Music reviews
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helpful information about recording and mixing techniques. Posts written by professional engineers and musicians.
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Producing Music - Where to start
Producing is the construction of music. You have to make choices about the project as a whole and this will include things like EQ, panning, compression, lengths of the delay, when to delay, when to chop up the vocals, when to add guitar solos, how the song begins and ends, and everything else that happens in between. This is not an easy task, but it does have huge rewards that are long-lasting if you do it right.
Producing music is something that takes time to craft and comes with lots of experience. If you're one of the gifted few that can just produce w/o experience, you may still get some insight from this post.
Producing is the construction of music. You have to make choices about the project as a whole and this will include things like EQ, panning, compression, lengths of the delay, when to delay, when to chop up the vocals, when to add guitar solos, how the song begins and ends, and everything else that happens in between. This is not an easy task, but it does have huge rewards that are long-lasting if you do it right.
To achieve this goal, you need to do a bit of homework. Start by listening to some of your favorite music. Pay close attention to all the little details. Take notes on when each instrument comes into the mix and where it is panned in the stereo spectrum. Then pull apart the mix in small bits as you explore every aspect of the sound. A well-produced mix has many layers and when you examine each layer, you will understand how the producer constructed their masterpiece.
To keep you on the right track, start reading some books about producing that have been written by the masters. "Behind the Glass" is a great perspective of what it's like for producers working in the world's biggest studios with some of the most famous musicians. Gain some insight on what will be ahead of you before you cross that bridge.
Once you think that you have a good grasp on how to produce, go and find a small band that is just starting out and see if you can produce them. If you can produce a band that has very little experience in the studio, then you're ready to start your career as a producer. It is no easy task to work with musicians that have never worked with a producer. If you succeed, that is one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome. You've got a lot ahead of you and the rest will fall into place as you move along. You may not succeed right away. In fact, it will take time to get settled into the role. Keep plugging away at the challenges that arise and you will find ways to overcome them.
If you want to start even smaller, just try to produce one song on your own. Do some MIDI composing and get some samples together. See how long it takes for you to come up with the melody and rhythm. This will give yo some insight as to how long it will take when you work with other musicians on their production.
Music Review | Red Martian "Ghost into the Fog"
Beatles & vintage rock enthusiasts get excited for the new album from Red Martian. The 13th commercial release from the band has finally arrived and is a masterpiece of modern recording while retaining the classic sound of the past decades of music. The new album, Ghost into the Fog, is a collection of songs that draws the ear in closer to the music as the album progresses. With the mesmerizing vocals that are reminiscent of the iconic band Oasis from the 90's, this album has a sound that will appeal to fans from all music genres.
The saturation of the guitars ranges from the grunge era of the early 90's to the modern contemporary rock sound of bands breaking ground in the music industry today. Yet, there is a dreamy tone to the melody of the music that brings back memories of the early days in the Beatles music. If you're a fan of the Beatles or the early 60's & 70's pop rock era and you've never heard of Red Martian, then you're in for a treat! This is a band that you can add to your music collection and fall in love with their songs just as you have with the music that you've known and heard for many years. The music has energy and will have you tapping your feet to the beat. Then they slow it down and sooth you with mellow tunes that will let you drift away in to a state of relaxation and contemplation.
Ghost into the Fog is an album that will be a nice addition to any music lover's collection. The band enjoyed working with the well-known producer, Gordon Raphael. Whom has produced bands like Strokes, Regina Spektor, & Sky Cries Mary just to name a few. You'll immediately hear the care and quality that went into every step of the recording process to make the album timeless and cherished by all that hear it's music. Take a moment to treat your ears to the sound of Red Martian, there's a song on the album that will resonate with you.
Red Martian | Tracking in the Studio
album produced by Gordon Raphael
1/2" tape recorder
Red Martian | In the Studio
5 Steps to Getting Your Music Licensed | Step 3
The New Position | Hard Rock
You should have a good song and a well produced recording of the music at this point. Now we need to wrap it up and present it to the world. This is where your creative ideas can come to life. Get a few good photographs of yourself that exemplify the attitude and image that you want to associate with your music. This is really half of the success of your music and career in the music industry. You need to be able to captivate the listener and get them to feel the emotion that is embedded in the music. Record labels and movie producers will take you seriously if you appear to believe in your own music, so you need to create an image that they can market with the music.
You don't have to go way over the top like Lady Gaga or Marilyn Manson, but it is very obvious that they succeeded in the music industry because their music was good and they had an image that captivated people's attention. I don't think either of them would have been such a success story if they took photos in jeans and t-shirt hanging out in their backyard. Now you don't have to get crazy with the editing in Photoshop, but I'd suggest that you hire a professional photographer and get some shots that have good lighting and are framed with an interesting background. Black and white photos are always classy and have a sense of professionalism to them. That's why so many band photos are black and white that accompany a press kit.
