Monday 31 May 2010

My album is out tomorrow

Hello all

My new album is out to download tomorrow here. Pay what you want as usual.

I bet you are thinking he must have an amazing plan to promote it? Perhaps involving a BMX marathon,Celebrity Chefs and Ballet?

I haven't.

All I ask it that you, the readers of the blog and mailing list tell your friends about it. Tweet about it, talk about it on facebook and forums and blog about it.

I sent an advance copy out to a few people to get some reviews:

"A solo album that I can only describe as magnificent. So inspired, anything thus guy touches is genius, from guitar to bass to... mellotron? Oh yes, you know you want this." http://veinsdriedout.blogspot.com/2010/05/matt-stevens-ghost.html

"A seriously amazing album, this will f**king move you, seriously SERIOUSLY brilliant! Go and listen to it, I WILL be checking!"Nick Tann Is This Thing On Podcast - You can listen to Nicks Podcast here:


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"(Instrumental rock) music brought forward some 50 years thru the filter of metal & punk & electronica (not to mention bebop & baroque).The music itself—is genre defying: one hears rock (in several of its incarnations) & jazz & funk & classical & Latin. Stevens, whose guitar artistry is matched by his compositional skills, welds these disparate elements into a coherent whole." http://robertfrostsbanjo.blogspot.com/2010/05/ghost-music-of-matt-stevens.html

" It’s abundantly apparent that Stevens has a special command over the guitar but he favours enticing, carefully crafted tracks over self-indulgent embellishment. The result is an album baring that all-encompassing, cinematic sound which draws you in without the need to utter a word."
http://icaughtyouadeliciousbass.wordpress.com/2010/05/30/matt-stevens-ghost/

Thanks loads, as ever for your support

Matt

Sunday 30 May 2010

Sunday Free Noodle 17

Hello all

Not managed to blog much this week but….

This week’s noodle is:

Matt Stevens (Acoustic/Electric Guitars/Fender Rhodes) and Kevin Feazey(Programming/Keyboards/Percussion) - Blue Filter - Produced by Kevin Feazey @ Pinna Studios

This week’s noodle is the one that got away from Ghost- the new album thats released on tuesday. I really wanted this to be on the new album but we never really managed to get it recorded in a way we were happy with - it was just a bit wrong!! I like all the parts but it doesn’t seem to add up to how I wanted it to be so its not on the album and its here now. I still really like it and I may try to record again for the 3rd album. I want to make 3 acoustic albums before moving on to something else. Please let me know what you think and if you have any ideas let me know - I’ve struggled with this one for around 2 years!!!!!

The chord sequence has been around for at least 10 years and I’ve used it in various band projects including Trinovantes and Monochrome. I did think of trying it with the Fierce and The Dead but there is so much new stuff it probably won’t end on the TFATD album either. I recorded some spoken word about it at the start of the noodle.

What do you think?



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Please let me know what you think of this and if you would like to do a remix or collaborate give me a shout.

More noodles next week

Subscribe to my podcast feed here and get the Sunday Free Noodle every week: subscribe_itunes_a

If you like this you get get my album Echo as a "pay what you want" download or pre order my new album Ghost you can here

About The Sunday Free Noodle

The Sunday Free Noodle project is a free MP3 ever week - remixes, collaborations, live stuff, spoken word stuff and other odd things - for the next year. 52 MP3’s (thats alot). I think it will be a challenge to keep this going and I’m really looking forward to doing it - please subscribe to the podcast feed on itunes to get it free every week and tell me what you think(yes you can say if you think if its crap). I hope you enjoy it.

This project has only really come about because i have injured my back and have had a chance to go through my hard drives whilst lying on the floor with the laptop on my chest. Odd how things happen.

I really it want to be a collaborative process. Let me know - if you are a remixer, cellist, vocalist, percussionist, film maker,trumpet player or visual artist or anything else let me know(although I draw the line at juggling) . Perhaps i could send you some stuff(loops and noodles) to add something to?

