Great news!
No, not a new episode. Last night’s car failure, stranding in the cold for a few hours and near-firing at my Part-time and only gig saw to that. I was headed to Yelawolf’s free show when the car died and a speeding SUV came inches from side swiping me. Good times. But none of that could wipe the smile off my face. Why, you ask?
Hey Dominick,
How are you? My name is ******** and I work with the Third Coast Audio Festival. TCF is an umbrella-organization for audio producers and general audio lovers alike, mostly concentrating on documentary work. But we define “documentary” pretty broadly.
We’re starting a new, bi-monthly, point-of-interest on the site in which we showcase a featured link that we’ve come across in our internet searching. I stumbled upon your tumblr blog and then went over to your website a few weeks ago. I really enjoy the breadth of interview subjects and the narrative depth you go into in your conversations. Anyhow, I wanted to let you know that we’re planning on featuring your website as our first featured link. If it is cool with you, it will appear on our news page and in a Third Coast mailer e-mail next week.
Two brief questions: should we link http://www.dominickbrady.com/ as your primary site (as opposed to your tumblr or abenghorn)? Secondly, would you want to add any information you’d like us to run with the link? The blurb will be brief — about two sentences — but I figured you’d might like some input.
Hope you’re having a nice Friday,
**************
For those of you that don’t know, The Third Coast festival in Chicago is kind of a big deal for Radio Documentary and Public Radio nerds such as myself. I still can’t afford to actually attend but the fact that they have noticed my work and had an opportunity to take a closer look at Atlanta Arts is truly a blessing.
I’m off to cover the Atlanta B-girl Fest today for VIMBY. With the car out of sorts, I’ll trek the city on MARTA. I like MARTA, though. No worries. Living in the city makes public transit a small chore. Glad I feel better!
I’ll upload episodes 17 & 18 Sunday, God willing. They might be some of the most interesting interviews thus far.
Next season I’ll be doing the bulk of my interviews from my home studio, I think. I’ll play with live performances and the like. Should be fun.
Laters,
Dom
Soon and very soon….
I won’t jinx it with a date, but I’ll post my interviews with writer Andisheh Nouree, Random Rabbit, Mr. Lucky, ATL Band The Goldest Atlanta-based promoter Dres Tha BEATnik and more are right around the corner. I’ll also have a trailer up from my Documentary project “Telling it like it T-I-is: Atlanta Hip Hop from ’79-’til”.
The Goldest were kind enough to give me some CD’s to give away so there will be some Atlanta Trivia in their episode. Stay Tuned!
The season Episode #1
You might remember me interviewing photographer and film maker Donnie Seals for Episode #2 of Extra Analogue, my project about The Arts outside of Atlanta. We talked about his documentary The Season
A message from Donnie about his project:
Finally!
Here is the first, and as of right now only episode of my documentary on the Findlay College Prep program. I want everyone to know that it has taken a lot of work to bring this 8 minutes of video to the web, but it’s going to take a ton more work to try to keep this story going. Showcasing this first episode is not the finish line. In fact the race has just started. Here are the next few steps I’m planning on making now that the first episode is up.
STEP ONE:
Blasting this video everywhere I can. I’m uploading to YouTube, Vimeo, Exposure Room and Facebook. If you know any other places I should link the first episode to, let me know. A lot of my views have come from message forums of Division I schools (UNLV and University of Illinois just to name a few). If you know a sports forum that talks college basketball, share the link in a post.
STEP TWO:
Finishing editing Episode Two. When I was laid off a few weeks back I was in the middle of editing, so I never got a chance to finish it. Now that I have recovered the rest of the footage from KVBC, I can work on getting some editing equipment so I can bring you the next installment.
STEP THREE:
Finding someone interested in funding this project for the 2009/10 season. The future of this project isn’t certain, and I have a lot of ideas on where I should take it, but nothing is going to happen without funding. I can only go so far with an Nevada Unemployment check. Right now, please take a moment and watch. Any questions or comments are welcome.
(You know it’s funny WordPress chose that thumbnail clip of Godwin resting on the mat during practice. That’s how I feel right about now…ha).
…So my wife is forcing me to go to the Doctor.
I suppose she’s got a point. I’ve been sick for about 4 days now and today I could barely hold my camera. I still got a great deal done. I interviewed PJ Morton over @ Slice in Castleberry Hill and caught up with B-boy Quick in Poncey-Highland to talk about Atlanta Breaking going back to 1981. That was fun.
