Music Industry News

Touring
Teeth & Tongue Lands in the US : (Music Jobs Blog)

Advice
Didn’t Get the Job? Make Sure You’re ‘Covered’ : (Music Jobs Blog)

Taxes
Gear Review from NAMM 2012 : (Freelancers Union)

DJs
5 Best Practices of Today’s DJ : (DJ Marketing 101)

Supergroup
Damon Albarn/Flea/Tony Allen form Rocket Juice and the Moon and Announce LP : (Pitchfork)

Quick Tip of the Week

Customized Job Alerts
This Quick Tip will walk you through the process of tailoring your emailed Job Alerts to alert you of more job opportunities, in the regions you wish to work.

Music Video of the Week

Jazz Tribute to New Orleans
Erykah Badu, Mos Def and Mark Ronson team up to make a soulful gumbo with New Orleans jazz icon Zigaboo Modeliste.

Music Jobs

Don’t forget to check our jobs board for the latest jobs and careers in music.

Enjoy your weekend!

The Music Jobs Team

Teeth & Tongue is New Zealand born, Melbourne based singer/songwriter Jess Cornelius. After starting her musical career performing in bar/club rock bands, Jess picked up some drum machines, a keyboard and an electric guitar and formed her own sound. Citing David Bowie as an influence for his shape-changing pop powers, Teeth & Tongue is now morphing into an amalgamation of styles, keeping some rock prowess whilst mellowing in sound and producing more hushed vocal layers and playful melodies.

2011 saw Teeth & Tongue release a second album, ‘Tambourine’, and it is from this album that the single ‘Unfamiliar Skirts’ was plucked, ready to cause a stir and widen Jess’ appeal to a global level. Her debut US tour is approaching quickly, with dates in California before a sure-to-be epic SXSW party with Music Jobs‘ culture news favorite, Flavorpill. Expect an enthralling solo show from the Aussie musician, as the press release says, “Cornelius takes to the stage solo with the accompaniment of a drum machine, electric guitar and layered vocal samples to create a live set that must be experienced [...] with an unmatchable sound and stage presence.”

The ‘Unfamiliar Skirts’ single was originally written and arranged in just one night at a home studio, then went on to be remade for the album, pick up acclaim in the Australian press, and Jess can now count Rolling Stone as a fan. The video for the single was filmed in Hackney, and you can preview that here at Music Jobs…

Directed by Lucy Dyson // Camera and Editing by Joseph Jensen // Make Up by Alannah Ashworth

Tour Dates

Thu March 8th – The Starry Plough, Berkeley, California
Sat March 10th – The Homeroom, Los Angeles
Sun March 11th – The Echo, Los Angeles
Tue March 13th – SXSW –TBA, Austin, TX
Wed March 14th – SXSW Flavorpill Party, Lipstick 64, Austin

Teeth & Tongue’s second album ‘Tambourine’ is out through Dot Dash / Remote Controland. For more info and all things fan-related, head to teethandtongue.com

by Lee Jarvis.

A sweaty but polite shaking of hands (Image by Aidan Jones)

Our parents had to typewrite, if not handwrite, their resumes. We “mail” them off with the click of a button. Technology, always further expediting the way in which we communicate, has pleasantly made the tedious affair of applying for jobs a bit less like a job in itself. But, as a result of its digitalization, the job application process has also become deceivingly effortless, and one of the most important steps to seeking employment—the cover letter—seems to have become a lost art.

You might have asked yourself: Why take the time to explain to an employer who you are, what you’ve done, and what you’re capable of, when they can view all this information on your profile page? And you might have asked yourself later why you did not get the job. In the modern world, there may not be a practical reason for God-bless-yous,  but we still like them. Let there be no doubt about it: Employers still like cover letters.

