Music Connection's Dec 12 Issue

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blood, sweat and tears into perfecting your performance. Your PA had better be able to keep up. The New Shape of Sound – Mackie DLM

MACKIE.COM/DLM © 2012 LOUD Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. “Mackie” and the “running man” are registered trademarks of LOUD Technologies. Refrain from standing on the DLM after 12 or more drinks. And by “drinks” we mean grape juice.

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THE ONLY U.S. MUSIC CONFERENCE 100% DEDICATED TO SONGWRITERS AND COMPOSERS!

TAKE YOUR MUSIC TO THE NEXT LEVEL

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The ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO puts you face-to-face with the most successful songwriters, composers and producers who generously share their knowledge and expertise.

Celebrity Q & A’s Master Classes Songwriting & Composing Workshops Publisher & Business Panels DIY Career Building Workshops Showcases and Performances Attendee Song Feedback Panels Networking Opportunities State-of-the-Art Technology Demos Leading Music Industry Exhibitors ONE-ON-ONE SESSIONS We are excited to again offer the tremendously popular One-on-One Sessions – a valuable opportunity to spend 15 minutes with a songwriter, composer, music supervisor or music industry executive.

Register early because they fill up fast.

Connect with ASCAP EXPO on Twitter and Facebook to find out news, panelists, programming, and connect with other attendees: twitter.com/ascapexpo and facebook.com/ascapexpo

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REGISTER NOW at www.ascap.com/expo OPEN TO ALL MUSIC CREATORS REGARDLESS OF AFFILIATION

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ROCK OUT. CASH IN. ASCAP pays members for live performances at venues of any size.

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contents

Cover Stories

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Taylor Swift It has been a few years since an 18-year-old Swift was on our cover, and we catch up with her now about how she has managed her career, including her recent collaborations with pop wizards Dan Wilson, Jeff Bhasker, Butch Walker, Max Martin and others.

42

By Gary Graff

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Here’s what happens when you get the chance to go faceto-face with an industry pro at a popular conference like the ASCAP EXPO.

By Dan Kimpel

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70 Best Career Tips of The Year

Culled from all of our 2012 issues, these expert tips by artists, musicians and tech-people cover a wide spectrum of topics: social networking, recording, marketing, songwriting, live sound, film/TV placements, choosing a manager and much, much more.

Compiled By MC Associate Editor Andy Mesecher

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48

Assignments

New Toys

Favorite Signings of 2012

Book Store Up Close

Music Connection's Signing Stories section celebrates the most savvy, significant and inspring artists and bands who signed deals during the past year.

Studio Mix Business Affairs Song Biz

56

Film/TV/Theater

Compiled By MC Senior Editor Mark Nardone

Mixed Notes

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Top 25 New Music Critiques of 2012

CD Reviews

Here are the best unsigned recording artists we heard this year. Plus a full page of Top Prospects!

64

Nicole Goddard

Compiled By Mark Nardone and Andy Mesecher

Live Reviews

Stocking Stuffers..............................................................................By Barry Rudolph Gifts for Under A Grand..................................................................By Andy Mesecher Producer Crosstalk: ZK Productions......................................................By Rob Putnam Exec Profile: Evita G. Kaigler............................................................By Andy Kaufmann Songwriter Profile: Allan Rich...............................................................By Dan Kimpel Hot 100 Live Unsigned Artists & Bands.............By Mark Nardone, Bernard Baur & Karen Emmert Artist Profile: Nikhil Korula Band.............................................................By Brett Bush Tip Jar: What Singers Should Tell Their Managers....................................By Lisa Popeil

Be Sure To follow Music Connection on Facebook and Twitter.

Check out our AMP Social Space and online magazine for up-to-date music news.

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.

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GET PAID FOR LIVE PERFORMANCES IN ANY SIZE VENUE!

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

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ SENIOR EDITOR Mark Nardone markn@musicconnection.com

OPERATIONS MANAGER Denise Coso denisec@musicconnection.com

ART DIRECTOR Cesare Perrino artdirector@musicconnection.com

MARKETING/ADVERTISING MANAGER Hillorie Rudolph hillorier@musicconnection.com

DIRECTOR OF ONLINE OPERATIONS Mukul Chauhan mukulchauhan16@gmail.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE/ARTIST RELATIONS Mira Abas mira@musicconnection.com ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR Gary J. Stephens garys@musicconnection.com NEW TOYS Barry Rudolph barry@barryrudolph.com DIRECTORY EDITOR Denise Coso mcdirectories@musicconnection.com EDITORIAL INTERN Karen Emmert intern@musicconnection.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Andy Mesecher andym@musicconnection.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Bernard Baur bbatmc@aol.com SONG BIZ Dan Kimpel dan@dankimpel.com FILM, TV, THEATER Tom Kidd prespak1@verizon.net FEATURE WRITERS Andy Kaufmann andy.kaufmann@comcast.net Rob Putnam toe2toe6@hotmail.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jessica Aves, Allegra Azzopardi, Bernard Baur, Fuchsia Black, Brett Bush, Stefan Broadley, Karen Emmert, Gary Graff, Eric A. Harabadian, Oscar Jordan, Andy Kaufmann, Dawna Kaufmann, David Kershenbaum, Kim Mack, José Martinez, Dean Moore, Paula Muñoz, Jessica Pace, Rob Putnam, Tim Reid Jr., Daniel Siwek, Matt Schild, Brian Stewart, Laurier Tiernan, Albert Vega, Catherine Veit, Jonathan Widran, Ellen Woloshin.

PHOTOGRAPHERS Jessica Aves, Allegra Azzopardi, Bernard Baur, Daren Cornell, Jody Domingue, Scott Dudelson, Karen Emmert, Kevin Estrada, Oscar Jordan, David Klein, Thomas Long, Kim Mack, Cindy Miley, Paula Muñoz, Jessica Pace, Scott Perham, Rob Putnam, Tim Reid Jr., Daniel Siwek, Brian Stewart, Dave Stone, E. H. Tiernan, Albert Vega.

Manufactured and printed in the United States of America, Music Connection (ISSN# 1091-9791) is published monthly by Music Connection, Inc., 14654 Victory Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91411. Single copy price is $3.95, Canada $4.95. Subscription rates: $35/one year, $59/ two years. Outside the US, add $25 (US 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 © 2012 by E. Eric Bettelli. All rights reserved.

Founded by: J. Michael Dolan / jmichaeldolan@gmail.com Corporate Headquarters

14654 Victory Blvd. Van Nuys, CA 91411 Office: 818-995-0101 Fax: 818-995-9235 Email Address: contactmc@musicconnection.com Website: http://musicconnection.com Legal Counsel: Christopher J. Olsen / chris@chrisolsenlaw.com

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Aspenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Place Recording

By Jonathan Widran

Les Paul and Aspen Pittmann

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ucked away from the maelstrom of Hollywood in laid back San Fernando, CA, Aspenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Place Recording (http://aspenandassoc.com) is a turnkey vintage â&#x20AC;&#x153;liveâ&#x20AC;? recording studio dedicated to producing fullband live multi-track recordings with a modern meets old school approach.

Clients have the option of using the latest Pro Tools rig after tracking the way records were made in the golden age of rock and soul.

To understand the deep musical heart and soul that goes into the technology, gear, vibe and space of this one-of-a-kind studio, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best to know the background of its owner, Aspen Pittman, who opened the facility in 2011. In 1978, he founded Aspen & Associates, a consulting company that developed music and audio products. Early A&A research discovered ways to improve vacuum tubes for guitar amps and led to one of the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most successful products: Groove Tubes. Creator of numerous award-winning, patented, globally popular studio microphones and tube based signal processors, Pittman has sold over 120,000 of various editions of his renowned The Tube Amp Book.

In June 2008, Pittman sold the Groove Tubes brand and entire product catalog to FMIC (Fender), and he continued as a consultant to Fender and Groove Tubes through June 2011. Then A&A was resurrected to continue the business development of his award-winning SFX technology (Stereo Field Expansion), the patented process that magically produces a 3D stereo soundfield from a single cabinet for live performance (currently under license to Fender and other companies). And in his free time, Aspen has brought his 45 years of collecting and creating great tone to launch his â&#x20AC;&#x153;bucket listâ&#x20AC;? studio; Aspenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Place Recording.

Built on the historic site of the original GT factory, Aspenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Place Recording offers a classic â&#x20AC;&#x153;big roomâ&#x20AC;? recording environment, measuring 48x18-ft. with a 12-ft. ceiling, with a dual amp isolation closet for recording several smaller combo amps in a soundproof room. The big room is acoustically designed to have just the right amount of live and dead areas and has 20+ specially designed Bruce Black (Media Rooms Technology) multisurfaced â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gobos,â&#x20AC;? which offer reflecting, diffusing and absorbing surfaces that can be configured as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;drum cave.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;What we offer is the ability for a band or ensemble to come in and literally track in real time live in our big room with all tube analog on the front-end in a musically creative environment,â&#x20AC;? says Pittman. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Of course we can layer it one track at a time, but we uniquely offer bands the chance to record live with high-def studio quality results. Although the trend in recent years is to record in home studio setups, young bands are open to us because most love to record live but their options are usually limited to a club where the adverse room acoustics get in the way of sonic purity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In most studios favoring the one track at a time approach, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no live feeling or connection between band members,â&#x20AC;? he adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But here, everyone is isolated into a perfect sonic environment where they can hear through headphones exactly how the song is being tracked, which produces an immediate and intimate feel for the song. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also faster, and much more fun!â&#x20AC;?

Another advantage to recording at APR is Pittmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vast collection of vintage gear (including classic items he created) that are included in the hourly rate. Among the options are: the Neumann U47 and U67 tube mics; a 1965 Hammond A100 organ with dual Leslies, a 1955 Steinway studio upright piano, 32 channels of tube pre-amps that he designed, including the Variable Impedance PREamp (VIPRE), the Glory Compressor and the Stereo Unit Preamp (SUPRE). Recent upgrades include Pro Tools 10 and two of Avidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new 16 channel converters, a 5.1 JBL LSR4326 surround system, Pittmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own GT classic EQ1 5-band variable passive EQs, and well over half a million dollar locker of mics, vintage instruments and backline tone toys. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We can do it all, big or small, but with heart. We have all the tools and capacity for large format live recording,â&#x20AC;? Pittman says â&#x20AC;&#x153;A band can record live in one big room with line of site to each member, achieving a perfect mix from a perfect signal chain in a perfect room.â&#x20AC;?

Contact Aspen @ Aspensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Place Recording, 818-512-4500

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ASSIGNMENTS

Chad Batchelor

APAC Dir. of Sales, Mackie/Ampeg LOUD Technologies Inc. LOUD Technologies Inc. (“LOUD”) has announced the appointment of Chad Batchelor as APAC Director of Sales, Mackie & Ampeg. Based out of the company’s Singapore command center, Batchelor will partner with all APAC Mackie and Ampeg distributors to leverage these partners’ strengths, and LOUD resources, to continue the brands’ region-wide growth. Prior to joining LOUD, Batchelor managed Ampeg, EAW and Mackie brand distribution in Singapore; earlier he built distribution and retail footprints for such brands as Denon, Sennheiser, Innovason, Neumann and Turbo Sound. For further information on Batchelor’s new position, email Adrian Bell, adrian.bell@loudtechinc.com.

Gator Michaels VP of Promotions Blaster Records

Blaster Records has announced the hiring of an in-house radio promotion team to continue the growing needs of the indie label. Taking the promotion helm is veteran Gator Michaels as VP of Promotions. Michaels is a longtime industry executive with an extensive background including a decade in country radio, followed by a long tenure in radio promotion. He spent eight years leading the promo team at Warner Bros. Nashville, orchestrating hits for Faith Hill, Randy Travis, the Eagles, Kid Rock and many more.

Michaels began his promotion career working as an independent promoter with Young-Olsen & Associates. Contact mallory@blasterentertainment.com for additional promotions within Blaster.

Dallas Austin

Sr. VP, A&R, Island Records Island Def Jam Music Group Island Records, a division of Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJ), further expands and strengthens its A&R senior management staff with the appointment of Grammy Award-winning producer, composer and musician Dallas Austin to the position of Senior Vice President, A&R, Island Records. Austin will oversee current and new artist projects, while actively seeking out, discovering and signing new talent to Island. A listing of artists with whom he has worked in the studio include Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Monica, P!nk, Shakira, Gwen Stefani, Usher, will.i.am, and countless others. For further information on this appointment, contact Renata Muniz, renata.muniz@umusic.com.

Kristin Palmer

Publicity / Artist Development Average Joe’s Average Joe’s Entertainment has hired publicist Kristin Palmer to handle publicity and artist development for the company. Palmer, with over seven years of music industry experience, joins Average Joe’s after most recently running her own company, Palmer House Publicity. “I’m honored to be a part of the Average Joe’s team,” explains Palmer. “Average Joe’s is making waves in the entertainment industry and I’m excited to have the opportunity to contribute to the forward way of thinking that this company does so well.” Palmer can be contacted directly through one of the following outlets: kristinp@averagejoesent.com; 615-733-9983, office; 770-815-6256, cell.

Sean Nagasawa

Mike Rubsamen

Marketing Coordinator AT&T U-verse

Sean Nagasawa has joined the AT&T U-verse team as Marketing Coordinator.

Working as part of the Member Marketing department, Nagasawa is a part of a team specializing in market strategies that pertain to over four million AT&T U-verse subscribers—which includes music channels and live music events.

Previously he held the title of Executive Assistant in the Interactive Games division for 20th Century Fox. There he partnered with different developers and publishers, overseeing production from start to finish as well as routing assets and approving milestones. Nagasawa has a B.A. in Music Industry and a minor in Business Administration and Marketing from CSU, Chico.

Contact him directly at Snagasawa310@hotmail.com.

Steve Yegelwel

Senior Vice President of A&R Mercury Records Mercury Records, a division of Island Def Jam Music Group, strengthens it’s A&R initiative with the appointment of Steve Yegelwel as Senior Vice President of A&R. Yegelwel will oversee current and new artist projects, while actively seeking out, discovering and signing new talent to Mercury. Yegelwel, who is based in New York, comes to Mercury after five years as President, S-Curve Records, since 2007. He joined S-Curve in 2000, serving as Executive VP, Artists & Repertoire, until the company went on hiatus in 2005. From 2007 to 2012 he was involved in the A&R process for all of the label’s artists. Contact renata.muniz@umusic.com.

VP, Distribution & Merch.

GoDigital Mike Rubsamen has been named Vice President, Distribution & Merchandising for GoDigital, an L.A.-based film distributor specializing in digital delivery.

Rubsamen will oversee the company’s operations team, client and platform relations, and the product management of all film releases to the global marketplace. Prior to his directorial debut, Rubsamen was instrumental in solidifying GoDigital’s now standardized quality control process for preparing films for digital release. A lover of both music and film, he first dabbled in music publishing before ultimately venturing into the film space.

Rubsamen graduated with a double major in Music Industry and Finance at California State University, Chico. Contact mrubsamen@gmail.com.

Tom Soper

Sr. Director, Advertising Sales Music Choice Music Choice has announced the promotion of Tom Soper to Senior Director of Advertising Sales. The announcement was made by Mark Melvin, Vice President, National Advertising Sales.

Soper has been at Music Choice since 2007 and most recently served as Director of Advertising Sales. He has been successful in creating long-term partnerships with advertisers across every division of Music Choice including SWRV, Video On Demand, and Music Channels. Soper will also continue to expand Music Choice’s advertising opportunities into new markets, specifically multicultural and mobile. Contact jpaganuzzi@musicchoice.com.

December 2012

www.musicconnection.com

9

NEW TOYS

—BARRY RUDOLPH barry@barryrudolph.com

Focusrite Forte USB Sanken Microphones CU-55 Condenser Mic The CU-55 is Sanken’s latest addition to their famed line of studio Audio Interface Focusrite’s Forte is a portable, desktop USB 2.0 audio interface for Macs and PCs with two analog inputs and four analog outputs. Its sleek modern industrial design starts off with a beautiful backlit OLED status display, four touch-sensitive icon buttons and a single, large aluminum controller knob.

Forte uses two of Focusrite’s high-end remote controlled RedNet pre-amplifiers with 24-bit A-D and D-A converters operating at sample rates up to 192kHz. The included Forte Control software driver configures and stores the unit’s settings of any combination of input source selection between two 1/4 inch-TRS and/or two XLR microphone inputs. Also stored is the configuration of the two, six-channel stereo mixers—including the level of the incoming source audio for near zero latency monitoring.

Forte’s four touch buttons determine the function of the controller knob for: record level, monitor volume, headphone loudness and basic remote control of any popular DAW system. The default DAW control function is stop/start by tapping the knob and horizontal zoom in/out when turning the knob.

All four source inputs are clearly marked on their female connectors on Forte’s included loom (fan out) cable and I like that I can keep all four analog sources connected at all times.

I went to work recording guitar and vocals. I set my buffer size to 32 samples in Pro Tools 10.2 and put up a 44.1kHz session with 16 tracks already recorded and setup for recording a few overdubs. This system sounds smooth as silk. On Forte itself, changing monitoring and record levels using the knob “on the fly” is just like using analog. I recorded vocals and direct electric guitar and there is abundant gain available for old, low output ribbon mics as well.

I like the way the GUI software is written too—any input source change is accompanied by an automatic input gain reset to minimum to avoid “accidents.”

Whenever phantom power is required, a warning comes up to see if the power supply is connected, plus there is a phantom powering lockout—you cannot inadvertently apply phantom to line inputs.

Focusrite’s Forte desktop 2 x 4 USB 2.0 interface sells for $749.99 MSRP. Visit http://us.focusrite.com/usbaudio-interfaces/forte.

Yamaha FS700S and FSX700SC The FS700S is a smaller-body version of Yamaha’s popular solid top acoustic guitar, the FG700S. Its full tone comes from a traditionally shaped acoustic guitar, but with less bulk, making it more “friendly” to children, students, travelers and women. The new FSX700SC is the more contemporary-looking cutaway version and it features a one-way System 55T piezoelectric pickup and preamp system that includes a digital tuner, three-band EQ and an adjustable mid frequency slider.

Both models feature solid Sitka spruce tops and die-cast tuning machines and fill out Yamaha’s line of FG-inspired 700, 720 and 730 models with a number of shapes and sizes. The FS700 is $322 and the FSX700SC is $483 MSRP. Check out http://4wrd.it/yamahaguitars for much more.

10 December 2012

www.musicconnection.com

microphones. It is a sideaddress, cardioid (only) condenser microphone with a 16-mm capsule encased in a resonant chamber like the Sanken CU-44x. This new microphone is said to have a flat frequency (40Hz to 20,000Hz) response on axis and exhibit very little proximity effect (low frequency buildup when cardioid microphones are close to sound sources).

The CU-55 uses the same diaphragm material as the Sanken CU-100 and CUW-180 microphones and makes a good choice for acoustic instruments like guitars, cello, harp and piano. Capable of 147dB SPL with its -10dB pad switched in, the CU-55 easily handles close-mic applications such as brass, guitar cabinets and drums.

The CU-55’s small dimensions (113mm long by 30mm diameter), sideaddress, and ability to not “fold” under the pressure of high SPL make it a good choice for getting into tight positions around drum kits. It is +48-volt phantom-powered, lightweight and unobtrusive looking—it sort of melts into the backline if you were to use one for live stage sound. Being a professional tool, I like its matte brown finish and price point. An optional accessory worth getting is the S-55 Elastic Suspension Holder (shown above).

The Sanken CU-55 sells for $1,195 MSRP. Find more information at http://sanken-mic.com or http://plus24.net.

Novation MiniNova MiniNova is a compact synthesizer that features a new real-time vocal effect called VocalTune™. VocalTune uses the included microphone to pick up your voice and automatically tune it to the note being played on the synth—all in real time. MiniNova is a 37-note synth with smaller keys and the sound and effects from the UltraNova synth.

This live performance synth has an arpeggiator for real-time rhythm performance editing plus the Animate function to add up to eight dramatic modulations “on the fly” at any time the mood of the party tells you.

It comes with 256 amazing factory patches and the space for 128 more user patches. MiniNova has three oscillators, 36 different wavetable sources, up to five effects, two filters, six envelopes, three LFOs, a large knob (you can’t miss it in the dark) and easy-to-use scroll wheels which are used for search and recall of any of the patches.

There is the parameter matrix with 24 sonic tools under the control of four large knobs in addition to the dedicated filter cutoff knob. For patch library management, MiniNova connects to your computer over an included USB cable and uses free software to store, modify and rename.

Lastly, I like that MiniNova is not a closed system—it has two 1/4-inch mono jack outputs, stereo headphones jack, and most importantly, XLR jacks for routing sounds through the vocoder and the unit’s on-board effects. This allows its effect engines to be used in your studio just like outboard gear. With full MIDI facilities, sustain pedal jack and 9V DC power supply, MiniNova sells for $624.99 MSRP. See http://us.novationmusic. com/hardware-synths/ mininova.

DISTORTION DIRT GRIT CHUNK FUZZ OVERDRIVE GRIND…

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BOOST DISTORTION

BOOST OVERDRIVE

BOOST FUZZ

BOOST BASS FUZZ

Hey, remember the ‘80s? A lot of bad clothes perhaps but some way-cool, aggressive distortions.

Tight, muscular grind with buzz-saw harmonics never went out of fashion and the Boost Distortion delivers that fast punchy tone. It features its own unique SAG control that adds an expressive,tube-like response to every pick stroke.

Putting an overdrive pedal in front of a hard-pushed amp has been the secret weapon for generations of guitarists wanting to punch up the midrange and add sustain. The Boost Overdrive is packed with voluminous amounts of screamin’ tone. Just hit the Boost switch to go bigger and badder. The unique SPARKLE control adds upper harmonics for an open, snappy sound.

Vintage pedal hounds know that germanium fuzz sounds are way sweeter than silicon fuzz…but only when the temperature is just right and doesn’t spike. The Boost Fuzz solves that problem by nailing that creamy germanium tone, consistently all night long. This SAG control allows notes to bloom and sing at your command, for dynamic, organic performances.

When you need a huge, 360-degree, room-filling bass tone, step up to the Bass Boost Fuzz. Get the fat, gritty sounds of the ‘60s fuzz bass and put some musical rage in your low-end.

When you need more focus and edge, dial in the +CLEAN control to add just the right amount of direct tone to your mix.

Designed and Manufactured in the U.S.A. www.tech21nyc.com

NEW TOYS

—BARRY RUDOLPH barry@barryrudolph.com

Solid-State-Logic 500 Series EQ and Dynamics Modules

Rukus Solar Bluetooth By Etón It’s not often that the words “solar” and “Bluetooth” collide in the same sentence. The Rukus Solar Bluetooth sound system receives a signal from any Bluetooth cellphone or iOS device and provides amplified music to go with your sunny days—it uses a 40-sq. inch mono-crystal solar panel to keep its internal lithium-ion battery charged. The solar panel faces upward and the two speakers fire away toward the party.

In addition to keeping the two full-range drivers pumping music at poolside, the Rukus Solar will also charge its own battery and keep any cell phone alive all day long via a USB charge port—I was wondering about that? It takes about six hours in direct sunlight for a full charge or use the included AC adapter on cloudy days.

The Rukus Solar uses a super thin E Ink Surf segmented display to provide status of the Bluetooth connectivity/setup, solar charge indicator and battery strength. This new technology does not require constant battery drain to display information and is viewable in direct sunlight with a wide viewing angle—a perfect fit for a battery/solar powered device.

Complete with an elastic pocket on the back to hold and cushion your cell phone while charging or pushing music to the unit, this is a very well thought out product. This system almost configures itself—if you can “pair” your cell phone for Bluetooth connectivity then you will be rockin’ Rukus in the same amount of time.

The Rukus also comes in a non-solar version with a 14-watt stereo amp and the ability to be powered via wall outlet or AA batteries. Rukus Solar sells for $150. Rukus is $100. Both include a three-month subscription to on-demand music service MOG. For more information about Etón and its products, visit http://etoncorp.com.

Sontronics Halo Dynamic Microphone The Sontronics Halo is a moving-coil dynamic microphone purposebuilt for use on guitar amps/cabinets. The cardioid pattern Halo is based on the company’s STC-80 handheld vocal dynamic—a mic that was getting popular use as an alternative to the typical, “go to” guitar amp dynamic microphone. All metal construction, the Halo has an “old-time” look—its shock mount consists of four springs that suspend the microphone’s tubular body in the center of a circular frame. A one-piece assembly, apart from the shiny nickel metal front grill, the mic and angle-adjustable threaded base is powder-coated flat black.

The published frequency response is from 50Hz to 15kHz with a noticeable lift in a broad swath of midrange frequencies. My first test was comparing it to the Shure SM-57 dynamic on a Paul Reed Smith “30” head and cabinet amp. I placed the Halo in the same starting position I would use for the SM-57. I had both microphones plugged into mic inputs of a SSL G Series console.

Besides having more high and low frequencies, the Halo requires slightly less pre-amp gain for an equivalent recording level and is slightly more responsive to “peaks” than the SM-57. For single note playing, solos and standouts overdubbing in the studio, the fat tone coupled with good pick attack was a winner for clean guitar tones.

Back at my studio, I tried the Halo on my ZT Amps Lunchbox Junior for some quirky and distorted sounds. I pushed Halo (aimed slightly off-axis) into the mighty 5.5-inch speaker of the Junior and used my boutique RTZ 9762 mic preamp to record it. The Halo responded to repositioning just as any dynamic mic with the proximity effect working well to further fatten the sound.

Sontronics’ Halo approaches the sound of a cardioid condenser with its low and high frequency extension and offers a good alternative microphone for recording electric guitar amps. It sells for $185 MAP and is covered by a lifetime warranty. Much more about it is at http://sontronics.com/halo.htm.

12 December 2012

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When it first came out, the game-changing SL 4000 E-Series SSL consoles made its bones with the SL 611 console channel strip that featured its seminal four-band EQ and VCA-based dynamics sections. The popularity of those sections and the Quad bus compressor—which in early days were only sold with the rest of the console attached— prompted SSL to eventually introduce the X-Rack outboard rack with those two and eight other SSL processors made into modules. But now SSL offers both the E-Series EQ and Dynamics sections in the popular API 500 Series modular rack format and I can’t wait to get a pair of these into my studio.

Faithful to the circuitry and key components that define the sound of the original, the E-Series Dynamics Module for 500 Series rack uses the same true RMS converter side-chain, while the gain element is an alldiscrete design identical to the Class A VCA chip used in the original unit.

