http://www.bandonthe.net/blog/ Latest Blogs http://www.bandonthe.net/dreamsight/blog/queen/ Even to this day, few bands can embody the eccentricities and excesses of the group Queen. The popular rock band of the 70s and 80s weaved their disti...
You will have a hard time if you try to tie them down to one genre for they cover a wide range of sounds ranging from what appears to be taken from a cabaret to the outlandishly heavy metal. But then again, everything was done in good time and one can easily see through all these performances of this wild and sometimes raucous English quartet as sheepishly extravagant. Indeed, there was a different kind of appeal and magnetic presence every time they took the center stage.

Musically, the group has stamped their mark on several genres. In fact, their signature performance is usually a collage of distinctive sounds. At one time, you would see them take over the scene with progressive hard rock and then easily transition to pop and straight rock in other engagements. Thus, you cannot really say they were a pure metal group or straight out pop, although their earlier releases tend to bend towards metal and hard rock. It was quite obvious that during the early years of Queen, their performances and music were strongly influenced by metal acts like Blind Guardian, Iron Maiden, Anthrax, Dream Theater, Yngwie Malmsteen and Metallica.

If we just take a closer look at the musical landscape, we will surely see that there were only a limited number of acts that have duplicated the excesses of the 1970s the way Queen did. The British quartet did score big points doing pomposity and showiness and at the same time creating pseudo-operatic sound and shrieking vocals. The music of Queen sometimes borders the bizarre, and Freddie Mercury can be charmingly flamboyant amid the shrieks and shouts of the boisterous crowd. The conservatives may find them a bit too hot to handle at times. Still, we would surely give them credit for their seemingly effortless transition through several genres.

Since the release of their debut album, Queen consciously veered away from cuts that relied on synthesizers, and this is clearly noticeable in their albums. This indicates their commitment to take on a common path which they shared with other post-Led Zeppelin rock groups. Freddie Mercury brought an extravagant twist to the performance of Queen, and his entry led to the transition to what was considered to be pseudo-classical performances and the kitschy character that ultimately became the tag of the English quartet.

It is because of the on-stage antics and theatrical stunts of Freddie Mercury that Queen scaled new heights and became a force to reckon with in the top of the charts and the concert scene. Surprisingly, the group was never taken seriously by music experts and critics. In fact, a review on Rolling Stone then even derisively tagged them as fascists. In spite of the apparent lack of respect and appreciation by mainstream rock critics, Queen achieved stellar status and global recognition. In fact, they were running second to the Beatles in terms of collectability and popularity during the 1990s. Queen was able to sustain their hold to fame and popularity up to the 1980s.

They reached the pinnacle of their success and fame in the US during the 1990s, at a time when they had just wrapped up their decade-long streak of chart-busting projects. Indeed, it was a belated recognition by the US audience of the groupGs talent and achievement. And while the group never got much recognition and praise from music critics in the US, their albums were big hits, and they had a strong influence on the musical styles of metal and hard rock bands like the Smashing Pumpkins and Metallica.

With the apparent decline in their popularity in the UK and US, the group stomped the concert scene and went on a string of performances in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa. This heralded what was considered to be their big comeback to center stage. This happened during the time when most performers rarely perform in these parts of the globe. Queen made a rousing return to Britain after their show-stopping performances outside of the US and UK. However, their success was short-lived. Their 1986 album release, A Kind of Magic, failed to duplicate the successes of earlier projects. While it made a good showing in Europe, it failed to make major headway in the US. The 1989 release of The Miracle suffered the same fate as that of A Kind of Magic.

