GOT SONGS?
Your Subtitle text
AMP Audio - Audio / LISTEN
"In order to make this page as user friendly as possible, the tracks have been split up into several forms. Some are full-length tracks, some are brief edits to show a contrast of what the artist came to me with vs. the final outcome after the final arrangement was recorded and mixed. Some of the 'BEFORE' tracks were recorded as part of a preliminary demo session. I prefer doing this rather than being given home demos or references of 'live' performances where other musicians interpreted the material. That way we can look at things from a fresh perspective and in the most raw form possible.
"There are also instrumental tracks where indicated to show exactly what it is I contributed and was hired to do. I don't mean to spoon-feed my abilities in such a pushy way but it seems some people (half-researched journalists in particular) can't quite wrap their head around the fact that I play as many instruments as I do, arrange and orchestrate the songs as I do, as well as record and mix and ultimately master the tracks as needed. My apologies for coming off as a braggart but modesty has only confused the issue for some so there it is to the Nth degree.
"Basically, this is it. ONE STOP SHOPPING. Artists leave my studio with a CD or tracks to promote themselves beyond their wildest dreams. In other words, look no further. This is the real deal. An encouraging, supportive, 'sky is the limit', think-outside-of-the-box reality where singer/songwriters come to make the next step in their development or chart new paths altogether. I am at your service."
BAIII 1/1/07
EFRAIN CALDERON SESSIONS
*BEFORE: I spotted Efrain jamming at an open mic one Saturday afternoon. He was pretty engrossed in what he was doing so I threw a card to the barista and asked her to give it to him. We phone tagged for awhile and eventually got together. We worked on some demos and then jumped into a totally different project that became the "Half Truths" e.p. I took that with me to Niagara Falls for a weekend getaway with the family and submerged myself in parts of it. The icebergs in the Falls and the plethora of museum oddities fueled the creativity that eventually showed life in more orchestrated versions on the "RAIN" e.p. This is the acoustic version of "Dregs In Black" that Efrain did as a "live" solo performance as part of his "Half Truths" e.p. that I recorded. A cryptic and apt soundtrack to a tourist town virtually deserted during the off season.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: This is the "RAIN" e.p. version that Efrain agreed to test out. He played acoustic guitar and sang. I did everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*From the "RAIN" sessions: "Seize The Day". Efrain: Vox/guitar; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
SCOOP SLONE SESSIONS
*BEFORE: I invited Scoop to come over with a book of poems and a few melodies he was humming. Though we wrote a number of songs specifically for the collaboration I had a few instrumentals that only a vocalist of his caliber could perfectly compliment. Well worth the wait. One of the first songs we wrote together was "Skirt". Privy a "fly on the wall" perspective of a work in progress. Scoop: Vox; BAIII: bass guitar
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: Here is recent remix of the track that appears on the "Sunday Someday" e.p. Buy it here. Scoop Slone: Vox and lyrics; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*POINTING OUT THE OBVIOUS: Here's a karaoke version of "Skirt". Sing along. BAIII: Guitars, bass, drums.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*BEFORE: "Lay It On Me" as a work in progress. Scoop: Vox / lyrics; BAIII: Acoustic guitar
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: "Lay It On Me" from the "Sunday Someday" e.p. KISS meets AIC at a West Village leather daddy bar.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
TREE SESSIONS
*BEFORE: For as long as I'd known Tree I had no idea she was a flat-top box picker who was writing tunes of her own. I was already devastated by her incredible vocal style as displayed with numerous bands I'd seen her with. Billie Holiday meets Ian Mackaye. No lie. I talked her into coming over to do "her own thing". She tracked 7 tunes in one afternoon with just her and her guitar. That'd been fine on it's own but we wanted to delve a little further into the possibilities. Here's an excerpt of the original demo session for "Freight Train". Tree: Vox/acoustic guitar.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: And...viola! The "Eleven Days 'Till November" e.p. version of "Freight Train". Tree: Vox/acoustic guitar; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*BEFORE: Here's the acoustic demo version of "Neutral Gears".
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: I wanted to go "epic symphonic" with the intro, get into a little David Lynch weirdness in the bridge and go for the full-on alt-rock crunch on the end. Thanks for your trust, Tree. I think we got it.
And now, "Neutral Gears"...
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*FROM THE E.P.: "The Light". Here is a perfect example of a global creative choice. Between the cinematic raga of "Freight Train" and the kitchen sink bombast of "Neutral Gears" Tree and I arrived on the same page with this "live" to 2 track version of "The Light" to conclude the proceedings. Sometimes I play alot of stuff. In situations like this I get the hell out of the way. A true musician is comfortable making those choices. Remember that when you're shopping for a studio or producer.
