Steve Chab's Internet Blog About Music N'at

Can't Dance is a Rad Indie Rock Band from Pittsburgh

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:36:00 -0400

Can’t Dance is a three-piece indie rock band from Johnstown, PA. They have an EP called Comfortably Dumb, and it’s pretty tasty!

Their style sits somewhere between Mission of Burma and The Strokes:

Bright and messy guitar riffs
Lazy, carefree vocal delivery
Catchy drum beats (which had me toe-tapping and air-drumming)

The recordings are nostalgically lofi yet good enough to satisfy decent sound systems.

This first release is pretty impressive, but I’d be interested in hearing a follow-up EP with a more epic set of songs (or possibly a concept album). It’d also be cool to hear where a music producer could take them!

&lt;a href=”http://cantdance.bandcamp.com/album/comfortably-dumb-ep-digital” target=”_blank” data-mce-href=”http://cantdance.bandcamp.com/album/comfortably-dumb-ep-digital”&gt;Comfortably Dumb EP (Digital) by Can’t Dance&lt;/a&gt;

Check out Comfortably Dumb by Can’t Dance »

Palms Debut Album Streaming at SPIN.com

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:39:26 -0400

palmsband:

Our debut LP is streaming at SPIN.com before it’s release next Tuesday 6.25.13.

To pre-order the album you can find CD and LP options at our webstore.

For digital pre-order with an immediate download of “Topics” please go to iTunes.

Enjoy!

"Post-rock is what happens when musicians who grew up listening to 90s underground rock freestyle..."

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:03:49 -0400

“Post-rock is what happens when musicians who grew up listening to 90s underground rock freestyle jam.”

Love Songs by My Wife and Me

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:11:52 -0400

My wife and I wrote these songs as wedding favors. Enjoy!

&amp;lt;a href=”http://download.stevechab.com/album/wedding-favor” target=”_blank” data-mce-href=”http://download.stevechab.com/album/wedding-favor”&amp;gt;Wedding Favor by Steve &amp;amp;amp; Elissa&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Ever heard The Dudley Corporation?

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:57:00 -0400

The Dudley Corporation is a progressive indie rock band from Dublin, Ireland. I had the privilege of performing before them in 2004 at CMU’s Underground Cafe. It was quite awesome!

Anyway, I ordered their new album on vinyl. It’s called Everyone Does Everything Wrong and is full of interesting melodies and intricate musicianship. It’s pretty awesome!

Listen The Dudley Corporation on Bandcamp.

How do you feel about the closing track on my newest album?

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:40:19 -0400

How do you feel about the closing track on my newest album?

I Produced an EP for Life After Us

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:03:46 -0400

Life After Us is a super friendly pop/rock band from Pittsburgh. I produced The Rest is Silence EP. It contains 3 songs which showcase their capabilities and versatility as a band.

For the EP, I coached them during the songwriting process and even helped with the recording session at Treelady Studio.

Listen to The Rest is Silence EP »

Voice by ΧIΛN (Music Video)

Thu, 09 May 2013 02:13:00 -0400

Download Full Album »

Lyrics

I Am what I want. Drip down from above. Pour down all my love. Let earth open up. I declare what is right. Refused every time. You were justified when I gave my life.

Vocals performed by Ezra Dulis and Steve Chab. This video is from “Dry Bones” — a 1968 film by Shira Sorko-Ram. Watch the whole film on Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/12450161

My New Witch House is Made From Glitchy, Electronic Post-Rocks

Wed, 01 May 2013 10:00:00 -0400

(Similar to Bark Psychosis, Portishead, Boards of Canada, 80s Pink Floyd)

Friends, I just released my first collection of songs written entirely after my spiritual birth. It’s called ΧIΛN and sounds very different from everything I’ve done before. Listen to ΧIΛN on Bandcamp. Also, there’s a very strange (and morbid) music video for the song Voice. Enjoy.

