I was never sure what to think of Blip.fm but after finally getting around to using it, I think it is pretty damn cool.

Quickly, for those who do not know, Blip.fm is basically a place where you find songs and “Blip” (share) them instantly on places like Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, etc.

It is pretty cool sharing tunes with anyone and everyone how might be be passing by one of your profiles.

The other awesome thing about Blip.fm is clicking around and checking out other “DJ’s” playlists. The diversity you can find from one tune to the next will make anyone reading this blog (ie Musigoats) very happy.

The one drawback being that many times you can’t get a good studio version of a tune or you just can’t find a tune. Still fun though.

Overall it is just one big sharing happy, music loving community that I highly recommend.

Anyway, if you like my podcasts, you might dig my Blip.fm channel. I haven’t been Blipping a ton but I am more and more everyday. Stop by, grab a profile, add me as a freind and start blipping.

P.S.  Hey artists and bands. Just a thought. I can envision this as being a pretty slick way to share your own music and help you get some more ears on your art.

If sofas could sing
They’d sing about Greg Kramer’s
Producing talent

Main Booth at SofaSongs Studio

What inspired you to start SofaSongs?

I have always been a songwriter and I wanted my own facility to record and produce my stuff as well as, my friends’ music and other projects. Since I didn’t always have the funds to go out and book recording time whenever I wanted, having my own studio was the best alternative.

Is there any particular story behind the name?

Yes there is. For about 6 years, my studio was located in my living room (the control room was the dining room). I would use my whole house for projects (the kitchen: vocals; the living room: drums/hard wood floors; the bedrooms: amp isolation, etc.) So, when I wanted to name my business, I thought….Couchtunes?…Nah; Living Room Music?…Nah; Sofasongs? That’s the one!

What are you most excited about when you start working with a new artist?

What excites me about working with a new artist, is helping them accomplish the vision they have for their music. Creating music is what I LOVE to do, so ANY WAY I can help them, from production ideas, to vocal arrangement/production, to song arrangement, to engineering ideas, to instrumentation, etc. is great. Any way I can be of service to my clients, in accomplishing their goals.

What would you consider your specialty?

I would consider vocal arrangement/production probably my specialty. Also the production experience I have learned over the years, working with some great producers (James Guthrie, Barry Rudolph, Allan Blazek, Daniel Moore and others). Getting what my clients want down on tape, or on the hard drive (so to speak).

What are your favorite programs and brands to use?

I am currently using Cubase recording software, and Audient (from England) microphone preamplifiers (plus others). I love my Pearlman TM-1 mics (like a custom built U-47), GT mics and many others, as well as a lot of analog processing equipment, etc. For full list of my stuff, please go to my website: www.sofasongs.com.

We hear you are a musician yourself, what do you play?

I play bass and rhythm guitar. I am also a Lead Vocalist and, I can do complete background harmony sections.

Do you prefer to record a certain genre of music? If so which genre?

I probably prefer to record the types I have had more experience with (Rock, Blues, Rock/Pop, Country, Hard Rock, Pop, Contemporary Christian, Worship and others) but, I am always open to something new!!

Check Out Greg Kramer and SofaSongs here

Break it down for us
Tim Permanent, make us dance
You make great avant-pop

TimPermanent (Yes, it is one word on purpose)

Tim, we hear you are about the release your new EP Marker, what have been the best and worst parts about recording it?

I would say the best and worst parts, both, are that I wrote and recorded the whole thing myself, alone. Being that I had full creative control was very much a plus but I am limited by my own resources. The only exception is that I had the help of Niki Haris who co-wrote “Black & White” with me, which was such a huge gift.

What song means the most to you and why?

The song “Asymmetrical” means the most to me as it came out as a rebuttal almost. I am not sure if it sounds like that but there most certainly was very high emotion at the time I was writing it. I was having a very hard go at things at the time and was struggling. Life was throwing me loads and loads of challenges and I was really doing everything I could to just be ok.

What inspires you to write a song?

I don’t know where the songs come from, really—they just kind of come. Sometimes it feels like I am like a vessel, like the songs happen to me. Then sometimes when I want to write I can’t.