Speak soon


Matt
Speak Soon
www.mattstevensguitar.com
mattstevensguitar@btinternet.com

Sunday 23 May 2010

Sunday Free Noodle 16: The Big Calm

This week’s noodle is:

Matt Stevens (Acoustic Guitars/programing) - Big Calm

This week’s noodle is my contribution to the Cafe Noodle community project Big Calm. To quote my friend Tom Slatter’s blog this is what its all about:

“The Brief:

Compose a piece of music using/inspired by the title ‘Big Calm’. The piece must be in D minor

-(How exactly you interpret the term ‘In D Minor’ is up to you. If you want to modulate at some point do, but it will probably be necessary to end in a definite D Minor)

The piece must be in 75 BPM (if it has a pulse).

We’re going to join them all together in one ultra long piece of music.

Deadline - Sort of the end of the month.

Open to everyone - I’m happy to do the technical stuff of creating our huge track - you can email me at tomslattermusic AT gmail.com with mp3s or links to them.”

We got the BPM and they key by crowd sourcing them from the Twitter. Would be great to see you getting involved - everyones welcome.

I wrote this by playing the guitar for around 30 minutes at a time - as long as I can before the back pain kicks in then editing the bits together using garageband on my macbook lying down with the macbook on my chest. I did a couple of sessions like this then spent the rest of the time editing the drums - its a cut up electronic beat and an old 808 sample.

Originally i had a piano part on it that was crap - there is a fine line between minimal and rubbish.




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Please let me know what you think of this and if you would like to do a remix or collaborate give me a shout.

More noodles next week

Subscribe to my podcast feed here and get the Sunday Free Noodle every week: subscribe_itunes_a

If you like this you get get my album Echo as a "pay what you want" download or pre order my new album Ghost you can here

About The Sunday Free Noodle

The Sunday Free Noodle project is a free MP3 ever week - remixes, collaborations, live stuff, spoken word stuff and other odd things - for the next year. 52 MP3’s (thats alot). I think it will be a challenge to keep this going and I’m really looking forward to doing it - please subscribe to the podcast feed on itunes to get it free every week and tell me what you think(yes you can say if you think if its crap). I hope you enjoy it.

This project has only really come about because i have injured my back and have had a chance to go through my hard drives whilst lying on the floor with the laptop on my chest. Odd how things happen.

I really it want to be a collaborative process. Let me know - if you are a remixer, cellist, vocalist, percussionist, film maker,trumpet player or visual artist or anything else let me know(although I draw the line at juggling) . Perhaps i could send you some stuff(loops and noodles) to add something to?

Speak soon


Matt
Speak Soon
www.mattstevensguitar.com
mattstevensguitar@btinternet.com

Thursday 20 May 2010

Gig off Sunday

Hey

I have had to pull out the Acoustic Festival gig on Sunday due to my ongoing back problems after the visit to the hospital yesterday. Gutted.

I'm not happy about it but there is nothing I can do about it. Bugger. I really don't want my music to become a "studio/ustream" project. Its so frustrating but travelling is incredibly painful and my back locks and i'm unable to move. Rubbish.

If anyone want to order one of the few remaining Limited Edition digipack CD's of Echo or the Pre Order Ghost you can here (and grab yourself a free download while you're there).

Over at the very great Cafe Noodle (which is the www.mattstevensguitar.com community/forum thing) is a very amazing project which it would be great to see you involved in. Amazing collaboration.

safe_image

And you can still get the 19 minute Fierce and The Dead single here and pay what you want - there is some really big things happening with TFATD but I can't talk about them yet in case they don't happen....

Don't forget to help your self to free music here - 15 free songs and rising every week,

Oh and my music is featured on Mr Nick Tanns podcast listen ere:



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Thanks SO much for your support. Amazing.

Speak soon


Matt

Tuesday 18 May 2010

I met a monkey

My Back really hurts

But I met a monkey. From the bean man.
Lifes like that.

MS

Sunday 16 May 2010

Sunday Free Noodle 15

This week’s noodle is:

Matt Stevens (Acoustic Guitars/loops) - Box(Improvised live to digital tape at Improv Friday)



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This week's noodle is a completely improvised piece called Box from a streamed event I did last night at www.improvfriday.ning.com. I played for as long as i could before the back pain became too much. Its a wonderful community there. I had no idea what I was going to play when i started this song apart from it being in Aminor ish!

