Coming around the final bend of March. There’s quite a few entries in the Contest from the Clubhouse. Good luck to everyone that has entered. I’ll announce the winner on April 1st. Along side that winner I’ll be posting the contest for April and you can enter all over again.
I’m also coming up on the final few songs that have been being converted to the new format for our live show. It’s a great feeling to finally nearing the finish line on that. Also along those lines, I’m nearly finished with the music bits for the licensing stuff I had mentioned before. I feel like when I get it done, I’ll be able to quit music and move on to another profession. Doh, I’m kidding – poor attempt at pre-April-fool’s humor.
The live show has really come together. The show at the Knitting Factory was highly impressive not only for the audience for us as a band as well. It feels like everything is finally in the right place and we’re going to start kicking some major musical ass. Now if I can just get that pesky film crew to stop following me around. Oh, wait, that’s me thinking like I’m famous already. Speaking of film crews… I’ve put it upon the director of the All The Things video to re-tweak it. I know you’ve not had a chance to see it yet, due time, due time. But I feel the song will be better suited if we manipulate the image and give it a different look. So it’s back to the computer editing and time to hit After Effects. So when we do release the CD/DVD you’ll get the initial version and the MTV version in the package. I swear it’ll be cool.
To further push the film thing, here’s my Movie Pick of the Week: Beauty Shop. Yes, I know you’re shaking your head. What the hell is a white boy from the big apple and Utah ‘burbs doing going to see that. Well, I have to tell you it was funny. I never did see Barber Shop, I didn’t get it then, but I do know. I imagine that Beauty Shop is the exact same movie. Queen Latifah did a fine job, but the real standouts here were the supporting cast who include: Alicia Silverstone, doing a great southern accent, Kevin Bacon – playing a retarded hair dresser, and two surprises in Djimon Hounsou and Paige Hurd. Some of the laughs are pretty cheesy and obviously there strictly for the slapstick. While most of the other parts are quite natural. There are a few breakout moments like when the “white” girl finally gains acceptance and the daughter plays her piano solo. This is a fun movie and I recommend seeing it.
Getting some radio play. Starting this weekend I’ll be getting airplay on Music Highway with Sheena Metal and WPMD’s UNsigned Music Show with Mike Stark http://wpmd.org. Sheena will be playing the song Age from A Natural Leap Forward, Tee-m from WPMD hasn’t informed me as to which song he’ll be playing, but hey, tune in and request more.
The Knitting Factory show was great! We had a great time and the response from the crowd was awesome. I’ve even got pictures and I’ll be checking out the video in the next few days. The new technology we’ve been so feverishly working on has come through with flying colors and it showed. The next step is to put all our stuff on the laptop and just play air guitar and lipsync (just kidding).
If you’re on Rhapsody, my CD “A Natural Leap Forward” has finally made it onto their network. Long after it’s launch on iTunes. Do an artist a favor, go stream some songs from Rhapsody.
It’s a killer day. I hope you have a killer weekend. Well, at least a really fun weekend. Go color an egg or eat some great food. It’s Easter and all.
Jody
Been a busy little bee for the past couple of weeks. I got called upon to do a bunch of audio editing – in addition to the self imposed stuff I’ve been doing. Now I’m mastering audio for a new book coming soon on Drum Loops. I’ve also finished up some audio editing for a financial course. Now it’s back to my regular self imposed editing as I’m almost finished with making my licensing library.
I did play a show in Huntington Beach a week ago friday. I played in a songwriters in the round. I shared the stage with Warren Sellars, James Grey, and Dee Biggs. It was an interesting evening. I did what I could do to keep up with these songwriting heavyweights. All of whom who’ve had cuts on some major records it seems. In the end I apparently woke the crowd up and stole the show. Heck I even got a great compliment from Warren, on stage and in front of the whole crowd. That was cool. James Grey talked to me after the show and has asked if I’d play some other venues on his bills. So expect to see more of me in the O.C.
Another cool thing was I was approached by and Artist in an earlier round who proceeded to tell me he never wanted to be on the same stage with me at the same time. He felt I was “too good”. A rather nice compliment. Overall the evening was a success and I enjoyed my time there at Martini Blues.
I’ve also been toying with the concept of giving the option for HTML e-mails to those signed up on my e-mail list, however, I’m not sure I’ll go through with it just yet. It’s an involved process and I don’t want to use an outside company as I value your information. In fact, I’ve just been upgraded to an SPF account on my e-mails at my domain. Meaning you can authenticate that I actually sent you an e-mail, the spam stops here.
