Just in time for x-mas (yeah, just barely in time for the holidays...), Josh Preston recorded a x-mas song and it's available as a free mp3 download by clicking here!!! Enjoy it and pass it around!!!
Happy Holidays from MATM!!
Just in time for x-mas (yeah, just barely in time for the holidays...), Josh Preston recorded a x-mas song and it's available as a free mp3 download by clicking here!!! Enjoy it and pass it around!!!
Like the first man on the moon???
I may be speaking out of turn but I think the Me and the Machine Blog is the first label blog on BlewSpace. Pretty cool. Click on the bit in the middle of the US and that's us. Hi mom.
The New Whole Usuals on ErrorFM-The Waiting Room podcast
This past Wednesday, The Waiting Room sent love to The New Whole Usuals in the form of a sexily bundled podcast. To check out said podcast, click here!!!! Give a listen and let them know you're thinking of them.
Martin Moeh available @ Harvest Records in Asheville, NC
Most of the MATM crew camped out in Asheville this past weekend and played a show @ The Root Bar (see pics from previous posts). While in town, we unleashed the fury of The New Whole Usuals' latest release Martin Moeh on Harvest Records. If you haven't been, it's a kick-ass little indie store on the west side of town. If you're in the area, you've got to check this place out (and grab Martin Moeh for yourself or a friend).
The New Whole Usuals get reviewed in Bullz-Eye!!!
We absolutely had to post this stunningly excellent review of Martin Moeh from Bullz-Eye.com. Check out the review by clicking here.
Thanks Bullz-eye!! We love you guys and if we were a big label and this was the 70's, there would be a big party and we'd all wake up with STDs.
New Posters!!
We'll post links to these soon so you can download them and print them out if you'd like.
How to open-source a record label
It's a reoccurring thought that has been popping up since the label's inception (nearly a year ago now!!). It came up again last night in a conversation with Andrew and it seems like it might make a great deal of sense. We were discussing what the best way to keep the entire band updated on the ongoing progress of The New Whole Usuals might be and I brought this thought to light once again. One of my main gripes with the industry as whole is its utter lack of transparency. The root of this problem could stem from a number of long-running factors. There's no shame in making it up as you go along when it comes to creativity. Hell, that's basis of creativity. You've got to walk before you can run and when you're trying to make money in an industry that is built almost solely on the personal emotions of an artist, you're clearly not dealing with a predicable business model. I'm of the opinion that if you open the doors and let the fans share in the emotional ups and downs of an artist from both a musical and a business standpoint, as a whole, you facilitate the building of a stronger artist/fan relationship as well as the artist/label relationship.
So, with that little diatribe out of the way, let's give this idea a spin. Comments are not only welcomed but strongly encouraged. More on all of this very soon.
So, with that little diatribe out of the way, let's give this idea a spin. Comments are not only welcomed but strongly encouraged. More on all of this very soon.
Guitar Hero
Ok. So a few weeks back in a haze of regression, Bean and I went out and picked up Guitar Hero III for the Xbox 360 (along w/ a few pints of Ben and Jerry's). Being a guitar player, I kinda figured this would be the one video game that I would be able to play without embarrassing myself. While I thought I was the shit by beating it pretty quickly on the medium level, some little 8 year old kid comes along and schools me (and everyone else that ever picked up that guitar-shaped piece of plastic). Here's the video I'm talking about:
Did you know that the new Guitar Hero game sold 1.5 million copies in the first week of release? Amazing.
Did you know that the new Guitar Hero game sold 1.5 million copies in the first week of release? Amazing.
Pictures - The New Whole Usuals After-Party
If Grimey's was any cooler...
we'd all freeze to death. We love Grimey's and it looks like they love us. There is so much love in the post that Care Bears are shielding their eyes in disgust. Grab your copy of The New Whole Usuals debut release Martin Moeh there now.
From 4 Days in the City - The City Paper (Nashville)
From The City Paper (Nashville)
October 25, 2007
NEW WHOLE USUALS
Composer Andrew Dolfie enjoys confounding observers and ignoring conventional wisdom regarding what constitutes “indie rock.” Besides having one of the more unusual and visually compelling publicity designs on a Web page, the New Whole Usuals have gotten plenty of pre-release buzz regarding its new CD Martin Moeh.
Word is that all hype aside, the band does have a fresh, engaging and original sound. A good way to find out whether this is true of not is to check out its CD release party Saturday at the Basement (9 p.m., 1606 Eighth Ave. S., $5, 254-8006) and go on its Web site at thenewwholeusuals.com and see if you don’t agree about the striking appeal of that design.
October 25, 2007
NEW WHOLE USUALS
Composer Andrew Dolfie enjoys confounding observers and ignoring conventional wisdom regarding what constitutes “indie rock.” Besides having one of the more unusual and visually compelling publicity designs on a Web page, the New Whole Usuals have gotten plenty of pre-release buzz regarding its new CD Martin Moeh.
Word is that all hype aside, the band does have a fresh, engaging and original sound. A good way to find out whether this is true of not is to check out its CD release party Saturday at the Basement (9 p.m., 1606 Eighth Ave. S., $5, 254-8006) and go on its Web site at thenewwholeusuals.com and see if you don’t agree about the striking appeal of that design.