Once you have a few good photos, you need to get some sort of web presence. You can get a free band account on many different websites. I'd highly recommend one that offers licensing opportunities. There are a bunch to choose from, but I'd suggest starting with sonicbids.com or musicclout.com. Both of these sites allow you to upload music and create an artist profile. If you have about $10 to spare per month, I'd highly recommend you build your own website and have control over the design and look of your online presence. You can easily build your own custom site with squarespace.com or wix.com for about $10/mo. Check out some of the websites built by our studio clients: The New Position & Justin Fawsitt. Both of these sites were constructed by the musicians and only took a few moments to setup and live on the web.
This is a step that you cannot afford to overlook. You need to believe in your music and developing your image will be the foundation for the career you are going to build. Just as you got feedback from your friends and family for your music, you should also get feedback on your image. If you want to accelerate your career, hire a producer that has experience in developing musicians in the public eye.
Music Review | Warme
- Artist: WARME
- Track: Council House Opera
Rock n' Roll is alive and kicking! The Brit Indie Rockers 'WARME' are building back the iconic empire or the classic rock that fueled the music industry through the last century. The single "Council House Opera" has a familiar sound that was reminiscent of some of the most memorable bands from the '90s. Tones of BUSH, The VERVE, & SOUL ASYLUM are evident in the heart-pounding rock of WARME.
The music industry has been over saturated with so many musicians that it has become more and more difficult to discover new music that needs to be heard. WARME is one of the bands that will rise to the top with the music that grips your soul and takes you for a ride. Council House Opera was written by the band's lead singer, Lee, and has lyrics that relate to the band's real life struggles. Lyrics that relate to everyone on some level and point to the realities of our modern society. WARME is a band for any rock enthusiast and should be on a stage near you in the near future.
Music Review | Third Thought
Old school punk, folk, & rock fans, you have some new music to get excited about. Third Thought is a band from Fremont, OH that has been inspired by some of the greatest musicians of all time like the Beatles, The Who, The Replacements, The Clash, Alice in Chains, & System of a Down, just to name a few. Third Thought is the songwriting platform for singer-songwriter/guitarist Matt Ingles. Mat has been playing guitar and writing songs since the age of 14. Matt has always been heavily influenced by various genres of rock and music in general ranging from Thrash Metal to 60s pop, and anything else he finds interesting, passionate, and composed uniquely.
The band is currently mixing their debut album, Speaking Vibes, and should be available in the very near future. Gentlemans Curse Lifted is the debut track from the album and it has tones that remind me of Marcy Playground's "Sex and Candy" with just a touch of influence from the alternative punk scene that was raging in the late '90s. The raw vocal sound is the first thing that grips you and draws you into the music. The musical composition is accustomed to having that rock edge with the dial pulled back ever so slightly to the folk sound of the industry. Fans of WEEN will be overjoyed that the guitar solo has moments that will take you back to the days of Chocolate and Cheese. Definitely a band you should take a moment to hear and find out if you've just found your new favorite band.
Music Review | Worldwide Groove Corporation
Worldwide Groove Corporation
Electronica has a new heavy-weight contender! Worldwide Groove Corporation is making waves that are going to sweep everyone off their feet. WGC's music is a perfect balance of vocal tone and musical ingenuity. Ellen Tift displays her songwriting mastery on every track. Her vocals will mesmerize you and send you off to a dreamy world of ecstasy and serenity. Kurt Goebel shows off his impressive production talents on the track "Until I Have You" with rhythms and beats that are chill and seductive. Together this team of talented musicians have combined forces to write some of the most powerful and emotion filled songs that this writer has heard in decades. Fans of Portishead, Poe, The Sneaker Pimps, and Broadcast will absolutely love the music by the Worldwide Groove Corporation. This dynamic duo is going to make a big impact on the music industry and I'm betting that you will hear their music in a major theatrical release in the very near future.
- Ellen Tift - Vocals & Songwriting
- Kurt Goebel - Music & Composition
Credits:
Do you own the trademark on your band name or logo?
Many bands just pick a band name and then start making music. Bands spend hours designing posters, CD covers, T-shirts, and lots of other merchandise with the band name on it. After all that, it would be a huge bummer to have all that merch destroyed because another band has already trademarked the band name and owns all the rights to the name/logo. So before you invest heavily in the band, it's a good idea to trademark the band name.
If you're going to put days, weeks, months, and even years into your band's music, image, and reputation; be sure to take the time to ensure that you will own all the rights to the band name. Having peace of mind that the finer details of the legal side are all take care of will help you further your career. Plus, this will also ensure that no other band can claim the name and start mooching off of your success.
Arranging an album from beginning to end
How many times have you started singing the next song on the album after hearing a song?
There is an art to how songs fit together and a good album has a flow from beginning to end. Albums that are composed with a flow from beginning to end are a work of art. I can honestly say those are the albums that I remember and listen to regularly. There is a glue that needs to be present when you're putting songs together for an album. Making a masterpiece is something that takes time and patience to achieve.
I had an interesting conversation with a client about how to arrange songs on his album. The first song on an album is so important. The first song sets the mood for the album.
What is the most important part of an album? Is it a collection of songs or singles? Does a good album have a flow from song to song or from beginning to end?