Welcome To The Sunday Soundtrack – 08 Mar 09

Hello listeners…how’s everyone’s weekend going? I trust it’s going well. I’m sitting here in Panera Bread composing this post. I was interviewed today by a fellow follower on Twitter, Deb Allison Lee, a professional organizer here in the DC Metro area. The interview was one in a series of video segments for her website. The gist of the interview basically asks the question: How do you stay organized in your busy life? I was sought as a candidate because of the 80 bazillion things I’m involved with every day…LOL. It was really cool and we had a lot of fun. She tells me that the various videos will appear on her site by the end of March 2009, so make sure to stop by and check it out.

4:59pm: The weather is really gorgeous out there, so I’m gonna head home, take advantage of this good temperature and get back to this post later…. Ciao

9:52pm: Ok…so why am I sleepy…haha! I will press on though.

I will take a moment to explan to some of my new listeners why The Sunday Soundtrack was created. The concept came out of desire to share these particular genres of music I tend to showcase with listeners I thought wouldn’t normally know of such genres. As you have noticed, downtempo, electronica, ambient, nu-jazz, chillout (or chill) is a feel that is very laidback, cool, collected, at times sensuous, but generally relaxing. As a person that stays busy with variety of things continually, I found my personal collaboration of similar tracks in my iPod library often became a nice way of chilling out my hectic schedule (music can be very medicinal and therapeutic as I’m sure you can attest to). The other primary for creating the podcast was to provide an alternative to the typical (and always popular) smooth jazz music that is commonly associated with a relaxing afternoon.

I’ve found, as a musician for more than half my life. the discover of a genre or genres of music can b extremely exciting. Growing up on R&B, Soul and Jazz, I was able to develop a well respected love for those genres, especially being fortunate enough to see the evolutions in each. Discovering the genres I share in this podcast remains exciting and new, as I had NO idea how big the culture of chill is…from the beach bars of Ibiza to the cafes among the seas. I can’t seem to get enough of these musical vibes in what seems to be a never ending discover of new grooves

That being said, I present to you….the playlist. I hope you enjoy it.

1. afterthewoman – rdm
2. Alternate Thursday – Platonic/Sound In Color/Mu.sic – Pixelated Pulse
3. Second Cup Of Coffee – Big La vs. Todd/Blue… Kinda Grey
4. Argha Noah – Nightmares On Wax/Carboot Soul
5. Bay of Islands – Blackfish/Pole Navigation
6. Bizarre Love Pentangle – Muzz/Sty Wars
7. Breather 2000 (Arithunda Mix) – Afterlife/The St. Regis Chill & Groove
8. Gaze – Sweetback/Sweetback
9. The Glass Bead Game – Thievery Corporation/Ultra Chilled
10. If You Don’t Love Me, Understand Me – Vision
11. Woman’s Mood – Lady Tha ProducHer

That’s it…It’s my wish that u enjoy this podcast, it’s always a pleasure to bring it. Be sure to check out my fellow podcast massive in my blogroll. I’m certain you will enjoy what they have to offer.

Using Twitter? Feel free to follow The Sunday Soundtrack. If you’re on Facebook, check the group out here

As always, thanks for listening. Enjoy ….

peace,
F!

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Reducing Stressssssssssssssssssssssss….