The compressor switches between hard and soft knee compression and has a choice between linear or logarithmic shaped release time curves.

The E-Series EQ Module for 500 Series racks features the two different EQs found on the consoles produced between 1979 and 1987 with the ability to switch between them. Affectionately known as the “Brown” and “Black” EQs, the SSL channel EQ is a four-band design with fully parametric LMF and HMF sections and a choice between shelving or peaking (bell-shaped) equalizers for the LF and HF sections.

This is a great way to get the sound of SSL into your API 500 Series rack. For more about them, check out http://solid-state-logic.com/music/500%20series%20modules.

Taylor Guitars 400 Series Fall Limited Tasmanian black wood, a cousin of Hawaiian koa and with a similar tone profile, is a new choice of tone wood for the 410ce, 412ce-N, 414ce, 414ce-N, 416ce, and baritone 8-string instruments by Taylor Guitars. Each model features a three-piece back, with a Rock maple mini-wedge and is topped by Western Red cedar, while the Baritone Limited is offered with a sitka spruce top for clear response. It is said that the cedar top yields a springy, woody, warm low end. Maple also graces the fret board inlays as does a new fishbone rosette design that surrounds the sound hole. There is a satin-finish for the back and sides to preserve a natural, classic look, and a Venetian cutaway.

Each Fall Limited is equipped with the Taylor Expression System® and arrives in a hard shell case. These models are available only through authorized Taylor dealers worldwide. Much more is available at http://taylorguitars.com/ guitars/limited-editions/fall-2012.

Barry Rudolph is a recording engineer/mixer with over 30 gold and platinum RIAA awards to his credit. He has recorded and/or mixed: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hall & Oates, Pat Benatar, Rod Stewart, the Corrs and Robbie Nevil.

Barry has his own futuristic music mixing facility and also teaches recording engineering at Musician’s Institute, Hollywood, CA. http://www.barryrudolph.com

13

BY BARRY RUDOLPH Christmas! As busy, hectic and crazy as it gets leading up to the holidays, for me, the week between Christmas Merry and the New Year is always sublime, especially when I get to play with all my cool new gear. Below are various items that may make any musician’s holiday season even more entertaining.

I’ve got a head start with veteran mastering engineer Bob Katz’ new book iTunes Music from Focal Press. I’m only about half way through this 144 paperback but the full title says it all: iTunes Music: Mastering High Resolution Audio Delivery: Produce Great Sounding Music with Mastered for iTunes.

Katz was inspired by Apple Computers’ early 2012 launch of their Mastered for iTunes (MFiT) initiative and their development of the tools to make Apple iTunes downloads sound as best as they can be. Record labels and music producers are now encouraged to deliver music to iTunes in high-resolution formats that ultimately produces better-sounding downloadable music files than are currently available. With a foreword by renowned mastering engineer Bob Ludwig, iTunes Music is an excellent resource for any mastering engineer, recording engineer or music producer who loves to deliver great sounding music and wants to make sure it stays that way. $30 from Focal Press.

Apogee Digital has JAM, a studioquality guitar interface to record, practice or jam anywhere using either an iOS device or your Mac computer. The current trend in audio interfaces is for them to not only work with multiple operating systems (MAC & PC), but also work with your iPhone, iPad or via the USB port of your computer. Jam is small enough to fit in a guitar case and provides an instant interface connection between any guitar/bass instrument. I like the LED metering for status/input level monitoring, the simple control knobs, instrument pre-amp gain up to 40dB— plenty of gain for low output piezo pickups, the 44.1/48 kHz and 24-bit A/D conversion plus the locking output connector. It sells for $99 MRSP. See http://apogeedigital.com.

Dial A Note - Dial Harmony is a music teaching aid and reference tool in the shape of an eightinch diameter wheel made from thick card stock and printed in color. No music reading is necessary to use it but it does provide a way to learn music theory, chord building and harmony creation. Changing the key of 16 December 2012

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the song is easy—just follow the color bands around dial. Dial A Note includes all 12 keys, the Nashville Number System, natural chord qualities, diatonic scale degrees, both major and minor degrees of scale, and Greek Mode scales.

It sells for $13.95. Visit http://ducksdeluxe. com/dialanote.html.

Steve Vai along with Metal Sidecar have repurposed the long unavailable Ocean Way Microphone Locker CD-ROM into a smart phone/tablet app. Originally created in the ‘90s, the CD-ROM made available for virtual audition Allen Sides’ vast collection of classic microphones at Ocean Way Recording studios in Hollywood, CA. There are pictures, specifications and salient information about 66 different microphones including venerable classics from AKG, AudioTechnica, B&K, Beyer, Coles, Neumann, RCA, Sanken, Schoeps, Sennheiser, Shure, Sony and Telefunken. Then there is the Instruments section with pictures, notated musical ranges and generic descriptions of the 33 musical instruments used in the orchestral as well as contemporary music. The fun starts with the Combinations section where you can pair a certain microphone and an instrument to hear what it would sound like. Microphone selection is a subjective process based on the source, mic placement and the type of sound you’re trying to achieve.

Everything you hear is the “gold standard” in quality using excellent and collectible examples of classic microphones recording pro session cats playing great sounding instruments in top-notch studios! My Christmas wish from Steve Vai is that for this app’s next update, we hear him play some of the electric guitar/microphone combinations!

Priced at $9.99, the Ocean Way Microphone Locker App is available at iTunes and is great gift idea for everyone from a beginning studio to seasoned pro.

Also a good gift idea for guitar players is On-Stage Gear’s SLD200 Series of steel slides. The SLD200 Series gives guitar players a wide choice of sizes and tonal characteristics at an affordable price that would even make the Grinch smile. The SLD200 Series is comprised of traditional chromeplated steel slides available in ring sizes 6 (SLD206), 9 (SLD209), and 11 (SLD211). The thick-walled variant SLD209T imparts a darker tone thanks to its greater mass, but they are all machined from heavy gauge seamless steel and include a custom-sized storage pouch with a snap-spring closure. The slides start at a list price of $7.99 and are available now. For more information on SLD200 Series slides, along with all the other On-Stage Gear products, see http://onstage stands.com.

Affixit has announced the release of PicStix, an adhesive gel strip designed exclusively to hold guitar picks in place anywhere on your guitar, amplifier or other surfaces without damage. I liken these to Postit™ notes for guitar picks: a readherable, doubleback gel strip players can place anywhere handy on their guitar, bass or banjo to store picks for quick access. The gel strip is removable, reusable, leaves no residue, and is completely washable. PicStix holds all shapes, material and sizes of guitar picks and is a perfect way to hold thumb picks. It sells for $5.49 for a 2-Pack. More information is available at http://picstix.com or call 800-764-9017.

e

Merry Musical Christmas!

December 2012

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s Gift Under PRESONUS AUDIO BOX STUDIO There is no doubt that there are more digital interfaces available today than bottled water brands in 7-Eleven (and all of us original Mbox owners are kicking ourselves). But PreSonus stepped it up by presenting a package for beginning engineers, songwriters looking to record demos, bands on tour, and the like. Retailing at just under $300, the Audio Box Studio comes complete with HD7 headphones for monitoring/playback, PreSonus’ M7 condenser mic, StudioOne DAW and the AudioBox Digital Interface— which has two XMAX mic/instrument pre-amps with the ability of 48+ phantom power, and a pair of balanced TRS outputs.

This bundle is compatible with both MAC and PC. See http://presonus.com.

THROBBLEHEADS BY AGGRONAUTIX These are exactly what you think: Bobbleheads of punk rockers. Included in the collection are Andrew WK, GG Allin, Joe Queer (the Queers), Keith Morris (Black Flag, the Circle Jerks), Milo (the Descendents), Damian (Fucked Up), Mike Watt (Minutemen, the Stooges), Jeff Clayton (ANTiSEEN), J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.), Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), Roky Erickson (the 13th Floor Elevators), Wendy O. (the Plasmatics), Joe Shithead Keithley (D.O.A.), Dwarves (Blag the Ripper and HeWhoCanNotBeNamed), Tesco Vee (Meatmen) and Mojo Nixon. Most of these collector items run for under $20. Other collections include Iggy Pop, Lee Scratch Perry, Wayne Kramer (MC5) and more. Visit http://aggronautix.com.

AUDIO-TECHNICA HEADPHONES Now in its 50th year, (and you thought Music Connection was vintage…) AudioTechnica has decided to release a special limited edition ATH-M50s/LE Anniversary Headphone in a silver-colored metallic finish. The closedback cushioned earcup design creates maximum isolation, encasing 45-mm large-aperture drivers with neodymium magnet systems that put out 15Hz - 28kHz (geek talk). The really long (11-ft) cable includes A-T’s standard screw on/off gold-plated adapter from 1/4-inch to 1/8-inch and a protective pouch.

MSRP $209. Check out http://audio-technica.com.

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EASTWEST HOLLYWOOD ORCHESTRAL W0OODWINDS It’s not our job to tell you what to buy. It is our job, however, to inform you that there are several audio packs out there other than GarageBand’s limited soundbanks. Recently released is one of those counter-options: EastWest’s Hollywood Orchestral Woodwinds Gold Edition. This 145 gig—yes, you read that right—library was tracked at Hollywood CA’s EastWest Studio 1 by Emmy Award-winning engineer Shawn Murphy (Indiana Jones, Star Wars). Instruments include: alto flute, bass clarinet, bass flute, bassoon, clarinet, contra bass clarinet, contra bassoon, eb clarinet, english horn, flute, flute 2, oboe and piccolo flute. A larger Diamond edition is also available.

See http://soundsonline.com. MSRP $995.

JAMHUB TOURBUS Not every band can afford a rehearsal studio, and even worse, not every town has a place to jam. So instead of renting out a storage unit and buying a generator, JamHub has come up with a clever concept of headphone rehearsing. With up to six channels, the “TourBus” model allows musicians to adjust their own mix—also great for those looking for an alternative to the drunk monitor mixing guy at the local pub. Moms and neighbors will rejoice.

Retails for just under $700.

Two- and four-channel versions are also available.

Visit http://jamhub.com.

A Grand

> > > Andy Mesecher

CASIO – PRIVIA PX-150 Weighing in at just a hair under 25 lbs., the Casio Privia PX-150 is an 88-key digital piano with Scaled Hammer Action, 2-track Recorder, 18 Tones, Built-in Effects, 128-note Polyphony, USB Connection and Duet Mode (a function that allows teachers, or friends, to play along with the same notes). The keyboard is also available in black and retails for $999. Higher-end models are also available. See http://casiomusicgear.com/products/menu_privia.

REFTONE MONITORS ZOOM H4N This is a field recorder that beats carrying around a full briefcase for two-tracking. Some points of interest: 1) It allows you to simultaneously record with the XY on-board mics (90- or 120-degree pattern) and the two TRS inserts, so you can track a show from the front of house engineer’s perspective as well as receive a board feed (add a nice DSLR on a tripod and your YouTube video quality has just improved tenfold). 2) It has an on-board reference speaker… of course carrying headphones is ideal, but should something go awry, you have a second form of monitoring to ensure you’ve received signal. 3) The h4n has the ability to record up to 24-bit/96kHz, and with a USB cord you can turn this thing into an audio interface. Retails under $470. Check http://zoom.co.jp/english/ products/h4n.

Reftone is a passive close-field reference monitor that lets you hear full-range audio clearly, especially at low volume levels. The result is a more accurate representation of sound and the ability to work longer without fatigue. Reftone monitors provide a consistent and accurate playback system for professional and home studios, as well as laptop rigs, edit bays, DJ booths and mobile recording setups.

Using classic audio principles in its design, Reftone allows you to focus on intelligibility, providing excellent midrange detail to help you create mixes that translate better. Its passive design—a proprietary driver sealed in a high-quality wooden cabinet—means you can match Reftone speakers with your favorite amplifier and get the tone you want. $299 each. See http://reftone.com.

A-DESIGNS – REDDI

PACIFIC PDP CM6 PEARL BLACK Pictured is DW’s Pacific PDP CM6 kit. This new line of kits, called the “Concept Series” allows users to pick birch or maple shells in several configurations, depending on which model you choose (CM5, CM6 or CM7). The pictured kit includes: 18x22inch Bass Drum, 8x10-inch, 9x12-inch, 12x14-inch Floor tom, 14x16-inch Floor Tom and a 5.5x14-inch Snare. An affordable kit for beginners or pros and studios in need of quality backline, the CM6 retails for $839.99. Cymbals and stands not included. See http://store.dwdrums.com.

The Reddi is an all-tube DI Box with Level Control, Ground Lift and Neutrk Combo Jack (http://adesignsaudio.com/products/reddi-all-tube-direct-box). If you’re a bassist looking to be the loudest, save a few bucks and look for a cheaper product.

But if you’re looking for warm, solid tonality that only analog tubes can provide (one Dual triode 6N1P Tube to be specific), then check out this beast. Standard TRS input and XLR out and 1/4-inch Thru with a level knob.

Great for the bassist or studio owner in your life.

December 2012

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19

BOOK STORE

For the Coffee Table... We Got Power! Hardcore Punk Scenes From 1980s Southern California

By David Markey and Jordan Schwartz (hardcover) $39.95

IT ALL STARTS HERE.

In 1979, punk was over... but by 1981, hardcore was born. As teenagers in 1981, David Markey and his best friend Jordan Schwartz founded We Got Power, a fanzine dedicated to the first-generation hardcore punk music community in their native Los Angeles, CA. Their text and cameras captured the early punk spirit of Black Flag, the Minutemen, Social Distortion, Red Cross/Redd Kross, Suicidal Tendencies, the Descendents, White Flag, the Last, the Gun Club, Saccharine Trust, Sin 34, Nip Drivers, Circle One, M.D.C., Big Boys, Youth Brigade, D.R.I., the Butthole Surfers, Firehose, and many others at the height of their precocious punk powers.

Never before seen, except in crude fanzine form, these detailed and richly narrative photos are now collected to present an intimate portrayal of a uniquely fertile creative moment.

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Bruce

Creative Sequencing Techniques for Music Production

All You Need to Know About the Music Business; Eighth Edition

In the Pleasure Groove: Love, Death & Duran Duran

By Peter A Carlin (hardcover) $28.00 With unfettered access to the artist, his family and band members—including Clarence Clemons in his last major interview—acclaimed music writer Peter Ames Carlin presents an intimate and vivid portrait of a rock icon, warts and all. Carlin traces Springsteen’s often harrowing personal life: from his lower working-class childhood in Freehold, NJ, through his stubborn climb to fame and tangled romantic life, and finally to his quest to conquer the demons that nearly destroyed his father.

By Andrea Pejrolo (softcover) $44.95 For all levels of expertise, the book shows how to get the most out of the four leading audio sequencers, Logic, Pro Tools, Digital Performer, and Cubase. Using real-life examples, Andrea Pejrolo demonstrates a wide range of technical and creative techniques, giving tips and new ideas to help take your work to the next level. If you are producing music and looking to build your skills in orchestration, composition and mixing you will find all the techniques and practical advice needed in this book.

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20 December 2012

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By Donald S. Passman (hardcover) $32.00 Passman offers his advice for creating, selling, sharing, and protecting your music in the Information Age in this updated eighth edition. Detailed yet easyto-understand, this comprehensive guide—which has sold hundreds of thousands of copies over the past 20 years—draws on the author’s experience and up-to-the-minute knowledge of industry trends.

By John Taylor (hardcover) $27.95 John Taylor, Duran Duran’s co-founder, takes the reader on a wild ride through his life. From the ‘80s through today, from Rio to All You Need is Now, Taylor writes about the music, the parties and the MTV video. A tale of dreams fulfilled, lessons learned and demons conquered with cameos by Bowie, Warhol and many more.

September 2012

www.musicconnection.com 21

UP-CLOSE

By Jonathan Widran

SoundExchange President, Michael Huppe

T

his marks the third time since 2008 that Music Connection has had the privilege to profile SoundExchange, the Washington, DC, based nonprofit performance rights organization formed to protect artists’ rights and meet the needs of the digital music era.

In those years, the company—whose services to artists and sound recording copyright owners (SRCOs) are equivalent to what ASCAP and BMI provide to songwriters—has grown exponentially. The stat at the top of their homepage (http://soundexchange.com) says it all: “Royalties Paid: $1 billion.” Two years ago, that number was just over $500 million. Other updated stats are equally impressive. SoundExchange has more than 2,000 licensees; tens of millions of lines of data reported monthly; 24,000 copyright holder/label accounts; 70,000 performer accounts; 15,300 new registrations in 2011; 23 international agreements; nearly $204 million distributed YTD in 2012 (Quarters 1 and 2); and nearly 100 employees.

The dollars involved have exploded due to the changing consumer model of the music industry, including the explosion of Internet, satellite and cable radio stations—including SiriusXM, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn Radio, Music Choice, AccuRadio—and just recently the mobile radio function of Spotify.

The Copyright Royalty Board, which is appointed by The U.S. Library of Congress, has entrusted SoundExchange as the sole entity in the United States to collect and distribute these digital performance royalties on behalf of featured recording artists, master rights owners (like record labels), and independent artists who record and own their masters.

“The services we deal with are using a statutory license in federal law that allows these services, if they meet the requirement of the statute, to register with the copyright office, stream recordings and send us royalties and play data,” says SoundExchange President Michael Huppe. “We take care of everything else.”

“There’s still a gross inequity in our country where AM and FM stations pay songwriting royalties but nothing to the recording artist,” he adds. “That’s a battle we’ve been fighting for decades, but we’re happy to make sure that the performers and copyright owners, which can be the artists themselves or their labels, get paid when their work is accessed via non-interactive digital, cable and satellite systems. For much of SoundExchange’s existence, our biggest priority was getting our name out there and getting people signed up. As we’ve grown, we’re occupying a different place in the music industry. We’re at the hub of a lot of legal issues related to digital music. We’re an association that looks out for the entire industry, promoting the long-term value of music and letting people know how important it is to our culture.”

SoundExchange was created to collect the revenue stream created by 1995’s Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act (DPRA).

Before ‘95, US record companies and recording artists were not entitled to collect royalties for the public performance of their sound recordings (even though their counterparts in other countries did). Under the rules of the Digital Performance Right and Sound Recording Act (DPRA), passed

by Congress in 1995, the percentage breakdown per performance is this: 45 percent for the featured performer, 50 percent to the SRCO and five percent for the background vocalists and session musicians.

When SoundExchange launched in 2000 as an unincorporated division of the RIAA—it was later spun off as an independent organization in September 2003—it gathered $6.3 million in royalties, which represented performances from the time the law was passed in the mid-‘90s till 2001.

The artists accrue royalties automatically under the law, yet many who are unfamiliar with the SoundExchange are skeptical, and so fail to register to claim the cash. Huppe says that when SoundExchange takes in royalties, they have three years to pay them to whom they are owed. The organization has currently amassed over $30 million in unpaid royalties to over 50,000 people that are three years and older, and he and his staff make ongoing efforts to find and register those who have money coming to them.

Contact SoundExchange, 202-640-5858

22 December 2012

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g n i t a r b e l Ce Our 35 Year th

“Music Connection were one of the first music magazines to write about Live From Daryl’s House, when it was a fledgling web show.

They have adapted with the changing music scene, as well as the ever changing technology.” —Daryl Hall

“Music Connection was a HUGE part of exposing Mötley Crüe.

The rest is history. Happy anniversary, guys!” —Nikki Sixx

“I feel tremendous gratitude to Music Connection for the incredible support over the years, both for the Bangles and my solo projects. Congratulations on 35 years of great music journalism.” —Susanna Hoffs

“Music Connection... the go to place to find musicians, sell or buy instruments, locate affordable rehearsal & recording studios. An indispensable source of trade for all things music.” —Slash

“Still on my regular reading list, and they’re still doing a great job covering our industry and the creative community, making an important contribution to our collective development and well-being.”

— Neil Portnow, Recording Academy President/CEO

“My favorite pages of MC are the endless lists of bands, clubs, managers, agents, studios and of course the musicians looking 4 musicians section!! And the reviews - oh the reviews...Jane’s first MC review I remember it well — ‘Iggy Pop meets Ted Nugent with Keith Moon on drums.’” —Stephen Perkins, Jane’s Addiction “When I first started to perform, I reached into Music Connection to get reviews (of myself—I must admit) and I also read the articles. We were a great musical eco system—all of us...”

—Perry Farrell, Jane’s Addiction

“Had it not been for MC, our story may not have reached the thousands of eyes it did. We owe a great deal of our early success to MC for giving us the chance to be seen and heard.”

—Dave Navarro, Jane’s Addiction

* Music Connection wants to thank all of the artists and industry pros for their contributions!

STUDIO MIX PRODUCERS AND ENGINEERS DESERVE MORE CREDIT: The Recording Academy has launched “Give Fans The Credit,” a campaign to help ensure that all music creators are credited for their work on digitally released recordings.

Now, The Academy’s Producers & Engineers Wing is teaming with its UK-based counterpart, the Music Producers Guild (MPG), which has for several years lobbied its own initiative, “Credit Where Credit Is Due,” to combine resources to find solutions to this industry problem.

Songwriters, non-featured performers, producers and engineers work tirelessly and make significant contributions to recordings, but with dissolving liner notes, these creators rarely receive credit on digital music devices. The “Give Fans The Credit” campaign addresses these

AES SHOW

issues by opening a petition and a brainstorming discussion to create a more robust crediting information system on digital music platforms.

Visit http://givefansthe credit.com for more information.

A 2013 RELEASE IS LIGHT YEARS AWAY: Kent, OH poppunk band Light Years have entered Pennsylvania’s Studio 4 with producer Will Yip (the Wonder Years, Circa Survive, Title Fight).

The band plan to stay for three weeks to record their debut fulllength, slated for a spring release via Escapist Records. The LP will be the follow up to their 2012 EP, Just Between Us. Light Years will be documenting the recording. For that footage and tour updates, visit http://facebook.com/lightyearsoh.

The most important ingredient to any great recording is a great song. It all begins there. A good production on an okay song still results in an okay song. But a great song can live with minimal production and it’s still going to be great.

–Bill Appleberry

(Stone Temple Pilots, Taking Back Sunday)

Interviewed in MC Oct. 2012

FINAL AES SHOW BEFORE DOOMSDAY:

Okay, so not everyone believes the Mayan calendar, but producers, engineers and industry folk partied like it was 1999 anyway. This year’s AES convention in San Francisco marked the 133rd convention for the Audio Engineering Society.

Pictured below (l-r), are various industry heavyweights that took a second to pose for our very own Brian Stewart. For a full wrap-up, visit http://aes.org/events/133.

Impromptu party after the show at The W Bar with engineers Ryan Hewitt and Joe McGrath; SAE Los Angeles/San Francisco Bridget Gardner; KMD Event Coordinator Karen Dunn; and engineer Lenise Bent.

SPARS board member Sherri Tantleff, Universal Mastering Studios Pete Doell, LAFX co-owner Anne Vicari and co-owner-engineer Dan Vicari.

Hanging out at the P&E Wing SPARS party: producer Jimmy Douglass, producer-engineer Ed Cherney, Record Plant President Rose Mann Cherney and producer-engineer Elliot Scheiner.

Concord Music Group’s Gregg Field, engineer-producers Dave Reitzas and Chuck Ainlay, and CRAS administrator Kirt Hamm.

Grammy P&E Director Maureen Droney, engineer Chris Lord-Alge and studio designer Vincent Van Hoff (Jeff Greenberg of Village Recorder, pictured behind).

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STUDIO MIX

Cephas Jackson

—ANDY MESECHER andym@musicconnection.com

// CRAS Dinner Party at AES //

The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences held an elegant dinner for executives at AES. Pictured at the CRAS dinner party are (l-r): Paula Salvatore, Capitol Studios Senior Director of Studios; Candace Stewart, EastWest Studio Manager; Steve Genewick, engineer; Flash Ferrucio, engineer; and Drew Waters, Capitol Studios Head of Studio Operation.

// Biz Markie Is Just A Friend… of Omega Studios // Biz Markie stopped by Omega Recording Studios, located in Rockville, MD, right outside of Washington, DC, for one of his many sessions. Pictured (l-r): Markee and Omega engineer Cephas Jackson. For further studio updates, see http://omegastudios.com.

// Grundman Mastering Executes Black Ops //

David Goggin

Multi-award-winning composer Jack Wall (Mass Effect, Jade Empire, Myst), has written the music for Call of Duty: Black Ops II and mastered the soundtrack album at Bernie Grundman Mastering with engineer Patricia Sullivan. Pictured in session at Bernie Grundman Mastering are (l-r): Sullivan; Wall; Brian Tuey, Audio Director, Treyarch; and Alex Hemlock, Music Editor, Composer Assistant.

// SAE Opens In Windy City // The SAE Institute has opened its seventh US campus, in Chicago, equipping all four Production Suites at the brand new 19,000-sq.-ft. facility with matching Argosy studio furniture products. Each of the suites is outfitted with an Argosy Mirage Edit Desk with accompanying Single Monitor Arm, a Mirage R11 Rack and a pair of Classic Speaker Stands. Visit http://us.sae.edu for full details.

//Tales From The Left Coast Nears Completion //

Musicians from the new L.A. rock band, Sky King have been putting the finishing touches on their forthcoming release, Morose Tales From The Left Coast, at the Barry Paul Recording Studios in North Hollywood, CA. Pictured (foreground) Barry Paul, studio owner, chief recording engineer; (background l-r) Walter Morosko; lead guitarist, vocalist; Larry “Fuzzy” Knight, producer, musical arranger, bassist; and Garth Farkus, rhythm guitarist.

Are You Ready To Take Your Music To The Next Level?

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www.musicconnection.com 25

PRODUCER CROSSTALK

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ack Odom and Kenneth Mountâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;known collectively as ZK Productions â&#x20AC;&#x201D;write, mix and produce from Vintage Song Studios in suburban Atlanta, GA. From the start, they worked together on 8-track recorders in basements. In their late teens they interned at Atlantaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tree Sound Studios and soon began to look for bands to produce on their own. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve since worked with artists including Jimmy Eat World, All Time Low and Ludacris. The album that proved pivotal for them was Cartelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chroma.

