Ultimate Ears Presents...

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… SETH & MAY Michigan’s...

Tue, 29 May 2012 07:53:41 -0400

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… SETH & MAY

Michigan’s Seth Bernard and May Erlewine have been living, breathing and playing music together now for over 7 years. Their music has taken them all over the world but never too far from their roots in Michigan. Seth and May are on a lifelong musical expedition and their sound evolves and changes and grows with each new chapter. Their albums are full of beautiful song stories, produced and arranged with the utmost attention to detail and if you take a glance at their discography, you can only guess they love the process of making records. Listening to the tracks you can hear the love and dedication given to each song and each album as a whole work of art, but making records is only a piece of the work that Seth and May have cultivated. Their live performances and perpetual commitment to community empowerment and social-environmental activism is really where these two shine. Using music as a voice and a call to action Seth and May work hand in hand with organizations across the planet to promote positive change and awareness. The duo remains committed to making music not only to serve their creative spirit, but to serve the people.

Listen here:

<a href=”http://sethandmay.bandcamp.com/album/new-flower” data-mce-href=”http://sethandmay.bandcamp.com/album/new-flower”>New Flower by Seth &amp; May</a>

Watch the trailer for When We Run - about their trip to Ethiopia:

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS…JACK DEEZL “Glitch-hop...

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:01:00 -0400

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS…JACK DEEZL

“Glitch-hop mastermind of Philly’s underground dance music scene… Bass music is no unsifted sand for this young gun DIY beat maker.” -TheNewPhiladelphia.com

Jack Deezl, a 20 year old Producer/DJ hailing from Philadelphia, is on a roll. After having released over 40 tracks in 2011, some of them remixes for high-profile names such as Diplo, Amanda Blank and Drop the Lime, Jack has signed with Phiadelphia-based indie label Actual Records. He’s set to release a 6-track EP digitally and on 12” vinyl, titled Unrest, which he’ll be touring all across the U.S. in support of this summer. With more remix requests and concert bookings coming with every passing day, there’s no doubt that you’ll keep hearing Jack Deezl sounds.

Listen to even more on SoundCloud:

Learn more on FaceBook:

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… RA RA RIOT And did I mention the...

Tue, 22 May 2012 08:01:19 -0400

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… RA RA RIOT

And did I mention the new album yet… Stay tuned

Ra Ra Riot finds strength in subtlety and refraction. This is a band that cooks with indirect heat — melding taut rhythms with lush chamber pop, subtle psychedelia, infectious melodies, and lyrics that tell the story of timorous souls shaking free. The seeds of their latest album, the orchard, were sown over the course of a couple of years, and harvested when guitarist Milo Bonacci compiled every stray idea and demo the band had accumulated since releasing their breakthrough album, the rhumb line. After assembling all those loose threads, the band took residence at the titular peach orchard in Penn Yan, New York and embarked upon mammoth writing sessions punctuated by new adventures in cooking, playing bocce, and simply enjoying the benefits of country living. The orchard unfolds like origami — each undone corner revealing Ra Ra Riot’s collective knack for writing sterling arrangements, addictive hooks and subtle details. Furthermore, the orchard’s impeccable sequencing and scant running time (the album runs just under the 40-minute mark) hits an aural sweet spot that will inspire spinning this album over and over again, each listen revealing some new blossom, fruit, or lovely flying insect that you hadn’t noticed before.

Follow them now and be the first to know about the new sounds:

Listen to more:

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… AVATARA Avatára, a native of...

Thu, 17 May 2012 07:40:41 -0400

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… AVATARA

Avatára, a native of Kingston, Jamaica , was raised in Toronto, Canada. A city known for it’s diversity. Popular for his speed in track & field and for his talent in drawing, he turned to a linguistic art form of expression while studying literature in Kent, Ohio. Fluent in French, Spanish, and Japanese, using his voice as a means of connecting with multitudes of nations came naturally.

Avataára, whose name comes from the term “desavatara” (Meaning a manifestation of a deity) & “Ra” (sun), believes that we reflect the light of a superior being, & therefore should manifest our true potential & return to excellence.

A Soft spoken Avatára relies on his powerful vocabulary & articulate wordplay to deliver his message as his smooth vocals glide over the beat. Avatara fortifies his even keel vocal resonance with cryptic word combinations then drenches the listeners mind under leagues of relevant content and frames it all in a causal/ tangible laid back delivery.

