I think it's obvious that I was not able to keep my promise of posting blog entries more often. I just have so many responsibilities at the moment, it is difficult to maintain a blog.
However, I do believe that since our last show was a private affair, I promised that you all would have the chance to see us perform again soon. Well, that time has come.
Sunday, December 11th, from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Streetwise Music Instruction is hosting a performance at Amos' Southend, and we were invited to headline the whole show. And how could we pass up that opportunity? So there it is. We will be the last band of the night to play, going on at probably about 8:15 pm.
This show is a pretty big deal for us, considering that our last show at Amos' Southend (which was also our first) did not go so well, sadly. This will be our chance for redemption in the eyes of a venue which we happen to like very much. So please, come to the show and enjoy yourself! We plan on putting on one heck of a show, with lots of familiar S.I.Q. music as well as some unexpected bits thrown in. Tickets will be $7 presale, $9 at the door, and there is a $2 surcharge for anyone under 21.
Just to give you a progress update on how we are doing in the studio, here's a list of where each song is at this point:
Track 1: Finished recording, needs mixing
Track 2: Done
Track 3: Done
Track 4: Almost finished recording
Track 5: Needs recording
Track 6: Needs recording
Track 7: Needs recording
Track 8: Needs recording
And finally, as I always do, here is some music to jam to. I just bought the new Andromeda album a few days ago, so here is Lies R Us.
We have had a busy, but very rewarding weekend. Phil, James, and I hit the studio on Thursday to finish the leads, intro, and outtro for track 1. It was very productive, and we decided that James' solo in that song is probably the best on the album, at least in the way of technicality and difficulty. It is really shaping up to be one of my favorite songs that we have written so far.
Friday evening and Saturday morning hosted practices at Paul's, the last two before our show Saturday evening. We focused very hard on making sure that our chops and our newer music was very tight.
We got to the gig at about 8:00 PM. It was a private party, hosted by a friend of Ashton's step-dad, Jerry. The "stage" area was in the back yard, but we had plywood to set the guitar and bass stacks on and a home-made drum riser for the drums (thanks to Jerry and Ashton's brother Greyson!).
Now for my analyzation of the show itself.
We split our entire performance into four separate sets of about 20 to 25 minutes each. Mostly, this was done in an effort to make it last from 9:00 until 12:00, but it had the ulterior benefit of allowing us to warm up our hands between each set. It was cold! And we can hardly play with gloves on.
This was the first show I've done utilizing my new Mesa/Boogie bass head. It proved its worth in gold; it was powerful enough to keep up with the cranked guitar stacks and the mic-ed drums, and it still kept its tone. I was getting a really fantastic growl out of it, especially when I used my lower strings.
The crowd was definitely not a prog-crowd. Most of them (from what we could tell) were Country or Southern Rock fans. Fortunately for us, there was enough alcohol going around in the audience that we had them cheering without having to compromise our musical integrity. (Note to self: Progressive Metal takes intoxicated people on a wild ride.) However, this is not to say that we were not asked to play some Country music. One particular gentleman in a cowboy hat asked us before each set if we knew any "sweet home country music", and we politely told him that we are not a country band. In response, he would start singing country songs at us, as if to jog our memory. Keep in mind, many of the people at this party were not in control of all their faculties, so I doubt he knew what he was even saying to us. The only time when alcohol ever became a problem was when a few guys got behind the mic in the stage area and stumbled dangerously close to my pedalboard and amp. Just for good measure, I don't think I moved more than 15 feet away from my stuff for the rest of the night after that.
All things considered, we put on one heck of a show. Nothing diminished our energy nor disrupted the vibe that we were all getting. For that, I want to thank/congratulate my band brothers for that. Way to go guys! We received rave reviews, and I even had some people come up to me and compliment my playing, which I greatly appreciate. "You're the [freaking] bassist aren't you? Dude, you [freaking] rock, man."
The money that we were paid for the show is going straight toward studio time for the album. We are gonna knock it out!
I was going to write something philosophical here, but it is looking like it is going to be a late night for me, so I'll skip on that.
However, I am not going to close this entry without leaving you some music to listen to. Here, James found me this band recently, and I really like them.
We five in the S.I.Q. machine have all been so very busy over the past couple of months. Most of what we are doing, however, is a lot of the same stuff over and over to achieve our goal, which is why there hasn't been much for me to tell you. At this point, though, I have enough happenings to update you on to make this post very interesting, and hopefully exciting, for you.
First, an update on our album. We are still in the studio recording and mixing, working our collective butt off to produce the best possible product. We have already released two singles from the album to show you just how much progress we have made. The two singles are "Slightly Out of Breath," and a re-recorded version of "Stasis." "Stasis" is one of only two songs from our 2010 demo CD that will be making a reappearance on the album. Can anyone guess the second? Post which one you think in a comment. Also, take the time to go and listen to both singles. You can listen to them either on our info page on facebook or on our reverbnation page, both links of which are listed here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/SIQ/270139033114?sk=info http://www.reverbnation.com/sinq
Here is an updated list on the progress of each song in the album:
Track 1: Being recorded
Track 2: Released as a single
Track 3: Released as a single
Track 4: Waiting to be recorded
Track 5: Being recorded
Track 6: Waiting to be recorded
Track 7: Waiting to be recorded
Track 8: Waiting to be recorded
We will release the official track list (song titles) soon.
