Topeka) 816-659-7600 (St. Joseph) 573-234-6610 (Columbia) Chicago, IL (entire region) 312-473-3779 LIGHTS ON KANSAS CITY 1720 Merriam Ln. Kansas City, KS 66106 800-229-5876, 913-362-6940 Fax 913-362-6958 E-mail: kansascity@lightson.com Web: www.lightson.com

LOUISIANA PERKINS PRODUCTIONS 101 N. Magnolia Dr. Covington, LA 70433 985-867-8889 E-mail: sales@perkinsvideo.com Web: www.perkinsvideo.com THE PINNACLE GROUP Lafayette, LA 800-524-7462, 337-593-1149 E-mail: support@pingroup.com Web: www.pingroup.com Additional locations: Baton Rouge, LA 225-767-1148 Lake Charles 337-477-7469 Houston,TX 337-802-1916 VER Video Equipment Rentals 3000 Lausat St. Metairie, LA 70001 504-831-6966 Fax 504-834-7537 E-mail: info@verrents.com Web: www.verrents.com

MAINE AV TECHNIK LLC. 76 Darling Ave. South Portland, ME 04106 207-699-0115 E-mail: info@avtechnik.com Web: www.avtechnik.com STARBIRD MUSIC 500 Forest Ave. Portland, ME 04101 207-775-2733, 207-828-0888 Web: www.starbirdmusic.com

DANCE ALL NIGHT! INC. 1340 Woodland Lane Riverwoods, IL 60015 877-940-9788, 847-940-9788 E-mail: bruce@danceallnight.com Web: www.danceallnight.com Studio Equip: no Musical Equip: no Lighting: yes & Video Projection FX: yes Stages: no Cartage: yes Tech services: yes

5000 Tremont Ave. Davenport, IA 52807 563-359-1825, 855-329-2844

MCS Midwest Conference Service 35 N. Garden Ave. Roselle, IL 60172 888-MCS-EXPO, 630-351-EXPO 863-602-6659 E-mail: danderson@mcsexpo.com Web: www.mcsexpo.com

Des Moines - East 800-372-6051 515-262-0365

Mason City, IA 50401 800-397-4606, 641-423-6563

Additional locations:

NOVATOO AUDIO VISUAL 120 Easy St., Unit 3 Carol Stream, IL 60188 630-871-2222 E-mail: novatooinfo@sbcglobal.net

Fort Dodge 800-362-1627 515-576-2189

Baltimore, MD 410-522-2061, 800-966-1070

Creston 800-947-9139 641-782-5121

Dover, DE 302-697-7515, 800-966-1070

64 August 2014

musicconnection.com

RIEMAN MUSIC 6501 Douglas Ave. Urbandale, IA 50322 515-278-4685 800-962-3658 E-mail: websales@riemans.com Web: www.riemans.com Contact: J.C. Wilson Additional locations:

Ames, IA 50010 800-234-4203, 515-233-4203

MARYLAND CPR MULTIMEDIA SOLUTIONS 7812 Cessna Ave. Gaithersburg, MD 20879 301-590-9400 E-mail: info@cprmms.com Web: www.cprmms.com DSL SOUND, INC. 67 W. Baltimore St., Ste. 101 Hagerstown, MD 21740 800-966-1070, 301-797-1070 Fax 301-797-3009 E-mail: info@dslsound.net Web: www.dslsound.net

ALL SOUND PRO (see main listing under Pennsylvania) Bob: 717-496-1645 Shelby: 717-809-6904 E-mail: allsoundpro@gmail.com or bob@ allsoundpro.com Web: www.allsoundpro.com Contact: Bob Ranalli, Shelby Bacz Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes Stages: yes Cartage: yes-locally VER Video Equipment Rentals 4390 Parliament Pl., Ste. B Lanham, MD 20706 866-583-7837, 301-731-9560 Fax 301-731-9570 E-mail: info@verrents.com Web: www.verrents.com

MASSACHUSETTS ALL TECH SOUND & PRODUCTION SERVICES, INC. 13 Robbie Rd. Avon, MA 02322 508-583-4000 Fax 508-583-1378 E-mail: info@alltechsound.com Web: www.alltechsound.com Services: Provides sound, backline, lighting and stages for concert and corporate events KLONDIKE SOUND COMPANY 37 Silvio Conte Dr. Greenfield, MA 01301 413-772-2900 Fax 413-772-2199 E-mail: info@klondikesound.com Web: www.klondikesound.com PURE ENERGY ENTERTAINMENT 300 Andover St. PMB 333 Peabody, MA 01960 978-646-9226 E-mail: info@pureenergyentertainment.com Web: www.pureenergyentertainment.com QUICK AV RENTALS Boston, MA 866-416-1800 E-mail: sales@quickavrentals.com Web: www.quickavrentals.com MIRANDA TECHNOLOGIES Northeast region 973-635-1656, 908-361-0799 E-mail: john.palma@miranda.com Web: www.miranda.com RULE BROADCAST SYSTEMS, INC. 1284 Soldier’s Field Rd. Boston, MA 02135 800-785-3266, 617-277-2200 Fax 617-277-6800 E-mail: answers@rule.com Web: www.rule.com SOUNDVISION 7 Lincoln St., Ste. 200-A Wakefield, MA 01880 781-245-9655, 800-547-4343 E-mail: sales@svav.com Web: www.svav.com TALAMAS BROADCAST EQUIPMENT 145 California St. Newton, MA 02458 800-941-2446, 617-928-0788 E-mail: info@talamas.com Web: www.talamas.com VER Video Equipment Rentals 226 W. Cummings Park Woburn, MA 01801 866-255-4837, 781-937-7612 Fax 781-937-0682 E-mail: info@verrents.com Web: www.verrents.com ZASCO PRODUCTIONS, LLC 340 McKinstry Ave., Ste. 400 Chicopee, MA 01013 800-827-6616, 413-534-6677 E-mail: info@zasco.com Web: www.zasco.com

