niteshift music

Scott Campbell - "Full Assembly Required - Album Review

2011-08-08T00:46:00.000-07:00

In 2010, net label Prosity Records, released the Scott Campbell EP "Some Assembly Required" Now Scott is back to finish the project, with the addition of a further 7 songs, and the release of the full length CD, "Full Assembly Required" .

With the same whimsical songwriting attitude, and a gravel infused voice which only seems to get better for wear, this album of Americana, folk, folk-rock, blues and old-time popular music is better for it's completion to full length. There are not a great deal of albums which are written as such, some being more song collections. Full Assembly Requird, is quite the opposite, and meanders effortlessly from one track to the next, down it's own road, and in it's own time.

The opening number Amen is rich on vocal talent but does not set the mood for the rest of the tracks. It is the title number, Full Assembly Required that does that, with it's straight foward approach, and a tounge in both cheeks attitude.

Songs such as the the delightfully playfull 2 song medley Over the Moon For You/Everything Things Coming Out Blue even includes a lead whistling track which in some ways would seem dated, but here it is a near perfect fit. Moving on to more serious subjects such as Steelworking Sons of a Gun doesn't detract form the acute lyrical observations inherent in the work, and the album as a whole provides a vivid lyrical picture which remains throughout its varied playlist.

I caught up with Scott to further explore the albums origins and to see how it progressed.....

NS - Full Assembly Required carries on from the previous success of the EP Some Assembly Required. Was there an intent there to follow up with a full CD, or did it just happen ?

SC - As one who came of age in the 70's, I'm always thinking of projects in terms of albums. Not necessarily concept albums but at albums that at least follow a loose theme. The theme usually arises after I have about three or four songs finished. The reason I went with the EP first here is that Dan Tindall, a JPF member who created the Prosity Records net label, agreed to release an EP of my songs. He might have been willing to release an entire album but, at the time, all his other releases were EP's so I just went with that. But I knew at the time it would eventually become a full album.

NS - You do have some help along the way here, but most of the heavy lifting.... the song writing, the playing, the vocals and the production are done by yourself. Any tips for those who also have to wear many hats ?

SC - Most of the time I feel like I'm winging it but, if pressed to offer something philosophical, it would probably be, "have fun but work on improving the thing that is holding you back the most." Once you improve that, something else will become the weak link and you can turn your attention to that for awhile. And so on, and so on...... The great thing is that you will never run out of things to work on - so you'll never get bored.

NS - Your voice is certainly unique. Where do you find the right sort of gravel to gargle with ?

SC - It's been a fun thing for me to find that gravel. I started a project a few years ago on recording songs that were in the public domain - old folk songs like Erie Canal, Let the Bullgine Run, Ain't No More Cain - stuff like that. They seemed to call for a more raspy vocal than I had used previously. I posted these songs on the JPF music group expecting that people would say, "What the hell are you doing with your vocals". Instead, they egged me on - so I continued to experiment with different vocal approaches.

So I've been enjoying thinking of vocals like a musical instrument - where you bend them to suit the song. At the same time, the public domain project inspired me to write more songs in an Americana type vein - where the raspy vocal fit the topic.

I'll probably get into something else at some point, but for right now, I'm just going where the muse takes me. Interesting to me is the fact that I use far less processing on my vocals now that I did previously - just some compression, a little reverb, and a mild cut at about 250 Hz. About the only other thing I do is, if I want a REALLY raspy vocal, I sing it first thing in the morning before coffee.

NS - There's certainly a mixture of styles and genres, but acoustic singer songwriter would probably fit best. Do you go for a more acoustic style, or is it something you're comfortable with ?

SC - I just go with what my muse steers me to. Lately, they've all been in a similar vein (acoustic singer songwriter is probably a good description) but that could change on the day the muse pops something really outlandish into my head.

NS - Where did the idea of whistleing in a song origonate ?

SC - It probably was placed in my mind 40 years ago when I heard Otis Redding sing "Dock of the Bay". Why it finally came out here, in Over the Moon for You, I'm not sure. It just seemed to fit. If there is a silver lining to waiting until you are middle aged to write and record songs, it's that all these things you've heard are buried in your brain just waiting to pop out at the right moment.

NS - You've recorded 3 albums now. Any thoughts as to live shows ?

SC - Not really. I have a wonderful career outside music that allows just enough time in the cracks to enjoy making music. There really isn't time right now for me to develop the skills to be a good performer. And I DO recognize that they are serious skills.

I won't rule it out because I've found myself doing all kinds of things that I would have thought crazy a few years prior. If I do it though, given my age and type of music, it would definitely be a niche type thing, which suits me just fine.

NS - What's next on the agenda ?

SC - I'm not sure. It will probably take six or seven months to sort itself out. Right now I have about half a dozen songs in the rock genre and about half a dozen in a similar vein to Full Assembly Required. I also have about half a dozen cover songs that I really like. And I have a single phrase in mind that I somehow think an entire project will build itself around. I'll probably go with whichever one gets finished first.

NS - What is your favorite thing about making music?

SC - It's getting into the flow or the zone. That state of mind where you are so focused on creating something that hours pass without you even realizing it. Where you've got random things coming at you from all directions and you're making them all fit together into something coherent. Where the balls are all in the air and the plates are spinning away and there is not even any effort to it. To me, it's the greatest high on earth and my goal is to spend as much time in that state as possible. I have been able to get there doing other things too but it is particularly accessible through music - so I'll keep doing it until I can't get there anymore.

With such an approach, it's not difficult to understand how such a listenable album was created from the outset. Full Assembly Required is available now through CD Baby and all digital retailers.

Title : Full Assembly Required
Genre : Singer Songwriter

Artist : Scott W Campbell

Linda Adams, Ricki Bellos, Tammy Carlson, Gwendolyn Campbell, Wendy DuMond, and Joice Terceira sing backing vocals on Thanks Be to You.