I played songs which were either improvised, from Ghost or from the forthcoming new Fierce and The Dead album. Pretty much all new stuff apart from Dolls house at the end. My friend James Allen wrote a great blog about it. Its reprinted here:

"Venue : Ustream
Date : Saturday 15 May 2010
Date of writing this review : 15 May 2010

Matt Stevens has absolutely no idea I am doing this, writing this blog as he plays, and bear in mind this is him at home playing in his box room, playing through the pain of his bad back, and just something impromptu. Bear that in mind, and then wonder at just how brilliant it was ! It started at just after 10pm and continued until almost 10:50pm. I do not know if any of the tracks he played have titles, but I will describe what I enjoyed listening to - what you will read below are the notes I was typing as I was listening.

Matt strums through mixing some deeper notes in with the circling treble, gradually building it into something very melodic with edges to it which flow away and echo out, and then he develops that main theme while other parts still seep through behind it, easing it along, gradually taking it higher as it moves in waves, easing through some notes, working them, and it circles, drifting as he adds in a higher part and starts to explore that, strumming through with some rich sounds before rasing the tempo, rolling it along, chiming a part on top, then moving to add in a lower part before some stacatto strumming, and as he moves higher to develop another theme he has created a huge, expansive sound which rumbles on, before he eases right out of that and flows to an end.

He continues right on building up a rhythm before circling in a high part on top, carefully picking the notes, working them, just easing along, drifting over the throbbing rhythm. Peaceful, restrained, then gaining a harder edge, echoing through some rougher notes before circling over them, then circling again with a discordant feel, sharp, pointed, easing down, then bringing back that sharp sound, piercing, pushing it as waves flow under it, and then he develops the higher part, moving it on, expanding it, while keeping the overall sound constrained, then pushing it really high, right on an edge, pushing as far as it will go, definitely exploring the limits of one man and an acoustic guitar. Then he frees the sound and it begins to bounce along through the freedom, rolling as the theme develops before fading to a melodic finish.

He pauses for a few words with the audience, and says he will see how long he can keep going because of his back, saying he can usually last about 35 minutes.

He strums through hard and I seem to be picking up a lot of interference in the sound as he pushes on melodic, strumming through and working those notes, echoing them as he floats them out on top of the underlying melody. It is a busy sound bouncing along upbeat with lots of little flourishes, pushing on into a pause and then breaking out with a classical acoustic guitar feel, something latin in there as he circles fast with the treble notes. And it suddens halts into individual notes, slowly picked, and then kicks off again, with him playing over a circling loop, gently screeching a note higher. Then back to the loops circling in with each other, building a wonderful sound which he plays over before strumming through and easing into the mixed loops to fade to an end while he takes a drink.

He strums in deeper and then circles a higher part over the top, but it retains a downbeat feel despite some notes twinkling out and rumbles along with a hard edge to it, pushing into some discordant flourishes which he explores and develops before easing back. Then he cuts in again with that high, sharp discordant sound and pushes it on into a pauses, before moving into faster bursts, little flourishes with the final notes extended, producing a sharp melodic sound with sinister undertones. Then it all drops out as he pushes on with a deeper sound, circling around a deeper pulse, taking the sound higher in a considered way, picking his notes, walking them through, leaving them hanging and then fading out to close.

He begins with some Americana sounds (although I am thinking that was just a little warm up) and then circles a deeper part which loops and he gradually adds in a part on top of that, very melodic, drifting, rounded, easy, building it slowly, adding in some flourishes, then flowing it gently and moving it into a quieter, deeper part which grows and launches into a harder strumming part (which cannot be handled by Ustream and the sound distorts) and he adds in a treble flourish on top of that and circles it, developing the theme and moving it quickly, very much a Spanish feel to the sound as it bounces along upbeat, bending some notes through it, then easing down, bending a couple more notes before bouncing of again upbeat, rolling, pushing into ticking strumming, melodic, repeating, echoing to fade to an end.