Listen to more:

Listen to Avatara and Chiba Chemist trade rhymes:

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… TASHASKI MIYAKI Short and sweet -...

Tue, 15 May 2012 08:02:31 -0400

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… TASHASKI MIYAKI

Short and sweet - we’ll let the music speak for itself. Mysterious California-based duo Tashaski Miyaki creates foggy dream pop for the ages.

Listen to more:

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… TALL SHIPS Don’t miss the...

Thu, 10 May 2012 08:02:46 -0400

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… TALL SHIPS

Don’t miss the new album - coming soon….

Tall Ships, originally from Falmouth but now living in Brighton, have been garnering attention across the blogosphere, printed press and radio with their complex, layered and beautiful soundscapes and intelligent songwriting to create music that still manages to have the potential for mass appeal.

Elements of math rock and angular pop have drawn inevitable comparisons to the likes of Battles and Minus The Bear but the band cite the likes of Sigur Rós, Prince and Explosions In The Sky as their musical influences.

Live Tall Ships are a must see band, mesmerizing to watch, with such energy and deftness you can’t help but be amazed by them. They are fast gaining a well-deserved reputation as one of the most innovative and exciting live bands in the UK right now.

They tour relentlessly and have honed the show into a thrilling experience, both aurally and visually as layers of sound and vocals are cleverly and deftly assembled to startling effect. They have already supported the likes of We Are Scientists, Metronomy (in Brazil), 65 Days Of Static (throughout Europe), Maps & Atlases, The Futureheads, Minus The Bear, Three Trapped Tigers & Tubelord.

“The mathy skronk of Battles, Foals’ wounded hearts and The xx’s sense of space, all tempered by a freeness of mind that only comes from breathing a dose of sea air each morning” – NME

“Hit The Floor is biting, brilliant and certain to rope you in” – Q

Listen to more if you can’t wait…

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… RYAN HUDDLESTON Guitar Serenity –...

Tue, 08 May 2012 08:01:17 -0400

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… RYAN HUDDLESTON

Guitar Serenity – The Eras & Beyond is a relaxing journey through classical guitar masterpieces, intimately performed by Ryan Huddleston. After spending decades studying all types of music, he chose a fundamental set of compositions to rearrange, and deliver with a modern sound and approach. The Eras & Beyond is Ryan Huddleston’s long awaited debut album, with twenty-three tracks of beautifully emotive perfection. He introduces some of his original classical compositions, as well as performing a wide variety of classical favorites by notable composers such as: Bach, Carcassi, Tarrega & Vivaldi, and many more. His efforts are to encourage peaceful relaxation, while listening to the only musical genre proven repeatedly to stimulate neurological activity, harmonize the body’s cellular structure, and increase the power of healing with music.

Learn more about Ryan Huddleston and about all of his roles in the music industry:

Listen to more music from Guitar Serenity:

http://www.Logitech.com/UEhttp://cultscultscults.com/ “The...

Thu, 03 May 2012 18:11:05 -0400

http://www.Logitech.com/UE
http://cultscultscults.com/

“The Way We Hear It” video series is here for May: exclusive interviews with artists who are all about the MUSIC. Here we catch up with Cults backstage on their recent headline tour

Cults:
Brian Oblivion
Madeline Follin

http://www.Logitech.com/UE
http://Facebook.com/UltimateEars
http://Twitter.com/UltimateEars

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… LARRY KEEL Larry is a legendary...

Thu, 03 May 2012 08:02:00 -0400

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… LARRY KEEL

Larry is a legendary acoustic guitar flatpicker. You must listen and learn more!

Born and raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Larry Keel is a young veteran musician who has always been immersed in the traditional ways and etiquette of playing mountain music. Both Larry’s father and brother (themselves skilled and versatile acoustic musicians) influenced the younger Keel to thoroughly master the foundations of acoustic guitar (tune, timing, tone) before venturing into his own original territory. From a very young age, Larry made it his goal to honor and preserve the discipline of the Traditional Bluegrass music he knows and loves, while expressing his own ideas through acoustic music.

At 18 years old, Keel became a contracted musician to play Bluegrass at the Tokyo Disneyland theme park in Japan for 7 months (6 shows a day, 6 days a week). Back in the States, Larry joined up with like-minded Bluegrass pickers young and old to travel the festival and fiddler’s convention circuit of the entire east coast. Keel’s long time friend and banjo player Mark Vann (Leftover Salmon) encouraged him to travel to Colorado to attend the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and compete in its prestigious guitar competition. That year he won first place, and by 1995 he and long-time Bluegrass peer Will Lee (son of Ricky Lee from Ralph Stanley’s band) led their string band Magraw Gap to victory in the Telluride Bluegrass Festival band competition.

