THE MUSICIAN ’S RESO URCE
JAN. ‘15 FREE
Tetherball MAD GENIUS STEVE VOSS DECONSTRUCTS HIS CREATIVE PROCESS
also
5 MISTAKES TO AVOID ON YOUR NEXT ALBUM 6 WAYS TO REACH YOUR KICKSTARTER GOALS 14 IDEAS TO MAKE MONEY FROM ONE SONG
Interviews YOUNG TONGUE CHARLIE M ARS KOSHA DILL Z
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Young Tongue by Jen Emmert
16
Charlie Mars by Chris M Junior
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Kosha Dillz
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by Jaclyn Wing
TABLE OF CONTENTS
VOL.25, ISSUE 1
24
cover story
Tetherball
by Blair Barnhardt 6. Record Reviews: The best in new music
37. Why Twitter Isn’t Your Press Release
8. Vinyl of the Month: American Hustle OST
38. Five Mistakes To Avoid on Your Next
10. Live Reviews
Album
34. 6 Ways To Reach Your Kickstarter Goal
41. My Favorite Axe: Steve Morse
35. 14 Ways to Make Money From One Song
42. TOUR TEST: On The Road with The
36. Rethink Music: An Interview with
Allen Bargfrede
44. Recording: Inside the Producer/Artist Relationship
46. Gear Review: Audio-Technica Wireless Camera Mount System
48. Flashback: 1972 Marshall “Metal-Face”
Ries Brothers & Audio-Technica
Cover photo by JASON DENTON PERFORMER MAGAZINE JANUARY 2015 3
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Howdy, y’all! Happy New Year! For those of you keeping score at home, you’ll notice our volume number has turned over to 25 this January. Twenty-five years is a long time to be doing anything, let alone publishing a music magazine. We should probably thank a whole lot of people for helping us get here, and we will, but for now it makes more sense to look forward. In the coming year, you’ll see a lot of changes to the way we deliver content: from our website, to our social media channels to our upcoming podcast series. That’s right, we’re joining the world of podcasting, and that’s kinda where you fit in. You guys and gals keep the suggestions coming each month for the type of content you’re interested in reading about, and we’d like to ask you to do the same when it comes to the new podcast series.
We’ll be kicking off soon, featuring interviews with great independent bands, industry processionals and more. But where we need your help is deciding what kinds of discussions and programming are most relevant to you. Hit us up on Twitter and Facebook with your ideas. Do you want us to speak with the head of Guitar Center about the MI retail landscape? Do you want us to speak with head engineers at your favorite gear companies to talk about advancements in audio equipment and instrument manufacturing? How about chats with your favorite artists about their creative processes? YOU can help shape the show and what it becomes, because ultimately that’s the only reason we keep doing this: for YOU. -Benjamin Ricci, editor
Volume 25, Issue 1 PO BOX 348 Somerville, MA 02143 CONTACT
Phone: 617-627-9200 Fax: 617-627-9930 PUBLISHER
William House Phone: 617-627-9919 bill@performermag.com EDITOR
Benjamin Ricci ben@performermag.com DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION
Cristian Iancu
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Bob Dobalina editorial@performermag.com
P.S. – OK, so I lied. We do it a little bit for ourselves, too. Which means you might have to put up with a podcast or two that dissect early Pat Benatar albums, or perhaps a show dedicated to the genius of The Guess Who Live at The Paramount.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Alex Lane, Amy Sciarretto, Aya Lanzoni, Benjamin Ricci, Blair Barnhardt, Brent Godin, Charlie Ries, Chris M Junior, Christopher Petro, David Larson, Don Miggs, Jaclyn Wing, Jen Emmert, Lucy Fernandes, Matt Lambert, Michael St. James, Taylor Haag, Zac Cataldo CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
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ABOUT US
CORRECTIONS
Performer Magazine, a nationally distributed musician’s trade publication, focuses on independent musicians, those unsigned and on small labels, and their success in a DIY environment. We’re dedicated to promoting lesser-known talent and being the first to introduce you to artists you should know about.
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.”
MUSIC SUBMISSIONS 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: Performer Magazine Attn: Reviews PO BOX 348 Somerville, MA 02143
4 JANUARY 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
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 © 2015 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.
PODCASTS...
...ARRIVING 2015 #PodOutWithYourRodOut
REVIEWS
One of the finest anticipatory debut EPs released. NYC four-piece the Dough Rollers filters the blues through a classic rock vein, ala Jack White, and features stripped-down melodies, a swaggering balled-fist on the mic and simmering lyrics that give attention to affection, in a typical blues hallmark. Singer Malcolm Ford breathes fire into the mic, which is often showered in grit and windy Southern howls. The album storms from the start with the title track, featuring blistering riffs in service to CCR, like an album set in ’70sera Scorsese film.
Every album turn leads to another surprising hook; thumping drums simmer for a tightened guitar strut and a bass wallop like timber across the face. Ford bursts the throbbing rhythm and driving percussion with woozy, arching tones think Gary Clark, Jr. and the Black Keys. “Friend of Mine” maintains the cool within its ominous bass hook before the rhythm pries for Ford’s heady swoon, singing, “I want to love you each and every day / No matter what you say / …I want to be your stallion,” lacing into one of the most infectious blues guitar hooks to broil outside a Louisiana dive bar. Review by CHRISTOPHER PETRO
“Hard-rocking blues with southern-fried CCR licks and swaggering vocals…”
Follow on Twitter: @thedoughrollers
Engineered by Dikayl Rimmasch Recorded and mixed at PIVVN Studios by Nurse Diesel Mastered at Modulus Studios Produced by Nurse Diesel and Josh Homme
6 JANUARY 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
The Dough ROLLERS Gone Baby Gone EP New York, NY (Third Man Records)
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REVIEWS
“Expanded double-LP perfectly captures an era and a mood…”
This past Black Friday, our friends at Record Store Day organized a heaping helping of exclusive new vinyl releases for your favorite indie retailers. Our top pick is the gorgeous, 2-disc pressing of the American Hustle soundtrack, on blue and red vinyl, housed in a beautiful gatefold cover with inner sleeves featuring tons of photos from the movie. The newly commissioned artwork is fantastic, and perfectly fitting with the retro vibe of the film. Just don’t put this in your new science oven! Not only was this our favorite flick last year, but the soundtrack kicks major ass. Better yet, the new 2-disc vinyl set contains six tracks not found on the original CD release. Thankfully, one of these is the mega-rare ELO track "Long Black Road," which we’ve only ever found on an import release of ELO’s final LP. 8 JANUARY 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
If you’re into a mellow gold ‘70s vibe, then this was made for you. Of particular note is the quality of the vinyl itself (150 gram and no surface noise), the first-rate job with the translucent coloring (we’ve seen some piss-poor color jobs lately) and the overall sound fidelity. The clarity of the Temptations’ "Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone" on vinyl far surpasses our old CD version. The voices and horny funk undertones blend so well on wax it’s almost spooky. In fact, we’ve yet to stumble across a Columbia re-issue on vinyl that hasn’t exceeded our expectations. For a major label (not a small specialty label who you’d expect to take great care with their reissues), we’re pleasantly surprised. We hope the American Hustle soundtrack will lead to future special edition re-issues (keep that colored vinyl coming, please!). Highly recommended.
Review by BENJAMIN RICCI
The cheerful indie-pop epoch, “Outside,” is a sixminute journey in search of identity, place and doubt, laced with ambling piano, melodic candies and a flourishing string section.
Bouncing between cheery piano-driven pop progressions, stripped-down acoustic ballads, and the ever-wrenching, melancholy waltz, the album trickles down an emotional waterfall navigating the troubles of post-twenties life and exploring lyrical themes of mortality and wellseasoned hearts.
The Problem With Living in the Moment is that it just keeps leaving you behind, left to toil about love and crossing your fingers, hoping to hear such benevolence once again.
Engineered by C. Smith & J. Willetts Mixed by Sam Kassirer Mastered by Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering
REVIEWS
With the comfort of an Americana sweater and the warmth of indie mittens, this dynamic sextet paints musical portraiture and lays an open road for acoustic charm and sincerity.
