word 2 the people

I'm everywhere...

2011-06-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

...but here. I'm retiring this blogger blog. If I announce that, will Google come after me? Hmmm....I wonder.

Anyway, you can find me here.

peace
aj~

Crossroads

2010-08-20T09:37:00.001-07:00

The summer was fabulous and full of music! In June, I wrote a new song for the first time in three years!! Here it is for your listening pleasure. Click the arrow on the player if you'd like to download it:)

I recorded the tracks with my DAW/16 track app on my iphone and loaded them into Ableton Live to mix...still tweaking...as always, a work in progress...

Crossroads by amyjomuzico

Down the Road
I see the sign
Which way to go
I know...

Hands down
Arms tied
Facing the other side

No more
Break free
Do what is meant to be

In our lives
We see the time
It passes by
And goes...

Hurry
Be on time
Too late
You'll miss your ride

One life
One chance
One try
To make it right

Down the road...

Feel it
Pull you
Don't fight the changing tide

On course
Head straight
Don't ask
Your heart won't lie

In our lives...

Step up
Stand tall
Don't be afraid to fall

Feel it beat
through your veins
Down your back
and to your knees

Happy Summer! Free download for you:)

2010-06-21T22:31:00.000-07:00

Summer by amyjomuzico

*To download click the arrow on the player*

I pulled this track from the archives. It was recorded in my old house in Culver City, June 2008. It's one of my favorites. It's a rough draft so you may hear noise in the background, etc...I'd love to have beats added-it'd be the perfect summertime groovin'chill tune.

SO...as a gift, I've allowed this to be downloaded from soundcloud for FREE so you can enjoy it on your hot summer nights chillin' under the stars or play with it at home. If you decide to remix send it my way so I can post it.

Enjoy.

Listen to the ocean waves
Crashing on the shore line
Landing on my sandy feet

Summertime...

All our windows open wide
Attempting to escape the summer heat
We can only lie here
With nothing but a sheet

Endless lazy days
Fireflies and ladybugs
Crickets chirping
Children lurking until dusk

Summertime...

Meet Isabella La Madre Pequeña

2010-06-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

I went to Old Town Music yesterday with the intention of buying a guitar. I've always eyed the Ukuleles when walking in there but didn't know much about them. After speaking with Dan at great length, I was sold. I've already learned three songs. (although they're still pretty rough) My fingers are slowly adjusting, but are quite sore from practicing, which is making chord transitions difficult. I'm having fun learning a new instrument. I'm excited to be able to have something I can take with me everywhere...camping, the beach, the possibilities are endless!

The internet makes learning songs on the the Uke so easy!
Two great Uke resources I've found:
http://ukulelehunt.com/
http://www.ukulelestrummers.com/

April and May were so busy. I finished up my student teaching, walked at commencement, and flew back to Boston to visit my two closest girlfriends and their new baby girls! Now that it's summer I should be able to attend to my music. I have stumbled upon a couple of great bands that I want to tell everyone about! But it will have to wait...

Until next time...
L.A. sends her love and sunshine

xoxo
aj~

Sounds of Spring

2010-03-31T18:35:00.000-07:00

These were taken where I walk my dog several times a week.

Noisy birds, smelly flowers, warm air...I love Spring!

It Might Get Loud

2010-03-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

Watch this. It's on netflix.
http://www.sonyclassics.com/itmightgetloud/

It put me in the mood 1.) to listen to some Led Zeppelin albums (a big part of my Jr. High experience) and 2.) to rent a huge house and record in it. The former was way easier than the latter so that's what I've been doing this week;) I went and checked out all of the Led Zepplin I could get my hands on from the Brand Library...I will record in a big house, barn or whatever someday in my near future. I promise.

Stories from the City

2010-03-14T15:35:00.000-07:00

I was listening to one of my huge playlists entitled "old school"and PJ Harvey came on...made me miss her and her kick ass albums. So for the past week I've been listening to "Stories from the City" which isn't exactly old school-but listening to her voice brings me back to high school (the good parts) I'm not sure about most people-but when I get in the mood to listen to something-it's the only thing I'll listen to for days, weeks or sometimes months.

Sometimes I spend so much time digging for new stuff that I forget about the great albums that are already in my library...

The Brand Library Music & Art Center

2010-03-12T13:40:00.000-08:00

[photo credit]

I stumbled upon this gem by accident one day driving around the neighborhood where I'm currently student teaching. If you have a Pasadena Library Card (not sure about Burbank) you can check things out here.

This place is full of music and art and it's all available to be checked out. As soon as I walked in my mind was flooded with ideas of how I could use all of this art and music in my lessons.

Since then, I've gone in weekly to stock up on CDs to play for my class and for myself. Whenever we start a new story I use music to set up the scene for them.

[photo credit]

I went in with the intention of picking up one or two CDs with nature sounds to set them up for next week's story and ended up walking out with half of their "new age" catalog. (17 CDs in all) I felt like I had just gone on a shopping spree. Not sure what drew me over to the New Age section, but I was intrigued by titles such as "Buddha Bar" and a vocalist named Sheila Chandra who is on the Real World Records label.

Another CD that intrigued me was one titled "Discreet Music" by Brian Eno. On the back cover it says "Recorded at Brian Eno's studio 9.5.75" That was enough for me to put it into my pile to check out. It's a disc with three variations on the Canon in D major by Johann Pachelbel. I think that I'll listen to that one first. When I looked down, I saw a bunch of Jazz Box sets. I knew I was on the verge of getting lost so I had to leave. I have plenty to listen to for now. When I return my stash, I'm sure I'll walk out with another 20...

If there are any that stand out, I will be sure to post it here. Pay a visit to Brand in person if you can.

http://www.brandlibrary.org/

may a good song play on the radio
xoxo
aj~

Monthly Ipod Rotation

2010-02-21T10:14:00.000-08:00

My process for finding new music to suit my mood is this: Find the band I'm listening to on myspace (i.e. Fleet Foxes)
Then click on their top friends, and their top friends, etc...and listen. (a lot of digging-takes a whole day or two) And yes, musicians still use myspace.

If I find something I like, first I do a search on itunes to see if it's there. If it's not, I do a google search to see if it's available anywhere else for download. The best find of my latest search was The Black Atlantic. The album was free to download and it led me to a label's site that has others for free downloads.It's a great album and I recommend you grab it.
Here's the link:
http://www.beepbeep.nl/bands/the-black-atlantic/profile/

Here's how I spent my $50 itunes gift card recently (I was stocking up for the semester and putting together a care package for my friend Molly to get her through her last month of pregnancy)

Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago
New Buffalo: New Buffalo
Marla Hansen: Wedding Day
My Brightest Diamond: A Thousand Shark's Teeth
Sufjan Stevens: Seven Swans
Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes
The Swell Season: Strict Joy

I love sharing new music. I hope you enjoy these albums as much as I am.

May a good song play on the radio.
xoxo
aj~

Picture Us On Adjacent Moons by amyjomuzico

2010-01-23T13:47:00.001-08:00

A close friend of ours took her life a couple of years ago. My dearest friend Erik Tans wrote words about the dream he had the night he heard the news. I wrote music to his words...I was working on this the other day and decided to record a rough version with my iPhone, thought I'd share it.

