Gatekeeper Cover by FOTLM

After much writing, tweaking, adjusting and fine tuning, FOTLM has finally finished a cover song that brings a whole new dimension to this originally quiet voice-and-guitar melody called Gatekeeper by Feist. Leslie Feist, that is, who is the singer behind the original music, the writer of the song being Chilly Gonzales. This song was done in the usual Fellowservant-styled structure, chalk-full of the usual electronictry that FOTLM has become known for, along with some extras, including a lighty distorted guitar track, piano melodies throughout the length of the song and some interesting breakdowns. At the moment, the song is not available for download or distribution but only as a cover and tribute to Feist, and only available for listening on YouTube and Soundcloud for the time being.

If you like what you hear, check out other works by FOTLM at Soundcloud.com. :)

The Return of Vinyl & Cassettes?

According to Under the Radar magazine's February edition (#34), "sales of the vinyl LP have increased nearly 300% since 2006, with most vinyl LPs being sold at independent record stores" (such as Rhino Records in Claremont, CA). "According to Nielsen SoundScan ratings, 2.1 million units of vinyl were sold between January and mid-October 2010, and though this only represents about one percent of overall music sales, it is still a noteworthy chuck of product!" And what artists, you might ask, are actually selling vinyl these days? "After The Beatles' Abbey Road at #1, you have Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, The Black Keys, and Beach House, with the last band mentioned accounting for 22% of vinyl sales alone." A large part of it seems to be credited through Record Store Day, which started three years ago. Says Eric Levin, one of the founders of RSD: "We never stopped carrying vinyl, and it's always done well. Around 2004/2005, it really started to ramp up, and then obviously last year was huge, with RSD in particular."

So what accounts for the renewed interested in the once bygone format? Is it s hipster audience who delights in something nostaligic? Is it the yearning for a physical product in the age of the ever-persent computer click? Is it that old mainstay argument, the sound? Dan Auerbach, singer/guitarist of The Black Keys, says his preferred medium is actually vinyl. "I like the 33 1/3 on a good turntable with a good stylus and good speakers. I don't think there's anything really better. It sounds better, flat out. I don't listen to it for nostalgia. I listen to it because I want to hear the crackles and pops."

"Less resurgent but still on the move is the cassette, which sells significantly less than vinyl (16,000 units vs vinyl's 2.1 million, year to date, mid-Oct.) but still makes up a niche market of indie releases. Even Goldfrapp released their new album Head First on tape, an exclusive to Record Store Day in 2010. Though the market remains small, cassettes have proven a viable way to release music in a limited-edition fashion..."

"Whether due to better sound quality, a desired listening experience, or the urge for a limited-release product, vinyl and cassettes are back. Who knows how far the trend will continue, but for now people are interested and numbers remain strong."

You can read the full article in the recent Feb. issue of Under The Radar magazine at your local bookstore.(website requires subscription) :)

Revisiting an oldie from Coldplay

Have you ever found an amazing song at one point, forgot about it for a time, then suddently come upon it again to realize "Hey, it's that song!" Well, that happened to me just the other day while browsing through Coldplay's music and wondering which of their past CD's to buy. I love reading the biography and history of bands, and while reading about their beginnings and listening to their first EP, I stumbled upon that song, a very moving song called Easy To Please, a song I found in the past and forgot about...til a few days ago! It certainly brought back a few memories, which songs tend to do, especially if you're going through some tough times.

Here is a fan-made video of Easy To Please from Coldplay off their first EP Brothers & Sisters from 1999. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did, the first time and for all time! :)

Untitled promo EP from FOTLM finished!

I'm happy to say that all 3 songs are finally finished and ready for hard copies for the Untitled promo EP that I will be sending out in limited numbers starting this week! That's it...I need to let them be done, be happy and move along with this cause I can't keep going back and correcting every single little nuance or this will never get out! Perhaps you artists can relate to that. I will be handing these out at certain venues this week locally and perhaps until mid-year, however things play out. In the meantime I've already moved forward with one solid new song, one or two on the verge of being finished and many that need working on. You can always check to see what's new by clicking the link on the right for FOTLM Music. But for the time being, enjoy these tracks that are finally finished for 2010...that is, if you enjoy synthpop/electronic music. :)

Untitled EP by fotlm

Time for some...Pomplamoose! Wha???

As strange as it's name is, Pomplamoose actually has some very interesting music, as I've taken the time to browse it's many cover songs (one of their most popular being Beat It from Michael Jackson, heard on a Hundai commercial) as well as original songs. I've included my own favorite cover song here...Nat King Cole's Nature Boy. I think they do a wonderful job here! Along with all their songs, they create some interesting videos as well, which is sure to entertain you from beginning to end. Because I'm a huge fan of watching 'In-studio work' and the creative process, I pretty much fell in love with their videos, but even if you're not, I think you will too.

If you're not familiar with them, start with this nice, mellow cover song, but don't stop here...check out their other songs - they are definitely worth the listen for all you lovers of contemporary/jazz/experimental music. If this song is a little too mellow for you're liking and you're looking for something with a bit of fun, then check out If You Think You Need Some Lovin' then! It's sure to entertain you both musically and videolly! (Is that even a word? lol) Then, if you'd like to dig deeper, both Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn have their own sites and music as well! I think that will give you enough music to digest for the week! :)