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[NEW RELEASE] LACOSTE - CABESTAN 75 YEAR

René Lacoste is above all, a legend. A star on the courts of Wimbledon, Forest Hills and Roland Garros, René was one of the famous Four Musketeers (Jean Borot, Jacques Brugno, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste) who dominated the game of tennis in the late ‘20s and early ‘30s. They eventually led France to six straight wins (1927 through 1932) in the Davis Cup, and Rene became the world number one tennis player from 1926-1927. Nicknamed the ‘Crocodile’ and ‘Alligator’ for his tenacious attitude on the court, Rene is now better known for being the namesake and creator of the iconic 12.12 Lacoste Tennis shirt, which debuted in 1933.

Fast forward 75 years and the brand are celebrating this momentous occasion by launching a series of monotone shoes inspired by their tennis and yachting heritage. Unique to the 75 year collection is the use of the original crocodile which originated in 1933 and is embossed onto the uppers of each shoe. Tastefully executed in a consistent black and white scheme, the pack is a fitting tribute to the original purveyor of cool. July Release...

The blues guitar scales are really based off of the pentatonic scales with one extra note added. We call that extra note the "blue note" because it gives the pentatonic scale its obvious "bluesyness." The only real difference between the scales on the guitar and the same scales on any other instrument is the fact that there is more than one way to play them on a guitar. This is due mostly to the fact that the guitar is a stringed instrument and there are at least 3-5 ways to play any unique note.

The minor pentatonic scale is created using the root (or 1), flatted 3rd, 4th, 5th, and flatted 7th of a major scale. Notice that there is no 2nd or 6th scale tone used. There's an interesting reason for that but it requires a substantial amount of music theory to explain it and this isn't really the place for that.

To create the minor blues scale we take the minor pentatonic scale and add a flatted 5th (or sharp 4) to it. In the key of A, this creates a scale with the notes A, C, D, Eb, E, and G in it. Some people don't differentiate between the minor and the major blues scales. If someone calls a scale a blues scale, assume they mean the minor version.

A major pentatonic scale is created with the 1st (root,) 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th tone of a major scale. In C that would be C, D, E, G, and A. To make it a major blues scale you add a flatted 3rd which gives you C, D, Eb, E, G, and A in the key of C.

Notice that the rule governing relative major and minor keys/scales is also in effect here. If you look at the keys of A minor and C major, which are relative, meaning they contain the same notes, you'll see the same group of notes.

The A minor blues scale is A, C, D, Eb, E, and G. The C major blues scale is C, D, Eb, E, G, and A. Same notes, different starting point. This sort of thing happens all the time in music. This is of particular interest if you're playing blues lead guitar because you can see that your blues guitar scales really do double duty. Once you learn one pattern, it's really useful for 2 keys, one major and one minor.

So how to we apply this scale to a standard 12 bar blues chord progression? What's cool is that the simplest approach is really simple. Whatever the first chord of the chord progression is, let's say it's A7, use that minor blues scale to solo over the song. There's no need to change scales at any time.

Keep in mind that this is only one possible approach, and in many cases it's not the best approach. There are several ways to play over a 12 bar progression, or any other kind of chord progression. Many of these approaches use some combination of major and minor blues scales.

It is easy to find the 5 "boxes" or patterns of the blues scale on the internet. A simple search should turn up hundreds of choices. Once you learn the blues scales and have them under your fingers. You'll want to start jamming with them and learning how to make the sounds you want to hear.

For more blues guitar lessons and help with your blues guitar scales, check out Playing Through The Blues, my blues lead guitar course.

posted by cdcszc74574 @ 2:19 PM 0 comments

How to Get Into the Music Video Business

I started in music video production over 12 years ago first doing music videos for independent artists in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, but after my 4th "indie" music video I had my first major music video for U-God of the Wu-Tang Clan which aired on B.E.T's Rap City.

I got into music video production because I would see music videos on TV made with high budgets that turned out crappy. I would always say "I could do way better with a lower budget". So I put my money where my mouth was, brought a camera and an editing computer and 17 music videos later the rest is history.

Getting into music video production is very easy. Think about it. No matter where you live, there are music artists looking to pay someone to shoot and edit their music video - so you already have a starving market. But when most directors get their first music video, whether it be indie or celeb, they get 2 important things wrong. Let me explain.

