"Selfie" on Youtube

I only went to the bathroom, and well, um...here's the supporting video of the title track

Next: I Mimic Me, the songguide (yes it's coming)

Promo & Preview "I Mimic Me" 2014!

Do we really only mimic ourselves?

                                                                      Promo 2014

                                                            Preview the whole album

As you can see, the album should be online by now (yes here: Spotify  iTunes ,
the rest will follow) and if not, keep checking!

Next: I Mimic Me, the songguide

Copy, copy, right!

Routenote, my distribution label (spotify, itunes, deezer,...) is partners with YouTube now. That means, all of my video content will be automatically recognised as a topic. Read about it here

http://routenote.com/blog/routenote-officially-partners-with-youtube-worlds-largest-music-streaming-platform/

 

So- as enthousiastic as I am to spread the new stuff- yesterday, I uploaded an upcoming promo video for the new album, but that got me in "trouble" with a copyright claim from...ahum, Routenote.
Of course I always upload under my REAL name (who am I anyway?), so they didn't recognize that it was JoosTVD himself!
pfffffff...
Well, after a few mail exchanges, it's all solved now

(Btw, the new promo/teaser (and a few other funny vids) will-hopefully- see the light of day soon, soon!
So why don't you serve yourself another cup of joe and subscribe?)
The JoosTVD topic is here

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz0rVf75F736h1Mn_QuyULw or here https://www.youtube.com/user/giftshot

Next: Teaser/ promo video "I Mimic Me"

Singalong!

Don't Mind The German Blues

Well, I had a lot of ear pleasing fun yesterday evening. It was melting hot, but that didn't bother me at all. I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for that airplay Nathan had promised me.
Nathan Norgel (Bluespfaffe) is a german journalist who in 2010 discovered JoosTVD on Jamendo and gave such a rave review of my album "The Vanished Dutchman", that I had to read it over and over again to believe it was for real. Ok, my german knowledge is not as high-standard to understand it all, but that was because his use of words were not standard. Here's a journalist at work and I guess he must know his trade and that pleased me even more. Since then, he has reviewed every single album I've thrown on www for his cultural internet magazine Wasser-Prada. His favourite music genre is- I guess Blues- but with a lot of different styles (soul, funk, rock, R&B) dipping in the mix.

The last few weeks, I was eagerly waiting for his approval of my latest effort (Brouhaha), till.....yesterday that snowbal of verbal pleasure caught my hungry eyes. Facebook has the advantage of keeping you updated with the news and to chat while reading. So I got a message from Germany. Next to his writing, on tuesday evening Nathan shows his love for the blues on the radio called 98Eins and next to some famous souls, supports a few unknown talents too. Old fashioned radio on the web. Yeah, the intimate, rootsy sound fitted well with the clammy evening. Some sweaty, dirty delta blues stuff cracking through my speakers. Well and Nathan can talk! Told much about the music in between the songs. He even took the time to chat with me all the way through the program. And then my moment came, introduction. Two, the more rootsy songs, were chosen: first "Big Bad Boy" and at the end of the show, just after Beth Hart & Bonamassa(!), who did an inspired version of Strange Fruit, my version of the blues "Don't Mind The Blues". Such a tough act to follow, but I didn't mind the blues! Took it as a compliment. And with a few friends and family gathered together (chatting), well what more does a dutchman needs?
Ok, ok, settle down, life goes on. I've got a few more songs in the can. Maybe I'll try to do a german version of JoosTVD: der Verschwundenen Dutchman. Freunde, bis zum nächsten mal!
Maaaannn, it's hot today...relax
                                                    

The Ballooning Brouhaha: Songguide (secret messages?)

Every year I've got a brand new batch of songs that reflect my state of affairs, my moodswings, frustrations, tribulations and the lot of everyday life. Here's the story, the inspiration behind them.
I don't want to explain what the lyrics are about though,
I'll leave that open for interpretation.

"Is there a important message, theme in there then?" I hear you ask.
Maybe. Look at the cover, you can say that the balloon with the printed world stands for the bloated, forced way people treat the earth and eachother (I'm no exeption). Blowing it up. Well, what´s the brouhaha of it all?


And you see me just letting it go. Letting the world pass me by or trying to catch it with irony in 13 songs.


Well, here we go!


                                                                            1.Brouhaha!

I didn't intend to leave it as an instrumental, as I found this funky chord progression easy to work with vocalwise. I just found some melodies on the keyboard. "Brouhaha", a word you hear me shout, I used to hear it in my youth, whenever someone in my neighbourhood did his hoopla (dutch=heisa) trick: "well, what´s the hoopla/ brouhaha all about boy?"



2.Stupid Song(s)                  

The irony. The (s) gives the songs a double meaning. I always like to play the joker. I work at night, where they always turn up the wrong station on the radio. With stupid songs creeping into my ears. Couldn´t resist to write something...stupid.
This is one of the 2 songs Wijnand Brant got his sologuitar on. At the end you hear him duel with himself. Fire!

3.A Trip Together

Wrote this one very quick on guitar, sang the melody spontanuously on top of it. One of those that wrote itself. I think it works well, because there´s a intensity and balance between the groove and the melody, a tension I often go for. You can dance to it too.

4.Talkwalk (Looking For The Boz)
                                                             

Boz, we all know of Scaggs, don´t we? Wel he´s an old hero of mine. Sophisticated, cool shades. This is a musical wink, tribute  to his work of the seventies. Notable is the obvious similarity in arrangement feel between his "Lowdown" and this song, but I did it all in the name of inspiration. Yeah, really.

