RIFFRUMBLE III SONG CONTEST
In May 2006 Sonoma Wire Works hosted RiffRumble III, an online battle of riffs, sponsored by Line 6, Disc Makers, CD Baby, and IndiePodcasting.com. RiffRumble players submitted 47 original songs created with RiffWorks recording software. Check out the songs on the submissions page.
- Popularity: Chris Fernandez' entry "This Dance (Pink & Brown & Red)" was the most popular.
- Style: Chip Gall's entry "Heart Reaction" won best style from the 10 most popular songs.
- Technique: Krister Karlsson's entry "The Little Italian" won best song writing and instrument playing technique from the 10 most popular songs.
IndiePodcasting.com Bonus Prize! Krister's "The Little Italian" was chosen by IndiePodcasting.com as most promotable from the entire list of 47 contestants. They will promote it for 6 months to online radio stations, podcasters, music magazines and e-zines, and more with no promotion fee.
Congratulations RRIII Winners!
WINNER INTERVIEWS
POPULAR CATEGORY WINNER: "THIS DANCE (PINK & BROWN & RED)"
Chris Fernandez wrote and performed "This Dance (Pink & Brown & Red)" with his band, Metal Falcon in Sacramento, CA in the USA. Chris said, "Metal Falcon is just me and my roommate Doug Finley. Doug played synths and did the vocals. Our good friend Jason Iorg played bass. I played guitar, vocoder, did some backup vocals, and setup the drums (all rex loops)."
Interview with Chris Fernandez:
How long have you been playing guitar?
I've been playing guitar for probably 12 years now. However, I consider myself more of a musician than a guitarist.
Tell us about your band.
This band, Metal Falcon, is comprised primarily of myself and Doug. Our upcoming CD however, about 70% of which is done in RiffWorks, features about 12 of our closest friends, who also happen to be some of Sacramento's best musicians. Doug and I also perform in an experimental hard rock band called Aesthetic.
What gear did you use to create your winning song?
Not very much at all... Just Riffworks, my PODxt Live, my ESP Viper, our MicroKorg, 2 rex loops, a Warwick bass and our voices.
How long have you been using RiffWorks?
Since the first day it came out! I love it and I can't wait for the upcoming release. It's the greatest writing tool since the four track.
Which Line 6 Model Pack would you like?
Definitely the Bass Expansion! I can't wait to try it. It will be exciting to apply the amazing capabilities of the PODxt to our bass tones!
Which Sonoma Wire Works InstantDrummer Sessions do you already own and which 5 would you like to have?
Right now I love the ability to use rex loops, but I do own Heavy Core. I'm excited about getting a few more InstantDrummer Sessions. They're far more versatile than rex loops. I would like:
Piccolo Rock - who doesn't love a piccolo snare?
Organic Brushes - to back off a little bit
Odd Time Slink - to mix it up a bit
Heavy Core Too - to complete the set
Funky Country - because it's different
STYLE CATEGORY WINNER: "HEART REACTION"
Chip Gall's song, "Heart Reaction" won the Style Category. Bret Hagen, the Style Judge, chose it because he found it to be "The catchiest thing on there and well put together. Best singing out of the 10 too..It was the one track where they sounded like they were having the most fun. "The Little Italian" & "Streets of St. Alban" are the best of the instumentals - they'd get my 2nd and 3rd vote."
Interview with Chip Gall:
Where do you live?
Woodstock, Ontario Canada
How long have you been playing guitar? Tell us about your band.
I've been playing guitar for 30 years. I played professionally for many years with the a band called Syre. However, at the moment, I am working on an indie solo CD entitled "Me, Myself & You!" recorded exclusively with RiffWorks. I'm playing all instruments (except drums...good old InstantDrummer!) and singing everything on the project. My CD will be available via my web site chipgallmusic.com in July or August.
What gear did you use to create your winning song?
"Heart Reaction" was recorded using my GuitarPort into my Dell Laptop with my daughter's "Barbie" headphones believe it or not. I used my Peavey EVH Wolfgang guitar, a Charvel bass, and an EV mic with a home-made pop screen for the vocals. It's a simple but very effective rig. If my kids are dancing to it, I know I have a good tune on my hands.
How long have you been using RiffWorks?
I've been using RiffWorks for a little more than a year and it is (in my opinion) the best home recording software on the market. It's very easy to use, inexpensive and allows you to produce professional sounding recordings within minutes of first using it. Add in the unparralleled product support from Sonoma Wire Works staff and nothing else can touch it as far as I'm concerned. My CD would never have been feasible for me to produce without this incredible product.
Which Line 6 Model Pack do you already own and which one would you like to have?
