Sweet Sweet Music spoke to Ben Siddall about how the new record came about.
What was the moment you knew you were on to something?
Well, I think I knew I was onto something when I first started trying to make a noise on a guitar when I was 7. It certainly caught my imagination. I wasn’t completely aware what that something was until late 2003 when I wrote a handful of songs including Getting Special and Many Thanks For Your Honest Opinion and I thought – wow, these actually sound like me.
How did this record come together?
The Lodger had just over ten years off and in the meantime, I was teaching myself how to produce, recording other bands, playing with other bands, and generally sorting other aspects of my life out. Around the end of 2019, I was scanning through some old hard drives and realized I had about 40 songs I’d never really done anything with so using the wonders of Whatsapp, me, Joe and Bruce got our heads together and whittled them down to a smaller number and decided we would at least record them for posterity. We managed to meet up to record the rhythm tracks just before the first lockdown and we realized we rather missed doing this band.
How great is the urge to stay creative? To keep writing songs and lyrics?
To me, it is completely irresistible. Not just with writing music and words but more generally learning new things and keeping a curious mind. I’ve always got some new creative projects that I’m obsessing over.
You can pick 3 co-writers to write new songs with. Who? … and Why?
This is a great and very difficult question to answer! If they have to be alive then it could make things tricky… perhaps Stephin Merrit could help make some of my lyrics even more acerbic and bitchy. I’d like to watch someone like Paddy McAloon or Andy Partridge at work because they seem to have a frequently complex but non-muso flair to what they do and I sometimes worry I’m a bit too schooled in my chords and harmony and overthink it.
When was the last time you thought ‘I just wrote a hit!’?
Every single time I write a song I have to believe it could stand on its own as an A-side or I kind of wouldn’t bother. Of course, there are times when you don’t hit the target but I tend to throw those ones away and nobody hears them!
Cassettes are back. Which 5 five songs would make your first mixtape?
That would depend on who I making it for. You would usually make a compilation cassette for a new friend or a boy or girl you’re chasing – it’s a perfect way of saying “this is me”. It’s a chance to say so much without words.
A strong opener is essential. Something that grabs you straight away. Maybe Sandy Nelson’s Let There Be Drums. Most of my compilations have Different Drum by someone on it, loads of good covers of that.
I watched the whole of the Sopranos recently so perhaps The Dolphins by Fred Neil could feature somewhere.
This question is too difficult for me!
Recording music. What’s all the fun about?
Lots of fun to be had. Record production is the ultimate musical expression I think. If you write the music and words, that’s only half the picture. If you can see it through from those moments when you’re fumbling around trying to find the right chords or the right sentence to when you’re adding the final tambourine hits on the chorus or doing something daft like pulling all the tape out, stamping on it and then feeding it back in again then you’re doing your job properly. Or being brave enough just to delete the whole thing and start again if it’s rubbish. Music is all about taste and record production is putting all your finest ingredients in the pan, serving it up, and hoping your guest doesn’t get food poisoning.
‘Game Day‘ is Star Collector’s fifth album. Sweet Sweet Music spoke to Vic Wayne about how this record came about.
What was the moment you knew you were on to something?
I think I knew I was on to something when the songs just flowed out, one after another. I think as a writer, this is a good signal to dig in. For a Power Pop record, it’s a pretty intense one lyrically… Musically, the band gave the tunes a right ass-kickin’, and I knew from the get-go that our current personnel would come through with the mod-tastic goods but stay true to the emotional centers of the songs, whatever they may be.
How did this record come together?
Some powerful, chaotic, life-altering shit went down in my life and it was a bit foreign to me, honestly. I found that writing was a way out of the darkness. It’s therapeutic…and being creative also just feels good, like you’re doing something meaningful, even if only for yourself initially.
