#soundtown

[lp0900]

Here's my Sound Town for 2023. What's yours? #SpotifyWrapped

Your 2023 Wrapped

This is what my 2023 sounded like on @Spotify. Get your #SpotifyWrapped now!

[metzger-guitar-experiments]

Bought a @soundtowninc Rack, for my @behringer 2600 which I am waiting for, it's my dream synth, will wait many months for it, not sure when they expect them. Bought a tiptop happy ending kit from @moogaudio and a @ericasynths Bass Drum 2 module which will pair well with the @moogsynthesizers DFAM & Subharmonicon! Going to buy some Behringer Arp 2500 sequencer modules for that empty row of modules with the 2600 on top ! #soundtown #rackmount #moogaudio #moogsoundstudio #moogmusic #moogsynthesizer #dfam #subharmonicon #ericasynths #bassdrum2 #drummachine #eurorack #eurorackmodular #modularsynthesizer #modularsynth #synthesizer #pyle #powerconditioner #homestudio #musicproducer #synthesizer #experimentalmusic #behringer #2600 #tiptop #happyendingkit https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb-r9SZpWwV/?utm_medium=tumblr

[nerdsbian92]

Happy Solder-day! Had a great day doing a crash course in soldering with these nerds. Sound dudes need to stick together if we will ever defeat camera people in the Audio/Visual War of 2023. . . . . . . . . . . . . #soundmixer #soundguy #solderday #soldering #xlr #nerds #soundtown (at Union Beach, New Jersey)

[soundtownksfs]

Q & A with Loren James

Hello everybody! Nick here. This past weekend I had the opportunity to interview Loren James.  Loren plays bass in a band from Pomona, California named New Manners.  Loren is also a multi talented musician who writes and records all of his own music in his side project, Loren James.

1.)  If you had to categorize your personal music, what genre would you say “Loren James” falls under?

"If I had to categorize my music I think I would have to put it as singer songwriter. For the songs I write that have drums and bass, I usually think of it as emo or Midwestern emo revival. I know that’s really specific and obscure and I feel like a lame-o categorizing myself like that."

2.)  What is the recording process like for New Manners? Are you limited to playing strictly bass?  Don’t feel confined to one, but what genre of music would you label New Manners as?

"The recording process for New Manners is very structured. Nick (Camacho) writes songs and brings the idea to us. We all jam it out for a bit and then we all get together with him, one-on-one, and record our parts. Then we do a few trial recordings and finally on to the real thing. In New Manners I am limited to only playing bass but they do not force me to play only what they want. I can make up my own bass lines. I think the best genre that suits New Manners is Indie pop."

3.)  What can a fan expect when going to see New Manners live?

"When a fan comes to see New Manners live they can expect to see a fun interactive show! We like to stay upbeat and tell everyone what are agenda is for the next few shows. We also like to mix in a few new songs that are not released on any platform yet so that they will come back to hear those songs live."

4.)  I love the differences between listening to songs you write and songs you play with New Manners.  What are your personal musical influences? What are the influences of New Manners?

"Personally I am influenced by a lot of different things for my own style of guitar/singer songwriter. I draw influence from Tim Kasher, Joanna Newsom, and Blood Orange (Dev Hynes). When I am playing in New Manners I shift my influences to bass stuff such as Eric Judy from Modest Mouse, Tegan and Sara, My Morning Jacket, and old mo-town sounds for fat bass tone."

5.) “Natural” is my favorite from New Manner’s last EP.  When can fans expect to receive new music from the band?  Are new songs sounding similar to the last album? (Video: "Don't Mind It" and "Natural")

"Thank you very much! I think that is a crowd favorite because it is so simple and pure…and Natural lol. We have a few dates set. The 23rd this month is when we start recording the new EP. Should take like a month hopefully sooner to release! I think the record label we are on wants tor press it to vinyl, which would be so cool! The songs are similar in having a theme of upbeat music with sad lyrics and undertones but there will totally be some new favorites on this next album I guarantee it!"

6.) Back in August you released a six song EP on bandcamp.  How would you describe the EP in 6 words?

"Heartache, youth, quotes, local, diy, and grungy."

7.)  “More I Miss” is a highlight for me on the EP.  The middle section is brilliant.  It makes me miss home in Orange County. What is that song actually about?

"More I miss is a play on words, it is about a co-worker I had that moved down from Illinois to California to start a new life. Her last name is "Morris" so it kind of sounded like more I miss. The song goes on to describe her car being an older civic and that she wasn’t really searching for anything coming down here but now she misses her old life she had and everyone in it. The ending of the song is just a bunch of quotes I wrote down that she said. It goes “ want to start over, want to sleep forever”…“A loser in Illinois, now a loser in California.” We would go on hikes together and it touches base on that in the last few lines as well. At the end of the song there is a sample from the movie "The Notebook". I thought that was appropriate because she really taught me how to accept different people and love one another in the short time she was here in California before she moved to another state."

8.)  In “wakey wakey hands off the snakey” you repeatedly ask the girl if you can make out all the time.  Well Loren, were you able to make out all the time?

"Wakey Wakey Hands of the Snakey is literally a compilation of text messages I got at 4 am from a girl I was in love with. We had a summer romance. Her mom got drunk one night and said the song title…so weird, but I liked it. At the end I just repeat the make out part a lot. Basically she wrote the song unintentionally and I just put it to music and melody. We did make out a lot before she moved away though."

