Friday, August 14, 2009
New live CD is ready!
I haven't got it up on my online store yet...but my new live/homebrew CD, "California to Key West," is finally done and available.
Whew! This one took a lot of time and work to get done. In the end, I needed to custom-record a couple of songs, because I didn't have good live recordings of them. And it worked out well. I have an excellent portable digital recorder, the Zoom H2. It's got very good mikes, and lets me make high-quality digital recordings, either as a direct line plugin from my mixer, or through the X/Y stereo microphones.
This particular CD has some cool stuff on it.
It's got the only decent recording - done in my living room one evening - of the song "Traffic Jam," in which I used a looper to harmonize with myself. Said looper has been a bit less than reliable, so I haven't been using it at shows for a while. I expect I'll sort it all out and you'll be hearing stuff using it again someday.
It's got my most-recent completed song, "Heartwrecked." I haven't even performed that out in front of people yet, outside of my songwriting critique group.
It's got the best live version *and* the YouTube studio version of "Bail Me Out." Because I figured that some people might be interested in the differences.
It's got the two best recordings from my set with TC Mitchell at the Blue Heaven in Key West last October.
I think it's got the best songs I've written to date on there, along with some excellent performances of things I've already released elsewhere.
Write me if you want a copy. I'll have it listed on my Website very soon now.
Whew! This one took a lot of time and work to get done. In the end, I needed to custom-record a couple of songs, because I didn't have good live recordings of them. And it worked out well. I have an excellent portable digital recorder, the Zoom H2. It's got very good mikes, and lets me make high-quality digital recordings, either as a direct line plugin from my mixer, or through the X/Y stereo microphones.
This particular CD has some cool stuff on it.
It's got the only decent recording - done in my living room one evening - of the song "Traffic Jam," in which I used a looper to harmonize with myself. Said looper has been a bit less than reliable, so I haven't been using it at shows for a while. I expect I'll sort it all out and you'll be hearing stuff using it again someday.
It's got my most-recent completed song, "Heartwrecked." I haven't even performed that out in front of people yet, outside of my songwriting critique group.
It's got the best live version *and* the YouTube studio version of "Bail Me Out." Because I figured that some people might be interested in the differences.
It's got the two best recordings from my set with TC Mitchell at the Blue Heaven in Key West last October.
I think it's got the best songs I've written to date on there, along with some excellent performances of things I've already released elsewhere.
Write me if you want a copy. I'll have it listed on my Website very soon now.
Labels: Key West, music, TC Mitchell, trop rock
Friday, June 19, 2009
2009 Trop Rock Music Awards
This November, in Key West, I'll be attending the second annual Trop Rock Music Awards (TRMA). Organized by the good folks of the Margarita MAFIA (Members And Fans In Alliance), we will for the first time have our awards ceremony as part of the official schedule of the Meeting of the Minds! The ceremony will be held on Friday night on the Main Stage at the Casa Marina Hotel! How cool is that?
As I did last year, I have again signed up as a sponsor of this event. I believe strongly in the future of Trop Rock music as a viable genre, and this is one small way in which I can support that.
If you're not currently a MAFIA member, why not? Dues are reasonable, and you get a free T-shirt and breaking news about all of your favorite Trop Rock artists every month. Follow the above link to their Website and sign up!
This year, for the first time, I have an album eligible for the TRMA. My current album, Every Day's a Holiday, was released last August, and is therefore eligible for Album of the Year. I don't know yet whether I'll get nominated, but I've got my fingers crossed. Stay tuned.
As I did last year, I have again signed up as a sponsor of this event. I believe strongly in the future of Trop Rock music as a viable genre, and this is one small way in which I can support that.
If you're not currently a MAFIA member, why not? Dues are reasonable, and you get a free T-shirt and breaking news about all of your favorite Trop Rock artists every month. Follow the above link to their Website and sign up!
This year, for the first time, I have an album eligible for the TRMA. My current album, Every Day's a Holiday, was released last August, and is therefore eligible for Album of the Year. I don't know yet whether I'll get nominated, but I've got my fingers crossed. Stay tuned.
Labels: Casa Marina, MOTM, Parrothead, trop rock
Thursday, August 14, 2008
We're playing from coast...to coast...to coast...to coast!
The early response to my new album, Every Day's a Holiday, has been fantastic.
I've received broadcast play, starting with a pre-release appearance on KALX in Berkeley CA, on their "Next Big Thing" radio show, then spreading to the "North Coast" in Cleveland OH on WBWC-FM (Island Time Radio Show), and now I've got songs being added to rotation at WIIS-FM (107.1) in Key West itself!
