Jimmy Shelter's Giglog

Best shows of 2009

info@jimmyshelter.nl (Jimmy Shelter) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:11:00 +0100

This year I didn't go to as much shows as previous years. In 2009 I saw 28 concerts (in the last few years I went to between 40 and 55 concerts). The ironic part is, that the number is quite a bit lower because practising and performing with 2 bands claims so much of my time.

In chronological order my favourite shows of this year.

The Bronx, Middle Class Rut at Tivoli / Utrecht, February 23rd, 2009

Middle Class Rut was a nice surprise: a punkier version of Jane's Addiction, sadly due to some trouble with our guest list spots we missed a large part of their show.
The Bronx is one of my favourite punk bands for quite some time now. The singer seemed a bit pissed, probably due to the tame audience. The songs on the new album are softer and more rock then punk, but live they're as hardcore as ever. (And extra points for the porn moustache of the bass player).

Supermannen at Melkweg / Amsterdam, March 28th, 2009

The Supermannen presented their debut album (which is incidentally also their greatest of). A great Dutch rock band, live even better, which mixes the stoner rock, alternative rock and grunge of bands like Queens of the Stone Age and Foo Fighthers with funny and original Dutch lyrics.

(Of course I'm biased towards Dutch language lyrics)

The Ghost of a Thousand at Groezrock / Meerhout, April 18th, 2009
Sure, there were lots of great bands at Groezrock, but The Ghost of a Thousand was my greatest discovery. Angry hardcore punk with swing: rock'n'roll core. In a similar vein as Gallows and The Bronx: not just angry screaming over fast chord changes, but real rock 'n roll.

Them Crooked Vultures at Melkweg / Amsterdam, August 19th, 2009
Was this show overhyped? Sure. It was reported as sold out even before the ticket sale started, but some friends of mine were able to buy tickets just before the show started.
So, was the effort other people (including me) put in to get those tickets wasted? Hell no. This was a great show. Watching those 4 guys play and having a great time would have been worth a lot more trouble.

The Mieters at de Kade / Zaandam, September 11th, 2009
Warning: Shameless self promotion!
Best debut show of one of my bands ever. We played pretty good, the audience was great. This promises a lot for our show at New Year's Eve!

Want proof? Check the video evidence:

King Khan & The Shrines at Patronaat / Haarlem, September 26th, 2009
Both King Khan and BBQ can do no wrong. This year I only got the opportunity to see King Khan. The opening act, Jack of Heart, was, well, pretty bad. The singer seemed more interested in scratching his crotch than in singing in tune. Luckily the steaming funk, soul and garage rock of King Khan & The Shrines made everything right. One of the most charismatic frontmen in current rock.

The Blackout at Melkweg / Amsterdam, November 13th, 2009
This is certainly a guilty pleasure. Labeled as post-hardcore, emo or screamo, it's really just hair metal in a modern disguise: catchy songs you can sing/scream along instantly, lyrics about having fun and partying (their songs have titles like 'I Love Myself And I Wanna Live', 'Spread Legs Not Lies' and 'I'm A Riot? You're A Fucking Riot!').
So there I was, surrounded by 16 year old emo girls and boys who all look alike and dammit, I was having a blast.

Alexisonfire, The Ghost of a Thousand at Melkweg / Amsterdam, November 14th, 2009
Two of my favourite bands on one night! (Ok, and two bands I could very well live without). One of my new favourites (see above) The Ghost of a Thousand opened the show. The venue was pretty empty, but they got people going anyway. And of course, extra points for the drummer's rockabilly meets mullet hairdo.

Next were Four Years Strong, who combine nice riffs with lame Blink-182 poppunk vocals. Not my cup of tea. Anti-Flag I skipped altogether. One of the more boring 90s punk bands, if you ask me.

Alexisonfire is a long time favourite. The 6th time we saw them, but the last time was 3 years ago. George Petitt seemed a bit pissed, but when he started to throw annoying people and their phones in the audience, it got funny anyway. They're still one of the better bands combining clean vocals with screams/rough vocals, and they don't disappoint live.