First, if you want to get into music video production there's one thing you need to know. Keep It Simple Stupid. Again, when I started I only had a camera (Canon XL1) and an editing computer. I didn't have all the bells and whistles that most people in my field had.

When I got my first music video I kept the concept simple.The song had 3 verses so I shot 3 different performance scenes (the scenes where the artists are seen performing the song) for each verse and we went to a lot of different locations and shot b-roll footage (scenes that you see in music videos where no one is performing ie: car driving in slow motion or sexy girl slow grinding on someone in the club). It only took 2 days. By the time it was all said and done, I submitted it to B.E.T and it aired on Uncut and Rap City. You understood me right. My first music video aired on national TV.

I am a firm believer in "making it work with what you got" and as a film maker, you should always keep that in mind. Bigger budget does not always mean better final product. When you don't have unlimited resources you're forced to think and make do with what you've got, and some of the hottest music videos are born from that seed.

Next, you must know that to make a good music video you need good locations, extras, and props. Most importantly you need to know that you don't have to pay for any of these; atleast I never have.

Lets talk about my first music video and one of it's major locations, crazy props, and extras. I needed a church scene where a funeral was taking place and the choir was singing in the background. That meant I needed floral arrangements, a casket, an extra to play the guy laying in the casket, a church, a Reverend, and about 20 people to fill in the pews. All I did to get these items was simply ask.

To get the casket I went to a funeral home and told them I need a casket for someone to lay in for a music video shoot. Keep in mind when setting up a scene you have to think in real world time. Make your scene look the way it would in real life. That's when it hit me that I needed flowers to go around the casket, so I asked the funeral home where could I get flowers to decorate the scene. They pointed me to a flower shop they worked with and they gave me a slew of floral arrangements made just for funerals.

My next feat was getting a church. This was a little more difficult being that it was a rap video and most churches don't agree with that type of music. After being turned down by 3 different churches, I found a church that said yes. I had access to the choir and their reverend.

I had everything I needed for my scene all without paying a cent out of my budget. To achieve this, simply say "I need to use (name of item) for a music video shoot but we have exhausted our budget. If it's OK we would like to use (name of item) for our shoot and we can give you credit at the end of the music video."

I have never been told no (except for the 3 churches). Using this statement, I have used stranger's vehicles, schools, resorts, hotels and many other props, locations and extras that most director's pay for when they don't have to. All it takes is just asking.

Just knowing these two things will make your entry into the music video production field as easy as mine was and if you are already in the music video industry, use this info to keep more of the budget in your pocket.

posted by cdcszc74574 @ 1:53 PM 0 comments

Factory Produced Vs "Boutique" Guitars

There are more independent guitar makers than ever before, it appears, by all accounts making fantastic sounding and looking instruments. Finely crafted, indeed. I even have one made specially for me in 1987 by my old friend Chris Eccleshall.

Now these fine instruments have to be superior in every sense from anything that rolls out of a factory, don't they? A guitar, whose woods have been carefully selected and assembled with all the love and care of a master craftsman has to be intrinsically more musical and more valuable than any "production-line" guitar. Doesn't it?

Yes, I wonder.

When I consider the history and usage of the steel string acoustic guitar, it occurs that its genius is to be found in its ability to be replicated ad infinitum, with consistent high quality, so that it's available to "the masses" reasonably cheaply. Affordable inherently. It is the modern folk instrument par excellence. Add a little bit of QA/QC and you get instruments of exceptional quality at a price within the reach of the working man and woman.

Another thought: steel string acoustic guitars like to start their public life as part of a well-drilled platoon standing (or hanging) to attention on the wall of a store and regimented neatly on stands on the floor below. Thus arranged, they promise joys and dreams of fame and fortune to patrons young and old (mostly young) whose musical fulfillment may be only a few major and a couple of minor strummed chords away. And sometimes is.

In contrast, the luthier sits in a different world and crafts his instruments for a different animal. His customer is one who appreciates an instrument made exclusively for herself and to her exact specifications. She has graduated from her old "mass production" guitars and now has an ear for, and the playing ability to demonstrate, the better sound of her unique guitar. Her guitar is made from the best grade woods from the oldest trees from the deepest forests inhabited by the most secretive of elves. "If only more guitar players would see the light!" the luthiers cry.