Over the years Larry Keel has become a world-class flatpicking guitarist, and that talent has earned him legendary status with fans and the highest respect amongst his musical peers. In recent performances Larry has led bands involving such industry icons as Tony Rice, Jeff Austin, Mike Marshall, Darol Anger, Curtis Burch (New Grass Revival), Vassar Clements, Joe Craven, Jim Lauderdale, and Tony Trischka; in addition he has played specialty sets alongside Darrell Scott, Keller Williams, and Sam Bush and guitar workshops along side David Grier and Jorma Kaukonen.

Keel’s distinct style of flatpicking the guitar is the tool with which he creates his original brand of songwriting and his peers have taken notice. Both Del McCoury and Acoustic Syndicate have recorded Larry’s original material. The Del McCoury Band recorded Larry’s ‘Mountain Song’ on their 2005 Grammy award winning release, The Company We Keep. Acoustic Syndicate recorded ‘Long Way Round’ as their title track for their 2004 release. In 2006, Larry and his wife Jenny teamed up with guitar virtuoso, Keller Williams to release the Keller and the Keels album, Grass. With extensive national airplay and selective touring to support the album, Grass found its way to the Billboard Bluegrass Chart, where it stood in the Top 15 for over 12 weeks.

Classic by Larry Keel

Larry Keel has had for a very long time a very clear vision of what he wants to do with his musical talents, and the guiding principle is this: to nurture and preserve our American musical heritage while letting it inspire Keel’s own original writing and playing. As he pays his deepest respects to the masters who invented Bluegrass, Keel has become a master himself of Bluegrass, as well as of his own music. Larry Keel is a true heir to the Bluegrass legacy, and his talents as a guitar genius, as an innovative and expressive singer-songwriter and as a bandleader place him amongst the best of the purveyors of American Mountain Music.

Download this special edition of the album “Classic” - here in its entirety!

Learn more about Larry on JamBase:

Notes on the video above. This is a selection from a performance that included Larry and members from Greensky Bluegrass. Listen to more here:

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… MATHIEU SANTOS Trained as a...

Tue, 01 May 2012 08:02:11 -0400

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… MATHIEU SANTOS

Trained as a painter but best known for his role as a founding member (and the extraordinarily agile bassist) of chamber pop heavy-hitters Ra Ra Riot, Mathieu Santos has surprised himself by making a solo record. The songs that compose massachusetts 2010, to be released this summer, were first written — you guessed it — in 2010 in the great state of Massachusetts. Following their recording, however, those demos were set aside and left to sit while Santos spent time on the road with his main band. In the winter and spring of 2011, he returned to the 10 songs with fresh perspective and a critical distance from the context in which they were originally written. Applying his visual artist’s focus on only the most essential compositional elements, Santos borrowed a friend’s guest house in rural New Jersey and finalized the album in just a few days there. He worked quickly, maintaining the impulsive freedom of the original writing process but stripping down the palette and creating an arresting sonic environment that sparkles with tantalizing abstract imagery and finely-observed details, set against a backdrop of wide open spaces. As the album title suggests, these songs represent a particular time and place for Santos, and although the lyrics are largely impressionistic, phrases emerge regularly to make the album resonate with echoes of warmth, loneliness, love, regret, loss, and joy. Even if you weren’t there then, massachusetts 2010 is a place and time that anyone with ears and a heart can hear and feel.

Listen to more tracks by Ra Ra Riot:

Follow Mathieu’s adventures:

Read a great album write up in SPIN:

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… HELLO, ASTRONAUT Hello, Astronaut...

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:01:35 -0400

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… HELLO, ASTRONAUT

Hello, Astronaut is the solo project of 20-year-old multi-instrumentalist, Jordan Palmer. Based in Fresno, California, Palmer unites energetic beats with smooth pop lyrics to create a dynamic sound that is all his own. While only freshly out of high school, Palmer holds a level of sophistication and determination far beyond his years. Utilizing the musical skills and artistic style that he has honed and developed over the past four years, the time has come for Palmer to take to the stage and share his pop passion with the world. This…is surely only the beginning.

