A Few Ideas on Copyrights

On a songwriters’ forum, one poster was asking if it’s safe to post original songs to Youtube that don’t yet have a copyright (meaning registered with the U.S. Copyright Office). Here is one response:

“just have a copy of the song with an earlier date. I think that would be enough.”

Good thing it’s prefaced with “I think” because that doesn’t work. You can adjust your computer so it displays any time and day you choose. Consequently, creating a copy of any digital file with a time/date stamp isn’t going to help when it comes to making a copyright claim.

Additionally, the age-old “poor man’s copyright” technique doesn’t hold up, either. We did this a few times, many years ago, in one of the rock bands I played in: slide a CD with your original music on it into an envelope and mail it to yourself. The envelope shows the day the stamp was cancelled, so the government’s involvement makes it official, right? NO! Envelopes can be tampered with. Heck, you could probably tuck in the flap on the envelope (so as to not seal it), send it through mail that way, AND THEN plop a CD in there at any later date… or tape down the flap, send the CD, and retape it later when you’ve got a disc with more songs (or whatever) on it. Point being, the “poor man’s copyright” will, unfortunately, do nothing for you in a bind.

What you can and should do is this: pony up the $35 registration fee and make it official. Admittedly, when I first registered, I was concerned about how much it would cost. Would I have to register all my songs individually or what? Generally speaking, and be sure to read the descriptions on the Copyright Office’s website before taking this at face value: You can clump all your demos together (if the songwriters are the same on all of them) and use Form PA (Performing Arts). That registration will protest the gist of the song, melody, and words. For a completed album or final song mix, use Form SR (Sound Recording). Remember, though, bundle what songs you can together so you aren’t continually paying the $35 fee.

Registering your work can eat up a fair amount of time, and money, as mentioned. But if you’re serious about your artistic work and the time and effort put into it, you need to make sure it’s protected.

Lastly, it’s important to note that a copyright happens automatically WHEN YOU CREATE A WORK. But proving that creation is key. Whether you’ve registered or not, put one of these little doodads next to your work if you’re concerned someone might try to rip you off – ©

Here is where you can register your work (here in the U.S.) and find info that’s, you know, not on a forums or a blog! – http://www.copyright.gov

The Definitive Leaving Celestia Playlist

1. Ministry – “Thieves and Liars”
This song has always pumped me up. I remember listening to it back in high school, before football games on Friday nights. I was probably the weirdest high school player ever… I put a lot into it and didn’t really think too much about going to football practice wearing black nail polish. I also didn’t think overthink changing out of my leather pants at the end of the school day in favor of football pants.

2. Nine Inch Nails – “Gave Up”
I played in an band in, well, I always played in a band until about 5 years ago… but one band in particular – Candy Apple Red – covered this NIN song. We were all broke then, and Pro Tools wasn’t so cheap, so we recorded our cover of “Gave Up” on a 4 track (cassette) recorder in my dad’s basement. I can still hear parts of that cover in my head. The drumming was superb, and one of the fills recording in the cover version was one of the coolest accents in a song I’ve ever heard. Kudos to, ahem, that drummer.

3. Pink Floyd – “Comfortably Numb”
The “Pulse” version of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen… truly. The first time I ever saw it, I remember my cheap, white Stratocaster was resting on my lap. I was watching, and the mirror ball opening was mesmerizing, and David Gilmour’s guitar tone during the big outro solo was elating and literally brought me chills. Absolutely amazing work.

4. Refreshments – “Banditos”
This song is classic 90s. I’ve always loved it. The Star Wars reference is the same to me as the Sufjan Stevens reference is in the Snow Patrol song “Hands Open” is… it’s like “yeah, nice tribute… it’s not something I’m crazy about, but I still love the song.” But also, I saw the Refreshments in 1996 at Edgefest in Dayton, Ohio. That was the first time I had ever crowd surfed. And I remember the guitarist was wearing some tall, mushroom, hippy kind of hat. Pure 90s.

