OH BOY, QUIZ TIME AGAIN!!











1.) This retro/post-punk band played its first gig in Athens, Ga., in 1977, long before they moved into the "Love Shack."

2.) What ZZ Top song. off 1973's "Tes Hombres," is an homage to a lengendary house of ill repute in Texas?

3.) Just when you thought I was going to eschew disco for the entire quiz, I bring the pain! Which was NOT a Village People character? A Trucker? An Indian? A Biker? or a Cop?

4.) What Donna Summer disco staple won an Oscar for best song?

5.) What Pink Floyd album can be synched up to serve as a substitute soundtrack for "The Wizard Of Oz?"

6.) What 1974 Queen classic spawned a conceptual film to accompany it, one of the first music videos?

7.) What British rocker gave Led Zeppelin its name by predicting the group's failure?

8.) What 70's band, in its early years, had a leader who became hallucinogenically obsessed with philanthropy and another who shaved his head and joined a cult?

9.) Which Gibb brother was NOT a part of the group at its inception? Barry, Maurice, Robin, or Andy?

10.) What 70's rocker welcomed us to his "Nightmare?"




Answers:

1.) The B-52's
2.) La Grange
3.) The Trucker
4.) Last Dance
5.) Dark Side Of The Moon
6.) Bohemian Rhapsody
7.) Keith Moon
8.) Fleetwood Mac
9.) Andy
10.) Alice Cooper





Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:


Jethro Tull, Bungle In The Jungle
David Essex, Rock On
Lynard Skynard, Black Betty
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Give It Away Now
Jefferson Starship, We Built This City


Local Artist Of The Day:

Crush Efekt

PERSONALITY OF DRUMMERS











After listening to music with many different musicians on many different skill levels I have noticed something interesting among most of them. Each one will usually play his or her instrument according to his or her respective personality.

When this concept comes to drumming it is really noticeable. I've noticed that drummers who are a relaxed type often play relaxed. A drummer who is a more bold person usually plays the same way... bold. A drummer who lives his or her life a little sloppy and wreckless will often play the same way. Likewise, a drummer who is a very organized individual will fairly play rather consistantly. All this is okay to an extent. But, we just can't let our drumming be subject to our personality, feelings, or mood at any given moment. Our instrument, the drums, are our expression in the band. It's our voice. And, many times, we must drum in a manner that does not line up with our personality, feelings, or mood.

Being an outstanding drummer requires becomming a bit of an actor. What I mean by that is, sometimes we have to play drums a certain way despite our true personality, or how we may feel at any given moment. That's what a good actor does, he temporarliy forgets who he is and becomes someone else for a time so that he can pull off what he needs to pull off in order to get the job done.

As you know, sometimes we have to drum a little harder than we may feel like drumming. And then at other times we may have to drum a bit softer when what we really want to do is rock out. In order to be an outstanding drummer we have to be able to put out what is required of us at any given moment. For example, sometimes a certain song needs to convey a certain message, feeling, or mood. But, your particular mood at the time does not jive with it at all.

If we want the song do what it's supposed to do, we can't expect the song to submit to how we feel right then. We have to submit to the song and forget about ourselves by becoming a part of the song.The bottom line is this... don't play your drums according to your personality. Play your drums according to each individual song's personality. Only then will your songs truly come to life.






Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Green Day, Time Of Your Life
Eagles, Take It To The Limit
Peter Frampton, Signed Sealed Delivered, I'm Yours
The Police, Message In A Bottle
The Guess Who, American Woman



Local Artist Of The Day:

Forever Lost

MANAGE YOUR TIME








You CAN do everything.

Repeat.

You CAN do everything. What you cannot do, however, is do everything at the same time, or create a day that’s longer than 24 hours.The two most important aspects of time management are acceptance and choice. When you think of time in terms of acceptance and choice, you’re never “wrong”, “bad”, or “lazy”, you’ve just made certain choices. When you think in terms of discipline and willpower, however, your inner critic can really do a number on you. We already have low self-esteem as artists; let’s not add to the problem!!

An example of this from my own life is that I choose to live alone instead of with a roommate; that means I also choose higher rent and the need to bring in enough income to cover that rent. When sneaky thoughts of resentment or self-pity creep in to my head, I need to remember the choice that I made, and I need to accept this is how things are for now.

Here are some tips for using choice and acceptance to manage your time.

