Performer Magazine: August 2014

THE MUSICIAN ’S RESO URCE

AUG 2014 FREE

Curtis Harding “When you’re playing songs it can cross boundaries. It’s the only thing I can think of other than sex that can do that.”

INTERVIEWS SHIPS HAVE SAILED VINTAGE TROUBLE THE BOTH

HOW TO SELL YOUR MUSIC TO TELEVISION PICKING APART VINTAGE MOOG SYNTHS STUDIO MIC SELECTION GUIDE

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

VOL.24, ISSUE 6

16

cover story

Curtis Harding

by Jacquinn Williams Burger Records’ newest label addition is a soul-infused singer/guitarist who gives us the low-down on his songwriting process and what it was like to sing back-up for CeeLo. 2 AUGUST 2014 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

VOL.24, ISSUE 6

Vintage Trouble

20

by Michael St. James

This might just be the biggest band in the world that no one seems to know about…yet. Best part is they’re doing it the old-fashioned way: they’re earning it, night after night, one fan at a time, on any stage that will have them.

The Both

24

by Heidi Schmitt

Ted Leo and Aimee Mann have teamed up to form The Both, and we recently chatted up the pair on how two seemingly different artists collaborate on a singular creative vision and songwriting approach.

4.

Letter From the Editor

5.

Scene Spotlight: Brooklyn

6.

Quick Picks: The Best in New Music

8.

Vinyl of the Month: Taang! 7-inch Box Set

9.

Live Reviews

26. Is Guitar Center in the Dead Pool?

27. How to Sell Music to TV & Film 28. My Favorite Axe: Jack Forman

Ships Have Sailed

by Brian Palmer

12

For Will Carpenter, best known as the guitarist for the hip-hop/rock project 7Lions, the genesis of his alt-rock side project Ships Have Sailed doesn’t follow any set script.

29. Recording: Microphone Primer pt. 1 30. Gear Reviews: Electro-Voice; I-MEGO; Sabian; Shure

32. Flashback: 1978 Lexicon 224 Digital Reverb Cover photo by HEDI SLIMANE PERFORMER MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014 3

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

On the morning of June 21st, movers showed up at my apartment at 8:00 am, ready to take my wife, my baby daughter and myself (not to mention all our crap) to our first real house. It’s a house we were incredibly proud to buy; it had taken five years of marriage to finally become homeowners (sometimes the American Dream doesn’t quite happen on the timeline you’d envisioned).

There was perhaps no one more excited to see us get moved into the new house than my father-inlaw. My wife’s dad was battling liver cancer, and had become so weak over the past year that he was pretty much wheelchair bound. Wheelchair bound, but determined as hell to see us happy in our home.

About 20 minutes after the movers started loading the truck, my father-in-law succumbed to his illness. I didn’t get to say goodbye. He didn’t get to see us settle in the new house. He’ll never get to watch his granddaughter grow up. He’ll never have a burger and cigar on our back porch. I felt angry. I felt sad. I felt hopeless. I felt embarrassed as I cried in front of the movers. I felt a lot of things, most of which I tried to hide behind a brave face, partly so I could be there for my wife as she mourned the loss of her father, and partly to get through the physically demanding process of moving to a new home.

performermag.com

My father-in-law held on just long enough to be told the movers had arrived. He knew that much, at least, in the end. He knew we’d be safe in the new home, and with that satisfaction, he let go. At least that’s what I believe.

So this issue is dedicated to Frank Gouveia; even though he wasn’t my biological father, he was still my dad. I loved him. I love him still. I miss him.

I wanted to tell him he was the most generous person I ever met. I waned to tell him he taught me how to be a good husband and father, and that no matter how many mistakes you make in life, it’s what you learn from them and what you do with your second chances that matter. I hope he knows these things.

Be well, Frank. I know there’s a Dunkin’ DriveThru in Heaven. Have two donuts - you’ve earned them.

Benjamin Ricci, editor

@performermag

CORRECTIONS Did we make a heinous blunder, factual error or just spell your name wrong? Contact editorial@performermag.com and let us know, cuz we’re big enough to say, “Baby, I was wrong.”

4 AUGUST 2014 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION

Cristian Iancu EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Bob Dobalina - editorial@performermag.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Ben Marazzi, Benjamin Hanson, Benjamin Ricci, Beth Doreian, Brent Godin, Brian Palmer, Chris Devine, Chris M Junior, Christopher Petro, Daniel Kohn, Don Miggs, Ethan Varian, Heidi Schmitt, Jaclyn Wing, Jacquinn Williams, Jan King, Jen Emmert, Julia DeStefano, Lauren Moquin, Lucy Fernandes, Matt Ingersoll, Michael St. James, Pete Rogers, Tanya Fuller, Taylor Haag, Zac Cataldo

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Benjamin Ricci - ben@performermag.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

ABOUT US

We listen to everything that comes into the office. We prefer physical CDs, cassettes and vinyl over downloads. If you do not have a physical copy, send download links to editorial@performermag.com.No attachments, please. Send CDs to:

William House - bill@performermag.com

Beth Doreian, Chris M Junior, Christian Lantry, Hedi Slimane, James Martin, Kevin Fry, Lee Cherry, Marcia Kent Davis, Rick Carroll, Thomas Rihs

/performermagazine

MUSIC SUBMISSIONS

Volume 24, Issue 6 PUBLISHER

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS In the words of our esteemed forefathers at CREEM: “NOBODY WHO WRITES FOR THIS RAG’S GOT ANYTHING YOU AIN’T GOT, at least in the way of credentials. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t be sending us your stuff: reviews, features, photos, recording tips, DIY advice or whatever else you have in mind that might be interesting to our readers: independent and DIY musicians. Who else do ya know who’ll publish you? We really will... ask any of our dozens of satisfied customers.

Just bop it along to us to editorial@performermag.com and see what comes back your way. If you have eyes to be in print, this just might be the place. Whaddya got to lose?

Whaddya got?”

Kathleen Mackay kathleen@performermag.com Deborah Rice deborah@performermag.com © 2014 by Performer Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any method whatsoever without the written permission of the publisher. The magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited recordings, manuscripts, artwork or photographs and will not return such materials unless requested and accompanied by a SASE. Annual Subscription Rate is $30 in the U.S.; $45 outside the U.S.

SCENE SPOTLIGHT

Greta Gertler

GOLD

Singer-pianist Greta Gertler Gold says the best part about living in Brooklyn, her home since 2001, is “the ability to lead a musical life” in Sunset Park with drummer Adam D Gold, her husband and Universal Thump partner. “It’s quieter than Manhattan,” the native Australian adds, “and it’s a magnet for musicians.” Look for the band’s Walking the Cat EP later this year.

Ari

HEST

“It’s gotten busier; I wouldn’t say better,” says singer/songwriter Ari Hest, a Williamsburg resident since 2006. Being a Brooklyn-based musician can carry some clout, according to Hest, but a public feeling of “OK, another one of you” also exists. “You have to find a way to break out of that stereotype,” he says. Hest’s latest album is Shouts and Whispers.

Modern

RIVALS

“The idea of Brooklyn as this artistic utopia has been commodified,” says Modern Rivals singer and guitarist Erick Lee. In Williamsburg, where the band rehearses, he’s noticed an influx of financial types.

Even so, a sense of musical community exists there for Modern Rivals, whose debut full-length, Cemetery Dares, was released in April.

BROOKLYN, N.Y.

Musicians from various eras and genres have called Brooklyn’s neighborhoods their home. But in recent years, New York City’s most-populated borough has developed a reputation as an indie-rock hotbed. When asked about their locales, these Brooklyn artists offered some cool commentary.

Photos and text by CHRIS M. JUNIOR PERFORMER MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014 5

REVIEWS

BEAR IN HEAVEN Time Is Over One Day Old Brooklyn, NY (Dead Oceans)

BISHOP ALLEN Lights Out New York, NY (Dead Oceans)

THE BOMBAY ROYALE The Island of Dr. Electrico Melbourne, Australia (HopeStreet Recordings)

Since the release of their debut Red Bloom of the Boom in 2007, Brooklyn’s Bear in Heaven have become darlings of the indie blogosphere thanks to their experimental electro-pop kraut rock. Their new LP showcases the group successfully melding the psychedelic tribalism of Animal Collective, synth-driven post-rock of CAN and anthemic dance-punk of LCD Soundsystem. The record finds the band exploring new textures and soundscapes while never losing sight of each song’s soaring pop hook...Frontman Jon Philpot describes the process of making this record as “a lot of shedding, getting rid of layers and preconceptions...” The result is the band’s most focused release to date, an album that is sonically adventurous while decidedly song-oriented and instantly accessible.

Produced by Jon Philpot / Mixed by Nicolas Vernhes Mastered by Joe La Porta Follow on Twitter @BearInHeaven

Ethan Varian

Bishop Allen knows how to craft an enjoyable experience, but Lights Out marks the day that they learned to create something bold. The album is a strong leap forward from the previous album, Grrr…, offering hooks and lyrical dynamics that one will save for later.