The New Whole Usuals on Error FM
Hey everybody!!! Today @ 5pm EST, UK-based Error FM will spin "No Name Sally" by The New Whole Usuals!!! Tune in by clicking here!!!
In other radio related news, Mike Farley's track "All It Is" was played this morning on Sirius Satellite Radio's The Coffeehouse!!!
'Tis a great day for MATM on radio!!!
In other radio related news, Mike Farley's track "All It Is" was played this morning on Sirius Satellite Radio's The Coffeehouse!!!
'Tis a great day for MATM on radio!!!
Mike Farley's New Record is Out Today!!!
Hey guys!! Just wanted to pass along the good news that Mike Farley's new record entitled Moments and Memories came out today!!! This record was produced by yours truly at the Me and the Machine Studios. Click on the tracks below to sample them on iTunes (you can purchase it there as well)!!!
Mike Farley - Moments and Memories
1. With You Gone
2. Moments and Memories
3. All It Is
4. Gone
5. Picket Fence
6. Saturday Night Needs Sunday Morning
7. Tell Them That
8. Square One
9. Home For Good
10. You and Me
11. Say Goodbye
10.02.07
This is fun! I mean getting to work in a business we love. But even more fun than that? Learning that other people are diggin' what we are doing! Check this out. Josh Preston has been chosen as one of UBL.com Artist of the Week! Click here to check it out... we are pretty darned proud of that kid.
New Radiohead Record. Everything changes.
Hey ya'll! So, my man JT called me tonight at around 10pm to let me know about the Radiohead record. He and I talk about music, the music business and the changing tide of all the above on a minute-by-minute basis for the most part. He and I are each Radiohead fans and have been reading in recent weeks about the fact that the new Radiohead record was complete, they were looking for a label and probably wouldn't release the newly completed record until early next year. Also, Radiohead completed their stay w/ Capitol back in 2003 with the release of Hail to the Thief . Hence, they are label-less. On the label front, there had been talk that they were signing w/ ATO but that was never confirmed.
So, I logged onto Radiohead's site after we hung up. The new record is called In Rainbows and comes in two forms. The physical copy contains records, vinyl, extra songs, lyrics sheets; the works. This record will ship in December. The digital copy will be released in 10 days. That's right. 10 days. But it doesn't stop there... You can name your own price for the download. No shit. You name the price, give them your credit card number and you get an email confirmation saying that you'll receive more information closer to the release day. If you think it's worth the transaction fee or 99 pounds; it doesn't matter. What you type in will be charged to your card and that's it. Wow.
This move will play on the psyche of an entire generation of people that have used the web as their main channel of discovering new music. I just hope that when this is all said and done, Radiohead will release the figures of what the average person actually paid. These numbers will make every label in the world shit themselves. Well, maybe.
The second bit is the fact that this move will raise questions about the seeming slap in the face to record stores. At first, I really thought that indie stores will be super pissed and burn Radiohead records in the streets. Well, not so fast. If you stop and think about it, this entire packaging scheme actually drives the value through the fucking roof because Radiohead fans will absolutely go to stores to purchase this uber-cd release. I hope indie record stores take a deep breath before they start smashing Radiohead records in the aisles. With an actual product of value and uniqueness, Radiohead may actually have an incredibly positive impact on driving traffic to record stores. Everything just changed. In the not so distant future, just putting an album out on CD in a jewel case will no longer be enough. Could the box set be the future of physical products? Holy shit.
The last bit is the utter disregard of lead time in press. They are totally avoiding leaks by putting this out all at once. When I first started thinking about this, my immediate concern was that, with no press time, who the hell is going to write about it and review it? It was at this point that I logged into my RSS feed reader to see if anyone was writing about it. Every music blog in the world had a bit about it. I shit you not. It is a music press coup unlike anything the world has ever seen. Most notable and interesting of all, Billboard didn't have a post up about it when I first logged in. Only music blogs. Fans of music. Mainstream press, the folks the industry as a whole is aiming to please is now on the backside playing catch-up.
Sunday is the new Tuesday. Please feel free to post comments and the like.
09.30.07
Hey ya'll! So, my man JT called me tonight at around 10pm to let me know about the Radiohead record. He and I talk about music, the music business and the changing tide of all the above on a minute-by-minute basis for the most part. He and I are each Radiohead fans and have been reading in recent weeks about the fact that the new Radiohead record was complete, they were looking for a label and probably wouldn't release the newly completed record until early next year. Also, Radiohead completed their stay w/ Capitol back in 2003 with the release of Hail to the Thief . Hence, they are label-less. On the label front, there had been talk that they were signing w/ ATO but that was never confirmed. To continue reading, click here.
09.07.07
So you have been missing us? We have been missing you too! So to show our love, we got you a gift. The gift of video! New Brad Sweitzer and Nick Shelton videos are available now! Just follow the magical links... More soon!
Nick Shelton - Marijuana Blues
Brad Sweitzer - Quinn
Nick Shelton - Adriana
Nick Shelton - Marijuana Blues
Brad Sweitzer - Quinn
Nick Shelton - Adriana
New Videos from the gang!!!