ΧIΛN was an independent study project for CMU’s music technology program. Riccardo Schulz was my instructor. All songs on ΧIΛN were written, performed, and produced by Steve Chab. Lead vocals on Voice by Ezra Dulis. Piano on Gem by Jimmy Vargas. Album art by Dave Dycus and Steve Chab.

<a class=”btn” href=”http://download.stevechab.com/album/tempo” target=”_blank” data-mce-href=”http://download.stevechab.com/album/tempo”>Listen to Tempo by ΧΙΛΝ</a>

Our Wedding Invitations is Sexy!

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:48:00 -0400

engagementbeard:

We decided to dress like each other for the wedding invitations. Photo by Ruschel Studio. Enjoy!

skinnygaviar: An original illustration for Katie Manderfield’s...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 20:51:45 -0400

skinnygaviar:

An original illustration for Katie Manderfield’s “How To Watch Someone Sleep”

This looks like me … and it’s pretty awesome.

Why Music Producers Must Use SoundCloud

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:00:00 -0400

You probably already know that I’m a huge fan of SoundCloud, as it’s super-useful and relevant for music-makers and producers.

I use it to …

1. Find Awesome Music by Indie Producers

Music-makers tag their tracks with moods and genres - all of which are searchable. SoundCloud also features the ability to repost sounds; so, my favorite producers are sharing songs by their favorite producers. It’s really great!

2. Get Advice & Encouragement from its Friendly Music Community

SoundClouders add much value with encouraging comments and constructive criticism.

When a fellow producer likes one my tracks, I’ll check out their music and leave some feedback. And if their music is good, I’ll follow them back! It’s a great way to network and make friends …

3. Network with Friends, Music-Makers, & Producers

By following artists whose music I enjoy, I’ve made some great relationships. For example, I started following Vanilla, and we eventually became Facebook friends and released an EP together. Also, my funk band released a remix album featuring a bunch of artists I met through SoundCloud, including Big Groove, Nebulist, and Funkload.

4. Embed the Incredible HTML5 Audio Player

Sounds play beautifully on iPhone and Android and can be embedded on websites, blogs, and social media platforms.

Visitors to my website are greeted with my “best of Steve Chab” playlist …

For what more could I ask? Soundcloud rocks.

How are you using SoundCloud?

My Business Cards is Sexy!

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:01:00 -0400

Ideas for Artsy, Low Budget Business Cards

I was tired of standard business cards and devised a couple of ideas for creative yet affordable cards. Check ‘em out …

1. Glossy, Full Color 3x4 Business Cards

I made these business cards for my best man and artist friend: Matt Susko. We were looking for ways to make high quality cards to promote his kaleidoscope art and came up with the idea to print two cards per 4x6 sheet of photo paper.

Costs

9¢ for 2 business cards

Pros

Full color, high quality print
Glossy photo paper
Oversized for reliability and uniqueness

Cons

One-sided
Each sheet needs to be cut in half

Instructions

Design a 3x4 business card in Photoshop, Illustrator, or your favorite image editing app.
Copy the completed design to a new 4x6 document.
Duplicate the layer so you have two identical business cards on one sheet.
Order borderless, 4x6 prints from Walmart, Target, or your favorite photo processing center.
Cut each card in half.

2. Handmade, Recycled Business Cards

I’ve always wanted to screen print my own business cards. This idea returns similar results but is much easier! All you need is a custom stamper and scraps of paperboard.

Costs

Upfront cost of $40 for the stamper (has enough ink to stamp 10,000 times)
$5 for ink refill

Pros

Vintage, DIY look
Very affordable
Environmentally friendly
Comes in many sizes

Cons

Cards need to be measured and cut from paperboard
Usually one-sided
Only one color-designs

Instructions

Go to Staples.com or OfficeDepot.com and select a stamper size.
Create a one-color design in Photoshop, Illustrator, or your favorite image editing app.
Order the stamper.
Cut scraps of paperboard (from boxes of cereal, snacks, facial tissues, etc.) to the correct size.
Stamp away!