Why? They would need to set up a factory to cope with the demand.

You can't say that about orchestral instruments. I still remember recoiling in horror when I was browsing a stringed instrument store in Edinburgh. I say "store" when in fact is was more like a museum with ticket prices on the exhibits. Or without, I should say. Prices hanging from the necks of these instruments would, I think, have been considered a tad vulgar.

But back to acoustic guitars: it seems as if luthiers (as they like to be called) would like to bestow a refinement and almost an exclusivity to these instruments that is across the grain of their true nature. That nature is blue-collar. Proletarian. And I salute them...

Dave Keir is an acoustic finger style guitar player and songwriter with over 40 years experience of recording, touring and teaching guitar. More information and resources can be found by visiting http://www.dave-keir.com

posted by cdcszc74574 @ 1:26 PM 0 comments

These United States - First Sight

There are a million different methods and styles of how to play electric guitar, and to teach them all in one article would be pretty pointless, so Im going to give you some tips that anyone who wants to know how to play electric guitar well should find useful.

How To Play Electric Guitar Tip 1:

Make sure the strings are fitted properly. Playing electric guitar often includes string bends, and if your strings arent fitted properly this can cause some real tuning problems. Hearing that PING sound as your guitar drops out of tune mid solo can be pretty embarrassing, so make sure your strings are perfect!

How To Play Electric Guitar Tip 2:

Get to know the guitar. Electric guitars have a huge range of different sounds and textures, all accessed by simply using the volume and tone controls on the guitar, as well as using different pickup selections. Any great guitarist with great tone understands this and will work their guitar to get the very best sounds.

How To Play Electric Guitar Tip 3:

Learn to mute the strings. When played at high volume the sheer power of the sound from the amplifier will make the strings on the guitar vibrate and ring out. This will ruin ANYTHING you are trying to play unless you can control it by muting the strings you dont want to sound. This is mainly done by laying the palm of your strumming hand across the strings at the bridge.

How To Play Electric Guitar Tip 4:

Learn some simple scales and licks. You can spice up anything by adding a few ad lib notes or licks, providing you have the scale knowledge to back it up. Some tasteful blues licks can really add depth to all kinds of songs, and will give your sound its own personality.

How To Play Electric Guitar Tip 5:

Learn to bend strings and apply vibrato. To a guitar fan one of the best sounds in the world is the sound of someone bending up to a high note and then applying some good vibrato. Both techniques are fairly easy to get to grips with but tough to master, and will add even more personality to your sound. Using these techniques you can make the most mundane melodies sound interesting.

These guitar tips dont even scratch the tip of the iceberg of how to play electric guitar, but hopefully they have given you an idea of what kinds of directions you can go with the instrument. Happy playing!

Click HERE to learn the secrets of the professionals and become a great guitar player in record time-there's never been a better guide to how to play electric guitar!

Steve Laney is the webmaster at http://www.dailyguitarlessons.com

posted by cdcszc74574 @ 1:00 PM 0 comments

[NEW RELEASE] LACOSTE - ECLAIR

Another re-issue from Lacoste's stable of early '80s performance tennis shoes, the Eclair features an outsole designed for hard court use and a chunky as hell midsole that is reminiscent of the Puma GV. If you squint hard enough, it might even tempt AF-1 lovers looking for a spring fling. The upper features suede overlays linked into the lacing for support and the tongue branding is an authentic replication of the Lacoste Crocodile from this era. As part of a triple pack, this jaffa is only a hint of what's to come – if it had a cream centre and choc icing, we'd be in heaven. Smash!

The saxophone is a relatively recent invention - it was created in the 1840's to bridge the tonal gap between lower woodwind section and the low brass section! The saxophone - informally called sax- is conical shaped and utilizes a reed in the mouthpiece, much like clarinets do. The saxophone is a hugely popular instrument and is a member of the woodwind family, joining the likes of flutes, piccolos, and clarinets. Normally, the saxophone is made of brass and it ranges in size, depending on the overall pitch (tenor sax is larger than an alto sax and soprano sax, for example). If you are tinkering with the idea of playing an instrument, the saxophone is a wonderful choice.