There is a rocking reverberating rhythm track rolling under it all as he strums in high and works his way around the neck, moving up and down with a very flowing, melodic sound, moving very fast at times, another of those Spanish feels, working his way into treble flourishes and pushing them along, developing them, very light on top of the repeating rhythm, lots of textures within the track as it grows. And then he holds and repeats the circling treble part before easing down, losing the rhythm, rolling a few notes, then strumming through hard around the same theme and pushing it away with more pointed treble notes piercing through, repeating, echoing and then quickly fading out. He rolls into a faster part with that treble part now looping through, and it is another wonderfully huge sound he has created, driving along melodic and upbeat. And suddenly it is moving higher and higher, with a real piercing edge to it as he rolls through the circling sound. He stays high as he pushes it along and then moves deeper as it fades down and moves into a treble flourish to fade out before a quick, sharp strum to finish.

"162 viewers" he says in amazement, before thanking everyone for watching, apologising for not being around a lot because of his back, and promising to get back into action just as soon as possible. "164 viewers - no way !"

Yes way, Matt - and it deserves far more. You should look out for the next time he does one of these, and in the meantime get over to his site and grab yourself a copy of Echo, and order yourself a copy of Ghost."

I look like I'm in a mid 70's Prog band in this Photo:

1_497431_6948657


Please let me know what you think of this and if you would like to do a remix or collaborate give me a shout.

More noodles next week

Subscribe to my podcast feed here and get the Sunday Free Noodle every week: subscribe_itunes_a

If you like this you get get my album Echo as a "pay what you want" download here

About The Sunday Free Noodle

The Sunday Free Noodle project is a free MP3 ever week - remixes, collaborations, live stuff, spoken word stuff and other odd things - for the next year. 52 MP3’s (thats alot). I think it will be a challenge to keep this going and I’m really looking forward to doing it - please subscribe to the podcast feed on itunes to get it free every week and tell me what you think(yes you can say if you think if its crap). I hope you enjoy it.

This project has only really come about because i have injured my back and have had a chance to go through my hard drives whilst lying on the floor with the laptop on my chest. Odd how things happen.

I really it want to be a collaborative process. Let me know - if you are a remixer, cellist, vocalist, percussionist, film maker,trumpet player or visual artist or anything else let me know(although I draw the line at juggling) . Perhaps i could send you some stuff(loops and noodles) to add something to?

Speak soon


Matt
Speak Soon
www.mattstevensguitar.com
mattstevensguitar@btinternet.com

Saturday 15 May 2010

Doctor Who/photos/stream

Hello

A few things - i hope you are all doing well. How are you enjoying the new series of Doctor Who? I love it, wonderful stuff.

I just wanted to let you know a few bits. My back is still causing me problems - trying not to cancel stuff but having to play everything by ear at the moment. I will be back playing properly soon, thats what i keep telling myself!!

I'm doing a live stream tonight @ 10pm GMT here - probably won't be able to play for too long as sitting up is a real problem for me at the moment - crazy eh?

There is nice blog post about my music here.  Also there is also another free song from the new album here to download free and you can also get the CD version of Echo and Ghost there.

Ohh - i nearly forgot - there is a really cool remix of one of my songs here. Brilliant.

Also, musicians! This is a fantastic project well worth supporting here. I am hoping to get involved myself, back permitting.

Speak soon and godspead

 

Some photos - the one below is from the Fierce and The Dead sessions last year and the others are from one of my recovery walks!

 

MattsBlurFullpola IMG_0674 IMG_0672

Sunday 9 May 2010

Sunday Free Noodle 14

This week’s noodle is:

Matt Stevens (Acoustic Guitars)Ernesto Schnack (Drum Programming/Electric Guitars) - Burning Bandstands (Full Metal). Produced by Kevin Feazey - additional production Ernesto Schnack

I love this. An incredible full on metal drums versions of Burning Bandstands that takes it back to its Metallica/Sepultura inspired roots by Ernesto Schnack. He’s also a brilliant instrumental guitar player and we are hoping to do some gigs together at some point. Nice electric leads as well.

Please let me know what you think of this and if you would like to do a remix or collaborate give me a shout.

More noodles next week

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Please let me know what you think of this and if you would like to do a remix or collaborate give me a shout.