MICHIGAN GEARHOUSE CREATIVE Ferndale, MI 313-590-5117, 313-590-5116 Contact: Michael Kudreiko, Susan Leigh Web: www.gearhouse.net IN TUNE RENTALS, LLC P.O. Box 200 Novi, MI 48376

Download at www.musicconnection.com/industry-contacts 248-735-0000 E-mail: info@intunerentals.com Web: www.intunerentals.com JEFF MOON PRODUCTION SERVICES 13320 Northend, Ste. 3000 Oak Park, MI 48237 248-280-9900info@moonlinkstudios.com Web: www.moonlinkstudios.com RUSSELL VIDEO 4528 Concourse Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48108 734-213-0500 E-mail: inbox@russellvideo.com Web: www.russellvideo.com SMARTSOURCE ViSalus 340 E. Big Beaver Rd., Ste. 400 Troy, MI 48083 877-847-2587 E-mail: info@smartsourcerentals.com Web: www.smartsourceav.com VER Video Equipment Rentals 21304 Hilltop St. Southfield, MI 48034 248-304-9749 Fax 248-304-9926 E-mail: info@verrents.com Web: www.verrents.com

MINNESOTA ALPHA AUDIO & VIDEO 7711 Computer Ave. Edina, MN 55435 952-896-9898, 800-388-0008 E-mail: info@alphavideo.com Web: www.alphavideo.com EMI RENTALS 4719 42nd Ave., N. Minneapolis, MN 55422 800-832-5174, 612-789-2496 E-mail: info@EMlaudio.com Web: www.emirentals.com LIGHTS ON MINNEAPOLIS 61 Bedford St. S.E. Minneapolis, MN 55414-3553 800-336-6620, 612-331-6620 Fax 612-331-6601 E-mail: minneapolis@lightson.com Web: www.lightson.com TOTAL MUSIC SERVICES 2300 Myrtle Ave., Ste. 115 St. Paul, MN 55114 800-779-7368, 651-644-7102 Fax 651-644-8240 E-mail: info@totalmusic.com Web: www.totalmusic.com Contact: Billie Kahle Studio Equip: no Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: yes Tech services: yes

MISSOURI EVENT LINE, THE St. Louis, MO 888-254-6535, 314-255-2882 E-mail: info@theeventline.com Web: www.theeventline.com

Additional locations: Kansas City: 816-659-7600 Metro-East: 618-307-0030 FAZIOS 15440 Manchester Rd. Ellisville, MO 63011 888-687-4200, 636-227-3573 E-mail: dank@faziosmusic.com, Web: www.faziosmusic.com

NEBRASKA MIDWEST SOUND & LIGHTING, INC. 4318 S. 50th St. Omaha, NE 68117 800-981-9521, 402-731-6268 E-mail: info@mwsound.com Web: www.mwsound.com Additional location: 2425 ‘O’ St. Lincoln, NE 68510 800-617-4298, 402-474-4918

NEVADA AVD Audio Video Discount Las Vegas, NV 702-566-1210 E-mail: info@audiovideodiscount.com Web: www.audiovideodiscount.com AV VEGAS PRODUCTIONS 4375 S. Valley View, Ste. C Las Vegas, NV 89103 702-878-5050 E-mail: sales@avvegas.com Web: www.avvegas.com LEFCO VIDEO SERVICES 600 W. Sunset Rd., Ste. 103 Henderson, NV 89015 702-566-1770 Fax 702-566-1798 E-mail: info2@lefco.com Web: www.lefco.com LEVY PRODUCTION GROUP 5905 S. Decatur Blvd., Ste. 1 Las Vegas, NV 89118 702-551-4178 E-mail: crystle@levyproductiongroup.com Web: www.levyproductiongroup.com QUICK AV RENTALS Las Vegas, NV 866-416-1800 E-mail: sales@quickavrentals.com Web: www.quickavrentals.com STUDIO INSTRUMENT RENTALS, INC. 4545 Cameron St., Building A Las Vegas, NV 89103 702-382-9147, 702-384-5638 E-mail: ivinfo@sir-usa.com Web: www.sir-usa.com VER Video Equipment Rentals 3855 W. Harmon Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89103 877-837-8342, 702-895-9777 Fax 702-895-7377 E-mail: info@verrents.com Web: www.verrents.com

NEW JERSEY SHADOWSTONE One Entin Rd. #2

Clifton, NJ 07014 973-458-9550 Fax 973-458-1550 E-mail: info@shadowstone.com Web: www.shadowstone.com Additional location: Washington, DC 202-635-9400 Fax 202-635-0045 WESTFIELD AUDIO VISUAL 1012 Greeley Ave. Union, NJ 07083 908-838-9090 212-776-3300 E-mail: info@westfieldav.com Web: www.westfieldav.com SLD LIGHTING 36-05 Broadway Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 800-245-6630, 2-1-373-2700 Fax 212-956-6537 E-mail: sales@sldlighting.com Web: www.sldlighting.com

NEW MEXICO AV SYSTEMS, INC. 1000 Cordova Rd., Ste. 303 Santa Fe, NM 87505 505-982-6300 E-mail: avrental@avsystems.com Web: www.avsystems.com