The creative sparks started flying with the reception of a simple gift on Palmer’s 14th birthday – an 8-track analog mixer. The self-taught guitarist took the gift as a sign of opportunity and wasted no time in putting it to use. Gathering his friends together to create a band, Palmer and company could be found, nearly every afternoon, using the mixer to write and record rough demos. With a developing passion for writing his own lyrics and creating a sound that was uniquely his own, Palmer soon picked up the bass, drums, piano, and began taking vocal lessons in order to pursue solo ventures.

Taking his versatility and desire for complete creative control, Palmer started Hello, Astronaut as a means of personal expression and growth – an outlet for his hope and happiness. Far from the brutal intensity of the hardcore and screamo bands Palmer previously played in, Hello, Astronaut blends bright elements of pop, rock, and electronics, juxtaposed finely with smart, honest lyrics, bold bursts of energy, and a whole lot of charisma. Hello, Astronaut is Jordan Palmer.

Growing up as a home school student in Orange County, Palmer’s social and music opportunities were severely limited. With a move to Fresno at 16, Palmer found the social jolt he needed to overcome his shy disposition. With underground music venues supplying endless inspiration and entertainment, Palmer soon found his voice and gained the confidence to take his music to the next level. It wasn’t long before he too was gracing the stage of local venues – the same venues that many of his musical inspirations had previously stood before him on.

While some pursue the music industry as a means of fame and fortune, Palmer holds deeper passion in his pursuit. “If I get anything out of making music I want to be able to give people songs that they can relate to. We all go through the same crap and music can help out a lot. I know it’s helped me,” Palmer states. “I just want to do what I love. I don’t ever want to get to the point where I’m happy with where I am. I always want to be striving for the next level and constantly improving myself musically, and as a person.”

Watch more videos:

Learn & listen to more:

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… SLEEP PARTY PEOPLE Sleep Party...

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 07:14:00 -0400

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… SLEEP PARTY PEOPLE

Sleep Party People is the brainchild of Brian Batz, a Danish multi-instrumentalist with a boundless imagination.

Taking as inspiration the work of Boards Of Canada, David Lynch and Erik Satie, and some classic movie soundtracks, Batz found the sound of the old battered piano in his apartment, coupled with a freaky electronic alteration of his recorded voice, created an eerie, hypnotic sound.

With his other worldly signature sound in place, this one-man home recording project started to take shape, the collection of weird and haunting melodies he created forming the basis for Sleep Party People’s self-titled debut album.

The overall atmosphere he fashioned, one that evokes the disorientating world between being asleep and awake, wasn’t a conscious effort. “I’ve always been a huge fan of instrumental ambient music, but I never felt that I should throw myself into making such music, but when I started the process I really got the taste of it and loved the blend between the organic and digital world.”

Adding a further four musicians to the line up following the album’s release, the quintet - hidden behind rabbit masks - served up an inspired cocktail of explosive shoegaze and electronic dream pop on their first world-wide tour.

Back home in Denmark electronic pioneer Trentemøller showed his approval by offering SPP a slot on his sold out tour - followed by The Antlers and Efterklang pledging allegiance asking SPP to join them as support on their Scandinavian outings. Appearances at Roskilde, By:larm, Eurosonic along with an extensive European tour and a youtube video that clocked up over 300,000 views further cemented Sleep Party People’s burgeoning reputation.

As for the new album, “The lyrics are more uplifting and positive. It’s about enjoying life and turning every position you’re put into, into something positive. I know it’s a cliche, but that’s an important message to get out instead of always being so god damn melancholic and sad, which I sometimes struggle with”, says Batz.

Watch “A Dark God Heart” from the new album.

Sleep Party People - the soundtrack for your dreams.

Listen to more on Soundcloud:

Learn more on Facebook:

Buy their music here:

On iTunes:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/we-were-drifting-on-a-sad-song/id516171125

On insound:
http://www.insound.com/search/?query=Sleep+Party+People

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… SUNNYSIDE UP “Sunnyside Up rivals...

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:17:09 -0400

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… SUNNYSIDE UP

“Sunnyside Up rivals any of the headliner bluegrass bands that I saw at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.” -Cathy Godfrey

Sunnyside Up is a three piece Chicago string band that draws in listening audiences with an expertly crafted mixture of bluegrass, swing, fiddle music and songwriting. At the dawn of the 21stCentury when new musical labels like Alt-Country and Americana were young, these guys got the bug to put together an alt-string band. Mandolins were re-fretted, cellos were tuned up, jazz guitar players were converted into flat-pickers and new double basses were purchased. Today the musical energy continues as new songs and instrumental tunes are found, forged and arranged for your acoustical listening pleasure.

