Creative Caffeine: Nashville Recording Studio

Major musicians are exploring the market potential for directly interacting with their fans and releasing music independently. Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead both made headlines recently for experimenting with Internet-based releases, but NIN frontman Trent Reznor has just called Radiohead’s effort “insincere.”

“I think the way [Radiohead] parlayed it into a marketing gimmick has certainly been shrewd,” Reznor said when speaking to Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Michael Atkin. “But if you look at what they did, though, it was very much a bait and switch to get you to pay for a MySpace-quality stream as a way to promote a very traditional record sale.”

link to full article:
Reznor: Radiohead offering was insincere, industry is inept

A week after releasing his four-volume instrumental work “Ghosts I-IV” through his Web site, Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor is reporting that he amassed more than $1.6 million in orders and downloads.

Reznor made the albums available at five different prices, including a free download, without any advance publicity. His marketing campaign, such as it is, consisted of a terse announcement on his nin.com Web site. On Wednesday, he reported 781,917 transactions, including free and paid downloads and orders of physical product. A $300 box set sold out of 2,500 copies within a day. Nine of the 36 songs were made available as a free download. The complete set also was available as a $5 download, a $10 double-CD and a $75 set with bonus visual content.

A few months ago, Radiohead adopted a similar strategy in releasing its latest album, “In Rainbows.” Fans were allowed to name their price for the album, but the U.K. band did not release sales statistics.

link to original article:
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2008/03/reznors-one-wee.html

From turning down the Beatles to stomping Napster— the most ill-advised, foolhardy and downright idiotic decisions ever made by The Man.

By Jon Dolan, Josh Eells, Fred Goodman

Original Article:
http://www.blender.com/articles/default.aspx?key=18696&pg=0

Blender March 11 2008

They Never Even Recouped Their Aqua Net Expenses

#20 As grunge dawns, one label bets on hair metal

In 1989, with hair metal reaching its zenith, the A&R department at MCA Records finally decided to get in on the act—by tossing a rumored $1 million at L.A. band Pretty Boy Floyd, who at the time had played only eight shows. The band’s debut, Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz, peaked at No. 130 on the Billboard charts, and the Floyd blew another mil or so of MCA’s money before the label finally dropped them in 1991 … right around the time the suits blew a chance to sign a fledgling Seattle outfit called Nirvana.
Unintended consequence Around 1992, the Sunset Strip pizza-delivery scene gets a fresh infusion of talent.

The Vinyl Solution

#19 The industry kills the single—and begins its own slow demise

In the early ’80s, the music industry began to phase out vinyl singles in favor of cassettes and later, CDs. Then, since it costs the same to manufacture a CD single as a full album, they ditched the format almost altogether. But they forgot that singles were how fans got into the music-buying habit before they had enough money to spend on albums. The end result? Kids who expect music for free. “Greed to force consumers to buy an album [resulted] in the loss of an entire generation of record consumers,” says Billboard charts expert Joel Whitburn. “People who could only afford to buy their favorite hit of the week were told it wasn’t available as a single. Instead, they stopped going to record shops and turned their attention to illegally downloading songs.”
Unintended consequence The Eagles still top the album charts.

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East Nashville has seen a dramatic transformation in the past decade. Historically the east side of the river has always been more progressive than the other parts of Nashville, and today it is a hotbed of what just might be an artistic renaissance… especially if you are involved with music performance and production.

There is something about East Nashville that attracts musicians and artists. That something might just be other musicians and artists, but it also could be the relatively affordable housing, the best coffee shop in Nashville (Bongo Java), the hip music-friendly clubs (Radio Cafe, The Family Wash, The 5-Spot), as well as an overall hometown-within-a-city vibe. You might just forget you’re in Nashville if you stay for a spell.

Time and space seem to change dimension when you cross over Gallatin road or Main Street into the 37206 zip code. There are beautiful Victorian and Tudor style homes, people walk freely for pleasure and transport, and there always seems to be something interesting happening: art exhibition at the Garage Mahal; dogs walking people; gatherings at the tiny post office; bold renovations of old homes.

Bohemian. Well, as bohemian as Nashville gets. It is no East Village, but it is the Nashville equivalent.

