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Lida has come through with a terrific CD titled “boulevard del amor” that is refreshing and engaging all at once. Lida plays keyboards and synthesizers, and she sings lead and background vocals as well as being the main composer and producer of this project.
She chose to write in a variety of styles that were in her soul; Latin, Soul, Funk, and Reggae; all beautifully arranged and recorded; and the music doesn’t sound copied, a rare feat. I do hear echoes of Pete Escovedo, Joe Bataan, Shelia Escovedo, Emuir Deodato, and Bobbi Humphrey as the music flows. The orchestration is brilliant too, there are live horn section and solo parts throughout the music that are so properly placed and very well done.
All of her vocals are sung in Spanish, with the exceptions of “Let’s Stay Together” and “Flute”, which are sung in English. And one other song, “Estrella Fugaz”, is sung to good effect by singer Juan De Dios Rodriguez Basurto(I believe).
My favorites are “Cerca Del Sol” and the title track, “boulevard del amor”. But do have a listen for yourself soon. That way, you won’t miss out on this wonderful collection of music by a very talented musician!
BB
She chose to write in a variety of styles that were in her soul; Latin, Soul, Funk, and Reggae; all beautifully arranged and recorded; and the music doesn’t sound copied, a rare feat. I do hear echoes of Pete Escovedo, Joe Bataan, Shelia Escovedo, Emuir Deodato, and Bobbi Humphrey as the music flows. The orchestration is brilliant too, there are live horn section and solo parts throughout the music that are so properly placed and very well done.
All of her vocals are sung in Spanish, with the exceptions of “Let’s Stay Together” and “Flute”, which are sung in English. And one other song, “Estrella Fugaz”, is sung to good effect by singer Juan De Dios Rodriguez Basurto(I believe).
My favorites are “Cerca Del Sol” and the title track, “boulevard del amor”. But do have a listen for yourself soon. That way, you won’t miss out on this wonderful collection of music by a very talented musician!
BB
My evening with Maldroid(5/21/08)actually began with my workday. The work was an audio uninstall for a medium large conference at the Hotel Rio here in Las Vegas for a group of medical surgeons. I did not attend the conference, but I did perform the audio install four days prior. A co-worker of mine, who has also become a friend, worked with me. He is a sharp audio guy, and he has gone on the road recently to run and support the audio needs of a band called The Killers. Anyway, once the work was complete, and the trucks loaded, I made my way back to downtown Vegas where I live.
I knew that Maldroid was going to play very nearby me at a club called Jillian’s, located in the downtown group of shops(mostly closed, but making a slow comeback)called Neonopolis. Since I don’t own a car these days, I took a couple of buses to get there. I thought that the band would start a bit later, somewhere between nine and ten p.m.. But I forgot the fact that Jillian’s is an all ages club that is split in two - half is designed for adults where there is a bar and food, the other half is designed for those who are under the age of 21, where the bands play. So the bands generally start earlier. There is also plenty of video game arcade machines to play on, and even a bowling alley for those so inclined. I got to the front door and spoke to a man who turned out to be the owner of the club. I asked him when Maldroid’s start time was, but he told me that they just got finished playing as I walked up to the door. I was disappointed with that news, I really wanted to see and hear the band play. But I also knew that the band’s keyboard player, Prince J was the first person to befriend me at Fuzz when I joined last year in July. I asked the owner if I could talk to the band members, and he said yes. He gave me a wrist band that gave me access to the club, and didn’t charge me anything to enter. He was a very cool guy! Upon entering the club, I saw Maldroid hustling their gear off of the stage to get ready for the next band. I walked up close and asked someone to help me find Prince J. He did, and when Prince J walked up to me, I introduced myself and told him of our online association at Fuzz. He was delighted to actually meet someone from Fuzz’s online community. I apologized to him, and later the rest of the band for missing their performance. He forgave me, and we went outside to talk about the band, and to talk a bit about me and what I’ve been up to lately. We talked about playing music in Europe, as Maldroid has yet to play there. I told him that I would see what I could do in that regard, I still have some contacts in Holland that may possibly be of some help. After meeting the rest of the band members, I suggested that we go over to the +21 side of the club for a drink. I wanted to make it up to the guys for missing their show, so I bought some rounds of drinks for the band, and some shots for me and Prince J. It was the least that I could do. And very refreshing.