Decide what you want to have time for. What keeps getting pushed to the back burner or rushed through? How will you spend your time once you’ve made your songwriting dreams come true and you’ve become the artist you’re meant to be? Nourish this vision until it’s clear in your mind. It’s essential to know what you’re working towards. Remember, you won’t always be this busy unless you choose to be.

Choose not to be this busy – for one week, track your time using a time log. You can make one yourself; simply chart out (on paper or on the computer) your day in fifteen-minute intervals and then record what you do in each of those blocks of time. Completing a time log will illuminate how much time you’re spending on different things. Look carefully at the choices you’re making. What do you most want to do with the time you have available?Accept your day job for what it is – a source of the financial support you need to eat and live – and write songs! Practice feeling grateful for the job you have, instead of feeling resentful about the time it’s taking away from your songwriting. For instance, what recording equipment, CD’s, manuscript paper, software programs or musical instruments have you bought from the money you earned in this job? Also, the job is giving you life experiences, and most likely lots of opportunities to interact with other people. Your passion is to communicate with people through your music – how can you take some of that passion and apply it to your day-to-day interactions? What kind of stories do your co-workers have to tell? What ideas do those stir up for you that you can use in your writing?

Look for a “day job” that’s meaningful and that’s taking you in the direction of your dreams. Do you need some ideas? Try meditating to access inner wisdom and spiritual guidance. If songwriting is your primary passion, what’s your second passion? What ELSE gets your juices flowing? There’s no need to be in a job that doesn’t make you feel alive, in order to support what does. Some artists that I know get lots of fulfillment from teaching children or adults about their craft. Others take jobs that involve public speaking, to give them more experience and confidence talking to groups. Some take jobs in music stores, where they can have lots of time to learn about the newest equipment, meet lots of fellow artists, and get a discount, to boot!Schedule time with yourself for your songwriting, collaborating and rehearsing. Keep these dates with yourself and others as sacred appointments!

Be good to your body and don’t sacrifice sleep for productivity (if you keep doing that, you won’t be in much shape to produce anything!).There are only a couple of things that we really NEED to do every day. Everything else is a choice.




Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:


Hamell On Trial, Civil Disobedience
Black Label Society, Been A Long Time
Bob Marley, Red Red Wine
Steppen Wolf, Born To Be Wild
Meatloaf, You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth



Local Artist Of The Day:

Jason Gisser

Bob Marley





For each of us of the sixties, seventies, and/or eighties, the Bob Marley legend takes on different and specific meaning, rife with peaceful love, spiritual reclamation, and even, at the end, melancholia (at losing Marley to cancer). For some of us, Marley was about supreme reggae— invigorating music and profound lyrics; for others, he was accompaniment to our studies, our search for self, or our spiritual seeking; for still others, Marley was about pure love. The Bob Marley legend began with him, because of him, and continues with those of us who remember him. We say Bob Marley legend because Marley made it in a conformist culture by first fitting in to that milieu (look at his pictures in the sixties: he and The [other] Wailers wore the suits, the thin ties, the shortly-cropped hairdos…) then by evolving, physically, emotionally, spiritually (consider the dreads, yeah, but remember the philosophy, the religion, the attitude, the words).

We say Bob Marley legend because he brought reggae to the people, non-African, non-Jamaican masses, too, introducing the distinctive syncopated back beat fronted by soft and, well, wailing, words like those of “No Woman, No Cry” and “Is This Love…?”We say Bob Marley legend because the all-time finest reggae leader made Rastafari real, respected, and righteous as a movement, a life-principle: by way of Rastaman Vibration, for example, Marley instilled the subtle spirit of Haile Salassie; he brought curves to the sharp rock sounds; he showed us a new way to revere God, or Ja.

And we say Bob Marley legend because when we were in college in the seventies or on the grassy knolls of the Haight or breaking free from corporate sports or industry or injury, he was there with words and music and the greatest of spirit--affirming affirmed our need for unity, solidarity, spirituality, respect, and love. He helped us “Stir it up,” “Put it on,” and “Rock it Baby.” He encouraged us to “Pass it on,” “Stand Alone,” and “Keep on Moving.” And as he passed the torch of human dignity in rebellion and in redemption, he taught us to realize, “Most people think/Great God will come from the skies/Take away everything/And make everybody feel high. But if you know what life is worth/You will look for yours on earth…,” and that it is necessary, ok, probable, and imperative that we “Get up, stand up; stand up for our rights!”



Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:


Jackson Browne, Stay/Load Out
Michael McDonald, Heard It Through The Grapevine
Ambrosia, How Much I Feel
Bob Marley, Red Red Wine
Ted Nugent, Free For All


Local Artist Of The Day:

Detour

LAUGH IT OFF







Taking life too seriously is probably one of the major causes of illness, actually. If you are a songwriter, especially with it being such a high-risk business, having a sense of humor about it all is probably your best bet. A song that makes people smile seems to be a better moneymaker that those that make people unhappy, so this can be a good direction for your lyric writing as well. Here are a few ways you can put a little more sunshine into your songwriting and your songwriting life.

LAUGH AT YOUR CRITICS

Yes, it hurts when you hear someone really slam your music, but sometimes we can be our own worst critics. If you catch yourself badmouthing your playing, calling yourself stupid and getting angry when no matter what you try, a part just sounds bad to you, don’t get mad, and just laugh. The same goes when you get a bad review—laugh. Even if you laugh in disgust, just the exercise of laughing helps heal your body of stress, and may even get some extra oxygen into your brain so it can think of a way to fix your bad bit. Laugh at the fact that the critic probably missed something really obvious. You’ve got to laugh. If you get audience members who heckle you, laugh then, too—they probably forgot their meds, broke up with a significant other, or wish they had a significant other but no one wants them because they are so obnoxious, and are probably wishing they could get the attention you are getting. See it as an indication that you must be doing a good job, because the heckler feels threatened enough to act out at you, and just smile—it’s the worst thing you can do to them.

LAUGH AT YOUR MISFORTUNES

Try to take everyday life with a chuckle. When you get stuck in traffic, sit back and sing along with the radio, no matter how bad you sound if you are alone, and laugh at your goofs. Not only will this help pass the time, but you may come up with some good melody lines, lyrics or arrangement ideas, and be far happier when you arrive than the person that sits there obsessing over the fact that five people have nearly caused him to wreck and that he may now be late for an appointment because he now needs to stop for gas. Rethink delays as reasons to do crosswords or catch up on some reading that you hope will inspire your next batch of songs, and you will not only further your work, but be happy when you get where you are headed which will always help your career. If you get sick, think of it as an excuse to write more and play less, and catch up on that sleep you promised you would last month, and be happy for the vacation, even if it is just an hour more a night and you are struggling through the day. A positive attitude seems to help people heal faster, too, studies have shown, so get out those comedy videos, watch comedy shows or rent a funny movie and laugh to yourself that it’s research for another song. Even money woes can be laughed at, if you sit and notice that you have a place to sleep, songs you can pitch, and a computer to get in touch with people and learn things from—you are ahead of many, so smile at your good fortune.

LAUGH WITH OTHERS

Some of the best bonding experiences are those where you had a good laugh with pals. If you are in a band or have a co-writer, try to find fun, non-musical things you can enjoy together to blow off steam so you can center in on your music when you are writing. Find excuses to vent, especially ones where you can yell or scream together—roller coasters are fun, and often laughingly scary, but so can be a round of disc golf. Go see a good movie, or sit and laugh at a funny show after practice when everyone is winding down—earlier taped shows of “Family Guy” or “The Simpsons” are my family's favorites , but try to let these be after practice fun, not be the reason practice is late, or doesn’t go off at all. This way, you end practice on a high note, even if things didn’t go well, and can go home with a smile and have something positive to write more music about, if nothing else.

So try to take a lighter view of songwriting. Sure, you may feel like a fake forcing yourself to laugh at first, but after a while, just like learning guitar, you will feel more natural doing it the more you practice. With a positive attitude, too, and the ability to look at things from a funny viewpoint, you may find you suddenly can do things you before talked yourself into thinking were impossible. Whining may make for good blues, but a lot of folks don’t like to listen to a whiner. The life of the party is usually a welcome sight, trust me, I know!!!




Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:


Bob Seger, Night Moves
Joe Cocker, The Letter
Steve Vai, The Attitude Song
Tim McGraw, Don't Take The Girl
The Cars, My Best Friends Girl


Local Artist Of The Day:


Tinfoil

Getting Booked for Live Performances






One of the most effective marketing tools in the music business is to play live. Live performances allow people to get to know and like your music. They also offer the perfect forum for selling tapes and CDs, adding new fans to your mailing list and experience to your publicity packet, not to mention improving your bottom line.