A few of us in the band have had gear upgrades since my last post. Phil now owns an OLP John Petrucci style guitar, which sounds terrific, and it even has him eyeing the real thing, the MusicMan John Petrucci guitars. As for me, I have finally achieved something I have wanted since I learned what good bass amps sound like: a Mesa/Boogie bass amp. The specific model is the Mesa/Boogie Basis M2000. It has two preamps (one tube, one solid-state) built into it, and both have a ridiculous amount of tone-shaping options to them. This works perfectly for me, being a "tone-monkey." I have sold my solid-state Peavey amp, but my Peavey 4x12 bass cab is still up for sale. I plan to purchase one more Mesa cab, then my Mesa stack will be complete.
For anyone who did not understand a single word of that whole paragraph, I have new stuff, and it makes me happy.
And now for some music sharing. I haven't been listening to a lot of new stuff lately, but since my last entry, Dream Theater released their new album, A Dramatic Turn of Events, so I am going to post my top songs off the album.
Bridges in the Sky
Outcry
This is the Life
Breaking All Illusions
But really, the whole album is fantastic. I highly recommend it to everyone. Go buy it, and support an amazing band.
Everyone have a great evening. I hope to be writing with the same frequency as before. Be on the lookout!
Yes, it has been just a little while, so there is much to tell. Firstly, my reason for not posting an entry for a while: college.
As some of you may know, I graduated high school last year, which means this year, I join the multitudes of college students trying to prepare themselves for a lifelong career. My goal is to go to the Musician's Institute in Hollywood, CA, but since that will require miraculous funding, I will be attending Central Piedmont Community College here in Charlotte until I have adequate money to achieve my goal. While at CPCC, I will be studying for an Associate's in Fine Arts (with a focus in music, obviously). This semester, I will be taking four general education classes, as well as Jazz ensemble. Class starts next Monday, so I am getting anxious. I think at this point, though, I am about as prepared as I am going to be.
Things have been going well in S.I.Q. world. I received my new effects processor pedal, and have already achieved some fantastic tones with it. I even used it to re-record my part in one of the two singles that we will be bringing to you soon. Speaking of which, all recording for them is completely finished, so now we move on to mixing. It shouldn't be too long now, before you are able to play them in your car or on your iPod to get psyched up for the whole album.
After three weeks of not having a drummer at practice, we are finally going to have Paul back in the rehearsal room. Surgery, vacation, and work have all kept him unavailable for practices. This Saturday, however, we will all be jamming again, and we have A LOT of new song riffs and ideas that all need to be played out. This makes us all very happy.
Dream Theater's new album comes out in just over a month! I will certainly be buying it the day it comes out. The moment it is announced, I will be on iTunes. Or maybe I should buy the CD...
Now that all the news is done, it's music sharing time. Here's what I've been listening to this week:
"Moonrise" by Nevermore. Thank you Phil for letting me borrow James' CD.
"A Change of Seasons" by Dream Theater. This one's a bit of a long one, so if you're going to give it a listen, get comfortable.
"Fatal Tragedy" by Dream Theater. Really, I've been listening to this whole album, so go check it out. It's a must listen.
"Cage of Me" by Andromeda. The guys will agree with me, this one is a proggy adrenaline pumper.
"One Winged Angel" from Final Fantasy: Advent Children. It is simply awesome.
For those of you going to college this year, I'm right there with you. I wish you all the best!
Production on the upcoming album is progressing smoothly. Recording for the two singles we will be releasing is finished (Well, 99.9 % finished. I may need to re-record a bass track for one of them), and mixing will occur hopefully within the next two weeks. Following those, we will continue recording and mixing the rest of the songs in the tracklist. Be on the lookout for those two singles; we believe you will enjoy them immensely.
This week saw a fortunate turn of events for the guitar section of S.I.Q. While in Guitar Center this past Saturday, James was selected by the GC manager to be Charlotte's "Hometown Hero." This means James' picture was taken and will be featured on the Charlotte Guitar Center website soon. Also, Phil got some new gear, in the form of a new multi-effects pedal. I have already heard some of the simple effects he has gotten out of that thing, which leaves me excited to see what he can create with time and a little effort.
Paul was a little less fortunate this past week, as he underwent surgery that left him unable to play drums while he healed. He should be back in shape in time for our next practice session this Saturday. Still, keep him in your thoughts as he recovers.
As for me, I have been struggling with one of the most proggy riffs I have ever encountered. Phil wrote it a few weeks ago, but he wrote it in Drop D tuning. I am attempting to play it in standard 6 string bass tuning, and I am slowly conquering it. You can be sure that you'll hear it on a future album, and most likely in multiple shows beforehand. (I know this whole bit isn't really important news, but I just thought I'd share, as it is something of interest to me.) Also, within the next week (I hope), I will be receiving in the mail two items that will make my life easier and my music sound better respectively: an Android-powered tablet (thanks to my uncle, who graciously gave it to me and even more graciously fixed it when I did something to make it not work) and a new multi-effects pedal. As a matter of fact, the pedal is the bass version of the new guitar pedal that Phil got.
Just like most people my age, I am going to be attending my first semester of college starting in only a few weeks. I will be attending Central Piedmont Community College, and will be aiming for an Associates in Fine Arts (focusing in music, of course). This means that in my first semester, along with all the general education classes, I will be joining a jazz ensemble. I am especially excited about that, as I have begun to experiment with and learn about jazz within the past few months. In particular, I have been paying attention to the bass playing art of Jaco Pastorius. Here's a video to show why he is becoming an idol of mine.