The recording process was the other end of the spectrum… great fun! Our longtime drummer, Ringo, moved away in ’18 so we were fortunate to have current stickman, Adrian Buckley, who we’d known for years, just slide in. Big bonus is that he’s also a damn fine recording engineer so, once the beds were done at a big studio here, I produced, and we overdubbed with him at the controls.
My younger brother, Adam, who’d also filled in for us on bass when we were ‘bottomless’ many times, (ie: our first tour to Europe), came on board and was simply brilliant. His playing is a wonderful cross between Bruce Thomas & Entwhistle, with a superb sense of melody (see Macca).
Steve, my longtime guitarist/vocalist/co-writer, really brought the guitar-goods like a champ, and I hacked away like the mediocre guitarist I am.
Haha… It was tops to have both Adrian and Ad sing on it too as they both have great voices that complimented mine & Steve’s nicely.
We also had Kevin Kane (Grapes of Wrath) play a blistering guitar duel with Steve; and Evan Foster (Boss Martians, Dirty Sidewalks, Sonics) co-produce a track with me and sing on it.
When did you decide to start asking for opinions on the new songs?
Well, if you mean once the record was finished… we felt pretty sure which songs would work as singles, which are the first 2 we did videos for, “Rip It Off” and “Game Day”, the title track, plus the one we’re working on like little Energizer Bunnies right now (okay, to be fair, it’s mostly Steve doing the vids… I’m about as technically proficient at video work as I am at playing lead guitar… “and the answer is none… none more proficient” *cue “Big Bottom*).
What always fascinates me is which songs people gravitate to on albums. One that surprised me a bit is all the love for the song “Green Eyes” we’ve received. Obviously, it made the cut to be on the album but didn’t call that one. What does feel good is that pretty much every song so far has shown up in different folks’ faves, so that tells me it’s not a couple of singles plus so much filler! Haha.
The meaning of success has changed over the years. What would success look like for the new record?
With the way the industry is today and from my little corner of perception, success to me is that we completed the record, and it sounds like it did in my head when the songs were written (better, in fact).
After that, because it’s an important record for me personally, and for the band after a fairly sizable break between albums, success is what it accomplishes emotionally and creatively.
After that, getting played on radio and having reviewers appreciate it is just the gravy, but still worth considering the cause, I mean, if you put blood, sweat, and fears into recording for a year (after writing and rehearsing for 2 more), you kinda want people to hear it. If not it’s, “if a tree falls…”. I will say that the Power Pop community has been stellar in supporting it so far and we’re most grateful, and that includes, of course, Sweet Sweet Music!
How great is the urge to stay creative? To keep writing songs and lyrics?
Like the urge to purge after too much tequila; or the urge to cough after your first teenage smoke; or the urge to share your first sexual experience with your best friend; or the urge after your first big coffee in the morning…haha.
Seriously, though, it’s been incredibly strong these past few years. Aside from the aforementioned heavy inspiration in my life, the lockdown has allowed me more time to write.
I think I’ve got about 5 new ones done and another 2-3 co-writes with Steve so I figure about ¾’s of our next album is written already. Now, getting into the rehearsal room is another thing altogether…
As an artist, you chose to show your emotions to the world. Is it always comfortable to do so?
Great question. I’d say for me, yeah. Ultimately, music is an emotional ride. As a word guy who loves language, it’s essential.
Musically, though, the pure joy of hitting the chorus in Katrina & The Waves’ “Do You Want Crying?” or the way you can’t NOT sing along to the tail of “Hey Jude”; or the way my brother, Adam’s (solo) song, “Rainy Day”, can bring me to tears every fucking time; or how the sheer ferocity of “The Real Me” (The Who) can make you wanna jump around the room playing air guitar with a Hot Wheels track… damn… and, as a dad, don’t even get me started on “Cats In The Cradle”!
You can pick 3 co-writers to write new songs with. Who? … and Why?
Well, aside from my own band, I’m gonna cheat & do this in categories as it’s WAY too hard to pick just 3:
3 who’ve passed on: John Lennon (no reason required), David Bowie (think it’d be ethereal and expansive), Adam Schlesinger (that pop sensibility!)
