Playing Music http://sonicsoul.net/blog.cfm Sun, 25 Mar 2012 21:14:29 GMT http://bandzoogle.com Okay - we are really going to put out a record, really!! http://sonicsoul.net/blog.cfm?feature=1940492&postid=1910754 The record is written -- but the band has been so busy with our full time regular lives that we just have not gotten it together on the recording front.  Well, I recently found a studio that will allow us to just focus on the music and let the studio handle the engineering.  So my plan is to rehearse the band on the new material during April and get into the studio sometime late April or May.  Look for a June or July release of the long awaited debut CD of SonicSoul!  Sun, 25 Mar 2012 21:14:29 GMT 07FD8AE11A7672FA73E36D973CE20BA1 Happy New Year to our listeners around the world! We want to wish everyone the best in 2012! http://sonicsoul.net/blog.cfm?feature=1940492&postid=1671171 Glückliches neues Jahr!  ??????  Gelukkig nieuwjaar! Feliz ano novo! Bonne année! Š?astný Nový Rok ???? Feliz año nuevo! Felice anno nuovo! Godt nyttår! ??? ????? ????? May we have a more peaceful world in 2012. John Glückliches neues Jahr! 
?????? 
Gelukkig nieuwjaar!
Feliz ano novo!
Bonne année!

Š?astný Nový Rok
????

Feliz año nuevo!
Felice anno nuovo!
Godt nyttår!
??? ????? ?????

May we have a more peaceful world in 2012.

John
]]> Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:25:00 GMT 60B31A837C295AC8A66C3E42840852A1 iphone - the songwriters best friend http://sonicsoul.net/blog.cfm?feature=1940492&postid=1640451  The greatest use of my iphone is the voice memo recorder in the utilties menu.  I used to wake up with songs in my head or in the middle of the night and try to remember them but they were inevitably lost.  Recently I started grabbing my phone and a guitar and recording the melody before it escaped me.  This is usually before I go to bed or first thing in the morning.  So I'll record a 30 second snippet, just enough to capture the idea. So I had not checked my phone in a while.  Last night a song came to mind and I recorded it - I was real happy with it but then noticed a bunch of audio clips.  I'm looking at them thinking, where did all these come from.  So I started listening through them and all these ideas that would have been lost came roaring back to life.  So if you're a songwriter, I'd strongly suggest you keep some kind of recording device on you at all times.  The great thing about the iphone is that it is with you all the time.  So you can be walking down the street and hum a melody into the recorder.  You have to capture those moments of inspiration before they're gone!  
So I had not checked my phone in a while.  Last night a song came to mind and I recorded it - I was real happy with it but then noticed a bunch of audio clips.  I'm looking at them thinking, where did all these come from.  So I started listening through them and all these ideas that would have been lost came roaring back to life.  So if you're a songwriter, I'd strongly suggest you keep some kind of recording device on you at all times.  The great thing about the iphone is that it is with you all the time.  So you can be walking down the street and hum a melody into the recorder.  You have to capture those moments of inspiration before they're gone!

 ]]> Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:00:00 GMT 27694BD860C1D2684DA96BCE31680CD8 More writing! http://sonicsoul.net/blog.cfm?feature=1940492&postid=1390596 So a new song materializes - created home demo on my mac and very excited about it.  Also have a second song nearly complete.  Recorded the music and most words done, just need another verse.  Before songs were coming in bits and pieces.  Now they seem to be coming mostly complete.  That last verse always is the hardest - but then in the end I wonder how it eluded me! I am very inspired listening to the later Hendrix period - and that's reflected in the second song that is called, Piece of the Pie.  If you have not heard the recent hendrix release, Valleys of Neptune, it is a really interesting study in his later song writing, guitar orchestration and of course his amazing solos - and not to mention creative process.  Some of the interviews with mixer/producer Eddie Kramer reveal elements of the music that I had not fully appreciated. 
I am very inspired listening to the later Hendrix period - and that's reflected in the second song that is called, Piece of the Pie.  If you have not heard the recent hendrix release, Valleys of Neptune, it is a really interesting study in his later song writing, guitar orchestration and of course his amazing solos - and not to mention creative process.  Some of the interviews with mixer/producer Eddie Kramer reveal elements of the music that I had not fully appreciated. ]]> Thu, 13 Oct 2011 05:50:00 GMT 77B7ACA761A2E31B5FB2C15C36912BA4 Playing Live http://sonicsoul.net/blog.cfm?feature=1940492&postid=1179999 I've never enjoyed playing music more than at this time in my life.  The band has come into its own and is really grooving these days!  We're all just feeding off each other's ideas and that makes every gig a new experience.  We're adding new covers and originals and just having a blast!  Hope to see you at one of our shows!   John    
Hope to see you at one of our shows!  

