Jody Whitesides

Tag: production

  • Chandelier By Sia

    Chandelier By Sia

    chandelierWho knew that my horizons would get expanded by a Chandelier?

    Happiness is knowing that you can learn, grow and expand. Such is where I’m heading in my own career. Even as little as a few years ago I would have never been into hyper lush production of a song. At least not beyond getting a good sound and making a good blend with a standard type of band setup and maybe adding a few additional sounds. Now I’m checking out songs that are humongous arrangements with track counts that number well over 48. Ones that have awesome sounds in them built in layers and layers. Such is the case with Chandelier sung by Sia. The production on this tune was achieved by Jesse Shatkin and Greg Kurstin.

    What I really enjoy with this song is phrase “1, 2, 3, Drink.” There’s a really clever use of prosody in music with that part. It’s something that a musician would appreciate, but the consumer would just think “oh that’s cool.” What happens where she’s singing 1, 2, 3 is that the vocal is parsing in triplet quarter notes over the beat. Three counts getting a division of three across beats – as I said: clever. The melody soars when it hits the word Chandelier, which also has a sense of prosody thanks to the fact that Chandeliers tend to hang from a ceiling up above.

    Sonically, there’s a ton of ear candy and while a pop song doesn’t have to be chock full of ear candy to be good, said ear candy can take a good song with a memorable melody and push into great. I could listen to this on repeat and be happy.

    Chandelier by Sia

    YouTube player

    Party girls don’t get hurt
    Can’t feel anything, when will I learn
    I push it down, push it down

    I’m the one “for a good time call”
    Phone’s blowin’ up, they’re ringin’ my doorbell
    I feel the love, feel the love

    1,2,3 1,2,3 drink
    1,2,3 1,2,3 drink
    1,2,3 1,2,3 drink

    Throw em back, till I lose count

    I’m gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier
    I’m gonna live like tomorrow doesn’t exist
    Like it doesn’t exist
    I’m gonna fly like a bird through the night, feel my tears as they dry
    I’m gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier

    And I’m holding on for dear life, won’t look down won’t open my eyes
    Keep my glass full until morning light, ’cause I’m just holding on for tonight
    Help me, I’m holding on for dear life, won’t look down won’t open my eyes
    Keep my glass full until morning light, ’cause I’m just holding on for tonight
    On for tonight

    Sun is up, I’m a mess
    Gotta get out now, gotta run from this
    Here comes the shame, here comes the shame

    1,2,3 1,2,3 drink
    1,2,3 1,2,3 drink
    1,2,3 1,2,3 drink

    Throw em back till I lose count

    I’m gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier
    I’m gonna live like tomorrow doesn’t exist
    Like it doesn’t exist
    I’m gonna fly like a bird through the night, feel my tears as they dry
    I’m gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier

    And I’m holding on for dear life, won’t look down won’t open my eyes
    Keep my glass full until morning light, ’cause I’m just holding on for tonight
    Help me, I’m holding on for dear life, won’t look down won’t open my eyes
    Keep my glass full until morning light, ’cause I’m just holding on for tonight
    On for tonight

    Enjoy your day and the song!

  • White Men Discussing Rap

    White Men Discussing Rap

    SPM-south-park-mexicanWhat could be more out of wack than three white men discussing rap music? That’s right. Jesse Stern starts us off with an off the cuff remark about rap music and George Leger III takes over discussing the state of modern rap in Southern California. Don’t get me wrong. There’s a lot of rap I like for it’s originality, it’s beat, it’s wild-blue-yonder approach. Yet listening to George talk about the artists he’s hearing about from the youth group he works with, is definitely an eye opening and mind expanding situation for myself and Mr. Jesse Stern.

    Find out my expression and how I react to a group that I’ve never heard of. Actually all the groups that George mentions are groups I hadn’t heard of until he mentioned them. Jesse takes it all in stride. What ended up happening afterwards is that I’m now more aware of some of the new modern rap coming out of Southern California. Not necessarily a bad thing.

    What say you? Who is rapping stuff so awesome that you can’t believe they’re not uber famous yet? Give me some names so I can flesh out my measly commercial rap collection.

    White Men Discussing Rap

    YouTube player

    There’s a lot of really cool rap out.

    Productionwise it’s so minimalistic.

    Uh Hmmm.

    That I… it’s like driving on ice.

    Do you do a lot of rap?