Brian.starkey@cpcomms.com 800-762-4254 DJ PRO AUDIO 27 West Street Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City 855-435-4327 Web: http://www.djpagear.com DREAMHIRE LLC 36-36 33rd St., Ste. 102 Long Island City, NY 11106 800-234-7536, 212-691-5544 E-mail: info@dreamhire.com Web: www.dreamhire.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes-LED for parties, weddings, etc FX: yes (reverbs, delays, etc) Stages: no Cartage: only our own equipment Tech services: supplied with our equipment as required E C PROFESSIONAL VIDEO 253 W. 51st St. New York, NY 10019 212-333-5570, 212-586-6156 E-mail: info@ecprovideo.com Web: www.ecprofessionalvideo.com

ELLIOTT LOCATION EQUIPMENT 3120 Blake Rd. Albuquerque, NM 87105 505-328-0909, 505-247-2511, 310-915-1744 Web: www.elliottlocationequipment.com

FINGER LAKES AUDIO VIDEO RENTAL 119 E. Elm St. Penn Yan, NY 14527 888-353-3562 E-mail: info@fingerlakesentertainment.com Web: www.facebook.com/fledj, fingerlakesentertainment.com

FIELD & FRAME 107 Tulane S.E. Albuquerque, NM 87106 505-265-5678 Fax 505-255-2735 E-mail: fieldandframe@yahoo.com Web: www.fieldandframe.com

FUNKADELIC STUDIOS, INC. 209 W. 40th St. - 5th Fl. New York, NY 10018 212-696-2513 E-mail: funkadelicstudios@gmail.com Web: www.funkadelicstudios.com

NEW YORK CARROLL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT RENTALS, LLC 625 W. 55th St., 6th Fl. New York, NY 10019 212-868-4120 Web: www.carrollmusic.com COLLEGIUM SOUND, INC. 35-41 72nd St. Jackson Heights, NY 11372 718-426-8555 E-mail: soundman@computer.org Web: www.minstrelrecords.com Contact: Don Wade CP COMMUNICATIONS 200 Clearbrook Rd., #148 Elmsford, NY 10523 914-345-9292, 800-762-4254 Fax 914-345-9222 E-mail: aaon.segarra@cpcomms.com Web: www.cpcomms.com Additional locations: 3506 St. Valentine Way, Unit #6 Orlando, FL 32811 800-373-6827, 407-843-4225 E-mail: kevin.obrien@cpcomms.com Web: www.cpcomms.com West Coast: Brian Starkey

HELLO WORLD 118 W. 22nd St., 2nd Fl. New York, NY 10011 212-243-8800 E-mail: rentals@hwc.tv Web: www.hwc.tv INS & OUTS 60 Jansen Rd. New Paltz, NY 12561 845-256-0899 Fax 845-256-1484, 914-388-4920 E-mail: sfxone@aol.com Web: www.insandoutssound.webs.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: no Cartage: yes INTERACTIVE VISION SOLUTIONS Audio Visual Equipment Rental in NY.C. 248 W 35th St. New York, NY 10001 212-729-4305 E-mail: gene@audiovideonyc.com Web: www.audiovideonyc.com KEYBOARD INSTRUMENT RENTALS 1697 Broadway, Ste. 504 New York, NY 10019 212-245-0820 Contact: Danny Brill

August 2014

musicconnection.com

Annual Directory of Gear Rentals: Audio/Visual/Cartage/Tech E-mail: keyboardrentals@aol.com Web: http://www.keyboardrentalsnyc.com/

Stages: no Cartage: no

LENTINI COMMUNICATIONS 44-02 11th St., Ste. 507A Long Island City, NY 11101 718-361-6926, 212-206-1452, 212-206-1453 E-mail: nywalkie1@aol.com Web: www.lentinicommunications.com

VER Video Equipment Rentals 620 12th Ave., 3rd Fl. New York, NY 10036 866-483-7692, 212-206-3730 Fax 212-206-9154 E-mail: info@verrents.com Web: www.verrents.com

LIMAN VIDEO RENTAL 341& 330 W. 38th St. New York, NY 10018 800-251-4625, 212-594-0086 Contact: Ralph, Ian, Michael E-mail: lvrusa@lvrusa.com Web: www.lvrusa.com LLOYD SOUND, INC. 3915 Highland Rd. Cortland, NY 13045 607-753-1586, 607-423-1251 E-mail: john@lloydsound.com Web: www.lloydsound.com Contact: John Lloyd LONG ISLAND VIDEO ENTERPRISES 110 Pratt Oval Glen Cove, NY 11542 516-759-5483 E-mail: info@longislandvideo.com Web: www.longislandvideo.com MINERVA AUDIO VISUAL, INC. 56-32 59th St. Maspeth, NY 11378 866-843-0300, 718-366-0600 718-366-1148 E-mail: customerservice@minervaav.com Web: www.minervaav.com Contact: Chris Roach Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes FX: yes Stages: yes Cartage: yes Tech services: yes PERCEPTION AUDIO-VISUAL SERVICES 424 W. 33rd St., Ste. #LL30 New York, NY 10001 212-239-8187 E-mail: info@perceptionav.com Web: www.perceptionav.com PRIMALUX VIDEO PRODUCTION, INC. 555 8th Ave., Ste. 1002 New York, NY 10018 212-206-1402 E-mail: info@primalux.com Web: www.primalux.com PRODUCTION CENTRAL 873 Broadway, Ste. 205 New York, NY 10003 212-631-0435 E-mail: info@prodcentral.com Web: www.prodcentral.com Contact: David QUICK AV RENTALS New York, NY 866-416-1800 E-mail: sales@quickavrentals.com Web: www.quickavrentals.com RSA AUDIO SERVICES 100 Executive Dr., Ste. B Edgewood, NY 11717 631-242-8008 Fax 631-242-8056 E-mail: rsaaudio@aol.com Web: www.rsaaudio.net Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: yes Stages: no Cartage: no STUDIO INSTRUMENT RENTALS (SIR) 475 10th Ave., 2nd Fl. New York NY 10018 212-627-4900 Fax 212-627-7079 E-mail: nyinfo@sir-usa.com Web: www.sirny.com ULTRA SOUND REHEARSAL STUDIO 251 W. 30th St., 4th, 5th & 6th Fls. New York, NY 10001 212-714-1079 E-mail: booking@ultrasound rehearsal.com Web: www.ultrasoundrehearsal.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no

