The Rafter on Spotify

Take a listen to the new record which is up now on Spotify. Thanks to everyone who stuck with me during the creation of this project. Now it's time to spread the word...

  

New Single Available Now for Free Download

New Single Dresser Drawers available October 10th

For the past couple months I have been squirming with impatience, waiting for my finished album to return from the mastering studio in its fully matured form.  At last, it has arrived. And although some final pre-release tasks for The Rafter must be completed (i.e. album art and CD printing), I can confidently say that the first single from the album, Dresser Drawers, is presently barrelling it’s way through cyberspace towards your favorite digital music retailer. Here’s the album art courtesy of Robin Sathoff, if you haven’t seen it already

Since the new single will be available for free download, it will be replacing my previous free release, It Took Five Years but Now We’re Doing Fine. After all, I have given away about 1,000 copies over the past few years. So please click on the link to my bandcamp page below and get the EP while it’s still free.

By the way, it’s nice to meet you.

Mix, listen, mix, listen, mix, listen, repeat

I never thought of myself as a sound engineer. But the restrictions of my budget laid necessity on me to take on a new challenge and learn a new skill. At this point my album is successfully mixed. I have forwarded it to a few trusted ears and currently wait for the “go-ahead" to send the tracks for mastering.  But getting to this point was not always easy.

Just in case you don’t know, mixing involves raising and lowering the volume of individual instruments in “the mix" so that they sound good in relation to one another. But it’s more than that. You also have to compress and EQ (adjust the bass, treble, and mids like you would in your car stereo) for each individual instrument so that you can hear it clearly. Add to that, echo, reverb, and panning left/right and I had a big mess on my untrained hands.

Mixing my own music was like riding the proverbial “emotional roller-coaster".  At times, when things lined up so easily and the sound in my imagination matched what in reality entered my ears, the feeling of success was euphoric! I felt as if the end was in sight! Then I would burn to CD and listen in my car stereo and it would sound terrible. Depression inevitably ensued. “Will I ever get this thing finished", “Is it going to sound any good when it’s done?"

If I have learned one thing from this whole ordeal it would be this: stick with it. Mix, listen, mix, listen, mix, listen, repeat.  Just keep at it until it sounds like you want it. It’s tedious, for sure. And having a 6 year-old computer that crashes when I work too fast did nothing to ease the situation.

Toward the end, I could hardly hear the songs as music at all. My compositions failed to stir in me, the composer, any emotion at all. I completely forgot the inspiration behind my own art.  I was tweaking a blurry mess of frequencies like someone might straighten each square tile in a colorful mosaic and completely miss the image that they collectively portrayed.

When I reached my limit, I left it for a week to give my ears some time. A few days later, I let a friend riding with me in my car listen to the first track. To my surprise, it was there….the song. It was good! My friend didn’t ask me about frequencies, reverb, or EQ. He asked me about the lyrics. “Why did you write this song?" he asked.

It moved him.

It moved me.

Homespun

Homespun

 My previous experience with recording was hemmed in by a $40/hr bill at the end of each session.  I arrived each day over-prepared with a rigid “to-do” list and a nervous glance at the clock every 15 minutes or so. Restrictive.
Recording at home brings with it the glorious freedom to experiment with sound, released from the restrictions of my “starving artist” budget. On my own terms, I can make mistakes, erase them, make other mistakes, keep them and realize a sort of unpremeditated naturalness in my music. Liberating.

Taking things into my own hands however, has brought a number of challenges. Occasionally, I wish I had a second set of ears the owner of which would speak up to say, “No, that sounds completely ridiculous” or “Yes, that was it!”. A second set of hands to hit the record button would be helpful too.
But by far the most uniquely frustrating challenge has been that of finding a quiet place to record vocals. Needless to say, my humble home recording studio/office/bedroom does not include a vocal isolation booth. But I’ve been told many a tale of singers hanging blankets and pillows in closets and bathrooms to accommodate their art, so I figured it wouldn’t be too much of a problem. However an obstacle presented itself when I realized that simply parting the hangers in my wife’s clothes closet would not suffice. The wire wrack is too low. Sure, I could get in, but if I stood up too straight, I would bump my head. Not conducive to an unencumbered and expressive vocal performance.