5. Sublime – “Sublime” album
This band doesn’t define the Leaving Celestia sound by any stretch, but I have always had a deep respect for Bradley Nowell, and the rest of the band’s, work. I bought this album just outside of Washington D.C., in an underground mall (Crystal City shops, maybe). The self-titled album is really a great one and, at that time, was on repeat on my CD player. I remember on that trip, my buddy Roland borrowed the CD and was jumping up and down on the hotel room bed while listening to it with headphones on. That was years ago. My CD is still nice and safe. I hope Roland is, too.

6. Local H – “Bound for the Floor”
The raucous nature of this song provides a better direct-correlation to the music of Leaving Celestia. As I understand it (and have for a long time), Local H was originally a three or four piece band (or whatever). The other member(s) apparently departed, and the two dudes left put out the album they had been working on. It hit the charts hard, and “Bound for the Floor” is still being played on the rock radio stations today. It’s such a great groove, and I find myself screaming “you keep it copacetic, and you learn to accept it, you know you’re so pathetic!” every time it comes on. Technically, this came out in the “post grunge” era (whatever that means), but it still has that grittiness that makes me want to categorize it as grunge. The song is super catchy, and that grittiness, coupled with my draw to the song, taught me that music doesn’t have to be polished to get your point across.

7. Nada Surf – “Popular”
This song spoke to me on different levels. As mentioned, I played football in high school, but I wasn’t truly a part of the “jock” crowd. They were good friends of mine, yes (the jocks – not Nada Surf!), but there were also great differences between us. I loved, and love, the song “Popular” because it’s kind of a mockery of those who take themselves too seriously, and because all of us guys secretly longed to be the captain of the football team who gets all the girls.

8. Stabbing Westward – “Shame”
This song has long been an anthem. It just rocks. It’s dark, gets the point across, and is full of emotion. Stabbing Westward has always been a big inspiration because, not only were they a talented band, but they also also really cool. As a teen, I used to hang out behind Bogart’s – a venue in Cincinnati – to chat with my favorite bands. When SW was in town, the guys – Chris, Andy, Mark, etc., would answer all the questions I had about being in a touring/recording band, and it made me really feel like I was a part of something important for a while, coming from Small Town USA. I loved how Jim, Stabbing Westward’s bassist, noticed that the big, local rock radio station, WEBN, sponsored the show. “They don’t even play us, do they?” he asked. “No, they don’t,” I had to tell him. Good times.

9. Stone Temple Pilots – “Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart”
I really started liking STP when other people starting liking them less and less. Really, “Interstate Love Song” was kind of bland compared to other stuff that came later. Okay…. so I’m really just trying to make excuses… But to change the subject, holy crap, I saw STP in 1996….!!! Get this – the opening band was Local H. Bill – my best friend’s stepdad – drove us all to the show, and he didn’t want to see the opening band (even though I did), so we hung out at Chi-chi’s Mexican restaurant for about a half-hour after the time posted on the tickets. We then headed over to the Nutter Center. Due to the boycott of Local H, we ended up missing the start of the Stone Temple Pilots set. Gee, thanks a lot, Bill!

10. The Doors – “Light My Fire”
I grew up listening to The Doors on vinyl. My brother had a record player and, when he was gone, I would sneak into his room and listen to The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and The Beatles. I also played his drum set when he wasn’t around. SHhhhhh!! “Light My FIre” is one of the songs, among many, that have had a lasting impression. “The End” is another that’s amazing and timeless. But I really have always loved “Light My Fire” and Val Kilmer’s portrayal of Jim Morrison on the Ed Sullivan show, as exaggerated as it may have been. And, naturally, there is some sort of kinship between me an Val Kilmer. I know we’ve crossed paths, so it’s only a matter of time until we run into each other..

11. The Dandy Warhols – “Heavenly”
This tune comes right after “The Last High” on the album “Welcome to the Monkey House.” That mentioned track is one of those best on there but, for some reason, “Heavenly” makes me think of vacation. Specifically, it takes me back to being in Daytona Beach with my dad and brother in the early 90s. A giant hurricane was about to hit, our hotel threw all the beach chairs in the pool so they wouldn’t blow away, and we took off for Orlando. I had discovered Tom Petty right around that time. I don’t really know what it has to do with “Heavenly” specifically, but it’s one of those songs that conjures feelings and emotions relating to a very specific time and place.