The saxophone is a combination of clarinet (the mouthpiece) the flute (the fingerings) and brass instruments (made of the same material). Although they appear to be a hybrid, saxophones have become very distinct instruments and there are several types of saxophones! The most common saxophone is the tenor saxophone, but baritone saxophone, alto sax, and soprano sax are all used in society. The soprano sax is the only saxophone that is straight (all others have the signature u-bend) and reaches the highest register for this instrument; on the opposite end of the spectrum, the baritone sax is very large and usually only played in professional orchestras. If a person is competent in playing the alto sax, it is usually not difficult to jump from one saxophone type to another type.

Saxophones are capable of producing two and a half octaves. Their sounds can range from that of a clarinet to that of a brass instrument with ease. There are twenty keys on the saxophone, six finger plates, and two keys that denote which octave is being played - when blowing through the reed mouthpiece, all of these keys work together to create the desired tones.

The saxophone is a great individual instrument, but it is used in many types of music. Jazz is most famous for using saxophone, but rock, ska, pop, show tunes, smooth listening, Broadway, blues, reggae, big band, samba, and swing all use the saxophone in their respective genres. Orchestras and ensembles utilize the sax - in fact, Saxophone quartets or ensembles are extremely popular - and the saxophones expansion is only growing. Many people play it purely for its relaxing and sonorous qualities; whatever your goal may be, the sax can help you achieve it.

The saxophone is very popular so as a result, there are many saxophone instructors around the country. In turn, there are innumerable amounts of sheet music created specifically for the saxophones, and any type of music can be performed.

The sax is a wonderful and fun instrument, but initially learning the tricky fingering can be tough. It is highly advisable to take a few lessons from a saxophone teacher - but once you learn the proper breathing and fingering techniques, you can continue to teach yourself or you can continue to receive expert guidance. The choice is completely up to you!

Are you interested in all things involving music?...
For the best variety of sheet music, click here to find everything you are looking for!
If you want to peruse the largest selections of musical instruments, DJ equipment, or recording devices, click here!

posted by cdcszc74574 @ 12:35 PM 0 comments

Recording Acoustic Guitars - an Essay on the Importance of Acoustic Treatment of the Recording Space

Trawling through one internet music recording forum after another (as I often do) is certainly illuminating. The multitudinous posts from earnest recordists enquiring from the experts which microphone, preamp, soundcard, converters, compressor, EQ, reverb - blah, blah, blah - is better than another have a rather dulling effect on my sensibilities before too long. And in truth, I've begun to make a bit of a nuisance of myself at one or two places by interjecting with a recommendation that the poster look to the room before he batters his credit card in the hope that some sparkling new high-end "professional" piece of gear will solve all his recording issues. Sometimes the repost comes back claiming that the initial poster is a hobbyist and is not aspiring to achieve professional results - so why don't I just back off and let the guy/gal spend his/her money the way that he/she sees fit? That's all very well, but it doesn't gainsay the logical flaw in spending in the region of $2k on gear when a similar amount - or much less with a bit of research and DIY - on some acoustic treatment of the recording space would achieve a whole different order of improvement.

At this point I should perhaps confess that it took about a year for me to reach the same conclusion. There's no question that a sexy new microphone with a price tag to suit is far more appealing than buying bags of mineral wool slabs, or even proprietary, pretty looking, sound treatment products. I should also admit that I did read a whole lot online about ways and means, materials and products, and earnest debates between the experts - not all uncontroversial - before I felt confident about doing something about it in my own place.

Most - nearly all - of what I have learned I have learned through advice freely given by experts on internet forums concerned with recording studio construction and acoustics. There are some wonderful step-by-step instructions out there on how to make excellent DIY acoustic treatment solutions that are about as effective as, and at fraction of the cost of, commercial products. There are also detailed explanations available on the causes of problems encountered when recording acoustic instruments in small(-ish) rooms - a rudimentary understanding of which is essential to finding solutions for your own particular room.

Following some of that advice has lifted a veil from my recordings and has enabled me to deliver professional sounding projects resulting in a CD - and sales! So I won't apologise now for my evangelising about the topic whenever I get the opportunity - such a difference has acoustic treatment made to my own projects.