1. Start the day right. Save all that frantic wasted time used in the morning to prepare for the day. Spend the night before preparing for the next day.
2. Declutter your space. It takes energy to keep possessions in working order or dusted. Get rid of the stuff that’s broken or missing a part.
3. Learn to say “no.” Don’t overload your schedule with more tasks, more jobs, more volunteer time. It’s OK to say no.
4. Turn off the TV. We waste too much time sitting in front of the TV. Curb how many hours the TV is on. And before you pick up the remote control, ask yourself if there are activities to share with the family, or entertainment, like a museum visit or play, that you’ve been putting off.
5. Commit to number one. When the demands of work, parenthood, or household chores get you down, it’s time to schedule a date with yourself. Whether it’s every Sunday night or 20 minutes each morning, the important thing is to make a plan and stick to it.
6. Find a sanctuary. Escape to a place to enjoy peaceful solitude.
7. Be spontaneous. Spontaneity is key to feeling like you’re in control of your own destiny. Every once in a while, a change in routine can spark your spirits and your energy.
8. Live beneath your means. Did you know that 80% of America’s self-made millionaires are frugal? If you want to achieve economic independence, try buying only what you can afford, not what you think you need. See how long you can go without cashing a check, charging on credit, or buying anything. You’ll be amazed how ingenious and inventive you can be.
9. Rewrite the course of your day. When the newspaper’s horoscope doesn’t tell you what you want to hear, write your own, using words that make you feel great. Or start jotting down phrases you like on slips of paper, put them in a box, and pick as many as you need to start the day.
10. Listen to your body. You know what your biological clock prefers. Indulge it and watch your productivity grow
Realistic? I think so….what about u?

peace (literally),
F!

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Blaze: Guest Teachers at the Grammy Pro Sessions NYC

One of the best duos in soulful house music teach students about remixing. Certainly inspiringGreat video!

peace,
F!

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Universal

Your life right now is the result of the things you have done up until this point in time. If you want your life to be different, you will need to make changes.
Wishing for a better life won’t make it so. In order for “things” to change, you must be willing to change. That means getting out of your comfort zone. It means facing your fears. It means you may need to change your career, your friends, the food you eat, the clothes you wear, where you live, your daily schedule.
You are remarkably adaptable. If you’ve made it this far, you have already gone through many major changes in all aspects of your life. From being an infant to a toddler to a child to a teen to an adult, the first few years of your life were filled with constant change. You are certainly up to the task.
Almost always, the fear of change, the fear of the unknown, is worse than the change itself. Once you understand this, then you realize that it is easier to change than to resist change.
There are things you need to do, changes you need to make. Go ahead with them. Don’t waste your energy fearing them or resisting them. Dive right in and do what needs to be done. Change is a constant part of life. When you fear it, it will happen anyway, out of your control. When you embrace change, it will enable you to reach your goals.
-Ralph Marston –

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MrFresh and Roney in a diatribe about urban music today (long)

A chat….one Wednesday…

Fresh: Roney
Roney: Good morning! How are you doing on Hump Day?
Fresh doing just that
great news on the NEW The Time CD
Roney: I hear ya!
The Time news is cool.
Fresh ORIGINAL MEMBERS
Roney: Any release date projected?
The original line up makes it newsworthy.

Fresh dunno…gotta check the usually haunts..this is all new news to me
Roney: Keep us informed!
Fresh I knew they were on tour last year in Vegas…but didnt know they were in the studio
I will post what I find out.
Roney: Hopefully real music can make a bigger comeback with radio play too.
Fresh i think the first part might be more feasible from a buyers standpoint, industry will drag it’s feet.
Roney: True. Too bad most of the old school did not pick up or test drive web2.0 like Prince did. But I guess it is easier to do one thing at a time.
Fresh the radio listening/CD buying public (in that age range) will have to be introduced to the concept of real music…a reality only folks of our generation really can relate to
Roney: Right. I thought of buying the digital version of some old school purchases lately
Fresh Prince is one of the more forward thinking musicians from the old skool (urban, that is)
digital version vs vinyl/CD u mean…
Roney: Either the analog version is misplaced or I don’t want to do the digitizing myself:)
Fresh ok got u
Roney: Very few artists these days separate me from my money:)
Fresh ditto
heard an interesting statement last week during a podcast
Roney: Oh yeah?
Fresh “…most of today’s generation and beyond have no concept of what buying physical music (CDs, etc) is like because they download (legally and illegally) music
the podcast topic was pirated music downloads
Roney: So true. I hate it even when people tell me how they got over.
But it is always the people who are not creating anything of their own that feel this way.