Visit the Mandolin Cafe:

Check out Colby’s work over at the Old Town School of Folk Music:

Listen to “Live From The Old Town School” box set:

AN INTERVIEW WITH RICK GOETZ, MUSIC MARKETING CONSULTANT As part...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 09:59:00 -0400

AN INTERVIEW WITH RICK GOETZ, MUSIC MARKETING CONSULTANT

As part of our monthly “Inside the Industry” series, we look behind the scenes at what makes the music industry tick. We talk to experts about what is really going on and we show that there is always much more than meets the eye.

This month, we spoke with Rick Goetz, who is a music marketing consultant by way of a twelve year career doing A&R and marketing at major labels like Atlantic, Elektra and EMI. He runs the music business advice website Musician Coaching and has been a bass player for over twenty years. For anyone who’s ever wondered about how A&R works, pull out a pencil and take notes.

Hi Rick - thank you for talking with us today and for passing on some of your insights. You’ve been in many high-level positions within the industry for over 15 years now and you’re currently sharing your expertise with musicians as a music consultant and coach. But before we get into that, I’d love to pick your brain about A&R.

You started with Lava / Atlantic Records back in 1995 and eventually became their Director of A&R. That’s before you were courted by the Elektra Entertainment Group to become their Sr. Director of A&R. So you’ve seen it all. And you’ve witnessed the major changes that have happened in the recording industry first hand. How did A&R work when you first started out?

It certainly has changed since I started and it’s interesting that you would describe two different A&R positions as “having seen it all”. A&R at the time was usually a remarkably myopic existence. The job in theory was quite simply to go out and find great music that you felt the label you worked for could sell to a mass audience and make sure you helped the musicians making that music to come up with the best possible product- usually by pairing them with producers, mixers, engineers etc. It involved knowing as much about local and national music as you possibly could, knowing music lawyers (who functioned much more like agents for record deals in those days), publishers, producers, booking agents and club owners – basically anyone who was likely to be a good filter for informing you about potential signings. Jason Flom and Daniel Savage who ran Lava when I started there were very interested in numbers and statistics which was actually very rare at the time. They were among the first in the industry to put a great deal of weight in determining what the market wanted based on existing sales and radio play (at the time there was no social media to gauge interest). While I did run around and see shows many nights a week and sought out tastemakers to befriend a great deal of my job was looking for independent or self released music that was performing locally or regionally and determine if that product was something niche or if it had the potential to sell to a mainstream audience.

At the time we looked at sales spikes in Soundscan and independent artists getting spun on commercial stations. To determine the cause of the sales or the airplay (and if said airplay was translating to sales / or desired sales) we would call up retail stores and ask them if they had it in stock, or if people were asking them about it / buying it / if they knew why it was selling. That was as sophisticated as research was for record companies at the time. People who considered themselves very creative kind of frowned upon this type of research A&R but not surprisingly it tended to yield more reliable results than going with your gut.

I was once told that A&R is the only job out there that you get worse at every day you do it because your ears are less like the ears of a normal consumer every day you spend doing the job. It was only partially true in that the more quality relationships you had contributed greatly to being able to get great talent to work with and develop your signings and of course your relationships within the company helped determine if your artist became a priority. There was a great deal of internal competition and cheer-leading to get your act paid attention to within your own label.

And how’s it work now?

I only have peripheral knowledge of how it works now as I haven’t been inside for years but I can say that labels are looking at the overall health of a potential signing’s business because the way deals are structured today they can participate in all of an artist’s revenue streams. A successful touring act that had no pop singles would rarely get a shot at a deal in the mid 1990s – now they would be a great potential signing. It seems that there are less artists being signed purely on “this artist is talented, these songs are great” and the business is much more research driven. You could argue that A&R (Artists & Repertoire) has become M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions).

What do you think are the pros and cons of each system?

The labels run a much more intelligent business. It makes much more sense for them. They sign less but they seem to develop artists less too. It’s really hard to say if there are pros and cons to be identified – the world has fundamentally changed in the last fifteen years. Protecting IP is damn near impossible and a new generation views creative work as something to be streamed for free rather than owned and paid for. I can say this – say what you will about the old system and how broken it was but it was at least a system. Now it’s the wild west. Artist development has always been part of an artist’s job (whether they accept that or not is another story) but it’s now an absolute necessity that you build your business on your own before looking for a deal. Fortunately there are more tools to do that with today- but also more people trying to do that today. I don’t know- it’s just a whole new ballgame.