Picture Us On Adjacent Moons by amyjomuzico

Words by Erik Tans
I picture us then on adjacent moons, inches apart, whose orbits and rotation allowed this rare and fleeting meeting.
Being fixated on the earth beneath our feet, the encounter seemed unremarkable.

I look forward to the day when we all meet each other again with fresh eyes, minds and hearts.

Unaware of the celestial machinery moving us, gear-like, through this great dream.
How could I not have recognized your face for what it was: a prison your eyes looked out from daily.

I look forward to the day when we all meet each other again with fresh eyes, minds and hearts.

Jazz at Malagueta 10.30.09

2009-10-31T13:38:00.001-07:00

After dinner last night we decided to take a stroll through Old Town. We passed a place with a jazz trio playing and it immediately made me want to pull out my field recorder. I was standing outside of the restaurant Malagueta. Unfortunately, because their website is so lame-I don't have the name of the trio. We went in an ordered a glass from the awesome late night happy hour menu and watched them a for a bit. They were pretty good.

Jazz at Malagueta 10.30.09 by amyjomuzico

iphone Multi track test

2009-10-24T10:32:00.001-07:00

Multi track test by amyjomuzico

I did it. I purchased a 16 track recorder app for my iphone. This is a test recording I did yesterday. I couldn't fill all 16 tracks. Most tracks are my vocals. The talking you hear is me reading from a Spanish book I had on my shelf. Another is traffic noise taken from my porch on a Friday evening. The kids you hear are from another recording I did at recess the day before. Since I couldn't get that track onto the app-I recorded it while it was playing on my computer. This was really fun. The app is called Multitrack. It's simple and straight to the point. No effects-but that's easy to overcome if you're creative. For example, I sang into a glass to get a reverby-echo sound...I can't wait to hit the streets with this app and get some cool city sounds.

may a good song play on the radio

aj~

Field Recorder for iPhone

2009-10-22T16:48:00.001-07:00

I recently purchased an iphone. In my most recent app searches, I've been looking for a multitrack recorder. After sifting through reviews, I still haven't found one I'm willing to risk the $15 for.

However, I did spend $6 on FiRe-a field recorder for iphone. Below is a clip I took today from recess. I thought it'd be great to get the sound of kids playing...This just made me more anxious to get a multi-track recorder on my iphone. Imagine using this in the background, maybe layering it with a street musician from a night in Old Town Pasadena topped off with a sweet melody and some guitar strumming...I can hear it now.

Upper grade recess near the handball courts by amyjomuzico

I've been itching to get back to playing. I can't even explain the urge that is inside me. My birthday/Christmas wish is to purchase my first real piano. (a tleast that's what I'm asking Santa for;) Just a small, used upright will do. I'm going to start shopping around during Thanksgiving when I'm on break from school and work. I can imagine that it's sort of like shopping for your new best friend. I've only purchased electric keyboards, I've never purchased a REAL instrument, made of wood and which most likely comes with some personality. I'm excited to have ivories at my fingertips again. It'd be fun to put on my iphone multi-track. You'll definitely see more posts here from these fun little excerpts.

xoxo
aj~

A Blog Everyone Should Read

2009-03-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

I spend tons of time digging deep for obscure, inspiring tracks and albums to keep my ears intrigued. This guys is doing the work for me. Already I've found two albums I HAVE to own, Paul Desmond, From The Hot Afternoon (and now after searching Itunes for him Bossa Anitgua) He recently posted about Fleet Foxes-they have a great sound.

Check out this blog
'Albums Everyone Should Own' : http://aeso.wordpress.com

Monthly Ipod Rotation: Plej

2009-03-01T09:47:00.000-08:00

I was in dire need of refreshing my itunes library and wanted something like groovin' house. I usually buy two or three albums from different artists but instead bough three from the same artist. I find some of the best music comes from around Sweden, Norway and Finland. I think that needs to be my next big trip. I can't imagine what the DJs are like over there.

Albums from Plej: Electronic Music from The Swedish Left Coast (Disc 1 & 2), Home is where your heart was.

These albums are lusciously mellow with a little bit of bounce to them. I even added some tunes to the playlist I run to.

May a good song play on the radio.
xoxo
aj~

Monthly Ipod Rotation

2008-11-23T08:59:00.001-08:00

I finally got around to purchasing some new albums. While I write papers, work on other schoolwork, and drive to school I have a "chill mix" playing. I basically live by this mix. It's comprised of my favorite type of music, chill/electronic/samba/bossa kind of stuff. Past additions include Koop and Bonobo. Thievery Corporation is a standard in this mix. It started out with about 2-3 albums and has grown to 188 songs equaling 15.3 hours. There was a point where I had listened to the mix so much I felt like I was starting to go crazy, so I had to buy some new albums.

Here are this month's additions...

'Stereo Deluxe 150' by Mo'Horizons, 'Moving On' by Hird, 'Jet Sounds' by Nicola Conte, 'Samba Esquema Novo' by Jorge Ben

When I'm looking to branch out of my usual "chill mix" I listen to the podcast from KCRW called Top Tune of the Day. SUBSCRIBE TO THIS NOW. It's how I discover all of my favorite music like Bird and The Bees and Venus Hum. JUST DO IT. One free song gets downloaded to your itunes everyday-1 out of 10 I'm not a fan of-so, for the most part, the songs are great. Best part: it's free! Proof that giving away music isn't a bad thing. I've bought a lot of albums as a result of this podcast. Thank you KCRW!

I hope those of you who are in the U.S. have a lovely Thanksgiving!

I hate when people don't update their blogs...

2008-10-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

My excuse: I'm drowning in schoolwork! Excuses, excuses...

But, I just read this article that's definitely worth sharing-so here's a post for ya.

MySpace Music Takes on iTunes
Social-networking giant's new service streams millions of songs for free

DAVID BROWNE
Posted Oct 16, 2008 11:00 AM

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/23356455/myspace_music_takes_on_itunes

may a good song play on the radio
xoxo
aj~

I Love Shephard Fairey

2008-05-10T15:38:00.000-07:00

My First Review

2008-05-08T16:08:00.000-07:00

In between working two jobs and going to school full time I have been mailing out my EP when I have a chance in hopes of receiving reviews. Finally one has arrived!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Amy Jo Lomas- SundayMatinee on Fire EP
Mastered by Bernie BeckerProduced by Amy Jo Lomas

Amy Jo Lomas composed her first piano pieces when she was 15, shortly after the death of her mother. Inspired by, as she puts it, “the gift of life and the inevitable reality of death,” Lomas continued making music, balancing moody vocals against electronic-inflected jazz. The talented songstress and self-taught pianist makes her debut with a sultry self-produced EP, Sunday Matinee on Fire.

The EP flirts with occasional electronic accents, but what comes across most clearly is the classic jazz in Lomas’ vocalization, which is alternately seductive and serene. Lomas croons about themes she details as “lover’s lament to nostalgic childhood reflections to pro-peace messages.” Her way with smoky harmonies and cool melodies recalls both the drawn notes of Sade and the yearning of Tracey Thorn’s vocals in Everything But the Girl.

