Got into a fascinating FB exchange with Dave Marks, Steve Lawson and others about finding new music the other day. The discussion was about (amongst other things) how we find new music now that the radio no longer performs the filtering function it used to (and indeed people don’t listen to “real-time” radio any more but use make-your-own-playlist services like Spotify or Last.FM.)
There was a general consensus that most of us find new music by word-of-mouth, and via sites like Bandcamp or my personal favourite, Soundcloud (check out Atuin on SC.)
Another way I find new music is by having artists come and work with me, and here’s a new release by London band Los and the Deadlines whose first EP I produced last year. The songs are angular and interesting and the guitar arrangements are inventive. Enjoy their new “Metro Talk” EP, and go to see them live: they’re extremely exciting.
A tale from the vaults: one of the most boring things musicians do to earn a crust is mime in videos. Some years ago I was engaged (along with a dozen other musicians) to be a Blues Brothers act in a series of Tennants Lager commercials. We’d already recorded the music for one of the jingle companies mentioned in this post, and were told we just had to mime to the track. We arrived at the fabulous Rivoli Ballroom in Sarf Lunnon (a true hidden treasure; visit it if you can) and were delighted to be handed dark glasses to wear as part of the costume. We just had to sit on the bandstand and mime….
Some of the musicians had a taste for exotic stimulants and the venue had a bar… as long as the dark glasses were being worn all was fine. Three days we spent there, getting progressively more red-eyed and pissed.
On the last shot of the last day we were congratulating ourselves on having spent three days getting paid for getting drunk when the director announced “OK, Band! On this shot, when I wave my arm, stand up quickly and… take off your dark glasses!”
Oh dear.
2 comments
Richard
June 26, 2012 at 10:51 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Hi Jay,
Discovered your blog this morning – really enjoyed reading it. Now you’ve spent some time with it I was wondering what your take was on the Kemper Amp?
My last excursion into modelling was with a VG-88 (still gathering dust somewhere – I didn’t like the feeling of being ‘disconnected’ from the sound – or maybe I’m just a valve snob!)
So is the Kemper a funky fun toy, or could it really become part of your regular rack?
Best
Richard
J_Stapley
June 26, 2012 at 10:21 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Richard, Hi and thanks for your comment!
I’m going to post a full review/useage report on the KPA soon. I’ve been using it live and in the studio and am impressed so far.
I too remember the VG8: I demonstrated the prototype for Roland when it came out. This feels different:-)
Watch this space!