However, what you might not see until you live and mingle in East Nashville is the preponderance of music recording and performance behind closed doors. Studios don’t often advertise their existence for practical and zoning reasons and because most real studios aren’t like Sam Phillips Sun Studios where you walk in and book a session with a receptionist; business is built on reputation and referral.

It is possible that there are literally hundreds of active recording studios operating today in East Nashville and growing. This is not the PC mixer and condenser mic variety, but professional project studios with multiple isolated rooms, expensive microphones, preamps and multi tracking systems.

The granddaddy of them all is the legendary Woodland Studios where many a classic country sessions went to tape in the 50s and 60s. Today Woodland is owned by Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings for their projects.

Then you’ve got other well known rooms like legendary violinist Buddy Spicher’s The Fiddle House across the street from Woodland, as well as Roswell East run by Jordan Richter (Mathhew Ryan, Sixpence None the Richer, the Legendary Shack Shakers).

A couple of blocks over you’ve got Grammy winner Brent Truitt’s Le Garage (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Lonesome River Band), and Danny Ramsey’s Little Hollywood studio which is also has the distinction of once being the home of Marty Robbins and studio legend Grady Martin. Little Hollywood has put microphones in front of Ronnie McDowell, Victor Wooten, Walter Egan, Jeff Cease, Albert Lee, and many others.

Beyond these heavyweights of the major label biz, there are dozens of other studios hidden in otherwise unsuspecting homes, like Eric McConnell’s place. A friend saw a bunch of vans loading in and out of McConnell’s home and a roadie that looked remarkably like Jack White of the White Stripes. Turns out it was Jack. The phenomenal Loretta Lynn record produced by White was tracked at McConnell’s classic Victorian home. Hell, even the picture on the cover was taken in East Nashville.

Jack liked it so much that he relocated Nashville, but sadly to another part of town… We think. But we surely won’t hold that against him.

McConnell is in the Vanguard of the new generation of East Nashville studio wizards who feel equally at home with classic vintage guitars and advanced pro-tools techniques. Most musicians these days tend to be computer geeks too, and the modern computer has brought the barriers to entry down when it comes to getting top-quality recordings. For this reason, most musicians professional and otherwise invest in impressive home studios that allow the creative impulse to happen where they are most comfortable.

Another hot studio for indie rockers is Jeremy Ferguson’s BattleTapes, nestled in an East Nashville house and producing some amazing recordings for the likes of Forget Cassettes, Apollo Up, Hands Down Eugene and others. BattleTapes takes the cake for ambiance and bohemian vibe, because indie studios often realize that mood is just as critical as sound quality for a good recording.

It seems like everybody in East Nashville is damn talented, and to top it off, they probably have a studio and a killer self-produced CD, or a buddy who can help them get one. Everyone is genuinely interested in and supportive of the grassroots community. Walk into a bar like The Family Wash and you can throw a rock in the air and probably hit a working musician, producer, or agent.

So what is it about East Nashville that has things cooking in recording land? A possible explanation is the ‘Americana’ movement that keeps building steam. Country is cool again, Western is hip, and a new generation of musicians have embraced the rootsy sound of bluegrass, slide guitars, honky tonk, and well… great songcraft.

Quite a few professional musicians are relocating (or at least buying homes) in East Nashville for a variety of reasons: access to music community, a low cost of living, no state income tax, laid back environment, and moderate climate.

But what you will hear most from the working professionals living here is that the attitudes and ethics of music producers, writers, and managers are substantially different from LA, New York, Portland, Chicago, or other “hotbeds” of American music. Nashville has always been about professionalism and modesty. Nashville is synonymous with country music, and Country has always been down-to-earth music made by down-to-earth people.

Being a professional isn’t about being an enigma, or being in the inside crowd. Some folks pick guitars and write songs, others build houses or own businesses. Selling out is a blessing instead of a curse, and is never a reason to get up on a high horse. This is an unspoken ethos of the southern country music culture that I hope Music City never loses sight of, and just might be the ticket for an artistic renaissance of global proportions here on the Cumberland river.

- Ernie Gray

Nashville Skyline: » Is East Nashville Becoming A Recording Studio Mecca?

Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails made headlines again this week as he released his new, four-part instrumental album Ghosts I-IV, at a variety of price points, including a $300 super-deluxe package. He’s also giving away Ghosts I at no charge, even throwing the tracks up on The Pirate Bay for anyone to download. And it appears to be working quite well for Reznor, who has managed to sell all 2,500 copies of his $300 package without major label backing or much in the way of splashy marketing. If Reznor’s earlier experiments in digital distribution failed to recoup their costs, he’s clearly learned his lesson: grossing $750,000 in the space of three days isn’t a bad haul for any businessperson.
Related Stories

* Will fans pay? Reznor opens books on ‘Net music experiment

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Congratulations to Dr. Ricky Skaggs!

Excerpt from tennessean.com

As has happened with Nashville legends Loretta Lynn and Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs will soon receive an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music.

Skaggs will receive the honor onstage at the Grand Ole Opry on March 18.
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“Ricky Skaggs is a master musician with sky-high standards who achieved mainstream success his own way, on his own terms,” said Berklee College of Music President Roger Brown. “By honoring Skaggs, we shine a light on the past, present and future of bluegrass; its heritage and its infinite potential. And, besides that, the man can pick.”

TuneInMusicCity.com

Nine Inch Nails kingpin Trent Reznor has followed up last years Year Zero with the new Ghosts I-IV, a collection of experimental recordings — both in the sonic and business sense.

The four Ghosts volumes collect 36 untitled instrumental tracks, which Reznor crafted during a 10-week recording period late last year with help from King Crimson guitar hero/Middle Tennessean Adrian Belew, revered producer Alan Moulder and a host of others. The alt-rock elder statesman is releasing his Ghosts in a similar manner to his recent collaboration with spoken-word poet Saul Williams, The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust — fans can download some of the music for free, or purchase different Ghosts configurations at various price points.
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The free download option includes the nine tracks of Ghosts I as DRM-free MP3s, a 40-page PDF of liner notes and a collection of digital extras. For $5, fans can download the 36 Ghosts tracks in total, along with the liner notes and digital extras.

A two-CD set a gatefold digipack with a 16-page booklet runs $10.

Amongst the bounty in Reznors $75 limited edition deluxe package: two CDs, a DVD with all 36 multi-track audio files, a Blu-ray disc of high-def stereo recordings, and a hardcover book with 48 pages of photographs by Phillip Graybill and Rob Sheridan. The $300 ultra-deluxe package adds four 180-gram vinyl LPs, two limited edition, exclusive Giclee prints and other extras there will only be 2,500 of these, and all are numbered and signed by the artist himself.

A four-LP vinyl version will hit stores April 8, for $39. Further Ghosts volumes, a news blast hinted, may pop up in the future.

For more Nine Inch Nails information, and to download the new Ghosts recordings, visit www.nin.com.

read the full article:
TuneInMusicCity.com

The following article talks about what many of us in the studio business already know. Today’s recordings are waaaaay to loud! The mastering techniques demanded by today’s struggling record labels have seriously damaged the sound of nearly all recent albums. We constantly get clients who want us to make their recordings “louder” to compete on the radio. They have no choice anymore… either slam it beyond recognition, or risk radio not touching it and the common idiot music listener from complaining that it isn’t as “loud” as their other cds.

Excerpt from Rolling Stone:
Over the past decade and a half, a revolution in recording technology has changed the way albums are produced, mixed and mastered — almost always for the worse. “They make it loud to get [listeners'] attention,” Bendeth says. Engineers do that by applying dynamic range compression, which reduces the difference between the loudest and softest sounds in a song. Like many of his peers, Bendeth believes that relying too much on this effect can obscure sonic detail, rob music of its emotional power and leave listeners with what engineers call ear fatigue. “I think most everything is mastered a little too loud,” Bendeth says. “The industry decided that it’s a volume contest.”

Producers and engineers call this “the loudness war,” and it has changed the way almost every new pop and rock album sounds. But volume isn’t the only issue. Computer programs like Pro Tools, which let audio engineers manipulate sound the way a word processor edits text, make musicians sound unnaturally perfect. And today’s listeners consume an increasing amount of music on MP3, which eliminates much of the data from the original CD file and can leave music sounding tinny or hollow. “With all the technical innovation, music sounds worse,” says Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen, who has made what are considered some of the best-sounding records of all time. “God is in the details. But there are no details anymore.”

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The Death of High Fidelity : Rolling Stone