In the title track, Lomas’ vocals drip like honey through each musical phrase. She breaks from her even keel only to sing, “If you need someone to love, love me,” subtly insinuating a shade of blue. The subtle brush of percussion and understated piano accompanying her echo a lounge style of jazz. “The Daze” is nostalgic and wistful, slowly sauntering through a memory — in this case the ocean breezes, empty bottles, snowstorms and sleepless nights of Lomas’ past. Playing between sharps and flats within the otherwise simple structure of the song, Lomas practices the utmost control of her voice in “We’re Alive.” The atmospheric “Sancho,” with ambient electronic nuances and meandering xylophone, sounds like Bossa Nova from outer space; meanwhile Lomas’ vocals pick up an exotic feel, becoming playfully coy like those of Erykah Badu or Nelly Furtado. Finally, the album takes a political turn with “Sunset in Baghdad,” which despite the light-hearted melody and up-tempo percussion, carries a serious call for peace. (Self-released)
www.amyjolomas.com

-Lulu McAllister

Old School

2008-04-29T22:25:00.000-07:00

As I was going through my itunes library, I stumbled across some oldies and made a new playlist. So much of the music that I listened to back in the day I still have as tapes! (yes, I am that old) I don't even have CDs of these albums. I think I was so consumed with buying new music, I forgot about an entire catalog that I own that still hasn't gone digital. Oh well-I'm making a list and will change that soon. Here are some tunes I've been listening to on my long car rides to school. These were the albums that we listened to excessively when I was in junior high and high school working at the bottleshop, driving on backroads...ahhh, those were the days...

Jane's Addiction [Nothing Shocking, Ritual de lo Habitual] RHCP [Mother's Milk, Blood Sugar Sex Magic] PJ Harvey [Rid of Me]
These were must-haves for our back road driving and various stumbling around Newburyport.

The Cure [Disintigration]
A couple of years ago I won backstage tix to see them and met Robert Smith! It was awesome! He is really cool.

My first job was working at a redemption center attached to a liquor store in Ipswich, MA. A bunch of us worked there for years- me and my two step-brothers, my boss's two daughters and another local cool kid-it was a family thing. Actually one of the girls and the cool kid are now married-can you believe it? Anyway, we'd bring in tapes and play music and listen to WFNX all day Saturdays. Some of the coolest music I was ever introduced to happened within these four walls. These are some of the albums. Still need some "They Might Be Giants" to complete this list.

The Pixies [Surfa Rosa] Violent Femmes [Violent Femmes] Social Distortion [Social Distortion] Sugarcubes [Life's Too Good] The Smithereens [Blown to Smithereens] The Smiths [Louder Than Bombs] Siouxsie & The Banshees [Peepshow] INXS [Listen Like Theives] Bob Marley[Legend]
B-52's [Cosmic Thing, Wild Planet] R.E.M. [Eponymous, Out of Time]

My first concert ever was seeing Ziggy Marley and the Wailers open for the B-52's at Great Woods in Mansfield, MA (now the Tweeter Center) I went with my friend and her Dad!!!??? (my boss from the bottleshop & her daughter)
Then a couple of years later I went with the same friend (from the bottleshop) to see Morrissey at Great Woods. This time, she was old enough to drive so we didn't need to bring her Dad.

Albums currently in rotation on my ipod...

2008-04-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

Nordic Lounge [Winter Edition Vol. 2]
Groovin chillin' tracks....Favorite Track: Subzero, by Nuspirit Helsinki. It was this track that led me to buy their album

Nuspirit Helsinki [Nuspirit Helsinki]
Favorite Track: Orson (Album Mix) You get a lot of music for the money with this album.

Koop [Koop Islands, Waltz For Koop]
My Kindergarten class loves Koop. I do yoga on Friday mornings with them to 'Waltz For Koop'-such a happy tune.

David Axelrod [The Edge]
Alot of music for a little bit of money on itunes.
Favorite Tracks: The Smile, Songs of Innocence

As you can see I've been in a chillin' electronic mood...althought Axelrod is far from electronic, it is definately chill.

Republica Dominica

2008-02-26T07:41:00.000-08:00

Just got back from attending my friend's wedding in the DR. It was beautiful. Needless to say between travelling and school I'vebeen too busy to update this blog of mine...stay tuned. I will have something to say eventually;)

peace

aj~

Mechanical Copyright Rate Hearing began Jan 28

2008-02-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

A fellow songwriter friend sent this to me in an email...I wanted to share it with as many musicians as possible. It's a highly controversial issue. I'm still trying to get my head around it. For instance, I really dig Pandora. I sent my music in to be considered. But the founder spoke on behalf of the DiMA to not have to pay royalties-basically he believes he should be able to stream for free. You can read about it here. I'm torn. If royalties are collected-will I even see them? I kind of like the fact that I can get my music out there to alot of people easily-but if it were out there on a larger scale would I feel the same way? Who knows. Instances like these are good for us little guys. We have better promotion than we ever did in the past. But when do we draw the line if ever? I'm still researching this-similar to how I'm researching the Presidential Candidates. But for now you can read this message and follow the links below.

*may a good song play on the radio*
xoxo
aj~

On Monday, January 28, the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) begins the
hearing that will determine mechanical rates for every songwriter and
music publisher in America. It will be the most
important rate hearing in the history of the music industry because
in addition to setting rates for physical products, rates will be
set for the first time ever for digital products such as digital
downloads, subscription services and ring tones.

The National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA)
will be representing the interests of songwriters and music
publishers and will be fighting vigorously to protect those
interests to ensure that musical compositions are compensated fairly.

On the other side of this fight stands the Recording
Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Digital Music
Association (DiMA). Both the RIAA and DiMA have proposed
significant reductions in mechanical royalty rates that would be disastrous
for songwriters and music publishers. This is literally a fight for
the survival of our industry.

To give you an example of what is at stake, the
current rate for physical phonorecords is 9.1 cents.
The NMPA is proposing an increase to 12.5 cents per song.
The RIAA, however, has proposed slashing the rate to
approximately 6 cents a song -a cut of more
than one-third the current rate!

For permanent digital downloads, NMPA is proposing a
rate of 15 cents per track because the costs involved are much less
than for physical products. The RIAA has proposed the outrageous rate
of approximately 5 - 5.5 cents per track, and DiMA is proposing even
less.

If you find that troubling, it gets worse. For interactive streaming services, which
some analysts believe will be the future of the music industry, NMPA is proposing a
rate of the greater of 12.5% of revenue, 27.5% of content costs, or a micro-penny
calculation based on usage. The RIAA actually proposed that
songwriters and music publishers should get the equivalent of .58% of
revenue. This isn't a typo - less than 1%. And DiMA is taking the
shocking and offensive position that songwriters' and music publishers'
mechanical rights should be zero, because DiMA does not believe we
have any such rights!

The initial hearing will last four weeks, with the
three permanent Copyright Royalty Judges hearing arguments Mondays
through Thursdays from 9:30 am - 4:30 pm each day. At the conclusion
of the initial hearing, there will be more discovery, followed by a
rebuttal hearing in May, and a final decision expected on October 2.