Producer : Scott W Campbell
Engineer : Mike Caro

Rating : 4.5/5

KAW Creation and Yann Causeret Release New Single - "A Stranger Told Me You Were Gone"

2011-06-01T04:29:00.000-07:00

Writing about death is never easy. Writing about the moment of death, even harder. KAW Ctreation and Yann Causeret do just that with the release of the new single "A Stranger Told Me You Were Gone".

So where do you start in writing the first few lines about that moment which occurs to all of us ? Start at the beginning ? Track backwards, and add a few mournful moments ? Add some violins for effect, and a sweeping harp to capture the percieved magesty and mystery?

No. not really. You start with a couple of verses and a chorus, written by French songsmith Yann Causeret and posted on an obscure message board, almost solely dedicated to those strange people referred to as songwriters. You then spend the next 18 months emailing ideas back and fowrth with your co-writer on the other side of the planet, finish up with a vocal recorded in France, backing recorded in Australia and guitar over dubs recorded both in France and th US, and then send the whole thing to Austalia for mastering. It's that easy...... really.

When choosing which material to work upon, sometimes logic just goes out the window, and is replaced by a feeling which simply compels the writer to continue. Ths song itself takes hold, and whisks it's participants along in a frenzied barrage of ideas. Nothing is too weird, nothing is too stupid, and nothing unworkable if you have the right creative talent on the team.

Such was the case with "A Stanger". With no deadlines, and no "must do now" timelines, the song itself grew almost organically. And like an organic carrot, had all the bumps and imperfections of a natural product which sprung up from the manure pile of random thought. Neatly transferred into a studio setting, it was then srubbed and cleaned, and scrubbed some more until it all sat nicely in place.

Words were changed, phrasing was altered, musical memes added and subtracted, until it's essence was easily seen. Somtimes death is instant, and from the initial shock comes a flow of emotions, hopefully captured here as a brief moment in time.

KAW Creation featuring Yann Causeret, are proud to announce the release of the new single, "A Stranger", a song which took the long road, but finally made it to completion.

"A Stranger Told Me You Were Gone"
© 2010 Causeret/Gotthilf/Wood

Yann Causeret - Vocals
Hervé Gotthilf - Acoustic Guitar
Geoff Wood - Acoustic guitar, drums, keys
Mark Kaufman - Lead guitar
Mike Dunbar - Bass

Producer - Geoff Wood
Engineer - Paul Butler Tayar

Photographer - Johan Genin

"A Stranger" is available as a digital download everywhere, including iTunes , and can be previewed and purchased directly from the KAW Creation website.

Bern and the Brights - Swing Shift Maises - EP Review

2010-09-21T04:19:00.000-07:00

Being genreless is similar being stateless. Skipping over boarders, and bouncing over boundaries, can indeed, have a profound effect on the senses and give freedom to the way in which the world is perceived. The latest release from Bern and the Brights – Swing Shift Maises EP, does just that.

(CLICK TO ENLARGE )

Hailing from New Jersey, and playing the local circuit, where they’ve honed their considerable skills as a formidable live talent, Bern and the Brights have taken their collective musical ability into the studio. Primarily described as an acoustic EP, the band has given the light touch to an EP which could have easily been over bearing if over produced. That’s not the case here.

A lightness and a deftness of touch, contrasted with strong structure and subtle layering, ( especially in regard to violinist Nicole Scorsone) provide solidity and depth to a musical style which is both unique, and yet vaguely familiar.

All four tracks, sit alone independently, yet are easily mixed and matched to follow one another in no particular order. The yearning of the opening track Boo, with sublime vocals by Bernadette Malavarca, develops and builds, and is well constrained, giving tension and release in equal measures. A deeply soulful track, Boo could easily be turned on it’s head, but instead has a constrained subtlety that doesn’t divert from the rise and fall of it’s natural progression. It would be all too easy to let this track rip, and ruin it completely.

Leading into the following track, Sangria Peaches , the instrumentation of acoustic and electric guitar, bass, drums, and violin doesn’t change, but is used in a totally different way. With the addition of castanets, and a staccato violin, a quirkiness is added, without being too much misplaced. Likewise the next tune, Sleepless Aristotle , is similar in tone and texture, yet defies the unwritten rules of conformity. And finally, It Goes Like That, with a different take on a hillbilly beat, and an unusual nod to Twang Town, round off the four tracks on offer.

There is nothing predictable here. A progression which may be heard next, is simply not there, and a surprising good use of referenced cliches, is used sparingly with a tonge firmly planted in both cheeks, if that's at all possible. Frontwomen Bernadette Malavarca and Catherine McGowan take up the story......

NS - The band has a very organic sound, for want of a better word. Is this intentional ? or perhaps a byproduct of the live show ? There's no synthetic instrumentation for example.

B - It's just what feels right for now. We have no firm stance for or against synthetic instrumentation, and it's likely that at some point, we would introduce something like that. But, I do think that unless you are careful with synthetic sounds and so forth, the usage can easily date.... and, I think in general, the intention with Bernie and the Brights is to strive for timelessness whenever we can.... fingers crossed that we achieve it.

NS -That live acoustic sound has translated well into a studio setting. Are you happy wth the overall feel ?

C - We’re definitely pleased with the overall feel of the EP. We recorded live, all 5 of us, and just overdubbed the final vocals, additional violins, guitars and percussion, specifically because we were trying to capture our live sound. We started a few recording projects and recording live with all 5 of us was the final method that worked for us.

B - Yes, it has translated. We had some time to marinate with each other and develop together before tracking the EP, and it's a good thing, I think, though we were always anxious to get something out...ASAP.

NS -Marinating has certainly worked. Why an Ep then ? Not a single, for example, or a fuller album ?

