Howdy there music fans!

Running this show all by myself proved a gargantuan task. Thankfully now I have some help. I’m extremely excited to announce that I have partnered with Atlanta Institute of Music to produce WorkingInMusic.

Recording students at AIM will record the audio portion of the show, edit and then mix. It’s a win for everyone involved. The students will get experience with location recording and I’ll get professional quality audio, something I know the show has lacked thus far.

I have a friend, Bill Stoll, helping me out with filming episode five. Bill has lots of experience filming and has done a number of his own projects. I am looking for a regular cinematographer to help film the show as Bill is on the road frequently. If you read this and are up for the task let me know at james@workinginmusic.com.

Another reason to be excited for episode five is our subject! Juliana Finch and I used to work together. She’s a very intelligent, gifted and talented singer/songwriter. Juliana uses social media to truly engage with her fans. We will talk about how she does it as well as her creative coaching and her “Songs For Fans,” project on Facebook. It will be a great and informative conversation. We’re also going to get a performance from Juliana.

I’m very excited for all of these reasons, to get the show going again, this new partnership with AIM and Bill Stoll and to hang out with Juliana. Follow me on Twitter, sign up for the e-mail list, subscribe to the RSS feed or like the fan page on Facebook for updates. I’ll let you know when the show is available.

I’ve been watching Live From Daryl’s House since it started. Heard about it from the infamous Bob Lefsetz.

The shows are not always superb. However most of the time they are very good. I enjoy the stories and the cooking segments more than the music some times.

I love that Hall has all kinds of guests on the show. From legends like Smokey Robinson and Todd Rundgren to new artists like Chromeo, Company of Thieves and Matt Nathanson. There is almost always one song in the set that is outstanding.

The most recent show with Dave Stewart from Eurythmics is one of the best so far. The versions of, “Missionary Man,” and “Here Comes The Rain Again,” are extraordinary.

They really bring out the rock for, “Missionary Man.” Subscribe to the list and you’ll get a surprise on the 15th of every month.

Normally I’m loathe to simply copy and paste another writer’s post. However this was too good and too valuable not to share. It’s from Bob Lefsetz and his Lefsetz Letter. It’s a note from Colin Hay who was in Men At Work.

Growing up I was a big Men At Work fan. I still have Business As Usual and Cargo on vinyl. I saw the Scrubs episode Hay mentions. They used his song, “Overkill.” It was pretty awesome.

I love that Hay is able to follow his dream and from the sound of it, he’s a happy and content man. It goes to show that after the major deal is dropped you can do it yourself if you stick at it. His story is one of perseverance, passion and love. Hats off to Mr. Colin Hay.

# # #

Subject: Credibility

Dear Bob,

My name’s Colin Hay. My good friend Michael Georgiades turned me on to your letters.

I was in Men At Work in the 80′s, and have been living in California for the last 20 years, making albums and touring across the land, as a solo performer primarily.

Your piece holds many truths and insights, into the still exciting world of making music.

Firstly, I am very lucky. I made some money with Men At Work, so I could put not only food on the table, but put together a proper home studio, in which to write and record. I then go out and play live and sell cds, and try and constantly build my audience. It’s working. In 1983, I played with Men At Work to 150,000 people at the US Festival. We broke up shortly thereafter. After a few years of swanning around, thinking I was quite important, and drinking for Scotland and Australia, I realized I was slowly doing myself in, with the single malts and guinness chasers. Occasionally I had noticed my steel string acoustic in the corner, mocking me with it’s eternal patience and optimism. Eventually I picked it up, and ran away to live in California, to start again. I have been gainfully self- employed ever since. I started playing acoustic shows in the late 80s and that’s what I’m still doing. My first show in Melbourne after MAW split attracted 4 people. At the present time I have a new disc called “Gathering Mercury” and am on tour in support of it. Now after a decade plus, my audience has built to a massive 900 people or so in New York City, or Philadelphia, or slightly less in charming Clayton, NC. It’s good work, rewarding, nourishing and funny. After the shows I sign cds. I like it. I meet all kinds of people for a minute or so. It’s important to me because when I got dropped by a major label, my live audience was all I had, apart from my self belief, to let me know I was on the correct path. They also, for the most part, let me be myself. And isn’t that what we all want at any given moment, to be who we are, and not who someone else wants us to be.

You are correct when you stress the importance of establishing a core audience, before you go in search of radio success. My old band had massive radio success and MTV exposure to the max, and when that went away, so did most of the audience. It’s like building a house with no foundations, you can’t.

Lately, I’ve had good organic TV success. I play at Largo in Hollywood, and Zach Braff had seen me there, many years ago, before he was in Scrubs. He brought down Bill Lawrence, who created the show, and he asked me why my songs weren’t being played on the radio. This was a question I had no answer for. He said he was going to use some of my songs in his show, which he did. It has increased awareness of my music considerably. I remain in their debt.

I was on Columbia Records with Men At Work and for one ill fated solo album. I was then offered a deal on MCA Records by a guy named Al Teller. That’s a whole other story, and not particularly interesting. The most exciting thing about being on that label was being dropped by them. The relief I felt was palpable. I felt like I was floating, like I’d gotten my life back. Turns out I had. Now I make my own albums and work with Compass Records, an independent label out of Nashville. Feels good.

I take your advice, and run my own race for the most part. I enjoy writing, recording and playing music for a living. Last year I was sound checking at the Birchmere in Virginia, a delightful venue, and I was filled with an inexplicable euphoria. Its intensity lasted a few seconds but it was powerful. A simple experience, the wait staff was setting up tables for the night, the sound crew were twiddling knobs, and I realized that I was exactly where I should be, doing exactly what I should be doing, and all was well in my world.