So you have been missing us? We have been missing you too! So to show our love, we got you a gift. The gift of video! New Brad Sweitzer and Nick Shelton videos are available now! Just follow the magical links... More soon!
Nick Shelton - Marijuana Blues
Brad Sweitzer - Quinn
Nick Shelton - Adriana
Nick Shelton - Marijuana Blues
Brad Sweitzer - Quinn
Nick Shelton - Adriana
Some questions should be left unanswered
Do you ever have those days where everything you say seems wrong? Well, at least it didn't happen on national television...
JP's Dirty 30 Lists
Ok, this is something I've been doing for a bit and I wanted to share them with you. These are top 30 lists comprised of things I was listening to at the times listed. I typically do them bi-weekly but occasionally I'll crank out one a week.
So, here they are:
Dirty_01.12.07
Dirty_01.26.07
Dirty_02.02.07
Dirty_02.23.07
Dirty_03.23.06
Dirty_04.06.07
Dirty_04.20.07
Dirty_05.04.07
Dirty_06.22.07
Dirty_07.20.07
Dirty_08.10.07
Dirty_08.24.07
Dirty_10.30.06
Dirty_11.30.06
Dirty_12.01.06
Dirty_12.08.06
Dirty_12.15.06
So, here they are:
Dirty_01.12.07
Dirty_01.26.07
Dirty_02.02.07
Dirty_02.23.07
Dirty_03.23.06
Dirty_04.06.07
Dirty_04.20.07
Dirty_05.04.07
Dirty_06.22.07
Dirty_07.20.07
Dirty_08.10.07
Dirty_08.24.07
Dirty_10.30.06
Dirty_11.30.06
Dirty_12.01.06
Dirty_12.08.06
Dirty_12.15.06
08.19.07
Slowly! Slowly! Slowly! I know you have been waiting for our special secret fun news! And so it is time to start giving it to you slowly. Digest it all and keep coming back for more! If you are on our mailing list, you will soon receive yummy tender bits about our newest member of the family. Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome The New Whole Usuals to the MATM lineup. Each week we will give you a little more information. So if you are NOT on the mailing list, click here to sign up.
Greetings
Hey kids!! I hope all is well. It's certainly been a bit so I wanted to drop a quick note to say hello and that we love you. I've been rehearsing with the New Whole Usuals, listening to the newer versions of the incredible new records from Brad and Nick and also recording a bit here and there.
The MATM compound has been pretty busy with guests and the like over the past few days and there are more folks landing tonight. As such, posts should resume next week as planned.
In the meantime, keep listening and we'll keep making stuff.
xxoo
JP
The MATM compound has been pretty busy with guests and the like over the past few days and there are more folks landing tonight. As such, posts should resume next week as planned.
In the meantime, keep listening and we'll keep making stuff.
xxoo
JP
It's been a bit
Wow. What an incredible past few weeks!!??!! The first run of Show 2.0 was a smashing success and we're now planning the next one. You can check out the webcast by clicking here. We're just getting started and this is going to be incredible.
I spent this past weekend in the studio with Nick and we're putting the finishing touches on his next release. Brad was here the weekend prior doing the same thing. Prior to all of this, we signed The New Whole Usuals. These records are going to be mind blowing and I'll fill you in on all of this shortly.
New records, new live stuff, videos, webcasts, blogs, tweets, myspace, del.icio.us, flickr. We're throwing it all in a pot and boiling it up.
07.29.07
Thanks to everyone who came out to Show 2.0 last night, both at the venue and the online video stream. If you missed it, You can still click here to see the show and then head over to the MATM Shop to download one free .mp3 recorded at last night's performance. Just enter the Coupon Code "Show 2.0" during checkout to receive the free .mp3 discount. You can also check out a couple of pix taken by some of the folks at the show. And while you are at it, check out the lyrics sheets and other goodness by clicking here. Hope we see you at the next one. Details coming soon.
07.17.07
Hey guys. Just wanted to drop a quick note letting you know that Josh Preston's new record Rooftop Silhouettes became available today!! It's available at all of your favorite digital distribution outlets including: iTunes, eMusic, Napster, Rhapsody, Urge, etc.
Hope you get a chance to check it out!
Speaking of checking out music... Take a look at our fancy new radio player! You can listen to the full length songs of our whole catalog. Enjoy friends.
Hope you get a chance to check it out!
Speaking of checking out music... Take a look at our fancy new radio player! You can listen to the full length songs of our whole catalog. Enjoy friends.
Released Today!!! "Rooftop Silhouettes" by Josh Preston
Hey guys. Just wanted to drop a quick note letting you know that my new record Rooftop Silhouettes became available today!! It's available at all of your favorite digital distribution outlets including: iTunes, eMusic, Napster, Rhapsody, Urge, etc.
If you're a fan of iTunes, here are links to each song as well as a listing of the songs from my previous record Between Memory and Mortality.
