June 27, 2007Three Old Guys With GuitarsRecorded April 9, 2007 Producer Notes: Frank Dieter, Britt Mistele and Steve Langston aren't that old - but they call themselves Three Old Guys With Guitars. Who am I to argue? One of the nice things about their sound is the variety of guitars involved: a 6 string acoustic, a 4 string acoustic bass and a 12 string acoustic, which often get switched around depending on the song. It was definitely cool to have these guys come in and play some folky acoustic rock, and if you catch the ending of "Goin' to Alaska", you can see they incorporate a little bit of choreography into the performance as well (I was told that's the motion of the RV as it rolls over the run-down Canadian roads). See more of the Guys June 26, 2007Jonathan GibsonRecorded May 7, 2007 Producer Notes: As far as recording and setup goes, this was one of the simplest MusicCast sessions ever. Jonathan is an exceptionally talented young guitarist, and he's got his gear together too. After making some drum, bass & rhythm guitar tracks, he overdubs the lead guitar in realtime. So all we had to do was hook up the cd player, run the line to the mixer along with his guitar input (post-effects) and run a headphone line out so that he could hear what he was doing. Then I just ran that output into the recorder and that's it! I like to call it the "Silent MusicCast", because there were no actual amps involved. See more of Jonathan Gibson June 25, 2007KlugeRecorded February 26, 2007 Producer Notes: A few weeks before Kluge came in to record some tracks, the guys stopped by to check out the studio. Mike Glazebrook (center) agreed to let us tape him doing one of his specialties - breathing fire, which we used on the TimesCast later that week. Seems he's got talent in many different fields, but for the MusicCast they left the party tricks at home. Instead, they brought in all of their cool gear and rocked some industrial. I got to have a lot of fun editing these videos, and it was good to see people really enjoying a type of music that doesn't get much attention these days. See more of Kluge MadroneRecorded May 22, 2007 Producer Notes: As far as rock bands go, Madrone are quite a force to be reckoned with. They've been playing the Roanoke area for a few years now, and are poised to take on the rest of the world with a bruising sound laced with catchy vocal melodies. A few years ago, I played bass for the guys so it was a treat to have them swing by the studio and play some of their new songs. See more of Madrone June 14, 2007AugustRecorded May 14, 2007 Producer Notes: It often takes a good amount of time for bands to unload their gear, set it up, do soundchecks and finally to record the songs, and about midway through the session I realized that I wouldn't be able to catch the bus I needed to get back home to Blacksburg. The guys in August lived in the NRV, and graciously offered to give me a ride after the recording was done, so we finished up the last song and headed out. Before hitting the interstate, we decided it would be fun to stop by the local shopping mall in Roanoke to grab a bite to eat and check out the record store. After knowing these guys a total of 3 hours, I felt like I'd known them for years. It was fun to hang out with the guys and get to know their different personalities, but when it comes to music they're completely professional. All in all, these guys are a band that is on track to explode (and young enough to have the ambition). See more of August The Wading GirlRecorded May 21, 2007 Producer Notes: When Sarah, the incredibly talented keyboard/vocalist for The Wading Girl, first got her brand new amp turned on, everyone in the studio immediately started cracking up. What was coming through from her keyboard was a kind of crappy house techno song that was evidently pre-loaded into the board. That gave Shaun the idea to intro and outro one of their tracks with a German accent, which you can see at the beginning (and end) of their song "Ohio". Needless to say, these guys were a lot of fun and are enjoying a well-deserved amount of success not only in the Roanoke valley but all over the U.S. as they tour with Tim Barry from the legendary Richmond band Avail. See more of The Wading Girl June 13, 2007The Electric ChameleonsRecorded November 27, 2006 Producer Notes: On their myspace page they call themselves "Electric Chameleon", but when they dropped by the studio it was "The Electric Chameleons". Whatever the plurality, these guys are truly a solid band. Heavy grooves, catchy hooks - watch for these guys to blow up soon. See more of The Electric Chameleons June 12, 2007Groova ScapeRecorded January 29, 2007 Producer Notes: Groova Scape is a perfect name for these guys, who seem to have the flow controlled by some sort of invisible switch; maybe even a lever. Whatever it was, they unleashed it upon the MusicCast and we couldn't be happier. Even though we couldn't let them groove all night, they laid down close to 20 minutes in just two songs. Definitely a band to watch - and by looking at their schedule, you'll have plenty of chances to catch them live. See more of Groova Scape Los GatosRecorded January 8, 2007 Producer Notes: When I saw the guys in Los Gatos bring in their gear to the studio, I've gotta say some sweat broke out on my forehead. I really had no idea how to capture the essence of the percussion, mixed with a stand-up bass and a trumpet that cut through the room, but somehow it worked out. These guys are extremely talented, and it was a real treat to be able to host them and add a little heat to the MusicCast. See more of Los Gatos Kevin SelfeRecorded January 5, 2007 Producer Notes: Kevin Selfe was one of the first musicians to grace the TimesCast, using his tasty blues guitar riffs and degree in meteorology to create the recurring bluescast segment. Kevin left the Roanoke valley for Richmond back in 2006, and at the beginning of 2007 left the east coast for the more musically friendly city of Portland. We wish him the best of luck, and appreciate his laid back attitude and willingness to help out some lowly webcasters. See more of Kevin Selfe June 11, 2007The Two FuneralsRecorded January 2, 2007 Producer Notes: "Don't you mean the three funerals?" Trust me, they've