    I do where I work ’cause the kids, that’s what they want to do.

    That’s what the kids are doing these days…

    They’re not producing music. They don’t even know what music is. Well, that’s not true. I can’t really say that, ’cause… You know. They. It’s been really intriguing with them to try and turn them on to other kinds of music.

    Uh Hmmm.

    And other stuff because they’re so into this ridged little clique of music. ASAP Rocky, fuckin’ ah, SPM, South Park Mexicans. Yeah.

    Is that a band or a style.

    That’s a band.

    Ok.

    I was about to say if that’s a style, it’s way off my radar.

    There’s a band down in Orange called FUNK.

    They’re just called FUNK?

    They’re just called FUNK. And like all the gangsta kids love ’em. They’re all like, I want FUNK man. I hear it. Like who the fuck is FUNK? FUNK is the they’re a band man.

    Funk is that guy right there. He got the funk.

    Well, they’re, you know. Eh, South Park Mexicans, SPM, there’s like four or five guys, that’s all they talk about when they talk. ASAP Rocky is one of them.

    –

    Give me some more rap to check out in the comments.

    Enjoy your day!

    – Jody

  • Touch In The Studio

    Touch In The Studio

    Come in the studio with me as I work with George Leger III at his Utopia Parkway studio to record the final vocals on my upcoming new single “Touch”. Get a sneak peek of what it’s like in the studio and working with a good friend from Canada who helps create some awesome magic.

    Find out who I got one of the guitars used on the song from. Figure out a particular guitar riff I play while waiting for George. Hint, it’s from an amazing guitarist out of Texas.

    Enjoy the video:

    YouTube player
    Transcript:
    We’re in Los Angeles. Taking off in a moment in the car. To get over to the studio. Time to start recording some vocals.
    Ok, here’s the humor. I’ve just rolled up to the parking lot of the studio where I’m recording with George Leger, over here, the third. He’s got sore feet. So, we’re walking in. About to get started with doing some recording and having some fun. Of course I’ve got to have some tea before I start yodeling out of my mouth. [yodel yodel] But it will be an awesome day of having fun in the studio. Enjoy. See you soon.
    Currently we’re working through some issues that George has with playing the mix back, before we get into the concept of me actually opening my mouth and making some more vocals. That are not just demo vocals.
    Bonus points to YouTubers who can figure out where that riff comes from.
    We got the mics all set up and what we’re gonna do is we’re gonna test out this particular setup to make sure it sounds, fucking brilliant. [fucking brilliant].
    Turn back the click on?
    Don’t you love that? That’s George’s dyslexia in action, right there.
    That’s Canadian speak isn’t it?
    Canadian speak, ha ha ha.
    Eh?
    Just for those out in YouTube land. This is a Parker Fly guitar.
    Yes, very nice guitar. Wish I had one actually.
    It was given to me by somebody that is very big in the independent music world. Or at least was at one point in time. He’s now kind of retired. His name is Mr. Derek Sivers.
    Derek Sivers, thank you very much for your contribution to this song. That we’re using with your Parker Fly, that is, well apparently it’s now my Parker Fly.
    We’re doing a little production work at this point. We’ve decided to nix the pre chorus, which you’ve already found out. And we’ve decided to nix some vocals in the chorus there were, uh, filling too many holes. After we do a bit more production work, we’re going to ad some ad libbers. Ad libbies. No? We’re not, we’re not doing any? Oh, cause there’s not enough holes. Not enough room. So much for ad libs.
    You know what they say about ad libs? Fuck ad libs.
    You say you want to try another octave higher. I’m not sure that’ll be overkill, but I’m certainly willing to try.
    Well then, shall I double the other choruses first?
    Ah, no. I’m just going to use this part for all of them.
    No, no, no.
    Yes, yes, yes.
    No, no, no.
    Yes, yes, yes.
    I don’t like cut and paste.
    Dude. I don’t care. This is not really that important.
    It is.
    fuckin prima donnas.
    I don’t feel like a prima donna, but thank you.
    You’re a fucking leo, what are you talking about.
    That doesn’t make me a prima donna.
    Yes it does.
    No, it just makes me king of the jungle. Or my jungle anyway.
    It has been an awesome trip. The vocals are done. It’s time to do the mix. Back to the studio. So long LA, it’s been fun being back. It feels like a slice of home. See ya on the flip side.

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