The complexity of “Start Again,” the first single and album opener, frames a hopeful first impression of the record. Managing to dodge the minor melancholy, vocalist Justin Rice tells the one he loves that they can “burn it down and start again” if that’s what they feel is best. The tight instrumentals twist the weight of coming to terms with a doomed love into a danceable tune and bring the listener to an undeniable appreciation.

This record is a funk-heavy Bollywood rocket ride (extended dance sequences not included). The Bombay Royale, for those unframiliar, is an 11-piece Bollywood-inspired surf-funk-dance band from Australia...The new LP feels much more cinematic than their previous effort, which seems odd to say as Bombay is a group that’s angle sort of relies around its Bollywood movie tie-ins. Song-wise, the band is a little less hyper than before, pulling more on their “funk” influences than their surf ones...All in all, this won’t disappoint fans of the group or those looking to explore contemporary takes on world music.

The gritty production and visual kitsch of the band’s first record still holds up and one can only hope the inevitable tour is equally as thrilling.

Recorded by Tristan Ludowyk & Bob Knob Mastered by David Walker at Stepford Audio Mastering Follow on Twitter @thebombayroyale

Ben Nine-K

Follow on Twitter @BishopAllenNYC

Lauren Moquin

QUICK

Here you’ll find the best new music our writers have been digging this past month. For full reviews and to stream tracks and videos from the artists featured on these pages, please head to performermag.com. Enjoy!

BT3 Burn It! LIVE Washington, DC (Self-released)

THE DONKEYS Ride the Black Wave San Diego, CA (Easy Sound Recording Company)

Guitarist Ben Tyree blazes the way to success for jazz trio BT3. Burn It! LIVE, a blistering live set from the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s prestigious BAMcafé Live series reveals the group’s myriad of musical talents. With a distinct and memorable voice, you can feel the live energy touch your soul and can’t help sway to the infectious grooves. The classical influence is evident, but each song has a unique jazz, funk, and rock twist.

If you close your eyes, the trio’s energy transports you into a dark, smoky nightclub, as authentic jazz soothes the crowd. This record shows how a live setting can utterly transform a group of songs. The performers’ passion seeps through every note…

Wandering surf-rock melodies and washed-out California-inspired folk…San Diego’s endless summer four-piece focuses on layered vocal harmonization and jangly, ever-mellow folk guitar songwriting. Think the Byrds or the Eagles, with modern nods to the Sea and Cake, where an acoustic guitar is the centerpiece and couples with brushy percussive rhythms and occasional simmering organ, all married in a lo-fi analog setting...One of the strongest songs, “Shines,” delivers like a longlost CCR recording. Crunchy vocals and an island melody frame sunny-toned and simple phrases on love and change...“Blues in the Afternoon” and “The Manx” recall yesteryear surf rock. Simple, catchy chattering electric guitar melodies washed in reverb-warm fatigued rhythms and windswept harmonies.

Engineered by Alex deLanda and Rafter Roberts Recorded at Singing Serpent, San Diego Mixed by Thom Monahan / Mastered by JJ Golden Follow on Twitter @TheDonkeys

Christopher Petro

Produced by Ben Tyree Recorded by Bill Bryant Mastered by Mark Smoot Follow on Twitter @BenTyree

6 AUGUST 2014 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

Jaclyn Wing

THE GREEN SEED Drapetomania Birmingham, AL (YvetteNoblesMusic/ Communicating Vessels) Laced with organic instrumentation and sly sampling, Drapetomania is a living fossil of feel-good, qualitative hip-hop rooted in consciousness and tonal sophistication reminiscent of the Cretaceousage of the genre.

From the operatic intro with blowout horns and fervent bounce, the album hits the ground running with the round-robin verses and serrated turntable work of “Jude Law” past the sample-heavy smoothness of “Amigos” and on through to the hazy and humble closer, “Town of Steal,” overcast in foggy acoustic guitars and resonant hi-hats.

Propelled by pointed wordsmiths, keen song construction and cuspate deliveries, the Yellowhammer State quartet has made, packaged and pushed an A-grade product with Drapetomania.

Follow on Twitter @thegreenseed_

Taylor Haag

MARC BROUSSARD A Life Worth Living Carencro, LA (Vanguard Records)

SARA JACKSON-HOLMAN River Queen Portland, OR (Expunged Records)

For nearly 20 years, Wes Anderson’s films have become entrenched in pop culture due to their quirky themes, beautiful imagery and cinematic soundtracks. The music of Anderson’s movies serves as a thematic underbelly; on this compilation, some of the best indie musicians give the iconic songs of Anderson’s soundtracks a whirl. Like most compilations, the effort is at times inconsistent, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a number of highlights; between Juliana Hatfield’s take on “Needle in the Hay,” PHOX’s version of “The Way I Feel Inside” and Saint Motel’s “A Quick One While He’s Away,” the bands on here do Anderson justice, even if it’s in the broadest sense. Taking on classics or lesserknown tracks by icons is difficult; like Anderson, this collection is just quirky enough to be enjoyable.

Produced by Joseph H Sparado Mastered by Sean Glonek at SRG Studios Follow on Twitter @laundromat13

Daniel Kohn

Louisiana native [editor’s note: and former Performer cover star] Marc Broussard sings with authentic soul and captures the most vulnerable of emotions, saying things for us we just can’t say sometimes and reminds us that yes, our lives really are worth living...Broussard’s deep, rugged voice meshes surprisingly very well with the soft and gentle acoustic melodies on tracks like “Perfect to Me.” Similarly, lead single “Hurricane Heart” plays with instrumentation of the happy sort, despite featuring somber, melancholy lyrics. Broussard makes the contrast work for him as he laments over the decisions made by his roaring, hurricane heart...

The album is radio-friendly; yet at the same time, Broussard manages to make a sound all his own, one that uniquely separates him from other soul and R&B singers.

Produced by Paul Moak / Co-Produced by Phil Allen Follow on Twitter @MarcBroussard

Matt Ingersoll

River Queen’s content is not only fluid, but also complex in that it winds in directions that may not necessarily be expected...Jackson-Holman, an indisputable prodigal pianist, exercises her classical roots and signature layered vocals throughout, and incorporates brooding hip-hop beats that showcase a versatile repertoire...“River Queen” introduces the album with waterlogged profundity. Her vocals wind like a river bend and then delicately trickle into the next track, a piano-driven, drenching ballad called “Feel It Now.” Only then the current changes and propels “Push Back,” an upbeat jam with boing-y, pindrop-esque synth tones that sound like an animated clock ticking, aligned with brisk drum beats...River Queen is bound to keep others afloat and continually moving, wanting more, yet still feeling quenched.

Recorded at Miracle Lake Studios by Skylar Norwood Mastered by Gus Elg at Sky Onion Studios Follow on Twitter @sjacksonholman

Jen Emmert

PICKS

REVIEWS

VARIOUS ARTISTS I Saved Latin: A Tribute to Wes Anderson (American Laundromat Records)

GET REVIEWED - SEND YOUR MUSIC TO EDITORIAL@PERFORMERMAG.COM LISTEN NOW @ PERFORMERMAG.COM/PLAYLIST

TODAY THE MOON, TOMORROW THE SUN Quads (EP) Atlanta, GA (Greyday Records) The new wave synth rockers from Atlanta are back, and their new EP really packs a punch. Quads is a fun EP you’ll find yourself dancing along to in your head and in your step as you walk...Just the right amount of synth beats are thrown in for an excellent, modern-day Depeche Mode-esque feel, but it’s the dream-poppy sound of lead vocalist Lauren Gibson’s melodies that really steal the show...The percussion in tracks like “Walls” is also unique and interesting, especially for the instrumental accompaniment. Hell, everything is unique for the simple fact that it’s paired with something unconventional in a rock or pop song. Expect to hear these guys when you’re asleep one night and you’re fighting off demons in some weird dimension, several light years removed from your bedroom. The name sure is fitting for it, after all.

Mixed & Mastered by Sean Zuzek Follow on Twitter @TodaytheMoon

Matt Ingersoll

THE TREWS S/T Antigonish, Nova Scotia (Nettwerk)

THE WYTCHES Annabel Dream Reader Brighton, UK (Partisan Records)

The Trews come out of the box swinging on their new, self-titled album. The record was fan funded through Pledge Music, and fans won’t be disappointed with what they invested in. The sound is fresh, crisp and hungry. Opener “Rise in the Wake” is a ballsy, attention-grabbing rock track that makes you want to hear more...“Age of Miracles” is full of hooks that keep the LP’s forward momentum intact. Drum-driven “Permanent Love” demands your attention; “In the Morning” is a beautiful, cello-tinged duet with Serena Ryder...Plain and simple: there’s not a bad song in the mix. The vocals and musicianship are top notch and always deliver more than expected. The Trews are ten years into their career and continue make music with the intensity of a hungry new band, with the skill and craftsmanship of the veterans.

Produced by Gavin Brown & John-Angus MacDonald / Recorded & Mixed by Lenny De Rose Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound Follow on Twitter @thetrews

Jan King

First things first: The Wytches are a dark, raw garage-punk band from the UK. Their new LP (the band’s first full-length) was appropriately recorded on an eight track analog tape machine and tracked in just two days, creating an authentic, frenzied live sound.

