Revisiting my musical past: “Don’t Lose The Groove” August 17, 2009
Posted by Brian in Brian Kelley, Christian Beach, Music, New Jersey, TalentTrove.1 comment so far
You might recall that a couple of months ago, I entered a “best piano/keyboard performance” contest on a web site called TalentTrove.com. I came in second place by one or two votes, mostly because the rules said one date was the final day of voting while the voting system itself was set to end 2 1/2 days earlier.
Anyway, despite that experience, I have entered another TalentTrove.com contest…this time for music considered “electronica.”
Now, even when I was into mostly synthesizers, sequencers, samplers and drum machines, I never really considered myself in the genre of “electronica.” I always thought of myself as pop, techno or — in the early 90s — industrial.
And techno-industrial is what I want to talk about right now. As I have written many times before on this blog, my friend Christian Beach and I have worked together musically — on and off — since 1986 or ‘87, I guess. While we were in the ill-fated band TMC & The New Generation (a techno/pop/rap project that I like to describe as “Run DMC meets Depeche Mode”), Christian and I started listening to music generally classified as industrial or — in some cases — cyberpunk. In any case, we really started to get into Ministry, Front 242, Nine Inch Nails, and Nitzer Ebb, among others. Hence, our writing started getting heavier and our songs became angrier and full of more samples. At this point, we convinced our rapper that we needed a name change and we began calling ourselves Interläken Probe, which borrowed from the name of the town to the west of Allenhurst, NJ, as well as the model of car I was driving at the time (a Ford Probe). The “ä” was used to make it look European.
Anyway, one of the last things we worked on as Interläken Probe was a song called “Don’t Lose The Groove.” The phrase had been mentioned during the recording of another song, but it had always stuck with me. When I was trying to come up with lyrics for “Groove,” I thought the phrase fit pretty well in the chorus. In the context of the song, it referred to the idea of the human race all flowing with the groove, and that each of us does our part to screw everything up by losing the groove every now and then (some more than others, of course)…kind of like a record skipping when a needle loses the groove.
Anyway, despite promoting world peace and unity, the song was kind of angry and full of somewhat violent samples. Here is the original rough mix of “Don’t Lose The Groove” that Christian and I recorded around 1990.
OK…back to the present. While thinking about the TalentTrove.com electronica contest, I decided to update one of my old techno songs and submit that for the competition. But which one?
Well, that answer came to me when I stumbled upon “Don’t Lose The Groove” on my iPod. I decided to rerecord “Groove” into GarageBand on my MacBook and bring it a little up to date.
First, I tamed it by removing the samples. While keeping touches of its industrial origins, I made it a more of a dance track. I tried to actually sing the lyrics instead of screaming them like I did in the original. But it just sounded better when I screamed them…although the newer version features more restrained and refined vocals than the original.
Anyway, you can hear “Don’t Lose The Groove (2009)” below.
Another gig this weekend… June 17, 2009
Posted by Brian in Asbury Park, Brian Kelley, Christian Beach, Music, New Jersey, arts, concert, links.add a comment
Christian Beach @ Twisted Tree Cafe
I will be playing accordion for my good friend, singer-songwriter Christian Beach, when he performs at Twisted Tree Cafe in Asbury Park, NJ, on Friday, June 19, at 9:45 p.m. The performance is part of the annual Wave Gathering Festival, which features more than 175 artists appearing at more than two dozen venues throughout Asbury Park.
Gorgo (mandolin) and Agency’s Michael Scotto (percussion) will also be taking part in the ensemble.
So if you are in the area, please stop by and take in some great local music.
New web site…old song (made new) May 28, 2009
Posted by Brian in Brian Kelley, Christian Beach, Music, TalentTrove, arts, links, technology.add a comment
So I recently became aware of a great online community called TalentTrove.com, which I kind of think of as “Star Search 2.0.” Basically, it is one big talent search site featuring all the social networking tools you know and love (friends, messaging, forums, and — most recently — blogs).
What sets it apart from other social networking sites is that TalentTrove.com puts an emphasis on getting talented artists — spanning several disciplines (which I’ll get to later) — discovered by the rest of the community, as well as external audiences. This creates a network of friends all supporting each other’s creative endeavors. Through the daily “Stage of the Day” profile (profiles are referred to as “stages”…or a person’s “MyStage”) and the editor’s picks featured on the home page, the site promotes the talents of its own members to both the TalentTrove.com community and to external visitors.
In addition, there is TalentTrove.com Radio and TalentTrove.tv. TalentTrove Radio provides streaming audio of programs and music featuring the audio-based talent found on the site. TalentTrove.tv, meanwhile, provides channel-based navigation of the user-generated videos found on TalentTrove.com.
The site also has regular contests, such as Best Comedian, Best Cover Band, Best Singer, Best Guitar Solo, Best Drum Solo, etc., which are voted on by other members of the TT.com community (more on these later).
