"Moments" a Hit on Internet Radio / Dirty Dozen Contest / New Album Coming
Category: Music
Just wanted to let you know that "Moments" is a hit this week on K94 Rocks, an internet radio station. The song will be featured regularly this week.
This has also placed me in the K94 Rocks Dirty Dozen contest. Please go to http://poll.pollcode.com/PP8y and vote for me this week!!! I could really use your help! And tell your friends!
Which brings me to the last point....a new album. I am currently in the studio recording the first tracks for my new full-length album, "Elvis For a Day." I am very excited about this project. It will feature new studio versions of the songs on last year's EP. While I can't say much about it yet, I am so excited that I will list the songs featured on the new LP:
1. After All This Time 2. Justice Man 3. Moments 4. Scarlet Letter 5. Colors 6. Running After You 7. Feeling Better 8. Vegas 9. My Mystery 10. Window Seat 11. Intimate
There is a lot of new info, but I can't go right into it just yet. Soon, though. Very, very soon.
Okay, so many of you are going, "What is the DEAL with 'Moments?'" First it's there, then it's not there, then it's there and not loud enough, and then it's gone again!"
This is a little example of the way moments actually come to us. They come...and then they go. Lesson learned.
Okay, so that's not it. Actually, the truth is that I do all of my own production, and while I mix the entire thing in my headphones, I find later that it doesn't sound the way I anticipated it sounding in my head when it is actually OUT there. Does that make sense? I think I lost myself in that explanation. And to top that off, I can never seem to master it so that it's as loud as other CDs. I think I've solved most of it now, so I will leave it here no matter what.
I will be rerecording it soon, though, and with a full band. That's right, people. I'm teaming up with a great group of musicians who will be performing with me throughout the midwest. I'm really excited about the future and about booking some new shows. Come out and see us.
The Wait is Over! Heartbreak Superstar Now on iTunes!!!
As of midnight tonight, "Heartbreak Superstar-EP" is now available internationally on iTunes and on Real Rhapsody!
Remember, this is an independent release, so this first week is very important in terms of purchasing. Please help spread the word like never before. And be sure and write those reviews on iTunes and Real Rhapsody! Every little bit helps!
So earlier in the week, my brother came across some early vintage recordings I had done back in the late 90s. The only thing remaining were some cassette tapes, so they have tape hiss in the background. I listened to some of them for the first time in years. Some of the songs I had forgotten about. I'm considering posting one of them just for fun. The lyrics to some of them aren't too bad, but man alive, my voice sounds like a twelve-year-old girl!
Can't believe I could sing that high.
Currently
listening
:
We Were Here
By
Joshua Radin
Release date: 13 June, 2006
So sorry I haven't blogged in so long. I am trying to get back in the swing of it. Here are some thoughts on persistence.
My dog Angel is really stupid. She's got a list of problems: she's unsocialized (though we've tried), she's stubborn, and she's stupid. She can't have much brain space, she's three years old and weighs two-and-a-half pounds. It's as big as she'll ever get.
But, Angel has one thing going for her. She's persistent. Man alive is she persistent! Every night, she does the same thing: she goes into the kitchen where her dog bowls are and she gives off this short "ARF" in a syncopated rhythm every six seconds. (She has plenty of food and water, but she's picky and only really likes the "bits" out of the Kibbles and Bits.) For a while, she's easy to ignore, but after a good ten minutes of this or longer - especially as there are conversations going on at the time - I usually get so annoyed with her that I give her exactly what she wants.
Angel, my stupid dog, has challenged me about the thought of persistence. There is never a thought in her head that tells her to give up, to stop her course. It never occurs to her to stop trying to get what she wants. It's occured to me plenty in life.
How many times have I given up on something because I thought the door wasn't opening or that it "probably wouldn't work out?" It pains me to think of how many things I've missed out on - some perhaps small and some perhaps very, very big - because I've quit when things looked rocky or even hopeless. Had I the small smarts of a Yorkie-Poo with Kibbles-and-Bits on the brain, I wonder if I might have just gotten the things I claimed to want.