All in all a good year in live music. Hopefully next year I'll see some more shows, there are still a few bands left on my 'have to see live' list!

What were your favorite shows?

First show of The Mieters

info@jimmyshelter.nl (Jimmy Shelter) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:41:00 +0200

One of my own bands, The Mieters will have its very first show the 11th of september.

I would be crazy not to 'abuse' this blog to promote my own band, so check the flyer:

(bigger version of the flyer).

Band promotion links VII

info@jimmyshelter.nl (Jimmy Shelter) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:35:00 +0200

Just links to two new articles this time, but especially the first one is bound to give you plenty of reading material.

Recently I discovered the Sentric Blog. Sentric Music helps unsigned and independent artists to claim royalties that they are entitled to for every gig they play. At the moment they aim their services mainly at bands performing in the UK. Their blog, though, is great reading for everyone.

A great post to start reading is âThe ten essential Sentric posts you should know about...â. What nice is that they not only list their best articles, but add some insights they gained after writing the original articles.

In an earlier article I linked to â10 Tips for Success in the Recording Studioâ. A great companion article is âRecording Your Indie Album: a Pre-Production Checklistâ.

Comic tip: Road Crew

info@jimmyshelter.nl (Jimmy Shelter) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:05:00 +0100

As found on Andrew Dubber's New Music Strategies:

Road Crew is great comic about Jim, a soundman on tour, and his companions trying to deal with the hazards of touring and dealing with (wannabe) rock stars.

Very recognizable and funny!

2 Budget Recording Set-Ups

info@jimmyshelter.nl (Jimmy Shelter) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:17:00 +0100

With sites as MySpace and Last.fm it's extremely easy to get your music to people all over the world. There's just one small catch: you gotta have recorded music available. Promoting your music online isn't the only reason to record a demo: a lot of venues want to hear your music before they'll let you play.

You can go to a professional studio to record your music, but that can be expensive. Luckily these days there is a lot of very good equipment available for afforable prices. For about $300 you can have a pretty decent set-up to records you own demos.

This article shows two possible basic recording set-ups for recording at home or in the rehearsel studio. To get quality recordings with these set-ups you'll have to record each instrument at a time instead of everything together. Of course if you have more cash available, the sample set-ups are easily upgraded with more mics or better equipment.

Set-up 1.

If you have a decent computer or laptop with a good soundcard you could use it as your main recording device with the following set-up:

Total	$270-$320
Microphone	$100
Mic cable (XLR/XLR)	$20
Audio Interface	$80-$150
Head phones	$50
Software: Included with most interfaces	$0

Microphone
You need at least one microphone to record. I won't go to deep into the details, but there's to main types of microphones: dynamic mics and condensator mics. A lot of people will say condensator mics give a better sound, but decent condensator mics are more expensive than dynamic mics, are less durable. If you want a mic you can also use live without worrying about breaking it, which also gives a good sound for the price, I'd advice a Shure SM58 or SM57. There's a reason these mics are the most used worldwide. The SM58 is somewhat better for vocals, while the SM57 is better to record instruments.

Check out the following microphones on Amazon:

Interface / Software
You need an interface to connect your microphone to your computer or laptop. It will translate the signals of the mic to signals you sound card understands.

There are numerous options available when picking an interface. Interfaces use different ways to connect to your computer. Both FireWire and USB interfaces are available. Make sure you buy one with a connection your computer has available. Good brands include Tascam and M-Audio. To start out an interface with two inputs is more than enough. With those you can record two tracks at the same time, so you can record either two instruments or one instrument with two mics (which is very handy for recording drums). For a slightly lower price you could also settle for an interface with one input.

To record and mix music on your computer you also need software. Luckily most of the interfaces come with software. The interfaces of Tascam for example come with Cubase LE, a basic version of Cubase. If you have a preference for the software you want to use, make sure to check if the interface you'll buy supports it.