3 living Brits: Paul Weller (from ‘All Mod Cons’ through to ‘Sound Affects’… kinda my musical bible right there), Pete Townshend (see Paul Weller), Jimmy Page (riff-tastic-orgasmic, and I write the words!), (cheat) Glenn Tilbrook (that pop sensibility part deux and I write the words again!), would’ve added Noel Gallagher, Richard Ashcroft & Ian McCulloch but somehow I think the clash of “who writes the lyrics” might be an issue. Haha.
3 living Americans: David Fagin (Solo, ex-The Rosenbergs) (that melodic sensibility – big fan), Dave Grohl (feel like it’d be non-stop laughter and still get results), Dave Pirner (whether it’s vogue to dig Soul Asylum or not, I’ve always been a fan of his writing)… “3! 3! 3 Daves in 1!”
3 living Canadians: Kevin Kane (Grapes of Wrath – who I did co-produce & co-write with on our ‘Flash-Arrows & The Money Shot’ album – great talent and a personal connection); Mark Bandola & Rob Vandeven from The Lucy Show – super band no one knows, originally from Canada though they did live/record in the UK), Craig Northey (Odds) (you guessed it… that pop sensibility once again!)
What’s the gig you will always remember? And why?
My #1 is, unquestionably, The Jam at Kerrisdale Arena here in Vancouver, their last North American date before they split. My teenage mod band et them, I got a pound note autographed… childhood dream, really. I actually got to relive my story in the book, ‘The Jam – The Day I Was There’.
After that, 4th row on the floor to see The Kinks as a teen, or the jaw-dropping visual extravaganza that was KISS in their heyday when I was but a pup!
Lyrics are too often taken for granted. What is the line of text or are the lines of text that you hope listeners will remember? And why?
I’ll give you 2: From “Start To Shine” from our ‘Flash-Arrows & The Money Shot’ album:
“Ain’t it obvious to you?
Don’t need no shrink to think it through
You’re lying naked with the truth
Start to fade or start to shine
And go further out… further out this time…”
(Pretty much my mantra about doing what makes you shine with this one little life we’re given).
And: From “Game Day”, the title track from the new album:
“It’s Game Day and I’ve gotta be strong
Game Day splayed out on the lawn
It’s Mayday and the Sirens’ Song
Now there ain’t no losin’ at all”
(It encapsulates all the pain and turmoil that brought me and this album into the light after much darkness. It’s deeply personal but I think many can relate that sometimes we find clarity in having to make hard, frightening, life-defining decisions)
When was the last time you thought ‘I just wrote a hit!’?
Haha… “There’s no way to answer this dangerous question and maintain my country’s humble politeness!.. HOWEVER, gun to my head, I feel if this were an earlier era in popular music, both “Rip It Off” & “Game Day” from our new album couldashouldwoulda… I felt like they had that magic when they were being written and the band made them even better, but, really what the hell do I know? I’m just some guy… standing in front of a girl…wait…
Is recording a record easier than getting it heard nowadays?
Yes, a thousand times yes.
Cassettes are back. Which 5 five songs would make your first mixtape?
Geez, are they really?? Hmmm… the only format more sonically questionable than 8-tracks. Let me mull on this one…
Recording music. What’s all the fun about?
I absolutely love the process. It can be ‘pulling out hair, chunks at a time’ occasionally when, for example, a mix is just eluding you, but hearing your songs come together (right now, over me… sorry…) really is a magical mystery tour at times (a Beatles Two-fer!).
Especially so when you’re working with really fine players who just make it pop, as they say… nothing like it. I’ve been mighty fortunate to have Steve as the Starsky to my Hutch all these years, and working with my brother Ad again, well, you do the math. Brothers, man. Adrian is a killer skin-basher and engineer too, and having guests like Kevin Kane, Evan Foster (and previously Paul Myers) come in and bring their magic is the icing on the musical cake.