The record is hard hitting from the first note. The slow but powerful instrumentation creates a heavy backdrop for singer Kristian Bell’s oft-screamed vocals. Overall, The Wytches’ sound is categorized by its slow tempos and distorted timbres, with just a whiff of surf-inspired guitar licks. The tracks on Annabel Dream Reader effortlessly shift from loud, dynamic sections to extended breakdowns.

Standout tracks include “Wide at Midnight,” “Grave Dweller,” and “Burn out the Bruise.”

Produced by Bill Ryder-Jones Mixed & Engineered by Luke Oldfield Follow on Twitter @TheWytches

Benjamin Hanson PERFORMER MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014 7

REVIEWS

If you were a punk or college rock fan in Boston during the heyday of the city’s alternative scene, you likely made places like The Channel or the Rat your home away from home. And you likely bought records put out by Taang! – featuring a roster of artists as diverse as Gang Green (though their best single, “Kill A Commie” is on the This is Boston Not LA comp) and early Lemonheads.

The new box set (released in limited quantities for Record Store Day 2014) is like a gift from the indie gods. The self-proclaimed slogan in the liner notes says it a ll: “The Soundtrack of Our Youth.” And if you missed the magic the first time around, these faithfully re-issued singles are a great intro to the label’s legacy.

The records (for the most part) feature original art and actually sound pretty good on wax, considering their modestly-budgeted origins. It’s a bit weird seeing URLs and barcodes on the labels, but having all these out-of-print 7-inches together in one package is a dream come true. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, KID!

“Seminal ’80s Boston punk label re-issues nuggets for Record Store Day”

Size: 7-inch Speed: 45rpm Color: Black Vinyl Unites Pressed: 2,000 Box Sets Follow online at www.taang.com

Various Artists Taang! Records The First 10 Singles Boston, MA (Taang! Records)

review by BENJAMIN RICCI 8 AUGUST 2014 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

REVIEWS

C

incinnati music veteran and funk legend Freekbass (aka Chris Sherman) launched his newest CD, Everybody’s Feelin’ Real at The Southgate House Revival on Friday, June 13th.

It couldn’t have been a luckier cosmic alignment, because he and his band brought the house down in a wild funk groove celebration.

The Freek, a real showman and an impressive presence on stage, was attired in a black wraparound scarf with a skeleton head pattern, a black baseball cap, and shades. Effortlessly engaging the audience in conversation, he doled out well-deserved praise as he introduced his bandmates later on in the set. The five-piece group included supporting Bump Assembly’s keyboards, drums, and a horn section featuring trumpet and sax. The night quickly evolved into a string of agile, muscular bass-heavy tunes, sucking the crowd into a steamy funk stew. If you weren’t moving to the groove, you must have been comatose.

There were too many great songs to recount, but the title track from the new album, with its easy, loping bass line, was a head nodder. “Mama’s Like A Cowboy” was punctuated by horn riffs and plenty of thumb-popping bass, and “Victoria Thunder” romped with a throwback disco flavor.

In a nod to The Family Stone, the relentless rhythm section work between Freek and his drummer Big Bamn during the churning groove of “Never Enough” locked the crowd completely into the moment. Trumpeter Jennifer Hartswick had her solo moment too, as she belted out a cover of Heart’s “Bebe le Strange.” Freekbass’ generous inclusion of one of his students (yes, he teaches bass as well) for a jam was another highlight.

As the evening flew by, it became obvious that the musicians on stage had not spared any effort for this hometown show. They gave it everything and the results were palpable. It was one of those rare and joyous occasions when both performers and audience came together as one.

Follow on Twitter: @freekbass

Freekbass CD Release Show Southgate House Revival - Newport, KY - June 13, 2014 Funky, groovalicious night of thumb-popping bass. article by LUCY FERNANDES / photography by RICK CARROLL PERFORMER MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014 9

REVIEWS

Phantogram House of Blues - Boston, MA June 21, 2014 Sultry vocals, constant motion and a driving beat propel electropop into its full glory.

article and photography by BETH DOREIAN

A

fter nearly five years of nonstop touring, electropop duo Phantogram has created a remarkably tight live show. Even Sarah Barthel’s perfectly flat-ironed bob knows how to swing in time with the beat. And it’s all about the beat. On record, Phantogram’s drumming is just one static layer of a rhythmic mesh of pulsing guitars and keys. But live, their touring drummer’s beats drive the show. The show opener “Nothing But Trouble” set this expectation, as a tireless drum line and Josh Carter’s distorted guitar hooked the crowd before Barthel finally added her sultry soprano.

Phantogram’s impeccable performance also extends to its visuals, which combine washes of blues and greens with throbbing strobe lights.

Lights, color, rhythm, and Barthel herself were constantly in motion, rarely allowing the crowd to take a breath.

Boasting headlining tours, countless festival stops, TV appearances, and commercial use of many songs [editor’s note: not to mention a Performer cover in 2010], Phantogram appears to be everywhere. This increased popularity (recognized by a move from indie label Barsuk Records to Republic Records for their latest LP Voices) has enabled them to create a stunning show that appeals to a wider audience. But considering this Boston crowd was more plaid-and-subtlehead-nods than neon-and-gyrating, it must encourage Phantogram to know they haven’t lost their indie roots.

10 AUGUST 2014 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

Follow on Twitter: @phantogram

REVIEWS

High Sierra Music Festival Quincy, CA July 3-6, 2014 Family-friendly mix of breakout bands highlights fest's 24th outing...

I

n its 24th year, High Sierra Music Festival has established itself as the biggest little festival around. This four-day event boasts a beautiful tree-lined environment for music lovers to enjoy a range of smaller acts, those-on-the-verge, and national headliners. High Sierra stands out as one of those festivals where it’s quite possible to indulge in everything offered. The layout provides three stages within walking distance but are separate enough to enjoy the music without any crossover. Although this festival has become invite-only for bands, it’s a fantastic place for lesser-known acts to get their foot in the door and be noticed by music aficionados from around the country.

Highlights of this year include bands like Shakey Graves (with a voice like JB from Widespread and skills to plays percussion with his feet while playing guitar, this musician just might have been the breakout favorite of High Sierra), Sturgill Simpson (modernday country who has been likened to Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings), Jonathan Wilson (having opened for acts like Tom Petty and Wilco, his music has a gritty yet smooth Dawes-like feel), Typhoon (11 musicians on stage flowing together with intricate arrangements and beautiful lyrics), Dead Winter Carpenters (Lake Tahoe-based bluegrass, rock, and folk band whose energy leaps off the stage and into the crowd), Turkuaz

(funk act that taps into groovy bands of the past), Thao and The Get Down Stay Down (Thao Nguyen fronts her own band and has been touring since her teens, proving that powerful songwriting and a soulful voice can pave the way for hard-working musicians), Nahko and Medicine For The People (a standout act who uses an eclectic mix of genres held together

by Nahko’s soulful yet exuberant exploration of music for all people), Boombox (electronic based with a mixture of blues and vintage rock), Dopadod (back-to-basics electronic band that uses tangible instruments to create dance music with a funk base), Bombino (Niger-born musician with skills likened to Jerry Garcia and Jimi Hendrix), Lord Huron (folk-based act the permeates the air with melodic guitar and harmonies), Ernest Ranglin & Avila (The 82-year-old godfather of ska), and Bill Frisell (jazz guitarist who takes on a wider scope of music for all types of ears).

The vibe is a family-friendly mix with longtime attendees who have made High Sierra Music Festival an annual ritual and those who have heard through word-of-mouth about the quality of music, artist play-shops, and close onsite camping. On the eve of its quarter century of existence, High Sierra Music Festival has homed in on how to create an ideal balance of discoverable music, bands you love, and a variety of other activities to keep people High Shizzing year after year.

article by TANYA FULLER / photography by JAMES MARTIN

Follow on Twitter: @highsierramusic

PERFORMER MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014 11

INTERVIEW 12 AUGUST 2014 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

SHIPS HAVE SAILED How to Turn Hodgepodge Home Recordings Into a Cohesive EP

by BRIAN PALMER photos by THOMAS RIHS PHOTOGRAPHY

PERFORMER MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014 13

INTERVIEW

T

he notion of musicians engaging in side projects has become increasingly acceptable in recent years. If it isn’t someone fulfilling a lifelong dream to moonlight as the lead singer of their favorite band not called Linkin Park (Hello, Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington!), then it’s someone who plays in multiple projects in the hope that one of them will stick (insert any number of musicians here). But for Will Carpenter, who is known to some as the guitarist for the hip-hop rock project 7Lions, the genesis of his alternative rock side project Ships Have Sailed doesn’t follow either of these scripts.

“It kind of started by accident,” Carpenter says. “7Lions has a specific sound already carved out for us, but being a songwriter and musician with many different influences, I found myself over the course of that first year with the group with this set of songs that didn’t match up with 7Lions at all. But I couldn’t let go of them.”

So he started doing some pre-production, liked what he was hearing, came up with three songs, got them to a place where he was pleased with them, and then realized he almost had enough material for an EP. At that point, he

star-scraping pop-rock that mainstream radio is perpetually dying to get its hands on? Absolutely (“Bring You Down”). Toss in some straight ahead rock and roll (“Better Off”) and a swelling pop number that features a military-style drum beat, and it becomes clear that Carpenter was willing to broaden his musical horizons in order to achieve the desired results. Of course, the fact that he didn’t record the EP all at once since he still works with 7Lions adds to its complexity.

