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Riffing on hip-hop beats inspires new approach to classical composition
BLACK VIOLIN
3 Reasons Sync Reps Are Ignoring Your Tracks Why ‘Advertising’ is Not a Dirty Word For Indies Breaking The Rules of Mic Placement Circuit Bending For Beginners
INTERVIEWS CAUSTIC CASANOVA GOOD GRAEFF BEN TYREE HINDS
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Caustic Casanova
14
Hinds
18
Good Graeff
22
by Taylor Northern
by Jen Emmert
by Jaclyn Wing
TABLE OF CONTENTS
VOLUME 25, ISSUE 12
4. Letter From the Editor 5. Vinyl of the Month: Lunchbox 6. CD Baby’s DIY Musician Conference 10. Live Review: Treasure Island Fest 12. Records That Changed My Life: Amigo 28. 3 Reasons Sync Reps Ignore Your Tracks
cover story
Black Violin by Jaclyn Wing
30. 5 Ways To Mitigate Insurance
24
Risks on the Road
32. Why Indie Bands Should Advertise 34. An Inside Look at Booking with GigSalad 36. The Changing Relationships
in Music Production
38. Where to Stick That Microphone 40. How To Stay Disciplined
in a Digital World
42. Circuit Bending For Beginners 44. Gear Reviews: Ampeg; Shure; Swab-Eez 47. My Favorite Axe: Ben Tyree 48. Flashback: Hendrix’s Jazzmaster Cover
Lisa Leone PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 3
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
I’m writing this the morning after the terrorist acts took the lives of over 100 people and injured hundreds more in Paris. While any act of terror is abhorrent, this one strikes particularly close to home. Much of the horror and carnage took place at a rock concert. A rock concert in a city I’ve been to, no less. A rock concert. It’s hard for me to even imagine. The type of event I’ve attended, without much thought, hundreds of times. Hell, the type of event I’ve performed at hundreds of times. The fact that this kind of inhuman act can occur at the places I hold most dear, and that it can happen to our people (musicians, tour managers, down to the guy manning the merch table)…there are no words. Am I scared? Of course. Not necessarily for
myself. I refuse to live in fear when I leave my house. I physically won’t allow that to happen. But it makes it more difficult to send my threeyear-old to school every day, I’ll tell you that. It makes me worry about letting my one-month-old newborn out of my sight. But I have to remind myself, just as the concert-going readers among you must remind yourselves: once we start altering our lives to accommodate terror, we have lost. We’ve not simply lost the so-called “war on terror”; we’ve lost our humanity. And I refuse to let that go without a fight. So please, if you are able, continue to support live music. I know it’ll be hard in the days and weeks ahead. But don’t let one of the most wonderful things humanity has to offer suffer because of cowardly monsters. In the words of Twister Sister, “I wanna rock.” -Benjamin Ricci, editor
P.S. – Next month, perhaps appropriately, we’ll be publishing an issue dedicated to social justice and equality in the music industry. The issue will focus on racism, sexism, homophobia and other social issues facing musicians as we enter 2016. We hope to present artists’ struggles and triumphs in their own voices. We want to facilitate an honest, open discussion about our differences and issues that still need to be worked out in our industry as we forge ahead. Please join us in January for what we hope will be an enlightening read.
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ABOUT US
CORRECTIONS
Performer Magazine, a nationally distributed musician’s trade publication, focuses on independent musicians, those unsigned and on small labels, and their success in a DIY environment. We’re dedicated to promoting lesser-known talent and being the first to introduce you to artists you should know about.
Did we make a heinous blunder, factual error or just spell your name wrong? Contact editorial@performermag.com and let us know, cuz we’re big enough to say, “Baby, I was wrong.”
MUSIC SUBMISSIONS We listen to everything that comes into the office. We prefer physical CDs, cassettes and vinyl over downloads. If you do not have a physical copy, send download links to editorial@performermag.com.No attachments, please. Send CDs to: Performer Magazine Attn: Reviews PO BOX 348 Somerville, MA 02143
4 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS In the words of our esteemed forefathers at CREEM: “NOBODY WHO WRITES FOR THIS RAG’S GOT ANYTHING YOU AIN’T GOT, at least in the way of credentials. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t be sending us your stuff: reviews, features, photos, recording tips, DIY advice or whatever else you have in mind that might be interesting to our readers: independent and DIY musicians. Who else do ya know who’ll publish you? We really will... ask any of our dozens of satisfied customers. Just bop it along to us to editorial@performermag.com and see what comes back your way. If you have eyes to be in print, this just might be the place. Whaddya got to lose? Whaddya got?”
Volume 25, Issue 12 PO BOX 348 Somerville, MA 02143 CONTACT Phone: 617-627-9200 Fax: 617-627-9930 PUBLISHER William House Phone: 617-627-9919 bill@performermag.com EDITOR Benjamin Ricci ben@performermag.com DESIGN & ART DIRECTION Cristian Iancu EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Bob Dobalina editorial@performermag.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ben Tyree, Benjamin Ricci, Chris Devine, David Erik Nelson, Don Miggs, Jaclyn Wing, James Moore, Jen Emmert, Jordan Tishler, Kim Nieva, Michael St. James, Renato Repetto, Rob Tavaglione, Slade Baird, Taylor Northern, Zach Blumenfield CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Becky Yee, Zach Blumenfeld, Josh Withers, Lisa Leone, Jonathan Weiner, Miqui Brightside, Aaron Serrano, Gabriel Burgos, Deneka Peniston ADVERTISING SALES William House Phone: 617-627-9919 bill@performermag.com © 2015 by Performer Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any method whatsoever without the written permission of the publisher. The magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited recordings, manuscripts, artwork or photographs and will not return such materials unless requested and accompanied by a SASE. Annual Subscription Rate is $30 in the U.S.; $45 outside the U.S.
REVIEWS
“Noise-pop nugget straight outta Bubblegum City…”
L
unchbox, or Tim and Donna to their friends, have unleashed a pretty rad collection of tracks that will satisfy any crate-digger looking for nuggets of pure, unadulterated noise-pop goodness. The leadoff track, “Heaven,” is a wonderfully fuzzed-out garage classic, oozing with a sugary-sweet melody and shoegaze-approved guitars. More so than their previous releases, Smash Hits features a slightly edgier sonic quality. Our favorite track is “(It’s Your) Lovesong” from Side B – it hits all the right notes any self-respecting oldschool punk fan will appreciate, and it does it all in the span of about two minutes.
The tracks on Smash Hits are short, but that’s probably a good thing. The EP’s runtime of about 12 minutes provides just enough of a jolt to perk you up without overstaying its welcome. Highly recommended.
Lunchbox
Smash Hits EP Oakland, CA (Jigsaw Records)
Benjamin Ricci
Follow on Facebook: facebook.com/lunchboxpop PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 5
REVIEWS
5 Takeaways from CD B DIY Musicians Confere Becky Yee, Around Digital Media & Zach Blumenfeld
6 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
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“For this conference, we tried to make it feel different, that this is for artists,” Kevin Breuner, CD Baby’s VP of Marketing, told me before it started. “It was about the panels, the sessions, we’ve been meeting with all the speakers and embedding everything to make sure that people walk away with actionable advice, that they can feel like they’re empowered to move their career forward.” On that front, the conference proved to be a rousing success. As I reflected on the overwhelming deluge of information presented, five lessons stood out: Make sure you’ve opened every possible revenue stream. A panel featuring Breuner, CD Baby Pro’s Rob Filomena, SoundExchange’s Lauren Danzy, and Rumblefish’s J. Gibson explained the ways that their companies help artists receive royalties and licensing fees that they may not know exist. “Money is sitting at SoundExchange for a lot of artists, probably some of you,” said Danzy.
“Publishing is going to be your retirement fund when it gets down to it,” added Filomena. In brief, each of the panelists explained what their company does and why it’s important for independent artists to use their services: SoundExchange pays out royalties for digital radio airplay, CD Baby Pro is the distributor’s publishing administration wing, and Rumblefish helps artists micro-license their songs to video makers and monetize their songs on YouTube.
REVIEWS
D Baby’s rence
nswering to years of popular demand, CD Baby hosted its first ever DIY Musicians Conference in Chicago from October 24-25. Over a thousand artists from forty-five states and eleven countries flooded the Congress Plaza Hotel to network with each other, attend panels and workshops featuring dozens of DIY industry heavyweights, and learn about topics ranging from new revenue streams and booking gigs to online marketing and live performance.
All three organizations cover gaps in what a PRO and the Harry Fox Agency can do for artists, and all three rely on extensive metadata collection to compensate artists accurately. To that end, they emphasized the importance of making sure artists’ songs are correctly labeled and uniquely identifiable on the Internet— essentially, they apply the rules of SEO to songs. They also stressed that artists should sign up to use all of these services, or else risk leaving uncollected revenue on the table. Your live performance won’t just happen: it requires thought and work. One of the conference’s three keynote speakers was live music producer Tom Jackson, who has worked with such artists as Taylor Swift and Shawn Mendes. He provided a teaser of what he calls his “Live Music Method” by making over a band called The New York Rock onstage. In just a half hour of work, the band’s performance improved by a jaw-dropping degree, and Jackson sold a healthy amount of his DVDs after the demonstration. Martin Atkins, industrial rock drummer and music business entrepreneur, closed out the conference.
PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 7
REVIEWS
The CD Baby DIY Musicians Conference took place from October 24-25 in Chicago.
The key point he hammered home was that audiences attend concerts to be captured and engaged, to experience moments, and to have their lives changed. “Are you doing that to them or are you up here doing musical masturbation?” he asked the crowd.
Conference attendees had the opportunity to meet each other during hangout periods-naturally, this led to impromptu jams.
