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goldstarsforall · 3 years

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Dream SMP Big Band AU.

This is inspired by this AU https://archiveofourown.org/series/2001253 which is about a music conservatory. However, it is classical music and I play the saxophone in a big band. So I'm doing that.

Also, big band vibes are wild, I'm pretty sure my section leader is the reincarnation of Athena, completly unironically.

Saxophone Section

Alto 1 Wilbur Soot. He is the leader of the saxophone section and is really good at it. Came from the clarinet and the guitar but to get into the band he needed to play a jazz instrument and decided that clarinets and saxes where just shiny recorders and went from there.

Alto 2: Tommy, wanted to play Tenor but didn't. Isn't good with improv but BOY DOES HE GO FOR IT. Sits next two tenor 2 and will not shut up. His music is covered in doodles and it makes Wilbur mad. He folds it up and he does not care.

Tenor 1: Techno. Absolute beast with the Tenor, can solo like a pro, has perfect pitch. Can do the wierd growly thing. Techno is the sort of person that can pick up any instrument and play it byt ohhhhhhh boyy. Tenor Sax. Would also be the leader if he wasn't bad at social interactions.

Tenor 2: Tubbo. Is trying very hard but he's not there just yet, he is still really good but isn't good at reading the music when Phil likes to switch it up and just play whatever and he has complicated hand signs and its chaotic.

Bari Sax: Niki. Plays the bari sax. Is hella strong. She has all the music in the right order and always has a pencil. Does killer solos when she is forced to and makes heavy eye contact with the brass section. Talks a lot with Fundy because she sits in front of the piano.

MORE UNDER THE CUT

Rhythm Section

Piano: Fundy, has a lot of music and not enough stands. He has a little fox keyring on his music bag and gets called a Furry. He takes his music home to practice and gets really bored of just playing chords in the background.

Drums: Eret, his favourite instrument is the cowbell. Used to play the clarinet in the wind band with Wilbur, Tommy and Tubbo but when he got the chance to move up to the Big Band he chose the drums. Absolute hates it when he just has to tap out a 4/4 rhythm.

Bass: BadBoyHalo, has to sit behind Tommy and he does not like it. He is a classically trained double bass player but just wanted to play fun music. Is fairly calm but unironically has a switchblade in his case for no reason and now he is a local band cryptid.

Guitar: Skeppy, he is far too energetic for the rhythm section but heh is amazing. Always complains about how heavy the amp is and messes up the extender cable box which means that Fundy gets upset.

Trumpet Section

Trumpet One: Dream, Is amazing. Absolutely amazing on the trumpet. Can do all the listening and solos perfectly, has a ‘rivalry’ with Techno. All his music is in the right order and he is sooo good. Does brass band and marching on the side but really enjoys the big band because of his friends. Can transpose music written in perfect keys.

Trumpet 2: Georgenotfound. Is just vibing, he is only second because he never shows up to practice but he doesn’t need to. Kept falling asleep on the band trip and keeps forgetting where his pencil is.

Trumpet 3: Callahan. Used to play the cornet but had to move up because they needed trumpets. Is very chill about playing third because he understands that it all works together to make the sound sound nice

Trumpet 4: Awesam. He dissapeared for a while and would have been in the same position as George but he decided to be fourth so he doesn't have to worry about being in charge of anything at all. Bad idea, he is now in charge of stacking chairs.

Trombone. (For some reason all the trombone players I know are meme lords.)

Trombone 1. Quackity. Glisses unironically. He knows the trombone memes and he will play them as a warm up. He's the type of guy that would wrap his trombone with tinsel at Christmas.

Trombone 2. Purpled. This man glisses 'ironically'. Tries to avoid the sax vs trumpet drama but still. Always tries to reach the low notes but his arms aren't long enough. Just wants to play the trombone.

Trombone 3. Karl. Really wants to be second but can't move up there until either purpled or quackity quits which is not going to happen. Has sided with both the trumpets and the saxes and is loyal to no insturment wars as he has played both in the past.

Bass Trombone: Captain Puffy. Makes eye contact with Niki to stay in time. Too small for her instrument but her personality makes up for it. I imagine she always has Slide lube, and she will knock music off with her slide.

Others that don't fit in.

Philza minecraft. Band leader. He plays sax and fell in love with jazz and now just wants to help the next generation. He's the person you name drop on your personal statement. Has complicated notes and plans for the band and you have to be clued into his hand signs because halfway through a piece he will go off ink and paper and you just have to know.

For example.

New member: Where are we.

Niki: At part C again.

New member: I thought he said the repeat was to part b

Tubbo: that's what he said. But then he patted his head which means go back to the rhythm. And so Techno's gonna solo over this and then we play backing when the trumpet solo happen. Play part h, go back to D and then we play it through and repeat to B

New member: O-Kay

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x--daughters-of-darkness--x · 3 years

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Evanescence: “Guitarists need to be honest. Use your voice. We don’t need fake – we need humanity and real people”

Jen Majura and Troy McLawhorn wax lyrical on the high-octane gear, influences and themes behind the band's upcoming fifth album, The Bitter Truth

The Bitter Truth, the fifth full-length from Evanescence set for release in March 2021, will be their first album of new material in a decade. The American arena group led by singer/keyboardist Amy Lee had already released three singles, though the record’s completion was stalled by the virus pandemic that dominated headlines for much of the year.

The first sessions took place at the beginning of 2020 with rock super producer Nick Raskulinecz [Foo Fighters, Rush, Alice In Chains] in his Nashville studio, spawning the tracks we’ve heard so far – Wasted On You, The Game Is Over and Use My Voice. Then, of course, came Covid, putting an end to safe travel and forcing virtually all plans to change.

For the members in America, it was incredibly problematic. For German guitarist Jen Majura, who joined in 2015, it was an absolute nightmare. Nevertheless, the group kept chiseling away and fleshing out their parts for album number five.

When Guitar World tracks down Majura and co-guitarist Troy McLawhorn towards the end of 2020, things are still very much in the process of being finalized...

Looking back now, that session in Nashville must feel like a very long time ago!

Majura: “Definitely! What hit me so hard was that we’d recorded that first chunk of songs and waved goodbye at the airport, thinking we’d be back in a couple of weeks. And then suddenly this pandemic hit, airports were all shut!

“I had never felt more apart from my friends in the States than since this all started. It’s so unnatural for me not to be there! I’m very old-school – I like my tube amp and 4x12 cabinet. I like to sit in the studio with the humans I’m working with and creating in the moment.

“Being away from Amy and the boys while working on material has felt so unnatural to me, but that’s the we have to do it and we have to make the best out of it. The time we spent with Nick in Nashville was the happiest ever.

“It felt amazing to see these songs coming to life – you have this idea but when you are all in a room creating, things change and become better, you end up trying out different ways. It’s such a vibrant and beautiful way of working. But I get it, there’s this thing called corona, so you know…”

This will be your first album working together on new material. How do you go about splitting guitar parts?

McLawhorn: “Whenever we’re jamming, if someone comes up with up something cool, they play it. There’s no set thing. So far I’ve probably played the majority of the lead guitar – if Jen comes up with something she is always welcome to play whatever it is. It’s a good working relationship. The first batch of songs, the first three that came out, were done in one session before the coronavirus hit. We were all together for those ones.

“But then Jen flew home back to Germany and we were supposed to tour in Europe, but it all got cancelled. Everything we’ve done since then has been without Jen with us, we’ve been kinda flying sessions back and forth. I probably played a lot of the guitar on the album, but she’s been coming up with cool ideas and putting her stamp on it too.”

The Game Is Over definitely feels like the heavier side of Evanescence…

McLawhorn: “There’s a lot of good stuff like that on this one, stuff that people will be surprised by maybe. There’s a fair amount of that aggressive type of music, but it’s a good mixture. So far everyone’s heard the lighter side of the album, like Use My Voice and Wasted On You… but then there’s The Game Is Over. It was a lot of fun to play and there’s more heavy stuff on there too!”

Majura: “That bridge is so heavy, I love it! It’s going back to the real rock roots and having lots of fun. When you have a low-tuned guitar you have to be a bit careful – you can’t just smash your strings but they will warp a bit.

“I remember forcing myself, especially during the bridge, to play gentle even though it had this badass attitude. It took me a couple of takes… the first ones were completely out of tune [laughs]!”

Jen, it must have been a rollercoaster five years for you. How did you end up getting the gig?

Majura: “What happened was that I was playing bass in another band, not really being happy as I’m a guitar player. We happened to play two festivals, one in Germany and one in the Czech Republic. And it turns out Testament were playing the same days as us.

“I’m a huge Alex Skolnick fan, so we ended up talking and keeping in touch. A couple of days later, I got this very mysterious email from him saying, ‘Jen! Some friends of mine are going to contact you and I can’t reveal too much but I think it’s something you should say yes to!’ I was wondering what the hell he was talking about…

“And then a day later, I got this email from Evanescence’s management asking if I would be interested in… and I didn’t even finish reading the email. I just immediately replied ‘Yes!’ and sent it. That was a total no-brainer.

“So this was around July 2015 and the next evening I was on the phone with Amy talking. She invited me to come visit her in New York and hang out. I thought, ‘Okay… cool!’ and three days later I was on a plane flying to fuckin’ New York wondering if this was really happening. It was insane.”

Did you bring your guitar?

Majura: “I didn’t! I asked her if I needed to bring one and she said, ‘Nah, I know you can play, I’ve seen plenty of videos – let’s just hang out!’ And that’s exactly what we did for the next three days. Hanging out, long walks and talks, going out for dinner or to a concert. Becoming friends and getting to know each other on a more human relationship kind of base.

“I realize now that’s the biggest deal when you have to replace a member. A band is a family. I’d like to quote Rob Zombie on that, because he said it in the movie Hired Gun!

“Finding a good player is the easy part – the world is full of virtuosos. You also need someone who can commit to touring, being on the road and that whole lifestyle. The third and last thing, also the toughest, is that you need people you can stand hanging out with 24/7.

“Concerts are only 90 minutes – what about all the other hours in the day? You need to all fit together. Within those first few days with Amy, I realized we both had a strong work ethic and know exactly what we want, which is beautiful.

“She’s a very strong character. I appreciate her musicality and personality too, she quickly became one of my best friends because we laughed about the same things and then figured out we both love Sex and the City [laugh]! I am so grateful and thankful to have experienced everything I have with her and the boys.”

Troy, you’ve been a member of Seether and filled in for Sevendust on some tours, but you’ve been an on/off member of Evanescence for over a decade now…

McLawhorn: “Yeah, to be honest, I never really left Evanescence. We have big breaks between albums. When I did my first tour with the band, Amy told me she was taking a long break, probably around four or five years. I just went out to find something to do in the meantime and ended up playing in Seether for a few years…

“When it was time for me to leave, it coincided with Amy being ready to do another album. And it was a huge coincidence. I ended up in New York and went to Amy’s house. I was having trouble in Seether and wasn’t happy there, and she said she’d love me to come work on the new album. That’s how it all went down.

“There seems to be some pretty long breaks in between albums with this band but I think that’s part of Amy’s creative process. She likes to take her time when she’s writing the lyrics. The final product always turns out really nice that way, so why mess with it?”

What can you tell us about the gear responsible for the guitar sounds on this album?

Majura: “I signed up with Synergy Amps in November last year. When I joined, I think Steve Vai was the only big name working with them, but I figured if it’s Steve Vai it’s gotta be fucking great. So I went over to check their amp out and I was very skeptical. It looks like a tube amp but with all these holes and parts missing!

“But I plugged in, hit one chord and realized it was actually phenomenal. They’ve sent all the different modules to me, like the Diezel, and the perfect solution for me was the Friedman HBE. It has the perfect rock and roll sound for my solos but it also has the mighty depth of high-gain stuff too – which are all frequencies you need for Evanescence.

“I was originally expecting I’d go with the Diezel one, but the Friedman felt more right for me. I’m very open-minded when it comes to technology. You have two modules, each with two channels, so you get a four-channel amp made out of your favorites.

“For example, I could combine a Vox AC30 Brian May sound with a Diezel VH4. It’s phenomenal what they’ve managed to open up for us musicians in terms of sound options. It’s been my tour rig and studio rig ever since.”

McLawhorn: “I used a combination of different things on this album. On The Game Is Over, it was basically my live setup which is an Orange Rockerverb 100, with an analog pedalboard.

“A big part of the tone I get from the amp comes down to a 10-band EQ I use to boost the mids on the lead channel. That’s about it – I don’t really use overdrive pedals or anything like that and probably use less gain than most modern guitarists. I almost use EQ to find a modern sound, instead of more gain.

“I also have a Fractal Axe-Fx III, which I’ve used here and there on the album, especially for clean parts – it’s really good for that. I’ve done some overdubs with the II as well, stuff that has a lot of effects or sounds really wet – Axe-Fx is great for that, too. I also have a 1969 Marshall Superbass 100 which we split with a Bogner Ecstasy or Uberschall, and used for the rhythm tracks on a couple of songs.”