Pretty sweet stuff right?
It is at this point that I will also share with you all the other music that I have taken a special interest in over the past week or so.
"Long Way Home" by Seventh Wonder
"Fireroses Dance" by Vanden Plas
"Supremacy Our Kind" by Pagan's Mind
"Crack the Meter" by Jordan Rudess, the keyboardist for Dream Theater. I actually have this album because my sister bought it. So nice to have a sister that also likes prog!
Here's a bit of an unusual one for me:
"Blackest Eyes" by Porcupine Tree.
And lastly, this:
A good quality live version of "On the Backs of Angels" by Dream Theater. MOST excellent.
I would actually like to close this entry with an invitation to any readers of my blog. I share a lot of my favorite music with you, but never get to hear what you listen to. Here's your chance. Post a song or band that you like in a comment. If I have not heard it/them, I'll give it a listen.
Big week for us in S.I.Q. land. We had the first of many recording sessions for the new album on Friday, and it went swimmingly. We started by doing scratch tracks of all of us playing together so that we could have something to listen to as we re-recorded our individual parts. We did this for two songs (songs 2 and 3 on the tracklist). We picked one to work on, and I went back and fixed any mess-ups I might have made in recording the original track. Paul didn't have to redo anything because he got it all right on the first go. (Doesn't that tick you off??) After I finished all my little adjustments, Phil and James re-recorded their rhythm tracks, doubled them, and then James laid the leads over top. We even had enough time left after that to do vocals as well, which Ashton later told me he wants to redo. Next Friday, Phil, James, and Ashton will be going back to the studio to do guitars for the other track, as well as vocals for both.
Yesterday, we had a writing session at Phil's house, and completed a song, the first track to be on the album as a matter of fact. The song had been close to completion for a while and just had a few bits to clear up. Sadly, Paul was unable to attend the writing session (day jobs, gotta love 'em), so we have to show the finished song to him and practice it with him before it will be studio ready.
After much consideration, we have decided to cut down the number of tracks on the album from 9 to 8. I can't give out the tracklist yet (as much as I may want to), but I can give you an update on where each song is in relation to being recorded and ready to be released.
Song 1: Needs drum part, practice, recording, and mixing
Song 2: Needs re-recorded vocals and mixing
Song 3: Needs guitar tracks, vocals, and mixing
Song 4: Needs recording and mixing
Song 5: Needs practice, recording, and mixing
Song 6: Needs finishing, lyrics, practice, recording, and mixing
Song 7: Needs recording and mixing
Song 8: Needs recording and mixing
And we are also brainstorming ideas for the title. All the song names have been decided.
It is really an exciting and inspiring experience for the five of us. Even more ideas for future music are sprouting in our heads.
Strangely, I don't really have any new music to show you this week, and for that I apologize. Go have a look at my list of artists that I listen to, and pick one or two to listen to. That should be satisfactory. Until next time!
A lot has happened since my last entry. The primary reason for my internet silence is that I have been on vacation in Southport, NC, with my family for the past 5 days. Now, however, it is time to once again get you all up to date on the goings-on inside the S.I.Q. camp.
A week ago, last Tuesday, we performed at Jortsfest in Cornelius, NC. I am not going to sugarcoat it; It was one of the poorest playing experiences we have had as a band. I am not blaming the management, because it seemed like the coordinators of the event were honestly doing their best to make sure it went over well. I am not admitting the fault was ours either, because we still played our setlist near perfectly. It just was not our day.
When we arrived, we discovered that there was no house sound system; the venue was an old movie theater with the first few rows of seats removed from each individual theater to make room for a makeshift performance space, and the only supplied sound system was a small P.A. to amplify vocals. Amplifiers and drums went un-miced, which made a solid, well-mixed sound all but impossible to achieve. Also, the band that went before us went well over their allotted time with their setlist, and made no effort to quickly load up their gear to make way for ours. Already stressed because of this, Phil and I were further frustrated when we found that the power cords for our amps would not easily reach the power outlet, and James encountered difficulties when he broke a string while warming up (fortunately, Phil had spares of all the strings, and was able to supply a replacement). Probably the greatest inconvenience was during our first song, Stasis, when Paul broke the head on his snare drum. To top all of this off, the temperature inside the venue was sweltering hot, leaving us all sweat-soaked.
Not our best show, to be sure. I will say that it still benefited us, as Paul has now played a great show with us, and a not-so-great show with us.
All of our fans who attended still said that we put on a good concert, so perhaps all these peeves are in our own heads. We will be endeavoring even more now to put on nothing but good performances for you, our fans.
Now for the real news. Are you ready?
We are reentering the studio this coming Saturday, July 9th, to begin the long process of recording our first, yet untitled, full length studio album. We are planning on a nine track setlist, including two re-recorded songs from our demo. We will be keeping you up to speed on our progress through my blog, our facebook page, and a possible video documentary. Who is excited? Aside from us I mean.
Along with the album, new merchandise is in the works.
Speaking of new music, how about I share some with you? I'll start with the one that excites me the most.
A single released from Dream Theater's upcoming album. This song is called "On the Backs of Angels".
Thanks to Phil, this is "And the Maiden Spoke", by Nevermore.