He likened live performance to building a house, listing off several key steps. First comes the plan, which must be constructed with the audience in mind—to just “wing it” is to sacrifice control over a crucial method of making fans and money. Next comes the foundation, represented by the authority with which you carry yourself onstage; showing nerves is not an option. Then the house must be built with a dynamic setlist that varies both sonically and visually: “If the songs look the same after three songs, they’ll start to sound the same,” said Jackson. Finally, the artist moves into the house, developing themes and characters that allow their personality to shine. Find your superfans, ask them what they want, and then deliver it. There’s a difference between consumers and fans that the music industry doesn’t understand, according to Benji Rogers, the founder and CEO of PledgeMusic. “Superfans are weird,” he said. “They want and expect more. 17% of people are superfans, but they’re responsible for 61% of
8 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
REVIEWS industry revenue.” Superfans are invested in artists because they feel ownership of the artists’ material—and the more openly the artist invites the fans into the experience and the more reasons the artist gives fans to be invested, the more they will consume everything that’s made available. Rogers outlined a number of online marketing tools that can help this process: email, directto-fan experiences (PledgeMusic’s trade), crowdfunding, and developing technologies such as streaming concerts and block chain payment. Artists must find out which tools work for them (it’s foolish to waste time on Instagram if you don’t use it well) and use them to effectively share their story, to make the superfans feel special and give them as many window as possible through which they can view and interact with their heroes. “You have to be authentic, driven, motivated,” said Rogers. Find creative little ways to make or save more money, and they’ll add up. In the last event of the conference, industrial rock maven and music business entrepreneur Martin Atkins presented a hilarious, profanitylaced talk entitled “50 Ways to Make $100,000 More Next Year.” Over the course of an hour, he threw dozens of muffins into the audience, encouraged the “rock stars” to grab each other’s crotches, and emptied an entire canister of
AXE’s Anarchy fragrance onstage. But the shock value had a purpose: to get the attendees actively thinking of ways to adapt and thrive in the everchanging music industry. “Bitterness and pettiness are the enemy of creativity,” he said. “We need to use our creativity to f**k them up!” The countless strategies he recommended—having a tip jar, rolling t-shirts instead of folding them, having an album release party at a Laundromat and doing fans’ laundry there, painting the producer’s house instead of paying for studio time—all have a few common threads: they require an utter fearlessness, they focus on relationship building, and they follow the common sense dictum of “do more of what works, less of what doesn’t.” To stand out in the DIY world, artists need to first dedicate themselves entirely to their craft; Atkins even suggested living out of a tour van. Second, they need to provide an unforgettable experience, driven by their creative sensibilities. “Become more than just a band,” said Atkins. “Become a lifestyle. Become an experience.” And then, when people want to pay for that experience, artists need to have every single possible revenue stream open and optimized. Your music must be great. With all of the advice given at the conference came this stipulation: “You can get all the
principles of marketing wrong if what you make is great, because people can’t keep greatness to themselves,” said Benji Rogers. Though DIY musicians need to operate like startups, handling every aspect of the business themselves, good marketing and wherewithal regarding revenue streams are worth nothing if their music doesn’t forge enduring connections with listeners. Artists must be artists first—if their songs aren’t exceptional, making them exceptional needs to be the priority. CD Baby is already planning a sequel to the DIY Musicians Conference, and it should be a can’t-miss event given how successful this year’s installation was. For more, visit www.diymusiciancon.com. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Zach Blumenfeld is a freelance music journalist from Chicago. He will vigorously defend his city’s music scene against any coastal detractors, though that’s probably just his Midwestern inferiority complex acting up. He’s an alumnus of Vanderbilt University, where he hosted a live performance/interview radio show for three years, and now he spends his nights reviewing concerts for the Chicago publication Gapers Block. You can follow him on Twitter @zachblumy. PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 9
REVIEWS
Treasure Music Fe October 17-18, 2015 San Francisco, CA Cashmere Cat Big Grams
Shamir
T
Father John Misty
Ex Hex
10 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
here is a surprising lack of hats for a music festival when I step off the shuttle bus and onto the island. I briefly wonder why, until those bullying San Francisco winds rush toward me to remove mine from atop my head. The sun warms the cool air to an easy 72 degrees, but nothing stops that biting breeze that comes in from the bay. Attendees are as diverse as the city itself; only San Francisco can produce this array of elegance and weirdos. Flanked by the Golden Gate and Bay Bridge, the Treasure Island Music Festival comes to life for its 9th annual extravaganza. Like the usually quiet community itself, the landmark island connecting Oakland and San Francisco, California, hosts a smaller production in comparison to its festival counterpart, Outside Lands. Much more localized, there is a prominent sense of Bay Area pride here: our town, our music. With Oakland and many parts of the Bay steeped in a history of Hip-Hop culture, Run The Jewels was a featured act on day one. Killer Mike and El-P’s battle rap style holds true to the underground attack of lyrics celebrated in San Francisco. To further engage the already excited crowd, the double MCs brought to the stage turntable legend and San Francisco native DJ QBert, comparing him to the Hendrix of scratch. Las Vegas’ budding young pop star, Shamir, brought his endearing brand of awkward grace to a community who traditionally celebrates misfits. Completely confident in who he is and what he wants to say as an artist, he is embraced by the crowd as if he’s a displaced San Francisco local. The sun drops as Hudson Mohawke takes the Tunnel Stage. But, it is FKA twigs who transforms
REVIEWS
re Island Festival
5 courtesy of Josh Withers
Kim Nieva
The War on Drugs
Run The Jewels
Chvrches
the evening from carefree festival vibes to the energetic, spiritual ambience that only she can truly bring. From Big Grams, the recent collaboration project between Phantogram and Outkast’s Big Boi, to Deadmou5’s dome of sound, music takes over all sensibilities to create a feeling of isolation on this lonely island. Just you and your tribe of festivalgoers. Day two arrived to, arguably, a sexier vibe with the back-to-back plush vocals of Jose Gonzalez and Father John Misty—bringing with him his fancy footwork. Surprise guests have become some of the best re-told festivals anecdotes come Monday morning. This one did not disappoint— an indie reverie. After Chvrches’ own vibrant pop-electro performance, headliners The National along with Chvrches frontwoman Lauren Mayberry shared a duet of “I Need My Girl.” The accessibility of TIMF, itself, leads attendees to the free-spirited goals that music festival ancestors were promised to achieve. While the free love and music concept may not be a sustainable business model today, the intentions remain and the Treasure Island Music Festival does its best to emulate that spirit: get on the bus in San Francisco, bounce between two stages, and never miss a beat.
Follow on Twitter: @timfsf
FKA twigs
Drive Like Jehu
PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 11
REVIEWS
Minor Threat First Two Seven Inches (1984)
Bob Dylan Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (1971)
I traded my copy of the Beastie Boys’ Check Your Head to my friend Rob for this on tape. Obviously, I started a band with my friends before I knew how to play or had anything to say because now we realized we just could.
I heard a sample on a Beastie Boys album and recognized it as Dylan. My dad had this and I listened to the whole thing looking for the line (it’s in “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues”). Dylan’s albums and influences became some of my biggest inspirations and obsessions.
I
grew up on a farm in South Carolina. Now, my hometown of Clover is a suburb of Charlotte but when I was coming along there was NOTHING here. I started getting way into music in junior high and I got obsessive real fast. When I was in high school I’d take all my tapes in the car and inevitably they’d get warped in the Carolina sun and I’d have to go buy my favorite ones again. R.E.M. was my rock n roll gateway band and still one of my favorites, but these are the records that changed my life…
RECORDS CHANGED
12 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
REVIEWS Frank Black and the Catholics S/T (1998)
Johnny Cash American Recordings (1994)
Randy Newman Good Old Boys (1974)
The Pixies were a favorite of mine and all my friends in high school. This album combined the weird college rock and punk rock with a more Tom Petty kind of roots rock I have always been into. I have been chasing the lead guitar tone on this album ever since.
I didn’t think I liked country music until I heard some old Johnny Cash at a bar and decided it wasn’t so bad. I was home for the holidays one year and my dad turned me onto this. This album introduced me to alt-country.
This might be the most listened to album I own. The lyrics are dark, funny and also sad. Randy Newman casts a huge shadow as a lyricist and that’s intimidating, but I couldn’t imagine myself writing the kinds of songs I write if I hadn’t heard this album.
Follow Slade and Amigo online at www.amigotheband.com and on Twitter @amigotheband Which records inspired you to become a musician? Let us know and you can be featured in a future column. Email ben@performermag.com for more info.
S THAT D MY LIFE
Slade Baird, Lead Singer/Guitarist of Amigo
PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 13
SPOTLIGHT Taylor Northern courtesy of the band/Noisy Ghost PR
On The Importance of Knowing When to Use a Producer vs. Self-Producing an Album
CAUSTIC CASANOVA 14 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT
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austic Casanova has a brand-new album out entitled Breaks, and we’re absolutely in love with it. Join us as we chat with the badass, post-punk, noisy Guatemalan-American band about their recording process, their indie business strategies and modern production techniques… Since 2006, Caustic Casanova has released four albums. Has the band’s recording process changed since you recorded your first EP Dichotomies? Stefanie: We space out the recording more now. We used to concentrate the entire recording process into one gigantic session or two long weekends, however we’ve found spacing out the sessions gives the songs more time to breathe so we can internalize them and self-edit. Another thing we started doing is recording demos of unfinished songs in the first session. That helps a great deal with developing the vocals and gives us more time to step back and think about how the parts of the song are coming together. Francis: As far as I’m concerned, we were children when we recorded Dichotomies. We wrote some songs, practiced them for a month and cut the record in a day. We had no idea what we were doing.
It was only for Someday You Will Be Proven Correct that we realized the best way to write and prepare in Caustic Casanova and that is with endless repetition. All three of us lived in Washington, DC together for over a year, played many shows, did a little touring here and there, and practiced frequently. The songs became really good from an arrangement and technical skill perspective only because we relentlessly rehearsed them, often to the point of boredom. But when you do that, new ideas, perspectives and layers start to emerge from the songs. When Michael left and Andrew joined the band, we continued to work that way. Songs are usually in the pipeline for a long time before they’re recorded and we usually mess with arrangements during the recording process. That’s how we wrote Breaks, a decent amount of the material was written as bass and drum jams before Andrew was even in the band. Stefanie and I wrote a bunch of material simply out of boredom because we were living in DC and our old guitar player was in Boston. During most of 2012, we rarely practiced as a three piece. When Andrew joined, he brought his guitar parts and ideas to pre-existing song structures. The rest of the songs were written collaboratively. Let’s talk about your new album Breaks. You
enlisted James “J” Robbins (Jawbox and Burning Airlines) to produce the record. How did you meet him and what made you all decide to use him as your producer? Francis: J is one of the best record producers around; all the records he makes sound great and he gets the best drum sounds out of his room and the drummers we works with. I was sick of having crappy sounding recordings, and I loved the drum sounds he got producing one of my favorite records of all time, Clutch’s Robot Hive/Exodus. I contacted his manager about doing a record with him in 2011, and it took a while but we finally negotiated a session for Someday You Will Be Proven Correct. Since then, we’ve done two 7 inch singles with him and our new full length Breaks. He’s become a friend and mentor and we will work with him in the future. He’s helped us so much – his influence on the band and importance to us is hard to overstate at this point. Why enlist a producer for this particular album instead of producing it yourselves? Stefanie: J is fantastic to work with. Our first experience working with him was so positive that we keep coming back! At this point I think he understands the kind of band we are and what we’re trying to do, so that adds to the comfortable and creative dynamic as well. PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 15
SPOTLIGHT
Francis: J doesn’t want to be credited as a producer, unless the bands want to credit him. He prefers to say he “recorded” an album. We list him as a producer because when he offers advice in the studio, more often than not we take it. J has lots of little ideas here and there for guitar pedal set ups, vocal approaches, just about anything you can think of. He tries to enhance our vision with his knowledge of songcraft and his expertise about the recording process. He’s endlessly patient with me when I have a list of things I want to “try” on every track from an arrangement perspective. We work really well together because we’ve spent so much time together. Do you recall what gear was used on the majority of the tracks? Stefanie: We recorded at Magpie Cage in Baltimore, which is J’s studio. I play with Pearl Export EX series shells, DW 9000 kick pedal and hi-
the first time that I began to embrace the scene and learn more about it. I’ve definitely become more of a fan of bands like Fugazi, Rites Of Spring, and Jawbox. It’s especially cool listening to newer bands now, knowing that they were clearly influenced by Dischord and others who were cultivating the scene back then. Since we’re on the subject of DC punk rock, the scene has long espoused the do-it-yourself mentality; producing one’s own records and pressing them up DIY at a discounted cost to sell directly to fans and consumers. Would you consider Caustic Casanova to be a DIY act? If so, in what ways do you embody the DIY punk ideology? Stefanie: Yes, we definitely identify with and embody many aspects of the DIY ethos. We plan our own tours, book and promote our own shows, design flyers and handbills for local shows. Until we
“We plan our own tours, book and promote our own shows, and design flyers and handbills for local shows.” hat stands, a Pork Pie Big Black brass snare drum, and a combo of Paiste, Zildjian A’s, and Zildjian Z3 rock cymbals, including my favorite, the mega bell ride. Andrew: I basically just used my live setup. I plug my Gibson SG into all my pedals, and I split the signal between my Carvin half-stack and Marshall JCM 800. I really just want to recreate the album sounds when we play live. Francis: I used my Orange amp and cab, also an Ampeg cab – it’s the exact same as my live setup. How is playing with Andrew different than Michael Wollitz (former guitar player)? Stefanie: Andrew has brought both a heavier and more psychedelic sound to Caustic Casanova. His tone is more sinister sounding than Michael’s, and I mean that in a good way (laughs). He comes to the band with heavier ideas than Michael did and that’s obviously a byproduct of his influences as a guitar player. He also brought more of a punk sound to the band. He’s very willing to experiment with different tones, pedals, and even an EBow - so that’s added to our ever-evolving sound. Caustic Casanova is now based out of the DC area. DC has a rich punk lineage; did you all get involved in the DC punk scene prior to starting Caustic Casanova? Stefanie: I was aware of Dischord Records and some of the bands from the DC scene in college and I was actually a big fan of Q and Not U during high school, but it wasn’t until I moved to the DC area for 16 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
got signed to Retro Futurist last year, we paid for all of our recordings ourselves. We still fund most band endeavors from our pockets and are always looking for ways to help out the local scene and make people in DC aware of the great musical talent that still exists in town. Andrew: Anytime we have a show in DC, for at least one or two weeks I am out in the streets, at other shows, at record stores handing out flyers to people and putting up posters to get as many people as possible to come to our shows. I do everything I can to meet musicians and members of the local music community. I try to be as active as a participant, and as good and supportive of a friend and fan I can be of other musicians and bands in the city. Fortunately, DC is the kind of city where I can see local bands perform almost every night of the week.
