Chris Lord-Alge

Drivers,

Earlier this month I had the privilege and pleasure of attending a Q&A Session with the one and only Chris Lord-Alge. As one of the most in-demand mixers in the music industry since the 1980s, his discography is simply astonishing. Working with names ranging from James Brown to Green Day, Chris Lord-Alge is known for his extreme use of dynamic range compression. In his time working in the industry he has accumulated well over 750 credits including The Rolling Stones' "Too Much Blood", Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA", and The Smashing Pumpkins "Teargarden by Kaleidyscope" album. All in all the session was extremely informative touching on multiple aspects of Mr. Lord-Alge's career from his work at Unique Recording Studios in New York City all the way up to his position now at his studio in Miami Beach, FL.

The mixing work of Chris Lord-Alge has been so influential that in early 2010, Waves Audio released the Chris Lord-Alge Artist Signature Collection of audio plug-ins, a collection of 6 application-specific audio plug-ins for Bass, Drums, Effects, Vocals, Guitars, and Unplugged. The session was very interesting and insightful. For those of you who think you haven't heard any of Chris Lord-Alge's work, your most likely just unaware you were listening to his work or you've been living under a rock the last 35 years. It takes merely a glance at his discography to realize the amount of masterpieces Chris Lord-Alge has been a part of. It was awesome to take part in and attend the session and I strongly recommend any of you reading to take the initiative consciously check out his work.

-Marshal
 Montgomery Drive

Crybaby

Drivers,

For this post I've decided to write about my instrumental EP "Crybaby" which was released in 2010. After spending years writing, recording, and releasing songs with both musical and lyrical content, I felt compelled to put out a release that contained completely instrumental multilayered tracks with more of an ambient and soothing feel. Initially I chose to release the "Crybaby" EP on my own. I personally undertook every aspect of the release from the art direction to the actual design and construction of the package itself. For the simple fact that this was a special and very unique release for Montgomery Drive, a key aspect in the failure/success of the release was the product management. For this reason alone, I felt it was extremely important to differentiate the packaging from my previous releases to reflect how unique "Crybaby" was in relation to my other releases. In addition to the packaging, I also chose to make the physical packages of "Crybaby" in limited quantities to allow the release to be all the more special due to its rarity. 

At that point in time the packages I had been doing myself were all CDs however with the help of BEAR Records / BEAR Distro I was able to also release limited quantities of  "Crybaby" on Cassette. In terms of the CD packaging,  I hand painted cds, individually hand numbered the packages, hand cut and printed inserts, and physically put each package together myself. As far as the management of the product, because this release was so near and dear to my heart I personally wanted to put the same love and care into the package as I had into the actually writing and recording process. The end result is something that to this day I find myself being very pleased with. From time to time I even hear from people who discovered the CD somewhere or ordered the tape through BEAR Records / BEAR Distro and it always puts an extra big smile on my face. Moreover, whenever someone refers the the CD, the fact that I personally undertook all the aspects in putting it together it is very flattering. At this time I only have a couple left in my possession (CDs and Cassettes), and I know BEAR Records / BEAR Distro has limited quantities left as well. While on tour in Japan I left a bunch copies with my friend Hiroyuki (from S-Explode) to have in stock with his distro and recently heard Rok Lok Records from Long Island, NY are now carrying a few of the cassettes. That's all for this post, feel free to stream and/or download "Crybaby" for free on my bandcamp page.

-Marshal

 Montgomery Drive

Mike Young Interview

Drivers,

This week I had the opportunity to speak with the one and only Mike Young, CEO and Founder of Unfair Roots and After Sweet Kiss. With years of countless experience within the music industry in avenues including event booking and coordinating, promotions, touring, and distribution; Mike Young has built a reputation and resume that reflects his passion and dedication to the entertainment and music industry.

After we began discussing his impressive resume he was very quick to explain the importance of mutual benefits in terms of the actual negotiation and deal making process. Whether he is working with bands or the venues associated with an event he works in order to find and/or create a situation in which all those involved benefit as opposed to just one person or establishment. Through years of cutting his teeth in bands like Tunes For Bears To Dance To and Osceola, Mike Young cemented his status and reputation as a highly motivated, driven powerhouse in the diy scene and the punk rock community. By taking the initiative to do things himself and finding ways to navigate through various situations to he continues to make deals and negotiate terms that are beneficial to all the parties involved. This mentality and track record have given Mike Young leverage and power in multiple situations allowing him to utilize BATNA’s to negotiate the best terms for all of those involved. 

Due to this attitude towards negotiating and deal making Mike Young not only finds himself appreciated but also in a role that allows him to affiliate with whomever he chooses. With these options Mike Young has been able to steer clear of dealing with dirty tricks and/or dirty tactics from others. Although there are those who will always utilize these types of ticks and tactics, Mike Young is not one of them. Currently, Mike Young is preparing to embark on another tour of Japan which he successfully negotiated for his band (Unfair Roots) and their good friends Tideland.