Hobbyist or not, you're better off recording in a field with the cheapest of gear than in most untreated rooms with the most expensive recording equipment on the planet.

So there!

Dave Keir is an acoustic fingerstyle guitar player and songwriter with over 40 years experience of recording, touring and teaching guitar. More information and resources can be found by visiting http://www.dave-keir.com

posted by cdcszc74574 @ 12:09 PM 0 comments

War On Drugs - Taking The Farm

What do the words "swing, bluegrass, Latin, jazz and gypsy" have in common?
They are all genres of music, and they have been combined into a contemporary
music genre dubbed "dawg" music by its creator, mandolinist and composer
David Grisman.

When David was a teenager growing up in New Jersey, he discovered the
mandolin and studied under folklorist Ralph Rinzler. He began his mandolin
career in the style of Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass Music. Grisman
studied English at New York University in the early 1960's and took his
mandolin with him to Greenwich Village, where the folk music culture of the
early 1960's welcomed him warmly.

In 1963 Grisman debuted as both a recording artist (Elektra's Even Dozen Jug
Band) and producer (Folkways' Red Allen, Frank Wakefield and the Kentuckians).

In 1966, while a member of the Kentuckians, Grisman also composed original
tunes and played with bluegrass contemporaries such as Peter Rowan and Jerry
Garcia, with whom he later joined to form the band Old and In The Way. In
1973, Jerry Garcia gave Grisman the nickname "Dawg."

Grisman began applying jazz musical techniques to his playing beginning in
1967. He was a prolific session musician at this time, and played many genres
of music with musicians such as Bela Fleck, the Grateful Dead, Emmylou Harris,

Dolly Parton, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt , Earl Scruggs, Dan Fogelberg,
Maria Muldaur, John Sebastian and James Taylor.

David met guitarist Tony Rice and the David Grisman Quintet formed in 1975
with bassist/ mandolinist Todd Phillips and violinist Darol Anger. The David
Grisman Quintet headlined at the world's largest jazz, folk, and bluegrass
festivals for twenty-five years.

In 1990, Grisman founded the Acoustic Disc label, which has released fifty-
five compact discs, all produced or co-produced by David. Five of those have
been nominated for Grammy Awards.

David Grisman is a true music pioneer and has inspired a new genre of
acoustic string instrumental music. He is a master of the mandolin and
remains a talented composer, teacher, and record producer. Because of the
success of Acoustic Disc, artist-owned independent music labels now have a
talented mentor and business model to follow.

The author is the webmaster of Mandolin World, where you can browse an extensive selection of mandolins made by Gibson, Weber, and other companies.

posted by cdcszc74574 @ 11:43 AM 0 comments

[NEW RELEASE] LACOSTE - CABESTAN 75 YEAR

René Lacoste is above all, a legend. A star on the courts of Wimbledon, Forest Hills and Roland Garros, René was one of the famous Four Musketeers (Jean Borot, Jacques Brugno, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste) who dominated the game of tennis in the late ‘20s and early ‘30s. They eventually led France to six straight wins (1927 through 1932) in the Davis Cup, and Rene became the world number one tennis player from 1926-1927. Nicknamed the ‘Crocodile’ and ‘Alligator’ for his tenacious attitude on the court, Rene is now better known for being the namesake and creator of the iconic 12.12 Lacoste Tennis shirt, which debuted in 1933.

Fast forward 75 years and the brand are celebrating this momentous occasion by launching a series of monotone shoes inspired by their tennis and yachting heritage. Unique to the 75 year collection is the use of the original crocodile which originated in 1933 and is embossed onto the uppers of each shoe. Tastefully executed in a consistent black and white scheme, the pack is a fitting tribute to the original purveyor of cool. July Release...

Unplugged is the latest Pop CD put out by the richly talented Maxwell who once again has delivered a brilliant collection of tracks. Im confident Maxwell fans, and Pop fans alike will be pleased with this one.

Unfortunately, its not everyday that I get a CD from an artist that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just cant force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Unplugged. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

One of the refreshingly nice things about this CD is the way all of the participating artists seem to be really enjoying themselves. Combine that with the overall presentation and youve got one of Maxwells most impressive releases ever.

I give Unplugged my highest recommendation. It just plain belongs in any serious music collectors collection regardless of genre preference.