And how about for guitars?

Majura: “I’ve been with Ibanez for many years now and I’m very happy. They deliver the most perfect instruments. You pick up an instrument and either like it or not. Some of them seem to instantly merge with your system – you become one – and that is true of most Ibanez guitars, at least for me.

“Of course I’ve played Les Pauls and other things, but they’re really not my style. I have so many Ibanez guitars now. I think the AZ series was such a smart move – the family is even bigger and better now… Look at players like Tim Henson, who is just amazing. He makes me feel so old. He’ll be nailing it and I’m at home just playing along to AC/DC or something!

“For pedals, I stick with the Line 6 Helix pedalboard because I remember at my first rehearsal in 2015, they would tell me certain parts would need a chorus or flanger or this or that. At the end of the rehearsal I had a battery of pedals in front of me and realized I couldn’t do it. I’ve never been a pedal dancer. I went to Line 6 asking for a solution and they were just about to come out with the Helix… it was perfect.”

McLawhorn: “I was using a baritone PRS SE. I changed the pickups out, but that’s it – I love the guitar and how it plays. I tried a few different sets, most by Seymour Duncan. One of my seven-strings has a Seymour that my tech put in on the road and I don’t know which one it is! He just found it in my guitar coffin and asked if we should throw it in. It stayed for the rest of the tour – it was probably a JB, who knows!

“But the one on the record is the Distortion (SH-6). I really like how they sound. At first, they were a little hot for what I like – I tend to prefer somewhere in between modern metal and classic rock. It felt like really high gain, way too much, especially when switching from my other guitars. But he really lowered the pickup down and that fixed everything, making everything super-tight and adding some nice mids.”

Use My Voice has a really powerful message behind it…

Majura: “Yes! Another thing that connects me and Amy very strongly is that we both went through moments in our careers where males would tell us, ‘You’re just a girl – what do you know?’ It’s time for strong women – in rock or wherever – to stand up and say being good at a craft has nothing to do with gender. It’s been happening for way too long.

“That feeling of our voices being suppressed needs to change, because every voice matters. We’re all the same. It does not matter if you are male or female or transgender… humans are humans. I think we should spend more time understanding why we’re the same. Use My Voice is an important message for women to stand up and be heard.”

Where do you think your influences differ as guitar players?

Majura: “The first guitar hero I had at around 10 or 11 was Steve Vai. He was so revolutionary in terms of what he’s done for the guitar world, both sound-wise and crafts-wise. Electric guitar wouldn’t be what it is today without Steve Vai.

“I respect him so much for how he feels and talks through his instrument. He’s influenced my thinking about a lot of things. He’s an amazing person, not just an amazing musician.

“Then I got into Nuno Bettencourt, who plays for the sake of the song instead of showing off. Which is what I tried to do on my first solo album, Inzenity, everyone expected a shred album and it wasn’t. I played for the song. If it didn’t require a guitar solo then fine, I’d just leave it. I didn’t need to prove to the world how good I was.

“Nuno also has the percussive style of playing, which brings this tone that I really like. And finally, Angus Young. I’ve been playing in an AC/DC tribute band for four years and I love his playing.”

McLawhorn: “A lot of them for me were the classic players while I was growing up. So Ace Frehley for sure… KISS were like Slipknot for us who grew up in the '70s [laughs]! Then there’s Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. Tony Iommi as well, he was a massive influence on me as a kid.

“Eddie Van Halen was a huge influence on me, too – it was very sad that we lost him so early and so young. When Van Halen came out, I started taking guitar very seriously. The bluesy side of his playing always appealed to me but he also had all that technical prowess, too. A very inspiring guitar player for so many people.”

What advice can you offer anyone out there hoping to become a good session player?

McLawhorn: “You need to know how to communicate with people. I’ve done sessions with some Nashville guys that have this shorthand way of writing music. Reading music and knowing theory is always important… I wish I knew more myself.

“It puts you at ease walking into a session knowing you read and play anything back. I can’t really do that – I just really really listen and learn things by memory. I can read some music but that’s going back to trumpet at high school [laughs]. So I rely on communication always!”

Majura: “I think guitar players need to be honest. Use your voice. Be real. Be pure. We don’t need fake, we need humanity and real people. What I love about people like Mattias IA Eklundh is he’s just himself. He’s pure and innovative in a really interesting way.

“I’ve gotten to know guys like him, Guthrie Govan, Richie Kotzen and Jeff Waters – they’re all awesome and very honest players. I think one should never think one has seen it all and learned it all.

“We need to keep in mind we’re all on a journey in search of becoming better. In terms of advice, I always have to say being open to different styles is so important. There’s something to learn every day. You should never stop trying to improve to make the world a better place. You should never stop learning… that’s what makes you human.”

#Jen Majura #troy mclawhorn #Evanescence #2021 interviews

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sinceileftyoublog · 3 years

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New Bums Interview: Married Couple Vibe

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Unlike the mathematical approach of Six Organs of Admittance or the wound jangly pop of Skygreen Leopards, Ben Chasny and Donovan Quinn’s New Bums is like its name: contemporary slacker vibes, loose playing, easy, gorgeous tunes. The band’s first record, Voices in a Rented Room, came out in 2014, and almost immediately afterwards, they started recording its follow-up. It wouldn’t be released until this March, as the more layered but just as lackadaisical Last Time I Saw Grace (Drag City). Both Chasny and Quinn write songs, and each plays off the other one’s style as much as presenting their own. For instance, on the energetic “Oblieration Time”, which juxtaposes soloing and acoustic strumming, Chasny attempted to write lyrics like Quinn. As for Quinn’s lyrics, more generally, Chasny’s instrumentation shifts them. “One of the great things about songwriting [is] the way the lyrics come across versus what they actually mean,” Quinn said on a Zoom call earlier this year with me and Chasny. “The same words can be funny, sad, [or] ironic depending on the instrumentation behind [them]. It’s really fun to see what Ben does.” Chasny agrees that instrumentation matters, not citing a general philosophy but rather a YouTube video with almost 10 million views that overlays a scene of Darth Vader visiting the Death Star with a snippet of Spandau Ballet’s “True”.

Indeed, the buddy quality of New Bums shines through when they’re in the same room--even a virtual one. They laugh and play with each other and finish each other’s sentences, having been friends for a long time. But such a laid-back feeling wouldn’t be possible without each member’s distinct personalities. Chasny, knowing I was set to interview Chris Corsano later that day about his and Bill Orcutt’s excellent Made Out Of Sound, had me communicate an inside joke to Corsano, with whom he shares a band, Rangda. (The joke? Telling Corsano that he should make a pack of beats called “Chris Corsano’s Breakbeats,” to which Corsano cackled and replied, “You’ve been talking to Chasny.”) Chasny’s also self-deprecating: “I’m not a very good violin player, but the last song has me on the violin,” he shrugs about Last Time’s “Follow Them Up the Slope”. And he forgets the titles of the songs, facetiously chalking it up to the album’s lyrical themes of decay. Quinn, simply, is humble and go-with-the-flow.

Underneath it all are some serious aesthetic and instrumental chops from the both of them, a mix of guitars, harmonium (the circular “So Long, Kus”), violin, and keyboards. Opener “Billy, God Damn” is twangy and layered. “Onward to Devastation” features tasty riffing following the lilting folk of “Marlene Left California”. “Wild Dogs” shimmers, while “Hermitage Song” stuns with deep string textures. All in all, Chasny and Quinn talk about these songs with the same exuberance they do their other projects, or music by Corsano and Orcutt, or even legendary records by 90′s German drone artists. Music fans make music makers, and music bums never fade.

Read my conversation with them below, edited for length and clarity.

Since I Left You: What’s unique about Last Time I Saw Grace as compared to Voices in a Rented Room?

Donovan Quinn: I think both of the records come from the same place. A buddy record is the way I would put it, where it grew out of me and Ben in a room, playing two guitars, talking about ideas and records we admired. This one, we built the songs up a little bit more, added some layers to the songs with overdubs, and really added some depth to a lot of the compositions with vocal and guitar work and different synths, whereas the first one we tried to keep it as barebones as possible.

Ben Chasny: Yeah. I would say the first one was more slopdog, like a mutt running wild, and this one isn’t showdog level, but trimming up the dog a little bit, teaching it a couple tricks.

SILY: Maybe album 3 will be showdog.

BC: Yeah. I think it’ll probably take a poop right in front of everybody, but it will still be up there.

SILY: Those layers are what I noticed from the get-go, on [opener] “Billy. God Damn”. Is that why you decided to have it first on the record and release it ahead of time?

BC: We ran through a number of sequences on the record. It just felt like a good one to start out with. There are definitely more vocal layers on this than the other record we did for sure.

DQ: Yeah, I don’t have a clear memory of recording a lot of these songs because we did it over a long period of time, and “Billy God Damn” is one of those songs. I think we put it first because it set a good tone for the rest of the record.

SILY: The sequencing definitely struck me. It goes back and forth between more up-tempo tracks like “Obliteration Time Two” and more lilting tracks like “Marlene Left California”. Is that something you had in mind when ultimately deciding on the order of the tracks?

BC: I think so, yeah, trying to balance it out without having one of the sides of the records being too much one direction.

SILY: I love records like this where the palate is mostly vocals and guitars but you throw in a wildcard like the harmonium, or the cello on “Street of Spies”. It makes those songs stand out.

DQ: “Street of Spies” has our buddy Jason Quever on cello who has a band called Papercuts. I work a lot with Jason and he was kind enough to put some cello on that one.

BC: He did the drums and some of the strings on the first record, too.

SILY: You could say the whole album has a loose quality, but on that song especially, you kept the false start and the countdown from the live recording.

DQ: We do like that kind of sketchbook vibe with our records.

BC: [laughs] I have a feeling I know what you’re gonna say, Donovan.

DQ: I’m not gonna say what you think I’m gonna say...Me and Ben have known each other for so long, it’s a married couple vibe where we know what the other person is gonna say or is thinking...With the way you can record records now, it’s pretty easy to really get things lined up and cleaned up. We thought with New Bums, it would be kind of a nice contrast to not do that, to keep things a little bit frayed.

SILY: It goes with the aesthetic suggested by the band name, too.

DQ: Yeah, exactly.

SILY: Did anything inspire the lyrics specifically?

DQ: Not anything specifically, but over time, both me and Ben writing, we kind of developed a sense of a type of record lyrically, and it seemed to be a lot of songs about decay and certain kinds of desperation. We built from that, not totally consciously, but everything seemed to gravitate towards it.

BC: I will say, when I wrote some of the lyrics to the song “Obliteration Time”, I was actually trying to write songs like Donovan’s band Skygreen Leopards, and I was hoping he would pick up on it. I was like, “Did you pick up on it?” He was like, “No, I didn’t at all.” That was what I was trying to do.

SILY: In some ways, you still have a ways to go in your marriage, then.

BC: Yeah, a lot of ways.

SILY: What were you going for on the first line of “Street of Spies”, “Who gives a fuck about clemency?”

DQ: You know, I don’t remember. And when we were listening back to different vocal takes, there was one that was so unusually angry for me that Ben was saying I sounded like Rage Against the Machine or something, so we changed it. I don’t know. It’s just meant to have the language contrast the mellow vibe of the song. I like that style when if you have a mellow song with lyrics that contradict that feel.

SILY: What’s the inspiration behind the album title?

BC: It’s a line [on the album]. When you listen to [the] song, you realize it’s the name of a woman, Grace, but in context on the front of the record, it has a different meaning, which we thought would be kind of fun. You listen to the record, and you realize, “Ah, I see what they’re talking about.”

DQ: That was kind of a last-minute title. I think we got lucky with it. It fits really well with the kind of themes developed in the record: decay, desperation, etc.

SILY: Is Grace a real person or just a character?

Both: Just a character.

SILY: What’s the inspiration behind the cover art?

BC: Donovan had the concept behind the art.

DQ: We were gonna see if anyone noticed this, but if you look at the first cover and the second cover, it’s basically the same elements, but we took things away. The first one has the two triangles, and it’s pictures of me and Ben, and this one doesn’t have any pictures. The idea is for every album to have the same basic design that takes elements away to eventually have nothing at all.

SILY: What are you gonna lose on the next one? One of the triangles?

BC: Possibly. That’s when I get kicked out of the band.

SILY: Or it’s self-titled, and you can use New Bums as the band and the title.

DQ: The other day, something cool happened that reminded me of the cover and the two triangles. It doesn’t totally work, but I did this video that heavily references ZZ Top. For the video, we bought a couple of ZZ Top magical keychains, and I was trying to open a box with it, but the fucking thing broke! But the two extreme points of the keys broke off, and what’s left looks a lot like the two triangles.

BC: The original record cover from the first record was based on one of my favorite records, pretty much a tribute to it, a band called The Black Vial. He did a record called Frozen Morning in maybe the mid-90s. He did 300 of them, this German guy, Liebried Loch. They were wrapped in black electric tape, and that’s what held the photograph on. This really gorgeous looking record, one of the most dark, depressing records I’ve ever heard in my life. It’s just droning on electric guitar on a practice amp, really distorted, singing songs like, “Black crows, flying no more!” We based the original artwork off that record and then modified it.