Playing music in front of a crowd. What’s all the fun about?
Playing live is such a different animal than recording or writing. For us, it’s a way to let loose the scissor kicks, turn up the amps, and experience the immediacy that only performing can bring.
It’s breaking strings, breaking sticks, having your guitar strap fall off mid-song, guessing at your harmonies when the monitors aren’t cutting it, and falling into the drum kit after an ill-timed jump. It’s the danger of putting yourself and your songs out there to be judged by the audience, but, hey, Death or Glory! (I’m really riffing on song titles now… watch out).
You can’t control the way people ‘hear’ your music. But if you could make them aware of certain aspects, you think, set your songs apart. What would they be?
I would say musically we straddle genres, even if our main thrust is kinda mod-based rock/power pop. We always sneak bits of garage, new wave, arena/riff-rock, folk, and splashes of prog into the mix so a bit unpredictable, I suppose. You’re not getting 10-12 of the same formula every song after song. Lyrically, I really put a yeoman’s effort into making sure each line, each word chosen is the right one (for me at least) much to Steve’s chagrin when it comes to harmonies (haha)… and, unlike straight pop music, I tend to write about a lot of deep, personal shit. To me, ‘if it don’t mean somethin’, it don’t mean nothin’!
They expect ‘the roaring 20s v2.0’. What kind of party are you looking for?
One that plays “Lips Like Sugar”, “Start!”, “The Real Me”, “She Said She Said”, “D’You Know What I Mean?”, “Better Things”, “Good Girls Don’t”, “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” and “Bittersweet Symphony” so I can sing along at the top of my lungs, and then hits “Love Shack” HARD! Haha. Hey, maybe that’s my mixtape right there!
‘Sun Goes Down’ sounds like a greatest hits. Ten songs and it’s all good, very good. The same quality you heard, for example, on Paul Kelly’s early records.
Sweet Sweet Music spoke to singer-songwriter Tyler Asay.
Your music reminds me of Paul Kelly’s earlier records. Are you aware of his music? If so, makes sense? If not, who are you influenced by?
Yes, I know Paul Kelly! I’ve yet to go deep on his music but I bought a used copy of his greatest hits at the record store I work at (Main Street Music in Philadelphia) because “Love Never Runs On Time” came on and immediately fell in love with it. I definitely know what you mean, The Tisburys and my songwriting are influenced by artists like Kelly, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, and anyone who can deliver a message within 3 minutes with a beautiful melody.
Other influences include indie-rock from the mid-2000’s such as Wilco, Sharon Van Etten, and The National. I’ve always been drawn to the artier side of rock, and lyrically there’s a lot of abstract themes that are intended to be dug into to pull your meanings from. Also, I love cool guitar solos so there’s a lot of those on the record played by our lead guitarist John Domenico.
‘Sun Goes Down’ has that Greatest Hits feel. You didn’t accept any fillers?
It’s not that I don’t accept any fillers but I believe that with all great records, every song could be a single. That’s how I treat every song we work on. If it doesn’t have a memorable hook or something to say, then it most likely won’t go further than the initial writing phase, or I will keep working on it until a hook reveals itself. That mindset goes back to my first favorite band (The Beatles).
Going forward, I believe in building a catalog of great songs that in turn create their own world within the music. All the artists I look up to are constantly trying new things and referencing their older work while pushing forward so I’m looking forward to doing that ourselves.
How did ‘Sun Goes Down’ came about?
It originally started as an EP that we began recording late in 2019 after we finished our previous record (Wax Nostalgic), but the pandemic gave us extra time to take stock of what we were doing, adding more songs, and flesh out the arrangements. We recorded most of the album remotely by emailing tracks back and forth with our engineer and mixing via Zoom, but I think it turned out pretty well regardless.