What the duo enjoy most is collaborating with artists on songwriting. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The co-writing is so much fun,â&#x20AC;? Odom says. The three most important â&#x20AC;&#x153;Often bands come in with a song thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s things theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned about already done but they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have exact the business are: ideas for where drums or guitar parts s 7E HAVE TO REMIND OURSELVES THAT will go. The basics are finished but WHEN AN ARTIST BRINGS IN A SONG IT S they rely on us to put all the production THEIR BABY )T S SO EASY TO JUMP IN AND behind it. Over the last year, our work MAKE CHANGES 7E HAVE TO REMEMhas been about 60 percent production, BER TO RESPECT THEIR IDEAS 40 percent songwriting. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We started producing around 2004 s "EING EFFICIENT WITH OUR TIME )N THE or 2005 and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never worked in SONGWRITING PROCESS WE DON T WANT the city,â&#x20AC;? he continues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re more TO GET HUNG UP ON FINDING THE PERcomfortable safety-wise being in the FECT DRUM BEAT BEFORE WE WRITE THE suburbs. A lot of studios in Atlanta have MELODY 4HAT ALL COMES LATER been robbed. We try to keep our place discreet. Only we and our artists know s 2EMAINING AWARE THAT WE DON T WANT EVERYTHING TO SOUND THE SAME where it is.â&#x20AC;?

For any producer, impediments to 7E HAVE TO THINK HOW WE CAN MAKE solid sound are always lurking in the EACH ARTIST SOUND UNIQUE shadows. But a band once presented the pair with an altogether different challenge; one that was highly counterintuitive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They wanted to go for a raw and sometimes lo-fi overall vibe,â&#x20AC;?

Odom explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We love to hear things sound great so that was going against the grain a little. We were very excited about making that record but at the same time it was challenging to go â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ok, I specifically do not want that to sound good.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; We liked it in the end but it took a lot to get there.â&#x20AC;?

The team mixes most of what they produce. Fortunately for their mastering engineers, they remain mindful of mastering concerns; of not turning over a heavily-compressed mix. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We try to get it exactly where we want it,â&#x20AC;?

Odom says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But we try to give the mastering guy a lot of room, level-wise and as far as dynamics. We use Ted Jensen [Sterling Sound], Tom Baker [Precision Mastering, Hollywood] for our heavier rock stuff and Michael Fossenkemper [TurtleTone Studio] for a lot of indie-budget stuff.â&#x20AC;?

Although advances in recording technology have made things eminently easier in the studio, the pair finds that sometimes those advances have hidden costs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Software and hardware updates and things that no longer work with each other: thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always a major frustration,â&#x20AC;? Odom asserts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the last five years, that kind of nonsense is the biggest thing weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had to deal with.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes when we update things, they become incompatible,â&#x20AC;? Mount adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You had something that worked perfectly before it was updated.â&#x20AC;?

Potential complications aside, they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t avoid new gear. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We just updated our studio with a new SSL mixing console,â&#x20AC;? Odom says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have the AWS 900, which is like a combination of the analog realm and being able to control Pro Tools. There are so many things theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve incorporated into this console that everyday weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re learning new things. And we use our vintage UREI Silver Face 1176 compressor all the time. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got that nice, aggressive rock sound.â&#x20AC;?

Recent projects include new works by We Are the In Crowd (Hopeless Records) and Set It Off (Equal Vision Records). Upcoming projects include Waking Heroes and Cartel. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They had a couple of people do mixes and then did a blind-listen test,â&#x20AC;? Mount recalls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They picked our mix over the others.â&#x20AC;?

Contact Mike Kato / BK Entertainment Group, mike@bkentertainmentgroup.com, 818-728-8200

26 December 2012

www.musicconnection.com

December 2012

www.musicconnection.com 27

EXEC PROFILE

—ANDY KAUFMANN

Evita G. Kaigler Founder Law Offices of Evita G. Kaigler Future Music Attorneys Years with Company: 6 Address: Atlanta, GA Phone: 404-249-4327 FAX: 404-601-0803 Web: http://evitakaigler.com, http://futuremusicattorneys.com E-mail: assistant@egklawoffices.com Clients: Big K.R.I.T., Joey Bada$$, Jarren Benton

BACKGROUND: After a disenchanting run at a singing career, Evita Kaigler decided she’d get close to music in a different way—by becoming an attorney.

Many of the challenges and misconceptions she’d been forced to overcome in following that path, she realized, didn’t need to exist.

Hence, she created Future Music Attorneys, a non-profit program dedicated to educating aspiring entertainment lawyers through seminars and an online presence.

Having grown exponentially between the program’s first and second installments, FMA’s future looks brighter than ever.

you’ve been with from the beginning and they become successful.

Cast Wide: In my third year of law school, I interned at a label called Sho’Nuff Records. A mentor of mine asked, “What are you doing to become a part of the community?” I hadn’t thought about that. I thought I would graduate, tell people I loved music, know I was smart and they’d hire me.

I had contacts through the labels. I would go to open mic nights and meet people. I would work on small deals. I also worked with a company called Music Is My Business for about two years. I wasn’t getting

with a brand or do strategic partnerships with corporations that can foot some of the costs.

Where To: I would love for this program to be internationally recognized as the go-to resource for students who are interested in this profession. And I would love for music business programs and law schools with music law classes to use us as a resource for their students. Eventually, I see this program having seminars and programs in different states.

Get Out There: There’s so much you can do to im-

“There isn’t a client I have where I don’t know the music. Knowing the music helps me figure out the conversation I need to have.”

Fantasy, Meet Reality: Music chose me; I didn’t have a choice. I was an artsy kid, always in my own world, and music was there. I had to be involved with music somehow. I thought, I want to be a performer. I had stars in my eyes.

I remember standing in line at auditions saying to myself, this is not what I had in mind. It was my dream meeting the real world.

A New Path: I began reading books about the industry and came across Donald Passman’s, All You Need to Know About the Music Business. It was amazing. This is the bible of the industry and it’s written by a lawyer.

Clearly, this is a guy who’s in demand and involved in music.

First Steps: Law school was tough, because I was there to get to the music but none of my classes dealt with that.

Graduation came around and I did not have a job offer for what I wanted to do, so I started my own practice. I began to understand I had to build a brand for myself, just how an artist or producer would. Eventually, people start paying you, not much at first or at all. Then you get that client that 28 December 2012

a check from it, but I would meet people through that. I didn’t have a formula; I just cast my net wide.

A Little Knowledge: When I graduated, I knew what I wanted to do but I had no help. I had to learn through trial and error. Once I got some traction in my career, several students reached out to me. At one point, I was taking everyone on, mentoring as much as I could. It got to the point where I couldn’t physically take the time to meet with everyone. And there are lawyers who have different insights and students should be able to benefit from those as well. I began to think about what I could create that could get information out there and provide access to a profession that seems to be secretive and closed off.

It’s Free!: The first year, it was $25 for the whole year. There was one panelist who didn’t want to contribute his time because the students were being charged. I thought, if this is going to hinder my program in any way, I don’t want that to happen. I’m incurring all the costs to build the program and get information out there. I would love to see the program align

www.musicconnection.com

merse yourself in the culture. Think broadly about how you can generate a good experience for yourself before you even become a lawyer.

You’ve got ASCAP, BMI and SESAC doing tons of events. You’ve got NARIP, music conferences, concerts… All of that stuff is relevant. If you know the culture, the music, the trends, the charts, the language, the people, how they create, how they move, it makes you a solid consultant. Music law is not just about the paperwork but [also] being able to manage the careers of your clients.

Break It Down: There are three areas that musicians have to focus on: their music, their business and their brand. Every issue they’re going to have in their career falls under one of those umbrellas. It can be overwhelming, but if you break it down you can find pieces that you can shape and mold.

Become more practical in how you approach your career. I’m a believer in using the music that’s in your gut.

Start with that and then find a way to shape and mold it to where people want to consume it.

Getting Serious: The business piece is where I come

in. You’ve created a song—it’s not just a record, it’s intellectual property. What are the different pieces?

If you’ve got partners in a band, we need a partnership agreement, which nobody likes. That’s the business piece—this is now not just your craft. This is about the business of your craft.

Branding: What does your brand mean?

What’s the experience your brand conveys? What are the strategic alliances that make sense for you?

How are you connecting with your consumer? You don’t have to have your music reach the entire world in order to be successful. Someone has to consume it, someone has to invest in it, somebody has to believe in it. What are you doing to create that experience? Write out your goals, visions and to-do lists.

Lemons vs. Lemonade: I’m reading the Clive Davis book he wrote in 1976. I’ve always looked at Davis as someone who started as a lawyer and became an icon. When he went to Columbia Records, he was dealing with the same issues we’re dealing with now. He was a lawyer, not a music guy, but he studied the industry and the trends.

That’s inspirational, because it says to me this can be figured out and I want be at the forefront of figuring it out.

That’s another thing I love about where we are—you can’t tell me the ideas I have are right or wrong. Nobody knows. It sucks that we don’t have a machine you can plug your music into and know exactly how you’re going to get paid, but you’ve got an opportunity to break ground.

It’s not going to be easy, but if you study the history and try to have some insight as to where we’re going, be creative and innovative, you can do this and do it well. You’ve got to put on a couple different hats and roll up your sleeves. The people who are willing to do that will get the reward.

Contact Dos: Provide me with a link of something that showcases who you are musically. There isn’t a client I have where I don’t know the music. Knowing the music helps me figure out the conversation I need to have. Also, it gives me a picture of the brand you’re building, the direction you’re going. Leave your name, a callback number and the nature of your call, whether you’re looking to have a consultation or a particular deal.

Legacy: I love music way too much to be passive. How am I contributing?

This program is one of those ways.

People are learning and utilizing the information. It’s going to make the music space much healthier. Fifty years from now, I want people to think of Clive Davis, Quincy Jones and Evita Kaigler. That’s the goal, so I’ve got a lot of work to do.

BUSINESS AFFAIRS

M

usic Connectionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Business 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.

DJBMMZ SFXBSET BSUJTUT BOE GBOT The site partners with emerging artists to effect a positive change in the music industry. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a place for artists to be in full control of the pricing, distribution and analytics of their digital life. You may sell your original content at a price of your choosing and stay in total control.

Monkeybars lets you retain all rights and earn rewards. You can even use â&#x20AC;&#x153;reward valueâ&#x20AC;? to give back to the fans that support you and incentivize them to promote you on social networks through the power of fanto-fan sharing, thereby turning fans into digital street teams. You can learn more at http://monkeybars.net.

r "VEJPĂĄZ XBOUT UP TQPUMJHIU UBM FOUFE BSUJTUT GSFTI OFX JOEJF CBOET XPSME DMBTT NVTJDJBOT BOE FNFSHJOH KB[[ BSUJTUT The r 6OTJHOFE 0OMZ JT B VOJRVF NVTJD company, which designs, manufacDPNQFUJUJPO EFTJHOFE GPS TPMP BSU- tures and markets, premium in-ear JTUT CBOET BOE TJOHFST XPSME- headphones, will highlight outstandXJEF The competition is a novel ing new artists in a brand new approach to other music contests. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Feature Artistâ&#x20AC;? section of its website It offers prizes, recognition, expo- each month, This is your chance to sure and the chance to be heard get premium exposure via an excitby a group of high-profile industry ing new platform. Any interested judges, including well-known record- artists may go to http://audiofly.com ing artists. Unsigned Only also puts for complete details. the Grand Prize winner in direct contact with influential record label r $POOFDU$PEF .FEJB DBO IFMQ executives who are the ultimate de- ZPV CVJME ZPVS PXO NPCJMF BQQ cision-makers, for an opportunity to Artists know that their fans live be mentored by record company on their smart phones, searching, browsing, and purchasing merchanpresidents, A&R reps etc.

The Grand Prize Winner will be dise. With ConnectCode you can awarded $10,000 in cash (plus addi- deliver a mobile experience with your tional prizes) and one-on-one men- content, build lists, track stats and put toring by an elite group of record social media to work for you. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy company executives. First Place and and affordable at only $10 per month.

Second Place winners will also be The codes are free, there are no start selected in each category. Winners up fees and no contracts.

See http://smallbusiness.connect will be announced in July 2013. Go code.mobi and check it out. to http://unsignedonly.com.

"5#+#(%229 3 CONFESSIONS

OPPS

Buckcherry have announced that their next studio album, Confessions, will be released by their new label Century Media Records. It will drop in early 2013 via Century Media in the United States and Eleven Seven Music worldwide. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is, by far, our most ambitious record,â&#x20AC;? claims frontman Josh Todd, who co-founded the band with guitarist Keith Nelson in 1995 after the duo met in a Los Angeles tattoo shop. The record is based on the seven deadly sins, and is part of a larger vision that includes a film written by Todd, who based the albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lyrics on his childhood and transformation into adulthood. For more information, go to http://buckcherry.com.

FDUPSZ PG TFSWJDFT GPS %*: BOE JOEJF BSUJTUT In addition to a directory with reviews, there are also discussion forums on DIY music topics and a blog focused on the music industry. The site is meant to be a â&#x20AC;&#x153;hub for artists, managers and independent labels to connect with approved and experienced providers to launch a project (large or small) or put together their dream team. You can see what it offers at http://sellyourband.com.

Initially featured on American Idol with music director 3BZ $IFX, Chromatik has since grown to count musicians from hundreds of music organizations among their private beta users, including 6$-" 5IF 4BMWBUJPO "SNZ and hundreds of K-12 and higher-ed institutions.

Musicians can sign up for the free web application at http://chromatik. com and in the App Store.

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

r 'BO.VTJD JT B NVTJD DPNNVOJUZ r .POLFZCBST IBT MBVODIFE B r 4FMM :PVS #BOE JT B OFXMZ TPDJBMMZ ESJWFO XFCTJUF UIBU Ă OBO- MBVODIFE XFCTJUF GFBUVSJOH B EJS UIBU GFBUVSFT GSFF DPOUFTUT XJUI r 'PSNFS (VOT / 3PTFT ESVNDBTI QSJ[FT Site members can even create their own contests to NFS 4UFWFO "EMFS IBT SFMFBTFE challenge other members to cre- UIF EFCVU BMCVN GSPN IJT OFX '2%%. $!9 #!.#%,3 4/52 ate music about a specific topic. CBOE Aptly titled Back From The Members are ranked based on the Dead the record is being distribfeedback they receive. Prizes are uted by /FX 0DFBO .FEJB In North rewarded to the top five members America. Several randomly selected in each individual ranking at the end people, who order the record via of the year. If interested, go to http:// Adlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website, will receive a personal phone call from Adler and the fanmusic.com. band. To check it out, go to http:// r &ZFĹ&#x17E;JOĹ&#x17E;UIFĹ&#x17E;4LZĹ&#x17E;JT GVFMJOHĹ&#x17E;UIFĹ&#x17E;SJTF adlerrocks.com.

PGĹ&#x17E;UIFĹ&#x17E;NJEEMF DMBTT NVTJDJBO The website allows artists to explore an r 6OJWFSTBM .VTJD &OUFSQSJTFT alternative model for businessâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;one BOE $BTUMF 'BDF 3FDPSET IBWF that is both equitable and sustain- KPJOFE GPSDFT GPS UIF SFMFBTF PG ableâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;by providing a platform for UIF 45th Anniversary of The Velvet creating, funding and distributing Underground & Nico The tribmusic through an â&#x20AC;&#x153;artist collective.â&#x20AC;? ute album features indie artists 5Z After a successful debut at 4948 4FHBMM i'FNNF 'BUBMFu 5IFF 2012, the company has added sev- 0I 4FFT i&VSPQFBO 4POu 8IJUF eral new services and partnerships 'FODF i3VO 3VO 3VO UIF 'SFTI Green Day has canceled or postponed over 20 tour dates following the such as 5VOFDPSF (for a flat-fee, roy- BOE 0OMZT i"MM 5PNPSSPX T announcement that frontman Billie Joe Armstrong is in treatment for alty-free digital distribution service) 1BSUJFTu among others. #SJBO &OP substance abuse. All of the trioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s remaining 2012 tour dates, including a and 4POHUSVTU (for flat-fee, roy- famously said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The album may not West Coast run through December, have been cancelled. The dates had been alty-free publishing administration). have sold many copies, but everyannounced in mid-September in support of the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new trio of albums, Obtain additional information at one who bought it formed a band.â&#x20AC;?

You can log on to http://castleface Uno!, Dos!, and Tre! Additionally, the North American leg of Green Dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2013 http://eyeinthesky.org. records.com for additional details. tour, set to kick off in Green Bay on Jan. 7, has been postponed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Obviously the timing isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ideal, but Billie Joeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well-being is our main concern,â&#x20AC;? says r $ISPNBUJL IBT MBVODIFE B bassist Mike Dirnt. Green Day also bumped up the release of Tre!, from Jan. 15, GSFF BQQMJDBUJPO GPS QSBDUJDJOH r F0OF %JTUSJCVUJPO IBT BOOPVOD QFSGPSNJOH BOE MFBSOJOH NVTJD FE BO FYDMVTJWF BHSFFNFOU XJUI 2013 to Dec. 11, 2012. For updates, go to http://greenday.com.

December 2012

www.musicconnection.com 29

BUSINESS AFFAIRS Peter Gabrielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Real World Records to distribute all physical and digital releases for the labelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entire catalogue and future releases in the US. Gabriel founded Real World Records in 1989, and has developed it into a respected label of diverse, world-class music from across the globe. In fact, there are almost 200 albums in its catalog. Go to http://realworldrecords. com for more information. r Razor & Tie has announced the addition of Hatebreed to its North American label roster. The band recently completed work on their forthcoming studio album, which will be released in January 2013 via Razor & Tie in North America and Canada and on Nuclear Blast in Europe. The release will be the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sixth official record to date, and the follow up to their self-titled album. In a joint statement, Pete Giberga VP of A&R and John Franck SVP of Marketing for Razor & Tie commented, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hatebreedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s anthems coupled with their do-ordie work ethic continues to make them a dominant force in hardcore and metal today.â&#x20AC;? To find out more, visit http://hatebreed.com.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;BERNARD BAUR single, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Save Me,â&#x20AC;? impacting airwaves and available at iTunes.

Welcome to the Freakshow was co-produced by drummer $PEZ Hanson and Marshall Dutton in a hometown studio. Instead of simply sticking to a tried-and-true formula, the group decided to smash boundaries, experimenting with rock, pop and even a little country. You can visit http://hindermusic.com for more information. r 5PN 5PN $MVC IBWF SFUVSOFE to the dance scene with a new EP, Downtown Rockers. The title track from the new recording features Tom Tom Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s characteristic upbeat fusion of electro and funk.

The song pays tribute to the many bands and artists that created the downtown music scene in New York City in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;70s. The song was mixed by Ed Stasium, who also recorded and mixed Talking Heads in 1977 and umpteen Ramones classics. For more information, visit http://tomtomclub.net.

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Treasurer EOPF; and Michael Klausman, President CBS Studio Center. running. But, that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only

THE BIZ

30 December 2012

www.musicconnection.com

“We Had a Hit Single with Jesse McCartney, and it all Began with TAXI” Andy Dodd and Adam Watts – TAXI members www.reddecibelproductions.com www.adamwatts.com

Adam and Andy’s success

through TAXI is a little bit different from all the other stories you’ve probably heard.

They got their biggest deal after their membership ran out!

Here’s how it happened: “We joined TAXI in 2001 and found that it was a great motivator for us. We were members for two years. We learned a lot, wrote a ton of songs, and got a few film and TV placements -- some through TAXI, and some on our own.

We submitted a song we wrote with Jenn Shepard called “You Make Me Feel” to one of TAXI’s Industry Listings. We didn’t hear anything back for a while and eventually our TAXI membership ran out. Thankfully, we began to get so busy with production and writing gigs that we decided to wait and renew our membership at a later date.

production/management company that was looking for material for a young, male Pop artist they were developing.

Later that year, Jesse McCartney’s managers called us saying they had just heard “You Make Me Feel” on a CD they got from TAXI and wanted to have him cut the song.

Although Jesse decided not to record “You Make Me Feel”, his managers asked us to write more songs for him. We wrote a handful and they ended up putting his vocal on two of the tracks we produced, “Take Your Sweet Time" and "Beautiful Soul”.

management got the song to a label executive at Disney. Soon after, Jesse was signed to Hollywood Records. “Beautiful Soul” became his first single, and we both signed publishing deals with Disney Music Publishing.

Jesse McCartney’s album (entitled “Beautiful Soul”) has gone Platinum in the U.S. and Australia.

“Beautiful Soul” went to #3 on Radio and Records CHR Pop Chart, #5 on Billboard’s Top 40 Chart, #19 on Billboard’s Adult Top 40 chart, it’s a Platinum Digital Single Download, it’s on the Gold-selling ‘Cinderella “Beautiful Soul” got played Story’ Motion Picture on Radio Disney, and Jesse’s Soundtrack, the Gold-selling ‘That's So Raven’ TV Soundtrack, and the video was nominated for Best Pop Video at a 2005 MTV Video Music Awards.”

All of this came about because Adam and Andy sent a song to TAXI. Call for our free information kit.

Little did we know that TAXI had sent our song to a

The World’s Leading Independent A&R Company

1-800-458-2111 December 2012

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SONG BIZ

SESAC SONGWRITERS HONORED

BMI COUNTRY AWARDS HONORS TOM T. HALL SESAC awarded Catt Gravitt its Songwriter of the Year trophy for her massive hits, “Alone With You” recorded by Jake Owen, “Why Ya Wanna” recorded

by Jana Kramer and “Amen” as recorded by Edens Edge. Song of the Year honors went to “A Woman Like You,” written

by Jon Stone.

Pictured (l-r): Gravitt and Stone.

DaBet Repositions, Renews DaBet Music Services, which opened its doors in January 2009, has a refined mission and new business address effective immediately, according to company president and founder Angela Rose White, daughter of the late awardwinning composer David Rose.

DaBet Music Services now will serve primarily as a consulting company that provides organization and basic evaluation of music catalogs, copyrights, income streams and management for music catalogs, focusing its publishing and administration services on existing clients such as Shakim Williams, Paul Casey, Martha Robi Publishing and Franchesca Robi (Gilchriese).

White decided to change her company’s focus after frequently discovering that songwriters/publishers or their heirs and representatives were not aware of the fundamental aspects of song ownership and copyrights.

One of DaBet’s current projects involves coexecutive producing the debut album of Franchesca Robi, daughter of the late Paul Robi, an original member of the Platters, one of the most successful music groups of the 1950s rock & roll era. Her just-released album, titled Remembering The Platters: Songs of My Father, features several of the group’s No. 1 hits including “Only You,” “The Great Pretender,” “Smoke Gets In Your

Tom T. Hall was named the 2012 BMI Icon at the Society’s 60th annual Country Awards in Nashville, TN. Dallas Davidson and Luke Laird shared the Songwriter of the Year honors. “Take a Back Road,” which Laird wrote with fellow BMI songwriter Rhett Akins, was named Song of the Year. Pictured (l-r): Tom T. Hall; Del Bryant, President and CEO, BMI; and Jody Williams, VP Writer/Publisher Relations, BMI.

Eyes,” “My Prayer” and “(You’ve Got) The Magic Touch.” Media contacts are Barry Smith / Bonnie Winings SWPR Group, 818-760-7131. Complete details at http://dabetmusic.com.

Ole Goes to Church in Music City When Eric Church picked up Album of the Year honors at the 46th annual CMA Awards in Nashville for his platinum-certified record, Chief, it capped a big evening in that category for writers for the publishing company ole, who had seven songs on three of the five nominated records, among them, Ryan Tyndell’s two co-writes on the winning album as well as a cut on Dierks Bentley’s nominated record, Home.

Tyndell co-wrote Church’s No. 1 platinum single, “Springsteen,” a tune that was nominated as Song of the Year and played an integral part in the success of Church’s album, Chief, which was Executive-Produced by ole GM Nashville Creative, Arthur Buenahora. The record also contains the Church/Tyndell co-write, “Keep On.” “Springsteen,” co-written by Church, Tyndell and Jeff Hyde on the ole Bus as part of the ole Write Where U R Tour 2011, ultimately spent two weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. It is also up for Song of the Year honors at

WOMEN ON TOP FOR ASCAP

the upcoming American Country Awards (ACA’s).

Tyndell is also co-writer of the track, “Breathe You In,” with Bentley and fellow ole writer Marty Dodson on Bentley’s CMA nominated Home.

Other ole co-writes on the album include “Gonna Die Young” (Bruce Wallace) and “Heart of a Lonely Girl” (Charlie Worsham). Ole’s Monty Powell co-wrote two songs on Lady Antebellum’s nominated album, Own the Night, including “As You Turn Away” and “Somewhere Love Remains.”

Find more details at http://majorlyindie.com.

Marty Panzer at UCLA Extension Beginning on Jan. 17, 2013, UCLA Extension begins its new season with the 19th year of a Master Songwriting class, “Writing Lyrics That Succeed and Endure,” 12 course sessions taught be hit lyricist Marty Panzer. Well known as a long time Barry Manilow collaborator and the co-writer of epic pop hits like “It’s a Miracle,” “This One’s for You,” and “Even Now,” (Manilow) as well as “Through the Years” (Kenny Rogers) and a vast amount of music for Disney, Panzer has been awarded 35 gold and platinum albums, plus four million-play awards, and amassed record sales in excess of 70 million units.

SIMON UPPED AT FOX Michael S. Simon has been promoted to President and CEO for Harry Fox Organization (HFA).

Simon was previously the organization’s Senior Vice President of Business Affairs, General Counsel and Chief Strategic Officer. For more information about HFA, visit http:// harryfox.com and http://hfasling shot.com.

Over the course of three days, ASCAP honored 10 extraordinary women in the music industry during its fourth annual Women Behind the Music series. Pictured (l-r): Bernie Lawrence-Watkins, Crystal Nicole, Tameka “Tiny” Harris and Jennifer Drake, ASCAP, arrive at the Women Behind the Music event in Atlanta.

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SONG BIZ

—DAN KIMPEL dan@dankimpel.com

LYNNE SINGS IN SILENT MOVIE THEATRE

Taio Cruz (pictured) was named Songwriter of the Year at ASCAP’s London awards for a second successive time as Steve Mac scooped the Song of the Year prize. The US society honored EMI Publishing’s Cruz with the accolade at its 32nd annual London awards.

Mac’s Song of The Year honor was given for co-writing “You Make Me Feel,” recorded by Cobra Starship.

Panzer covers a wide range of topics including what is most valued in a lyric; reviewing the great songs; expanding one’s horizons; the craft of lyric writing; overcoming stumbling blocks; developing a personal style; collaboration; handling rejection; the new marketplace; new opportunities in film, theater, and animation; and artistic objectives: writing lyrics that make a difference, writing lyrics to be proud of, and creating works that survive in an age of disposable product.

Scheduled guest speakers (subject to availability) include acclaimed songwriters Larry Gatlin and Keith Follese and a leading music industry attorney, author, and professor, Michael Perlstein.

