Ujam Nation

lamontanthony — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:52:21 +0000

Okay, You all know I’m a big Lakers’ fan. Well, it’s time to get this thing back going. You heard it here, Lakers will repeat as World Champs. Boston looks good, but they have they’re own issues getting out of the east. Orlando, Cleaveland, and yes, Chicago, will provide them with a considerable challenge. The Lakers are fully equiped to handle any team. See you in June!

It’s Back To Business!

lamontanthony — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:52:07 +0000

It’s been a while since I’ve spoken. I guess I really didn’t have too much to say. The “Day” job has been invading my life to the point where I feel violated. But this is the price to pay to get paid. But now it’s time to get back up and ride again, “Hi! Ho! Silver.” The dream is not over. The motivation has kicked into high gear. The mind is willing, but the flesh is lazy. Doubt becomes prevalent when there’s no proof that you should be on this journey. I start believing that this is not for me more and more. This usually takes place when the other facets of my life take over. So i have to keep it in perspective. The reason that I’m in music is because I love playing, writing, producing. Pure and simple. It’s time that I start acting so.

Here are the recent free MP3s that I have been sending out:

http://lamontanthony.com/audio/Do_Me_Right_UAS_ReMix_hifi.m3u

http://lamontanthony.com/audio/A_JusTone%21_Type_Gruv_UAS_ReMix_hifi.m3u

http://lamontanthony.com/audio/Tonite_UAS_ReMix_hifi.m3u

http://lamontanthony.com/audio/Someone_Made_You_Cry_UAS_ReMix_hifi.m3u

http://lamontanthony.com/audio/Youre_Not_Alone_UAS_ReMix_hifi.m3u

These are remixes and alternate songs from my 1st CD, “In My Comfort Zone” that came out in 2007. The 2nd CD, “It All Started Here” is out now. This is being done to prepare the way for my 3rd and new project, “The Way Of The Aggressive Soul” coming out summer of next year. So, I’m back at ‘em and coming through for the Gruv! Stay The Course!

Hold Your Ground

lamontanthony — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:39:52 +0000

: Image by christhedunn via Flickr

Mr. President,

Do not cave in on the public option piece. Dems, for once in your lives show some balls. All these years of telling us how we will suffer if we don’t fix health care and then give up on the one thing that will help is really weak of you all. We need this! You said you would not stop until we have it. No bill will be signed unless their is a public option, that’s what you said. I’m counting on you to keep up the fight.

Wha’ Cha Gonna Do Now?

lamontanthony — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:27:29 +0000

I never thought that I would see the day when I would have to motivate myself to do music. Well, let be a bit more clear. I’m fine with writing and producing. I could do it all day long. As a matter of fact that’s really all I want to do. But without any tangible or intangible rewards coming in, it’s getting harder to press on. You can tell yourself all day that it’s just about the art. And for most of us, that may be the case. But sooner or later the reality of a life filled with missed opportunities begins to sink in and you have to find stregnth from other sources to carry on.

Here’s a few that I cling to:

1. Music Is What I Am – it might sound like idle talk but I really believe that music is as vital to me as my blood. I can’t ever not stop making music. The last time I tried I went 6 months without writing and when I started back up, 40+ songs came out of me. So music is me and I am music and that’s that! It helps me to know that it’s a gift and as long as I use it to the best of my ability something eventually will come from it.

2. The Addiction Of Hope – for some strange reason I can’t stop thinking that my moment is right around the corner. No matter how many times I’m thwarted, I still believe it can still happen. I’m 45 years old, gray sprinkles are coming out of my sideburns and mustache, my once nimble knees ache and my 8 year old daughter tells me I’m not that old. When you hear those words it’s a done deal. But, the imagination, which never ages, won’t let me stop. The hope of getting just one song in the upper echelon of the music stratosphere, keeps me at it. Look, if I can keep playing on my Xbox 360, I think I can keep writing and dreaming.

3. The Spiritual Reality of Art - Don’t worry, I’m not about to get all mystical on you, but there is a reality that our gifts are part of the divine. It doesn’t make one divine or is the pathway to salvation, but all of pur gifts come from the creator. It’s His way of making sure common grace is given to all. There are those who are gifted in mathematics and thus invention is given to curing diseases and building better technology. The same can be said for Art. A song can heal, soothe, bring joy and inspire. Like it or not, these are spiritual qualities that we are dealing with here. I like to think that God has something to do with it and if we can we should use our gifts not just for ourselves but for society as a whole.

Sounds a bit preachy but these are the things that keep me going despite not having a number 1 song after 30 years of songwriting. I don’t even have a number 1,000,000 song. I’ve sold 2 copies of my last CD online, one to Moms and the other one I bought to make sure the online store was working. As of right now I do not perform live. I have a decent online presense but nobody really knows who I am. Butguess what, it won’t stop me because there will be a moment when it all comes together and I will have to deal with a whole new set of problems. And these will be the kind of problems I won’t mind having.

Sticking To Your Dream

lamontanthony — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:55:09 +0000

I have been away from the networking and marketing portion of my music career for a while. The bottom line is that the 9 to 5 comes first. Dreams come 2nd sometimes even 3rd. Now I knew this going in. I am fully aware that at any time my day job can come in smack me around and hold me hostage for months at a time. Draining me of all natural resources and keeping me away from the one thing that keeps me going, my music. I’ve vowed to myself that I would never allow that to happened again. But no sooner than the words left my mouth, I’m embarking on another couple of months of pure 9 to 5 hell! What I plan to do differently this time around, nothing. That’s because nothing can be done about it. It’s the price that is paid for sticking to a dream. I’m learning how to manage time a little better. Getting up in the morning instead of snoozing for 45mins. Getting my clothes and lunch ready the night before. Prioritizing better at work so that I don’t have to work hundreds of hours of overtime just to complete my assignments. I’m tired and I’m not seeing any real results from my music or my job. But it’s the price paid for a dream not deferred.