Josh Preston - Rooftop Silhouettes
Josh Preston - see them fall
Josh Preston - rise and fall of love
Josh Preston - i don't want to be your reminder
Josh Preston - harm
Josh Preston - brooklyn
Josh Preston - union street
Josh Preston - blackest butterfly
Josh Preston - quiet yesterday
Josh Preston - would you go
Josh Preston - evidence
Josh Preston - shooting at my feet
Josh Preston - august 1942
Josh Preston - wild flowers
Josh Preston - Between Memory and Mortality
Josh Preston - Picture
Josh Preston - Shopkeeper's Daughter
Josh Preston - Darker Days Behind
Josh Preston - You'll Be Alright
Josh Preston - Annabelle
Josh Preston - Simpler
Josh Preston - Melody
Josh Preston - Keep It On The Inside
Josh Preston - We Are Alone
Josh Preston - Stop
Josh Preston - Already Am
Josh Preston - Ophelia
Josh Preston - Anchor
If you're a fan of iTunes, here are links to each song as well as a listing of the songs from my previous record Between Memory and Mortality.
Josh Preston - Rooftop SilhouettesJosh Preston - see them fall
Josh Preston - rise and fall of love
Josh Preston - i don't want to be your reminder
Josh Preston - harm
Josh Preston - brooklyn
Josh Preston - union street
Josh Preston - blackest butterfly
Josh Preston - quiet yesterday
Josh Preston - would you go
Josh Preston - evidence
Josh Preston - shooting at my feet
Josh Preston - august 1942
Josh Preston - wild flowers
Josh Preston - Between Memory and MortalityJosh Preston - Picture
Josh Preston - Shopkeeper's Daughter
Josh Preston - Darker Days Behind
Josh Preston - You'll Be Alright
Josh Preston - Annabelle
Josh Preston - Simpler
Josh Preston - Melody
Josh Preston - Keep It On The Inside
Josh Preston - We Are Alone
Josh Preston - Stop
Josh Preston - Already Am
Josh Preston - Ophelia
Josh Preston - Anchor
Josh Preston on Random Acts of Music
Hey guys!! I hope all is well. Just wanted to post a little news story and some pics from my taping today for Random Acts of Music. It was a bunch of fun!! I performed "Thousand Years", "Safety Feels The Exit" and "501". I believe the show will be airing in September but I will certainly keep you posted when we get a bit closer to thee air date. For those of you not living in "Cleveland, Medina, Akron, Canton, Mansfield, Youngstown and many other cities in between", it will also be broadcast on the web. And this is cool...it was filmed in HD!! That's right kids. Hi-Def Josh.
07.13.07
Hey guys!! We hope all is well. Just wanted to post a little news story and some pics from Josh Preston's taping today for Random Acts of Music. It was a bunch of fun!! He performed "Thousand Years", "Safety Feels The Exit" and "501". We believe the show will be airing in September but we will certainly keep you posted when we get a bit closer to the air date. For those of you not living in "Cleveland, Medina, Akron, Canton, Mansfield, Youngstown and many other cities in between", it will also be broadcast on the web. And this is cool...it was filmed in HD!! That's right kids. Hi-Def Josh.
Breaking News!!!
Oh hi. This is sexy. According to Wired's music blog Listening Post, the mandated internet royalty rates that were to go into effect on Sunday will not be enforced!! SoundExchange and webcasters will meet to negotiate more reasonable royalty rates in the near future. Better yet, the CRB will not be a part of these negotiations. This is super duper. If you made calls about this matter per savenetradio.org, your calls made a difference and you should pat yourselves on the back. Please go listen to an internet radio station now. We like KEXP.
Listening for the shallow exhale of Internet Radio
Our soapbox is small... However, we've got to stand on it today. Please click here to find out how you can help save internet radio. I can't begin to tell you how many bands I've discovered over the years via Internet radio. Internet radio has given me hope that there truly is great music in our time beyond the fridge-like buzz of terrestrial radio. Many of your favorite artists and bands do not have the financial means to be heard in such an over crowded marketplace and internet radio has given these artists a voice when they otherwise might not get the opportunity to be heard. There are only 2 days left before many webcasters simply disappear. Please take a few seconds of your time and make your voice heard. I'll keep you posted over the next few days about how all of this unfolds.
I stream, Ustream.tv
Super duper label news!!! Today we began work on a deal with a digital distribution outlet called IRIS Distribution. If/once this deal unfolds, it will put Me and the Machine Records music in more than 350 digital distribution outlets worldwide. Needless to say, this is incredibly exciting and I'll keep you posted on our progress. Thanks Ryan.
Ok, as most of you know, we've got a pretty big show coming up at the end of this month. Folks are starting to talk about this one. Simply, this is going to be really cool. I'll drop more details on you as we get a bit closer. In the meantime, I'm starting to broadcast my rehearsals live (and they're being recorded if you can't make the live outing). Here's a link!!!
Don't forget to bookmark this page and throw it in your RSS reader. The sound quality is a bit weak on these first two rehearsals but I'm in the process of finding my stereo mic so it should sound a thousand times better the next time out. We'll throw a link on meandthemachine.com shortly in case you forget...
Ok, time to make the digital donuts!!! See ya soon.