BTW:TREE RULES.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
JOE CONDIRACCI SESSIONS
*BEFORE: Tree knew Joe when he was running the show at the old Uncle Joe's Bar in Jersey City. Joe had the good fortune of working with legendary producer/engineer Tom Dowd before coming into my place. Sadly fortune was not so kind as Mr. Dowd passed away in the midst of the sessions. Frustrated that he was being coerced into pushing his more commercial side, Joe rebelled completely and sought me out. I have said it before: I will favor passion over technique 9 times out of 10. Fortunately for Joe I was up for something more visceral than what he'd been doing for months. Fortunately for me he was Joe Condiracci and that's all that needs to be said. Joe will kick your ass with a guitar, his voice and the stark acoustics of an empty alley beneath a street lamp at midnight. Word. Check out this edit of "Bleeding" that he cut at the original demo session. Joe Condiracci: Vox/acoustic guitar.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAYTRACK)
*AFTER: Here's the version of "Bleeding" we came up with for the tentative "Stand" e.p. Joe Condiracci: Vox/acoustic guitar/electric guitar; Paul Ognissanti: cello; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*FROM THE "STAND" e.p.: Joe said he had this tune sitting around for awhile and wasn't sure what to do with it. I did and almost immediately I may add. There is a romantic quality to the somewhat Latin progression, the kind you'd get from an International crooner like Julio Iglesias. As the tune moves on it progresses with some of the broken-hearted angst of early Elton John. I'm a punk at heart but I'm not going to screw with song craft of this kind. Good one, Joe. RESPECT. "Something To Lose" - Joe Condiracci: Vox/acoustic guitars; Paul Ognissanti: cellos; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
ARIS ZIAGOS SESSIONS
*BEFORE: Aris turned out to be a gem in my questionable use of craigslist. There's all sorts of jokers dangling carrots in front of good folks with stars in their eyes but I'm not one of them. CONNECTIONS WITH MAJOR LABELS? BFD! Have you read the trade papers lately? Warner Brothers: DONE! Sony: DONE! Avoid scams. Work with me. I'm a translator that will allow you to record your tunes and get on with the DIY path that is no longer the future but right under your nose. It appears I've strayed...vented...forgive me...ARIS ZIAGOS! Aris is someone who SHOULD be given the sort of green light you get winning American Idol but without all of the spectacle b.s. that goes with it. Hell, he's already getting spun in Holland thanks to our sonic chemistry so what's to complain about? Check this demo of "Come Home" he cut with guitarist Yugaku Takasu.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: Having spent my honeymoon in Greece I immediately picked up on Aris' Greek background and with his school's Greek Orthodox choir. We agreed to go for a contemporary Mediterranean sound. "Come Home" from the upcoming "Storms" CD. Aris Ziagos: Vocals/lyrics; BAIII- Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: Aris was briefly collaborating with a hip hop producer from Brooklyn (now Miami) named Jay Vega. Vega sampled a song that was basically a whole step modulating progression, back and forth. I ditched the sample and used the tried and true progression to rearrange the strings, add some liquid guitar, drum machine and "live" drums as well as the fabulous Claudia Chopek on violin. I also wrote the strangely Zeppelin bridge progression. Gotta have a bridge most days. Aris Ziagos: Vox; Claudia Chopek: violin; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*KARAOKE! "Call My Name". Here's a hard club track I came up with specifically for Aris. Coincidentally it's the track that's getting the plays in Europe. POINTING OUT THE OBVIOUS - BAIII: All instruments.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: "Call My Name" now featuring the vocals of the ever-talented Aristedes Steven Lee Ziagos. Hell yeah.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
SHANA FALANA SESSIONS
*BEFORE: Shana came highly recommended via Suzanne Hilleary at WACBIZ. Shana came out to my studio one afternoon to record with her right index finger in a sad state. It had recently been closed in a freight elevator door and compromised near the first knuckle. Suffice to say you cannot mess with Shana and that Shana does not mess around. She's purging this stuff because if she didn't I'm pretty sure she'd combust strolling Midtown Manhattan like a drum legend of Spinal Tap lore. BOOM! Shana proceeds to tell me that she's "brought her stuff" because it's what she writes with and performs with. It's an extension of the surreal space where these songs come to her, perhaps from some far away galaxy. Case and point. First I noticed a cheap 7 octave Casio keyboard that had two of the Eb keys locked down to sustain indefinitely with packing tape. She left it leaning against the wall just where we'd brought it in only to plug it into one old open back Ampeg combo soaked in spring reverb. The other amp was equally reverb-laden but was to amplify her SM57 (she poo-poohed my condensers) and her crusty Gibson SG. 2 channels, one master gain and a tone knob on each channel. "Pretty lo-fi. Pretty cool," I thought. She used a volume pedal from a seated position to bring the keyboard drone in and out. For the next 2 hours Shana proceeded to give me the sort of happy, liquidy buzz you get from some silver top shelf tequila (always a plus) simply by cranking out tune oafter tune through this volatile and precarious set up she dragged in like the proverbial cat. It was like some Tim Burton set without all the CGI effects. BTW: I DON'T USE AUTO-TUNE PLUG-INS. Shana executed this blissful, Bay area nuevo-hippie psychedelia without all of the goat cheese and Deadhead implications. I dug it. Hopefully you will, too. Here's a demo from that day of "Carry Me". Shana Falana: Vox and electric guitar.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: Being a true songwriter and business person, Shana had no objection in pushing this towards a more commercial direction. That's fine. We were going to freak plenty of the other tunes soon enough so why not look at each track objectively, eh? And since I had the time to cut the guitars, Shana gave me the green light. "Billy, this is awesome! I show up, sing my vocals and leave. I feel like a rockstar!", she exclaimed. "Carry Me" - Shana Falana: Vox; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*BEFORE: "I Am Home" demo. Shana Falana: Vox/electric guitar/keyboard.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: "I Am Home" was one song in particular that, in a word, "crushed" me. The Eastern drone and mantra of the song is not something that is going to make a dent in the charts but in terms of human expression I confess the song has put a lump in my throat many times. Shana nailed the vocal and transcended accordingly and with an ease that just makes you wonder if she's one of us or sent here to watch us. Shana described the soundscape I created as "the embodiment of all the Feminine energies of The Universe". WHOA. I played the final mix for my wife who also had a tearful reaction to it. She'd just finished reading "The Lovely Bones" so it only made sense. Victory.