What info should go on a business card?

Name
Business name
Professional title and/or a brief explanation of what you do
Web address
Email address
Cell number
Office number
Social media handles

What do you do again? I’m surprised how many business cards I see without a professional title or skill set. You don’t have to include all the information above, but I recommend name, profession, website, and one form of contact at the very least.

Design Tips

Organize elements by importance.
Don’t use a font size less than 9pt.
Don’t get too crazy with colors and fonts.
Leave plenty of white space.
Never use these fonts: Comic Sans, Marker Felt, Papyrus, Bradley Hand.

Have any other ideas for creative yet affordable business cards? Please share them in the comments section below.

Isis + Chino (of Deftones) = Palms

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:43:00 -0400

Chino sounds great singing over post rock. Check out Palms: a project featuring members of Isis. They have a full length coming out in June (hopefully).

Listen to “Tropics” by Palms »

Please Excuse My Reused, 'Twice Loved' Boxes

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 22:13:00 -0400

Have you ever received a package in the mail and thought, “This is a really nice box. I could use it again!” Well, so has artist and internet personality, Marcia Furman.

In an age when we’re trying to be green and thrifty, it makes sense to reuse shipping materials, so she made stickers to explain her reused boxes to people who receive her packages!

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Thanks, Marcia!

Download the PDF, and print them for yourself:

“Please excuse my twice loved packaging!” [.pdf]
(use Avery Shipping Labels 48863)

Albany’s Sev Statik (of Deepspace5) released a new EP in...

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:36:23 -0400

Albany’s Sev Statik (of Deepspace5) released a new EP in anticipation of an album due out on Sub-Bombin Records later this year. It was produced by PJ Katz. Cuts are by J-Live.

You should enjoy it!

<a class=”btn” href=”http://sevstatik.bandcamp.com/album/sophy-ep” target=”_blank” data-mce-href=”http://sevstatik.bandcamp.com/album/sophy-ep”>Sophy EP by SEV STATIK</a>

After 6 months, my beard is pretty thick now.

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 22:01:50 -0400

After 6 months, my beard is pretty thick now.

Secret Sauce Recipe for Collaborative Songwriting

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:29:00 -0400

What causes chemistry amongst songwriters?

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University analyzed an an online songwriting community called February Album Writing Month (FAWM) and gathered data for four years. The results revealed some interesting patterns in collaborative songwriting.

1. Common genres, styles, and skills do not cause collaborators to seek each other.

That’s right; two people were actually less likely to collaborate if they liked the same songs. A songwriter in one genre is more likely to seek a collaboration with someone who works in a less familiar genre.

Well, duh!

2. Cliques? I think not!

Users of equal popularity tend not to collaborate with each other as much as those who have a slightly different social status.

Imagine that? Pretty cool!

3. Collaborators are actually collaborative.

If one collaborator writes or performs the bulk of the work, both feel unsatisfied. So, the creative responsibility is usually shared.

Hey, I like to perform the bulk of the work!

About the Research

The FAWM collaboration data set included song tags, locations, forums, 39,103 songs, and 6,116 participants. FAWM users were also surveyed.

Learn more about the research »

Yinz Like Adventures the Pittsburgh Indie Punk Band?

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:04:00 -0500

Adventures is an indie rock band from Pittsburgh with punk and screamo undertones. Give them a listen or read this interview by Alter the Press.

&amp;amp;lt;a class=”btn” href=”http://adventurespgh.bandcamp.com/album/adventures-7” target=”_blank” data-mce-href=”http://adventurespgh.bandcamp.com/album/adventures-7”&amp;amp;gt;Adventures 7” by Adventures&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

Steve Chab's Select Tracks: 2010-2012

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:06:00 -0500

Please enjoy a selection of tracks I have released between 2010 and 2012. There are multiple genres and projects in this collection:

1-5 Steve Chab (emo rock)
6-10 Histamines (cinematic funk)
11-14 Arabb (electronic)

Free Download on NoiseTrade »