dubstep: Jun 21, 2008

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Andrew Bird - Simple X

Andrew Bird has a blog for the New York which you can read here . In his latest posts he talks about his process about making his new album. He usually records one album then scraps the whole… (in post Andrew Bird Talks About Songwriting Process, New Instrumental Album from JPs Blog. Download this at eMusic Amazon iTunes More by this artist at eMusic)

So you think you have it in you to join the ranks of Flea, Darcy, and George Harrison and play bass? Well, you have a long way to go, so you better start now.

Learning the basics

If you want to go into bass guitar playing, decide which bass you will play. You have a choice - the 4-stringed bass guitar, or five, six, seven, and even more strings. Beginners usually go for the 4-stringed bass guitar. The next step would be choosing the right bass guitar and learning the bass guitar chords.

A bass player who knows his bass guitar chords has an edge. His understanding of chord music theory will enable him to make his bass line definitive and very interesting. He knows the note to play and when to play it. Knowing bass guitar chords entails the mastery of all basic chords with emphasis on the 6th and 7th chords for bass guitar. A bass guitar chords lesson includes the entire basic chords, important 6th and 7th chords, the 12 keys, chord map, charts, and neck patterns. The bass guitar chords are composed of three or more notes played together, and each type of chord has a formula.

He also has to master the 12 different notes A, B flat, C, D flat up to A flat. Not all songs, however, use these notes because the notes of a song are dictated by the songs key. Mastery of the musical patterns equips the bass guitarist with the skill to learn songs off record. He will then be able to pinpoint accurately what scales were used and the chord patterns and changes that went with it.

An initiation to bass guitar chords diagrams and notations

There are hundreds of bass guitar chords. There are even more ways to play them. You can play the happy notes or the major chords, or sound the minor notes for the sad tones. You can jazz up the tones by moving up a half step (augment) or go down a half step (diminish). Playing the bass guitar chords offer endless possibilities of combinations of note chords.

Any beginner will benefit from learning to read bass guitar chords tablature or tab. This is a method of music notation. The illustrations show where to put your fingers, the frets and the strings. They also show horizontal lines, and each string is noted according to its placement. You will also see notations like O and X or a number. An O denotes that you play the string on the chord without depressing it. An X means you dont play the string at all. A number on a string denotes that the string should be played in the fret specified.

A beginner should be able to memorize the chords and practice playing until he is comfortable with his guitar. Eventually his hand movement will take on the dexterity that marks a great bassist. He will also learn the slaps, riffs, and slides, as well as the use of the pick.

Buying and playing your bass guitar

An electric or acoustic bass guitar should be comfortable to play. You must able to manage its weight, and the neck of the bass guitar should be navigable by your hands. Get the guitar from reputable dealers who can give you a warranty. If you are opting for a used bass guitar, you can be sure it is reliable if it was played for years. However, bear in mind that used guitars do not come with a warranty and these may have unsuitable modifications.

Playing the bass guitar is a physical thing. It is therefore practical to do warm-up exercises before striking the first bass guitar chords. Find a comfortable position that will not strain your hands. Relax, and your bass guitar music will be just as smooth as it is fluid. In time, youll be giving Flea a run for his money.

You can definitely master your bass guitar chords, so visit aboutplayingguitar.com for the latest and find free guitar chords You just have to go to this site now for bass guitar tabs of your favorite bands.

Andrew Bird - Simple X

David Cook is an American rock singer and songwriter. He was born in Houston, Texas on December 20th, 1982 and was raised in Blue Springs, Missouri. On May 21, 2008, he won the seventh season of the reality television show American Idol. David Archuleta was the first runner-up.

Cook auditioned for American Idol in Omaha, Nebraska, performing Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer." He originally did not plan to try out for the show as he was going on a trip to China; he came to the auditions initially to support his younger brother Andrew (who did not make it past the auditions) and then decided to try out himself. For his first Hollywood audition, Cook performed "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" by Bryan Adams, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. Later in the week he performed "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain.

Cook took advantage of the decision to allow contestants to play musical instruments. Besides his Hollywood audition, he also accompanied himself on electric guitar for his performances of "All Right Now," "Hello," "Day Tripper," "I'm Alive," "Baba O'Riley," "Dare You to Move," and "Dream Big," and on acoustic guitar for "Little Sparrow," "All I Really Need Is You," and "The World I Know." Since the Top 12 week, he has also been wearing an orange wristband to support a 7-year-old fan, Lindsey Rose, with leukemia.

Cook won American Idol season 7 on May 21, 2008, receiving 56% of the votes. Cook then sang "The Time of My Life", the winning song of the 2008 American Idol Songwriter's Competition. David Cook's strong vocal and guitar-playing skills should help him obtain plenty of commercial success after his impressive American Idol victory.

To download David Cook ring tones, please click on the following link, choose your mobile carrier and sign up: http://www.exclusive-ringtones.net

the right profile

The Clash - The Right Profile from London Calling (1979)The Clash - Gates of the West from Super Black Market Clash (1994) [originally on The Cost of Living EP, 1979]Two lesser-known Clash… (in post But I preferalcohol! from So Well Remembered. )

The acoustic guitar is an instrument which produces sound via the vibration of the strings through the hollow body, sound board and sound hole. String vibration can be achieved by using a flatpick, usually made of plastic, or by simply strumming the strings with the thumb. One can pick individual notes or strike a combination of strings at once to produce a chord.

