Me and the Machine Records

MATM Video of the Week (10.26.09)

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:52:00 +0000

This week's video is a live performance by Kings of Convenience for their tune "24-25" from their new album Declaration of Dependence. Enjoy!!

:: Kings of Convenience - Declaration of Dependence on AmazonMP3 ::

Find MATM online

MATM Video of the Week (10.19.09)

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:42:00 +0000

Ólafur Arnalds - Ljósið (Official Music Video) from Erased Tapes on Vimeo.

This week's video was directed by Esteban Diácono for Ólafur Arnalds' "Ljósið".
Enjoy!
Find MATM online

The New Whole Usuals Release "A Swiftly Tilting Planet"

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0000

In Preparation For The Apocalypse, The New Whole Usuals Release "A Swiftly Tilting Planet"

"A Swiftly Tilting Planet" , the premiere single/movement from The New Whole Usuals' forthcoming release Every New Whole Usual Will Die unleashes an unpredictable symphony constructed on traditional instrumentation (horns, brass, strings, vocal choir) and a combination of never before conceived, hand-made percussion instruments. Andrew Dolfie, the mischievous maestro behind The New Whole Usuals, ties these unlikely elements together with acrobatic yet cohesive piano lines and sparse, poignant vocals. The result is a playful fight song of human triumph. "A Swiftly Tilting Planet" will be officially released TONIGHT (10/18) at midnight CST on thenewwholeusuals.com.

The full length album, Every New Whole Usual Will Die, featuring a combination of 32 musicians and narrators, will be released worldwide via Me and the Machine Records on January 5th, 2010. To prepare yourself, follow the minute-by-minute Apocalypse Update on thenewwholeusuals.com.

For the highest quality listening experience possible, we strongly encourage reposting and sharing this promotional single via the Bandcamp distribution platform.

:: Download "A Swiftly Tilting Planet" ::

:: Visit The New Whole Usuals' Website ::

:: Follow The New Whole Usuals on Twitter! ::

For any additional information, contact Josh Preston at Me and the Machine Records (josh(at)meandthemachine(dot)com).

Dies Martis v Januarius MMX, Every New Whole Usual Will Die. Instruo vestri.

Find TNWU online

Find MATM online

MATM Video of the Week (10.12.09)

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:55:00 +0000

OK. JEFF the Brotherhood's video for their new tune "BONE JAM" might be our favorite video of the year. We won't even try to describe it. Just go and love it as much as we do. Enjoy!

MATM Video of the Week (09.30.09)

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:18:00 +0000

'Blood' The Middle East

Happy End of the 3rd Quarter of 2009 everybody! This week's (...week/month/year whatever...) video is from The Middle East for their tune "Blood". Beautiful tune and video. Enjoy!

Stillhouse Hollow CD Giveaway!!

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:22:00 +0000

Check out The Trades for your chance to win a copy of Stillhouse Hollow's debut album Dakota!! Good luck and if you don't win you can always pick up a copy here!!

MATM Video of the Week (07.16.09)

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:23:00 +0000

Auto-Tune the News. So great, so very great. Enjoy!

E-book/Audiobook of Chris Anderson's FREE Released Today

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:53:00 +0000

FREE (full book) by Chris Anderson

It's here folks. Chris Anderson's newest work FREE is now available. You can read it above OR you can download the unabridged audiobook. Enjoy!

Great Panel Discussion at Un-Convention Salford 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:52:00 +0000

Outside The Box @ Un-Convention Salford 2009 by Un-Convention

The audio above is from the panel entitled Outside The Box from the Un-Convention Salford 2009. The panelists, Stef Lewandowski: @stef, Steve Lawson: @solobasssteve, Amran Ellahi: @aashiqalrasul, Caroline Churchill:@carosnatch, and Andrew Dubber: @dubber discuss careers in playing unconventional music. Enjoy!

MATM Video(s) of the Week (07.02.09)

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:06:00 +0000

Death Cab for Cutie - Little Bribes from Ross Ching on Vimeo.

It's been a long time since the last video of the week. No excuses just busy doing our own thing. The video above is a great fan-made video for Death Cab for Cutie's tune "Little Bribes". It was directed by Ross Ching.

This little gem was sent to us via Twitter by @hairrocket. Compiled from the Moving Image Archive, it's a video for the tune "Absolute Sway" by Seth Kauffman. Seth Kauffman also fronts one of our new favorite bands from Black Mountain, NC called Floating Action.

See, sometimes good things come from neglect. That doesn't even make sense. Enjoy the videos. When you're done with that, go make love and art but not necessarily in that order.

MATM's Super Special Summer Sampler is HERE!!

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:03:00 +0000

It's hot & we love you. Here's MATM's Super Special Summer Sampler. Download, Listen, Share, Repeat. Oh yeah, follow us on Twitter too!