of merchandise and inventory. Plus we keep meticulous track of our profits and expenses while on tour. We’ve been touring a fair amount since 2012 so we have a pretty good idea of what works and what doesn’t in regards to social media; we figured out what sells and what doesn’t in regards to merchandise. We have learned so much doing it all ourselves! Do you feel the struggles and obstacles that indie/DIY bands face in 2015 are any different than the problems facing the punk bands of the late-’70s and early-’80s? Francis: Yes, it’s very different. It’s hard to compare the current situation to the punk scene in the ’70s and ’80s because the punk label covers an extremely broad category. It’s everything from bands on major labels to local bands printing their own shirts and doing handmade 7-inches. In 2015, access to quality recording is everywhere. Anyone can produce a record, so having a recording out or even a fancy double LP vinyl record isn’t going to sell someone. Market saturation has definitely changed the way people perceive music; there’s so much music accessible on any device to any person. Getting started is easier than ever, getting people to care about your band is harder than ever. Selling physical copies in the age of Spotify is as hard a sell as ever. But we’ll adapt to the times, there is no other option.
Follow on Twitter: @CausticCasanova
How has the band’s marketing and business structure changed since you released your first record? Stefanie: Now we are more aware of the importance of self promotion. It’s not only important, it’s absolutely vital to have a marketing plan and promote your band in different ways if you want to succeed. We use multiple social media outlets to promote shows, new releases, and help cultivate our image as a band. We update most all of them almost every day. We use Instagram and Vine for silly band videos and other funny content to showcase our personalities to fans so they can connect with us in that way. On the business side of things, we are a lot more vigilant and disciplined with keeping track
CAUSTIC CASANOVA BREAKS STANDOUT TRACK: “SHOW SOME SHAME”
catalystrecording.com soundcloud.com/catalyst-recording
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SPOTLIGHT
HIN
On Pummeling Gender Stereotypes Into Submission & Fully Embracing The DIY Lifestyle
18 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
Jen Emmert
Aaron Serrano, Miqui Brightside & Jesse Fox
SPOTLIGHT
NDS
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adrid-based lo-fi, garage quartet Hinds has experienced tremendous publicity since late last year, and it’s still only in its early stages. From being praised by NME and The Guardian to artists like Patrick Carney and Bobby Gillespie, not to mention playing major events like SXSW, Burgerama and Best Kept Secret, among others, Hinds has been moving from one point to the next all while
on vocals and guitar, Ade Martin on bass and Amber Grimbergen on drums) creative process, what it’s been like to embark on a worldwide tour and the importance of doing everything yourself. Have you always known the type of music that you wanted to play, or was this a gradual process? We didn’t even know we wanted to do music
“A challenge is to stop being seen as a ‘girl band’ and become a band doing music, like people see boys in music—to change people’s mind, not in a radical way, just make them be less surprised when they see girls on stage.” working on their debut album and sticking to their DIY philosophy. Performer caught up with vocalist and guitarist Ana Garcia Perrote to gain insight of the band’s (which also consists of Carlotta Cosials 20 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
until we did it (laughs). When Carlotta and I first started, we used to cover classic things, like The Velvet Underground or Bob Dylan. But when we came back together to do our own music, we had a more specific taste of the music we liked and wanted to do, yes—lots of Mac DeMarco, The
Black Lips, Shannon and the Clams, King Khan, things like that... What is your creative process like and how does that eventually transform into a live setting? We usually go to CC’s (Carlotta Cosials) place to write—just the two of us, with acoustic guitars. We take a lot of time to have good ideas, so we spend like five hours jamming and singing while drinking sangria, then we get desperate because nothing good is coming out, so we go for a walk to buy more sangria and smoke a cigarette and when we come back, if we are lucky, something comes out [editor’s note – this may very well be the most European sentence we’ve ever published]. Then probably another day, we come back and we keep working on that idea, adding and changing things, and when we have something not too shameful, we send it to Ade and Amber, go to the rehearsal place, and all start thinking about how to play it all together! How do you approach recording and the studio you’re in, as well as the equipment that you use? We tried to record everything live for every song. We wanted to keep the energy we feel
SPOTLIGHT
when we play together on the recordings, and we kind of made it, even the solos or riffs were recorded live and at the same time as the rest of instruments. We went to a great studio and had many instruments, but we did almost everything with only three different guitar amps. We used two guitars each, and Ade used a bass and a baritone guitar for a song. It wasn’t very difficult to choose the instruments or amps; it was more difficult determining the mix of the tracks than recording the raw material. What has the experience been like with working on your debut album? It has been exciting, but very, very tiring and stressful. As I told you before, we take a lot of time to write songs—we are [extreme] perfectionists in our own way. But since the very beginning, we started to have less and less free time, longer tours and more things to do. We had the dates reserved for recording months before, but in half a year, we toured twice in Europe, America and Australia and also played Thailand and more random gigs. So, there was no material time to write songs, which made us have really long days and short nights, playing against the rules of time and sleep (laughs). But we made it! This year you’ve partaken in a world tour. What has that experience been like, and how have the crowds differed from your previous ones? It has been Fucking A! We love traveling and having different crowds everywhere we go. In Europe, we have very mixed audiences, all ages and kind of people. In America, it’s more like wild students getting crazy (laughs). Anyway, every gig and city is a completely different world; I feel like it’s a mistake to do a general summary of continents.
What are the challenges of being an indie band, as well as an all-female band? We never made this band to change the world [or confront sexism]. But a challenge is to stop being seen as a “girl band” and become a band doing music, like people see boys in music—to change people’s mind, not in a radical way, just make them be less surprised when they see girls on stage. What is the band’s approach to the DIY lifestyle and general philosophy? I think we are the most DIY band right now (laughs). We literally try to do EVERYTHING ourselves! We choose the supporting bands, we do all the art, design the merch, and just think about everything all the time. We never ever stopped thinking about the band. We feel like no one is gonna do it the same way as we do it, which is starting to be a problem, because there are more and more things to do and we are less and less available. Plus, there is never good Wi-Fi anywhere (laughs).
What tips do you have for fellow artists regarding promotion, general band business and recording? Take care of everything; no one is gonna give you anything for free. And there is never enough clean underwear in a tour suitcase. How do you define success? Infinite pasta, clean clothes every day, maybe someone reading us in the newspaper…and listening to HINDS! Hinds’ debut album will be released January 8th on Lucky Number.
Follow on Twitter: @hindsband
HINDS LEAVE ME ALONE STANDOUT TRACK: “GARDEN”
PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 21
SPOTLIGHT
How Globe-Trotting & Spontaneous Busking Can Sharpen Live Performance Skills
GOOD GRAE T
he twin sensation Good Graeff has emerged on the music scene and people are certainly screaming I Want That! The indie, folk-pop duo brings a little something special with their cello, uke, guitar and sweet vocals. Their songs have infectious beats that make me want to go on a summer road trip with a surfboard strapped on top of my VW Bus. Brit and Brooke Graeff have a funloving nature about them and that permeates their music. It’s not surprising that the songs on their newest release Good Job Go have an upbeat, eclectic vibe. With time spent in
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Sarasota, Florida, and in Vietnam, the duo has mastered a unique sound of their own. The sisters have busked for tourists on the barrier
Transitioning between the two has made Good Graeff notice the stark differences between them. Brit explains that “with busking, it’s
“A band is not just the musicians in it; it’s up to the fans and the people who love the music to perpetuate the machine.” islands in Florida and are now playing bigger venues while on tour. Busking and bigger venues require different performance styles.
about making instantly entertaining music, and it can be risky relying on each individual to contribute. We have thirty seconds to make an
While teaching English in Vietnam, Brooke asked a group of six-year-olds to draw their emotions. Brooke recollects that one very memorable student drew faces labeled ‘Good, Very Good, Good Job, Go.’ Upon returning to tour the United States, the duo was inspired by that student and aptly found a title for their record. The songs on the album are layered with strong lyrics and melodies. Brooke admits to having a few careers but that “nothing as subjective as writing music. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way.” With that being said, each track was written very differently and in different locations; “I Want That” was written in New York, “Good Touch” in Florida, and “Unsung Heroes” in a state park in Georgia. Inspiration strikes when it wants and the common thread between the songs is that they were all created from a spark. “We call it having a song in my heart, and when that happens I run off and record it pretty instantaneously,” says Brooke.