"Rush of Silence", my favorite track from Vanden Plas' The Seraphic Clockwork.
And those are really all I have for today. Keep an eye out for all the upcoming news on our album, and I will post again when I return from vacation.
The positive repercussions of our show at Tremont have been coming constantly since the day after we played it. All of the songs that we played were recorded via camcorder, so even if you were not at the show, you can at least pretend you were. Here they are, in the order we played them, for your viewing pleasure.
Stasis
Wash Away
Nightmare Lullaby
No Pockets
Of the songs that we played that evening, I personally had the most fun playing Nightmare Lullaby and No Pockets. We all just nailed those songs, and we got a great, energetic response from the crowd. Nothing like some audience energy to make a performer really feel confident!
Another positive response that we received as a result of this show came in the form of a review in Creative Loafing magazine. It really does have nothing but good things to say about our performance. Here's the link, so you can read it for yourself:
The porterhouse of Charlotte, they called us. How awesome is that?
Our next performance is going to be at Jortsfest 2011, up in Cornelius, NC. It's a bit of a drive, but it really is going to be a great show. There are going to be four stages total, with music going on the whole day. We are on the second stage I believe. Be on the lookout for more information.
Remember that one band that I like, Bad Salad? They have a side project on youtube called VRA! that is a split-screen Dream Theater cover band. They have covered four songs so far, and they are FANTASTIC.
They are very accurate, down to every solo, groove, and harmonic. Let me show you what I mean:
Lifting Shadows Off a Dream
Metropolis Pt. 1
Constant Motion
And finally, they have released their newest Dream Theater cover!
As I Am
If you are as big a DT fan as I am, you might have noticed that the guitar player and bass player are playing the same Musicman instruments that John Petrucci and John Myung play, which helps them get that perfect tone and look awesome at the same time. Where do they get the money to buy those?
These have inspired me to learn some Dream Theater songs myself. The one I am learning at the moment is "The Count of Tuscany" from the Black Clouds and Silver Linings album. Maybe I'll make a video of me playing it once I am done.
I am typing this after having just come home from playing a show at Tremont (which I am going to assume that most of you have already heard about). It was a fantastic 30 minutes. Yes, sadly we were only given a time slot of 30 minutes to play, but in that small time we just about brought the house down! It has been too long since we have heard applause like that. Really, I have a list of our top shows so far, and this ranks very high among them. There was our first show at Tremont, which was a battle of the bands for Gorilla Productions, there was the first time we played at the Money in Rock Hill, there was the show that we played at Amos' at the Lake, and there was this one. In fact, I am inclined to believe that overall, this may have been our best show yet. The crowd was sizable, we had no stress on us, and we played all our music flawlessly. Oh! And Phil, James, and I were wireless for this show, giving us great mobility. And of course, Paul...Paul was just fantastic. So tight the whole show, hitting everything spot on, and he looked like he was having a good time too. I honestly cannot wait until our next show, if it's going to be anything like the time we had on stage this evening.
Our setlist was as follows:
Stasis
Wash Away
Nightmare Lullaby
No Pockets
And on No Pockets, we pulled a bit of a surprise out for our audience; Ashton did a saxophone solo during the jazz breakdown section of No Pockets, right before my bass solo. It's rare, getting applause in the middle of a song, but we sure got it there! And that is enough to make a musician's heart sing.
The whole show was caught on video camera, and should be up on Youtube within the week.
Also, we got interviewed by Amanda Caines with Shutter 16 magazine (and formerly from Tattermask). That should be showing up pretty soon as well. I will post a link on here when it does.
For my bass players out there, I just want to say that my bass tone this evening made me very happy. It was punchy, but not too bass-y. It was pretty much perfect. That's a tone I've been striving for a long time to get.
So what's next on the to-do list for S.I.Q.? We are playing at Jortsfest in 10 days, on June 28th, and hopefully we'll have a longer set then. Also, we are going to focus very hard on finishing the songs for the new album. We have them almost completed, there are just some pieces that need to fall into place. Recording will hopefully commence in July.
And finally, I will close by sharing with you the music that I have been listening to this week.
Blind Faith by Dream Theater
Power of Mindscape by Pagan's Mind
The Hidden Riddle by Andromeda
Rush of Silence by Vanden Plas
King of Nothing by Stratovarius
I wish you all well, and I hope to see you at a future show.
This Saturday's show is creeping closer and closer, and excitement in the S.I.Q. camp is mounting. We had a pretty fantastic practice this past Saturday, quickly running through the longer and more difficult songs that we intend to play. We also had time left over to to a bit of writing, which gave us a breath of fresh air from continually rehearsing our older songs. The new music is sounding just as heavy as before, but even more progressive. You will be hearing it on our first album for sure!
We still have many tickets for this Saturday's concert at Tremont still left to sell, if you haven't picked yours up yet, please contact us any way you can. The money we make at this show will be going to the production of the new album, so that is your extra incentive to come out and hear us play! Tickets are $10 pre-sale, $12 at the door, and there is a three dollar surcharge for anyone under 21. Doors open at 4 pm, and the show will most likely start at about 5.
