I happened upon some tracks by Eric at Soundcloud. Eric is a really prolific Redding composer. Soundcloud has a whole bunch of Eric Amantite’s electronic hip hop and pop flavored tracks for you to enjoy. If you start at the top track, you can just play through them for quite a while, and get your groove well on. Eric can be found on Facebook, so you may want “friend” him so as to keep up with his latest sonic creations. Posted for a taste below is “Peach,” a recent contribution for your listening pleasure.
Another another northstate musician/composer and chillzone citizen cranking out the tunes. That’s Really Redding.
A musical tribute to the Sundial Bridge
Yesterday’s RS editorial mentioned at piece of music composed and to be performed for Redding’s 125th anniversary. Should be nice to see and hear. I was reminded that local composer and recording artist Craig Padilla once wrote and performed a compelling piece to honor the Sundial Bridge in Redding. Reposted below, from a post first published in 2010:
Here’s a live recording of Sundial Bridge by Craig Padilla. It was recorded on the patio of the cafe of the south end of the bridge. It’s about 20 minutes of symphonic electronic music. It starts off quietly, until it begins to soar. I accompanied Craig, and ran audio. There is no mic on the audience, but you do hear our voices briefly at the very end.
Sundial bridge2 by SkipMurphy 
The Sundial Bridge has arguably become the chief symbol of Redding California. The designer of the bridge is a world famous architect named Santiago Calatrava.
The folks at the host Turtle Bay Museum seemed happy to have us play. Playing live there was a tall challenge. The venue was really hot (thermal hot, not swinging hot). The setting at the cafe was not acoustically great for either listeners or players. And for an art museum, the staff seemed thoroughly unimpressed that a world famous musician and recording artist had composed a complete symphonic music composition named after the bridge, just for the occasion. Like, “Yeah, that’s nice.”
Anyway, I came across the recording in the studio, and thought I’d share it with the world again. At least, that part of the world that wasn’t at the event. Like any live recording, it has some issues and flaws, but I think the spirit of the muse comes across intact. See what you think.
Original and compelling music by Redding artist Cari Live
Redding artist Cari Live composes lovely and soothing music. Take a few moments to listen to more at Cari Live at Magnatune. It will brighten your day.
Space Flute by Cari Live
I don’t think we’ve met, but I have heard her work through Facebook. You might want to Like Cari Live on Facebook. According to the page, it is her birthday today too. Happy Birthday, Cari. Thanks for sharing your distinctive and energizing gift with us. Majestic audio structures inspired by the wonders of the universe, that’s Really Redding.
If you’re wanting to start composing and producing music of your own, be it any type at all, you can look here and get started now by getting some of the essential technology.
Redding’s Melodramatics explain their band name
Redding’s Melodramatics have been playing all over the West Coast lately. They have a lot of original material, but here’s a standout video of the boys playing a semi-acoustic Reggae/Ska cover of a Green Day tune that inspired their band name. Mash it up, mon. As you can feel, they know how to get you dancing. Here’s Basket Case; turn it up.
If you like what you hear, be sure to check out Dirty Beach at the Reverbnation page. Sounds like a hit to me. Caleb Saccheri, Nate Welch, Rich Hughes, Kyle Paolinetti, bringing Melodramatic hybrid Reggae/Ska to your town. That’s Really Redding.
“Looking for my guitar” – Yamaha FG-612S sold in Redding 2 years ago
Saw this plea on Craigslist a year ago. Renee tells me she’d still like to find it, so I am re-posting it. Maybe you can help. In the greater scheme of things, it’s perhaps not crucial. But a poetic return of the instrument is pleasing to consider.
“It’s a long story, but here goes. First of all, PLEASE do not delete this. My name is Renee. My mother and I lived in Redding in the 70’s and I bought this guitar from Bernie’s when I was just 15. I worked a whole summer to afford it. I’d read many reviews on The Sound Junky about this guitar so I knew it was a good one.
My mom contributed half the money, and I gave her my Oldesmobile, Delta 88 to cover that. I really LOVED this guitar and all the cool accessories I had with it, as you can imagine.
My daughters were both played to, nightly, while in my stomach, with this guitar, and it lulled them to sleep while I sung songs to them with it as they grew up. Now, 27 and 20, they loved it also.
I sung to my sister, when she was alive with it, and my father. I have lost them, all 3 now…mom, dad and sisters (both).
Well, I’m 46 now. I had that guitar til 2 years ago, when my mom’s heart went into failure. She was in RMC for 45 days before she passed away, and I live in Red Bluff, and I just couldn’t afford to drive every day back and forth, so I was forced to pawn my guitar to Olde West Guns and Loan.
She died. 46 days into the driving back and forth, I lost my beloved mother, and worse, I went into a horrible depression and lost my guitar.
There’s not a price you can put on the value of it…and it’s got memories from me, while I owned it nearly 30 years.
When I came out of the depression a bit, I went to get it out and to try to piece my life back together, but discovered that the pawn ticket had lapsed during my mourning. I lost my guitar…and I know, it’s my fault, but if anyone out there happened to buy it, please, please, please, give me a call and let’s talk about how I can buy it back. I’m anything but rich…but I guarantee, it will go back to where it belongs, and I will even HELP you find another guitar if that is the issue.