A more intricate method is fingerpicking, a technique which uses the thumb and tips of the fingers to strike individual strings. Fingertips, fingernails (which are usually grown longer for this specific purpose), fingerpicks which are attached to the thumb and fingers can all be used for fingerpick guitar playing.

The acoustic guitar is a very portable instrument. Lightweight and easily transportable it makes the perfect musical companion. The lowest tone string, the string you would strike first in a chord with a downward pick motion, is called the sixth string and each subsequent string is the fifth, fourth, third, second and first, respectively. Standard tuning is as follows:

Sixth string - low E
Fifth string - A
Fourth string - D
Third string - G
Second string - B
First string - E

The neck of an acoustic guitar is made up of the fretboard, frets, tuners and headstock. The neck also contains a truss rod which is a metal rod that runs through the inside of the neck. This rod works to keep the neck from succumbing to the tremendous tension created by the strings. The fretboard (fingerboard), with spacing created by frets, is where a guitarist depresses strings to create notes and chords.

The strings used on acoustic guitars are made of steel, nickel or bronze alloys. One end is ball shaped. This end is dropped into the appropriate hole at the bridge and generally a bridge pin is pushed into the hole to keep the ball end in place. The string is then run up the fretboard and attached to the appropriate machine tuner. The machine tuner is turned to wind the string around the tuner post until all slack is taken up and the proper tone achieved. There's a neat little plastic winder tool you can buy which makes turning the machine heads a lot quicker and easier.

The tone from a new set of strings is beautifully bright. Depending on how much you play and how much finger oil and sweat are transferred to the strings oxidation will inevitably set in and the strings will lose that brightness of tone. When that happens just put on a new set of strings.

Keep in mind that when you first start playing an acoustic steel string guitar your fingers will hurt. You must practice on a regular basis to toughen up your fingertips. There's no shortcut unfortunately. So there you have it, a little bit of information on the steel string acoustic guitar.

I've done the research and found what I consider to be the top five online guitar courses. Start today and discover the pleasure and sense of accomplishment that comes with mastering the six string. Check them out here at http://www.reviewsbytheigmonster.com

the right profile

Learning how to play acoustic guitar it's like any other skill you want to master. It takes time, practices, patience and willingness to learn.
You should consired learning the basics first: learning the strings, basic major chords, tune the guitar, what are the parts of the guitar and what is a chromatic scale.

Two acoustic guitars stand out in the high end beginner guitar category. The Seagull S6 makes a fine acoustic beginner guitar of high quality, that plays well enough to take a novice guitar player well into advanced technique. It is priced in the $400-500 range. Also in this price range is the Washburn D10S.

If you're looking for a high-end acoustic beginner guitar, an excellent choice is the Seagull S6, costing about $400-$500. It may be more expensive than what most beginners are prepared to pay, but it is an exceptional guitar for the price. Even professionals often keep their Seagull S6 after they've purchased many other guitars. Another good high-end acoustic beginner guitar is the Washburn D10S. Acoustic Guitar magazine voted it #1 for guitars under $500. Most people looking in this price range will end up choosing the Washburn or the Seagull.

There are several good choices priced lower for acoustic beginner guitar players including the Yamaha F310, Takamine G-240 and Fender DG7. If you can only afford the cheapest acoustic model available, you should place the Epiphone DR-100 at the top of your list . Now, this particular guitar, priced reasonably at $120-$150, is truly meant for beginners and, as such, you will have to trade up to a more sophisticated option once your skills have improved considerably.

Even if you are on a budget, you should try to avoid buying the under $100 guitars you can find at local discount stores. Surprisingly, a cheap, low quality acoustic beginner guitar is actually considered harder to play even by more experienced guitar players. The explanation for this has to do with the fact that they are cheaply made with an overly high action, which means there is too much space between the strings and the fingerboard. Beginners and experts alike find this flaw frustrating.

If your budget is going to keep you from spending more than $100 for an acoustic beginner guitar, you should think in terms of a used one. Each secondhand guitar seems to have its own set of quirks. If you see two of the same brand and model in a guitar shop, be sure to try them both. Each will have a somewhat different tone and feel, which guitarists insist reflects the prior owners' different personalities.

Ever hear the saying, "never buy a guitar from a jerk"? Whether a guitar picks up a "personality" from it's owner is a point to be debated, however most guitar owners treat their instruments like people. So when you look for your first acoustic beginner guitar keep this in mind. Pay attention to the guitar's "vibe", and even if it sounds great, but doesn't feel right somehow, pass on it.

If you are a beginner, it's best to ask the salesperson to demonstrate and play the acoustic beginner guitar you are thinking about buying. An experienced salesperson will know that you, as a beginner, may not know how to play, but you know what you want a guitar to sound like once you have learned. They might just be helping the next big guitar play purchase their first guitar.

If you have a passion to learn how to play acoustic and want to find the best possible way to master this skill visit out site for more information.