66 August 2014

musicconnection.com

VISUAL WORD SYSTEMS, INC. 35 W. 36th St., 8th Fl. (btw. 5th & 6th Ave.) New York, NY 10018 212-629-8383 Fax 212-629-8333 E-mail: Tony@visualword.com Web: www.visualword.com WIZDOM A/V, INC. NY Metropolitan Area 877-723-1800 E-mail: avhelp@wizdomav.com Web: www.wizdomav.com

NORTH CAROLINA AAV EVENTS 620-F Griffith Rd. Charlotte, NC 28217 704-339-0030 Fax 704-339-0506 E-mail: cbstion@aavevents.com Web: www.aavevents.com Additional location: 151 Kitty Hawk Dr. Morrisville, NC 27560 919-361-1151 Fax 919-405-2380 E-mail: mmurphy@aavevents.com 2862 Hartland Rd. Falls Church, VA 22043 703-573-6910 BACKLINEPRO Charlotte, NC 704-400-6875 Fax 704-366-7011 E-mail: brent@backlinepro.com Web: www.backlinepro.com Contact: Brent Moore CAROLINA BACKLINE P.O. Box 7072 Charlotte, NC 28241 704-575-9020 Fax 440-575-9021 E-mail: edtaylor@carolinabackline.com Web: www.carolinabackline.com NORMAN SOUND & PRODUCTION 912 Central Ave. Charlotte, NC 28204 866-766-7626 704-334-1601 866-766-7626 E-mail: nsp@normansound.com Web: www.normansound.com

NORTH DAKOTA HB SOUND & LIGHTS 3331 S. University Dr. Fargo, ND 58104 701-235-3695 Fax 701-780-8000 E-mail: stacy.evens@hbsound.com Web: www.hbsound.com Additional location: 101 North 8th St. Grand Forks, ND 582013 888-775-1150, 701-775-1150 RENTALL 3201 32nd St. S. Fargo, ND 58104 701-893-1900 Fax 701-893-1902 E-mail: FARGO32@rentallusa.net Web: www.rentallusa.net Additional locations: 1001 Basin Ave. Bismarck, ND 58504 701-250-1123 E-mail: Bismarck@rentallusa.net 1002 25th St., S Fargo, ND 58103 701-234-1900 E-mail: Fargo25@rentallusa.net 619 s. 47th St. Grand Forks, ND 58201 701-772-1605 E-mail: Forx@rentallusa.net 1116 Main Moohead, MN 56560

218-233-1559 E-mail: Moorhead@rentallusa.net

OHIO BACKLINE CLEVELAND 11509 York Rd., N. Royalton, OH 44133 440-582-5678 E-mail: russ@backlinecleveland.com Web: www.backlinecleveland.com Contact: Russell Kotts Studio Equip: no Musical equipment: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: yes Cartage: yes Tech services: yes COLORTONE 5401 Naiman Pkwy. Cleveland, OH 44139 440-914-9500 888-287-3728 E-mail: info@colortone.com Web: www.colortone.com Additional location: Pittsburg, PA 15220 412-400-9643 MARK STUCKER PRODUCTIONS Cincinnati, OH 513-325-4943 Fax 413-669-0801 E-mail: mark@markstucker.com Web: www.markstucker.com MEDIA MAGIC PRODUCTIONS 4504 Rt. 46 S. Jefferson, OH 44047 440-294-2431 E-mail: mail@mediamagicohio.com Web: www.mediamagicproductions.com SWEET SPOT AUDIO 3301 Lakeside Ave. E. Cleveland, OH 44114 440-342-8625 E-mail: info@sweetspotaudio.com Web: www.sweetspotaudio.com Additional location: Pittsburgh, PA 15205 412-620-3287 WOODSY’S 135 S. Water St. Kent, OH 44240 800-468-1525, 330-673-1525 E-mail: woodsys@woodsys.com Web: www.woodsys.com Additional location: 110 W. Liberty St. Medina, OH 866-545-8575, 330-725-8575 E-mail: greg@woodsys.com

OKLAHOMA FAV Ford Audio-Video 4800 W. Interstate 40 Oklahoma City, OK 73128 800-654-6744, 405-946-9966 E-mail: logah@fordav.com Web: www.fordav.com Additional location: 8349 E. 51st St. Tulsa, OK 74145 918-664-2420