The next step would be to empty and remove the entire unit. Not too difficult. But, need I remind you of the emotions connected to a woman and her clothes closet? Because the time allotted to my recording efforts is limited to one day a week when my home is empty and silent, and since having one’s closet dismantled and the floor of one’s normally tidy home “mantled” is the pleasure of no man’s ever-supportive wife, I knew my solution was short lived.  The conclusion? For three Wednesdays in a row, while recording vocals, I disassembled and reassembled the clothes closet in time for my wife to return home none-the-wiser at 4:30pm to her peaceful, tidy abode just as she had left it earlier that morning.
Ahh, the challenges of home-recording.  But it’s worth it. And my wife hates not the object of my creativity. She and her well-pressed clothes still support the project.

 

http://facebook.com/tommooremusicfl

the story behind the Hammond

Every good instrument should have a story, a touching journey through time and the elements endearing every wise and weathered note to your nostalgic ears. Take for example the stories of Paul McCartney’s old Hofner violin bass with accompanying decade-old black and white photos so iconic that one forgets all about the instrument’s characteristically weak tone and appalling lack of sustain.
My Hammond Romance Series Stage II Rhythm, is accompanied by no such charm. Just a call from my father-in-law about a call from his best friend about a call from his plumbing customer whose anxieties about her leaking fixture were compounded by the lack of space in her garage. That dusty old organ that hadn’t been used in years. “I’d like it to go to a good home” the elderly woman said. Mine is a good one.
Romanceless, indeed. However, the faded plastic buttons and retro style of the organ piqued my curiosity as to it’s origin and led me to do a bit of research online. My results were equally mediocre. One had just sold on ebay.co.uk for £1.49. But every good instrument should have a story.

“It was 1977 when the two young lovers eventually decided that New York City was not a place to raise a child. Brooklyn was home, but too many bad news reports and police sirens rang in their ears along with the persistent nagging of an uncle who was retiring in Florida and who had just scored a  piece of land for an incredible price in a place called Deltona. It sounded to the couple that the town would be safe for the newest addition to their family who would irresistibly come in just a matter of months now.

The young father remembered his young father playing the wall piano in the sun-drenched dining room on Saturday afternoons. His home too would be filled with music. So, after the baby came and all the necessities were arranged in her white and yellow room, Mother acquiesced to her husband’s insistence.  Considering the ample income from the young man’s new management position at the dairy plant, within several weeks, the Hammond would complete their home.”
I am in love with this organ. It’s quirky multi-colored buttons labeled with pictures of instruments the sounds of which share no correspondence to the noises coming out of the speakers are none-the-less adorable. The click-buzz-hummmmmmm that welcome’s you when you flip the switch seems to say, “Hey, there. It’s been a while. So glad you plugged me in, let’s jammmmmm-hmmmm”
I embarked on The Rafter project determined to capture a warmer, fuller sound than I had on my previous EP.  My mind’s ear heard keys of some sort, MIDI organ sounds probably. But as I moved the recording process to my home, I am now left working with what I have on hand. So I rolled the Hammond from the living room to my office/studio, stuck a condenser mic in it’s mouth and hit the record button.

Below is a sample of a riff from the Hammond that you will hear again on the album. I’m quite proud of it:

Friendly Boffin

Click above to get the single "To the Top" from Friendly Boffin

Did you ever hear of the name of Boffin?'