The NMPA will be spending millions dollars in this
proceeding to protect the interests of songwriters and music
publishers against the much larger record labels and digital media
companies. And although we face such an enormous fight, we have an
incredible advantage - we represent songwriters, without whom the record
labels and digital music services could not exist.

Please forward this to anyone who is involved in the
songwriting and music publishing industry. We will be sending out
regular updates as the CRB progresses to keep you informed. Through
your networks, we hope to reach the vast majority of the industry. If
you did not receive this directly, and would like to be added to
the master NMPA communications list, please send your contact
information to Jamie Marotta at jmarotta@nmpa.org.

As always, we appreciate your support of the NMPA
which allows us to wage this fight on your behalf.

David M. Israelite
President & CEO
National Music Publishers' Association

You can read another article from Wired magazine here.

NMPA [National Music Publishers Assoc] http://www.nmpa.org/home/index.asp
DiMA [Digital Media Association] http://www.digmedia.org/index.cfm
RIAA [Recording Industry of American Association]http://www.riaa.com/

Room 5

2008-01-20T12:53:00.000-08:00

I had a great show last night @ Room 5. Thanks to everyone who came!!
I recorded it so I should be posting a couple of live tracks on myspace soon.
Stay tuned.
xoxo
aj~

wincing the night away

2007-12-24T09:13:00.001-08:00

Now that I have moved to LA from Boston, I'm not a public transit traveller with music always playing on headphones in my ears. Instead, I have it playing through my car stereo as I manuever through traffic on the 405. It's really a different experience.

Since returning East for the Holidays, I've had my ipod on, headphones in my ears....snow on the ground, cloudy skies...I got an urge and logged onto itunes and purchased the most recently released Shins album and have been listening to it closely...it's the first time in a long time, if ever really, that I've felt honored to be listening to this music; that I could be so blessed to have this shared with me. 'Sea Legs' is my favorite song so far. The end sounds like something me Erik, and Brian would churn out in the old days of playing hazy-eyed in the candle light. Last night, I went to sleep with the album playing. With the lights off, I was able to just focus on the music. It's been a long time since I've experienced an album like this. I can't wait to see these guys live. They are amazing....

These are some pictures I took from my phone while we travel around the NE for the Holidaze.

Happy New Year!

Don't have time to watch the Presidential Debates?

2007-11-18T21:32:00.000-08:00

Then read them!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_presidential_debates,_2008

If you're a republican-I'm sorry. You can google Republican Presidential Debates.

I got this idea while I was listening to some stupid guys talking about this past debate. One of them said they don't watch, they read the transcripts. "Brilliant!", I thought to myself. Not only do I not have time to watch-I would most likely fall asleep. I do, however, think they are an important tool in getting to know the candidates and I think I should get on the ball and start figuring out who I'm going to vote for. God only knows we need a major change here.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
May a good song play on the radio...

xoxo
aj~

Lost and Found

2007-11-14T22:43:00.000-08:00

I was rummaging through song files to see which songs I could possibly play at an acoustic set and found this version of Summertime which I call Summertime Electro. I'm sure you've heard it-but I love it so I thought I'd post it. Enjoy.

I'm putting together a show here in L.A. on January 19th-MY BIRTHDAY! yay! I'll be on winter break so why not celebrate with a birthday show?!! I'm looking for a nice intimate place to play...I will keep you posted.

may a good song play on the radio

xoxo
aj~

The Water

2007-10-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

I recorded my own little acoustic version of The Water by Feist in honor of my friends that have passed recently. You can listen to it on the player to the right. Excuse the hiss-I just used my laptop and garageband for this one.
It's not so much the lyrics as it is the melody and overall vibe of this song. It's beautiful and moving. The album, 'The Reminder' is phenomenal you must purchase it.

can u see the butterfly?

2007-10-07T23:10:00.000-07:00

I took this in my backyard this afternoon...proof that there is nature in the metropolis.

Life

2007-10-03T22:57:00.000-07:00

[Me and Ron, taken at the Mondrian in Hollywood, April '04, by Mateo]

Today I'm remembering a friend of mine who I first met during the good'ol days in Pacific Beach, San Diego 10 years ago. Ron was someone that always warmed my heart when I saw his smile-it was like seeing my brother after a long time away from each other. "Amy Jo!" he'd yell in his cute, endearing voice, as if he was talking to his little sister who was still three years old...This weekend we will have a gathering in Los Angeles, and next weekend a gathering of true form in San Diego...bonfire on the beach, sunset, house music and good friends...Ron passed away last weekend at the ripe age of 39. I heard the news upon my return from the East Coast last weekend where I attended a funeral for my grandfather.

I will call this year, the Year of the Funeral. Ron's passing is as tragic as my friend Kelley's this past summer...it's a shock and tremendously sad. He will be greatly missed by all in so many ways.

Erik Tans and I just started working on a song in rememberence of my friend Kelley. It's still in the rought stages but I thought it was an appropriate time to post it....

Words by Erik Tans & Amy Jo Lomas

Envelope my sense
Of intellect
It may help you to connect

I picture us then on adjacent moons, inches apart, whose orbits and rotation allowed this rare and fleeting meeting.
Being fixated on the earth beneath our feet, the encounter seemed unremarkable.

I look forward to the day when we all meet each other again with fresh eyes, minds and hearts.

Unaware of the celestial machinery moving us, gear-like, through this great dream.
How could I not have recognized your face for what it was: a prison your eyes looked out from daily.

I look forward to the day when we all meet each other again with fresh eyes, minds and hearts.

Envelope my sense
Of intellect
It may help you to connect

To bring the drama with conflict
To bathe the dreams in beauty
Vastness sprawls like eternity
Taking hold like a blanket
The stars, the eyes, the ocean and waves
Creeping up to tickle the two

Reviewed and renewed...

2007-09-12T12:54:00.000-07:00

So here it is. My online journal. I haven't really been using it as such a personal space as it could be, so I thought I would take this opportunity to share some insight I've been having about my career in music and what I learned this year by releasing my first recording, and playing my first handful of shows. I must say, I learned alot in a short amount of time...[make sure you press 'play' on the player to the right, so I can play you some nice piano while you read:]

It's been a while since my shows back east and in L.A. It's given me ample time to ponder the purpose of performing and recording and help me really understand why it is that I make music and share it with people.

I will start by giving a little synopsis of each of my four shows this year. It's all I can do really, since I didn't have any of them reviewed officially. But in my own right, I am perfectly capable of describing if the show was worthy.

June 20, Club Aura, Studio City,CA
Quite frankly the worst show in the history of playing music. I can go on with reasons, but I won't. Thankfully, my audience didn't feel the same as me.In this experience I learned that showing up at least 2 hours early for set up and sound check is required. One hour is not enough time. Being in direct contact with your sound guy versus trusting that the club has it's shit together is the way to go-always and forever. I enjoy playing to smaller, more intimate crowds rather than large rooms I am stressed about filling. It's not about how many you can bring, but which few you can touch. This is definately not the 'L.A. way' but fuck it-I'll do it my way and it will be good damn it!

