Dave's Corner

New "real" blog!

2010-09-22T14:16:18Z

Until I can figure out how to redirect this section to the new Wordpress blog:

http://www.endlessrecordings.com/thedbb

Hope you enjoy

Switching It Up

2010-06-04T16:00:00Z

Clearly, posts in this section are few and far between. Therefore, I am going to start up a new wordpress-style blog in this location. What does that even mean? Well, instead of trying to come up with content on my own, I will instead (for the most part) use this as a space to turn visitors on to interesting tidbits from all over the web. Maybe the posts will focus on music-related issues, but I will certainly be delving into, and commenting on, new technology, food, local (NYC/BK) happenings, and more.

I anticipate that the new format will be much more interesting, and if for nothing else, I will be able to look back one day and say, "oh yeah, I remember thinking that was a good idea."

Until the new launch. . .

Happy Holidays 2009

2009-12-28T17:00:00Z

Happy Holidays!

As per tradition, below you will find the track list for this year's "year end compilation" titled "I Want To Walk Around With You" . I have included track notes below (and will try to drag up lists from years past in the near future):
[Artist Name/Title of Song/Album]
*E-mail me HERE if you would like a digital compilation*

01. Basement Jaxx - Raindrops - Scars

02. Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes - M.P.P.

03. Ambulance LTD - Back To School - LP #2 (TBA)

04. Solid Gold - Get Over It - Bodies of Water

05. Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks- Veckatimest

06. AKUDAMA - Sun (From Underneath The Lake)- Sun E.P.

07. The Whitest Boy Alive - Intentions - Rules

08. Bat For Lashes - Daniel - Two Suns

09. Ramona Falls - I Say Fever - Intuit

10. Budos Band - Budos Theme - The Budos Band

11. Girls - Lust For Life - Album

12. Phoenix - Love Like a Sunset - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

13. Boy & Bear - Blood to Gold - LP (TBA)

14. Doves - Winter Hill - Kingdom of Rust

15. Lee Fields - Money I$ King - My World

16. White Rabbits - Percussion Gun - It's Frightening

17. Wilco - Wilco (The Song) - Wilco (The Album)

18. Built To Spill - Hindsight - There Is No Enemy

2009: Here you have the 11^th installment of my annual year-end music review. These selections represent a cross-section of the tunes that have accompanied me through the year. With each edition of this compilation, I hope to expose you to something you may have otherwise missed from the year past. ¶ During 2009 I continued to enjoy the many facets of my work with MindSmack, I finished my Masters thesis at NYU (on the topic of mobile technology in regards to music), & spent a lot of time getting to know new people and staying close with old friends. Some standout live musical events: Ambulance LTD @ Union Hall, Built To Spill @ The Middle East, & the multitude of AKUDAMA shows. ¶ I believe that as the influence of mainstream media continues to decline, the need for a trusted source for cultural recommendations becomes all the more important. On that note, send me your favorite new songs, or ask me to tell you a little more about mine; it is always more fun to share. Please continue to support your favorite artists, see a live show, tell a friend, & play these songs LOUD. This is for you.

1. Basement Jaxx have been a staple for me, especially during winter, for years. I was so happy to find out that their newest record is, on the whole, fantastic.

2. Maryweather Post Pavilion was released on the 1^st Tuesday of 2009. It was by far my most played album this year. Meant as an ALBUM, check it all out.

3. No, Ambulance does not have a new record yet, but some of the unreleased songs are so damn good that I just had to share one. Hoping for a release in 2010.

4. My neighbor hipped me to this band from Minnesota. They have no records out in the U.S. yet, I had to mail-order two 7"s from the UK! I have a feeling you'll be hearing a lot more from these guys very soon. Check em out if you have Spotify.

5. Leading the charge for the continued dominance of Brooklyn Indie Rock on a national level, Grizzly Bear have yet to disappoint. Is this "orchestral pop"?

6. This band that I manage has been releasing a free E.P. on the 1^st of every month on their blog - Akudama.wordpress.com. This song is taken from the July edition. Help spread the word to your friends & music lovers, they are ready to explode!

7. If this voice sounds familiar, it is because Erlend Øye is the man behind a self titled solo project as well as with Kings of Convenience. Love the lounge groove.

8. Well, I am kind of obsessed with Natasha Khan, a.k.a. Bat For Lashes. I find the new record to be so-so, but she is one of those rare musicians (these days) that actually sounds better live. She's from the UK, so go see her perform if you can.

9. Side project of the singer from Menomena. *Watch the video for this song!* Seriously, it is incredible. Doesn't hurt that the music is also pretty sweet.

10. 11-piece afro-funk from. . . Staten Island? Yep, its true. This record is only one of the many, many gems on Brooklyn's Daptone Records. Keeping vinyl alive.