Shana Falana: Vox; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*BONUS TRACK: "Stars" was the song that Suzanne at WACBIZ had pushed me to work on. Since she's all about music supervisors and music licensing, she felt the film noir feel of the song was something that'd lend itself quickly and easily to a certain type of placement opportunity. We intentionally went for a retro, lo-fi vibe with the track. "I'm envisioning this being played on an old jukebox in the corner of some smokey bar somewhere," Shana stated. 48 tracks of state of the art Pro Tools and Telefunkin mics was not going to matter at this point. Welcome to AMP Audio where the work gets done and at a fraction of the cost. Where recording is about utilizing limitations as strengths and defiant creative choices over trends and commerce. Always. Shana Falana: Vox; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
PILAR AREVALO SESSIONS
*BEFORE: Pilar sent a Friend Request to my exiled improv trio Blanche Mayhem through myspace. I saw that she was a solo singer/songwriter with a grand voice and a grand piano so I threw it out there, "If you or anyone you know is looking for a producer...". A few months later Pilar says she's coming to Boston from FLA on a business trip and wanted to work with me in NJ over the weekend. She sent me mp3 demos of "Seek" and "The Beast You Unleash" to muse over. Here's a taste of the self-produced demo of "Seek". Pilar Arevalo: Vox/piano.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: Fortunately for me Pilar likes to describe her music visually and with other abstract metaphors. I try to encourage dialogue that keeps us from referencing something that's been recorded by someone else until it's absolutely necessary. "Can you make it sound like 'I Walk The Line'?" can be the nail in the coffin in some cases (I like Johnny Cash as much as the next guy but you see where I'm going...). Pilar proceeds to describe the tune as being something underwater, not too far out into the bay but still close enough to the shore to hear the barnacles crackling on the pier's support beams. "O-kaaayyyyy....", I thought. She then adds, "And do you have a barnacle sample? Or something close? Something that Snaps! Crackles! and Pops! like a bowl of Rice Krispies?"...
20 minutes and a trip to the local A & P later:
"Seek" - Pilar Arevalo: Vox/piano/poured milk and cereal; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: Thank God for digital media and click tracks. Pilar went back to FLA and tracked some tunes at a local studio to a click so that the vocals and piano were done by the time she got here and I'd have no problem creating loops or sequences. I basically added the salt and pepper and mixed it. We're flexible to all sorts of scenarios here at AMP Audio. "I Will Be" - Pilar Arevalo: Vox/piano; Paul Ognissanti: cello; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
EPIPHANY BLUE SESSIONS
*AFTER: Epiphany came to me through craigslist. He had done some basic versions of his songs with some other local talent but was still looking for "something different". Well, fine by me. I'm very interested in working in the hip hop genre but only if that means doing "something different". I'm not interested in tailcoating whatever is clocking mad green in that scene anymore than coming up with the next Fallout Boy. Ack. Here's "Mr. E", a kind of Cypress Hill meets Ministry jam. Epiphany Blue: Vocals & lyrics; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*PREVIEW/KARAOKE: To show what I can come up with that is hopefully "different" for the hip hop community, here is an instrumental track for a song we'll be finishing shortly. "Only Me" (no pun inteneded!) - BAIII: All instruments.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
DOLLMUSIC SESSION
A friend of Stacy Withrow's caught me on myspace and while looking at her page I noticed a strange photo of some twisted clown with the profile name "Dollmusic". This was a music profile but with no music. Influences included Nick Cave and The Birthday Party, Patsy Cline and Erik Satie. SOLD! I found that Stacy split her time between infrequent business/social trips to NYC and a mailing address/client base in L.A. so I said, "If you're ever in NYC and still looking for the RIGHT producer..." Eventually she would be so I advised her to send me a thimble of a song idea to work on. Hell, I was curious to find out if she could even hold a note, y'know? This went on for weeks. I said, "Call my NYC voicemail and sing a nursery rhyme if you have to." NOTHING. A week before her arrival I actually got her on the phone and said, "You know Stacy, in about 5 days we are going to be face to face and I will have a guitar in my hand and you will have a microphone in front of you and I am going to ask you to open your mouth and sing. Do you understand the gravity there?". When all was said and done it came down to that, the sweaty-palm reality of trying to be creative with someone you don't really know, someone you've never heard and know not what to expect from (other than the context of referencing a few cool influences). We take risks at AMP Audio. It's part of the business.