Online it's getting even more exciting, with songs added at RadioIndy, and the pholks at Permanent Vacation Radio have added ten out of the twelve tracks to their rotation.
Come see what the buzz is about on my music page. Read about the album, and then click on the album cover to read more about the individual songs and listen to samples. And then buy a copy for yourself, and another for a friend. Be among the first to be a part of Trop Rock history in the making, and help make that history!
The holidays are just getting started.
I've received broadcast play, starting with a pre-release appearance on KALX in Berkeley CA, on their "Next Big Thing" radio show, then spreading to the "North Coast" in Cleveland OH on WBWC-FM (Island Time Radio Show), and now I've got songs being added to rotation at WIIS-FM (107.1) in Key West itself!
Online it's getting even more exciting, with songs added at RadioIndy, and the pholks at Permanent Vacation Radio have added ten out of the twelve tracks to their rotation.
Come see what the buzz is about on my music page. Read about the album, and then click on the album cover to read more about the individual songs and listen to samples. And then buy a copy for yourself, and another for a friend. Be among the first to be a part of Trop Rock history in the making, and help make that history!
The holidays are just getting started.
Labels: KALX, Key West, music, new album, Permanent Vacation Radio, RadioIndy, trop rock, WBWC, WIIS
Monday, July 21, 2008
Wednesday's the day!
Oasis has shipped my CDs, and they'll arrive sometime Wednesday!
First out the door will be pre-orders, to those individuals with the discerning taste necessary to get theirs ahead of the crowd. :)
Second will be disks for CDBaby, so I can get set up there and start the wheels in motion for things like iTunes.
Third will be all of the Trop Rock DJs and a couple of folks who are likely to review the album.
And I will, of course, have copies along with me at Migration.
I'm excited.
First out the door will be pre-orders, to those individuals with the discerning taste necessary to get theirs ahead of the crowd. :)
Second will be disks for CDBaby, so I can get set up there and start the wheels in motion for things like iTunes.
Third will be all of the Trop Rock DJs and a couple of folks who are likely to review the album.
And I will, of course, have copies along with me at Migration.
I'm excited.
Labels: CDBaby, iTunes, Migration, new album, trop rock
Thursday, June 26, 2008
When the music's finished
The masters for my new CD are done and on their way, to me and to the duplicators.
I've been listening and sending feedback and my producer has been tweaking and sending me MP3s for the better part of a week, as we've been finishing it all up. Today was mastering day for Stephen, and I just got notification that the disks are now in the hands of FedEx.
It's sounding very good. I've been listening and listening and listening, and while only Earthwalker makes things perfect, this album is coming out extremely well, and I'm proud of it.
The album cover is now up on my music page, in miniature, and I'll have the lyrics to my own songs up by tomorrow sometime - I have the lyrics page done; I mostly need to put the links into the album detail page. Once I have the master, I can start creating samples for each song too - expect those up by sometime next week.
I've been listening and sending feedback and my producer has been tweaking and sending me MP3s for the better part of a week, as we've been finishing it all up. Today was mastering day for Stephen, and I just got notification that the disks are now in the hands of FedEx.
It's sounding very good. I've been listening and listening and listening, and while only Earthwalker makes things perfect, this album is coming out extremely well, and I'm proud of it.
The album cover is now up on my music page, in miniature, and I'll have the lyrics to my own songs up by tomorrow sometime - I have the lyrics page done; I mostly need to put the links into the album detail page. Once I have the master, I can start creating samples for each song too - expect those up by sometime next week.
Labels: CD, music, new album, trop rock
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Piece by piece, an album emerges
I'm getting closer and closer to getting my album done.
I was in the studio today, cleaning up and tweaking several songs. And it's all coming together very nicely. I think this one's going to be a definite step up from my last CD, which was pretty good.
I talked with TC Mitchell earlier this week. He's doing some sax parts for me on several songs. He is one of the sweetest men it's been my pleasure to know, and I am so thrilled to have him working on my songs. It looks like he's about to dive into the material, so I'm hoping to have something to listen to in a week or two.
All of this good work means that the CD is probably going to run a bit late getting done and out, but I feel it's worth taking the time to do it right.
I was in the studio today, cleaning up and tweaking several songs. And it's all coming together very nicely. I think this one's going to be a definite step up from my last CD, which was pretty good.
I talked with TC Mitchell earlier this week. He's doing some sax parts for me on several songs. He is one of the sweetest men it's been my pleasure to know, and I am so thrilled to have him working on my songs. It looks like he's about to dive into the material, so I'm hoping to have something to listen to in a week or two.
All of this good work means that the CD is probably going to run a bit late getting done and out, but I feel it's worth taking the time to do it right.
Labels: album, music, saxophone, TC Mitchell, trop rock
