November 2014
Guild Tidings
The official publication of
The International Songwriters Guild
Volume 19, No. 11
NEXT MEETING - 5:00pm Sunday, November 2nd, 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
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:
Swamp Blues
By Jeff Mason
I saw a TAXI tip last week. A Hollywood Music Supervisor was looking for “driving, blues
inspired, contemporary alt rock songs or instrumental tracks.” They were needed for placement in
a “new AAA console video game franchise.” He wanted “propulsive mid to up tempo songs or
instrumental tracks” in the style of The Black Keys, Band of Skulls or Black Rebel Motorcycle
Club. The tip offered three reference songs that could be studied “to get you in the stylistic
ballpark:” "Howlin' For You" by The Black Keys, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLSpj7q6_mM
"The Devil Takes Care of His Own" by Band of Skulls https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZpV9pN4kGU
and "Spread Your Love" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YFkn8rawVk
I was not surprised to see The Black Keys mentioned as a reference artist that
merited further study. The rock duo consisting of Dan Auerbach(guitar,vocals) and Patrick Carney
(drums) have achieved considerable commercial success since their formation in Akron, Ohio in
2001. Their music is a raw, gritty swamp blues style which echoes Auerbach’s blues influences, Bo
Diddley, Junior Kimbrough and RL Burnside. Cheap guitars, vintage amps and obscure distortion
pedals contribute to the duo’s distinctive, garage band sound. In the September 2014 edition of
“Guitar World” Auerbach is quoted “I really like raw stripped-down blues, so much so that I
didn’t even really listen to Muddy Waters or Howlin’ Wolf much- not the Chicago recordings on
Chess Records, because it was almost too big of a band. I like that Memphis stuff: Joe Hill Lewis
and Willie Johnson-really raw simplified blues.”
On NPR’s “Fresh Air,” in 2011, Auerbach explained how their simple approach to
music worked best for them. “We really like really simple kind of hooks that become hypnotic,” he
added.”When you start to do the simple thing over and over again, and then it sort of gets
ingrained in your mind and draws you in-that’s the sort of things we’ve always been into.” Music
supervisors for film and television shows seem to agree. At Tunefind.com I found 26 pages of film
and television placements for the duo, including placements on “Sons Of Anarchy,” “Hawaii Five-O”
and “Criminal Minds.” www.tunefind.com/artist/the-black-keys
They have been accused of selling out because of the numerous commercials their songs have been
used on. I can’t blame them, especially when I look at the current downturn in the record
business. Stephen Colbert accused them of “selling out” and in 2011, Colbert invited both members
of The Black Keys and Vampire Weekend onto the stage of “The Colbert Report.” “The only way to
tell which band has more edgy, non -commercial appeal is to see which band got their songs in
more commercials,” Colbert said. Auerbach faced off with Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig by
naming the commercials that had licensed their songs. Zales, Sony, Victoria’s Secret, Nissan and
Tommy Hilfilger are just a few. Colbert “called the contest a draw.” He declared “that both bands
had equally whored out their music.”
http://www.npr.org/2011/01/31/133276978/the-fresh-air-interview-the-black-keys
The Black Keys may only use two or three chords but Richard Dance explains the
challenges involved in trying to achieve a current, more modern sound. In a Taxi TV Show aired on
ustream.tv on May 19, 2014 “New Tricks for Old Guys” Dance talks about his recording and writing
process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdXSKn7ocZE Dance is also known as “The Crawdaddy” and comes
from Pensacola, Fl and is now based in Phoenix, AZ. After touring the world as a guitarist,
singer and songwriter he is now composing music for Film & TV. He has shared the stage or studio
with Lyle Lovett, Count Basie, Stevie Nicks, Dionne Warwick, Dr. John and Glen Campbell.
https://www.facebook.com/richard.dance1/info?ref=page_internal Yet even with this fine pedigree
he had his first 55 submissions rejected for not matching the listing. Trying to make his songs
sound more contemporary in the stylistic vein of Jack White or The Black Keys, he found his
material was not quite right. His first forward was “Funky Butt Strut” a song written for
pleasure. Sometimes you can be trying too hard.
http://thecrawdaddy.bandcamp.com/track/funky-butt-strut
Richard uses older equipment. He manages to make a Dr. Rhythm 880 drum machine
sound like a real drummer. He doesn’t use a DAW but relies on a stand alone Tascam 24 Track.
Contributing his own bass lines, his advice is to “lock the bass with the snare and kick drum.”
He advises that melodies and grooves can sound dated. He also stresses the importance of finding
the right BPM (beats per minute), sometimes 79 BPM sounds better than 81 BPM. He advises
instrumentalists to play in a trio to develop consistent instrumentation. As a guitarist he
advises not to overdo the guitar riffs and back to The Black Keys, he advises using simple
“nursery rhyme” melodies. Maybe four or five notes.
Richard eventually discovered that elusive Black Keys sound when he used a “weird
distortion” on the vocals. He has now placed 96 songs in a library of a guy who gets very good
listings for television shows. You may listen to more of “The Crawdaddy” at
https://soundcloud.com/richard-dance-music
I gave you a bit to study this month. Good listening!
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
October 2014 song contest results
1." I've got a Secret" by Melanie Fisher
2. (tie) "To Go Home" by Logan Belle
2. (tie) "Generic Country Song" by Kent and Susie Cool
4. "I Think About You and Smile" by Bill Frank
5. "Six Feet from Purgatory" by Phil Pye
New members always welcome!
© 2014 ISG