11. I am sure I'll alienate some listeners with this one, but I couldn't resist including it. The singer's voice is unique, and I am a sucker for lo-fi pop songs.

12. Phoenix finally made it big this year! This is the longest song on the mix, but also the most rewarding. Songs like this reassure me of the power of music.

13. A young Australian group that you will not have heard of. Boy&Bear is one of those groups that I just know will make it over here in the States. Watch out for these guys, I was fortunate to meet their manager who gave me this "demo".

14. Longtime favorite of mine. Doves continue to turn out dreamy, straightforward melodic rock music that I just can't ever get enough of.

15. Lee Fields keeps the James Brown torch alive. This man is 100% Soul/ Funk/R&B Power. It isn't every day you see a 60+ year old man sweating it out on stage in a 3 piece suit with a 10 piece band. Fitting lyrics for the financial disaster.

16. This group's debut album was produced by Brit Daniels, the singer of Spoon. I continue to be enchanted by the drum sound and innovative song structure.

17. Wilco! The Band! The Album! The Song! You must see them live.

18. One of the "Classic Indie" bands. BTS played multiple nights at small venues in support of this year's release, which I hope will inspire more bands to do the same. Their set at the Middle East was likely my top live show of the year.

~(In Memory of Jimmy Driver & Ozzie)~

www.EndlessRecordings.com

ADDITIONALLY: Silly Magnets are now for sale in the MERCH SECTION <- Click to find out more, you'll be happy that you did!

A Wet Start To Summer

2009-06-24T16:00:00Z

I am happy to report that I have concluded my Masters Thesis (NYU) titled, "Music Delivery in the Age of Mobility: How The iPhone Changes Everything." It was a long project in the making, over two years of on again, off again research, plenty of interviews, and LOTS of reading. As I have said here before, the music business is changing, and the speed of technological change is at a rate that it is difficult to pin down what may come next. All we really know is that the old model of selling physical product is going out of style, and fast.

So, I have been able to tie in my research to what I do here at Endless Recordings, along with, and maybe more importantly, what I am establishing with my management company, Endless Entertainment. I will continue to explore innovative ways to bring fans closer to the groups that I work with by allowing them access to almost anything . . . all you have to do is ask.

With Akudama, we have tried making split tracks of certain tracks freely available so that fans can remix their favorite tunes. So far, the submissions have been awesome, inspiring, and all around cool. If there are any tunes that you'd like to take a crack at, just shoot me a message HERE. Head on over to the Akudama Blog to see some of the other interesting things we are trying out, including a free single on the 1st of each month (accompanied by full artwork) and scores of "behind the scenes" videos.

Personally, I've been having a resurgence of appreciation for soul and funk music. Recently I was hugely surprised by the tour de force performance by an artist named Lee Fields. On that tip, if you are unaware, check out anything and everything on the Daptone Records catalog. They are hands-down the best independent label pumping out the funk/soul/R&B that I currently love so much.

Until next time. . .

WeekendMadness

2009-03-10T16:00:00Z

What a crazy weekend I just had. . .
Starting on Friday night, I went out near my old digs in central Brooklyn to celebrate my co-worker's 30th birthday. I knew that I'd be headed to an artist's "living space," having even seen a video tour and knowing that my favorite local graffiti artist used to be a resident, I still had no way to be prepared for what I found. What was left as a deserted factory 10 years ago had been transformed by it's owner, Kellam Clark. This man built the entire space, which included 5 bedrooms, a large work space, huge "party/lounge" area, and outside "garden" complete with fire pit and a truck with a tree growing through it, with his own two hands. The photo above is maybe a 2% representation of the complexity, and interest that this living artwork conveyed. . . I can't wait for an opportunity to head back.

On Saturday, a good friend from college came to visit, and we had some laughs, nice food, etc. I also saw the Talking Heads live concert, "Stop Making Sence" for the first time. Unbelievable. This should be required viewing for all musicians, and artists in general.

Sunday took me to one of NYC's annual art festivals. I attended "Scope" at Lincoln Center. Unbelievable art in all mediums from around the world. . . Truely inspiring. To finish out the day I had my very first custard milk shake from NYC's famous "Shake Shack." I'll brave the long summer lines to get that fix again, some times hype is well warrented.

Overall, an amazing time was had. On the extreemely sad side, my Boston "family" and I lost a dear friend. Jimmy Driver, I will miss you very very much, you were a kind soul and a great friend.

-DBB

Winter 08-09 Mix Uploaded

2009-01-25T17:00:00Z

Due to popular demand, below is a link to download this year's music compilation. While all of the physical copies have still not been delivered, now you can have the songs all set for your iPod, er whatever, along with the cover art & liner notes. (Which you could use as a template if you want to send me a mix in return . ) Please share.
- DBB (email)

DOWNLOAD (right click & "save link as")

*Note: Since the file is 107MB, it may take a few minutes to download, depending on speed. Please be patient.