St. Augustine & His Rovers Dance Band - Onwu Ama Dike

(in post east of lagos from Spinning in Air. Download this at Amazon iTunes)

To get an idea of where online music is headed it is important to understand the history. Let's think back to the time when music downloads first became popular. For me it was spurred in the early Napster days. Everyone was out there going crazy grabbing any and all music they could find without consequence. Then the RIAA came along and said "wait guys that's our copyrighted content you're downloading." Since that time the RIAA has been fighting an uphill battle to end copyright infringement.

After the early days of Napster and peer to peer file sharing a new crop of sites popped up offering legal music downloads. Even Napster went legit signing deals with major labels to offer unlimited access to their offerings. In order to make this a reality the record industry had to come up with a way to protect their investment.

Along came digital rights management (DRM). New DRM technologies have been used to limit access to media. In essence as long as you are subscribed to Rhapsody for example you can download and listen to as many songs as you like. You can even play them on your mp3 player (excluding iPod and Zune). The DRM kicks in by restricting the number of devices you have access from and cutting access completely when you end the subscription.

In addition, companies chose to run their own brand of DRM. This means that if you own an iPod or Zune player your options are very restricted. Apple and Microsoft do their best to force you into using iTunes and Zune Marketplace.

Over the last couple years things have changed quite a bit. Online retailers including Amazon and Wal-Mart signed deals with the major labels to sell DRM free song downloads. They key here is that you are paying a fee for each MP3 song you download but get the music without DRM restrictions. Even iTunes has started offering DRM free downloads.

Another challenge that faces online media companies is the ISP's battle to reduce network traffic and thus reduce congestion during peak times. The lack of network infrastructure, particularly in the US, is a big concern. Throttling traffic or charging customers for metered access as Comcast and Time Warner are currently testing could drive away customers. We no longer live in a world of text email and static web pages. Sites now offer rich content including streaming audio and video, social integration and an interactive setting for people to gather just as you would at your local watering hole. Hopefully customers will voice their concerns and ISP's will in turn expand their network infrastructures to allow for our ever growing bandwidth needs.

So where does this leave us? I recall mentioning excitement about the future of online downloads prior to my rants. Online music sites are looking ahead to the future. With the ability to download songs to PC, mobile phone or other web-enabled devices you will have access to the latest songs from anywhere at anytime. Sites like eMusic, Amazon MP3 and Wal-Mart Music have shown that the DRM free music is the way of the future. The next step will be to figure a way for sites like Rhapsody and Napster to offer unlimited access to DRM free music for a monthly subscription fee. I'll be the first to admit that this is no easy task but one that could prove very profitable to the music industry in this ever growing digital age.

The excitement extends beyond music as companies like Netflix offer a large selection of movie downloads free to subscribers. We're not talking about just watching on your PC either. With a set top box you can download films to watch directly on your TV. Industry experts predict that within a few years you won't run to your local video store to rent the latest DVD movies. Instead you'll simply watch them anytime on demand via download. Alright so I can hear some of you saying yeah but how long do the movies take to download? I can tell you that with Netflix I can start watching about 30 seconds after the download begins. The rest of the movie downloads while I'm enjoying the film.

In conclusion the future of online media is shining bright. Customer's spending habits can help record labels and ISP's accept that the future of music and movies is online rather than in record and video stores. The instant gratification of having access to millions of songs or thinking of a movie and watching it a minute later is enough to make me want to quit typing. So sit back, relax and enjoy what the future has in store.

Music Download Sites - Reviews, Specials, Free Trials

Netflix Movie Downloads - Review and Free Trial

Sarah Perrotta - Out of Grace

Sarah Perrotta is a singer/song-writer out of Hudson Valley, New York. I assume she found me after I had done a post on Quitzow. Perrotta was part of a band Outland Dreamer. She currently plays with Tony Levin… (in post Sarah Perrotta - The Well Review from Allan's World Music. Download this at Amazon iTunes)

'I don't know what happens to me on stage. Something else seems to take over.' These words of Maria Callas, the famous American soprano singer, reflects what many people feel when they sing from the heart or from the soul, an experience where they are uplifted from their everyday selves and get in touch with a deeper reality at the core of their being. In the words of Nobel Prize-winning poet and composer Rabindranath Tagore: 'Music is the purest form of art... therefore true poets, they who are seers, seek to express the universe in terms of music... The singer has everything within him. The notes come out from his very life. They are not materials gathered from outside.'

Here are some techniques for singing soulfully that singers can try.:

Have a moment or two of silence before singing, focusing on remaining centred in the heart rather than outside distractions. As the old Chinese proverb goes 'If I keep a green bough in my heart, then the singing-bird will come to sit on it.' The Indian musician and composer Sri Chinmoy, for example, suggests that in the silence one can try and invoke some fundamental qualities of singing - consciousness, soulfulness, confidence and oneness to name a few.

Singing powerfully and singing soulfully need not be contradictory - indeed one can help the other. One visualisation that might help you do is to imagine, whilst singing powerfully, that you are holding a bowl filled to the brim of water inside you and you don't want to spill any of it, you don't even want to cause ripples on the surface of the water. In this way you can feel the inner strength in which power and stillness come together.

When singing from the heart, it helps to draw the attention to the heart by putting one's hand to one's chest, especially for beginners. This enables one to feel first the physical vibration in the centre of the chest, then the spiritual feeling of being in the heart. In Hindu and Buddhist singing and chanting, a special hand position called the anjali mudra is often used, folding the hands in the centre of the chest so that the two thumbs are touching the centre of the chest - in the West, we are of course familiar with this as the prayer position.