July 19, Cambridge, MA
This show was truly magical. I played a small room for about 40 people, mostly close family and friends. The room was equipped with a grand piano and I was joined by my former drummer, Jim Weston and bass player, Brett Hart. What a difference it makes to play with good players. These guys did their homework. I flew into Boston Wed and had our one and only rehearsal that night. You would never had known it. They knew where all the changes were in the songs and added an element to my music that I felt honored to show people. A friend commented after the show that he felt he was watching VH1 storytellers. It was just that. A night full of sharing stories and playing music. I could've gone on for another hour but the next band was waiting by the door. It became really clear to me, the reason I create music. It is for times like these. These precious opportunities in which I can share it with people. It's not about 'the show' or making it. It's about sharing this part of me with people and having them feel good after hearing it.

Jul 20, Tazza, Providence RI
This was a really cool place. At this point in the game, I was learning that it's not such a good idea to book shows back to back. I lose my voice pretty easily and it's hard for me not to talk before or after a show. Needless to say, this show was pretty quiet and pretty quick. We showed up really early to set up and hang out. I had about 30 people come out to support me which was so amazing. I wanted to hang out with my friends, drink a beer have a smoke, but I knew it wouldn't be good for my voice plus we needed to head to NY. So after the band got all their gear sorted and we said our goodbyes, we jumped in the car that night and drove down to NY. Confirming my thought that booking shows so close together is not such a good idea...

TO BE CONTINUED....

I'm back!

2007-08-22T10:44:00.001-07:00

[I took this picture down on Long Point on Martha's Vineyard on Sunday morning]
I'm back from the Vineyard and will be organizing the various media from the shows over the next couple of days. I will post it here as soon as that happens. I start school on Thursday so I may be MIA for a little bit while I immerse myself in my studies. I will be sure to keep this updated with any interesting information. But for now, expect a little break from me while I try and complete two years of school in one year:)

xoxo
aj~

break time

2007-08-02T14:28:00.000-07:00

I'll be on Martha's Vineyard for three weeks and back in L.A. by the end of August. I'm still waiting to receive both the video footage and photos from the shows. Unfortunately, my camera died right before the trip so I'm depending on other people to get these things to me...you know how that goes. This picture was taken by my new camera. YAY for new cameras!-better late than never:)

I'll post the pics here when I get them.

Stay cool wherever you are.

xoxo
aj~

July 21, Goodbye Blue Monday, Brooklyn

2007-07-22T11:03:00.001-07:00

So we had the show last night at Goodbye Blue Monday. This time I played without the band. Just me, my piano and my laptop-it was really cool. Greg and his brother invited all of their friends and cousins so we had a great group to play to-it was awesome!!

My little tour has come to an end. It's time to relax for a week then work my but off for the rest of the summer. As soon as I get the videos and pics from the other shows I'll post them here.

Thanks for coming out!
I had a great time!!

ciao for now
xoxo
aj~

July 20, Providence, Caffe Tazza

2007-07-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

What a funky place this was, and it just so happens that there was a music festival 'Sound Sessions' going on right outside. The sound was great too. Again, I had tons of people come out to support me. Our whole Providence crew brought their own crews and filled up the place! What a treat! It's pretty rare that you can go to two cities and have a large group of people come out each night and support you. It's so awesome! I feel blessed!!

I will have pictures from this show, since these friends of mine always have ten cameras on them:) I will post them as soon as they're sent to me. My bass player also recorded it on two video cameras so we have it documented in one way or another.

Now we're in New York. We drove late last night after the gig in Providence so we could sleep late this morning. We're playing Brooklyn tonight and then it's vacation for me! Tonight I'll be playing without a band. Just me, my laptop and my piano. It should be cool, I've never played a show like this before. I'll make sure to have a video camera taping and cameras present. Eventually, by the end of the summer I should have all the various media compiled from these shows and ready to post-I expect it to take a little while to sort through it though.

If you came out last night-THANK YOU!! And thank you for buying a CD!!

TWO DOWN, ONE TO GO!!

xoxo
aj~

SATURDAY JULY 21 9:00 PM, BROOKLY, NY
@ Goodbye Blue Monday
I'll be playing an evening set in the sculpture garden.
1087 BROADWAY - BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN
NEW YORK 11221
718.453.6343
www.goodbye-blue-monday.com

July 19, Cambridge Rocks!

2007-07-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

It was so good to be back in my old hood last night. I'm super bummed my camera has died so I can't take any pictures. Hopefully one person did-I know there were a couple of video cameras...so we'll get something. I also had the sound guy record the show so you'll be able to hear it someday soon!

The show was great-we had so much fun!! Now we're off to Providence to play Caffe Tazza-a funky martini bar-that should be way cool. I have to make this short because we must hit the road.

Here's the info for the show tonight.
I hope you can make it!!

xoxo
aj~

FRIDAY JULY 20 8-9:30p. PROVIDENCE RI
@ Caffe Tazza, $$no cover
250 Westminster Street
Providence, RI 02903
www.tazzacaffe.com

News!

2007-07-09T10:04:00.000-07:00

Lots happening all at once over here...I thought I'd share it with you.
Hope you're all enjoying your summer!
xoxo
aj~

LIVING WITH WAR SONGS
My song, 'Sunset In Baghdad' is listed #348 out of 1976 songs on Neil Young's Living With War Songs Page. Go listen and it will rise to the top!

http://www.neilyoung.com/lwwtoday/lwwsongspage.html

MARTHA'S VINEYARD RADIO
The title track off the EP 'Sunday Matinee On Fire' is featured on Martha's Vineyard Radio.com. Go get your free download of the track from their website. Stay tuned, I may make an in-studio appearance while I'm on the Vineyard this summer.

http://www.mvyradio.com/local_musicafe/

W.IN.E. Women In Entertainment Newspaper
I am the artist of the month for July in Women In Entertainment Newspaper

http://www.winewomeninentertainment.com

Piano Sunday...

2007-06-24T15:30:00.000-07:00

I figured out a way to post mp3's on my blog. So, now when I'm fiddling around at home and feel like sharing it-I can post it here for your listening pleasure. Just click "PLAY" on the player over there to the right.

Now that the EP release performance has passed, I finally have time to just fool around on my piano. I'm taking a little break-then back to the grind to get ready for the East Coast shows.

Enjoy this little meditative piece I came up with today.

Have a great day!

xoxo
aj~

WE DID IT!

2007-06-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

Wow--what a night! The EP release party has come and gone and now it's time for the next main event...East Coast.

If you came out to see us play last night-THANK YOU!!
I hope you enjoyed yourself-I know I did. Everytime I play, I learn, and I learned alot last night.
The guys I played with were awesome-thanks Travis, Bob, and Elias. And my singers Bekah, Johnna, and David were kickin ass too.
I'm so tired I can't think straight so this will turn into pointless babble if I continue.

I'm just logging on to say THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING ME!!
It's really a blessing to be able to share my music with you.

Keep checking back for photos from the show.

May a good song play on the radio.

xoxo
aj~

They're in!

