Big Influence Music

Tightly packed psychedelic guitar rock from the Great Plains of...

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:02:42 -0800

Tightly packed psychedelic guitar rock from the Great Plains of the USA. Radio Moscow hails from Story City, Iowa - perfect. Nothing to do there but dig through your older brother’s record collection, and it lovingly shows.

Fuzzed-out bliss. Get it here @ Amazon…

The Queen lives on! We’ve lost so many Soul legends in...

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:42:36 -0800

The Queen lives on! We’ve lost so many Soul legends in the last few months, it’s hard to believe. Here, remix/mashup producer Dimitri from Stoke on Trent (aka French house legend Dimitri from Paris) gives us a lovely re-rub of Aretha’s “Say A Little Prayer”.

Dimitri gently adds a groove to it, and even though you’ve heard it a million times, it swings brand new now. Find the mp3 @ Juno Records - the website is a musical rabbit hole (you’ve been warned).

There is some synergistic magic going on right now with...

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:07:05 -0700

There is some synergistic magic going on right now with electronic dance music, and the long-coveted United States market. They’ve been talking about how clubbing would take over American for almost 20 years.

Maybe they’re right - now.

Give “Titanium” a listen - Guetta is one of the world’s biggest dance music producers, and for good reason.

Right place, right time, right sound, right everything.

Guetta has figured out how to cross dance music over to the R&B crowd. Tough to do, since so much of it’s shite. That being said, he chooses great talent to work with, has a fantastic management team around him, and if you ask anyone who knows what’s going on - he’s the real deal.

This track features Zero 7 vocalist (and has one hell of a solo career) Sia Furler.

Dubstep is NOT for everyone - not even close. It’s...

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:12:50 -0700

Dubstep is NOT for everyone - not even close. It’s Jungle’s darker, less-optimistic younger brother. And we all know that youth is all about being angry, and mostly having no idea why.

Musically, that’s dubstep…

At the intersection of electro-house and hip-hop (much of which based off old techno sounds, anyway) lies a fairly shallow puddle of big subwoofer-testing sounds and ideas lifted from other artists, decades, genres.

To get all meta on it, it’s too dark, creepy and slow for girls to dance to - but, if you’re 20 years old and on drugs, this crap probably sounds amazing. It’s the sound-of-the-moment, and for the moment, it’s fine.

In small doses…

Thankfully, the geniuses at Ninja Tune Records gave us this 4 minutes of lovely fury.

I’ll say it over and over. There’s no need for 4 hours of ANY one genre. Let’s start with a powerful 4 minutes, and go from there…

Two Fingers, “Fool’s Rhythm”, from the amazing 2010 compilation, “XX: 20 Years”. If you’re bored with your current music selections , here’s a free Amazon.com/Ninja Tune 20 20 sampler...

Slinky and sleazy downtempo electro...

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:33:05 -0700

Wonderful re-edit (taking the existing parts of a “regular” song, and then dissecting it, and rearranging the parts) of Nordic production genius Lindstrom’s “Lovesick”.

Think Studio 54 at closing time, and you’re right there.

A full listen @ Soundcloud, with a shout out of respect to DJ Vins for the edit…

Music for the elliptical, treadmill or torture device of your choice...

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:14:21 -0700

Guess who decided to get in shape? Guess what gets me through cardio?

DJ mixes.

Hot on the iPod this month is a 2-hour set from Techno pioneer (we can call him a legend now, right?) Richie Hawtin, recorded live in Paris, June 21st of this year.

DISCLAIMER - This is not one of the those harsh, repetitive, techno mixes. Hawtin’s 120-minute mix is a hypnotic ride. Techno (especially) is perfect for cardio - it’s all about repetition, and musically, it’s all about the gradual changes and evolution of the beats.