SILY: Have you thought about doing a live stream or socially distant show?

BC: We should try to figure out how to do it together. We still have to figure out Zoom. We may not do Zoom a lot. We’re more Google. We know technology.

SILY: You’re not Luddites?

BC: We have most of our meetings on Google Hangouts.

DQ: New Bums has a lot of meetings, and we spend a lot of time together, so it’s surprising it’s taken us 5 years to do two albums and two tours.

BC: We do have some great video footage from that tour a couple years back filmed at a bookstore in San Francisco called Adobe Books, and I think we’re gonna put that out for people to check out.

SILY: Were some of the songs from this record performed there?

BC: Yeah, we [did] “Cover Band”.

SILY: Anything you’ve been listening to, watching, or reading lately that’s caught your attention?

DQ: I’ve been watching a lot of movies more than anything else. I have the Criterion Channel service, so I’ve been finding a lot of inspiration in that. I was just recommending the movie Close-up to Ben, if you want to feel that doing any kind of artistic endeavor might have some meaning, it’s worth it.

BC: I’ve been watching a lot of Poirot. That guy’s great. His relationship with Hastings is quite similar to Donovan and me, though I won’t say who is Poirot and who’s Hastings.

Last Time I Saw Grace by New Bums

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djsinquarantine · 4 years

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Subset “40 Hour Workweek”, By Team Awesome

Basic Details: Subset’s 40 Hour Workweek - https://www.twitch.tv/subsetgetsit/ . Stream began at 12pm EST 5/26. Based on info from the website, the stream is recurring over 4 days (5/25 - 5/29) with various activities and events along with daily themes. Some of the links we found through the stream:

https://thenew9to5.live/40hww

https://www.markwoodyard.com/

Visual Experience: Geometric visuals serve as the background while a DJ performs in a frame in the middle or off to the side. The futuristic graphics shift in color and shape in a loop. The stream also makes use of transparent gifs as live visuals. A cutout of a man twirling fire and juggling is looping around the footage of the DJ performer. As songs accelerate, the background visuals become much more dynamic, mirroring the pace of the music.

The DJ, Mark Woodyard, performs in a bedroom, his DJ setup is out of view in front of him. Strapped around his neck, an electric guitar, and to his right, a mic stand that he will reach for every so often to add vocal looping and some singing to his mix. His amp, bed, and tapestry are in view, a non-traditional and bohemian performance space (and setup!), indeed. As he was performing, he revealed that he was streaming live from Canada, from the Vancouver area. In the top left corner, an artist is painting a mural / portrait live. Their Instagram handle also appears below for people to follow. This livestream makes use of nearly all of the space in the frame, while remaining visually engaging. How a stream makes use of their frame would be super interesting to compare. Below the frame, the streamer's information reveals that Subset is a collective based in Seattle. Not only do they host music streams, but craft and skill workshops as well. Performers, moderators, and participants, so far, seem to be mostly white and male. Participants in the Zoom Dance Workshop included three white women and two women of color.

Sonic Experience: I tuned it at 6pm, the start of Mark Woodyard, aka Mikey’s set. Before Mikey, another dj (who I believe is the leader of Subset) was djing house music while a recording of a woman in a pink cowboy costume dancing played over the geometric visuals in the center--the dj cam was much smaller and filled up only a small portion of the lower left corner. Mikey incorporated a DJ setup alongside an electric guitar and added vocal effects/singing in the mix. Mikey is very animated when he performs — he dances, jumps, makes hand gestures as he dances and sings, and looks into his camera (as if he is looking at the audience) making his set all the more effectual. He also made various facial and hand expressions that at times seemed purposefully humorous. He seamlessly transitioned between his tracks and his announcements with vocal tracks manipulated with heavy reverb. He sang about plugging his social media accounts with rich vocal harmonies that, in some instances, doubled the guitar lines.

He plays sort of Calypso and reggae music, as well as pretty loop-heavy contemporary house music with funk influences, definitely with an emphasis on dance. In his set, he has also included remixes of songs by popular artists, including a Bob Marley song and MIA's paper planes. On his website, he is referred to as a “human jukebox,” because he created genre-bending covers that showcase his vocal range and eclectic style across many eras and styles.

Mikey had an hour long set from 6 to 7, and passed it off after one more track that incorporates elements of Acid house with squelching sounds and deep basslines.

Between sets, Subset employs a segment called "Music Roulette" where a guest will come on and play clips of songs they love/are influenced by, and they provide a personal and historical narrative and anecdotes on the song. This segment so far, has taken up 30 minutes of the stream. Viewership noticeably dropped from around 170 to 123 during this time and there was significantly less activity in the chat.

Technology: A lot of his mixes incorporate a very bright and jangly guitar loop of his own making. The guitar Mikey was playing was a Fender Jazzmaster which is popular among jazz guitarists and definitely fit the jazzy/funky style that Mikey was playing. It comes equipped with extra knobs and switches which give the player much more control over the sound of the instrument as opposed to something more straightforward like the Stratocaster which only comes with 2 tone knobs and 1 volume knob. The guitar was connected to his DJ mixing equipment, which allowed him to play short riffs that he could then loop.

Sound Quality: The sound seems to be very clear and balanced. The sound quality suggests that the equipment must be connected to the computer as an input, rather than it being filtered through a computer microphone. The sound has only cut once due to connectivity, and has otherwise been playing without delay, glitches, or disrupted because of streamer's poor connection.

Social Experience: Below the stream frame, Subset included a link to a breakout Zoom chat room where audience members could engage with other participants through webcams and mics, allowing there to be an enhanced element of liveness through “face-to-face” communication about a momentary event. The Zoom was also used for a live dance workshop from 4 to 5 pm PST, where we first did some cardio exercise and stretching to the beat of a funky house track, then learned a jazz and hip hop fusion dance from a professional dancer from the Seattle area who had extensive experience teaching through Zoom since the lockdown. We also discussed wellness at home through the endorphins of physical activity and had a guided meditation.Given the different segments, the event had a very ‘tv-like’ feel to it giving the impression that a lot was going on today at different times (zoom dance workshop, dj livestream, and music roulette). As far as chat activity goes, it was fairly active with positive reception towards Mickey’s music and the art in the top left corner among other things. People were tuning in from Vegas, Seattle, and Connecticut among other places. Some interaction between chatters as well, such as a couple making jokes about smoking weed.

Money / Donations: Donations to subset are being encouraged. There is a graphic with their Venmo information in the bottom left corner, @subsetgetsit. Donations and promotion for performers are also being encouraged, with their Venmo and Instagram handles in the bottom right corner.

Every so often, the bot @StreamElements will post in the chat encouraging viewers to donate to Subset through the Venmo link. They also included a separate PayPal link not found anywhere else on the screen. The bot automatically notified the chat whenever someone subscribed to the channel and also periodically reminded viewers to tune in to other events throughout the week. The bot also had certain commands that chat users could use to get information on the stream such as ‘!schedule’ which caused the bot to respond with the week’s stream schedule.

youtube

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#research diaries

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etherealperrie · 5 years

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Drunken Moments {pt. 1}

Ben Hardy!Roger Taylor - In which reader and Roger have been friends for years and are closer than anyone could imagine, but underneath the laughter & joyous friendship lies a deep pining and love that is only revealed in the unfiltered moments (fluff/angst) -

Word Count: 4.7k

A/N: Italics indicate a flashback sequence. Mentions of alcohol. This is part one of (probably) two and I hope y’all like it - I’m pretty proud of it. Also taking a moment here to say thank you to anyone who reads my stuff, I love sharing with you & I love your enthusiasm 💕

You don’t bother knocking, just let yourself in. You shut the door as you step through the frame and slide your coat from your shoulders undoing the scarf from around your neck, hanging them both up on the coat rack.

“Hello?” you call out to the seemingly empty house. The sounds of clattering glass give away his location and you laugh to yourself, traipsing across the living room.

“In here,” he calls back. You follow the sound of his voice down a twisting hallway without much thought – you know his place like the back of your hand – you’d spent enough time here in recent years. Though this estate was much larger than the old flat he used to share with Brian when you were all in university, well before Queen, you’d learned the floorplan of this home just as well. This home was fit for Roger the rock n roll drummer.

“Hey,” you say softly as you push the dining room door open. He spins around at the sound of your voice, a soft smile flickering across his lips as his eyes settle on you. He takes you in, trying not be obvious as his eyes rake over the emerald green satin artfully draped around your body. He looks away from you as your gaze connects with his, his eyes darting to the floor quickly, so as to avoid getting caught.

“Well someone dressed up,” he teases lightly, pointing lazily to your dress as he turns back around to return to the table he was dressing with booze and snacks.

“Is that a bad thing? You’re throwing a party; you should take some notes.” You laugh as you cross the room to where he stands, running your hands down the front of your dress. A dress you picked in hopes he might finally take notice.

“Not bad at all, you’re going to be the belle of the ball” he chuckles to himself. You knit your eyebrows together and sigh deeply, nudging him gently as you reach across him to readjust the champagne flutes he set out in a poorly thought out display.

“Trying to set me up?” you question, eyeing him. He shrugs his shoulders and raises his eyebrows playfully, nudging you back with his hip.

“Dunno, but I invited a couple of eligible bachelors.” He says it simply but your stomach drops. To be truthful, you didn’t want another eligible bachelor when there was one standing in front of you. He’s been in front of you for years: a friend, a best friend. But, god, how you wanted to hold him as more – but you knew better than to hope. Friendships built on years of ups and downs, laughter, and individual hardships were almost always destined to remain exactly that: a friendship.

You clear your throat and distract yourself from his words by opening a package of napkins, laying them out on the table.

“Anyway, you’re right” he says, looking down at his clothes and then back to you – though not for too long, he doesn’t want his eyes to linger. He doesn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea. “I gotta change, just give me a minute.”

And he’s gone. You stand in the dining room alone, but you don’t really mind. This place was your second home. Whenever Roger’s gone on tour you house-sit and whenever he’s home, you spend the weekends here – a time when you two can catch up on one another’s lives. It’s been this way between you for years, ever since you met him at university. Not in class, but rather at the local college pub back when Roger was nothing more than a rock n roll wannabe playing alongside Brian and Tim in Smile.

You burst through the back doors and leant against the brick wall, shutting your eyes tightly so the room would stop spinning. You stand in the alleyway behind the pub, in desperate need for the cold night air to cool your flushed face. In need of rest, you take a couple of deep breaths and when you open your eyes again, everything comes into focus and thankfully all is still.

“You alright?” a voice calls out. You look to the left where two young men sit in the back of an open van, a bunch of music equipment surrounding them.

“Hope our set didn’t make you sick,” one of them shouts to you. The boy’s hair is long and blonde with feathery bangs hanging in his eyes. You sigh heavily and wave them off, leaning your head back against the wall. You’d gotten a bit ahead of yourself – you’ve never been good at holding your alcohol.

The boy next to the blonde, a curly mop of dark hair sitting atop his head, rummages through the van for something. He pulls out a water bottle and as you tilt your head to take another look at them, he holds it out to you.

“Thanks,” you say, pushing yourself off the wall and wandering over to where they sit. You take the bottle and open it, taking a sip. You should have been doing this sooner, but your hand too quickly reached for drink after drink – not bothering to pace yourself. You gulp half of the bottle and the boys watch, unsure of exactly what to think. “You guys played tonight?” you ask, breathless from drinking. Something about them looked familiar, you’ve probably been in class together, but you couldn’t be certain.

“Yeah, our last set ever apparently,” the blonde one grumbles.

You take another sip of water, raising your eyebrow inquisitively. When you came out for the night you weren’t expecting to be in a dark alleyway with two men you didn’t know but if you were being honest, having company felt nice. You came out alone, but you didn’t feel it anymore.

“Well our lead singer just quit so, yeah, looks like we’re out of performing for a while,” the curly haired boy huffs. He scoots aside to make room for you to squeeze in between them and the guitars, amps, and drum set. He extends a hand. “Brian May,” he says casually.

“Y/N” you smile. Your head was pounding but you push the pain aside.

“This is my band mate, best mate, Roger.”

The blonde boy holds his hand out and you shake his as well, relishing the warmth of his rough hands against your cold ones.

It blossomed from there. You showed up whenever they rang and you were there every step of the way: when they first started to play with Freddie and John, when they officially became Queen. When Queen recorded their first album, to their first UK tour, then US tour. Record after record, tour after tour, etc. you were with them. You’re close with all the boys, but Roger especially. You loved him from the moment you saw him, but all he ever was with you was soft, silly, and kind: a friend. He never showed an interest in you the same way he did with other girls he met on the road. He lusted after dozens, if not a hundred, in the years you’ve known him, but never you. Although it was unrequited, you stick around because platonic or romantic – you can’t give him up.