For somewhere between $80 and $150 dollar you should be able to buy a pretty decent audio interface.

Check out the following interfaces on Amazon:

Set-up 2.

A slightly more expensive setup, but easier if you want to record away from your home, for exampe in the rehearsel studio, uses a portable recorder, which records to flash card or hard disk.

Good brands include Tascam, Fostex and Boss

Watch out which one you buy! Some recorders have flash cards while others have hard disks. While the latter are more expensive, they do have more storage for your music. If you only record short songs, or move your songs to a computer reguraly you can save money, but make sure you pick the right recorder for your use! I know, I'd rather buy a HD recorder.

Total	$420-$470
Microphone	$100
Mic cable (XLR/XLR)	$20
Portable Recorder	$200-$400
Head phones	$50
Software	$0

Most of these recorders can record two track simultaneously, and keep track of 8 tracks, which is enough for most demo recordings. It's also possible to go for cheaper a 4-track, but for most companies 8-track recorders are the current minimum.

It's possible to mix your song on your recorder, but software currently available has far more options usually. Most of the current recorders come with USB interfaces so you can transfer your recorded tracks to your computer and open them in your mixing/recording software to process it further. Audacity is free open source recording and editing software, for demo purposes it's very good.

Check out the following portable digital recorders on Amazon:

Tips & Pointers

To keep it low budget I included just one microphone in each set-up. Most of the interfaces and recorders I mentioned have the possibility to record at least two tracks simultaneously, so getting 2 mics is a good idea.
Listen to your mix on more systems and set-ups before you finalize it and put it online: if you mixed your songs at a system with a lot of bass, it could sound to trebly on another system. Which brings us to the next tip:
If you have more cash available a good set of monitor boxes is a very good addition to your equipment. Normal hi-fi or computers boxes are not 'honest': they adjust frequencies to sound better. Which is good for people listening to your music, but when you mix your music your sound should be as natural as possible. For about $200-$300 dollar you can have a decent set of monitors like the Alesis Monitor One MKII.
Is the equipment listed still to expensive? Try eBay or second hand stores. You can find slightly older models of current equipment for pretty good prices. Search for "4-track recorder" or "8-track recorder" on eBay and your bound to find something you can work with!
There's a great number of good resources for home recording online. If you want to start recording seriously, check out sites like HomeRecording.com.

Conclusion

Depending on your wishes both these set-ups should suffice for starting band wishing to record their own stuff. Both set-ups are easily upgradable and expendable. One warning.. By starting to buy your own recording equipment, you could trigger a gadget addiction! I have enough equipment to record good demos, but my wishlist of recording stuff only gets bigger!

If you have any questions or remarks, don't hesitate to comment. I'd especially be very interested in experiences of people who already recorded their own music: what equipment did you use, and which set-up works best for you?

Band promotion links VI

info@jimmyshelter.nl (Jimmy Shelter) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:15:00 +0100

It's februari now, so you changes are you already are struggling with your (musical) goals you set for yourself or your band. Here are some articles that could help you:

How to Set and Reach Your Music Goals
Fuzzy goals lead to fuzzy actions and fuzzy results -- things that won't serve you well.

A Musicians Guide to Setting and Achieving Goals for 2009
This article is designed to assist you in creating a personal roadmap for achieving what you would like with your musical career this year, whether you consider music your hobby or you are making a living out of it full-time.

Planning to record in a studio in 2009?
10 Tips for Success in the Recording Studio
Some very basic advice, but I wish I had known this the first time we recorded in a studio!

Interested in using Twitter to promote your band in the next year?
Best Music Business Practices for Twitter
It's part 1 in a 10 part series, so plenty of quality tips to get you started!