The Grownup NOISE The Problem With Living in the Moment
Review by TAYLOR HAAG Photo by SARAH MICA
Follow on Twitter: @thegrownupnoise
“An album of acoustic altruism…”
Boston, MA (Self-released)
PERFORMER MAGAZINE JANUARY 2015 9
REVIEWS
Follow the venue on Twitter: @SGHRevival
Honeyspiders
10 JANUARY 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
Cadaver Dogs
REVIEWS
5th Annual IRONFEST
Southgate House Revival – Newport, KY November 14 -15, 2014
Hedonistic exuberance and impromptu mosh pits…
C Punching Moses
OC45
incinnati’s Ironfest, which began five years ago as a heartfelt “gathering of the tribes” in remembrance of local musician “Iron” Mike Davidson’s life, has managed to morph into an existence of its own. This year’s incarnation, managed and assembled by John Gerhardt, drew a variety of talent to the Southgate House Revival’s three stages over the two-day weekend. Although it still remains an occasion for celebrating Davidson’s life, it’s also taken its own rightful place among the popular annual music festivals held throughout the area. Over 40 groups and artists took to the stages, and even after sprinting from one to another, I know that there were still many great musicians and bands that I missed seeing. Recounting some highlights from the groups I managed to catch…Friday’s memorable performance by Cincinnati’s Black Signal, the electronica/rock duo of Sean Garner and Matt Ogden, was an edgy bath of driving synths and robotic voiceovers. Standing behind their keyboards, wearing color-changing LED masks and silhouetted against graphic industrial inspired projections, they captivated the audience with their unsettling, dark, and otherworldly instrumentals. Guest vocalist Jess Lamb stood out on “Wax Heart,” adding strong, swooping vocals to the mix. Kansas’s The Midnight Ghost Train made the long trek to participate, and collected many new fans for their effort. Fronted by bigger-than-life-voiced singer/guitarist Steve Moss, this commanding stoner rock trio never let up for their entire set, and left the crowd
Article by LUCY FERNANDES Photos by RICK CARROLL wrung out (in a good way) after they finished their powerful performance. OC45, a four man punk band from Boston, blasted their way through a string of highenergy songs, and even managed to incite a mini mosh pit. Saturday’s lineup offered a rowdy rock set from Columbus’ Cadaver Dogs. It was hard to believe that the entire insane ruckus was created by the twosome of red haired manic drummer Lex Vegas (!) and lead singer/guitarist Mathew Franklin. These two fed off each other’s energy, which resulted in an increasingly amped-up performance as the set carried on. Their hedonistic exuberance infected the crowd, which was very much keyed-in to their onstage antics. Cleveland’s Punching Moses laid claim to one of the grimiest, guitar-driven appearances on the smaller stages of Ironfest. Featuring brazen, in-your-face vocals, aggressive drumming, and stinging guitar, this five-piece seemed determined to punch out the attendees watching instead, but not in a negative way. The evolution of Cincinnati’s own Honeyspiders has been a recent work in progress, but their current lineup seems to have jelled into a solid alt/rock pocket. This fourpiece, anchored by the brothers Harrison, really came together for this event. This year’s very successful Ironfest hosted a diverse spread of artists and swept across musical genres. The audiences for both nights were tightly packed, especially at the large Sanctuary Room. It’s always a treat to witness so much talent in one place, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s edition. PERFORMER MAGAZINE JANUARY 2015 11
REVIEWS
The Revivalists with Red Wanting Blue The Sinclair - Cambridge, MA November 18, 2014 New Orleans revivalists brought the heat to a chilly Northeast... review and photography by MATT LAMBERT 12 JANUARY 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
REVIEWS
I
t’s not every night that a band from New Orleans would grace us with its presence in the cold Northeast, but The Revivalists did just that. After playing a few nights before in Portland, Maine, they drew decent crowd out on a weeknight in Harvard Square. The Revivalists are part jam-band, part jazz, part soul, rock and pop; the 7-piece group led by David Shaw brought the party, complete with pedal steel guitars. The band is out on the road in support of their newest double album City Of Sound, re-released by Wind-up Records. Their 90-minute set included fan favorites like “Soulfight” from their debut EP, and “Soul’s Too Loud” from 2010’s Vital Signs, where Shaw utilized looping vocal augmentations. The set also included a cover of Dropkick Murphy’s “Shipping Up to Boston.” Opening the night with gnome figurines and a Lite-Brite on stage displaying “RWB” was Columbus, Ohio’s Red Wanting Blue; they brought their own unique brand of roots rock to Massachusetts and primed the crowd up for The Revivalists’ headlining set. All in all, a great show to warm people up during a typical Boston cold front.
Follow on Twitter: @therevivalists PERFORMER MAGAZINE JANUARY 2015 13
REVIEWS
Follow on Twitter: @bearsdenmusic
Bear’s Den The Sinclair - Cambridge, MA / November 24, 2014 UK alt/folk band captivates Boston...
U
K alternative folk band Bear’s Den headlined the Sinclair late this Monday night. Opening for the British band was Dan Mangan + Blacksmith, an indie rock group from Vancouver. With his visual lyrics and smooth rock undertones, Dan Mangan is a two-time JUNO award-winner and two-time Polaris Music Prize singer and songwriter. He has performed in the past with The Decemberists, Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, The Vaccines, Hey Rosetta, and more recently, Bear’s Den. Mangan + Blacksmith played songs such as “How Darwinian” and “Sold,” in which the heavily-bearded crowd sung along with just as much passion as the band. The band is releasing their fourth LP (a “+ Blacksmith” debut) this month, titled Club Meds. According 14 JANUARY 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
review by AYA LANZONI / photography by MATT LAMBERT to the band, Club Meds “evokes images of subtler American-underground innovators like Blonde Redhead or Steve Reich. At other moments, it hits emotional pay-dirt reminiscent of British scene-survivors like Peter Gabriel or Radiohead.” Mangan enraptured the audience through his powerful imagery and melodies, including an acoustic solo performance of “Basket,” which Mangan described as an “ode to [his] grandfather.” Headliners Bear’s Den grabbed the Sinclair’s attention with their melodic tones and soothing lyrics as soon as they hit the stage. With the release of their debut album Islands, the band played a mix of older and newer songs, including “Above the Clouds of Pompeii” (formerly known as just “Pompeii”) and a more recent tune “The Love We Stole.” The band also played “Sophie,” “When You
Break” and “Stubborn Beast” - all songs off their EP Without/Within. To shake things up a bit, banjo player Joey Haynes and drummer/sometimes guitarist Kevin Jones switched instruments during one of Islands tracks while Andrew Davies continued to pour his heart and soul into every song performed. The alternative folk band closed with the ever-favorite “Agape,” and every person in attendance seemed to be filled with the soothing vocals and melodies of Bear’s Den. All went quiet as the band then played an acoustic version of “Bad Blood” in the audience, surrounded by the eager crowd. It’s clear Bear’s Den has that special something that every group yearns for. They touch one’s soul, grab at one’s heartstrings, and softly demand one’s attention.
REVIEWS
Injecting Strangers CD Release Party Motr Pub - Cincinnati, OH / October 31, 2014 review by LUCY FERNANDES / photography by RICK CARROLL
H
alloween was a fitting occasion for the rollout of the highly anticipated first full-length CD from Cincinnati’s Injecting Strangers. This quirky, theatrical pop group took full advantage of the evening’s devilish mood, staging a tourde-force performance at Motr Pub. Covering selections from the new album plus some surprise covers at the end of their set, they kept the packed crowd happily engaged until the last notes echoed out. Lead singer Richard Ringer, nearly Gumby-like in his onstage gyrations, was at times vocally reminiscent of Alice Cooper, or even Vincent Price; his delivery was creepily edgy enough to complement the lyrics of “The Snow” and “Haunted Heavens.” The band was at no loss for strong, melodic harmonies either, while Chase Leonard’s drums and Dylan
Spookily debauched spirits and creepily edgy vocals on All Hallows’ Eve… Oseas’ bass provided the solid underpinning for the more rambunctious numbers, “Lucky” being one of those. Nimble guitar work from Peter Foley shone on songs like “Nightmare Nancy 1 &2.” The showpiece of the night, however, was their infectious video hit “Detroit,” its “ooOOoo” harmony an earworm if there ever was one. Finishing up, the guys dusted off “Sweet Transvestite” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell,” their nod to the spookily debauched spirit of the night.
Follow on Twitter: @InjectCincy
The band’s new LP Patience, Child is an effort they can rightly be proud of, and if the party at Motr was any indication, good things are in Injecting Strangers’ future.
PERFORMER MAGAZINE JANUARY 2015 15
SPOTLIGHT 16 JANUARY 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT by JEN EMMERT photography by RYAN COOPER
Stu Baker on Reinventing Your Band While Keeping Your Lineup Intact
YOUNG
E U G TON PERFORMER MAGAZINE JANUARY 2015 17
SPOTLIGHT
W
e recently had a chance to chat with Stu Baker, one of the leaders of Austin-based Young Tongue. The five-piece recently formed from the ashes of The Baker Family, which Stu formerly headed up with his wife Liz (now also part of Young Tongue, along with Nathan Ribner, Darryl Schomberg II, and Travis Larrew). Austinites like to “keep it weird,” and Young Tongue certainly keeps that ethos alive in their music. Oddly danceable, progressive and lyrical enveloping at the same time, we were eager to learn more about the group and their creative process. So without further ado… How did you get your start in music, and when did you know that you wanted to pursue it seriously? I started taking guitar lessons at 10, and it’s been my main passion in life since. I figured out in college that I wanted to take it more seriously, but had no idea what that meant. Recently I’ve come to terms with this being what I do with my life, what that means, and it feels great. You were previously known as The Baker Family. What triggered the change to Young Tongue, and how has the transition been for you? Has anything else changed beyond the name? The transition to the new name went great, and we’re super stoked to have a name that fits the music now. The Baker Family started out as
and songs and the five of us working together. Liz knows that I go into a bit of a different world when we’re making music, so she’s patient if I get frustrated or controlling in the rehearsal space. Music space feels like a different realm in that the idea of marriage doesn’t necessarily exist in the same way as at home. What is your creative process like? How do songs originate for you, and how do they grow? What type of gear do you use? Typically I write a folk song on banjo or guitar, re-write it on guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, then show the band, and everyone takes those parts and changes them or tweaks them. Usually the original ‘parts’ for a song don’t end up in the final version. Coming up with the original idea is like finding the mouth of some trail in the woods; destroying the song, working it out, and wrangling the parts is where the real writing happens, I think. The process is different for every song, but I’d say this is the most common for our band. What was the inspiration behind your new album Death Rattle, and how does it compare to your previous material? What was recording it like for you? Death Rattle is definitely the most cohesive and thought-out album we’ve made. In the past, our albums and EPs just kind of documented the
“Destroying the song, working it out, and wrangling the parts is where the real writing happens.” a folk/Americana band, and over the years it mutated into what we are now. To us it was more than a name change; we essentially started a new band with the same members. With Liz, what is your chemistry like as bandmates as opposed to husband and wife? Do you find that it’s difficult to separate the two? We’ve always felt like having a common pursuit has kept our bond active and strong. But yeah, when we’re rehearsing or writing, it’s a different relationship for sure. The focus is on the music 18 JANUARY 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
music we were making. Death Rattle is more of a thematic work, which took a long time to choose the songs for, piece together, and record. Recording it was great; we worked with some killer engineers in Austin. I can’t wait to start working on the next album. Your say that your lyrics and music create a “…sense of urgency to expose narrative.” Can you elaborate on this and explain how this concept came to take precedence during your live shows?