This isn’t just a guitar. It’s a symbol of the memory of my mother and me working together to achieve something…the memories of the time my two daughters were inside my stomach, and the times I sung for both my parents while they were alive, and my sister who’s also passed, at all the holidays. It is an item that cannot be priced, or have a price put on it.
My # is 530-355-7573. I’d be so glad to find out it’s alive…that someone has a huge heart and understands how MUCH this means to my family, and will help me relocate it.”
Here’s an image of such a guitar from Google. Looks like a lovely 12 string, but obviously it holds more than just music for the writer. Do you know where this instrument went?
Listen to CD and tracks from local artist Tracy Jean Manuel
Redding area singer songwriter Tracy Jean Manuel has released a CD, humbly titled “Halfway Decent.” Listen up.
Blogger Marck Beauchamp pointed me to this brilliant local music. I know readers will want me to characterize the music in words, since that’s what blog writers do. I don’t have much patience with genres when it comes to music like this. It doesn’t fit well into a pigeonhole. At times it conjures earth and roots, colored with evocative Americana. Other parts swell and bloom with restrained electronic euphoria. It’s the mixture of those flavors that propels her work beyond easy categorization. You’ll just have to listen to it all, and decide for yourself what to call it. Luckily, she makes that easy.
You can listen to more Tracy Jean Manuel at the link, and then go on to download the whole work for whatever you think it’s worth. I think it’s worth a lot. Clever, thoughtful direct marketing, by the way. You can also order the physical CD, signed by the artist. I’d suggest you like Tracy’s Facebook page so you can keep an ear on future artistry from this complex and beautiful songbird going forth. Hearing it in entirety again last night, I wanted it to just go on and on. Good work Tracy. You’re Really Redding.
Craig Padilla releases new CD: Heart of The Soul
Redding’s popular electronic musician Craig Padilla has a new CD released on the Spotted Peccary label:
You can listen to some exceprts of Heart of The Soul the music and purchase a copy directly from the artist at the link. Craig let me audition some earlier mixes, so it’s been especially interesting to hear the evolution to this final masterwork. Give it a listen!
The CD packaging is as beautiful as the music. Longtime readers will recognize Craig from prior ReallyRedding posts, and from his many local gigs around Redding. He and I collaborated on numerous music projects over the years. Some of our recordings are posted at the tab toward the top of the page, titled Music. If you enjoy symphonic electronic music and generally adventurous ambient/space/electronica, you may want to click over and try a sample. Support local music.
Modern dance as Frank Zappa conducts -brief video
Here’s a real YouTube gem. Frank Zappa’s final performance in 1992 in Frankfurt. Having spent the last couple months watching/videographing Erin Rader and Max Friedman’s practice for last Saturday’s Cascade Theatre benefit performance, this dance became even more impressive to me. Take a look, and turn it up.
“G-Spot Tornado.” Nice work, orchestra and dancers. I have a far better appreciation for the difficulty of that complex dance routine now.
Frank Zappa was brilliant and irreplaceable. The brief Coda, and the ovation at the conclusion hits hard. Thanks, Frank.
An abstract music video with score by Craig Padilla and me.
An appropriately hypnotic video by visual artist Zrnho set the music Craig Padilla and I recorded in 2010 using analog synthesizers.
Set the controls for full screen and full volume, and get ready to space out…
Nice to see this indigenous Redding music translates across the Atlantic. Pleasurable listening right down to the cerebral cortex for me, as it brings back fond creative memories. Thanks Zrnho. Your work is inspiring. Check out many more clips at his prolific online video channel. Gotta love the interweb.
Should mention too that you can buy this CD directly from Craig, and get a better fidelity recording along with the cool cover art. CraigPadilla.com
RIP Ronnie Montrose
Saddened to hear of the passing today of rock legend Ronnie Montrose. I have some of his LPs, and have always been a fan. He played live here in Redding. Early ’80s, I think. I can’t recall if it was at the Red Lion or the Holiday Inn, but it was in a big conference room at a hotel on Hilltop. (Anyone remember which?) Probably just a stop on the way somewhere else. I was there with Brent Taylor (Taylor Motors, Hi Brent!) who is a hard rockin’ guitarist himself. We were grinning ear to ear at the pleasure seeing and hearing Ronnie in a such a small room. Montrose had toured mega-arenas all over the world. I recall it was a few short sets, but Ronnie displayed extraordinarily expressive pitch control and blazing speed. He made a big impression on me. A virtuoso player.
I imagine you’ll hear plenty of Rock Candy and Bad Motor Scooter in eulogy. Classic rock pieces that help define the genre. Straight-ahead rock fun. If you haven’t heard some of his more Prog Rock work, you might like this video from the Open Fire days.
Crazy to think that bands toured with temperamental Moog Modular synths like keyboard player Jim Alcivar here. I think it even drifts out of tune. Typical! Classic stuff. The video below was shot just a few weeks ago. A favorite from the Gamma days. Thanks for the music Ronnie, and our condolences to your family and friends today. Get on your bad motor scooter and ride!