Here's some news that I, personally, am excited about. Dream Theater (in case you are not aware, my favorite band) has released the title and track list of their next album. The title is "A Dramatic Turn of Events" and the track list is as follows:
1. On the Backs of Angels
2. Build Me Up, Break Me Down
3. Lost Not Forgotten
4. This is the Life
5. The Shaman's Trance
6. Outcry
7. Far from Heaven
8. Breaking All Illusions
9. Beneath the Surface
There has been much talk among Dream Theater fans about this release. The main speculation is that the track list suggests that this album is a concept album, and that the title is in reference to Mike Portnoy's departure from the band. Whether all this is true or not, I know that will enjoy whatever they come out with.
While I'm sort of on the subject, I wanted to share my knowledge and thoughts on concept albums.
A concept album is a record that generally follows a story or set of ideas, making all the songs have a collective meaning. There are two different types of such records, the first being the story album. This classification encompasses such works as Dream Theater's "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory", Queensryche's "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II", Seventh Wonder's "Mercy Falls", Threshold's "Clone", and Iron Maiden's "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son", and usually tells a story, complete with characters and a plot. Such albums are great examples of a bands songwriting and instrumental prowess, as both lyrics and lengthy musical movements are used to portray emotions that all tie to a single set of events. However, the downside to story albums is that it is difficult to just pop in a CD and listen to only one or two songs from them. It's like opening a book and reading two random chapters then putting the book down. It is wise to have a lot of free time when listening to a story album.
The second type of concept album is more abstract. The songs on this kind still follow an ideal, but they are not connected by a story. Examples of abstract concept albums are Andromeda's "The Immunity Zone", Pagan's Mind's "Enigmatic: Calling", Circus Maximus' "Isolate", Symphony X's "Iconoclast", and (my personal favorite) Dream Theater's "Octavarium". In all of these, the songs are connected by nothing more than a theme spread across every song. In the special case of "Octavarium", the listener doesn't even realize it's a concept album until they listen to the last track, which unites all the tracks in one overall concept. Unlike a story album, you can listen to one or two songs on an abstract album without feeling completely lost, and usually the songwriting is just as well done.
I love both types as long as they sound heavy and proggy.
I hope you have been educated by this. As always, let me know in a comment if there is anything you disagree with.
See you Saturday! Here's a music video to keep you happy until then.
We are still getting prepared for our upcoming shows at Tremont and Jortsfest. Paul is getting his chops for our selected songs down, James got a pedalboard on which to keep his various pedals and footswitches, and Phil and I are getting used to our new wireless systems. We aim to make the coming shows as entertaining and exciting as possible. Tickets for the Tremont show are available now, and are $10 presale, $12 at the door. All five of us have tickets, so get in touch with any one of us to get yours before the show.
You all know this story. You go to a show, and a band gets up on stage. The drum kit is a trashy 3 or 4 piece set with cracked cymbals, the guitarists have banged up gear that doesn't look like it will create sound at all, much less a pleasing sound, the Bass player is wearing a cheap four string and playing with a pick (sorry, I am a little biased there), all the members are dressed as if they were randomly selected off the street, and when the singer opens his mouth to start singing, the sound of vomiting comes out. It is at this point that several members of the audience decide to sit this one out, and go outside to chat idly.
Here's another story: A band gets up on stage, and they automatically exude an aura that practically speaks the word "unified". They all help each other get into place, the drum kit, guitar gear, and bass gear looks well taken care of, and when they begin they begin to play, people start tapping their feet, headbanging, and having a good time.
I have had both experiences, as an audience member at several shows. It asks the question, what makes a band good or bad? What sets some bands above the rest?
First, a band needs to be well practiced. WELL practiced. If tempos are constantly changing unintentionally and the players are hitting wrong notes frequently, then the band will sound unprofessional.
Secondly, a band needs to be unified. Bands sound best when all the members are playing together, not when some members are either showboating or turning up really loud to make sure they are the ones heard. I had this issue in my youth band for about a year or so. People where only focusing on what they were playing and not to what the band sounded like as a whole.
Along with being unified, a band needs to have a similar look, whether that means black tshirts and jeans (pretty much how we do it) or an old school early 1900's look (I am of course referring to a favorite local band of mine, Case Federal and the Agents). If everyone is wearing different styles, then there's a look of chaos on the stage, and chaos is a band's worse enemy.
A very important thing for a band to have is something unique about their style, about the way they play their genre. I have nothing against death metal, but when such bands don't put something unique in their music, it sounds the same as all the other stuff. There must be something to keep the audience's intrigue. Once again, I'll us Case Federal and the Agents as an example. They used metal distortion and rhythms, but they had a saxophone playing the rhythms right along with the guitar! That may be a bit of an extreme example, but you get the idea. Do something different, and people will recognize you.
Band members should take care of their gear. I understand that some bands like to smash their instruments and stuff like that, but the amps and drums are the things providing the sound. If they're not taken care of, they won't behave the way they're supposed to.
Lastly, a band must be exciting to watch. The players should move around, interact with each other, and interact with the audience.
This concludes my rant. I hope you have enjoyed it, and that you agree.
Speaking of good bands, it is time for me to share with you what I have been listening to since my last post! I'd like to start with one of my personal favorite local bands. I didn't even know they had this song recorded until yesterday!
"Shadows" by Luna's Lament. This is one we like to headbang to whenever we see them play live. Props to you Kim, Morgan, Chandler, and Michael!
"Frequency" by Vanden Plas. Still listening to this band, and learning to love all of the songs from this particular album.