'No,' said Mr Wegg, who was growing restive under this
examination. 'I never did hear of the name of Boffin.'
'Do you like it?'
'Why, no,' retorted Mr Wegg, again approaching desperation; 
'I can't say I do.'
'Why don't you like it?'
'I don't know why I don't,' retorted Mr Wegg, approaching frenzy,
'but I don't at all.'
'Now, I'll tell you something that'll make you sorry for that,' said
the stranger, smiling. 'My name's Boffin.'
'I can't help it!' returned Mr Wegg. Implying in his manner the offensive addition, 'and if I could, I wouldn't.'
'But there's another chance for you,' said Mr Boffin, smiling still, 'Do you like the name of Nicodemus? Think it over. Nick, or Noddy. Noddy Boffin,' said that gentleman. 'Noddy. That's my name. Noddy--or Nick--Boffin.'

- Charles Dickens

I am happy to announce that the first single from my electronic project Friendly Boffin with Wesley Brach is now available for free digital download!

Click here to download "To the Top" for free from friendlyboffin.com

Or you can support our work by purchasing the track from itunes or Amazonmp3

"To the Top" is the first collaboration from Wesley Brach and myself, recording under the name Friendly Boffin.  It started as an instrumental composition from Wesley who commissioned my lyrical input.  A couple weeks spinning the track in my car stereo brought us two verses. From there we bounced it back and forth until we reached a finished product.  Jonathan Natera of Flight Audio, IA did an excellent job on the final mastering. And after a part-time and therefore lengthy process of choosing a band name and putting together some album art, we are finally ready to present it to you.

Here's the idea: If we get some good response, we'll work on a few more tracks. So please drop us a line to let us know what you think.

Please help us get the word out by sharing the track on facebook, twitter, Google+ or whatever else you use.  We don't have the distribution power of the big record labels, so it's all up to you.

Thanks again,

TOm

'38

Thirty-eight
Men or man matters not to me
I feel my members shake
controlled within me

I stir the currents gently
Each synapse selected with certainty
and safely

Watch as I elevate
Light wraps its fingers around my face
I've seen a decade unfold
so how could I ever unfold?

Oh how it chafes, direction
I crave my own selection
A beast, a horn, a measured time
a change of course, a measured mind

I take my medicine
Swallow hard, keep it down
keep it up.

Watch as I elevate
Dawn as is usually the case
I awake and kiss the cold ground
We found our face and laid our guns down
But we stick to our guns now

Oh how it chafes, direction
I crave my own selection
A beast, a horn, a measured time
a change of course, a measured mind

Thirty-eight
Men or man matters not to me
I feel my members change
to stone within me


copyright 2012 Tom Moore

Pocket, Pocket

Tell me what brought you here
Irresistible wind
But not me, not me

A narrow escape
A mix-tape of early mistakes
Went back to her place
only in dream, in dream

What swelled to guard what I had started?
What swiftly swept away?

We're in its stead
We nod our heads
Snatched from the fire
I lit in my pocket, pocket

Convinced and cut
Drug through the muck
Into your lungs
then to be sung, to be sung

LAN lines and family
Your flawed faximole
You didn't know what you were meant to be

What swelled to guard what I had started?
What swiftly swept away?

We're in its stead
We nod our heads
Snatched from the fire
You lit in your pocket, pocket


copyright 2012 Tom Moore

Paul & John

He followed his questions with a smile
of condescension
I expounded
Jabbed and I was grounded
Did you mean to swing my way?

Is this what we've become
some kind of Paul and John?
I don't think I'll be the one
shot on the way back to my apartment.

I slowly come down to confess
I want this less and less
Not much of a gift, I guess
But I would never say a word against you.

copyright 2012 Tom Moore

I've thoroughly enjoyed using my loop pedal over the past few years.  I feel it's only appropriate that I be a good sport and submit a video to the BOSS Loop Contest 2012.

Tom Moore music live on Earbits Radio

My music is now streaming live on Earbits radio! I'm looking forwards to picking up a bunch of new listeners at this great new music sharing website. Please follow the link below to like Earbitz on Facebook:

Listen to us on commercial-free Earbits Radio, the best place to discover new music

Below are some links to listen to my music on Earbits radio. From their you can  share via Facebook, twitter, etc.