-Marshal

 Montgomery Drive

The Casket Lottery

Drivers,

From the moment I first heard The Casket Lottery I have always been inspired and greatly influenced by their eclectic sounds and excellent recordings. The music produced by the three-piece based out of Kansas City, Missouri always seemed to resonate deep within me. Unfortunately in mid-2006 I was crushed to hear they had decided to go on hiatus. The members went on to perform in different groups for the next few years until 2010 when they re-united to perform as special guests at a show in their hometown featuring Coalesce. Than in early 2011, the three piece yet again reformed to play select shows with the recently re-united Small Brown Bike.

Late August 2011 I was elated to hear The Casket Lottery had announced they would be entering the studio to begin working on a new album. The Casket Lottery's last release was the Smoke and Mirrors EP which was released in 2004 and their last full-length release was 2002's Survival Is for Cowards. Keeping in mind that most of the band's material had in the past been released through Second Nature Recordings it was expected the band would announce the yet untitled new album would also be released through them.  

In January of 2012 The Casket Lottery announced through their Facebook page that they had signed to No Sleep Records. It was also reported that the new album would be the band's first release as a quintet. The Casket Lottery have been recording at Black Lodge Recordings with Ed Rose in Eudora, Kansas and have promised a darker album than anything they've previously released.

No Sleep Records also announced they will be releasing a new 7" -EP from the band as well as a new solo 7" from The Casket Lottery's frontman Nathan Ellis this Spring. Needless to say, I am extremely excited to hear all the new material and hear how the addition of the fourth member will add to The Casket Lottery's already wide-ranging sound. If you haven't already heard this jaw-dropping group I urge you to take the time to check them out, you won't regret it.

-Marshal
 Montgomery Drive

Montgomery Drive

Drivers,


Simply put, "Montgomery Drive" refers to the street in Miami that I grew up on. This is a place where I spent countless hours wandering and searching throughout my life during both good and bad times. In 2004 I began writing music as "Montgomery Drive" but it wasn't until late 2005 that I actively began recording and performing under that name. When I began "Montgomery Drive", there were never any set goals or things I was hoping to accomplish besides self-expression. Since that time, I've been fortunate enough that my music has provided opportunities that have allowed me to travel to various parts of the world and perform for different audiences both near and far. This past March I traveled to Japan a week after the Earthquake/Tsunami with Unfair Roots as the first group of American Musicians to tour the island following the disaster (watch the full video playlist below). 




Although the primary goal of "Montgomery Drive" will always remain self-expression, I would love for people across the globe to feel personally connected to it. Even though this is something I'd like to accomplish, it is not something I would compromise my artistic integrity to gain. Furthermore, the connection with my audience is the best reinforcement and show of appreciation I can ever and have ever receive. "Montgomery Drive" is my outlet, a vessel I utilize in order to deal and/or cope with life and the experiences involved. For myself, it serves as a very therapeutic way of expressing very personal matters. It is extremely important to me that anyone who connects and/or enjoys the sounds of "Montgomery Drive" can easily find, own, and share those sounds with anyone.

As of this writing my discography includes four releases. These releases include: The Elephant Never Forgets, Fair Root/CounterfeitMatt Split, Crybaby, and Life On A Seesaw. The Elephant Never Forgets is a collection of early recordings and b-sides from 2004-2008 that was a limited release on cassette through the Kentucky based indie label Mayday! Mayday! Records. Most of the tracks included on that release are one-track live recordings that were later rerecorded for future releases. The Fair Root/CounterfeitMatt Split was a release through After Sweet Kiss Records to coincide with a Winter Tour in 2010 featuring Fair Root (aka Unfair Roots), CounterfeitMatt, and Myself. Crybaby was a completely instrumental release that was self released on cd and released on cassette through the Boston indie label BEAR Records. Lastly, the Life On A Seesaw recording was a self released EP that was released to coincide with the March/April 2011 Japan Tour. Although I just finished the tracks for my next two releases (both of which are splits that will be coming out later this year) Life On A Seesaw is my latest release that is currently available. As for the next two releases, the first split will feature Heffa Peppa, Rosetta Setta (MD), The Mad Skeleton (FL), and Myself. The second split will feature Love Ocean (MI), Ascia (CA), Colk (CA/JPN), Yui Daiki (JPN), and Myself. In addition to those splits I am currently finishing writing new material for some other special releases. As new albums are released I will add them to my site so remember to come back and check out what's new, subscribe to my YouTube page, like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and keep smiling there's much more on the way.