Sometimes there is like an urge, like an itch I need to scratch and I go and press record and an hour later an entire production is done.  The opening song “Extraordinary” happened like that. I guess sometime they come at times of high emotion too but that’s not always the rule either. Hmm….

If you could have had any one artist contribute to your album, who would that be?

I guess it would have to be my very first and only real idol Michael Stipe of REM.

Describe your live show to us. Is there anything you expect to be different with these new songs?

I find it important to really connect on stage with each song’s truth .That being said, my show is very theatrical, not in visual way but I am a performer.  I engage in my songs live. I have already been performing most of these new songs, that’s how I knew to release them. My shows are like the test market for the releases.

Have you ever had anything embarrassing happen to you while performing?

Since I write and produce most of my music electronically I have been known to perform to tracks, like on a CD. And there have been times when the CD has skipped and that can be embarrassing. First, because I’m performing to a friggin’ CD but also I’d be right in the middle of some intense vocal or something and then clip, clip, clip, clip ——- it’s like AH!!!!! WTF!!!  HEY SOUND GUY! would you mind skipping ahead to the next track or maybe I’ll take the opportunity to play an acoustic song. Maybe someday I will have a band.

What have been some of your main musical influences?

REM, New Order, Depeche Mode, Missing Persons, Missy Elliot, Tori Amos, Madonna, Digable Planets, Mary J Blige, MIA, Imogen Heap, Peter Gabriel, Radiohead, Joan Osborne, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, throw in a ton of dance music too- techno, house, jungle, triphop, drum n bass- this list could go on and on and on and on-

In the spirit of the Halloween season, what has been your favorite costume you’ve dressed up as?

Honestly, I make an incredibly convincing girl. The only time I ever dressed in drag was on Halloween and I used to do it every year on Halloween and I loved it! I love it because I would dress like a regular girl not like a crazy drag queen and nobody would even know it was me. I would go and see friends and people that I knew wouldn’t even think twice. They would just think I was some strange girl because I wouldn’t talk. There was something fantastic about it!  I haven’t done it in 5 or 6 years but this question has brought out the memory of how much I enjoyed it so maybe I will do it this year.

Check out TimPermanent here or on Facebook

Here’s another episode of Craniumelody over on Social Blend. this time the guys and I tried to come up with music to share that is the soundtrack to our lives (not and easy task by the way).

Also, we have some pretty interesting discussions on other things like the Rock Against Drugs campaign of the 80′s and and the one and only Kiss album to never go platinum or gold.

Go listen to Social Blend Cranium Melody now.

He’s great on guitar
Leave some talent for others
“Alright” Gary Melvin?

Guitarist Gary Melvin, he’s got a Bachelors a Masters and a whole lotta talent

What do you think the qualities of a great guitarist are?

I think the qualities of a great guitarist are also the qualities that would describe any great musician, on any instrument.  Specifically, I believe three of the most important qualities are time, tone and technique.

Time feel (aka groove or pocket) connects with that primal affinity for rhythm and pulse that nearly all humans (and even some animals) share.  Tone is each player’s auditory expression or representation of how they hear music— you might even call this the expression of a player’s soul.  Technique is the basic ability to maneuver and manipulate the instrument to achieve the music you desire, as well as a form of respect for the instrument and the discipline and practice required to gain facility. They are a big part of all genres and styles of music, and are foundational skills that all other elements of a player’s ability are built upon.

Can you do any cool tricks on guitar like play behind your head?

I can’t say that I’ve ever tried that, but generally speaking I don’t really go for tricks or gimmicks on the guitar.  I guess they have their place, but it’s not something I’m interested in being able to do.  I prefer to focus on music and songwriting. I’ll leave the tricks for someone else to handle.

What was your favorite part about touring with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons?

Without a doubt the best part about touring with Frankie was getting to perform for a different crowd every night.  In addition to simply being intensely fun and enjoyable, I also learned a lot about the dynamic of being on the road a lot, and the focus that’s required in order to be consistent and on top of my game while dealing with new venues, sound situations, energy levels from the crowd, technical anomalies, etc.  There really is nothing that can take the place of solid amounts of touring experience. It’s a whole lot different than playing guitar alone in your bedroom.

Why did you choose to title your first album Spare Time? Did you see your original music as more of a hobby at that time?