Miraculously I discovered Stacy had a voice that hits like lightning. Something that has all the blessed manic intensity of the great rock rebels but also this airy, classically-trained, operatic quality to it (think Chrissie Hynde meets Tori Amos). We penned this song in an hour and well over a year later finally have vocal on it. "M As In Mary (working title)" - Stacy Withrow; Brenna Sage: piano; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
100 SONGS IN 100 DAYS / KEVIN BERTOTTI SESSION
*BEFORE: I was contacted by Kevin Bertotti and was pitched his idea for a reality series. "I want to record 100 of my songs in 100 days with 100 different producers with 100 different results." Ah. A direct challenge and on camera to boot. "I'm in. When do we start?", I asked. "You're going to be first. You get to kick it off. But it has to be this Wednesday." Fine. I told Kevin that I want to be up against it as much as possible stating that I didn't want to do any pre-production before the session, that I really wanted to show up and start from scratch. In keeping with the theme Kevin sent me a few mp3's that I thought to crack at midnight the night of the session. In the email he prefaced an interest in one tune so I just left it at that. I listened no further. "If the tune blows then I'll work with it. He's excited about this one and (business as usual) I have to take that into consideration. Not alot of time to deliberate." I certainly was not looking for one that would be a walk in the park or paint by numbers for me. I listened to "Up Is Going Down" only once to determine what I'd have to bring to the studio to make it happen. It was gonna be a somewhat Americana tune with not alot of percussion and no keyboards. And off to bed I went. I met Kevin and Hillary, his photo assistant, at 9:30 a.m. and began the load in. Once he got his cameras set up we began the process. I listened to the tune further, mapped out an arrangement with a drum loop and had Kevin cut his vox and guitar. Then I went to town with a fire under my ass to get it done by 6pm (I had tickets to see the Police at MSG that night so it HAD to get done). It was a scorching August day and with just our luck my block blew power mid-afternoon. No a/c, no computer, NOTHING. Finally an excuse to eat my lunch I'd been ignoring for an hour or two. An hour later to the minute the power came back on and I was back on it layering instruments, mixing and mastering. All in all 8.5 hours.
The demo: "Up Is Going Down" - Kevin Bertotti: Vox/acoustic guitar
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: Retitled "Let's Play" - Kevin Bertotti: Vox/acoustic guitar; BAIII: Everything else in under 9 hours complete with one hour blackout. Hell yeah.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
ADRIA FIRESTONE SESSIONS
*IMPROV 1: Though Adria and I worked on a meditation CD together (she's what you call a "Life Coach" these days), I am still jazzed by these two improv pieces she cut awhile back at the old, old home studio. One of the kindest and most "up" people I know, Adria is a great energy source to be around. She's truly a "the cup is half FULL" gal even when things should be painted in more of a greyscale fashion. Stunning. And rare. It's a totally different experience working with a vocalist who has a background in International operatic performances, Adria having garnered quite a reputation as Bizet's "Carmen".
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*IMPROV 2: Another ghostly improv vocalization.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
JOSE TORRES TAMA SESSIONS
* "DEATH OF THE LOVE": Jose is a riveting poet/performance artist/painter/educator/critic...a true Renaissance man. Jose and I worked on a CD of his monologues describing his immigrant experience coming from Ecuador to New York City. He'd run a monologue as a take and I'd edit it with the sound design elements and treat the vocal to enhance punctuation. The recordings still hold up as Jose's performances act as a mirror to the listener while exploring the beauty and hypocrisy of the American Dream. Not much has changed. His words are more relevant than ever. This is a piece from his show that is normally performed with a sort of Dia De Los Muertos mask on and a rainstick to keep the cadence. I got involved and took it to another level. Brace yourself. Jose Torres Tama: Voice / script; BAIII: The rest.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
* "BUY MORE FLAGS": Another track from our CD, "American Mantra And Other Rituals" . Three words to sum up Bush's solution to 9/11's impact on the economy: "BUY...MORE...FLAGS...". Leave it to The Fortunate Son to put a Band-Aid over a decapitation wound. But I digress.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
MARC ALTER SESSIONS
*BEFORE: Marc was the first person to come to me with the interest of doing a full CD. I asked that he send me a few favorites and he sent me 30+ home recordings as the prospect of doing a CD inspired some new wave of creativity in him. Some songs were obvious choices and others seemed better suited as solo acoustic pieces. Not exactly what he came to me to record though we got rather close at times. We chose the best 9 and went for it. Here is the demo edit of a personal favorite, "Whispers In The Rain". Marc Alter: Vox/acoustic guitar.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: Though the decision was made to leave a more acoustic version for Marc's CD, I got somewhat attached to the 808 drum loop that was used as a guide for Marc to cut his guitar and for me to do whatever else I did. This exemplifies in a grand way the whole "BEFORE/AFTER" concept that makes AMP Audio different from all the rest of the studios in the multi-instrumentalist/MIDI program/Loop-based singer/songwriter market.
"Whispers In The Rain / Billy REMIX" - Marc Alter: Vox/acoustic guitar; Paul Ognissanti: cellos; BAIII: The rest.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*BEFORE: Another favorite, the "Charlene" demo edit. Marc Alter: Vox/acoustic guitar
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: The final rendering of "Charlene" in patented, AMP Audio, cinematic sound. Marc Alter: Vox/acoustic guitar; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
SAM Q SESSIONS (IN PROGRESS 1/1/08)
*PREVIEW 1: Sam is a breath of fresh air. Totally into exploring ideas, trying all options to get the one that's right or allowing a happy accident worth favoring. She hasn't had any experience fronting a band but has all the mania and fearless courage to go for it and not apologize. Always a plus in my book. I also have to hand it to her for her perception of what time it really is, so to speak. Initially when she contacted me a number of years ago she was telling me about some band she'd seen on the Warped Tour from Jersey called My Chemical Romance. She said, "These guys are going to blow up. The best band I saw ALL DAY!". She digs what we're doing so I guess that's a plus, too. This track was based on an acappella vocalization she did at David Musial's Skyroom Studio in Jersey City. "Pretty Little People" (temporary rough mix) - Sam Quartin: Vox; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*PREVIEW 2: A total contrast. Hear what I mean about a sense of adventure. From CBGB's to some afterhours electronic lounge meets prog rock vibe. "Chill Tune" (temporary rough mix) - Sam Quartin: Vox; BAIII: The rest
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
* * * * * * * * *
YOU'RE NEXT! :)
"There are also instrumental tracks where indicated to show exactly what it is I contributed and was hired to do. I don't mean to spoon-feed my abilities in such a pushy way but it seems some people (half-researched journalists in particular) can't quite wrap their head around the fact that I play as many instruments as I do, arrange and orchestrate the songs as I do, as well as record and mix and ultimately master the tracks as needed. My apologies for coming off as a braggart but modesty has only confused the issue for some so there it is to the Nth degree.