5.Here She Goes Again (Yo Mama)  

 
The old rock´n roll feel in this song has to do with my mother. She used to drive us kids nuts with that volume knob, when she turned up a new album she´d just bought. Loud! I mean loud. She angrily turned it off when she found out that the song she was after (but didn´t know the title of),wasn´t on it. A very intense woman with a deep rooted bluesattitude, that´s why....
Meanwhile, I played drums in the loft and my older brother played his Hendrix licks for hours in his room underneath. I mean loud!

6.Sunday train

Wrote this on piano and although I'm not classically trained, I've got just enough fingers to handle a few keys to come up with a few tunes. Couldn't do it in one take, so I rehearsed the hell out of it. Challenging stuff for me to sing it with the right power and dynamics.


7.The Route Through The Quiet Jungle 

Melody, breaks combined with a steady groove and city noises, that's it.



8.Don´t Mind The Blues

Guess I don't mind that much, but blues singing especially comes from my gut. It's always a challenge to find a fresh topline to keep that blues alive. This song brought that to me.

 9.Big Bad Boy

Variation in style. Never dipped in this one, but a little country keeps me upbeat. Yie-haa!

10.familiar Lines

Yes, the thin line between love and hate. I hear The Metropole Orchestra (if they ever hear this...call me) behind this, just like they did with Todd Rundgren. I play most of the orchestral stuff, except for a few sampled violins that suited and complemented the basic arrangements. Majestic.

11.Disco Scream From The Sinking Loveboat

Instrumental disco. Whatever happened to the (seventies TV) loveboat.....? As a variation of the excisting instrumental melody Wijnand Brant goes in overdrive with his guitarsolo. I had to edit and alter his stuff in order to make it a totally. To round it off I put a titanic and desperate scream for dramatic effect.
Nope, it's not the wife..




12.Social Spy

The obsession for social media transmitted to an intense funky groove.

13.I Am Older Now

Ballad of the old kid. Sounds a bit desperate, but it expresses my lack of self confidence that sometimes bothers me. Guess it happens to most of us.

So listen carefully...

Youtube Promo 2013: Brouhaha!

Teasing Snippet

Ok, full version: Brouhaha! on Soundcloud

Distribution in progress

The green light is on. That´s quick. Just got the message from Routenote. In a couple of weeks, you can expect the new album on Spotify, iTunes, eMusic, Amazon, Rdio. I hope so. In the meantime I´ll be working on two little, funny Youtubes to support the album. Furthermore, I will put the album on several platforms like Jamendo, Noisetrade and Bandcamp. Spread the word...bla, bla, blah.

I´m happy now or am I?

 Whaaat?

Here´s a link to the distribution label btw,
Routenote digital distribution

Keep it up
JoosTVD

Take a free ride, give us a tip then!

In the middle of songwriting, recording, exploring ideas, I am always looking for new platforms to spread my works on. Grateful for those ingenious guys who put a lot of work in creating them! I found one, called Noisetrade that's very professional, easy to work with. A lot different options for musicians. Listeners can download all 8 albums I've digitized so far and- just like a waiter- you can leave a tip to support the good cause.....so why don't you try it out? (I know, there's a "grabbelton" up here, so why bother to go up there?)
And yes, I am working on some new stuff all the time. A lot of ideas I record right away, but as I get older, I'm becoming increasingly critical of the outcome. I just want the best songs to survive. But hey, I am just a creative, but mortal human being with these fustrating limitations. So what I really appreciate is the moral support, the feedback that is so important to keep me motivated, so don't hesitate, keep in touch!
Here are some cool platforms for ya (the list keeps growing):

Tip me on Noisetrade
Try me on soundcloud
Jamendo
Bandcamp
Stream on Spotify
YouTube
Routenote

BTW...to follow me....I'm also on Twitter under the name
Arthur Lokeend (free translation of my last album)

Teaser 3: When The Gutter Looks Up

Another preview from the new album "Art Decoy the Bluebeard Boy" to stimulate the mind.

                                      
                                   And a fourth teaser? Nope, teased you enough...

Teaser 2: Bet That You Feel Better

Just a little snippet (to tease you) from the new album "Art Decoy The Bluebeard Boy".
On Bas: Sam, my son. Hey hey, what a funky boy....

                                                        There is a teaser 3!

U wanna hear some, mmm? Teaser 1: Toy Tornado

Although I'm not a videoartist (that's why the short version), I know there are a lot of Youtube fettists out there. To stimulate their senses. So let's relax now, enjoy one of the turbulent instrumentals (yep, no voice here):

"Toy Tornado" (edited version from the new album for 2012 "Art Decoy The Bluebeard Boy")

 

And yes, there will be a teaser 2!

Ok, finally finished recording...now buy a christmas tree.

It's difficult for me to stop....but I have to. I'm ready to put these babies of mine out in the open. These past few weeks I've put the final touches on the tracks, listening to the little details over and over again. It was driving me crazy! It took a year, but it was worth it as I demanded it of myself.

So- when- will- the- album- come out?
I've found a new online distribution label: RouteNote. A few months back I tested it on two older albums (Giftshot [2005] and Volumed 10 [2007]) and it worked out fine. The album wil be on Spotify (stream!) and iTunes and other online shops in about two or three weeks. I hope so....
In the meantime I will put out a promovideo on Youtube. In total I've got four songs with each an different accompanying video. I still have to sort them out, so first things first.
And of course, if you´re patient, it will be available on the free online platforums like Jamendo and Bandcamp and finally on this blog. No, you dont have to wait that long. You will be able to sing these songs under the christmas tree. Cozy...