“The EP took about a year and a half to execute because it started very slowly and informally, so that process was just me in my project studio working on different stuff, figuring out what worked,” Carpenter says. “You could get an EP done in a couple months if that’s all you were working on at the time, but in the real world it’s difficult to just sequester yourself like that and be creative 100% of the time. You also tend to get tunnel vision when you do that and can end up with weird results - sometimes weird good, sometimes weird bad - so sometimes you get better results by not doing that.”

Getting great results from his songs not only means that Carpenter has to allow his material time to breathe while he works on other things,

up on the ideas as they came to him, there came a point where he realized that he could not do everything himself. He needed a producer with a fresh set of ears to help get his material to another level, so that’s when he turned to producer and fellow member of 7Lions, Morgan Taylor Reid.

“I took Morgan to lunch and picked his brain a bit,” he says. “I had this idea to make ‘Midnight’ more sinister, but my production skills weren’t such that I was confident enough to create that sound myself, so I brought in that idea, and Morgan and I finished writing it together and did all the production, including vocals in about a day. It was a really quick, smooth, pleasant process.”

After that, as time allowed, Carpenter used Reid to help him polish and create the rest of the EP, utilizing everything from Reid’s production skills to his talents as a vocal coach. It did not happen overnight, but Carpenter is pleased with the results and is looking forward to having others hear it.

“It was a bit of a hodgepodge as far as the recording process goes,” Carpenter admits, “but it turned into a pretty cohesive EP and I’m really happy with it.”

''SOMETIMES A MELODY OR A CHORUS JUST STARTS SOMEWHERE, AND YOU CAN TAKE THAT NUGGET OF AN IDEA AND BUILD AROUND IT." started working more fully on what would become Ships Have Sailed’s debut EP, Someday, which was released last month. Writing the material for the EP was refreshing for Carpenter because the dynamic of this project differs wildly from that of 7Lions.

but it also requires Carpenter to know what gear serves him best on a given song. He isn’t married to one style of guitar, so the possibilities for exploration are seemingly endless. Having different guitars at his disposal certainly helps, as does having some other necessary tools.

“With 7Lions it has to be more methodical because it’s a collaborative project, but for Ships, it’s more open-ended,” says Carpenter. “It varies from song to song. There have been songs that have written themselves in my head and I’ve had to scramble to try to get the idea notated somehow, remotely, because I’m not near a computer or a guitar or anything, so Voice Notes comes in very handy. But other times a melody or a chorus just starts somewhere, and you can take that nugget of an idea and build around it. It keeps things interesting.”

“For Ships, I tend to play a Telecaster, especially live, but in the studio I like to layer that with a Les Paul, as well,” he says. “I’ll keep the Les Paul in the background just as a quiet double because there’s more low end on it, so it thickens things up even if you’re just mirroring the same part. But then live, I do favor the Telecaster. Right now, my live rig, I just play through an Egnater Tweaker amp. I have a pretty minimal effects board. I have a Bogner Ecstasy Red pedal, which is my distortion, and I have a TC Electronics delay pedal.

Those are pretty much the only effects I use.”

The same can be said for Someday, which features a little bit of just about everything.

Ambient synth-heavy rock? Check (“Midnight”).

Acoustic ditties? You bet (“Clouds”). The type of

And while Carpenter demonstrated serious initiative in getting this project off the ground by coming up with song ideas, recording several of them by himself as he was able to, and not giving

14 AUGUST 2014 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

Follow on Twitter: @ShipsHaveSailed

SHIPS HAVE SAILED SOMEDAY EP STANDOUT TRACK: “MIDNIGHT” LISTEN NOW @ PERFORMERMAG.COM

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INTERVIEW 16 AUGUST 2014 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

Curtis HARDING The Soul Powerhouse on Shitty Guitars, Making Bum Notes Work Live & Being a Control Freak in the Studio

by JACQUINN WILLIAMS photography by HEDI SLIMANE

PERFORMER MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014 17

INTERVIEW

“If you hit a bad note, you just have to bend it till it’s right.”

C

urtis Harding is no stranger to spreading the good news through music. Born in Saginaw, MI, the guitar playing vocalist (whose aptly-named Soul Power album just dropped on Burger Records) spent his childhood touring with his evangelist mom. But while she was singing for Jesus, he was writing rhymes as he and his family moved from town to town.

signs of letting up on that good loving. In junior high he played the trombone for a hot minute and admits to tinkering around with anything he could get a sound out of. He’s also a bit of a control freak, and he owns it. He once walked away from a record deal because he didn’t like the direction it was leading him in. But he kept at it. Finally, his dedication to music is paying off.

From the outside looking in, the lives of the Hardings may have seemed like a great adventure. “You don’t think about it that way when you’re in elementary school and you have to leave your friends,” says Harding. But the family’s nomadic lifestyle afforded him a different kind of education. The kind of education that might be partly responsible for the quiet confidence/ borderline arrogance he embodies. It’s that can’tput-your-finger-on-it something that makes him intriguing and powerful, yet approachable.

On his debut album, he’s taken everything he’s learned - from old school gospel artists such as The Williams Brothers and The Consolers - and peppered it with rock, blues and alternative influences.

There’s a ribbon of sadness on “Castaway.” “Keep on Shining” is a revved up (and glossier) version of the Spinners’ hit “I’ll Be Around,” and on “Surf,” his carefree vocal calls are irresistibly nestled within a ’60s-era beach party. He expertly breathes emotion into his music and brings the listener right to him, wherever he stands. It’s a wild, genre-bending ride that illustrates soul is not about color or a range of categories by which to define something.

It’s about taking everything that life gives, soaking it up and sharing it. All of it. And Curtis does not hold back.

Instead of fostering long-lasting friendships in every town his family lived in, Harding picked up the guitar and taught himself to play.

He started a love affair with music and shows no 18 AUGUST 2014 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

Fresh off a trip from Cali doing album prep, the seasoned musician and songwriter - who used to sing background for CeeLo and who is also currently in a garage band called Night Sun (featuring fellow gospel lover Cole Alexander of The Black Keys and singer/songwriter Danny Lee) - chopped it up about his earliest musical memory, songwriting and his love of Johnny Depp.

Did your mom try to keep you from doing secular music?

She tried, but she couldn’t stop me; I’m very head strong. I come by it honestly.

Now she gets it, now she understands. It’s all the same. I’m still spreading the word, whatever that great concept of God is. I would call it good energy. Music can be a great spiritual experience. Whatever the artist is trying to get across... whether the artist is sad or had a bad day, [that] can come through on an album or record.

Tell me your earliest musical memory.

Well, I remember my mom singing in church when I was four or five years old like it was

everyone I was going to the funeral, and I might not be back. My father is up in age, he’s 84 years old. That was the turning point.

What’s your songwriting process?

It just depends on how I am feeling. There’s no particular way I approach it. Sometimes I come up with phrases. Sometimes I start with a melody.

I could be at a bar and be in mid-conversation. Or be at home. When it’s there you go with it. If I’m in mid-conversation and something comes to me, I will definitely say, ‘Hold on a second’ or pretend to make a call. You don’t want to lose it.

What was the music scene in Toronto like?

They have a great music scene. Lot of clubs and bands. The people in Toronto or Canada in general, don’t lock their doors. They have amazing gun laws. People aren’t as stressed out as we are here, which opens doors for creative energy.

Conversely, what we deal with here [in the U.S.] adds to the grit of our music.

Have you ever had writer’s block, and if so what do you do to overcome it?

I just stop and do something else. I will go to the guitar. I wouldn’t call it writer’s block; I just leave it and come back.

I read that you mainly use a Stratocaster.

Do you have more than one guitar or are you loyal to the Strat?

I have more than one. My friends and me, sometimes we trade off. I’m not particular. Some people are particular about tones. I’m also a fan of taking a shitty guitar and trying to make it sound better.

How did you meet CeeLo and start singing background for him?

Just being in Atlanta. Working for LaFace [Records] doing street promotion. I got on his first record as he was starting to tour.

If you had to describe what making music feels like, what would you say?

Aww man, that’s a good question. Writing it or recording it?

Both.

It can be relieving at times; it can be releasing, healing, and fun. There’s a melting pot of emo-

“I’m a fan of taking a shitty guitar and trying to make it sound better.”

What do you like to do outside of music?

I like to go to the desert, I like women, I like bars, I like movies, and music, I like to hang out with my nieces and nephews. I have a huge family. I go to the movies by myself. It’s like a mental break to get lost in pictures. The last movie I saw was Transcendence with Johnny Depp. I like Johnny Depp, He’s a great character actor. One of my dreams is to hang out with Johnny Depp. I also read a lot. I like books and stories. Music is more than a hobby now. The world needs that.

I read that you moved to Toronto in 2008 to restore your musical energies; what happened there and how did you know that it was time to return to the States?