-Marshal

 Montgomery Drive

The British Paraorchestra

Drivers,


Music is one of if not the most important forms of communication that exists. At an independently organized TEDx Event in Brussels in 2011 Charles Hazelwood said,  "music is the most universal language that we have, way more so than any dialect or tongue. You can play a melody to a child in China and the same melody to a child in South Africa, and despite the huge differences between those two children, they will still draw some of the same truths from that melody." Charles Hazlewood is an award winning conductor who founded the British Paraorchestra to give musicians of disability a platform to collaborate and perform. The father of four who's youngest child was born with cerebral palsy stressed the importance of the British Paraorchestra and its platform for gifted musicians of disability to the audience in Brussels. In making this point, Hazlewood compared great orchestras from the 1960s to those of today noting how these orchestras had gone from virtually no females to having a fantastic healthy balance of the sexes. According to Hazelwood, "There's a very small community of disabled musicians out there, and that's the tragedy of it…Those known on the professional circuit you can almost count on the fingers of two hands. You can't tell me there aren't thousands more similarly gifted disabled musicians in this country - but where's their platform, where's their infastructure?" 

As the event continued to move forward, Hazlewood mades excellent points noting the Paralympics and how the validity of the disabled athletes involved is never questioned and the same should be the case for disabled musicians. Charles Hazelwood is determined to give gifted musicians of disability a platform, and with the British Paraorchestra it seems he has and is. At the TEDx Event in Brussels, he introduced for the first time ever, the first four members of the British Paraorchestra as they made their debut featuring Clarence Adoo, Lyn Levett, Baluji Shrivastav, and Llyod Coleman. 




Clarence Adoo, who formerly played trumpet for Courtney Pine until 1995 when a terrible automobile accident left him paralyzed from the shoulders down, plays music on a laptop computer by utilizing a custom designed blow tube as a computer mouse. Lyn Levett, who has severe cerebral palsy and can only communicate by pressing an iPad with her nose, creates remarkable electronic music. Lastly, there is the sitar player and composer Baluji Shrivastav who has been blind since eight months, and Lloyd Coleman who is both deaf and sight-impaired. All these members make their living solely from music. At this point the British Paraorchestra  is only made up of these four members but it is the hope of Charles Hazelwood that the British Paraorchestra will continue to grow closer to hopefully fifty members. Furthermore, Hazelwood is set on launching the British Paraorchestra in juncture with this years Paralympics which will be taking place in London.

It will be exciting to see whether or not Hazelwood is able to successfully in launching the British Paraorchestra at the Paralympics this coming year. Personally, I feel this is not only a notable and fantastic undertaking on the part of Hazlewood but also a fantastic and wonderful opportunity for gifted disabled musicians that should have been available long ago. Regardless of the outcome in the actual launch, the British Paraorchestra is the first orchestra of this kind and should be cheered, promoted, and supported vigorously. Everyone is capable of making music, and anyone who enjoys doing so should never have difficulty or be hindered in joining a group/band/orchestra especially because of something like sex, race, religion, or because of a disability.


-Marshal
 Montgomery Drive

Dreamseekers

Drivers,


Welcome to 2012. It's a new year, and as we continue to move forward the landscape of the entertainment industry will always shift and change as new developments and services become available. Recently, I read an article published on SESAC discussing the launch of a service called "Dreamseekers". This service which will come from a partnership between Myspace and Billboard will offer artists the chance to get "discovered". Through this subscription based service costing about $100 a year, artists will be able to upload music as well as gather analytics on their various social networks, blogs, airplay, and sales. These subsequent results will be published in a "Dreamseekers" chart that will be featured in Billboard. 

Is Dreakseekers worth the price? Personally, I don't feel it offers much besides the chart that they will be featuring in Billboard. There are currently numerous websites and services that track analytics the same way for far less and in some cases for free. Furthermore, in the past few years Billboard has fallen victim to decreasing subscribers and major losses in terms of revenue. To make matters worse, the other partner in this service is Myspace which has over the last few years become as outdated as the Eight-Track. With the public launch of other social networks like Facebook and Twitter, Myspace quickly became obsolete. Even as this shift occurred I as well as many others continued using Myspace as a platform for music that was until a few years ago. As more and more users switched over from Myspace to Facebook and Twitter, the idea of using Myspace became a thing of the past. Since switching over, I have never felt more connected to my audience. In addition, Myspace is completely flooded with spam and bots that make the social network more of an aggravation than a thing of enjoyment.

Dreamseekers is certainly a great thing in the aspect that it utilizes all the analytics to promote undiscovered artists on a chart that will be featured in Billboard. For the time being, Billboard continues to be the primary source consumers and industry professionals alike use to monitor success based upon mainstream charts. The thought of paying $100 or so a year to have the "possibility" of rating high enough to be featured on the chart may be good, but its only a possibility. If millions of artists utilize this service it becomes extremely unlikely that all these artists will be featured. To conclude this entry, I'd like to say for some this service may be good and extremely beneficial but for the majority of artists I'd say it seems foolish to utilize a service that can be attained cheaper and in some cases free.

-Marshal
 Montgomery Drive