What we are reading on the Internet that may be of interest to you or potentially melt your brain with its stupidity.
- President Obama Discusses Three Strikes Anti-Piracy Law
- Atari Teenage riot reuniting for European tour
- Detroit's Movement Electronic Music Festival announces dates, lineup
- Green Day's Rock Band game gets a release date: June 8th
- Pete Doherty gets driving ban after manager's hit and run case
- R Kelly cancels tour due to throat problems
REMINDER: Each of those buttons up top will make this site show articles written only on that particular subject or you can can follow our individual RSS or Twitter feeds.
While it would seem like common sense to not put something dirty back in your ears when you can visibly see residue on it, everyday I watch musicians put wax filled dirty things in their ears. After doing this, these musicians will then wonder why their ears are clogged up and feel swollen. The easy solution is to carry some hydrogen peroxide with you in your road kit. Simply dip your plugs in and then with washed hands pull the gunk off. With In-Ear monitors, dipping the plugs in a cap-full of liquid may not be recommended, but you can Q-tip the solid part down with the liquid to get rid of any excessive gunk.
In exciting news for music fans and everyone who can't stand corporate assembled, payola filled radio playlists, people powered Jelli Radio has launched on 10 new radio stations. If you are not familar with Jelli, the radio determines their playlists purely on what is requested, much like Digg does for web content! This is an exciting way to get your music out there if you can rile up your fanbase and start requesting your music through them. Here are some of their new stations.
- WBOS Boston, MA
- WPST Philadelphia, PA
- KXTE Las Vegas, NV
- WJBX Fort Myers, FL
- WJLK Jersey Shore, NJ
- WKRL Syracuse, NY
- WKLL Utica, NY
- KISN Bozeman, MT
- KBAZ Missoula, MT
- KTRS Casper, WY
The sad reality of the music business today is that even when you are running a successful studio, there are times when there is going to be either no time or money to budget in using your favorite mastering engineer. This reality has creeped more and more into my life as time goes on and the fast pace of putting up content on the Internet has made many artists need things fast. One of the most important things about the mastering stage is to get an objective perspective on your mix and have someone else's ears hear what you may have missed. One of the most valuable things I have found in my recording world is having friends who can listen to my mix and master when there is no time to go to my mastering engineer of choice. Often times they hear what I have lost perspective on and end up giving me some of the most valuable advice I can find. If time is rushed make sure you call a buddy with good ears and get a second perspective on what you are doing, return the favor to them and you have a valuable team that can help make your recordings much better.
What we are reading on the Internet that may be of interest to you or potentially melt your brain with its stupidity.
- Gorillaz to tour UK with Clash members?
- Strokes confirmed for Lollapalooza, new album in Sept
- Animal Collective to release ODDSAC on DVD
- St. Vincent, Liars to appear on Beck's Record Club Project
- OK Go leave EMI, launch their own label
- Pink Floyd wins its court battle with EMI over back catalog
REMINDER: Each of those buttons up top will make this site show articles written only on that particular subject or you can can follow our individual RSS or Twitter feeds.
If you have never run a blog before, let me introduce you to one of the little pains that us bloggers go through on a daily basis. Often times, when a band gets a significant buzz or has achieved some success, some PR people will aggregate press releases in hopes of being associated with a successful group. If that weren't enough, some PR companies are smart enough to keep sending out press releases for their past clients knowing it will get their emails for their smaller clients through the email filters of bloggers eyes. In the hilarious pic above you can see Impose Magazine's inbox about the newest release from the Boogereater adored group Neon Indian. Their take is that the band has multiple publicists which could be the case, but I may favor some of my theories above as well as individual PR people representing the band, label/management and another for Green Label Sound who put out this one off single. No matter what, it is an interesting look at what you are up against in the war to get PR for your release. Check out Impose's take here.
What we are reading on the Internet that may be of interest to you or potentially melt your brain with its stupidity.
- Simian Mobile Disco, The Fall added to Field Day 2010 lineup
- Sofia Coppola to turn Phoenix's "Love Like A Sunset" into movie?
- Emo-ancestors: Sunny Day set to record new album
- Of Montreal stop by Yo Gabba Gabba with a zany tune
- Amy Winehouse caught looking... healthy for once!
- New LCD Soundsystem song debuted at fashion show
REMINDER: Each of those buttons up top will make this site show articles written only on that particular subject or you can can follow our individual RSS or Twitter feeds.
The blog Pro Tools For Media has assembled an awesome list of video output options for Pro Tools that can help you decide which may be the best for your setup. Check it here.
We at Musformation read A LOT of blogs. Like, A LOT! We often find
things that are interesting, but we don't have the time to write em up
for you guys. This makes us feel bad since we are trying to make our
community a more educated and entertained one. So every Wed. I will be
sharing with you Recording Nerd Links. So if you are that particular
brand of nerd/insomniac/internataholic/crazy shut in, enjoy. Nerd.
- Control your iPod with ease using the iPod Serial library
- Goldbaby's The Fat Juno 6
- Renoise 2.5 Is Out Now & You Can Try It For Free
- An Interview with Multi-Platinum Record Producer Steve Migliore, aka Mr. Mig
- Careful Drink Placement
- EQ Before or After Compression?
- Ear Training: Acoustic Guitar
- Native Instruments Introduces Evolve Mutations 2
One of the most interesting pieces of data that people are always wondering about is when to post big news about your music. Many people say 9 AM EST on a Tuesday, while others will say to get the weekend buzz going with a mid afternoon Friday post. Fortunately, there are some nerds out there who will actually crunch this data! As far as Facebook sharing goes, blogger Dan Zarrella has written up an extensive summary that finds that the most Facebook sharing is done on the weekends, since many workplaces now have Facebook blocked. He has a very insightful blog post where you can take away some interesting thoughts on how to get your news spread around the net more efficiently. Check it out.