C -We primarily did an EP to finally get a recording out there. It was long over-due for us and a full length was going to take a lot longer than we wanted to wait.

B - Yeah. Time was a factor in the decision. We did not want to rush a full-length, but we did want to get something out there. In terms of choosing the songs that were ultimately included, these four are ones that fans really like, as well as a survey, or snap shot of what we are like as a band.

NS - Track selection is always important ? Why these tracks, specifically, out of the many you have ?

C -We have about 30 songs, with a few babies still growing. These 4 songs are some of our more staple, fan favorite tracks, but they also display a bit of our diversity, so they seemed to be the best to select for putting them out first.

NS - They're certainly diverse, but when the Ep is put on random play, each track is unique, ......yet fits, or compliments the others, They could be in any order. Usually, tracks are ordered for overall flow and effect, but with this Ep, it doesn't matter. Is it by design, or just an overall feel, in how you write and perform ?

B - I don't know why this happens, but I'm glad you say that. I think it's a happy accident if they work in random order, but we tried to be conscious of flow when we ordered the songs.

NS - It's been well recieved. More gigs, and travelling further afield ?, or back into the studio for more recording ?

B - Recording and travel are certainly in the forefront of our goals. We would like to release a full length, and ....expand, grow, however we can.

NS - And that growth also involves other artistic persuits as well ? From your website, it's all hand done, a hands on approach by the band. Is it important to retain a certain level of creative and managerial control ?

B: I'm not sure the need to control the content to that extent is so conscious; I think much of it does boil down to resources, as a practical reason, but also it is true that we enjoy doing some of the aspects beyond music ... art, writing, etc.

C: Yeah. The creative aspects beyond just the music can be fun to think about, but it's almost a full time job that requires just as much time and effort as writing and performing our music. And we did create the artwork for Swing Shift Maisies on our own, which was a lot of fun, but a ton of work. But, like Bernadette said, it's all a matter of resources, .......financial resources.

NS -I've described this Ep as genreless. It's not that it's floating around, looking for a genre, it just doesn't need to. It's just unique in it's perception and presentation, and appears to have evolved natually. Your thoughts ?

B - I can see that. I just think it is what it is...we kind of just write songs that feel honest. I think, by default, songwriters are like stew bowls .... if the influences are all over, what's likely to come out will reflect that. The hope is that that mix feels fresh.... like some hybrid product of all that's ever gone into your consciousness.

NS- So with all the options available, what's next on the agenda ?

B: Work. Work. Work. Writing. Recording. Becoming better musicians. Expanding our touring radius and releasing more content. Growing however we can. And definitely, working hard is important. In the end, we love it. We had a pretty great weekend that just passed. We got to open for Fishbone down at the House of Blues in Atlantic City Friday night and then Saturday afternoon we were in the Union County Music Fest. We were on the 101.9RXP stage, but the main stage acts included Spoon, Train, OK GO, Soul Asylum, The Zombies and others. It was a really awesome experience, to say the least. More literally though, a full-length album is in the plan for 2011.

So, with the Ep done, a line of touring dates being drawn up, and a new album planned for 2011, Bern and the Brights, have all the happenings of a promising, and hard working future. If you get the chance to catch them live, ( gig dates here ) then do it now, before it's standing room only.

Swing Shift Maises is out now, and is available via CD Baby , iTunes and Amazon . This is one EP, where it's well worth buying the hard copy.

Title : Swing Shift Maisies

Genre : Undefined, but Altrenative Indie Folk may fit, so may Chamber Orchestra meets Dolly Parton, ..............or any combination which may be dreamt up

Artist : Bern and the Brights

Bernadette Malavarca – lead guitar/vocals/percussion
Catherine McGowan – acoustic guitar/vocals
Nicole Scorsone – violin
Shawn Fafara – bass
Jose Ulloa – drums

Rating ; 4/5

Joanne Lurgio - 'Nothing Remains the Same" - Album Review

2010-01-19T00:03:00.000-08:00

Joanne Lurgio's album "Nothing Remains the Same" was released December 13th 2009. Following on from the succesful 2005 debut album, "Find A Dream -catch it if you dare", it's been awhile between drinks, but indeed, nothing does remain the same, except for the heart warming voice and the presence of a valuable songwriting talent.

"Nothing Remains the Same" is written and performed in it's near entirity by former Mofit Magazines' Singer Songwriter of the Year ( 2007 ) , Joanne Lurgio. An album of 12 diverse, but interlinked songs, it meanders it's way from country rock, to gospel, to tired and lonely ballads, and to simple stories of life itself. What started out as a couple of demo tracks at the infamous Pineyfest Demo Derby, ended up to be a complete round trip musical journey. Joanne takes up the story.....

JL - Through luck and friendship I had a wonderful opportunity to record some of my songs in Nashville, TN. It started out as a demo project, but the more I listened to my recordings, the more I was loving what was happening to my songs and realized I wanted them for myself, not simply demowork. I called my friend Mike Dunbar, who was engineering & producing the demo projects and asked to change direction. to start working on a full length CD. Without hesitation, Mike gathered up some of the best Nashville musicians and we set out to finish the album we'd only just started.

A Rhode Island native, Joanne made the long treck to StringHouse Studios in Nashville to work with long time resident music producer, Mike Dunbar, and as Dunbar puts it, ......

MD - "Joanne was just a pleasure to work with. Although we had some of the best session musicians contributing their talent, it was Joanne herself who provided the backbone of each track, both lyrically and musically, and who required only the lightest of musical intrpretation. Sure, the backing is there, but it is secondary to the strength of vocal lines, and the depth of the songriting as a whole".