When singing in groups, the primary quality to focus on is oneness between the group members. Try and not listen for the sound of your own voice in the chorus, but rather imagine that there is only one solid voice emanating from the chorus that all the individual voices have blended into, that the voice of the entire chorus is emanating from one's own being.

The author, Sean Mac Aodh (or Shane Magee in English) is a recreational singer and is particularly fond of singing the works of Indian composers such as Rabindranath Tagore and Sri Chinmoy. Sri Chinmoy's songs can be found at http://www.srichinmoysongs.com, and a series of blog articles about Sri Chinmoy can be found on the author's personal site

Little Boots - Stuck on Repeat

STUCK ON REPEAT.all it takes is just one listen.like i did earlier this yearand you are done.you will forever be a fan of little bootsdirty pop beats at its finest finest hour.im… (in post stuck on repeat. from !tashed. More by this artist at Amazont iTunes)

"Hello, er, um..." (pause and look down at set list) "Flint, Michigan! Are you ready to rock?!"

Well, it sounds like you've done it. You've taken that giant leap of faith, piled in a van with your band mates and hit the road. You're all so excited and everything is going perfectly...except for your drummer's BO...and your singer's insistence on singing the falsetto portion of "Bohemian Rhapsody" in your cramped, non-resonant living quarters ad nauseam...and your keyboardist's musings on the musical legitimacy of 80's synch-pop...and your guitarist, drooling on your shoulder. Though becoming touring road warriors is not a perfect science, there are things that everyone can do in order to live together in a less stressful environment. The following are tips on how to co-exist with your band of brothers and how to bring about a little Kum Ba Yah on the road.

1) If your band can't agree on what to listen to, then prepare to bring your iPod. And if you can all agree, still bring your iPod.

It sounds like such a small issue really. But let's consider this in the context of other work environments. How happy are corporate workers whose cubicle neighbors hum songs that they find annoying, or whistle, or talk too loudly on the phone? Essentially, a van is a smaller, more confining cubicle environment, where 4-6 people intimately co-habitate, on wheels. Does that make questionable musical tastes any less so? Definitely not. So if you cannot stand to listen to your bassist's Michael Bolton indulgence, prepare for this ahead of time and bring your own supply of tunes. Besides, people's tolerance for song repetition varies greatly so you can't go wrong bringing your own favorites.

2) Don't play any instrument consisting solely of air and flailing appendages.

Unless you are also hoping to gain a substantial following as a wicked karaoke band, air guitar on the road is a huge no-no. For one, it's annoying after about 30 seconds. For another, there is not nearly enough space in the van which means that you will ultimately end up maiming one of your fellow passengers and you don't have money to fix them up if you accidentally deck them during the solo in "November Rain", do you? This tip also applies to drummers whose "portable drum kits" consist of anything that doesn't move and some things that do.

3) Don't assume anyone else with bring anything useful.

Rechargeable batteries for the iPod? Check. Extra guy liner for that bad club lighting? Yup. A spare tire when the van gets a flat? Um, no, that was removed because it took up too much space and no one could fit the inflatable stage blow-up doll inside the van, so one of them had to go. Essentially, if you need it, assume that no one else will ever consider bringing it along. So before going on the road, make a list of all the things you personally will need, then a list of all the extras you'll need for your gear. Now add "first-aid kit", "extra cell phone battery", "phone card", "duct tape", "emergency credit card", "aspirin" and "frequent shoppers' cards" to your list. Now add everything that you know everybody else will need but will neglect to bring, starting with the items they always bug you for at your gigs because they forgot theirs (gum, picks, set lists).

4) Don't drink.

Alcohol is rarely known to bring out the best in people. Inebriation coupled with an infinitesimally tiny living space can ignite anyone's temper. And though it's hard to throw punches in a van, other damage can occur and name calling, drunken grudges and personal insults tend to not bode well for a band's long-term stability.

5) Eat well.

They say you body is your temple and when your temple starts to look like a dilapidated relic, fast food on the road is often to blame. A good rule of thumb is this - if a restaurant's main menu options consist primarily of fried foods, stay far, far away. Not only is this type of grub fattening, but it leaves you feeling sluggish and because of the lack of actual nutrients, you'll be hungry again a few hours later. Subway, Quiznos and other options with healthier fare are a better value for your money and will keep you fitting in those skinny jeans.

6) Be on time

6:30, 6:45, 7:05. At 7:22, Band Member X decides to finally show up for your 7:30 gig, armed with excuses ("Traffic was so bad, I've had a really bad day, I just lost track of time,") and none of the equipment he needs ("Oh, dude, does anyone have an extra cable? And a pick? Oh, man, and I forgot to replace my E string!"). Not only is this disrespectful to the other band members, but club owners and promoters don't relish this type of behavior. It's unprofessional, so don't expect to be on their short list of groups to have back at their club.

And bands, if this point refers to someone in the group who is not you, tell them to arrive 30-45 minutes earlier than when they're actually needed. For example, if load-in is at 5:30, tell them 5:00. This works both for arriving at a venue, and picking up people whose sense of time is entirely their own. And if you are responsible for picking up a procrastinator and this first trick doesn't work - leave without them. You will be amazed at how quickly they move when they realize you've left and they're not with you. Repeating this a second time is usually not necessary.