Take for instance, the handshake. Nowadays you might be at a loss looking for reasons as to why, time after time, we automatically offer our hands to one another at business meetings, parties, and family reunions. There actually hasn’t been a practical reason for it for centuries (for ancient Greeks it was a way of showing others that you weren’t brandishing a weapon). But even if the handshake has lost this primitive functionality, this sweaty union of hands is a small but essential part of forming a relationship. It is a telling gesture to offer your vulnerable palm to a stranger and say, “Nice to meet you,” if not, “I come in peace and I’m not concealing a dagger.”

The seemingly meaningless ritual of the handshake is often the first impression we make on one another, and it’s a lasting one. Whether it be too firm, too weak, or even a little moist, your handshake is an indicator of who you are, and the standard by which those you meet will, in varying degrees, judge you.

In the jobs world, your cover letter is your handshake.

Applying for a position without writing a thoughtful cover letter is like asking someone to let you move into their house before even shaking their hand. It may seem like an outdated practice, inherited from the days of paper, ink, and envelopes, but it is still an essential way of connecting with your potential employer, and it can make or break your chances of getting the job.

For tips on how to apply your next handshake, check out this helpful how-to on myfuture.com.

This week in Music Jobs’ world…

Global Mix Series
DJ Sneak Fabric 62 Compilation Release and Tour : (Music Jobs Blog)

Grammys
Adele performance confirmed : (Music Week)

Music Technology
Gear Review from NAMM 2012 : (Resident Advisor)

Sustainable
Modified Turntable Reads Tree-Rings as Music : (Tree Hugger)

RIP
Soul Train’s Don Cornelius Commits Suicide : (TMZ)

Quick Tip of the Week

Customized Job Alerts : This Quick Tip will walk you through the process of tailoring your emailed Job Alerts to alert you of more job opportunities, in the regions you wish to work.

Music Video of the Week

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Can´t Stop
From their 2002 album, By the Way, this was the Chili Peppers’ eighth number one Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and it also hit #57 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Don’t forget to check out the latest jobs in the music business .

Enjoy your weekend!

The Music Jobs Team

Lana Del Rey's chart-topping album, Born to Die (Image by rongzhiwei)

Singer Lana Del Rey’s highly anticipated album Born to Die was released last week to mixed reviews and outstanding sales (it hit No. 1 on the iTunes album chart above Leonard Cohen, Coldplay, and even Adele).

The question arises: What, if not musical ability, does it take to make it big in the music business?

Considering the publicity generated by her strange, atonal SNL performance, which was just bad enough to be interesting, her success on the charts makes sense. If listeners aren’t buying her album because they enjoy her music, they’re buying it to revel in how mediocre it is. But a new study on artist releases suggests there’s more behind Del Rey’s recent chart-topping than the media buzz surrounding her confounding public persona. It might also be a matter of good timing.

According to a study conducted by the Independent, January is the perfect month for an artist to release an album. At the beginning of the year, sales of only 30,000 albums can result in a No. 1 spot on the charts, resulting in increased sales, radio play, and gigs at major festivals. And after the holiday lull, people are ready for new, exciting music in the new year—even if it comes from Lana Del Rey.

For more on Del Rey’s new album check out Stephen Deusner’s article on Salon.com.

The latest edition of the global mix series features Chicago House veteran DJ Sneak.

This week we heard that the next release in a long line of epic compilations from Fabric, the London-based nightclub and record label, will be mixed by US house music legend DJ Sneak. Edition 62 sees Sneak select and compile a mix of his classic shuffling Chicago House sounds, along with the tougher rhythms and acidic basslines of a European techno style. He says, “I am very proud, excited and confident this mix will entertain for many years to come… As long as I’m alive, house music is not dead!“.

