Changes are affoot at Cutting Edge Voices if you haven't already noticed. I wanted to get started on several things over this July 4th extended holiday weekend and if you have popped into the site yesterday you may have noticed that some things are being worked on. One of the first things I wanted to bring to your attention is that CEV now has a MySpace page. To most of the musicians out there the fact that I am just now putting up a MySpace page must seem like sacrilege but better late than never is always a good cliche to throw out about this time. So consider it thrown out there. :)
Ann
studied classical flute at MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis, MN
and Native American flute with master flutist R. Carlos Nakai at the
“Renaissance of the Native American Flute” in Helena, Montana. In
addition to recording, performing and facilitating workshops, Ann is a
public speaker on the subjects of spirituality, creative expression and
personal discovery.
She
holds a B.A. from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN and a
Master of Liberal Arts degree in Creation Spirituality from Naropa
University, Boulder, CO. Ann resides in the San Francisco Bay area.
Having spent years absorbing music videos during MTV and Vh-1's heyday I thought this might be a nice feature to include on CEV. I wanted to share with my readers the videos that I have ran across out on the web that will give you a more visual appreciation for some of the artists that I feature here on Cutting Edge Voices. Enjoy!!
Featured Video of the Week
The Ting Tings - Shut up and Let me Go
Check out the official video for Dig by Linda Strawberry. click here.
Vanessa Carlton's video for Nolita Fairytale from Heroes and Thieves. click here.
Sleepthief's video The Chauffeur a reworking of Duran Duran's song featuring Kirsty Hawkshaw on dreamy pop vocals click here.
Colbie Caillat's video for Bubbly off of her latest release Coco click here.
Two Loons for Tea performing their song Sunset Room live at the Triple Door click here.
Sara Bareilles' video for Fairytale from her Little Voice CD click here.
Imogen Heap's video for Goodnight & Go from her great CD Speak for Yourself click here.
Charlotte Martin's video for Stromata from her CD of the same name click here.
Feist's video for 1 2 3 4 from her latest CD The Reminder click here.
Coming into her own as a
composer/producer/engineer, Charlotte experimented extensively in the studio,
both lyrically and sonically, for Stromata.
Unafraid, she wrote about faith and relationships, allowing herself to be
honest about letting some things go and fiercely holding on to others. She
approached the production with the same fearlessness. Looking to nobody but
herself in the studio, Charlotte completed all of the initial demos and digital
percussion on her own—a stark and compelling contrast to the full-on live band
and orchestra recordings of On Your Shore.
In addition to implementing new micing methods and rhythmic ideas, Charlotte
explored the far reaches of her own vocal harmonizing and layering techniques,
resulting in a powerfully diverse collection of tracks showcasing the true
power of her voice and skill as a songwriter.
Stromata
stands as Charlotte’s most ambitious and experimental album to date. Resonant
drums, electronic flourishes, and illustrative synth and keyboard work form a
lush backdrop for Charlotte’s expressive storytelling and classically trained
voice. Stromata is the expression
rooted in a lifetime of experience forming the fabric of a true artist. Click here to read the entire interview with Charlotte Martin..
After countless conversations and debates over the past eight years, I have come to think that the DRM issue is largely a question of which reality one believes to be true - and we must address the solution as such, too. No research, no statistics, no hard facts, and no futurists will tell us conclusively whether the record companies should or should not use DRM when selling digital music. To make this decision will not be science, but an art!
Do you believe that the sharing of music - and therefore its consumption, in general - needs to be controlled; that a certain amount of friction is required to extract any meaningful payments for music in a digital environment; that the average consumer will always try to avoid paying anything, if given any opportunity to do so; that it is impossible to sell something that is, to a large degree, also obtainable for free; and that the monetary value of music really is in "the copy: of a song?
I was walking through Battery Park the other day and there was a very realistic mini-me Statue Of Liberty getting all interactive with a couple of its admirers. I like that. Fifty yards further north there was another Statuette engaged in photo op. Ironically I came upon this very analog interaction on my way to the Digital Music Forum where I gained entry, by way of mediachannel.org, posing as a journalist.
