October 2014
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 19, No. 10
NEXT MEETING - 5:00pm Sunday, October 5th, 2014
The International Songwriter’s Guild meets at 5 PM on the first Sunday of every month at the Central Florida Musician’s Union building, 3020 East Robinson (at the extreme east end of Robinson, near Orlando Executive Airport) in Orlando.
Songwriters, composers, performers, publishers, and the curious are encouraged to join us. Non-members are invited to attend a meeting or two to get a feel for our group and what we do. For more information, visit our website at www.tinyurl.com/isgsongs or myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/21075001
The meetings will be structured as follows: 5:00 to 5:30, business and introductions. 5:30 to 6:00, presentation by a guest speaker (when scheduled), 5:30 or 6:00 to 8:00, song critiques. Please bring a CD or I-phone or mp3 player or perform your song live, and bring 10 or more lyric sheets. If we have at least 5 songs by members who wish to be scored, and 6 members scoring, then we will have them entered in the Monthly competition. Everyone is encouraged to write constructive comments on the lyric sheets.
Any Details not in this newsletter are at:
www.tinyurl.com/isgsongs
Thematic #2
By Jeff Mason
It is interesting to research the songs that get placed on television shows. It forces you to listen to new musical genres. I found this to be true in two of the songs that I’ll write about in this month’s article.
David Milch’s ill fated HBO series “Luck” only survived one season. The show was about horse racing but was cancelled because of animal safety concerns. It did, however, feature an opening theme song titled “Splitting The Atom.” The song was composed and performed by trip-hop group Massive Attack. The group was formed in Bristol, England in 1988. They are considered founders of the trip-hop genre.This is the definition of trip-hop from the Urban Dictionary which I found on line: “A blend of electronica and down-tempo hip-hop, urban and ethereal, street and ambience. Thought provoking, sensual, and deep. Often features a string section and/or brass section. Can be either instrumental or with female vocals. Occasionally with rap. Trancy and smooth. Often jazzy. Sometimes features turntablism/ scratching. It’s head nodding music. Chill-out music.”
I can agree with most of this definition including the two new words “trancy” and “turntablism.” It is an Urban Dictionary so we can expect to find new expressions. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=trip+hop “Splitting The Atom” features a male vocalist and a hypnotic keyboard riff. It works very well with the opening video montage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67X-m8W9pXs I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I liked this genre of music. It’s easy to get hold of a software synthesizer and I think I could work in this style.
Another band has come up with it’s own, unique brand of music. Gangstagrass are a group of musicians from New York City who have combined bluegrass and rap music. The group was formed in 2006 but reached a large audience when it’s song “Long Hard Times To Come” was chosen to be the opening theme on the 2010 television show “Justified.” The show is a gritty, crime drama set in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky. The song was composed by Rench and rapper Tone-z and features banjo, slide dobro and fiddle. The song was written for the show and was nominated for an Emmy in the category of Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music. It works well with the show’s opening credits and video http://vimeo.com/10465795 It’s a short sequence that has propelled this group to a higher rung in the music business.
“Sons of Anarchy” is now showing on FX and is in it’s seventh and final season. Another hard boiled crime drama about a Californian motor bike gang. It’s not my favorite show and I find some of it’s violence gratuitous. It does compensate with some of the best Americana music that I’ve heard. The show’s opening theme “This Life” performed by Curtis Stigers and The Forest Rangers received an Emmy award nomination for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music in 2009. The song was written by Curtis Stigers, Dave Kushner, Bob Thiele Jr., and show creator Kurt Sutter. The bluesy arrangement and lyrics are an appropriate match for the show’s theme. Stigers voice is perfect and the group is a very tight ensemble. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mj0HU438-U
I apologize I wasn’t able to come up with a link to the opening video. You might try Hulu or Net Flix if you wish to study it further.
The show received a nomination for an Emmy in the category of Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics - 2014 for the song “Day is Gone.” Written by Bob Thiele, Kurt Sutter and Noah Gundersen. It is a bitter sweet acoustic piece sung by Gundersen and is used over a final sequence.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1NBOuR_zFg This is just a link to the song.
The Forest Rangers are considered the “house band” for the show and guitarist Bob Thiele is it’s music supervisor. They have recorded some new arrangements of more established songs for the series. Their latest is a stellar cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Forest-Rangers/378677498765
If you are thinking about writing for the lucrative film and television market be prepared to step out of your comfort zone and to drop old, musical preconceptions. I’ll see you next month.
ISG Bulletin Board
Meeting space graciously provided by Central Florida Musicians Association, Local 389. You are invited to join the largest union in the world, representing the interests of the professional musician. Visit their website at afm389.org for more information. You may reach them by phone at: 407-894-8666.
Why isn't your gig announced here? Members in good standing
call us with your appearance schedule! 407-760-2153
Current members please send us your website info if you would like your site to be listed in the ISG members page. Also if you have any songs that have placed first in the monthly critiques, please send the mp3's to isgorlando@gmail.com if you would like to have them featured in the ISG MySpace page. https://myspace.com/21075001
No Song Contest for September
New members always welcome!
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