Music, whether original or otherwise, has never been a hobby for me. I’ve known for a long time that my purpose in life is to make music and share it with those who may be inspired by listening to it.  I chose the title Spare Time for my first record because I was writing and recording it during breaks from being on the road with Frankie Valli.  I have made several other records as part of other bands I was involved with, but this was my first solo album, and with the way in which it came about and was created, the title seemed to fit.

You chose to name your second album Trust, because the theme of trust runs throughout it. Why is that an important topic for you to write about?

I believe trust is one of those incredibly important human connections that are often taken for granted.  It’s present in every aspect of a relationship, whether it’s a simple friendship or a 50 year marriage.  Even further, we have to trust those we don’t know, like the other drivers on the road who we hope follow the same rules we do, or the men and women who teach our children or mend our broken bones.

Trust is everywhere, and if it gets broken or violated, it’s one of the most difficult things to mend.  It goes hand in hand with love, and yet it isn’t addressed as often or as in depth as trust is.  Trust also happened to be something I was thinking about quite a lot after the end of a relationship, and it became somewhat of a study of mine as I wrote the songs that are on the album.

What do you thing is the biggest benefit to learning guitar in school vs. self-teaching?

I believe the biggest benefit can be the community of students that you are a part of at a music school.  If you find a good program that is filled with talented students, you can potentially learn just as much from playing with them (if not more) than from the classes you take.

Music school is (hopefully) much more than sitting in desks and reading books.  I benefited heavily from all the numerous playing and performing opportunities at the schools I attended, as well as the experienced teachers and mentors I studied under.  You definitely have to be motivated enough to seek out all the potential benefits in any music school situation. You don’t improve your playing simply by attending.  If you get involved with the musician community at your school, it’s like having 100 teachers as opposed to 10.  It’s almost like being part of musical tribe – everyone has something to offer or learn from, regardless of whether or not they play the same instrument as you.

You have a song called “Behave.”  What was one of the worst things you did as a child?

The song “Behave” is more about not rushing into love, but to answer your question…I wasn’t much of a problem child, although maybe my parents would have a different story for you.  The “bad” things I did usually involved getting myself hurt or into situations where I’d need to be rescued or at least removed.  I remember being a little kid and wandering into a pen with a ram in it that, well… rammed me.  I also remember that hurting quite a bit.  I definitely learned my lesson after that one.

Find Gary on his website, Facebook, or Tumblr

This is Jeremy from the Fingertips web site and it’s time again for a quick look at the best free and legal downloads featured there last month. If you want some background on what this is all about, check out the May edition, in which I more fully introduced myself.

Week 1:
“The Organ Grinder” – The Migrant
What begins as a simple, plaintive guitar-and-voice composition acquires offhand grandeur as a graceful parade of instruments (accordion, melodica, organ, various percussive devices) add their voices to the mix. (Read the entire review.)

(Other artists featured week 1: Eux Autres, Jenny Wilson)

Week 2:
“I Walked” – Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens returns, in an electronic-based setting, singing a poignant, affecting tale of lost love. (Read the entire review.)

(Other artists featured week 2: Laura Veirs & Mount Analog, Goodtimes Goodtimes)

Week 3:
“Cockleburrs and Hay” – Jared Mees & the Grown Children
An engaging, homespun hoedown featuring an ongoing tension between its cosmopolitan lyrical concerns and its back-porch, fiddle-fronted ambiance. (Read the entire review.)

(Other artists featured week 3: John Vanderslice, Liam Singer)

Week 4:
“Doubles” – Amy Bezunartea
“Doubles” is a small gem, combining a swaying, mournful melody with a deft lyrical touch; don’t miss this one. (Read the entire review.)

(Other artists featured week 4: The Fresh and Onlys, Justin Townes Earle)

You can read the reviews and listen to the free and legal MP3s on Fingertips every week. Better yet, subscribe to the RSS feed and you’ll never miss any of the songs.

Thanks again for taking a look and giving a listen. Keep reading Musicgoat and I’ll be back in early October with the September highlights from Fingertips.