Fresh That is sadly not connected just to music downloads…sigh
exactly!!
Roney: If they spent money on the copyright fees just once, then they would think differently.
Fresh free free free ….self consumption without compensation
Roney: Then don’t get me started with payola since it creates the space between the rock and hard place:(
Fresh precisely
Roney…the thing is…the whole idea of copyright infringement or protection…both have issues because of where the technology is today
with apps like Audio Hijack for the Mac…DRM means nothing!
Roney: Congress is dragging its feet on the issues too.
Wow! I am not sure if I knew about Audio Hijack:)

Fresh AHJ, there are a few others
on the Mac side
Roney: Will it record Skype calls too?
Fresh AHJ allows u to record anything coming from your Mac or into your Mac
Skype, record from the web
Roney: That is strong!
Fresh record from iTunes library
Roney: I am on the site now.
Fresh it is a swiss army knife
Roney: Thanks for turning me onto it.
Fresh 100% defeat of DRM
so, I dont see what the fuss is
Roney: I see that now.
Fresh the apps defeat it
Roney: True again.
Fresh the only thing that is left is to exercise integrity and SUPPORT THE ARTIST!
Roney: Cheaper than what Apple wants to charge to free earlier purchases too.
I once read that the music has to be the entry point to other stuff like merchandise etc.
It is becoming true right or wrong it seems.

Fresh How so? I dont see the correlation…
music—> merchandise, etc
Roney: People will want a deeper connection with the artist supposedly to buy their logos, clothes, & other stuff.
Everything becomes a 24-7 infomercial:(
The sadder part is seeing less talented people play the game and make a killing, so what do you do?

Fresh i see
i think a great deal is this…young A&R cats who ONLY know street marketing/or even good marketing skills…but dont really know JACK about musical talent
Take Mint Condition
Roney: Good point.
Fresh they are the ONLY band left in R&B
Roney: ok
keep going:)
Fresh why are groups in other genres (u follow me): The Stones, Motley Crue, Anthrax
still selling out concerts and we have bands that have been in the game just as long
at best doing cruise ships or concerts that only attract the old schoolers?
Roney: hmmmm…Does the Essence Music Festival pretty much keep the same lineup year after year you think? It may be simply generational after all.
Fresh similar but still
Roney: The values of young cats today male and female are simply warped at best:)
Fresh those same groups, they dont do world tours that sell out like Crue, Stones, etc…in other words what is the rock genre doing to be generational that R&B bands have failed to do
i tend to think it is the technology that is prominent in making today’s R&B…
Roney: You have me thinking and scratching my head at the same time)
Fresh verses standard rock bands that rely mainly on musician ship!
Roney: I agree with the technology part too. When we were growing up, we knew that we could recreate what we heard on the radio or saw on Soul Train.
Today, I don’t feel that way pretty much about anyone.