No divas singing, no samples, nobody rapping. It’s a tough sell for many. But trust me on this one. Put on some good shoes, jack up the incline on that treadmill and get into the groove.

http://soundcloud.com/r_co/richie-hawtin-live-red-grand

PS. He gives you a nice 5-minute ambient break at around 56:00. Sets you up for Hour 2 - an even deeper set. Enjoy it…

A change in the music-sampling landscape (finally)?

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:00:05 -0700

A change in the music-sampling landscape (finally)?:

Philly-based DJ & producer (MIA, Major Lazer) Diplo is part of a new company that tackles a massive problem for many upcoming artists and producers.

Sampling.

Ugh - what a pain-in-the-ass. Always has been, ever since The Turtles starting suing Biz and De La back in the day. So much red tape - if you didn’t have an entertainment attorney, you weren’t using the sample, period.

Say hello to Legitmix…

…a new platform that allows musicians to legally sample music from other sources— and sell it— without going through the sample-clearing process. Through this particular bit of technology, you can recreate an artist’s DJ set or remix or whatever on your own computer, using the original material that the artist sampled.

If you’re an artist or producer, read that paragraph again. THIS is progress. Personally, I’m baffled that artists (especially catalog artists, whom I’m sure could use the dough), haven’t been pressuring the labels to do this a long time ago.

Does this ignite or destroy the mashup/remix market?

Just found this on the BIM hard drive, and had to share. ...

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 10:00:05 -0700

Just found this on the BIM hard drive, and had to share. Wonderful remix of UK funk-tronica producer Skeewiff’s take on “Man Of Constant Sorrow”…

Dutch producers/remixers/DJ’s Kraak & Smaak dial back the ‘billy backing track, strip it down and add a bit of dread. An interesting take on it that not only works, but surprises.

Available for a FREE download here - and in the words of Brody Stevens, enjoy it!

WhoMadeWho’s recent move to Germany’s KOMAPKT...

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:02:05 -0700

WhoMadeWho’s recent move to Germany’s KOMAPKT Records (one of the oldest and highest quality techno labels in the world) makes sense. Take “There’s An Answer”, the above track. Darker, moodier, and more involved than previous work, it’s got a lovely bit of schaffel techno and an oboe(?) in it.

Wonderful vocal electro-pop that deserves to be heard with headphones. It’s special…

So sorry it’s been a moment. Life got hectic. Not to...

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:01:00 -0700

So sorry it’s been a moment. Life got hectic. Not to trivialize my lack of participation in this musical back & forth, but it was muggy in LA today.

I encourage you to roll around in it, and enjoy it - let it wash over you, if you will.

Watch Roger & Pete’s very visceral reaction to having their classic “Love Reign O’er Me”, leveled at the hands of under-appreciated soul legend Bettye Lavette.

I’ll be back as I can.

Robin Guthrie has been making gorgeous guitar music for 30...

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:51:06 -0700

Robin Guthrie has been making gorgeous guitar music for 30 years. Layers upon layers, drenched in echo and reverb. and if it sounds like the Cocteau Twins, it is. He and vocalist Elizabeth Fraser were essentially the band.

Fans of My Morning Jacket, Explosions In The Sky and Dead Can Dance will love this.

Please enjoy “Sparkle” from his last album “Carousel”. The track does just that…

How to fine tune your in-store music - in real time...

Thu, 26 May 2011 16:59:34 -0700

Too many retailers tend to stick with rather safe music choices (or even worse, putting on the local Top 40 station). That’s fine, I suppose if your target demo are females ages 12 - 30, and your store has zero sexy - but what’s in the mainstream isn’t necessarily what’s going to make your product/goods the focus if the shopping experience.

Let’s flip that and say that going overly artsy in your music selections ain’t the way to go, either.

If I may a suggestion? Let’s ask your customers, during your face-to-face interaction, what kind of music they like. Sounds like you could be asking for trouble I know. Let’s throw a bit of sociology into the mix.