I have many Line 6 amp models and a couple of my favs are "Spinal Puppet" and "Insane" -- they have tons of gain and really give you great rock tone. I'd really like the Metal Shop Model Pack. I'm a big fan of Eddie Van Halen's 5150 amps and Metal Shop has that model along with several other killer models including the Messa Boogie Triple Rectifier...I can't wait to crank'em up!
Which Sonoma Wire Works InstantDrummer Sessions do you already own and which 5 would you like to have?
I own several of the drummers and they are all great in there own way. One of my favs is Heavey Core 2. I write in the Rock genre and Heavey Core 2 has some killer fills and a snare that just smacks you in the face.
I would like:
Heavey Core because I am a fan of Heavey Core 2
Marching and Moshing for its straight up power and layed back feel
Pop Anarchy for its 80's flavour
Gas Up and Go for its up tempo drive
Alleycat for its ultra cool groove
TECHNIQUE CATEGORY & INDIEPODCASTING.COM BONUS PRIZE WINNER: "THE LITTLE ITALIAN"
Congratulations to Reckless Fable! Kent Brown, the Technique Category judge thought his song, "The Little Italian", stood out from the 10 most popular songs as far as guitar playing and song writing was concerned.
Judges at IndiePodcasting.com chose "The Little Italian" out of all 47 RiffRumble III entries. Tony
Alexander, Founder of IndiePodcasting.com, had this to say: "We narrowed it
down to "The Little Italian" and "Sledge Hammer". After some discussion, we
decided to go with "The Little Italian" by Reckless Fable due to its
excellent sound quality and versatility. We'd also like to commend Shawn
Westring, who wrote "Sledge Hammer", for composing what we felt to be the
most contemporary sounding rock song in the group." IndiePodcasting.com will
promote "The Little Italian" for 6 months to online radio stations,
podcasters, music magazines and e-zines with no promotion fee.
Interview with Krister Karlsson (a.k.a. Reckless Fable):
Tell us about yourself and your music experience.
I live in Almhult, Sweden. I've playing guitar since 1982 and I've been in several bands ever since with various success. Currently I play in a Top 40 trio called PartyProviders doing gigs at parties and weddings here in Sweden on a regular basis (15-20 gigs per year).
What gear did you use to create your winning song?
For "The Little Italian" I used the RiffWorks software that is included in GuitarPort RiffTracker only. The guitars used were Line 6 Variax, Ibanez RG 550 & Epiphone Les Paul. No synths were used.
How long have you been using RiffWorks?
I have been using RiffWorks for about six months now and I think it is an excellent tool for testing ideas in a fast and simple way.
Which Line 6 Model Pack do you already own and which one would you like to have?
For Guitarport I bought the FX-Junkie model pack. The "Seismik Synth" is excellent for putting bass tracks in RiffWorks! Since I already have the FX-junkie, I will go for the Metal Shop. The L6 Octone sounds exciting...
Which Sonoma Wire Works InstantDrummer Sessions do you already own and which 5 would you like to have?
I only have the standard drummers that came with the first version of RiffWorks. My favourite among those is the "Half Nelson". My choice would be these 5 for maximum variety:
Heavy Core
Heavy Core Too
Funky Country
Half Time Shuffle
Odd Time Slink
THANKS TO THE JUDGES
Style Category Judge: Bret Hagen
Bret is the singer, songwriter and lead guitarist for the Electric Boogie Dawgz, the San Francisco Bay Area's premiere boogie rock power trio. For more info and to hear some good ol' beer drinkin' boogie rock check out electricboogiedawgz.com, www.myspace.com/electricboogiedawgz.
Technique Category Judge: Kent Brown
Kent, a transplant from Mississippi, has been a professional musician for over 10 years. He founded Suite Love Express in 2001. Kent has written and performed music with various bands of all genres, including Creamsicle, Pedelsped, Goldwing, Quentin's Bridge and Burke, and jazz duo Chat-Lunatique. When not performing on stage, Kent is a session musician and a guitar instructor at Blue Bear School of Music
THANKS TO THE SPONSORS
Line 6 - Music products that inspire creativity in both recording and live environments.
Disc Makers - CD duplication
and manufacturing made easy for independent musicians - and special freebies
for Sonoma Wire Works users.
CD Baby - A little CD store with the best new independent music.
IndiePodcasting.com - Using the latest technology to promote indie musicians.
Chat about RiffRumble III in the RiffRumble forum.
47 contestants entered songs. You can listed to them all on the submissions page.
RIFFCASTER
Share music created with RiffWorks using Sonoma Wire Works RiffCaster internet broadcast service. Get feedback from other RiffWorks users and the world in a non competitive atmosphere. File storage is free, the RiffCaster system is a breeze to use, and there's plenty of room for content.
In order to protect your music, songs submitted to RiffRumble are placed under the Creative Commons Music Sharing License.