And what’s been better for music consumers? I know that’s totally a subjective question but here’s my personal take; it is important to have tastemakers. And good A&R reps used to function in that capacity.

I think it’s much better for the music consumer today. I’ll never forget talking to younger kids at my last corporate job about music and they knew so much more about music than I did at their age. They had listened to so many records that took me half a lifetime and a small fortune to acquire. Admittedly weeding through a ton of material that is not great can contribute to consumer fatigue and having all music at your finger tips (in my opinion) makes it an experience that is less appreciated but… There are still tastemakers out there. You may have to go looking for them but you now have that option. I think it’s important to consider that at one point in our history (when rock music was really just becoming big business) there were only three TV stations and that on any given day Michael Jackson is on two of them- there was no choice and a very small number of tastemakers made our choices for us. I personally prefer the freedom to chase down what I want online – but that’s me.

What’s your professional slant on YouTube and Facebook and how they’re used to scout talent?

I think Facebook pales in comparison to YouTube for music. In many ways Facebook has become a more elegant MySpace page for bands- everyone has to have a fan page and preferably one with a customization that allows you to listen to music and watch video but YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world and music is one of the most searched categories. With Facebook I think industry people are looking at the number of fans to determine if there is something going on with the band but I think in an age where you can buy likes people are really looking to see how active a musician’s fan base is on their Facebook page. The same is true for YouTube but with YouTube I think musicians have to be more careful- one shitty live gig goes to the top of the YouTube search results for your band name and it can have a real impact. The same is true on YouTube as Facebook though – people are looking for engagement, views, replies, playlists with your video in it etc. etc.

So all of this brings up a really interesting point which sort of dovetails into what you’re doing now. With all of the changes that have happened and the proliferation of tools that are freely available to everyone, what is the role of the labels nowadays?

It’s hard to say truthfully. I think it varies from project to project. They certainly still act as venture capitalists in the artist space – funding projects for a piece of the company. They are still instrumental in breaking acts at radio- I think that is their most valuable area of expertise these days. You can get a good start at radio on your own but it’s very rare an indie will deliver a big single without the help of a major in some way, shape or form. The rest of their functions I’m told are now starting to support the wider scope of rights that they are taking part in like touring and music licensing but particularly on the touring side I haven’t seen much support.

The way I see it, you’ve taken the position of a top-tiered A&R rep and have put it on the market as part of the a la carte label model. A musician can hire your services directly and get most of the benefits that a record contract used to offer. This industry really does boil down to who you know and what doors you can open. So with that, can you please explain what you offer as a music consultant?

A&R was the function I was in at my most visible jobs but I’ve really spent more years doing marketing at this point. A&R was an amazing job to meet people though so while I have a good vantage point from having worn other hats in the industry what most improved my Rolodex was my years in A&R. The short version is I help people who make music make money and people who make money make music. The majority of my work these days is marketing / label services. When artists want to own their own rights and have a budget they hire me to act as the head of marketing for the management company and / or label. I hire out a custom team of professionals specifically tailored to the individual project. It works better this way because there is no competition from other artists at the company and everyone hired (Press, Radio, web designer etc) is there because they are the 100% right fit for this particular project. I also offer hourly coaching and marketing plans but I have been gratefully very busy with clients who retain me for 6 months or more at a time so I seem to be doing less coaching these days.

Hmmm. Interesting. Sounds familiar. The only thing that is really different is that musicians now look for you instead of the other way around. Crazy. I bet you never saw that one coming. By the way, how do musicians find you?

I practice what I preach – I’m very active on social media, I blog regularly and I got good at Search Engine Optimization / Search Engine Marketing. I’m not hard to find even if you don’t know me by name which was the whole idea of setting up the website / blog in the first place.

And how many people have visited your Musician Coaching site since it began? Where do you get all your information from?

About 250,000. Some of the information is personal experience, a great deal of it is in the forms of the conversations I have with people that become the interviews on the site. The news is sourced from daily reading on the business from all over the place. My partner in the site, Julia Rogers, handles most of the news at this point though.

Amazing! And endlessly fascinating. Next time we’ll talk about your roles in television development. Rick - many thanks for sharing.