Past guests have included Manilow, composers David Zippel and Stephen Schwartz, legendary songwriter Cynthia Weil and executive Chris Montan, President of Walt Disney Music.

Prerequisite is prior experience writing lyrics.

The Hal Gaba Scholarship is awarded to the six highest-achieving students enrolled in this course.

Scholarship recipients receive four additional master class sessions, as well as individual consultation with Panzer as required.

For further information about this program, call 310-825-9064.

Outside of Southern California call 800-8259064, email espa@unex.ucla.edu, or visit http:// uclaextension.org/entertainmentstudies.

LISA VANHECKE

ASCAP FETES UK WRITERS IN LONDON

Song Biz was on hand at the Silent Movie Theatre in Los Angeles for a festive night celebrating Everso Records and the label’s co-founder Shelby Lynne on the release of the well-appointed box set Revelation Road Deluxe Edition. An intimate audience was privy to an acoustic performance, a quick interview, and a courtyard reception. See http://shelbylynne.com.

Songs of Love Seeks Songwriters Songs of Love is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to creating personalized, original songs for kids who are seriously ill, free of charge. To do this, the organization works with freelance songwriters. Ideally, they are looking for singer-songwriters who can produce their own work.

The songs are requested for a child or medical contact who fills out a form with information about the child and sends it to Songs of Love.

They assign each song to an appropriate writer (depending on type of music requested, age of the child, writers’ availability, etc.) and send the writer a scan of the form about the child. The writer uses that info to create a song for that child and sends the finished song, in MP3 format, to Songs of Love. They then process and send the song to the child from the Songs office on a CD with their name and the Songs design and logo.

Among the notable songwriters who donate their talents is Los Angeles-based Dave Kinnoin, a recording artist on Song Wizard Records, who has released six CDs, tours nationally, and has done over 1,000 children’s concerts in the US and England since 1987. He has written songs for Jim Henson TV, Video, and Interactive; Disney Audio,

VAUGHN TAKES NEW W/C POST

Video, and TV; Davidson & Associates; Simon and Shuster Interactive, and others.

To be considered as a songwriter, please submit a sample of your work (as MP3 file or on CD) and a cover letter to anis@songsoflove.org or Songs of Love Foundation, Attn: Anis Arafat, PO Box 750809, Forest Hills, NY 11375.

CueSongs: Catalogs Online CueSongs, the digital music licensing hub has concluded agreements with BMG Rights Management, adding to deals for online licensing with EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV, Universal Music Publishing and Warner Chappell, in addition the big indies such as Imagem, Music Sales and Peer Music. CueSongs was launched in beta in January this year, and was co-founded

by Ed Averdieck, formerly head of Nokia Music and OD2, and former Genesis songsmith and solo artist Peter Gabriel. Take a listen at http:// cuesongs.com.

MICRO-­BIO: Dan Kimpel’s newest book, It All Begins with the Music, is penned with legendary A&R exec Don Grierson. Hear Dan’s audio interviews worldwide on Delta Airlines.

TERRY CALLIER: CHICAGO TROUBADOUR Song Biz Profile subject Terry Callier, a Chicago singer and songwriter who in the ‘70s developed an incantatory style that mingled soul, folk and jazz sounds around his meditative baritone, then decades later was rescued from obscurity when his work found new fans in Britain, has died in Chicago, IL. He was 67.

Warner/Chappell Music has appointed Ben Vaughn—an intern for the company at the beginning of his career—to the newly created position of Executive Vice President of its Nashville office. Running EMI’s Publishing County division, Vaughn was responsible for signing Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum and Rhett Akins to EMI, as well as working with Alan Jackson, Jerry Flowers and more.

See http://warnerchappell.com.

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SONG BIZ

SONGWRITER PROFILE

By Dan Kimpel

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ith multiple Academy Award, Golden Globe and Grammy nominations, songwriter Allan Rich is no stranger to the upper echelons of the music industry. While his catalog of hits includes “I Don’t Have the Heart” (James Ingram); “I Live for Your Love” (Natalie Cole); “I Drive Myself Crazy” (‘N SYNC) and “Run To You” (Whitney Houston), these days, he and his longtime writing partner, Jud Friedman, are intent on creating diverse outlets and fresh opportunities for their songs.

Rich, who has written for a roster that includes Barbra Streisand, Tina Turner, Rod Stewart, Luther Vandross, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, Oleta Adams, Barry Manilow, Peabo Bryson, Toni Braxton, Charice, and many others, has a spectrum of new cuts: records both stateside and abroad, a song in a new musical debuting in London’s West End, and the end title for an upcoming major motion picture.

“With the industry being what it is, you need different streams of income,” Rich says. “It used to be that if you wrote a great song you could pitch it and it would find a home. That’s not the way it works now. Artists have become more involved in writing songs rather than leaving it to professional songwriters, because there is a lot of money in publishing.”

Rich and Friedman are casting a worldwide net for outlets. The two cowrote “E’ L’Amore Che Conta/Hostage,” a No. 1 hit with Italian diva Giorgia; “Sexaholic” with Right Said Fred, and have cuts with artists ranging from Rachael Leahcar, the star of the Australian The Voice, as well as X Factor winner Melani Amaro, Canadian Tenors, composer/performer Yanni, and other artists in Russia and India.

Rich and Friedman are on the big screen with “After the Rain,” the end title to Playing for Keeps, released this Christmas, with Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Dennis Quaid, Uma Thurman and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Rich will be traveling to London for the December premiere of the musical The Bodyguard, starring Heather Headley. The show will include the Oscarnominated song “Run to You,” performed as a duet. “Heather also put it on her own album with Keith Thomas producing. It is so beautiful that it will make you weep,” enthuses Rich.

A persuasive emotional quotient drives the Rich/Friedman collaborations.

“Our greatest strength is the ability to move and touch people in a song,” Rich confirms. “Today, when it’s more about great beats and great sounds, this is still something that is very meaningful to us.”

While Rich, who considers himself “electronically challenged,” lets Friedman generate the electronic wizardry, he provides a valuable service. “Jud uses me for my ears,” Rich explains. “He calls me his ‘emotional Geiger counter.’”

Even with over two decades of collaborations with Friedman, Rich says there are challenging moments. “If he says he doesn’t like an idea, or if I don’t like one of his, it still hurts. We’re obviously big enough to say, ‘Let’s move on,’ but I think we both get a little disappointed sometimes. We like our ideas to be appreciated.”

As a mentor at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, Rich is energized and inspired by the next generation of hit crafters. Among those whom he has advised is Sunday Lane, an independent artist whose songs have been included on the CW’s One Tree Hill and Separated at Birth and E!’s Mrs. Eastwood & Company.

Rich is encouraging but realistic. “Young songwriters have to want this so bad that their desire has to overcome the rejection that happens every day.

And in addition to learning their craft, they have to be enterprising and they need to be detectives.”

Networking, he says, is crucial. “I’m a true believer that the person sitting next to you could be the most important collaborator in your life, or the person who creates your sound.”

For this Brooklyn-born songwriter who is devoted to the sincerity of the song, Rich says that fortitude and fortune go hand-in-hand. “No matter how much success we’ve had, most of us are still out here kicking and screaming, and wondering how the next big thing is going to happen.”

Visit http://allanrichmusic.com

TIMING IS EVERYTHING.

SESAC NOW PAYS MONTHLY. For songwriters and publishers it doesn’t just pay to sign with us, it pays monthly. As the most progressive PRO in the U.S., we’re proud to offer our songwriters monthly royalty payments. Why wait for the end of a quarter when you could be paid months sooner? So you can spend more time thinking about making music and less time worrying about getting paid.

FIND OUT MORE: SESAC.COM

September December 2012

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U/6U/ / , Krakower at CineMedia Promotions, 310-4391403 or beth@cinemediapromotions.com.

Kids of all ages are invited to keep the holidays happening by visiting The Bob Baker Marionette Theater, the longest running children’s theater in Los Angeles, CA, as it celebrates the most requested return of Bob Baker’s Nutcracker staging now through Jan. 27, 2013. This marionette version of the ballet classic has been one of the world famous puppeteer’s most beloved holiday productions since it was first presented in 1969. Employing over 100 of Baker’s famous marionettes, this family performance features all the characters from the beloved story based on recordings ranging from the familiar to the eclectic.

For a complete schedule or to purchase tickets, visit http://bobbakermarionettes. com or phone 213-250-9995.

The Georgia Entertainment Gala, billed as a night of immaculate elegance showcasing the talent that Georgia has to offer in the film and television industries, happens Jan. 13 in Atlanta, GA. This Black Tie Evening includes an awards ceremony created to honor the excellence of Georgia’s film industry professionals along with live entertainment.

To get additional information or to find out how you can be involved, check out http://gaentertain mentgala.eventfast.com.

DROPS From the creator of Family Guy, Ted is the irreverent, hilarious story of the bond between a man (Mark Wahlberg) and his teddy bear, Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane), who came to life as a result of a childhood wish—and refused to leave his side ever since. Walter Murphy, best remembered for his 1976 disco hit, “A Fifth of Beethoven,” provides the score. Ted is on Bluray, DVD and Ultraviolet on Dec. 11th. For all things Ted, visit http://tedisreal.com.

Sony Classical has the release of Mychael Danna’s Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of Life of Pi, a journey of adventure and a tale of personal discovery based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel. The music, in the composer’s words, “guides viewers by means of emotions through a film that raises big philosophical and religious questions.” The Indian flute is associated in the music with Pi himself, the mysterious woodwind sound of the Persian ney with the tiger. A Los Angeles studio orchestra recorded the score, while the use of an Indonesian gamelan and typically French instruments––celeste, accordion–– does justice to the cultural breadth of the story.

Danna also co-wrote the film’s original song, “Pi’s Lullaby,” with Indian vocalist Bombay Jayashri, who performs the song in her native Tamil language. For further information, contact Beth

Tribute artist Peter Mac has announced his plans for the fall, a show called Judy & Company in which he gives a series of famous and beloved women their 15 minutes of fame through a series of quick changes throughout the show. The New York-based artist performs theatrical (singing, dancing and speeches) shows as Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn among others. He is currently in residence at Oil Can Harry’s in Studio City, CA. Check out http://friendofjudy.com or contact lacey@biggerpicturepr.com.

Peter Mac

Bombay Jayashri

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Now in its 15th season in New York, Lincoln Center’s acclaimed series American Songbook will expand its scope and offer two series that celebrate the best in American singing and songwriting. “American Songbook in The Allen Room” will run from Jan. 30 - March 2 after an opening night featuring film and Broadway star Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon, Disney’s Aladdin and Mulan).

The series will present 15 nights of music from Broadway old and new, rhythm & blues, country, pop, gospel, blues, rock, jazz and folk.

Then from March 29 - April 20 a new chapter in the Songbook story will begin with “American Songbook in the Penthouse,” a series of weekend-only performances by performers and composers presented in the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, an intimate cabaret-style room.

A full schedule is at http://americansongbook. org. Contact Caitlin Kasunich, 212-875-5999 or ckasunich@lincolncenter.org.

WaterTower Music has announced the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Original Motion Picture Soundtrack at all retailers on Dec. 11th. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey features original score by Academy Award winner Howard Shore recorded at famed Abbey Road studios by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Additionally it includes an original song entitled “Song of the Lonely Mountain,” written and performed by Neil Finn

(Crowded House). The first of a trilogy of films from Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy), will be released in the US on Dec. 14th. Contact: Beth Krakowerat CineMedia Promotions, 310-439-1403 or beth@ cinemediapromotions.com.

On Dec. 11, Cherry Red Records will release Gregg Allman I’m No Angel: Live On Stage in North America via MVD Entertainment Group. The DVD features a full length concert from Allman and his band at The Cannery, Nashville in November 1988. Amongst the songs featured are Billboard chart hit single “I’m No Angel” and a version of the Blind Willie McTell song “Statesboro Blues” (a famous part of the Allman Brothers Band’s live sets). Contact Clint Weiler at MVD Entertainment Group, 800-888-0486 ext.

115 or clint@mvdb2b.com

OPPS Now available for school productions is the full-length rock musical Swedish Style written by Turkish composer-producer Ayhan Sahin and lyricist Selcen Pamuk. Set in the early ‘80s, the production follows the stupendous success and quiet decline of Swedish pop super group ABBA, here called Opus 10. Swedish Style was originally staged in the mid-‘90s at the Operetta House in Sahin’s native Ankara, Turkey, with subsequent performances in Copenhagen; Reykjavik, Iceland; and a symphonic version staged in Istanbul by the acclaimed Presidential Symphony Orchestra. The concept album for the musical comprises a full-cast vocal production featuring five principal singers and an eight-member ensemble mastered for use in licensed productions of the show. For more information, contact Janet Castiel at Redwood Entertainment, Inc., 212-543-9998 or janet.castiel@redwoodentertainment.com.

KuKaZi is a start-up company looking for original material to feature in their growing music library for television and promotional placement.

Email them at info@kukazi.com.

The Hobbit

U/6U/ / ,

—TOM KIDD prespak1@verizon.net

An Internet and terrestrial radio show on the Southern Star Network, billing itself as the “No. 1 Internet Visual Radio Network in the World,” is looking for independent artists in all genres to feature. Submit your song MP3 with a short bio, web address and picture along with your publishing info acct/registration, so that you can receive royalties, to erin@southernstarnetwork.com.

OutTAKE

An Emmy-winning production company is looking for superstar kids. If your child is the next major actor, singer or dancer, send name, age, photo, city & state, parent name and contact info to yourtalentedkid@gmail.com.

In Las Vegas, the search is on for two male and two female R&B/hip-hop dancers. Performers will be given music on site for the audition.

Contact Tina 702-528-9308 for location and appointment. There is no pay.

PROPS Award-winning film composer George S. Clinton has been named chair of Boston’s Berklee College of Music’s Film Scoring Department, offering the world’s only undergraduate film scoring degree as well as a unique minor in video game scoring. Clinton will build on the 32-year legacy of the department and ensure that graduates have the skills to thrive in a field that is undergoing continual transformation. Clinton has scored diverse films including the Austin Powers movies, Mortal Kombat, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Harold & Kumar George S. Clinton Escape from Guantanamo Bay, and Cheech & Chong’s Still Smokin. He has mentored young composers internationally and at the Sundance Institute for over a decade. Contact Margot Edwards at the Berklee College of Music, 617-747-2004 or medwards@ berklee.edu.

Mark Isham

Grammy and Emmy winning film composermusician Mark Isham (Dolphin Tale, Crash, Warrior) returned this fall to score three television productions, two of which reunite him with movie directors Frank Darabont (The Mist, The Majestic) and Gary Fleder (Don’t Say A Word, Imposter, Kiss the Girls). LA Noir, directed by Darabont, was recently picked up by TNT for six episodes. For further information, contact Alex May at Costa Communications, 323-650-3588 or alex@costacomm.com.

Stars came out for the red carpet premiere of Loving the Silent Tears: A New Musical at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA. The show was inspired by a poetry anthology titled Silent Tears, written years ago by worldrenowned Alberto Iglesias, Spain’s most acclaimed spiritual composer, was named Composer of the Year at teacher, the 12th World Soundtrack Awards, the closing humanitarian event of the 39th Ghent Film Festival in Belgium. and artist Iglesias received the honor for his work on Tinker Supreme Tailor Soldier Spy, Le Moine (The Monk) and La Master Piel Que Habito (The Skin I Live In). In addition, Ching Hai. Iglesias also received the coveted Best Original The musical Film Score of the Year honor for Tinker Tailor starred Soldier Spy. For complete information, contact Michael Collard at Rogers & Cowan, 310-854- two-time Grammy winning artist Jon Secada, Grammy winning icon Jody Watley, and 8137 or mcollard@rogersandcowan.com.

Broadway stars: Tony winner Debbie Gravitte, Tony winner Kiril Kulish, Emmy winner and Alberto Iglesias Tony nominee Liz Callaway, and Tony nominee Patti Cohenour. Proceeds from the one-nightonly performance benefited Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS, Amnesty International, Animal Defenders Worldwide and World Wide Veterinary Service. For detailed information, contact Traci Coulter at TCO PR, 323-951-9246 or traci@tcopr.com.

Jody Watley

MICRO-­BIO: In a 20-­year career that includes extensive experience as an artist, producer and performer, Tom Kidd has promoted, marketed and developed Emmy and Oscar winning composers. He is President of Pres Pak Public Relations.

Morgan Margolis President/CEO Knitting Factory Entertainment E-mail: morgan@knittingfactory.com Web: http://knittingfactory.com Most Recent: Fela!

W

hen industry veteran Morgan Margolis assumed the role of President and CEO of Knitting Factory Entertainment in 2008, after almost a decade with the company in other roles, he got right to work expanding the brand. Today’s KFE promotes national tours, produces the hit Broadway musical Fela!, operates The Federal Bar Gastro Pub in North Hollywood, CA, and is a partner with record labels Partisan and Knitting Factory Records.

Another venture, High Adventure Management, handles the careers of emerging and critically acclaimed recording artists both in the US and overseas. KFE also has its own line of shirts, hats and skateboards.

“We are a viable brand and we’re rebuilding,” says Margolis of his efforts. “We’re branding a true and interesting experience. It’s an imprint of imagery.”

There is precedent. “Virgin is about branding the experience,” Margolis points out. The president’s first goal was to determine what that experience would entail. Which direction?

What did KFE want to be? Most importantly, why couldn’t the company as a whole share the iconic name recognition that the New York club still maintains?

There was no reason why it couldn’t. One of the first steps was to close the under-performing Hollywood club, which meant that the Los Angeles-based KFE may have made the first of its planned entries onto Broadway, but it has no presence on the streets of its hometown.

According to the company’s master plan, all that will change. With the help of those t-shirts, hats, skateboards, pub, in-house radio and two active record labels, it is only a matter of time before Margolis’ marketing efforts find their way back to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

December 2012

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MIXED NOTES SIGNING STORIES

SCOTT W LEE

MC HITS AUSTIN CITY LIMITS 2012: Since its inception in 2002, Austin City Limits has brought together some of the hottest acts to rock “The Music Capital.” This year was no different as the 10th anniversary lineup included Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack White, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, the Black Keys, Iggy & the Stooges, the Avett Brothers, the Roots, M83 and so many more. Additional photos can be seen at http:// musicconnection.com.

For a full recap, see http:// aclfestival.com.

MOOGFEST 2012: The annual event that honors the remarkable vision of Robert Moog and his amazing musical inventions that changed the course of music, MoogFest came to a close last month. The two-day, multi-venue event was held in Asheville, NC—a place Bob Moog called home for the last 30 years of his life. Festival goers toyed with new inventions, got their hands on the newest industry gear and heard live performances from Primus, Explosions in the Sky, Miike Snow, the Magnetic Fields, Ahleuchatistas (pictured) and many more. See http://moogfest.com.

R ANDALL MICHELSON

GET WELLER TO THE GREEK: Paul Weller performed at The Greek Theatre, L.A. on Oct. 19 in support of his latest release Sonik Kicks. He was welcomed backstage

by Paola Palazzo, VP of Talent for Nederlander Concerts. See the Greek’s upcoming schedule at http://greektheatrela. com and visit http:// paulweller.com for Weller's upcoming our dates.

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MC AWARDS READER WITH FREE AURALEX DRUM MAT: Producer Billy Block, of Nashville, TN (pictured), won an Aurelex Drum Mat through Music Connection’s “Friday Freebie” contest. Every week, we give away pieces of gear or services to lucky winners.

Prizes this fall have included Audio-Technica headphones, a JamHub Bedroom, free mastering services and much more. To see what MC is giving away this week, head over to http:// musicconnection. com and look in the top right corner for the words “Friday Freebie.”

SHEARER, WAYNE TEAM-UP FOR GRAMMY MUSEUM: Harry Shearer rocked the Grammy Museum with guests Fountains of Wayne. Shearer and the band took a minute backstage to snap a photo. The team also performed on Conan. Pictured (l-r): Chris Collingwood, Jody Porter, Shearer and Adam Schlesinger.

—ANDY MESECHER andym@musicconnection.com

PHOTO SERIES PROVIDED BY JODY DOMINGUE

MIXED NOTES SIGNING STORIES

HERE'S WHAT MUSIC PEEPS ARE SAYING ABOUT US!

“Never have I been informed better on the local and the international music scene. Thank You, MC, for all these Invincible Years!“

Robin DiMaggio

LENNY LESSER

producer (Paul Simon, David Bowie, Steve Vai, Diana Ross, Chris Isaak)

LOS ANGELES GETS WEIRD WITH LUCHA VaVOOM: Fans were costumed head-to-toe for the “Aztec Horror” presentation of Los Angeles, CA’s Lucha VaVOOM. Taking place at the Mayan Theatre in downtown L.A. on “Halloween weekend,” fans were entertained with Mexican wrestling, burlesque dancing, comedy bits and more Mexican wrestling. For a full recap and to see upcoming dates, visit http://luchavavoom.com.

“I kept track of the music industry by reading Music Connection. Totally––it was a big deal.

It was such a cool thing to flip through the pages and recognize names and root for emerging artists I knew.“

Sara Bareilles

“Music Connection is an invaluable source of information for the independent artist community and music industry alike. As CEO of a ‘2.0’ digital label and music publishing company, MC is an excellent source of potential clients for our company.”

Scott Austin NARIP.COM AND MELISSA R EBRONJA

CEO, Authentik Artists, Inc.

HONORING AL SCHLESINGER: Over 200 people honored industry figure Al Schlesinger at a tribute dinner sponsored by NARIP in Los Angeles, CA. Schlesinger has worked as a songwriter, record producer, publisher, label owner and music attorney for over six decades, mentoring countless industry professionals, artists and music business students. The event's guests included Grammy winner Jackie DeShannon, Bread frontman David Gates, 21-time Grammy winner Al Schmitt, former CEO of Capitol Records Joe Smith and others. Pictured (l-r): Artist manager Bill Leopold; Schlesinger; double-platinum lyricist Lisa-Catherine Cohen; NARIP’s Tess Taylor; and producer Michael Schuman.

“Music Connection ran an article about [legendary producer] Richard Gottehrer. He'd just started an online music company. I got his contact details from the magazine, reached out to him, and that shaped my career.“

Herwig Maurer

film composer, Oscar nominee (Zombieland, Passion of the Christ, Secretariat)

December 2012

www.musicconnection.com 39

MUSIC CONNECTION’S Unsigned Artists & Bands

Compiled by Mark Nardone, Bernard Baur & Karen Em

ARTIST

WEBSITE

STYLE

LOCATION

Alana Lee Alexander Cardinale Ali Handal Aloha Radio Arlene Kole Banshee Bones Barry Smolin Belmont Lights Bill Trujillo Blackmail The Blind Eyes Bohème Bow Thayer/Trainwreck The Boxing Lesson Brandon Schott Cala Elaine Camille Bloom Charlie Rae Checkpoint Charlie Cherish Lee Cloud Connie Lim The Controversy The Couch Coyote Kolb Daniel Robinson Dave Widow/The Lineup Dead Horses Deborah Crooks The Dig Donner Social Doug Ferony Drag the River Droll Brothers Elaine Faye Evolove Foster Timms Gina Zavalis Glen Martin Gooding Hayley Jane and the Primates Holly Elle Horizontal Ladies Club Humbugs Inside Neon Jeffrey Deaver’s ‘XO’ Band John Carpenter Johnnie Ferro Joseph Eid Kat Calvosa

alanaleemusic.net xandermusic.com alihandal.com thealoharadio.com arlenekole.com bansheebones.bandcamp.com mrsmolin.com belmontlightsmusic.com nicktrujillo.bandcamp.com/album/vegas reverbnation.com/blackmailtheband1 blindeyesstl.blogspot.com bohemeartist.com bowthayer.com facebook.com/theboxinglesson brandonschott.com reverbnation.com/calaelaine camillebloom.com charlierae.com checkpointcharlie.com cherishlee.com facebook.com/cloudisaband connielimmusic.com thecontroversyband.com facebook.com/thecouchmusic coyotekolb.com iamdanielrobinson.com davewidow.com deadhorses-tst.blogspot.com deborahcrooks.com thedigmusic.com about.me/donnersocial dougferony.com dragtheriver.com droolbrothers.com elainefaye.com evolovetheband.com on.fb.me/RFYWhq ginazavalis.com foolsforrowan.com goodingmusic.com hayleyjaneandtheprimates.com hollyelle.com horizontalladiesclub.com myspace.com/thehumbugs insideneon.com jefferydeaverxomusic.com myspace.com/johnnycarpenter reverbnation.com/johnnieferro josepheidmusic.com katcalvosa.com

Pop Singer-Songwriter Hot Rock Surf Rock Singer-Songwriter Progressive Hard Rock Melodramtic Pop Pop/Rock Jazz Rock/R&B Power Pop Pop/Rock/Singer-Songwriter Rock Psychedelic Epic Rock Indie Pop Indie Rock Indie Rock Singer-Songwriter/Folk/Rock Rock/Alternative Country/Roots Pop/Rock Retrotronica Alternative Adult Contemporary Indie Rock Roots Rock Electro-Pop Funk/Blues/R&B/Rock Retro Rock Americana Indie Rock Electronica/Pop Jazz Alternative/Country Art Rock Soulful Pop Alternative Pop Rock Adult Contemporary Americana/Indie/Folk/Rock Americana/Rock Americana/Folk/Showtunes Pop Alternative Pop Power Pop Metal/Punk Country/Pop Singer-Songwriter Rock Singer-Songwriter Jazz

Anaheim Hills, CA Los Angeles, CA North Hollywood, CA Orange County, CA Los Angeles, CA Hollywood, CA Los Angeles, CA San Diego, CA Las Vegas, NV Detroit, MI St. Louis, MO Los Angeles, CA Boston, MA Austin, TX Glendale, CA Hollywood, CA Seattle, WA San Diego, CA Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Austin, TX Boston, MA Buffalo, NY Cincinnati, OH Los Angeles, CA San Francisco, CA New York, NY New York, NY New York, NY Fort Collins, CO Los Angeles, CA San Diego, CA Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA New York, NY Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Boston, MA Nashville, TN Los Angeles, CA Minneapolis, MN Tokyo, Japan Nashville, TN Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA New York, NY

40 December 2012

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MUSIC CONNECTION’S Unsigned Artists & Bands

Compiled by Mark Nardone, Bernard Baur & Karen Em

ARTIST

WEBSITE

STYLE

LOCATION

Alana Lee Alexander Cardinale Ali Handal Aloha Radio Arlene Kole Banshee Bones Barry Smolin Belmont Lights Bill Trujillo Blackmail The Blind Eyes Boheme Bow Thayer/Trainwreck The Boxing Lesson Brandon Schott Cala Elaine Camille Bloom Charlie Rae Checkpoint Charlie Cherish Lee Cloud Connie Lim The Controversy The Couch Coyote Kolb Daniel Robinson Dave Widow/The Lineup Dead Horses Deborah Crooks The Dig Donner Social Doug Ferony Drag the River Droll Brothers Elaine Faye Evolove Foster Timms Gina Zavalis Glen Martin Gooding Hayley Jane and the Primates Holly Elle Horizontal Ladies Club Humbugs Inside Neon Jeffrey Deaver’s ‘XO’ Band John Carpenter Johnnie Ferro Joseph Eid Kat Calvosa

alanaleemusic.net xandermusic.com alihandal.com thealoharadio.com arlenekole.com bansheebones.bandcamp.com mrsmolin.com belmontlightsmusic.com nicktrujillo.bandcamp.com/album/vegas reverbnation.com/blackmailtheband1 blindeyesstl.blogspot.com bohemeartist.com bowthayer.com facebook.com/theboxinglesson brandonschott.com reverbnation.com/calaelaine camillebloom.com charlierae.com checkpointcharlie.com cherishlee.com facebook.com/cloudisaband connielimmusic.com thecontroversyband.com facebook.com/thecouchmusic coyotekolb.com iamdanielrobinson.com davewidow.com deadhorses-tst.blogspot.com deborahcrooks.com thedigmusic.com about.me/donnersocial dougferony.com dragtheriver.com droolbrothers.com elainefaye.com evolovetheband.com on.fb.me/RFYWhq ginazavalis.com foolsforrowan.com goodingmusic.com hayleyjaneandtheprimates.com hollyelle.com horizontalladiesclub.com myspace.com/thehumbugs insideneon.com jefferydeaverxomusic.com myspace.com/johnnycarpenter reverbnation.com/johnnieferro josepheidmusic.com katcalvosa.com

Pop Singer-Songwriter Hot Rock Surf Rock Singer-Songwriter Progressive Hard Rock Melodramtic Pop Pop/Rock Jazz Rock/R&B Power Pop Pop/Rock/Singer-Songwriter Rock Psychedelic Epic Rock Indie Pop Indie Rock Indie Rock Singer-Songwriter/Folk/Rock Rock/Alternative Country/Roots Pop/Rock Retrotronica Alternative Adult Contemporary Indie Rock Roots Rock Electro-Pop Funk/Blues/R&B/Rock Retro Rock Americana Indie Rock Electronica/Pop Jazz Alternative/Country Art Rock Soulful Pop Alternative Pop Rock Adult Contemporary Americana/Indie/Folk/Rock Americana/Rock Americana/Folk/Showtunes Pop Alternative Pop Power Pop Metal/Punk Country/Pop Singer-Songwriter Rock Singer-Songwriter Jazz

Anaheim Hills, CA Los Angeles, CA North Hollywood, CA Orange County, CA Los Angeles, CA Hollywood, CA Los Angeles, CA San Diego, CA Las Vegas, NV Detroit, MI St. Louis, MO Los Angeles, CA Boston, MA Austin, TX Glendale, CA Hollywood, CA Seattle, WA San Diego, CA Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Austin, TX Boston, MA Buffalo, NY Cincinnati, OH Los Angeles, CA San Francisco, CA New York, NY New York, NY New York, NY Fort Collins, CO Los Angeles, CA San Diego, CA Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA New York, NY Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Boston, MA Nashville, TN Los Angeles, CA Minneapolis, MN Tokyo, Japan Nashville, TN Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA New York, NY

40 December 2012

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S HOT 100 LIVE

s

MC’s annual, eagerly awaited Hot 100 list spotlights the live performers who made us sit up and take notice in 2012. Those involved in determining the results of this year’s poll included not only Music Connection staff members, but freelance journalists, club bookers and other industry professionals from across the US. To enquire about a live review of your band, be sure to check out Music Connection’s unique, always-free AMP Social Space; it’s for musicians only—no friends or fans.