"Basically, this is it. ONE STOP SHOPPING. Artists leave my studio with a CD or tracks to promote themselves beyond their wildest dreams. In other words, look no further. This is the real deal. An encouraging, supportive, 'sky is the limit', think-outside-of-the-box reality where singer/songwriters come to make the next step in their development or chart new paths altogether. I am at your service."
BAIII 1/1/07
EFRAIN CALDERON SESSIONS
*BEFORE: I spotted Efrain jamming at an open mic one Saturday afternoon. He was pretty engrossed in what he was doing so I threw a card to the barista and asked her to give it to him. We phone tagged for awhile and eventually got together. We worked on some demos and then jumped into a totally different project that became the "Half Truths" e.p. I took that with me to Niagara Falls for a weekend getaway with the family and submerged myself in parts of it. The icebergs in the Falls and the plethora of museum oddities fueled the creativity that eventually showed life in more orchestrated versions on the "RAIN" e.p. This is the acoustic version of "Dregs In Black" that Efrain did as a "live" solo performance as part of his "Half Truths" e.p. that I recorded. A cryptic and apt soundtrack to a tourist town virtually deserted during the off season.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: This is the "RAIN" e.p. version that Efrain agreed to test out. He played acoustic guitar and sang. I did everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*From the "RAIN" sessions: "Seize The Day". Efrain: Vox/guitar; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
SCOOP SLONE SESSIONS
*BEFORE: I invited Scoop to come over with a book of poems and a few melodies he was humming. Though we wrote a number of songs specifically for the collaboration I had a few instrumentals that only a vocalist of his caliber could perfectly compliment. Well worth the wait. One of the first songs we wrote together was "Skirt". Privy a "fly on the wall" perspective of a work in progress. Scoop: Vox; BAIII: bass guitar
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: Here is recent remix of the track that appears on the "Sunday Someday" e.p. Buy it here. Scoop Slone: Vox and lyrics; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*POINTING OUT THE OBVIOUS: Here's a karaoke version of "Skirt". Sing along. BAIII: Guitars, bass, drums.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*BEFORE: "Lay It On Me" as a work in progress. Scoop: Vox / lyrics; BAIII: Acoustic guitar
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: "Lay It On Me" from the "Sunday Someday" e.p. KISS meets AIC at a West Village leather daddy bar.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
TREE SESSIONS
*BEFORE: For as long as I'd known Tree I had no idea she was a flat-top box picker who was writing tunes of her own. I was already devastated by her incredible vocal style as displayed with numerous bands I'd seen her with. Billie Holiday meets Ian Mackaye. No lie. I talked her into coming over to do "her own thing". She tracked 7 tunes in one afternoon with just her and her guitar. That'd been fine on it's own but we wanted to delve a little further into the possibilities. Here's an excerpt of the original demo session for "Freight Train". Tree: Vox/acoustic guitar.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: And...viola! The "Eleven Days 'Till November" e.p. version of "Freight Train". Tree: Vox/acoustic guitar; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*BEFORE: Here's the acoustic demo version of "Neutral Gears".
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: I wanted to go "epic symphonic" with the intro, get into a little David Lynch weirdness in the bridge and go for the full-on alt-rock crunch on the end. Thanks for your trust, Tree. I think we got it.
And now, "Neutral Gears"...
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*FROM THE E.P.: "The Light". Here is a perfect example of a global creative choice. Between the cinematic raga of "Freight Train" and the kitchen sink bombast of "Neutral Gears" Tree and I arrived on the same page with this "live" to 2 track version of "The Light" to conclude the proceedings. Sometimes I play alot of stuff. In situations like this I get the hell out of the way. A true musician is comfortable making those choices. Remember that when you're shopping for a studio or producer.