Ok, as most of you know, we've got a pretty big show coming up at the end of this month. Folks are starting to talk about this one. Simply, this is going to be really cool. I'll drop more details on you as we get a bit closer. In the meantime, I'm starting to broadcast my rehearsals live (and they're being recorded if you can't make the live outing). Here's a link!!!
Don't forget to bookmark this page and throw it in your RSS reader. The sound quality is a bit weak on these first two rehearsals but I'm in the process of finding my stereo mic so it should sound a thousand times better the next time out. We'll throw a link on meandthemachine.com shortly in case you forget...
Ok, time to make the digital donuts!!! See ya soon.
Long Holiday!!!
Wow. It's good to be back. It's not that I really went anywhere but I had friends in town so I've been out of the loop. We're gearing up for the Show 2.0 extravaganza that's coming up at the end of the month (July 28th) and I just learned that I'll be playing the Shakespeare in the Park event again this year on September 1st!!! I had a great time playing in the park last year and this year I'm hoping I won't be sick. Last year I was sick as a dog but the show must go on (and it didn't sound that bad)!!! As a matter of fact, my performance from that show is one of my most viewed videos on youtube.com. Here's a link so you can see for yourself...
So, today's post is a quick one but I'll be back again tomorrow with additional news and whatnot. See-ya then.
So, today's post is a quick one but I'll be back again tomorrow with additional news and whatnot. See-ya then.
07.04.07
Happy fourth friends! So we sent out a newsletter the other day (and if you are not on the newsletter list, head over to the Show 2.0 page and sign up!). We are happy to announce that we got a little write up out of it. (People will write anything if you slip 'em a $20. Just kidding, we don't have a $20.) Click here to witness the shout out from CaptainsDead.com.
Josh Preston mentioned on Captain'sDead.com
So yeah, I can see how the tenses might get weird... Anyway, I got a little mention on Captain's Dead.com yesterday!! Thanks for the post guys and thanks to "Matt" for the nice comment. If you should ever reveal yourself "Mystery Matt", I'll buy you a beer.
Nashville Feed Podcast Updates
It's the moment we've all been waiting for. Well it's really the moment we all forgot about but now that it's here, all is right with the world. I'm talking about today's release of Brad Sweizter's podcast for the Nashville Feed . Let me tell you something folks... this is a special performance. There are a few previews from Brad's next record (release date and title to be announced soon) and it truly showcases Brad's talent in a way that has never before been captured on whatever the hell medium captured said performance. As a matter of fact, we also have video from this evening that we'll be synching up with this audio in a short time.
On top of this uncontrollably great news, Josh's podcast has been fixed and that too is now available. It's like x-mas in July which by all accounts is the worst marketing ploy in history. It's like having two separate Valentine's Days. Utterly useless unless your a girl. Yes, I just crossed that line. Goodbye line. If you want to just subscribe via iTunes, click here you sexy thang.
On top of this uncontrollably great news, Josh's podcast has been fixed and that too is now available. It's like x-mas in July which by all accounts is the worst marketing ploy in history. It's like having two separate Valentine's Days. Utterly useless unless your a girl. Yes, I just crossed that line. Goodbye line. If you want to just subscribe via iTunes, click here you sexy thang.
New Feature on the MATM Blog
So like I said in my first post, I'm going to also do my best to pose questions about some of the things I find on the web that may or may not be useful in a music business setting. For instance, there is now a box to the right of this post with text embodied within it. The current top story is "Swaptree to Finally Launch Next Week". I'm just using this post as an example. Basically, if you click on that link and read the post, you'll learn about this new site called Swaptree which apparently is a platform by which two people can swap items. Strange but ok. The question is: How could a barter system like this be useful to musicians? Maybe it can't be useful at all but maybe it's a potential way for bands to tour with one another or cover one another's songs?
Ok, that's just one example. The sites listed and the questions asked about them will more than likely be based more or less around music-centric sites. But who knows? Music is really a part of our everyday lives more than any of us actually realize so I'm willing to bet that unlikely opportunities will present themselves in sites that we least expect. I guess we'll see...
Ok, that's just one example. The sites listed and the questions asked about them will more than likely be based more or less around music-centric sites. But who knows? Music is really a part of our everyday lives more than any of us actually realize so I'm willing to bet that unlikely opportunities will present themselves in sites that we least expect. I guess we'll see...
Tips on productive posting...
Yeah, I've really got to stop posting late at night. Schedule changes seem to be a common theme in my life as of late. I'm just cursed with an inability to sleep. It runs in the family.
Regardless, Andrew stopped by this evening with his friend Alex and we drank wine and waxed philosophical (and practical) about the music business and Andrew's upcoming release. His record is so good it scares me a bit. The label is incredibly fortunate to have such a wealth of talent on all fronts. From the artists to the folks that are helping to put all the career shaping pieces together; we are every lucky to be traveling down a road of integrity when the industry as a whole has been stretched way too far in the opposite direction. I read recently that iTunes is now the number 3 musical retail outlet behind Walmart and Best Buy. If that doesn't grab you by the ears and scream in your face that something is drastically wrong with the way things have been going from a music business standpoint in recent years then I don't know what will.