The two of you met at such an integral part in each other’s lives and despite all the fame and success, he was always there for you in ways the other boys weren’t. Maybe it was because without knowing, you’d grown up in the same small town or maybe it was the fact that you were the only person he felt he could tell everything to without judgement or pushback, like the boys gave him. Or maybe it was because you’ve seen one another through good and bad – from dreaming young children to adults with vision and direction. Either way, despite knowing how he saw you: as a confidant and nothing more, you wanted him in ways more intimate.

“What do you think?”

Roger’s voice pulls you from your daydream and the room comes back into focus. You set down a drink you couldn’t remember pouring for yourself while he was gone and watch him as he saunters into the living room where you sit, perched on the couch with your legs tucked underneath you.

“Very nice,” you say, taking in his new outfit. Gone were his track pants and jumper, each item swapped out for a wild zebra printed shirt and dark trousers, respectively, topped by a leather jacket. He does a little spin and you laugh.

Always joking.

“Wait!” you announce, hopping up from the couch. Roger stops spinning abruptly and turns to face you, his lips drawn up into a tight smile. The collar of his top is twisted, tucked in at the nape of his neck – you wouldn’t want him embarrassing himself in front of his friends. You take a deep breath and hold it as you reach your arms around his shoulders, your faces now inexplicably close. Roger doesn’t move. He’s holding his breath as well, but you’re much too focused to notice. Your hands work quickly, shaking as they turn the collar the right way, popping it up over the lapels of his jacket.

“Thanks,” he breathes as you pull away. All you can do is nod as you try to stop your hands from shaking with anticipation of something that would never come. It was silly to revel in the feeling of how close you just were to one another, his lips by your ear as you leant into him. You could never tell him or let him on to how you felt, ruining the friendship has always been your worst nightmare.

“Always looking out,” you laugh, smiling. You desperately wished you could spend the night alone with only him, but a knock at the door straightens you both up.

As a large gaggle of guests wander through the door, blowing past you as they follow Roger through the house, you hum lightly to yourself and start up the record player, shuffling through Roger’s collection to find something suitable for the party. For a moment you think about putting on an old Smile record but you push the thought aside, opting for the newest Bowie record instead.

The night escalates quickly from there, guests pouring in through the door seemingly every second. As you look around the room, you spy him dancing with Freddie, both of them surrounded by a mass of people. Women flock to Roger’s side and he tosses his head back with laughter, dazzling them with his bright smile as he spins them into him.

You clear your throat and look down at your drink, downing the remaining contents quickly. You weren’t usually the jealous type, Roger was a dear friend and you supported him endlessly – in every romantic and sexual endeavor he went with. On top of that, you knew women fawned over him on the daily, how could they not? He was Roger Taylor, the boisterous drummer of Queen. But something about tonight, when you’d tried so hard to get him to notice you, was different.

Roger’s eyes connect with yours from across the room as he dances and he wiggles his eyebrows, raising his glass to you in a mock cheers. You chuckle and raise your glass back, convincing him that you, too, were having a wonderful night. But he notices your deep sigh as you look away, filling your cup again but emptying in the same minute.

“You alright?” Brian’s voice calls out over the music, his hand resting lightly on your shoulder. You turn to look at him, swallowing the champagne in your mouth before speaking.

“Yeah, great. Could use something a little stronger than this though,” you sigh, looking into your empty cup.

Brian smiles and your heart swells. Without speaking about it, he’s able to piece it all together – he knew you loved Roger, all of the boys did, it was plain to see. Plain to all but Roger.

“I got you, love. Come on, I know where he keeps the hard liquor.” Brian guides you out of the room and when Roger looks back up from his party, you’re already gone. All he sees is you next to Brian, his hand resting on your shoulder as he tows you away. Roger’s heart sinks and he sighs as a dainty hand runs across his chest, pulling him back into his reality.

Once Brian pours the whiskey into your cup, he leaves you be, knowing he really is no solace or at least not the one you craved. You stand in the dining room where only hours ago you were with Roger alone, wanting nothing more than to feel his hands on your body exploring the soft, silk fabric of your dress. If he wouldn’t see you then, he certainly wouldn’t now – not in a room full of stunning distractions.

Despite the alcohol coursing through your veins and the packed room, it’s freezing. The windows are open inviting the starry night and chill spring air inside, a breeze blowing through the curtains, sending goosebumps down your arms. It didn’t help that you chose a dress that covered so little.

“Cold?” Roger asks, turning up next to you suddenly. His eyes are bright, his smile wide and vast, feeding off the energy of the room. You’re surprised he moved away from his all too willing group of guests. His feathery blonde hair flips wildly as he moves his body along to the beat of the music, nudging you as he does do. You laugh and take another sip from your cup, reaching for the bottle of Whiskey Brian got out.

“Keeping warm with this,” you shout over the music, holding up the bottle and your cup, tipping the amber liquid into the cup once more. He swallows hard at the sight of you – you’ve never been good about holding your liquor and he knew one thing the other guests didn’t: you drink to console yourself. You watch him over the rim of your cup as you drink and he takes his bottom lip between his teeth: a thoughtful habit of his.

“Well here,” he says sliding his jacket off, “lemme help.” He drapes the red leather over your shoulders and you smile, pulling it close around your frame – it’s still warm.

“Much better,” you mumble. You had a jacket sitting on the coat rack, but this was better. If this were a movie, every guest would assume with his jacket draped around your shoulders, that you were his – but it wasn’t – and no one ever saw you as anything more than his friend.

“Just don’t steal this one too, I’m quite fond of it” he teases. You’d collected so many of his sweaters and jackets over the years. He was always worried you were cold or uncomfortable and it was the one thing he could give.

“Might have to, I think it suits me,” you laugh. God, just being in his presence was enough for you. Sure, you wanted more, but nothing compared to Roger’s banter and the sound of his laugh. If you could keep him laughing forever even in the smallest of ways, even from the sidelines, you would.

He laughs along and nods, taking the whiskey bottle from you pouring the liquid into two cups.

“Oh, I’ve already got o-” you start, but you quickly stop yourself as a well-manicured hand appears, taking one of the two cups from Roger. The drink was never intended for you. Roger spins around to greet another pair of red-rouged lips and brunette hair, draping his arm around her lazily as she takes a sip. Roger’s not looking at the nameless woman, his focus on you, but your eyes are avoiding the two of them at all costs. You didn’t know the woman and you weren’t sure Roger really did, either. He always told you if he was seeing someone new. You told each other everything.

As much as Roger tells you, you don’t know what life is really like on the road. While he confides in you, in the back of your mind, you know that sometimes he has to tell you what you want to hear. He’s a part of Queen – a worldwide phenomenon, now. Of course there were girls around him constantly and of course he feeds into them, how could he not? Months on the road, he was bound to get lonely, to crave physical intimacy – he’s confided this to you before. And though you’ve spent years beside Roger as a friend, you still wished you could be one of those girls.

You watch the brunette pull Roger back to the living room where everyone continues to dance and sing loudly. Subconsciously, you reach for the bottle but stop yourself this time, your eyes drifting to the clock. It was well past midnight. Sighing, you wander back towards the door bidding Brian a soft goodbye before you leave. Your eyes connect with Roger’s as you pull the front door open and you wave gingerly, smiling wryly.

He opens his mouth to shout something to you but you’re already gone and the red-painted lips of the brunette are already kissing him.

You unlock the front door and push it open, kicking off your shoes as you wander inside. It’s quiet and warm and familiar; a nice reprieve from Roger’s lively party. Your head is pounding and the room is spinning as you cross the living room into the kitchen, rooting around in the cabinet for a glass. You didn’t need another drink. Everyone would likely advise against it, but you’ve never been good at slowing down. You methodically pull a glass down from the cupboard and uncork a bottle of red wine, messily pouring it into the cup. You’re already drunk, but the sight of Roger with his hands roaming the body of the nameless brunette as she grinds against him, her lips on his, still burns in your brain and you desperately want to forget it – this wine was the answer.

As you stand in front of the mirror in the bathroom, your reflection distorted, you tug off his jacket and throw it onto the cold tile floor, stepping on it angrily. You wished he knew why you chose this dress, dark green in color, because once – three months ago when you were out together shopping for Roger’s tour outfits, he held up a sweater of a similar color to your chest and told you the color complimented your complexion, that it made you glow and set your eyes alight. Little did he know it was simply his presence that made you feel that way. Regardless, he took notice of you then and you hoped he would tonight, but his mind was other places.

Shaking your head, you turn to the bath, filling the tub with hot water and bubbles wanting nothing more than for the water to wash your hopes away. You undo the zipper of your dress and let the fabric pool at your feet: satin. Satin because it begs to be touches and because you imagined it would feel wonderfully soft against his rough, calloused hands. But he chose to cover you up with his jacket. For a second then, you hoped he would have noticed and taken his jacket back, preferring to warm you in other ways. But it was foolish, senseless to think he’d want anything more from his best friend.

Careful not to knock over your wine glass as you step into the bath, you lower yourself amongst the bubbles, the warm water a heavenly feeling against your frigid body. You let your eyes fall shut and nurse your wine as you hum yourself into a lull, feeling at home in the silence, thoughts of Roger slipping away.

“Hello?”

Your eyes snap open at the sound of his voice. The room is fuzzy and your head is pounding unlike anyway it has before – dreadfully strong and unforgiving, everything a blur. You don’t know how much time had passed or how long you’ve been soaking for; you must have dozed off.

“Roger?” you croon.

At the sound of your voice, Roger rushes through the house, your jacket and scarf in his hands. He searches the flat for you, but there was only so many places you could be – your flat was much smaller than his estate and never changed, he knew it well after all these years. Once he spies the bathroom door shut, his heartrate slows settling back into a calm pace. He knocks gently at the door.

“Hey, you left your jacket and scarf at mine and I just thought I should drop them off.” His voice is muffled as it travels through the door to her. You splash some water up onto your face and reach for the towel, but your fingertips knock into the half-full wine glass sending the clear china to the floor.

The sound of glass shattering sends his heart into a flurry, a lump forming in his throat. You curse under your breath, but not loudly enough for him to hear. You push yourself up on the edge of the tub and wrap yourself in a towel, the sight of the room spinning relentlessly forcing you to sit down there.

“Are you alright?” Roger calls out again, knocking louder this time.

“Y-yeah,” you choke. Your stomach churns and you clutch your head as you try to stand, dodging the glass scattered across the floor, to the toilet.

“You’re definitely not,” he grumbles. “I’m coming in.” He fumbles with the door handle.

“No,” you retch, trying to keep down what desperately wanted out. He ignores your wish, pushing the door open. His breath catches in his throat at the sight of you slung over the toilet, a white towel wrapped loosely around your torso. This wasn’t the first time he’d seen you sickly drunk, you’ve gone to hundreds of parties together, but this was the first time he felt a little responsible for it.

“Jesus, love,” he breathes. He pushes the glass shards aside with his boot as he moves toward you. You clutch your towel closer to your chest as you lean over the toilet once more. You didn’t want him to see you like this but he doesn’t mind, taking your wet hair in his hand and pulling it away from your face as you retch. You lift your head and reach out to flush the toilet, closing your eyes for a moment as Roger watches you intently.

You shake your head, silently asking him to release your hair to which he obliges, his hand drifting down to your lower back.

“I’m fine, Rog, just leave the jacket and scarf in the living room” you slur.

“You’re not fine, here just let me –” he wraps his arms around your middle and helps you to your feet being cautious to keep the towel close to your body “…let me get you to bed.” He walks you slowly out of the bathroom and down the hallway to the bedroom, a place where you’d shared many intimate conversations, laughing and joking with one another as you sat on top of the covers.

Roger helps to you to the bed, setting you down gingerly, holding you there for a moment to make sure you’re able to hold yourself up. You sigh as he lets go, tugging your towel back up around your chest. Your cheeks are flushed a bright red color and so are his, but neither of you are sure if it’s from the alcohol, the steam-filled bathroom, or the feeling of your bare skin against him.

Neither of you know what to say so the room falls silent as Roger digs through your dresser, searching for some kind of pajamas. As he thumbs through the drawers he comes across one full of his old sweaters and jackets and he smiles to himself – although they were his, they’d found a home here and he didn’t mind. He quite liked the idea that you always had a piece of him around even when he was gone. Shaking his head, he shuts the drawer and opens another finally finding the matching pajama set he was looking for.

You watch him as he turns back to you, the striped cotton material in his hands.

“Here,” he says, handing you the pajamas. You take them and clear your throat. “Oh,” he sighs, turning his back to you. He didn’t really want to leave you alone in the room again – worried you might need his help – and the last thing you wanted was for him to leave, his presence was beyond comforting.

“Okay,” you breathe. He turns back around to find you dressed but still fumbling with the buttons of your top, most of your bare chest exposed. You’ve never been this vulnerable, never requiring this much attention – you were always so well put together around Roger. But tonight you’d come undone.