Stylistically diverse, yet with a strong sense of continuity, all the tracks on this album take the listener both on a well travelled path, and also down the less travelled side alleys of personal feeling. The deceptively simple blues of "True Love" ( with great alto sax from John Heinrich ), to the elequant delivery and Southern gospel approach of "Walking on Sacred Ground" to the vivid imagery of the title track "Nothing Remains the Same", are all in some ways the same approach, yet with a slight shift in mood, tempo and texture.

With a putity of voice, and an honest no frills approach to production, "Nothing Remains the Same" is not a "perfectly" recorded album. On the converse, being largely recorded "live to tape" with minimal overdubs, and an almost lack of interrupting wizardry, a live studio feel is maintained whilst bringing expression, musicianship and depth of feeling to the forefront. What you see ( or, rather hear ) is what you get.

There are not many vocalists, let alone singer songwriters who can pull off an entire album of listenable and memorable songs.

If you like your music similar to a home cooked 12 course dinner with a warming mulled wine, each track with an everchanging flavour but a strong sense of direction, each with that sense of familiarity yet a subtle but profound difference, then "Nothing Remains the Same" is a must listen. Yes, it has been a long while between drinks, so it's well worth the time to sit back and absorb the atmosphere of a well crafted album. Available from CD Baby, and digitally available eveywhere.

Title : Nothing Remains the Same
Genre : Singer Songwriter

Artist : Joanne Lurgio
Producer : Mike Dunbar

Joanne Lurgio - acoustic guitar & vocals
Mike Baker – guitar
Mike Dunbar – bass, mandolin & guitar
John Heinrich – steel guitar, tenor saxophones & soprano, dobro
Willie Rainsford – keyboard
Fred Satterfield - drums

Recorded at StringHouse Studio, Hendersonville TN and Mike Dunbar Productions, Nashville TN

Produced by Mike Dunbar, Mike Dunbar Productions, Nashville TN

Engineered by Mike Dunbar & Rick Otts

Rating : 4/5

KAW Creation Release New Single – “Brand New Plan”

2009-11-12T01:46:00.000-08:00

KAW Creation, consisting of the song writing team of Kaufman, Allen and Wood, today announced the release of their latest single, “Brand New Plan”

Sydney, Australia 13th November – KAW Creation today announced the release of their latest single “Brand New Plan”.

Written as a country rock song, with steel and acoustic guitar and a double fiddle line, “Brand New Plan” is essentially a four minute musical chick flick condensed down to fit a four minute story line.Letha Allens’ sublime vocal take on the state of inter-sex relationship struggle is cleverly crafted into a rocking country tune, with both an attitude to the future and a wink at the status quo.

The writing and production team of Kaufman, Allen and Wood, with finishing touches from sound engineer Thomas Wind, has once again captured an essence of what needs to be portrayed, and thrown it full force, back at the attitude from where it came.If you enjoy your country rock with a bit of bite, and with a tongue planted firmly in the cheek, then “Brand New Plan” is a certain listen in an uncertain world. Although mainly for the girls, the opposite sex will also smile at the wry sense of humour and “tell it as it is commentary”

“Brand New Plan” is available as a digital download everywhere, ( including iTunes, Rhapsody, Limewire and Napster ) from 16th November 2009, and is available for preview at KAW Creation’s home page at Independent Artists . Commercial broadcasters are invited to download hifi copies directly from Airplay Direct.

Bring on the Angst , it's Good for the Creative Mind

2009-08-11T00:48:00.000-07:00

Well, the week ended pretty much OK. With a case of writers' block eventually fading into the ether, and the prospect of a couple of interesting projects in the pipeline**, life was looking only dull rather than bleak. It was time to head off to an industry party.

As one who rarely attends such events, I find them refreshing in their total honesty towards a field whose greatest endeavour is to put a brave face on a plight, which for most, is one endless round of ups and downs, swings and roundabouts, obstructions and frustrations. The sound engineer who comments that those computer nerds are ruining business for everyone by providing cheap and accessible technology, although the average punter has no idea how to use it and over compresses everything to an ear bleeding zero. The television studio producer who laments the fact that he will no longer have a studio to work in, on the account that the real estate on which it stands is to be sold to the highest bidder, and the programmes and the building in which they were made will be outsourced, himself not included. The budding director maxing out the credit card to provide interim funding until such times as the "big finance" guys will fling themselves at his latest project of utter brilliance, and rescue the tortured soul of a true artist. The musician who can't sell any CD's because his music can be found on the internet for free, and most of the venues around town have stopped hiring musicians, having replaced them with the appropriate hippest and hottest knob twiddlers of the minute.

You would think that it would be easy to become depressed under such conditions.

But this is not the case. With a smile and a shrug of the shoulders to indicate that this is always the way it has been, all involved merrily laugh off such minor setbacks as trivial afterthought, and carry on forward. It has been this way for millennia and will probably be so for millennia to come. From the time of the first rock art ( that's the caves, not the music scene ) when Adam first slung mud at something and made it stick, the humble artist is the one who inspires both looks of admiration and total pity, all rolled up in a feeling usually reserved for the feeble minded.
But it's OK ! We're tough, we're resilient, and it is because of it that the latest compositions of the angst ridden soul are born. Without angst and without a reason to bemoan, we would have no art to create. So please keep putting out cheaper and cheaper computers, please keep selling the real estate in which we work, please keep providing endless finance to those who can't afford it, and please keep stealing the music for which we are trying to make a living.

For without all of that, we would be well off, middle class, boring, fashion conscious, media guzzling, consumeristic, uncaring dullards with nothing to moan about at industry parties. And with no angst, there would be no art to create. Now that really would be bleak......

** niteshifts’ new single “Linda Lou” with the band KAW Creation, now available on iTunes , Amazon , eMusic and Limewire and coming soon to Rhapsody .