BTW:TREE RULES.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
JOE CONDIRACCI SESSIONS
*BEFORE: Tree knew Joe when he was running the show at the old Uncle Joe's Bar in Jersey City. Joe had the good fortune of working with legendary producer/engineer Tom Dowd before coming into my place. Sadly fortune was not so kind as Mr. Dowd passed away in the midst of the sessions. Frustrated that he was being coerced into pushing his more commercial side, Joe rebelled completely and sought me out. I have said it before: I will favor passion over technique 9 times out of 10. Fortunately for Joe I was up for something more visceral than what he'd been doing for months. Fortunately for me he was Joe Condiracci and that's all that needs to be said. Joe will kick your ass with a guitar, his voice and the stark acoustics of an empty alley beneath a street lamp at midnight. Word. Check out this edit of "Bleeding" that he cut at the original demo session. Joe Condiracci: Vox/acoustic guitar.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAYTRACK)
*AFTER: Here's the version of "Bleeding" we came up with for the tentative "Stand" e.p. Joe Condiracci: Vox/acoustic guitar/electric guitar; Paul Ognissanti: cello; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*FROM THE "STAND" e.p.: Joe said he had this tune sitting around for awhile and wasn't sure what to do with it. I did and almost immediately I may add. There is a romantic quality to the somewhat Latin progression, the kind you'd get from an International crooner like Julio Iglesias. As the tune moves on it progresses with some of the broken-hearted angst of early Elton John. I'm a punk at heart but I'm not going to screw with song craft of this kind. Good one, Joe. RESPECT. "Something To Lose" - Joe Condiracci: Vox/acoustic guitars; Paul Ognissanti: cellos; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
ARIS ZIAGOS SESSIONS
*BEFORE: Aris turned out to be a gem in my questionable use of craigslist. There's all sorts of jokers dangling carrots in front of good folks with stars in their eyes but I'm not one of them. CONNECTIONS WITH MAJOR LABELS? BFD! Have you read the trade papers lately? Warner Brothers: DONE! Sony: DONE! Avoid scams. Work with me. I'm a translator that will allow you to record your tunes and get on with the DIY path that is no longer the future but right under your nose. It appears I've strayed...vented...forgive me...ARIS ZIAGOS! Aris is someone who SHOULD be given the sort of green light you get winning American Idol but without all of the spectacle b.s. that goes with it. Hell, he's already getting spun in Holland thanks to our sonic chemistry so what's to complain about? Check this demo of "Come Home" he cut with guitarist Yugaku Takasu.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: Having spent my honeymoon in Greece I immediately picked up on Aris' Greek background and with his school's Greek Orthodox choir. We agreed to go for a contemporary Mediterranean sound. "Come Home" from the upcoming "Storms" CD. Aris Ziagos: Vocals/lyrics; BAIII- Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: Aris was briefly collaborating with a hip hop producer from Brooklyn (now Miami) named Jay Vega. Vega sampled a song that was basically a whole step modulating progression, back and forth. I ditched the sample and used the tried and true progression to rearrange the strings, add some liquid guitar, drum machine and "live" drums as well as the fabulous Claudia Chopek on violin. I also wrote the strangely Zeppelin bridge progression. Gotta have a bridge most days. Aris Ziagos: Vox; Claudia Chopek: violin; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*KARAOKE! "Call My Name". Here's a hard club track I came up with specifically for Aris. Coincidentally it's the track that's getting the plays in Europe. POINTING OUT THE OBVIOUS - BAIII: All instruments.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: "Call My Name" now featuring the vocals of the ever-talented Aristedes Steven Lee Ziagos. Hell yeah.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
SHANA FALANA SESSIONS
*BEFORE: Shana came highly recommended via Suzanne Hilleary at WACBIZ. Shana came out to my studio one afternoon to record with her right index finger in a sad state. It had recently been closed in a freight elevator door and compromised near the first knuckle. Suffice to say you cannot mess with Shana and that Shana does not mess around. She's purging this stuff because if she didn't I'm pretty sure she'd combust strolling Midtown Manhattan like a drum legend of Spinal Tap lore. BOOM! Shana proceeds to tell me that she's "brought her stuff" because it's what she writes with and performs with. It's an extension of the surreal space where these songs come to her, perhaps from some far away galaxy. Case and point. First I noticed a cheap 7 octave Casio keyboard that had two of the Eb keys locked down to sustain indefinitely with packing tape. She left it leaning against the wall just where we'd brought it in only to plug it into one old open back Ampeg combo soaked in spring reverb. The other amp was equally reverb-laden but was to amplify her SM57 (she poo-poohed my condensers) and her crusty Gibson SG. 2 channels, one master gain and a tone knob on each channel. "Pretty lo-fi. Pretty cool," I thought. She used a volume pedal from a seated position to bring the keyboard drone in and out. For the next 2 hours Shana proceeded to give me the sort of happy, liquidy buzz you get from some silver top shelf tequila (always a plus) simply by cranking out tune oafter tune through this volatile and precarious set up she dragged in like the proverbial cat. It was like some Tim Burton set without all the CGI effects. BTW: I DON'T USE AUTO-TUNE PLUG-INS. Shana executed this blissful, Bay area nuevo-hippie psychedelia without all of the goat cheese and Deadhead implications. I dug it. Hopefully you will, too. Here's a demo from that day of "Carry Me". Shana Falana: Vox and electric guitar.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: Being a true songwriter and business person, Shana had no objection in pushing this towards a more commercial direction. That's fine. We were going to freak plenty of the other tunes soon enough so why not look at each track objectively, eh? And since I had the time to cut the guitars, Shana gave me the green light. "Billy, this is awesome! I show up, sing my vocals and leave. I feel like a rockstar!", she exclaimed. "Carry Me" - Shana Falana: Vox; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*BEFORE: "I Am Home" demo. Shana Falana: Vox/electric guitar/keyboard.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: "I Am Home" was one song in particular that, in a word, "crushed" me. The Eastern drone and mantra of the song is not something that is going to make a dent in the charts but in terms of human expression I confess the song has put a lump in my throat many times. Shana nailed the vocal and transcended accordingly and with an ease that just makes you wonder if she's one of us or sent here to watch us. Shana described the soundscape I created as "the embodiment of all the Feminine energies of The Universe". WHOA. I played the final mix for my wife who also had a tearful reaction to it. She'd just finished reading "The Lovely Bones" so it only made sense. Victory.