Rick Goetz started his career in entertainment as the bass player and manager for the funk band Dine-O-Matic while at New York University in the early 90s. The band played out in New York City regularly for about three years, and members of the group went on to play and record with David Byrne, Amy Winehouse, The Roots, Public Enemy, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Antibalas and the Walkmen. It was managing this group that lead him to an internship at Lava / Atlantic Records in 1995 where he stayed for six years, ultimately rising to the position of Director of A&R. The rest is history.

Learn more about Rick’s Music Consultant business:

Stay up to date on relevant industry news. Read the Musician Coaching blog:

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ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… BEN HOWARD Here’s one of the...

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 07:44:36 -0400

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… BEN HOWARD

Here’s one of the UK’s best kept secrets. But not for much longer… Sit back. Enjoy. And remember, you heard it hear first.

I’ll just let the music speak for itself on this one!

Listen to more here:

Stay up to date and be the first to learn about Ben’s US album drop:

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… RIGHT THE STARS The band, a...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:03:21 -0400

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… RIGHT THE STARS

The band, a collaborative project with Rich Jacques as the centerpiece, brings together some of Los Angeles’ most talented musicians to create an unabashedly feel-good indie-pop record. The collaborative project was born with the track “We Got It All”, a song co-written with Rob Giles and Guy Erez. The track lead Jacques to dive into a fuller and more band-centric pop sound which was starkly different from the troubadour mould he had been performing in for most of his career. “I wanted to stretch beyond the limitations of just a guy with an acoustic guitar” says Jacques.

And step beyond the acoustic guitar he did, with his understanding and appreciation of the talent within Los Angeles, Right The Stars not only became the opportunity for new musical endeavors, but developed into a collective community within Jacques own backyard. “It’s amazing to be in such a creatively vibrant place.” Jacques says “I’m constantly inspired by all the artists I get to work with.” Hello Yes OK features collaborations with Rob Giles, Guy Erez, Joel Shearer , Leslie King (Bardo), Eric Holden, Lindsey Ray, and the late John O’Brien. At the core of live performances is Jacques, drummer BC Taylor, bassist Alex Balerston, and keyboardist Mike Schmid.

The self-titled debut for Right The Stars was released in 2010, however the project realises its full potential with Hello Yes OK. Drawing its title from three words which are universally understood throughout the world, Hello Yes OK is a delightful record with hooks piled upon hooks. Creating a musical language which shares the same universality.

The mission of Right The Stars, Cousteau Records and New Power Media is to create a unique cutting edge music company which channels a portion of profits to support and sustain causes which empower children to reach their full potential in life.

Right The Stars’ songs have received much licensing success to date with placements in Honda commercials, on Grey’s Anatomy, One Tree Hill, Life Unexpected, Pretty Little Liars, Switched at Birth, America’s Got Talent/Kmart, MTV, Men in Trees, PBS Carriers, and the movie Furry Vengeance.

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ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… JIMMY NASH The album doesn’t...

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 07:41:36 -0400

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… JIMMY NASH

The album doesn’t drop until May 1st, but you get to hear it here first. “The Road to 33” was produced by the critically acclaimed producer Todd Hannigan, who has helped shaped the sound of Mumford&Sons as well as Jack Johnson and Rob Machado.

Jimmy Nash, who grew up sleeping on the floors of recording studios where his parents were working, never thought he would grow up to follow in his family’s footsteps. All he knew at that time was that making records took too long and was way too boring. Well, he grew up to find himself in Brotheryn Studios with producer Todd Hannigan recording his own songs. Not so boring anymore! A singer/songwriter who is breaking new ground in the world of Acoustic Pop. He was born in Houston, bounced around Nashville for his formative years, sang all around the great state of Texas, then Jimmy made his way to California to find his true musical calling. An acoustic base with an insanely soaring vocal range is what he is working with. In addition to singing, he plays guitar, ukulele, and piano. He also writes every song with his songwriting partner who happens to be his mother, Kim Nash.

He started playing the guitar at the age of 5 and made his debut at ten years old to a staggering crowd of 50 in Macon, Mississippi. Learning songwriting and showmanship from his parents, who have penned hit songs for a slew of Nashville elite, he was thrown into the ring of the music industry, performing with them around the country for churches and conventions with crowds even in the tens of thousands.

Even though he was surrounded by Country music in Nashville, Nash soon became entranced by the sounds of top 40. Musical influences in every style are what he heard around his house growing up. A myriad of sounds ranging from the Bee Gees to the Beatles, as well as the old standbys, like Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra, then mixed in with anything from the Eagles to Johnny Cash. Not believing in having “one style”, he studied all forms and was open to everything. A musically delicious stew of sounds is what he reflects on when writing now.