KAW Creation Announce the Release of the Single "Linda Lou"

2009-06-29T04:13:00.000-07:00

KAW Creation, comprising of the song writing team of Allen, Kaufman and Wood, today announced the release of their third single, "Linda Lou".

Sydney, Australia (PRWEB) June 30, 2009 -- KAW Creation, comprising of the song writing team of Allen, Kaufman and Wood, today announced the release of their third single, "Linda Lou".

Departing musically from their two previous releases, "Linda Lou" is a Southern rock song inspired by song writer Letha Allens childhood in Saylerville, Kentucky. The use of natural instrumentation, (acoustic guitar, mandolin, harmonica) layered over a soulful, danceable, country back beat, and a solid electric rhythm section, provides both depth, and lightness to complement the solid performance of vocalist, and co-writer, Mark Kaufman.

Kaufman, who also provides most of the instrumentation, is accompanied by Allen's solid vocal performance, resulting in the delivery of a unique story line that inspires the listener to turn it up load and get out of their seat.
Best described as blues infused country rock with a Bo Didley flavour, "Linda Lou" was produced in Sydney by Australian producer Geoff Wood, and mix/mastered by engineer Thomas Wind in Denmark. The international focus of this release crosses world boundaries of country and rock and will appeal to those fans who enjoy a unique blend of styles. "Linda Lou" creates a rousing and uplifting toe tapping country rock experience.
Broadcast quality downloads of "Linda Lou" are available to licensed commercial broadcasters, exclusively at Airplay Direct. Streaming and downloads of "Linda Lou" are available to the general public exclusively from KAW Creation at Independent Artists Company.

###

I Woke Up This Morning ......

2009-06-14T04:39:00.000-07:00

The blues. To sing them or not. To play them or not. It seems most have, and will continue to do so.

Having performed and written in a few genres over the years, there is no doubt that to sing a sad song, a really sad song that lets it all out, can really be an uplifting experience. Duplicity of the situation aside, there just seems to be something wistful and melancholy about sitting in a smoky bar at 3 am, either as the performer, or as the only set of ears in the joint, and listening to the final few bars of a tune which contains both a sublime sadness, and a sense of “it’s OK, life will continue on”.

Having being on both sides of the listening experience, the blues may just have to be the one form of music that is universally recognised, and keeps on re-inventing itself. At the sake of conjuring up the shrimp scene from Forest Gump, you’ve got the blues, the Delta blues, blues rock, rock blues, jazz blues, country jazz rock blues, The Blues Brothers, The Brothers Grimm…. no, maybe not them, but you get the picture. And so it goes on. Played at one time or another by almost every musician on the planet, there must be something in this stuff which keeps it going.

I learnt to play the blues many years ago from an old musician, now very old, who was a piano player in a well respected hotel. I’d drop in late at night after playing my pub gigs. John would be sitting there at the piano, in his tuxedo, quietly tinkering away, filling the air. We’d have a chat in his breaks, sit and have a beer and talk music. Those were the days where the musicians were expected to talk to the guests, and it didn’t hurt things that it was also the days where the lead acts had a discretionary bar tab to use as they saw fit. I’d get up and play a couple of numbers, we’d play the occasional duet, and then I’d wander off into the night, to get some sleep and do it all over again the next evening. After travelling for ten years, I went back to that hotel. There was John, still as entertaining as ever, raising up a storm on the ivories. And as a true host that he was, he still remembered me by name.

The good thing about travelling of course is that you meet some very entertaining individuals. In retelling musical oddities, I can’t recall of how many little snippets contain the words “blues” “past midnight” “mildly sozzled” and the various combinations and derivations of the same. Travelling to London via Sri Lanka, we decided on a 2 day stopover in Colombo. The dinner entertainment was a trio of wandering Sri Lankins dressed as Mexicans, playing Hawaiian songs. Quite a treat. Of course, who wouldn’t end up in the bar with them, well after midnight, playing the blues ? Or sitting down next to a piano player on an old upright in a Tunisian hotel, only later to find out you’re playing the blues with a Spanish pathologist ? Or going to the infamous jam session, where no-one knows any songs, and playing a good ol’ 20 minute rendition of the song that has yet to be written. 12 bar of course, and at least everyone got a solo.

The blues don’t discriminate. Words aren’t necessary, and when they are, they are only there to entice the audience back from falling asleep. Best written when one is either annoyed, sullen, lonely, drunk or depressed, the best lines of course, just have to be “I woke up this morning”. In point of truth, it is usually “I woke up this afternoon”, if at all. That doesn’t seem to fit the rhyme scheme properly, but what’s a little artistic licence, if not to be used , and used over and over and over again. Is it 3 am yet ? Just checking………

A free stream and mp3 download of a slow southern blues, “Sad Song for Your Baby”, featuring the sultry vocals of Australian session vocalist Linda Rae Harris, is available by clicking the picture on the right.

Caught in the Loop

2009-06-11T01:10:00.000-07:00

After fruitlessly trying over and over to plug in the acoustic guitar, and getting a sound resembling a sitar in a train tunnel, the time had come to dig deep, bite the bullet and go in search of the infamous, and these days well regarded loops from the masters.

Now, I don't mind a good loop. They're great for those repetitive bits that really aren't worth hiring a drummer or bass player for when fleshing out a song, and exceptionally good if they're a sound effect and you happen to slip off the mouse and send the things spiralling out of time control. Talk about originality.

Not being a guitarist, I've never really worried about the guitar tracks. Just phone up a guitarist friend, send an email to an anonymous web server, pay a few bucks or scratch a few backs, and said track miraculously appears in the in box ready to be fitted seamlessly into the music of the moment. This was not the case in this case. Friends on holidays, unanswered emails and a dirge of new possibilities simply add to the confusion of how to get the damn backing track finished without the most important bits resembling a wobbly wind chime shaking in a junkyard breeze. There are a number of considerations here however. Patience and persistence simply don't work in regard to Brilliant Idea No1 on account of the musician in question having no idea that his musical abilities on acoustic guitar are far from brilliant.