More noodles next week

Subscribe to my podcast feed here and get the Sunday Free Noodle every week: subscribe_itunes_a

If you like this you get get my album Echo as a "pay what you want" download here

About The Sunday Free Noodle

The Sunday Free Noodle project is a free MP3 ever week - remixes, collaborations, live stuff, spoken word stuff and other odd things - for the next year. 52 MP3’s (thats alot). I think it will be a challenge to keep this going and I’m really looking forward to doing it - please subscribe to the podcast feed on itunes to get it free every week and tell me what you think(yes you can say if you think if its crap). I hope you enjoy it.

This project has only really come about because i have injured my back and have had a chance to go through my hard drives whilst lying on the floor with the laptop on my chest. Odd how things happen.

I really it want to be a collaborative process. Let me know - if you are a remixer, cellist, vocalist, percussionist, film maker,trumpet player or visual artist or anything else let me know(although I draw the line at juggling) . Perhaps i could send you some stuff(loops and noodles) to add something to?

Speak soon


Matt
Speak Soon
www.mattstevensguitar.com
mattstevensguitar@btinternet.com

Saturday 8 May 2010

13 Noodles and The Grateful Dead

You can listen to all 13 Free Noodle on the podbean player here, a whole album's worth:


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A pointless but fun video which uses my music, I love it when people use my my music. My listeners are great.





This is from Bob Lefsetz: - This is Genius - I totally agree:


I went to see the Grateful Dead exhibit at the New York Historical Society. Thank God I slept late. Turns out they don’t open until noon. Finally, a rock and roll museum show!

Not that I’d recommend it. You see there’s very little there. It’s kind of like going to Carvel and getting only a dollop, going to In-N-Out and getting a cheeseburger or going to Mrs. Fields and getting half a cookie. We want the complete ice cream cone, shots and all, a Double Double, enough cookies to fly high above the astral plane on the sugar buzz. And that’s what the Grateful Dead delivered. It wasn’t a concert, but an experience. They played for hours.

And most people didn’t give a shit.

Actually, very few people cared at all for a very long time. The Dead were famous for playing for free, not only because they believed in the cause, but for the exposure. The best way to convert new Deadheads was to get them to a show. One can argue the Dead didn’t make a decent studio album after 1970’s “American Beauty”, but their live show grew their audience. Slowly. Steadily. And now we’ve got all the pundits saying to do it like the Dead. Well, exactly how did the Dead do it?

Not through hit songs. By time “Touch Of Grey” finally made it to MTV in the eighties, the band had been at it for more than two decades and was already established as a monster touring attraction. The music was important. But it wasn’t enough. What made the Dead an institution was community. The audience felt like they belonged. They felt bonded both to the act and their fellow fans. The Dead weren’t interested in everybody, just those who cared. And this is much different from today. When the goal of every band is world domination. Quickly. Accompanied by bags of money.

It took the Dead years to even make an appealing record. Their first three albums were stiffs. Completely. They only got a bit of traction upon the release of “Live/Dead” in ‘69. It was the first Dead album that was truly listenable. Then came the dynamic duo of “Workingman’s Dead” and “American Beauty”, a one eighty in sound, and suddenly the alchemy took hold. Fans of the records went to see the fully-developed show and were hooked. And took their buddies. All in search of a good time.

That’s what the music represented. Get high, lay back for a few hours and let’s see if we can lift the roof off this joint. You’re not waiting for the hit. You’re not amazed by the pyrotechnics. But if the band stands on stage playing long enough, we’re all gonna fall into a groove, you’ll feel it and be transported.

Not that it always went down that way. There could be hours of lousy music. But the band was trying. To create something new and different each and every night. Miss a show, and you missed a once in a lifetime experience. So, you had to go. Just in case. And while you were there, you met Bobby and Sue, Sally and Dave, like-minded people from all over the country, who too were in search of the elusive experience. One that only the Dead could deliver. Especially as years went by and music became slick and expensive, when the money was everything.