The song that sparked this whole album was “Fading Light,” which was written when we were finishing up Wax Nostalgic, and I originally wanted to put it on that album but it felt more like the start of a new era for us. “Fading Light” ended up becoming the pseudo-title track and the rest of the album was built around it. For this record, we tried to replicate our live show as best as possible (which is funny because we weren’t in the same rooms when it was recorded).
The meaning of success has changed over the years. What would success look like for the new record?
Success can look different for every artist, but for me, I think it comes down to staying inspired and creating connections with people. As long as we keep making records, each one will be better than the previous one, and hopefully, more people will connect with the songs. My favorite thing to do is write songs, so for someone else to hear a song I wrote and sing it while they’re driving with the windows down the way I have with the songs I love, then I know I’ve done my job.
Recording music. What’s all the fun about?
While I do miss playing live, the aspect of music I love the most is songwriting and building an album in the studio. We recorded it all with our friend Justin Nazario at his home studio (Sound Splitter Studio in the suburbs of Philly), and we have such a good relationship with him that making music was laid back, relaxed, exciting, and fun. After quarantining for a while and we knew we were safe, I would go to Justin’s to get final mixes together for the album. We would be mixing in John or Doug’s parts and jumping up and down with the musical surprises that kept jumping out, especially on songs like “Young & Decent.”
Playing music in front of a crowd. What’s all the fun about?
The pandemic halting live music has been tough, but it has given me time to rethink how to go about performing. I miss playing for crowds and all of our friends singing along to our songs, so I’m going to appreciate it when they come back, but I’ve been able to take stock of what we had and how to improve it going forward. Our shows have always been about just going up there and having fun, whether we’d been well-rehearsed or not, but I am looking forward to really dialing in the live sound and sounding tight on stage. There’s still going to be some antics, and we do enjoy jamming quite a bit, but we’re going to tighten up the ship. But to get back to that feeling of playing music with my friends again, I can’t wait.
Sweet Sweet Music spoke to Chris about how the new record came about.
All song titles consist of one word. There must be an idea behind that?
If you want to call “just being sassy” an idea… Seriously though, I think if one were to put on one’s disbelief suspenders for just a moment, it would be possible for one to excavate at least a chunk of meaning from reading the titles in order. If so, then, yes, you’re absolutely right, it IS a concept album! Or maybe a series of acronyms for the insane.
Every time I hear ‘Learn’ I start singing ‘Breakin’ rocks in the hot sun I fought the law and the law won’. Weird how the mind works or not so weird?
I’m sure I ripped off somebody. Might as well be Marshall Crenshaw’s favorite rock star ever to have been murdered by gangsters.
Your sound changed a bit or quite a bit, didn’t it? I think I hear Nick Lowe might have inspired you every now and then and I haven’t thought I heard that influence before.
I don’t know if I have a “sound”. I guess if I’m doing pop rock I probably am somewhat identifiable. I’ve done music in lots of genres, from progressive metal to goth pop to folky Americana to experimental to pure crap. I don’t know what I will end up doing next. I suppose one of the reasons Game Dirt sounds different than my last few is that I played all the instruments, and I’m not a very good drummer. I had a vibe in mind, and I only worked on the songs that felt elastic enough for me to shape as the mood dictated. There are several different versions of some of them. As for the Nick Lowe comparison, I’ll say two things – thanks, and I wish!
How did this one come about?
I got busy in my studio recording almost daily after my job was ended due to covid. I don’t think any of the subject matter is directly related to the pandemic, though. It’s just a bunch of songs. It was great to not be “on the clock”, though. I felt free about it. I also worked a lot on other things, including an album my friend Ben Gibbs has made in the studio with my wife Lori Franklin producing. It’s fantastic and I can’t wait for people to have a chance to hear it. It will give off a similar vibe perhaps, as it was recorded simultaneously, but it’s a whole other animal. I’ve done quite a few things down in that basement studio over the last 9 months or so, but I have started a new job, so who knows what’s next?
You should be proud Chris, you are writing quality songs and have been writing them for a long time now. Is it harder to get a compliment than it is to give one?