12. Kansas – “Carry on My Wayward Son”
This is one of the greatest, timeless rock songs of all time. It’s filled with changes and a clever melody the whole way through that makes for a great singalong. My buddy, Dan, is a drummer in the country music scene in Tennessee, and he formerly played in a band with the son of one of the guys in Kansas. I seriously had a dream of jamming with Kansas as a result because, even before that all going down, “Carry on My Wayward Son” was already one of my favorite jams.

13. Tin Star – “Raincheck”
It’s safe to say Tin Star has been my one and only foray into listening to what some label as “trip-hop.” I’m sure this music discovery came from my old buddy, Mike, but where he found it I can only guess… maybe 97x played them (the once-famous and now defunct college radio station Dustin Hoffman referred to in “Rain Man.”) “Raincheck” has a certain mellow, lovely ambiance that has always blown me away. The smooth/thick/synthy bass, the slightly overdriven guitar accents throughout the song, and the vocals all come together to create a mix that transports me to a really comforting place.

14. VAST – “The Last One Alive”
Visual Audio Sensory Theater. The “Last One Alive” is the first track on the 2000 album “Music for People.” The song is a triumphant anthem, especially the chorus: …if the sun comes in your room and awakens you from your vanity, you won’t find me ’cause I’ll be on top a mountain pissing on your grave.” The “nah, nahhh, nahhhh” that follows is like a taunt, which would just be used as an accent to the music in any other song. It’s really a great, upbeat song that gives you a feeling of freedom while driving around town, belting it out, on a sunny day with the windows down and sunroof open. To gently come down from the excitement of this track, check out “I Don’t Have Anything,” which is the 3rd track on the same album.

15. Forget Cassettes – “Quiero, Quieres”
Okay, this one is super obscure. That intrinsically means nothing, good or bad… but, for me, this discovery was a cool one. My aforementioned friend, Mike, somehow already knew about this band, when I was set to run the sound board for them at an indie music festival in Cincinnati. Mike and his wife showed up, and we all hung out at the front-of-house mixing console while I worked… it was a lot of fun. A few months later, I went with another buddy, Brad, when Forget Cassettes were back in the area, playing at a small venue in Dayton, Ohio. I chatted with the band during a break and told the drummer that I mixed for them at the festival. “Aha! I thought you looked familiar,” he said. It was pretty cool, because it’s so cliche for people to say silly things like “Hey, I was in the front row at your show two years ago at the arena in Chicago… do you remember me?” Of course they freakin’ don’t. But I guess working alongside people makes you more memorable.

So anyway, about the song… the style is really hit-or-miss for some people. I’ve played it in the car while driving around with passengers, and some love it, and some hate it. On “Quiero, Quieres,” I love the drumming and catty vocals that are filled with so much emotion. The song just rocks, and it’s a great lead-in to the next tune, “The Catch,” on the “Salt” album. The singer, Beth, is an amazing musician. She can play crazy guitar parts while singing better than I can play the guitar alone.

16. Cracker – “Low”
This song has seemingly been around forever, as it’s really timeless. I like the mix of the acoustic, rhythm guitar with the electric, accent guitar. Those guitar bends during the verses give the song a dreamy feel, complimentary to the “like being stoned” chorus. The whole thing is borderline experimental, with the lyrics about cosmonauts and such and with the flanger on the vocals in the breakdown section.

The rest of the “Kerosene Hat” album leaves a lot to be desired. The second track sounds like a mix of INXS, The Refreshements, Blink 182, and Sex Pistols. Just stick with “Low.” It’s the first track on the album, for a reason.

17. Placebo – “Without You I’m Nothing”
Slow paced and heavy on the reverb, it’s like being in a tunnel. It’s kind of trippy, too, with a nice pair of headphones on, listening to the flange guitar pan back and forth during the bridge. “Without You I’m Nothing” is simply a gorgeous song. Some people are turned off by Brian Molko’s voice, but I just find it to be different. The original version version is on the album titled the same as the song, and an interesting version, found near the end of the “Black Market Music” album, features David Bowie on vocals.