Angel may not have a lot going for her in the way of intelligence, but she has persistence. That's for sure. So, note to self: heed the wise advice from a stupid dog.
Just got back from an ultrasound appointment where we discovered we're having another girl. I am going to be a lone male around the Thompson house.
I'm excited! I never was big into sports, so there was always that fear that if I had a son, he would be embarrassed to be seen playing catch with Dad or throwing the football around. That may still be the case with a daughter, but maybe she'll share her dad's gift of sympathy when her dad tosses the baseball through the window. :)
Keep your eyes peeled for sales on kids clothes.
Peace, bt
Currently
listening
:
We Are Pilots
By
Shiny Toy Guns
Release date: 17 October, 2006
The Future of Music
Current mood: contemplative
Category: Music
I've been reading a lot lately about the immanent demise of record labels. Everyone from major label artists now fed up with the industry to all-indie bloggers are pronouncing that it's a "listener's market" and that it's easier than ever for an artist or band to get their music heard over the internet.
In my opinion, this is both true and false simultaneously. First of all, despite the doomsdayers and indie press, the major record labels still dominate the industry and are not going anywhere soon. Don't believe me? Just take a look at the daily plays of major giants like John Mayer, Aqualung, and The Fray. The labels are still the biggest means of exposure for these guys, which shows that the money isn't quite as tight as the naysayers would like us to believe.
Secondly, most artists (including the indie-cult-faves who make claims of never wanting to sell out to a major label) would kill to be signed to a major label. The exposure is too great, and at the end of the day, many artists would compromise artistry for exposure. And that exposure isn't all about the money, as many would accuse them of selling out for. It is about...more exposure. The fantasy plan for most artists is that eventually, they will be given the chance to make that edgier, more artistic concept album...the third Kelly Clarkson album that her label made such a fuss about her releasing.
I'll be the first to admit, I would fine-tune my material to make it as radio-friendly as possible to get that shot.
So the real question is: What does the future look like for musicians? With the advent of MySpace, PureVolume, and VIRB, it certainly is easier than ever for musicians to get the "CHANCE" at exposure over the internet. The problem is that there are now more than 2 million bands/artists who all have the same idea. And with the exception of blindly sending out a billion annoying add requests to even more billions of MySpace users (half of which are sick of these requests), it is becoming harder for these musicians to get noticed.
At which point, we're back to where we started...artists who need a chance for exposure.
Which leads me to this theory: The future of music will mean that there will be more music available than ever before to the public. The real impact may mean, though, that there are fewer "career musicians" who can quit their day job and live the dream, and more "part-time musicians" who can get the hits, but can't quite beat out the competition.
That's my opinion, anyway. Post your thoughts. Thanks for letting me ramble.
I was listening to some classical music the other day when the thought occured to me: What music today will be considered "classical" in a hundred years?
By the way, there's a difference in "the classics" and "classical." The classics include Sinatra, Elvis, maybe even Tom Jones. Classical is the music that came along before recordings.
When most people (who don't listen to classical music) think of classical music, they typically think of the big 3: Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach. (Occasionally, thanks to Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, someone will throw in Chopin.)
So, who do you guess will be considered the classical musical geniuses in a hundred years or so?
Will it be the likes of John Mayer? Paul McCartney? Dare I say Yanni?
"Running After You" makes Track of the Day on GarageBand.com
Category: Music
On Tuesday, June 5, "Running After You" will be the featured power pop Track of the Day on GarageBand.com. Go to garageband.com and register to vote for it in the current contest.
If you haven't added one of the new songs to your profile, add it today - help spread the music.
So sorry I haven't blogged in so long. I am trying to get back in the swing of it. Here are some thoughts on persistence.
excited
contemplative
tired