Jaclyn Wing Jonathan Weiner
AEFF
“I Want That” opens with a distinct rhythmic indie-pop drumming which leads into the vocals (“We’re taking over the city tonight”) that float over the melody. When the beat drops, a full instrumental and vocal riff takes off. The song lulls and we are introduced to a warm cello and airy vocals, and later transition back into the full instrumentation and vocals. This ebb-and-flow happens naturally and adds complexity to a seemingly simple headbopping, foot-tapping song.
“Peiky Peiky” is easily the standout track on the album. The song is filled with imagery and opens with the lyrical phrase: “Be like little bunnies always riding on the edges of your coattails.” The melody is strong and memorable; they undoubtedly effectively used musical earworms. The presence of the cello adds a whole different dimension. The warm impression. In a venue we have thirty minutes vocal sounds, precise cello bowing technique, to leave an impression…” Brit notes that while it and lyrical elements make the song a homerun. is always fun to busk, there is a sense of security with having a venue and a chance to make a Good Job Go is Good Graeff ’s second EP name for yourself. and was recorded in studio with producer Peter Verdell and engineer Adrian Alvarado. The sisters were apart for six years, By adding them to their team, they were able seldom seeing each other as they pursued to hone in on their style. Whatever behindvarious schooling, but reconnected in Hanoi, the-scenes work that it took to get this EP off Vietnam. Once reunited, they returned to what the ground worked because MTV featured the they did best, making music. The people and music video for “I Want That” and even went environment that surrounded them inspired so far to say that they rank it as one of their them to create something beautiful. Brooke new favorite acts of 2015. That type of public was inspired by the whole experience and notes recognition can’t be denied. Reflecting upon that because they had such limited resources, the making of the video, Brit recalls, “Working
with the director, Hali Gardella, was such a blast. We knew we wanted to do something lighthearted and fun. She really did such an incredible job.” A successful Kickstarter campaign can often, well, kick-start things. The band successfully used Kickstarter to acquire gear and get the band off the ground upon returning from Vietnam, but bands don’t just benefit financially from the fundraising platform. Brit expresses gratitude for the site and the people that utilize it: “Keeping a band going is a huge financial burden for independent [touring] bands in the first few years. I think fans understand that. A band is not just the musicians in it; it’s up to the fans and the people who love the music to perpetuate the machine. And we’ve found they will. Fans want the bands they love to succeed.”
SPOTLIGHT
second and third-hand instruments, they were forced to create simple, straightforward music. Needless to say that being in Vietnam influenced their sound and brought them back to the performance life.
If Good Job Go is any indicator, this won’t be the last we hear of Good Graeff. Their light-hearted nature makes them likeable and their sound sets them apart from their contemporaries. I asked Brooke what she would tell other musicians who are trying to make it in the industry and her response could not have been greater: “Be like-able? Ummmm…drink apple cider vinegar? Try and get some sleep?” Clearly musicians are humans, too.
Follow on Twitter: @goodgraeff
GOOD GRAEFF GOOD JOB GO STANDOUT TRACK: “I WANT THAT”
PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 23
SPOTLIGHT 24 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
V
SPOTLIGHT
Violin How riffing on hip-hop beats has inspired a new way to approach classical composition
Black Lisa Leone
Jaclyn Wing
PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 25
SPOTLIGHT
A
s musicians and music enthusiasts, we understand the importance of music education. It teaches discipline, appreciation of the craft, a sense of achievement and engagement. Before standing in the spotlight, Wilner “Wil B” Baptiste (viola) and Kevin “Kev” Marcus (violin) were stand partners in high school orchestra. They grew up in a tough neighborhood and were lucky enough to have a music program that pushed them to take classical music seriously. They both would roll into and out of rehearsal with headphones blasting hip-hop and one day, they decided to blend the two genres. Their brainchild, Black Violin, is a totally different stylistic approach to music, performance and composition. It isn’t hip-hop and it isn’t classical. With a love of hip-hop and classical training in violin and viola, blending the two genres came very naturally. Their orchestra teacher gave them an opportunity. It’s hard for the duo to verbalize how they evolved as musicians because they are constantly making gains. Their music bridges the gap between hip-hop and classical music listeners. Both audiences
need to experience the balance of the two. Kev makes the argument that classical musical needs it [hip-hop] to keep up with the times, to stay alive, fresh, relevant and to educate the audience via the experience. Hip-hop music draws a younger audience and older people don’t understand it. 26 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
Kev notes that Black Violin balances the two and allows “younger kids and older people to listen to the same music.” The proportions of their newest album, Stereotypes, are balanced so everyone can appreciate their musicianship. By pulling classical music into 2015 and beyond, Black Violin does more than bridge the musical gap; they are bridging the generational gap. The new LP Stereotypes address heavy issues in a light manner. Wil B articulates that “there needs to be beautiful music; music with a message that talks about the past times and where we are now and you can’t help but feel it.” Every time Wil B and Kev step on stage, they break stereotypes with style because they don’t purposely try to do it; not a lot of young black guys play orchestral music. Wil B notes, “Our music could be talking about whatever and we cant help but to break stereotypes. So why not have this album help destroy stereotypes and convey that we have been doing that for years?” The first track, “Stereotypes,” is aptly named after the album title and sets the tone for the whole record to come. It’s a somber beginning,
as the violin and viola harmonize to a lyrical melody. A hip-hop track with a strong downbeat complements the violin soli. The viola joins the violin and hip-hop track and it sounds like a badass movie score. The musical composition is taken to a whole different level. The strength of
“I’m completely crushing people’s perspectives of not only what a violin can do… but also what a black man is capable of.”
SPOTLIGHT the song is elevated when it morphs into spoken word about what the word stereotype means to different people.
starts with a hip-hop beat, a violin riff or a vocal idea. By going with the flow, they adjust and refine what will impact the song in the biggest way.
We hear Kev in the studio, very candidly, talking about his experience with race and stereotypes. He speaks from the heart: “Just because I’m 6 foot 2, 260 pounds doesn’t mean you’re supposed to be afraid of me.” He goes on to say, “Although I wish that it didn’t [stereotypes] exist, I’m kinda glad for it because now it gives me a goal and something to try to debunk. The reason I smile on stage is because I know I’m completely crushing people’s perspectives of not only what a violin can do, or what music could possibly sound like, but also what a black man is capable of.” This is the most important song on the album because it truly defines Black Violin and everything they are capable of.
They play with such precision but it doesn’t sound calculated or clinical, a common trap many classically trained musicians fall into when crossing genres. The music flows out of their instruments almost as if they are extensions of themselves. Their rehearsals are as I imagined; they break out the instruments and jam. That’s when the magic happens. Wil B notes, “Techniques are not forced. We allow it to flow. We aren’t trying to come up with a crazy concept.”
Even the instrumental tracks convey messages; you can feel the story and emotions unfold as Kev and Wil B melodically play the violin and viola. The intensity and precision is there when they are playing slow, lyrical sections and when they are playing intricate sections at a faster tempo. Kev notes that the music just happens. They had had the idea of making an album expressing the stigma around stereotypes and they injected that into the songs; like everything else they do, everything blends together. Musically, their process varies; sometimes it
He further notes that they have been “living this stereotype thing since we started,” but a light shines brightest in the dark. They have taken their life experiences, musical and non-musical, and turned it into wisdom. Wil B is introspective and urges musicians to “wake up in the morning and not put a mask on. Don’t be afraid to fail and fall. It’s okay to fall. You’ll understand and not do that again.” Kev simply stated “arm yourself with as many tools as possible” because it is important to understand every aspect of the music industry from publishing to merchandise. In a world where you barely hear live instruments, you have to look at music from a different perspective. Making music different from the stereotypical sound the music industry promotes has taught Black Violin some hard lessons, but the key is staying true to themselves. In the words of Wil B: “it’s easy to be yourself.”
“Don’t be afraid to fail and fall. It’s okay to fall. You’ll understand and not do that again.”
Follow on Twitter: @BlackViolin
BLACK VIOLIN STEREOTYPES STANDOUT TRACK: “STEREOTYPES”
PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 27
MUSIC BUSINESS
3 REASONS SYNC REPS ARE IGNORING YOUR TRACKS
I
f you’ve been trying to get Master/Sync licenses (Syncs) for your music to be used in advertising, games, movies, etc., you’ve probably been dealing with a Sync Rep. If you’re unfamiliar with how this process works, basically a rep is the person who is tasked with finding, vetting, and presenting tracks to review for a client. There is normally a brief, or deal memo, outlining what kind of track is needed, what the usage will be, and an overview of payout, etc., and most reps have a network of writers, publishers, and producers they reach out to for submissions to fill these needs. Simple enough, right? You get an email asking for a certain kind of track and you submit, but you’ve heard nothing back. Even after twenty of these “call-outs,” you still have not executed a license with this Sync rep.
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What’s the deal? Why not? Is your music not good enough? Well, it’s not that cut and dry. The fact is this: most licensing deals come down to some mysterious alignment of the universe where the track (or more likely, the edit) is perfect, the timing of the pitch is perfect, the pricing is right, and the client is in a good mood. Yes, you read that correctly, it’s basically luck plus opportunity, not hard work or persistence. So, if the deals aren’t happening for you, do not necessarily take it personally; it’s probably just the luck of the draw. I know that’s hard to accept, but in most cases it’s true. The only way to win at the licensing game is to constantly be in the flow of pitches. Often a track that is pitched for one project gets used for
another. This is just as true for major publishers and labels as it is for independents, with one caveat; most majors are consistently pitching brand new music every time, unless specifically asked for back catalog. It’s hard for independents to keep up with that level of production, but as long as you understand that, it may help you avoid some of the pitfalls. However, in some cases, you are being shut out of the process, and you probably don’t know why. So, I’m going to break the silence, and share with you some reasons why your submissions might be getting completely ignored. While avoiding these submission mistakes may not guarantee you more placements, it will definitely ensure you have a better chance with every Sync Rep.
MUSIC BUSINESS
#3 - Consistently pitching old tracks I know, your EP from 2007 was killer, and that last track should’ve been a worldwide hit. But, it sounds dated. It is so rare that a catalog track will make the cut against recent releases. It may have been the way it was mixed, the plugins used, or maybe the mastering. Of course, there are pitches where older tracks fit the brief for the feeling or time, and in those cases, it’s absolutely appropriate. But, if you are always pitching old material for each new brief, reps will eventually realize you are not producing new music, and it’s not worth the time to hear these ones over and over. Try to pitch stuff that is two years old or newer. #2 – “Here are some other tracks you might be interested in” Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, do this. Are we clear? Never. Not once. There are a lot of “one-stop” agents who are trying to work other writers’ catalogs, great, but do not spam me with unknown work. There are also some small pubs that think this is their “one shot” to impress a rep. They are dead wrong. If you send more tracks than you were asked for, or tracks outside the scope of the pitch, or unsolicited links “for later listening,” I promise you, I will never pitch you again. #1 - “Just checking in…again.” This is the worst – seriously - the absolute worst. What, did you think I placed your track and simply forgot to tell you? I understand a quick email to make sure everything is fine with the submission, I do. But, let me be brutally honest, more than one or two contacts is your
death knell in this game. It signals to me that you are a bothersome person, desperate, unprofessional, and certainly don’t respect my time. Trust me, the people who get placed, we talk all the time. This is not a definitive list obviously, just the Top 3. It’s assumed that you have correct file naming, metadata, PRO info, separate instrumentals and vox tracks, and so on. So, from now on, instead of emailing to
check in, trying to pitch old or “other” tracks, use that time to produce a new track, and your chances for placements will be much better. Happy pitching! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michael St. James is the founder and creative director of St. James Media, specializing in music licensing, publishing, production and artist development.
