Category Archives: Music

Bandcamp Day (May 1) recommendations

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Here are a list of things that Scratch My Brain (Jeff) suggests for Bandcamp Day (1 May 2020). For a little context, Bandcamp , the artist focused digital store, is waiving their revenue share on May1, June 5, and July 3 as a way to help support artists who are struggling through the lost work due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is starting to resemble record store day, in that people are putting together special releases just for the day. All of my suggestions are not Bandcamp day only specials, but they are all things that I think readers of this blog might enjoy, so here we go.

Trionomicon (Brad Walker, Matt Booth, and Paul Thibodeaux) This is brand new music, recorded live at the Sidebar in New Orleans, and the download includes some cool bonus videos. NB: I mastered this one.

Elizabeth Joan Kelly makes electronic music and was the guest on the most recent episode of the podcast.

Breakfast for Dinner Records (my label) is also waiving its revenue share on May 1, so all of the revenue really does go to the artists. There are 17 albums on the label, including the new Unanimous Sources record. You can get the whole catalog for 35% off the regular minimum price.

My friends and colleagues Ohmme have some new stuff out as well. Definitely my favorite band made up of two super creative and lovely humans with guitars.

Trapper Keaper Meets Tim Berne & Aurora Nealand is not new, but it is still very good and a bit overlooked, I think. NB: I produced this one.

Podcast – Elizabeth Joan Kelly

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Elizabeth Joan Kelly is a New Orleans-based electronic composer. She uses found sounds and MIDI to create lush soundscapes at the epicenter of synthpop, industrial, ambient, darkwave, and classical music. Her new album, Farewell, Doomed Planet!, released October 25, is about the apocalypse. And Chernobyl wolves. Pollution. And space travel. Existential dread. And whales.

elizabethjoankelly.com

https://elizabethjoankelly.bandcamp.com/

https://store.b4d-records.com

If I can’t hear your band on your band’s website, is it really a band website?

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There is a new record out by a band that is made up of a former student and sometimes colleague. It is quite good. The record is very well produced slightly quirky pop music. Not my usual space, but I really like it. I was going to write a short review and encourage you all to go listen to it. I prefer to link directly to a band’s website, so they can control how their work is presented, instead of a facebook or youtube page. I finally found this band’s website, even though a search of the band’s name and music did not easily get me there.

When i got to the website, I realized I could not listen to the band. The media page only hosts pictures. There is a link to an Instagram account, but no bandcamp, youtube, spotify, apple music…nothing. The pictures are really good, but I am trying to help people HEAR THE MUSIC!!!! Why is hearing the music not the easiest thing to do on your website?

It is kind of a bummer, because the music is pretty good. Hopefully the next thing that catches my ear will have a website with sounds…

Jazz Fest in Place

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WWOZ is playing sets from past Jazz Fests during the times that Jazz Fest would have been happening. Tune in at 90.7 FM in the New Orleans area or www.wwoz.org. Full listings are here: https://www.wwoz.org/640011-jazz-festing-place-cubes

You can hear me at 12:30 pm on Friday, April 24 on the 2018 Luther Kent & Trick Bag set, and at 4:30 pm on Thursday, April 30 on the Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Orchestra set from 2015. There is a two week archive as well

It is almost like having gigs…ok, not really, but it is better than nothing.

On Judging Creative Activity or Sometimes My Kids Teach Me Stuff

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The ranking of creative activity often strikes me as awkward at best, and counter-productive at worst. Competitive cooking shows are a great example. One chef leaves in tears, as I am thinking, “that looks great, pass that plate over here.” “This band is better than that band” always seems like a futile exercise.

Last night we attended the big end of the season high school marching band competition. My daughter is in one of the bands that competed. This competition has a prelims and finals format. They played two great shows. I think the best two shows they have played all season. When the rankings were announced after finals, they did not place as high as many hoped, or expected. There are some natural emotional reactions that can flow out in times like that. But, it made me remember something that my step-son said to me a few years ago.

My step-son, Blake, spent three summers performing on the DCI Tour with the Madison Scouts. (DCI is the highest level of marching band field show in the world. They would be pros, except you have to pay to do it…maybe another post.) At the end of one of Blake’s seasons, as I picked him up at the airport the day after finals, I commented that I thought they should have placed much higher. His response taught me something. He said that they had played one of their best shows of the season, and the audience loved it, and that was what they were there to do; be as good as they could be, and make something that moved people. They did that, and it was a success in his mind.

I feel like that is what my daughter’s band did last night. They performed as well as they could, and people liked it. That’s all that really matters.

…and that third place cheesecake can still make someone VERY happy.