The Social Freelancer: Media, Music, TV & Film

Predictions are novelties but “actions speak louder than words”. The only question about the future that any of us can actually answer is “What will I do?”

Long Live George Jetson
When I was a kid, I loved The Jetsons cartoons and tried to never miss it on Saturday mornings. Watching George flying to work, dropping off daughter Judy, Boy Elroy and Jane his wife, then arriving to have his personal air-car “transform” to his briefcase fascinated me. The whole show was a prediction of the future but the characters were just like people in my everyday life.

Live to See it Happen Read more…

I had a horrible dream last night.
Riding in the very back seat of a passenger van on a two lane blacktop highway at night, I looked up to see that I was the only one in the van. No driver, no other passengers and the van was starting to veer off of the road. I struggled to unstrap myself from the seat so that I could somehow climb over all the seats, get behind the wheel and save myself from certain disaster. I woke up sweating. When I told my wife about the dream she pointed out how symbolic it was for my life at this time. Strange, I couldn’t even see the symbolism until she pointed it out to me.
The rest of the story >>> Read more…

TRACE RELATIONS RELEASES DEBUT CD WITH SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDING AUGIE MEYERS AND SHAWN SAHM OF TEXAS TORNADOS AND DALLAS’ BLUES MASTER HASH BROWN

TRACE RELATIONS is just that, all of vocalist Tracy Ready’s musical relations. ‘PROSPERITY STREET’ is a unique listening experience encompassing Rock, Blues, Jazz and Americana styles. It’s twelve tracks of Texas groove guaranteed to improve your mood, produced by Sal Salvador and Tracy Ready.

Why Wait? Get on down to ‘PROSPERITY STREET’ > Download available NOW HERE > TRACERELATIONS.COM/MUSIC ! SUPPORT INDIE MUSIC! GROOVE ON…

READ the Press Release >>> Read more…

I have been doing a lot of blues, boogie and roots music surfing online lately. Below are links to seven excellent sites I have discovered for insight on the MUSIC.

The list is not “scientific”, “all encompassing”, “definitive” or any of those fanciful terms, just spots I like for the music I love. If you are a fan of blues music and its history, I’ll bet you’ll enjoy them as well.

What’s your favorite? Any others you would like me to know about? Hope so! Comment below if you please… Thanks!

Willie Dixon courtesy The Willie Dixon Fan Club

The blues are the roots and the other musics are the fruits.
- Willie Dixon

Shuffle on to these seven sites for history and music for the soul. >>> Read more…

So honored to be asked to appear! Debbie Barth has invited me to talk about and spin some tracks from Trace Relations’ Debut CD “Prosperity Street” on her On The Grid Internet Talk Radio show this Saturday January 14th. We’ll talk about the music, the documentary “South Texas Soul: The San Antonio Sound”, Augie Meyers, Doug Sahm, my strange life and more Texas goodness. The show is on BlogTalkRadio at 10AM Eastern Time (9AM Central) and call ins are welcome. So give us a listen or ring up and let’s chat! It’s going to be loads of fun…

Hope you will tune in:

Debbie Barth Hosts

FOLLOW THIS LINK>
Trace Relations: “Prosperity Street” OnTheGrid at BlogTalkRadio
Grab your seat in the chat room, or call in at 323-792-3071, and join in the conversation.

Groove on to the videos from “Prosperity Street”>> Read more…

Being a lover of music in the modern age has taken me (sometimes kicking and screaming) to searching out great tunes online. My vinyl record collection still sits on the shelf, don’t even have a turntable that works (but still have over 800 LPs).

More and more of my time is spent at a computer, so I am a sucker for any service that makes it easy for me to listen to and share music that I love. Read more…

Dallas, TX (Aug. 16, 2011) A rocked up remake of Doug Sahm’s 1974 landmark track “Groover’s Paradise” has been released. The track is available at Trace Relations Band Official Site. “Groover’s Paradise” is one of four tracks released from the band in advance of their full length CD “Prosperity Street” coming in December, 2011.

The song was arranged and performed by vocalist Tracy Ready and guitarist Kevin Lewis of Trace Relations Band with Shawn Sahm of Texas Tornados, a tribute to his father, the late Texas music pioneer Doug Sahm.

GROOVER’S PARADISE

Read on for the story behind the track >>> Read more…

Today’s post is a showcase of indie musicians who really “get it” about Social Media. One month ago, I posted this article > Let’s Stick Together: Share to Become 1 of “My Top 5 Socially Smart Indie Musicians”.

In it, I asked indie artists to help spread the word about my band‘s upcoming CD release, with the promise that I would post an article highlighting indie musicians who responded and whose music I genuinely respect.

It had to be Top 7! Read more…

I am very thankful for the kind response we’ve had on the release of this song “Open Mind, Open Eye” a Trace Relations ™ original. The lyric was inspired by a single line from my friend, guitarist Kevin Lewis. I posted the story about the lyric HERE> A Crash A Day.

Today I am posting the track (click play on ReverbNation box below) along with the full lyric, for those of you curious about the words. I hope you enjoy our song and look forward to your feedback. Please post in the comments section below, that would thrill me!

Trace Relations - The Band

A Crash
You were seeing the beauty of the Swiss Alps up close and personal in a private helicopter. A rogue crosswind slammed the chopper into the side of the mountain with no warning. Miraculously you find yourself outside of the wreckage, the only survivor and basically unscathed, save a few bumps and bruises. This is the way we wake up each morning.

Rescue in the Alps - photo courtesy DataLife Engine

Let’s face it. Nothing is easy, especially trying to promote original music in a world of shrinking budgets, a stagnant live music scene and the proliferation of free online music sources. If you are trying to make music, record it and get people to listen, it’s clear you have to work a whole bunch of channels (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc…) to make anything happen.

Vocalist Tracy Ready, Photo by Rick Moore

HERE”S THE DEAL FOR INDIE MUSICIANS AND BANDS: Read more…

June 22, 2011 – Trace Relations Debut – For Immediate Release

In today’s San Antonio Express-News, Music Writer Jim Beal wrote this story about the project > The Music Beat: “Prosperity Street” beckons

A project 12 years in the making, Trace Relations sets to release their debut studio CD “Prosperity Street” on November 2, 2011.

Trace Relations - The Band

Debut tracks “Prosperity Street” (with music video) plus a Trace Relations original “Open Mind, Open Eye” were released June 15, 2011 and are available now at> Trace Relations official site.

The song “Prosperity Street” and the video feature the band and special guests Augie Meyers and San Antonio’s famed West Side Horns.

SEE VIDEO “Prosperity Street”, READ ON, GROOVE ON… Read more…