Queens 1991 album, Innuendo, may now be considered as their last hurrah. It made a relatively good showing in both the UK and US music charts. It went gold and climbed to 30th spot in the US music chart, while going all the way to the top spot in the UK music chart. After the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991, the group was never the same again.
M.A.H.]]> http://www.bandonthe.net/dreamsight/blog/queen/ Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:00:10 +0000 Dreamsight http://www.bandonthe.net/dreamsight/blog/rihanna-the-artist-in-focus/ Rihanna, at least to her adoring fans, may have already achieved near-iconic status in the dance-pop genre. Since her successful debut ? Pon de Replay...
Rihanna really knows how to fire up and tease her audience, it seems to come naturally to her. The tight, steamy and frenzied acts will always be part of her sexy persona. Of course, her legions of fans will relish even the cacophony of her performance and would go the extra mile just to see their pop idol perform on stage. A typical Rihanna performance will always be about the drowning out of the dayGs concerns by the mesmerizing gyrations and dizzying beats that dominate her performance.

On stage and adorned with skimpy costumes that leave almost nothing to the imagination, Rihanna elegantly struts and strides with total abandon. This will always be her unique signature and what distinguishes her from other notable artists like Beyonc?. The word ?just dance? is plastered on stage when Rihanna performs. For her adoring fans, every Rihanna performance is a cause for celebration.

Rihanna is the ultimate performer and if only for this, we need to get out there and go to the concert venues. Seeing a sexy Rihanna is not even the appetizer for a long-drawn performance. From the time she materializes from the outsized ball and wearing a flashy blue jacket amid the blinding play of lights, you are sure that there are a lot of things in store during her run on stage. The moment she starts her performance, everything else is driven back to the backburner. And for the next couple of hours, this pop siren gives everything that she has to her audience ? no distractions at all.

Rihanna, Robin Rihanna Fenty, was born in Saint Michael, Barbados in 1988. At a very tender age, she already showed signs of star quality, albeit in a different platform. She started strutting her talents and wares not on the performance stage but on the catwalk. A regular mainstay and winner in many beauty contests, Rihanna finally took the path that brought her international fame as a song artist when she started winning talent and singing contests.

Tucked in a ?remote? island of Barbados during her teen years, not many people expected her to achieve global fame as a song artist. The major change came when she had that fateful encounter with Evan Rodgers, who was spending a holiday in the West Indies with his wife, who is incidentally from the island of Barbados. Rogers was the man behind the success of notable personalities like Kelly Clarkson, Rod Stewart, Laura Pausini, Jessica Simpson and Christina Aguilera. It was Rodgers who introduced Rihanna to the mainstream musical entertainment scene. Her singing career was steered by the tandem of Carl Sturken and Rodgers.

This Barbados-born singing siren is acknowledged as one of the biggest pop artists, and has racked over 20 million in record sales. This is definitely a solid testament of her strong appeal to a broad range of audience. While it remains to be unsettled, her recent embroilment with her erstwhile partner, Chris Brown, may have drawn part of the attention from her music.

Some quarters cannot seem to delineate their biases from what can be perceived to be the actual impact of her personal struggles, and her livewire performance may create an impression that she is another Lindsay Lohan in the making. But for the more perceptible souls, the Chris Brown issue is just a minor distraction, and if we go by how she has been handling herself on stage during the height of the controversy, we would surely see that this is not the case. There is simply nothing that can spoil her performance or take the thunder away from her show, which is an interesting mix of odd sexually-laced beats and steps.

I guess we should not be surprised if the audience in her shows is dominated by perfumed gals in micro-minis and short dresses. All the screaming and cotton-candy scents are the perfect elements of a Rihanna show, and those who come to watch her perform will not have any reason to complain. There is that palpable feeling among her legion of followers that Rihanna will even do the back-flip routine just to deliver the kind of performance that leaves her indelible mark. With a set that includes popular Rihanna songs like Take a Bow, Disturbia, Umbrella and Only Girl, you will surely learn how to get a close up performance that defines entertainment at its best.