Being a DJ and producer for over 20 years teaches you abut the short cyclical peaks and troughs of trends. The fashionable music will come and go at lightning speed, while developing a sound that has longevity, and having people pick out and play your records as both a nostalgic trip and an instance of foresight, is a rarer gem. From his early beginnings in Puerto Rico, establishing the strong Latin rhythms and percussion in him, Sneak moved to Chicago in 1983 and was equally immersed in the Jazz, Funk and Disco sounds of the US. A few years later and the Chicago House sound had him hooked, and provided a style for him to become involved in the music industry, first as a record shop worker, then by launching a label and releasing his own records. The mid-nineties saw his work pick up global recognition, and working and DJing alongside key industry people such as Cajmere, Derrick Carter, Daft Punk, Fatboy Slim and Mr C.

His constant musical output and tireless touring schedule has helped prove that DJ Sneak has stuck it out and firmly earned his place in the mix series, alongside fellow house music greats and Fabric chosen ones such as Mark Farina and DJ Heather.

You can get a taste of the compilation from the promo video below.

Fabric 62: DJ Sneak Tracklisting

1. Strip Steve & Das Glow – Calcium
2. Markus Homm & Philipp Gonzales – Got To Make It
3. Basti Grub feat Agent! – Walking In My Blues
4. Yeshua Murillo – I’m Gonna Make You Mine (Joss Moog Mix)
5. Arturo Garces – Light It Up
6. Tripmastaz – No Turning Back
7. Mike Jules – Crack Ass
8. Hector Couto – Creampie (Darius Syrossian Remix)
9. Mendo – Old School
10. Alex Tepper – In, Out, Life
11. DJ Sneak – My Love (Ramon Tapia Remix)
12. Sir James – Special (Ramon Tapia Remix)
13. Christian Burkhardt & Einzelkind – Cooper
14. Luca M – Funk My Sax
15. Muto – Wait A Minute
16. DJ W!ld feat Hector Moralez – Take A Trip
17. Willie Graff & Tuccillo – To The Music (Tato Remix)
18. Cause & Affect – Beware Of The Swingers

DJ Sneak Tour Dates

Fri Jan 27: Terminal, Naples, Italy
Sat Jan 28: Sankeys, Manchester, UK
Fri Feb 3: Headway, Dundee, UK
Sat Feb 4: Showcase, Paris, France
Fri Feb 17: Watergate, Berlin, Germany
Sat Feb 18: Fabric, London, UK
Fri Feb 24: Dolans, Limerick, Ireland
Sat Feb 25: Grelle Forelle, Vienna, Austria
Thu Mar 15: Jacked Up, Atlanta, USA
Fri Mar 23: Shine, Miami Beach, USA

Fabric 62 : DJ Sneak will be released Worldwide on CD and Digital on 20th February 2012 with the USA CD release on 27th March 2012. Pre-order the album here.

by Lee Jarvis.

This week in Music Jobs’ world…

Music Industry Career Profile
Audio Engineer / Sound Technician : (Music Jobs Blog)

Cool?
LL Cool J – Still super-cool? : (Red Eye Chicago)

Applicants
Why No One Is Writing Back? : (About.com)

Good-Looking Sounds
Audiophiliac readers show off their sweet systems : (Cnet)

RIP
Musician Johnny Otis Dies : (The Daily Beast)

Quick Tip of the Week

Customized Job Alerts : This Quick Tip will walk you through the process of tailoring your emailed Job Alerts to alert you of more job opportunities, in the regions you wish to work.

Music Video of the Week

Soul Train Dancers: Jungle Boogie (1973)
A little slice of music culture history this week, in the form of a Soul Train video. Arguably, many of the best performances on this show were from its formative years. Six-inch platforms and all…

Don’t forget to check out the latest jobs in the music business .

Enjoy your weekend!

The Music Jobs Team

All the necessary skills and possible opportunities in the field of Sound and Audio Engineering.

The job of an Audio Engineer can crop up in a variety of industries, from dubbing for foreign films, to music for TV shows, to working in recording studios with singers and musicians. The job titles may differ slightly (Audio Engineer, Sound Technician, Audio Technician, Recording Engineer), but often there are key elements at the core of each role. They will use their skill and knowledge to help create, record, and manipulate sound, using an array of analog and digital tools and equipment to get the cleanest sound possible.