Roger laughs to himself and you give him a look, scrunching up your nose and sticking your tongue out before throwing your hands up in exasperation. The buttons were too damn small and your head was still pounding, making it all too difficult. Without a word he rushes to your side, quickly buttoning you up – putting you back together. He was much better about holding his alcohol, he’s had more practice, so while you’re barely functioning he’s essentially the same just less inhibited – less afraid. Less afraid to feel, to touch.

“Alright,” he sighs doing up the final button. He smiles to himself as he does so, taking immense pride. He’d slept with dozens of women but somehow this small act of kindness felt so much more intimate – he wanted to take care of you. If he could keep you safe and warm forever even in the smallest of ways, even from the sidelines, he would. “Time for bed.”

You groan as you lie down, no longer caring or insecure – you were just happy to have him there. As you turn onto your back, a thought crosses your mind. This time, feeling uninhibited, you don’t push it away.

“Rog why are you here?”

He exhales a deep breath as he pushes himself up from the bed, caught off guard. He hoped you might be too drunk to really question him, but he should have known better. He shoves his hands in the pockets of his pants avoiding your eye contact from below.

“Told you, your jacket.”

“Right,” you mumble. You find it odd, though, that he’d leave his party and the brunette woman behind. But to be fair, you didn’t know how long it had been. After dozing off in the tub for how long, you didn’t know – he might have not had to sacrifice anything at all.

“Do you need anything else, love?” he asks, his eyes flickering down to look at you. In the dim light of your bedroom his eyes are hooded but lush and kind, a beautiful sight you could get lost in, especially in your drunken state. You chew on your bottom lip and flip over onto your side, looking away from him to the ceiling.

“No.” You meant it, you really didn’t need anything more. You wanted more, you always would. Wants and needs are so different yet, somehow, they consume you in the same way.

Roger starts on his way out the door but stops himself, crossing the bedroom back to where you lay. He grabs the sheets and pulls them up over your shivering body, running his hand up the side of you from your hip to your cheek. The pad of his thumb runs softly over your cheek and lips. Your head spins and you can feel your heart thumping against your chest as he leans over you, his lips suddenly only inches from your own.

“Goodnight,” he whispers. Then his lips are on yours, so soft that you’re convinced you’re dreaming. He pulls back and plants another kiss to your forehead sending you into a tizzy. As he comes up from the kiss, his eyes widen, a red hue spreading across his face. You’re certain you’re blushing too, heat rising in your cheeks. He quickly takes his hands off of you and crosses the room in two strides, hurried. “Sorry, I’ve gotta go.”

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racingtoaredlight · 5 years

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The Rickenbacker Bass

...I never noticed the Rush patch on Cliff Burton’s knee before.

Anyways, recently I had the chance to take a Rickenbacker 4003 for a spin at my local music instrumentdashery, and whooboy is that thing a motherfucker. God knows how many words I’ve spent on the Precision and Jazz Basses from Fender, but there are other iconic basses that are incredible and defined music in their own right.

The Rickenbacker is not some versatile, “sits perfectly in the mix” bass...it cuts through the mix like a goddamned swashbuckling pirate. This is not the bass you take to a Motown session or a gig at a wine bar...this is the one you take when you have to wield some serious sonic mass and keep up with stacks of Marshalls and thundering drums.

***

U-G-L-Y.

Ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly.

It’s almost like this thing was designed with bizarro ergonomics. “Just how sharp do you want those edges jamming into your wrist and ribs? Mega sharp? Perfect!” “Oh, you’re going to be standing with this strapped to your shoulder? Cool if we make it 15 pounds and make the giant headstock dive to the ground like a kamikaze pilot? Awesome!”

Walking up to a Rickenbacker bass is a wholly uninspiring experience until the moment you wrap your hand around that skinny neck and play those first amplified notes. After that, it all makes sense.

***

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There is a bassist in one of the most unfortunately famous bands of all time, but he’s a no-talent assclown and doesn’t even deserve to have his name mentioned alongside the bassists I’ll be talking about today. That’d be like saying Magnum PI was a Formula 1 driver because he drove a Ferrari.

The track above is the Rickenbacker sound that put its stamp on music, not some limp-dick bullshit like the Beatles. Chris Squire played bass nominally. While the instrument he played was technically a bass, what he played on it was lead guitar, pure and simple. Chris Squire could shred every bit as well as Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford, and a large part of his strategy was his Rick.

What Squire did revolutionized not just the role of the bass inside a progressive format, but also the bass itself. Squire modified his 1964 Rickenbacker 4003 to have two outputs...the neck pickup was sent to a bass amp, the bridge was sent to an overdriven guitar amp, creating a chorused, distorted stereo tone that cut through the morass that Yes easily could have become with so many notes clogging up the space.

Remember historical context. We’re talking early 1970′s when roundwound strings hadn’t really become prevalent, solid state amps hadn’t come around yet and everyone was putting parts together like MacGuyver because this was still the primitive era of sound and rock music.

But Squire stumbled upon the Rick’s perfect formula...super bright roundwound strings, overdriven amplifier, played with a pick. If you needed to keep up with this new breed of turbocharged guitarist, that was the arsenal you needed. And it’s one that really hasn’t been improved on.

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Since the most common transition is bass to guitar and not vice versa, you see a lot more hybrid instruments in the bass world than you will in guitardom. Guitarists realized pretty quickly that there were limits to drop tunings and adding lower strings...you start wading into the bassist’s territory and all the sudden the mix sounds like a giant jacuzzi full of mud.

Typically you see basses with shorter scales and guitar-style pickups. Almost like a baritone+ guitar rather than a bass. Something like this...

*Before anyone makes fun of this guy, he’s one of the most in-demand session bassists and producers in the industry right now...

When I think of the Rickenbacker bass, I actually consider it a hybrid too, despite the traditional scale and electronics. It’s a electric guitar forced to wear bass clothing, because when you play that thin, blazing-fast neck and get those screaming pickups going, it’s more like a guitar at that point.

The Precision Bass is a bass, and makes no illusions about being anything else. It can play melodic, fast lead stuff, but it’s first role is primarily to lock down that low end and sit in the mix between the bass drum and snare. Even the Jazz Bass, with it’s slim neck and expanded sonic modeling (i.e. extra pickup), was still clearly designed to tackle basslines and grooves.

But the Rick is not going to do that thump, it has no illusions about holding down any type of groove, and frankly it doesn’t really care. Think about a professional bassist’s typical job requirements...not the rock star stuff, rather paying the bills stuff...”money” gigs, musical theater pit shows, weddings, lessons, recording commercials, etc.

The P-Bass is so prevalent because it can do all of those gigs easily. Jazz Bass too. But the Rick’s trebly, jangly, aggressive sonic scimitar sound that weighs a million pounds and doesn’t fit into gig bags is not the best choice, practically speaking.

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COUNTERPOINT: Fuck practicality.

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So there’s the Rick. You’ve no doubt heard it before, even if you didn’t realize that’s what you were listening to.

In terms of history, it does have a cool history. Adolph Rickenbacker was a Swiss engineer who started working for National Guitar Company (the steel resonator slide guitars) when he met this guy named George Beauchamp. Beauchamp was this dude who had these ideas about amplifying a guitar, but National was the wrong company for that idea to fly.

So Rickenbacker and Beauchamp started their own company and set out into the great unknown after the Great Depression pretty much put everyone out of business.

This duo pretty much built the entire company from the ground up...along the way coming up with revolutionary design ideas that are commonplace today. The tremolo bar (”whammy bar”) and “neck-through” construction were both invented by these guys in the 1950′s.

Neck-through construction is the best method for building a guitar. Fact. It’s also the most expensive, most complex and most difficult to repair, but from a quality of sound standpoint, it’s full stop the best. You start with the neck and then glue the body’s “wings” to the side...sometimes, but not always, putting a solid wood top over the laminates. What this does is affix the pickups, bridge and strings to the neck, giving it one solid, undisturbed mass for the best resonance.

It’s a different sound than bolt-on (Fender) or set-neck (Gibson) guitars and basses, but it’s the most pure because everything that’s responsible for making the sound is all fixed to one piece of wood. It’s just not a type of guitar for beginner...it needs maintenance and care from an experienced player who’s willing to send it back to the luthier for upkeep on a regular basis.

But, regardless of upside/downside, the fact remains that this duo is responsible for two design aspects that have changed the guitar industry to the point where they’re now standardized. It might be hard to imagine a world without neck-through guitars and basses (given that despite the advantages, bolt-on and set-neck are still massively more common when you look at what shows up on legendary recordings), but thinking about a world without whammy bars is simply a world I don’t want to imagine.

***

We’ll finish with a few pictures of Lemmy’s customized Rick. This thing is fucking beautiful.

#music #bass #rickenbacker #p bass #precision bass

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themusicenthusiast · 5 years

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Saturday, December 8th, 2018 – Myles Kennedy and Co. Treat Fans to an Expansive Set as the Year of the Tiger Tour Rolls Through Dallas

Photos by Jordan Buford Photography 2018 has been a banner year for Myles Kennedy, who has continued to build upon the illustrious career he has had by getting back in touch with his roots. Best known as the lead vocalist of Alter Bridge and his collaborations with Slash in the form of Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators as well as some other projects Kennedy has positioned himself as arguably one of the most respected vocalists currently in the business. However, solo artist had never really officially been added to that juggling act – despite a planned album a few years ago that was ultimately shelved. It wasn’t until earlier in the year with the release of Year of the Tiger that Kennedy finally made his foray into that territory, an undertaking that was highly praised by fans and critics alike. His tour earlier in the year was a largely sold-out endeavor, loyal fans proving how much they enjoyed Kennedy and his works as they attended concerts that saw him performing his most intimate collection of songs to date in a bare-bones fashion, just he and a guitar. For a while it seemed as if that might be the only run supporting the album, at least until the announcement of another round of the Year of the Tiger Tour, this one performed by Myles Kennedy and Co. Enlisting the help of a couple musicians (including percussionist Zia Uddin, an old band mate from The Mayfield Four era), Kennedy planned to amp things up significantly from his previous tour, providing everyone with a different experience from what they had previously gotten; and the fact that this outing was taking place in more sizable venues meant everyone who wanted the opportunity to see it would have the chance. The Dallas show on this Saturday night was taking place at Canton Hall, a mid-size venue that boasts around a thousand person capacity and was pretty full even before the lone opening act, Walking Papers, took the stage. The Seattle-based outfit made quite the impression on the spectators, their blues inspired brand of rock ‘n’ roll piquing everyone’s interest and they left having won over plenty of new fans in North Texas. There was no doubt about who everyone was there for, though. Many concertgoers sported Alter Bridge shirts, some even already having picked up a Year of the Tiger tour shirt, and all were anxiously waiting for the time that Kennedy and company would take the stage. By the time that happened the place was roughly three-quarters of the way full. The setup was a unique one for Kennedy, a stand with the sheet music placed directly to the left of the center microphone highlighting how out of his element these shows put him. It was used only for reference and even that appeared to be just occasionally, though it was clear many of these songs weren’t second nature to him like those of his longer running projects. Flanked by a bass player and Uddin, the trio hit the stage at 9:16 and promptly set to work on the 80-minute long set that they had planned.

The power trio made quick work of the first handful of songs, the format being more in line with what’s heard on Year of the Tiger, yet they still sounded different in a way. What Kennedy and everyone else accomplished in the studio with that is a remarkable blend of singer-songwriter and rock ‘n’ roll, with a host of other influences seeping in to the tracks as well. Something that is rather bare-bones but still packs a punch. Live, they were supercharged as the delicate nature and in-your-face approach collided with one another, yielding something that was heartfelt and sentimental but also energetic and commanding. “Devil on the Wall” demonstrated that well as it kicked things off. One of the most candid tracks on the album, it at first fit with the searching that it depicts (perhaps best summed up by the final line of the first verse, “…If there is a God, why did he take my father’s soul?”) before exploding into a massive rock number that affirmed that they meant business. Kennedy was as masterful as ever as he launched into the sizzling solo, earning some excited cheers as fans got a solid idea of the wide-ranging set that they were in for.

“Ghost of Shangri La” further proved that, specifically due to the intro it was given, Kennedy reaching for a slide before initiating it. By doing so Kennedy was able to showcase a side of his that’s seldom seen, his prowess as a guitarist growing even more impressive; and what resulted was undeniably country thanks to the twangy sound, yet it was also fused with a compelling mix of blues and soul, subtle as it may have been. It was absolutely gorgeous, that blend sounding more prominent than how it comes across on the recording, adding a new layer of depth to the highly emotional track. Afterwards, the more laid-back demeanor of this set became apparent. Don’t misinterpret that, the trio gave it their all, constantly, however, Kennedy did engage and banter with the onlookers more than is usually seen with his other projects, seeming to relish the more intimate setting. “Give it up…” he began, getting no further before fanfare filled Canton Hall. “Not yet,” he said with smile and chuckling at the strong reaction. It was Walking Papers he was asking everyone to make some noise for; and he chatted a little more with everyone as his band mates disappeared from sight.