As his career continues to blossom, Nash is also busy giving back to his community. He and his family currently head the charity organization “Champions Kids Camp”-Dedicated to the nurturing of children who have survived a traumatic injury, illness, or personal loss in Houston, Texas.

About the new album, “The Road to 33”

“Brotheryn Studios, where I record with my producer, Todd Hannigan, is off of Hwy 33 in Ojai, California. “The Road to 33” is more than just a highway. It represents the journey I have taken my entire life that has shaped my music from the time I started singing as a child until this last year I have spent making this album. Every success, every failure, every love found or love lost, every disappointment, every heartache, and every ounce of happiness I have derived from life has culminated in the creation of this album.”

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Don’t miss the album release parties. Follow Jimmy for more details:

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS…ACTIVE CHILD For Pat Grossi of...

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 07:43:40 -0400

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS…ACTIVE CHILD

For Pat Grossi of Active Child, the last two years have been nothing short of enriching. Musically, Pat has worked within and appropriated a number of styles into his sound, from his early days singing with that heavenly voice as a choir boy to his more recent forays into laptop-assisted indie-pop made in his bedroom, best exemplified on 2010’s acclaimed Curtis Lane EP. His sound is so wide-ranging that he has found himself touring with many notable acts of differing genres, including dubstep producer James Blake, dreamy synth-pop duo School of Seven Bells, and the indie-rock bands White Lies and White Rabbits.

Nothing quite prepares you for the leap that Pat has taken with his debut album, You Are All I See. The grand, cinematic scope of Pat’s artistic vision is apparent on You Are All I See, which owes as much to his wide array of influences as it does to Pat’s own knack for employing these influences in fresh, forward-thinking ways. The album’s first single, “Playing House,” features guest vocals from Tom Krell, the crooner of lo-fi r&b project How To Dress Well. Pitchfork Media reviewed the track positively, noting “Active Child’s sound now seems positively ahead of its time.”

Do not miss this tour! Get the schedule here:

Check out the live Daytrotter session:

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… DIRTY BEACHES Dirty Beaches is the...

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 08:00:05 -0400

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… DIRTY BEACHES

Dirty Beaches is the sound of waves against a picturesque and putrid shore, the silent rumble of a Chevy as it speeds by in slow motion. Sparse but condensed, relentlessly edging forward: this is music for locomotive travel, for racing your weary motorcycle through neon archways and into dusky tunnels. The man behind Dirty Beaches is Alex Zhang Hungtai; solo performer, sound-smith, and trans-Pacific nomad.

Born in Taiwan, Hungtai has made Toronto, Honolulu, Montreal, and Vancouver his homes. Like Bo Didley or minimalist synth provocateurs Suicide, Dirty Beaches’ compositions are not so much stripped down as refined to their essence. Drum loops entrance, Hungtai’s croon enchants, and the yearning melodies draped overtop belie as much a sense of haunting mystery as they do romanticism and wry humor.

Don’t miss Alex’s contributions to the special compilation for Bathetic Records. Listen to Expressway:

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And check out the review from Drowned in Sound. They said that the Dirty Beaches set was one of the best shows at SXSW.

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… ANAMANAGUCHI The birth of...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:36:00 -0400

ULTIMATE EARS PRESENTS… ANAMANAGUCHI

The birth of Anamanaguchi must have taken place in the middle of mankind’s greatest sugar high. We’re betting that there were loads and loads of pure cane sugar, swallowed in liquid, cubed, granulated or processed form, in copious amounts. It was Jolt soda, cake, ice cream, candy and everything else in between. It was on the sunniest of days and all colors were vibrant and searing. Everyone involved with the delivery and responsible for the creation of this new life-form was coming off of its greatest night of slumber ever and there was an open-ended world to shred and conquer. The rosy-cheeked little thing came out of the womb, was slapped by the jovial delivering doctor and started laughing hysterically, blowing disco ball kisses in between its unprecedented fits of joyous rapture. The band, an instrumental electronic band from New York, was drawn to Nintendo game consoles, arcade games and all of the plinking and high-score sounds that were coming out of them, ringing in its ears like magical coos.

Not only did members of Anamanguchi perform at SXSW as part of the Friendly Ghost DJs during the “Shout by Southwest” festivities hosted by Shout It Out Loud Music, but their presence was felt in a much greater sense. They influenced The Boss! Listen to Bruce Springsteen talk about “Nintendocore” in his keynote address.

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