And please don't get me wrong. That's not to say that iTunes is bad. Not at all. Without them to provide the ultimate mechanism for instant musical gratification, the number 3 outlet may very well be the Home Shopping Network... Hell, it might be in the top 10 anyway!!! Further, labels like Me and the Machine wouldn't have the distribution reach that we currently enjoy. Wow. Ranting a bit this evening. Must have been the wine...
Tomorrow will more than likely bring the re-tracking of vocals for my new tune and a deep investigation into the bass lines on material courtesy of The New Whole Usuals. I've agreed to poke a sharp stick in or around the bass parts in an attempt to learn them. It has been many years since I've even thought about using that part of my brain. Oh, it won't be that bad. It's probably like riding a bike. Of course, the bike in my case has a rusty chain and no handlebars...haha.
Ok, it's tomorrow. Time to sleep. JP
Regardless, Andrew stopped by this evening with his friend Alex and we drank wine and waxed philosophical (and practical) about the music business and Andrew's upcoming release. His record is so good it scares me a bit. The label is incredibly fortunate to have such a wealth of talent on all fronts. From the artists to the folks that are helping to put all the career shaping pieces together; we are every lucky to be traveling down a road of integrity when the industry as a whole has been stretched way too far in the opposite direction. I read recently that iTunes is now the number 3 musical retail outlet behind Walmart and Best Buy. If that doesn't grab you by the ears and scream in your face that something is drastically wrong with the way things have been going from a music business standpoint in recent years then I don't know what will.
And please don't get me wrong. That's not to say that iTunes is bad. Not at all. Without them to provide the ultimate mechanism for instant musical gratification, the number 3 outlet may very well be the Home Shopping Network... Hell, it might be in the top 10 anyway!!! Further, labels like Me and the Machine wouldn't have the distribution reach that we currently enjoy. Wow. Ranting a bit this evening. Must have been the wine...
Tomorrow will more than likely bring the re-tracking of vocals for my new tune and a deep investigation into the bass lines on material courtesy of The New Whole Usuals. I've agreed to poke a sharp stick in or around the bass parts in an attempt to learn them. It has been many years since I've even thought about using that part of my brain. Oh, it won't be that bad. It's probably like riding a bike. Of course, the bike in my case has a rusty chain and no handlebars...haha.
Ok, it's tomorrow. Time to sleep. JP
I can barely hear anything.
Ok, that's a bit dramatic but somewhat true. I've been in the studio all weekend and it's been really incredible. I almost finished an entire record with Mike Farley. It's about 11 of Farley's tunes recorded acoustically. I love making records. It's a really great learning experience and the process helps me to listen to thing a bit differently. We recorded guitars and lead vocals on Saturday and did extra guitars and backing vocals today. Everything was chugging along swimmingly until the power went out this afternoon when we had just started doing backing vocals on one of the tunes. The computer shut off and when I rebooted it and reopened the track and all of the sound waves in the editing window disappeared. I tried to re-import the .aif files and then Pro Tools wouldn't allow me to save anything. So in the middle of the afternoon I un-installed and then re-installed Pro Tools on my computer. That worked!! This probably sounds boring as shit to many of you and for that I am sorry but it's hard to explain the happiness that washed over me when I realized that my computer didn't die. Indescribable joy.
So yeah, we tracked a bit more and we called it a day. I sent the tracks off and now we'll listen to it for a bit and crank out final edits next weekend. Good times.
So, I was mulling around a bit after I bounced the tracks down and decided to record a new song that I wrote a few weeks ago called "501". I'm really pretty happy with it. The drums sound great and the mix seems really rich and full. I'm sure tomorrow when my ears have rested, I'll probably have to remix the whole thing (I'm probably going to redo the vocals anyway so it's no big deal). Regardless, it's pretty cool and I'm starting to compile a list of songs for my next record.
The week to come will be busy!! If I'm going to make it through, I've really got to crash out.
So yeah, we tracked a bit more and we called it a day. I sent the tracks off and now we'll listen to it for a bit and crank out final edits next weekend. Good times.
So, I was mulling around a bit after I bounced the tracks down and decided to record a new song that I wrote a few weeks ago called "501". I'm really pretty happy with it. The drums sound great and the mix seems really rich and full. I'm sure tomorrow when my ears have rested, I'll probably have to remix the whole thing (I'm probably going to redo the vocals anyway so it's no big deal). Regardless, it's pretty cool and I'm starting to compile a list of songs for my next record.
The week to come will be busy!! If I'm going to make it through, I've really got to crash out.
It makes sense to start here...
so here's where I'll start. I've been pondering this for a very long time and pondering will only take you so far. It's time to put these thoughts down to not only sort them out but to also helpfully tell a story. This blog has been used for news and other bits but only as informal posts. My goal with this blog is to really tell the story of the label from both an artist and an owner standpoint and keep everyone (including myself) up to date with all that is happening with our musical experiment on all fronts. If we license a track or sign a new band or get a great little bit of press somewhere, I want to share this experience from all points with you - to enjoy not only the music but to also share in the experience and journey as we build this little label and make these songs our best friends. It might be completely foolish but what better time than now to tell the story of an upstart indie record label in a time when the industry is completely falling to shit? I mean it's completely falling apart and no one can figure out how to keep the sky strung up. It's a brilliant and exciting time to actually care about music and artists. I know this all sounds a bit presumptuous but let's see where it goes. If you have any ideas or comments, please feel free to post them and I'll do my best to respond. Ok, now that we're all here, stay tuned and thanks for sharing.