And getting back to what kind of talent is on TalentTrove.com…well, it’s probably easier to talk about what talents are NOT featured on TalentTrove.com, because almost any kind of talent imaginable is showcased on the site. Of course, you have your musicians, bands and singers. But you also have actors, comedians, writers, dancers, culinary artists, craftspeople…just go to TalentTrove.com and click on “categories” to see for yourself.
The site can also be used by people seeking an online portfolio, as TalentTrove.com accepts uploads in the form of audio, video, photos and text (and the upload process is pretty easy). Another great feature is that it allows you to copy videos you may have already uploaded to YouTube so you don’t have to go through the trouble of uploading the same video to your TalentTrove.com profile (or stage).
While TalentTrove.com is a relatively young company, it has received some pretty strong press and it appears to be gaining a devoted following.
OK, back to the talent contests. TalentTrove.com was recently seeking submissions for a Best Piano/Keyboard Peformance contest. Now, I know I’m not that great of a keyboard player, but there was this techno thing called “Vortex” I recorded back in the early 1990s that I thought would be my best option for the contest. Even though techno really isn’t my thing anymore, I felt it best represented a full keyboard peformance. Even though all of my songs are keyboard-based, I cover a lot of the crappy playing with fake strings and stuff that take the emphasis off the actual keyboard playing.
However, the only recorded version of “Vortex” I have was done on an old 4-track cassette recorder and the song is poorly mixed with a couple of audio glitches thrown in, as well.
So I decided to try to record the song entirely from scratch using GarageBand on my MacBook. I didn’t have much time to do this either, but I managed to remember how most of it went. I didn’t necessarily need it to be an exact copy of the original. I just wanted to capture the spirit and feel of the original song while updating it a bit. Unfortunately, a lot of the sounds on the original recording came from an old Roland Jupiter synthesizer I had for a few years. However, I sold it to Christian Beach’s former keyboard player in Slave of Id and Artists That Kill. That meant I was going to have to settle for the weak sounds included with GarageBand instead of the fat, warm Jupiter sounds featured on the original. But I still think it came out pretty well, considering I was trying to reconstruct a 17-year-old song while working under a tight deadline with little time to spare.
Anyway, I submitted “Vortex” to the TalentTrove.com contest. The finalists will be revealed tomorrow (Friday, May 29) at 10 a.m., but even if it’s not among the candidates, I am glad the contest inspired me to bring another old song of mine back to life.
You can listen to the new version of “Vortex” by going to its media page on my TalentTrove.com stage, or by using the embedded player below.
Like I said, this isn’t really my kind of music anymore, but let me know what you think.
“Vortex (2009)” – Brian Kelley
Source: Tandem with the Random
Reminder: Christian Beach CD release party this Friday April 6, 2009
Posted by Brian in Asbury Park, Brian Kelley, Christian Beach, Music, artist, concert, links, news.add a comment
Christian Beach CD Release Party - Click for PDF Flyer
As mentioned earlier on this blog, I will be part of the backing band for my good friend, singer-songwriter Christian Beach, when he takes to the stage at The Saint (601 Main St.) in Asbury Park, NJ, this Friday night as he celebrates the recent release of his self-titled, solo CD.
Joining in the festivities will be Arlan Feiles and The Lone Howdys, as well as The Sunday Blues. Doors open at 8 p.m. and tickets are just $10.
Christian’s band this time out includes John Pfeiffer (Well of Souls, In Between Dreams) on electric guitars, Michael Scotto (Agency) on drums and percussion, Gorgo (Private Sector) on mandolin and bass, Keith McCarthy (The Works, The Sunday Blues) on bass, and yours truly on organ, accordion and tambourine.
If you are in the area and are available that night, please feel free to come to the show. If you want to get a taste of Christian’s music, visit his new web site at ChristianBeach.net, or visit him on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/christianbeach. Plus, he is now on Facebook and Twitter.
The CD can be purchased via CDBaby.com, iTunes or Amazon.com.
Christian Beach
The Saint
601 Main St.
Asbury Park, NJ
(Directions via Google Maps)
Christian Beach’s CD release party @ The Saint, 4/10/09 March 4, 2009
Posted by Brian in Asbury Park, Brian Kelley, Christian Beach, Music, artist, concert, links.add a comment
Christian Beach
Mark your calendars for April 10…not only is it my wonderful girlfriend’s birthday, but my friend Christian Beach will be celebrating the recent release of his self-titled CD with a show at The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ.
I will once again be part of Christian’s backing band, helping out on organ and accordion, as he performs the entire 12-song CD in tracklist order. Christian will be hitting the stage around 10 p.m. and tickets are just $10.
If you are in the area and are available that night, please feel free to come to the show. If you want to get a taste of Christian’s music, visit his new web site at ChristianBeach.net, or visit him on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/christianbeach.
The CD can be purchased via CDBaby.com or iTunes.
Christian Beach
The Saint
601 Main St.
Asbury Park, NJ
http://www.thesaintnj.com
“Christian Beach” CD now available on iTunes! February 12, 2009
Posted by Brian in Artist to Watch, Christian Beach, Music, artist, iTunes, links.add a comment
Christian Beach CD
Christian Beach’s self-titled CD is now available on iTunes, so if that is your preferred online music retailer, you may sample Christian’s music and buy it there.