OREGON CINEMAGIC STUDIOS 6705 NE 79th Ct. Ste. 6 Portland, OR 97218 503-233-2141 Fax-503-233-0076 E-mail: info@cinemagicstudios.com Web: www.cinemagicstudios.com PICTURE THIS 2223 N.E. Oregon St. Portland, OR 97232 503-235-3456, 503-445-7877 Fax 503-236-2302 E-mail: info@pixthis.com Web: www.pixthis.com QUICK AV RENTALS Portland, OR 866-416-1800 E-mail: sales@quickavrentals.com Web: www.quickavrentals.com

STUDIO INSTRUMENT 2310 NE 82nd Ave. Portland, OR 97220 503-282-5583, Fax 503-282-5584 E-mail: orinfo@sir-usa.com Web: www.sir-usa.com TIDEPOOL AUDIO Portland, OR 503-963-9019 E-mail: sales@tidepoolaudio.com Web: www.tidepoolaudio.com

PENNSYLVANIA AMP AUDIO VISUAL 204 Turner Industrial Way Aston, PA 19014 877-287-7676 E-mail: info@ampav.net Web: www.ampav.net AUDIO VISUAL RENTAL SERVICES 4039 Comly St. Philadelphia, PA 800-695-5943 Web: www.audiovisualrenting.com GOURMET P A SYSTEMS Cranberry Industrial Park 3016 Unionville Rd. Cranberry Township, PA 16066 724-776-2766 Web: www.gourmetpa.com KEYSTONE PICTURES, INC. 1314 Alter St. Philadelphia, PA 19147 215-667-6645 800-659-5821 E-mail: scheduling@keystonepictures.tv Web: www.keystonepictures.tv ALL SOUND PRO 1031 Kunkle Drive Chambersburg, PA 17202 Bob @ 717-496-1645 or Shelby @ 717-809-6904 E-mail: allsoundpro@gmail.com or bob@allsoundpro.com Web: www.allsoundpro.com Contact: Bob Ranalli, Shelby Bacz Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes Stages: yes Cartage: yes-locally QUICK AV RENTALS Philadelphia, PA 866-416-1800 E-mail: sales@quickavrentals.com Web: www.quickavrentals.com VIDEOSMITH INC. 200 Spring Garden St., Ste. C Philadelphia, PA 19123 215-238-5070 Fax 215-238-5075 E-mail: info@videosmith.com Web: www.videosmith.com

RHODE ISLAND AMBIENT, INC. 75 New England Way Warwick, RI 02886 401-941-8500 Fax 401-732-5368 E-mail: info@ambientsound.com Web: www.ambientsound.com ECLPS East Coast Lighting & Production Services 1300 Jefferson Blvd., Ste. D Warwick, RI 02888-1000 888-467-9070, 401-467-8780 E-mail: info@eclps.com Web: www.eclps.com RHODE ISLAND RENTALS 111 Plan Way Warwick, RI 02886 800-873-6888, 401-738-9731 E-mail: partysales@rirental.com Web: www.rirental.com

SOUTH CAROLINA NEW PRO VIDEO 3546 Admiral Dr. North Charleston, SC 29405 800-462-8895, 843-554-7811 E-mail: holler@newprovideo.com Web: www.newprovideo.com SHOW SERVICES INC. 365 Red Cedar St., Ste. 201 Bluffton, SC 29910 843-815-3731 E-mail: alex@showservicesinc.com Web: www.showservicesinc.com

Download at www.musicconnection.com/industry-contacts SOUTH DAKOTA OUTSOUND PRODUCTIONS 47830 271st St. Harrisburg, SD 57032 605-212-4603 E-mail: info@outsoundproductions.com Web: www.outsoundproductions.com

TENNESSEE ALLPRO ELECTRONICS 800 18th Ave. S. Ste. B Nashville, TN 37203 615-259-9963 E-mail: sales@allproelectronics.com Web: www.allproelectronics.com ALLSTAR AUDIO SYSTEMS, INC. 602 Swan Dr. Smyrna, TN 37167 615-220-0260 E-mail: info@allstaraudio.com Web: www.allstaraudio.com Additional location: P.O. Box 541964 Merritt Island, FL 32954 321-455-2202 BLACKBIRD AUDIO RENTALS 2805 Bransford Ave. Nashville, TN 37204 615-279-7368 E-mail: info@blackbirdaudiorentals.com Web: www.blackbirdaudiorentals.com BLEVINS AUDIO P.O. Box 100903 Nashville, TN 37224 615-202-8669 E-mail: Themciguy@aol.com Web: www.blevinsaudio.net Contact: Steve Sadler BRANTLEY SOUND ASSOCIATES INC. 115 Duluth Ave. Nashville, TN 37209 615-256-6260 E-mail: CCussick@brantleysound.com Web: www.brantleysound.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: no FX: no Stages: yes Cartage: no CHRISTEC MEDIA P.O. Box 218042 Nashville, TN 37221 615-973-1825 Web: www.christecmedia.com Contact: Larry Repasky DR&A, INC. 45 Willow St. Nashville, TN 37210 615-256-6200, Fax 615-256-6236 E-mail: drice@griptruck.com Web: www.griptruck.com Contact: Doug Rice, Founder/CEO GAULT & ASSOCIATES, INC. 3545 Probasco Pl. Chattanooga, TN 37411 800-424-2858, 423-756-6128 Knoxville area: 865-690-5101 Nashville area: 615-771-9096 E-mail: avfred@aol.com Web: www.gaultav.com MIDSOUTH VISUAL, INC. Nashville, TN 37219 615-500-5953 E-mail: info@midsouthvisual.com Web: www.midsouthvisual.com NASHVILLE PRODUCTION RENTALS 3401 Ambrose Ave. Nashville, TN 37207 615-775-7609 Fax 615-230-8658 E-mail: mail@nashvilleproductionrentals.com Web: www.nashvilleproductionrentals.com Contact: studio mgr. Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: no Lighting: yes FX: no Stages: no Cartage: no Tech Services: yes ONE EVENT SERVICES 1443 Donelson Pike Nashville, TN 37217 877-607-7516, 615-301-6740 E-mail: Nashville@ONeventservices.com Web: www.oneventservices.com