I started working on a project and it was not going the way I wanted it to go. I finished the record and had a conflict of interest with some guys in the group…personal stuff. So, I just moved to Toronto and became a regular person. But I knew it was time to come back when my uncle passed away.

My mom said the funeral was in Michigan. I told

Which do you like better, recording or touring?

I like them both, but I’m a studio rat. I’m always producing and writing songs. I also love performing live. If you hit a bad note, you just have to bend it till it’s right. Plus, I like the energy of the crowd.

Describe the making of a Night Sun album and how it’s different than making your solo record. Are you pulling from different places?

It’s the same. We’re all friends. We hang out in the same spots. First, we all have ideas we bring to the table. We sit and talk about them with booze. We let loose and chill and have some marijuana. Then we start playing. We like to take our time.

INTERVIEW

yesterday. My godfather was the bass player. I remember looking at them and thinking, ‘I want to do this.’

How long did it take to record Soul Power?

Two weeks…I mixed the record. I recorded it at the Living Room Studios in Atlanta. I let them master it. The sounds they get are amazing. They know their shit. I’m a control freak, but you have to be able to let go.

Why soul music? Or was there a choice in the matter?

I don’t think there was choice in the matter. That’s how I grew up. Listening to gospel, that’s where it comes from. To me at least; it’s in my DNA.

Follow on Twitter: @Kirk_Underwater

tions, depending on what song you’re writing and how you’re feeling. There’s no one word [to describe it]. It’s a universal language. It’s the only thing [that everyone understands] when you go to another country. When you’re playing songs it can cross boundaries. It’s the only thing I can think of other than sex that can do that.

So far, what’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

To be myself.

Is that hard to do?

Not for me, maybe for other people. You have to be comfortable in your own skin.

Out of all the places you’ve lived, which is your favorite?

I like them all for different things. The weather in LA is amazing, and the beaches, Atlanta and the South has good food and good people. The public transportation in Toronto is the best. Can’t really call a favorite. It’s like trying to pick a favorite child or song.

CURTIS HARDING SOUL POWER STANDOUT TRACK: “KEEP ON SHINING” LISTEN NOW @ PERFORMERMAG.COM PERFORMER MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014 19

INTERVIEW

Trading Up To A Big-Time Label Without Sacrificing The DIY Work Ethic

vintage t

20 AUGUST 2014 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

by MICHAEL ST. JAMES photos by LEE CHERRY & MARCIA KENT DAVIS

trouble PERFORMER MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014 21

INTERVIEW

I

n just four years, they’ve played Hyde Park and Wembley, toured with The Who, Kravitz and Bon Jovi, appeared on Leno, Letterman, and Jools, have been featured in commercials for Supercuts and Honda, just signed a record deal with Blue Note, and you’ve probably never heard of them. Well, that’s about to change.

This is Vintage Trouble.

It’s too easy to say they do soulful music, that’s part of it, but the idea here is bigger. There’s a visual style, a vibe, a lifestyle in sound. You can hear it all over the band’s first release, The Bomb Shelter Sessions; from the raucous “Hand Me Down Blues” to the pensive “Nobody Told Me,” all the way through the bonus track “Pelvis Pusher,” which I assure you, is aptly named. Three completely different songs, with a heartfelt style, that all tell the story of a band looking to make an authentic connection.

While everyone in the music business is looking for some magic marketing key or new business model that will unlock mass stardom and success, Vintage Trouble is doing it the old-fashioned way: they’re earning it, night after night, one fan at a time, on any stage that will have them.

And so it was apropos that I would get to interview all four members, as a band, Nalle Colt (guitarist), Rick Barrio Dill (bass), Richard Danielson (drums), and Ty Taylor (vocals).

Congrats on the Blue Note deal! After being so successful as an independent, why sign a deal now?

Nalle: The world is changing very quickly around us. We had an opportunity to add to what we already do. We get to make the music we want, and we get the amazing creative people behind Blue Note to support it.

Ty: We hadn’t signed away any of our publishing; it allowed us to get a better deal. We came in with our business in order, and a lot of leverage.

Rick: Much like working with Doc McGhee (manager), we feel very comfortable with Don Was (head of Blue Note). He doesn’t want to change anything about the band, just support it. That kind of support is just relatively unheard of right now.

The band’s resume is unbelievable, but it feels like you’re still really grinding success out. Is it frustrating?

Nalle: We’re not frustrated at all. Sure, they’re could’ve been higher response, but all the feedback we’ve been getting is so positive. It’s an odd time right now with a new world order. Three years ago we played in local Los Angeles to 150 people, so we appreciate the ride.

Richard: The thing about it is we’re going grassroots. Our trajectory is coming from the bottom, and not from the top. It’s sweeter when we’re working really hard. There’s humility to everything we achieve. A band like this is exciting to be in.

Ty: It’s really more about feeling successful every day. So, for me, for us, it’s bigger than one hit. It’s like Arcade Fire; I love what they do. They just

22 AUGUST 2014 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

keep toiling away and building. We want [fans] for 20 years, not for two minutes.

Your music seems to defy genre; has it been hard to take hold in radio?

Ty: It’s always been our dream to re-establish a radio format than fit in to one. When you’re trying to do something special, you have to approach it in a different way. In the 1950s, a lot of stations played all kinds of music.

Richard: Actually, the plan was never to do radio, the plan was to do music we loved. Not the next trend or style. The Jools Holland show in the U.K. really broke us. There’s a lot of ways to reach people. You just have to play what you feel.

How did you go from doing a demo to being managed by the legendary Doc McGhee?

Nalle: We had a very straight-ahead vision of what we want to do. We couldn’t afford to go anywhere, so we played in Los Angeles. We made The Bomb Shelter Sessions after only three months. We pressed it, sold merch, sold records. We all made it like a full-time job.

TY: We decided we were not going to just play once a month - like promoters said to. We decided to be cocky and to play as much as possible. So we set up four residencies: Downtown LA, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Los Feliz. We played four nights a week. We didn’t seek it out, management found us. We made waves. Our fans, the ‘Troublemakers,’ were traveling all over to LA to every show. Doc saw what the crowd was doing, girls sweatin’, guys freaking out, people having a blast. He said, ‘I want to take you to England. Do the Stax thing.’

Richard: This is a huge testament to Doc. He sat us down, and said, ‘I don’t want to change a fucking thing. I just want to take it around the world.’

Rick: Right away we were doing two-hour shows, and we didn’t have the material. Our first gig after

INTERVIEW

On signing with Blue Note: “We hadn’t signed away any of our publishing; it allowed us to get a better deal.

We came in with our business in order, and a lot of leverage.” three weeks together was a three-hour show! Ty is great at directing. That became our secret weapon.

We’d do that four times a week, then we took it over to London, and it’s been growing ever since.

It seems you’ve been on tour endlessly; are you finding time to work on new material?

Nalle: Yes, we’re in pre-production. We have songs that are two weeks old. We’re always demoing up on the road. We never know with us. We thought that The Bomb Shelter Sessions was going to be a demo. [editor’s note: The Swing House Acoustic Sessions, a new five song EP, has just been released on the band’s site] I see you have an army of sorts online who does your social media?

Entire band: Ahh, the Troublemakers!

Nalle: The Troublemakers. Those are our fans, and they’re a force of nature. They’re the new Deadheads of the world. Here, and in Europe, they are so amazing. We are actually looking into making a documentary about it.

TY: We do all of it [social media] in house.

Everybody helps out, but Nalle does a lot of it. We have a killer audience on Facebook. We discuss shows, and respond to comments; we’ll answer every single person. It’s all us.

So, what sage advice do you have for a band or artist coming up?

Nalle: Have respect for yourself and for other people. Every show counts.

Richard: Bands should play more. My advice for bands is to practice, practice, and practice some more. Give a lot of different looks. We have an acoustic set, an electric one, a jam set. It builds your character.

Rick: Take time to figure out what you want to say, what kind of show you want to play. Then go play as much as you can and get better.

Ty: The most important thing for bands to learn is to really connect to the audience. It’s all about the connection. It’s not just the clothes and music; it’s the intention and the emotion. Make people want to feel empowered. That way, every hit you’ve done is going to matter today and tomorrow. You have to make them feel something they haven’t felt before.

Follow the band on Twitter: @vintagetrouble

VINTAGE TROUBLE THE SWING HOUSE ACOUSTIC SESSIONS STANDOUT TRACK: “ANOTHER MAN’S WORDS” LISTEN NOW @ PERFORMERMAG.COM PERFORMER MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014 23

INTERVIEW

The Both

TED LEO & AIMEE MANN Put Aside The Preciousness of Solo Songwriting With New Collaboration

by HEIDI SCHMITT / photography by CHRISTIAN LANTRY 24 AUGUST 2014 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

However, one song on the album – the lead track “The Gambler” – is a number that Leo wrote alone, but it wasn’t without Mann’s influence. “The truth of the matter was that I was writing that song with Aimee in mind, thinking to myself, ‘I bet Aimee would like this. I gotta ask her to do something on it when I actually record it.’” Mann responded to the song positively: “To me, that song was really an example of what the midway point between the two of us would look like, and plus I just thought it was a great song. Hearing Ted play it live was the thing that made me say to myself, ‘We should be in a band together, and this is what it would sound like,’” says Mann.