Josh Preston
Josh Preston
06.22.07
Ok. So we re a little slow on the upswing, but our friends at music blog Berkeley Place gave us some props, specifically gave Nick Shelton props last week and we wanted to share. This is some funny poop. Nick is their official soundtrack to this pic.
Chipmunk recreation
And while we were reading back through the blog, we found this little big shout out to Brad! Who's that at number 5?
Chipmunk recreation
And while we were reading back through the blog, we found this little big shout out to Brad! Who's that at number 5?
06.18.07
Summer is in full swing and the MATM crew is hard at work. We're out on the road quite a bit in the coming months, and hope we will get to see you! Keep checking back cause there is even more to see!
06.28.07
It's the moment we've all been waiting for. Well it's really the moment we all forgot about but now that it's here, all is right with the world. I'm talking about today's release of Brad Sweizter's podcast for the Nashville Feed. Let me tell you something folks... this is a special performance. There are a few previews from Brad's next record (release date and title to be announced soon) and it truly showcases Brad's talent in a way that has never before been captured on whatever the hell medium captured said performance. As a matter of fact, we also have video from this evening that we'll be synching up with this audio in a short time.
On top of this uncontrollably great news, Josh's podcast has been fixed and that too is now available. It's like x-mas in July which by all accounts is the worst marketing ploy in history. It's like having two separate Valentine's Days. Utterly useless unless your a girl. Yes, I just crossed that line. Goodbye line. If you want to just subscribe via iTunes, click here you sexy thang.
On top of this uncontrollably great news, Josh's podcast has been fixed and that too is now available. It's like x-mas in July which by all accounts is the worst marketing ploy in history. It's like having two separate Valentine's Days. Utterly useless unless your a girl. Yes, I just crossed that line. Goodbye line. If you want to just subscribe via iTunes, click here you sexy thang.
MATM News - 06.01.07
You will never guess what we did this week. Ok, maybe you will. In fact, if you don't get it, we might have to question your overall intellectual capacity. Now, that is just not nice.
This week we redesigned the Me and the Machine site! All the same goodness you have come to love, with a little easier navigation. You can now listen to any song from our entire catalog using the new radio player on the right. Click around and enjoy!
This week we redesigned the Me and the Machine site! All the same goodness you have come to love, with a little easier navigation. You can now listen to any song from our entire catalog using the new radio player on the right. Click around and enjoy!
06.01.07
You will never guess what we did this week. Ok, maybe you will. In fact, if you don't get it, we might have to question your overall intellectual capacity. Now, that is just not nice.
This week we redesigned the Me and the Machine site! All the same goodness you have come to love, with a little easier navigation. You can now listen to any song from our entire catalog using the new radio player on the right. Click around and enjoy!
This week we redesigned the Me and the Machine site! All the same goodness you have come to love, with a little easier navigation. You can now listen to any song from our entire catalog using the new radio player on the right. Click around and enjoy!
MATM News - 05.28.07
Yo! Just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who cae out to see Josh perform in New Mexico last week. The crowd was awesome and we have all fallen in love with New Mexico. So expect to see the whole gang there soon. You can also expect some more tour news very soon. We are working on some new stuff that we will share with you very soon. Stay tuned!
05.28.07
Yo! Just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who cae out to see Josh perform in New Mexico last week. The crowd was awesome and we have all fallen in love with New Mexico. So expect to see the whole gang there soon. You can also expect some more tour news very soon. We are working on some new stuff that we will share with you very soon. Stay tuned!
MATM News - 05.18.07
So this is funny. Josh has been pretty busy. (That is not the funny part.) He wrote a country song (THAT is the funny part). Not like YESTERDAY or anything, but he wrote it with our bff Aaron Brotherton. And we just found out that it will be played on Sirius Satellite Radio on Monday night on their Prime Country (61) channel, right around 11pm eastern. So check that out if you can.
Josh's other ventures? I thought you would never ask. As of this moment, he is getting drunk in New Mexico... I mean working the room in a world of indie music folks... ok, drinking. But tomorrow, he will be speaking on a panel at the Hyperactive Music Festival as well as playing at the Wyndham Airport hotel for the Hyperactive tradeshow acoustic sets in the afternoon and a full set tomorrow night. Phew!! Click here to get more info... and thanks always for your support!
Josh's other ventures? I thought you would never ask. As of this moment, he is getting drunk in New Mexico... I mean working the room in a world of indie music folks... ok, drinking. But tomorrow, he will be speaking on a panel at the Hyperactive Music Festival as well as playing at the Wyndham Airport hotel for the Hyperactive tradeshow acoustic sets in the afternoon and a full set tomorrow night. Phew!! Click here to get more info... and thanks always for your support!