Everything appears to come from a well-laid script. The crowd cheers and goes wild, while Rihanna goes through her all too familiar routines. You see the bronze-skinned pop icon take on the stage while belting a bevy of hit songs. She goes through the sets amid a pool of colorful and bright neon lights. We are mesmerized by the spirited performance. There is nothing new or surprising as far as her performance is concerned. Things will always be the same ? she will take on the position at the top of the music charts with elegant style.
M.A.H.]]> http://www.bandonthe.net/dreamsight/blog/rihanna-the-artist-in-focus/ Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:34:50 +0000 Dreamsight http://www.bandonthe.net/dreamsight/blog/reason-6/ Setting up your own studio is not an easy task. There are several things which need to be considered starting with the type of equipment to use and ho...
Pulveriser: With this feature, you get a crunchy compression, flexible modulation and on top of this, with the envelope follower, you can get responsive filter effects. Pulveriser also comes with other features such as multi-mode filter, modulation, squash and dirt features among others.

Echo: Reason 6 also comes with an Echo feature that brings brilliance delays and organic analog sounds together. There are several factors that make this feature appealing and these include the delay capabilities feedback and color as well as modulation.

Alligator: This is yet another feature that makes Reason 6 your best chance for starting up a successful studio. It comes with a 3 channel pattern base that has the ability of turning bland pads to rhythmic textures and tweaks that get rid of boring beats. With this, you can reshape any song and end up with the perfect outcome. More importantly, it also has other features such as filters, three channels and FX section that make the recording process a lot easier.

Other new features in Reason 6 worth considering include Neptune and Mixer and when all these are combined, you end up with the best studio. Additionally, using Reason 6 is easy since it comes with a step by step guideline that makes it easy for you to follow instructions with what is required and as such, this guarantees that your pace of learning the entire process becomes easier and quicker.
M.A.H.]]> http://www.bandonthe.net/dreamsight/blog/reason-6/ Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:43:43 +0000 Dreamsight http://www.bandonthe.net/Admin/blog/r-e-m-call-it-quits/ In a rather unexpected move, R.E.M., one of the worldGs biggest rock bands ever to exist and also the biggest of all alternative bands announced that ...
Michael Stipe, the band leader, paraphrasing a famous person, said that Hthe key to having a great party is to know when to leaveI. All three band members have declared in a press release that was posted on their official website that the decision was unanimous and that there were no hard feelings between them.

But, due to the fact that earlier this summer there was news that the band was starting to work on a new record, some question have risen on the true motive for the break-up. Nevertheless, after fulfilling their contractual obligations with Warner Bros. records R.E.M. decided that itGs time to pull the curtain.

R.E.M. was formed in Atlanta, Georgia more than 30 years ago, when Michael Stipe met Peter Buck, the future guitarist for the group in a record store. After recruiting Mike Mills and Bill Berry, the band went on recording some seminal records in the 1980Gs like Murmur and Lifes Rich Pageant and then, after signing with Warner Bros. they found superstardom at the beginning of the 1990Gs with a string of multi-platinum albums like Out of Time, Automatic for the People and Monster.

In a final attempt to reward their fans and also to bow out in a classy way, the band will release a final retrospective album that will include songs from both their I.R.S. tenure as well from their Warner Bros. one. The news took many fans by surprise as the band has released new material earlier this year, a new album called Collapse into Now which has been highly praised for its consistency and song-writing. Their last record is definitely a wonderful swan song for a band that had and still has so much influence on a lot of artists. They will definitely be missed!]]> http://www.bandonthe.net/Admin/blog/r-e-m-call-it-quits/ Fri, 23 Sep 2011 21:41:47 +0000 Administrate http://www.bandonthe.net/dreamsight/blog/lady-gaga-full-of-life-full-of-colours/ The real reputation of American Lady Gaga is not for her great voice alone but also for her fashion sense which has increased her fanbase. She is know...
She performed on one of "Akons" tracks with her vocals that became a turning point in her life. And her fame grew and grew when she was working with RedOne in the studio on her first album. Gaga had to move to LA for the completion of the debut Album "The Fame", where her experimenting with genres resulted in being a starting point of a new style of music.