18. AFI – “Love Like Winter”
The style of the “December Underground” album is weird. It’s like highly-produced poppy/synthy/punk/rock. Weird combo, but it’s catchy. Though I’ve been listening to this album on occasion for seven years now, hearing some high heels clicking against the sidewalk or tile floor with every step, I still think of the intro of this song. I love the rhythmic staccato of the bass during the verses, which is replaced by the guitar during the chorus. Also, I’m really adept at playing music by ear but AFI, quite often, takes a while to figure out on guitar or bass. The music flows naturally, but there are a lot of changes. It’s the same with figuring out some of Pete Yorn’s songs.

Data Management / Backup Practices (Reinforcement)

I’ve written about it before, and I’m writing about it again: data management is extremely important if you want to keep files around for the long haul. And maintaining organization for those files is key, as we only have so much time on this planet to deal with such issues. I’m writing this as my other computer is copying old CD-RW files to an external hard drive. I have stacks of media that need consolidated, and it’s a shame that the project requires so much of a time investment. That doesn’t have to be the case for data generated today.

In an earlier post (check it out here), I spoke of technology like the Drobo S, which we use at work to backup video footage that costs millions of dollars to produce. As it’s frequently said these days, “storage is cheap,” so there is very little excuse to NOT backup all your important documents, including (but not limited to) your photos and videos.

The file management system that works best for me is a combination of an external hard drive and a pair of DVDs. That is, I try to be meticulous about backing up every single important file to that external drive, and then to a primary and a backup DVD when enough data accumulates and warrants burning a disc.

Also, for my system, I try to keep the data conventions simple. I really enjoy travel and taking pictures – probably spending more time doing so than I should – so I keep a primary folder on the external drive called “Photos-MainBackup”. From there, all photos are narrowed down into more folders displaying the year (if known) and content. For example, one recently created folder is called “2012-Italy”. Nice and simple. That way, you can search for content based on year or the subject. And sometimes it helps you to figure out exactly when the heck you went somewhere.

Also, many of us have pretty sizable music collections these days, so it might not be such a bad idea to create a “Music-MainBackup” primary folder, and maybe even a “Documents-MainBackup” folder.

Of course these are merely suggestions. This is the system that works best for me, so I don’t have to spend a whole lot of time sifting through data to find what I’m looking for. Again, if “storage is cheap these days,” there is very little reason to lose data forever. It’s bound to happen, though, if you don’t plan ahead. Backing up does take a little time investment, but the time spent is very well worth it. Otherwise, it seems that the time invested in creating content that isn’t worth saving is a waste right from the start.

 
 

Best 100 (mostly rock) songs of the ’90s

Don’t agree with this list? Let me know about it in the comment section below!