05.18.07
So this is funny. Josh has been pretty busy. (That is not the funny part.) He wrote a country song (THAT is the funny part). Not like YESTERDAY or anything, but he wrote it with our bff Aaron Brotherton. And we just found out that it will be played on Sirius Satellite Radio on Monday night on their Prime Country (61) channel, right around 11pm eastern. So check that out if you can.
Josh's other ventures? I thought you would never ask. As of this moment, he is getting drunk in New Mexico... I mean working the room in a world of indie music folks... ok, drinking. But tomorrow, he will be speaking on a panel at the Hyperactive Music Festival as well as playing at the Wyndham Airport hotel for the Hyperactive tradeshow acoustic sets in the afternoon and a full set tomorrow night. Phew!! Click here to get more info... and thanks always for your support!
Josh's other ventures? I thought you would never ask. As of this moment, he is getting drunk in New Mexico... I mean working the room in a world of indie music folks... ok, drinking. But tomorrow, he will be speaking on a panel at the Hyperactive Music Festival as well as playing at the Wyndham Airport hotel for the Hyperactive tradeshow acoustic sets in the afternoon and a full set tomorrow night. Phew!! Click here to get more info... and thanks always for your support!
MATM News - 04.15.07
Thanks to everyone who came out to check out the recording of the Nashville Feed podcast. Once the podcast has been put online, we will let you know so you can give it a listen. We also wanted to let you know that there are a bunch of cool new shows coming up. I want to point out the shows Brad Sweitzer is doing as he will be opening up for our new friends SkyHi. You really need to check these guys out. They are a great live band and if you don't have a blast at their show, you might wanna check your pulse.
04.15.07
Thanks to everyone who came out to check out the recording of the Nashville Feed podcast. Once the podcast has been put online, we will let you know so you can give it a listen. We also wanted to let you know that there are a bunch of cool new shows coming up. I want to point out the shows Brad Sweitzer is doing as he will be opening up for our new friends SkyHi. You really need to check these guys out. They are a great live band and if you don't have a blast at their show, you might wanna check your pulse.
MATM News - 04.09.07
We're are so excited! Wanna know why? Well, we'll tell you. This Thursday, Josh and Brad will be doing a live podcast here in Nashville. More info on that below. Nick will also be performing on Thursday in Huntington, WV. Lots of great music to be heard if you are anywhere near us!
The Nashville Feed is a podcast and daily blog featuring music and culture about and from Nashville. Reaching thousands worldwide, it is becoming a source for people looking for information and music with different perspectives of and about Nashville. So check it out!!!!
The Nashville Feed is a podcast and daily blog featuring music and culture about and from Nashville. Reaching thousands worldwide, it is becoming a source for people looking for information and music with different perspectives of and about Nashville. So check it out!!!!
04.09.07
We are so excited! Wanna know why? Well, we'll tell you. This Thursday, Josh and Brad will be doing a live podcast here in Nashville. More info on that below. Nick will also be performing on Thursday in Huntington, WV. Lots of great music to be heard if you are anywhere near us!
The Nashville Feed is a podcast and daily blog featuring music and culture about and from Nashville. Reaching thousands worldwide, it is becoming a source for people looking for information and music with different perspectives of and about Nashville. So check it out!!!!
The Nashville Feed is a podcast and daily blog featuring music and culture about and from Nashville. Reaching thousands worldwide, it is becoming a source for people looking for information and music with different perspectives of and about Nashville. So check it out!!!!
MATM News - 03.26.07
Now aren't we the chatty ones. Josh Preston has continued with his little "busy as a bee" mentality. (What does that even mean? I see bees flying around leisurely, no where to go. WE do more than THEY do.) But we digress. On the Media page, Josh has posted his first installment of the "Dirty 30" song list. Or you can click here to see what lovely tunes corrupt that boy's brain.
03.26.07
Now aren't we the chatty ones. Josh Preston has continued with his little "busy as a bee" mentality. (What does that even mean? I see bees flying around leisurely, no where to go. WE do more than THEY do.) But we digress. On the Media page, Josh has posted his first installment of the "Dirty 30" song list. Or you can click here to see what lovely tunes corrupt that boy's brain.
MATM News - 03.25.07
Che Che Check it. So Josh Preston has been busy this weekend and we wanted to tell you about it. If you check on his Myspace page, you will see the fruits of his labor. A brand new song called "Safety Feels the Exit", written and recorded this weekend at MATM headquarters! Hope you dig it.
03.25.07
Che Che Check it. So Josh Preston has been busy this weekend and we wanted to tell you about it. If you check on his Myspace page, you will see the fruits of his labor. A brand new song called "Safety Feels the Exit", written and recorded this weekend at MATM headquarters! Hope you dig it.
MATM News - 03.20.07
We have good news. Nick Shelton and Brad Sweitzer both have new websites! You should check them out if you have some time... and we mean really, if you are spending time reading this news section, you really should take an extra time and go look them over. In fact, we are going to cut this short just for you.
www.nicksheltonmusic.com
www.thegoodbradsweitzer.com
Go now!
www.nicksheltonmusic.com
www.thegoodbradsweitzer.com
Go now!
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