Also, I happened upon a box full of ticket stubs from NYC shows over the last two years. While I don't have physical tickets to most of gigs I attend, for whatever reason, this is still a fun reflection:

Dr. Dog
Fleet Foxes
All Points West (Radiohead)
Foo Fighters
Jose Gonzalez
DJ Shadow/Cut Chemist
Eagles
Constantines
Mos Def
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Nada Surf
Cursive
Cornelius w/ Holy F*ck
Arcade Fire w/ LCD Soundsystem, Blonde Redhead, Les Savy Fav
The Flaming Lips
The Pipettes
Bright Eyes
Modest Mouse
Daft Punk
Cold War Kids
Ra Ra Riot
The Chemical Brothers
Menomena

Year End Music

2008-12-24T17:00:00Z

Every year I put together a year-end mix of music that has been the soundtrack to my life for the twelve months prior. This year's is a good one... If you'd like a copy, physical or digital format, please let me know. Here is the tracklist (and cover above). I will include the liner notes after all 100 physical copies have been handed out. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

01. Hot Chip - Ready For The Floor - Made In The Dark
02. Spiritualized - I Gotta Fire - Songs In A&E
03. Beck - Modern Guilt - Modern Guilt
04. Fleet Foxes - Mykanos - Sun Giant E.P.
05. Cut Copy - Lights & Music - In Ghost Colours
06. Via Audio - Developing Active People- Say Something
07. Jamie Lidell - Where D'You Go?- Jim
08. TV On The Radio - Crying - Dear Science,
09. Georgie James - Cake Parade - Places
10. Dr. Dog - The Ark - Fate
11. The Notwist - Gravity - The Devil, You + Me
12. Fleetwood Mac - Dreams - Rumours
13. Calexico - Worst Trip - We All Belong
14. Nada Surf - Weightless - Lucky
15. Lil Wayne - Mr. Carter - Tha Carter III
16. M83 - Oh My God - Saturdays=Youth
17. Nurses - Technicolor - Nurses E.P.
18. Constantines - Credit River - Kensington Heights
19. Faces On Film - Indicator, Indicator - The Troubles

(Track Listings from the past 3 or 4 years are available in the history of this blog... just check any posts marked around the holiday time of year)

Music Maniac

2008-10-07T16:00:00Z

I've got to tell you, I have been listening to a lot of great new music this year. It bodes well for the year end compilation that will be in the 10th edition this season! On a recent weekend, I took the time to become reacquainted with some old favorites, and it made me think about the importance of music in our lives. I am surrounded by music in my personal, and professional, (and even student) lives, which causes me to take its power for granted from time to time. All I can say is this; if you are reading this post and have not taken time to engage in listening to an album straight through, you need to make a point of doing it soon.

Coincidently I have a record to suggest you try this out with: Fleet Foxes - "Fleet Foxes" or "Sun Giant" EP. After seeing the band live for the first time last night, I can now attest that I am a believer, and this band has a very bright future and beautiful songwriting craft.

Also, I am very excited to see Beck perform once again. His new record, produced by Danger Mouse, "Modern Guilt" has grown on me quite a bit. As an artist, his versatility is astounding.

In summation:
Listen to Music. Life is good.

Fantastic

2008-08-24T16:00:00Z

What a FANTASTIC summer! Last night Akudama rocked some faces of in NYC, and a few weeks earlier, I saw Radiohead, who I believe to be te best musical act of my era

Grad school is about to start up again, and the work that I am doing with MindSmack.TV keeps me happy and creative. I've been making it out to various beaches in the Tri-state area, including Rockaway Park today. The water has been perfect (a few too many harmless jellyfish at times) and the sand, lovely. I'd love to make it to the Caribbean before the year is up, but will just have to wait and see with that wish.

The Akudama boys have been spreading their music all over the Northeast, and the crowds seem to be growing with performance. Also, I may not have mentioned them earlier, but if you have not yet hear FLEET FOXES, get on that right away. Honest young group with an amazing talent for creating music that actually means something. I am very much looking forward to seeing them in concert next month.

So, as you can probably tell, life is good over here, and I look forward to telling y'all about some cool new projects soon.

Long Overdue

2008-07-23T16:00:00Z

This installment of Dave's Corner is long overdue, and for that I apologize. I'd like to think that I have just been too excited about life, and living it to the fullest to spend time recapping and writing about it. It's never really been my style anyway...