On the album is another “touchstone song” as Mann describes it – a cover of “Honesty is No Excuse” by Thin Lizzy, which Mann heard for the first time when Leo played the original version on his iPod while the two were touring.

“That was an early Thin Lizzy song, and I wasn’t familiar with it. There was something I found really interesting about it, and it felt to me like another example of what our band could sound like,” Mann says. Leo agrees, stating, “It kicked off a lot of discussion about what we would do if we were to start a band.”

The crowds at the group’s live performances thus far have shown “a really surprising amount of familiarity with our album which had JUST

“We’re fairly happy people but we write these songs that have darker undertones.”

– Aimee Mann

INTERVIEW

“I

really didn’t even realize I was missing the idea of working with somebody else until Ted and I started playing together, even just a song here and a song there.”

And thus Aimee Mann explains the genesis of her new band The Both, formed with fellow troubadour Ted Leo. Both artists have spent years as solo acts, but while touring together (Leo opening for Mann), they realized they were both ready to hang up their solo runs – at least for the time being – and collaborate on a new project.

That culminated in the release of The Both’s eponymous album on SuperEgo, the label Mann founded in the late-’90s.

“Management is amenable to whatever the artist wants,” Mann laughed while discussing the choice to produce the album through SuperEgo. The Both is currently in the middle of a smattering of tour dates and television/radio appearances.

While Leo was “the master of driving himself around in a car alone from one scrappy gig to another,” according to Mann, he says he was ready for a change, even though he didn’t even realize it until it happened. “[The life of a solo artist] is not without its charm, but I will admit that I didn’t even necessarily realize that [the joy

The two played with the album’s creepy undertones with the cover art, which is a photo of toy dolls dressed up to look like Mann and Leo, in a scene of “a dark tunnel of foliage,” as Leo describes it. Mann says it originated from an idea that she had “to dress up Ken and Barbie as The Both and put us in a diorama in the woods.” She also says the scene represents the duality of the album and its artists: “I just feel like there’s a bit of a creepy undertone to the songs and [the cover] kind of reflects that. We’re fairly happy people but we write these songs that have darker undertones.”

“We made a pretty explicit pact early on to really try and remove our egos from the process.” –Ted Leo Follow on Twitter: @tedleo & @aimeemann in making art] had left the process for me until it came back in; we started working together and I realized ‘Oh yeah! This is supposed to be fun!’

There’s a level of joy and creativity that the grind of my solo career sort of sapped.”

The respect between the two is palpable, and Mann describes the opportunity to collaborate with Leo as irresistible. “When you meet certain people or start working with certain people, it helps you have a realization of things that you’re missing. And I just had this abrupt sudden realization that ‘I’m kind of tired of doing this by myself.’”

The group’s songwriting process was a team effort in the truest sense of the word, and each of them left the vestiges of a solo songwriter behind. “We made a pretty explicit pact early on to really try and remove our egos from the process. We look at each song as something we each have the power to make something great together with and to trust each other’s instincts and put aside a little of the preciousness of the solo writer,” Leo says.

come out,” Leo says. Mann was also surprised at the level of interest in the group itself. “It’s definitely a different audience. I’m sure there’s some crossover, but there were also a lot people who weren’t necessarily followers of either of ours, but rather fans of the collaboration.”

Mann describes the new record as “creepy,” and one song that embodies that theme is “No Sir,” which Leo describes as being “about somebody who is kind of getting in his own way while also being crazily paranoid.” Mann says the song touches on themes of mental illness, noting, “I think there’s a certain amount of mental illness that you can walk yourself into if you allow yourself to have certain kinds of thoughts – when you indulge in the sort of thinking that everybody else is at fault, that all of your feelings are because of and can be blamed on other people, that you don’t take responsibility for your own feelings, that people are doing things at you rather than just living their lives – once you start that kind of thinking, if you don’t examine it, it does start to snowball.”

THE BOTH S/T STANDOUT TRACK: “MILWAUKEE” LISTEN NOW @ PERFORMERMAG.COM PERFORMER MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014 25

MUSIC BUSINESS

Is Guitar Center in the Dead Pool?

I

Part 1 of 2, in Which MUSIC Group Parts Ways with the Retail Giant

’ve personally bought tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment at Guitar Center (GC), but not recently. As the largest brick-and-mortar music retailer in the world, with dozens of locations in the United States, I imagine you have spent some good money there, too. Hell, GC saved my band on tour countless times.

But, that was then.

I haven’t been back in a long while, and most musicians I know aren’t making serious purchases there anymore. Sure, maybe a few picks or strings, but not a PRS or a synthesizer; for those, there’s a plethora of online retailers that will ship it right to you for a decent price (in many cases, free). So, what’s going on?

A short time ago, we received a sharply worded press release outlining how MUSIC Group (a leader in Pro Audio) was “parting ways” with Guitar Center based upon their (meaning Guitar Center’s) “financial situation” and their (again, GC’s) high risk “credit worthiness.” You can read it here: http://www.music-group.com/ CEO-Document-MUSIC-Group-Guitar-CenterPart-Ways-2014.pdf I reached out MUSIC Group for comment, and as of this printing, have not received a response.

So, I sought out Eric Garland (@ericgarland), Managing Director of Competitive Futures.

Garland is a mastermind at providing strategic trend and competitive analysis to executives from business and government agencies. And he’s a bass player, too! Just for fun, he wrote a personal post on his blog about Guitar Center, as if he were analyzing them, and it caught viral fire. Read it at www.ericgarland.co when you have a minute.

Eric knows his stuff, if his analysis holds true (and it most likely will), Guitar Center doesn’t have a very rosy outlook. I’m interested in whether this 26 AUGUST 2014 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

is confined to them alone, and what effect it might have on the wider MI community.

This press release war was fairly harsh, what did you think of it?

Eric Garland: The underlying issue is a very common story, in other words, “you owe us money, we don’t trust you; we’re parting ways.”

But the release war did seem over the top. The GC press release struck first, then the response from MUSIC Group, and it was mind-boggling.

I grabbed the popcorn. It was amazing, what did they think they’d get after publicly slamming a vendor?

Are you sick of the Guitar Center thing?

EG: No, it’s super fun. I’ve done analysis on every sort of industry, from nuclear power to diesel engines, and even toothpaste tubes. At night, I’m playing bass, or jamming in a honky-tonk band.

So, I get to do a little of this stuff, and just talk about guitars and basses. I’ve gotten fan mail and contacts of people that make the instruments that I play. Dude! That is incredibly gratifying. It hit a nerve for a reason; people care about this.

What do you say to detractors who think you’re picking on Guitar Center?

EG: That initial post had the most shares of any article I’ve written, over 25,000 Facebook shares. I shopped at Guitar Center and I shopped at local stores, as well. I had no particular animus toward them. I’m the guy that buys $5,000 basses! When I was in Washington, DC in 2003 before Bain Capital got a hold of them (and the economy changed), they didn’t seem to be an aggressive category killer. They encouraged relationships. They were occupying a space where no one else was.

Is this a music instrument retailer failure, or something greater?

EG: In all of retail, there’s no real recovery. There are some types of recovery for different reasons, but across the board, consumers have less disposable cash. There are 70 million baby boomers who have propped up guitar-driven musical instrument purchases, who thought guitars were cool.

They’re the ones buying the $18,000 Strats (or used to). There must be fresh consumers. Your average profile for a musician today is much more of a tech play: software, sequencers, etc. So, it’s a retail thing compounded with this segment [shift].

Do you think the MUSIC Group row is an isolated incident?

EG: I’ve only written about 19% of what I know.

When someone has billionaire attorneys, it wouldn’t take much for them to really mess with me, or my wife, so I’m very careful about what I put out. But anyone can see the situation. They have terrible inventory now, and there are rumors swirling of more vendors exiting. After the first article, in December, someone tipped me, “Did you hear they were a junk bond?” Really?! Then, their CEO came to comment on my Facebook page, and that’s when I knew something was up. That was that they knew they were going bankrupt.

Editor’s Note: In part two, we’ll explore deeper the cause of GC’s troubles, and how independent musicians might be affected by it, and other music retailers’ demise.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michael St. James is the founder and creative director of St. James Media, specializing in music licensing, publishing, production and artist development.

MUSIC BUSINESS

4 Key Tips to Get your Music in TV, Movies & More M

by PETE ROGERS of TUNECORE

ost musicians don’t exactly dream of hitting the big time by being background music, however any time a film or TV studio, production company or someone else wants to use your composition, they need to pay you for the synchronization license. This practice of Sync Licensing remains one of the most exciting (and lucrative) revenue opportunities in the business. It’s an incredible chance to get additional exposure, and in some instances, it even pays off in huge record sales.

Take, for example, Fun’s “We are Young.” It jumped from #63 to #3 on the Billboard charts after it was used in the Chevy Sonic’s “Stunt Anthem” Super Bowl ad.

So how does one get in on this potential rent (if not career) making position? As a creative at TuneCore, I work with music supervisors and songwriters every day to place tracks in movies, TV shows, commercials and more. Here are a few key tips to help songwriters to have a better chance of getting noticed…and paid.