Getting Booked
Approaching clubs and venues is not a difficult task but how do you get selected to perform? Clubs and venues are concerned with the bottom line and getting booked is a process of convincing the owners and operators that you can help them in this arena. Selling yourself often involves demonstrating your "ticket-worthiness." Keep track of your previous performances, the date, time, venue, ticket sales, feedback from club owners, contact information, etc. Have statistics available on local/national sales of your CD (if known). Put this information together into a professional looking package that you may present to club owners who may not be familiar with you. Also have your promo package ready complete with your demo tapes and/or CDs. I suggest calling and contacting the venue of choice and find out their requirements. Always ask if it's a good time to call and if not call back when they tell you they can speak with you. If they are local, ask if you can stop by with your promotional materials. A face to face meeting can often help seal the deal.

Getting Started
If you are new to the live performance game, you may have to get creative to develop a performance resume. Venues and clubs do not just open their doors to artists without a following or a performance history. So how do you build an impressive resume of live performances? Look outside the normal venue and club circuit. Try book stores, coffee houses, hotels, restaurants, malls, festivals, colleges, and bars. Check with convention and banquet halls. Remember that getting your foot in the door may mean taking low or non-paying gigs to develop a following and/or a performance resume.

Brainstorm about all places that might require a band.
Some ideas are to contact local organizations and volunteer to play for some of their events. I know a band that played at the finish line of a 10k run for both the experience and the exposure. It actually turned out well since friends and families had someone to entertain them until they spotted their runner. I even know bands that have performed for fire fighter cookouts and charity bazaars. Another idea is to get together with other local up-and-coming bands and see about renting a venue, getting the proper permits and putting together and promoting your own show. You might try this on your own, in my experience it is easier to swell the audience size and defer the costs by splitting between a number of bands. You can also pick up some new fans along the way. Look for contests. Try out for a Battle of Bands type night at local clubs or venues. If you are accepted then make sure you beg or coerce all your friends, fans and family into turning out. Rent a bus or van to ferry them to the club if necessary. Venues usually track which band the audience is there to see and your turnout could help you secure another booking.

Check with your local radio and television stations.
They often sponsor activities and/or events and may be open to local bands. Don't forget about the college radio and television stations as they can be a good source of information.




Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:


Jackson Brown, Running On Empty
One By One, Immortal
Pantera, This Love
Billy Joel, My Life
Ted Nugent, Fred Bear


Local Artist Of The Day:

Dan May

How Can Online Communities Benefit Musicians?










With the rise of sites like Myspace.com, SectionZ.com, and DFJams.com, musicians have never had it better on the internet. These sites give you the ability to do things that once would have cost you tons of money. As a musician, how do online communities benefit me?

1. Hosting music MP3s and music videos
When you sign up for one of these site, most of them give you the ability to post your free mp3 downloads, and music videos on their free web hosting plans. You get a website address where you can post a bio, some band photos, show dates, and mp3s/videos. This allows you to distribute your band's music for free! All you need to do is create business cards or stickers with your band's website URL on it, pass them out, and there you go. You can also use message board forums to promote your band's website, which will get your music MP3s and music videos to even more people.

2. Gaining experience from others
You may not know a lot about music promotion or the whole industry based around it. But there are tons of people out there that do, and a lot of those people are active in online musician communities. Take time and sign up for one of these communities, become active in the discussions held on their message boards. You stand to gain a lot of experience and knowledge by joining and participating in these communities.

3. Networking/Promotion
In addition to being places where you can store / distribute MP3s / download free music, and learn from other people. Musician communities are great places to network and promote your band. Need to find a band to open at your next show? These websites often list their bands by region, making it easy for you to get familiar with local bands. Also, many music industry people hang out looking for the next big band to sign. Yours could be next!

These 3 examples do not fully cover all the different reasons for participating in these musicians communities, but should give you a little bit more insight on how they can benefit your band. From free MP3 music downloads, music video downloads, message board conversations and free web hosting, there's a lot that online musician communities can do to help you out.




Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Foghat, Slow Ride
J. Giles Band, Love Stinks
The Cars, Let's Go
AC/DC, Son Of A Bitch
Green Day, Time Of Your Life



Local Artist Of The Day:

Calveris