Start with your regulars, and then ask the kind of guests that you’d like to see more often - ask your future regulars. You should know instinctively who you can/should ask, if you’re on-site often, anyway.

Brick and mortars need every opportunity to connect, and when dealing with something so personal as music, the connection can run deep in your customer’s minds…

Thanks to Jillian Michaels, K-Swiss & Nordstrom...

Wed, 04 May 2011 10:00:05 -0700

A big thanks to Brad Fox, Senior VP of Sales at K-Swiss & Michelle Guzzetta from Southern California Nordstrom for bringing me into the Jillian Michaels in-store event last week.

Jillian was gracious, upbeat and happy to be around fans. And a lot of them showed up at The Grove LA. Hundreds upon hundreds, and she stayed to meet them all.

Finally, I can’t recommend the K-Swiss Tube Series shoes enough. LIght, cushioned, and made for speed. Cheaper than the Nike and New Balance competition, as well…

Interesting tech @ Event Expo Live Con in LA...

Mon, 02 May 2011 09:00:00 -0700

Interesting tech @ Event Expo Live Con in LA...:

I hope they do this again. Really enjoyed the concept. Next year, I hope they expand it a bit. Not that I didn’t enjoy the exhibitors that were there (or the fact that it was free), but it’s rather specialized.

The focus (not all, but the focus) was all BIG events. Stadium big.

Tough to pull attendance bodies when it’s that specialized (my humble opinion).

The best thing I saw was from Stage Line.

Their SL50 is a totally mobile, hydraulic-powered stage that can be towed with a van, for God’s sake. It’s something you gotta see to believe.

You pull your truck or van into place, turn it on, and 30 minutes later, you got a pro-quality stage, perfect for pop-ups. Big fan of this portable installation innovation…

Did Frank Zappa have a solution for file-sharing back in 1983?

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:45:06 -0700

Did Frank Zappa have a solution for file-sharing back in 1983?:

From this picture, you’d never have thought Frank Zappa was a genius…

but he damn sure was.

His music was never for the casual music listener - somewhere between rock, jazz, and neo-classical comedy, lied the magic of Frank. He took on Congress in the 80’s (some of you remember The 2 Live Crew and Twisted Sister being taken to task by senator’s wives, right?), and without him, the music business would have been much different.

Check out this TechDirt article on Zappa’s prediction of the future of music. It’s fascinating (like the quote “MUSIC CONSUMERS LIKE TO CONSUME MUSIC … NOT PIECES OF VINYL WRAPPED IN PIECES OF CARDBOARD”…) and he had the subscription/cloud/file sharing concept way before anyone else.

Now that it looks like Apple will beat Google and Amazon (yet again) at moving to the next stage in digital music distribution (called “clouding” - essentially live-steraming music on demand, on all devices & platforms), we’re seeing Zappa’s prophecy becoming reality…

Happy Mother's Day, you mothers...

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700

First Tuesday of every month, you’ll find me spinning 60+ years worth of rock, soul, blues & funk at The Actor’s Gang Theater in Culver City.

The Satiristas series is the brainchild of comedian/writer/director Paul Provenza, each session with a different central theme. This month it’s “mothers”.

It’s NOT stand-up, FYI. It’s a proper production with live painting, musicians, actors, comedians and Provenza’s wildly eclectic group of creative freaks. Best of all, it’s free. RSVP here to get seats. Both before and after, I’ll be spinning some organic wonderfulness.

Oh, and don’t forget, Season 2 of The Green Room With Paul Provenza is coming this Summer. Both legends and up-and-comers of the comedy world, and although the theme is “comics talking about comedy”, it’s much more. In our ultra-PC world, comics are some of the only people who can still say pretty much anything they want and get away with it.

Thank God.

I loved this band when they sounded like a Southern Rock...

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 11:30:05 -0700

I loved this band when they sounded like a Southern Rock jangle-pop band (and you couldn’t understand ANY of the lyrics), and I still love ‘em.