2007-06-19T09:03:00.001-07:00

The CDs came in last Friday!
They look amazing!
I can't wait to show everyone.

I'll have more updates after the big show tomorrow. It's going to be awesome. I've been practicing with the band, and it sounds amazing. I can't wait!

More later...

xoxo
aj~

A Woman of Inspiration

2007-06-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

[Photo by Robert Yager, New York Times]

A couple of blogs ago I mentioned I would tell you more about Firehouse Recording studios, where Bernie Becker Mastering is located. Well, there's not much I can tell you about the actual studios themselves since they were closed when I was there. (it was very late at night) But what floored me about the experience was learning about a woman named Tena Clark.

As I walked down the long hallway of the Firehouse Recording studios, I was lead out back into the "alley". (probably the nicest alley I've ever seen) We walked over to another building where Bernie has his office so he could burn me a copy of my master. According to Bernie, this building also houses a music publishing company. I could see that every desk was equipped with a nice pair of headphones and stacks of CDs. It was my kind of office. The architecture and design in both of the buildings was modern but comfy; red steel beams, exposed brick; very hip, but not stuffy.

When we were finished burning the copies, we walked back towards the studios. He pointed out another building in between the Recording Studios and the Publishing Company where they run an Internet radio station, Bernie said "they do music programming for the airlines and major corporations like Starbucks." Across from these three buildings was another building and I peeked in the window and asked "...more offices?" Bernie said, "they do web design and stuff out of there."

" And this was all started by one woman!?", I asked.

Not only was I amazed at the brilliant concept of creating a cohesive environment where all of these things could coexist, but the fact that it was the vision of one woman, and this vision was executed beautifully. As you can imagine, I ran straight home to Google and looked into what this, and she, was all about.

Her name is Tena Clark, she is the founder and Chief Executive of DMI Music & Media Solutions, music branding group. Under this umbrella is:

Private Label Radio: "customized audio and video programming for in-store, in-flight, on-hold and more"

Big Rig Interactive: Interactive Studio developing websites, cd roms, games and more

5 Alarm Music: music for film, tv and advertising.... "The largest independent music library."

Firehouse Recording Studios: State of the art recording facility, houses the largest digital recording studio in North America.

You can look deeper into what they do at their website: www.dmiworldwide.com

I hope to meet this woman someday soon. I get truly inspired when I hear amazing stories of successful women in business, especially the man-powered music business. I'd love to chat with her and pick her brain about the trials and tribulations of getting to where she is at this moment. It's so inspiring for someone like me who is pursuing this crazy and potentially unstable career in music. I know that it doesn't have to be unstable, and it is possible to make it a business. As a creative person I have all of these grandiose ideas and goals. It's nice to know I'm not the only one, and if you're organized and diligent, they can be executed beautifully.

I hope this passed on some inspiration to you as well.
May a good song play on the radio.

xoxo
aj~

Retail Therapy

2007-06-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

It's Christmas in June!!

I headed over to Record Surplus today. It's a cool store that sells used CDs and Records for only 92 cents. They have full priced stuff too, but I went there with my 5 singles in search of some good music...It's a great place when you're broke and you're craving some new tunes. Of course the tunes themselves aren't new, just new to my record collection. I'm glad I only brought 5 dollars and stayed in the attic because otherwise I would've left there with heaps of records.

Listening to the music of David Axelrod put me in the mood to pull out my record player and listen to some vinyl. A recent discovery of mine. He's a composer/arranger/producer from the 60's. You can read more about him on his website www.davidaxelrodmusic.com and also listen to some of his tracks @ www.myspace.com/davidaxelrod. I've been listening to the four tracks he has posted for two days so I went to see if maybe I could find some used records of his. I did not have any luck finding any Axelrod Records, but I assure you I did not leave empty handed.

My favorite purchase so far is a live Keith Jarrett recording. 'The Koln Concert' recorded on Jan 24, 1975 in Koln, Germany. [one week after I was born!] My Dad played alot of him when I was young. It's so cool to be able to sit down and really listen to him now. This record was only $1.85 can you believe it!? It's a two record set too.

The other recordings I bought include:

The Jazz Greats, Volume 1 Mercury Records: Featuring Count Basie, Lester Young, Earl Hines, Buck Clayton, Cozy Cole, Coleman Hawkins, Red Norvo and Teddy Wilson. I've been searching around trying to figure out when it was recorded. I'm guessing sometime in the early 1940's.

Harry Chapin, Heads & Tales, 1972 Electra Records: Another one of my Dad's favs. Harry is an amazing songwriter. His voice definately brings back memories. I've only listened to one side so far, and so far so good. Harry never lets me down.

My strangest purchase of the group is 'The Song of Songs, A Jazz Interpretation' 1958, Audio Fidelity Inc. Music composed and arranged by Martin Rubenstein. Directed by Lois Solomon

Sounds good doesn't it? Well, it's a little different than it sounds. It's almost like a book on tape. It's an interpretation of the classic 'Song of Songs'. A small cast of characters reads this story from the Bible over a jazz quintet playing. It's almost like call and response. The players read, or act out the reading, then pause for the music to play. It'll be good for one of those nights I feel like watching TV and know I shouldn't. We'll cozy up to the record player with some wine for a good Bible story.

I'll be heading back there really soon for another purchase. They had a ton of Gordon Lightfoot in the folk section. I looked him up on Itunes to check him out because his name sounded familiar. It turns out it's another one that my Dad used to play when I was young. I love his voice. Looks like I'm getting back to my roots...it's good to reach back I guess.

I love listening to this old stuff. Most of it's recorded on two tracks. Maybe the later stuff from the 70's is on 8 tracks, but still, it's simple and so full of texture and depth.

Until next time....

May a good song play on the radio.

peace
xoxo
aj~

The Mystery of Mastering

2007-06-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

I headed over to Bernie Becker's mastering studio last week to have him put his magical touch on the recording before I sent it off for duplication. What a trip! First of all, Bernie's mastering room is inside the beautiful Firehouse Recording Studios in Pasadena. I could feel an amazing vibe coming out of the walls when I entered the studios...more about Fireshouse later. I got to the studios around 10p and watched Bernie twist knobs and play each track through different speakers. I'd never been in a mastering room before-it was amazing. There wasn't enough time for me to ask about every knob, so I just sat back and listened and watched him work. It was a great experience. He is so friendly. Best of all he's super excited about the recording which really made me even more excited. It's one thing to have friends and family tell you they love your music, but this guy has mastered some big records. It felt good to get positive feedback from seasoned ears.

I pulled this picture from Bernie's website. Trust me, I was kicking myself for not bringing my camera. This pic is from his old studio in Burbank. The new set up is pretty much the same but a little bit nicer. Where you see the two lamps sitting on top of the speakers, he has two huge flat screen TVs hanging from the wall that he uses as computer monitors so they don't get in the way of the speakers. He's also installed two cabinets that are temperature controlled and sound proof to hold the computers -this way you can't hear the machines while you're trying to listen to the recording. These guys think of everything! I guess when it's your job you have to right?