Fresh true…exactly . With the real sounding samples and loops today.the artists have skills and technology that it can make them sound like bands, but live…cant replicate.
Roney: Right.
Fresh here’s an analogy of late
that I have been using
Roney: Then staying home or waiting for the cruise ship makes everyone suckers in the process:)
Fresh yep…
Fresh Take EWF
back in the day
Roney: ok
Fresh MULTI-member band right?
Roney: right
Fresh elaborate theatrics, pyrotechnics during the concert, correct?
Roney: right
Fresh add to the annual tours
plus paying the band members
Roney: ok
Fresh plus multiyear recording contracts
all amounts to big $$ right?
Roney: right
Fresh FF to late mid 90s to now
Roney: ok
Fresh Janet Jackson concert, Usher concert, whatever
one singer
non singer live in many cases
hordes of dancers
etc
Roney: yep
Fresh u pay the same amount of money for a ticket…if not more
yet
u get less real talent
if i want to pay money to see dancers for the most part
I will go to the theatre, u follow?
Roney: Yes! rofl:)
Fresh industry STILL has to pay for all that
but I believe the consumer gets the shaft talent wise
of course, I am a musician, and from the old skool, but I believe my point cant be argued
i just dont think A&R folk these days really know talent
Roney: The situation creates & promotes less talent since there is less diversity of thought in the music making process.
Fresh and the industry machine can careless about it, as long as they make a buck on the latest hotness.
Roney: Exactly! T-Pain is a prime poster boy for your argument & throw in Ray J too! Can I? would never have received air play back in the day.
Fresh EXACTLY as LONG as Usher has been around dude should be MEGA bigi will give it to him that he obviously has staying powerbut back in the dayif he was around equally as longhe’d be bigger..
Roney: It does make me think what some of these artists would sound like within a group vs being solo. Beyonce broke the mold both ways though.
Fresh I will give B that
Roney: Or showed the true colors.
Fresh Another good point i was discussing with my recording partner last week
….
Roney: The group stage is just a platform to go solo & supposedly collect a bigger check.
Fresh yep
Roney: But the creativity is capped in the process.
Fresh big time…Consider this….as MEGA as En Vogue was
and I mean mega, why was there last release…. a flop?
Roney: Yes, the behind the scenes is where the money is at.
Fresh bottom line, Roney…that’s it
Roney: Dawn from En Vogue seems to be struggling unnecessarily with all her talent:(
Fresh the evolution is for the worst, talent wise
EXACTLY and why??
Roney: Everyone wants a face, imagery, & visuals just to program us:(
Fresh the mechanism is totally wack, these days with respect to talent
Roney: 50 is a classic example too.
Fresh yep
but see
Roney: Jay-Z is not immune either.
Fresh tech can give u the visuals, the face and imagery easy
but it is not a sub for true talent
Roney: Kanye has to overcompensate just to stay in the game)
Fresh never was a Kanye fan from jumpstreet
Roney: I think Mary J is in the sweet spot but she has to release something annually.
Fresh and somebody PLEASE tell me why there is even the slightest hype about Lil Wayne??
i’ll give Mary J props for staying power as well
but still
Roney: LW just graduated from Cash Money. He was the best in that crew & had to pay his dues or allow time for the others to fall out of the race.
Fresh ok, with that latter statement
that can mean that only by others falling off, could he achieve rec and stardom
Roney: Mannie Fresh is MIA these days unless he is on Myspace strong:)
Fresh doesnt say much for talent
true
Roney: True, my point exactly.
Fresh Mannie had a bigger name once
Busta Rhymes is back
with who?
Grandmaster Flash?
Roney: Busta is reaching for straws too.
Maybe a mega group like an all star line up is needed.

Fresh you remember back in ’00 when he blew up with Flipmode, on Elektra
Roney: But even Wu Tang had its theory tested and dissected.
Fresh i dont think he has had that much hype since
Roney: yes
Fresh as far as Diddy? Stop right there.
it’s been over
Roney: But to flip the script, the intl artists who are in pairs at the max seem to being ok.
Fresh elaborate
Roney: The numbers in the band have been severely cut for us though.
Fresh they are gone
commercially
Roney: Most in the dance music genre have no more than a duo.
Fresh there is no R&B band remotely out there save MC
Roney: Pop likes a quartet.
Fresh true
but still
urban contemporary
not happening
Roney: The overhead is too high between projects.
Fresh it is straight flash in the pan
Roney: Maze & Frankie Beverly make more touring than selling records.
Fresh but look from whence they came
old skool
Roney: Even MJ makes more touring than selling these days:(
Fresh as he should
Roney: I saw Rodney Jerkins mention it on a video on Facebook for MJ.
Fresh MJ could not put anything out to garner major radio play with out it sounding like what’s beenon the radio
Roney: True. Invincible was still a great album for him IMO.
Fresh I agree
TR, Jerkins
they had a hand in it
Roney: But it had the technology that prevented it from playing in computers
Fresh but RJ was hot then
TR was on the outs
yep
another BRILLIANT move from RIAA
Roney: Any solutions you see?
Fresh AHJ
could have solved that
if it was around
for example
if I d/l a track from iTunes
Roney: AHJ?
Fresh i had to use Audio HiJack to remove the DRM before putting it in a podcast
from what I remember, GB wouldnt allow it
Roney: I am now beginning to think podcast mixes are a possible solution if the industry supported it.
Ok.
Fresh they are!!
Roney: I forgot already
Fresh @darrenkeith3 and I have been having this discussion since last year
Roney: I saw a documentary on mixtapes via Netflix and it gave me an icky feeling for the RIAA to be the bull dog when the labels are supplying the music directly.
Fresh thank u…my point exactly
Roney: I made mixtapes with a cassette recorder back in the day & everyone had to be quiet or not come in the room talking
Fresh same here
i recorded off the radio
the only thing different then is i had to try to catch the pause button before the commercials came etc
lol
Roney: Vinyl to cassettes
Roney: Same here on the radio:)
Roney: I sat in with a local dj while I was in high school & he even knew people were recording his show!
Fresh yep
my thing is
as long as a mechanism was developed to record shows
Roney: He said once that he would play promos at weird times just to make people mad. I was furious inside for hearing him tell me that.
Fresh the protection was pretty much gone
and that was ANALOG
Roney: True.
Fresh now that we are in the digital world
u might was well forget it
DRM means nothing
Roney: Prince’s paid access had to be profitable but ego probably wanted greater visibility & recognition.
Fresh yep