7) Throw away your trash.

There should be absolutely no explanation necessary for this one. If it's a box, bag, or carton with nothing in it, get rid of it. Don't stow it under the seat, toss it in the back or put it in someone else's bag - just throw it away. Why in the world are you keeping it anyway? What good is it possibly going to do you? And do you really like your van smelling of stale, week-old pizza and McDonald's?

And finally:

8) Respect your band mates' personal space, however small it may be. Nothing is more irritating than finding sweaty clothing, reeking shoes, and nasty garbage all around where you rest your head at night, particularly when it's not yours.

Hopefully, these useful tips can ward off fights over common issues. After all, if you're doing it right, being on the road is not only fun, it's also work. Bands need to be at their best to continually give consistent, meaningful first-impressions to crowds, promoters and venue owners. So, bands, good luck and remember, if all else fails, take a deep breath, count to ten and just say "Kum Ba Yah."

Alana Mileras is the co-founder and co-CEO of Refugee Entertainment, LLC, an independent record label and publishing company. Refugee Entertainment, LLC specializes in developing the careers of national-caliber recording artists through its innovative marketing and promotion techniques, aggressive sales programs, and strategic partnerships with industry affiliates. Visit http://www.refugeeentertainmentllc.com for more information.

Ladytron - Black Cat

Ladytron is a very popular English electro band that received pretty solid if not good reviews for their recently released album Velocifero . I will be reviewing their album later this month or by next month but it… (in post Ladytron Contest: 3 Prizes with CD and Tote Bag! from Allan's World Music. Download this at Amazon iTunes More by this artist at eMusic)

The gong is one of the oldest musical instruments in the world. Archaeologists have unearthed gongs built almost four thousand years ago. No wonder when we hear a gong we feel like we are being touched in our soul.

The earliest written mention of the gong was in China in the 6th century. In these ancient documents the Chinese claim that another culture from Central Asia introduced it to them. While we cant be certain which culture created the gong, its safe to say the sound resonated with the Chinese and that they made the gong their own.

The Chinese used gongs for many ceremonial functions. They were struck to announce when the Emperor or other important political and religious figures arrived. Military leaders also used gongs to gather men together for battle.

The gong and its music then migrated from China to Java -- the term gong is actually Javanese in origin -- and became established in Indonesia by the 9th century.

The Javanese made their gongs in a new way that was much different from the large flat Chinese gongs; they used deep turned-down rims with a raised knob in the center. The Indonesians also developed a style of playing many of their gongs at once, in a percussion orchestra known as a gamelan. In gamelan, the gongs are usually different sizes, with each one tuned to a different specific pitch.

Gongs migrated slowly from Asia to Africa - they didnt have the Internet and airplanes to speed things along back then -- and finally arrived in Europe in the eighteenth century.

The style of gong that Europeans first saw and heard was the big Chinese gong of indefinite pitch that you have probably seen in the back of orchestras.

Though now a regular part of the percussion section in Western orchestras, the first symphony to include one was Mirabeau, written by the French composer Francois Gossec, in 1791. Debussy became the first major composer to incorporate the sounds into his symphonies.

Andrew Borakove is a media writer and a gong aficionado. He is also the proprietor of Gongs Unlimited, the only internet store devoted solely to gongs. http://www.gongs-unlimited.com

Esiotrot - Emily Scott

I know Ive posted this song somewhere in the region of thirty to forty times at this point, but seeing as Esiotrot arent huge yet, it needs pushing once more. Or more accurately, the band posted a bunch… (in post Great British Hopes: Esiotrot from Another Form of Relief. More by this artist at eMusic iTunes)

Well, you love music so much that you have decided you want to start a record label of your own. This can be a very exciting step and a fun one. The good news is, anyone can start their own record label if they know the right steps. It won't be an easy road by any means, but it is possible if you really desire to do it.

Adventuring out and creating your record label is a gutsy thing to do. You can succeed if you follow a few KEY steps and stick with them. Your record label will fail if you don't.

So as the Ramones would say, "Hey Ho, Let's Go!"

Key #1: BE PASSIONATE

You need to love music and be so passionate about it that you are willing to put in the hours of hard work and effort it takes START A RECORD LABEL. If your passionate, you will have that important drive that would make any new start up record label succeed.

Key #2: FIND GOOD TALENT

It is essential when you start a record label to have quality artists on your label roster. This is just common sense. Without good talent, no
one will be interested in THEIR music on YOUR record label.

Be sure to check into: THE ULTIMATE RECORD LABEL HANDBOOK on details on HOW to find good talent and all the details on how to

Key #3: LEARN HOW TO MARKET YOUR RECORD LABEL

You can have some of the best artists on your label but the truth is, if you don't market them and your record label, no one will even know. And even worse, no marketing (or poor marketing) will lead to slow sales, which will lead to your own empty pockets. There are very effective ways to market your record label and bands. This is also covered in The Ultimate Record Label Handbook mentioned above.

Now, these are only 3 key steps you need to cover when you start a record label. There are more, but these are essential.

So get out there and start your record label. Don't be afraid, you can do it! Just imagine how much fun it will be owning your own record label and doing what you love! Now, how many people can actually say they LOVE their job? And hey, just remember, it only takes ONE hit song, ONE hit band, or ONE hit album and your label's success can explode!