I began to learn who these guys in Maldroid really were. They are some of the coolest, smartest and most talented men that I’ve met in a while. Prince J, bassist Seandroid and myself spent the most time together that evening. Prince J gave me some CDs and buttons, and the grand tour of their tour bus, and gave me a bit of inside info about life on the road for all who ride on the bus. Guitarist Johnny Genius told me that the band members built the sleeping berths(12)into the bus themselves. I was impressed. Once all of the band gear was loaded onto the bus, we set off down the Freemont Street Experience(FSE)for more drinks and some merriment. The bands The Phenomenauts and The A.K.A’s also travel with Maldroid on this tour, and those guys were also very cool to be around. The bassist from The Phenomenauts and I talked about basses and bass amplifiers as we walked the FSE. He has worked hard on playing the upright bass, and it shows that he has had good results when you listen to their record.
Prince J and myself spent a good deal of time talking about Maldroid’s future that night. I told him that I have a feeling that the band will be much bigger by this time next year, and larger so two years from now. He told me something that was so important for all serious bands, the fact that they are in the music business. They treat the business side of music very seriously. Everyone in the band has a business assignment for the band that they take to heart. And they realize and understand that the hard work that they do is something that must be done over the long haul. He told me about how Maldroid was put together with members from other bay area bands that had broken up; they’ve certainly seen their share of heartbreak and realized the mistakes that had been made. He and Seandroid said that they would do everything in their power not to repeat those mistakes again. Prince J told me of the bay area bands that do not like Maldroid, he called them the “haters”. He said that those bands think that Maldroid just popped up overnight, and passed them by in one fell swoop. He wanted me and those bands to know that nothing could be further from the truth, and he even wished those bands the best in their futures too. It was a reminder to me that those we meet in this industry on the way up, are the same ones we meet on the way down too. It was a reminder to be kind to all those that you meet along the way, in both directions.
All three bands were truly enjoying themselves at the FSE. We went into casino after casino, they wanted to check it all out. They liked the drinks served in clear plastic NFL sized football shaped containers that you could buy at The Bayou. When the Bayou closed around midnight, I took Prince J and Seandroid over to the oldest hotel and casino in all of Las Vegas, The Golden Gate. They serve some really tall drinks there in a plastic container for about $10. An extra $2 will get you an extra shot added into your drink. Seandroid bought one(with the extra shot), and before we left I took them around the casino floor walls and showed them some great large photographs of vintage San Francisco. There are a couple of photos of the Golden Gate Bridge being built. I really love those. I also showed them the telephone from 1907 encased on the wall with a bit of info about the era when it was used. It was part Las Vegas’s first telephone system. The number? Just dial 1.
All of us ended up at Fitzgerald’s Hotel and Casino. Someone said that they wanted to hit the blackjack tables. Since I don’t gamble(I work so hard for my money!), I watched as members from all three bands sat down to try their luck. Prince J and I spoke some more about Maldroid’s future for a little while before he sat down at one of the tables, joining his band mates. I did see some chips begin to accumulate in front of the players, it looked like they were doing well. Then Prince J and lead singer Ryandivine left the blackjack table, and took off somewhere. I waited close by, sitting in front of a slot machine, for their return. Fifteen minutes quickly turned into thirty. When they did not return, I looked around the casino to try to find them, but no luck. I decided to get some food after a long day’s work, and walk around the corner to where I live. Before I left, I said goodnight to Johnny Genius, and a couple of the band members from The Phenomenauts, wishing them a safe journey home.
Being a part of Fuzz’s online social community is truly how this meeting took place. Let us all remember the fact that there is a real person at the other end of our online communications. And if you can, go out and support a Fuzz act when they come to your town, or support them when you can if you happen to live in the same town as they do. It really means something.
My thanks to Prince J and all the members of Maldroid, The Phenomenauts, and The A.K.A’s for such a fun evening. I wish them all a safe journey, and the very best in their musical futures.