The theme of songs of "The Fame" album as explained by Lady Gaga is "she wanted others to feel what it looks like when you are a celebrity and famous everywhere." It was this experiment from the theme to the music and the lyrics that it recorded an astonishing 8 million plus sales worldwide.

A bit more about Lady Gaga

When released to Canada and the UK the album "The Fame" was at the top of the charts on various music chart shows. It was really a great moment for her when the album went to the top of the Billboard charts at number 2 in addition to being number 1 on the billboardGs top chart of electronic albums. Her fans were in no doubt, way before the announcement, that her album would be voted the Best dance/electronic album at the GrammyGs 52nd awards.

On the album "Just Dance" was one of her most famous singles also called "Just Dance". For some time it could not secure the Number 1 position, on the Billboard Top 100 but in January 2009 it was the second best-selling digital song of all time. Yet it surprised the world when it also got the nomination for the Grammy Award in the best Dance recording category.

She had successfully recorded many other singles as well like "Poker Face", it captured the prominent positions and then topped the charts in the UK and the US charts as well as all the other reputable music ranking charts around the globe. After receiving various Grammy category nominations it was awarded with the best act for the category of dance recordings.

The audiences flocked to the shows when she went on the promotional tour of her album. Gaga's stunning fashion sense and theatrics captured the eyes of her growing fanbase. Her glittering dresses were very much appreciated as well as her vocals.

Soon after the first release, "The Fame Monster" was the next one to be released, and this time she took another plunge to introduce the idea about the bad impacts of fame. She put her heartfelt words into the lyrics of the album. Every word was expressing the mood and feelings she received after her award winning first album and the world tour.

On her second album she had a hit single; "Bad Romance" which reached #1 in the United KingdomGs singles chart and hit the #2 position on the BillboardGs Top 100.

She is in USA these days enjoying the press and some of her fans following her wherever she goes. She recently went to a restaurant in Beverly Hills for dinner where her black dress captured the attention of everybody that was there.]]> http://www.bandonthe.net/dreamsight/blog/lady-gaga-full-of-life-full-of-colours/ Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:54:00 +0000 Dreamsight http://www.bandonthe.net/jamietech/blog/copyright-law-basics-in-uk-music/ If you are confused by the copyright laws in UK music, this will help you expel certain myths and have an in-depth understanding about copyright law. ...
It is not necessary to register with the MCPS/PRS, since a law was passed which allows the singer or band to choose any organization or person to represent their music and to collect any royalties. This is something you can even do yourself; simply cutting out the middle men and collecting your own royalties. However, making certain other people are not breaching your copyright, whilst collecting royalties can be a waste of time at your end, especially if your focus is to become a major recording artist.

When it comes to someone elses work, you cannot use it whether the sample is long or short. Contrary to some popular beliefs, the current copyright law prohibits the use of samples of less than fifteen seconds and it is also illegal if you attempt to mangle the sample. Before you proceed with sampling, dont forget to contact the owners. Of course, there are enough tracks out there which can be sampled. Some of these tracks come under the open content licenses like Creative Commons. Make certain you read the license first, because all open content releases are not available to create different versions of their work. If getting permission is too difficult a task to do on your own, keep in mind that there are sample clearance agencies willing to do this for you.

What about creating cover versions? The answer to this can swing both ways. Creating cover versions is a possibility, however, you must get permission to perform the track and more importantly you cannot distribute it. Generally, members of MCPS/PRS get paid by venues for their copyrighted works, but most musicians are not registered with MCPS/PRS. So check whether these musicians are registered with a similar group or how they collect their royalties. You must have a license if you are going to copy and distribute any music, so once again the original author or the MCPS/PRS must be contacted before such an action takes place.

You may be wondering what a Creative Common License is? A Creative Common License can be used for free material such as audio and works with copyright, which means that you can set out terms best suited to you. To make it clear that your track is copyrighted, send out every demo by post to Copyright Control, which defines that the track is copyrighted without publishers.