This song, "Raw Dog" by Dream Theater, has actually been out for a while. It was featured on the God of War III soundtrack. I've been going back and listening to it, as it is the most recently released song by Dream Theater.
Pagan's Mind released their new album!!!! This is "Eyes of Fire" from Heavenly Ecstasy. Phil, James, and I have already been enjoying this one immensely.
We hope everyone out there is doing well, and we hope to see you at Tremont in two and a half weeks!
I know it was announced several days ago, but I was unable to log in to my blog to embellish upon it then so here it is: We have found our new drummer. His name is Paul Wood, and he is the secret drummer we have been auditioning most steadily for the past two months. We did audition several other drummers, but we didn't get quite the same feeling with them as we got with Paul. He is stylistically very different from Corey; First and foremost, he is a rock/metal drummer, but he has been handling our odd time signatures and uncommon arrangements with gusto. Also he gets along with us very well. We have already introduced him to Q'doba, the source of our creative juice, and he has gone there with us numerous times already.
So, now that S.I.Q. is whole again, we can move forward more quickly toward our goals. Two shows are set in stone for the coming month of June: June 18th at Tremont music hall with 3 Remain (the winner of the last battle we did), and June 28th at Jortsfest. Also, we are resuming work on our first album. Now that we have a drummer we can make our newly written songs more solid. Recording is going to start within the next two months.
I am still selling my 4 and 5 string basses. Once again, if anyone is interested, just contact me over facebook or email.
I haven't bought any new music since my last post, but I'll just say that I have been listening to Seventh Wonder frequently. I like them a lot, especially their bass player (duh). He is a complete virtuoso. I've heard him play along note for note with some of the guitarist's solo lines. The only thing I'm not so sure about is his tone. I can tell that his pickup balancer is set such that there is an equal balance between the bridge and neck pickups; It occasionally sounds messy, even though his technique is impeccable. Oh, and their singer is fantastic!
Well, I speak for all of us when I say I hope you will come to see us at our upcoming shows. We would love to see you there!
Missed us? We miss you too. It has been quite a while since we last played a show, and according to possible plans, it may stay that way until June. We are working on one show date during that month, but any shows beyond that are uncertain. We have decided to put our full attention and resources behind writing and recording the album that we keep telling you all about. It is indeed taking a while, simply because our schedules outside S.I.Q. are a bit demanding. Two of us (James and myself) are preparing for our graduation from high school, which is quite time consuming. Add day jobs on top of that and you can see why it might take us a while to get all of our album material written! We are very close to completion though. There are only 3 more songs for this specific album that require completion. We will then spend many months in studio recording and preparing it for its ultimate release. My own ears have heard how eager many of you are to hear more than just the 5 songs on our demo CD. Just be patient with us, and we will deliver, we promise!
In other news,I have decided to sell my ESP Ltd f-104 4 string bass and ESP Ltd f-155DX 5 string bass. I have kept both in top condition, and they look and sound just as good now as they did when I first bought each of them. My reason for selling them is simple; I just don't play them anymore. With the arrival of my 6 string early this year, I found myself using them less and less. I would rather see them being played by a fellow bass player than collecting dust on my wall. I also have a hardshell case (which either one will fit in) and a gig bag. Send me an email if you are interested.
And now for my favorite part of these entries! The part where I share all the new music I've been listening to with you! Here are the bands that have been inspiring me as of late:
Holes in the Sky by Vanden Plas, off of their latest album "The Seraphic Clockwork". Good song, good album. Generally very dark sounding, yet epic and grand.
Welcome to Mercy Falls by Seventh Wonder off of their third studio album "Mercy Falls". I like them, because they have a Circus Maximus sort of feel, if maybe a tad bit heavier. The chorus of this song especially has the choir sound that Circus Maximus achieves in many of their songs.
One More Time by James LaBrie off of his latest solo album "Static Impulse". I'm not usually a fan of screamed/growled lyrics, as they can ruin a song (or a band) if used too much. In this album however, I feel that the growls are tasteful, and used well. I also have to say, most of the choruses on this album are divine.
Another Existence by Age of Nemesis, from their "Terra Incognita" album. The whole record is full of my favorite kind of prog: eerily harmonic vocals and intense instrumental bits. Not to mention epic choruses!
And I'll end this section with a song by a band that I know I am going to become a cult follower of...
Nemesis by Bad Salad. Honestly, these guys are the next Dream Theater. They already have all the proper instruments! (Look up more of their videos, really, the bassist and guitarist are using the same guitars that John Myung and John Petrucci use.) The song is long, it has great harmonic vocals, and the instrumental parts are to die for.
Ok, I'm done geeking out now.
If you are interested in either of my basses, like I said, contact me via email. Or Facebook if you so choose, I'm on there as well.
Keep rockin! We know you guys are good at it!
I returned home from California this past Tuesday, but I'll still fill you in on the second half of my trip.
On Saturday, my uncle and I went to a Prince concert at the Forum. What a show! Chaka Khan was the opening act, and I was quite enthralled by her bass player. The guy was playing a 6 string and was tearing it up! Funk/ Soul may not be my personal style of music, but dang, I know a good bass player when I see one.
When Prince took the stage, the whole place erupted. Everyone in the audience was singing along with the songs (I sang along to the four that I knew) and feeding back a really positive vibe. When the show "ended", he Prince was called back out for an encore (surprise, surprise), and upon finishing it, he was called back out again. He must have played at least 6 encores. Needless to say, by the time I walked out of there, I was exhausted from all that positive vibe!