While the entire album is really very good some of my favorites are track 4 - This Womans Work, track 5 - Whenever Whereever Whatever, and track 7 - Gotta Get: Closer

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - The Suite Urban Theme. Good stuff!

Unplugged Release Notes:

Maxwell originally released Unplugged on July 15, 1997 on the Columbia label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. The Suite Urban Theme (The Hush)

2. Mello: Sumthin (The Hush)

3. Lady Suite, The

4. This Woman's Work

5. Whenever Wherever Whatever

6. Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)

7. Gotta Get: Closer

Unplugged Album Notes Personnel: Maxwell (vocals); G/Mo (guitar); Gloria Agostini (harp); Gerald Tarack, Matthew Raimondi, Veronica Salas (violin); Susan Poliacik (cello); Andre Roberson (saxophone); Russell Gunn (trumpet); Darrell Smith (Fender Rhodes electric piano, Hammond B-3 organ); Michael Neal (bass); Kerry Griffin (drums); Angel Luis Figueroa (percussion); Michael Dickerson, La Tina Webb, Khaliq (background vocals).

Recorded live at The Brooklyn Academy Of Music, Brooklyn, New York on May 7, 1997.

SEO

posted by cdcszc74574 @ 11:16 AM 0 comments

Sony Ericsson W850i- Music Factory

The Sony Ericsson W850i is not a mere music phone. It is a factory by itself that churns, mends, manipulates, and produces music of the finest quality. A music freak's delight, the phone does everything and sometimes more than what aficionados demand. Wielding the slider mechanism, the handset exudes attitude in both the Precious Black and Ivory White colours. A smooth tactile surface makes handling pure delight.The Sony Ericsson W850i phone has a Walkman 2.0 Music Player. The feature is designed especially for Sony Ericsson music phones. It compartmentalizes tracks in to categories such as genres, playlists, albums, and artists. It gives access to these categories by allowing users to navigate the channels. Audio-visual files can be run on the in-built Media Player. The phone provides FM Radio and FM Radio RDS. The latter feature allows users to participate in contests and schemes run by Radio Stations.

Music DJ gives you the freedom to create your own music. While Mega Bass improves sound quality, Play Now sends you on a music spree by giving you quick access to the songs of your choice. The Sony Ericsson W850i phone is fitted with yet another exceptional music feature Track ID. This feature acts upon users' requests and fishes out information about songs. Sony Ericsson W850i is a music phone. Yet, the scope of its operations is unlimited. The phone has a 2 mega pixel camera. The fully utile camera has SVG Tiny 1.1 a feature that scales graphics/images to fit the screen. It is of use in a situation where a picture is imported to the camera. The phone also commands a Video DJ. A Video DJ allows one to concatenate and/or morph images and videos and create those of one's own. The phone supports a plethora of messaging options. It facilitates data exchange via Bluetooth, Infra Red, and USB. The 3G Sony Ericsson W850i supports Fast Port and PC Synchronization. It provides gaming and internet access too.

Offering more than a users' appetite, the Sony Ericsson W850i phone stands impressive.

Carly charu is an expert author and the webmaster of Mobile Phone Deals .The website having details of 12 Months Free line rental and Sim free phones.

posted by cdcszc74574 @ 10:48 AM 0 comments

The Hood Internet - I'm Good, I'm Ghost (Lykke Li vs Holy Ghost)

In late 1972, as Genesis set about making its sixth album, Selling England by the Pound, Steve Hackett was becoming fed up with his role as the group's guitarist. He had already recorded two albums with the English prog-rock act-Nursery Cryme and Foxtrot-for which most of his compositions had been rejected. What's more, the group's keyboard-dominated music was providing him with few opportunities to stretch out as a guitarist. "At times, playing guitar in Genesis was very difficult," acknowledges Hackett. "You'd often have a very busy keyboard part, and the guitar had to be wedged in."

The band's lineup at the time certainly left little room for the guitar pyrotechnics for which Genesis would later be celebrated. The five-piece act consisted of Hackett and bassist Mike Rutherford, keyboardist Tony Banks, drummer Phil Collins and vocalist Peter Gabriel. Successfully integrating the artists' distinctive styles required a delicate balance. "You couldn't come in like Hendrix with the whammy bar and do a 'Star-Spangled banner' on too much of the stuff. It wasn't tolerated," says Hackett. "I had to try very hard to find guitar tones that would be subtle."

