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The Fixer – the EPIC rock sound & Video!

The Fixer is a bit different than songs I’ve been making over the last 15 years or so.

The Fixer is a dynamic and well performed piece of songwriting. The arrangement is compelling building up and down. The instrumentals are fantastic. Solid performances and excellent musicianship. I dig the energy and appreciate the musicianship! Music On The Moon 

Though some of my songs always tend toward the longer side, not too many stretch to the 7 1/2 minute mark.

I’m a fan of big crunchy guitar sounds, but it’s not a texture I use too often as the main ‘sound’ of a song. I’ve been in bands in the past that have certainly centered around this type of sound.

LISTEN TO FIXER

Fun track. I like the quality of the production, the drums sound punchy and it feels textured and intricate with the variety of percussive elements and well placed guitar melodies.  The flow of the chorus is pretty amazing though, instrumentals are well synced and vocals sound more convincing there.  Had a great time listening… Bregt C Alpas Records

An Instrumental Germ

This song sprang out of an instrumental germ really. Originally, the whole song was just the minute plus intro as an instrumental piece written for a tv placement. However, I wanted to hear more of the story it was trying to tell. It has a Tool vibe – that crunchy dark sound flavored with world music elements. So I started to build on the piece like the Winchester Mystery house. It had no lyrics at first, but I built it more into a song form and figured it would start to inspire some lyric writing.

I like the tension and dynamics of the guitars a lot, they create movement and keep your record interesting. Drums have a nice groove and cut really well trough your mix. I like the lyrics of the vocal a lot… TC21

Ray Donovan

The idea for the lyrics started to come while we were watching the TV series Ray Donovan: it just struck me how weird it is that there are people who get paid by wealthy famous people to ‘handle’ their sometimes enormous indiscretions & crimes. It’s curious to me that people could find the mindset and skillset to lead them to this ‘profession’. Spending my life in solitude mostly, working alone in my studio. I no longer get into any of the intense, dramatic overly-emotional situations of my younger days (lol). I find it useful to take on characters and become a musical ‘actor’ for song inspiration now.

A very interesting production here, with a nice melodic structure. The sound is beautifully constructed… Alfitude 

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Steal This Dance

by Kenny Schick

Steal This Dance – Written, Performed (Vocals, ALL Instruments), Produced, Orchestrated, Mixed & Mastered by Kenny Schick.

Video was made by Jessica Fong ADAPTED CREATIONS.

Artwork & Backing Vocals by Sabine Heusler-Schick BASEMENT3DESIGN

Kenny Schick Steal This Dance

Kenny Schick Music Page

Kenny Schick Music Producer

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C’Mon C’Mon C’Mon

by Kenny Schick

c’mon no one else can sing your song

Written, Performed, Produced, Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by Kenny Schick

Video by Jessica Fong – Adapted Creations

BUY it on BandCamp

LISTEN on Spotify

GET it at AppleMusic

Start of life

C’mon C’mon C’mon started its life on a different trajectory than it ended up on. Originally, I was writing a song for a placement opportunity, and the basic feeling was supposed to be ‘nostalgic’. I got that part moving along just fine, and as it’s written now, that part would have worked out. Samples were given as an idea for the type of sound and feel they were looking for which lent toward a melancholic pop/indie vibe. Usually, that is right up my alley, as well as those familiar music know. But when I’d play the song, which at first was just on acoustic guitar, I kept playing it at a certain speed, and that speed took it out of a melancholic feel. I tried to slow it down and make it more weepy, but nope, this song wouldn’t have it.

I abandoned my initial mission, forgot about the placement, and served this song as it wanted to be served. It just wanted to be kind of a Brit pop type thing—a hair punky, with an upbeat feel. There was a whole other section of lyrics in the bridge, which is just instrumental now—where the widdley-woo guitar solo is. They were cool, but it was murky and just wasn’t working, so I went for some guitar fun, which fits the theme of the song, as it ended up being about my musical journey in a way, and it was ripping guitar riffs that pulled me into music in the first place.
The idea of the song is that musical styles, and even fashion styles (which often accompany music styles) always seem to repeat and come back around again… what was in style once will likely come around again—I mean, how many times has punk rock come and gone now?
We saw a time in the 90’s when the old swing sound came back around again (and everyone sounded like an updated Cab Calloway), rock-a- billy had it’s day again in the 80’s and brought with it that 50’s fashion, and here in Nashville on our favorite local radio station, Lightning 100, I hear so many bands that sound like they’ve revisited the 70’s and 80’s again for inspiration.
I’ve had a few questions asked of me regarding the line ‘the drink and then the sound is brown, ’til the strong and clear take down the town…’ — the brown drink is whiskey, the brown sound was what Eddie Van Halen’s sounds was labeled. Both of those fell out of favor at some point, but now we know bourbon is the big thing again after the years when strong, clear liquors became popular and almost destroyed the bourbon industry— and the 80’s saw that more clean sound (drum machines, clean guitars, etc.) swallow the big guitar sound. Then came the whole grunge movement and ‘alternative’ bands like Tool, Dinosaur Jr., and Smashing Pumpkins that brought back the wall of sound again.
And so it goes…round and round… what you like may pass out of favor, but it will come back around.
So sing your song!
WATCH THE VIDEO

LYRICS: C’Mon C’Mon C’Mon by Kenny Schick

Verse

Yesterday or years ago
it’s all the same and we don’t know
that time’s moved on
and nothing’s gone
we talk away the day and so
the night walks in and steals the show
it’s been too long
still sing that song

the one that’s always dances in my heads
the tune that always gets me out of bed

chorus

Na Na Na Na Na Na Na

C’mon C’mon
Life’s as short as the day is long
c’mon c’mon
no one else… can sing your song c’mon c’mon c’mon

Verse 2

the latest style it’s all the rage
it flies away and leaves the cage
and then it’s gone
but not for long
the drink and then the sound is brown
’til the strong and clear take down the town
for today
but it’s ok

cuz it won’t be long ’til we see you again
and the coolest kids will want to be your friend

Bridge

it’s new, it’s old, it’s bought and sold
the salvage yard then solid gold
and should it stand the test of time
rewrite the lines repeat the rhyme

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WCS Conference (West Coast Songwriters)  Panels

Producing the Best Record & Studio Preparation

WCS Conference – Panels

Join me at this years 39th Annual West Coast Songwriters Conference – September the 14th and 15th in San Francisco!

It’s a conference FOR singer songwriters – you’ll meet industry professionals, your songwriting peers, you’ll be inspired, enjoy panels and workshops, you can share your music, and you’ll make lots of new friends.

I’ll be doing 2 panels on Sunday – at 10am it’s PRODUCING THE BEST RECORD and at 11am it’s STUDIO PREPARATION.

If you’ve never been to one before you should definitely check it out. https://www.westcoastsongwriters.org

If you have been and you are going come say hi! I’ll be there on the friday night ‘Kick Off’ Party as well at the Hard Rock Cafe.

These are always a lot of fun, and I have a LOT of information for you if you want it!! See you there!

Yes the music is mine an instrumental called Funky February 🙂

VIDEO

Kenny Schick Music Producer