Daryl's House & Company of Thieves

I'm thoroughly enjoying the post Christmas gift card euphoria - I love buying music - there's something very noble and rewarding about it. There's a website that I've been digging for a while - Live from Daryl's House -  it has this killer show that captures Daryl Hall and his band - they welcome in a different  artist every other month, hang out and play music.  They cover some of the guest artist's songs and then some of the Hall & Oates classics.  It's all shot and recorded live - the music sounds and feels real - you get a sense of what it is was like to be there - you also get a sense of the musicianship required.  Check out the trailer below:

The episode that turned me onto the show was K.T.Tunstall's  - she was brilliant - check out this version of Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.  The current episode is with a band called Company of Thieves - I'd never heard of them but checked out the show - 30 minutes later I have their EP Ordinary Riches playing through my iTunes and my gift card is $5.99 poorer - 15 tracks too - amazing value!

This is the music business - it is alive and getting better all the time.

Ballet Mecanique

I have said before that part of the enjoyment in helping with the marketing of music2work2 is that I get to listen to so many other artists and their music. Some of it is in the same style as music2work2; some of it is totally different.

One of our friends on iSound.com whose sound is much like that of music2work2 is Ballet Mecanique (James Tucker’s solo project.) The piece that I like most is “Hymn #9.” It is piano driven but several other voices are introduced, giving it a full, rich sound. The tempo is rather slow; but the piece as a whole does not seem to have a solemn, sacred feel. It is lovely, melodic music.

I am reminded of music2work2’s Victoria when listening to this piece. I hear several similarities between the two – the tone, tempo, overall feel of the piece. Based on the title, one might also compare Arrival a piece written for the arrival of guests at the church for a wedding, with “Hymn #9.”

Check out Ballet Mecanique and “Hymn #9 on the i.Sound site.

A sustain Pedal - that's all....

I am so bummed. I managed to install my groovy sound card on Vista up to the point where I was able to track decently enough without clicks - re-arranged the work space - set up the dual screen for visuals and tracking - and finally thought that I'd fix the squeak on the sustain pedal - 30 second job - out with the 4 screws - off with the back - pump in a little WD40 and Bob's your Uncle.

Well - know this - Bob isn't my Uncle - in fact, Bob isn't even a distant relative - Bob is about as much my Uncle as the inanimate object with the loose wire and buggered spring that is sitting on my keyboard masquerading as a sustain pedal.