As for podcasts and video footage? I’ll post what I can, as I can. I’m really, really sick. I feel “guilty” somehow for not posting more material but, hey, I’m sick. I’ve been making it off of tobacco and coffee to this point. They aren’t getting the job done anymore. My subjects never guess that I’m sick, though. I guess I’m doing a good job of playing it off. I have this fear of re-scheduling. It’s like I feel that if I re-schedule a gig it’ll never come to fruition. Tommorow? I interview Andisheh Nouree about his new book and why he left Creative Loafing Atlanta. He won’t know I’m sick either unless, of course, he reads this blog. After that I think I’m going to sleep for about a week. I’m so weak right now. Stomach viruses are not fun. They aren’t contagious either, btw.
I’m going to shake up the next few episodes. The line up will be different than what I’ve previewed. Why? Because I’d just like to see a different mix. *shrugs*
Cheers,
Dom
The show must go on!
I’ve been in bed for a few days. Still not feeling well. I finally left the bed to attend WonderRoot’s bi-monthly Dinner and Discussion forum about issues of impact in the community. It was a great, great time. While I felt weak, it was good to get out of the house and meet good, passionate people.
I got tired of being unproductive and bed-ridden today so I went ahead and started to mix down and edit some of the documentary I’m working on with my friend Kamal Secret. The documentary is focused on the Atlanta underground Hip Hop scene from the late seventies up until today. It’s been a labor of love, really-especially for someone like me that finds long-form work very challenging.
This is raw, un-bumped, un-bedded footage. Its’ not long, but it gives you a taste on what we’ve been working on…when I feel like I’m not going to throw up, I’ll post these next Analogue Atlanta projects. I can’t do the podcasts on my laptop yet. I need to remedy that.
One good thing about being sick & in bed is time to think…
I’ve come up with some interesting ideas for the podcasts I’m working on in the near future. Should be interesting. Have you ever heard the old Moral Chicanery podcast I used to do with Nyerere? Perhaps not. Actually, it’s a good thing that you hadn’t. While those podcasts had their moments, they just weren’t that good. The new idea is based off of that principle but with some new bells and whistles. It should be very funny, very fresh and I’m going to be very disappointed if I find out someone in doing what I have in mind already. Upset wouldn’t even be a good word to describe how I’d feel, actually.
Anyway, while I’m hear I might as well announce the last 14 or so guests of Analogue Atlanta after episode #17 is published: Random Rabbit, Bem Joiner, Random Rabbit, No Face, Gringo Star, Tendaberry, Melanie Stevens, PJ Morton, Yelawolf, Dj Tabone, Fewture, Fray Wall, Mr. Lucky and Sky Hy. Interest piqued? I hope so. Should be a lot of fun. Can’t wait to share these conversations with ya’ll. Next season should be even better.
Details soon come.
Analogue Atlanta #016: Soul Speak
This episode was interesting in that it almost didn’t happen. I’m sick as a dog. I’ve been ill since just before the Random Rabbit interview I conducted on Thursday. It’s been a long week. Melody Moezzi and her book War on Error: Real Stories of American Muslims was brought to my attention via NPR not even a year ago, I think. After hearing her on air and meaning to buy the book, I did what i always do: I quickly forgot about her and the book. Fast forward to the Creative Loafing Short fiction contest not long ago, and I see the book alongside Persepolis 2. I hadn’t known there was a sequel to Persepolis and as I was making my way over to the table to take a closer look at it: BAM! There was Melody’s book. It’s weird how things work out sometimes because after realizing that Melody actually lived here in Atlanta, I gave her a call the next day.
In this interview we talk about her inspiration, her artistic process and health issues that have presented Melody with a unique circumstance.
The Soulphonics & Ruby Velle is a weird story. As you may know, I’ve been friends with DJ Variable of the Audubon society for over a decade. His Audubon Society partner Mr. Mind is also a friend of mine, and through him I met Ruby Velle and learned about her music. If you think her voice is something, you should try out her chocolate chip cookies. It’s the stuff of magic.
After a few weeks of email tag, I finally was able to nail down an interview with the Soul Septet and I’ve got to tell you that it’s always a great time seeing them play live. Every time I’ve seen them play I’ve regretted not having my wife present because they make music that moves you to dance.