John    ]]> Thu, 11 Aug 2011 07:08:33 GMT DF9ECF2DD093FEFDC5DDA64C6B57829E CD update http://sonicsoul.net/blog.cfm?feature=1940492&postid=1060007  We've had some technical issues that slowed down production.  Glad to report we have everything working now.  We have three songs recorded with about 7-9 more to go.  We're scheduling sessions now and hope to release an early preview of a track to our fans on our mailing list.  So sign up for that on the home page!   Sat, 25 Jun 2011 19:25:00 GMT 00395B32E85D4394DC3B18C2CFBD462D Feeling Inspired http://sonicsoul.net/blog.cfm?feature=1940492&postid=886408 generating lots of music.  Some complete songs, then the bits and pieces of things of which some will take shape and others won't make the grade.   Lots of melodies, words, progressions, riffs...   Got to pull it all together and get this done!!    John
John
]]> Wed, 06 Apr 2011 06:55:00 GMT BEBCBBDE5AF801C2F47EB833A5210D2F More Writing http://sonicsoul.net/blog.cfm?feature=1940492&postid=794966 Everyone has been so busy with their lives it has been difficult to find time to record.  We've been talking about scheduling a series of sessions and knocking this out.  It is so hard to balance work and family and carve out time for this project.  I am frustrated that the progress has been so slow but it is largely my own fault!   However, I keep writing - so that is good.  I want to have enough material so that in the end we can pick ten or so songs that have a common theme and sound.  I realize now that the project is what it is and it will be done when it is done.  Hopefully by the summer!   Sat, 26 Feb 2011 22:05:00 GMT 742BA318D7AB3FF0B05EE2B27372FB83 Busy writing http://sonicsoul.net/blog.cfm?feature=1940492&postid=709006 When I can find the time, I'm busy writing the material for the rest of the CD.   our next session is on 1/29 - but more of a rehearsal for upcoming shows than a recording session.  Although, hopefully there is time to get one done.   I think being short on availability to record is an advantage - when we get the chance, we're not messing around.  We're having fun but we're working hard and staying focused.   We know we have to get stuff done!   John
John
]]> Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:13:49 GMT C16AE4B2CDD4AA9D803408682041BF95 2nd Session http://sonicsoul.net/blog.cfm?feature=1940492&postid=689688  We had our second session today.  I think we have a better idea how to get a good guitar tone.  Since my amp is set up in a garage there is a lot of natural reverb that we have controlled with sound absorbing panels.  Anyway, the tone was better this go around.  We had our good friend E.G. MacDaniel on bass.  Kevin and I are long time collaborators but due to scheduling issues, we do use a few bassists of which E.G. is one along with Chuck Comanse and Dave Forte.  They are all fantastic players and are splitting duties on the CD.   The first tune was an uptempo funky jam called "One Life."  I finished writing the ending while we were there and chose to resolve it away from the tonal center of the whole song for the final chord.  It is a little out, but sounds cool!  It does spin your head as you don't see it coming.   The second is a ballad called "Only You."  We had nailed the track but the computer had a digital hiccup in a few spots - everything dropped out for 3 or 4 beats in a few different points in the song!  NO!!!  So we spent an hour or more trying to fix these spots but could not do it as the song just flows and there are no opportunities to "punch in" and "punch out"  - a recording technique that allows you to play along with the recording while recording what is happening live and then it just records the space between these two punch in and out points.  Finally E.G. said let's just play it again.  This final take was better that the first.  It had a better feel.   Reality is, the band is learning these songs in the studio and trying to play them like we've gigged or rehearsed them.  While not ideal, they are fresh to us and that breeds a certain inspiration.  It will also be interesting to see what they evolve to later when we have a chance to perform them live. Peace, John
The first tune was an uptempo funky jam called "One Life."  I finished writing the ending while we were there and chose to resolve it away from the tonal center of the whole song for the final chord.  It is a little out, but sounds cool!  It does spin your head as you don't see it coming.  

The second is a ballad called "Only You."  We had nailed the track but the computer had a digital hiccup in a few spots - everything dropped out for 3 or 4 beats in a few different points in the song!  NO!!!  So we spent an hour or more trying to fix these spots but could not do it as the song just flows and there are no opportunities to "punch in" and "punch out"  - a recording technique that allows you to play along with the recording while recording what is happening live and then it just records the space between these two punch in and out points.  Finally E.G. said let's just play it again.  This final take was better that the first.  It had a better feel.  

Reality is, the band is learning these songs in the studio and trying to play them like we've gigged or rehearsed them.  While not ideal, they are fresh to us and that breeds a certain inspiration.  It will also be interesting to see what they evolve to later when we have a chance to perform them live.

Peace,

John
]]> Mon, 10 Jan 2011 11:25:00 GMT 39D4B51B333B3E66F9685820E7D53704 First session http://sonicsoul.net/blog.cfm?feature=1940492&postid=668524 We had a productive first session.  Kevin did a great job engineering.  We set up my amp in the garage to get some good separation and Chuck went direct with his P bass.  I played through my Fender Deville 4X10 and 2010 Stratocaster Deluxe with Lindy Fralin Blues Special pickups.  We nailed our first track, a song called "Alive."  And we have solid rhythm tracks for a second song called, "When She Smiles."  We had a lot of laughs along the way, maybe one too many drinks, and ate some great mexican food cooked up by our host!  All in all a great first session and we're really excited about where the music is going. I posted a few pics on the gallery tab.  Scroll down to see them.   Peace, John  
I posted a few pics on the gallery tab.  Scroll down to see them.  