The Spies have some nerve
To air the revolt on TV
We all want to see

The Spies are: Mark Matkevich, Leo Francis, Adrian Barrio, and Dylan Giagni
Names do not correspond with picture above, The Spies wish to remain a mystery

Explain to us the title of your album, Televolution?

LF:   The idea for the title came as a response to an old spoken word piece by Gil Scott Heron called ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’. Now, when it was written, the sentiment was that it was directed to the underground. The individual thinkers were not the people who sat in front of the evening news, they wanted to know what was really going on. They wanted to affect real change. But with the advent of the internet and independent media, they could then use these technologies as an effective tool. In our culture today, everything is televised and covered by media. Every little move we make is tweeted and blogged about and posted on Facebook immediately. I began thinking that today, the title may have been ‘The Revolution Will Be Televised’. Then I just pushed the words together to make it catchy.

Leo and Mark, you both moved to LA from Philadelphia, what was reasoning behind that decision?

LF:   Warmer weather and hot girls in bikinis. Seriously. Also, I heard that there are many a music  and acting scene here.

MM: I actually moved from Philly to NYC, where I lived for 3 years, then to LA.  I was flying to LA to audition a lot, my lease was up in New York, so I moved.  So, I guess the answer is acting…and homelessness .

What song seems to get the best crowd response live?

MM:   I would say 2 songs.  “You Got Some Nerve,” which gets the dance groove going, and “National Pastime.”  Craig Finn of The Hold Steady once said that their “songs are sing along songs” so is “National Pastime.”

AB:  “Shatterproof” or “You Got Some Nerve”

Mark, you recently got out of acting, what was your favorite acting experience?

MM:  Haha.  You make it sound like I escaped from Rikers Island.  I’d have to say my first TV gig I guess, which was on Law and Order: SVU.  It was a scene with Chris Meloni.  It was their first season, and he was fresh off of shooting Oz for HBO.  I guess he was still holding on to that character’s prison mentality, because he kicked my ass in an interrogation scene.  I was like wait, I’ve taken a stage combat class, and you’re not supposed to really hit people!  It was great. Three cheers for method acting.

In the 90s boy bands, there was always the sexy one, the baby, the goofy one, and the smart/sensitive one in a band, what role are the members of The Spies?

MM:   I would say Dylan is the Tin Man, Adrian is BA Baracus, Leo is Luke Skywalker, and I am of course, Bill Murray.

LF: Mark is the sexy one, Adrian is the goofy one, Dylan is the baby, and I guess that leaves me as the smart sensitive one….though I am not sure anyone else would use that to describe me…except my mother. I’m more like the edgy one….like that one Backstreet Boy that was allowed to grow a beard and get his ears pierced, or maybe it’s more like we are all the goofy one.

Have you ever been mistaken for Russian spies?

LF:  Not since we changed our names from Sergei, Boris, Stalin and Lenin, and stopped calling everyone ‘Ruskie’.

DG:  Only once, but by the Russians. Apparently I look a lot like one of their operatives. They were actually very gentle about the whole mix up.

What was the craziest thing you ever saw that you weren’t supposed to see?

MM:  The Philadelphia Phillies winning the 2008 World Series.  Awesome.

AB:   A prehistoric flying turkey in Philadelphia, on tour.

DG:  Don’t tell him I said this, but I saw Leo changing out of his super hero costume.

What 3 personalized tools would you each have on your Swiss army knife?

DG:   A drum key, a salt shaker filled with Lawry’s salt, and a Japanese kataha saw.

LF:   Guitar tuner, guitar pick, and my Netflix account.

MM:   Adrian Barrio, Leo Francis, and Dylan Giagni.  But only if I could be a tool on theirs.  Ok, now this interview is getting weird.

Find out more about The Spies on Facebook or here

I stumbled onto a blog post by an Indie musician name John Ritter. Check out what he says about finding good advice about pursuing a life in music.

“It’s hard to get good advice about making a life in music. Like many a great song, making a living in music is like fumbling around in a dark room until you somehow trip over the chorus. There is no right way, no wrong way and plenty of shortcuts that lead nowhere. This is why the books don’t necessarily help and why it is imperative to understand that advice from anyone, be it friends, enemies, grandparents or me, is only advice and we should always salt our advice well before eating.” – Josh Ritter

Nice huh?