Emmert /////////////////////////////

Photo By Jody Domingue

ARTIST

WEBSITE

STYLE

LOCATION

Kate Sikora The Kicks Lady Lamb the Beekeeper Laurie Horn Le Paige Lexa Raquel Lightspeed LNE Lola Spriggs The Lonelyhearts Luis Banuelos Martin Leroux Morgan Fisher Mother Falcon Mr. Fisher The MuerTones Natania NOVI Nuroksol Peachcake Per Se Queen Caveat Reasons Be Rebecca Loebe Riddle The Sphinx River Whyless Rodello’s Machine Sam Sherwin The Scorch Sisters Sean and Zander The Shackeltons Shadows Entwined Shevyn Roberts Sierra West Sinicle Sink Swim Skum City Socratic Sour Boy Bitter Girl Starvation Camp Tallahassee TaQuita Thorns The ThrowDown Band The Towels Tyler Bryant/Shakedown Ugly Kids Club Veni Vidi Vicious Vinyl Soul Viscera Wild Child

katesikora.com thekicksrock.com ladylambthebeekeeper.com lauriehorn.com lepaigeband.com lexaraquel.desertsolrecords.com lightspeedmusiconline.com lne.me lolaspriggs.com thelonelyhearts.net luisbanuelos.com reverbnation.com/martinleroux morgan-fisher.com motherfalconmusic.com mrfishermusic.com reverbnation.com/themuertones nataniamusic.com iamnovi.com reverbnation.com/nuroksol peachcake.net persetheband.com queencaveat.com reasonsbe.com rebeccaloebe.com riddlethesphinx.com riverwhyless.tumblr.com rodellosmachine.com samsherwin.net thescorchsisters.com seanandzander.com theshackeltons.com/main/indie fb.com/shadowsentwined shevynroberts.net sierrarocks.com facebook.com/sinicle facebook.com/sinkswimmusic facebook.com/skumcity socratictheband.com fb.com/sourboybittergirl?fref=ts starvationcamp.com tallahasseeband.com taquitathorns.com throwdownband.net thetowelsband.com tylerbryantmusic.com uglykidsclub.com venividivicious.jp vinylsoulmusic.com facebook.com/viscerathrash wildchildsounds.com

Indie Pop Rock Indie Rock Adult Alternative Rock Pop/Rock Pop Modern Rock Pop/Rock Pop Singer-Songwriter Solo Latin Acoustic Acoustic Pop Ambient Instrumental Indie Folk Pop Surf/Instrumental/Americana Pop/Singer-Songwriter Electronic Urban Rock R&B Electro Pop Fusion Ensemble Rock Pop/Rock Folk/Acoustic Pop/Rock Indie Folk Folk/Rock Singer-Songwriter/Indie Rock Blues/Rock Roots Music Rock Metal Pop Folk/Rock Metal/Hard Rock Alternative Pop/Punk Punk Pop/Rock Indie Rock/Folk World/Reggae Roots Rock Pop/Soul Blues Rock Eccentric Rock Rock Indie Electro Indie Rock Latin Soul/R&B Metal Indie Folk

Boonton, NJ Nashville, TN Brooklyn, NY Davisburg, MI Los Angeles, CA Tucson, AZ Livonia, MI Los Angeles, CA Ottawa, Canada Iowa City, IA Austin, TX Tokyo, Japan London, UK Austin, TX Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Ann Arbor, MI Phoenix, AZ Long Beach, CA Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Austin, TX Los Angeles, CA Boone, NC San Diego, CA Montclair, NJ Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Chambersburg, PA Los Angeles, CA Houston, TX San Diego, CA Hollywood, CA Thousand Oaks, CA New York, NY Linden, NJ Fort Collins, CO Los Angeles, CA Providence, RI San Jose, CA Boston, MA Los Angeles, CA Nashville, TN Nashville, TN Tokyo, Japan Hollywood, CA Hollywood, CA Austin, TX

December 2012

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A

Q

Taylor

Swift

by Gary Graff

S

photos by Sarah Barlow

he did it again––and there’s no oops about it. With Red, her fourth album, Taylor Swift notched her third consecutive No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200, selling more than 1.2 million copies––the best since The Eminem Show in 2002––and setting a variety of landmarks: the only female artist to ever sell more than a million first-week albums with two consecutive releases; the highest ever iTunes first-week sales (565,545 copies); the top one-week sales ever by a country artist; and the best single-week sales for Target.

Swift also racked up sales by releasing four tracks, one each week, via iTunes before Red’s release, with each reaching No. 1 in short order. It adds to a tally that includes more than 22 million albums sold worldwide and more than 51 million digital downloads in the US, but the 22-year-old Swift hastens to point out there’s some artistic ch-ching going on here, too. Unlike 2010’s Speak Now, for which Swift wrote everything herself, the distinctively pop-focused Red finds her collaboration with the hit-making likes of Jeff Bhasker, Butch Walker, Max Martin, Shellback and Dan Wilson, as well as previous pal Dann Huff. She also duets with Ed Sheeran on “Everything Has Changed” and Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody on “The Last Time.”

Red is an album whose ambitions are as big as its sales, and Swift––who again filled the set with songs drawn directly from her personal life––is counting on fans to know the material from to back when she returns to the road March 13 for the first North American leg of a planned world tour.

42 December 2012

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December 2012

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Music Connection: Your album had a huge debut. A great iTunes countdown roll-out of the songs. It’s not foreign for you to come out of the gate this strong, of course. Do you get used to it, or have to fight getting used to it?

Taylor Swift: I never get used to that. I don’t naturally feel like I am entitled to win. I don’t naturally feel like if I put out a song it will go to number one in hours. It’s like I got so used to having to fight to get the song up the charts and having to wait and having to hope that people would hear it, that’s kind of where my mind stayed. And so when we have something like this album, where all the songs that we put out on the iTunes countdown have gone to number one, it is absolutely mind-blowing to me that the fans are that reactive and that they’re that fast and that there are that many of them who are so clued-in. It’s something that I’m never going to get used to. I can’t imagine getting used to it.

MC: The iTunes countdown for the new songs was an interesting way to roll things out. What was it like to watch it happen?

Swift: It’s so exciting to reveal, track by track, songs that are so different from each other and kind of keep people on their toes about what could possibly be coming next.

MC: Red is your fourth album. You’ve been through the big debut, the follow-up to show it was no fluke and then the third one. What does a fourth album mean?

Swift: Actually, the way I kind of categorize them is like the first one came out and some people noticed and we were really lucky and it sold millions of copies, but I hadn’t had anything cross over.

So the second album, for me, felt like a breakthrough, and then it felt like the third album was to prove that it wasn’t a fluke.

MC: Which makes this one...?

Swift: This one is for the sake of adventure. I think I try to veer away from whatever comfort zone I developed in making my last record, and for my last record, Speak Now, my comfort zone became writing songs alone. It just became what I fell back on and what I always did and just kind of felt like what I naturally gravitated towards.

This time I wanted to challenge myself as a writer. I wanted to challenge myself as an artist.

So I called up a bunch of people that I admired in the songwriting-producing artists world, and I just wanted to see if they would work with me and collaborate. It was such an educational and amazing, adventurous experience being in the studio with people who I had always admired and people who make music that’s different from the kind of music I make, so you have a blending of two worlds.

MC: Did you have a hit list? What was the criteria for the kind of folks you wanted to work with?

Swift: Well, I would come up with an idea and I’d think, “What do I want the production for this to sound like?” and a name would just pop into my head. I’d come up with like a partial idea for a song and I’d think Dan Wilson. Or, “Jeff Bhasker would nail the drums on this.” Or, “Max Martin would kill this.” And I’d bring them those ideas, and that’s kind of how it worked. I had a short list of people that I’ve been admiring for years, not only because of being a fan of what they do but being a fan of their ability to adapt and change. Jack Bhasker produces fun., but he also has done some amazing stuff for Alicia Keys, and it’s all different sounding––the same way that Max really reinvents himself all the time.

MC: Let’s hear about the Swedish adventure with Max and Shellback, since we heard “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” right out of the box. What was it like working with those guys?

Swift: Working with Max and Shellback was such an exhilarating experience as a writer, because they’re so in the moment and they’re so present and they’re so excited, and that’s exactly how I am. So you get us all in a room and it’s just like an immediate green light. We just start writing and we don’t stop and we would write several songs a day.

I love to work fast, and I love to work with people who love making music. When there’s that level of excitement in the room it makes me so excited to get up and go in the studio with them the next day.

It’s just like, “What are we going to do tomorrow?!”

MC: How early did you nail “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” with them?

Swift: We wrote a few songs before that, and that was the song that we really kind of realized, “We’re on to something here.” And from that point we wrote two other songs that ended up making the record.

MC: Tell me about one of those, “I Knew You Were Trouble.”

Swift: The song is about an experience where I knew that this guy was going to be bad news the first time I saw him, and I had all these red flags pop up and I ignored all of them and I believed him anyway and fell for and ended up brokenhearted like I knew I was going to. But instead of thinking, “Shame on you, you broke my heart,” I actually ended up feeling like “shame on ME, I let you break my heart. I knew you were gonna do that!” You know? It’s kind of an interesting feeling when you realize that you’ve already learned this lesson and you just ignored all of the common sense that you’ve gathered up to this point.

MC: You’ve never been shy about taking care of the guys who done you wrong in song, have you?

Swift: Writing about my life...helps me figure out how I feel about things sometimes. Emotions can be so messy and all over the place, and you can

44 December 2012

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“

MC: So what are you going to do when you land “the one,” the one that lasts for a long time?

What’s going to happen to the songwriting?

Swift: (laughs) I don’t know. I mean, I think that there’s no emotion that’s simple, not even an everlasting emotion. Not even unconditional love.

There are undertones to every emotion. I’ve learned that. I think that one thing I tend to do is go back to a feeling––something I used to feel or something I felt for someone who I don’t know anymore and kind of the sadness of it––and revisit it. At the same time I get inspired by seeing my friends’ relationships. I get inspired by watching movies and thinking, “What kind of soundtrack would this moment have?” So I don’t quite know what will happen if I end up actually reaching the state of general happiness when it comes to love, but I hope that I can draw inspiration from all sorts of places.

MC: You of course write personally. Do you find this time out that you found yourself writing personally in a different way? What do you find in the evolution and the creative growth of mining those emotions and turning them into songs?

Swift: For me what comes a little easier now is the first thing that you get when you get an idea for a song, the first little fragment. It’s like a puzzle piece, right? And you have to then choose where it’s going to go in the grand scheme of the song: “Okay, this idea I just got, is it a pre-chorus? Is it a post hook? Is it a first line?” And I think that what the craft of songwriting teaches you how to do is to take that spurt of inspiration and figure out where

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I feel like, at 22, I’m still very much a student of music and on my way to where I’m going to end up someday.

But along the way it’s really fun to take risks because you look at some careers and you see people make the same album twice, and I never want to do that.

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that puzzle piece goes and how to build out from it and create the rest of the puzzle to be as interesting as that initial idea.”

MC: How did you wind up with Ed Sheeran on “Everything Has Changed”?

Swift: Ed and I became fast friends as soon as we wrote together. We have very similar processes; we both love to grab a guitar and ad lib, and whatever comes out some of it ends up in the song and you go back and re-evaluate it and look at every lyric and edit it. I really love working with someone who writes in a similar way. And he’s also just really cool to hang out with. My friends and I love him, and he is someone that I’m so honored to have on the record. The song is a duet, so hearing his voice come on my album it feels really special.

MC: He’s a little kooky, though, isn’t he?

Swift: Well...aren’t we all? With him it’s childlike.

There’s this kind of childlike energy about Ed, because he’s got such an amazing imagination, and that’s so fun to be around.

MC: What do you consider to be the general tenor of the album? It seems to take you into more of a mainstream pop direction than you’ve gone before.

Swift: The album has 16 songs on it, and to say that it’s eclectic would be pretty dead-on because track-to-track there’s nothing that sounds like anything else on the record. It was definitely an opportunity for me to push the limits and paint with different colors. I try to operate on an emotional basis, which to me meant taking the general emotion I was feeling, writing lyrics that I felt depicted it and choosing production that I felt painted the picture even more.

So if you are dealing with a really chaotic emotion, like “I Knew You Were Trouble,” I wanted it to be a chaotic, intense, emotional sounding song. I wanted it to match the lyric.

“

feel so many different emotions about one thing.

So when I write a song on how I feel about that certain thing, it becomes simple and I can really process it and I can feel like whatever pain that situation may have brought me in my life was worthwhile and justified because it was supposed to come out in a song.

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December 2012

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MC: Is there anything that felt completely left field to you on Red? Swift: I think that there are so many influences that I have. I am such a music fan, and that’s why you see me doing collaborations with B.o.B. and then the next month doing a collaboration with the Civil Wars and T-Bone Burnett for The Hunger Games soundtrack. I love getting to be a part of this musical world where it’s possible to learn from people like that or from, say, Max Martin or Dann Huff. I feel like, at 22, I’m still very much a student of music and on my way to where I’m going to end up someday. But along the way it’s really fun to take risks because you look at some careers and you see people make the same album twice, and I never want to do that.

MC: You have a tour coming up in 2013. How are you approaching that?

Swift: I am so excited to see what songs the fans

“ Taylor Swift has four albums of her own, but here’s five key appearances she’s made outside of those:

* “Two is Better Than One” (2009), a Top 20, platinum hit on Boys Like

Swift contributed to the Hope For Haiti Now benefit album.

Girls’ 2009 album Love Drunk.

“Safe & Sound” (2012), a col*laboration with the Civil Wars for

*

“Half of My Heart” (2010) with John Mayer for his Battle Studies album, which peaked at No. 25 and went gold.

*

“Breathless” (2010), a cover of the Better Than Ezra song that

46 December 2012

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The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 And Beyond.

*

“Both of Us” (2012), a Top 20 release from B.o.B.’s Strang Clouds.

“

Swift Guest Spots

I try to operate on an emotional basis, which to me meant taking the general emotion I was feeling, writing lyrics that I felt depicted it and choosing production that I felt painted the picture even more.

like the most because that’s the first step. We always see which songs are really the passionate songs and the ones the fans are freaking out over the most, and those are the ones that are definitely in the set list. And, of course, you know the tour will be a big representation of this record. But you know it will be really amazing to see which ones jump to the forefront.

MC: You’re mixing up arenas and stadiums again. Do you have a preference?

Swift: Well, I like for it to be big––as big as possible. I just want to be able, in this economy, to make a show that will be entertaining enough to warrant the fans leaving their house, spending their evening with me, parking their car, waiting in line, maybe buy a T-shirt. I want them to be so happy that they decided to spend their time with me––I think that’s my biggest objective. And the element of surprise is still really important in a concert, and showing scenes and images and visuals that are magical. I really like to take people to a different world and change things up constantly, never showing them too much of the same thing too many times in a row.

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www.musicconnection.com 47

Best 70Career Tips of the Year

Compiled by Andy Mesecher

First Off...

Learn the Industry: “Know the basics––how labels, managers and agents work, what a sync placement is, the ins and outs of publishing, etc. Stay on top of changes, new technologies, new deals and the major players in the industry. Knowing the industry will help you navigate your way and will show your label/distribution partner that you’re serious.”

—Heather Badower, Marketing Director, BFM Digital Jan. issue

Think positive: “All you can do is your best to adapt and make music. I wake up every day thinking, ‘I’m never going to make another good song.’ It’s a constant struggle for everyone. You have to stay positive and think how you can keep up with what’s going on.”

—Benny Blanco, producer-songwriter (Ke$ha, Maroon 5) Sept.

Songwriting Benny Blanco

“Some of the best songwriters aren’t really strong musicians, and some of the best musicians aren’t strong songwriters. At some point I realized I had to get away from piano. I’m not as proficient on guitar, and I thought, ‘Maybe that’s a good thing.’ So to this day, I write mostly on guitar.”

—Greg Wells, songwriter (Kelly Clarkson, Adele, Katy Perry) Jan. Branch out: “The people who stick around in this business are the ones that don’t have one particular sound. Producers who focus on writing classic records, classic melodies and the pure structure of a song [will survive]. Those with the gimmicky themes will wash out.”

—Rico Love, producer (Fergie, Skrillex) April

48 December 2012

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Discuss money: “If you can come to an agreement that suits everybody in the band, you’ve set a foundation for creatively moving forward. Difficulties often come when there is a principal songwriter in the band, leaving any non-songwriting members wondering what they’ll earn if any of the songs become hits.”

—Robbie Gennet, songwriter, author Nov. Trust the kids: “A lot of producers are quick to write-off an 18 or 19-year-old’s opinion on a song. But I embrace it. I’ll trust an 11-year-old’s opinion before I’ll trust a 40-year-old’s, because kids have some sixth sense about what works.”

—PJ Bianco, producer (Jonas Bros., Demi Lovato, Metro Station) Nov. Your final career choice: “[Songwriting] is one of the hardest ways to make a living, and I don’t recommend that anyone do it if they have some inkling of a ‘Plan B.’ … Most of my career has been a complete commercial failure. There were spikes if something would make money for a label or a publisher, but these huge valleys of not making money would go on for years.”

—Greg Wells, songwriter Jan.

Make time for life: “This last year I did the least amount of sessions since 2006, when I became a full-time songwriter. But I had as many, if not more, cuts and more singles on the radio than ever. I think it’s because I gave myself time to live a life. I had more to write about.”

PRE-RECORDING TIPS r Tackle preproduction responsibilities: Practice songs until near-perfect performances are the norm. Tune and repair all instruments and gear. Determine the aesthetics of the sound you want to capture.

—Evan “Kidd” Bogart, songwriter-producer Feb. No more auto-tune: “As songwriters, it’s always melodies. A couple of years ago it wasn’t cool.

Everything was auto-tuned and had the attitude of being dark and cool. Now pop is coming back. Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’ is piano and vocal and it’s a huge hit.”

—Carl Falk, songwriter (Nicki Minaj, One Direction) July

r 4VSWFZ UIF TDFOF: To narrow down potential studios, talk with other bands and do research online to hear engineers’ final product.

Dare to be bad: “I’m a big fan of first thought/ best thought...You have to turn off the part of your brain that is shrieking in protest at every little thing that it perceives you’re doing wrong or is derivative or bad in some way. If you write something bad it’s not the end of the world.”

—Jonathan Mann June You don’t have to be an expert: “All I know is that I love the almost naïve approach I have to writing a song, as opposed to someone who’s had training. I don’t know every technical aspect of songwriting, I can’t read music, but I can hear things in my head, and I’m not over-analyzing the song process because of technicalities.”

r (FU PO UIF same page: Talk to engineers about their taste in music and recording, and provide examples of sounds you’d like to emulate.

Determine personal compatibility with engineers. r .BLF B UFTU SVO: A low-pressure singlesong demo for a webpage allows you to evaluate a studio in action without committing to a longterm project.

Study songwriting: “What songs move you so much that you listen to them or play them hundreds of times? Examining songwriters will help immeasurably in your own songwriting progress. Familiarizing yourself with an everwidening variety of chords and changes will give depth to your songwriting.”

—Robbie Gennet, songwriter Nov.

—Ladyhawke, recording artist April

Find a way to connect: “A company can’t sit around a table and say how they can make people like you.

As an artist, you have to emotionally connect. It can’t be manufactured. It can’t be put together in a boardroom. That has to be by virtue of the fact that the music really connects with people.”

—Amanda Palmer July

In The Studio Choose a producer wisely: “[A producer] you can communicate well with is more important than the gear they have. I would say Steve Albini can do things with a four-track that a lot of homestudio owners that spent 50, 60 thousand dollars cannot achieve.”

—Adam Knight, AKAudio Feb. Get the right headphone mix: “You should hear yourself well and not feel ‘crowded’ by the volume of other instruments.

If needed, try the ‘one ear off’ technique; leave the headphone off one ear to hear your voice acoustically in the room. The type of mic chosen and the mic’s placement should match rather than alter your voice and it should capture your best sound.”

Believe in others: “If you care about manifesting [an artist’s] vision, you have to jump into the trenches with them. And when you connect on a deep level, you feel like you’re living again. When you believe in people, it goes beyond the music; it goes beyond the art.”

—Danny Jacob, composer (Phineas and Ferb) Feb. Be a therapist: “There’s always that point when an artist decides that they don’t like a song anymore. They’re being irrational. They really like the song but they’re stuck. You’ve got to be a therapist and a strategist. Sometimes you have to go to another song and then come back to it.

Other times you have to say no [to a break] and stick to it. For [Katy Perry’s] ‘Teenage Dream’ we rewrote the lyrics seven times.”

—Benny Blanco, producer-songwriter (Ke$ha, Maroon 5) Sept.

Less is More: “[Producing] takes a lot of listening, a lot of practice and trying not to do too much to a mix. I still do new stuff on different mixes all the time. Figuring out what [a mix] doesn’t need is more important than what it needs.”

—Colin Leonard, mastering engineer (Kimbra, Wale, Justin Bieber) Oct. Respect the artist’s music: “You’re not there for your individual sound. You’re there to shape something for the artist and, more specifically, for that particular album. … Sometimes it might be a big, heavy layered thing, other times it might be sparse. Ultimately it’s the artist that’s going to live and die by the album. It’s about what they want.”

—Joe Chiccarelli, producer (Frank Zappa, the White Stripes) Feb. Get a manager: “Many producers and mixers who are red-hot say, ‘I don’t need a manager.’

That’s exactly when you need a manager, because you need someone to keep feeding the logs into the oven, the coal into the steam engine.”

— Joe D’Ambrosio, Joe D’Ambrosio Management Inc. May Don’t crush your mixes: “The bane of mastering engineers is that people bring in mixes that have been crushed with an L2 or some converter that takes away all of the dynamic range. That’s one way to make it loud, but it also kills the vitality.”

—Pete Doell, mastering engineer (Adam Lambert, Frank Gambale) Oct.

—Jeannie Deva, vocal coach April

Behind the Glass

Photo by Andrius Lipsys

(Producing/engineering)

Make mistakes: “Every young engineer should spend at least three months just working on 4-track so they get to learn how to make decisions. If you make a wrong one, it doesn’t matter.

You’re not performing life-saving surgery. Mistakes can be good.”

—Ken Scott, producer-engineer (the Beatles, Pink Floyd) Jan.

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tips continue...

Practicing Practice speeches: “Speeches from the stage should be treated as a part of the performance.

I am constantly amazed at seeing the most natural, gifted and articulate stage performers come up to an open microphone during a break in the performance and talk utter drivel. Or a lead singer making an impassioned speech, only to have the drummer and bass player launch into the next song halfway through the speech, completely drowning her out. Every pro band I work for has this kind of planning on their set list.”