1. Counting Crows – “Mr. Jones”
2. 4 Non Blondes – “What’s Up?”
3. Tom Petty – “Into the Great Wide Open”
4. Garbage – “Only Happen when it Rains”
5. The Refreshments – “Banditos”
6. Depeche Mode – “Enjoy the Silence”
7. Beck – “Loser”
8. M.C. Hammer – “U Can’t Touch This”
9. Collective Soul – “The World I Know”
10. Foo Fighters – “Everlong”
11. Local H – “Bound for the Floor”
12. Cracker – “Low”
13. Nine Inch Nails – “Closer”
14. Sneaker Pimps – “Six Underground”
15. Butthole Surfers – “Pepper”
16. Live – “I Alone”
17. Stabbing Westward – “Shame”
18. Stone Temple Pilots – “Big Empty”
19. Veruca Salt – “Seether”
20. Alice in Chains – “Heaven Beside You”
21. Blind Melon – “No Rain”
22. Smashing Pumpkins – “Tonight, Tonight”
23. The Verve Pipe – “Photograph”
24. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Give it Away”
25. Rage Against the Machine – “Guerrilla Radio”
26. Weezer – “Say It Ain’t So”
27. Depeche Mode – “Policy of Truth”
28. Tool – “Stinkfist”
29. The Cure – “Friday I’m in Love”
30. R.E.M. – “Losing my Religion”
31. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – “The Impression that I Get”
32. Smashing Pumpkins – “Disarm”
33. Spacehog – “In the Meantime”
34. Primitive Radio Gods – “Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in my Hand”
35. Alice in Chains – “Rooster”
36. Lenny Kravitz – “Are You Gonna Go My Way”
37. Rob Zombie – “Dragula”
38. Weezer – “Undone (the Sweater Song)”
39. Filter – “Hey Man, Nice Shot”
40. Orgy – “Blue Monday”
41. Skee-lo – “I Wish”
42. Candlebox – “You”
43. Harvey Danger – “Flagpole Sitta”
44. Sublime – “What I Got”
45. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Under the Bridge”
46. Faith No More – “Epic”
47. Smashing Pumpkins – “Bullet with Butterfly Wings”
48. The Offspring – “Gone Away”
49. Republica – “Ready to Go”
50. Nirvana – “All Apologies”
51. Pearl Jam – “Black”
52. Live – “Selling the Drama”
53. Eagle Eye Cherry – “Save Tonight”
54. Collective Soul – “Shine”
55. Dishwalla – “Counting Blue Cars”
56. Nada Surf – “Popular”
57. 2Pac – “California Love”
58. Cake – “I Will Survive” cover
59. Korn – “Got the Life”
60. Vanilla Ice – “Ice Ice Baby”
61. Lit – “My Own Worst Enemy”
61. Foo Fighters – “My Hero”
62. Snoop Dogg – “Gin and Juice”
63. Toadies – “Possum Kingdom”
64. Eels – “Novocaine for the Soul”
65. Alanis Morissette – “You Oughta Know”
66. Soul Asylum – “Runaway Train”
67. Nine Inch Nails – “The Perfect Drug”
68. Ben Folds Five – “Brick”
69. Garbage – “Stupid Girl”
70. Danzig – “Mother”
71. Toad the Wet Sprocket – “Walk on the Ocean”
72. EMF – “Unbelievable”
73. INXS – “Suicide Blonde”
74. Nine Inch Nails – “Wish”
75. Jesus Jones – “Right Here, Right Now”
76. Breeders – “Cannonball”
77. Bush – “Little Things”
78. Foo Fighters – “I’ll Stick Around”
79. Blur – “Song 2”
80. Marcy Playground – “Sex and Candy”
81. Ugly Kid Joe – “Everything About You”
82. The Verve Pipe – “The Freshmen”
83. Salt-n-Peppa – “Shoop”
84. Reel Big Fish – “Sell Out”
85. The Rentals – “Friends of P.”
86. Radiohead – “Creep”
87. Poe – “Angry Johnny”
88. C+C Music Factory – “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)”
89. Garth Brooks – “Friends in Low Places”
90. Nirvana – “Come as You Are”
91. Jars of Clay – “Flood”
92. Lisa Loeb – “Stay (I Missed You)”
93. Us3 – “Cantaloop”
94. Placebo – “Pure Morning”
95. Primus – “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver”
96. Cardigans – “Lovefool”
97. Meat Puppets – “Backwater”
98. Natalie Imbruglia – “Torn”
99. OMC – “How Bizarre”
100. Letters to Cleo – “Here and Now”

Honorable Mentions:
Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
Kris Kross – “Jump”
Spin Doctors – “Two Princes”
Prick – “No Fair Fights” (I love this one, even if only about eight people in the world have heard it)
Boyz to Men – “Motown Philly”

Songs you can’t convince me belong on this list:
Len – “Steal My Sunshine”
Snow – “Informer”
Sugar Ray – “Every Morning”
Crash Test Dummies – “Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm”
Rednex – “Cotton Eye Joe”
Los del Río – “Macarena”
Ricky Martin – “Livin’ La Vida Loca”
Savage Garden – “Truly Madly Deeply”
Billy Ray Cyrus – “Achy Breaky Heart”

Music Top 10s

A work in progress- a “top 10” of really great albums that flew under the radar:

Dandy Warhols – “Welcome to the Monkey House”
You may have heard a couple tracks from this 2003 release on the radio and TV. “We Used to be Friends” was the theme song for the show Veronica Mars and “You Were the Last High” had some radio rotation. Other than that, it seems there were no real accolades to speak of, although the album is excellent. It was produced by Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran which, no doubt, made “Welcome to the Monkey House” more retro, 80s synth-happy than previous Dandy Warhols releases.