On Easter Sunday, I ate brunch with my uncle and several of his friends, including the friend that works for Warner Bros. He gave me some feedback on our demo, saying that we had a very distinct sound, especially with Ashton's voice.
On Monday, I became a legal adult. Yes, I finally turned 18! I celebrated by going to Amoeba music (basically just a giant music warehouse) and getting two more Dream Theater live DVDs, then going to house of pies. I also visited the Guitar Center in Studio City, where I found the 5 string version of my dream bass guitar. Here is a picture, please ignore the wacky face that I am making in it.
Getting to play that bass pretty much made my trip complete, just saying.
I flew out of LA to Charlotte on Tuesday, as I said, and have been getting back to business since. I re-strung my 5 string and my 6 string and I'm ready for practice/writing/jamming this coming Saturday.
Upcoming shows are in the works! Keep an eye out for info.
I am writing this from Los Angeles, California. This is my third day of my trip, and it is quickly turning into my best birthday present ever.
But I'll start from the beginning.
The flight here was...a flight. It was 5 hours of nothing special. It did give me a great opportunity to just listen to music however. I get very few chances to just sit down and listen to all the multiple facets and complexities of the music of my favorite bands. A few songs that I found myself particularly enjoying were "Sheltering Skies" by Threshold, "Nemesis" by Bad Salad, "Another Existence" by Age of Nemesis, and "Alien Kamikaze" by Pagan's Mind.
When I landed (about 10:00 AM California time, 3:00 home time), my uncle picked me up and we went back to his house to relax for the rest of the day. Thus ended the first day.
Day two was definitely a busy one. My uncle and I visited a friend of his who works for Warner Bros. studios. We got a tour of the lot (HIGHLY interesting by the way) and ate there as well. As we ate, I talked with my uncle's friend about S.I.Q. and our music, and (having the foresight to bring a few along with me) gave him one of our demos, which he said he might use as a temporary soundtrack mix for the screener of a movie he was working on the post production of. Very exciting, because if the director likes the music enough, big things could happen for us.
Following our adventure at Warner Bros., my uncle and I drove to the Sam Ash music store in Cerritos, CA where the "Metal Masters" clinic was being held. I was excited about this in particular because Mike Portnoy, former drummer for Dream Theater, was one of the four artists hosting the clinic. His performance was excellent, and he also gave this speech, which I captured on video camera:
After the performance was finished, I got the tremendous honor of meeting him at the signing table. He gave me a signed poster and also signed one of the S.I.Q. demos I had with me. Sadly, because the signing line was so fast, I was unable to give him a demo and explain myself. Nevertheless, I was immensely satisfied just to meet him.
Today, day three of my birthday week in Los Angeles, was fantastic. I got to visit the Hollywood Guitar Center, which, while cool, was a little disappointing. It being Hollywood, I expected it to have a wider variety of instrument brands, but sadly it did not. Here is my analysis of the bass section on video:
Shame, no ESPs.
I took pictures of the rest of the store, including a whole section of John Petrucci signature Musicman guitars, but I do not have the proper cord to upload them from my camera. They will have to wait.
Following Guitar Center, my uncle and I went to the Musician's Institute, the music college that Phil, James, and I all wish to attend when James and I graduate high school. I was given a tour of the facilities (which I have nothing but praises for) and got to talk with the director of admissions about some of the options that the school provides with regards to an advanced education in music. It's a very exciting prospect for S.I.Q.'s future, one that we will be exploring and discussing in depth.
Even while I am here in California, back on the east coast my fellow members of S.I.Q. continue to work towards the solution to our drummer situation. They have auditioned a new possibility, and continue to jam with a drummer that we have been auditioning for close to 5 weeks now. We just want to make sure we find the right guy.
Tomorrow will yield more experiences for me to share with you all. Keep an eye out!
I have some exciting news! Mostly exciting for me, but it is also a very lucrative opportunity for S.I.Q. This Wednesday, in celebration of my 18th birthday (which is actually the following Monday, the 25th), I am flying to Los Angeles for a week. I have spent the past month setting up all sorts of great things to do. For example, on Thursday, the day after I arrive, I will be going to the Sam Ash music store in Cerritos to attend a clinic being done by my favorite Dream Theater ex-drummer, Mike Portnoy. He is one of my music idols, so I am particularly psyched about that! The following day, I will be touring the Musician's Institute, a music college in the middle of Hollywood that I (and other members of S.I.Q.) would like to attend. That same evening, I will be going with my uncle to see Prince live in concert. Further plans for the week include visiting the L.A. Guitar Center and touring the Roland offices. And, of course, I'll be coming back from this trip a legal adult. Can't be bad! And of course, I will be bringing along California's fair share of S.I.Q. demos!
This past Friday I had the tremendous pleasure of attending my first prom. Which means I got to dust off my dancing skills that I rarely use. Heres a picture:
The lovely Samantha Harper and me
At the last S.I.Q. practice, the drummer we have been trying out wowed us with an exceptionally powerful performance on Nightmare Lullaby. Have we found the right guy? Here's a question for you guys: what would you expect to see in a new S.I.Q. drummer? Comment on my post here on the blog site or as a facebook comment on the link.