 I Need You Now - http://www.earbits.com/s/MviFTQjv8Fsr7E
Stupid Fairytales - http://www.earbits.com/s/UviFTQjv8Fsr7E
Hey You, Smile. Don't Cry - http://www.earbits.com/s/2wiFTQjv8Fsr7E
Tables Turned - http://www.earbits.com/s/knz7AsViSFsr7E
It Took Five Years but Now We're Doing Fine - http://www.earbits.com/s/snz7AsViSFsr7E

Thanks

Tom Moore and On the Soap Box - New Album Available March 23rd!

Tom Moore of Deltona, Ben Calhoun of Orlando and Caleb Muller, also from Orlando, have been long-time buddies, playing  local music venues around Central Florida since high school. Their first album, Songs for Your Mothers to GossipAbout was cut in 2008. The success of that album prompted the trio to launch their second album, Figure It Out! which will be released at a debut performance in DeLand on March 23.

     

“All the songs were written by the band over the past three or four years,” said bass/vocalist Tom Moore.   

“I describe the music as indie alternative and sometimes compare it to Rogue Wave or Death Cab for Cutie,” said Moore.

    

The 10-track album was recorded at a studio in Lake Mary with the help of sound engineer Wesley Brach.

      

On The Soap Box has a large, local following. The band's fans can enjoy singing along with their well-known original song Good-Bye, included on the album, and a new song, Red Flag.

      

“The title track, Figure It Out! is probably the band's favorite. It has a bunch of interesting time shifts and lyrics that deal with the inner struggle for balance between humility and self-confidence,” said Moore.

      

On The Soap Box will debut Figure It Out at Cafe DaVinci, 112 W. Georgia Ave., DeLand on Friday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m. Autographed CDs will be available at the show. Admission is free. 

written by Kathleen Rasche

OTSB Album Release Show Facebook Event

www.otsbmusic.com 

February News

Plenty of new and exciting things are happening in my humble world of independent music.  And of course, as my loyal fan, you will always be the first to hear what's happening.

To begin with, February is all things On the Soap Box (that's my three-piece indie alternative rock band, if you didn't already know).  We are putting the finishing touches on an eleven track album of original tunes that will be available this spring!  We know that all of our fans having been waiting a while for this release, but we are confident that it will not dissappoint. The album is entitled Figure it Out! and will feature all the songs that you have come to love including "Goodbye" and "Don't Ever Keep Quiet". In the meantime, follow us on facebook to get the latest news and download our debut album on itunes if you'd like to support our efforts.

Second, my good friend and musician/engineer Wesley Brach and I are very close to releasing our debut single "To the Top". This is something very new for me, a collaboration with unfathomable potential.  I know you will love this track. I've been told it's caught somewhere between S.T.A.R.S and Berlin (if that means anything to you), featuring Brach's musical composition and my vocals. And if we get a good response (i.e. if you download it and share it with all you friends) we might do some more collaborating in the future.

And, of course, I am continuing with my solo efforts.  My album is half-way there. And I will be playing at Genuine Bistro & Lounge this Saturday from 6:30-9:30pm. I hope to see all you local fans there!

I appreciate all the support at my shows, comments on my webpages, and responses to my emails.  It's nice to know that I have listeners out there. As long as I do, I'll be doing my best to create something worth listening to.

Thanks again

TOm
http://facebook.com/tommooremusicfl

Tom Moore and Frankie V @ White Wolf Cafe December 2nd

 

http://frankiev.com

http://tommooremusic.com

Get the scoop on this and future gigs at reverbnation.com/tommoore

Tom Moore at The 11th Annual Deland Original Music Festival

So, I finally got my specific show times for the 11th Annual Deland Original Music Festival. Just in case you haven't heard, the Deland Music Festival is coming back around on November 5th this year. The festival boasts over 200 acts on 30 stages in Historic Downtown Deland. Very cool, indeed! I'm looking forward to this year's event because, in addition to my solo performance, I will also be doing a set with my high-intensity indie alternative band On the Soap Box (OTSB). Some of my favorite local area bands are going to be there too.