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MUSIC BUSINESS
4 Ways to Mitigate Risk & Avoid Insurance Claims on the Road Benjamin Ricci with Lorena Hatfield, Marketing Resources Manager for K&K Insurance THE TOUR VAN CHECKLIST You’ve got the tour van all loaded up for that string of club dates, or perhaps that awesome summer festival gig your agent scored. Let’s go through the checklist. Instruments and amps? Check. Food and water? Check. Clean clothes? Check. Gas money? Check. Phone chargers? Check. Insurance? Uh…um… Yeah, that’s what we thought. While commercial general liability insurance typically doesn’t appear on most bands’ checklist when they hit the road, mitigating risk and being prepared could save you tons of money and headaches down the line. Plus, some events and venues may require your group to have it, so don’t get caught unaware and uneducated. 30 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
Bottom line: it’s best to be prepared, and be aware of risk management before you fill up the tank and pull out of the driveway. Some of this stuff might seem like common sense, but common sense has a funny way of taking a backseat sometimes when you put the pedal to the metal.
legal defense costs.” She goes on to explain that, “Liability insurance not only pays damages for which you are held legally liable, it also covers the cost of investigation and defense of claims (even if they are groundless), which can quickly add up to thousands of dollars in legal fees.”
WHAT DOES INSURANCE COVER? So, what can you do to minimize the risks of being sued? Well, most claims from live performances stem from either bodily injury or property damage, so that’s where we’ll focus. But before we even get there, we spoke with Lorena Hatfield, Marketing Resource Manager for K&K Insurance. And she emphasizes that purchasing liability insurance ahead of the gig “is the best way to protect your band from expensive claims and
If you’re performing just a one-off show, or multiple dates, choose your coverage wisely. “You may have decided to perform at a local music festival. In this case, the most cost-effective choice would be to purchase a single-event policy designed to provide insurance for the duration of just one event. On the other hand, perhaps you are planning to perform at several different locations over the course of a season. In this case, you may want to look for an annual policy that covers all performances on
MUSIC BUSINESS
a yearly basis,” Hatfield explains. OK, so we know that liability insurance is something your band should be taking into consideration before you go on tour or play those lucrative festival slots. But accidents happen, right? Of course they do, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a few precautions so that you don’t have to file a claim with your insurance company. HOW TO MITIGATE RISK ON THE ROAD 1. Be energetic on stage, sure, but don’t take foolish risks. That means your lead singer should probably not be swinging from the rafters like it’s a 1991 Pearl Jam video, even thought that’s totally rock n roll and badass. Injuries mean dollars, and the venue is probably going to be furious if you hurt yourselves on their stage. You’ll be in for nothing but trouble trying to land future gigs, and don’t be surprised if word travels and other gigs you’ve already booked get cancelled on you. Hatfield explains, “Some venues mandate minimum limits for performers, so before purchasing coverage be sure to check with the venue for any specific limits or coverage requirements. If there is a performance contract or agreement, it will often contain any insurance requirements. This is an especially important item to note on your contract when booking festival or special event appearances.” 2. Be even more careful with those you invite on stage, and especially crowd interactions. Worse than hurting yourself is hurting others. So think twice about inviting any non-band members or non-venue personnel on stage during your performance. If they slip and fall because of your negligence and/or your encouragement to stage dive leads to injury, guess who’s going to have the finger of blame pointed at them? That’s not only a terrible blow for you legally and financially, but think of the public image hit you take if you’re associated with contributing to a fan’s injury. No one wants that, so be smart up there. Interact with the crowd, but maybe keep it to a verbal thing, yeah? 3. Casters, casters, casters! To put it bluntly, venues don’t like damage. So if you or your road crew has, how shall we say, pre-gamed with a few adult beverages? You might be setting yourself
up for a property damage claim. Load in safely (and soberly), and that might mean investing in some casters or dollies for amps, wedge monitors, PA speakers, drums and large cabs that might otherwise be awkward to carry. New York Case Company is our go-to recommendation for highquality, road-worthy cases that will not only keep your gear intact, but also help your crew load it in without banging up walls, floors and entranceways. Hatfield notes, “If a venue claims you damaged their floor loading in, your liability coverage will cover claims within the limits of the policy.” But let’s not allow it to get to that point, shall we? 4. Keep an eye on your stuff. If you’re playing a show with multiple bands, make sure you or someone associated with your act keeps a good eye on your gear, both while you’re on stage and while you’re off. The last thing you want is a dangerous, loose cable tripping someone up and causing them harm while you play. Or a poorly leaned/stacked amp, speakers or drums tipping over and crushing some poor concertgoer’s foot. Set up your gear safely, store unused gear backstage or securely in your tour vehicle (with someone guarding it while you’re performing), and keep all cables tightly run, coiled and/or out of common footpaths. The venue
or festival stage manager should be able and very willing to help with cable management. All right, enough of the “don’ts” – it’s getting to be a bummer, and that’s not very rock n roll, is it? But you get the point, and hopefully you’ll doublecheck your new risk management checklist before you hit the open road, and will look more seriously into carrying an insurance policy. Which leads us to… WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR WHEN I’M READY FOR INSURANCE? We asked Hatfield again, and she recommends this: “When choosing an insurance provider, always ask about the financial stability of the carrier; a high rating (A or better) by an independent rating company such as A.M. Best Company is the safest choice. Also, choosing a carrier that is ‘admitted’ (licensed) is preferable because choosing an insurance company that is non-admitted (called surplus lines) may require you to pay extra fees or taxes.” She concludes, “Of course, experience is also a factor. Organizations familiar with the unique risks associated with the entertainment industry will be able to accurately price coverage and more importantly, provide prompt and reliable claims handling and resolution services. You may also want to look for convenient services such as the ability to apply and purchase coverage online, as opposed to completing a paper application that must be mailed and approved before coverage is in force.” So there you have it. What to look for in an insurance provider, and how to avoid claims in the first place by taking a little extra care both on and off stage. For more information, we recommend visiting www.entertainerinsurance-kk.com PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 31
MUSIC BUSINESS
YOU’RE NOT A SELLOUT ARTISTS SHOUL
I
cringe a little bit inside when I hear people say, “Good music will get found.” Who knows how or where this myth got started, but even to this day it’s prevalent...VERY prevalent. I suspect it has something to do with the stories we pay attention to. When you think of Nirvana, you
and music is changed forever! One is tempted to think that these three gents from Washington were meant to be found. But they didn’t get ‘found.’ They built themselves up to a point where they were
“If you don’t have a record label or company to advertise for you, YOU ARE the record label.” most likely think of it from your side of the tracks. Band famously pays $600 to record first album. Geffen finds them and invests in a big way. Then, “Smells Like Teen Sprit” takes over the airwaves 32 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
in clear view. They worked harder than any other band on their scene, and they practiced far more often than most bands today. And for Nevermind to even reach the general
public, the advertising efforts would have been astronomical.
James Moore
MUSIC BUSINESS
UT: WHY INDEPENDENT ULD ADVERTISE The truth is that without advertising, good music will get buried. Many of my favorite artists never got the recognition their music deserved, and it’s because their promotional efforts were not intact. Many artists think that advertising is a dirty word. The truth is that, everything that forms a part of your personality had to be advertised to reach you, to be ‘in your view.’ Advertising simply amounts to putting a product or message within view of your chosen audience. The noisiest, most counter-culture bands, the most subversive art, even the revolution itself... everything needs to be advertised. Those things you take pride in discovering that your friends aren’t cool enough to be into? Advertising. Once we get past the uncool factor and the ‘sit around waiting to be found’ factor, we can actually approach advertising with a positive attitude and some vital energy. Think of your band or business as a restaurant. You could make the best fettuccine in the city, but unless you actually invest, embracing the expense of advertising, your doors will be closed within a few weeks. Why should music be any different? If you don’t have a record label or company to advertise for you, YOU are the record label. You need to act accordingly. And there are plenty of options to allow you to do so. Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter allow for
ripping you off. It just means you need to tweak your ads, and that’s part of the fun. Aside from the social media platforms, major websites such as Reddit allow you to advertise specifically in categories, or subreddits, where people may enjoy your work.
“The truth is that without advertising, good music will get buried.” extensive hyper-targeting in their advertising. For example, you can target fans of the Dead Weather, female only, between the ages of 21 and 34, in the state of Pennsylvania with the language being, “For fans of the Dead Weather, X band’s new album is out now. Get it FREE!” That’s how specific you can get. If the results don’t come out how you had hoped, it doesn’t mean that it just isn’t for you or that anyone is
They don’t just have to be similar bands. Would horror fans dig your music? How about Star Wars groups? Maybe groups about feminism, the Occupy movement, skateboarding or psychedelic festivals? The list goes on, and things really open up when you think outside of the musical spheres. Sometimes, advertising solidifies a relationship of trust and respect between
similar entities. For example, if you’re an electro-industrial band and you budget for advertising in a few of your favorite blogs who cater to these genres, there’s a good chance these outlets would be open to an interview or review. Either way, it’s a foot in the door and you’re putting your money where your mouth is. While this article is merely an introduction, and the methods are endless, the point is this: Every artist needs to invest in themselves. Good music with good advertising will get seen! ABOUT THE AUTHOR James Moore is the founder/CEO of Independent Music Promotions www. independentmusicpromotions.com, music PR for “music with depth” worldwide. He is also the author of the bestselling music marketing guide Your Band Is A Virus. Reach him at http://www.facebook.com/ independentmusicpromo and by email at james@independentmusicpromotions.com PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 33
MUSIC BUSINESS
How to Book Gigs B Enter GigSalad: The Uber of the Booking World
Edsel Little
“I
just don’t need any more gigs.” I’ve never heard that sentiment. Ever. Even in the days when I was playing 250 shows a year, even when I talk to bands killing it on the summer music festival circuit now, I’ve
just never heard it. Too many shitty gigs maybe, too few great musical experiences, absolutely. In fact, it’s often not even about the money, but rather, about the musical connection with the crowd.