No! (Haha). Seriously, I appreciate that. I want to like stuff, and I still like a lot of my stuff, so that’s pretty much what it’s about for me. I probably should care more about what people think, but I think I have gotten a little better at appreciating positivity. It’s not a big deal.
Catspaw is Matthew Sweet’s fifteenth studio album. And, as with every good record he delivers, the quality of the songs is compared to the quality that can be heard on Girlfriend or 100% Fun.
That good? Yes, that good!
The sound is slightly different though. As New Noise writes: ‘The sweet-as-honey melodies are still there, but the music is a little slower and the vibe a little darker.’.
Sweet Sweet Music spoke to Matthew Sweet about how Catspaw came about.
You made Catspaw almost all by yourself. What was the moment you knew you were on to something?
I think when I started playing lead guitar, it made me happy. I was having fun!
How did Catspaw come together?
It really wasn’t so different than I would usually approach a record, except I had decided to play lead myself. The instrumentation was also very basic.
People talk about your guitar sound. Proud of how your guitar sounds? It determines the overall sound (and I hope you take that as a compliment). Was that what you wanted?
Sometimes I think the guitar sound comes mostly from how and what you play. I try lots of different amps and guitars (I used Novo guitars on this), but they all seem to usually work.
When you release a new record, it is usually compared to 100% Fun or Girlfriend. Often they write ‘his best records since …’. Most of the time it is a compliment. Do you take it as a compliment?
Yes, I do.
When did you decide to start asking for opinions on the new songs?
I don’t know if I ever really ask for opinions, other than what people like. Once a record is released, I get an idea from the reaction.
You manage to keep the quality of your songs very high, for a very long time now. Do lyrics and melodies always come easy or is it hard work?
It sounds strange to say, but it’s really the easiest part for me, not what I would call hard work. Maybe happy work.
The meaning of success has changed over the years. What would success look like for Catspaw?
Success these days to me is just making a new record. I think I would do it regardless of what it brings. But I do like hearing if people have good feelings from it.
When do you decide to start recording a song? Any specific Matthew Sweet-quality-criteria?
I kind of record the good and the bad without judgement. I never know which ideas will blossom into something nice until it’s happening.
As an artist, you chose to show your emotions to the world. Is it always comfortable to do so?
I don’t think of the world or its reaction, only how I feel. Then I just put it out there. I like emotions, it’s hard for me to imagine not putting them out there. I guess I feel more comfortable with that than if I tried to hide them.
What’s the gig you will always remember? And why?
We had a huge outdoor gig in Chicago in the mid-90s that was memorable just for the vibe and its incredibly huge crowd. The newspaper had the headline ‘’the Pope, the Bulls, and Matthew Sweet” which I guess all happened that weekend.
When was the last time you thought ‘I just wrote a hit!’?
I don’t think I ever thought that in my life!
Is recording a record easier than getting it heard nowadays?
Yes of course. But it’s the part I enjoy most, so it’s ok.
Recording music. What’s all the fun about?
Creating something out of nothing is magical. It’s what art is all about.
Playing music in front of a crowd. What’s all the fun about?
To see and share with others what the music has meant to them is humbling and satisfying. I love to think it’s helped others in their lives.
You can’t control the way people ‘hear’ your music. But if you could make them aware of certain aspects, you think, set your songs apart. What would they be?
Once the music goes into the world, I really have no control. People are free to make of it what they will. I am extremely grateful to get to do what I do at this age.
Being a one-man-band, did that bring ultimate freedom, or was it mainly a logical way of recording because of the situation the world is in?
I recorded and completed the record before the pandemic hit, even though it does seem to fit with its isolation.
I started out, before I ever made records, on my own multitracking, so it was really like a return to when I started in a way.
They expect ‘the roaring 20s v2.0’. What kind of party are you looking for?
The 20s were incredible. But fascism was also on the rise. I’m looking for the good side, freedom, and hope!