BB
I knew that Maldroid was going to play very nearby me at a club called Jillian’s, located in the downtown group of shops(mostly closed, but making a slow comeback)called Neonopolis. Since I don’t own a car these days, I took a couple of buses to get there. I thought that the band would start a bit later, somewhere between nine and ten p.m.. But I forgot the fact that Jillian’s is an all ages club that is split in two - half is designed for adults where there is a bar and food, the other half is designed for those who are under the age of 21, where the bands play. So the bands generally start earlier. There is also plenty of video game arcade machines to play on, and even a bowling alley for those so inclined. I got to the front door and spoke to a man who turned out to be the owner of the club. I asked him when Maldroid’s start time was, but he told me that they just got finished playing as I walked up to the door. I was disappointed with that news, I really wanted to see and hear the band play. But I also knew that the band’s keyboard player, Prince J was the first person to befriend me at Fuzz when I joined last year in July. I asked the owner if I could talk to the band members, and he said yes. He gave me a wrist band that gave me access to the club, and didn’t charge me anything to enter. He was a very cool guy! Upon entering the club, I saw Maldroid hustling their gear off of the stage to get ready for the next band. I walked up close and asked someone to help me find Prince J. He did, and when Prince J walked up to me, I introduced myself and told him of our online association at Fuzz. He was delighted to actually meet someone from Fuzz’s online community. I apologized to him, and later the rest of the band for missing their performance. He forgave me, and we went outside to talk about the band, and to talk a bit about me and what I’ve been up to lately. We talked about playing music in Europe, as Maldroid has yet to play there. I told him that I would see what I could do in that regard, I still have some contacts in Holland that may possibly be of some help. After meeting the rest of the band members, I suggested that we go over to the +21 side of the club for a drink. I wanted to make it up to the guys for missing their show, so I bought some rounds of drinks for the band, and some shots for me and Prince J. It was the least that I could do. And very refreshing.
I began to learn who these guys in Maldroid really were. They are some of the coolest, smartest and most talented men that I’ve met in a while. Prince J, bassist Seandroid and myself spent the most time together that evening. Prince J gave me some CDs and buttons, and the grand tour of their tour bus, and gave me a bit of inside info about life on the road for all who ride on the bus. Guitarist Johnny Genius told me that the band members built the sleeping berths(12)into the bus themselves. I was impressed. Once all of the band gear was loaded onto the bus, we set off down the Freemont Street Experience(FSE)for more drinks and some merriment. The bands The Phenomenauts and The A.K.A’s also travel with Maldroid on this tour, and those guys were also very cool to be around. The bassist from The Phenomenauts and I talked about basses and bass amplifiers as we walked the FSE. He has worked hard on playing the upright bass, and it shows that he has had good results when you listen to their record.
Prince J and myself spent a good deal of time talking about Maldroid’s future that night. I told him that I have a feeling that the band will be much bigger by this time next year, and larger so two years from now. He told me something that was so important for all serious bands, the fact that they are in the music business. They treat the business side of music very seriously. Everyone in the band has a business assignment for the band that they take to heart. And they realize and understand that the hard work that they do is something that must be done over the long haul. He told me about how Maldroid was put together with members from other bay area bands that had broken up; they’ve certainly seen their share of heartbreak and realized the mistakes that had been made. He and Seandroid said that they would do everything in their power not to repeat those mistakes again. Prince J told me of the bay area bands that do not like Maldroid, he called them the “haters”. He said that those bands think that Maldroid just popped up overnight, and passed them by in one fell swoop. He wanted me and those bands to know that nothing could be further from the truth, and he even wished those bands the best in their futures too. It was a reminder to me that those we meet in this industry on the way up, are the same ones we meet on the way down too. It was a reminder to be kind to all those that you meet along the way, in both directions.
All three bands were truly enjoying themselves at the FSE. We went into casino after casino, they wanted to check it all out. They liked the drinks served in clear plastic NFL sized football shaped containers that you could buy at The Bayou. When the Bayou closed around midnight, I took Prince J and Seandroid over to the oldest hotel and casino in all of Las Vegas, The Golden Gate. They serve some really tall drinks there in a plastic container for about $10. An extra $2 will get you an extra shot added into your drink. Seandroid bought one(with the extra shot), and before we left I took them around the casino floor walls and showed them some great large photographs of vintage San Francisco. There are a couple of photos of the Golden Gate Bridge being built. I really love those. I also showed them the telephone from 1907 encased on the wall with a bit of info about the era when it was used. It was part Las Vegas’s first telephone system. The number? Just dial 1.