pm for a bunch of hungover kids just waiting for the headliner to hit the stage six hours later. Then again, there are nights in small clubs where history is made in front of 20 people. There are gigs where you play a backyard party
“We connect tens of thousands of performers with hundreds of thousands of event planners of all sizes. The magic happens when people are connecting directly through their talent and passion.” Huge shows and stages are cool, to be sure. But, the sad fact is they can feel kind of hollow when your band is sweating in the sun at 2:00 34 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
for a friend of a friend where suddenly a guy from CAA is sliding his card into your jacket and talking about a private show on a boat in
Catalina. (Take that gig, at any price, by the way.) This magazine is dedicated to “Performers;” those who would brave the roads and crowds, navigating the maze of personal struggles and an uninterested industry just to plug in and get off. Everything we do, from gear reviews to live scene spotlights, even this little music business column, is geared toward helping you create more of those live experiences for yourself, your band, and yes, the people whose lives might be changed by your music. Maybe you’re booking your own shows, or you’ve reached the level where you have a dedicated agent; you might even have a manger that does all of this for you. Great. You’re on your way. But, here’s the thing, I’ll bet you are playing the same kind of clubs of differing capacities, some with better green rooms, some with more drink tickets. Keep it up, pay the bills, save up to record the next cut, rinse and repeat. But in between those gigs, wouldn’t it be nice to be surprised by a musical experience? What if you could win over not just fans, but also make new friends and connections? That is the bold idea behind GigSalad, the most diverse booking marketplace for event planners, and regular people alike, to book bands, performers, and entertainment acts directly. GigSalad was co-founded in 2007 by Mark Steiner and Steve Tetrault as a simple online directory. It has since grown across the U.S. and Canada to be an active marketplace with millions of users. It’s been described as, “what Uber did for transport, and Airbnb did for lodging, an online live performance marketplace called GigSalad is doing for live entertainment.” The idea being, a gig can, and should, be a unique experience for the performer and the client. And that client might be a housewife in Topeka having a BBQ party, or a local clothing store wanting a solo act for a store opening, or bunch of roommates who just want a living room concert. Steiner, the company’s CEO, recently shared
the passion behind his vision: “We find that performers playing for everyday people become friends with their hosts. What I really love to see are lives being transformed from these introductions. We connect tens of thousands of performers with hundreds of thousands of event planners of all sizes. The magic happens when people are connecting directly through their talent and passion.” Here’s how it works. Performers sign up and create a basic PromoKit for free at gigsalad.com. You then set some parameters regarding the distance you’re willing to travel, minimum rates, and general styles of what kind of performances you can do (full band, solo acoustic, ambient keyboard, mariachi, comedy, bar mitzvahs, juggling; you name it, people are booking it). GigSalad then sends “Gig Leads” into your dashboard inbox, and you can respond by giving them a quote or declining the request. There is a small service fee of 4% for booked gigs, which performers can pay or split with the
client booking them; most decide to build that into their quote. If the client accepts the quote, they send a deposit to book you (PayPal) and you receive the remainder of your gig money after the performance. Those are the basics. There are “Pro” and “Featured” tiers averaging between $25-$50 per month for dedicated musicians who want to supercharge their bookings by increasing leads. These unlock profile features such as video and audio clips, higher deposits limits, GigSoup listings (very cool and odd requests), as well as top placement visibility on the platform for prospective clients. For some of you, this can be a simple addition to your current bookings, and for others, this just might score you that Catalina boat gig!
MUSIC BUSINESS
Between Your Gigs
ABOUT THE AUTHOR -Michael St. James is the founder and creative director of St. James Media, specializing in music licensing, publishing, production and artist development.
PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 35
RECORDING
The Changing Relationships Of Modern Music Production Know your role and understand theirs to optimize studio relationships and results
T
echnological issues have you stressing over your band’s new recording project? I can’t blame you, as the changes continue at the fastest pace in history. Possibly more troublesome are all the changes to expectations, roles and relationships that have resulted from the tech tsunami. Here’s an updated look at how to prepare and navigate for such choppy waters … THE STUDIO Traditionally, we would shop for a studio seeking a complete turnkey solution. 36 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
Today, it’s more common to separate work into specific areas (i.e. track drums in this room, overdub at home, mix at this other room) and the result is more negotiation. Not so much rate negotiation as task, schedule and responsibility wrangling. Remember, complicated scenarios require careful attention and rooms aren’t always as cooperative and compatible as they ought to be, so ask questions upfront and prevent snafus. Keywords to learn: stems, consolidated files, Dropbox
PRODUCER Today’s producer is likely in the band, or leads a more successful band that sounds like the band, who collaborates on every level with the band and then takes all the credit and/or blame! Producers hold the purse strings only at the highest levels; for mid-level indies and below, the relationship is more artistic. Anyone can now afford a successful producer, so pick one based on artistry and demeanor, not simply the lowest bidder or fantasies of coat-tailing their success.
Songwriters A lot of modern songwriters record themselves, but most of them end up in a studio to capture their finest work. Before approaching a producer, or even an engineer, make sure you’ve demo’d the songs in question. Just as the singer/songwriter expects topquality work from the production team, the team expects proof that the singer/songwriter is legit and not a droning two-chord strummer; a simple yet clear demo eases the whole relationship. Keywords to learn: portable recorder, Nashville demo, self-record MASTERING This crucial role is now often packaged with mixing services, or thrown in as a freebie from newbies. Automated on-line mastering is now even offered by LANDR, with a subscription model nonetheless. As if that weren’t enough, the ubiquity of “volume leveling” by streaming services may have officially ended the “volume wars.” Mastering
shootouts are now commonplace, volume maximizing may actually be foolish and charlatans lurk around every corner ... let the buyer beware Keywords to learn: stem mastering, iTunes Sound Check, inter-sample distortion FINAL THOUGHTS Such liquid roles and rapid changes in the musician’s environment make for some troubled waters if you’re not careful. Musical success comes to only the rarest of creature these days: the musician with talent, vision, resourcefulness and unlimited tact. New roles are the hardest to define, so expect tempers to flare quickly. Remember that technology always changes attitudes and expectations, so don’t get stuck in an old-school rut. If at a loss for how to handle complications remember (and repeat) my mantra … “every person deserves a voice, every role deserves respect and every idea deserves consideration.”
RECORDING
headed engineer-artist-producer relationship is now muddled with the ability to change absolutely everything the musician performed. This ranges anywhere from “thanks for saving my ass” to “how dare you try and alter my brilliance!” to “can we take a band vote on where that snare flam should be?” Expect to have your parts picked apart by everyone, so thick skin is advised. Keywords to learn: pitch correction, quantize, rehearse to click
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rob Tavaglione is the owner of Catalyst Recording in Charlotte, NC, and a veteran audio writer who writes a column, feature stories, editorials, blogs and reviews gear for Pro Audio Review Magazine and Pro Sound News. Rob has written over 200 articles and reaches over 150,000 audio engineers a month through print and web. For more, visit www. catalystrecording.com and follow Rob on Twitter @RobTavaglione.
Keywords to learn: royalties, co-writer, unsolicited demo Engineer Any glory and unbridled trust once associated with engineering is gone, now that laptop DAWs rule the roost. Engineers today get needled to death with band questions, are asked to unveil methodologies so that the band can “try this at home” and are given ridiculous commands by rookie producers who wouldn’t know their phase from their polarity. Grouchy engineers can ruin your day and your music … tread with care and ample respect if they actually know their shit. If not? … to the curb, who needs ‘em! Keywords to learn: work for hire, coproducer, discography BAND MEMBERS The secret has gotten out to Main Street America that today’s musician often relies on their engineers and software to excel. The threePERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 37
RECORDING
WHERE DID YOU STICK THAT MIC? Or, Breaking The Rules To Facilitate Better Recordings
B
efore we get into the meat of this month’s article, I’d like to start responding to readers’ questions. Please email me your questions or topics to be discussed. Recording, editing, mixing, production, management and even music publishing are all fair game. Fire away! Reach me at info@digitalbear.com. GOOD RECORDING BEGIN BEFORE THE MICS Recording music isn’t easy, at least, if you want it to sound good. There are many factors that play into getting a great sounding track, and many are all too often overlooked. I want to run through a few key ideas to help you DIY’ers, and a few scenarios that have provoked creativity over the years. In the title, which is a bit tongue-in-cheek of course, I’ve already blown it. I focused on the mic! Great sound begins way before the mic. For engineers like myself, it’s very seductive to get wrapped up in gear lust. Oooh! Did you use a Neumann u47? (SEE FIGURE 1 ) What pre-amp did you use? A Neve? But really, a crappy instrument, in a crappy space, with an, um, crappy player, isn’t going to be made better for using a $10,000 mic. Really. Take the guitars to a tech to have them cleaned, adjusted properly, and re-strung. Same with basses. Make sure the drums have new(ish) heads that are properly seated on a smooth bearing edge. Tune those drums. Make sure the vocalist is healthy, well rested, well hydrated, and warmed up. As the engineer, even if you’re also a member of the band, don’t assume that the players know to do this, or that they know how to do it themselves.
Fig.
1
38 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
PROPER PLACEMENT & CRITICAL LISTENING Where you put these musicians in the room makes a world of difference. It’s popular to believe that you can do your recording in a home, and you can, but it’s more difficult. Studios were developed as places that facilitate making great records. As such they have controlled acoustics that both sound good, and are reliable when listening to the results of your efforts. If you’re not going to avail yourself of a great sounding studio (and, I believe you should) then at least take some time to figure out the room
RECORDING
you’re going to use. This comes down to listening. Make sure you protect your ears in a manner that still leaves you able to judge tone effectively and then try to figure out what a microphone will hear where you’re considering placing it. This means walking around the room while someone is playing and then moving them to find the spot where their instrument sounds best. Then walking around again using one ear to find the exact spot where that instrument will sound best to the microphone. You may find yourself dangerously close the front of a blaring guitar cab or whacked snare drum (please see the sentence above about protecting your hearing). Then, when you have the best (possible) player, playing the best instrument, in the best room, with the best tone, with the best mic position, then you start to think about… gear. Hear in your mind’s ear what are the important elements of the tone you’ve created in the room, and find the mic/pre-amp combination that emphasizes those aspects. If you have a deep, throaty guitar tone a standard Shure SM57 might work, but a larger diaphragm dynamic like a Sennheiser 421 might be better. Or a ribbon like a Royer or AEA. Similarly, for a clicky hi-hat you might want a small diaphragm condenser like a Neumann KM84i. LET’S BREAK SOME RULES Notice how little text I’ve devoted to gear (with great personal difficulty)? That’s because in reality that’s how much more important all the preceding stuff is! But now that we’ve covered the usually overlooked basics, let’s talk about breaking the rules. After all, this is music! And rules were made to be, well, bent to our purposes (cue evil laughter). Did you know that sometimes a guitar amp/cab sounds better from behind? Generally, I’m talking about open-back combos like Fenders and Gibsons. (SEE FIGURE 2 ) So try sticking the mic back there (and remember to flip the polarity on the console). Similarly, you can make a screaming amp sound more out of control by placing it in a hard surfaced closet and setting the mic back a foot or two to catch the walls jangling along with the guitar. Loose metal hangers above could be a nice touch! Finding weird spaces in your home can be great. Bathrooms, shower stalls (watch out for electricity and water), hallways, stairwells, all make creative options. Great edgy distortion can be achieved by placing an amp on its back with a snare drum over the speaker and the mic placed near the snares. Drums love to be messed with. Embrace mono, it’ll make stereo that much more amazing, particularly for room mics. Consider trashy mics
Fig.