Fresh hey, this has been good, u mind if I turn this diatribe into a blog post? LOL!
Roney: No problem, go ahead:)
Fresh i think it may draw some interesting comments!
Roney: I think so as well
Post the URL to FlyteTyme too!
Fresh good idea…let me see if I can post the blog now
Roney: Cool. Catch you later!
Fresh peace!

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Welcome To The Sunday Soundtrack – 1 Mar 09

Kristof's Chill Spot
Photo Credit: Christophe Sandot

Hey everyone…welcome back to The Sunday Soundtrack. Goodbye February…hello March. Two months gone already in ’09…wow…somebody slow it down…geez!. In any event, glad you can join me again. Hope your day is going well.

The type of week I have, along with the kind of tracks I discover or am feeling at the moment, generally determines the flow of the playlist I developed. While this past week wasn’t necessarily overwhelming by any stretch of the imagination, it was tedious. The perpetuation of such led me to put together more of a laidback playlist. I put it together, partly, as a result of having discussions with who seems to be my biggest fan on The Sunday Soundtrack Facebook Group, Christophe Sandot over in France!. Kristof has made himself my official global ourtreach PR man, as he says…hahah. Just wanna give you a quick shoutout, brotha. Thanks for letting me know about the tracks your are listening to, the stories of your travels, and most of all spreading the word about The Sunday Soundtrack to your crew abroad, I definitely appreciate it.

This edition of the podcast sort of features an artist I discovered on XM Radio and subsequently found their tracks on iTunes – Blank and Jones. Blank and Jones is a top dance group out of Germany, known for their chill and downtempo tracks. If you love some seriously chilled tracks, check them out. Their official website is here.

Let’s move to the playlist:

1. Gotta Be Love – Joey Youngman/Om Lounge, Vol. 10
2. Original Bedroom Rockers – Kruder & Dorfmeister/Ultra Chilled
3. President Chimp Toe – Fila Brazillia/Power Clown
4. Twilight – Blank & Jones/Relax Edition 2 (Sun) – EP
5. Cruisin – Blank & Jones/Relax Edition 2 (Sun) – EP
6. Die Blaue Stunde – Blank & Jones/Relax Edition 3 (Sun) – EP
7. ‘Lost In Thought – Jon Hopkins/Opalescent
8. Florent 2 A.M. – Blank & Jones/Relax Edition 3 (Sun) – EP
9. Miracles – Afterlife
10. Tone Poem – Third Face/Sty Wars

For your viewing pleasure, here’s one of their videos.

That’s it…It’s my wish that u enjoy this podcast, it’s always a pleasure to bring it. Be sure to check out my fellow podcast massive in my blogroll. I’m certain you will enjoy what they have to offer.

Using Twitter? Feel free to follow The Sunday Soundtrack. If you’re on Facebook, check the group out here

Keep it chill….

peace,
F!

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One minute tasty thing (instant groove)

Technology has really afforded anyone with just a little computer savvy to record music a variety of different ways, very quickly. I was cleaning up my external drive and came across a little sumthin’ I threw together just as I was finishing lunch at home one day, getting ready to head back in to the office (took me about 5 mins to do in Logic Express 7.2, Powerbook G4). Check it out…

There u have it….yummy.