Tin Star – “The Thrill Kisser”

VAST – “Visual Audio Sensory Theater”

“Lost Highway” soundtrack
As a longtime Nine Inch Nails fan, this album was an instant must-have when released in 1997. It featured a couple new NIN songs (including “The Perfect Drug”), was arranged by that group’s principal member, Trent Reznor, and also included work by other bands I enjoyed: Smashing Pumpkins, David Bowie, Rammstein, and Marilyn Manson. What I came to discover, though, was that the overall blend of styles on this soundtrack was really pretty remarkable/magical. I enjoyed the rock-oriented tunes, of course, but also enjoyed (and continue to enjoy) the mysterious, brooding Angelo Badalamenti tunes and the lighter style of offerings like Lou Reed’s “This Magic Moment.” I own probably only a dozen soundtracks or so, but this one easily takes the cake as my absolute favorite.

Orgy – “Punk Statik Paranoia”
Overall, Orgy is not exactly a great band, but I really like them anyway. In fact, they are tied with Tool for the most concerts by a single band I have attended – both at six. Whereas Orgy’s first two albums felt like experiments in a band defining its very experimental sound, “Punk Statik Paranoia” is well produced, heavily guitar driven, and upbeat. It just rocks in a way that Foo Fighter’s “In Your Honor” does… it’s a great album to put on your MP3 player for when you go to the gym. Unfortunately, I heard the remix of the song “Pure” that plays during Orgy’s “Trans Global Spectacle” tour DVD before hearing the original album version. In fact, I love the remix so much that I could never really give the album version a fair chance, and it’s hard to find, too (the CHR-Modern Rock Mix).

Teddybears – “Soft Machine”
Songs from this album were used in a ton of commercials, but you’ve probably never heard of the group. “Soft Machine” is super catchy and mostly upbeat, dance/electronic/rock type music that’s great for a workout or as a lead-in to the weekend on a Friday night.

Muse – “Origin of Symmetry”
“Origin of Symmetry” was released in 2001 and immediately preceded Muse’s breakthough album “Absolution.” There is something raw and underproduced about this album, although some of the arrangements are rather incredible. In a way, that kind of indie, carefree production value is reminiscent of Nirvana’s “Nevermind” although, stylistically, the two albums are very different.

Bruce Springsteen – “The Rising”
Ten years ago, I never would have imagined that “The Boss” would, one day, be included on any such list. One of my cousins unexpectedly passed away last year, and he had to have been one of Springsteen’s biggest fans ever. He was always quoting songs and asking random music trivia about the E Street Band that I could never answer. When I graduated high school, my cousin gave me a copy of “Greetings from Asbury Park.” I listened to it once and never listened to it again. Sure, it’s appears on Rolling Stones’ list of “greatest albums of all time,” but it just wasn’t my thing.

In 2002, I heard a song from “The Rising” on the legendary, but now defunct, Cincinnati-area radio station 97X (WOXY). I told my cousin about it, and he practically ran out and bought me the CD. I was blown away by it. The whole album is thematic of 9/11, but it’s very touching, and the production is really tight. The contributions on guitar by Steven Van Zandt and Max Weinberg on drums are pretty captivating, especially on “Worlds Apart.”

Sure, the album was nominated for a Grammy, but I think it’s power and emotion have since been forgotten about, much like that feeling of pride and community felt at the end of 2001. No judgment, no blame for that latter comment… just merely an observation.

Pro Tools… an exploration

Spending the day troubleshooting…. I recently upgraded my primary audio software from Pro Tools 8 to PT 10. Unfortunately, I have long been stuck in this cycle of writing, editing, and mixing music on an archaic setup, which is centered around an old Dell XPS computer running Windows XP. Growing up using both Windows AND Apple computers, I can tell ya that they both work great for simple tasks… but once you get down to business, Windows systems are completely inefficient while Macs take the gold medal.