Stick with these 3 key steps and you will be on your way to a life in the music biz!

Want to start your VERY own record label? Now YOU can! The Ultimate Record Label Handbook will show you how!

D. Herren is an author, webdesigner, and...music lover!

Busy P - To Protect and Entertain (feat. Murs)

Ed Banger Records got too big, too fast. In a flurry of hype, I-was-there-first banter, and musical inbreeding, the Parisian collective represented an alternative cool one minute, a trendy frat boy favorite the next, and an utterly passe… (in post Busy P, "To Protect and Entertain (feat. Murs)" from BiBaBiDi. Download this at Amazon More by this artist at iTunes)

When it comes to the Eurovision Song Contest, Finland is better known for its failures than for its successes. That is why the Finish group Lordis succes in the contest came as a total suprise. Lordi won the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with their song Hard Rock Hallelujah.

Hard Rock Hallelujah sounds nothing like most other Eurovision entries. The song is melodic hard rock, a genre seldom associated with the Eurovision.

Lordi, originally hailing from Arctic Lapland, became a phenomenon in Finland with the Platinum-selling debut album Get Heavy in 2002. Since then, the band has scored Finnish hits with the albums like The Monsterican Dream (2004) and The Arockalypse (2006). Lordi is no big star in Europe, but the album The Monster Show has been released in more than 20 countries.

The name Lordi applies both to the group and its lead singer who looks even less like an ordinary Eurovision contestant and more like a heavily made up monster hard rock band along the lines of KISS or Twisted Sister, or a group of characters from a gory 1980s splatter movie.

The song Hard Rock Hallelujah has now been made available for cell phones also. The French mobile phone content provider Mediaplazza has published the ringtone as a traditional monophopnic version and as a polyphonic one.

Nicolas is webmaster for Get Ringtones.

The Girl In Lace

Standing on the ledge

Falling....

Because no one can appreciate

The way she really feels

Outcasted daily

Lonely....

Alone in the darkness

As tears run down her cheek

When the girl in lace

Cries her final tear

After countless hours

Every year

Cause bleeding is an every day event

When her empty heart

Shall stop to beat

She's finally lived up to her dream

The girl in lace will never breathe again

Standing on the ledge

Hoping...

That some day everyone will see

The way he really thinks

Torn apart daily

They'll see....

Standing by the mirror

Watching blood pour down his arms

When the boy in black

Bleeds his final drop

Now the clocks run out

And his time is up

Cause dying is the only thing he wants

When his blackened soul

Had fade away

This is his last

And final day

The boy in black will never speak again

Once upon a time

Happy....

Brought together by fate

Two lovers are joined

And they no longer cry

Lovely....

At the gates of heaven

While they hold each other close

When the girl in lace

Meets the boy in black

They're lives no longer

Fade to black

Even if the both of them are dead

Brought so close

By suicide

They found true love

The day the died

The beauty of the grave is hard to find

The beauty of true love is hard to find....

Wrote during massive stages of depression. Tell me how you like it...

Resofantom
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Learning The Piano

So you have decided to learn the piano/keyboard but not sure whether you want to go to a music teacher yet. This is a dilemma which most of us face as beginners and it is understandable to an extent. Before committing money/efforts on books and teachers it is good to get an idea of what is involved in learning the piano. It will in fact help you later when you decide to go to a teacher since you would have an understanding of the various topics that you would be supposed to learn.

Black & white Keys

Finding basic information is not a problem at all as there is so much stuff floating around on the internet that you should be able to start on your own initially. The most obvious topic to start with will be to know the notes on a Piano. It is very important to know how the various keys on the piano are named, since there are so many of them. Besides, there are white as well as black keys so you need to learn how to differentiate them.

Names of the Notes?

The thing is though it looks daunting, there is basically a pattern to it. Basically there are only seven Notes - C D E F G A B. This same set then gets repeated throughout the keyboard from left to the right. All the white keys are named this way. And what about the Black keys? Those are derived from the white key, you need to add a "Sharp" or a "Flat" to the name of the white key.

C D E F G A B (Basic Notes)

Read Music

Once you know the names of the notes on the piano, you will also need to learn how to recognize them on written music. The keyboard of a piano is basically depicted on written music by using Clefs - basically the Treble clef and the Bass clef. The various notes of the song are then depicted on the sheet music which you will need to recognize and play on the piano.

Suresh Bist
http://www.piano-education.org/

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The E-Mu Esi2000 Sampler - A Retro Review Of An Interesting Retro Sampler

The E-MU ESI2000 sampler

The ESI2000 sampler is E-MU's cheapest sampler (858), they have achieved this by cutting down on some features such as the built in Zip drive and DSP that featured in the now discontinued ESI4000. The missing features become available by fitting the Turbo Option (259), more about that later.

The Operating System

The E-MU operating system takes a little getting used to. To create a sample you hit the Sample Management Key which then prompts you to select a sub-module; if you know where you are going you can hit the appropriate numerical key for instance 5 will take you straight to the sample set-up page. If you dont know where you are going, then merely rotating the data wheel will list the options possible. This method of modules and sub-modules continues throughout the whole operating system, so once you have the concept grasped it becomes second nature. Indeed most functions are no more than a couple of button pushes away.