I don’t know exactly…but there is a sense of urgency in the music. I’ve always felt like life was super short and I needed to get what I needed to say out while I can.
though, success is a six-figure income, five Lambos, two miniature greyhounds, and a private Taco Bell drive-through built into my ivory Jacuzzi shower.
It’s also been mentioned that the element of surprise is at the forefront of your shows. What was the inspiration behind it all, and how do you determine exactly what to do to establish this? Shows without development or change are boring to me. It’s my nightmare to get up on stage and just run through some songs we wrote. We never sat down and said, “OK, lets do this and this to shake it up.” It just happened naturally by doing what we want during the shows. We think the show is an invitation to people to enter into our world and experience what the music can do to you physically, mentally, and emotionally once you surrender to it and let go of self-consciousness.
What do you believe your role in the music industry is? To find and create avenues for our band and others to sustain themselves primarily with their art.
What is the band’s motto/philosophy? Sic transit gloria. How do you define success as an artist? Miss America answer: for me, success is to sustain a solid work ethic and find a way to make music my primary practice every day. Really,
SPOTLIGHT
On performing live: “We think the show is an invitation to people to enter into our world and experience what the music can do to you physically, mentally, and emotionally.”
Follow on Twitter: @youngtongueatx
What recent musical challenges have you faced, and how have you worked to overcome them? Writers block. Read more. Destroy ego. What type of experience is touring with Young Tongue like? What are your essentials while on the road? I would live on the road if I could. There’s something grounding about seeing so many different areas and meeting so many people in such a short period of time. Essentials: goldfish, ramen, cough drops, Throat Coat Herbal Tea, beef jerky, podcasts. Is there anything you’d like to add? We’re stoked about folks hearing the new album, and hope you get a chance to hear it on a nice pair of headphones, alone, in the dark.
YOUNG TONGUE DEATH RATTLE STANDOUT TRACK: “CAVESHARE”
PERFORMER MAGAZINE JANUARY 2015 19
SPOTLIGHT 20 JANUARY 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT
CHARLIE MARS Leaving The Comforts of Home to Improve Focus in the Studio by CHRIS M. JUNIOR / photography by DARIN BACK
J
ust like he did for 2009’s Like a Bird, Like a Plane and 2012’s Blackberry Light, singersongwriter Charlie Mars recorded his latest album, The Money, in Texas with producer Billy Harvey and core musicians J.J. Johnson, John Ginty and George Reiff. Those facts might give the impression Mars is in a rut. Actually, he’s on a roll. On The Money, released in mid-October via Rockingham Records/Thirty Tigers, his low-key, acousticdriven music continues to be deceptively deep, but Mars also shows a sense of humor at times. It’s all part of Mars’ effort “to move toward something more positive, more lighthearted” while continuing to make high-fidelity, organic music. Mars checked in by phone to discuss his recent boost in confidence and why he chose to record The Money at a different Lone Star State studio, as well as break down select songs on the new album, his seventh full-length effort. When we spoke in spring 2013, you talked about the excitement of walking the tightrope that went along with doing solo acoustic concerts and how that reinvigorated your love of performing. In what ways did those feelings transfer over to, or have an impact on, the sessions for The Money?
Charlie Mars: Well, I would say the most concrete way is that I feel like a self-contained unit when I walk into the room. I feel like the songs are there and my ability to perform them are there, and I don’t have insecurity when it comes to myself. Therefore when it comes to dealing with really great musicians, I feel like I’m pulling my own chair to the table — whereas maybe before, I wasn’t as sure about what I was doing or whether what I was doing on guitar was comparable to what great musicians play. I just feel very secure about my place at the table, and I think that resonates to the people who come into the room and play with you. Did that result in more confidence in the direction you gave your backing musicians, or did you sit back, watch what they did and guide them along with subtle suggestions? Mars: The latter. I’m very confident in the material and in my ability to perform that material, and I think that people sense that whenever that’s the case, and it raises everybody’s level of expectation. For The Money, you worked with the same producer and core backing musicians as your previous two albums, but you recorded in a different part of
“When it comes to dealing with really great musicians, I feel like I’m pulling my own chair to the table [now].” Texas, instead of Austin. What prompted the change in location, and how did it influence the way you guys worked? Mars: I wanted to be somewhere where we were all living together, away from our friends and loved ones, so that we could just focus on the music for a while. A lot of the guys live in Austin, so with the last two albums, we were splitting up at the end of the day and getting back at whatever time we could the next day. So it was nice to get PERFORMER MAGAZINE JANUARY 2015 21
SPOTLIGHT
everybody isolated and make it easier to get an early start, to do it all together. I had heard about this studio Sonic Ranch [in Tornillo, about 35 miles south of El Paso] from several people. When I looked into it, it seemed like a great place to go make a record. Also, it was a nice change from being in Austin. We wanted to keep things the same but also make them different, and that was a good way to do it. So by taking everybody out of their home and their comfort zone, keeping everybody together, did this album take less time to record than the previous two, more time or about the same? Mars: It took about the same amount of time, although having that core group of musicians together in one room, we were able to have more time together. We had the time to focus on some of the details that maybe we brushed over in the past. What in particular about “Pride Before the Fall” resulted in you pouring over it the most? Mars: It sounds pretty effortless right now, but finding a way for the verses and the chorus and the bridge to all glide along in a way that felt natural took a while. The song could be done in a lot of different ways, and to settle into a groove and a feel that felt like the way we actually wanted to do it took a while to find. It was originally written on piano, then I started performing it on guitar. It really had to try a lot of foster homes before we found that one it wanted to get raised in. [laughs] Lyrically, there was an attention to detail that seems simple, but it’s not. I don’t know to say it other than I kept revisiting the song because something wasn’t right. The process is so emotional, and there are no real rules to it, but when I got to the end, it felt complete.
On recording away from Austin: “I wanted to be somewhere where we were all living together, away from our friends and loved ones, so that we could just focus on the music for a while.” 22 JANUARY 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
The song is essentially about something like love that you think is going to be this Cinderella story, but it ends up being much more complex and grayer. There’s a lot in that song about pride and loyalty and looking at love with a pragmatic face and still finding something beautiful about it. On the flip side, which song came to you the quickest? Mars: ‘My Friend Ray’ I wrote quickly. In the studio, it took a while, but as far as the writing, I wrote it in one night with a friend of mine. Was
his
name
Ray?
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Mars: No, his name is Martin Strayer. He had a riff on his guitar, and we wrote it very quickly. It’s a nod to some of my buddies from home [in Mississippi], kind of a character study — five or six different guys thrown into one song. It’s really about people who take an approach to life like The Big Lebowski; things just seem to happen to them for the greater good. The Money includes a cover of the Bentley Tock song “Rainfall.” Did you rediscover the song recently and realize it would fit the album? Or was it something you kept in the back of your mind for years and decided the time was finally right to do it? Mars: It was just a song I always thought was a great song. It was one of the earliest examples that I could think of that resonated with me on a lyrical level in a way that maybe pop music or stuff I was hearing on the radio wasn’t. [It has these] lyrics: ‘It’s not the disease but the word that gets around.’ How much better can you say it? Look at Ebola; there are 2,800 people who have it, yet the whole world is talking about it. There are so many great lines in that song, just one after another. I haven’t been able to get in touch with [Paco Ahlgren, who wrote ‘Rainfall’]. I don’t even know how to tell this guy that I used his song for my record. I’ve tried every way I could. Really, I just wanted to pay my respects to somebody who influenced me when I was a kid and nobody knows about.
Follow on Twitter: @CharlieMars
CHARLIE MARS THE MONEY STANDOUT TRACK: “THE MONEY”
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Tet
SPOTLIGHT
therball Steve Voss on Forging Your Own Unique Creative Stamp
by BLAIR BARNHARDT photography by JASON DENTON
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Did you used to sing backups with your last project, The Rogue? Yeah, and I never focused on my vocal tone. Listening back to a lot of stuff it’s like, ‘Oh
Did you do all the harmonies yourself on the album? Probably a little over half, but I really wanted to have collaborators, I really wanted to get a lot of friends [on these tracks]. So on the CD I credit all of them for the different background vocal parts. But I love harmonies and layering stuff, so I would call a friend like in Puzzles, my friend Rachel, who has a great voice and who I knew could sing the parts I wanted - that’s why I just had her come in and sing it. I think there’s like 13 total voices on the album but [most] of the harmonies are mine.
lot of people (and I mean that tongue in cheek).