The Death of Music Criticism

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:56:00 +0000

You've got to check out Christopher R. Weingarten's speech at the 140 Character Conference . As a "rock critic", he points out with great clarity why music reviewers are a dying breed.

MATM's Top 10 Tips for Album Art Creation

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:15:00 +0000

You just spent who knows how long writing, recording, mixing, mastering (and whatever else to your music) and you're ready to share it with the world! But before you do, think about this: If you were given the choice between a handwritten CD-R paper cover or a glossy full-color CD case, which would you prefer? Not that we think everything has to be shiny (though shiny things TOTALLY entertain us), but there is something to be said about packaging your music in a visually attractive way. Make it look as great as it sounds!

We know. Just because you're an artist, that doesn't mean you're an "Artist". Below is MATM's Top 10 Tips for Album Art Creation and hopefully they'll make the whole process a little easier.

1. When thinking about your album cover, consider what you want the cover to say about your music. Is there a mood you want to convey? Is there a pivotal moment that you would like to foreshadow on the cover? Your artwork is going to be the first thing most people are exposed to so be sure it says what you want it to say!

2. Before you get too far in the creation of the album art, make sure you know how it needs to be formatted! If you are using a manufacturer like Discmakers or Oasis, they have templates available online to download so you can make sure the artwork is properly formatted for their print process. This is HUGELY important! Especially if you are paying someone to create the art... You don't want to have to pay them twice to reformat everything.

3. Speaking of templates, when you're ready to download them, you'll probably find a few different file types. Maybe Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and some others. Here are a couple of the differences in these design programs so you'll have some insight into the process. Adobe Photoshop has a great set of tools for manipulating photos. But Adobe Photoshop is pixel based, so if you are working with shapes and text, the larger you go, the more visible the pixels are and that can make the quality look a little less than stellar. Adobe Illustrator is not pixel based, but vector based. This means that you will not see the pixelation on the text and shapes when resizing them. Make sure you or whoever you choose to design the album art is familiar with both programs!

4. The other thing you may notice when you are selecting a template is the never-ending styles of product choices you have! Jewel Cases, Sleeves, Eco-Walets, 4-panel, 6-panel, and on and on. This is really a personal preference and cost decision, but the one piece of advice we have is to always choose something with a spine! If you are sending your CD to press or radio, they will stick it on a shelf (if you're lucky...haha). When they stick it on a shelf, if your case does not have a spine, it will disappear in the midst of everything else to never be heard from again! Remember too, if you are manufacturing vinyl, you will need a separate template for that format.

5. Pay attention to whether you need to use the CMYK or RGB formatting. CMYK is a four color print process (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) and RGB is a three color process (Red, Green and Blue). Most print is done in CMYK so it's probably a good idea to start there but double-check the formatting specs before you lay everything out.

6. Keep the resolution high! If you are using Adobe Photoshop, make sure you are operating in at least 300 dpi (dots per inch) in order to keep your graphic quality solid.

7. When designing the artwork, you will likely see red and green lines on your artwork template. These are the bleed and trim lines. Make sure your artwork fills that whole space out and overlaps the bleed and trim lines. This will ensure that if the printing is cut just slightly off in any direction that you will see art and not blank white space. The margin of error is small, usually an 1/8th of an inch, so it will not be noticeable even in the worst case scenario.

8. Sweet! Your artwork is done... or is it? Did you include a space for the barcode? Most manufacturers will provide you with a barcode for a small fee (like $20 most times). Including a bar code is hugely important if you plan on selling your cds anywhere other than your live shows. If you plan on making your record available at your local record store, make sure you include a spot for the barcode on the back cover of your album! A good general rule is to leave .75" x 1.25" (and inserting a white block as a space holder might help).

9. Save, save, save your work. We say this because we care. There is nothing worse than creating a graphic masterpiece only to have the power go out or a full-on computer crash and *POOF* there goes all the work you did. Trust us: Save your work often.

10. Now that the artwork is done, take a look at it in another way. Can you use any part of the artwork as a graphic component for merchandise and/or does it tie-in with your website? Consistent imagery in a sea of over-saturation will go a long way to help your music stay on the minds of your new fans.

We hope that these tips have been helpful! After all, our mission is only to make the world a little more beautiful, one album cover/website/t-shirt/sticker/etc. at a time! Also, don't forget to check out some of our designs at Me and the Machine Creative!

MATM's 25 Necessary Music Sites At Which You'll Be Unable To Shake A Stick

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:04:00 +0000

Photo by Timbu

The responsibilities that come with promoting your band on the web these days are endless and overwhelming. We at Me and the Machine Records have taken a moment out of our endless and overwhelming schedule to compile a list of essential websites that will get you on the right track. If you think we missed anything or would like to enlighten us about where else we should plant the MATM flag on the web, please shoot us a note on Twitter.