If you want to upload DJ mixes, once again permission is required from the original author. Certain websites claim authenticity to uploaded mixes, but you must check whether this statement is true or not and be careful when uploading DJ mixes.

If you are looking to add another musicians music to a video, you must seek permission first. You may not be making money on this venture; however, asking for permission is an obligatory requirement.
M.A.H.]]> http://www.bandonthe.net/jamietech/blog/copyright-law-basics-in-uk-music/ Thu, 04 Aug 2011 02:43:56 +0000 Jamie Shay http://www.bandonthe.net/benolako/blog/this-is-the-first-2/ this is the second this is the second http://www.bandonthe.net/benolako/blog/this-is-the-first-2/ Sun, 17 Jul 2011 06:13:47 +0000 james luso http://www.bandonthe.net/danipopz/blog/making-money-by-promoting-music/ You may not be a talented singer or musician, but still love and want to be involved in the music industry. You can, however, promote music by becomin...
Ensure you have sufficient investment to fund the show. Remember, a music or concert promoter will have to take on certain financial responsibilities. A show promoter must pay for a good sound system, rent of the venue, security, transportation and lodging of the performers among many other things. The performers will have to be paid as well. Whether the show is a success or a failure is irrelevant; the artists and anyone else involved will expect their share of money which was promised to them during the planning stages.

Build a name for yourself in the music industry. There is stiff competition around you, so you have to make certain that you first establish a name for yourself. Develop your track record so that various artists and performers will be drawn to your good image. You must be known to as many artists around you. You must also know where to hold the best gigs, where the excellent venues are, make connections with television networks, radio stations and potential sponsors.

Learn about the legality of contracts and other legal aspects binding a music promoter. Contracts are crucial to the music promotion business as they are legally binding agreements. If contracts are not complied with they can result in staining your reputation and of course loss of money. Hire yourself a good lawyer and seek legal advice when it comes to understanding the laws behind music promotion. Also, take the time to learn about music laws and regulations required as a music promoter in different locations across the globe.

You must be creative in the music industry if you are to have any chance at becoming a successful music promoter. Look for creative ways to advertise concerts and shows. Marketing the artists and music are vital in the music industry. There are thousands of artists and performers, so you must look for innovative ways to promote and advertise your events so that they stand out. Use the internet to your advantage when promoting events and shows. Having the knack of advertising is what is going to get you your target market, and is the essential part to having a successful music promotion business.
M.A.H.]]> http://www.bandonthe.net/danipopz/blog/making-money-by-promoting-music/ Mon, 04 Jul 2011 10:38:49 +0000 Dani Foster http://www.bandonthe.net/zephyr/blog/michael-cretu/ HereGs an artist that I genuinely respect and love to listen to. Michael Cretu is a Romanian musician, also known as Curly, MC or Curly M.C because of... Cretu was born on 18 May 1957 in Bucharest, Romanian People's Republic to a Romanian father and Austrian mother. He studied classical music at Liceul Nr. 2 in Bucharest in the year 1965 and later in Paris, France in 1968. He then attained a degree in music from the Academy of Music in Frankfurt, Germany where he studied from 1975 to 1978.
He married Sandra Lauer on 7 January 1988 who herself is a well established singer and writer. They have twins named Nikita and Sebastian who were born in July 1995.
The Enigma Project:
Cretu had an idea for a new-age, electronic, trance project and named it as Enigma. He worked with Frank Peterson and David Fairstein and together they created a single HSadeness (Part I)I which became a huge hit. The first album under the Enigma project, titled MCMXC a.D., was released in the year 1990 and which with its Gregorian chants was hugely successful. It stayed on the European charts for 282 weeks.
The Cross of Changes, the second album under the same project, was released in 1993. With this album Cretu changed EnigmaGs direction from Gregorian to Tribal chants. This albumGs single "Return to Innocence" was a smashing hit worldwide.
EnigmaGs third album Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi! was released in the year 1996 and has some really great songs that I love to listen to on and on. The songs really have depth to them.
With the fourth album The Screen Behind the Mirror which was released in the year 2000, Cretu steered the Engima project in a different direction altogether by using the samples of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana and by working with artists like Ruth-Ann Boyle and Andru Donalds.
Love Sensuality Devotion: The Greatest Hits and Love Sensuality Devotion: The Remix Collection which were compilations of the songs of the albums released earlier.
In 2003, Cretu released fifth album, Voyageur, under the Enigma project. The Gregorian chants were replaced by more commercial sounds and tunes. A posterior, the sixth Enigma Studio Album was released in September 2006. Seven Lives Many Faces was the seventh album under Enigma and was released on 19 September 2008.
Michael Cretu as a solo artist:
His first solo release was Wild River which was a single released in the year 1978. He released his first solo album in 1979 which was a doubled titled album- Ausgewϫhlte GoldstÏˤcke as German-language release, and Moon, Light & Flowers as English-language release.
Cretu released his second solo album in the year 1983, titled Legionaire. This album too had English and German versions with German-language lyrics and was sung by Michael.
MichaelGs third solo album, titled Die Chinesische Mauer, was released in 1985 and translates to The Chinese Wall in English. This album too had German-Language lyrics which were sung by Michael Cretu and this album was released as a separate album with English-Language lyrics.]]> http://www.bandonthe.net/zephyr/blog/michael-cretu/ Sun, 19 Jun 2011 02:36:48 +0000 Prachi http://www.bandonthe.net/jamietech/blog/music-business-plan/ musicians all over the world! It is your time to sing on stage! If you are an independent musician you have the power...]]> musicians all over the world! It is your time to sing on stage! If you are an independent musician you have the power to make money while having the ability to choose whatever music you want to. If you think about this seriously, you have the opportunity of not only choosing the best type of music for you but also having an effect in your community.