What was the tipping point for you where said, ‘Yeah man, I’m the singer now’? The point where you said, ‘I’ve got this shit’? It was a slow process to figure out. I had all these songs that I had written and I said, ‘Let’s start with the easy ones first.’ So I started with the lower register, quieter stuff because that’s what
I have this internal monologue - you know, it’s always in the back of my mind. I guess it’s like, ‘Hey, I bet you can’t record and finish a whole album and produce it by yourself.’ And again, I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, watch!!!!’ It’s same thing with learning how to shoot video and make music videos for all the songs – well,
Have you performed a lot of the stuff on the album live successfully? Could you sing and play everything that you’ve written on stage?
SPOTLIGHT
I
had the good fortune to sit down a couple of weeks ago and have a lengthy discussion with Steve Voss from Tetherball to get inside the mind of musical genius, and to find out how he puts his own unique creative stamp on his recordings and live performances. While the 1963 Gibson amp with its 10-inch speaker was very helpful in creating most of the driving riffs behind his poppy intellectual tracks, there are many other factors that contribute to his band’s unique branding. Following is a condensed version of our transcript; any one of the nuggets from these paragraphs when properly implemented at your studio may be just what the proverbial doctor ordered to elevate your current project to the next level:
Yeah, and that’s kind of a downfall of mine. I really enjoy it - challenging myself and then seeing if I can do it. It’s kind of like a brotherly quarrel. ‘I bet you can’t do this.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh yeah…Watch!’
“I really enjoy it challenging myself and then seeing if I can do it. It’s kind of like a brotherly quarrel. ‘I bet you can’t do this.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh yeah…Watch!’” God, what happened?’ That was [me] just trying to blend so much with Josh Vaught…I tried a little bit, but when you’re not singing and you’re not ‘THE VOICE’ then you’re just like, ‘Well, I’ll hit the note and that’s it,’ that’s all you have to do! Right But then when it’s you – you’re the singing front man and it’s a whole different thing. Now I totally understand all these complaints from singers with trying to get people to sing backup with me. It’s like, ‘Yeah, but you know. Make it softer and try to do this.’ and I was just yelling at myself from years ago ‘cause that was exactly [how I was]. Now I understand! Everything makes perfect sense now!
I was kind of comfy - because I can be kind of submissive and less ‘out there.’ The louder stuff like “Absinthe” and “Vegetarian” I saved for last because of higher register and I just hated how my voice sounded. But I just kept working through different things. I sat down a couple times with…a vocal coach, got some tips, and just worked through a lot of it. But I think the first time I realized, ‘I think I could do this,’ was in the beginning of the year. And then slowly I just built from there and figured out that I can do it. I still don’t feel like a singer, I just feel like… It’s crazy because you say you don’t feel like a singer but until we had this discussion I never would have known. You tricked me, man! I mean, you tricked a
two songs so far anyway. So that’s fun, challenging myself. Then at the end of the day I have a couple of videos where I did everything from recording, the mixing, production, the writing, all the playing, and thinking of the ideas, getting the shots, coloring it, editing all the video…And now this project is so ‘me’ that it’s really fun to watch and see the [results of my] creative outlet. Do you feel like it’s no longer enough that you can pick up the guitar and write a riff, if you’re going to be successful in the business you have to edit a video, know a thing or two about mixing and recording? I think so…If I’m working on a video then I learn a lot of stuff that I can use for Tetherball or vice versa - something that I’m doing for myself, a trick or a new sound that I can find or then I PERFORMER MAGAZINE JANUARY 2015 27
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can use when producing somebody else’s album. That’s really fun, I love doing that. If you’re hands-on about everything, which I’m a super fan of, then it will speak the most about your character to the public and to yourself. I’ve learned so much about myself and my case and what I think about stuff just by…creating it all. Follow on Twitter: @Tetherballmusic
Once you realize there’s no limit to what you can do, what will you do to challenge yourself? Right now, I’m working on getting back to my playing a lot because I feel like I’ve just been mixing and editing forever. So playing music and trying just to be proficient at that again because I feel like I have been a little rusty the last couple of months. But yeah, in the future I don’t know, I just love the whole process of what I just went through this year. Doing it all again sounds like a blast, but challenging myself to make it better and then exploring more [will be rewarding, too]. We could have talked all night Steve and I, but I let him get back to his trade. Just when I thought I had seen and heard all of what Steve and his genius was about, he sent me links to videos of him performing his songs from Whimsy featuring the Hot Club Time Machine (http://youtu. be/gds9gAKXeFc), which further reinforced my respect for his craftsmanship and creative stamp. My favorite song on Tetherball’s Whimsy you ask? Without hesitation, “Hometown,” which brought me right back to one of my favorite acts, Fountains of Wayne, very reminiscent of their song “Prom Theme.” Grab the new album out now by Tetherball, and be prepared for the genius of Steve Voss, you will not be disappointed!
TETHERBALL WHIMSY STANDOUT TRACK: “HOMETOWN”
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SPOTLIGHT
kosha dillz The #1 Jewish Rapper in Koreatown
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SPOTLIGHT by JACLYN WING photos by AMELIA BURNS & TODD WESTPHAL
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SPOTLIGHT
“Sometimes we collaborate on an album, sometimes we create beats from scratch, and sometimes we have skeletons and then add the flesh.” 32 JANUARY 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
W
hether you know him as Kosha Dill, KD Flow, or Kosha Dillz, it is important to note that the Chosen People’s chosen rapper is wise beyond his years, or maybe just wise enough. Rami Matan EvenEsh, stage name Kosha Dillz, was born and raised in New Jersey and during his time at Rutgers University, he was a member of their D-1 wrestling team in addition to studying English. In his past, he was infamous for pushing the limits and boundaries, however, many years ago, he realized something - perhaps the secret to being a successful artist - and truly took it to heart: “you form a connection one fan at a time.” The multiple stage names are a direct result from Rami not wanting to associate with his religion. He notes that he was “pretty embarrassed” coming out of lock-up after some run-ins with the law, but came out one hundred percent commitment to pursuing his rap career, realizing that “Kosha Dillz” was a distinctive name. “I kind of wanted to get back to my roots and now people reach out to me based on my
name.” In early 2000, Rami started battling in the underground rap scene in New York, “performing at all of the underground spots, which then quickly became going to the NJ scene, then the Midwest, and then beyond.” Touring by himself for a while helped him grow as a person but “free-styling with bands has taken things to a new level.” Rami realized the importance of having a good relationship with others in the music industry, and however many years ago it was, it happened in South Dakota. He weaseled his way into a show in South Dakota with Murs and followed him to Omaha, which, lets just say, went pretty badly. “You get one chance to make a good impression. I’m known for pushing the limit and boundaries, which prevented me from working with Murs for a while. But it’s all about playing your cards right and pushing the limit.” It’s important to be aware of your surroundings, but he notes that you become very aware of how quickly people judge, and how you feel like you have to meet expectations because people are watching you even when you don’t know it.
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His perseverance and exposure from freestyling directly resulted in being able to reconnect the dots and build a positive relationship with Belief and Murs. “Others in the industry really recommended me [to Murs].” Patience is key, and as cliché as it sounds, relationships are important. His discography includes notable releases within the last eight years. In 2006, he collaborated with Matisyahu on the song “Childhood” on the C-Rayz Walz album The Dropping. In 2008, C-Rayz Walz and Kosha Dillz released the album Freestyle vs. Written with the label Modular Moods; Kosha Dillz rapped written versus and Walz free-styled. In 2009, Dillz released a debut solo album Beverly Dillz, produced by Belief again on Modular Moods. In 2011, he released the EP album Gina & the Garage Sale and most recently, he dropped his second solo album Awkward In a Good Way on Murs 316; Murs and producer Belief assisted in shaping the feel of the album. His writing process differs from rap to rap; it all depends when inspiration strikes. Whether it is hand written, typing on the computer, making a note in his phone, or scribbling on a notepad, his inspiration gets written down. If inspiration strikes during studio time, he freestyles for a while, then adds melodies and then the hooks. Studio time brings up intense emotions, which
“I usually freak out right before I take the stage, but once I get out there and work really hard to get the crowd hyped, they start nodding to it and all is good.” makes for inspired freestyles. Each album is created by a different process: “sometimes we collaborate on an album, sometimes we create beats from scratch, and sometimes we have skeletons and then add the flesh.” With regards to producing beats, “I leave that to the professionals. I’ve grown to what I like, and have grown accustomed to the new digital vibes, and full instruments.” He notes that keyboard and synth are his favorite, but he loves a dusty MP3. Like any successful artist, he invests time and money into his raps; he notes the importance of getting the most length out of the rap, or album. Every artist approaches the stage differently and has a different stage presence. Dillz recently landed a major performance at Madison Square Garden in NYC and a slot on next summer’s Warped Tour. “I usually freak out right before I take the stage, but once I get out there and work really hard to get the crowd hyped, they start nodding to it and all is good.” He continues, “The first big tour/festival
I was involved in was Festival of Life with Matisyahu. Ten years ago I was with Matisyahu, and now, here I am, ten years later, with my own show. Apparently they were right when they said, ‘It takes ten years to be a great success.’” Kosha Dillz is referring to his upcoming Warped Tour dates with performances running from June through August. Warped is an opportunity to reach new fans and to build a new following of respect for the music.