1. Bandcamp - Without question the greatest, all-purpose music
sales and promotions tool out there right now! And, it's free!!

2. Twitter - This will be, without any doubt in our minds, the way
music will be shared in the next 6 months. You heard it here first.

3. SongTwit - You just recorded a new tune and you want to allow
you twitter followers to be the first people to hear it? Start here.

4. Muxtape - While many of the bands featured on Muxtape continue to
beat the "ironic keyboard" dead horse, the layout is gorgeous and the
traffic is plenty.

5. Last.fm - Allows you to gain new fans by lying to them and telling
them your band totally sounds like Grizzly Bear.

6. LinkedIn - For when the whole "music career" thing doesn't
work out and you need to find a real job. Build contacts here in case...

7. Pandora - Getting in is tricky but if you make the cut,
people can build stations based on your music. Pretty sweet.

8. OurStage - About the most honest way on the web for you to
gauge whether your band sucks or not.

9. Flickr - It's a great way to share photos from your bands most
recent gig. Just make sure you delete the pics of the after-party before uploading.

10. Blip.FM - Used in conjunction with Twitter, this is another great
way to share your music.

11. Blogger - Once you start it, you can easily integrate your
blog into your website via feedburner.com. Blogs are great because sometime, especially if you're on the road, the memories don't actually last forever.

12. GigMaven - Book more shows. And when you're done, book even
more shows.

13. ArtistData - Are you absolutely sick of adding your new tour
date to 20+ social networks? Setup an ArtistData account, add it once and go practice.

14. Bandize - Q. How many CDs did we sell the last time we played
here? A. If you're diligent about recording this info, Bandize will tell you.

15. Google Docs - So, you've got countless social networking
sites set up and you can't remember the passwords. Keep 'em here and access them from anywhere.

16. YouTube - Enough said.

17. Tr.im - Short URLs are the new black and clicks can be stylishly
tracked.

18. Google Analytics - Should we send records overseas and follow
it up with a tour? If you're tracking your analytics, you'll be able to tell if that's a wise decision or not.

19. Viewbook - So your girlfriend has created all these great
show posters and you have no way to display them. Now you do!

20. DashGo - You know who's coming to your website now thanks to
Google Analytics (see #18) but do you know how your traffic is holding up on the social networks? No? Now you do.

21. PayPal - Use this to get paid (needed to receive payment from
Bandcamp)!!

22. Google Reader - Find all the music blogs you can, subscribe
to their RSS feed and know what is going on in your industry. Billboard alone simply doesn't cut it anymore.

23. MadMimi - Send out incredible looking emails for your band
and collect email address from all of your sites. It's about $10 a month and worth every frigging penny.

24. Facebook - When your done looking at former classmates that
either got super hot or totally went the other way, use Facebook to promote your shows.

25. MySpace - We don't like it. But we suppose it has to be done...

Stillhouse Hollow LIVE on WDVX TODAY!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:57:00 +0000

Stillhouse Hollow is playing LIVE on WDVX's Blue Plate Special today at Noon EST/11am CST. Click on the link below to listen!!

:: Stillhouse Hollow LIVE on WDVX ::

MATM Video of the Week (6/2/09)

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:13:00 +0000

We received an email this morning from a clearly awesome person named Natalie (@natvalenzuela) and she's part of the street team for the band The Ropes. Included in said email was a link to the video just above these words. The video is for their song "Clubs in Europe Forever" and I'm a fan hence this posting. Enjoy!!

LMNOP.com's Review of Stillhouse Hollow's Dakota

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:58:00 +0000

Here's another great review that we simply had to share! Here's a quote: "Instead of relying on technology to create what the public is accustomed to hearing, these guys use traditional instruments to create songs that are simple and yet ultimately very entertaining." Awesome! To read the rest of the review, click on the link below.

:: LMNOP.com's Review of Stillhouse Hollow's Dakota ::

To pick up your copy of Dakota, visit stillhousehollow.com

MATM's Twitter-Style Guide To Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:09:00 +0000

Ok, so we might have gone over 140 characters in a few spots but it's pretty close!! Enjoy and please feel free to comment on the list by sending us a note on Twitter @meandthemachine

Twitter is/does 2 things:
-allows you to broadcast information quickly
-allows you to build relationships

Basic Operations:
-the "@" symbol = directs a tweet to another person, and causes your twitter to save in their "replies" tab. (example. @billyblock Great Show!)
-the "#" sign = mechanism for identifying a topical discussion or search (example. I love @tnwu and @stillhousetn check 'em out!! #musictuesday)
-D = when replying to a tweet, placing a "D" at the beginning of the message sends the recipient a private message that goes to their device, and saves in their web archive; not viewable by the public. (example. D i like turnip.)
-RT = identifies your tweet as a "re-broadcast" of a message posted by someone else; identify the poster using the "@" symbol (example. RT @meandthemachine We're releasing a ton of great music in 2009!!)

