Skip to main content

Top 10 of 2011

The holidays were a wonderful time for me. I hope they were for you. Lots of blessings and fun events going on at church and the studio. That's right. During the last two weeks of the year, I finally got the horns laid down for the album. Larry O. Williams (Gap Band) and Rahmlee Davis (Phenix Horns; Earth, Wind & Fire) provided tenor sax and trumpet, respectively. It was a true honor to work with them and even more of a thrill to hear their playing on my own compositions. Our next and final recording session at Karma Frog is scheduled for King Day, Jan. 16. We will be wrapping up the background vocals. Then it is all down to mixing and mastering.

Then I will be able to concentrate on artwork and the other promotional material to go along with the album. I am sure that this will be my favorite record of the Dozens as my friends and I are calling 2012. Of course, how can I let the year begin without a recap of my favorite recordings from 2011? Well, here goes; a combo of LPs and singles. In descending order:

1. Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part 2. Don't call it a comeback, call it a party.
2. Tom Waits - Bad As Me. A close-shave second. Rollicking, dark and danceable.
3. Duran Duran - All You Need Is Now. Call it a throwback. Their best complete album since Rio.
4. Roy Orbison - The Monument Singles Collection. Monophonic bliss circa 1962 from the man in the glasses.
5. Mayer Hawthorne - How Do You Do? Motor City soul by way of Ann Arbor for the 21st Century.
6. Hanson - "Give A Little." A pure single serving of pop.
7. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues. A sublime collection of modern folk-rock.
8. Wilco - "Dawned On Me." I actually heard this on the radio. Remember radio!?
9. Foster The People - "Pumped Up Kicks." The catchiest single about mayhem and gunplay this year.
10. Midnight In Paris. Original Soundtrack to Woody Allen's comeback. File under Jazz.
11. Bonus for 2011. Black Keys - "Lonely Boy." The video for this single sold me.

Happy New Year! Check back soon for more updates from the studio.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

John Lennon 40 Years On

Remembering John Lennon today. Forty years have flashed by. I can still hear my clock radio turning on to the incongruent sound of the Beatles on Dec. 9, 1980 and wondering why? I think about John every day. I am fortunate to have been able to make pilgrimage to Mendips, Abbey Road and Strawberry Fields, NY; to play on stages like the Cavern, the Jacaranda and the Troubadour where he performed or made trouble, or both. Here’s a quick playlist for you and me. (Just Like) Starting Over I Should Have Known Better Bless You Nobody Told Me Strawberry Fields Forever Nowhere Man Enjoy the day. Fill it with peace. Fill it with music. #JohnLennon #Liverpool
Post a Comment
Read more

Murderous Haircut of the Mayor of Bel Air - Book Review

“The Murderous Haircut of the Mayor of Bel Air” is a trippy new mystery novel from Phillip Mottaz. It captures the grit and gilt of the City of Angels with the flair of a contemporary Raymond Chandler. The brisk pace and wit are reminiscent of Douglas Adams’s entries in the detective game. Flourishes of  Fletch  and “Medium” also spring to mind. However, Mottaz has added a psychic/mutant/superhuman touch and his own comedic voice, structure and internal monologues to the proceedings that help the author announce his own style and the arrival of a literary heroine for a new generation. Hairstylist and budding private investigator, Danica Luman is the perfect character to convey the irony, angst and sarcasm needed to tell a 21st century L.A. crime story. Danica also represents anyone who thought it would be neat to get tangled up in a mystery and the darkly comic cautionary tale that follows. The genre is recognizable, but Mottaz offers a fresh take on the not-ready-for-prime-ti...
Post a Comment
Read more

Getting Better All The Time

Hey Soul Mates, long week. Thanks to everyone who sent along their best wishes for my recovery from food poisoning. I'm still creaky, but there has been a lot going on. The world keeps on spinning. Well, I finally got our ntsc (North American video) master of " A Talent For Loving " made. The original was in the pal format, so it had to be converted before it could be distributed here. As a result of several snafu's, I've upgraded my dvd drive. And thanks to KS1 Security's continuing sponsorship of the band, we have a new color photo printer! That means we can make super-pretty press kits to send out to the record labels and industry players. It's taken a long summer to get to this point. We've had several people of decent magnitude utterly flake out on us. I ain't gonna name names, but you know who you are. As a result, the band is forging ahead on its own (manufacturing our own dvd's is just the tip of the iceberg). We aim to get our music h...
Post a Comment
Read more