Responsibilities

An Audio Engineer will often be responsible for the setup and maintenance of equipment, be this in a studio, live event setting, or for off-site recording purposes. This may include microphones, speakers, mixing desks, connecting wires, and computer hardware and software. Once the client and/or any instruments arrive, the engineer may set up microphones, assign channels and establish levels to monitor the recording. From there, the amount of creative input the engineer has will depend on the individual relationship with the client. They may give feedback and tips after each take, experiment with different microphones and effects, or simply sit back and press record. Once the audio has been recorded, it is the engineer’s job to edit and mix where necessary, so that the recording has a full and clean sound throughout.

Skills

Prospective employers will be looking for an engineer who is adept at moving between different setups and able to create the right surroundings for each session and client. They should be comfortable with a wide selection of sound equipment. Since the digital revolution, it has also become important to be skilled with several types of software, and know and exploit the strengths of each tool in your arsenal. Having to create a clean recording from any starting point means that an engineer also needs to have an exceptionally good ear for balance and attention to detail. An Audio Engineer needs to have a very strong work ethic; sessions rarely run to time, deadlines fly towards you at lightning pace, and you regularly continue as long as the client wants. They should also be able to work around problems fast to avoid any delays and frustrations from the rest of the team on the project.

Experience

Audio Engineers often start out as musicians themselves, and realize that their passion if being in the studio and pushing the buttons at the desk. At some point, formal training is the main route into a job, and most will have attended a vocational program at a music technology-based school, while some may have degrees in audio engineering, such as a BSc in Audio Production or a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Engineering Technology. Most engineers gain a lot of their knowledge and perfect their expertise ‘on-the-job’, and a well-traveled path is working up from an intern or assistant engineer, starting with more mundane admin work and preparation/maintenance of equipment.

Associations

The Audio Engineering Society was established in the United States in 1948, and promotes advances in audio among engineers, creative artists, scientists, and students worldwide. aes.org

by Lee Jarvis.

Jonny Greenwood playing bowed guitar. Image by RossoGialloBianco

We’ll have some original, potentially Oscar-worthy music from Radiohead multi-instrumentalist and composer Jonny Greenwood to look forward to in 2013. Fans might remember the disappointment of Greenwood’s score for P.T. Anderson’s There Will Be Blood being found ineligible for an Oscar nod in 2008 because of a minor technicality (it included a Brahms concerto and was therefore not completely original). Now Greenwood is back to work with Anderson, writing the music for his upcoming film The Master, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Joaquin Phoenix.

Greenwood has also completed work on a collaborative album with Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki (one of his major influences), due to be released in the US on March 13. The album is organized like a conversation between the two composers’ works, with Greenwood’s strings-heavy “Popcorn Superhet Receiver” following in the footsteps of the piece that inspired it, Penderecki’s horrifying sound mass composition, “Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima.”

Click here for the full article on NME.com.

This week in Music Jobs’ world…

Data
State of Online Music 2011 : (Music Jobs Blog)

Silencing is Golden
NY Phil Interrupted by Cell Phone : (Music Jobs Blog)

Physical Media
Are music magazines singing their swan song? : (Ryerson Online)

Listen
Bon Iver and the Chieftains: “Down in the Willow Garden” : (Pitchfork)

Birthday Girl
Janis Joplin on the cover of Rolling Stone in 1970 : (Rolling Stone)

Quick Tip of the Week

Customized Job Alerts : This Quick Tip will walk you through the process of tailoring your emailed Job Alerts to alert you of more job opportunities, in the regions you wish to work.

Music Video of the Week

Jimmy Castor Bunch – It’s Just Begun
Although not released as a single, this title track from the 1972 album became one of their most well-known songs, and went on to be sampled over 40 times by the likes of 2 LIve Crew, Pharrell, and even the Spice Girls.

Don’t forget to check out the latest jobs in the music business .

Enjoy your weekend!

The Music Jobs Team