Purchase “Christian Beach” on iTunes.
There may be another Christian Beach-related announcement here over the next couple of days…be on the lookout for that.
YouTube Playlist: Christian Beach @ The Strand, 2/7/09 February 8, 2009
Posted by Brian in Christian Beach, Music, YouTube, artist, links, video.2 comments
Here is the YouTube playlist of Christian Beach’s complete set at the Strand Theater gallery on Feb. 7, 2009, as part of the CD release party for “A Few Uneven Rhymes – A Tribute to Winter Hours.” Enjoy!
(And thanks to Alison for capturing the video with my Flip mino!)
Christian Beach CD
And, remember, the new, self-titled CD from Christian Beach is available now at CDBaby.com!
“Christian Beach” CD now available on CD Baby February 4, 2009
Posted by Brian in Artist to Watch, Christian Beach, Music, artist, arts, concerts, links.add a comment
Christian Beach's CD now available on CD Baby
It’s finally here…the self-titled, solo CD from my good friend, singer-songwriter Christian Beach!
“Christian Beach” is now available for sale at CDBaby.com, where you can also listen to 30-second samples of each of the album’s 12 tracks.
And here’s a fun fact for you: I designed the CD artwork around a photo by Charlie Pranio, which means I just did layout and selected an appropriate font.
Anyway, if you want to check out Christian Beach live, he has a few shows coming up:
Sat., Feb. 7, 2009
5:00 p.m.
The Strand Theater
Lakewood, NJ
http://www.strandlakewood.com
with band
Sun., March 8, 2009
8:00 p.m.
Rosie’s Cafe Presents at the Atonement Lutheran Church Hall
Asbury Park, NJ
http://www.atonementlutheranchurch.com/ROSIES-CONCERTSr.html
solo
Sat., March 28, 2009
8:45 p.m.
S.S. Cape May Music Conference Showcase
Congress Hall – The Brown Room Lounge
Cape May, NJ
http://www.sscapemay.com
solo
Fri., April 10, 2009
10:00 p.m.
“Christian Beach” CD Release Party @ The Saint
Asbury Park, NJ
http://www.thesaintnj.com
with band
Thurs., April 23, 2009
8:00 p.m.
Triumph Brewing Co.
Princeton, NJ
http://www.triumphbrewing.com
solo
Thurs., May 21, 2009
8:00 p.m.
Triumph Brewing Co.
Princeton, NJ
http://www.triumphbrewing.com
solo
For information about Christian Beach, visit http://www.myspace.com/christianbeach
Christian Beach (with yours truly) to perform at The Strand in Lakewood, NJ, on Feb. 7 January 29, 2009
Posted by Brian in Brian Kelley, Christian Beach, Main Man Records, Music, MySpace, New Jersey, concerts, links.2 comments
My friend, singer-songwriter Christian Beach, will be bringing his band to the stage for a four-song set at the historic Strand Theater in Lakewood, NJ, on Saturday, February 7, 2009. I will be part of the backing band, playing organ and accordion.
The set will be part of Main Man Records’ CD release party for “A Few Uneven Rhymes: A Tribute to Winter Hours.” The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are just $10!
Just go to http://www.strandlakewood.com to order tickets.
Christian recorded a cover of Winter Hours’ “I Want” for the CD, which is available on the Main Man Records web site and on iTunes. He will be performing that song, as well as three tracks off his soon-to-be-available, self-titled CD.
The headlining act is Gordon Gano (Violent Femmes) and the Ryan Brothers, so it is sure to be a great night of music at The Strand.
UPDATE: The show is not being broadcast by WBJB-FM 90.5 The Night. That info was based on an ill-advised assumption (and aren’t all assumptions ill-advised?) on my part based on something I saw on the radio station’s web site. So unless you buy a ticket, you are going to miss this incredible show…and that would be a shame.
“Hair Apparent” available Sept. 9 September 2, 2008
Posted by Brian in Brian Kelley, Christian Beach, Main Man Records, Music, MySpace, artist, links.add a comment
- “Hair Apparent – The Main Man Records Tribute to Hair Bands”
A couple of weeks ago, I posted that “Hair Apparent – The Main Man Records Tribute to Hair Bands,” featuring a bluegrass version of Twisted Sister’s “I Wanna Rock” recorded by Christian Beach, was going to be on sale at www.mainmanrecords.com today, Sept. 2. That information was taken from a blog posting on Main Man Records’ MySpace profile.
Well, Main Man has just set up a “Hair Apparent” MySpace profile, which states next Tuesday, Sept. 9, as the actual release date (it will be available on iTunes in October)…so look for it then.
Christian’s version of “I Wanna Rock” will be the fifth track on the CD and also features Dan Mulvey on upright bass, Michael Scotto (of Agency) on drums, John Pfeiffer on Dobro, Gorgo on mandolin and yours truly on accordion.