These conferences are potentially excruciating as they are informative. But the reality check they offer on the state of the music industry in which I toil and complain is generally worth having to get functional before noon. Also a compelling element of the conference was a panel on Day 2 of the event that was moderated by my friend, Aydin Caginalp, the smartest and most decent practitioner of the second oldest profession (law).
Her sound has been described as everything from Norah Jones to Joni
Mitchell, Fiona Apple to Alicia Keyes. It is tempting to make
comparisons but she's much more than a carbon copy. In fact, she is
anything but. Influenced by soul, jazz, rock, and pop-her writing is
bold, honest, and edgy. Intelligent, unpredictable lyrics and melodies
delivered courtesy of a truly soulful and powerful voice, Sara's music
is something that definitely sets her apart.
Sara sang and performed in her native Humboldt County community
productions and high school ensembles, but has no formal training in
either voice or piano. Much of her adolescence was spent perched in
front of a worn piano teaching herself chords and scribbling out simple
melodies and lyrics. Though her first compositions "Star Sweeper" and
"I love a Parade" didn't win her any Grammies they remain testimony to
the fact that songwriting has been a passion of this 25 year-old since
a young age. Over the years, those early compositions have grown into
songs that are currently heard in independent films, television, and on
local radio. The first performances seen only by the walls of the house
she grew up in are now experienced by hundreds of people at a time.
A graduate of UCLA's Communication Studies Department, Sara has spent
the last three of her seven years in Los Angeles developing her skills
as a songwriter, vocalist and performer. She can currently be seen
performing at local venues, festivals, and universities on a regular
basis. In 2003, she co-produced her first independent studio demo,
"Careful Confessions." She exhibits an insatiable thirst to challenge
herself and find new ways to tap into her own creativity.
"This
recording was a milestone for me, and a lesson in understanding the
relationship between being in creative control and knowing exactly what
you want. I was very humbled by my own lack of confidence and vision.
It made me crave a better understanding of my own music, and what I
love about the music from my favorite artists. It made me realize the
role of a producer and my own capacity to fulfill that role. The whole
experience was very powerful, and the final product is a tangible piece
of my learning process. I'm nowhere near being finished. Now, I want to
do it all over again."
In April 2005, Sara signed a record deal with Epic Records. She is fast
approaching the next level in her career, and she is thrilled, but has
reservations about trying to find her niche within the music industry.
While her pursuit of a career in music was never really in question,
Sara is finding difficulty in deciphering where her path leads now. "I
know where I want to go. I guess I'm just becoming more aware of the
millions of different ways to get there. I'm struggling to find my
identity as an artist in an industry that seems to punish you for
needing time to figure it out. I'm going after my career goals in a way
that makes me feel confident in the decisions I'm making and allows the
music to speak for itself. If I achieve a more modest level of exposure
because of this, so be it. It's about the music. End of story."
Madalyn Sklar
started IndieMusicCoach.com in an effort to provide
one-on-one consulting and coaching to indie musicians. She founded
GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie
women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering
musicians from around the country. Ten years later it has become a
welcome destination for women in music through networking and events.
Madalyn produces the GoGirlsMusicFest, Invasion of the GoGirls, Battle of the GoGirls
and more.
Having read her book I Don't Need a Record Deal has made me appreciate the common sense advice that Daylle seemed to radiate throughout its pages and with her permission I thought it might be a nice ongoing feature here on Cutting Edge Voices to reprint her newsletter for those who have not discovered it as of yet. Daylle's advice comes from first hand knowledge of the music business and that is what makes it so valuable. If you are a working musician and would like hints and tips about how to move your career forward to the next level then pick up a copy of her book and be sure to catch her newsletter right here or sign up via e-mail with Daylle to have it delivered straight to your in box when it comes out.
Welcome to a brand new feature here on Cutting Edge Voices and also welcome a new contributing writer to these pages as well. Kenny Love will be joining us on a regular basis to share his wisdom about the music industry with anyone who is looking to give their own music careers a shot in the arm. Practical advice from years of experience in the music business is what this new column will offer you and we here at Cutting Edge Voices hope that it will benefit you and that you will stop back on a regular basis to catch the latest edition of Kenny's column. This week we present....
Ace in the Hole/Fallback Day Jobs for the full articleclick here.