STUDIO INSTRUMENT RENTALS OF TN, INC. 1101 Cherry Ave. Nashville, TN 37203 615-255-4500 Fax 615-255-4511 E-mail: tninfo@sir-usa.com Web: www.sir-usa.com Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes FX: yes Stages: yes Cartage: yes TENNESSEE CONCERT SOUND 4958 Hwy. 70 E. Brownsville, TN 38012 731-772-2292 E-mail: tnconsound@aol.com Contact: Stewart Tritt THOMPSON MUSIC RENTAL Nashville, TN 615-210-2120 E-mail: markthompson@comcast.net Web: www.thompsonmusicrental.com TREW AUDIO 220 Great Cir. Rd., Ste. 116 Nashville, TN 37228 800-241-8994, 615-256-3542 E-mail: info@trewaudio.com Web: www.trewaudio.com VER Video Equipment Rentals 12630 Old Hickory Blvd. Nashville, TN 37013 615-280-2255, Fax 615-280-2181 E-mail: info@verrents.com Web: www.verrents.com THE VIDEO COMPANY NASHVILLE 1805 Hayes St. Nashville, TN 37203 855-588-2882, 615-320-3200 E-mail: info@tvcnashville.com Web: www.tvcnashville.com

TEXAS ACAV Action Computer & Audio Visual Corporate HD 8524 Hwy. 6 N., #131 Houston, TX 77095 866-475-6825, 281-550-7955 E-mail: sales@actioncomputerand audiovisual.net Web: www.actioncomputerandaudiovisual.net DAVID BARROW PRODUCTIONS 3633 North Hills Dr. Austin, TX 78731 512-345-7106 512-799-8468 E-mail: david@davidbarrow.com Web: www.davidbarrow.com FAV Ford Audio-Video 13375 Stemmons Fwy., Ste. 200 Dallas, TX 75234-5755 800-654-6744, 972-241-9966 Web: www.fordav.com Additional locations: 1340 Airport Commerce Dr., Ste. 470 Austin, TX 78741 512-447-1103 4380 Blalock Rd. Houston, TX 77041 713-690-0555 LONESTAR AUDIO VISUAL 25531 Little Brook San Antonio, TX 78260 210-722-2845 E-mail: info@lonestarav.com Web: www.lonestarav.com MOPAC MEDIA 5800 Berkman Dr. Austin, TX 78723 512-462-2000 Web: www.mopacmedia.com MP&E 17819 Davenport Rd., Ste. 125 Dallas, TX 75252 972-931-3880 Fax 972-931-3882 E-mail: dallas@hdgear.tv Web: www.mayovideo.com Additional location: 4822 E. Cesar Chavez Austin, TX 78702

514-485-3131 E-mail: austin@hdgear.tv OMEGA BROADCAST GROUP 817 W. Howard Ln. Austin, TX 78753 512-251-7778 Fax 512-251-8633 E-mail: sales@omegabroadcast.com Contact: Bart McNeil, Sales Web: www.omegabroadcast.com OMEGA PRODUCTIONS P. O. Box 606 Palacios, TX 77465 214-891-9585 Fax 214-722-1442 E-mail: getinfo@omegalive.com Web: www.omegalive.com ONSTAGE SYSTEMS 10930 Petal St. Dallas, TX 75238 972-686-4488 E-mail: donovan@onstagesystems.com Web: www.onstagesystems.com PINNACLE GROUP, THE Houston, TX 800-524-7462, 337-802-1916 E-mail: support@pingroup.com Web: www.pingroup.com QUICK AV RENTALS Dallas, TX 866-416-1800 E-mail: sales@quickavrentals.com Web: www.quickavrentals.com

AVIVA RENTALS 1609 Rhoadmiller St. Richmond, VA 23220 877-564-9143, 804-353-9212 E-mail: john@avivarentals.com Web: www.audiovisualrentalsvirginia.com CONNECTING POINT MULTIMEDIA, INC. P.O. Box 986 Arlington, VA 22216-0986 703-527-8220, 888-434-8880 E-mail: info@cpmmonline.com Web: www.cpmmonline.com ALL SOUND PRO (see main office under Pennsylvania) Bob: 717-496-1645 or Shelby: 717-809-6904 Email: allsoundpro@gmail.com or bob@allsoundpro.com Web:www.allsoundpro.com Contact: Bob Ranalli, Shelby Bacz Studio Equip: yes Musical Equip: yes Lighting: yes Stages: yes Cartage: yes-locally

WASHINGTON AV RENT Seattle, WA 206-575-7771 E-mail: sales@avequipment.com Web: www.avrent.com Additional location:

RESOLUTION MEDIA Houston, TX 77042 Web: www.resmedia.com

1004 Industry Dr., Bld. #30 (Headquarters) Tukwila, WA 98188 (South Center) 253-474-9979

VER Video Equipment Rentals 1775 Hurd Dr. Irving, TX 75038 877-920-9020, 214-260-1295 Fax 214-260-1300 E-mail: info@verrents.com Web: www.verrents.com

QUICK AV RENTALS Seattle, WA 866-416-1800 E-mail: sales@quickavrentals.com Web: www.quickavrentals.com