Music Production Series – The Making Of A Hit_Pt. 1

lamontanthony — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:40:39 +0000

What It Takes To Entertain Us!

lamontanthony — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:07:55 +0000

Susan Boyle would not have gotten all of this attention if she didn’t look the way that she does. I’m not one for calling another one of God’s creatures unattractive but I would not be that far off if I said she wasn’t. At least, not attractive in the “entertainment” way. And this is the shame of it all. Our culture is making a big ruckus about her only because she didn’t sound exactly how she looked. Before she uttered a note, there were nothing but laughs and giggles coming from everyone there. The camera was more impressed with Simon’s reaction than her actual singing skills. The audience, in a way of laying off some collective guilt, gave her ovations when they realize that they horribly misjudged her on the basis of her appearance.

I blame it on the “Video Image” mentality. Someone once said to me, that I have to like the way an artist looks in order to listen to them sing. This seems to be a prevailing attitude. Yes, I would go as far to say I like beautiful women who can sing. But it is not a driving factor for me in order to appreciate an artist and their music. For the last 40 years in popular music the industry has promoted beauty over brains. So the eye candy syndrome was bound to happen. But it’s a shame because I would much rather enjoy a concert with an average looking person who can throw down vs a pretty girl or boy who’s just adequate, run of the mill. You know, like the current group on A-Idol.

New Track From LaMont Anthony

lamontanthony — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 05:13:29 +0000

“It All Started Here” is the latest free track from my new CD, “It All Started Here’ available on lamontanthony.com

New track: “It All Started Here” by LaMont Anthony_Moaton Lava Music_ASCAP 2009 http://tinyurl.com/cnm7ba via @SoundCloud

Why Is Rock The Only “Indie” Music

lamontanthony — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:10:14 +0000

This will be a short one but I have to get it off my chest. Why is Rock music the only genre that gets the “Indie” title? If’ I’m a independent R&B artist why couldn’t I call my music Indie R&B or Indie Soul? On most music sites, when it comes to music genres or categories, I always see “Indie” associated with Rock or Pop.

I don’t want to go there, but I must. We have had a long history of racial issues in this country and music industry was not excused. In fact, African Americans were hit pretty hard in the early years of popular music. Race records, black musicians being excepted in Europe more than at home. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and a host of others can attest to this. Elvis owed his beginnings to old blues artist that he emulated. Each of these icons worked in their own special gift so I don’t want to take away from them. This is more on the industry, which is still run by a majority of White Americans.

The landscape has changed considerably so this is not a discussion on race relations or racial injustice. But I do think it plays a part in the mind set of those still in charge. True “Indie” music should have every genre, that is not associated with the Major labels, attached to it. So, there should be “Indie” Hip Hop, “Indie” World, “Indie” DNB and so forth. I know that “Indie” has a particular sound attached to it. It is more a genre than a description of an artist type.

This brings me to the whole genre thing. I like good music. I don’t really care what the genre is. There’s good and bad in every one. But this is me. I don’t think the general audience is that far different from me. I’m old enough to remember early AM pop stations. On WLS in Chicago, ealry 70s, you could here Elton John, Sly and the Family Stone, Kiss, Wings, Ringo, James Brown, ABBA, Marvin Gaye, The Osmonds and the The Jackon 5. This was all on one radio station! Top 25 Radio! At night you would here B-sides from these same artists, songs from up and coming artists, songs from the albums that did not get play in regular rotation and WHOLE ALBUMS IN THEIR ENTIRETY!!!!

Sorry, I went off point. My childhood friends, white and black, knew all of these different artists. There was no talk of this one was black or white. It didn’t matter. All that matter was the music. And it was all good. Best decade in music in my humble opinion. Will we ever get back to that type of musical enjoyment again? Maybe. But it will start with us shedding ourselves of these generic descriptions and accepting each other as artists not categories.

To a Mother Concerned About File-Sharing – My Reply

lamontanthony — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 05:48:30 +0000

Here’s the question:

I have a teenage son who tells me his pirating music is no big deal. Since he is a musician himself, I point out to him that someday that’s going to be hismoney people are stealing. But he remains unfazed.

He tells me the record sales make money for the record label, not the artist. He says that the artists make all their money from touring and live concerts. He thinks the pirated music promotes the concerts and therefore helps the artist make more money. I still don’t allow pirating in my house.

But tell me what you think – as artists out there having your work “shared,” are you just glad to have it being enjoyed, or does it bother you? Admittedly, he is stealing music that is recorded by major record labels, so maybe its different than the independent musician working for his living. But I’d still like to hear what you think.

Thanks,
Valerie

And here’s my reply:

Free is here!

The moral question is something that I could not advise you on. We can tell are children right from wrong but that’s all we can do. Society is becoming more and more conducive to “taking” art. In 5 years “free” music will be expected from fans. I’ve been struggling with this issue for a while and I’m coming to grips that “free” is here to stay. As musician and artist we have to develop different models to monetize opportunities that “Free Music” will give us.

Your son’s reasoning is not correct and I don’t agree with it. I would understand it if he just said he wants the music and doesn’t want to pay for it. There is no justification for theft. Just man up and at least call it what it is. If anything I would advise you to make sure he knows the real reason why he’s doing what he is doing.

I can accept giving music away for free and I’m ready to do it. But I also plan on writing material through out the year. I also plan on releasing 7 EPs (6 songs) through out the year ( the 12 song CD format is dying too). I’m concentrating on performing and merchandising as well. We have to come to the realization as artist that “free” is now part of the new model.