Anything that was a cover from his other projects was done solo and acoustic; Kennedy treating the fans to a rendition of Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators’ “Standing in the Sun”. His stripped-down, more tender rendition placed the emphasis squarely on the lyrics, presenting the song in a new light. One of the best songs of the night was “Haunted by Design”. It received a total makeover from what is found on Year of the Tiger, the twangy tones ever present, though it was electrified considerably. “Come on,” Kennedy requested as they hit the bridge, proceeding to clap his hands, successfully getting the bulk of the crowd to join along. It was in the final minutes that the three of them let loose, the track concluding with a soaring guitar solo that was nothing short of epic. “How you guys holding up?! Is everybody good?!” Kennedy asked afterwards as he checked in on everyone, genuinely hoping everyone was enjoying what they were hearing. The cheers that answered his question clearly expressed they were.

Another special moment came when Uddin left his kit, but settled in at the forefront of the stage with a smaller percussive instrument in hand. The drummer remarked how awesome that Deep Ellum was, saying he loved that area of Dallas. That affinity quickly shifted to his band mates, whom he said surprised him by flying his son in from Argentina so he could spend some time with him and see the show. “We go way back. Decades; when dinosaurs roamed,” Kennedy quipped, mentioning The Mayfield Four. The pair briefly revisited those days with a more restrained version of “Eden (Turn the Page)”. For the audience it was just fun to hear something from Kennedy’s past, while he and Uddin reveled in that fleeting nostalgia, savoring those few minutes where it was just them reconnecting with something they had created together. That was the first in a string of covers, which included the lone song of the night that Kennedy had no hand in writing. Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper” brought things back up several notches, the three-piece outfit pulling off that classic heavy metal sound quite well before things were toned back down for some Alter Bridge.

“Watch Over You” was almost expected. At the very least the balled-esque number fit with this format, and it allowed for a quintessential concert moment when Kennedy turned the final chorus over to the audience. “And who is gonna save you when I'm gone? And who'll watch over you when I'm gone?” Their collective voice was loud enough that it was audible; that entire piece being gorgeous beyond words. However, what was really unexpected was the inclusion of “Addicted to Pain”. That former song definitely translates into an acoustic setting. But “Addicted to Pain”, one of the most ferocious tracks in Alter Bridge’s arsenal, not so much. Yet there stood Kennedy performing the song all by himself, portraying another song in a different light as he adjusted the tempo accordingly, and it was stunning. Much of what was left drew from Year of the Tiger – the album being played nearly in its entirety. That included a rousing rendition of “Turning Stones”, which ended by conveying an overwhelmingly triumphant feeling; while the catchy title track of the record ultimately wrapped up the performance. As they hit the interlude Kennedy strolled up towards the edge of the stage, taking it all in as he surveyed the audience, extending one last thank you once it was all said and done and even throwing out a couple of picks to some people. The musicians weren’t gone but a minute or two before returning, answering the chant for an encore that had begun to build.

The most emotionally powerful songs of the night had been saved for last, “Mother” being a blistering number, the passion it exuded meant to portray that the matriarch of a family embodies and the selfless actions they often take. The 10-minute long encore then finished with the longest song from Year of the Tiger, “Love Can Only Heal” offering an inspiring message to patrons. The title says it all, the song practically imploring anyone who might need to hear it to not shut others out, that love is imperative; Kennedy putting every fiber of his being into that one, the sentiment resonating strongly with him and he was more impassioned than he had been all night as they finished what had been a spectacular night. Any fan of Myles Kennedy needs to see one of these shows. In some respects, it took the acclaimed singer and guitarist out of his element. The songs he penned for Year of the Tiger are his most diverse yet, and that was best appreciated in the live environment, where the intricacies are most noticeable. Sure, many of the songs do still possess that rock flare that is frequently associated with Kennedy; and his signature belting – which constantly sounds epic – is a hallmark of these tracks as well, but beyond that there’s so much more depth to them. He approached this solo venture the right way, choosing to explore a new path, his artistry benefitting from the unique material he crafted, standing out from his other projects.

Sonically, the music is utterly compelling, every single track providing something different. The twangy sounding songs may sound out of character but they’re not out of place, instead allowing Kennedy to break out of the mold most see him in and showcase the versatility he’s capable of. That was thoroughly on display this night as he and his band mates tweaked some of this original material, fleshing it out so that it worked even better for the live setting, or the different reinterpretations that Kennedy had prepared for some of the more well-known songs from his career. In the end all of that worked to make him even more impressive, the patrons seeming to be more enamored with Kennedy than they were when they stepped in to Canton Hall this night. Indeed, everyone stuck around until the end, remaining steadfast even as Myles Kennedy and Co. took a gracious final bow, wild cheering and applause letting them know how they had done and ushering the musicians off the stage. It was something special. Something that got more to the core of who Kennedy is as a person; and along with that insight was a legitimate, enthralling show. This leg of the Year of the Tiger tour is nearly over, with dates in Helena, MT, Spokane, WA and Seattle WA on December 13th, 14th and 16th, respectively, being all that’s left. More info on those events can be found HERE. Make a point to see one if you’re in the area, as you’ll be glad you did. And for anyone who doesn’t yet have Year of the Tiger, preview or purchase it in iTUNES or GOOGLE PLAY. Set List: Full Band 1) “Devil on the Wall” 2) “The Great Beyond” 3) “Ghost of Shangri La” Solo 4) “Standing in the Sun” (Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators cover) Full Band 5) “Blind Faith” 6) “Haunted by Design” 7) “Nothing but a Name” Duo 8) “Eden (Turn the Page)” (The Mayfield Four cover) Full Band 9) “The Trooper” (Iron Maiden cover) Solo 10) “Watch Over You” (Alter Bridge cover) 11) “Addicted To Pain” (Alter Bridge cover) Full Band 12) “Turning Stones” Solo 13) “World On Fire” Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators cover) Full Band 14) “One Fine Day” 15) “Year of the Tiger” Encore 16) “Mother” 17) “Love Can Only Heal”

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estes99medlin · 2 years

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Mix Your Beats Online - Make Online Beats With Simplicity!

Choosing ideal can be deemed a real exercise in frustration, but is one of the biggest decisions you will earn when getting your business online. mixcraft free crack versus the DAW, and also the interface, as well as Stand-alone unit, you likely want to obtain at least one condenser Microphone. Performance Mics does for recording drums, and amps, but for the vocals they will sound dull and somewhat distorted. Now, how do you find a bass player by going online? Easy. Just go to your search engine such as Google or Yahoo, submit some key phrases, discover what is available. Some key phrases you could try are: Online Bass Tracks, Custom Bass Tracks, Online Studio Bass Player, Online Session Bass Player, etc. Many sites will come up, may can take a look to see who may be the right bassist for your project Mixcraft . Make sure you appear at the "sponsored links" in accessory for the regular links. Once again, I find myself recording for free, sort relating to. I'm working on spec. That signifies that they owe me some cash. If the record sells well, I obtain a nice paycheque. If it doesn't, I'm still eating ramon spaghetti. We've actually put quite a component of work into this plan. We've spent the past 9 months writing songs as that is, by far, concerning factor. Since, I'm not charging regarding any of my services, have been a few stipulations. One, we could go to Nashville or some equivalent mega pro studio to perform the drums around. Two, they would print up 10,000 sample cd's. Three, they would print up 1,000 real cds that would definitely be sold. Four, I to be able to help these for the marketing end. Stephanie: Within the past year, you've begun to teach in a formal setting and now offer voice-over workshops in Toronto. What exactly is mixcraft crack version and variety of students are you looking intended for? mixcraft latest version : Time. The internet session bass player it's needs optimum great a feeling of time, and should be that could play using a click. Should the online studio bass player you hire can lock in with a click, it can help in several ways. First of all, it makes editing in your DAW far easier. No one for you to sit around all day time-correcting someone's recorded keep an eye on. Also, if you just have a scratch drum track or program recorded, and the internet session bass player records his part locked with the click, then you can easily change the drum part or record live drums along with the custom bass track. Bring simple . albums to reference sounds with. Incredibly help out tremendously inside your communication efforts with your engineer. For example if you love the way the drum kit sounds in U2's Joshua tree album grow it so he may have an impression of they are tracking the fit. He should be free to get a powerful idea on kind of reverb they are using, did they use close miking techniques plus the they mixed it all from taking a quick to be able to your CD that you brought in. You can use this same idea to let him know about guitars, vocals production etc. Macbook Pro 13 inch 2.66 GHz - The upgrade options identical to the 2.4GHz model except two of the.66 comes standard with a 320GB hard drive as critical the 250Gb drive towards the lower item.

#MIXCRAFT

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artpix3d · 3 years

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Music Lovers Gift Ideas

What to give a person who loves music? If you are confused about the albums that they already have and do not understand their favorite styles, consider something from gadgets, unusual musical instruments, or just some music-themed souvenirs.

We have collected the top 10 gift ideas that can help you make the best choice.

Customized 3D Photo Crystal

Do you want to make a memorable gift for your friend who is a music lover, but you yourself are not well-versed in music? A picture of you two together engraved inside the shiny crystal along with the inscription (inspirational quote from their favorite song) can be an excellent choice.

ArtPix 3D offers different crystals sizes, types, and shapes that suit any occasion, from lockets to bigger souvenirs on an LED stand.

You can choose any image, order 3D laser etching on crystals online, and receive a personalized gift in a few days.

A custom-made 3D crystal can become a soulful meaningful gift that will decorate the interior and remind your friend of you.

Vinyl player Audio-Technica AT-LP60XUSB

For many true music lovers, just good sound quality is not enough. They believe that vinyl is the only worthwhile way to listen to music. For such aesthetes, a vinyl player will be an excellent gift - but not from a flea market or eBay, but a brand new one.

Audio-Technica AT-LP60XUSB is a fusion device that combines the good old days' coziness and modern technical perfection. Computer compatibility allows using the record player to digitize your favorite recordings. And via a USB cable, it is easy to connect the device to a computer or laptop.

Unlike massive "old" turntables, the AT-LP60XUSB is very compact. This allows it to fit into literally any interior. And the improved headshell design reduces resonance for the purest possible sound.

Music Themed Books

Books always make the best gifts if you know the recipient's preferences well. Thus, a favorite artist's biography is suitable for a music lover, or here's another excellent option - How Music Got Free by Stephen Witt.

This is a thrilling and widely discussed story of the invention of mp3, the development of music piracy, and the secret intrigues of the music industry.

Journalist Stephen Witt takes the reader to locations from a CD factory in North Carolina, where one employee leaked about 2,000 albums to the Web, to the high-rises of Manhattan, where the intrigues of label bosses are twisting, and from there into the depths of the darknet.

FiiO Bluetooth Amp BTR3

This device allows you to enjoy much better sound than the smartphone or player itself can provide.

A digital-to-analog converter, aka DAC, is a small gadget conveniently attached to clothes with a clip or a car cup holder. The converter can be connected to a smartphone or a player via Bluetooth or NFC. Voila - favorite tracks sound much better.

Besides, with the Fiio BTR3 DAC, your friend will enjoy not only the music quality but also the quality of connection during phone calls.

Thanks to cVc, noise cancellation technology, which adjusts the microphone sensitivity and effectively suppresses third-party noises, the user can always discuss important issues without delay, even if they are in a noisy place.

Wireless Speaker

It is always pleasant to listen to your favorite music when gathering with friends, and the sound of tracks from an ordinary phone is far from always able to satisfy the picky music lover.

Whether it's a walk, a picnic, or a little party with friends at home, the portable wireless speaker is not afraid of dust, water, and accidental drops, so in any situation, it will take care of the music quality and excellent mood.

Headphone Stand

This elegant wooden stand contributes to the careful and proper storage of over-ear headphones, which is especially important for owners of expensive models, who, in their turn, are often lovers of high-quality music.

Such a stylish stand will help your friend maintain their favorite headphones' performance and appearance longer than usual. Besides, this device provides the headphones with a permanent place of honor in the house and looks very cool on a table or shelf.

Smart Ukulele

The whole "smartness" of such a ukulele is its ability to teach even the most distant from musical instruments music lovers the basic chords and play the most popular hits of our time.

How does it do it? The answer is the LEDs on the guitar neck and the ukulele's synchronization with a specialized app on your phone.

Kalimba

Mbira, sanza, sansula, or kalimba - in fact, these are various designations of the same musical instrument. It is widespread throughout the world, and its beautiful sound can be compared to the playing of a music box.

The enchanting sounds of kalimba are produced by pinching the index and thumbs of both hands. It is also interesting that excellent results are available to anyone, even thanks to ordinary improvisation, not to mention experienced musicians who can work miracles.

Flexible Roll-Up Synthesizer

Just imagine: you meet your friend and take out from your bag... a synthesizer. Anyone who can play the piano will be happy to receive such an original gift!