Sampling and Sample Editing

To sample, select your source (e.g. analogue), set the level, arm the sampler and then play it into the ESI. There is a VU meter displayed when you set the level, but there is no such display when sampling is in progress. This brings up the usual E-MU v. Akai sampler debate. Akai have always had good graphical displays of samples an idea which E-MU have never really embraced. To be honest though, by the time you know this sampler well enough to make your killer hit, it wont be a problem.

You can now define the start and end of the sample, loop it, reverse it, change the gain or create fades, cut portions out of a sample and paste it wherever you like. There is a pitch shift option where you can move your samples pitch without changing its length, which of course means that you can in theory vary the samples length without changing the pitch, this is one sure way to make interesting breakbeats.

Extra Weirdness

Some functions in a module called Digital Processing II are unique (as far as I know) to E-MU samplers. The strangest of these is Transform Multiply: as the manual says, t his function merges two sounds together in a unique way which can create many strange and beautiful sonic textures. Frequencies common to the original sounds are accentuated while uncommon frequencies are discarded. Not knowing what to expect, I made a sample of myself saying transform, another saying multiply, and then put them into the transform multiplier. At this point the ESI told me that it would take 90mins to complete and did I want to continue? I continued....the result was a sort of woof raahh sound of an underwater dog plenty of room for experiment here methinks!

There is also a Doppler/Pan function that moves a sound from front to back and side to side in a 2-D space, which actually works very well. The Sonic Enhancer adds brilliance and "cut" to a sample making it stand out in a mix; this is useful when you have a wicked sample that just seems to get lost in the mix.

Presets

A Preset is a collection of one or more samples that you have mapped to areas of the keyboard and assigned to a MIDI channel. Here you can define how the sound will change depending on how it is played. The ESI is very well specified here, for instance giving you no less than nineteen different kinds of filters. You can do all the stuff you would expect here, such as feeding some of the envelope signals into the filter to create dynamic wah type effects. I dont know if I am just asking too much but I couldnt seem to make them scream like some old Akai machines I know.

There is an LFO, which can be used to create sweeps, flanging and phasing. Unfortunately those are about all the effects you will find in this sampler. It has no delay, reverb or other DSP type effects; for this you will need to upgrade to the ESI Turbo option (see Expansion below).

Loading and storing samples

The sampler comes with a SCSI interface (the older Centronics style SCSI-1 socket) so you can connect a SCSI Zip Drive or something similar to it.

The sampler comes with two CDROMs of sounds, but these are in E-MU format so the only way you can use these is if you have a SCSI CDROM drive. Maybe bog standard audio CD would have been better!

Its worth noting that although you can import Akai sound libraries, this is only over SCSI and not floppies. Hmmm!

The Manual

The sampler comes with a 28-page printed handbook, containing seven Guided Tours. It is a cut down version of the full CDROM manual which contains another ten sections (plus an up-to-date version of Guided Tours), which go into great detail. These manuals are written in PDF, so to read them you will need a PC or a Mac with Adobe Acrobat Reader software. This is becoming an increasingly popular way to publish information but personally I find it immensely irritating. Someone whose only computer is an Atari or even a Workstation or a Groove Box would find it even more annoying! A hard copy manual makes good bedtime reading a CDROM doesnt!

Expansion

The standard machine comes with 4Mb of RAM and a 1.44Mb floppy drive to store your samples. Although this will get you started, it will only be a matter of weeks before you are fed up with having to load up to three floppies per song. The memory can be expanded to a huge 128Mb with standard SIMMS, which are now cheap and cheerful. If you expand the memory to anything like this amount, a SCSI hard drive will be your only serious option for storage even in these days of cheap IDE drives - SCSI hard drives are still expensive.

The ESI Turbo option adds two 24-bit stereo digital effects processors with over 70 effect algorithms; S/PDIF digital I/O for interfacing with other digital equipment; and two additional pairs of sub-mix outputs which allow external processing of specific sounds. This makes the ESI2000 into a very well specified sampler.

Pros

Memory expandable cheaply and up to 128Mb

Can be expanded later to give more outputs and effects and digital I/O

SCSI interface as standard

Comprehensive editing of raw samples

Excellent price making it attractive to beginners

Cons

Full manual only on CDROM

No Reverb

Will not read Akai floppies

Filters not raucous enough for the more hardcore

No graphical editing of samples or envelopes

Only has a floppy drive as standard I would have liked a built in Zip drive at least

Active Loop Zone tracks are available on Myspace. Further details can be got by contacting Rick Lomas. Rick is currently working on various websites selling mortgage payment protection insurance.

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Kim Burrell "Try Me Again" Gospel Music CD Review

Not sure whats happening with me on this one, but it seems like the more I listen to it, the better Try Me Again gets. Try Me Again stated simply is one of Kim Burrells best CDs to date.

It's a rare day indeed that I get a CD from an artist that I can truthfully say does not have a bad track in the bunch. I'm more than happy to announce thats exactly what I must say about this one. There simply is NOT a bad one in the bunch. No fillers here at all.

These days its a very rare CD on which every single song is good or better than the one before it. This CD is certainly one of those rare CDs.