So off we go on a musical odyssey, in search of the perfect guitar loop to complement the perfect but erratic accompliment . And what a host of material to choose from. Music sites abounding with the latest offers and discounts, all conveniently packaged and shipped to the door within a manner of days. A small thought creeps in here, that if it takes a couple of days to arrive, what about finding that unfindable riff on an internet site of dubious repute ? A quick look provides a simple answer. With URL's resembling the length of a Beijing telephone book, and a whole host of options ending in the domain name .ru, it's quite obvious this line of questioning will result in the immediate and systematic destruction of one or more hard drives, and a locking of the Windows which will require expert intervention. Best left alone.

After careful consideration of the viable alternatives, and not being a student, pensioner or other worthy individual of society in order to receive the maximum discount, ( Oh, that's right I'm a musician, which says it all really ) the appropriate title is selected and it's time to fill out the form. The little padlock arrives on the lower corner of the screen and provides great assurance to the one who is about to send his credit card details and entire financial viability into the abyss of the digital realm. At least the web site does not end in .ru.

Now it's time to sit back, and over the next couple of days, watch the little parcel make it's way through the twists and turns of Fedex, thanks to the helpful little tracking programme that has been sent via email. Oh good, it's got to Dallas, yippee it's passed through Hawaii, and what do you know? , it's landed at Sydney airport and is clearing through customs. It's always great to deal with a company that knows the difference between Australia and Austria. Ok, it's now the afternoon and it hasn't arrived. The little tracking programme said it would be here by this afternoon and it's nearly 4.30. Time to take the kids to their swimming lessons. It wouldn't arrive while I was away for an hour would it ? You bet it would. Upon our return, there is a white card at the doorstep stating "We called with your parcel, but you weren't in." . NO BLOODY KIDDING ! OK, calm down. Just leave the signed card at the door, and they will leave the package next time they come around. Hopefully tomorrow.

Tomorrow arrives, and there, in the morning, sitting in the gleaming sun, is the little package. But wait. It looks a bit strange. The glee of receiving such a wonderful new toy is replaced by the horror, that upon opening, the case has bent up at the edges, on account that it has been sitting on the hottest part of the porch and has been quietly baking, hotter than a Bondi blonde. Never mind, the disk might be all right, and upon examination seems to be flat to the naked eye. Right, lets test it. Waiting, waiting........loaded ! Yippee, the little package has come to the rescue, and it's contents are just what is needed to satisfy the composer who is without guitarist. A quick mix, and email off to the collaborator, and all is well in music land.

Well, that wasn't so bad. Time to lean over the computer monitor and have a beer in a dark and cold room. That just doesn't sound right. It should be a beer hunched over an acoustic guitar on the porch in the sun. Oh well, never mind, the lead probably wouldn't stretch this far anyway, and the little disc has had more than enough sun for both of us. Thank goodness for modern miracles, it's a bloody miracle they happen at all.

As a reminder that not all loops are of a single instrument, an example of the neverending loop is available by clicking the picture to the right. Titled " Ongoing Classical ( Loop )" , such repeating loops are best suited as background music for web pages and multimedia applications, and incidental music for vision.

The Art of Collaboration

2009-06-02T01:36:00.000-07:00

To collaborate or not to collaborate, that is not a question easily answered.

Sydney, Australia 2nd June 2008 - Having been a musician and songwriter for, ahem...quite a few years, collaboration was not something that I was particularly familiar with, and not something I would have explored in the normal course of events. Having written tunes with band members in the past, I can still recall the bombastic and egotistical nature of some, when it came down to writing a few lines. Guess I may have been included in that group also.

And what was all the fuss about ? Generally about nothing. The long winded arguments as to wether a single word should be included, a phrase added or deleted, or wether the song was cool enough to proceed with. The thing about cool, is that there are quite a few meanings depending on the eyes of the viewer. When one set of eyes is permanently glazed over, another is as wide open like saucers, and another may have been as red as a fire engine, musical accomplishments take on a whole new meaning. Generally, meaning that anything which played back the next day actually made sense, it was accomplishment beyond belief. Sure, it sounded great at the time, but a few hours of sleep and a little sobriety shines a new light on the last piece of so called random musical brilliance.

Not gigging out anymore, I thought I'd give this collaboration thing a shot . Hey, what's there to loose. A little time and a few frustrations. All in all, it's been a 50/50 success, in that 2 songs have worked out well, and the other 2, well.....let's just say, sometimes it's better to call it a day and move on to other things. If there's anything to be learned, it's probably the following..............

*Song writing, like life, has it's frustrations. If you're not willing to compromise, then it's best to write alone

*Pick partners who are easy to work with. Difficult people don't possess any better musical attributes than those who are easy going.

*Set an agenda and stick to it. Like business, people appreciate work delivered in the agreed time frame

*Set a format which is easy to use and technically compatible to both parties

*Most of all, don't treat it too seriously, life is too short, and music is a luxury, not a necessity. Have fun along the journey.

So, I think I might give it a try again. The worst that can happen is that I might biff the odd beer at the monitor, and swear a lot to no one who is listening. And the best thing is, of course, that the eyes may be any colour, and in any state, as the delete button can always be pressed way before the latest piece of botched brilliance is thrust upon the unsuspecting ears of the co-writer.

Write on !

A free mp3 download of one of the more successfull collaborations, with Mr Colab himself, Mr Robert Pickens, is available by clicking the picture on the right. "Someone's Got a Better Hand" , a funky soul retro tune featuring the smokey vocals of Robert Pickens, is a song of realisation against a background of everyday life. Written over a period of about a month, it demonstrates that 2 halves are sometimes much greater than the whole.