With Pro Tools, a lot of things are happening at once. You have things moving and scrolling in the mix and edit windows, plugins are doing some processing, and information is being consolidated and sent to the sound and video cards. Windows XP has just never been able to handle those tasks well while running Pro Tools 8. The output emitting from the speakers randomly becomes completely distorted and is only solved by either 1)stopping and restarting the playback 5, 6, 7 times, sometimes more or 2)getting into my settings and changing how much information the computer buffers before it’s translated into an audible signal.

Being a little behind the times here computer-wise, Pro Tools 10 isn’t supported on my old XP system, so I just have it installed on a Macbook Pro… well, the MBP doesn’t have two, big fancy displays to show what’s going on in both the edit and mix windows, so I keep going back to Pro Tools 8 to work with. Well, today I just had enough, as I kept running into that distorted signal roadblock over and over and over again, while mixing a song called “Don’t Look Down.”

I moved the project over the Mac, and the process of setting up an audio interface just isn’t as easy as it seemed it would be. If there is a weakness I have when it comes to all this techno-nerd audio world stuff, it’s dealing with signal routing, bussing, and optimizing auxiliary channels. Mixing boards are complex creatures, and I impressed many-a concert goer when I was standing behind a 40 channel sound board, fresh out of high school nearly about a decade ago. It kind of looks like the cockpit of the space shuttle, but you learn… and then technology changes.

What really trips me up is digital routing. I never had to deal with MIDI addressing, syncing a dozen synthesizers to do different tasks all at once. Only once did I program a light show via DMX addressing, and I just typed in the codes the lighting director relayed to me. And only a handful of times have I had to route a digital audio console. I have a feeling more of that will be coming soon, though, as some plans are in the works.

But as for now, it’s time to play around with PT 10 a little more. I will update if I make any breakthroughs.

Music Evolved

So much has changed in the music business in the past decade alone. That’s not really news to anyone, but it’s so much more than just the distribution model being turned on its head, for which I am extremely grateful. I remember being 13 and being so frustrated by $18 CDs at Camelot Music. (Does anyone happen to remember when Camelot was one of five music retailers charged with price-fixing?)

By the time Camelot had become FYE, I had sworn off buying new CDs completely, only picking up used ones from the independent record shop across the street. And when they didn’t have what I wanted, I swapped CDs with friends and also broadened my music tastes by scanning the dial on the radio, discovering blues, jazz, and even classical. On a small scale, I adapted to make things work for my situation and, on a much larger scale, adapting is the very thing that the music industry hasn’t been able to do so well. Or so it seems.*

Realistically, since the pressing of the first compact disc, technology was in the works that would someday displace those retailers wanting to charge an extra five bucks for liner notes and a jewel case. Looking back, it seems that no one really believed CDs were dead at the dawn of the 21st century, except for Apple….and Napster.

If you fast-forward almost a decade later, in case you aren’t aware, things have also dramatically changed for the musician. A lot of major studios have shut their doors for good because cheaper technology has allowed musicians to record at home, rather than having to optimize $100,000 sound consoles that always look so cool in trade publications. These days, a very basic, but effective, recording setup can be had for a couple thousand dollars.

So now, the musician-entrepreneur can record at home, pay a nominal fee to an aggregator, who then passes submitted music along to sites like Amazon and iTunes, and you then hope, through self-marketing and sheer talent, that someone takes notice.

Of course, the market is certainly more flooded than ever, since digital distribution is now so simple and inexpensive, when compared to the $1000+ bands previously had to pay for the initial, professional pressing of every album they self-release. And speaking of albums, even that whole concept is in danger. As we consumers have greater freedom to pick individual songs to purchase, a whole lot of junk gets weeded out that otherwise would have ended up as “filler” on a album. On the other hand, art increasingly becomes just a commodity when it gets picked apart to be recategorized to fit someone’s “workout mix” on an iPod, as an example. On the other, other hand, the proliferation of radio in our lives is hardly debatable, and no one has ever seemed to mind that radio has always been single-driven, often pulling only the strongest songs from an album. So it all just comes full circle.