Hackett was about to be surprised, however. Not only would his compositional abilities be in demand for the making of Selling England by the Pound but his guitar talents would come to dominate the album, making it the most guitar-centric record of the group's oeuvre. Selling England by the Pound marked the rare occasion in which room was made for Hackett and Rutherford to assert themselves, both on lengthy, extended solos and at the forefront of the mix.

Although the sessions for Selling began auspiciously, it soon became clear that the band was in short supply of musical inspiration. Anticipating that most of his contributions would be rejected once again, Hackett had brought with him only "a number of little riffs that might go into people's songs," and an instrumental called "After the Ordeal."

"It was a hard album to write," says Rutherford. "We went in, and the first couple of days were fantastic. We just steamed off with ideas. The next month to six weeks we had to work a little harder."

One winner, however, was "Dancing with the Moonlit," and eight-minute, medieval-themed piece with politically pointed lyrics, which supplied the album's title. Beyond its provocative imagery, the song gave the band the opportunity to stretch out musically during a high-speed interlude that features some of the hottest soloing ever committed to record by Genesis.

"Once the song portion ran out, it caught fire musically, 'cause everyone was kind of willing to go with it-certainly Phil and I were," recalls Hackett. Collins was also supportive of Hackett's desire to employ two-handed tapping for some of the jam's swifter runs. "I think some of the group thought that it was a bit too 'muso' for the band and too technical," says Hackett. "There was a sense of wanting to play down technique and for everyone to be accompanists. But I wanted to be a soloist at that point and felt it needed to go up a gear."

There were other opportunities for the musicians to stretch out on Selling, however. Rutherford says that the lengthy instrumental passage in "The Cinema Show" was "a product of Phil, Tony and myself taking off on our own." However, Rutherford admits that, 25 years after recording the song, he'd be hard pressed to reconstruct the song's chiming introduction.

"I was going through my weird tuning era," he says, "which definitely made for strange harmonics. But I've forgotten the tuning! I could never play the start of 'Cinema Show' again. It was very weird."

Selling also gave Genesis its first single, the gently rolling "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)." Short enough to court airplay, the song hit the Top 30 in the U.K. and helped Selling become Genesis' first charting album in the U.S.

While "Wardrobe" was hardly a guitar opus, it did provide Hackett with some satisfaction. Just the previous year, when Genesis was working on Foxtrot, he had introduced it to the group as "a little guitar ditty," only to have it rejected.

"Phil and I were playing the riff, and some guys in the band thought it sounded too much like the Beatles, so we didn't do it," Hackett says. "When it came time to do Selling England by the Pound, Phil and I started playing the same riff, and everybody joined in. And it became our first hit Single. "I think the lesson was, if something sounds too much like the Beatles, you're probably on the right track."

Charlie is the owner of Gear-Vault a Used Music Equipment online auction site. And Gear-Monkey Musicians online Talk forum Both sites reflect his love for music and geared toward the music community.

posted by cdcszc74574 @ 10:22 AM 0 comments

[NEW RELEASE] NIKE 1WORLD - GORE-TEX

The newly launched Nike 1World project has been created in conjunction with select cool kids in the “sports, music, art and design fields”, presumably hand-picked for their innate panache on a global scale. The scope of 1World has been defined as 18 original shoes, which will be launched month by month via Nike's awesome AF-1 website.

Today the first three have now been revealed – from the rainbow excess of Busy P to the refelective digital camo of Gore-Texer (Nitro Microphone Underground) and finally Rasheed’s hightop with ‘Max Air’, you couldn’t find three more different AF-1s if you tried. Definitely a bright start to this project...
Just go to http://www.nikeairforce1.com and hit the 1World button - all will be revealed in due course!

As a DJ, one of the basic fundamentals of performing is knowing how to mix music. Keeping
that smooth flow, rhythm and energy on the dance floor is essential to a Dj and their
performance in front of their crowd! In this article we will mention 5 secrets of Dj mixing
tips that any beginner needs to know in order to become successful.