Hop On Pop’s "Chicken on a Bicycle" Confounding Expectations

2009-05-11T20:34:00.000-07:00

Chicago pop chameleon Pop Todd talks of the loss of a band, the birth of a new album, and what we can expect from his next release, due out this summer.

Western Springs, IL, USA - 12 May 2008 - More than 5 years after the release of their Spade Kitty debut album ,the hyper-eclectic As Drawn By Ethan, Age 2 , Chicago pop chameleon Hop On Pop is finally getting ready to issue a follow-up, the curiously named Chicken on a Bicycle.

Why so long? The short version: bandleader Todd Leiter-Weintraub lost his band — except for drummer/keyboard player David Kling. Together, the two of them have cobbled together a collection of new and old songs that is even more stylistically diverse than their first collection.“Honestly, this is the album that I’ve wanted to make since I first started making music,” says Leiter-Weintraub. “The fact that it’s just me and Dave means that the production, and the sound of the songs is a lot closer to what was originally intended. It’s entirely up to us , not production by committee. I learned a lot about recording the last time around, and I’m putting a lot of that knowledge to good use ”. David Kling aggrees, " We can get exactly the sound that we want. Todd has surrounded himself with an entire caberet of gifted musicians. And this is exactly what this album is. Music as a gift."

Todd’s command of the studio-as-instrument is evident on songs such as the album opener (and first single) “Here”, an electro-punk-pop song which combines fuzz bass, multitracked vocals, and lo bit analogue synth sounds. “Tortured Artist” is a through-composed pop song that has a dobro guitar hook emerging from thickly distorted electric guitars, and leading into a slow building 5 part vocal harmony. Finally, and most-impressively “Hey”, an acoustic-based drone, with Kling’s live drums, structured to create a 3-part round of curious, hypnotic polyrhythms. Sandwiched among it all is an acoustic country murder ballad (“C’mon Angel”), a piano ballad with viola and pedal steel (“Come On, Let’s Go”), a live recording about a girl that buries her head and lives with earthworms (“Sheila of the Worms”) and a punk/klezmer/country instrumental (“Leo Goldberg’s 2-Step”).

Even Todd’s wife and kids get in on the fun, lending vocals to the pure pop confection, “Happy Days”. Leiter-Weintraub and Kling recruited a number of partners in rhyme to lend their talents to the album, including Steve Siculan (Rolling Clones), Nils St. Cyr. (Urge Overkill, Kevin Flynn & the Avondale Ramblers), Jonathon Newby (Brazil), Brad Sarno (The Auset Music Project), John Swamy (Happy Ashtray), Noah Samuels, Todd Gutner, and many more. All in all, "Chicken on a Bicycle" is a strong new set of originals — a mix tape of sorts — that is sure to both meet expectations, and confound them with its gleeful genre-hopping. "Chicken on a Bicycle" is due for release this coming Northern summer.

In the meantime, fans of Hop on Pop will have to be content with the debut album As Drawn By Ethan, Age 2 and a free mp3 download of the bright and breezy single from the album, "Carey's Here".

The Beatles "Nowhere Man Cover Challenge" - the Peppered Version

2009-05-06T03:32:00.000-07:00

Well, what happens when a bunch of indie songwriters all get bored and in a rut at the same time ? Yep, it must time to do the impossible and issue a general challenge to cover the “uncoverable song”

Sydney, Australia 5th May 2008 – I can’t really recall how it happened. Hanging out with like minded people on the internet is similar to a vague resemblance of oneself, at some point in time, either today, yesterday, or perhaps even in the future. Topics of conversation, are cut and diced, copied and spliced, and generally end up getting stuffed away in the recesses of the brain, rather than being filed neatly away for future reference.

The topic of conversation stemmed from an opinion that, in general, cover songs are not much good in aiding ones career in the song writing field. They are better left to those who perform live, and can slip their own songs in between the hits, and maybe somehow, the originals will be noticed just as much as the beloved hits played to the same audience. Some agreed, some disagreed, but one thing was certain, a challenge would have to be put out to prove or disprove the theory.

The folks at Just Plain Folks are an eclectic bunch. From all over the globe, with varying ages and opinions, it just might be a bit of fun to cover an uncoverable song. After much wrangling, it was decided that the prime candidate was The Beatles “Nowhere Man”, a very fitting song with perversely ironic lyrics to a bunch of lowly singer song writers, who in most instances are relegated to sitting at the bottom of the musical dung heap. Coincidently, it couldn't have hurt the decision making process, having downed a couple of beers with one of the origional members of The Beatnix , ( one of the hardest working and long lasting tribute bands around ) a few weeks earlier.

With the decision made, each wandered off to have a warble and a re-write, and in some cases make a total hash out of a song which some purists would say would be better left alone. It was decided that some form of impartial judging would be required, so enter Ourstage , a great place for road testing new material, and an audience so large and diverse that vote rigging is practically impossible. Some did well, some not so well, ( ones own version ended up at No 442 out of 553 entries in the general cover songs channel for the month ) . Others like singer song writer Mark Kaufman’s ended up at a very respectable No 2 , and was awarded the grand prize of an IOU for a warm, flat, bottle of beer and a soggy pack of chips.

Some liked the cover versions, some detested them. Others were simply perplexed as to why there were so many cover versions of one song in one contest for the month. ( Anecdotal evidence suggests the Ourstage team found the whole process quite amusing ) So the next time you’re feeling a little bored and restless, try a cover tune. It can’t do any harm, and may even bring a smile to the most jaded of listeners’.

A free download is available here for those who may like their Beatles with a little Pepper.