Peace,

John  ]]> Thu, 30 Dec 2010 13:00:00 GMT 37282A954E6B1D70A22EF55EBFFFA9CE Ready to Record! http://sonicsoul.net/blog.cfm?feature=1940492&postid=664258 Our first recording session is finally going to happen this Wednesday!  Juggling our full time lives makes it challenging to get together to record - but we are all committed to making the time.  While you don't hear it here on the site, the band has been evolving so it is a really interesting time to document where we've been and where we are going musically. We started out as a blues band playing a lot of SRV, then added broader material from other influences such as Cream and Hendrix -- bands/artistis we all grew up on.  We also have this funk thing going on as well as jazz influences like Miles Davis.  But I know that in order to be like our heros, we can't be like them -- we have to strive to do our own thing!   I just plan to be open to what can be, honest with the music and enjoy the process!   I have 12 complete songs written and a number of sketches.  The band has demo's of most the songs that I made at home in GarageBand but we've only played a handful of these live, so not sure how productive we'll be.  Also, it will be our first time working in Kevin's basement studio - so hoping we can get tones dialed in quickly and get to work. Lots of unknowns but at least we're taking our first step forward. Hopefully you'll come back to follow our progress and hear some early cuts.  I'll post some pics from the session and let you know how it goes!  Peace, John 
I have 12 complete songs written and a number of sketches.  The band has demo's of most the songs that I made at home in GarageBand but we've only played a handful of these live, so not sure how productive we'll be.  Also, it will be our first time working in Kevin's basement studio - so hoping we can get tones dialed in quickly and get to work. Lots of unknowns but at least we're taking our first step forward.

Hopefully you'll come back to follow our progress and hear some early cuts.  I'll post some pics from the session and let you know how it goes!

 Peace,

John 


]]> Tue, 28 Dec 2010 13:15:00 GMT CFBDF37C728708754274BB81AA8D8A53 Merry Christmas! http://sonicsoul.net/blog.cfm?feature=1940492&postid=659120 To our regular listeners or anyone who happens to be stopping by!  We look forward to releasing our new CD in 2011.  Stay tuned for updates and pre-release tracks!   John
John


]]> Sat, 25 Dec 2010 01:20:00 GMT 7377D02A08DA9B465C991E442521A889 Music is the universal language http://sonicsoul.net/blog.cfm?feature=1940492&postid=632262 It is amazing to me to see that people listen to our music from all across the globe.  Most our visitors right now come from Europe and the US.  But there are many from Russia, Australia, Africa, Asia - it is really exciting to reach people everywhere.  It makes me think about the fact that music truly is the universal language.  As a listener, all music is accessible - there is no language barrier!  Not a new idea but it strikes me as I see people checking out our music around the globe.   We really do want to share OUR music.  While we enjoy covering various artists, we are anxious to release our first CD and will preview some early cuts here on the website in the coming weeks.  We greatly appreciate your interest in our band and hope you'll chose to start interacting with us.  That's why I have started this blog - we would love to hear from you!   I'll be "blogging" here about the steps on our musical journey that is just getting underway and hope you'll check back from time to time to see how we're coming along!  Meanwhile, stay tuned for some new videos in the YouTube section.  We are playing this Friday and plan to film the show.  We hope to get some good takes to post!   May peace be with you, John
We really do want to share OUR music.  While we enjoy covering various artists, we are anxious to release our first CD and will preview some early cuts here on the website in the coming weeks.  We greatly appreciate your interest in our band and hope you'll chose to start interacting with us.  That's why I have started this blog - we would love to hear from you!  

I'll be "blogging" here about the steps on our musical journey that is just getting underway and hope you'll check back from time to time to see how we're coming along!  Meanwhile, stay tuned for some new videos in the YouTube section.  We are playing this Friday and plan to film the show.  We hope to get some good takes to post!  

May peace be with you,

John
]]> Sat, 11 Dec 2010 10:55:00 GMT 5C131E299337F5AD6942CE3916B173CC The process of writing and recording my first CD http://sonicsoul.net/blog.cfm?feature=1940492&postid=627152 The songs that come to me in a dream or walking home from work are always the best.  I didn't have to come up with them - they sort of present themselves...  I often think that they must already exist or I don't take time to record the idea and they are lost forever.  Well, I've started paying more attention to these gifts.  I got one today!  I thought, is that a Carlos Santana song?  Got home and figured out the melody on the guitar before I lost it.  Now I've got the main idea and just need to develop it.     Sometimes they come in complete like on a radio and other times just bits and pieces.  I'm thankful for anything that comes my way!   May peace be with you, John
May peace be with you,

John
]]> Thu, 09 Dec 2010 08:15:00 GMT E2D32A7F59B2B3183AB4603EBE54E973