Listen to Try Me Again and I believe youll find there's not much to dis-like about it. The songs are inspired, the production is simply outstanding, and Kim Burrell's voice is in top form. Of particular note on this offering is her amazing rendition of Try Me Again. If you're even mildly into Gospel music you'll enjoy this album.

While this entire album is really very good some of my favorites are track 2, Try Me Again, track 6, Since Jesus Came In, and track 10, Give Him Praise.

My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 4, He Loves Me. What a nice track!

Try Me Again Release Notes:

Kim Burrell originally released Try Me Again on Mar 23, 2004 on the Shanachie Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Prayer Changes Things

2. Try Me Again

3. Home

4. He Loves Me

5. Try me Again - (Reprise)

6. Since Jesus Came In

7. Victory

8. I Found Him

9. Calvary

10. Give Him Praise

11. Love Is What You Do

12. Since Jesus Came In - (Reprise)

13. Seeing Over

14. Magnify Him

Personnel: Kim Burrell (vocals, Fender Rhodes piano); Luke Austin (strings, keyboards, bass guitar); Barry Jackson (bass guitar); Chris Dave, Teddy Campbell (drums). Recording information: Houston Sounds, Houston, Texas.

http://www.forumdomain.net

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Easy Guitar Tabs from Memory Lane

In our quest for easy guitar tabs,the search takes you back in time,long ago.
This was a time when bands were just popping out of the woodwork. No internet in those days and you actually went to the shop with cash, to buy black round vinyl discs called records. You played these on players with needle pick ups and scratches on the vinyl that went click,click,click. Stereo was the dream of the sound engineer, which was just starting to coming alive. The wall of sound, Motown, was on base with acts like Martha Reeves & The Vandellas singing - Nowhere To Run no where to hide. A guy called Bob Dylan was making people think. The Beatles were in there too, with screaming girls and all, before 'Love' became the word.

A time when fashion and music were changing quickly. Yep, we are back in the 1960's.
One band came out with this particular song at around that time.
The band performing it were,The Animals. The song, The House of The Rising Sun.
Why chose this? Well its a great beginners song to learn and play.

So here we go. The verses are:-

There is a house in New Orleans called they call the rising sun,
and been the ruin of many a small boy and God I know I am one.

My mother was a tailor sewed my blue jeans,
My father was a gambling man down in New Orleans.

Now the only thing a gambler needs is a suitcase and a trunk,
and the only time he'll be satisfied is when he's all a drunk.

Oh mother tell your children not to do what I have done,
spend your time in sin and misery in the house of the rising sun.

I've got one foot on the platform the other foot's on the train,
I'm going back to New Orleans to ware that ball and chain.

There is a house in New Orleans the call the the rising sun,
and it's been the ruin of many a poor boy and God I know I am one.

So there you have it.Pick and strum away to your hearts content.You'll need to find the various easy guitar tabs,chords and finger placements buts its a great tune.Hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane.

My Easy Guitar Tabs Blog. http://easyguitartabsblog.blogspot.com/posts various items of interest about articles,features,blogs and other bits and bob's for the guitar enthusiast.and my Hub page http://hubpages.com/hub/Easy_Guitar_Tabs may be of interest too.

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How To Play Guitar Chords

Playing chords on guitar is an important skill that all beginners should learn as soon as possible. This article will teach you how to do it.

The first thing you will need to do is find some simple chord diagrams and learn how to read them. The "How to read a fretboard diagram" web page listed at the end of the article will help you with this.

Start with a simple chord like the three-string G chord found the "Simple Guitar Chords" page listed at the end of this article. Play each string individually to make sure it is ringing clearly. Often when playing chord you may notice that one or more notes are not ringing correctly but instead they sound sort of dull and "plunky". The usual cause is one of your left-hand fingers touching a string that it should not be touching. By playing each string individually you can figure out if there is a problem and where the problem is.

Once you are sure all the strings are ringing with nice, clear notes try strumming all three strings at once. You should pick them quickly enough so that you don't hear three individual notes but instead it should sound like you are playing all three at once.

The picking motion should come mainly from your wrist. Watch yourself as you do this. Most beginning players tend to strum chords using their elbow. This is incorrect! It will make your playing sound stiff and will make it difficult to play more complex rhythm patterns.

It's a good idea to mute any strings that you will not be strumming. This greatly reduces excess noise and incorrect notes and will make your chords sound a lot better. In the case of this chord, you could use your left-hand thumb or first finger to mute the 4th, 5th and sixth strings. To mute, just lightly place your finger or thumb on the strings you don't want to hear. Keep this idea in mind whenever you play a chord that does not use all six strings.

Once you master these concepts with the G chord try this basic C chord. It is a little more challenging to get all the notes to sound clearly with this C chord so it is good practice.

After you master the C chord you can start trying out some bigger chords. You can use the guitar chord chart listed in the resource box below to get you started. Just keep the same basic concepts in mind. You'll be sounding like a pro with a little practice.

Good luck!

How to read a fretboard diagram: http://how-to-play-guitar-lessons-online.com/blog/2007/09/12/reading-fretboard-diagrams/

Simple Guitar Chords:http://myonlineguitar.com/wordpress/?p=8

Guitar Chord Charts: http://how-to-play-guitar-lessons-online.com/blog/2007/10/15/guitar-chord-chart/