Everything is thought out and practical here: 88 keys, 140 timbres, 128 rhythms, 21 demo melodies, the ability to connect headphones, a recording device, multimedia acoustics, a MIDI keyboard, a computer, and much more.

Being able to roll down like a rug, the synthesizer takes up very little space and can travel with its owner even to the ends of the world.

Clothes and Accessories

Music-themed print on a fancy hoodie, t-shirt, cap, shopper bag, or pair of socks will make any wardrobe item more original. You can choose between various options from famous brands, band merch items, or even order printed custom clothes providing a unique image and/or text.

Another great option is music-themed jewelry, for example, earrings, locket, or bracelet.

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dstarstories · 7 years

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DOWNLOAD THE MUSIC STORE!!!

As mentioned, the exterior isn’t decorated so you can customize it to fit whatever style for whatever town/sims/etc. Feel free to use it & change it to your liking! I just have always liked the way that it turned out so I thought maybe others could get some use out of it as well. CC used is linked below the cut except the panda picture on the wall & the pictures sitting on top of the vinyl shelf. As always, let me know if I missed anything or you have any questions/problems. ENJOY ♥

headphones / records 1 / records 2 / flight cases & records (both) / ipods (both) / step stool (last item) / record player small / amps (both) / banjo, mandol & djembe / stereo / guitar 1 / guitar 2 / leaning guitar / guitar wall / record player / magazines 1 / magazines 2 (arts) / comic book / front bases / black bases / ladder (library) / music stand & microphone / counter / computers / altoids/ hanging bag / hanging tank top / front shelves / side wall shelf / vinyl shelves / calendar / poison bottle / poster (Pierres Qui Roulent) / pencil can / trash can / wood shelf / books 1 / books 2 (02 & 08) / window / I have all EPs (not SPs) so some items may be from one of those as well ♥

#ts3cc #s3cc #sims download #ts3 community lot #dstarsims dl #sims 3

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paulisded · 4 years

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Live Ledge #406: Best Albums of 2019

This was another great year in music. So great, in fact, that many hours were spent narrowing down the year's release into the standard Ledge format of the 40 best albums of the year. In particular, it was a year that really saw a resurgence in anthemic power pop. It was also a year that saw a number of psych-rock bands so widely expand their sound and songwriting that a two-record set was necessary. Here's my list, and look for another similar post featuring the great reissue and box sets of the year.

1. Mikal Cronin, Seeker. Every year there is a record or two that deserves to find an audience outside of its typical subgenre. This year it’s the latest by Mikal Cronin, a stunning record that retains the psych-rock template of his past yet showcases a giant leap in songwriting. This record should be all over mainstream rock radio.

2. Bob Mould, Sunshine Rock. After a handful of records featuring dark, ferocious rock closer to his Husker Du days than his more poppy records with Sugar, Mould’s latest finds him possibly as close to happy as we’ve ever seen him. Ok, maybe happy is too strong of a word. Whatever it is the attitude is different, although still accompanied by his trademark buzzsaw guitars.

3. Pernice Brothers, Spread the Feeling. The most welcome comeback of the year. Every band featuring Joe Pernice seemed to acknowledge one major influence missing from most Americana bands and that’s his love of ‘80’s college rock. Just imagine a country-tinged power pop band that clearly loves Echo & The Bunnymen, The Smiths, and Lloyd Cole.

4. The Muffs, No Holiday. Such a tragedy. Two years ago, Muffs leader Kim Shattuck suddenly found herself unable to grip a guitar. It turned out to be ALS. Determined to finish one last album she gave all she could even as she quickly deteriorated from the disease. Eventually she was leading recording sessions while connected to a breathing tube. Sadly, she died less than two weeks before the release of one of the band’s best albums.

5. Purple Mountains, Purple Mountains. Purple Mountains was David Berman’s first project since the demise of Silver Jews in 2019, and it was a stunning display of his quirky songwriting skills. Unfortunately, the personal demons that had always been present in his art turned his big comeback into a tragedy, as he took his life just weeks after the record was released to glowing reviews.

6. The Resonars, No Exit. In a year that saw power pop rediscover its balls, The Resonars proved they always had their share of testicular fortitude. And it’s all the work of one man, Matt Rendon, who has over the last two decades created six albums of this sort of catchy but raucous power pop.

7. Kiwi Jr., Football Money. Power pop’s closest relative just has to be jangle pop, and both genres are at its best when the songwriting is as catchy as a late ‘70’s Nick Lowe single. There’s hooks galore on this Toronto band’s debut release.

8. Wand, Laughing Matter. There’s always been a bit of a fine line between psych and prog, and those lines have definitely narrowed in today’s crop of prog-rockers. One proof is the return of the double album, which every psych band seemed to release in 2019. The strongest record of that sort may have to be Wand’s fifth record, which succeeds by actually stripping back their sound a bit.

9. Wreckless Eric, Transience. It’s been a real treat to see the resurgence of Eric Goulden in the last few years, as album after album have ranked as his best ever. The latest sort of comes closest to his solo performances, as he lays tracks and tracks of both clean and enhanced acoustic and electric guitars over backing tracks laid down by Amy Rigby, Cheap Trick’s Tom Petersson, jazz horn player Artie Barbato, and The Rumour’s Steve Goulding.

10. Tim Presley’s White Fence, I Have To Feed Larry’s Hawk. Presley reportedly spent four years recording what may be the masterpiece of his career. How to describe the finished product is not easy, though, as various influences and sounds flow in and out of each and every track, yet there is an intimacy here that makes it feel like Presley just whipped up this musical cocktail in one long, intense evening.

11. The Cowboys, The Bottom Of A Rotten Flower. Good old punk-influenced straight up rock and roll. Nothing more, nothing less. And when it’s as good and as catchy as this it doesn’t need to be anything else.

12. Twin Peaks, Lookout Low. Five years ago, this Chicago-based band’s fabulous record Wild Onion was described by one of the band members as heavily influenced by Exile On Main Street. This record’s classic rock influence appears to be the first two records by The Band. That’s not to say they sound anything like either the Stones or The Band. No, in this case there is a laid back feel to their guitar-based indie rock that feels as if it’s straight out of a Woodstock basement.

13. The Dates, Ask Again Later. Garrett Goddard has been a member of a number of bands over the years, including King Tuff, Personal and the Pizzas, and The Cuts. His first record heading The Dates may have just topped anything else he’s ever worked on in the past. The melodies and hooks just melt in your ears, and the musical accompaniment throws The Byrds, Big Star, Shoes, Smithereens and seemingly a dozen other bands into the greatest blender ever invented.

14. Wilco, Ode To Joy. After Tweedy’s pair of solo acoustic records, I think I was ready for a full blown rock and roll Wilco album. It has been a while, right? Unfortunately, Ode To Joy comes off as a full band version of those solo records. Don’t get me wrong. It’s good. It’s very good. It just wasn’t what I needed from a 2019 Wilco album.

15. Guided By Voices, Zeppelin Over China. Another year, another trio of Guided By Voices records. Their second wind as a band has been nothing but stunning, as evidenced by this double album of almost nothing but anthems.

16. Tijuana Panthers, Carpet Denim. Every year there seems to be a new band that showcases elements of surf rock in their punk-influenced lo-fi garage sounds. What a shocker to find out that this is their sixth album! What sets them apart from others like them, besides the strength of their songwriting, is the ocassional elements of doo wop harmonies. Who knew that The Buzzcocks and Dion could co-exist in the same song?

17. Peter Perrett, Humanworld. After no new tunes for over 25 years, we now have two records in three years by the former leader of The Only Ones! Like 2017’s How The West Was One this record succeeds simply because Perrett isn’t trying to recreate the glory days, nor is he attempting to jump on current trends. Instead he accomplishes what real artists do, which is to create a sound that fits the song.

18. Frankie and the Witch Fingers, ZAM. Another great psych rock double album that incorporates and combines all sorts of atypical influences, including kraut, prog, and even a little funk.

19. Sweet Things, In Borrowed Shoes, On Borrowed Time. It may be hard to find a more varied rock and roll album than this debut record, as it jumps around from blues to soul to country to glam rock. There’s cameos by Alejandro Escovedo and members of The Uptown Horns. It’s the most ambitious trashy garage rock record I’ve heard in quite some time.

20. Cherry Pickles, Will Harden Your Nipples. As their bandcamp states, “one guitar, two drums, the basement band you always wanted to start”. This trio proudly combines all sorts of “outsider art” into a minimalistic sound that would certainly impress the namesake of the record’s best song “I Still Miss Lux”.

21. Ty Segall, First Taste. The prolific singer/guitarist was a bit quiet this year, actually. Well, for Segall a quiet year is one that only features a studio album, a live album, and a box set of outtakes. What makes his only new record of the year stand out is that there reportedly is not a guitar to be found on it! No, it’s not a synth-pop record. In fact, it ultimately isn’t that much different than what we’re used to hearing.

22. Pale Lips, After Dark. Gotta love snotty, hook-driven garage-punk that’s clearly inspired by major doses of The Muffs and The Ramones mixed with spoonfuls of surf and Spector-era girl groups.

23. The Darts, I Like You But Not Like That. This record was not what I expected. At all. Who would have predicted that Alternative Tentacles would put out such a sexy collection of horror-punk?

24. CTMF, Last Punk Standing. Nobody has so proudly hosted the flag of ‘60’s garage-punk as Wild Billy Childish. Well, “proud” is probably not the correct word to use, as Childish is as cantankerous as The Fall’s Mark E. Smith. Yet he consistently puts out records full of simple yet catchy guitar anthems, and this one is no exception.

25. Jordan Jones, Jordan Jones. What happens when you take the pop/rock highlights of ‘70’s AM radio and ramp it up a bit with power pop energy? You get this wonderful debut record.

26. The Mystery Lights, Too Much Tension! A melting pot of different styles rarely mesh well, but this New York band’s second album somehow manages to roll in and out of genres. A synth track leads into a homage to the Stooges which is then followed by a ‘60’ dance party. How do they get away with it?

27. Juliana Hatfield, Weird. It’s only fitting that an album dominated by a theme of being a lonely introvert would be created by one artist playing almost every instrument. That’s the case of the latest Hatfield collection of originals, and it’s one of the best of her career.

28. Kevin Morby, Oh My God. Rolling Stone recently described the Kansas City native as a “secular guy with a spiritual side”, and that’s never been more evident than on his fifth album. RS goes on to compare this record to Dylan’s gospel years but it’s actually more similar to a record like New Morning, where Biblical imagery is referenced but not necessarily the main topic.

29. Drahla, Useless Coordinates. Post-punk also made a comeback this year, and one of the best purveyors of that sound is this trio of Wire fanatics. And like Wire there’s a bit of a ferocity in this record that’s missing in much of their post-punk cohorts.

30. Gino and the Goons, Do The Get Around. Take Chuck Berry, The Sonics, Motorhead, The Ramones, The Stooges and a few other “rawk’ legends and toss them into a blender and you get the dirty sound that Gino and the Goons have mastered over the course of five records. You know what you’re getting from these guys, but they always deliver.

31. Young Guv, Guv I & II. The side project of Fucked Up guitarist Ben Cook could be described as a lo-fi tribute to bands such as Big Star and Teenage Fanclub. But then out of the blue comes a synth tune that’s almost danceable. It’s just part of the charm of this double record.

32. Ravi Shavi, Blackout Deluxe. Some records are sleepers. They don’t work the first time you hear them. They may not even work on the fourth or fifth airing. Then suddenly you can’t stop listening. That’s the case with this new wave-influenced, Prince-obsessed, garage rock group.

33. ATOM, In Every Dream Home. Just like the previous record, ATOM didn’t work for me at first. Then suddenly I had to race to the stereo to crank up the volume. What changed? Well,it helps when the musicians are Australian indie rock heavy weights led by Crime and the City Solution’s Harry Howard.

34. Geoff Palmer, Pulling Out All The Stops/Brad Marino, Extra Credit. (Tie) I can’t possibly vote for one of these records to be higher than the other. The pair both were members of the The Connection and The New Trocaderos. Both of them are veteran power pop performers who have written more than their share of catchy tunes. And both may have put out the records of their careers.

36. Honey Radar, Ruby Puff Of Dust.. A lot of reviews of this Philly band compare them to Guided By Voices, but I honestly don’t understand why. Yet it’s what made me check them out, and I do appreciate their fuzzy psych-rock sound.

37. Titus Andronicus, An Obelisk. Produced by Bob Mould and recorded at Steve Albini’s Chicago studio, Titus’ sixth album is their most straight ahead to date, although as always leader Patrick Stickles’ lyrics are open to interpretation.

38. The Dream Syndicate, These Times. While most band reunions never result in worthwhile albums (or any new music at all), there are instances where the second run rivals the first. That’s the case with these leaders of the mid-’80’s “Paisley Underground”, and it’s mainly because they refuse to just rest on their laurels.

39. Jesse Malin, Sunset Kids. The teaming of Malin with Lucinda Williams may seem like a head scratcher, but it actually works! Not only does Williams produce the album, she duets with him on a handful of the album’s tracks. The end results may be quieter than a typical Malin album but the tunes are also as strong as a typical Malin album.