To get into the music business industry, you must have a business plan. This means that you have to market and advertise yourself to your target market. You must be ready to perform whenever you can. Look for an audience, whether it is on the internet or a local pub, restaurant or club to showcase your musical talents. This also means that you will have to invest some money and create a CD or demo tape which you can send around to music producers, agents, Djs etc. Your music must be available in both hard copy and in down-loadable form. People all around the world are hooked on the internet, and one of the easiest ways to get other people to listen to your music is if you post it online on sites such as Youtube. The general rule in the music business is that an independent musician should have a CD or promotional package to try to make a small profit on, before they get to take on large arenas and stadiums.

This may seem like spending a lot of time on a risky move. However, with the growth of technology you can make a home recording by using a microphone and music software on a computer. You can even line up gigs and shows to help cover any of your expenses. The investment you may have to make is not a lot at all, thanks to today's technology. All you need are your instruments, microphone and a computer with some good recording and mixing software. Once you have recorded yourself all you need to do then is to advertise and market yourself. For those on a tight budget, there are plenty of places where you can advertise for free when you first begin advertising, especially on the Internet.

Don't just stop at recording your own music CD. Keep your options open as this serves many independent musicians well. For instance, you can play with other bands or even become a studio musician for studios in your area. You can even teach music and offer private lessons to increase your scope in the music field. Another way to make a name for yourself is to write lyrics and songs for musicians. The main idea behind any music business plan is to keep yourself active in the music industry and open yourself up to different groups of people.

Any independent musician must think like a businessman. Follow a proper music business plan. Keep your doors open and welcome any opportunity to show off your musical talents. Have your suitcase ready; be prepared to play any type of gig that comes your way!!!
MAH]]> http://www.bandonthe.net/jamietech/blog/music-business-plan/ Mon, 13 Jun 2011 02:22:41 +0000 Jamie Shay http://www.bandonthe.net/primitivecircus/blog/moving-on-up/ http://www.bandonthe.net/primitivecircus/blog/moving-on-up/ Wed, 23 Feb 2011 02:24:51 +0000 Nick