So, over the past month, I have seen many concerts, luckily for me, most have been free! Unfortunately, I have been unimpressed by Cold War Kids, Diplo, and DJ Shadow... having seen each of them under more favorable circumstances, be it in the small club or a festival setting, my expectations must have been unrealistically high. On a brighter note, I have enjoyed many of the smaller, local shows, and can recommend checking out NYC's "The Dig."

I have spent a lot of my free time swimming at various beaches, reading (Devil in the White City was very interesting), and spending time outside. As my girlfriend recently commented about my general excitement and cheery attitude, "your exuberance is a little overwhelming."

My other "gig" at MindSmack.TV is quickly evolving into a job where every hour is teaches me something new, and I've been enjoying my new knowledge of the broader media world. Working so closely with the web, I am going to try and be better about making regular posts here. Hopefully my new membership to Apple's "Mobile Me" will make that process a easier still.

Be well friends.

Summer Heat

2008-06-16T01:22:47Z

Aside from sweating it out in the recent heatwave that has been oppressing citizens of the NorthEast, I've seen a few notable live music shows over the past few weeks.

A friend of mine was able to scoop up some spare tickets to see The Eagles perform in NJ at one of the big arenas (I think that the Devils are using the Prudential Center as their home rink). I will admit that those old guys can still play! However, their live performance didn't really stir up any energy in me, and another friend who came with us actually fell asleep during the second half of their set. Personally, I'd rather watch a young band jumping around on stage than see a "heritage" act sit through some classic tunes. (You probably gathered that already based upon the type of music that I release through Endless Recordings)

On the other side of the musical spectrum, I was very happy to be able to finally catch a U.K. retro-soul/funk/DJ-type, named Jamie Lidell, create his very impressive sounds in the live setting. With a 4-piece band in tow, he ran through songs that sounded straight out of 1964 but with the freshness, and creativity of today. Live video programming that was projected on stage really put his performance over the top.

In other news, I am thinking of a beach destination, and am open for suggestions: Puerto Rico, SoCal, South America? Let me know!

Start to the Summer

2008-05-18T16:00:00Z

Well, a jam-packed year of Graduate school at NYU has ended, and a new job position has begun.

I am pleased to announce that I will be taking up a full-time position (aside from artist management) at cutting edge web company, MindSmack. I've just started at the new office, which is located in a penthouse office just west of Times Square in Manhattan. Once the construction work is all said and done, it will be a beautiful office with fantastic views and lots of natural light.

You might question my choice to work in a field that seemingly is outside of the music industry.

Thinking about the recent changes in the music world however, will lead you to remember the following companies: Napster, iTunes, Myspace, ect. Much of the future in the music w business is being developed and shaped by those directly involved with technology, especially web-based applications. I am excited to learn more about this aspect of the future and hope to to incorporate this excitement into my future projects, musical and otherwise.

Aside from this big change, I look forward to launching Akudama's tour, and getting outside a lot lot over the summer to enjoy new music, and explore new places.

The Spring Scramble

2008-04-22T16:00:00Z

Yessss, Spring is here! We've got at least 6 good months of life outdoors in the North-East...

I am looking forward to many of the free music and art events in NYC that are bound to be exciting and amazing... Now that I live mere blocks from the McCarren park pool, you can bet where I'll be for a number of Sundays! (Check it out)

The semester at NYU is wrapping up, and I'll be starting a new job in early May. I look forward to meeting new people, and having new experiences in my professional life. I'm sure that you'll hear more about this aspect of things soon.

I've stayed busy working on booking shows for Akudama's ventures across the country. Putting together a three-month tour is a lot of work! We have a publicist, Michelle Castro, on board, and I am looking forward to seeing what sort of press she can turn onto Akudama.

I'm sure that I have more to write about, but I've got to get outside while I still can!

Associated Photos

2008-04-11T16:00:00Z

While I have a lot to sort through to add for this section of the website, I wanted to get some photos of the above news story (4/11/08) up.

Check out the ill-fated van, and a shot of Akudama on the Middle East stage.

Tiny Whales in Boston

2008-03-24T16:00:00Z

Life is good! Having a week off from grad school and work for the past week allowed me a little bit of time to regroup. A few days in lovely Connecticut, and a quick trip up to Boston and I feel totally refreshed.

In Boston, Tiny Whales performed a smoldering set opening for Holy F*ck and A Place to Bury Strangers. As the last date of their recent tour, and also their homecoming show, I could not have asked for more. I could have asked for a little less wine, if anything, as one of the owners of the club (The Middle East), had me try a number of new bottles throughout the evening.

The weather is getting nicer, and that means that life in NYC is becoming that much more enjoyable. I've gotten the vinyl out, and have been cranking out jams from some of my old favorites: Constantines, Autolux, Getz/Gilberto, The Lot Six, etc. I feel invigorated!