All of us ended up at Fitzgerald’s Hotel and Casino. Someone said that they wanted to hit the blackjack tables. Since I don’t gamble(I work so hard for my money!), I watched as members from all three bands sat down to try their luck. Prince J and I spoke some more about Maldroid’s future for a little while before he sat down at one of the tables, joining his band mates. I did see some chips begin to accumulate in front of the players, it looked like they were doing well. Then Prince J and lead singer Ryandivine left the blackjack table, and took off somewhere. I waited close by, sitting in front of a slot machine, for their return. Fifteen minutes quickly turned into thirty. When they did not return, I looked around the casino to try to find them, but no luck. I decided to get some food after a long day’s work, and walk around the corner to where I live. Before I left, I said goodnight to Johnny Genius, and a couple of the band members from The Phenomenauts, wishing them a safe journey home.
Being a part of Fuzz’s online social community is truly how this meeting took place. Let us all remember the fact that there is a real person at the other end of our online communications. And if you can, go out and support a Fuzz act when they come to your town, or support them when you can if you happen to live in the same town as they do. It really means something.
My thanks to Prince J and all the members of Maldroid, The Phenomenauts, and The A.K.A’s for such a fun evening. I wish them all a safe journey, and the very best in their musical futures.
BB
This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Grammy Awards which aired on CBS. And you didn’t win one? So what!!
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/02/10/grammy.winners/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
Have you been working on your songwriting craft? Good. Have you been working on your audio and video recording skills? Good. Have you been practicing on your chosen instrument(s)? Good. Have you been practicing on making your singing or rapping skills better? Good. Have you been out there working on making your promoting and advertising skills better? Good. Have you been working on making your live performance even better? Good. Have you been continuing to learn about how the entertainment industry truly works? Good. Good. Good.
The point I’m trying to make here is, if you continue to work hard on the things you love to do as an artist, it will definitely show to those who listen, and in real time too. Your family will always love you. Your friends will always love you. And also importantly, your audiences and fans will always love you too, no matter which genre of music you make, and no matter of whether you’re male or female. Just keep on going forward, keep doing the best work that you can muster. In doing so, you’ll keep the bullshit out of the way of the journey you’re on. Cause that’s what this endeavor is, a journey. You’ll stop breathing before you truly run out of ideas and inspiration, and those you’ve inspired will continue the journey.
Have any of the artists who have posted music at Fuzz won a Grammy? Yes. Do they stop there, and rest on their laurels? No. Why? Because what we all do as artists touches our hearts in the deepest of places. In turn, the deepest places in people’s hearts are touched as well by what we do.
So don’t be discouraged about not winning this year. Or any year. Keep on doing what you do. And keep loving what you do. Okay? Good.
BB
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/02/10/grammy.winners/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
Have you been working on your songwriting craft? Good. Have you been working on your audio and video recording skills? Good. Have you been practicing on your chosen instrument(s)? Good. Have you been practicing on making your singing or rapping skills better? Good. Have you been out there working on making your promoting and advertising skills better? Good. Have you been working on making your live performance even better? Good. Have you been continuing to learn about how the entertainment industry truly works? Good. Good. Good.
The point I’m trying to make here is, if you continue to work hard on the things you love to do as an artist, it will definitely show to those who listen, and in real time too. Your family will always love you. Your friends will always love you. And also importantly, your audiences and fans will always love you too, no matter which genre of music you make, and no matter of whether you’re male or female. Just keep on going forward, keep doing the best work that you can muster. In doing so, you’ll keep the bullshit out of the way of the journey you’re on. Cause that’s what this endeavor is, a journey. You’ll stop breathing before you truly run out of ideas and inspiration, and those you’ve inspired will continue the journey.
Have any of the artists who have posted music at Fuzz won a Grammy? Yes. Do they stop there, and rest on their laurels? No. Why? Because what we all do as artists touches our hearts in the deepest of places. In turn, the deepest places in people’s hearts are touched as well by what we do.
