You can hear the clip here: Round and Round

We still need a bass player and we are putting the word out across the Dallas area - whoever gets the gig will be lucky as I see this as a special project which will re-define the music scene in the Dallas area. We are also going to target Austin, Houston and hopefully parts of Tennessee (maybe Memphis). Eventually we hope to be in all of your zip codes. 

We have started racking our brains for that perfect name and we are still drawing blanks. As soon as we find it (and a bass-player) we can put up our own band pages and put a few more songs out there - hopefully this clip will show you it will be worth the wait - and hope fully the wait will not be long as we are moving quickly!

I would love to hear some early feed back! Hopefully I will post again soon although the next few weeks are looking brutal between work and having 1/2 an album to record.

As always,Rock on!!

Sorry I have not updated this in a week or so - I have been busy at work and have not had time to breathe lately.

I have been recording with Sinoa and we have completed 4 tracks - the target for the album is 10-12. The material is strong and her vocals are nothing short of amazing. From a producer's point of view it is fun to work with someone who has a big range - we can experiment unleashing that big voice at certain points - sometimes as a background vocal - and really bring the songs to life. I think we have finally decided on hte nae "The Red Light Zone" - I really wanted Red Light District but it is already being used.

I hope to have a myspace page up for the band in the next few weeks and have 3 or 4 songs there for everyone to hear. I have a logo I need to work on (I have a sketch) and then we will need to have a photo shoot at some point.

We still need to find a bass player - I think our drummer is really anxious to find someone so we can start putting more effort into the live show. As good as these songs are on disc they are going to be extrordinary live! Sinoa and I have already begun to discuss stage layout and costumes (stage attire?) and should be able to put together a really great stage show to showcase both the songs and the band. We have talked about a few cover songs which I think people will find unexpected for us - but should go over well just the same.

Hopefully my next post will be introducing a band site or myspace page to truly introduce the new group.

Until then - Rock On!!

Sinoa and I have been working hard on the album - 5 tracks are done (4 of which are on the Myspace page) another 2 are just about done and I have about 3-5 to record to finish - hopefully sometime in July or August it will be complete.

Aside from the music - we have been talking about the stage show - we are anticipating  a decent turn out when we hit the stage with some familiar faces in the crowd (there is a very good chance Vinney Paul of Panterra/Damage Plan/ Hell Yeah fame will be there among others). Sounding good is a must - but a killer stage presentation is just as important. We want people lining up to buy our disc and leaving with us in their i-pods saying "that was a f***ing awesome show!!!". You don't need expensive lighting, smoke machines and other like equipment to pull this off. Iron Maiden started with some basic lighting and a blood spitting head. Motley Crue used to build fake - hollow - cabinets (and hid their smaller amps behind them) to make people believe they were bigger then they were. We are looking to build some screens, colored flood lights and maybe some videos to project to give the illusion that we are playing in the middle of a red light district and all the prostitution and drugs and crime that comes with it. If all else fails at least we have a hot singer with a voice that will blow people away. 

Come check out the band at www.myspace.com/theredlightzone - if you are on myspace add us as a friend - if not sign up - it's free and you have to be a member to see the pictures (the songs you can hear without being a member). Hopefully you will like what you hear - I wanted a guitar driven modern hard rock album with catchy hooks and riffs, I think I delivered!

Who am I? I am a musician/songwriter from NY who has relocated to Texas. I was an All-State drummer who also plays keyboards and Guitars. I have played in bands ranging from thrash metal (as a drummer and a guitarist) to traditional jazz (drums). I have been commissioned to write music for a few projects. For the past decade I was the principal music writer and guitarist for a female fronted hard rock band out of New York called Evil Kitty (www.myspace.com/evilkittytheband) . Evil Kitty was a great band that no one knows of due to bad luck (at one point I had business to attend to out of the country for a year) and laziness. We have recorded with producers of platinum selling artists in some of the nicest studios in New York. While I loved the music we made – it seems a little over processed and not as raw as a good rock album should be.

To catch you up to where I am now – my wife and I have moved to Texas and I am looking to start a similar project here. I have put together a home studio where I hope to produce and record an album. I have plans for a music video or two…I am getting way ahead of myself. When we first arrived here we rented an apartment in Dallas and the “cable guy” installing our cable happened to be a drummer who was not currently playing – after talking we were into similar music. He found a bass player who has had a career of playing for himself in his bedroom and wants a bigger audience. He (the cable guy) has a brother in law who is supposed to be a great keyboard player. The nucleus seems to be intact – of course I have yet to meet neither the bass player - aside from an e-mail or 2 - nor the keyboard player and have yet to play with them. The plan is to get together at the end of the month in my studio (which hopefully will be together this weekend) to start learning the material I have been working on, and maybe a song or 2 from my former group. As far as singers I placed some ads on some local music websites and Craig’s list   and have 6-7 candidates looking to audition. Some of these candidates have photos and/or audio samples that were available; some have not and remain total mysteries. Some are closet singers looking to be in a band ( let’s hope they are not like the freaks from American Idol brought it for comic value), some are experienced, one has already had a very successful career in a different genre and has always wanted to try her hand in rock. I have selected 3 pieces for them to sing – 1 song from my old group, a cover song for which I have rearranged to give it a modern feel, and a new song without lyrics. I am sending them out the music tracks for 2 songs and a lyric sheet for the cover – I want to see their reactions when they hear the arrangement I have done – it will give me insight as to if they are on the same page I am. Auditions will be held in March – I should be practicing with the nucleus by then and once the singer is chosen things should be well on their way.