I go out on stage nightly by myself and attempt to entertain people for a couple of hours. It’s risky, but you’re right, there’s always more risks you can take. And, I’m not talking about repairing your own roof, (that didn’t go so well).

I did make a big splash, I did descend into obscurity, and alcoholism. But, my salvation was, and still is, artistic expression, and a vague quest to strip away and reveal something essential, which is seductive, and ever elusive.

Best to you,

Colin

I went to Coachella in 2005 because Cocteau Twins were supposed to play. They backed out at the last minute after I’d already got the tickets. It was a great experience but is it worth it? I say no. However if someone would like to send me out there I’m happy to cover it here.

If I were going this year, there are the artists I’d like to see:
Interpol
The Chemical Brothers
Lauryn Hill
Robyn
Crystal Castles
Cee Lo Green
Mumford & Sons
The Strokes
PJ Harvey
Freelance Whales
Chromeo
Duran Duran, maybe.
The Swell Season
Elbow
Black Joe Lewis
Moving Units

The biggest issue with Coachella, any many other festivals, is many of the shows overlap. So you only see a part of the show. You have to leave it early. By the time you get to the next show there is already a crowd waiting so you cannot get close. Being based in Atlanta I get a chance to see many of these acts when they tour.

What about you? Are you going to Coachella this year?

Found about this amazing Peter Gabriel performance and song from Bob Lefsetz.

If you want to hear Peter talk about all the different things he’s doing that’s fine. However this performance is a master class. Sure he misses a few notes here and there but nothing that’s glaring. The lyrics, melody and emotion in this song leave me humbled.

Winter is almost here. Here in Atlanta the winter weather is here already! It’s freezing, and snowing.

Certain artists/music has a wintry vibe to it. Cocteau Twins and Simple Minds sound perfect when the temperatures drop.

What artists make you think of winter?

On the way to Wednesday night church just about every week, my mom would take me Turtle’s Records and Tapes so I could buy music. For every dollar you spent you got a stamp. Turtles had these big yellow books where you put the stamps. Once you filled the book you got a free record. On Wednesdays though, you got 2 stamps for every dollar you spent.

I’d been wanting The Rolling Stones, Hot Rocks, for a long time. Every time I went in they were out of stock. I waited to get it on Wednesday because it was a 2 disc set and cost around $30 I think. That meant 60 stamps! One Wednesday Turtles finally had it!

Turtles was a cool place. They had a big selection of vinyl, cassettes and CDs. The folks who worked there were passionate about music. One time this guy sold me this Jimi Hendrix record, Woke Up This Morning and Found Myself Dead. On the record you can hear Jim Morrison, yes from The Doors, completely inebriated. The record is a jam session from a New York City club. It’s not that good. I remember the dude saying, “Hey man Randy Z. plays drums on this. I think this is also Randy California.” I can’t remember who he said Randy California had played with but he was so psyched about it. As a 13 year old, I thought it was so cool that this guy knew this. It was like secret information.

Flash forward to today. An experience like that is non-existent. Don’t get me wrong, stores like Wax-N-Facts and Criminal Records are outstanding. But they don’t have double stamp Wednesdays! Going into that store to buy a new record thrilled me. I had to count down the days before I could hear a new record. They knew me. Sometimes they even knew what record I wanted before I said anything.

Now you can get instant music. You don’t need to talk to anyone. If you want a record, you can go get within seconds. I’m not faulting that, that’s how I get music now. Those days at Turtles were a special time and it was a completely different world. Hopefully you got to experience it.

Eventually Turtles was bought by Wherehouse Music which was then bought by Blockbuster.

Next time I’m feeling nostalgic I’ll tell you about Record Bar’s one year tape guarantee.

I started damaging my hearing at an early age. My brother, our good friend Doy and I used to play for hours in the garage at loud volumes, with no hearing protection. We were teenagers, we didn’t care or know what we were doing.

As a DJ at WUOG I took full advantage of our guest list. In college I went to hundreds of rock shows. Many of those shows in Athens were extremely loud. I didn’t care. I was young and didn’t know what I was doing.

Then somewhere I read an article about Pete Townsend and how he suffered from Tinnitus. Years of loud stage volumes left him practically deaf in one ear. I did not want that fate.

In 1998 I went to an audiologist and got fitted for some custom molded ear plugs. That is one of the best things I could’ve done for my hearing. It’s practically unbearable to go a show without them. With the custom molded plugs you still get all the highs, mids and lows. All of the high end static is gone and the vocals are easier to hear.

A few years ago I got some custom molded in ear monitors from Livewires. These are outstanding for situations where you can use in ear monitors.

If you go to lots of shows or play lots of shows without in ears, then molded plugs are a necessity. If you can use in ears for your monitors then custom molded in ears are the way to go. Save your hearing.

Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The Wall. Dark Side of the Moon. 2112. Tommy. These are all concept albums and yes, they’re old. I can think of very few artists who release concept albums today: Coheed and Cambria, John Vanderslice, Mastadon and maybe Trent Reznor. There aren’t many. Is the concept album dead? Do bands even have the resources to make a concept album today?

Some might say a concept album is pretentious. I disagree. It’s an extremely creative way to tell a story with music.

What do you think?

I remember a story from Jim McMahon, QB for the legendary Chicago Bears. During the 1985 Superbowl, which they won, he said, “This is what we worked our *** for?”

Wesley Verhoeve writes an interesting post about this phenomena. What he writes rings true. Most of the time we work so hard for accolades. However isn’t it the process which brings the most joy? I think so.