2
for rooms. Use fewer mics. Put them in less obvious places. I love to mic a snare on the bottom and on the side (no top) for a buzzy high end and a deep woody shell tone. (SEE FIGURE 3 ) By the way, don’t do this [SEE FIGURE 4 ], the mic is off-axis to the drum, which is going to sound odd (unless that’s what you’re going for). A great stereo technique I was shown years ago by Carl Beatty that I call the Golden Earrings is to place a pair of omni mics on either side of the drummer at her ear level pointing toward the kit. The mics hear what she hears! (Reverse their polarity with this approach, too).
Fig.
3
Occasionally, as budget, safety, and sentiment dictate, great sounds can be achieved by breaking things. One of my favorites was bouncing a screaming amp off the diving board into the swimming pool at the last chord of the song. Quite a sound and experience! Knowing how to get killer sounds under less than ideal circumstances will help you make better albums, and let you bend, or break, things in creative ways. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Award winning mix engineer and producer Jordan Tishler runs Digital Bear Entertainment in Boston MA. A large Augsburger designed mix/overdub room with SSL console and racks upon racks of analogue outboard gear, tape machine, and gazillions of instruments, Tishler has credits including B Spears, JLo, Iggy A, MOTi, Justin Prime, SIA, and London Grammar. Contact me about producing your next record, or mixing the one you’re working on now! For more, visit www.digitalbear.com.
Fig.
4
PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 39
RECORDING
How To Maintain P Limitless Realm of D
A
s we find ourselves moving fast along the digital highway, there has never been a more important time to cultivate a disciplined approach to our craft. While advances in technology are pivotal to the progress of science and industry, what part do they play in the working of art? CHANGES IN CULTURE & TECH The post-war economic boom of the 1950s marked the beginnings of the on-demand culture we live in today. It brought about a new wave of consumer-oriented technologies designed to whet the insatiable appetite of the homo consumens. With industrial society geared toward mass production and consumption, no longer was technical progress measured by the refinement of technology, but the degree to which it was convenient, accessible, and enticing to the end user. The disposable nature of today’s technology is characterized by our preference for innovation over genuine improvement. While improvement generally takes the shape of a gradual and continual process (Kaizen), it is the dramatic and sudden nature of innovation, which makes it such a powerful marketing tool. For example, if the latest version of a popular technology omitted new features for the sake of refining the original concept, many would be disappointed. As a result we have seen corporations build obsolescence into their products to satisfy the neophilic desires of the modern consumer. Our newfound lust for novelty is the driving force behind innovation for innovation’s sake. “Once the principal is accepted that something ought to be done because it is technically possible to do it, all other values are dethroned, and technological development becomes the foundation of ethics.” -Erich Fromm THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE With technology expanding at an exponential rate, little consideration is given to the ethical implications of a cybernated world. 40 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
Over recent years we have witnessed the rise of the Internet, which revolutionized the way in which we experience information. But we may find ourselves sliding into a world which only exposes us to the information we ‘like.’ From our search results to our news feeds, complex algorithms are curating our online experience like never before. Google’s search algorithm relies on over 200 signals from the user, including their location, browser history and user agent to generate their own personalized search results. Erich Schmidt from Google has stated that “It will be very hard for people to watch or consume something that has not in some sense been tailored for them.” While it makes for a more convenient way of browsing the web, it actually makes it more difficult to remain objective, be open to conflicting points of view and develop your own individual tastes. These algorithmic gatekeepers of information are luring us into a fool’s paradise: a personalized bubble of positive reinforcement and gratification. ARE WE OVER CONNECTED? As technology continues to bring us all closer together, we may be at risk of becoming over-connected. If we all share the same references and consume the same content, would a homogenized culture still be capable of producing the ‘great originals’ like Shakespeare, Milton and Homer? American Writer and Jazz Journalist Ted Panken believes that “Individuality is harder to come by” among today’s musicians due to the increased accessibility of information. Could it be that through the act of disconnecting from the noise of society we are in turn reconnecting with ourselves? “Progress and art don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand. It’s easy to make the mistake of thinking that art is getting better, just because technology is getting better.” -Ed Fries For the modern-day performer, the digital revolution has liberated them from the shackles of traditional methodologies and convention. It has given them the freedom to express their boundless creativity without the need to adhere to the limitations inherent in primitive technologies.
But where there are constraints, there is creativity. After having conducted extensive research into the relationship between freedom and creativity, British psychologist and author Philip JohnsonLaird concluded that “What is not constrained is not creative.”
RECORDING
Perspective in The f Digital Technology Eric Dennis
If we consider that the last 30 years of music technology have been about the removing of constraints, are we really making progress? Once we understand that convenience often comes at the expense of integrity, we can begin to be selective about what we let into our world.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Renato Repetto is the owner of Winston Tones – Analogue Productions based in Australia. Winston Tones offer music production services with a workflow designed to retain the integrity of the artist’s
performance. He has toured nationally with award-winning productions as both a drummer and guitarist. Outside the studio he enjoys film photography and performing his own compositions live. For more information, visit www.winstontones.com. PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 41
GEAR TWEAKS
CIRCUIT BENDING [Editor’s note – the following excerpt is taken from the upcoming book, Junkyard Jam Band, written by David Erik Nelson and graciously provided to Performer by No Starch Press. To buy the book, or for more info, head to www.nostarch.com/jamband] There are lots of really neat sounds hiding inside your toys and consumer electronics. Cracking open cheap electronics and feasting on the sonic goo within is called circuit bending. This sort of exploration was pioneered by artist Reed Ghazala, the “Father of Circuit Bending,” who stumbled across his first bends as a teen in the mid-1960s. Ghazala has tirelessly promoted the creative potential of musically upcycling consumer electronics ever since. In this project, you’ll get your feet wet with three entry-level bends. Thrift stores, garage sales, and remainder bins are full of electronic toys ripe for exploration. When choosing a toy to tweak, use only batterypowered toys, and keep an eye peeled for older toys. Older toys are usually built with largely generic components and offer more circuitbending options than newer toys, which tend to offload almost all of their functions to purposebuilt microprocessors. That said, bending new toys can still be quite fruitful. For example, most pip-squeak electronic toys—like those shown in Figure 7-1 —can generate big, rich sounds with impressive bass, but their puny built-in speakers just aren’t up to the task. A little bending can unleash all that good noise. Warning: Only bend battery-powered electronics! Household batteries are generally safe to work with: they’re small and supply relatively low voltages and currents. For example, a 9-volt battery will reliably supply under 100 mA and shouldn’t hurt you (unless you try to swallow it, I suppose). In contrast, the AC electricity available from your wall outlets is dangerous, offering dozens of times as much voltage and over 100 times the current—120 volts and 10 to 15 amps. Wall current can easily burn your house down and will certainly kill you given the opportunity. Nothing in this book is intended to ever encourage you to work on any electrical device that plugs into the wall! PREPARATION Build Time About 3-60 minutes, depending on the toy and amount of modification Tools A standard soldering kit A selection of screwdrivers (If you don’t already have them, I suggest a set of jeweler’s
42 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
screwdrivers, which usually includes #0 and #1 Phillips and 1.4 mm, 2 mm, 2.4 mm, and 3 mm flathead drivers.) A small flathead screwdriver for prying open plastic cases Several sets of jumper clips (You can use insulated test leads, which look like tiny jumper cables. Pricier mini-clip hook-style jumper wires are even better.) An electric drill with bits (for modifying the toy’s case to accommodate new jacks and switches.) Supplies A battery-operated toy or instrument you’d like to vivisect Two normally on momentary pushbutton switches, also called normally closed SPST
switches A 1M ohm variable resistor (Variable resistors are also called potentiometers or pots) A fistful of other resistors, potentiometers, switches, brass screws, metal knobs, etc. A 1/4-inch mono phone jack, also called a guitar jack 24-gauge insulated hook-up wire (22-gauge speaker wire is fine, too. It’s stranded like hook-up wire, only slightly thicker.) Small boxes to accommodate the extra jacks, switches, and pots you’ll add to instruments (Any thin-walled plastic box will do; hobby shops often carry a variety of “enclosures” and “project boxes,” like the one attached to the keyboard in Figure 7-1 .) Two alligator clips
you’re dealing with an old or new toy. If you’re unsure, check out Figure 7-3 . The left panel shows a portion of the guts from a 1980s electronic toy keyboard; the right shows the entire circuit board from a newer McDonald’s Happy Meal freebie toy (specifically, a 2010 Alvin and the Chipmunks talking Theodore).
Fig.
7-1
: A selection of circuit-bent instruments and toys. Note the black box on the keyboard and the new bits
on the other three: the knobs, switches, and bare metal contacts allow us to tinker with the toys’ pitch and tone on the fly, while the jacks allow us to amplify the output (and, in the case of the megaphone, pump our own signal into the input).
22- or 24-gauge bare bus wire (This is uninsulated solid core wire. Because you need only a few little snips of bus wire for this project, you can get away with using a scrap of wire, a leftover bit snipped from a component lead, or even a piece of a paper clip.) See Figure 7-2 Three Basic Circuit Bends Once you have a few toys picked out, we’ll modify the output by adding a 1/4-inch jack and optional momentary mute button, use resistor-based bends to safely monkey with the circuit’s internal clock, and add a power reset to set the stage for advanced circuit exploration. We’ll finish up with a brief discussion of how to package a finished
circuit-bent project. Most toys, especially newer ones, have little spare space inside to accommodate new jacks, switches, and variable resistors, so the most important preparation is to consider how to package all that when you’re done adding new functions. Final packaging can be tricky, but it’s far from impossible; think of it as another outlet for creativity. Also, keep in mind that there’s nothing stopping you from adding off-board expansion modules or entirely repackaging the toy’s electronics in a larger case. While you’re pondering your packaging options, pull the batteries out of your toy and remove all the screws you can find. Remember to look for screws hiding under stickers and in the bottom of the battery compartment. Then, pry open your toy’s case and determine whether
GEAR TWEAKS
G FOR BEGINNERS The older toy is comprised of many generic, discrete components that you’ll recognize from building your Droid Voicebox [Ed note - Project 6 in the book] or other electronics projects: resistors, capacitors, variable resistors, diodes, LEDs, and integrated circuits (ICs). The new toy, on the other hand, has few recognizable components and instead sports that mysterious black blob (in this case, it’s in the upper-right corner). That blob hides a single, highly specific microprocessor that replaces most of those discrete parts. Newer toys usually rely on such black-blob chips. To add to the challenge, the few discrete components in these newer toys will usually be very small surface-mount components, such as resistor R1 and capacitor C1 in Figure 7-3 , as opposed to the standard components you’ll buy for projects in this book. Surface-mount components are harder to tell apart than standard components and, owing to their small size, are more of a pain to
Fig.
7-3
: The older circuit board (left) has many
large, easy-to-identify components. The modern toy’s circuit board (right) is much smaller (the entire board is smaller than my thumb) and has few components, which are harder to distinguish.
work with. That said, even on newer toys with small circuits composed of surface-mount components, changing up the output remains a straightforward operation that greatly expands the toy’s audio palette. [Ed note - Ah, gotcha! You want more, huh? Sorry for the tease. Head to performermag.com to read the rest of the excerpt and to finish your own project from “Circuit Bending For Beginners.”]