Follow on Twitter: @koshadillz
“I’m so happy that I made the original mistake with Murs because now I get to make new friends and rock a dope stage. Extra fans means extra family. It’s really hard to find a tight knit group of people.” Rami’s advice to other artists is to try to collaborate with everyone, try to make friends, and build good relationships. The right answer is to support other people. There are so many good artists out there but being a good person is crucial. “I believe in helping other people, because people helped me.”
KOSHA DILLZ AWKWARD IN A GOOD WAY STANDOUT TRACK: “FWENDS”
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MUSIC BUSINESS
6 WAYS TO REACH YOUR KICKSTARTER GOAL Here are six tips on managing your Kickstarter in a way that will bring in the most dollars. 1. Do your research Before you launch anything, look into what your project is actually going to cost. Don’t guess how much it takes to record, master, and release an album, complete with CD cases, booklets, and a photo shoot – figure it out. Look up the prices for everything you’re going to need and ask for the right amount. If you don’t, your fundraising efforts could actually end up costing you. 2. Don’t ask for too much I know I just said to ask for everything you need, but don’t be ridiculous. If you’re asking people to help fund your tour, don’t plan on staying at nice hotels and eating out for every meal. If your fans are paying, only ask for what’s essential. For the aforementioned tour, figure in things like gas, tolls, and perhaps some of your food and lodging expenses. These programs usually can’t (and aren’t meant to) fund you all the way, but rather help you get where you’re going. 3. Set realistic deadlines If you’re recording an album, don’t tell your fans you’ll finish it in a month when we all know it can take much longer than that to create a truly quality product. Also, when it comes to giving away items with donations, make sure you get things out to people quickly, but don’t promise them too much too soon. So, if you get a CD for a $50 donation, don’t promise fans they’ll have it the next day; you’ll spend too much on shipping, and there’s a good chance you won’t make it to the post office that day. It’s better to say that something will take a long time and have it be true than for a reward or product to be late. Building anticipation can be fun, but making people wait for something they were already supposed to have is never great. 4. Give them something good Gone are the days when you can simply offer signed CDs or tickets to a show, because those aren’t particularly special. Will people still give? Perhaps. But not the way they would if there were something amazing up for grabs.
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Offer them a chance to hang out on your tour bus for a while, a few drinks at the show, or something personalized. I was recently convinced to buy a second copy of Betty Who’s new album because if you purchased a special edition, your name would end up in the liner notes. I had already bought one copy on iTunes, but when she sweetened the deal by forever memorializing my love for her in the physical edition, I was sold (and so was another copy of the album).
6. Remind people These days, everyone is overwhelmed with emails, texts, and messages on any number of social channels, so don’t feel bad if people miss your original plea. While you certainly shouldn’t annoy people with tons of email reminders, sending a few throughout the campaign is perfectly fine. You can also mask your request for money by using it as an opportunity to update people on how the fundraising is going, and any news on your album, tour, or project.
5. Explain what’s going on If you’re asking for people’s money, they’re going to need the details. Would you blindly give to someone without knowing what your money was going towards? The more people understand, the more they’ll be willing to help you get where you’re trying to go.
If you haven’t considered it before, you might want to give Kickstarter a try. It can be a great way to raise money, further your career, and develop an even stronger relationship with your fans.*
A video is one of the best ways to explain everything your fans should need to know in an interesting, succinct way. Nobody wants to read a business plan, but a two-minute, well-produced clip works just fine. Looking around on Kickstarter, I found artist Jenna Moynihan’s page, where she’s raising money for her debut album. Her video is informative, fun, shows off her talent, and looks like it was pretty easy to make. It’s simple to do, and can help raise the dough.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Hugh McIntyre is a freelance pop music journalist in NYC by way of Boston. He has written for Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, and MTV, as well as various magazines and blogs around the world. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of the blog “Pop! Bang! Boom!” which is dedicated to the genre of pop in all of its glory. *This article was originally posted at Sonicbids.com. Re-published here with permission.
As with any business, your products and services (whether they be your recordings, tours, merch, or anything else) are the stars of the show. They generate revenue and keep your music career af loat. This is why it’s so important to push the boundaries of innovation and creativity and find a variety of ways to satisfy your audience and make sales.
MUSIC BUSINESS
14 WAYS TO MAKE MONEY FROM ONE SONG
Take a song, for instance. It can be recorded and simply released as a single, but that’s not all. Here’s how to turn a single song into 14 different money-making revenue streams: 1. If you remix it and take the lyrics away, it’s now an instrumental version that can be licensed to film and TV. 2. If you re-record it live, you can release that version as a live single. 3. If you re-record it acoustically, it can now be sold as the unplugged version. 4. If you sing it in another language, it is now a translation suitable for new markets.
songs and/or used as a tool to generate advertising revenue on video sites.
5. If you remix it with a guest DJ, it can now be the electronic dance version.
11. If you film yourself while writing and recording the song, it can be part of your “making of” video.
6. If you compile it with six or 10 other songs, it can become part of an album or compilation.
12. If you transcribe the music into printed form, it can be a piece of sheet music.
7. If you offer the recorded stems to your individual track, it can be an “interactive product” where fans can create new mixes and share them with each other.
13. If you keep the broken drumsticks, skins, picks, and other tools that were used during the recording of the song, they can be sold as collectors’ items.
8. If you allow the song to be experienced (heard, critiqued) in real-time during the writing and production phase, it can be an exclusive content perk to paying fan club members.
14. If you pile a number of the items discussed above into a classy box, it can be a cool limited box set that your fans might find as a great value and must-have item.
9. If you take the words from the song’s chorus and place them on T-shirts and hats, it becomes a cool piece of merch. 10. If you create a video of the song being performed and/or acted out, it can be part of a DVD collection of video singles with other
The same concept can be applied to your music lesson business (offered at home, on DVD, in an instructional book, in a master class clinic, streaming live online, etc.) or to any other product or service. The point is that with a little creativity, one product can be turned into a variety of extensions. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the more
products you offer, the better – in fact, that could actually create confusion for your fans. Rather, if you can keep the juices of creativity and innovation always f lowing by being openminded and observing what’s around you at all times, you can better satisfy the needs of your fans and serve others you may not be reaching currently with quality offerings. That’s how you can generate even more income for your music career. Just remember that if you take your music career seriously, it’s a business – and the purpose of a business is to make a healthy profit. If it’s not profitable, it’s not a business – it’s just a hobby. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bobby Borg is the author of Music Marketing For The DIY Musician: Creating and Executing a Plan of Attack On A Limited Budget (September 2014). Find the book on Hal Leonard’s website under “Trade Books” or on Amazon. Signed copies with a special offer are also available at bobbyborg.com.* *This article originally appeared on Sonicbids.com - it has been republished here with permission.
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MUSIC BUSINESS
KOBALT BACKS BERKLEE’S RETHINK MUSIC INITIATIVE An Interview with Allen Bargfrede, Executive Director of Rethink Music If you’re reading this, you’re involved in the “Great Music Industry Debate of the ‘10s,” in which we all wax poetic about the vinyl resurgence, argue the merits and downfalls of streaming, scorn Taylor Swift-types, and bitch about audio file quality; just to name a few of the hot topics. And I’m guilty of it, too. But, the truth is, none of us know the answer. No one who writes on music business, whether it be licensing, live touring, publishing, labels, royalties or even retail, could possibly know THE answer that will solve the puzzle that is the music industry. The problem is, we need data and research to debate. We need to have deep discussions with multiple stakeholders about all facets of the music industry in order to find a viable way forward for everyone. You can’t put together a puzzle without all of the pieces. That’s where Rethink Music comes in. An offshoot of Berklee College of Music, it’s dedicated to identifying, and then finding ways to solve, the big problems facing the music industry. It might be through Venture Day (recently held in Berlin), through music tech. It might be through conferences focused on business models, or a private workgroup of experts producing a white paper. Or, it might be through the BerkleeICE program (headed by Panos Panay, formerly of Sonicbids), focused on accelerating entrepreneurial endeavors, and research partnerships with MIT, Harvard, and others. Rethink just entered into a two-year partnership with Kobalt Publishing with a generous grant to support these initiatives. I caught up with Allen Bargfrede, executive director of Rethink Music for Berklee College of Music, to discuss this new deal, and more. Performer Mag: Congrats! It seems you could’ve dipped into music tech money, or other college sources, so why Kobalt, specifically? Allen Bargfrede: Thank you, we’re very excited to work with Kobalt in many ways. The financial support is great, of course, but we’re also going to get access to insight that only Kobalt could provide. Kobalt is a technology company first, music second. They created a platform to
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streamline and track payments, then tried to sell it to the industry. They were very far ahead of the curve, so after no one took them up on it, they started a music publishing company. Now, we will be able to see anonymized backend data, giving us unprecedented insight into different territories, platforms, and payments, making our research that much better, and hopefully, the outcomes will reflect that. PM: What are the biggest roadblocks you see in the industry today?
AB: The Internet has really broken down barriers for music discovery, promotion, and distribution. But antiquated royalty structures and copyright laws are a still a huge drag. I’d say that understanding how it all works is important. Mastering metadata is key. That’s how you get tracked and paid. From there, we have to make payments simple and transparent, wherever they come from. Speed and efficiency are becoming a new currency. PM: What’s your take on the future of streaming? AB: I’m a firm believer in the streaming model. It’s been around for a decade, and Spotify really only took off three years ago with the Facebook integration. I think a lot of the debate is really a lack of education on the topic. It’s complicated, and even savvy veterans sometimes seem bewildered by it all. Long story short, there’s no reason that music creators shouldn’t be able to understand exactly where the money is coming from, or where the money is going, in a timely manner, and that alone will solve some of the confusion.