Shana Falana: Vox; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*BONUS TRACK: "Stars" was the song that Suzanne at WACBIZ had pushed me to work on. Since she's all about music supervisors and music licensing, she felt the film noir feel of the song was something that'd lend itself quickly and easily to a certain type of placement opportunity. We intentionally went for a retro, lo-fi vibe with the track. "I'm envisioning this being played on an old jukebox in the corner of some smokey bar somewhere," Shana stated. 48 tracks of state of the art Pro Tools and Telefunkin mics was not going to matter at this point. Welcome to AMP Audio where the work gets done and at a fraction of the cost. Where recording is about utilizing limitations as strengths and defiant creative choices over trends and commerce. Always. Shana Falana: Vox; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
PILAR AREVALO SESSIONS
*BEFORE: Pilar sent a Friend Request to my exiled improv trio Blanche Mayhem through myspace. I saw that she was a solo singer/songwriter with a grand voice and a grand piano so I threw it out there, "If you or anyone you know is looking for a producer...". A few months later Pilar says she's coming to Boston from FLA on a business trip and wanted to work with me in NJ over the weekend. She sent me mp3 demos of "Seek" and "The Beast You Unleash" to muse over. Here's a taste of the self-produced demo of "Seek". Pilar Arevalo: Vox/piano.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: Fortunately for me Pilar likes to describe her music visually and with other abstract metaphors. I try to encourage dialogue that keeps us from referencing something that's been recorded by someone else until it's absolutely necessary. "Can you make it sound like 'I Walk The Line'?" can be the nail in the coffin in some cases (I like Johnny Cash as much as the next guy but you see where I'm going...). Pilar proceeds to describe the tune as being something underwater, not too far out into the bay but still close enough to the shore to hear the barnacles crackling on the pier's support beams. "O-kaaayyyyy....", I thought. She then adds, "And do you have a barnacle sample? Or something close? Something that Snaps! Crackles! and Pops! like a bowl of Rice Krispies?"...
20 minutes and a trip to the local A & P later:
"Seek" - Pilar Arevalo: Vox/piano/poured milk and cereal; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: Thank God for digital media and click tracks. Pilar went back to FLA and tracked some tunes at a local studio to a click so that the vocals and piano were done by the time she got here and I'd have no problem creating loops or sequences. I basically added the salt and pepper and mixed it. We're flexible to all sorts of scenarios here at AMP Audio. "I Will Be" - Pilar Arevalo: Vox/piano; Paul Ognissanti: cello; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
EPIPHANY BLUE SESSIONS
*AFTER: Epiphany came to me through craigslist. He had done some basic versions of his songs with some other local talent but was still looking for "something different". Well, fine by me. I'm very interested in working in the hip hop genre but only if that means doing "something different". I'm not interested in tailcoating whatever is clocking mad green in that scene anymore than coming up with the next Fallout Boy. Ack. Here's "Mr. E", a kind of Cypress Hill meets Ministry jam. Epiphany Blue: Vocals & lyrics; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*PREVIEW/KARAOKE: To show what I can come up with that is hopefully "different" for the hip hop community, here is an instrumental track for a song we'll be finishing shortly. "Only Me" (no pun inteneded!) - BAIII: All instruments.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
DOLLMUSIC SESSION
A friend of Stacy Withrow's caught me on myspace and while looking at her page I noticed a strange photo of some twisted clown with the profile name "Dollmusic". This was a music profile but with no music. Influences included Nick Cave and The Birthday Party, Patsy Cline and Erik Satie. SOLD! I found that Stacy split her time between infrequent business/social trips to NYC and a mailing address/client base in L.A. so I said, "If you're ever in NYC and still looking for the RIGHT producer..." Eventually she would be so I advised her to send me a thimble of a song idea to work on. Hell, I was curious to find out if she could even hold a note, y'know? This went on for weeks. I said, "Call my NYC voicemail and sing a nursery rhyme if you have to." NOTHING. A week before her arrival I actually got her on the phone and said, "You know Stacy, in about 5 days we are going to be face to face and I will have a guitar in my hand and you will have a microphone in front of you and I am going to ask you to open your mouth and sing. Do you understand the gravity there?". When all was said and done it came down to that, the sweaty-palm reality of trying to be creative with someone you don't really know, someone you've never heard and know not what to expect from (other than the context of referencing a few cool influences). We take risks at AMP Audio. It's part of the business.
Miraculously I discovered Stacy had a voice that hits like lightning. Something that has all the blessed manic intensity of the great rock rebels but also this airy, classically-trained, operatic quality to it (think Chrissie Hynde meets Tori Amos). We penned this song in an hour and well over a year later finally have vocal on it. "M As In Mary (working title)" - Stacy Withrow; Brenna Sage: piano; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
100 SONGS IN 100 DAYS / KEVIN BERTOTTI SESSION
*BEFORE: I was contacted by Kevin Bertotti and was pitched his idea for a reality series. "I want to record 100 of my songs in 100 days with 100 different producers with 100 different results." Ah. A direct challenge and on camera to boot. "I'm in. When do we start?", I asked. "You're going to be first. You get to kick it off. But it has to be this Wednesday." Fine. I told Kevin that I want to be up against it as much as possible stating that I didn't want to do any pre-production before the session, that I really wanted to show up and start from scratch. In keeping with the theme Kevin sent me a few mp3's that I thought to crack at midnight the night of the session. In the email he prefaced an interest in one tune so I just left it at that. I listened no further. "If the tune blows then I'll work with it. He's excited about this one and (business as usual) I have to take that into consideration. Not alot of time to deliberate." I certainly was not looking for one that would be a walk in the park or paint by numbers for me. I listened to "Up Is Going Down" only once to determine what I'd have to bring to the studio to make it happen. It was gonna be a somewhat Americana tune with not alot of percussion and no keyboards. And off to bed I went. I met Kevin and Hillary, his photo assistant, at 9:30 a.m. and began the load in. Once he got his cameras set up we began the process. I listened to the tune further, mapped out an arrangement with a drum loop and had Kevin cut his vox and guitar. Then I went to town with a fire under my ass to get it done by 6pm (I had tickets to see the Police at MSG that night so it HAD to get done). It was a scorching August day and with just our luck my block blew power mid-afternoon. No a/c, no computer, NOTHING. Finally an excuse to eat my lunch I'd been ignoring for an hour or two. An hour later to the minute the power came back on and I was back on it layering instruments, mixing and mastering. All in all 8.5 hours.