Beat mixing has become easier than it used to be because most of todays dance music tracks
have lengthy introductions to a song and also long outro ductions to a song. With this in
mind, it has also become easier for for newcomers to come into the scene and get involved
because Dj equipment is as expensive as it used to be!

Here are some of the Dj mixing tips you need to know -

1. Almost all dance tracks have an intro where you can mix in the music and a break or outro
where you can mix out of a track. Commonly, the outro area on a dance track is often the
final opportunity to mix out of the song. You can also mix out of a dance track where there
is a breakdown in the record!

2. When listening to dance music and its structure, make sure that you listen to the drum
beat of the song. This is normally a 4/4 structure. Eg. 1,2,3,4 - 2,2,3,4 - 3,2,3,4 - 4,2,3,4
Counting the beats will help you understand where you need to place your mix with the other
record you wish to mix into.

3. So now, as you listen to the tune that is being played (song one) on the output (dance
floor) you need to cue the song that you want to beat match through your headphones on the
other turntable or cd. When tune 1 comes towards its outro section, you then need to start
the second tune on its first beat in which case this is the intro of the second tune. This is
where you start to beat match the to songs. As you match the drum beats of the two songs keep
your hand on the pitch of the tune that you are trying to introduce. Adjusting the pitch will
help you speed up or slow down the tune you are trying to introduce!

4. As one hand adjusts the speed of the incoming song, the other hand needs to be to be
adjusting the volume of the mixer and gradually sliding the cross fader from tune one to the
other. What happens when you do this is that song one decreases in volume and song two
increases in volume Thus completing the change over from one track to the other.

5. One of the most important things for a DJ to understand when in the mix, is to make sure
that he/she always keeps their hand on the pitch when adjusting a mix. Some Dj's don't realize
this, but touching the vinyl may create a swoosh sound that can disturb the mix and make it
sound like its not running smooth! So avoid touching the vinyl or platter when you are
adjusting the speed on a live mix!

These are the DJ mixing tips exposed. I hope they are some sort of use to you! Learn and
understand them as best you can and they will help you become better at mixing your music!

Yo DJ! Are you interested in more DJ mixing tips? Want to learn how to beat mix, scratch etc? Tired of searching the net for tutorials that give away limited info? Want to learn from a proven method that has helped hundreds if not thousands of beginner/intermediate DJs? Then please visit DJ mixing tips, or visithttp://www.musicinstrumentreview.info/djmixingtips.html

posted by cdcszc74574 @ 9:56 AM 0 comments

Social Code - Miss You, http://wobgob.blogspot.com

Performance anxiety is not something that only happens to musicians, singers, actors and dancers. It happens any time we feel pressure to "perform" in a specific situation or over a period of time. Writing a book or creating a painting or sculpture may evoke symptoms as well.

Symptoms of performance anxiety include "butterflies" in the stomach, quickened heart rate or more severe symptoms such as hyperventilation, dizziness or intense fear.

The 5 main reasons for performance anxiety are:

1. We're not present in the moment, inside our body.

When we're focused on our (negative) thoughts and on what we *think* about what's happening, as opposed to just taking in the sensory information from around us without analyzing it, we miss out on what's happening.

2. Perfectionism.

Unrealistic expectations can warp our perceptions of how great we actually are!

3. Lack of training in performance-specific skills.

Sometimes our training is focused more on the execution of our art form, and not specifically focused on helping us become comfortable and confident performers. Performing is not natural for everyone and needs to be learned.

4. Past trauma.

People who have suffered abuse or trauma have a much harder time being "exposed" in a performance setting. Sometimes, also, we have had traumatic experiences to do with our art form such as critical teachers or harsh performance experiences.

5. Difficulty connecting with other people.

Gifted performers have sometimes grown up very isolated because of time spent with their art form instead of "playing" with their peers. When you generally think of yourself as different or an outsider, or in terms of "me" and "them", being in front of an audience just magnifies that and it becomes more difficult to think of the audience as lovingly receiving your talents and gifts. Instead you may see them as judgmental or unkind.

The ideas in this article were adapted from the Level I Training in Performance Wellness developed by Louise Montello of Musicians Wellness. Visit Musicians Wellness at http://www.musicianswellness.org.

(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. Visit http://www.preparingforperformance.com for more help with performance anxiety.

posted by cdcszc74574 @ 9:15 AM 0 comments