PM: It seems Rethink Music events and conferences don’t get as much press attention as the others. What can be done to change that? AB: Maybe you could cover us! (Laughs) True, other conferences get a whole lot more. After we released the Valencia 2013 paper, we got some traction on that. We’re doing many more workgroups where industry insiders can be honest, and that’s not really something you can live blog. Part of the reason we moved away from
that model is that we are interested in solving problems, not just talking about them. PM: Rethink is a big undertaking now, multiple conferences, the BerkleeICE program, integrating the college curriculum … AB: (Laughs) Yeah, up until now, it’s basically been a one-man show. Having Panos [Panay] onboard is fantastic, in addition to our great board of advisors. I’m also interested in really pushing the relationship with academia. I mean, what would Silicon Valley be without Stanford? This Kobalt/Berklee partnership is a way to spark that kind of interdependency. Our only interest is creating a bigger pie for everyone. In mid-January, visit rethink-music.com, where Rethink will be releasing their upcoming events schedule. 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.
Even though it’s a direct connection with your fans and the media, Twitter should not and cannot replace a press release as the preferred way to share official, important information. It shouldn’t be a source of information until after the press release has been unleashed and serviced via proper channels.
MUSIC BUSINESS
WHY TWITTER SHOULD NOT BE THE NEW PRESS RELEASE
I know what you’re thinking. It’s 2014. Social media is the method of communication du jour. I used to joke that “Twitter is the new press release” whenever a band I worked with (or simply liked) shared information as a tweet instead of funneling it through proper channels. And though I can understand why they did this, I have come to the decision that I don’t professionally agree with it. That’s because Twitter can be like high school. When Justin Bieber unfollows Selena Gomez on Twitter, everyone from E! to fans with Tumblr blogs cover it like it’s a matter of national security. It’s hard to tell what’s real, what’s not a knee-jerk reaction, what matters, and what’s of most significance. Twitter isn’t the way to announce the exit of a band member, a breakup, the parting of ways with a label, or anything of huge consequence. An album or song title is fine. But a major change in the ranks should not be relegated to the domain of Twitter. Twitter can be hacked. Twitter is f leeting. Twitter is often tit-for-tat and can be a way to wrestle control. An artist can feel like they beat their label, their manager, or their bandmates to the punch by tweeting. It’s too in-the-moment and almost feels like it’s unauthorized info, even if the user is verified with their little blue check mark. It’s also problematic since you have limited space to make your point. It’s unofficial. It can be deleted. Suppose you’re in a band and your singer quits. In a moment of anger, you take to your Twitter feed to call him all sorts of names and to let fans know that he let you and them down. After you simmer down, you might want to take it back and wish you saved your comments for a more professional (and carefully crafted) statement that does not air dirty laundry.
Even if you delete the tweet, chances are some nimble-thumbed fan or member of the media screenshotted and uploaded it, forever capturing the words. Nothing dies on the Internet...ever. Plus, how many artists trash their labels, other artists, or their teams, only to take it back later? It’s not a good look. An official press release is the way to go, even though it sounds old-fashioned and perhaps even a little outmoded in the digital, alwaysplugged-in day and age. It comes from your publicist and your representative, who are your relationship-based lines to the media. I have had editors call me to verify the authenticity of a tweet and to get my confirmation on the information prior to posting; that, new media, is called fact-checking. Most writers and editors will go the PR person to confirm what has been transmitted via tweet instead of leaping to post it first for SEO purposes. The press release is also more controlled. It can be carefully put together to advance an objective. It’s the most accurate and detailed source of the information that you want to share, and the information can also be posted to your social networks at the same time.
The press release shouldn’t be factored out of the process. It should drive it because there are essential who/what/when/where/ why details that the media will want to know when covering news. They can’t get that from a simple, oft-misspelled tweet, which anyone can see. It doesn’t draw the line between the media and unofficial and less credible sources. So, when you have big news to share, it’s best to do something official in press release form. You and your news deserve it.* ABOUT THE AUTHOR Amy Sciarretto has 20 years of print and online bylines, from Kerrang to Spin.com to Revolver to Bustle, covering music, beauty, and fashion. After 12 years doing radio and publicity at Roadrunner Records, she now fronts Atom Splitter PR, her own boutique PR firm, which has over 30 clients. She also is active in animal charity and rescue. *This article was originally posted at Sonicbids. com. It has been re-published here with permission.
PERFORMER MAGAZINE JANUARY 2015 37
RECORDING
Avoid These 5 Mistakes on Your Next Album Or: Why Your Band’s Record Sounds Like Shit by BENJAMIN RICCI 38 JANUARY 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
After listening to literally thousands of first-time LPs and EPs from various bands throughout the years, I want to share with you five time-tested reasons why your album sounds like shit. These rookie mistakes will make you an instant bush-leaguer in any recording engineer’s eyes, and will practically stamp the phrase “amateur hour” onto any promo copy you send to radio and press.
RECORDING
N
ot getting press? Shocker – maybe it’s because your band’s last album sounds like absolute ass. Sorry to be so blunt, but just because you CAN record on your laptop doesn’t mean you’re qualified to do so.
And let’s not even discuss those 900+ copies of your CD still gathering dust in Disc Makers boxes in your basement. They’re not selling for a reason, and if you suspect one of those reasons is that they sound as though they were recorded underwater by lobotomized monkeys, then you should keep reading. 1. TURN DOWN THE GAIN A TAD, SKID ROW! You know those classic crunch tones and amazing distortion sounds you’ve been listening to for years? You know, the perfect rock and roll guitar sound from your heroes? Well, it wasn’t recorded with a $39 distortion pedal. If you want real, honest-to-goodness natural overdrive, there’s only one way to capture it on tape that won’t sound like complete dog shit. Plug in a tube amp. Plug your guitar into it. Turn that beast up and wail. That’s it – a simple recipe for an amazing guitar tone. One ear-piercing reason your record might sound terrible is that your guitar player is insistent on using a God-awful distortion pedal on EVERY FUCKING TRACK, and it’s an instant distraction in the mix. The other problem, and this is the main one, is that whether using a pedal or overdriven tube amp, your axe-slinger’s gain is WAY TOO FUCKING HIGH AND INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE MATERIAL THEY’RE PLAYING! Trust me, the amount of dirt you actually want vs. the amount of dirt you’re dialing in are wildly different. Less is more, and the more you dial down the gain (while still maintaining a decent volume to get a tube-saturated sound), the more appealing the guitar will sound on record. Now of course, if you’re going for a death-metal “hammer of doom” type of sound, by all means layer that shit on thick. But for most applications, cut the gain by half and listen to the new mix. You’ll be surprised at how much more articulate the guitar parts are (provided you can play them well and weren’t covering up sloppiness with distortion), and how much more dynamic they’ll seem with less gain. PERFORMER MAGAZINE JANUARY 2015 39
RECORDING 2. YOUR DRUMMER’S EGO IS GETTING IN THE WAY! I’m just gonna come out and say it: play to a click track, drummers. You are human, so playing a f lawlessly in-time track from start to finish is nearly impossible, even for the world’s greatest skin-pounders. If you’re a mere mortal who needs some sort of context for your playing, that’s OK. Drop the ego, strap on some cans, and let the engineer dial in a click track at the song’s correct BMP. If your drum track is all over the place, your recording is doomed from the start. It’s like trying to build a house without a solid foundation; anything you try to put on top of it will come crumbling down. So, instead of pounding your chest and asserting your machismo, lose the attitude and actually listen to what your producer is suggesting. He or she is sitting in that chair because they likely know what they’re talking about. Trying to fix mistakes, especially quantizing rhythm parts during your mix, is going to slow things down and lead to incredibly sub-par recordings that no one will want to listen to. I’ve heard otherwise great songs ruined by a drummer’s ego and inability to perform in time, leading to bandmates who can only do their best to salvage an alreadydoomed recording. Don’t be another “never was” because your group’s Ringo is being a doofus. 3. HEY, BRIAN WILSON, STOP OVERORCHESTRATING YOUR TRACKS TO DEATH! We get it; you’re an undiscovered musical genius brimming with ideas. Awesome! I mean 40 JANUARY 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
this with all sincerity – I wish there were more of you out there. But just because you CAN layer track upon track of instrumentation doesn’t mean you SHOULD. Shit, even Brian Wilson called it a day at certain points during Pet Sounds, and you should too. Sometimes simpler is better, especially if the song is suffering because there’s simply too much going on in the mix and your melody has become a jumbled mess of flugelhorns and timpani. Let the song speak for itself, unless the arrangement truly calls for the instrumentation you’re forcing upon it. Really, no one will think less of your talents as a songwriter or musician if your work features the standard indie rock set-up of guitar, bass, drums and (maybe) keyboard. Hell, some of the most inspired records of all-time are the most sparse: Joni Mitchell’s Blue and Nick Drake’s Pink Moon are brilliant in their simplicity. Listen to them on repeat to hear the nuances, the dynamics and the passion that a simple voice and guitar or voice and piano are capable of. 4. YOU’RE NOT YNGWIE, AND THAT’S OK! Look, we’ve all been there. The mic is live, the engineer has hit “record” and you’re on the spot. We all clam up now and again and need an extra take to work the nerves out of our system. No worries there. But unnecessary takes waste time and money, and if your band is waiting around for you to nail a part that’s just never gonna happen, it’s time to give up the ghost.
