1. Have fun

This is the number one thing you should think of when doing any music production. If your are not having fun well producing maybe its not the hobby/profession for you. Now you can not get confused in between fun and hard. Just because you can’t get something the first time that does not mean it will not be fun when you finally get to understanding what you are learning. So at the beginning just take your time to learn and decide. If you know after some time producing is still not become enjoyable then its not for you. Read the rest of this entry

If you had to recommend two obscure and underrated songs that every music lover had to listen to before they died, what would they be?

That is the challenge we faced on the last episode of Social Blend Cramium Melodies. We called the show “The Bucket Play List.” Go listen to what we had to recommend

Click here to listen now

It’s becoming increasingly rare these days to see a guitarist without a pedalboard at his feet – but what about us bassists?

Traditionally bassists have played clean, but it’s becoming more and more common to use effects. You may be familiar with effects used on guitar, but which ones work well on bass?

Here are the top 5 effects I’ve seen and used most often in my many years as a bass player.

1. Fuzz

A fuzz pedal is a great way to give your basslines that extra bite. A lot of pedals lose the low-end signal, so you’ll want to make sure you get one that retains it. Several fuzz pedals include a blend knob, so you can blend the fuzz effect in with your clean signal to keep the low end. The EHX Bass Big Muff is a popular choice in this category. Read the rest of this entry

They’re called Les Friction, a neo-classical rock band with an epic feel. Think Queen, Muse, Coldplay, etc. They just released their first single “Torture” from their self-titled album. It was featured on iTunes “New and Notable” charts, and the have barely scratched the blogs surface. Crazy right?

Nic Harcourt (KCRW) selected “Torture” as the #1 song of 2011, and Brian May (Queen) quoted that “Nobody, but Nobody out there is doing stuff like Les Friction.”
One of their tracks “Louder Than Words” has also been featured on Harry Potter 2.

Not bad from transmitting their sounds from another dimension.

Check em out!

Guest Post by Chris Shon A dreadlocked Asian and social media/digital-marketing freak that currently represents rising and established artists alike.

We’ve all heard the accusations, especially with older religious groups, that Rock n’ Roll is the Devil’s music. We’ve shrugged that off over the years and even evangelical Christian Rock groups have taken to the sound. But they not have been far off the mark if you believe in legends and have an open mind.

If you are a music lover, musician, and are open minded, I invite you to take the time and listen to a legend. The legend of the beginning of Rock and Roll!

Robert Johnson was a poor, African American man, born in Mississippi in 1911. During his life he became known as The King of the Delta Blues. Robert Johnson however, was not always the a great guitarist. Read the rest of this entry

Do you remember 1987? If not, do you wish you did? Then you need to listen to this podcast.

Joe, Greg and I play a few tunes from that year, discuss some of the movies that were big (and are still relevant today) and revisit a few other pop culture topics.

Click here to listen to Social Blend now.

In the music business, you need to strike while the iron is hot, and take your chances when you get them. You never know when a once in a lifetime opportunity will present itself, and when it does, you need to be ready to step up to the microphone and rock it.

You need an artist management company who knows how to function in the fast paced world of the music business.

Best Kept Secret

The best kept secret in the music business, though, is that, more often than not, “once in a lifetime” opportunities don’t just happen. Most bands and artists who have achieved any degree of success in the business got their big breaks because of someone in the background pulling the right strings and making sure the pieces fell into place so they could get that legitimate shot at success. Most of the time, the ones behind the scenes are aggressive artist managers or artist management companies. Read the rest of this entry

photo credit: B Rosen

At a time when music is gradually perceived as a streamed commodity for most listeners (as opposed to the traditional ownership model which peaked in the era of CDs), we think there is room for new initiatives that will reinvent a sustainable ecosystem for both the end-user and the artist.

We’ve just launched a GLOBAL musical social network bringing together private hosts of house concerts and solo artists. The idea of house concerts has been around for a few years but there have been few attempts to organize it properly on a global level. This will be our challenge. Our ambition is to build the network of hosts during a few months to gain enough traction before launching the first tours. Read the rest of this entry

photo credit: rick

When I heard about Google Music and read a few stories (below), I figured I would jump in with both feet and get in while the gittin is good. Hell, maybe even snag some new listens before everyone and there mother has their tracks streaming and up for sale.

Here are a few quick observations I had when researching and signing up for Google Music. Read the rest of this entry

Image via Wikipedia

Led Zeppelin has gone down in history as one of the biggest bands of all time. I’m here to convince you that they are, in fact, the greatest of them all.

Remembered as the biggest band of the 1970′s, Led Zeppelin gained iconic status through their electrifying live shows. Over time, their popularity hasn’t waned, and they are still one of the most popular bands today. Only reuniting a handful of times, they have remained true to their legacy and will be forever remembered as their classic line-up: Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham.

Here are five reasons why Led Zeppelin is the greatest band of all time. Read the rest of this entry