I also didn't take any pics from the recording studio. I felt cheesy pulling out my camera...but it was probably a bad idea not too. Oh well...I could always go back and take some and pretend we're in the middle of a session:)

until next time...

May a good song play on the radio.

xoxo
aj~

Oaxaca!

2007-05-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

This song came on the radio. I googled it and found the video on myspace. Wow-isn't the internet fabulous? This is filmed in Oaxaca too-it's so cool. I spent six weeks there in the summer of '05 that's why I'm so excited. What a great little city! Enjoy...

Cumbia del Mole

Add to My Profile | More Videos

It's almost here!

2007-05-24T07:17:00.000-07:00

We finished up the recording last night and I handed the final mix off to be mastered. I will go back tonight to take a listen and pick it up so I can mail it off first thing Friday a.m. WOW! I can't believe it. I'm nervous and excited. I've never heard my stuff mastered before so that should be way cool...as soon as I get the mastered tracks in my hand I will upload a sneak peak on myspace.

Now that I'm finished recording, it's time to start practicing with the band and doing a bunch of other stuff I haven't had time for. Stay tuned for updates. amyjolomas.com should be up and running with in the month and I should hear word soon regarding the winery showcase/competition.

May a good song play on the radio.

peace
aj~

progress makes perfect....

2007-05-17T09:18:00.000-07:00

Just a quick news flash here before I head off to the studio...
Things are sounding amazing! We finished laying down all the drums yesterday!! Today we'll record the vocals. And we should be finished recording everthing tomorrow. We'll bring it back after a weekend listen and do some last adjustments next wed and then it's off to mastering!! Wow...It sounds sooooooo good!! It's making me excited about playing in a band situation again. It's interesting how the songs take on their own form once they're put out there with live players-as if I they were just brought to life for the first time. In my laptop they're great-but they don't get to see much of the world. Now that real instruments are playing them they are able to breath....kind of metaphoric I know, but it's true and very exciting.

On that note I think I found a bass player for the show and other future shows here in SoCal. I will talk more about that after we meet next week. I'm excited, I think it will be great. Each day I get clearer on what I want as far as a band situation. Seeing this guy, Mike Stocksdale, play at my school the other night really put things into perpsective. (He's great by the way you should check him out) I would love to have a stable band that works as a family rather than scrambling to get players together everytime I have a gig. I really enjoy watching a show that has that sort of chemistry on stage...it's tough when you're a solo artist though...but this time I'm going to make it work.

hmmmm...what else? My website is being designed by Sarah @ indieprint design (she designed the artwork for the CD) wow it makes me look all official. (she showed me a little idea of what it will look like. It's exciting. I'll let you know when it's finally up and running

Oh! I applied for a winery showcase/competition here in SoCal. I submitted 3 songs and if they like them they will notify me May 30 to come and play at a winery on June 09. So stay tuned...very exciting.

Also I've decided to take the rest of this quarter off from school. I wasn't focused on school this quarter, getting the EP ready and all so I'll return in the Fall to study keyboards and strengthen my chops. Yup. I'll need this time to finish up the recording and get ready for my shows this summer...

that's all from here.
More later.

may a good song play on the radio
xoxo
aj~

Purple Mountain Majesty

2007-05-06T23:55:00.000-07:00

[photo by Ben Gelston]

Here's an oldy but a goody, someday to be released on a recording, but not this time around and definately not with all the lyrics included here. If I do, it will most likely be a seven minute song...I was going through some old journals. Thought it'd be a neat thing to post. excuse the puncuation. I wanted to copy it as it was written.
enjoy. aj~ [44 days until the EP release 20.june.2007!!]

Purple Mountain Majesty
written by Amy Jo Lomas
copyright 01. july. 96

Feel real my face could not show. Mountains start from seeds. Spread among your universe I drift into abyss. Primal chaos takes over collision. Bang! Boom! Whoa! Here i am again...There you go again. Run! I'm hungry again..

Another day in paradise. Swinging in my hammock. Looking out to the ocean.
Sand beneath me. Winds release me. Sky bequeath me, the blue soul of you.

Mother Earth
Musical Queen
Play for me your symphony

Euphoria. primal chaos. chased by primal screams. run with the wind beneath my sea. Marathon melodies. screaming through the finish. come with me. fly through it. central peace. drums and rocks. rhythms and trees. she sings. crystalizing methods drag me over the edge. gravity touch my tounge. celestial body. tears like diamonds shine.

Astrology directs me. atmosphere connects me. heaven protect me with a feverfew.

Mother Earth
Musical Queen
Play for me your symphony

shoulders for rain dripping with happiness. bathe in the beauty. climb the vine. pick it off. pop it in. soak your palet. Nature's eye looks inside. I can see you. In laughter we sit. sand between our toes. Shady lady dance with the tide. breezy man bring me your tulip.

Fruit irrigates me. juice propogates me. altitude relates me with all above the hue.

Mother Earth
Musical Queen
Play for me your symphony

bricks and high heel shoes trample on the maple leaves. my mouse. your elephant. it is just the two. not size, nor strength but wisdom that defeats. stab the wit. pierce the peace.

When the earth and the sky have collided into one they become the sun. to shine upon the once lit dawn and peer upon our young. Warmth and stars. shotguns and bars radios cars and bombs. Her life is ours to come.

government beseech me. technology succeeds me. What has this day become?

Mother Earth
Musical Queen
Play for me your symphony

East Coast Tour and other exciting news!

2007-05-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I've neglected the blog. I've been busting my ass over here getting shows booked for my trip back east as well as trying to secure a location for the record release party here in June. I'm having more luck booking shows 3,000 miles away then I am in where I live-fascinating!! I've booked shows in Boston, Providence, Brooklyn and I've just been accepted to showcase as part of the Skylark Series in New York City! The Skylark Series is a series of concerts held at various venues in New York City that will showcase up and coming female talent in the unsigned music world. Check it out @ www.skylarkseries.com. I won't find out the date until one month before. I emailed them to let them know when I will be in town, hopefully it will all sync up:)

I'll be in the studio tomorrow, getting a good portion of the recording finished. Hopefully we'll only need one more session after this because time is winding down.

It's exciting-everything is coming together! Now I just have to get the band on board and we're good to go!

I hope spring is in the air wherever you are in the world.
May a good song play on the radio.

peace
aj~

AMY JO'S TOUR SCHEDULE
I can't wait to see everyone and play for you!

THURSDAY JULY 19 7-9p
Amy's East Coast Record Release Party
$ cover includes admission and a copy of Amy's new EP
@ the Lilypad in Cambridge, MA
1353 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA
www.lily-pad.net

FRIDAY JULY 20 8-9:30p $$no cover
@ Caffe Tazza in Providence, RI
250 Westminster Street
Providence, RI 02903
www.tazzacaffe.com

SATURDAY JULY 21 8:00 PM
@ Goodbye Blue Monday, Brooklyn, NY
I'll be playing an evening set in the sculpture garden.
1087 BROADWAY - BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN
NEW YORK 11221
718.453.6343
www.goodbye-blue-monday.com

WEEK OF JULY 22ND
VENUE TBA NEW YORK, NY
SHOWCASE AS PART OF THE SKYLARK SERIES
www.skylarkseries.com

Progress...Update...Status...Detour

2007-04-23T22:29:00.000-07:00

Not too much to report here. I'm recovering from a long weekend in Vegas and trying to rest my voice so I can sing this week. I always lose my voice when I go to Vegas...damn Grey Goose and Tonic!