Here's the skinny: The festival is all day, from 1pm-2am. Both OTSB and myself are performing on "Free Entry" stages. So, you can come see us for free! But if you want access to the entire festival you will have to buy a ticket. Tickets are $15 at the gate or you can get them ahead of time for $10 on the festival website. If you get them online ahead of time, make sure you put in "Tom Moore" under Band/Act Referral....that'll help me out a bit. Click here to buy discounted tickets online.

Here are my performance times:

Tom Moore - 9:20pm @ The Elusive Grape, 113 N Woodland Blvd, Deland, FL 32720

On the Soap Box - 6:00pm @ The Abbey, 117 N Woodland Blvd, Deland, FL 32720

Voting is still open for the 2011 SSA Music Awards. So, please click over and vote for me. You can also look at the scheduled acts ahead on time, which I strongly suggest so that you can plan ahead which acts you want to check out.

Can't wait to see you there! It's going to be a great night! Please forward this info to all of your people. Post it on your social networks, etc. Here is a link to the awesome flyer that was created for me by my good friend and loyal fan Emily Hart at Monkey Baby Photography.

Thanks for all the support.

TOm
www.tommooremusic.com

Tom Moore @ the Abbey, Deland, 9/24/11

Tom Moore on Jango Internet Radio

Hey there friends/fans and fellow music enthusiasts,

If you are someone that likes to use the internet to discover new and interesting music, likely you have already heard of Pandora internet radio. This service allows you to customize your own radio stations so that they only play music that you like and then introduces you to other artists that you might like based on your musical tastes. Pretty cool!

But recently I stumbled across another free online radio website that is similar to Pandora and that, dare I say it, I like a little more: Jango - Free Internet Radio that Plays What You Want!

So, why my unswerving support of Jango? I've narrowed it down to 10 succinct reasons for you to give it a try:

1) No commercial interruptions
2) A fancy little transparent homescreen app for your smart phone
3) Networking features that allow you to share your musical discoveries with your friends or even tune in to someone else's customized radio station and learn about new artists that they enjoy.
4-10) Jango will play my music!

Unlike Pandora, that seems to be in the unyeilding clutches of the record companies, Jango allows quality, proffessionally produced, independent artists (such as myself) to submit their music. Jango will help me reach new fans and find out what other artists I am similar to. This is incredibly useful for future promotions and understanding what kind of listeners will enjoy my music.

So give it a shot, eh? Click on this link to get to the Tom Moore (Indie) station. Then, after you've given my song the "thumbs-up", you can add any other artist to start fine-tuning your online radio experience. Sign up and Jango will save all of your customized stations.

You guys are the best! Have I ever told you that?

Thanks again for your support.

TOm
http://tommooremusic.com

“It Took Five Years...” Review in Daytona Beach News-Journal.

If you happened to pick up the Friday, July 8th edition of the Daytona Beach News-Journal, I hope you ventured past the all too disturbing local headlines to the local entertainment section, GO 386.

Thanks to entertainment writer Rick de Yampert and Dave Wersinger in editing, the entertainment section featured a spotlight on recent releases by area musicians. And the second titled highlighted...? Tom Moore. “It Took Five Years but Now We’re Doing Fine”.

Those guys are great. Big thanks! Although I haven’t heard enough of James Blunt’s material to really comment on that reference, anybody who compares my music to a track from The Beatles is alright with me!

Read the entire review on the GO 386 website.

It’s nice to get a little momentum whilst waist deep recording my new project. Or should I say: projects. More on that later.  Thanks for all your support.

TOm

I Need You Now by tommooremusic