UTAH TV SPECIALISTS, INC. 180 E. 2100 S. Salt Lake City, UT 84115 888-486-5757, 801-486-5757 E-mail: info@tvspecialist.com Web: www.tvspecialists.com WEB AUDIO VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS 3020 S.W. Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 801-484-8567, 877-908-8567 E-mail: info@webbav.com Web: www.webbav.com Additional location: 247 24th St. Ogden, UT 84401 801-866-5534 E-mail: pauls@webbav.com Contact: Paul Stevens 101 W. 100 N. Provo, UT 84601 801-319-0139 Contact: Dave Westling E-mail: davewestling@webbav.com 1895 Sidewwinder Dr. City, UT 94068 435-901-4472 Contact: Scott Garner E-mail: scottg@webbav.com

VERMONT SHOW WORKS P.O.Box 219 East Barre, VT 05649 802-522-5294 E-mail: sales@showworksonline.com Web: www.showworksonline.com SOUNDVISION 310 Hurricane Ln., Ste. 1 Williston, VT 05495 802-862-2309 E-mail: sales@svav.com Web: www.svav.com

VIRGINIA

STUDIO INSTRUMENT RENTALS 3631 Interlake Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98103 206-782-6800 Fax 206-782-6862 E-mail: wainfo@sir-usa.com Web: www.sir-usa.com VER Video Equipment Rentals 12610 Interurban Ave. S., Ste. 110 Tukwila, WA 98168 206-242-3860 Fax 206-242-3859 E-mail: info@verrents.com Web: www.verrents.com

WISCONSIN FULL COMPASS SYSTEMS, LTD. 9770 Silicon Prairie Pkwy. Madison, WI 53593 800-476-9886, 608-831-7330 800-356-5844 E-mail: rentals@fullcompass.com Web: www.fullcompass.com INTELLASOUND PRODUCTIONS 416 Venture Ct., Ste. 2 Verona, WI 53593-1821 608-845-5683 Fax 608-845-3299 E-mail: mail@intellasound.com Web: www.intellasound.com QUA 2625 S. Lenox St. Apt. #3 Milwaukee, WI 53207 702-556-7969 E-mail: qua@quavisuals.com Web: www.quavisuals.com Contact: Tim Stoll

WYOMING SHAPED MUSIC, INC. Serving all of Wyoming, Nebraska, Utah and New Mexico 970-221-2315 Fax 970-224-2326 E-mail: randyc@shapedmusic.com Web: www.shapedmusic.com WILD BUNCH VIDEO PRODUCTIONS 244 N. Beverly Casper, WY 82601 307-267-6377 E-mail: wildbunchvp@bresnan.net Web: www.wildbunchvp.com/about/ about%20us.html

AAV EVENTS 2862 Hartland Rd. Falls Church, VA 22043 703-573-6910 Fax 703-573-7776 E-mail: rmathews@aavevents.com Web: www.aavevents.com

August 2014

musicconnection.com

68 August 2014

musicconnection.com

For Advertising Info Call 818-995-0101

MARKETPLACE

August 2014

musicconnection.com 69

For Advertising Info Call 818-995-0101

MARKETPLACE

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; JEANNIE DEVA

10 Rehearsal Tips for Powerful Performances

our audience may think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s magic, but anyone who achieves outstanding performances has worked hard to do so. What is the key to this success? Through my own development as a veteran performer, as well as by helping countless singers and bands achieve success on stage and in the studio, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been able to develop these tips to help your rehearsals result in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wowâ&#x20AC;? performances. 1. Envision your message. Sometimes referred to as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the whole packageâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;branding,â&#x20AC;? the overall image, sound and message of a band or solo performer should be established early on. The better you can define your general message and image the more focused your activities will be. This vision of your â&#x20AC;&#x153;productâ&#x20AC;? acts as the criteria for every detail of your music, arrangements, set list, staging, outfits, etc. This is your musical presentation, persona and unique identity. As your career develops, so may your vision and everything realigns to harmonize with it.

as movement on stage, microphone handling, etc. Spend some time practicing as though youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ON stage and singing TO the audience. Use video recordings of rehearsals to evaluate and improve. 6. Practice Tops and Tails. Top is the beginning of a song and tail is the end. Going from the tail of one song to the top of the next allows you to get familiar with emotional and physical transitions including changing guitars, moving from one instrument to another and for singers, any change of vocal approach. This will also confirm if your set list works or needs rearrangement.

4. Set lists that work. Open the set with a song that grabs your audienceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention and captures their interest. End the set with a song that has a strong hook that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll walk out singing. Plan the intervening songs based on set length and use of contrasting keys, tempos and emotional transitions to build audience interest and response. To increase interest, pick a song sequence that varies your singerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s range. 5. Practice performance skills too. After any musical trouble spots are smoothed out, such as wrong notes or chords and sloppy rhythms, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t neglect practicing performance skills such 70 August 2014

musicconnection.com

r #BOE JOUFSBDUJPO Your performance is both visual and audio how you move and look to the audience will either complement or distract from their emotional experience. Performance energy is enhanced when a group works in unison and plays off each other musically and visually. r 5BMLJOH UP ZPVS BVEJFODF Audience connection can be enhanced with short verbal interchange between some songs. It takes practice to say something appropriate to the audience to fill a few moments of downtime while a player changes a guitar or the singer moves to a piano for the next song. Practice this during your full set rehearsal so you get comfortable doing it without rambling on. 8. Practice in different rooms. Room acoustics and stage sizes may influence the audio and visual aspects of your performance. Change your rehearsal location whenever feasible to become familiar with adapting your show to different venues. (For more, see my July 2013 MC article: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Different Room Acoustics.â&#x20AC;?)

