RapCritic on “
Top 7 Worst Lyrics I’ve Ever Heard… in March (2012)“
February 23, 2012
MUES Takes on ASS
Mues looks at music with a cynical, yet hopeful eye in
“MUES Reviews”
Mues Reviews BIG Sean – “Dance (Ass)”
http://blip.tv/play/hr9WguCZHgI.html?p=1http://a.blip.tv/api.swf#hr9WguCZHgI
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@muesproductions
February 8, 2012
RapCritic Takes on "Top 8 Best Rap Songs of 2011"
RapCriticTakes on “Top 8 Best Rap Songs of 2011″
Utilizing his ability to look past a beat and analyze rap lyrics, Rap Critic deconstructs the words of some of your favorite rappers.
Remember, though: you don’t have to like his opinions,
but he doesn’t have to like Their song!
February 4, 2012
We Welcome our newest Partner…MUES
As of today we welcome MUES to the family of Reviewers !
Mues looks at pop music with a cynical, yet hopeful eye in
“MUES Reviews”
Mues Reviews Katy Perry – The one that Got away
http://blip.tv/play/hr9WguqWAwI.html?p=1
Welcome Mues to NobodyCaresShow.com
November 29, 2011
SONGWRITING TIPS TO MAKE YOUR SONGS MORE SPECIAL
by Gary Ewer
Songwriting can be an excellent way to express feelings and emotion, but let’s not forget about one of the most important parts of the process. When you write there should be something special about the song. Good songs need that undefinable magic. Gary Ewer has compiled a few tips to make your songs more special.
1. Every song you write needs to show something innovative, something unique that sets it apart from all the other songs that you’ve written. You can go a long way toward this goal by never starting two songs in a row in the same way. If you started with a chord progression to create your last song, you need to start your next one in a completely different way. Don’t use a formula!
2. Try to incorporate an interesting instrument, or instrumental effect, in most of your songs. It can be the difference that grabs people’s attention. What would McCartney’s “Mull of Kintyre” be without the bagpipes? But it doesn’t even need to be that obvious. Even if you’re using a band with a set instrumentation, you can do things in performance that puts a mark of uniqueness on the sound of your songs.
3. Allow your songs’ intros to make a statement. An intro is your songs first and almost only chance to grab people’s attention. Do something creative, something imaginative. An intro can be used to set up a hook, give melodic shapes that come from the rest of the song, and introduce the song’s mood. It’s an opportunity that can be wasted if you’re not careful.
4. Make changes to loudness levels (dynamics) throughout your song. Sometimes a song can sound boring, and all it takes is the drama that comes from changing quickly from softs to louds and back again.
When I critique songs that are sent to me, the most common issue I encounter is “sameness”: nothing stands out. Nothing makes a statement, and the whole song sounds the same from beginning to end.
So for every song you write, make a recording of it,and ask yourself, “What’s special about this song that sets it apart from anything else I’ve ever written? If you can’t answer that question easily, you’ve got to make changes if you want to make an impact.
November 28, 2011
Why Short Descriptions for Your Albums Are Important
by Brad B. at CD Baby
Don’t Forget to Fill Out the Short Description on Your CD Baby Album Page
Your Short Album Description is the text that appears under your album artwork on your CD Baby album page. This is the spot where you can provide a quick summary of the music on your CD, some details on your specific style, or really any brief info you feel is vital to your release. This is different than the Album Notes, which is the larger section that appears at the bottom of your page and allows you ample space for longer-form text. The Short Album Description is very useful, unless you don’t use it.
We see a lot of pages where this section is left blank, and while you’re certainly not required to write anything in there, there are some advantages to doing so. It’ll probably only take you a few minutes, and it can make a big difference. Here’s why.
This is your chance to make a first impression. You might assume that most of the traffic to your page is coming from your direct links, but there are plenty of other ways people might end up there. Most of these people probably know nothing about you. If you’ve got nothing there but your album art and your song titles, it still might not give them a good idea of what you’re about. Let ‘em know why they should listen to you!
It enhances your CD Baby search results. Your Short Album Description accompanies your artist name and album title in search results on CDBaby.com, as well as in the listings if someone is just browsing albums. Providing some text that might catch their eye might lead to a click-through to your album page, where they can hear your music and learn even more about you.
People who want to write about you need copy to grab, or at least a place to start. When writing show previews or little blurbs, journalists and bloggers are going to be searching for quick info about your release that they can quote or summarize to include in their piece. Sure, this info might be on your website, but why not have it on your album page as well? CD Baby album pages provide strong Google search results, and there’s a good chance somebody looking for info about your project might end up there. Make it easy for them to find out what you’re all about. If they have to search too hard, they might just scrap it.
November 26, 2011
Using virtual instruments: Eight home recording tips to make your tracks sing
With multi-track recording programs like GarageBand, Pro Tools, and Logic becoming nearly ubiquitous amongst tech-savvy musicians, it’s easier than ever to take your own music all the way from first inspiration to finished audio file without leaving your room. But just because these high-powered tools are available, it doesn’t mean we all know how to use them well.
One big stumbling block that many up-and-comers encounter is learning to deal with virtual instruments (VIs) – the sampled pianos, guitars, drums, strings, and synths – that you can trigger from your keyboard, via a MIDI connection, and record internally in these programs.
Given that many such sounds often come standard with recording software, it can be tremendous fun to lay down a virtual drum groove, record a virtual bass line on top, add a virtual organ pad, and so on. Regardless of how cool your composition is, though, and how inspired your performance may be, the end result can still end up sounding mechanical and rather lifeless. But what’s to be done?
Making your virtual instruments breathe with the music, sound more realistic, and convey the true emotion of the song is a craft unto itself. To help you bring your own pre-packaged sounds to life – regardless of whether you’re using GarageBand or Pro Tools, Logic, or Digital Performer – here are some tips from the pros.
November 23, 2011
Band Booking: Guarantees Vs. Door Splits
by Chris R. at CD Baby
A “door-split” is the term for the financial arrangement between a band and a promoter/club when the performers forgo a set fee (the “guarantee”) for a percentage of the ticket sales or cover charge. With a door split, payment is directly related to attendance. With a guarantee, you’re promised a certain amount regardless of turnout. Typical door-splits favor the performers when it comes time to settle up at the end of the night (80/20 is pretty common), but some promoters will want to do 50/50 if they think that your draw is limited.
ATTN Mag
O Squared
Attn Correspondent