So don’t be discouraged about not winning this year. Or any year. Keep on doing what you do. And keep loving what you do. Okay? Good.
BB
As we independent artists continue to seek out new places to distribute our music on today’s web 2.0, there are still many “sleight of hand” type offers that we artists should be aware of. Most of today’s artists who have a good deal of web experience with their recorded works, are well aware of the type of offer that begs to be investigated before ever submitting one note.
A couple of months ago, I received an email from an online record company/distributor(who will remain unnamed)offering the opportunity to have my music added to a compilation CD that they would prepare and distribute. Upon reading the fine print, it was revealed that the artist must pay an up front partial fee(of $199.00!)to cover the “manufacturing and distribution costs” of this compilation. This of course, after they had chosen your music. The company in return, offered a couple of dozen finished and ready for sale compilation CDs with your song on it, that the artist could sell in order to recoup the costs incurred up front. I didn’t think much of the offer either way, and I knew I would never give my money away to any offer that strange. To be sure, all of this company’s emails were form letters. There was no answer by a person to any of the inquiry emails that I’d sent. So I just let it go.
A funny thing happened though, after about two weeks. I began receiving emails that were being forwarded from other artists, they too had been contacted about this compilation offer from the very same company. Most were questioning the company’s agreement terms that we had all read. The flurried and blustering artist emails about the company lasted for about two weeks. During that time, I’d received over thirty letters. Then it stopped. Since then, I haven’t heard from either the record company or from any of the artists who forwarded letters of inquiry.
Now it’s a couple of months later, and all is still quiet. I wanted to pass this occurrence along to the many artists who are working hard at creating a strong online presence, and trying hard to get their music heard in as many suitable places as possible.
It’s your finished CD or demo. It’s your music.
If something like this kind of offer looks dodgy or shady, it’s very possible that it is.
Researching the online party offering to do things with your music is smart. Protect yourself financially, and protect your music. Sensible business practice and common sense can go a long way with the many online offers you might receive. Continue to choose wisely. And I wish the greatest of success to all of the independent artists working on the web today. BB
A couple of months ago, I received an email from an online record company/distributor(who will remain unnamed)offering the opportunity to have my music added to a compilation CD that they would prepare and distribute. Upon reading the fine print, it was revealed that the artist must pay an up front partial fee(of $199.00!)to cover the “manufacturing and distribution costs” of this compilation. This of course, after they had chosen your music. The company in return, offered a couple of dozen finished and ready for sale compilation CDs with your song on it, that the artist could sell in order to recoup the costs incurred up front. I didn’t think much of the offer either way, and I knew I would never give my money away to any offer that strange. To be sure, all of this company’s emails were form letters. There was no answer by a person to any of the inquiry emails that I’d sent. So I just let it go.
A funny thing happened though, after about two weeks. I began receiving emails that were being forwarded from other artists, they too had been contacted about this compilation offer from the very same company. Most were questioning the company’s agreement terms that we had all read. The flurried and blustering artist emails about the company lasted for about two weeks. During that time, I’d received over thirty letters. Then it stopped. Since then, I haven’t heard from either the record company or from any of the artists who forwarded letters of inquiry.
Now it’s a couple of months later, and all is still quiet. I wanted to pass this occurrence along to the many artists who are working hard at creating a strong online presence, and trying hard to get their music heard in as many suitable places as possible.
It’s your finished CD or demo. It’s your music.
If something like this kind of offer looks dodgy or shady, it’s very possible that it is.
Researching the online party offering to do things with your music is smart. Protect yourself financially, and protect your music. Sensible business practice and common sense can go a long way with the many online offers you might receive. Continue to choose wisely. And I wish the greatest of success to all of the independent artists working on the web today. BB
I decided to try out the mixtape functions that are new here at Fuzz. It's good. I used 192kbps MP3 files. A small wait time to upload each song, and presto! My very own first Fuzz mixtape.
I've sent it out to folks to see what they think. If they like it, I'll make more of them. Until then, enjoy!
BB
I've sent it out to folks to see what they think. If they like it, I'll make more of them. Until then, enjoy!
BB