MAINTAIN A SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE SO MUSIC SUPERVISORS CAN SEE HOW ACTIVELY ENGAGED YOUR FAN BASE IS. It’s growing increasingly common for the music in TV shows, commercials and movies to be considered more than just background; it’s part of the whole promotional pie.

A songwriter with a sizable, pre-established network has an immediate edge beginning with the pitching process. For example, the fact that TuneCore artist and songwriter Alex Day has over a million followers on YouTube makes music supervisors much more likely to consider licensing his music. And if it’s a choice between two songs by two different artists, it’s this readymade social audience that could be the deciding factor.

CREATE A CAPPELLA AND INSTRUMENTAL VERSIONS OF YOUR SONGS BEFORE THE SESSION IS WRAPPED. While music is sometimes in the forefront of a scene (think “Crystal Blue Persuasion” in Breaking Bad), it’s usually secondary to other audio like dialogue. Over half of the license requests received by TuneCore’s creative team are for instrumentals. While the version that ultimately appears on screen may be the one with lyrics, the vocal-less version is frequently used throughout the editing process. While negotiating with the music supervisor for NBC show Growing Up Fisher, TuneCore Songwriter Anthony Watkins from the band Mobley had his song “Torch” selected over other options largely because this alternate version was readily available.

CREATE CLEAN OR ALTERNATE VERSIONS OF SONGS THAT INCLUDE PROFANITY SO YOU’RE NOT LIMITING YOURSELF TO R-RATED PROJECTS ONLY. This one is probably the most no-brainer of the lot. It’s pretty safe to assume Glee would not have had Gwyneth Paltrow singing the original version of CeeLo’s hit. While the R-rated version gave the single huge viral appeal, it’s “Forget You” that will be paying CeeLo’s bills for years to come.

DON’T JUMP AT THE OFFER BEFORE YOU KNOW ALL THE FACTS. While the promise of a quick paycheck may have you ready to sign on the first dotted line you’re presented, that’s an easy way to sell your craft short. In fact, it’s advisable to get the assistance of a professional who knows the nuances of licensing and will make sure you get the best deal.

Sync licensing fees are based on multiple factors like length of use, how the composition is being used (background or up front), the format and the popularity of the production. There are no industry-wide standards for fees and the range is a few hundred to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

You’re likely to get a much better deal if someone in the business handles your one-on-one negotiation.

For example, TuneCore helped one songwriter license a song for use in the commercials for a major mobile device manufacturer in Europe.

While the original $40K offer was certainly nothing to sneeze at, the TuneCore team was able to nearly double that amount by leveraging their vast knowledge and experience with similar deals.

Synchronization licensing can be an incredibly lucrative revenue stream for a songwriter, and it’s an opportunity we think every songwriter should be able to take advantage of. But finding and negotiating these deals is complicated and often involves several parties. Partnering with someone who knows the in and outs such as TuneCore helps you to be sure your best interests are represented.

ABOUT TUNECORE PUBLISHING ADMINISTRATION TuneCore’s Music Publishing Administration offers Songwriters & Publishers a simpler and more viable solution for managing the rights to their compositions. The in-house staff has over 100 combined years of experience in Music Publishing Administration. They excel in registering, licensing, pitching, promoting as well as processing the royalties due for a songwriter’s compositions. TuneCore Music Publishing Administration also negotiates licenses on a case-by-case basis, which allows the company to command higher fees for clients.

PERFORMER MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014 27

MY FAVORITE AXE

with

Jack

FORMAN bass/keys in Recess Monkey

My band Recess Monkey is a Seattle trio known nationally for our unique spin on ‘family music.’ We’ve made eleven albums and played hundreds of shows over the past 9 years.

MAKE & MODEL

1980 Moog Source Monophonic Synthesizer WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU

I got it on eBay five years ago and have played it on every album since. It’s the perfect balance of high tech and a weird, ancient artifact. The thing could cook bacon when it gets warmed up all of the way.

WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE

Anything you want it to - two oscillators with lots of customization, I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface. This is the keyboard your Casio SK-1 dreams about at night.

SPECIAL FEATURES

This was the first MOOG with memory; it functions EXACTLY like a Speak and Spell, right down to the plastic blister controls.

CAN BE HEARD ON

It’s all over our brand new album Wired, usually in ten to twenty stacks of overdubs.

LISTEN NOW @ www.recessmonkey.com

Follow on Twitter: @recess_monkey

Got a favorite instrument you’d like to share? Email us at editorial@performermag.com

28 AUGUST 2014 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

RECORDING

Performer’s Guide to Microphone Selection M

any microphones have been talked about as if they have this mystical ability to enhance performances, as if they can transform a crappy guitar into a handcrafted masterpiece or a mediocre vocalist into a diva. Is this true? Should you plunk down a few grand on a vintage Neumann U-87? Or will a Chinese-manufactured knock-off (see photo above) costing far less do the trick? It’s true that the characteristics of some microphones make them sound better on some instruments and voices than others. We’ll try to explain why and what you should look for - so microphone detectives read on…

CONDENSER vs. DYNAMIC

A dynamic microphone uses a moving coil to create current that gets amplified; think of it like a speaker working in reverse. The venerable Shure SM57 and 58 are good examples. They are generally more rugged than their condenser counterparts. Because of the mass of the moving coil, dynamics tend to have poor transient response and on average are less sensitive than condensers.

Condenser mics on the other hand use a thin plastic film coated with gold or nickel, giving them very little mass – yes, you guessed it, making them more sensitive. Condensers also require phantom power to work, generally supplied by the preamp through one of the legs of the XLR cable. This sensitivity is a good thing when using them to capture the nuances of a soft vocal or acoustic guitar performance but can make them more prone to breakage if dropped or by putting a sensitive condenser mic inside a kick drum where the sound pressure levels can easily break the capsule. The size of the capsule (generally ranging from 3/8”

to 1”) also has an effect on the characteristics and expense of the microphone.

RIBBON MICS

A ribbon mic is a dynamic mic that uses a thin metal ribbon clamped between two magnetic poles instead of a moving coil, so it responds to the moving air’s velocity rather than its pressure.

Because it rejects signals from the sides, its Figure 8 pattern is excellent for setting up in a Blumlein stereo pattern (see our previous Performer articles on miking techniques.) Ribbon mics have been known to provide a smoother, more detailed recording than moving coil dynamic mics but are less commonly used due to their more fragile nature.

DIRECTIONALITY, PADS & ROLL-OFF

Most often when you think about recording an instrument or voice, you think about just wanting to capture the sound straight on, especially when on-stage and the bleed from other instruments in close proximity is undesirable.

For these applications, cardioid or hyper-cardioid patterned mics are what you want. Their heart shaped pickup pattern means that most of the sound hitting them from the sides and back will be rejected. But what if you want to record five singers in a room? In this case a microphone with an omni-directional pattern would be great. Or what if you have two singers facing each other? The Rode NT2-A ($400 street) is a large diaphragm condenser mic that offers a selection switch so that you can choose between Cardioid, Omni & Figure-8 Patterns to suit your needs. The NT2-A also offers switches to roll-off low frequencies (40Hz & 80Hz) and a Pad switch to lower the sensitivity of the mic for high volume situations.

part 1 of 2

Why would you want to roll off low frequencies? Let’s say you’re recording a female vocalist who is tapping her foot; by rolling off the low frequencies you can help lower the chances of recording foot thumps without losing any of her performance, as she isn’t likely to put out frequencies below 80Hz. On the other hand, if you were recording a kick drum you wouldn’t need the roll-off, but you might want the Pad switch on -10dB because of the high output of the drum.

USB

Plug and play, baby! These mics have their place – especially for dedicated uses like recording audio books or podcasts direct to your laptop or DAW. They eliminate the need for an interface box, external power supply and an XLR cable by putting the preamp in the mic itself. If you just need a basic mic to record clear demos in your bedroom, this could be the perfect streamlined solution. For instance, the AT2020 USB (appx $129 street) which is based on the outstanding AT-2020, allows you to plug a USB cable from the mic right into your computer and voilà! Stay tuned next month for part two in our series on mic selection…

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Zac Cataldo is a musician and owner/producer at Night Train Studios, a recording studio in Westford, MA. He is also co-owner of Black Cloud Productions, a music publishing company. Reach him at zac@nighttrainstudios.com.

Brent Godin is a bassist/guitarist and engineer/producer at Night Train Studios. He is also a talent scout at Black Cloud Productions.

Reach him at brent@blackcloudproductions.com.

PERFORMER MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014 29

GEAR REVIEWS

ELECTRO-VOICE ETX-10P Powered Loudspeakers - $1099 /each

I-MEGO Maze Headphones - $139

E

PROS

Flexible, expandable, great adjustability physically & sonically.

CONS

Slightly pricey.

V’s ETX system is a professional level series, which is simple enough to keep “roadies” away, and still sound fantastic. The ETX-10P sports a 10” woofer and a 1.25” high frequency driver.

The enclosure’s design enables it to be used in a monitor or in a front-of-house application, with two tripod post supports (one angled, one vertical), and the ability to be hung from a ceiling.

Inside a 2,000-watt class-D power amp and Digital Control Processor reside.