Movie Pick of the Week: The Upside of Anger & Robots. I’ll be brief, I know it’s a Monday morning. First, The Upside of Anger is an outrageously good movie. I’d put it up on par with something along the lines of Ordinary People. Its a movie about life and how we as people deal with it when shit goes wrong. The two main characters are played by Kevin Costner and Joan Allen. Awesome performance. Unfortunately I doubt it will do well at the box-office as it has no cars blowing up. On to Robots… Now, I got the chance to see this in IMAX. Visually this movie is astounding along the levels of The Incredibles. Storywise, this movie falls a little flat. There’s tons of gags, and a hint of something heartfelt, but it really failed to pull me in. It was enjoyable for the references to Star Wars, and other movies and did have some touching moments but they were kinda few and far between.
Jody
WIN WIN WIN… That’s right you can win a signed copy of Delicate Stretch of the Seems. How do I do that is probably your next question. Well, just go to the clubhouse link above. If you’re a member, login and answer the question, you’ll be entered to win. If you’re not a member, you’re in luck, it’s free to become a member. Sign up, sign in, answer the question, then keep your fingers crossed.
I’ve been in the studio remixing alternate mixes of A Natural Leap Forward, in my never ending quest to get the music ready for film, radio and tv. I’m also putting the thinking cap on as to which songs I’ll be performing on the 11th. I think I’ll do one cover song, just for shits and giggles. The Knitting Factory show should be a blast! This will be the bands first performance where we’ll be able to make those cool adjustments to the songs that i’ve been talking about recently.
I’ll be posting another video clip from the Keyclub on Sunday. So keep your browser set to the clubhouse.
Movie Pick of the Week: Be Cool. I really enjoyed Get Shorty a few years ago. So I have a feeling that I’d enjoy Be Cool. Instead of Chili Palmer being in the movie business, now he’s getting into the music business. As the movie started I thought it was a bit weak. It certainly doesn’t have the same strength in the story as Get Shorty did. John Travolta is certainly very much the same Chili that I remember, so he’s definitely carrying the movie. Despite the weakness of the story line, I enjoyed the gags of Vince Vaughn attempting to be a jewish black man. The Rock was extremely funny as a gay man. Cederic the Entertainer was ok as an educated Gangsta rapper, and André 3000 of Outkast was really funny as Cederic’s dopey cousin. While not on the same level as Get Shorty, Be Cool is certainly enjoyable.
Have a great weekend!
Jody
March Madness is coming…
To recap about England. My girlfriend Claire and I had a fantastic time. In fact if it weren’t for her I wouldn’t have even gone. The sights, the sounds, and of course the smells, and food all combined to one of the major highlights of my life. I don’t know why a bunch of the English people I met thought I was Canadian though. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been to Canada, and I even roomed with a Canadian while going to music school. I dig Canada, but I don’t think I even come close to qualifying as a Canadian. But I did find it funny and had a good laugh with it.
While in England I started a new game that I call “Spot the iPod”. I couldn’t believe how many of the little white earbuds I saw, especially in London. In fact I thought it was so much fun that I’m creating a website called strangely enough SpotTheiPod.com. I’ll be getting around to making a bare-bones version of it soon, but the domain is already working.
Musically speaking, I’ve been getting more and more people interested in the music via Myspace. That’s been a plus. I’ve also been making little changes here at jdub.com. I’ve been posting new videos in the Clubhouse and planning a new monthly give-a-way in the Clubhouse. In fact the give-a-way concept starts today and the winner will be picked on the 31st of March.
I’ve also been busy making alternate mixes of every song I’ve ever released. Breaking them up into instrumental pieces to license to radio, film, tv, and of course the new kid on the block – video games. So if you’re in any of those mediums, contact me and we’ll work out an agreeement.
Lastly, my drummer Donny and I have worked out a way to be able to recreate the sound of the album live, yet be able to change the arrangements on the fly as needed. Thus we can speed up or slow down the drum loops, synth, piano and various background vocals and noises as needed at any given show. It’s an amazing concept and it brings a smile to my face. To the audience we’ll be able to deliver a live show that retains the feel of what I envisioned on the record without being confined to being on tape, it’s truly liberating. I know it will be that added little bonus that will leave audiences smiling.
Enjoy the music!
Jody