Omnivore Recordings is proud to announce the release of Catspaw—written, produced, recorded, mixed, and entirely preformed (save ferocious drumming from Ric Menck of Velvet Crush) by Matthew at his home studio. Mastered by Bob Ludwig, the Hofner bass and Novo guitars sing and howl, harkening back to classics like Girlfriend and Altered Beast—all while retaining the hooks that dig into the listener. Well, like a cat’s paw.
Following on from his debut 2016 record, Long Way Back Down, Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Lucas James returns in 2021 with a new project, Midnight Drags, and a new album Bad Business. Co-produced by esteemed Australian guitarist Ash Naylor (Even, Paul Kelly) and mixed by engineer Matt Wallace (Faith No More, The Replacements).
Power Pop, Classic Rock, a bit of Soul, you can hear it all on Bad Business. Nine strong, very catchy stories.
What was the moment you knew you were on to something?
I think the moment I thought these tracks were pretty solid was when the band got together and first started rehearsing the tracks, until then I had only heard them an acoustic guitar (which is generally what I write all my songs on) and although I was happy with them I couldn’t hear the finished product in my head. The first few jams were exciting and the songs started to take on a new life altogether. I think that’s when we knew we might be onto something a little cool.
The meaning of success has changed over the years. What would success look like for the new record?
First and foremost, success for me is being proud and 100% happy with my music when it is released. Secondary to that is other people enjoying the album. I’m not looking at sales figures or streams as markers for success really (although it’s cool to get a few dollars here and there!) .. it’s just really nice when somebody you don’t know says ‘I love this song!’ when talking about your music.
As an artist, you chose to show your emotions to the world. Is it always comfortable to do so?
I think earlier in my songwriting journey I was much more reluctant to be 100 percent honest in my lyrics and kept things a little more superficial but as I’ve gotten older I’m much more comfortable being honest about my feelings and insecurities with myself and others. I still write songs about ‘characters’ but they usually have a little me or somebody I know in the story as well. But a wise man once said ‘don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story’.
Is recording a record easier than getting it heard nowadays?
I think so yes.. anybody can make music, anytime and anywhere with the way technology is now.. you can do it on a phone, tablet, or laptop and make something really special. Bedroom producers are taking over and I think it’s pretty cool. Back in the day, you could only produce decent-sounding music if you had access to some type of recording equipment which was usually found in recording studios so it was a costly exercise.
Getting music heard is another thing altogether, that side comes down to a mixture of word of mouth, pr/promotion, and/or luck but the number 1 thing is, having good songs! But, you might be one of the lucky ones who put their first-ever song on Soundcloud and the world goes bananas for it and you sign a mega-deal with a record label and eat caviar and drink champagne for the rest of your life..?
Cassettes are back. Which 5 five songs would make your first mixtape?
Tough question, but I’ll try…
My Old School: Steely Dan
I’ve been listening to a lot of ‘the Dan’ lately and I love them so much, I could have picked any of their songs but I do love the feel of this one.. very fun and as usual, the musicianship is off the charts.
Friday On My Mind: The Easybeats
This is an Australian band from the ’60s and I seriously rate this track as one of the best pop tracks ever written. It’s a complex and interesting chord progression that builds tension throughout with the euphoric release of the super hooky chorus. Killer song. Fun fact, the band included George Young on guitar who was the older brother of Malcolm, and Angus Young who went on to form AC/DC.
I Was Made To Love Her: Stevie Wonder
Just an awesome song, everything about it makes me happy.
Southern Girls: Cheap Trick
Again, I could have chosen at least 10 or more other tracks but this is so much fun… Cheap Trick was a big influence on my and my music.. they were heavy yet very poppy and they were a ‘fun’ band that didn’t take themselves too seriously… I love that about them.
Just: Radiohead
What can I say, Radiohead is amazing and this song of The Bends has everything. Jonny Greenwood is a guitar god!
Sweet Sweet Music Blog 