We chat about running a large band in Atlanta’s indie music scene and about their sound.
Atlanta music featured in this pod:
- Mass Influence
- Obviouslob
- The Soulphonics
Two episodes for the price of one…
Since I’ve come so late with Episode #16, I’ve decided to produce it the same day I’m mixing Epiosde #17. Hey…ebbs and flows, folks. I’m tired and I miss my wife (who’s still in DC for the festivities). Sometimes it’s just hard to create. But now it’s time to shake the “little hater” (© J Smooth). In episode 17, we’ll talk with College Park MC Stanza about his sound.
I’ll publish part of an interview I did with D.R.E.S tha Beatnik a few months ago for Art Nouveau Magazine and we’ll chat with Atlanta Creatives Project creator and photographer Neda Abghari.
Episode #16, of course, will feature: Melody Moezzi, The Soulphonics & Ruby Velle
and Film maker Matt Wolfe.They should all be up Friday, God willing. We’ll see. I’ven’t been feeling well.
Dosa Kim Inauguration Piece
You might remember Dosa Kim from The Apparatus Atlanta episode (Episode #005) of Analogue Atlanta. The man does amazing work.
Next month…
Nest (sic) month on Analogue Atlanta I talk with Atlanta BGOV/Shady/Interscope recording artist Bobby Creekwater and find out what he’s been working on. His people just sent me a new song called “She’s Dead” about his love affair with Hip Hop. We’ll talk with him about why he thinks she’s dead and if it’s too late to bring her back.
I catch up with Atlanta electronic act Random Rabbit to talk about the electronic music scene here in Atlanta and what it’s like to be an act in a genre outside of the pop radar. The electronic music scene in Atlanta, according to rumors, is shrinking? Why? What happened? Did anything really happen? Is it really shrinking or is this just hearsay? We’ll find out next month.
I also chat with Fusion/Funk band Mr. Lucky about their latest album “Try it out before you Thank me”. We’ll talk about how the band was able to blend their varied experiences into the Funk/Jazzy/Fusion sound we hear today. How does a band stay alive in this music climate? Is the Indie route a blessing or a curse?
Finally, we’ll sit down with Atlanta writer Andisheh Nouraee about his new book and about his writing style.
We’ll flesh all those questions out next month. Should be a great deal of fun.
I know, I know…
😦 Wow. People are actually upset I’m late with this next episode of Analogue Atlanta. I could come up with an excuse but there are none. After wrestling with that digital recording issue yesterday I took a nap. I took a very long nap. Went to bed around 3pm and woke up around midnight. Life got in the way at that point. I had so much to do that I couldn’t even twitter and y’all know how much I love to twitter.
The segments to Episode #16 of Analogue Atlanta have been reviewed, though. They just aren’t mixed. I have all the elements in place. Just got done with most of what I had to do for other projects about 15 minutes ago. Yes. Yes , I was up working at dawn. Heck, I slep ’til midnight so it wasn’t like I was tired. Anyway…I have some interviews to do today so #16 should be up on Wednesday, which works out fine because everyone should be back at work and school on Wednesday and back to some sense of normalcy.
I’ll talk to you soon!
Extra Analogue #002: Surviving The Season
I did something different. I’m playing with ideas on how to talk with artists outside of Atlanta and finding a way to do it at low cost. I figured that there are people out there doing interesting work and it’d be nice to talk to them. I could do the standard Q&A that we’re used to seeing on the blogosphere, but that’s not as dynamic as I’d like.
I could, I suppose, call each prospective interviewee on the phone. That could work. The problem with that is I become limited to calling stateside. No Canada. No Global outlook. Boring. So what I’ve decided to do (and this has probably been done numerous times by someone, somewhere in the past) is treat this like good old fashion radio call-ins with skype and gmail chat. I’ve tried this before with MSN but the sound quality was pretty bad.