No doubt, this whole world is changing, as the focus of business becomes all things digital. It’s an interesting time and, despite all the problems/challenges this complex world faces, it’s also more exciting than ever to see what advances in sciences and the arts the world will come up with. Stay tuned, and let’s enjoy the ride together…

News Blast from the Past

My lovely mother reminded me a few days ago of an old article I hadn’t even thought about for years. It’s from my old high school newspaper, Blue N’ Gold. Here goes:

Featured Story – “Living Legend”
by Rachel Flack

Aloof, arrogant, cocky… all characteristics expected of a musical genius. Justin Kilmer’s peaceful, charismatic nature instantly squishes those stereotypes the moment he speaks. His laid-back personality soothes any nervousness felt and replaces it with the feeling of being in the presence of an old friend. In possibly one of the most humble and enduring ways, Justin beings to weave the tale of his still developing musical career.

Kilmer’s brother played the drums when Justin was younger, and he felt his brother was having a lot of fun doing so. At age seven, Kilmer began to explore that chasm of rock life also. Upon seeing Wayne’s World, Justin had the desire to play the guitar. At the age of nine, his father bought him one. Along with the guitar, Kilmer soon conquered the melodic workings of bass and piano.

Influenced by greats such as Nine Inch Nails, Stabbing Westward, and Tool, Justin is now a driving force behind two bands: Masquerade and Latus Rectum. The latter is named after a trigonometry measurement.

Led by the searing vocals of Megan Dobrozsi from Middletown, back by the wicked onslaught of guitarists Tyler Zornes and Justin Tharpe, laced with the haunting underscores of bassist Mike Combs, and kept in perfect synchronization by Kilmer at drum, Latus Rectum performs their brand of rock for public events and parties. Last seen at Rachel Cayard-Roberts’s Live Stock, Latus Rectum had to take a short break due to Kilmer’s football player status. The band tried to get on at Monroe’s City Fest, but it was already booked up.

Masquerade, Justin’s other musical project, is topped with a serious goal, to have an album released before Kilmer graduates. However, Justin is not in this for the fame. “I don’t know if I’ll be famous, and that doesn’t concern me. I consider the music that we make art, and I just want people to appreciate it. If they can apply it to themselves, or interpret it in a way that it fits them, that’s great.”

A living legend in his own right, Justin Kilmer embodies the very thing a rock icon should be about, and that is to create music. Someday, when a haunting melody flows from the constraints of a stereo, and a creation of raw emotion stirs something long dead inside, Kilmer’s simple statement will have rang true. His ability to make music that whispers to the very essence of an individual will keep his mystique alive for many years. If one thing above all else is true, Justin Kilmer will not be forgotten.

Taking a break from recording……

So a while earlier I was starting to write an entry under duress. The words and phrases just kept getting darker and darker, so I hit CTRL+A and DELETE and thought I would start again.

Starting fresh, happy Thursday to you all. Although I should be mixing audio rather than typing, I really need to take a little break. My throat is getting raw from trying to experiment with comp vocals. Sometimes I tell myself that the words are the key ingredient in the mix, but then I always revert to Nirvana. After listening to “modern rock” radio for 15 or so years, I still don’t know all the words to most of that band’s songs.

Nevertheless, I am looking for flow. I want it all the elements to sound good and fit together, and my building frustration earlier came from audio software that just wouldn’t cooperate. I am on a strict, though self-imposed, deadline. My day job resumes next week, and I was hoping to have 5 songs totally done and ready to ship by….well…tomorrow. I wrote my first song eight years ago, but I haven’t recorded with modern technology for quite as long. The learning curve is still there, and I discovered just a couple days ago – when I thought I only had one song left to wrap up – that I have been crushing my song mixes. They don’t really sound that bad, but they also don’t sound as clean as they should. Bringing down the level of the audio tracks seems like such an easy fix, but it really changes the sound of the mixes, so I have to make some changes accordingly. This all stems from researching the “loudness wars.” There is a lot of technical jargon involved in explaining these compressed signals and the reasoning for them, so the simplest suggestion is to do a “loudness wars” search on YouTube, if you don’t have anything better to do. Under that search, the Metallica video is the best example of what’s going on….and how crappy the audio sounds that’s being sold today.

Well, I am off. I have been sipping on some hot tea while writing this, and I think I am ready to get back to putting some more vocal tracks down. Adios!