Ready to try some out of the box ideas in the next year?
Sell More Cds at Shows By Not Naming the Price

Do your setlists miss something? Does your live show start great but fizzle out near the end?
Write a Killer Setlist

Previous posts:
Band promotion links I
Band promotion links II
Band promotion links III
Band promotion links IV
Band promotion links V

5 underground bands I discovered through Last.fm and MySpace

info@jimmyshelter.nl (Jimmy Shelter) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:29:00 +0100

There's always people saying there isn't any good music made anymore. Well, those people are dead wrong. Thanks to cheaper and better recording equipment and the internet, with sites as Last.fm and MySpace every band can have their sounds heard all over the world.

This article highlights 5 great underground bands I discovered through either Last.fm or MySpace.

The Heartburns

Probably a great unknown outside of Finland, the Heartburns produce catchy, dirty punk somewhere between Zeke and the Ramones. Fast, furious and filthy.

The Heartburns @ Last.fm
The Heartburns @ MySpace

The King Khan & BBQ Show

Both King Khan (aka Blacksnake) and BBQ (Mark Sultan) have been around producing quality garage rock and punk for quite some time. They played together in the Spaceshits, and apart Les Sexareenos and their latest projects King Khan & The Shrines and BBQ. Together again this time as a duo, they make 60s inspired garage rock.

The King Khan & BBQ Show - Fish Fight

The King Khan & BBQ Show @ Last.fm
The King Khan & BBQ Show @ MySpace

Ghetto Ways

More garage rock! Forget all those bands labeled as garage rock that really come from shiny rehearsel studios. There's so much real garage rock to be found.

Ghetto Ways @ Last.fm
Ghetto Ways @ MySpace

The Ettes

You might have noticed by now I like garage rock. These two ladies and one gentleman know how to produce some fine rock'n'roll.

The Ettes @ MySpace
The Ettes @ MySpace

The Bombettes

From the label of Dennis LyxzÃ©n of Refused and The (International) Noise Conspiracy fame come another bunch of rocking ladies. Catchy garage punk galore.

The Bombettes @ Last.fm
The Bombettes @ MySpace

Red Fang

Queens of the Stoneage is too pop for you? You'd rather go back to ye olden days when all stoner rock was low and loud? Meet Red Fang: Stoner metal with just a dash of grunge (not the whiney kind, the good kind).

Red Fang @ Last.fm
Red Fang @ MySpace

Want more?

Who doesn't? I want more too!

Which bands did you discover with Last.fm and MySpace or other sites? Which bands should the world discover?

2 Free Rock Wallpapers

info@jimmyshelter.nl (Jimmy Shelter) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:43:00 +0100

Redesigning this site got me in the mood for designing. SO, here I present for your download pleasure two completely free rock 'n roll wallpapers: Dirty Rock and Rock Ain't Dead.

Dirty Rock

Available in 4 sizes:

Rock Ain't Dead

Available in 4 sizes:

Site tip: Musebin - one line music reviews

info@jimmyshelter.nl (Jimmy Shelter) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:20:00 +0100

Musebin is great site for music lovers with not enough time to read endless reviews. It offer complete and thorough reviews with one twist: each review consists of just one line.

Everyone can register to add his one line reviews. People can also vote on each others reviews. It's a very simple concept, but a great idea.

I loved the reviews of Chinese Democracy.

It doesn't exist that long yet, so the number of albums reviewed is still a bit lacking, but if they get some momentum going, it could become a great site.

Redesign JimmyShelter.nl

info@jimmyshelter.nl (Jimmy Shelter) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:04:00 +0100

It was long overdue: After 3 years JimmyShelter.nl, finally got a new design. A fresh start for the new year!

People have better screens and better browsers than in 2006, so it was time to make use of that fact. For a site of a professional web developer, the previous version was not a good representation of my skills anymore.

I threw away some elements I didn't like anymore, added some new ones. The new color scheme and layout make the content more readable, as do the bigger font and the addition of more whitespace.

I'm still working on some small details, but the main look and feel is firmly in place. If you see anything weird, or somehow some pages are still in the old layout, let me know!