This was years ago-before they started charging, I guess. I have to admit I had some challenges with this piece. Capturing the audio was tricky because I wasn’t sure about any feedback issues. I used my headphones instead of my monitors (like a good radio cat should), but I wasn’t able to hear the digital gapping as it occurred like I assumed I would. This led to some creative editing in post. I had no choice. The follow up interview had great sound from the gmail chat. It syncs perfectly with my Macbook and I just ran a mono adapter into a stereo RCA line on my mixer. Easy as pie. Worked like a charm. For some reason, however, the readings on Sound Forge’s EQ registered my sound coming through both the gmail chat and my secondary SM57 mic as equal with Donnie’s over Gmail and it really wasn’t. I’m wondering if the digital read-outs just aren’t calibrated the same for mono sound as they are for stereo. I’ve been sitting here with this manual trying to find out, but no dice.
In any case, I made it work. I had to do some heavy editing, but I think the story survived. There is some mixing I’m not happy with, but I’m an ADHD cat, man. My patience was waning. I had to get this episode done.
Later tonight I edit the new Analogue Atlanta with Melody Moezzi, The Soulphonics and Matt Wolfe. I’ve listened to all the audio I have from those interviews already and I’m happy with them. I just haven’t scripted, edited or mixed any of it yet. Soon come. First? Nap time. I barely got any sleep last night. The dog was SNORING! SNORING LOUD! I was supposed to interview Senor Kaos today, but I think he had something come up.
I’ll catch up with him in the near future, God willing.
Anyway, enjoy this episode of Extra Analogue! Tell me what you think!
Links:
Ignored: early Atlanta Hip Hop
The youtube Record below is called “Jump, Stomp & Twist”. This is just one of the gems we’ve unearthed during research and interviews for a Documentary Film I’m working on in conjunction with Black Static Films called Telling it like it T- I- is: Atlanta Hip Hop from ’79-’til. We interview Hip Hop Artists, Journalists and
Photographers who have been in and around the underground Atlanta Hip Hop scene from the very begining. I’ll have clips up on Youtube and Vimeo in the up coming months after this Season of Analogue Atlanta, my audio series on Atlanta Arts, comes to an end in February. The information thus far has been amazing. Finding artists like Mo-jo and Dj Mann, Dj Lynn, Mike Fresh, Danny Renee? Nearly impossible. There aren’t archives of V103’s Fresh Party- an early 80’s Hip Hop show hosted by Wanda Ramos. We have, however, tracked down Mc Shy D and others that were making records in the ’80s and early ’90s. What we want to do, God willing, is find some of the artists we know existed during the Late 70’s and early ’80s. If you’re interested in the origins of Southern Hip Hop, which does begin in the ’70s, contrary to popular belief, check out former Creative Loafing Atlanta writer Roni Sarig’s book Third Coast: OutKast, Timbaland, and How Hip-Hop Became a Southern Thing for starters. It’s a page turner.
When you think about the legacy of musicians that made the crossover from Soul to Hip Hop like Funk man and later Hip Hop producer Wendell Parker who produced Danny Renee’s Space Rap pictured on the right in ’80, or even a STAXX Records musician like Rufus who made his own Hip Hop 7inch also produced by Parker as early as ’84 it’s easy to see how fertile the local Hip Hop scene became in Atlanta. According to MC Shy D himself in an interview I MIGHT (can’t promise anything) post before we’re done wrapping, these records just didn’t make it out of the region due to poor distribution. Fine. That doesn’t mean that they didn’t exist and don’t deserve their proper place in history. We aim to remedy that, where possible. Journalists like Brian Lassiter, Roni Sarig and Shannon McCollum as well as scholars like Matt Miller have already done the hard part. What we’re trying to do is use their work along with some elbow grease of our own to bring these artists, this period in Atlanta music history to light.
Going to talk to some interesting people next week.
You might not have been aware, but lifestyle magazine Clutch is based right here out of the Atlanta Metro area. I’ll talk with Clutch Magazine’s owner and founder this week about the trials, tribulations and rewards of being an on-line editor-in-chief.
I just got off the GMAIL chat with Documentary Film maker and Photographer Donnie Seals Jr. His story is an amazing example of where media is headed and gives us all greater perspective on the state of media today in the United States. His story and MORE on the next Extra Analogue, my series on arts and media outside of Atlanta. If this story doesn’t move you, that heart of yours must be made of granite.
Atlanta Fusion-Jazz band Mr. Lucky is allowing me to sit in on one of their practice sessions this week. That should be a lot of fun. We will chat about the Jazz scene in Atlanta, their new Album and more.
I also talk with Senor Kaos this week about his work as a marketer and Hip Hop artist.