And speaking of money, there was a ticket stub from 1994 with a printed price of $25. I don’t care how many years have gone by since, there’s no way you get to the ticket prices of today. When the promoter and the act are adversaries, when the promoter is a public company and no gig is a transcendent event, just another blip on the cavalcade of revenue producing dates. Bill Graham might have been a motherfucker, but the band respected him, was in business with him. Today, the goal is to rip off Live Nation. To be overpaid by AEG. And if the fan is fucked in the process, well, you can’t sell a record anymore, it’s got to be this way.

But the Dead could never sell a record. They weren’t even stars by today’s anemic sales standards. Sure, eventually some of those albums went gold, “American Beauty” even platinum. But it took years and years. Then again, create something desirable and you can sell it for years. Is anybody going to want “Poker Face” down the line? If you believe so, you’ve drunk too much kool-aid, and not the kind Ken Kesey was spooning out.

So, you’ve got to ask yourself, are you selling singles, hits, or a whole oeuvre of music?

The Dead weren’t selling hits. They seemed unable to write one. And it wasn’t about the album. So don’t give me any mishegas about preserving the long form. But it was more than a track. You couldn’t distill them down to one three minute song no matter how hard you tried. How to square “Uncle John’s Band” with “Dark Star”? Impossible. Which is why when someone tells you to settle on one sound and stay there you should scratch your head. Might be easier to sell at first, but down the line, your one-dimensional sound lands you on oldies radio at best, maybe you can play the lounge at the casino, whereas the Dead ended up filling stadiums!

The free music, the tape trading? That’s been overstated. Most Dead fans had never heard a live cassette. But those circulating cassettes did so with such fervor that the legend spread. So if you think the way to emulate the Dead is to give your music away, you’re missing the point, that’s one tiny element.

But, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to give something away. The Dead did this regularly. Their fan club was free. You got sample discs, newsletters and the ability to buy tickets. In other words, every transaction was not a revenue generating event. This was about music and life more than money. And, as a result, the band’s fans thought the performers had their best interests at heart, and responded by not only buying tickets, but creating comics, home made merch and endless artwork. This is how they evidenced their belief. So strange in an era where rights holders clamp down on any innovative behavior by fans. Don’t remix my music, don’t do anything unauthorized. Maybe I’ll have a contest, with strict parameters, but it’s all got to be controlled.

The Dead were out of control. They were on an adventure without a destination. Sometimes leading their fans, sometimes being led by their audience. They solicited feedback. They didn’t know exactly what they were doing. No artist really does. You can’t plan art, you can only start.

Traipsing through the exhibit, one was struck not so much by what a long strange trip it was, but that it was over, that what the Dead represented is now long gone. The Dead were the precursor to Silicon Valley. We used to need to get a new computer, we knew all the specs, now they’re sold at Best Buy for cheap and most people don’t care what’s inside. It’s a mature industry.

And music is positively over the hill.

First and foremost, everybody wants to get paid. Not only the labels, but the songwriters and performers. They want the cash right away, not realizing that the heyday of the late twentieth century might be just that, a heyday, that’s gone, never to return.

Music is free and concerts are events you attend infrequently, hell, who could afford to go once a month, like we used to?

How successful would ecstasy be at $125 a hit. Imagine if a puff of marijuana cost $75. You’d still want to get high. But it would be a rare event, and you’d expect to see skyrockets, you’d expect to have the time of your life. Ergo all the dancing and pyrotechnics on today’s stages. Because if you pay that amount of money for a ticket and the show’s not stupendous, you’re beyond disappointed, you feel ripped off! And you’re not eager to go again.

So blame Universal. And Live Nation. And the acts. But blame yourself too. Because you no longer want to take a chance, you no longer want to risk going to a less than stellar show. And when you go, you want something akin to “Avatar”, all special effects with a lame story. Whereas, when done right, music is enough. Doesn’t matter how the performers look, doesn’t matter if they’re playing in front of a black curtain, if they’re in the groove, it’s transcendent. But how transcendent can it be if the show’s on hard drive, if it’s the same every night? That’s a movie, not music.

So, as you can see, we’re screwed. Everybody’s paying lip service to a bygone era, but not emulating it. Bands are not willing to follow their own direction, starving until their audience finds them, getting so good that they can’t be denied. And an audience brought up on music videos wants the show to be just like the clips, or they’re pissed. Shit, the Dead couldn’t play the same song the same way the following night, never mind a hundred nights straight!