—Andy Reynolds, tour manager Aug. Vocalize: “Why practice the hell out of your instruments and leave the harmony vocals to chance? Big mistake. Figure out who your singers are in the band and put them to work.

Song ideas may develop from that. If someone is not a singer but can manage some group choruses or shouts, put them in the mix but know their limits. Everyone in the band can be a better singer than they are today.”

DJ Performance Tim Martell Oct. r Be Different: DON’T sound like other DJs. Don’t be afraid to test waters and play some “off the wall” tracks as long as your crowd stays dancing. Being unique makes you memorable and separates yourself from the herd. r Think Big or Go Home: Don’t sell yourself short. Undercutting is frowned upon in the DJ community. Many people won’t even hire you if you lowball yourself. Go into every gig negotia-

—Robbie Gennet, songwriter, author Singing Tips...

Nov. ...From vocal coach Jeannie Deva Sept.

Watch yourself: “The first step in rehearsing the ‘show’ is for you to watch yourself in a mirror while practicing or, even better, film yourself.

You can set up a Flip, iPhone or video camera, then perform your set—either in rehearsal or at a show—and film it. Do not watch the tape immediately after you have captured it, however.

Wait a couple of days or even a week. Then sit down (with the rest of the band if you are not a solo performer) and watch. If you find it painful to watch your own show, then think about how your potential audience will view your performance.”

—Andy Reynolds, tour manager Aug. Look ‘em in the eye: “When in rehearsal, set up in a circle so that everyone has eye contact with everyone else. The singer(s) should be standing opposite the drummer. This positioning prevents the sound from the drums being picked up by the vocal microphones; drums are loud enough anyway without the vocal microphones amplifying them through the PA. Other band members should then complete the circle, bass players being next to the drummer and brass or string players being next to the vocalist.”

—Andy Reynolds, tour manager Aug. Audition your rehearsal studio: “Budget studios have budget equipment; you will often find that the high-end frequencies are missing from the PA speakers. This is because the components that produce those frequencies have been destroyed through misuse or lack of maintenance. Without the high-end in the speakers, there will be no vocal clarity. This means you will not be able to hear yourself sing very well, and you will often end up shouting or overstretching your voice, limiting your potential rehearsal time, and maybe causing permanent damage to your vocal cords.”

Easy on the consonants: “Emphasizing most consonants [when singing] will cause disruptive pops and hisses. Think of your consonants as needing the same amount of air as their accompanying vowel sounds. Vowels are the sounds of your voice, consonants are the rhythmic articulators.”

Find your mic: “Which model you use will either enhance or detract from the sound of your voice. Mics are designed with their own sound personality. If the mic doesn’t fit the personality of your voice, you can unconsciously tense up throat muscles in an attempt to compensate for the electronic alteration.”

Know how to angle the mic: “If you sing into a mic from a wrong angle, your voice will be only partially amplified.

Important tonal characteristics will be lost. Sing into the center of the nose of your mic––not the side or across the top of it.”

tion with guns blazing; you will gain respect from your peers and potential clients along the way. r Make Friends: If you are looking to work at a club, you should get to know all of the staff, including the doorman, the manager, the music director and the owner. And make sure THEY KNOW YOU! These folks are the gatekeepers to future gigs.

Performing Live Engage your fans: “Anyone in the music business today will tell you that fan engagement is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. Your fans are essential advocates, and mingling at shows, interacting online and developing relationships with them is one of the most important things you can do to grow your career. It’s also something that your label, distributor, or promoter can’t do for you. Fans want to hear from the artist, not someone marketing the release.”

—Heather Badower, marketing director, BFM Digital Jan. Stop trying to make it big: “Start trying to enjoy it more and realize that it’s not about tomorrow. It’s about today pretty much all of the time. The most important thing is I’ve got a gig tonight and there’s nothing more important than that.

People say, hold back on your voice because you’ve got another gig tomorrow. I don’t worry about the one tomorrow.

I worry about the one tonight.”

—Ricky Wilson, Kaiser Chiefs March

—Andy Reynolds, tour manager Aug. ZACK WHITFORD

Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown

50 December 2012

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tips continue...

Give your fans something a little extra: “Perform free or low-cost ‘after parties.’ This extends the show experience and rewards the true fan. These can be promoted along with the show, and even offered as a part of the ticket package. Of course, you have to have fans to begin with for this to work.”

—Bobby Owsinski, author, engineer Feb. Focus your tour: “A lot of bands will form and think they need to travel as much as possible.

Our approach was to travel our home state, Ohio, and maybe a little outside of that. We didn’t really promote the smaller shows. We would show up at a venue and the goal was to make friends out of those people rather than bring existing fans. Then when we had one big show, we put as much effort as possible into promoting it and had people coming from all locations.”

— Josh Dun, Twenty One Pilots July Avoid booking splits: “I advise my clients to avoid venues that demand a split.”

—Chris Fletcher, booking coordinator March Route the tour properly: “First, book an ‘anchor gig,’ one that pays most of your expenses, like a festival, college gig or a fair which can pay over $1,000 a performance.

Then, set up gigs to and from it. Consider doing private parties, fraternities, sororities and house concerts. Book every gig you can to make the most of your time and mileage.”

—Chris Fletcher, Booking Coordinator March

Turn your van into a billboard: “Park a van

Global Touring: “Don’t disrespect [another country’s] culture. Be aware of it and learn about it before you head out there. It will make your experience more enjoyable and you will gain more respect. The most enthusiastic fans I’ve ever had were in Japan.”

—Bec Hollcraft, Stars In Stereo July

Promotion

More outlets than ever before: “The pipelines are more open than ever in terms of the Web. Anyone can follow you and buy your music more easily than ever before using Facebook, iTunes, Twitter, and music videos on YouTube.

However, it also makes it harder to stand out among millions of other artists. That’s why today’s independent artist has to be more hardworking and clever than ever before.”

or truck that has a banner on it across from a show of a similar act. Every fan entering or exiting the venue will be aware of you.”

—Bobby Owsinski author, engineer Feb. Make your contests worth something:

—Dan Merlot, placement specialist “The best contests ask [fans] to do something July creative instead of raffling it away. That’s fun.

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Like, what about a contest where there was a poster that you could print and fans had to put it in a weird place and take a photo of it?”

—Pelle Almqvist of the Hives May The Label Grapevine: “Develop your fan base, do as much as you can on your own and labels will come looking for you. Usually a manager

who we have a relationship with or a record store guy is [how we find artists]. That doesn’t mean don’t send your music directly to a label. Send something focused that you think will get your point across. You don’t want to give the full-blown picture. You want to create a bit of mystery and make people want to dive in on their own.”

—Glenn Dicker, Yep Roc Records Sept.

Thinking Globally: “I get asked all the time, ‘Do you think our product’s going to sell internationally?’ International is not one country.

Your product might not sell in Australia, but it will in Europe. [You] can go on a territory-by-territory basis. There are opportunities outside of the United States. Life does not begin and end in the U.S. and there’s money to be made.”

Give it away: “Don’t underestimate the value of something free. Fans love free items, either as part of a package (for example, buy a CD and get a T-shirt free), part of a contest, or just being one of the first five fans to email. Sometimes items of seemingly little value have a wide appeal. Backstage passes, seats on stage, passes to the sound check, invites to a meetand-greet and downloads of live songs are all prized by real fans.”

—Bobby Owsinski, author, engineer Feb.

—Chris Callahan, Planetworks Nov. Get Personal: “If you’re an artist today and you’re not going to take a personal approach, some other artist is going to out-compete you.”

—Steve Rennie, Renman Music and Business Oct.

Pelle Almqvist of The Hives

Get a sponsor: “If you like a brand and use it, find someone who can get that brand’s attention. Explain why they need to sponsor you, that your audience will buy the product.

Explain that you can sell the product by doing promotional pieces, in-store signings or a commercial. You will do video chats or create a 30-second spot they can run on the Web. It’s all about remembering that you are doing this as a partnership.”

—Brett Palmer, President/CEO, AbiJack Management March

Submissions: COLLEGE RADIO

Compile a list of college radio stations: “Target those that are within touring range. Go to each station’s website to research shows that might play your style of music. Most

December 2012

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tips continue... importantly, actually ‘listen’ to 10 to 15 minutes of programming to make sure it suits your music.”

—Bernard Baur, professor, journalist May Write a note: “I was looking at a CD this morning and someone wrote, ‘Hey, I’m a big fan of your show. I was listening last weekend when you played blah-blah-blah.’ It was this personal note. Even if this CD doesn’t look like something I would listen to, clearly they have a sense of what I like and what I listen to because they listen to my show. Something like that will make me give a record a second look.”

Busking Tips

Andy Grammar April

—Anne Litt, KCRW 89.9 May No MP3s: “If you send me an MP3 and I like it and play it on the radio, I’m the only one who’s going to have a chance to play it on the radio.

But if you send me a CD in a jewel case, I can give it to the music director and it gets added to the station. It’s there forever and all the DJs get to play it. Make sure the case has a spine.”

—Demolisten, KXLU May

Film/TV Submissions

BY BRIAN TARQUIN (CSI, Alias) Nov. Send WAV: “Make sure to send WAV files (no MP3s) for approval. No matter how many times you explain to them that it’s an MP3, they always get bothered about it sounding ‘too compressed and lacking bottom end.’ Well, that’s because IT’S AN MP3 and you’re listening to it on COMPUTER SPEAKERS!!! Also, never send a demo sample! Clients always say, just send a

r Work out a unique cover song, something that everyone on the street will know. It’s hard to grab attention with originals. If you can get passersby to stop, your chances of tips will double. r Once you have a crowd of 10+, make them cheer: “Okay folks, on the count of three, let’s all cheer to double this crowd!” People are attracted to cheering. r Put love into your street stage. Small rug,

stool, TV dinner table with tablecloth. Little touches make it seem more professional. r Play shorter sets. Limit yourself to 15 minutes and stop to sell CDs/clear the KZW_L 8TIa aW]Z JM[\ NW]Z WZ Å^M [WVO[ IVL move on. r It’s not them, it’s you. In other words, listen to what the crowds tell you. If your CDs aren’t selling, switch up your show.

Trust the crowd. It’s a great focus group!

demo so I can hear how it’s coming along. So you send a rough mix to them and the first thing they say is, ‘It Sounds Like A Demo.’”

Certain companies have exclusive licenses with music libraries and are restricted in using outside sources.”

Pick the right contacts: “Make preliminary calls to the music departments to see if they, in fact, license music from outside contributors.

Target music editors: “A lot times music editors may temp in a piece of music and it will wind up staying in the show as a final. It is good then

Post a free ad seeking musicians Find jobs with working bands Thousands have used us since 1969!

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54 December 2012

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for editors to have your music at hand, so it’s immediately available to be placed. In the past, I’ve had a lot of success like this.”

Networking

BY DAN KIMPEL (author, educator) Sept.

Don’t butt in: “If five people are in conversation, feel free to join them; four, sure, walk right up; three, no problem. But beware: if two people are engrossed in conversation, unless you know them very well, it is never permissible to intrude.

Odds are, they’re discussing something private.

(Maybe even you!)”

should say something—‘Hello,’ or ‘Good evening.’

Don’t pretend you don’t see them.”

Be very conscious of your reaction to alcohol: “For some, a drink or two can be very helpful in assuaging anxiety, but nothing can be more detrimental to creating a good impression than being under the influence of demon liquor.

A wine spritzer––wine diluted with soda water–– may be a good compromise. Pace yourself.”

And Remember...

Do it for all the right reasons, because you want to express your-self. And don’t do it for the money because you’re going to be a rock star— one percent of a million become stars.

“If you’re doing it for the money, go to school and become a lawyer or open a business, do something else, because if you’re trying to become the next Godsmack or Pantera or anything of notoriety, it’s probably not going to happen. It’s a very hard thing to do.

“Do it for all the right reasons.”

—Scott Lee, Crimson Management Aug.

The Right Reasons: “Keep following your dreams and start making it happen for yourself.

Follow the 10-five rule for meeting and greeting: “If you make eye contact with someone within 10 feet of you, you must acknowledge them with a nod or a smile. At five feet, you

THE GRAMMY MUSEUM® AT L.A. LIVE PRESENTS

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Celebrating the Musical Legacy of Whitney Houston On display through February 24, 2013

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December 2012

11/13/12 5:22 PM

www.musicconnection.com 55

F 2012 a v e

Signings mpiled by MC Senior Editor M a k Connection L ookingCoback at all the label debuts we covered inr Music we e cherry-picked the N a rind2012, on

F

following artists because each has a unique signing story, an essential perspective or insight, that can eatured in every issue of Muscomplete ic Connec benefit any artist, of any genre. For contact on pu each of these artists or bands, including tion, info our po Stor lar Signing ies give unique insights into howjust management, booker or legal representation, anclick artison t orthe baactâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nd name. sig

The Lumineers Label: $UALTONE 2ECORDS s Contact: JIM BIGHASSLE COM s Web: HTTP THELUMINEERS COM s A&R: NA hinking of moving to hipster havens like Williamsburg or Silver Lake? Well, think again. After New Jerseyans T Wesley Shultz and Jeremiah Fraites decided New York

City was too expensive to live as musicians, and too competitive to be creative with their music, they moved to Denver, CO, where they found a much more comfortable environment and also recruited cellist Neyla Pekarek.

Generating a local buzz, the Lumineers self-booked an extensive US tour in 2011 and self-released an EP. In due time, they aligned with managers Onto Entertainment and

56 December 2012

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were soon signed to Dualtone Records. Singer-guitarist Schultz has this to say of the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s breakthrough success: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where we are now is attributable to our attorney, Richard Grable, who has worked with Sonic Youth and Interpol. It is essential to have an attorney who understands independent music the way he does.â&#x20AC;? Schultz also acknowledges the booking agent. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A booking agency really spreads the word. It is so valuable. So many artists think they can do that on their own, but they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how to be wary of certain contracts, certain clauses.â&#x20AC;?

l-r: Jeremiah Fraites, Wesley Schultz, Neyla Pekarek

came to n a contract with a particu lar label, publisher or man company. These articles agement can help you in your ow n endeavors to gain a contract in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ever -shifting music industry.

Here we spotlight a select few signings fro m 2012 that, regardless of the artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; subsequent success, of fered the best career ad vice.

Label: Polo Grounds Music / RCA Records Contact: theola@sony music.com Web: http://liveloveasap.com, http://asapmob.com A&R: Bryan Leach

hen fellow Harlem denizen, RCA honcho Bryan Leach, approached Internet star A$AP Rocky, the artist let it be known he wouldn’t settle for anything less than $1.5 million. Amazingly enough, RCA blessed him with a whopping reported mil advance. Similarly, he got full creative control, isn’t bound by a 360 deal and has his own label, A$AP Worldwide, under the Sony umbrella, because he wouldn’t compromise. “My advances go towards production and the company,” avows the newly minted hustler.

“I’m not frivolous. I don’t spend money on shit, acting like I’m balling. I’m not a baller yet.” Leach made certain never to pressure the rapper. Instead, he even facilitated rides between meetings at competing labels like Atlantic, Universal and Def Jam. “He wanted me to make it,” explains the charismatic emcee, “regardless of who I went with.”

W

Top 5 in all genres); but we’re really taken with how Lynch was able to develop a crucial career bond with a sympathetic manager. When the wannabe performer moved to Nashville, into a place behind the legendary Bluebird Café, his open-mic nights impressed the crew so much they tipped off artist manager Pete Hartung, who after watching a video offered the young artist a management deal––on a handshake.

Recalls Lynch, “He believed in me.

A lot of guys develop artists and set up showcases. Pete already had a relationship with Broken Bow,” which has provided Lynch with a multi-album deal, tour support and publicity. Lynch’s advice to other artists: “Don’t ever give a dime to a manager or anyone else trying to represent you. If they aren’t willing to invest in your career, you don’t want to be involved with them.”

PIPER FERGUSON

A$AP Rocky

The Dunwells

Label: Playing In Traffic Records Contact: herfitz@mac.com Web: http://thedunwells.net A&R: Kevin Wommack, kevin@playingintraffic records.com or indie-rock sensation the Dunwells, the key to a label deal was sheer persistence (once playing F 40 gigs within 20 days during October 2010), which

paid off with a key gig opportunity at The Bedford in London. But, as if the rock & roll gods were testing them, the band’s van broke down outside of the city.

“We said, ‘fuck it,’ and we spent the 80 pounds [on a cab] to get from where we were to London, which is probably one of the best moves we ever made because we met Tony, a promoter there.” Tony Moore championed the band in London, and then booked the group at the International Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis, TN, for February 2011. It was there that the band met Kevin Wommack, who signed the group to Playing In Traffic Records a few months later. The Dunwells signed a three album deal, with distribution through Sony in the US and Universal in England. Their acclaimed Blind Sighted Faith was released February 2012.

Tito Lopez

Midnight Conspiracy

Label: Ultra Records Contact: oscar@ultramusic.com Web: http://midnightconspiracy.com A&R: Jeremy Vuernick, jeremy@ultramusic.com idnight Conspiracy’s signing story has two parallel story lines: As the three-man DJ M collective expanded in Chicago via [indie-electro]

basement parties, Ultra Records owner Patrick Moxey, a former Chicagoan, heard about them while in Amsterdam looking for new talent.

“Patrick came to our studio and hung out with us all day,” recalls Louis Kha, one-third of the act. “It was like he wanted to help blow us up because of his Chicago pride.” On stage, the “band” is Mikul Wing, who’s is in charge of visual, with Kha as the music maestro; third member engineer Graham Geren does not perform but is considered a full-fledged member. Midnight Conspiracy have put tons of hours into developing their image and stage show, inspired by Pink Floyd and Ghostland Observatory. “We want to make sure we’re never manufactured,” explains Kha. “I don’t know if the whole DIY approach gives you legitimacy, but at least you can take pride in saying you’ve done everything.”

Dustin Lynch

Label: Broken Bow Records Contact: natalie.kilgore@dashboardmedia.biz Web: http://dustinlynchmusic.com A&R: Benny Brown & Jon Loba his country artist is an MC favorite not just because of the huge success of T his debut album (No. 1 iTunes Country;

Label: A&M/Octone Records Contact: kristie@thegreenroompr.com Web: http://facebook.com/misswilliebrown A&R: Jim Berkman wo enthusiastic girls working at a restaurant in Los Angeles, CA, end up writing songs T together and performing in clubs. Sounds like

a pitch for a sitcom, but three years ago it was reality for Kasey Buckley and Amanda Watkins.

“We recruited musicians, some from Music Connection ads and from Musicians Institute, and worked every single shift to pay the band.” Music Connection so admired Buckley and Watkins’ unique, edgy take on country music that we placed them in our coveted Top 25 New Music Critiques of 2011. Spotted by a TV talent booker, they were the first unsigned act to appear on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show. When Jon Leshay came aboard as manager, he arranged showcases and Miss Willie Brown’s impressed a scout for A&M Records. The label offered to fly them to New York for a meeting, but the duo refused to go unless they could do a private showcase.

“We couldn’t afford to leave our jobs for an office meeting!” Watson says. The showcase was arranged and the band was quickly signed as A&M/ Octone’s first country act. “A&M is one of the last labels that actually develop artists,” says Watkins, “which was a big factor in signing with them.”

Label: Capitol Records Contact: gihan.salem@emicap.com Web: http://titolopezofficial.com A&R: Steve Prudholme hen you think Capitol Records, home to Katy Perry and Coldplay, rap music probW ably isn’t what comes to mind. Southern-born

Tito Lopez is changing that. In 2009, the Gulfport, MS, native (who released DIY mixtapes since high school) was discovered by manager Keith Watts. Watts introduced Lopez to Def Jam Cypher, which led to Capitol. Signing to the major label was something Lopez was prepared and yet unprepared for. “You’re never totally prepared, because as soon as you sign that contract, the workload increases. It’s like signing to the NBA–– once you’re in the league, you’ve got to win some games. You’ve got to keep working, now on a bigger scale,” he says. Lopez’s Capitol debut, recorded with producers including DJ Troomp and Organized Noize, is set for an early 2013 release.

M ICHAEL M IHAIL

Miss Willie Brown

December 2012

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57

Machine Gun Kelly

Label: EST/Bad Boy/Interscope Contact: randy.henderson@ umusic.com Web: http://mgklaceup.com A&R: NA

hough this Cleveland native had boldly stood up P. Diddy when the mogul had initially pursued him, the two did meet up later in N.Y.C., where Diddy took Kelly (Richard Baker) to a hotel to meet Jimmy Iovine. Both industry titans professed their belief in Kelly, the first-ever white rapper to win at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater. “They didn’t want to [mess up my project] and paint it over with corporate bullshit,” he remembers, “plus the fact that he took me to Jimmy Iovine so early was crazy.” MGK snagged a $1.5 million advance on a two-album deal that includes an imprint for his crew.

T Twenty One Pilots

Label: Fueled By Ramen Contact: christina.kotsamanidis@atlanticrecords.com Web: http://twentyonepilots.com A&R: John Janick, Pete Ganbarg

Label: Sony Music Contact: Heathcliff Berru Web: http://facebook.com/mrlittlejeans A&R: Drew McFadden / Will Larnach-Jones hen it comes to signing her label deal, Norwegian electro-pop artist Mr. Little W Jeans, aka Monica Birkenes, credits the

ere’s a solid career strategy that paid off: Prior to label interest, the Columbus, OHH based piano pop/rock duo Twenty One Pilots

Myspace craze from a few years ago. According to the songstress, Sony Australia contacted her via the site after checking out her profile.

Birkenes and her manager, Drew McFadden (who she also met through Myspace), didn’t take the interest seriously until Sony A&R rep Will Larnach-Jones flew out to her thenresidence, Stockholm, Sweden for her first gig as Mr. Little Jeans. Birkenes adds, “A few dinners, Skype and phone calls later and I was on my way to being signed.” What MC likes most about this Signing Story is the songstress’ emphasis on signing a deal only when ready.

Before the signing, she says, “I was concentrating more on developing myself as a writer, finding a sound that I wanted and hopefully getting great songs together along the way.

The plan was always to have most things in place before signing with anyone.”

built a fan base playing dynamic shows that drummer Josh Dun says are inspired by “vulnerability and energy.” As their local buzz rose, the duo kept their sites close to home. “A lot of bands think they need to travel as much as possible.

Our approach was to travel our home state, Ohio, and maybe a little outside of that.” They were also careful to be strategic about what and when they posted on Facebook. “We didn’t really promote the smaller shows. We would show up at a venue and the goal was to make friends out of those people rather than bring existing fans.

Then when we had one big show, we put as much effort as possible into promoting it and had people coming from all locations.” It was at the Pilots’ biggest show, at a sold-out 1,700-capacity Newport Music Hall, at Columbus’ LC Pavilion, that they announced their signing with Fueled By Ramen.

Big K.R.I.T. Label: Island Def Jam Contact: alexandra. bianchi@umusic.com Web: http://bigkrit. com A&R: Sha Money XL

round 2009, manager Jonny Shipes, formerly with Bad Boy, offered rapper Big K.R.I.T. (Justin Scott) a unique deal—partner with him for six months, free of attachment, and see what happened. “That was the first time somebody offered to work for me for free,” marvels the 25-year-old. Under Shipes’ tutelage, K.R.I.T., (King Remembered In Time), shot three videos, including one for “King.” Soon, the joint was dropping all over the ‘net, and drew the interest of Sha Money XL, who’d helped make 50 Cent a household name. Sha Money was impressed by the reams of performance footage and the many free, self-produced albums Scott had released through his website, particularly K.R.I.T. Wuz Here––proof that the artist could gain attention without outside help. Sha Money then convinced Scott to sign with Def Jam. Scott advises artists to remain independent for as long as possible and expose their early work, warts and all.

“People want to know who they’re buying into,” he advises. “Normally, there’s no trail. But what about when you weren’t super jamming or you didn’t have the money to go into a studio?”

A

58 December 2012

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Abandoned Pools Label: Tooth & Nail Records Contact: jeff@tijuanagift shop.net Web: http://abandonedpools.com A&R: Micah Dean fter a stint on Universal Records, former Eels A bassist Tommy Walter was

“burnt out” and disappointed.

Seven years later, Walter has a new label deal––Tooth & Nail Records. “What I like is that they license the 11 tracks of the album, as opposed to controlling everything else I do,” Walter says. Bottom line, though, “Just being on [Tooth & Nail] gets Abandoned Pools attention, because the company has its own fan base, and I think it still matters in people’s minds, an artist being signed versus unsigned.”

The Acacia Strain

Cherri Bomb

Label: Hollywood Records Contact: sharrin.summers@disney.com Web: http://cherribombband.com A&R: Matt Harris family friend can sometimes be the key to A a label deal, and that is the case with this all-teen, all-girl rock squad. Cherri Bomb had a

great connection in former Hole and Motley Crue drummer Samantha Maloney, as sisters Rena and Nia Lovelis’ mother had been in a band with Maloney years before. “Sam was in a band called Chelsea Girls, had heard us and asked if we wanted to open for her,” explains 14-year-old lead vocalist Julia Pierce. “She saw our potential and wanted to take us under her wing.” Maloney was instrumental in getting the girls on a number of prestigious European festivals, playing with acts like Foo Fighters and Smashing Pumpkins, proving they could hold their own in front of major audiences. Explains Pierce, “Hollywood Records wanted us to be on their team, and they treat us like family.”

Label: Rise Records Contact: mike@earshotmedia.com Web: http://the acaciastrain.com A&R: Craig Ericson fter 11 years, the A Acacia Strain has been on two

JEREMY SAFFER

Mr. Little Jeans

drastically different labels. “Never sign a deal for more than two records,” warns Vincent Bennett, the Massachusetts death metallers’ vocalistsongwriter. “When we signed our first deal, we were just excited to be on a record label. But as you grow and evolve as a band, your label needs to grow and evolve with you. If it doesn’t, you need to seek out other options.”

The band has signed to Rise Records for one album, and Bennett is excited about the label’s openness to marketing ideas. “Having someone to put out your CD isn’t really enough. You need someone that backs your ideas and will carry out the things you want carried out. … Rise is open for anything.”

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www.musicconnection.com 59

ARTIST PROFILE

Nikhil Korula Band - 3 .BSDVT .JMJVT r IBSNPOJDB "EBN (VTU r ESVNT $ISJT -PWFKPZ r QFSDVTTJPO /JLIJM ,PSVMB r BDPVTUJD FMFDUSJD HVJUBS MFBE WPDBMT 3BZ #FSHTUSPN r FMFDUSJD MFBE HVJUBS ;BOF .VTB r BMUP TPQSBOP TBYPQIPOF .BUU 4QFODFS r CBTT

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Touring Band Get Impressive Resultsâ&#x20AC;ŚDIY Style

T

he Nikhil Korula Band (NKB) have created a large fan base and a successful careerâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;including major gigs with national actsâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;primarily as a touring band, and festivals are a significant part of that success.