7-2
PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 43
GEAR REVIEWS
AMPEG PF-50T Bass Amplifier Head - $899
B
ack in the day, Ampeg’s Portaf lex was the ultimate combo; the amp head was hidden in the speaker cabinet, inverted for transport. When it came time to gig, a couple of latches get undone, f lip the lid, and the amp sat on top. Ampeg’s new PF-50T all-tube head follows that same concept, but with a modern amp. Like we said, it’s all tube, with (2) 12AX7’s , (1) 12AU7 & (2) 6L6’s, and at 50 watts @ 8 or 4 Ohms, it has plenty of volume (don’t be fooled, it can hang at a club gig). The front panel is quite simple, inputs for Passive or Active basses, a Gain Control, 3 Band EQ, and Volume. There are some unique features, though: an Ultra Lo switch that boosts the lows, and an Ultra Hi, that boots the upper frequencies. The Midrange control is also tied to a frequency selector switch, with five
presets that alter the center frequencies from 200Hz to 3kHz. The back panel has the speaker outs, as well as a preamp output, and a transformer balanced output both via XLR connections. The preamp output can be selected to be either direct output or a direct output that utilizes the amp’s tone controls. The transformer balanced output is great for connecting to an external power amp, as well as mixers, PA system or to a recording device. This amp can also be run as a DI/preamp to a mixer or interface without speakers connected, making this an excellent tube-driven DI. No load required – nice! With active basses it sounds good; there’s plenty of warmth in every setting and variation. However with passive basses, it really comes alive. That classic, well-defined Ampeg
tone is all over the place. It’s hard to get a bad sound out of it, to be honest. For a classic rock/ bluesy/Americana sound, this really can’t be beat. The Ultra Lo and Ultra Hi switches can really make a difference, without sounding like they’re getting in the way of the other frequencies. The Midrange frequency selector works in the same manner. It really dials in the mids to keep them from getting lost in the mix (great for punchier players). Although its 50 watts, there’s plenty of headroom for most smallish venues (for a louder FOH mix, use the DI output to the PA) or practice rooms. With this head tucked into one of Ampeg’s compatible cabinets, it would be great sounding rig in a neat, small package that’s easy to transport. Forget modeling and software, this is the vintage bass tube tone! Chris Devine PROS
› RMS power output: 50W @ 4 or 8 ohms › Preamp: All-tube 2 x 12AX7
FEATURES
› Power amp: All-tube 1 x 12AU7, 2 x 6L6 › 0db and -15db inputs › Preamp balanced line out › Pre/Post EQ › Ground lift › Transformer balanced line out › User-adjustable bias control 44 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
Great tones, excellent for passive basses, perfect for recording. CONS
None.
M
PROS
Great sound, plenty of configuration options, ultra-portable. CONS
None.
aking “in the field” recordings used to fall into one of two categories: a super audiophile expensive system that was too complicated to use, or a cheap recorder that sounded, well, cheap. Shure now has a mic that turns any iOS device into an easy-to-setup mobile recording platform. Mounted on a pivoting head, the MV88 is a stereo condenser mic. At the base is the Lightning connector, now standard on most iDevices. It has a robust feel, made with a well-designed pivoting point that gives 90 degrees of adjustment. The included accessories are a windsock, a cable for monitoring and a small case, but that’s all that’s really needed. Shure has a super-easy-to-use free app that works with the unit: presets are available, optimized for recording voice, music, acoustic instruments, and a full band. There is a f lat setting as well, which can be a good starting point depending on the application
› MFi Certified Compatible with all iOS devices equipped with a Lightning connector
FEATURES
› Matched Cardioid and Bi-Directional 1cm Cartridges for best in class audio › Mid-Side Architecture for a phase-perfect, clear stereo image › 5 DSP Preset Modes automatically adjusts EQ, Compression and Limiting for optimal results › Innovative 90-degree Hinge/Rotation Design › Free ShurePlus MOTIV Recording App › All-Metal Construction › Includes windscreen and headphone extender cable
GEAR REVIEWS
SHURE MV88 iOS Digital Stereo Condenser Microphone $149
(we tend to start this way and adjust to taste). A level meter monitors the signal, with clear representation of the sound source’s strength. The mic can be configured for stereo, mono, mono-bidirectional modes, as well as a “raw mid-side” mode through the app. There is a wind reduction mode, compressor, limiter, and a 5-band graphic EQ to round out the audio processing, as well as a right/left swap mode. Audio-wise, it sounds great in all modes ( judge it not by its size!) For podcasting or interviews, it’s beyond easy. For bands in a rehearsal room, it’s not hard to dial in settings that will work for any particular style of music or the room being used. Shure has always made quality products, and even though this is a small device, there’s plenty of clarity and definition that lives up to their reputation. The app records in Wav format, but can be converted to m4a versions after the recording is complete. Sending off completed recordings is also super easy from the app itself, so no having to find where it was stored on your device. If your iOS device has a case, it may need to be removed in order to connect the MV88, which is the only real downside. At a street price of $149, it’s worth it, especially for anyone who needs to make “on-the-go” recordings that don’t require specialized equipment and training. Chris Devine PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 45
GEAR REVIEWS
INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS OF AMERICA, INC. Swab-eez - $10.95 & Mantus Tight Access Tool - $14.95 Mantus PROS
Strong grip, plenty of applications, cheap. CONS
Would be better for electronics if there was some shielding/ insulation.
Swab-eez
I
t’s not hard to see how one tool, made for one job, would also apply to another completely different application. IPA manufactures industrial tools for applications like the automotive world. Seeing as a guitar is a precision instrument, it’s easy to envision how their Mantus tool would work for axe-slingers, as well. It’s basically a big set of tweezers, with a serrated edge on the ends to provide positive contact. They’re fantastic for removing bridge pins on acoustics, and pulling stuck broken strings through a tremolo block. It would be great for amp servicing, however there’s no rubber insulation, so it might not be advisable. But heck, even for a simple bridge pin remover, it’s worth having in your case. They also offer industrial strength swabs, called Swab-eez. The handles are bamboo, and the tip is cotton, so they’re eco friendly. Being quite flexible, they’re easy to get into tight spaces, and the larger ones are great for cleaning grit and dust out from around the knobs on a pedalboard or an amp. Think of them as supercharged Q-Tips for your gear! Chris Devine
46 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
PROS
CONS
Plenty of sizes, ecofriendly, many applications.
None.
MY FAVORITE AXE
my FAVORITE AXE
with Ben
TYREE
Deneka Peniston
BACKGROUND
NYC guitarist Ben Tyree is a performer/composer of virtuosic ability, infectious groove, and eclectic tastes. That versatility has led to work with artists as diverse as Vernon Reid, Elliott Sharp, Valerie June, Burnt Sugar and his own trio BT3. MAKE & MODEL
1982 Gibson Les Paul Standard WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU
Everything. This is a magical axe and has been with me through many gigs, recordings, tours and television shows. I’ve never had a bad gig or sound with it. Through all the axes I’ve bought and subsequently pawned, I could never part with this one. It is a part of me. WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE
Warm maple syrup but can growl like a rabid wolf. SPECIAL FEATURES
I sanded neck for natural wood feel. Love it! The rest is all stock except for an installed N-Tune Artist Series onboard tuner. Unlike some older Les Paul models, this Standard’s weight is wonderfully balanced. No broken backs or leaning headstocks here.
Got a favorite instrument you’d like to share? Email us at editorial@performermag.com
LISTEN & WATCH at www.bentyree.net and youtube.com/bentyree
PERFORMER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 47
FLASHBACK
Jimi Hendrix’s 1962 Fender Jazzmaster Legend’s Famed Axe Carries The Torch
BACKGROUND My friend Rudy from Rudy’s Guitar Shop (NYC) handed me this instrument and I immediately played things I’ve never heard come from my fingers. When I asked him the history he proceeded to produce documentation and photos of Jimi Hendrix, pre-fame, in the Isley Brothers and also a shot of him in full “Hendrix” mode from 1968, playing THIS guitar. WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE A piece of history. I’ve tried to research if there are any Jimi recordings but could find none. However, listen to anything from surf music to Sonic Youth and it is prominently featured. One of my all time faves, Elvis Costello, is also a big Jazzmaster user. INTERESTING FEATURES The pickup circuit features the roller thumbwheel and switch, which selects between two different pickup circuits, or the “lead” and “rhythm,” giving the player added flexibility to color a performance live. I have barely cleaned the guitar, figuring any of Jimi’s DNA can only enhance the playing of the instrument! Rumor is the case is not original and that Jimi didn’t actually have one, carrying the axe around unprotected! OTHER NOTES Museums and collectors have asked to pay a king’s ransom for this guitar but I don’t want to see it on a wall. It deserves to be played as often as possible - and I do. Listen to any post-2012 recording I’ve done and this guitar is on there somewhere (most notably the new miggs single “Ordinary”which is lodged in the Top 40 on Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts!). Come to my studio and I’ll let you hold it.
Gabriel Burgos 48 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Don Miggs is a singer/songwriter/producer and fronts the band miggs (Elm City/Capitol Records). His love affair with vintage instruments and gear only presents a problem when he’s awake. Chat music & gear with him @donmiggs or miggsmusic.com, lalamansion.com, or his radio show, @thefringeAM820 (Saturdays 5-7PM EST).
WE’VE TAKEN DIGITAL WIRELESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL . . .
THE FLOOR
NOW $50 REBATE
SYSTEM
STOMPBOX
DIGITAL 2.4 GHz HIGH-F IDELITY WIRELESS For a limited time, experience rock-solid, field-proven digital performance for less. From now through December 31, 2015, any customer purchasing a System 10 Stompbox digital wireless system will get a $50 rebate (no limit). With the tap of a foot on the rugged, metal Stompbox receiver, guitarists can toggle between dual ¼" balanced outputs or mute one output without affecting the other. And, since the System operates in the 2.4 GHz range, it’s free from TV and DTV interference. So go ahead, give it a try – we think you’ll be floored.
audio-technica.com
FULL SIZE KEYS with FULL SIZE SOUNDS At Williams, we’re dedicated to designing and producing superior-sounding digital instruments with outstanding feel and unmatched value. The result is a line of full-size portable digital pianos with advanced features and authentic voicings that rival that of large console models. Experience the sound, style and value of a Williams piano today.
An affordable, semi-weighted, 88-key digital piano with 5 great sounds (piano, electric piano, organ, synth, and bass) and built-in speakers, perfect for performance and practice.
A fully weighted, hammer-action 88-key piano, complete with a new custom sound library, including classical and modern pianos as well as favorite electronic keyboards and synths. Plus, Modulation/FX control provides realistic rotary and vibrato effects on select instruments. Available exclusively at * The optional Williams ESS1 Essentials pack includes AC power supply, sustain pedal and headphones.
48 DECEMBER 2015 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
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