Just a little bit of news for you all this time. The drummer that we have been intensely auditioning and jamming with went on vacation this week, so for the first time in two months, we members of S.I.Q. sat down and had a writing session. We focused primarily on one song project: finishing Til Life Do Us Part. If you have been to one of our live shows then you have most likely heard the first two parts of this three-part epic. The first part is a more traditionally structured song, the second is an instrumental, and the third will be a complete surprise to you, and will definitely be on the first album.
I'd just like to say that after all the shows and drummer issues we've had in the last few months, it was nice to be able to write something totally new.
I have accomplished a great personal victory by learning to play John Myung's "Solar Groove" on my 6 string. I learned to play it a about a year ago on my four string (as I didn't have a 6 string at the time) and now I can play it the way it was meant to be played. Here is the video.
And, if you're one of those people that like to compare covers to the real thing to determine accuracy, here's John Myung.
It's definitely a very calm composition, but it was written for the purpose of showcasing various techniques of bassplaying, which is why John Myung is my idol.
That's pretty much it for this entry. As always, keep a lookout for more S.I.Q. news. This is going to be a big year for us!
We apologize for backing off a bit on our Facebook posts and public announcements. Obviously we haven't had much going on, save for being short a drummer. However, it may not be for too much longer that we are drummer-less. We have auditioned a few fellows so far, and one in particular is excelling at everything we require of him. For the moment, he will remain unnamed (guess we're taking a leaf out of Dream Theater's book). We are still auditioning though, so if you have the skill and the interest, do not hesitate to contact us.
Some good news for James Nelson, our guitarist, has come up. He is now giving lessons at Streetwise Music Instruction of Charlotte. I will also be applying to give lessons, so wish me luck.
If you pay any attention to the little gadgets on the left hand side of my blog page, you'll have noticed that I have linked several videos that I have uploaded to Youtube. I have begun video logging some of the adventures that S.I.Q. has outside (and occasionally inside) practice. These are all candid videos filmed for the purpose of the entertainment of hardcore S.I.Q. fans. See? We care about you.
Keep an eye out for upcoming announcements!
As you may have seen from announcements on our various websites, Corey Butler is indeed no longer a part of S.I.Q. Yesterday we all sat down at his house, had a discussion, and mutually agreed that it would be in the best interests of the band that Corey move on to focus on other things. Neither party is angry for any reason. He did a lot for the band in his year and two months of being a member, and we wish him well in his future plans.
This of course means that we are without a drummer for the moment. We have already begun auditioning people, so if you are interested and would like try out to enter the S.I.Q. fold, please do not hesitate to contact us. We read all comments and posts on our Facebook page, so you may express your interest there if you like, or you can shoot us an email at societyinquestion@gmail.com. Our requirements are that you have your own drum kit (preferably one that is presentable on stage), availability for two practices per week, adequate skill level (which includes stamina, playing speed and accuracy, as well as knowledge of time signatures outside of 4/4 and 3/4. Hey, the stuff we play isn't easy!) and determination to be successful in the world of music.
On a lighter note, we have received pictures and video footage from our show at Amos' Southend. Thanks to Rebecca Ruddy with Studio SNA for doing photography for us. You are greatly appreciated!
This is the footage of James' mid show solo. The man can rock!
Also, in case anyone wonders, the full list of the songs on our demo are available for listening online, just on different websites. Our Facebook page now only features our 10-minute epic, "Nightmare Lullaby", while the remaining four songs can be found on both ReverbNation and PureVolume.
To wrap up this entry, I want to leave all of our awesome fans out there with this:
Many of you have been asking for the lyrics for the Irish drinking song we wrote for the St. Patrick's day show. So here they are!
The I.D.S.
Lyrics by Phil Rich and Ashton Johnston (and embarrassingly, me)
Left me work the other day to have meself a pint, never knew a simple brew could cause me such a night. So here's a tale about the night that never should've been, so grab your beer and gather round and let the tale begin. Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die I met meself an irish girl who had a pint of beer, I thought her cute and took her waste to pull her closer near. But while I thought on which the kiss, her bosom or the glass, I went to take a sip and then she tossed me on me arse.
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Another lass did come my way who'd had too much to drink, I thought her cute and took her waist to pull her close to me. As she whispered naughty things we headed for the door, but reaching for another pint she passed out on the floor.
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
As I tried to help her up, a beaut walked in the place, Forgot about the drunken lass and dumped her on her face. I didn't see the massive brute who wandered in as well, before I even said a word, her boyfriend gave me hell.
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
I went to grab another pint to nurse me busted lip, I felt my luck slipping away with every sour sip. When next to me another lass did order up a drink, she said "I'll pay for his as well" and then gave me a wink.
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
And as I turned to catch her gaze she caught me by surprise, her hair was red as fire and she had the greenest eyes. Her beauty was so stunning, I almost shed a tear, before I did she took me waist and pulled me closer near.
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
She whispered all the naughty things she'd do when we got home, but first we had to leave the pub so we could be alone. since neither one of us could drive we stumbled half the way until we finally called a cab to take us to her place We started getting friendly when the lass turned out the lights, but when I went to please the girl she poked me in the eye. If I had known she was a he I never would've stayed but I was drunk and so was she...*ahem*, he...and then we both got laid!
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
Ei-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die-di-die
So if you've ever had a night as half as bad as mine then you and i should meet my friend and grab a pint sometime until that day go grab a beer and find yourself a friend and Ei-di-die about the night that never should have been