How do artists get those festival gigs, and make the most of them? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Number one is the music,â&#x20AC;? says the Los Angeles based singer-guitarist Nikhil Korula, who dishes up a jammy blend of rock, reggae, calypso, African, Latin grooves and more. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The second most important thing is promoting it.â&#x20AC;?

Korula emphasizes that the fans are the primary component; they allow his band to promote the shows so strongly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I see other bands, I ask myself, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Will people only see that band once?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want audiences to see us only one time. So I think it is important to have different song lists, and different arrangements to keep fans entertained.â&#x20AC;?

The NKB have seen those fans turn out at many festivals, including two appearances at Bonaroo in Tennessee, as well as the annual Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI, opening for Ben Harper.

Korula attributes the success of the band to the amount of time the ensemble put into the details: rehearsing, songwriting and arranging. While gaining their chops as a band on the Los Angeles scene since 2003, working clubs such as the Viper Room and House of Blues, Korula and crew were also social networking. But not on Facebook or otherwise in cyberspace. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Word-of-mouth is the best way to gain new fans,â&#x20AC;? says Korula. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want us to be the most talented band onstage, but off the stage, the most humble,â&#x20AC;? he adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We love to sign anything; t-shirts, CDs, etc., and meeting the fans is such a great part of it all.â&#x20AC;?

Getting the festival gigs? Korula attributes it all to the fan base. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once your band is established on the festival scene, by achieving an audience the promoters will come to you. Ninety-nine percent of the success in getting festival shows is due to the audience response.

Promoters realize that, and will continue to book bands that have a strong audience turnout. It is up to the band to make them want to come back, with your music and with your interaction.â&#x20AC;?

Because the festival circuit is seasonal, the band is not a full-time job for Korula and company. Korula teaches songwriter and music production classes at Los Angeles Music Academy in Pasadena. The other members of the band are professional musicians who do session studio work in Los Angeles, so the drill that they go through to be in the Nikhil Korula Band is not unusual.

Korulaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role is much like that of a jazz band leader, or an orchestra conductor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll pull songs out of the vault, and also create different arrangements,â&#x20AC;? he explains. That ability to perform ona-dime is key to the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dynamics, for the performers and for the fans. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not exciting for us, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not going to be exciting for the audience.

I want people to come back, bring their friends, and see a different show each time.â&#x20AC;?

The NKBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s organic nature led them to record on all-analog equipment at Heartthrob Studios in North Hollywood, CA, with Doug Messinger engineering. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is such a pure sound,â&#x20AC;? says Korula, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and captures our music in a better way than the current digital recordings can.â&#x20AC;?

The self-managed, self-produced actâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Music of the New Day is available on iTunes and via the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website, http://nkband.com.

Currently, the group are at work on a soonto-be-released EP featuring Jeff Coffin and Butch Taylor of the Dave Matthews Band.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ninety-nine percent of the success in getting festival shows is due to the audience response.â&#x20AC;?

60 December 2012

www.musicconnection.com

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INDUSTRY PROFILE

SCORING FACE-TIME IN A ONE-ON-ONE SESSION

By Dan Kimpel

H

ow do you hotwire your songwriting and composing career in a quick 15 minutes? If you plan on attending the 2013 ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO, April 18 - 20, in Los Angeles, CA, you should know that among the noteworthy opportunities offered in this threeday, career-boosting confab are One-on-One Sessions—face-to-face, 15-minute meetings between participants and pre-selected music industry experts.

“This is the perfect opportunity to get feedback from a pro who could conceivably help you with your career,” says Lauren Iossa, ASCAP’s Senior VP, Communications & Media. “When people say, ‘If I could only get 15 minutes with…’ then a One-on-One Session is their 15 minutes.

We try to guide them, and to help them to make the most of it.”

The EXPO, now in its eighth year, is three packed days of classes, panels, workshops, performance opportunities and master sessions with legendary songwriters and trending hit makers. Past guests have included Quincy Jones, John Mayer, Ludacris, Bill Withers, Justin Timberlake, Carly Simon, Jackson Browne, Randy Newman, Tom Petty, Bruno Mars and Dr. Luke.

“Walking around the ASCAP EXPO must be like the ideal high school experience,” marvels Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe winning, Hall of Fame songwriter Paul Williams, ASCAP’s President and Chairman of the Board. “I get very ‘Jiminy Cricket’ with this feeling that we’re all attached, that we can make a living and create something as composers and songwriters, and are now surrounded by people with that same enthusiasm.”

There are 500 One-on-One Sessions, requiring an additional $30 processing fee for EXPO participants, available on a first-come, firstserved basis. Attendees specify with whom they would like to speak in a One-on-One Session—i.e., a music supervisor, a record executive, a songwriter, a composer, a music attorney or an ASCAP executive. There is a limit of one Session per person. Every year they have sold out.

In its EXPO guide, ASCAP explains the process of aligning the participant with a corresponding industry counterpart: “If you want a session, you will have a chance to answer questions about your Session preferences. The answers you give will be used to match you—as best we can—to an industry professional. We can’t honor specific industry professional requests or requests for specific times. A week before the

EXPO, you will be emailed a tentative session time, day and name of the industry professional you are likely meeting with. At the EXPO when you pick up your badge at registration, you will be given your session time and the name of the industry professional that your session is with. Short biographies of the person you are meeting with can be found in the EXPO Program Guide.”

At the Session, attendees can choose to ask questions, create a dialogue, or to play music for feedback and critiques. Matching attendee to mentor is done by the questionnaire, according to Iossa. “This is not a random matching. We ask, ‘What type of career advice do you need?

What feed-back? To what level do you aspire?’ Then we work to match the registrant to the appropriate industry guest.”

"When people say, ‘If I could only get 15 minutes with…’ then a Oneon-One Session is their 15 minutes."

—Lauren Iossa, ASCAP It is also an ideal opportunity, urges Iossa, to meet ASCAP staffers and songwriters who bring a wealth of experience and contacts to the sessions, “These include board members and ASCAP executives in membership; typically, heads of the genre areas. They have very broad knowledge, so they’re often the perfect people to guide songwriters and composers to whom they should be meeting, both at the EXPO and outside the event.”

For her One-on-One Session, singer-songwriter Neara Russell tells MC that she requested a meeting with a music publisher to determine if the songs from her CD Noise and Silence would be suitable for film and television placements. She was paired up with publishing executive Mark Friedman, who’s currently Senior VP of Creative for Verse Music Group, and a former executive at RSP and Chrysalis Music. “I came it

An EXPO attendee poses a question to legendary songwriter and performer Desmond Child.

62 December 2012

www.musicconnection.com

An EXPO attendee plays his music for ASCAP's Jason Silberman at a One-on-One Session. It was one of 500 face-to-face consultations held at the 2012 event in Hollywood, CA.

with specific questions, and two or three songs, that I especially wanted his thoughts on. Mark ended up listening to my whole album, skipping through each track, and he gave me really good feedback,â&#x20AC;? Russell recalls.

Defining herself as an electro-pop indie artist, Russell says that she was interested to know if her music might be â&#x20AC;&#x153;too out thereâ&#x20AC;? for placements. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My mentor was really supportive,â&#x20AC;? the artist recalls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He said that to be unique in licensing is a really good thing and he encouraged me to keep writing and developing my own sound.â&#x20AC;?

Russell says that one of the over-arching themes of the EXPO is the power of genuine music. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And that the more original and well-defined you are, the easier it will be to find a place for yourself.â&#x20AC;?

Paul Williams concurs: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let us hear who you are. Be authentic.â&#x20AC;? His experiences with the Oneon-Ones are first hand: he was an ASCAP board member with whom EXPO registrants could meet in these sessions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once you get that dialogue going, and sit across from someone and get them to think about their work and their career as something very fluidâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;instead of defending the choices that have been madeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;you can have a meaningful discussion.â&#x20AC;?

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//2 6@ A52 .;@D2? enceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;aka L-R: Ari Levine, Bruno Mars and Philip Lawr Q&A. panel a t nsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a zingto Smee the trio ction produ Personal contact is key as synchronicity and spiritual serendipity are signposts along the songwriterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I will always tell people that, in my life and in my profession, opportunity walked up to me in shoe leather and created expansion,â&#x20AC;? Williams recalls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;By collaborating with one other human being, you can double the chances of meeting someone who is going to be important in your career. To walk into a room full of your peers, you are immediately expanding with every working relationship.â&#x20AC;?

The ASCAP â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Create Musicâ&#x20AC;? EXPO, Williams believes, can provide that boost. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a real list of success stories, people who have met publishers and collaborators and have walked away with something that has led to a real turn in their careers.â&#x20AC;?

EXPO registration is now open. The event welcomes all songwriters, composers and industry professionals, regardless of performing rights affiliation.

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Find out more about the EXPO at http://ascap.com. Hear Neara Russell at http://neararussell.com.

December 2012

www.musicconnection.com 63

M usic Connection is dedicated to helping unsigned and DIY artists get their music noticed, free of charge. Each New Music Critique score is based on the merits of production, lyrics, music, vocals and musicianship. An average of those scores is then calculated and posted. MC invites all unsigned recording artists to send us material in 2013 by first checking out our “Get Reviewed” area at the all-new completely revamped musicconnection.com.

Compiled by Mark Nardone and Andy Mesecher

Mike Sullivan Contact: mjs@mikesullivanband.com Web: reverbnation.com/mikesullivan Seeking: Label, Mgmt, Booking, Film/TV Style: AC, Singer-Songwriter Username: mikesullivan weet, smooth and spot-on, Mike Sullivan's "Crazy" has "hit" written all over S it. The singer wastes no time getting to

Nicole Goddard

the hook and deploys his falsetto at just the right times in a way that will leave the ladies smitten. Sullivan's "man in love" persona thrives again in the equally radiofriendly "Just One Kiss"—what a pure, clean voice this performer has, a blue-eyed-soul instrument with wonderful sustain that recalls Mayer, Mraz and Johnson at various times. His lilting, uke-fueled cover of '80s nugget "Lady in Red" is a smart choice.

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 5 denotes an average, competent artist.

64 December 2012

www.musicconnection.com

NEW MUSIC CRITIQUES OF 2012

BRYON BENCH

CHARITY VANCE

25

TOP 25

Beatkeeper

The Feud

Contact: beatkeepermusic@gmail.com Web: beatkeeper.bandcamp.com Username: beatkeeper

9.0

Stephie Coplan & the Pedestrians Contact: info@stephiecoplan.com Web: stephiecoplan.com Username: stephiecoplan

9.0

Belmont Lights 9.0

Contact: tiffany@lafamos.com Web: belmontlightsmusic.com Username: belmontlights

8.6

Contact: info@kyliehinze.com Web: kyliehinze.com Username: kyliehinze

Shannon Labrie

9.0

Kree Woods 8.8

Rival Tides

Alfa Contact: tourmgr@gmail.com Web: sonicbids.com/alfamusic Username: tourmgr

Contact: thefeudband@yahoo.com Web: thefeud.net Username: thefeud

Kylie Hinze

Contact: brett@zodlounge.com Web: kreewoods.com Username: kreewoodsmusic

8.6

Contact: littleredlung@gmail.com Web: littleredlung.com Username: littleredlung

9.0

Rachel Sierra 8.8

Little Red Lung

Contact: rivaltidesmusic@gmail.com Web: facebook.com/rivaltides Username: rival tides

Contact: brett@zodlounge.com Web: shannonlabrie.com Username: shannonlabrie

Contact: booking@xactproduction.com Web: rachelsierra.com Username: rachelsierra

8.8

Tricia Freeman 8.6

December 2012

Contact: Doug Deutsch PR, 213-924-4901 Web: triciafreemanband.com Username: triciafreeman 2004@yahoo.com 8.6

www.musicconnection.com 65

25

TOP 25

NEW MUSIC CRITIQUES OF 2012

Joe Hash

Alus Contact: anthony.grand reve@gmail.com Web: fb.com/AlusMovement Username: alus

8.4

Samuel Davidson Contact: brett@zodlounge.com Web: samueldavidson.com Username: samueldavidson

66 December 2012

8.4

American Bloomers

8.4

Daniel Robinson Contact: tiffany@lafamos.com Web: bit.ly/RDPnOW Username: danielrobinson

Contact: joe@joehashmusic.com Web: joehashmusic.com Username: joe hash

Morgan Distortion

Contact: info@americanbloomers.com Web: americanbloomers.com Username: americanbloomers

8.2

Jordan Corey 8.2

Contact: Shannon Barr PR, sbarr@sb-pr.com Web: jordancorey.com Username: jordan corey

www.musicconnection.com

Noah Gabriel

Contact: morgandistortionxx@hotmail.co.uk Web: mysp.ac/T3NIEx Username: Morgan Distortion 8.4

Catahoula Contact: h.boll@dcpublicity.com Web: catahoulamusic.com Username: catahoula

8.2

8.4

Christa Wells

8.2

Prince Charminâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Contact: charminentertainment@ gmail.com Web: bit.ly/Sq2mSp Username: see contact

Contact: noah@noahgabriel.com Web: noahgabriel.com Username: Noah Gabriel

Contact: brett@zodlounge.com Web: christawellsmusic.com Username: christawells

8.2

Sink Swim 8.2

Contact: sinkswimmusic@aol.com Web: sinkswim.bandcamp.com Username: sinkswim

8.2

CD REVIEWS In order to be considered for review in the CD 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.

Lupe Fiasco

Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 Atlantic Records Producer: Various

LMNOPQRSTUV

Neal Schon

The Calling Frontiers Records Producer: Neal Schon

LMNOPQRSTUV

Eric Dill

Forever Is Not Enough Vigil Records Producer: Various

LMNOPQRSTUV

Between The Buried And Me

The Parallax II: Future Sequence Metal Blade Records Producer: Jamie King, BTBAM

LMNOPQRSTUV 68 December 2012

Conscious hip-hop. That’s how most people categorize Lupe Fiasco. But you won’t find a “go out and vote” or an educated elitist rapping on this, the second installment of the Food & Liquor series. Instead, Lupe brings back Ayesha to set the stage for 16 tracks that plead, “Wake up and make a difference.”

Those who felt the message was lost in the pop-driven Lasers should give this deeply-detailed piece of art a few spins (specifically “Around My Way,” “Bitch Bad” and “Unforgivable Youth”). As Lupe proves once again, hip-hop can be about more than just bouncing your ass on a greasy pole—like anti-establishment, world peace and chivalry. Wayne, Drake, and the like should take note.

——Andy Mesecher Neal Schon’s melodic guitar playing has helped make Journey one of the most successful bands in history. The Calling has some of his most vibrant playing to date. It’s a blend of rock fusion with lush production, epic textures and stellar guitar tones. He gets help from drummer Steve Smith and keyboard legend Jan Hammer. The title track combines thick multi-tracked riffs, swirling melodies and Schon’s idiosyncratic guitar style. “Irish Field” offers Celtic melodies, while “Fifty Six (56)” takes us to India where tabla meets rock-fusion drumming, sitar and wah interplay. This CD demonstrates that Schon has still got it.

His signature style remains intact, while the years have broadened tonal palette and artistic vision. ——Oscar Jordan Former lead singer of teen pop heartthrobs the Click Five, Dill left the group in 2007 presumably hoping for greener pastures. This first solo full-length offering from the handsomely chiseled crooner tries to will that garden into existence but instead things mostly wither on the vine. The album’s radio-targeted ditties are sprinkled generously with hummable phrases and grin inducing moments, yet every stretch of sweetly expressed emotion is soon weighted down by a bumpy patch of syrupy dross that will needle jaded eardrums.

Maybe there’s a market for this brand of elegantly packaged, blow dried ephemera, but it’s a struggle envisioning an effort this nonthreatening birthing a star.

——Andy Kaufmann Since 2002, BTBAM have released an album just about every two years. However, with their 2011 release The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues being the first in a two-part series, we have now reached The Parallax II: Future Sequence. This band are like nothing you’ve ever heard, and everything you know at the same time.

While prog-thrash-metal-surf-psychedelicclassic-jazz-acoustic, slightly defines their sound, it doesn’t begin to categorize the soundscapes of this record. “Astral Body” keeps listeners guessing the down beat while “Bloom” takes die-hard fans to the beach with a subtle surfer vibe—but no track should be ignored. Like previous records, The Parallax II honors the idea of an album: 72+ minutes of spacey metal serenity. ——Andy Mesecher ——Andy Mesecher

www.musicconnection.com

Trapt

Reborn Epochal Artist / EMI Producer: Various

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Brian Eno

Lux Warp Records Producer: Brian Eno

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Colbie Caillat

Christmas In The Sand Universal Republic Producer: Various

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Soundgarden

King Animal Seven Four Entertainment/ Republic Records Producer: Adam Kasper

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Armed with a refreshed attitude borne out of their newfound freedom from label encumbrance, the aptly titled fifth LP from these nu metal melody smiths marks a new era for the band.

Featuring fuzzed-out guitars and deft instrumental interplay, the disc brims with primo grade hooks, most notably on standouts “Livewire,” “Bring It” and “Strength In Numbers.” The downside is a creeping superficiality, where the persistently mediocre lyrics fail to elicit a core emotional response. The unavoidable truth is that we’ve been here before and also had it better. Look past elitist critiques, though, and you’ll experience a deviously catchy, high-voltage collection that will inevitably find you singing along.

——Andy Kaufmann How does one determine a successful ambient album when it’s not measured by incredible hooks, infectious choruses or engaging lyrics? Ambient music has the sometimes impossible task of moving you mostly just by letting you be.

And yet, it can’t do nothing, because then you feel as if you’re hearing nothing; and that can’t be good, can it? Can it? What if it were the nothing, between the reverb on the tenderly massaged piano and the soft voice of a stringed-synth, that moved you? Simultaneous movement and still life. This is why Brian Eno has had a venerable history providing music for installations, be they in airports, art galleries, and so on. This is why Lux is his best “ambient” work in years.

——Daniel Siwek The pop songstress may declare “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” in a charming duet with Gavin DeGraw, but otherwise she’s all super-sunshiny and Cali-centric as she offers Christmas to the millions who live in climes without the glistening treetops. Particularly playful is the notion of “Santa in his bathing suit,” taking a break from his duties on the title track. While many will focus on Caillat’s appealing duets with Brad Paisley, Justin Young and Jason Reeves, what stands out is the cool, free-flowing way her dusky vocals interpret secular classics––and the songwriting strength of the four originals which fit snugly alongside tried and true songs that are somehow fresh through her sunswept eyes.

——Jonathan Widran A dose of urban angst mixed with a touch of lyrical genius, King Animal proves that grungy rock isn’t just a ‘90s phenomenon. Kim Thayil’s explosive, resonating guitar licks (“Blood on the Valley”) and lyrics imbued with explorative, philosophical wisdom (“Bones of Birds”) exude a fresh, mature sound still branded with Soundgarden’s trademark rhythmic-grunge feel. Chris Cornell’s throaty, dreamy vocals vividly expose a thoughtful array of inner tribulations and anxieties, marked by cryptic and insightful acoustical undertones (“Black Saturday”). The electric-groovy lead single “Been Away for Too Long” testifies to their unique grunge roots, while celebrating the band’s thriving rock & roll revitalization.

——Danica Bellini

T OP P R O S PNEW E C T SMUSIC O F 2 0 CRITIQUES 12 TOP 25 OF 2012 25 Hona Costello

Contact: management@noahbenardout.com Web: noahbenardout.com Username: birthmarc

8.2

Patty Mattson Contact: patty@pattymattson.com Web: pattymattson.com Username: pattym

8.2

Contact: Nicole, Ballin PR, 323-651-1580 Web: bposmusic.us Username: BPos

8.0

Brodyman Contact: wcapt01@aol.com, 267-978-3195 Web: reverbnation.com/brodyman Username: brodyman

8.0

8.0

8.0

Ellis Ashbrook 8.0

8.0

Contact: info@raystonerecords.com Web: jessarae.com Username: jessarae

8.0

Justin Carlson Contact: brett@zodlounge.com Web: justincarlsonmusic.com Username: justincarlson

8.0

Contact: monksofmellonwah@live.com Web: monksofmellonwah.com Username: monksofmellonwa

8.0

Contact: noamwe@gmail.com Web: enoam.com Username: noam weinstein

8.0

Contact: wearepk@gmail.com Web: pkband.com Username: pk

8.0

Contact: swaremusic@gmail.com Web: swaremusic.com Username: Swaré

8.0

Thomas Neptune 8.0

Fulcrum Contact: jason.fulcrumrock@aol.com Web: fulcrumrock.com Username: fulcrum

Jessarae

Swaré

Fools for Rowan Contact: amanda@lafamos.com Web: foolsforrowan.com Username: fools for rowan

8.0

PK

The Fallen Stars Contact: bobbo@thefallenstars.com Web: thefallenstars.com Username: bobbofallenstar

Contact: mgmt@jeffhemmelgarn.com Web: jeffhemmelgarn.com Username: jeff hemmelgarn

Noam Weinstein

Eitch

Contact: olivia@iampragency.com Web: ellisashbrook.com Username: ellisashbrook

8.0

Monks of Mellonwah

Cathercist

Contact: hello@eitchmusic.com Web: eitchmusic.com Username: eitch

Contact: hona4music@gmail.com Web: twitter.com/honacostello Username: honacostello

Jeff Hemmelgarn

B-­Pos

Contact: cathercistband@hotmail.com Web: cathercist.com Username: cathercist

ROBERT KNIGHT

Noah Benardout

Contact: amanda@lafamos.com Web: thomasneptune.com Username: tneptune14

8.0

Young Dev 8.0

Contact: youngdevmanagement@gmail.com Web: facebook.com/DevyTRK Username: young dev

8.0

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/amp and click on “Get Reviewed.” All submissions are randomly selected and reviewed by committee.

December 2012

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CD REVIEWS In order to be considered for review in the CD 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.

Lupe Fiasco

Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 Atlantic Records Producer: Various

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Neal Schon

The Calling Frontiers Records Producer: Neal Schon

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Eric Dill

Forever Is Not Enough Vigil Records Producer: Various

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Between The Buried And Me

The Parallax II: Future Sequence Metal Blade Records Producer: Jamie King, BTBAM

LMNOPQRSTUV 68 December 2012

Conscious hip-hop. That’s how most people categorize Lupe Fiasco. But you won’t find a “go out and vote” or an educated elitist rapping on this, the second installment of the Food & Liquor series. Instead, Lupe brings back Ayesha to set the stage for 16 tracks that plead, “Wake up and make a difference.”

Those who felt the message was lost in the pop-driven Lasers should give this deeply-detailed piece of art a few spins (specifically “Around My Way,” “Bitch Bad” and “Unforgivable Youth”). As Lupe proves once again, hip-hop can be about more than just bouncing your ass on a greasy pole—like anti-establishment, world peace and chivalry. Wayne, Drake, and the like should take note.

——Andy Mesecher Neal Schon’s melodic guitar playing has helped make Journey one of the most successful bands in history. The Calling has some of his most vibrant playing to date. It’s a blend of rock fusion with lush production, epic textures and stellar guitar tones. He gets help from drummer Steve Smith and keyboard legend Jan Hammer. The title track combines thick multi-tracked riffs, swirling melodies and Schon’s idiosyncratic guitar style. “Irish Field” offers Celtic melodies, while “Fifty Six (56)” takes us to India where tabla meets rock-fusion drumming, sitar and wah interplay. This CD demonstrates that Schon has still got it.

His signature style remains intact, while the years have broadened tonal palette and artistic vision. ——Oscar Jordan Former lead singer of teen pop heartthrobs the Click Five, Dean left the group in 2007 presumably hoping for greener pastures. This first solo fulllength offering from the handsomely chiseled crooner tries to will that garden into existence but instead things mostly wither on the vine. The album’s radiotargeted ditties are sprinkled generously with hummable phrases and grin inducing moments, yet every stretch of sweetly expressed emotion is soon weighted down by a bumpy patch of syrupy dross that will needle jaded eardrums. Maybe there’s a market for this brand of elegantly packaged, blow dried ephemera, but it’s a struggle envisioning an effort this nonthreatening birthing a star.

——Andy Kaufmann Since 2002, BTBAM have released an album just about every two years. However, with their 2011 release The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues being the first in a two-part series, we have now reached The Parallax II: Future Sequence. This band are like nothing you’ve ever heard, and everything you know at the same time.

While prog-thrash-metal-surf-psychedelicclassic-jazz-acoustic, slightly defines their sound, it doesn’t begin to categorize the soundscapes of this record. “Astral Body” keeps listeners guessing the down beat while “Bloom” takes die-hard fans to the beach with a subtle surfer vibe—but no track should be ignored. Like previous records, The Parallax II honors the idea of an album: 72+ minutes of spacey metal serenity. ——Andy Mesecher ——Andy Mesecher

www.musicconnection.com

Trapt

Reborn Epochal Artist / EMI Producer: Various

LMNOPQRSTUV

Brian Eno

Lux Warp Records Producer: Brian Eno

LMNOPQRSTUV

Colbie Caillat

Christmas In The Sand Universal Republic Producer: Various

LMNOPQRSTUV

Soundgarden

King Animal Seven Four Entertainment/ Republic Records Producer: Adam Kasper

LMNOPQRSTUV

Armed with a refreshed attitude borne out of their newfound freedom from label encumbrance, the aptly titled fifth LP from these nu metal melody smiths marks a new era for the band.

Featuring fuzzed-out guitars and deft instrumental interplay, the disc brims with primo grade hooks, most notably on standouts “Livewire,” “Bring It” and “Strength In Numbers.” The downside is a creeping superficiality, where the persistently mediocre lyrics fail to elicit a core emotional response. The unavoidable truth is that we’ve been here before and also had it better. Look past elitist critiques, though, and you’ll experience a deviously catchy, high-voltage collection that will inevitably find you singing along.

——Andy Kaufmann How does one determine a successful ambient album when it’s not measured by incredible hooks, infectious choruses or engaging lyrics? Ambient music has the sometimes impossible task of moving you mostly just by letting you be.

And yet, it can’t do nothing, because then you feel as if you’re hearing nothing; and that can’t be good, can it? Can it? What if it were the nothing, between the reverb on the tenderly massaged piano and the soft voice of a stringed-synth, that moved you? Simultaneous movement and still life. This is why Brian Eno has had a venerable history providing music for installations, be they in airports, art galleries, and so on. This is why Lux is his best “ambient” work in years.