9.) Any bands you’re really into lately?

"Wow I am listening to a lot lately. My top songs are Stronger Than That by the Bahamas, Heavenly Father by Bon Iver, Inmates by Tim Kasher. And 3 Beats Off by Judcody Limon. I think he only has a bandcamp but the rest are more established artists."

10.)  Last question: any plans to make it up to the San Francisco/Bay Area? If so, Sound Town would love to have you or New Manners play live in the studio.

"Yeah! I’m sure we could in the near future! A lot has been going on in the last month with our members. I just got a new job, Dave, the drummer, got engaged, and Luhan, one of the guitar players, just signed a new lease for an apartment so I don’t know how soon we could do it. But a quick weekend would be just the right thing for us to do! I hope to see you again soon! Thank you very much for having me on Sound Town!"

Go "Like" New Manners on Facebook! Make sure to tune into Sound Town this Friday at 10am at ksfsmedia.net/radio to hear more about my experiences with Loren and to hear songs from New Manners and Loren's EP. 

[soundtownksfs]

What Could Have Been

In a perfect world bands would always stay together and eventually reach their potential. Sadly, this isn’t a perfect world and bands very often switch members.  Just recently one of my favorite new bands, Pacific Air, decided it was time to split. Brothers Ryan and Taylor Lawhon formed Pacific Air in 2012. 

The band is from Santa Ana and featured mostly upbeat synthpop music. I first came across Pacific Air on an indie music website. I remember the first song I heard of theirs’ was “Move”. After being impressed by that song I decided to keep a tab on them, I knew big things were coming. June 2013 they released their debut album “Stop Talking” it boasted a solid track list with breakout songs like “Float” “Lose My Mind” and the aforementioned “Move”.

“Stop Talking” was easily my album of the summer in 2013 and I wasn’t the only one to take notice. Soon enough they were being featured on commercials, they were opening acts for bands like Passion Pit, Two Door Cinema Club, and Atlas Genius. All seemed to be going well and plans for a second album were surfacing, and then there was silence, silence that was finally broken this past September. Ryan went on their band’s Facebook page to announce that Pacific Air was no more.  Just like that all the potential of the band was taken away. Taylor later posted a message for all their fans explaining why he decided to leave (http://pacificairmusic.tumblr.com/day/2014/09/22/). Meanwhile Ryan also let the fan base know that he will continue making music, this time under the name of Mating Ritual.

It’s disappointing to see a band gain so much traction only to let it float away, but all is not lost as we will forever have the masterpiece that was “Stop Talking” and who knows, maybe Mating Ritual will pick up right where Pacific Air left off.

To here Mating Ritual's two singles check out his Soundcloud profile: https://soundcloud.com/matingritual

--Jose Plasencia

[soundtownksfs]

The Avett Brothers Album Review

Hey Everyone,

Nick here.  We all know that I am a huge fan of The Avett Brothers, so this week I decided I should write a review on their latest album.  I hope you enjoy my insight into this band as I have been crazily following them since I saw them live in 2009.  In addition, I am knowledgable of every song that they have produced since their debut album in 2002. (Am I a fan boy? Maybe.)

The Avett Brother’s continue to break genre barriers with their eighth LP, Magpie and the Dandelion.  Since their 2009 breakout album, I and Love and You, the brothers Avett advance forward with legendary producer Rick Rubin.  Prior to working with Rubin, Scott and Seth Avett built their following by wooing fans with gritty and heart-felt live performances.  Magpie and the Dandelion proves that the inclusion of Rick Rubin and American Records is helping make The Avett Brothers a refined studio band.

Magpie and the Dandelion includes polished pop songs like “Another is Waiting” and “Vanity”.  These songs display a glimpse into the future that this band has to offer. “Another is Waiting” is the album’s lead single.  It is a pop rock track infused with heavy banjo plucking. While it works as a perfectly radio-ready single, “Another Is Waiting” feels lifeless compared to the band’s previous recordings.

Highlights from the album are found in heartwarming and modest songs like “Morning Song”, “Good to You”, “Bring Your Love to Me”, and “Skin and Bones”.  Scott and Seth Avett’s honest song writing is evident in lyrics like “Bring your love to me, I will hold it like a newborn child”.   The joyful, melodic piano of “Good to You” describes the unfortunate realities of being a father and husband on the road.  Scott Avett insists, “I want to be good to you.  I want to be there for you”. It is the simplicity found in these songs that brought The Avett Brothers their early success.  Even though Seth and Scott Avett originally had aspirations at hard-rocking grunge stardom, these tracks show that they’re much better suited for the folksy identity they’ve created for themselves. 

Magpie and the Dandelion is a minor step down from The Avett Brothers previous seven albums.  “Morning Song” and “Skin and Bones” are the triumphs of this album as they recount the brother’s style from their past works.  With just a little more time and some soul-searching, it’s inevitable that The Avett Brothers will find the missing piece in blending pop and folk.

[soundtownksfs]

Sound Town is here.

Hello everyone,

We are happy to announce that our show will be airing live on Fridays at 10am! We will be the perfect cure for your Thirsty Thursday hangover. Tune in, turn it up, and join us in our musical journey.  

[zetsubooty]

Soundtown.