The Dead never had their victory lap, no cover of “Newsweek” and appearance on the “Today Show”, no acknowledgement by the mainstream. Because they weren’t made for everybody. Just for a small coterie. But in America, a small coterie can keep you humming along quite well, throwing off a ton of cash, keeping everybody in smiles.

One of the signature Dead moments was a cover tune, in its most famous incarnation, segued into from Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away”.

In between, it wasn’t sure where the band was going, but then you realized they were headed down that road feelin’ bad.

If you’re not willing to go down that road feeling bad, you’re not a believer in rock and roll. The artist has to be able to keep his eyes open as he drives to the next gig, possibly a thousand miles away. The fan has to wake up hungover and go to work. And the label has to be willing to throw its hands in the air and realize that it may never get its money back.

But everybody had a very good time. An extremely good time. Such a good time, that they want to do it again. The act wants to play more gigs, the label wants to make more records and the fan wants to go to more shows. All in pursuit of that peak experience, unique, unavailable anywhere else.

Imagine if every love affair were identical. That you went to the brothel and overpaid to get your rocks off. That’s today’s music business. You come, but you’re not satisfied. And believe me, one thing Grateful Dead fans were was satisfied. They felt by pursuing their interest in the San Francisco band they’d be rewarded in a way they were not in work. They might even acquire a love interest. And the music would inspire them and keep them warm at night.

That’s rock and roll. And you see glimpses of it now and again, but it’s mostly absent today. Because everybody must get paid. Everybody must get STONED, and you must NEVER FORGET THIS!


TOP STUFF - AGREED.


Matt

Thursday 6 May 2010

Vote Space Monkey

Hello

Voting day in the UK today

Please don't vote BNP today - here is some advice from the Space Monkey





OR you could watch my new video (and please share with your friends)





Ta!

Matt

Wednesday 5 May 2010

More previews....

Hey all

Did I tell you that you now now get a lovely CD version of Echo and pre order the CD version of the new album Ghost here.

I've added a new song to download as a preview of Ghost and name your price(including free) - its called Big Sky in any format you like Wav, FLAC, MP3 etc.



Its tough deciding which way to vote - just don't vote for these idiots - keep the BNP out:


Sunday 2 May 2010

Sunday Free Noodle 13

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This week’s noodle is:

Matt Stevens (Guitars/Loops/whammy pedal) - Big Sky - Ghost Preview. Produced by Kevin Feazey at Pinna Studios 2009

This is a song from my new album Ghost which is out on the 1st of June. You can reserve a Limited Edition CD copy here. Its the only solo guitar song on the album and its always been one i've enjoyed playing live. Compared to the rest of album the arrangement is really simple and has kind of an Explosions In The Sky/My Bloody Valentine/Sugar type feel.

Please let me know what you think of this and if you would like to do a remix or collaborate give me a shout.

More noodles next week



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Please let me know what you think of this and if you would like to do a remix or collaborate give me a shout.

More noodles next week

Subscribe to my podcast feed here and get the Sunday Free Noodle every week: subscribe_itunes_a

If you like this you get get my album Echo as a "pay what you want" download here

About The Sunday Free Noodle

The Sunday Free Noodle project is a free MP3 ever week - remixes, collaborations, live stuff, spoken word stuff and other odd things - for the next year. 52 MP3’s (thats alot). I think it will be a challenge to keep this going and I’m really looking forward to doing it - please subscribe to the podcast feed on itunes to get it free every week and tell me what you think(yes you can say if you think if its crap). I hope you enjoy it.

This project has only really come about because i have injured my back and have had a chance to go through my hard drives whilst lying on the floor with the laptop on my chest. Odd how things happen.

I really it want to be a collaborative process. Let me know - if you are a remixer, cellist, vocalist, percussionist, film maker,trumpet player or visual artist or anything else let me know(although I draw the line at juggling) . Perhaps i could send you some stuff(loops and noodles) to add something to?

Speak soon


Matt
Speak Soon
www.mattstevensguitar.com
mattstevensguitar@btinternet.com

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