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Me…visually

This is me, visually (…a relatively close facsimile, anyway).

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From The Vault – Fresh’s Musical Genesis

Greetings folks…

From this point on, I’ll occassionally post some gems from my musical journey to present (as it’s been a lonnng journey thus far…haha). Hope u enjoy the ride as well

This one tells the beginning of how I got started. When my brother was 3, he received a Mickey Mouse guitar for Christmas. Being as though he was 3, the guitar lasted for ABOUT 3 days. By the third day, it had no strings so…..being the big brother of 13 that I was, I fixed it….then began to play around with it….and enjoy it.

About a few months later, I spied a small electric guitar and tiny amp in the local record shop. I begged my dad to buy it for me. All and all, I think both cost less than $100 total (the guitar was a hefty $42!!! – LOL). In any event, I thought playing the guitar, out of any other instrument, would be the coolest to learn (and yes, since I was a teenager, I felt the girls would love that…yes, I admit it….and yes, I was …mostly correct – heh).

Coincidentally enough, the other guys in the neighborhood also sprung some musical talent as well. My friend next door started playing bass, another friend down the street played drums, one around the corner played guitar, yet another played percussion, and another friend up the street played trumpet.

We practiced at each others homes every weekend (God bless our parents), and soon became good enough to form a lil neighborhood R&B band named…Black Frost, which began to do all kind of litttle events around town – HS dance parties, etc. We had a ball, and began to hone our musical and songwriting skills based upon the influences of R&B and commercial radio. We began writing our own material to perform out, and took 2nd place only to the hottest R&B band across town, Sundae (those last two parts, in themselves, are enough for future blog posts! haha)

Good memories from back in the day, when bands were the hotness. We need that back in music today.

The above pic is an afternoon rehearsal in my backyard…who can guess what year that was, annnnd which guy is me?

Have a good one….
F!

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Ten Ways To Stay Grounded In a Busy World

This post I can’t take credit for, and I can’t quite recall the original source, but it speaks great truths to me. I often partake it some of the advice but hope to increase in those areas where I don’t. I hope you find it useful.

Ten Ways To Stay Grounded In a Busy World

1. Live simply and live deliberately. By choosing not to get caught up in the details of this fast-paced world, you are doing your part to slow down the . You will also discover that you have more time to enjoy being alive.†

2. Stay in touch with yourself. Soul searching, meditation, and journaling are just a few of the many activities you can take part in to stay aware and learn as much as you can about your emotions, reactions, likes, dislikes, dreams, and fears. Having a solid sense of self gives you a firm foundation for living in this world.†

3. Support or teach others as often as you can. This can help you form connections with people while also giving you an opportunity to make the world a better place.†

4. Consciously choose what you will allow into your being. The media bombards us with visions of hate, war, and pain. Be judicious about what you read, watch, and listen to.†

5. Acknowledge the beauty that resides around you. Whether you live in a sprawling metropolis or a stereotypical suburb, there are natural and man-made wonders just waiting to be discovered by you.†

6. Nurture your ties to your tribe. If you donít have one, create a community that you can belong to. Modern life can be isolating. When you have a tribe, you have a circle that you are a part of. Its members ñ loved ones, friends, or neighbors – can be a source of support, caring, guidance, and companionship.†

7. See the larger picture. Remember that the way that you choose to live is not the only way to live. Widen your perspective by exploring other modes of being through research, travel, and discussion.†

8. Embrace the challenges that life presents to you, and challenge yourself often. After a time, even the most exciting jobs or lifestyles can seem routine. Never stop assimilating new knowledge about whatever you are doing, and your life will never seem dull.†

9. Move your body. In this busy world, it can be easy to live a sedentary life. Movement reacquaints us with our bodies and connects us to the earth in a visceral way. It also restores our vitality.†

10. Make time for stillness, silence, and solitude. The world can be noisy, and we are subject to all kinds of noises nearly every waking hour. We are also often “on the go” and unable to relax. Being alone in a peaceful place and making time for quiet can help you stay in touch with yourself.

peace…
F!

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