heard that joke before. The three Blacksburg natives have also been referred to as feminazis so often that they decided to name their first album "...invade Poland". It's obvious they have a sense of humor, but behind the bright colored hair and angry riot grrrl sound lay some serious political and social issues. See more of The Two Funerals Billy Wallace of The MonoclesRecorded November 17, 2006 Producer Notes: Originally, the plan was for Roanoke alt-folk rockers The Wading Girl (of which Billy is also a member) to stop by the MusicCast studios, but some of the band members had to cancel last minute. So instead of ditching the scheduled date, Billy decided to test run some songs from his side project The Monocles, which also includes a few other familiar Wading Girl faces. See more Billy Wallace June 8, 2007Dark RuinRecorded November 27, 2006 Producer Notes: One of the more humorous MusicCast stories comes from Dark Ruin's performance back in November of 2006. When Tad booked the guys to come play, he said for them to bring what they practice with. Now maybe that wasn't the best idea on Tad's part, but the Ruin guys brought in what they really practice with - basically everything needed to play a large club. This wasn't necessarily a problem, but the idea of bands coming to the newspaper building to jam (on a Monday afternoon, no less) was still somewhat new, and these guys definitely made their presence felt. We even got complaints from our boss on the second floor. I guess when it comes to loud music in the workplace, you either love it or you hate it! See more Dark Ruin The Discordian SocietyRecorded October 23, 2006 Producer Notes: A few years ago I used to play bass for a band with Phil and Paul, The Discordian Society's drummer and keyboardist respectively. I had no idea who they were, but considered myself extremely lucky to randomly meet these amazing musicians. As many bands tend to do, we called it quits and went our seperate ways; Paul and Phil are now an integral part of TDS, alongside two other amazing musicians and I'm proud to have been able to play alongside them throughout the years. See more Discordian Society NeanderpaulRecorded November 6, 2006 Producer Notes: Sometimes at the end of the workday when I'm walking to the bus station to catch my ride home, I'll be singing a tune that's stuck in my head. After Neanderpaul came to the studio, I found myself humming part of "Walking Alone" for the next three weeks. Neanderpaul (Paul Mays) really has an amazing way of performing these songs by himself, using a looping effect pedal with an assortment of instruments. Sounds complicated to explain, but he makes it look so easy. Better than working with other musicians I'm sure! See more Neanderpaul Kusun EnsembleRecorded October 5, 2006 Producer Notes: If you've never seen the Kusun Ensemble perform live, you really are missing an amazing show. This talented group of musicians incorporate tribal drums, dance, dress, choreography and amazing athleticism that is truly an experience. I was excited to hear that they were coming to visit the MusicCast studio, and they did not disappoint. This video debuted on the TimesCast YouTube site, but now resides on the MusicCast. See more Kusun Ensemble Adam BeasonRecorded October 19, 2006 Producer Notes: Sometimes it shocks me when a last minute call, especially to a musician, comes through with an amazing result. That's pretty much what happened when Adam visited the studio. Guitar in hand, Adam showed up and we worked out a little song to do for the TimesCast. He just came up with a little tune on the spot, played it perfectly the first time, and even stuck around to record this one track. Give Adam a shout sometime, he's a super guy and extremely talented. And did I mention he's a nice guy too? See more Adam Beason June 6, 2007Chris ShepardRecorded October 16 & November 30, 2006 Producer Notes: If Chris Shepard isn't singing about Daryl Strawberry's crack addiction, lesbian punk rocker wannabes or local semi-celeb Jamey Singleton and his, ahem, wardrobe issues, he's out playing one man shows around the area and killing audiences as he goes. Chris is not just a good guitarist and songwriter, he's an all around funny guy. Check out his TimesCast appearances to get a better idea. See more Chris Shepard Cyrus Pace and Bob CaseyRecorded October 24, 2006 Producer Notes: Maybe Cyrus Pace and Bob Casey are better known for their part in the amazing gypsy jazz outfit "Le Hot Club de Big Lick". Or maybe you've taken a class with Cyrus, as he teaches guitar locally. Even if you haven't heard of these guys or had the pleasure to meet them, it's obvious that they are amazing classicaly trained guitarists. Check out their version of Django Reinhardt's "Oriental Shuffle" and gawk at their talent. See more of Cyrus and Bob Kat MillsRecorded October 20, 2006 Producer Notes: Not only an incredibly friendly person, Kat Mills is also one talented musician. When she visited the MusicCast studio, her personality really lit up the room and I believe her energy really shines on these songs. Check her out in or around her home base of Blacksburg. See more Kat Mills Lee Street RiotsRecorded October 9, 2006 Producer Notes: As our 100th Myspace friend, we wanted to do something special for this four piece from Blacksburg. So we invited them into the studios to be our first actual rock band on the MusicCast. Not too shabby, huh? It was regarded as an experiment to test not only the abilities of myself, but the patience of our coworkers. As the drums, bass, keys and guitar shook through the walls, people all throughout the building were curious to see what was going on in the "green room". We couldn't be prouder of the results, and the performance has helped to usher in a wider variety of local acts. See more Lee Street Riots GorilloRecorded April 30, 2007 Producer Notes: These guys have been playing in bands together for so long their songs don't need any formal structure or definitive pattern. Whether it's drums and guitar or drums and bass, the sound flows with an ethereal motion and puts the listener in a comfortable trance. If you like Explosions in the Sky, you'll love Gorillo. See more Gorillo |
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