The demo: "Up Is Going Down" - Kevin Bertotti: Vox/acoustic guitar
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: Retitled "Let's Play" - Kevin Bertotti: Vox/acoustic guitar; BAIII: Everything else in under 9 hours complete with one hour blackout. Hell yeah.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
ADRIA FIRESTONE SESSIONS
*IMPROV 1: Though Adria and I worked on a meditation CD together (she's what you call a "Life Coach" these days), I am still jazzed by these two improv pieces she cut awhile back at the old, old home studio. One of the kindest and most "up" people I know, Adria is a great energy source to be around. She's truly a "the cup is half FULL" gal even when things should be painted in more of a greyscale fashion. Stunning. And rare. It's a totally different experience working with a vocalist who has a background in International operatic performances, Adria having garnered quite a reputation as Bizet's "Carmen".
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*IMPROV 2: Another ghostly improv vocalization.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
JOSE TORRES TAMA SESSIONS
* "DEATH OF THE LOVE": Jose is a riveting poet/performance artist/painter/educator/critic...a true Renaissance man. Jose and I worked on a CD of his monologues describing his immigrant experience coming from Ecuador to New York City. He'd run a monologue as a take and I'd edit it with the sound design elements and treat the vocal to enhance punctuation. The recordings still hold up as Jose's performances act as a mirror to the listener while exploring the beauty and hypocrisy of the American Dream. Not much has changed. His words are more relevant than ever. This is a piece from his show that is normally performed with a sort of Dia De Los Muertos mask on and a rainstick to keep the cadence. I got involved and took it to another level. Brace yourself. Jose Torres Tama: Voice / script; BAIII: The rest.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
* "BUY MORE FLAGS": Another track from our CD, "American Mantra And Other Rituals" . Three words to sum up Bush's solution to 9/11's impact on the economy: "BUY...MORE...FLAGS...". Leave it to The Fortunate Son to put a Band-Aid over a decapitation wound. But I digress.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
MARC ALTER SESSIONS
*BEFORE: Marc was the first person to come to me with the interest of doing a full CD. I asked that he send me a few favorites and he sent me 30+ home recordings as the prospect of doing a CD inspired some new wave of creativity in him. Some songs were obvious choices and others seemed better suited as solo acoustic pieces. Not exactly what he came to me to record though we got rather close at times. We chose the best 9 and went for it. Here is the demo edit of a personal favorite, "Whispers In The Rain". Marc Alter: Vox/acoustic guitar.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: Though the decision was made to leave a more acoustic version for Marc's CD, I got somewhat attached to the 808 drum loop that was used as a guide for Marc to cut his guitar and for me to do whatever else I did. This exemplifies in a grand way the whole "BEFORE/AFTER" concept that makes AMP Audio different from all the rest of the studios in the multi-instrumentalist/MIDI program/Loop-based singer/songwriter market.
"Whispers In The Rain / Billy REMIX" - Marc Alter: Vox/acoustic guitar; Paul Ognissanti: cellos; BAIII: The rest.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*BEFORE: Another favorite, the "Charlene" demo edit. Marc Alter: Vox/acoustic guitar
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*AFTER: The final rendering of "Charlene" in patented, AMP Audio, cinematic sound. Marc Alter: Vox/acoustic guitar; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
SAM Q SESSIONS (IN PROGRESS 1/1/08)
*PREVIEW 1: Sam is a breath of fresh air. Totally into exploring ideas, trying all options to get the one that's right or allowing a happy accident worth favoring. She hasn't had any experience fronting a band but has all the mania and fearless courage to go for it and not apologize. Always a plus in my book. I also have to hand it to her for her perception of what time it really is, so to speak. Initially when she contacted me a number of years ago she was telling me about some band she'd seen on the Warped Tour from Jersey called My Chemical Romance. She said, "These guys are going to blow up. The best band I saw ALL DAY!". She digs what we're doing so I guess that's a plus, too. This track was based on an acappella vocalization she did at David Musial's Skyroom Studio in Jersey City. "Pretty Little People" (temporary rough mix) - Sam Quartin: Vox; BAIII: Everything else.
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
*PREVIEW 2: A total contrast. Hear what I mean about a sense of adventure. From CBGB's to some afterhours electronic lounge meets prog rock vibe. "Chill Tune" (temporary rough mix) - Sam Quartin: Vox; BAIII: The rest
(CLICK HERE TO PLAY TRACK)
* * * * * * * * *
YOU'RE NEXT! :)