Lauren Frost just sent me a text message to check out the new article in the Illinois Entertainer Magazine. First, thanks to Illinois Entertainer and Lauren Frost for the OAKDALE3B shout-out. Yup, the track was produced out of the original Oakdale studio in Chicago. It was a mystical place with a magic table and a microphone and it entertained some of the best talent in Chicago.

A couple of those talented people happened to be Lauren Frost (Disney’s Even Stevens, Barbra Streisand “Timeless Tour”) and Ashton Likes (Singer/Songwriter…and one bad cajon player). Lauren and Ashton co-wrote the track for our friend and hold-down-the-bottom bass player Tom Gallagher for his wedding.

The song was just cool out of the gate. We kept it simple and worked off the Chanel principle–dress it up and take one thing off before you go. The fashion was in the vocal arrangement. The take one thing off was MIDI.

Lauren and Ashton are now living in Hollywood and playing all over town–in fact they are playing tomorrow night: 9/4 – White Harte Pub – 830-1030pm – Woodland Hills, CA.

Lauren has also been collaborating with her multi-talented friend Margo Harshman. Margo sings and plays guitar–so, they are ready to emote as a duo. I’ve been getting some of the roughs sent over from their work together and the tunes are awesome.

They have an upcoming performance as well–their first performance live–so check it out: 9/10 – Lauren Frost with Margo Harshman – Enid & Edgar Vintage – 10pm

Cheers

I can’t keep up with all of the stuff Julia is doing these days. I really try to be a good blog poster but she has been busy lately. So, the legendary Dale Kawashima and his super crew of talented folks over at Singer Universe have chosen Julia’s “Glass Box” as one of the top 5 vocal performances for July of 2010. Really, check out Dale’s bio–he managed Michael Jackson’s catalog at ATV Publishing. That’s just rad.

Here is a little excerpt, “It was Kawashima’s success as an independent publisher which led to receiving an offer from Michael Jackson to become President of ATV Music. During his four-and-a-half years at ATV, Kawashima managed and promoted Jackson’s great publishing holdings, which included the catalogs of the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Little Richard, Sly Stone, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, and many other hits.and his super crew [...]”

I think he might know a little something about music…

Thanks again to Singer Universe!

I entered Julia Kay’s “Reaching To The Moon” into the NASA Wakeup Song Contest–the song chosen will be one of the last wakeup songs for the shuttle program. Seeing as Julia sang this tune for Buzz Aldrin at the International Space Development Contest in Chicago this year, I am hoping we get some traction on the contest.

I’ll let you know when the voting opens…and then please, please, please help us get this track into SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!!! *best done in a deep baritone voice:-)

Just a quick update on the studio: Logic 9 is up and running and it is very cool. The biggest additions are the time stretching feature and the new guitar plug-in suite.

I also added a Novation Zero MKii and it is great for mixing and controlling Logic’s effects and plug-ins.

This thing is rad and super-functional. Let the mixing begin…

I’ll let you know how everything is working as I dig into mixing upcoming tracks. Julia Kay has an albums worth of material that I plan to dial in with this controller. Ashton Likes has new music and Rob Coates may have a some sparkle added out of Austin.

Cheers

I just got a text from Ashton Likes. I recently posted some comments about the “The August,” and how it is just a cool tune. Well, I am not alone in thinking that the song is rad. Here is the link to “The August.”

Ashton informed me that the Illinois Entertainer Magazine is going to do a write up n the song for the September issue. Illinois Entertainer is distributed both in print and online. Here is a link: Illinois Entertainer.

“The August” was recorded in Chicago at the old Oakdale3B studio. It is a nice, raw, acoustic track. The tune is made by the catchy melody and the catchy lyrics. The tune was written by Ashton Likes and Lauren Frost. Both Lauren and Aston have new material that is slated for release in the next month.

I’ll keep you posted on the Illinois Entertainer article…

Cheers

• Checking out the sunset valley farmers market #

I wanted to revisit the solo acoustic set list and talk about some new tracks over the next few days. There are some great singers with tracks out right now. The lead singer for The Script, Danny O’Donoghue, is a pretty incredible talent. Great tone and emotive qualities. He has been around in Dublin for a while, but the U.S. is just getting exposed to him through his band. Check out this live video of The Script doing “Breakeven.” O’Donoghue makes easy work of a pretty difficult tune–nailing it live.

Breakeven Live:

Also, I get a lot of hits from musicians looking for songs to play for solo acoustic gigs. Here is a good starter list. Please leave comments and suggestions regarding different venues and regional variations on popular songs. I’ve updated some new songs and will continue to add to the list this week.

Updated Section:

Breakeven: The Script

Billionaire: Travis McCoy featuring Bruno Mars

Hey, Soul Sister: Traine

Rotating Section

Lovestoned: Justin Timberlake

Bubbletoes: Jack Johnson

Melissa: The Allman Brothers

Stir It Up: Bob Marley

Rehab: Amy Winehouse

Cupid: Sam Cooke

Just the Two of Us: Bill Withers

These Arms of Mine: Ottis Redding

What Goes Around Comes Around: Justin Timberlake

Flake: Jack Johnson

Ring of Fire: Johnny Cash

Gypsy Woman: Martin Sexton

Waiting on the World to Change: John Mayer

Me and Julio: Paul Simon

Cecelia: Paul Simon

Apologize: One Republic

Into the Mystic: Van Morrison

Pride and Joy: Stevie Ray Vaughan

The Master List:

AC/DC
You shook me

Bryan Adams
Cuts like a knife
Summer of ‘69

Allman Brothers Band
Blue Sky
Elizabeth Reed
Melissa
Midnight Rider

Barenaked Ladies
Brian Wilson
If I had a million dollars
Old Apartment
One Week

Gnarls Barkley
Crazy

The Beatles
Blackbird
Day tripper
In my life

Chuck Berry
Johnny B. Goode
Mr. Big
To be with you

Garth Brooks
Friends in low places
The River

Brooks and Dunn
My Maria
Neon Moon

Jeff Buckley
Hallelluah
Forget Her
Last Goodbye

Jimmy Buffet
Cheeseburger in paradise
Come Monday
Margaritaville
Son of a sailor
Volcano

Johnny Cash
Folsom Prison Blues
Jackson
Ring of Fire

Eric Clapton
Before you accuse me
Lay down Sally
Layla
Willy and the hand -jive
Wonderful tonight

Coldplay
Clocks
In my place
Yellow

Sam Cooke
Cupid

The Cure
Love Song

Counting Crows
Round here
Big Yellow Taxi

Cream
Crossroads

CSN and Young
Southern Cross

Howie Day
Collide

Guns N’ Roses
Crazy
Mr. Brownstone
Patience

Grateful Dead
Bertha
Casey Jones
Friend of the devil

Neil Diamond
Sweet Caroline

The Doors
LA woman
Light my fire
People are strange
Roadhouse blues

3 Doors Down
Here without you

Bob Dylan
All along the watchtower
Knockin’ on heaven’s door

The Eagles
Already Gone
Desperado
Take it easy

Eminem
Lose yourself

Modern English
Melt with you

Violent Femmes
Blister in the sun

Pink Floyd
Wish you were here

Marvin Gaye
Sexual Healing
What’s going on

Al Green
Here I am baby
Let’s stay together

Green Day
I walk alone
Time of your life
When I come around

Merle Haggard
Momma tried

Jimi Hendrix
Fire
Foxy Lady
Manic Depression
Voodoo Chile
Wind Cries Mary

Buddy Holly
Everyday
Not fade away

Isley Brothers
Summer Breeze

Jackson Five
ABC
I want you back
I’ll be there

Etta James
At last

Jack Johnson
Bubbletoes
Flake
Sitting, waiting, wishing

Jamiroquai
Virtual Insanity

Joan Jett
I love rock n’ roll

Janis Joplin
Bobby Mcgee

Bon Jovi
I’ll be there for you
Livin’ on a prayer
Wanted dead or alive

Lenny Kravitz
Fly Away

The Kinks
You really got me

Lit
Miserable

Bob Marley
I shot the sheriff
No woman, no cry
Redemption song
Stir it up
Three little birds

Maroon 5
Harder to breath
She will beloved
Sunday Morning
This Love

Dean Martin
Memories are made of this

Dave Matthews
Ants Marching
Crash
Lie in our graves
One world
So much to say

John Mayer
Daughters
Your body is a wonderland
Waiting on the world o change
Why Georgia

John Mellencamp
Cherry bomb
Pink houses
Wild nights

Jason Mraz
You and I both

George Michael
Faith

Steve Miller
Take the money and run
The Joker

Van Morrison
Brown-eyed girl
Into the mystic
Love Caravan

Tom Petty
American girl
Last dance with Mary Jane
You’re so bad
Wildflowers

Phish
Sample in a jar

STP
Plush

Poison
Every rose has its thorn

The Police
Everything she does is magic

Prince
1999
Kiss
Purple Rain
Raspberry Beret

Red Hot Chile Peppers
Apache rose peacock
My friends
Snow

Rhianna
Umbrella

Kenny Rogers
The Gambler

Santana
Black magic woman
Oye como va

Bob Seager
Old time rock n’ roll
Turn the page
You’ll accompany me

Martin Sexton
Black Sheep
Can’t stop thinkin’ about u
Glory Bound
Gypsy Woman
Women and Wine
The way I am

Paul Simon
Feeling groovy
50 ways to leave your lover

Simon and Garfunkel
Cecelia
Me and Julio

Frank Sinatra
Fly me to the moon
The way you look tonight
Percy Sledge
When a man loves a woman

The Rolling Stones
Can’t always get what u want
Honky-tonk woman

Tesla
Signs

Timbaland
The way I are

Justin Timberlake
Cry me a river
Rock your body
Sexy Back

Rob Thomas
Lonely no more
Smooth

The Verve
Bittersweet symphony

Stevie Ray Vaughn
Life by the drop
Pride and Joy
Tightrope

Bill Withers
Lean on me
Just the two of us

Stevie Wonder
Living for the city
Superstition

Led Zeppelin
Babe, I’m gonna leave you
Dyer Maker
Hey, hey, what can I do

Warren Zevon
Werewolves of London

• Checking out the sunset valley farmers market #

Checking out the sunset valley farmers market

I wanted to thank subscribers to the OAKDALE3B blog! I have seen many new folks on the site and I wanted to tell you that you are appreciated.

Subscription has its benefits: like access to user-only areas for new music and content; and reduced prices for the upcoming lecture series. I am also going to implement a user referral system that will create big discounts for users that recommend the site to others.

I am going to talk about the new lecture series in the next post–in short, it will have information regarding business formation, and intellectual property issues like copyright, trademark, trade secret and patent for entrepreneurs, filmmakers, visual artists, musicians, software designers and inventors.

Thanks again to the subscribers,

Be sure and tell your friends to take a look at the blog…

Cheers