It’s OK to play parts that are at your skill level. Really, it is. Trying to be something you’re not is useless. Practice until you get there, and THEN hit the studio. But in the meantime, stop worrying about recording a Steve Vai inspired guitar solo if you simply don’t have the chops to pull it off. A lot of times (notice a pattern here?) simpler is better. Playing a perfect melodic line is often more important to the song than some weedlyweedly Floyd Rose-infused acrobatic journey around the fretboard. Never lose sight of the fact that the song is the most important thing. Please. 5. YOU SHOULD BE SLAPPED FOR SENDING OUT UNMASTERED MATERIAL! Ladies and gentlemen, in this day and age tracks can be recorded piecemeal in various studios, bedrooms and basements. We know that. We get it. But they shouldn’t sound like it! Get your album or EP properly mastered. It’s the best investment you can make at the end of your project – the equalization, compression, leveling and post-production fx that your mastering engineer will employ can be the difference between a great sounding recording and an unintended lo-fi affair. Now, if lo-fi’s your thing, that’s totally cool. We still recommend getting your LP mastered with that aesthetic in mind, as a good mastering engineer will add a consistency to the tracks without sacrificing your sonic goals. 6. *BONUS* - YOU ARE, IN FACT, NICKELBACK. Sorry, can’t help you on that one :)
MY FAVORITE AXE
with
Steve
MORSE photo by RICK TRIANA
Like Steve Morse needs an introduction? He started the Dixie Dregs in 1970, the Steve Morse Band in the early ’80s, joined Kansas in 1986, joined Deep Purple 1993 and continues to perform with them to this day. This month, you can meet Steve and Joe Perry at Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut. Don’t miss it! KEY GEAR
Engl Steve Morse signature amp, Engl 4x12 cabinets, Music Man Steve Morse signature guitars (pictured), and Ernie Ball volume pedals controlling TC Electronic Flashback delays with custom ‘toneprints.’ WHAT YOUR ORIGINAL SIGNATURE MODEL MEANS
It’s my first signature guitar from the production line back in 1986, and it reminds me of all the music I’ve written, performed and recorded over the decades. It is my voice, the most important ‘effect’ I have. WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE
With four pickups, it can sound thick, midrangey, with soaring harmonics, fat, warm high notes, and can get high-end with midrange that is perfect for funk, country, or rhythm. SPECIAL FEATURES
Four pickups spread over a wide distance, light, balanced weight for easy practicing, straight string pull from nut to tuning pegs, and easy access to volume and tone pots. CUSTOM MODS
Rounded out the heel joint where the neck is screwed on (now a factory standard), changed bridge pickup several times, 10 fret jobs (!), and added some silicone cement around neck pickup coils one day in the studio to try to get ridiculous sustain with no feedback. CAN BE HEARD ON
Deep Purple: Perpendicular, Abandon, Bananas, Rapture of the Deep, Now What?! Steve Morse Band: Coast to Coast, Structural Damage, Southern Steel, Stressfest, Prime Cuts, Major Impacts, Split Decision, Major Impacts 2, Out Standing in Their Field Dixie Dregs: Full Circle, Bring em Back Alive, California Screaming Kansas: Power, In the Spirit of Things and countless more sessions!
Got a favorite instrument you’d like to share? Email us at editorial@performermag.com
LISTEN NOW @ www.stevemorse.com PERFORMER MAGAZINE JANUARY 2015 41
TOUR TEST
Cutting The Cord: On T The Ries Brothers & Au 42 JANUARY 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
n The Road With Audio-Technica
TOUR TEST
[Editor’s note: we recently held a nationwide search to find a band to tour test some awesome new System 10 wireless gear from our friends at Audio-Technica. After receiving a ton of great entries, we landed on The Ries Brothers, a Florida two-some who were headed out on the road with Miggs and Terry McDermott. So we shipped the boys some new toys (the ATW-1102 package, to be exact) and had them blog, tweet and ‘gram their thoughts over the course of the tour. Below is their final wrap-up…] Hi, this is Charlie Ries, singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and drummer for “The Ries Brothers.” It was a pleasure to use the new System 10 wireless mic/transmitter and receiver from Audio-Technica this fall while on tour with Miggs. This was my first experience ever using a wireless mic, and I am really grateful I got to try out this awesome combo! The sound quality on this new system is so good and so pure, I never want to use anything else but this mic from Audio-Technica. I have never sounded better vocally! My brother plays guitar, and since we’re a duo, I have to do a lot to fill in the rest of the sound. So I play drums, keyboard bass, and sing at the same time. I also get out front to sing and play piano when we’re doing softer songs. So the ability to move freely on-stage without a tangle of wires is huge. Needless to say, this mic helped tremendously. I could carry it all over the stage without worrying about tripping over a cable. Then when I headed back to the drums, it was so easy; just put it on the stand and go! No cables to get in your way. I also take the mic off the stand and put it in quickly to play my instrument quite a bit, and the mic fit so well in the clip that it was incredibly easy to do so. I can’t recommend this unit enough, especially for singers who are playing instruments at the same time, or singers who just like to move around and cover the entire stage. We had a great time in 2014. In addition to touring with Miggs, we opened for Daughtry, Little River Band, Edgar Winter, played part of the Vans Warped Tour, and did a 10-city tour opening for Chicago, which included the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. We’re working hard to ensure that 2015 will be even better, and the System 10 Wireless package will definitely be a part of our tour gear. Come see The Ries Brothers on tour this year! Visit us at RiesBrothers.com for all of our upcoming dates, and thanks again to Audio-Technica and Performer Magazine for hooking us up with the great new gear! For more information, head to audiotechnica.com and be sure to follow The Ries Brothers on Twitter @riesbrothers
PERFORMER MAGAZINE JANUARY 2015 43
RECORDING
Understanding The Engineer/Producer/Artist Roles & Relationships An In-Depth Look at Working Together In The Studio
W
hen you enter a recording studio you are beginning a relationship with at least one new person – the recording engineer. A lot is riding on this person’s abilities and personality during your tracking and mixing sessions. In fact, we would argue that the engineer is the most important element of the recording experience and unfortunately, they are often the least focused-on part of the puzzle. You can have the best console and recording space in the world but in the hands of a neophyte with the personality of a third grader, you’re in for a disaster. On the other hand, a less-than-stellar mic closet and older plug-ins in the hands of a talented, experienced and friendly engineer will often yield amazing sonic results. MEET & GREET We learned early on that one of the most important steps you can take to making a great recording is to visit the studio and engineer you’re going to potentially work with first. Take a tour, sit down and chat for a few minutes and get to know a bit about who you will be working with and see if you hit it off. Ask a few “dumb” questions and see if you like the replies. If the engineer looks down his nose at you and makes you feel like an idiot for asking, that might be a red flag. One of the engineer’s biggest responsibilities is to foster creativity throughout the session. Not to toot our own horn, but one of the most common responses we get from a new client after we’ve completed a session is often, “Wow, the last engineer we worked with wouldn’t even let us try that!” We hear tales of engineers at other studios who seem to have very strict rules about how things should sound, informing artists that they have to do things like re-write a guitar solo because “it doesn’t fit the song.” If an engineer makes you feel “wrong” for doing something musical in the studio, then your creativity is immediately going to take a nosedive. In our opinion, the job of the recording engineer is to expertly 44 JANUARY 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
record an artist’s performance as invisibly as possible. If the artist asks for their kick drum to sound “more thumpy,” then a good engineer should turn a few knobs or tweak a mic position and then ask, “Is that what you were looking for?” – not “Then you should have bought a better kick drum.” THE CUSTOMER’S ALWAYS RIGHT Let’s be clear about something here – all the rules that apply to every other customer/ service relationship should also apply here to the engineer/artist relationship, namely the customer is always right. If you as the artist are paying for the recording session, then you are the customer and if you want the guitar solo to last for nine minutes and be played out of tune - then you are right. Now this is why a pre-meeting with the engineer is so important. If the engineer wasn’t expecting a 10-hour session filled with nine-minute, out-of-tune guitar solos, then they are probably going to be unhappy and possibly walk out in the middle or at the very least be unpleasant to deal with. For everything to go smoothly it has to be a good fit, so do your research and find an engineer who appreciates your music. When you are researching restaurants on Yelp you read reviews about the quality of food, service and ambience. Consider your pre-production studio meeting your chance to sample the sonic menu, check out the ambiance and meet the staff. WHEN IS AN ENGINEER A PRODUCER? When we sit down with prospective clients here at Night Train Studios, especially if they are new to recording, we like to explain our role as engineers and clarify that unless the artist asks for our opinion, we are here to serve the client in reaching their sonic goals. The artist/ engineer relationship is a tricky one. Unlike the customer/chef relationship, where both parties have plenty of experience – customer eating/chef cooking – with the artist/engineer relationship the engineer likely has more experience doing his job then the artist has doing