EP Progress...
The CD artwork for the EP is coming along. I got to see some rough ideas of what the designer is working on which was exciting. The website is being designed and I'm emailing venues like crazy trying to get this EP release party booked here in LA as well as some gigs booked on the East Coast...Recording is on hold for this week because the main mixing console had to go into the shop for repairs (ouch) so that puts a slight damper on things. Just as well I guess, my voice isn't exactly in good shape although I was looking forward to laying down the drum tracks...next week I guess...that's all from here...it's getting close to the wire...58 days to be exact. We'll make it!!

May a good song play on the radio.

xxo
aj~

Album to EP

2007-04-17T21:55:00.000-07:00

[Photo by Ben Gelston]

I was intending to blog daily but things have been crazy busy...
I recorded at a studio last Thursday and it was just ok. More of a project studio (actually the stuff I record in my living room sounds better-doh!) I'm looking for something more professional. Anyway, I went and checked out another one on Friday night and loved it so I booked some time for tomorrow. This studio is great. I listened to some of their work and I'm very excited. The two guys who run it also play guitar and drums and offer their services for no additional charge! So I'm going to have some live drums on the tracks and a little bit of guitar here and there. I can't wait-it should sound kick ass. We're pushing it kind of close as far as time line though. On that note, I've decided to trim it down and go from 10 tracks to 5 tracks to make sure we have enough time to do things well. The way I think of it: I'd rather have one great quality track than 10 ok tracks-ya dig? So I came to the conclusion that there is enough time for 5 tracks without sacrificing quality. It's been alot of work getting this far and I haven't even started recording yet! I've found someone to design the CD Artwork as well as my website. I can't wait to unleash those puppies:) I'm working hard over here to get everything done on time for the EP release party to fall on the summer solstice (June 21)

I've gotten some advice from fellow musicians that I should add live instruments to my show-versus just playing with my keys and my laptop. So I'm putting together a small band to join me for my performance on June 21. I'm also recruiting my old drummer and bass player from Boston for my gigs back east. It's alot to keep track of...but I'm doing it!

Here's a clip from a performance I had a couple of weeks ago. It was part of a final performance I had in one of my classes. I recorded the video from my laptop and extracted the audio. I'm playing with a drum track that I burned to a CD. Since this performance, I have added bass to this song-so it's a little less sparse, but I'm still working on it.

http://amyjolomas.com/4Blog/WE'RE.ALIVE.(live).mp3
Enjoy!

May a good song play on the radio.
xoxo
aj~

KCRW's On The Beat

2007-04-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

KCRW is a top notch public radio station here in L.A. and in my personal opinion, the best of only three good stations in L.A:) I heard this broadcast one Friday while I was driving and decided to subscribe to the podcast. For those of you who aren't familiar- A Podcast is generally free and downloaded into your ITunes automatically when you subscribe. [do a search in ITunes for podcasts and see what you can find] Since I'm not always tuned into KCRW when this is broadcasted, I subscribed and listen to these little snipets at my leisure. Among many others, I've also subscribed to KCRW's top tune, which downloads a tune everyday to into my ITunes library. (yay good free music!)

Anyhow, this Podcast is always full of interesting business happenings regarding the music industry. I encourage you to take a listen and get in the loop with what's happening in the biz. I love the stuff she talks about.

Enjoy!
May a good song play on the radio
xoxo
aj~

Celia Hirschman hosts KCRW's On The Beat. You can also find it under Podcasts on ITunes.
http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/ob

Is anything real any more?

2007-04-12T14:16:00.001-07:00

I was talking with a musician friend yesterday about this subject and showed her this video...it goes well with a couple of stories I've heard recently having to do with fake pop stars.

Recently I heard that a famously HUGE star (I can't mention her name becs the person who told me might get into trouble) recorded an entire album and her vocals were so bad that they paid another singer to come in and re-record them! Isn't that crazy? Another female I know just recently sang backing vocals for another HUGE pop star who recently performed on shows like Ellen and Good Morning America (we're talking HUGE) and she told me that she doubled the lead vocal. What does that mean? That she sings the same exact notes as the HUGE pop star so she sounds good (because otherwise she would sound like shit) Pretty interesting huh? I mean, we knew about lip-singing before Ashlee Simpson, but it was generally with artists who were doing full on aerobics on stage. As my friend put it so eloquently-if you're performing live then you should PERFORM LIVE! It's such a load of shit.

But does the general buying public care? We musicians are passionate about this because we feel it's unfair that we bust our asses practicing and writing when people like this have everything done for them and GET ALL THEY GET ALL THE CREDIT. But for those who aren't musicians, do they really feel ripped off? And if they don't, does this make it ok? I'm going to generalize here, but considering the age bracket that the two above examples generally target are between the ages of 9-17 years old, my assumption would be that they don't care as long as it sounds good and they can sing along. (feel free to comment on this if you disagree)

My question is, will the major labels continue to have the funding to make all these models into singers with computers? The major label is dying. Or is it? I believe, if they survive, they will still have their big stars, but will run out of resources to create something from nothing. Hopefully that ship will sink. To me, this means those of us who can sing and write and perform will now have a better chance of making something of our careers. Thus making the market saturated with GOOD music. Or am I dreaming? I believe this is the beginning of the new music REVOLUTION! Long live good music!! (and musicians:)

Back in the day you had to pay big bucks to record even a shitty little demo because you had to go into a studio if you wanted it to sound decent. Now with technology we can record in our own homes. (although I still suggest you go into a studio) This allows people like me (who aren't little hotties willing to take our clothes off) a chance of getting our music into more hands. Obviously myspace has been a HUGE catalyst.

I had a long conversation about myspace with another female musican. (and it could've gone on longer if the band didn't start playing) Her argument- myspace is too saturated with bedroom musicians. People have to sift through thousands of pages in order to find the good ones. Is it helping us (musicians) any? I believe it is...but that's for another day.

may a good song play on the radio
peace
aj~

welcome to my musical journal

2007-04-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night I will go into the studio to begin recording vocal tracks for my first full length album. I'm anxious to see how it will go since I haven't really worked with this studio before. I'll take some pics and keep a journal of the process here. I'll also use this space to journal about my upcoming tour with Divasonic this summer. Should be fun!!

may a good song play on the radio
xxo
aj~

New Photos!

2007-03-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I headed off to Tampa to visit my beautiful niece and to have my photos updated. We had such a blast! My sister-in-law Stephanie organized the whole thing. She had her friend Tania do my make up ( which was totally wild and crazy!) And her fabulous friend/photographer Ben Gelston took the photos. It was so cool-I had my own entourage for a day! We trekked around Tampa to get some cool city shots and then over to the Navy Base to get some other landscapes:) You'll be able to see more of them once the record is released and my website is re-launched. Until then, enjoy this little sample:)