Scott Campbells' Song "On Opening Day" Played to 50 Thousand Baseball Fans

2009-05-03T00:43:00.000-07:00

When you’re a die hard music fan, and a diehard baseball fan, it doesn’t get much better when one of your own songs is played to a full stadium on opening day. An extract of that story by fellow indie Iggy Taylor, is published below.

Barrington NJ, January 4, 2009 - The Philadelphia Phillies shocked the world when they won their second only World Series title in their 126 year history. Songwriter Scott Campbell wonders if he might have helped. Campbell, who resides in Lakeland Florida, wrote a song titled “Opening Day” and sent it to his NY producer friend Mike Caro. Caro suggested the song be properly recorded, and asked John Daubert of the band, Too Little Time to lend his lead vocals for the final demo. All three had known each other though the online music networking site, Just Plain Folks.

Daubert, a dedicated fan and former baseball player himself, attended the Phils pre-season game in 2008. Running into his idol, Greg Luzinski, the two spoke of baseball and music. Daubert mentioned Campbell’s song “Opening Day” and said he had a copy of the CD with him. Would he be interested in listening to it ? Luzinski took the CD and said he would pass it on to the “office”. Two days went by when Daubert received a call from his granddaughter saying “Opening Day “ was being played over the loudspeakers at the Phils home opener.

Now call it luck that the Phils went on to win the World Series after the song “Opening Day” was played, or simply a strange coincidence that the C.D. was given to Luzinski, who happened to play in the only other World Series that the Phils won. Whatever the reasons, the band Too Little Time is suggesting to all fans and the players not to “mess with karma”. Good luck has already come to a team that has played the song. Why take chances? The band stands ready to help.If you agree that “There’s too little time to prevent bad karma”, you may write to your favorite major league baseball team and ask the song be played for the 2009 opener, or to the Philadelphia Phillies at: Philadelphia Phillies, One Citizens Bank Way, Citizens Bank Park , Philadelphia, PA 19148.

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Postscript ; The song Opening Day, was once again played to a full house in 2009, and now also resides permanently at the Baseball Almanac . Interested parties are invited to listen to the song, from Scott Campbell’s album, “Scott Campbell and Friends”, and a free music mp3 download while the link remains valid.

New Single By Letha Allen "You Do It Right" Released Via Airplay Direct

2009-04-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

The long overdue single by Letha Allen, is to be released December 1. With soulful vocals delivered over a solid acoustic rock groove, "You Do it Right" is a number that stands out beyond the usual suspects.

Sydney, Australia (PRWEB) December 1, 2008 -- Equinox Entertainment and Letha Allen Music in association with The Graveyard of Songs announce that "You Do it Right", the new single by Letha Allen, will be released to radio nationwide and internationally the week of December 1, 2008.

Written by singer/songwriter Letha Allen (ASCAP), composer/guitarist Mark Kaufman (BMI), and composer/producer Geoff Wood (ASCAP), over the month of October 2008, and recorded in studios in Michigan, Minneapolis and Sydney, "You Do it Right" is the unique culmination of a global collaboration of artists. Produced by Equinox Entertainment in Australia and Denmark, and released to over 940 stations globally, "You Do it Right" is truly an international record.
With soulful vocals delivered over a solid acoustic rock groove, "You Do it Right" is a number that stands out beyond the usual suspects of everyday musical fare. Broadcast quality downloads as well as streaming plays are available to commercial broadcasters, exclusively and immediately from Airplay Direct. Internet downloads of "You Do it Right" are available to the public exclusively from Independent Artists Company . Interested parties are invited to contact Equinox Entertainment for broadcast quality preview, commercial review and available interview dates.

Now available on iTunes , Amazon , and Limewire and coming soon to Rhapsody .

Equinox Entertainment wishes to thank those who are supportive of our artists and their music, for your continuing and ongoing support.

Contact: Geoff Wood
Ph +61 2 9913 3493

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Latest Single By Letha Allen "Love Rains Down" Released Via Airplay Direct

2009-04-28T03:53:00.000-07:00

The latest single by Letha Allen, "Love Rains Down" is to be released April 14th. The follow up to the successful single, "You Do It Right", "Love Rains Down" talks of a travellers thoughts of returning home, and incorporates them into a patchwork of vibrant sound and texture.

Sydney, Australia (PRWEB) April 12, 2009 -- Equinox Entertainment and Letha Allen Music in association with The Graveyard of Songs announce that "Love Rains Down", the new single by Letha Allen, will be released to radio nationwide and internationally the week of April 14th, 2008.

Love Rains Down

Written once again by the song writing team of Allen, Kaufman and Wood, (ASCAP / BMI) and recorded in studios in Michigan, Minneapolis and Sydney, "Love Rains Down" is the unique culmination of a global collaboration of artists. Produced by Equinox Entertainment in Australia and Denmark, and released to radio globally, "Love Rains Down" is a true compliment to the previous successful release of the single, "You Do It Right".
"Love Rains Down" tells the story of a travellers' journey home. With soaring vocals placed over a strong percussive backbeat, and floating harmonies complimenting a strong and uplifting vocal performance, "Love Rains Down" is a song which resonates with emotion and recognition.
Free WAV and mp3 downloads, as well as streaming plays are available to licensed commercial broadcasters, exclusively and immediately from Airplay Direct. This new service is FREE to radio programmers and DJs and allows us to deliver our broadcast quality tracks to you quickly, efficiently and cost effectively.( Letha Allen at Airplay Direct ) . Internet mp3 downloads of "Love Rains Down" are available to the public exclusively from Independent Artists Company beginning April 14th, 2008. Interested parties are invited to contact Equinox Entertainment for broadcast quality preview, commercial review and available interview dates.

Now available on iTunes , Amazon , and Limewire and coming soon to Rhapsody .

Equinox Entertainment wishes to thank those who are supportive of our artists and their music, for your continuing and ongoing support.

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