Ways for Artists to gain value from Twitter:
-Form meaningful/personal relationships w/ fans
-Alert fans to upcoming shows (automate via ArtistData)
-If you're touring, use it as a tour dairy (especially if you're not traveling w/ laptop; txt via your cell phone)
-Use it to announce "unannounced" shows (webcast a show/rehearsal, house party)
-Give away music (consider varying lengths of time for the giveaway (1 day, 1 wk., forever, etc)
-It's important to be interesting!! Talk about more than just your band!!
-Use Twitter to update your Facebook status
-Use Twitter Widgets on your MySpace page, blog, website, etc. to heighten awareness of your twitter presence

Building Your Following:
-Artists can conduct searches on their name and follow people that mention them
-If no one is mentioning your band, why might that be?
-If you follow someone, be engaging when possible. Care about what others are saying and respond as if you were sitting at a table with them.

Things to Avoid:
-Using Twitter solely as a sales tool
-Over tweeting and RTing too much

Very Important Twitter Tools:
-Music Sharing: blip.fm
-File Sharing: filetwt.com
-URL Shortener: tr.im
-Desktop Application: Nambu for Mac
-iPhone Application: Tweetie (iTunes App Store)

There is no substitute for being kind, making great records and playing live. Twitter will only augment the aforementioned.
Follow us on Twitter @meandthemachine

A new way to get Me and the Machine music!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Reed Preston) — Sat, 23 May 2009 15:19:00 +0000

Well good morning lovelies!

We would like to share our excitement about a new place you can find Me and the Machine artists on the widest of world webs! The website is called Think Indie and is full of great independent labels and artists like us, so check it out and support the little guys.

:: Me and the Machine on Think Indie ::

MATM Video of the Week (4/27/09)

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:00:00 +0000

This week's video comes to us from Kyle Andrews for his tune "Sushi". It was created by using an incredible collage of YouTube videos. Enjoy!

:: Kyle Andrews - "Sushi" on iTunes ::

MATM + Muxtape = Awesome!

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:32:00 +0000

Here's the MATM Records / Muxtape roll call! Check out these sites and give us a listen!!

Stillhouse Hollow

The New Whole Usuals

Josh Preston

Nick Shelton

Brad Sweitzer

MATM Video of the Week (4/20/09)

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:06:00 +0000

This week's video comes to us from Thao Nguyen for her cover of Lovin' Spoonful's "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind"! It's rad. Enjoy it.

MATM Video of the Week (3/30/09)

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:20:00 +0000

This week's video comes to us from one of our favorite bands Sleeveless Meeks and the Right To Bare Arms for their tune "Up My Sleeves". The band is fronted by Joel Meeks who also just happens to be part of Stillhouse Hollow. What a tangled web we weave here at Me and the Machine! Enjoy the video and check out their MySpace page!

:: Sleeveless Meeks and the Right To Bare Arms on MySpace ::

One link to rule them all...

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:27:00 +0000

Ever wonder where to find Me and the Machine stuff on the web outside of meandthemachine.com? Well, now we have one link that will tell you where to locate us out in the vastness of webland!

start.io/meandthemachine

We'll replace the "Friends & Lovers" tab with this as soon as we can figure out how! Enjoy!

Tomorrow Night! MATM Artists and Friends @ Edgehill Cafe Studios

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Preston) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:35:00 +0000

Tomorrow night Adam Burrows, Josh Preston, The New Whole Usuals and Stillhouse Hollow will be coming at you live from Edgehill Studios Cafe as part of the new monthly Me and the Machine Records residency! The show starts at 7pm, it's all ages and it's free!!

If you live in the greater Nashville area, we've made it extremely easy for you to attend. However, if you live further than say, 65 miles away from the venue, we're going to attempt to bring the show to you LIVE via the internet. You can watch the show via Me and the Machine Television. Hell, you can watch Me and the Machine Television now!! Let us know what you think via Twitter or whatever else you crazy kids communicate with these days.

And to keep the LIVE train rolling, Me and the Machine Television will be broadcasting LIVE from South Street Studios on Sunday morning starting around 10am. You can tune in to check out The New Whole Usuals recording woodwind parts for their forthcoming album (due out Fall 2009)!! We'll be chatting with viewers directly so get your questions about the intricacies of the bass clarinet ready now.

Oh, and one last bit about the show: This picture is from the new iPhone app called Bandloop (iTunes Store Link). If you have an iPhone and love live music, this little pocket buddy will change your whole scene. It's still a bit buggy but it will grow and in the process, you will slowly go deaf.

We'll see you or you'll see us this weekend!!