——Daniel Siwek The pop songstress may declare “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” in a charming duet with Gavin DeGraw, but otherwise she’s all super-sunshiny and Cali-centric as she offers Christmas to the millions who live in climes without the glistening treetops. Particularly playful is the notion of “Santa in his bathing suit,” taking a break from his duties on the title track. While many will focus on Caillat’s appealing duets with Brad Paisley, Justin Young and Jason Reeves, what stands out is the cool, free-flowing way her dusky vocals interpret secular classics––and the songwriting strength of the four originals which fit snugly alongside tried and true songs that are somehow fresh through her sunswept eyes.

——Jonathan Widran A dose of urban angst mixed with a touch of lyrical genius, King Animal proves that grungy rock isn’t just a ‘90s phenomenon. Kim Thayil’s explosive, resonating guitar licks (“Blood on the Valley”) and lyrics imbued with explorative, philosophical wisdom (“Bones of Birds”) exude a fresh, mature sound still branded with Soundgarden’s trademark rhythmic-grunge feel. Chris Cornell’s throaty, dreamy vocals vividly expose a thoughtful array of inner tribulations and anxieties, marked by cryptic and insightful acoustical undertones (“Black Saturday”). The electric-groovy lead single “Been Away for Too Long” testifies to their unique grunge roots, while celebrating the band’s thriving rock & roll revitalization.

——Danica Bellini

December 2012

www.musicconnection.com 69

LIVE REVIEWS

Rodello’s Machine Room 5 Lounge Los Angeles, CA

Material: The perfect music for those who like to breathe, relax and enjoy the community of one another, Rodello’s Machine capitalizes on the same form of expression that has made Wilco and Mumford and Sons so successful. No drums or bass, so if you’re in search for a dance party, this may disappoint. The dynamic range of the material is better than many bands of greater amplification. The beauty of the simple approach is to utilize the power of quiet, delicate moments, allowing the more passionate to be all the more emotional and moving. Nate Donnis cannot escape some overwhelming similarities to Dave Mathews, especially for those who knew Mathews’ music of the mid-early ‘90s. Indie folk/rock may be the genre “stamp,” but “good music” is most accurately where Rodello’s Machine belongs.

Musicianship: Every member proves his or her musical ability by contributing to the illusive blend. From the initial moment of sound, the three musicians are all part of the same musical and emotional stream. The result is complete ease and comfort. Nate Donnis’ rich and husky baritone demonstrates both power and vulnerability.

His moments of falsetto show the only tinges of weakness and could use some time and atten-

TIM REID, JR.

Contact: Curtis Smith, Maelstrom PR, maelstrompr@gmail.com Web: http://rodellosmachine.com The Players: Kolby Knickerbocker, guitar, vocals; Nate Donnis, guitar, vocals; Melissa Barrison, violin.

Username: rodellosmachine

Rodello's Machine: Utilize the power of quiet, delicate moments. tion to take to “perfection.” Guitar playing is impressive and enjoyable with both Donnis and Kolby Knickerbocker. The latter, aside from one lead feature, sings impeccable harmony. Melissa Barrison’s violin adds what at times seems a symphony, proving attention to the movement within each piece, and the role she plays. A brief feature also displays her lyrical ability––as well as sense of humor––rocking the intro to Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child of Mine.” All three players are a joy to experience.

Performance: Despite the “unplugged” format and the peaceful mood of the music, Rodello’s Machine showed the ability to entertain and excite. A sincere effort to connect and engage with the small club atmosphere was made. At times the banter felt forced and unnecessary,

specifically Knickerbocker’s explanation about why none of the players were wearing shoes. By the end of the 45-minute show, however, Knickerbocker’s personality and sense of humor had completely won the audience over and set a communal tone. The peaceful smile of Donnis was the perfect balance, and in the end, the non-musical “stuff” seemed to work out in the band’s favor, as opposed to distracting from the beautiful music.

Summary: Rodello’s Machine create simply good music for those who enjoy the beauty of a song with melody and organic life. Whether to enjoy the allure of nature or the darkness of a dive bar, this high-touch, heartfelt music perfectly complements the struggles and victories of us all.

––Tim Reid, Jr.

Luella and the Sun The Basement Nashville, TN

Contact: luella@luellaandthesun.com Website: http://luellaandthesun.com The Players: Melissa Mathes, vocals; Joe McMahan, guitar; Adam Bednarik, bass; Jon Radford, drums.

Username: luella and the sun

Luella and the Sun: Material made of outlaw country, blues and timeless soul.

Musicianship: With equally seasoned bandmates (Adam Bednarik plays bass with experimental Nashville singer-songwriter Cortney Tidwell), Mathes has a strong backbone to her timeless voice that includes Bednarik’s dark and moody bass, McMahan’s ornery, blues-oriented licks and Radford’s versatile rhythmic upkeep that can go wherever it needs to—from heavy and tribal to languid and caressing.

Though Mathes’ vocal temperament changes tirelessly and resonates with old-timey magnetism, McMahan, Bednarik and Radford can reach back to some early 20th century influences in country, blues, rock, and soul and modernize them.

Performance: McMahan, Bednarik and Radford channeled their energy through their fingertips and conjured a dark, feral instrumental bedlam.

Mathes had her hands free, and used them to push out and accentuate her lyrics. It was hard not to watch the soul singer exclusively, who was bewitching both in stage presence—dancing around with a variety of tambourines and shakers as props—and with a voice that alternated from cowering and helpless with a miserable Billie Holiday-type appeal to sharp as a dagger and sensually disarming.

The Basement, as its name suggests, is a dank hole in the wall that worked in Luella and the Sun’s favor. Poorly lit, the stage played along

JESSICA PACE

Material: In Nashville, there are women who sing rock and there are women who sing country, but there are far fewer who sing the blues, especially with the impassioned rawness of Melissa Mathes. The frontwoman, who created a spark in Nashville with her own name long before the formation of Luella and the Sun, has a voice that drives the band’s neo-soul sound into some feverish, bluesy jungle territory with an emotional resonance that borders on disturbing.

with the brooding disposition of the band’s ninesong set that included Blind Willie McTell’s “We Got to Meet Death One Day.” Summary: Luella and the Sun’s musical canvas is rife with the darkest hues of multiple genres. There are smatterings of outlaw country brooding, the misery of blues out of the Deep South and the ache of an ageless, timeless soul influence. There’s no readymade name for the music Luella & the Sun make, but it translates into one of the most captivating—love it or hate it—live shows in Nashville.

——Jessica Pace

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70 December 2012

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LIVE REVIEWS

B’z

Gibson Amphitheatre Universal City, CA

Material: B’z are the biggest band under your radar—in 24 years, they’ve sold over 75 million records in Japan but are unsigned in the US. Renowned for their constantly evolving stadiumfriendly sound, B’z are meant to be seen and heard. Their early work is hopelessly ‘90s, with synths, saxophones and Flashdance flavors; their modern music is more chord-churning rock anthems that sometimes wander into funk or blues territory (always with the keyboards).

Musicianship: B’z wouldn’t be B’z without Tak Matsumoto, a master of guitar and a Gibson Signature Artist. His instrument looks like a toy in his hands as he demonstrates his classic rock skills with bits of solos, crafting notes out of thin air, rocking his foot over various pedals and working the whammy bar at whim. He’s assisted by backup guitarist Ooga who plays those pesky repetitive bars so Tak can shine. The two slip a few riffs of Led Zepplin’s “Dazed and Confused” in the middle of “Negai Ai.” The guitars wail and cry, but bassist Barry Sparks—yes that Barry Sparks—balances it out.

On drums is Canadian-turned-Californian Shane Gaalaas, each beat sounding concussive, as if someone is smothering a missile impact with

JESSICA AVES

Contact: renee@publicityplease.com; 323-798-5129 Web: http://bz-vermillion.com The Players: Koshi Inaba, vocals; Tak Matsumoto, guitar; Shane Gaalaas, drums; Barry Sparks, bass; Takanobu Masuda, keyboards; Yoshinobu Ooga, guitar.

B'z: Twenty-four years of infectious, heavy Japanese rock. wide representation of their discography, from the 1990 single “Easy Come, Easy Go!” to the 2012 hit “GO FOR IT BABY -Kioku no Samyaku-.”

Koshi even played the echo game with fans during “Juice,” as per tradition. They tacked on a two-song encore at the end.

Koshi bounded all over in fits of aural joy, but it was actually more entertaining to watch the synchronization of audience members, singing their hearts out with waving arms.

a pillow; while an impressive effort, it overpowers the low tones of the bass. On the higher register, the keyboardist keeps busy, adding piano or synth flavors to recreate the band’s changes in sound over the years.

Performance: With the Los Angeles stop being the last on the tour, singer Koshi sounded a little strained, but proved that he could still launch and project his voice from his normal, slightly nasally register to a full rebel yell.

They chose to sing several live staples like “Ai no Bakudan (Love Bomb)” and “Ultra Soul” in English to promote a recent Englishlanguage-version iTunes release. However, the majority of the audience was Japanese, so perhaps they should have stuck to singing in the original renditions. It was disorienting, even for American fans that memorized the Japanese choruses years ago. That said, B’z played a

Summary: It’s really impossible to be bored at a B’z concert—the energy is infectious and holy hell do they rock. They are one of the best live bands Japan has to offer, even without the huge venues and budgets for pyrotechnics and confetti usually at their disposal.

——Jessica Aves

Red Undead

players must create a bigger sound without a bass player—part of that is accomplished by being one unit—and for the audience not to be pulled in different directions by either performer.

As it stands, every member of the band is in his/her own world, which results in a chaotic and painful experience. Lead singer Mary Yanashima should spend some time learning how to incorporate melody into the dramatic elements of the material. There are brief moments where it is clear she is not tone deaf, so if she builds on that and invests in some vocal and ear training, the overall package will improve dramatically.

Malone’s Santa Ana, CA

Contact: Mary Yanashima, red.undead@yahoo.com Web: http://reverbnation.com/redundead The Players: Mary Yanashima, vocals; Thomas Monroe, guitar; Daniel Jun, drums.

Username: red undead Material: The most optimistic music observer might describe the music of Red Undead as potentially interesting. Despite many reasons to completely disregard the material, elements of solid songwriting do appear throughout. The style of the music is fun, energetic, passionate rock with a spunky female attitude. Signs of quality influences shine through in songs like “Summer Girl” where the Pretenders come to mind. One can’t help thinking of goofy ‘80s singer Julie Brown––fun energy combined with a squeaky female voice. This music wants to be taken seriously, though, and lyrically there are moments of true potential. “Broken Butterfly,” for instance, seems like it could be a beautiful piece, but the poor execution of the melody completely undercuts any value. With some serious attention to melody, the songs could stand strong.

TIM REID, JR.

Musicianship: Red Undead proves that musicianship does not come quickly or easily to anyone, and must improve if anyone besides close friends and family will pay money to attend a show. Drummer Daniel Jun and guitarist Thomas Monroe have some familiarity with their instruments, but must grow as a team. Monroe proves the most experienced, as he keeps the songs moving forward with some decent hooks and a passable solo or two. Together, the two

Performance: The performance of Red Undead, and specifically Mary Yanashima, is what gave that glimpse of hope and potential. There is a raw, unique and fearless energy that, when harnessed and combined with some musical skill and savvy, can result in a compelling experience. That said, she is also clearly new at this and looks a little lost or confused amid all the running around and dramatic movement. It was apparent that an inspired effort was put into the physical aspects of the show. Along with refining her voice, Yanashima must take breath control into account. Due to all the huffing and puffing from her physical exertion, at least half of the lyrics were lost.

Summary: Red Undead is new to the music and performance world, and every member would do well by working on his or her craft, as well as collectively spending some hours solely on the musical elements. The band’s fire and unique, raw energy shows true potential. In a year’s time, this might be a show to see.

––Tim Reid, Jr.

Red Undead: Energetic rock with a spunky attitude.

December 2012

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LIVE REVIEWS

Sinicle

The Joint Los Angeles, CA

Material: This young L.A. rock trio tries to carve out a space for individuality while also being firmly planted in the field of the amped-up metal shredders and head-bangers. The obvious influences of Pantera or System of a Down, etc. are balanced briefly with rare moments of vocal melody and alt-rock songwriting a la Sublime or Soundgarden. The majority of the musical space is used for instrumental jamming, seemingly scripted but often yearning for that killer hook or theme that will be memorable. The vocals seem to come as an after-thought to the jam, which some may argue is a condition of the style.

The song with the most vocal contribution, “Obliterate,” is a potential anthem, but the vocals don’t quite command authority or crispness, and it lacks a specific identity due to multiple thematic sections. This is a common thread in the material—several thoughts strung together without a clear focus of the primary objective of each song.

Musicianship: As all are aware, the metal world is not to be taken lightly. The band display a great deal of musical ability but are lacking the experience it takes to fully master and demand the attention of everyone in a room. Drew Zaragoza on guitar demonstrates solid leadership and potential star-power with his shredding solos.

TIM REID, JR.

Contact: Drew Zaragoza; siniclemusic@ gmail.com Web: http://reverbnation.com/sinicle The Players: Drew Zaragoza, guitar, vocals; Justin Miller, bass, vocals; James Gepner, drums, vocals.

Username: Sinicle

Sinicle: Energy and showmanship that shows great promise.

Justin Miller, playing “lead bass” as one must do in a power-trio, does so competently and James Gepner is no slouch on the drums—often a workout just to watch. Together they have moments of brilliance and one-ness, but these are sprinkled in among periods of “not-quite-locked-in.” As in any style—but particularly in this one, the difference between those we know and love and the rest is in the microscopic tightness that produces dynamic power and strength.

Performance: The energy and showmanship of Sinicle is another area that shows great promise.

There is a command and comfort level on stage, a look and feel that musters excitement. The set at The Joint was short, and the venue rearranged some things at the last minute, which

happens, but the guys were able to roll and rock through it. All three looked like they’re still growing into their stage personas. With a committed effort to increase togetherness and connect with an audience, that progress will continue.

Summary: Sinicle is a young group of dedicated rockers. The energy and musicianship indicates a passion to improve and grow. With more attention to song crafting, emphasizing the hook, and some real work on defining and improving the vocalists role, this trio will take metal to the next level.

––Tim Reid, Jr.

No Regrets Coyote The High Watt Nashville, TN

Material: Rather than listen to slop punk records of the ‘70s and then simply regurgitate it onstage— as is customary for many young Nashville acts— the still-in-the-process-of-breaking-into-the-scene No Regrets Coyote draw on wiry early punk, but also revert back to their own coming-ofage decade, the ‘90s, to create a different type of nostalgia with their slipshod hybrid. One part high school/shabby garage rock and one part pop punk from 15 years ago, the theme here is not genre but volume, which is turned way up.

Musicianship: It doesn’t matter how much lead singer-guitarist Danny Herrmann jumps around onstage or how many times he climbs an amp; as high energy as No Regrets Coyote are sonically, they aren’t reckless as players. Ian Bush, who appears to be the elder of the group, is a seasoned drummer who brings an articulated beat to the songs. Steve Mage’s guitar playing is grizzled but stylized.

As imperfect as the overall sound may be, NRC get there through a calculated playing style.

The sloppiest aspect of the band is Herrmann’s appropriately guttural vocals that come from the depths of his throat and a CD collection circa 1995.

72 December 2012

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JESSICA PACE

Contact: noregretscoyotes@gmail.com Web: http://facebook.com/noregretscoyote The Players: Danny Herrmann, lead vocals, guitar; Steve Mage, guitar, vocals; Tom Oakes, bass; Ian Bush, drums.

Username: no regrets coyote

No Regrets Coyote: High-decibel pop-punk performed with somewhat-reckless abandon.

Performance: There was hype, even early in the evening, because Nashville’s Diarrhea Planet, known by any local to put on an unapologetic mess of a punk rock show, was set to play the second set. Roughly 40 and counting gathered for No Regrets Coyote and bobbed their heads vivaciously—in Nashville speak, that means good.

On either side of an exuberant Herrmann, Mage and Oakes were comparatively stationary, though no less into it. Mage in particular, eyes shut and head moving in a funny Justin Townes Earle-type way, was completely enthralled with the frets of his guitar and fun to watch.

Uptempo as the show was, NRC weren’t trying to see how fast they could play; the emphasis fell on playing as loud as they could, which the High

Watt accommodated well. All in all, it was a trip down memory lane paved with pop punk, visiting early Jimmy Eat World, Weezer in their prime and Superchunk at their rowdiest.

Summary: No Regrets Coyote are only reaching back as far as their childhood for a dose of nostalgia, and it feels pretty good. Fun, youthful and achieved with somewhat-reckless abandon, it’s nice to see a bunch of kids barely of drinking age, if that, revive the stuff they grew up on, jump around onstage and hey—play their instruments well. If you’re into rock when it was hard, if you’re into the various designs it took in the 1990s, and if you like it messy but not too messy, take note.

——Jessica Pace

LIVE REVIEWS

Socratic

Arlene’s Grocery New York, NY

Material: Performing songs primarily from their new, self-titled release Socratic marks a new era for this rock group. After the demise of their label Drive-Thru Records, Socratic have once again grabbed the reins with a brand new album, new shows and a renewed faith and optimism.

This is a band that has a tight grasp on what makes a winning hook, not only in the chorus but also within the instrumental lines. Their lyrical content demonstrates a clear understanding of contemporary culture expressed with passion and humor. “Curtain Call” draws you in immediately with its lone guitar intro; an uptempo song about love lost with a silver lining: “I’m left with me and my need to believe. It’s a wonderful life after all.”

A song from an earlier release, “May I Bum A Smoke,” although on the surface appears to be an ode to pot smoking, has a deeper message our inescapable need to find personal inner peace, relaxation and freedom in a world that is demanding and relentless.

Musicianship: The core group have been together since their teenage years so there is a certain level of comfort and connection. Duane Okun’s solid voice delivers straightforward, unembellished vocals suited to his brand of storytelling. Lou Panico, the group’s bassist (covering

MARK SHIWOLICH

Contact: info@socratictheband.com Web: http://socratictheband.com The Players: Duane Okun, guitar, lead vocals; Chris Grzan, guitar; Lou Panico, bass, vocals; Thomas Stratton, drums.

Username: socratic

Socratic: A group who instinctively know what makes a hit. some ground for their missing keyboard player Vincent D’Amico), renders a number of bass lines that at times sounds more like lead guitar. Chris Grzan on guitar and Thomas Stratton on drums round out the band’s sound, adding rhythmic strength and texture.

Performance: Socratic took the stage with the poise and confidence of any band making the rounds on late night television. Lead singer Okun, slight in build with a soft spoken demeanor, fronted the band with an understated but honest delivery.

They are not what one would call exhibitionists but rather relied on the strength of the music with its catchy hooks, strong lyric content and overall appealing vibe.

There was a small amount of between-song

banter, sometimes more among themselves than directed toward the audience.

Summary: Socratic’s primary success revolves around trust in the music itself coupled with the band’s respect for one another. The final proof in the pudding—the totality of their package. They instinctively know what makes a hit and are tuned into current trends, infusing their songs with a unique perspective. Their ups and downs as a band are typical of an industry that is volatile and unpredictable. Having had the privilege of working with some winning producers, exposure performing around the world and great songs, it begs the question “what’s missing?” The answer— another big break!

––Ellen Woloshin

I4AI

Howl at the Moon Universal City, CA Contact: info@i4ai.com Web: http://i4ai.com The Players: Quinton Marcel, lead vocals; Steven J. Robinson, drums; Max Benson, bass; Kramer Ashburn, lead guitar; David Amezaga, keyboard.

Username: I4AI

Musicianship: Marcel’s voice is versatile and powerful, perfect for a gritty rock song as well as the many soulful falsetto riffs that fill his original pieces, such as “Beauty.” The band hold their own with Robinson taking drum solos, using unique beats and a percussion synthesizer pad that does a lot to give the group a sound that is not strictly rock & roll. I4AI use Max Benson’s complex bass lines and David Amezage on the keyboard to fill in the cracks, as well as to add color and texture to the songs. On occasion Amezaga and Ashburn add a harmony or double the melody line.

Performance: If the show could be summed up in one word, it would be “energy.” This quintet were bursting with confidence and charisma from

KAREN EMMERT

Material: I4AI are a self-proclaimed pop/rock boy band with an edge. While missing the classic three-part harmonies that usually exist in the genre, they live up to this title with hints of R&B delivered by Quinton Marcel’s voice and the edge coming from Kramer Ashburn’s distortion petal.

Pre-recorded beats and effects help to diversify their sound, but the four-piece band do most of the heavy lifting. With a mixture of pop/rock and R&B, I4A1 sound like a combination of Gavin Degraw and Ne-Yo. I4AI: Self-proclaimed pop/rock boy band with an edge. the minute they got on stage. Marcel used this self-assurance to literally dance his way through the set; engaging with the crowd and promoting the group while making the performance look effortless.

The band members were dressed in suits and ties, a uniform that added to their confident attitude, and their energy worked off one another, allowing for no awkward moments within the set. The songs were well executed with some minor issues, such as Ashburn’s distorted guitar line over-powering the other instruments and the audience barely being able to hear the prerecorded fills meant to be present in the songs.

Summary: I4AI are a young group of talented musicians with masterful performance skills and a set list that is just plain entertaining both visually and acoustically. With the removal of some of the six cover songs and the introduction of more original pieces, the band can start to establish a unique identity, their own sound. With more intentional use of pre-recorded material, less over-bearing distortion and further development of an original vision, I4AI have the makings of something altogether distinctive.

––Karen Emmert

December 2012

www.musicconnection.com 73

74 December 2012

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Dear Manager:

Singers Should

1.) Make sure the singer gets some vocal training and health preservation strategies from an experienced voice coach before the tour starts. A coach who is knowledgable about vocal physiology and rehabilitation can be “The Hammer” for the group, imparting the reality of the size and fragility of the vocal folds in strong, memorable terms.

Tell Their

MANAGERS

2.) Singers are greatly helped by dual, custom in-ear monitors. They can make the difference between a solid tour or voice loss after one week.

Yes, they’re expensive but worth it. Every singer in the band should have in-ear monitors. In addition, the vocal blend will improve since no one will be blaring to sing over everyone else.

W

hat do Adele, John Mayer, Maxwell, Simon LeBon, Art Garfunkel, Nicki Minaj and Roger Daltrey have in common? They’ve all experienced the difficult and frightening reality of having to cancel performances or tours because of voice problems. Besides the emotional trauma of potentially long-term voice loss, the financial consequences of canceled performances affect a whole lot of people, including managers, agents, merchandisers, venues, roadies and their families. All because of the tiny, pennysized pieces of tissue called the vocal folds.

What’s a lead singer to do? Enlist the help of your manager––make him or her your ally in the challenge of staying on the road and off the operating table.

3.) Don’t over-load your singer with an intensive interview schedule, and keep the meet-and-greets to a minimum. The more the singer talks, the less rested the singing voice will be. Singers need a ton of vocal rest to sound fresh. At minimum, two consecutive days of downtime are required to get the vocal folds to recover from strenuous use.

4.) During rehearsals, if the singer asks the band to turn down, make sure the band turns down. Instrumentalists often don’t understand how difficult and destructive it is when a singer feels forced to sing “over” the music.

Your manager may think of you, a touring singer as an instrumentalist without the inconvenience of extra cartage and tech costs, but the fact is that singers carry the most fragile equipment of all: the vocal folds. I call the vocal folds “the gold” of the whole operation. It doesn’t matter how great your songs are, if no sound comes out, you’ll have to put the tour to bed.

5.) No one sings well first thing in the morning, but the same goes for speaking. Allow for a schedule where the singer has a chance to wakeup before having to use his or her voice.

6.) Make sure your singer gets a lot of sleep. Vocal fold tissue does not repair well on four hours sleep.

Almost all of the lead singers in bands I coach come to me with similar concerns: vocal fatigue, a battle for high notes, neck grabbing, hoarseness, tension or grabbing sensations in the neck, and an overall sense that they’re not singing correctly.

Now of course, there’s no substitute for good vocal technique such as knowing how to stand (posture), how to breathe and support, and how to create projected sound without squeezing the vocal folds. But the problems lead singers experience is often exacerbated by the dynamic of the members of the band. It’s just so easy for instrumentalists to “turn up,” not realizing that there’s a real limit to the volume singers can or should produce. Also, a guitarist who easily replaces broken strings may have trouble “getting” that vocalists can’t replace their damaged vocal folds in the same way.

7.) If your singer needs temperature control in the dressing room —take care of that. A dressing room that’s as cold as a meatlocker is death to the vocal folds.

8.) Don’t let your singer get too chatty between shows. One of the best (and funny) pieces of advice is, “Don’t use your voice unless you’re getting paid for it!”

9.) Try to get a good sound guy (who can still hear) to add shine (around 2400-3200 Hz) to the lead vocal so the sound carries better.

It’s like turning up the treble without turning up the volume.

10.) Arrange for a vocal exam prior to the tour with a local laryngologist (voice doctor). Get a photo or video on record of the singer’s vocal folds before there are problems. It’s called “getting a baseline.” If the singer experiences voice loss or voice pain during the tour and needs additional exams with laryngologists while traveling, the baseline image can be used for comparison.

Recently I had a well-known rock singer come to see me mid-tour, terrified that with each show, his voice was degrading steadily with increasing pain. Besides working on vocal technique with him and creating vocal health strategies, including nebulizer use and teaching him “laryngeal massage,” I got the manager to attend our sessions.

The manager then becomes the primary advocate of the singer––not just representing the band to the world but representing the singer to the rest of the band and road crew.

So how can the lead singer impart the importance of protecting the band’s “gold” (the vocal folds) without sounding like a whiner?

Here are some tips to pass on to your manager to make sure that your band’s name is in the headlines because of your amazing success and not embarrassingly linked to “vocal problems.”

78 December 2012

11.) Get a list of laryngologists in each city in which the act will be appearing. A laryngologist is an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor with additional training in the larynx. Especially desirable is a laryngologist who specializes in “professional voice.”

miniBIO: Lisa Popeil, MFA in Voice, is a top Los Angeles voice coach, voice scientist and researcher, contributor to the Oxford Handbook of Singing, a voting member of NARAS, creator of the Voiceworks® Method, the Total Singer DVD and a new book Sing AnythingMastering Vocal Styles. Visit http://popeil.com.

www.musicconnection.com

September 2012

www.musicconnection.com 21

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