New Project…
I’ve been inspired. The work over at AFRICA.Visual_media and With Comb & Razor has intrigued me for some time. I’m going to delve into West Indian culture here in the Atlanta Area. When I say West Indian culture I’m refering to the banality, the riddim of life: migration patterns, life stories, expectations for future generations and past generations’ stories. I want to talk about what brought people here to the USA, to Atlanta and why folk stay. I think this could be interesting work. We’ll see how this works. Anyone who knows West Indians knows how hard it is to pry information from them. It’s like trying to scoop state secrets Lol. This will be LABORIOUS.
Episode #16 coming Monday 1/19/09…
Ruby Velle of The Soulphonics & Ruby Velle
I talk with Retro-Soul Septet The Soulphonics & Ruby Velle and have an in-depth conversation with writer Melody Moezzi about her passions, inspiration and struggles as an artist. Finally, I talk with Indie Film-Maker Matt Wolfe.
Next Week? ATL MC Stanza, Hip Hop Documentarian/Photographer Shannon McCollum and Producer Mudfish.
I’ve got some great interviews with Activist and MC Tim’m West (who no longer lives in Atlanta- the interview was done in July) Random Rabbit, Soupy Jones and many more ATL artists coming up in the next few weeks as well as Part II of “Our House“, a look into Atlanta’s House music scene. Thought I forgot about that? No way! It’s been the most popular episode! I plan for it to be Episode #20, which will be the final episode of this season. Part III will kick off next season.
Looks like Collective Efforts is working with DiamonD
Left: Jmil of CE, Right: The Legendary DiamonD
I asked an open-ended question about Ben Hameen’s Facebook comment referring to this and Jmil of Collective Efforts confirmed it. More on them on Analogue Atlanta sometime in the near future. We haven’t set a date yet, but they’ve agreed to sit down and talk about their new projects. I’m just lazy and broke. Driving out to the Top-End perimeter to their studio is a TREK, man. Soon come.
ATL MC Fewture
Speaking of Future, I’ll catch up with College Park Emcee Fewture in the upcoming weeks. He called me to reschedule our meeting I had to postpone when one of my family members was ill. We’ll have that conversation coming soon.
Until then? He’ll be your Frankenstein…
A conversation with Mudfish…
Atlanta DJ/Producer/Musician Mudfish
Looks like ATL Producer/Musician/DJ Mudfish is in the studio working with The Rising Son’s Trip. Last I talked to Trip he said, “Forget making music…I’d rather listen to Green Day”. Since then he’s been in Law school over at Emory, but the music hasn’t stopped. As you might be aware, Mudfish has worked with ATL groups: Minamina Goodsong, Collective Efforts & Binkis Recs. I had a conversation with him over at his East Atlanta studio which premiers next week on Analogue Atlanta.
Mudfish has wrapped up work on an album with Jazz Group Mr. Lucky. Haven’t heard of them (Chris Reeves, Kevin Vines, Johnny Davidson) ? You will. Their current claim to fame is that their bass player is the cat giving Andre 3000 guitar lessons…more on them later, God willing.
Mudfish blessed me with a few tracks to share. Below I’ve got some music off of Trip’s new record as well as a track from the Mr. Lucky Jazz-Fusion project “Try it out before you Thank me”. Remember you heard it here first. Check out next week’s Analogue Atlanta to hear about Mudfish’s work.
Extra Analogue: Film-maker & Photographer Donnie Seals Jr.
The next episodes of Extra Analogue , my series on arts and artists outside of the Atlanta Metro area, will feature Donnie Seals Jr. & Mayer Hawthorne. Soon come.
This next Analogue Atlanta should be fun.
Atlanta group The Soulphonics & Ruby Velle
I talk with Atlanta Soul Band The Soulphonics and Ruby Velle, share an interview with Atlanta MC via College Park STANZA and chat with Atlanta-based film-maker Matt Wolfe. In Extra Analogue we talk about the rough and tumble Media industry with photo editor and documentary film-maker Donnie Seals Jr. and catch up with Stones Throw Recording Artist Mayer Hawthorne.
In upcoming weeks…well, I won’t put the chicken before the egg here or the cart before the horse. Let’s just say that we’ll have some fun. I can’t wait to share these conversations with you!
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave a comment!
Welcome to my glorious mess. 
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