What we are reading on the Internet that may be of interest to you or potentially melt your brain with its stupidity.
- Is the iTunes LP Sinking?
- Neu! catalog gets a vinyl collection release
- Make it stop: Smashing Pumpkins hold auditions for bass and keyboard players
- Money, it's a gas: Pink Floyd sues EMI over royalties
- After his arrest DMX wants help from... Dr. Drew?
- Muse playing SXSW this year with Metric
REMINDER: Each of those buttons up top will make this site show articles written only on that particular subject or you can can follow our individual RSS or Twitter feeds.
The time it takes you to change your string during a show is like dead air on the radio and is completely unacceptable. Worse, it gives your bandmates time to say stupid things on the mic as the audience becomes annoyed and or bored and very possibly leaves.
Further, nothing comes across as more amateur than changing a string on stage - it makes even the best of players look like a total Poindexter.
Can't afford 2 guitars or can't travel with that much gear? Ask the band you're playing with if you can borrow their axe if you happen to break a string. Most guitar players are very willing to do this. In addition, you'll want to tune the backup guitar as well before the show so you don't switch guitars only to discover it is way out of tune or in a strange tuning you aren't used to. It doesn't matter if you're a light player or haven't broken a string in years, the momentum you loose when you have to stop and change a string could easily derail a show. Breaking a string during a set is bad enough, but don't make it worse by not being prepared.
The new 2 channel Vox AC15 Custom amp seems destined to be a classic in it's own right. At 15 watts you get amazing breakup and excellent tone for recording. At only $600, it seems quite worth it as a practice or recording amp, or even something to play small gigs with. Regardless of what you might use it for, the tone is right on the money with the best of the classic Vox line.
Brian of Trifonic is back with more detailed knowledge on FM synthesis. Sound the bell, schools in session.
What we are reading on the Internet that may be of interest to you or potentially melt your brain with its stupidity.
- Pandora Will Pull Ahead With Warner Music
- MGMT drops song from the new record
- Vampy Weekend, Belle and Seby to headline Latitude Festival
- D'Angelo pleads not guilty to prostitution charges
- Beastie Boys Adam Yauch discusses cancer, new album
- Behemoth singer faces jail time for... Bible Destruction!
REMINDER: Each of those buttons up top will make this site show articles written only on that particular subject or you can can follow our individual RSS or Twitter feeds.
Over the years, one of the most painful things in my recording life has been splitting a guitar between two amps. Although it can be fine in a live setting, when using a Morley A-B-Y pedal in the studio, your tone goes straight to hell. Radial's JD-7 and Little Labs PCP overdo it in the number of options and the price is a little much for someone looking to simply use just two amps. Thankfully, Radial recently introduced their Bones ABY pedal, which does this job simply and with no real difference in tone when plugged directly in. They employ a Drag control to make up for any loss the splitter may bring and it is also another fantastic tonal option. I am thoroughly impressed by it on the record I am presently making and for around $150.00 it is a steal.
If there is anything most bands regularly hear from their adoring fans it is that they are, soooo much better live than they are on record. While some of this hyperbole just comes from the energy of live, loud music and enjoying it with others, there is many a time a band can bring a whole new experience to fans with their live show. The funny thing is, many bands who are great live do not exploit it and show this fact off to their fans as much as they should. After the jump we will go over some ideas on how you can show off your live skills.
Because you know your own music more intimately than anyone else, it seems only natural that you would experience more intensely the highs and lows of your musical trajectory. Following a bad show it's easy to feel depressed and I've heard some musicians say they even feel suicidal. For many of us, shows are a way to unveil who we really are and get across deep and complex emotions. When that fails to happen it can feel devastating. Maybe the sound guy hated you, or the PA was awful, or you broke 3 strings, or your bass player was nodding out from heroin... it doesn't matter exactly what happened, the thing to remember is that bad shows are going to happen. But also remember that people go see live music because there is an element of unpredictability and they appreciate that. You might have a terrible night where you can't complete a song or you might blow the entire crowd away in a religious-like fervor of holy rock hymns - one never knows. The good and bad thing about your fans is that they usually have a short memory. People are so worried about themselves that they quickly forget trivial things like how out of tune your guitar was the other night. The best thing you can do with a bad show is learn from it. Maybe you should've gotten to sound check earlier or not have had 5 Gin and Tonics before you ever started playing. There is almost always a lesson you can take from a bad show and to help improve your next performance. In general people learn much more from failure than success, and that certainly applies in this case as well.
In a move that is becoming a regular promotion for buzz bands with a passionate following, weirdo-rockers MGMT are launching a scavenger hunt that they claim will yield life-changing prizes. The band will announce the location of the MGMT Mobile Vehicle in different cities where upon fans can descend to the location and claim these hyped up prizes. If done right, this could be a great way to get awareness and buzz going for a band who needs to defy the sophomore slump to keep their hype going.
Most Popular Posts
Guide To Getting Your Band Somewhere
Esssential Music Business Knowledge
Esssential Songwriting Knowledge
Esssential Recording Knowledge
Recent Op-Eds
Esssential Knowledge for Vocalists
Essential Pro Tools Tips
Esssential Knowledge for Drummers
Esssential Knowledge for Guitarists
Blog Roll