theirs. (It’s more like an airline pilot/flyer relationship. I’ve flown this plane to Miami and back thousands of times, you climb aboard and take a seat.) The engineer has recorded on practically a daily basis whereas many artists may have never even been inside a recording studio before. This “power” can go to an engineer’s head and make them arrogant and condescending if they’re not careful. So when an engineer begins saying things like, “What I’m hearing in this part should be organs and a cowbell track,” then they have crossed the line into the realm of producer. It is a producer’s job to make the tough calls and finesse the egos to get a song to where he or she feels it should be. It is the producer’s role to suggest that the guitar solo should be re-written to fit the song better or to nix it entirely in favor of a xylophone solo instead. THE ARTIST AS PRODUCER Often an artist will take on the producer’s role and make the decisions about how the song should sound. Everyone should be clear about who is playing which role before the session begins. There is nothing worse than a band starting to unravel as new chefs keep entering the kitchen. If the whole band wants to “produce,” that’s fine as long as there is a good working relationship between bandmates. What doesn’t work is when each band member is focused on their own element and nobody else is allowed to comment on it without touching a nerve. Bass player: “This part needs more bass.” Guitar player: “This part needs more guitar.” Bass player: “Why do we need four harmony guitar parts in the chorus?” Guitar player: “Shut up! I’m outta here!” Sound familiar? HIRING A PRODUCER That is why you generally hire a producer whose work you admire. If you trust your producer, then when they make a suggestion, everyone in the band will probably listen without taking offense. If the producer is the engineer for the session that you just met an
RECORDING hour ago, then you might not be that openminded to their input (especially if you didn’t ask for any advice). Will the producer get paid by the hour or by the project? Will the producer have any ownership of the master recording? Will the producer get any writer’s share if they play an instrument on the track or re-arrange the song? Make sure if you are hiring a producer that you clearly work out the details of your relationship (and their compensation plan) in writing prior to the sessions. THE PRODUCER IS THE WEDDING PLANNER If we’re looking for more analogies, then a producer is like a wedding planner and an engineer is like the caterer. You don’t need to know how the caterer cooked the chicken, you just want it to taste good. And you don’t mind taking advice from the wedding planner about where the tent should be set up and what the invitations should look like, because that’s what you hired them to do – advise you on the details to make your wedding as good as your budget will allow. Now imagine if your caterer
started giving you advice on your bridesmaid dresses… With the wedding planner analogy, you hire a wedding planner who has helped create previous weddings (records) that you admire. You don’t necessarily have to like the previous brides and grooms (artists), but the caterers (engineers) they hired and venues (studios) they booked should have impressed you. The wedding planner (producer) should be easy to get along with and should be open to your personal vision for your wedding (record) and not try to make every wedding exactly the same. They should understand and be agreeable to your budget and be honest about what can be attained with what you’ve got to spend. DEFINING YOUR PROJECT What is it that you are setting out to accomplish and what is the best way to achieve that goal? Maybe your songs are all pretty well set in stone and you just want some awesome recordings of them and you don’t really need a third party’s opinion. In this case, you’d probably be
best suited leaving a producer out of the equation and taking on that role yourself. Perhaps you are looking for that outside input, or you want to work with someone who can take your project to a new level. Hire a producer in this case. At the end of the day, whatever will best serve your project is the right path to take. And now that you know what to look for in these professional relationships, you’ll be better prepared to make these important decisions for your next record. 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 JANUARY 2015 45
GEAR REVIEWS
AUDIO-TECHNICA ATW-1701/l ($449) ATW-1702 ($399) Wireless Camera Mount Systems
PROS
Easy to set up, great wireless range, fits well on camera mounts, crystal-clear audio. CONS
Battery takes a while to fully charge.
O
K, so you’re thinking to yourself, “Self, why is Performer reviewing a camera-mounted wireless mic?” Good question. We review a lot of mics, some wireless and some not. But the new System 10 offerings from Audio-Technica (the ATW-1701/l package that includes a lavalier aka lapel mic and the 1702 package which includes a more standard handheld mic) actually make a lot of sense for artists in the new media age. Gone are the days where bands were limited to solely producing and releasing music. Nowadays, fans expect a richer, more involved peek into an artist’s creative workings. So lots of bands are doing video blogs from the road, or producing their own local TV shows on public access where they interview fellow artists and have on-air live performances. And lastly, a lot of artists are offering up tons of creative video content online, including behind-the-scenes YouTube clips, instrument lessons and product reviews (just look at Rob Chapman who was featured on our cover last month for the EXACT type of multi-dimensional musician these packages make sense for). Anyway, enough with the who – let’s get to the what. So what do you get? Well, the packages are about the same, but you have your choice of a standard handheld mic or a lapel mic (great for sit-down interviews or inthe-field video clips) for an extra $50. Both packages feature the same great System 10 wireless technology that Audio-Technica is known for, and both systems are super simple to get up and running. I’ve never used a camera mounted mic system before, and it took all of 5 minutes to figure it out and Digital 24-bit/48 kHz wireless operation
FEATURES
Operates in the 2.4 GHz range, free from TV interference Instantaneous channel selection, sync and setup Three levels of diversity assurance: frequency, time & space Ultra compact receiver size with multiple mounting options Selectable balanced and unbalanced output jacks Internal rechargeable 12-hr battery Separate headphone port & volume control for local monitoring 46 JANUARY 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
get it plugged in properly (thanks for including a shoe-mount, A-T). Battery life is exceptional at between 9-11 hours (depending on use) and the receiver unit is really small and lightweight – trust us, this is a huge plus since you’re not adding bulk and weight to your camera set up. Operating range is superb, too. We moved the transmitter between 75-100 feet away from the receiver in our tests with little noticeable problem. And don’t worry about radio interference – that’s not an issue either. Sound-wise, there’s not much surprising here. We know the System 10 products sound great, and the lapel mic and handheld versions were absolutely crystal clear in our tests. The receiver has two antennae for added reliability; so honestly, we’re having a hard time finding much to complain about. Bottom line – if you or your band are getting into video production work, these might make a lot of sense for you. Plus, let’s face it. With the lapel mic, you can unleash your inner Ron Burgundy upon your bandmates and fans. Bonus! -David Larson
RADIO PROMOTION (terrestrial, satellite, internet)
Dresden Dolls Bad Plus Girls Guns & Glory String Cheese Incident Esperanza Spalding Medeski Martin & Wood Steve Winwood Gov't Mule 311 Janis Ian Jim's Big Ego Stanley Clarke Umphrey's McGee Gretchen Parlato Miss Tess Mike Stern Soulive Maceo Parker PUBLICITY AND TOUR SUPPORT (print press and viral)
call: 800-356-1155 www: powderfingerpromo.com
w w w . p e r f o r m e r m a g . c o m
FLASHBACK
1972 Marshall 100W “Metal Face” Amplifier 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, lalamansion.com, or his radio show, @thefringeAM820 (Saturdays 5-7PM EST).
BACKGROUND Marshall introduced the “metal face” era in 1969 and it lasted through 1976. 1972 is when Marshall began shipping amps with 6550 power tubes instead of EL-34s because they were breaking inside the warranty. I got this amp from a friend who loved his ’80s metal and completely modified the unit to fit that era. I have since put it all back to factory original specs with one change…the EL-34 power tubes. They just sound better. WHY IT WAS USED The “metal face” era featured a brighter sound and had more drive than previous models, making it a more aggressive amp, which tended to make guitarists happier because they could be heard. Nowadays, it’s unimportant to have an amp be louder, just crank the gain on the mic in front of it! INTERESTING FEATURES The switch from Plexiglass faceplates to brushed aluminum didn’t change the amp at all. It was 48 JANUARY 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
the added components that did. Funny though, these amps aren’t as sought-out or collectible and are likely going to give you a great old Marshall for far less money than usual. FEATURED ON… Likely all of the early AC/DC albums had this amp because it was just loud and gritty, like Angus Young liked it. MODERN EQUIVALENT Sadly, I feel like this particular model spawned all the really crappy amps, which I don’t want to mention, but you can find played by some bands that
think high treble and no note distinction at all is what sounds good! LESSONS LEARNED Use it. It’s a classic sound. It’s important to use a combination of close and far miking to achieve a full sound. It is tricky to get any “clean” sound from this amp that will be better than an old Vox or Fender amp, though.
Hey Marseilles. Nectar Lounge. Seattle, WA. 09.17.2014
EVERYTHING FROM ANYWHERE
Free yourself from the confines of FOH. With the DL32R, you get 32-channels of powerful digital mixing that’s completely controlled wirelessly — MIX FREE.
mackie.com/DL32R
Freedom from FOH – mix from anywhere!
01
Hardware: Flexible, professional I/O in an incredibly compact 3U rackmount design
02 03
Wireless: From mic pre gain to control over multi-track recording and playback
04 05
DSP: Powerful processing on all inputs and outputs that replaces racks of outboard gear
Recording/Playback: Complete wireless control over multi-track direct-to-drive recording and playback
Master Fader: Intuitive wireless control over everything, proven at more than 2 million live mixes
iPad is a registered trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. ©2014 LOUD Technologies Inc. All rights reserved. Wireless router and iPad required for operation (not included).
SYSTEM DIGITAL 2.4 GHz HIGH-F IDELITY WIRELESS
Introducing rock-solid high-fidelity digital wireless for performing musicians. Operating in the 2.4 GHz range far from TV interference, Audio-Technica’s new System 10 offers advanced 24-bit operation, three levels of diversity assurance and amazingly clear sound. Wherever your passion for music takes you, listen for more. audio-technica.com FEATURES
50YEARS OF PASSIONATE LISTENING
• Digital 24-bit/48 kHz wireless operation for ultimate sound quality & dependable performance • 2.4 GHz range – completely free from TV interference • 3 levels of diversity assurance: frequency, time, & space • Automatic frequency selection for seamless, interference-free operation