And I love the Hipstermatic-lens pic on the cover of the new album, “Come Around Sundown”.

For some reason, “Sundown” didn’t sell well in the US, but did just great in the outside territories. They were on the road for what seemed like years, and had just come off the biggest album of their career. They could have taken a bit more time off, for both them, and their fans.

Not that the record is weak. It’s not - it’s gonna take a few plays for it to sink in. Solid songs, great production and playing, just like always. I think this was just a case of poor timing, or just too soon for the fans.

All that being said, my favorite song on the record is called “Back Down South”. It’s warm, pretty, round, fun and perfect for this Summer. Great fiddle player on it…

Enjoy.

The clock is always ticking. Book talent early. If you’re...

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:58:53 -0700

The clock is always ticking. Book talent early.

If you’re over 30 years old, you’ve been around long enough to notice that time seems to be speeding up.

Quickly.

It is never too early to be working on your Holiday events, corporate or private. Here’s a one tip to get you started…

Take the guests temperature of how the vibe, the entertainment, the flow of the night is/was, and bank it. Put it to use right away.

If you’re exceptionally happy with the the talent, tell them, tell their manager, their agent. Offer to write a quote for their website. Tell people about your experience - good talent can be tough to find…

If the talent was terrible (late, drunk, sloppy, not able to read or work the room properly), do the same. Except in this case, don’t tell the performer directly. Most likely, they knew they sucked. Let it go, and just simply never call them again. When speaking to the agent/booker, make it clear that this performers “act” blew, and you don’t expect it to happen again.

There’s too many great performers, musicians, and genuine talent out there, for your guests to suffer another year. Your choice of talent can make & break you. Plan early, and have several options…

When you get three sonic trendsetters like Burial, Four Tet...

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:32:00 -0700

When you get three sonic trendsetters like Burial, Four Tet & Radiohead’s Thom Yorke together, if you get anything less than something special, it would be a shock.

Happily, there’s no shock here.

The three have just released a 2-track EP (which of course instantly sold out), and it’s well worth your time. I’ve spotlit “Ego”, a minimal track that wouldn’t sound out-of-place on a Radiohead record.

Enjoy.

Special event music tips for 2011 - #3

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:51:06 -0700

Special event music tips for 2011 - #3:

Tip #03 - Hire smart (or how to tell the gems from the lunatics (part 1)…

There’s a reason why planners tend to hire the same talent over and over.

Dependability.

It’s tough to roll the dice on new talent, live, in front of paying clients. What if they don’t show? NOTE - I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, always have a back-up plan - an iPod with a pre-recorded mix can & will save your life/career).

What if they look (or dress) like Quasimodo? What if they’re more interested in hitting the open bar, or hitting on the wait staff rather than reading the room?

There are ways to screen potential new talent, and although they may take some work, it’s going to insure your events won’t sound stale & predictable.

1. First and maybe the easiest, call other event planners (friends, associates, and cold calls) and ask them for recommendations. Unless they’re jerks, they’ll happily pass along contact info for some dependable talent.

2. Call your local or regional jazz clubs, and ask them who’s hot in your market, who’s up and coming, who gets the best crowd reactions.

3. Scour your free weekly newspapers, and look at the nightclub listings. Look for DJ talent working in your area.

4. Place an ad on Craigslist (monthly), and be specific about what you’re looking for. NOTE - have a pre-written rejection/”we’ll keep your resume on file” email handy, and don’t be afraid to send it. You’re going to get all kinds of iffy responses back;).

**We’ll talk more about working Craigslist to your advantage in our next post…**

And #5, ask A/V providers for some solid, tried & true talent recommendations.

There’s lots of great talent out there. Our tough economic times simply means there’s more out there, not only willing to work, but willing to do a great job for you.

In our next post, we’ll talk more about how to generate new talent leads, and how to (again) weed out the gems from the lunatics…