2. Keep rehearsals focused. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very easy to squander valuable rehearsal time if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t predetermine what you will be practicing. Make a â&#x20AC;&#x153;to-do listâ&#x20AC;? of what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll cover during rehearsalâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; and stick to it. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make the list unrealistically long and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t veer off it. If something comes up midrehearsal, such as certain players need more practice of their own parts, skip that song and go onto the next item on your list. Keeping rehearsals productive keeps morale high. 3. Call â&#x20AC;&#x153;vocals onlyâ&#x20AC;? rehearsals. Many details go into blending good sounding vocals, so coordination of lead and harmony vocals deserve separate rehearsals. From the audienceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective, vocals are the most important instrument in a performance or recording (no offense to instrumentalists). A cappella or quiet guitar/piano accompaniments allow you to really hear the vocal quality and blend. Record your sessions to identify what needs to be tightened up.

effects pedals such as TC-Heliconâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s VoiceLive series. Using quick change Hercules mic stands eliminates awkward adjustments on stage.

9. Practice on camera. To prepare for TV appearances and videos, practice performing to your video camera as though it is a live audience. Different emotional messages from song to song will have varied musical tone and should also LOOK appropriately different. During playback you will see whether your movements and expressions are emotionally consistent with the song. For compact affordable stereo sound and video recording, I like the Zoom Q4.

7. Practice your full set list. Practicing your full set is like a gymnast practicing their routine. You develop your mental as well as physical transitions while you navigate through each song in order of actual performance. This also helps you develop physical and mental performance stamina. This includes: r &OUSBODFT BOE FYJUT Consider entrances and exits as a visual part of your show. This should include things like deciding if the lead singer will enter after the band begins playing and how you will end the show and exit the stage. r :PVS HFBS Avoid clumsiness on stage by practicing any necessary guitar changes; effects pedal settings, etc. during rehearsals of the full set. Practice smoothly taking the mic on and off the stand or making setting changes on vocal

10. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t skimp on preproduction. When prepping for studio recording, spend adequate rehearsal time in preproduction. Rushing into the studio unprepared wastes valuable recording time and money and increases frustration and stress. Enhance your vocal recording by having your singers practice with a rough mix of the instrumental tracks prior to going into the studio. Incorporate all the above tips into recording prep so you emulate a live performance in the studio. A good headphone set mix is vital in the studio, so I recommend Sennheiserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HD 280 for fantastic sound at a great price. JEANNIE DEVA is a celebrity voice and performance coach, recording studio vocal specialist and member of the Grammys. Endorsed by engineers and producers of Aerosmith, Elton John and the Rolling Stones, she is the author of 5IF $POUFNQPSBSZ 7PDBMJTU book and CD series, 5IF %FWB .FUIPE 7PDBM 8BSN 6Q CD and the eBook: 4JOHFS T (VJEF UP 1PXFSGVM 1FSGPSNBODFT available for all digital readers. She teaches in her Los Angeles studio and internationally via Skype as well as through her online video exchange school. Visit http://JeannieDeva.com.

Which Scarlett is for you?

Singer / Songwriter

Producer / DJ

Duo / Trio

You want to record guitar, vocals, bass, or other instruments directly into your computer and complete your recordings with studio effects to create a master mix. Get it right from the start. The Scarlett 2i2 is for you.

You want to record 2 channels of audio simultaneously (mic/line/instrument), and need 2 pairs of stereo outputs for either your DJ decks or another set of speakers. The Scarlett 2i4 is for you.

. 2 Focusrite Mic Pres . 2 mic/line/instrument combination inputs . 2 balanced monitor outputs

. . . .

You want to record a small group of musicians, for example a keyboard player and two vocalists. So, you need a durable, portable device that is capable of recording up to 4 simultaneous analog inputs and also has 4 audio outputs for monitors or additional cue mixes. The Scarlett 6i6 is for you.

2 Focusrite Mic Pres 2 mic/line/instrument combination inputs 2 balanced monitor outputs & MIDI I/O 4 RCA outputs ideal for DJs

Whatever your audio recording needs, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Focusrite Scarlett interface for you. All you have to do is choose. Check out the full Scarlett Range at: www.focusrite.com/Scarlett

. 2 Focusrite Mic Pres . 2 mic/line/instrument combination inputs . Stereo line inputs, 2 headphone amps . 4 line outputs, MIDI and S/PDIF I/O

New i-Series. New song.

iOneâ&#x201E;˘

iTwoâ&#x201E;˘

Tracked on her iPadÂŽ with new Captureâ&#x201E;˘ Duo. Beamed wirelessly to her laptop and mixed with Studio OneÂŽ 5fÎŻ gh" Available for sale to her fan base the same day via NimbitÂŽ. The iOne and iTwo are the only 96kHz USB 2.0 interfaces with a seamless suite of easy-to-use TPÎ&#x17E; XBSF UIBU FODPVSBHFT ZPVS DSFBÎŻ WJÎś ÂŠ2014 PreSonus Audio Electronics., Inc. All Rights Reserved. iOne, iTwo and Nimbit are trademarks or registered trademarks of PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc. Capture and Studio One are trademarks or registered trademarks of PreSonus Software Ltd. All other marks are property of their respective holders. Except any smudges you get on this magazine. Those marks are solely your property.

Full info and videos atâ&#x20AC;Ś www.presonus.com/i-series