The connections are 1/4” and XLR, so no special cables are needed to connect a pair together. The two inputs also have volume controls, meaning if the only thing running through these speakers is two sound sources (vocals or acoustic guitar, for example) a mixing board isn’t necessary. The onboard digital processor has a bright display and is super easy to navigate. Settings can adjust for the type of application: music playback, live sound, or speech. Tweaking based on location takes it even a step further. Not enough? An adjustable EQ is available as well. To keep things safe, it even has limit controls to prevent failures (both audio-wise, and also heat-wise). It’s also able to integrate with the other speakers in their ETX line, such as EV’s ETX-18SP subwoofer model, making for a really robust, scalable system.

At the end of the day, it’s a super powerful monitor/PA speaker, with plenty of headroom, and is adjustable for optimum clarity and definition. With an output rated at 134dB (louder than some small aircraft) it should be able to handle almost anything thrown at it, especially as a part of complete professional sound system. Street price is $1100, but considering what it can do, and that it does it so well, maybe it’s time to sell the hobbled-together PA system to another band (or venue), and take a step in the right direction.

Chris Devine

T PROS

Interesting aesthetics.

CONS

Middle-ofthe-road sound quality, especially for the price.

Frequency Response: 85 Hz - 20 kHz

he new Maze headphones from I-MEGO are a head-scratcher. They look kinda neat, they sound kinda OK, they’re sorta comfortable and they’re priced somewhat between low-end cans and serious, professional studio monitoring headphones. So this reviewer is left wondering where, exactly, these are supposed to fit. They just left a “blah” impression all around, and their lack of clear positioning in the market leaves a question mark as to their intended purpose (and target audience – I mean, are these for musicians and engineers, or consumers, or both?).

Simply put, they don’t sound good enough to be taken seriously as pro audio gear, and they’re a bit pricey for your average iOS/Android consumer looking to replace their stock buds (and, unfortunately, not pricey enough to compete with the brainwashed Beats crowd). For pretty much the same price, we’d recommend you get a pair of Grado SR-80’s or Audio-Technica ATH-M50x’s if you’re a true audiophile who doesn’t want to drop $1,000 on headphones. Either choice is going to be better sounding (by leaps and bounds), more comfortable, and better looking.

Yeah, the design is somewhat interesting (their retro vinyl look is touted in all of I-MEGO’s marketing materials) and they fold neatly like sunglasses, but that doesn’t clear up the Maze’s identity crisis, or make them sound any better than just “OK.”

Benjamin Ricci

Maximum SPL: 134 dB peak

Driver Diameter: 40mm x 2

Coverage (H x V): 90 x 60 degrees

Frequency Response: 20 - 20,000Hz

Power Rating: 2000 W

Sensitivity: 121 +/- 3dB

LF Transducer: SMX2100 254 mm (10 in) HF Transducer: DH3-B 1.25-in titanium compression driver

FEATURES

FEATURES

Frequency Range: 65 Hz - 20 kHz

Impedance: 32ohms Cable: Detachable 1.2m cable

Crossover Frequency: 1700 Hz

Connector: 3.5mm gold-plated stereo plug

Connectors: (2) XLR/TRS combo jack and (1) XLR link output

Controller: In-line microphone

30 AUGUST 2014 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

SABIAN Stick Flip Bag - $39

D

T

PROS

Solid construction, great sound, included XLR connector.

CONS

None.

he construction of Shure’s new SM35 headset mic is top notch.

The condenser microphone’s casing is metal, and the flexible gooseneck has a robust feel that gives a performer confidence. Even the plastics have a durable feel to them – kudos, Shure. The headband is flexible, comfortable, and should fit on even the largest noggins, plus it’s discrete, size-wise.

The SM35 is designed for close proximity, and primarily for vocal use. With the included windscreens, “pops” are virtually eliminated. There’s plenty of clarity, and almost no bleed-through from other sound sources, which is great (especially on loud stages where vocals need to cut the mix). Be mindful of breathing, and any noises that could be made during performances, as this mic may be sensitive enough to pick that up; adjusting the gooseneck to the right distance from the mouth is key here.

While it’s designed to work seamlessly with Shure’s wireless body pack (not included, though we did test it out through one Shure was kind enough to supply), it also includes an XLR adapter, in case there is any unlikely problem with the body pack, or something as simple as a low battery. Simply connect an XLR cable and you’re back in business. Being tethered by a cable, however, could cut down on any extended choreographed dance numbers (you know you want to channel your inner Janet Jackson with one of these bad boys), but Shure’s at least thought of a nice, simple backup.

For vocalists who want to be hands-free, or don’t want to deal with a microphone stand, this is a fantastic unit. The only suggestion for most musical applications, depending on how aggressive the musical situation is, would be to use a noise gate, or have a sound guy who’s quick with the mute button. The last things the audience wants to hear are the grunts and heavy breathing that aren’t part of the performance.

Chris Devine

PROS

Works great, plenty of storage space, folds flat, rugged, inexpensive.

CONS

None.

rummers, here’s an easy way to make life on the road easier for just a few duckets. Sabian’s new Stick Flip bag is awesome. First of all, it’s a rugged, durably constructed stick bag – you’re gonna need one anyway, so why not buy one that’s gonna stand up to the abuse of your next tour? It’s roomy, with plenty of storage for multiple pairs of sticks, plus it zips up nicely and stores flat when not in use.

So those are the basics. What makes the bag more than just a normal stick bag? Well, this one flips up and stands on its own, pulling double duty as a stick bag and a portable drumstick holder that you can position next to your floor tom or snare for easy access to sticks mid-show. Rad – no more bags hanging off (and more than likely, falling off) your floor tom ever again. How many times do we have to witness a drummer scrambling after sticks that have just spilled out of his or her bag, mid-set? It’s embarrassing and just perpetuates all the dumb drummer jokes everyone seems to love so much.

Best part of the new Sabian bag? It unzips and flips in about two seconds, and there are no snaps or hooks. No nonsense; we like that. It’s a simple accessory that someone should have been making all along; it just makes sense and it works as advertised. Plus, at only $39 online, you’re not breaking the bank for something you know you’re gonna use night in, night out for years to come.

We highly recommend the new Stick Flip bag from Sabian, simple as that.

David Larson

GEAR REVIEWS

SHURE SM35-XLR Headset Condenser Microphone - $149

Type: Electret Condenser

FEATURES

Frequency Response: 40 Hz - 20,000 Hz Polar Pattern: Unidirectional (Cardioid) Output Impedance: @ 1 kHz 2400 O Audio Output Level: -59.0 dBV/Pa Signal-To-Noise Ratio: @ 1 kHz 55 dB Maximum SPL: 1000 O load, @ 1% THD 153.0 dB Dynamic Range:@ 1 kHz, 1000 O load 114.0 dB PERFORMER MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014 31

FLASHBACK

HISTORY Widely considered the best high-end reverb of its day, the 224 was made by a nuclear scientist Dr. David Griesinger. The unit was considered “affordable” at $7,500 back in the ’70s, making it an expensive addition, to even a professional studio.

INTERESTING FEATURE Having the remote console-top controller allowed for ease of manipulation when considering reverb options.

PROMINENT USERS Referred to as the “godfather” of digital reverbs, the 224 has been a fixture for almost 40 years and continues to be used on countless albums. Early adopters such as Peter Gabriel, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, U2 and Talking Heads were not alone in loving the unit’s lush reverb sounds and easy-to-use slider controls.

MODERN EQUIVALENT Universal Audio makes a plug-in that is an exact replica in sound and functionality, minus the 4-rack space, mostly.

LESSONS LEARNED I have the plug-in and the 1978 version and while people say there is no difference, I feel like the actual physical unit sounds more organic and dynamic. It’s likely in my head but let’s pretend, OK? OTHER NOTES There is really NO reason to take up precious rack space with this unit if you have the plug-in. However, there is a cool factor to having it sitting on your console (presuming you even bother to have a console these days!) and if you have the extra cash, it makes a fine addition to your vintage gear collection.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Don Miggs is a singer/songwriter/producer and fronts the band miggs (Elm City/Capitol Records).

His love affair with vintage instruments and gear only presents a problem when he’s awake. Find out more at miggsmusic.com, @miggsmusic, thelalamansion.com or on his radio show, @thefringeAM820 (Saturdays 5-7pm EST).

1978 Lexicon 224 Digital Reverb

Embraced by U2, Talking Heads and Peter Gabriel 32 AUGUST 2014 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

New i-Series. New song.

iOne™

iTwo™

Tracked on her iPad® with new Capture™ Duo. Beamed wirelessly to her laptop and mixed with Studio One® Artist.

Available for sale to her fan base the same day via Nimbit®. The iOne and iTwo are the only 96kHz USB 2.0 interfaces with a seamless suite of easy-to-use software that encourages your creativity. ©2014 PreSonus Audio Electronics., Inc. All Rights Reserved. iOne, iTwo and Nimbit are trademarks or registered trademarks of PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc. Capture and Studio One are trademarks or registered trademarks of PreSonus Software Ltd. All other marks are property of their respective holders. Except any smudges you get on this magazine. Those marks are solely your property.

Full info and videos at… www.presonus.com/i-series