Ever wonder how a band creates its unique “sound,” or what makes a particular song so distinctive?

The Atlantic has posted some great videos from two creative icons; David Lynch and Donavon.

When I was 23, I went to Europe for the first time.
It was a great adventure and many of the highlights took place in Greece, where I have returned several times in the intervening years.
The morning I’m thinking of had to do with Socrates, the Greek philosopher.
I had read The Meno by Plato in which [...]

Are you a family man (or woman)? Some will get up early in the morning, others will wait til the whole family goes to bed at night. Others will have a regular night and will spend the rest of the week capturing songwriting ideas.
Maybe you’re not a family man but you DO have a social [...]

Jeff Oxenford has been blogging his experience recording demos for the first time. It’s very interesting first-hand experience and worth a read.

Music fans of course, but they do so while reading a book, dancing, or doing something else. By listening like a musician the songwriter can learn a lot more about their own craft. This article is about listening like a musician, and about how doing so with one particular album helped me to learn things I could use in my own songwriting.

At the time of this writing, there is an unfamiliar face at the top of the iTunes Albums list - a songstress named Sara Bareilles and her album “Little Voice”. Some have said she sounds reminiscent of Fiona Apple.
The Wall Street Journal seemed to notice and did an article on her. The success point - [...]

Performing Songwriter magazine has some great free MP3s available, complete with artist reviews and news.
This week has a ton of great indie and DIY bands and songwriters. Check it out:
Performing Songwriter Free MP3 Downloads

The NY Times Sunday magazine had a great article called Sex, Drugs and Updating Your Blog.
The article talks about the new work ethic of today’s independent musicians and the way they keep in touch with fans via blogs, MySpace, etc. - even answering emails directly.
The author spends much time speaking with Jonathan Coulton, whom we [...]

Kate Walsh claims she is just an average girl that recorded an album in her friend’s spare bedroom and then topped the iTunes charts.
According to this Evening Standard article:
It was recorded at a cost of “a few hundred pounds” in the Brighton home of producer Tim Bidwell, who created a sound-insulated vocal booth in his [...]