40. More Kicks, More Kicks. Haven’t I said that this was a year for great power pop? Here’s another one. This time it’s a UK group, and like the others I’ve highlighted there’s nothing wimpy here. It’s pop music that absolutely rocks.

After listening, please go purchase those tracks you enjoy! You can find this show at almost any podcast site, including iTunes and Stitcher...or

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

Note: Tracks from the albums listed above were presented in reverse "Casey Kasem countdown" order. In two instances (Darts/Pale Lips and The Muffs/Purple Mountains), songs were erroneously flipped in error. I apologize for this mistake.

1. More Kicks, I'm on the Brink

2. Jesse Malin, Room 13

3. The Dream Syndicate, Bullet Holes

4. Titus Andronicus, Troubleman Unlimited

5. Honey Radar, Cornflake ESP

6. Brad Marino, Broken Record Baby

7. Geoff Palmer, All The Hits

8. ATOM, No Future

9. Ravi Shavi, Riding High

10. Young Guv, She's A Fantasy

11. Gino And The Goons, Pills In MY Pocket

12. Drahla, Gilded Cloud

13. Kevin Morby, OMG Rock n Roll

14. Juliana Hatfield, Staying In

15. The Mystery Lights, I'm So Tired (of Living In The City)

16. Jordan Jones, Rumors Girls

17. CTMF, You're the One I Idolise

18. Pale Lips, Some Sort Of Rock n' Roll

19. The Darts, Don't Hold My Hand

20. Ty Segall, Taste

21. Cherry Pickles, I Still Miss Lux

22. The Sweet Things, Dead or Worse

23. Frankie and the Witch Fingers, Purple Velvet

24. Peter Perrett, Love Comes On Silent Feet

25. Tijuana Panthers, Path of Totality

26. Guided by Voices, Your Lights Are Out

27. Wilco, Everyone Hides

28. The Dates, pictures with rene

29. Twin Peaks, Laid In Gold

30. The Cowboys, Female Behavior Book

31. White Fence, I Love You

32. Wreckless Eric, Strange Locomotion

33. Wand, Walkie Talkie

34. Kiwi jr., Murder in the Cathedral

35. The Resonars, The Man Who Does Nothing

36. The Muffs, No Holiday

37. Purple Mountains, That's Just the Way That I Feel

38. Pernice Brothers, Mint Condition

39. Bob Mould, Sunshine Rock

40. Mikal Cronin, I've Got Reason

#scott hudson #live ledge #realpunkradio #best albums of 2019 #indie #garage #punk #psych

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girlieinterns · 5 years

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This is my very last Professional Confessional, and I saved it for last because it is quite special to me. Passion Pit was my go-to band when I first began to explore alternative and indie music in middle school. Now, so many years later, I had the incredible opportunity to speak with one of the members of the band that I love so dearly, and he was just as awesome as I always thought he would be. Check out my interview with Jeff Apruzzese below:

Maxine Musto: If you had your own Wikipedia page, what would the synopsis or definition be?

Jeff Apruzzese: I am an avid music lover and musician, I am a cyclist as well as a...I don’t want to say pizza snob...lover of pizza, I would say.

MM: Tell me about what you’re currently doing.

JA: Right now I teach at Drexel University in Philadelphia. I am the program director for the music industry department and I am an assistant professor, teaching within our music business department. My focus is mainly on live music courses, so I teach a freshman-level live music industry course as well as advanced concerts and venues courses. I’m the faculty advisor for our student-run record label where we have our students doing everything from A&R and marketing plans to event production and promotion. I am also an advisor for seniors’ capstone projects. Every senior has to do a body of work that is demonstrable of their time here. They normally fall within three categories: audio authorship (recording music), research (theses and defenses) and business plans. I share that with two other professors and I tend to fall within the research category, mentoring them along the way, as it’s something they do their entire senior year. More or less, they are project managing for nine months of their last year here.

MM: How did you get into teaching?

JA: Completely accidentally. I was working at Girlie Action and a former professor of mine had asked me if I had ever considered teaching or working at a college. I was not a good student, I did not go to school to be a teacher, and I do not have a Ph.D. I have my Masters now, but at the time I didn’t. It seemed like a cool opportunity so I was working at Berklee College of Music for the last three years- I just started at Drexel in September. Originally when I went up there, I wasn’t hired to teach, I was hired to help put together a support system for this institute called the Berklee Popular Music Institute where another professor and I created relationships with a bunch of music festivals and got student bands and music business students at the college to perform at all these festivals, which was awesome. We had a tour bus, and a partnership with vans, but all the festivals happen during the summer and I found myself traveling more than when I was playing in the band Passion Pit for eight years. I was touring more with the college and getting paid less, which seemed a little backward to me. While I was there, I was asked to give guest lectures for people and interviewing guests who are in town, and I really started to like being in an environment where I was talking about my career path, helping students figure out their career path, and bringing in guest speakers. I was there for three years and my wife was still in New York, so I was going back and forth. There was an opportunity in Philadelphia so we moved here. Coming here, I assumed a much larger role. I had been doing more program orchestration and administrative work and not teaching full time. Here, I am in this place to teach. I create new courses and teach them. Drexel is nice because I’m the only one teaching live music and the only one with experience as a touring musician.

MM: Tell me about your time at Girlie Action. Were you working on the publicity or management side?

JA: I was working on the publicity side. I was probably a full-time employee for less than a year, not ideal, I know. I started as an intern. What was funny was that the office is more or less across the street from Madison Square Garden. So going into my intern interview, I was like oh wow, I sold that arena out not too long ago and now I’m interviewing for an internship job. I was doing a lot of different things, working for many different publicists. At the same time, I was also working with some of my own clients as well. It was a cool opportunity because I was able to bring relationships that I had from touring over to the PR side. One of the early clients was Donna Missal, who now is starting to do really well. It was a great time and it’s funny because I was turning 30 and that was the first real job I ever had. Before that, I was just a guy touring in a band. Girlie took a risk on someone who had no experience working in an office to bring me in.

MM: How did you translate your work as a musician to work in the music industry? JA: A lot of it is still what I talk about from an instructional standpoint. So much of the business is about relationships and how you maintain those relationships. I’ve always approached everything the same way I approached being in a band. I’m a trained bass player, both upright and electric, classical, jazz, and punk rock, and in playing with alternative and rock bands, being the bass player is the easiest role in the band. It’s not as technical. I always felt that as a bass player, you’re obligated to do other things. I always found that for me, I was handing a lot of the business responsibilities and a lot of my position was what we called the “vibe tech.” I always kind of approached my life like that and it definitely translates to the industry side. As I started to work at Girlie and also on the academic side, a lot of the people who come and speak to my classes or people who have interviewed my students for internships are people I have encountered while touring or someone introduced me to someone else. It all felt pretty natural. From a very bias perspective, there are not a lot of people who have been in my position to translate into instructional teaching. There are a lot of people who tried to be in a band but didn’t do it, but when I teach my classes, I can show them what a tour that grossed four million dollars looks like, how it breaks down, what a tour outing looks like, and how all these things work from the backend. It doesn’t seem like everything would fit into place naturally, but so far everything that I’ve done seems to link up with something else.

MM: How did Passion Pit begin?

JA: I started playing in the band right when I graduated from college. I went to Berklee College of Music for my undergraduate degree. I was in the unfortunate position of taking out a lot of loans to go to college, and as I was getting close to graduation, my parents obviously wanted me to get a job. Right as I was graduating, Passion Pit had loosely formed with another bass player and drummer at the time. I was friends with everyone and so I said that I had the summer free and I would fill in and play some shows with them. In a very small world situation, and why I always tell everyone that the music industry is very small and everyone knows everyone, one of the first shows I was playing with them, people from Frenchkiss Records were there, and it turned out I had interned with one of them a few years earlier at a different company. I don’t think that landed my place in the band, but them coming up and seeing me, that made things easier. So my parents saw us play during a residency at Piano’s and they saw, in over one month, a show that went from selling a few tickets to selling out, and they were willing to let me take a risk and play with the band.

MM: Tell me your best story from your time in the band.

JA: My best story has to be how I met Bruce Springsteen. I’m from New Jersey, and he’s the hometown hero. I met him, in all places, in London, at the Glastonbury Festival, which if you’re not familiar, is one of the biggest music festivals. It happens on a giant farm outside of London. We are playing on the John Peel Stage, and The Gaslight Anthem is going on right before us so we were in these holding dressing rooms they give to the next two bands who were going on stage next. I was a fan of The Gaslight Anthem, and kind of too scared to really talk to them, but we chatted for a bit. Then this tinted out Range Rover pulls up outside the stage and I’m like, “Who is driving this really nice car?” Out comes Bruce Springsteen, and he’s walking towards the dressing rooms. And I’m like, “What is happening?” So I turn to one of my friends and I’m like, “I’m just going to pretend that I know Springsteen. I’ve never met him before but I’m just going to say hi.” I don’t know why I thought this was a good plan. Springsteen walks over and I’m like, “Hey, how are you doing, I’m from New Jersey,” and he’s like, “Oh cool, man.” We’re making small talk and he’s like, “When am I coming on with you, I’m coming on to play a song with you guys.” And I’m like, “What? You’re playing a song with us?” And he’s like, “Gaslight Anthem, Right? And I’m like, “Oh. But I’m in this other band, and we’re playing right after Gaslight Anthem so you should come see us.” He’s like, “Oh yeah maybe I’ll stick around.” Springsteen goes and crushes “The ‘59 Sound” on guitar with Gaslight Anthem and everyone goes nuts. We go on to play afterward, and like our third or fourth song, I can see something out of the corner of my eye and our tour manager was pointing to the back of the stage. I turn around, and Springsteen is standing behind my bass amp and he gives me a thumbs up and a big smile. I totally blanked out and forgot how to play.

Fast forward three or four months, it’s Christmas Eve Day, I’m in my parent’s home talking to some of my good friends, and I’m telling them this story. Then we walk into Urban Outfitters to do some shopping, and Bruce Springsteen is there, purchasing something at the cash register. And as we’re walking in, one of Passion Pit’s song’s, “Little Secrets,” comes on the stereo, and one my friend’s says to me, “I don’t know if I really believe your story, if it’s true, go say hi to him.” And I was like you know what, fine, I will. So I walked over to him, and again I don’t know why I thought this was the best thing to do, but I went up to him and I put my arm around him and I was like, “Hey man, good to see you!” And he had this look on his face like he was going to punch me, he was so confused. I was like, “Oh, you don’t remember me, we met at Glastonbury, I play in this band, you came and saw us.” And he says, “Passion Pit, right?” And I was like, “Yeah!” And he was like, “No, I really liked it,” and then he says, “Wait, isn’t this your music playing on the stereo right now?” And I was like, “Yeah, how’d you know?” And he said, “Well, I went home and I bought all of your music.” That’s probably one of my favorite band stories ever.

MM: I have one more question for you. You are a jack of all trades- you’ve had so many different jobs but they all have the common denominator of being in the music industry. What advice would you give someone who wants to be in your position?

JA: No job is too small, say yes to everything, and get as much experience as you can. People are afraid to ask questions, and you just need to put yourself out there as much as possible. In high school, I was not very outgoing. It’s this whole musician paradox, where musicians are inherently introverts and that’s why people like to play their instrument, they want to convey their emotion by playing in their bedroom. Finding new opportunities and meeting people doesn’t happen in your bedroom. And even though we’re kind of in a place now where we can meet people all over the world through technology, there still is something special about meeting someone in person and forming authentic relationships. I always say to my students, don’t be an asshole. It sounds so stupid and silly, but half of the opportunities I’ve gotten in my life are because I treat people with respect by being nice, and also being willing to take risks. I don’t think you’ll get anywhere in life by being comfortable. I think there’s something to be said about getting outside of your comfort zone. To tie everything together, the feeling I get teaching a class is the same feeling I got playing on that stage. You don’t really think about it as a student if you’re watching your professor, you don’t think about them necessarily as putting on a performance, but it really is that. You rehearse your lecture, you’ve taken the materials you want to present, and it’s a performance in a way. I still get that kind of butterfly anxiety every time I go in to teach a class, and there’s that feeling you get after you’re done where you’ve overcome this thing. I felt like that every time I played a show. I always said that if that feeling started to go away, I needed to do something else. And towards the end, that’s what started to happen for me, it started to feel like a job. I was clocking in to play a show and wasn’t getting those same feelings. I feel like I’m still in that position. Once I am too comfortable in teaching, I’m going to need to find something else. This is an old saying, but a rolling stone gathers no moss. I’m always trying to move and do the next thing. My wife always tells me that I’m always thinking about the next three steps instead of taking care of the thing directly in front of me. But I think it’s important to figure out what you’re going to do when you’re done with this thing, or you’re going to look back and twenty years have passed. We only have one life, so what do you want to accomplish? What do you want to get done with the time you have here?

#askaprofessional

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