Now that everybody is caught up – sort of – we can start going ahead together. Next post I will get into what I am looking for in a singer, how to find someone who meets these criteria and a look into the new album which I already started recording. I will take you through the 1^st practices and auditions, to naming the band, marketing, finding a show etc…etc… This could be a bumpy ride so strap yourself in.

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I learned a lot from these auditions – 1^st off having a potential singer sing to a live performance is a bad idea. The band is focused on playing and can’t give the singer their full attention. While you want to get to know their personality – it should be as professional as a business interview. You also need a way to fairly compare all of the prospects. For my new project I have already begun recording tracks for the album (I am about 1/3^rd finished) so I know the sound I want. I want a female fronted Van Halen or Guns N’ Roses. I want it similar to my old band – but a bit grittier and musically more complex (not to the extent of progressive). That being said I know I am looking for a seductive, sultry voice. I want something sweet and tender for soft sections and earth shattering for the heavier parts. To compare the candidates vocally I am going to have them sing/record over studio tracks. Since I plan on sending them all copies of the songs this weekend I guess I can spill the beans. I am going to have them all sing “Try” from my old band, as well as compose original lyrics and sing to an untitled piece and finally I have recorded a version of Cindy Lauper’s “Change of Heart” – they will get the original version to practice to and they will hear the new version at the audition as I don’t want the music leaked (this should be a killer cover and will be unreal performed live). Why did I pick these songs? “Try” has a ballad verse and a hard rock chorus so I can hear how they sing 2 genres in 1 and have to transition between the 2. The new piece lets me see their lyric and melody writing abilities and the cover will let me compare them to a famous artist (albeit unorthodox artist) and see how they sing what I consider to be the cornerstone of the new album. Using studio tracks will let me record them so I can compare using more then my memory and will let the band focus on listening to the singer. I also plan on having a list of questions to ask – then the answers can be compared to see who is going to fit in personality wise with the other members of the group, to compare experience and to see if they will be comfortable in the genre and image of the band. I have started coming up with some questions – any suggestions? Auditions are a month away, but I will defiantly break them down here – but I don’t think I will post the audio/photos as it would be unfair to the applicants so my verbal descriptions will have to suffice – I am considering posting the winning auditions version of “Try” to let everyone have a taste of things to come without giving away any of the new album pieces yet.

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Stay tuned – I should be finally meeting and playing with the nucleus of the band. Let’s hope this goes smooth. I am preparing singer auditions for a band not even formally assembled – is this my first mistake? Worse case scenario I can record the album with the singer while finding replacements – but I am hoping the guys I am bringing in will be no worse then “rough around the edges” and I can form them into my vision!!

I took a few picks of the studio – they don’t do in Justice and I still have some cleaning up to do, but you will get the idea. You can see these pictures on my profile.  Hopefully I will get together with the bass player and drummer this weekend and next week have something new to report!!

Anyway – the bass player was a no show – I will give him 1 more chance and then I will have to start looking for someone else. On a positive note Joel (the drummer) did make it over and was a very solid drummer. We went over some of the material as well as drum and musical philosophies – for example the band follows him live so he has to know where all the musical changes are and the drum cues to let everyone know a change is happening. His influences seem to be Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Neal Peart (Rush) and John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) so I can expect lots of drum fills which is very cool! He has a lot of ideas and is very laid back which is a good sign – at the same time he is anxious to get into full gear and start playing again. Since I am not familiar with the scene here in Dallas – he will be a great source of finding and booking the right shows. I am hoping to get together with him and hopefully the bass player again before the auditions. I am planning the singer auditions 3/15 and 3/29 – I have more interest then I expected and should be able to find the right singer to make this project work (the way I see it in my deranged mind).

Once the personnel is finally decided there is a lot of work to be done. I need to finish the album – I am sure even old Evil Kitty fans will be happy to hear some new material out of me – they have been forced to hear “You’re Something Else”, “Storm of the Century” and “Try” for almost a decade now – and I thank them for their eternal patience (you would think I am Axyl Rose!!). While that is being completed we need to come up with a new band name (Evil Kitty would need Sue and Lou for me to be comfortable using the name), an image, a photo shoot and a new myspace page, a new nonelouder page and I am sure a few other site pages as well. I would like to film a video right away – but depending on time that might have to wait. To me a video is a great tool to start a promotional machine. If you can get enough hits on a Youtube, Myspace TV, or any other similar site you can get massive exposure, publicity and fans with less effort then the old “hitting the pavement” route. Lets say we start playing in Dallas and want to take a trip to Austin or New Orleans, or Memphis or even New York. Will the Dallas fans follow you for the show? I would dare to say no – so you have to find ways of getting a crowd in a foreign town to make the trip worth while. The best way is to latch on with a band who has a following there but that might be easier said then done. I have rambled on enough for today – stay tuned as the adventure is still beginning!!