FOLEY ENTERTAINMENT INC. WRITES:
NOV. 7th 2011
RATING SCALE "1" Indicates the Lowest Score "5" Indicates The Highest-
Score:
Recording Quality/Production: 4
Lead Vocals: 4
Musicianship: 4.5
Lyric Writing: 4
Music Composing: 4
Melodies: 5
Song Arrangement: 4
Quality of EPK Content: 4.5
Overall Delivery: 4
Dear Aaron & Jessica, Thanks for submitting the material for the evaluation. I enjoyed the songs very much. I was also impressed by the lengthy, informative Bio. That really gave me insight into the group as I listened to the songs. To give you insight to the scoring scale above, the majority of artists score in the 2.5 to 3.5 range in the various categories. Whenever an artist sees a 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 or 3.5 as a score in a certain category (or categories) it means that's an area I feel they need to improve and develop. When an artist sees 4, 4.5 or 5 as their score in a category, it's a validation from a professional, confirming that the songs are of the highest level and show strong potential in the ultra-competitive music industry. To really raise the bar, every artist should work hard to earn a 4.5 or 5 in every category. It's a very competitive business and people averaging in the 3's (or less) will probably not get too far without a great deal of improvement and development. I don't give out 4's and 5's easily, so any of those you see, you have earned. Well done! Thanks again for the music submission and continued best wishes to everyone in JACK+JILL. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best wishes,
Gene Foley
www.FoleyEntertainment.com
DJ Slade at KMSA 91.3fm writes
on Jan 1, 2012
Top 2011 albums:
I did this last year for 2010. I did the top fims and albums. Like last year I have to add the disclaimer that this is based off things I haven’t seen, listened to, or read before and what I picked up on in the last year. Like my buddy is doing with his list for top picks I’ll give why I dig them. To start things off would be albums of 2011.
Albums that were not released in 2011 that I thoroughly enjoyed and picked up this year include: She&Him-Volume Two, Counting Crows-Recovering the Satellites, Mumford&Sons-Sigh No More, Transatlantic-The Whirlwind, Neal Morse-Sola Scriptura
5: Soundgarden-Live On I-5. This album was great. It was live and raw recordings done from Soundgarden’s west coast tour of 1996. Soundgarden finally reunited in 2010 and has started to put out previously unreleased matrerial. Obviously this is a compilation of live recordings and of their most famous songs, but the quality is truely amazing. Also the performances are packed with extra little on the spot improvisations by band members to make it really worth the buy. Their complete new arrangement of Helter Skelter by The Beatles is slow and raw sounding and then that goes straight into Boot Camp, one of the lesser known tracks on Down on the Upside. Tracks to listen to: Helter Skelter, Black Hole Sun, Rusty Cage, Seek and Destroy
4. Chris Cornell-Songbook. This one has a real special place in my heart due to the fact that I saw Chris Cornell while he was on tour at this time. I was so excited back in February of 2011 when I heard that he was going to embark on a solo acoustic tour and stop in Atlanta, 2 hours away from where I was. I quickly dropped 50 bucks to get my ticket. Though none of the tracks were taken from the night I saw him it is a great representation of what I heard. Songs spanning Chris Cornell’s career from Soundgarden-Audioslave-Temple of the Dog-his solo career. The energy in his voice is amazing still. He can hit those high notes that he hit back in the early 90s. The power is simply amazing. Also, this album included his newest song fromt he film Machine Gun Preacher, The Keeper. This song is so simple and perfectly crafted like only Chris Cornell can do with such emotinal power. It is one of the only songs in a long while that has almost brought a tear to my eye. Tracks to listen to: The Keeper, Cleaning My Gun, Scar On The Sky, Thank You, Imagine, I Am The Highway
3. Eddie Vedder-Ukelele Songs. I received this album not long ago for Christmas. Obviously I am a huge Pearl Jam fan and of Eddie Vedder. This album puts him in a completely different context though. Minimalist. Him and a ukelele. The guy who sings songs like Jeremy, Spin The Black Circle, Blood, is stripped down to him and his ukelele, one of the most uncool instruments ever. On his appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman, Letterman puts it so perfectly, “The guy who made it cool to play the ukelele.” This album all gasps aside is wonderful. You can’t help but be happy when listening to the ukelele and Vedder’s heartfelt, true love driven poetry. On the accompanying dvd Water On The Road, Vedder talks of how he thinks he can take this little instrument and make it sound depressed and evil. The film was shot in 2008. Seeing his album release in 2011, it seems that Vedder still can’t depress the instrument or his true fans or the fans of good music. This truely is a treasure in this year’s catalog. Tracks to listen to: Can’t Keep, You’re True, Satellite, Light Today
2. Jack+Jill-Brightest Star In The Nightmare. This album will probalby not make it in any professional circles of year end reviews but it is too good not to put into my list. These guys are local to my hometown in Grand Junction, CO, but that didn’t earn them the spot on the list. What got them here was good music. This might be the most diverse album I listened to in the year. These guys recorded the album at their home and turned out an amazing independent product. I was given this album the day I left to work up in the Rocky Mtns. at summer camp. I popped it in that day and gave it the preliminary run through. I noted that there were some cool vocal spots and intrumental sections. I didn’t listen to it again though until about the middle of my summer and that was when I actually started to listen to what was going on in this album. Vocally it is amazing! Lead singer and guitarist Aaron Seibert does not miss a note. He sings with such power and confidence in his voice I would liken it to Vedder’s on Ten. Along with his voice the arrangement and guitar parts in particular are boggling. He plays some very none traditional chord progressions that you wouldn’t think go in a standard pop song but he makes it work. Aaron Seibert is joined by his wife Jessica on violin. There were sounds when I first listened I wasn’t sure what they were untill I realized that she was feeding her violin through wah pedal and getting this gorgeous under the sea type sound. This album features top notch musicianship, memorable melodies, and truely a whole new kind of listening experience. Different styles from reggae, eastern influence, progressive, classical, pop, it really has something for everyone. Tracks to listen to: Overplay Me, In Summary, Watch The World Disappear, Alzheimer’s.
1. Dream Theater-A Dramatic Turn of Events. I’ve been a Dream Theater fan for several years now. I have many of their albums and have really loved the band. Petrucci is an amazing virtuoso guitarists, Jordan Rudess plays the heck out of anything electronic, John Myung has long black hair, Labrie has some great moments. But I really loved Mike Portnoy from DT. This guy’s drumming has amazed me times and times over from odd time signatures to just how much endurance and memory power he has. I was devastated when I heard that he was leaving Dream Theater in Septembe of 2010. I remeber that that was all I could think about the entire day. He’s left DT, What’s going to happen now? He, along with John Petrucci, have produced all the albums since Metropolis Pt 2:Scenes From a Memory. He has handled almost the promo for the band, he made all the setlists( he archived every setlist since the band formed in 1985, by city so that if they would return to a city he could make a different setlist than the last time they were there), he has written a majority of the song lyrics, and much more. On top of that you can’t help but like him and his New York accent.Heck, I made my top 10 list after seeing him do the same thing. After he announced he was leaving though, I like many other fans said screw you Dream Theater! Your nothing without Mike Portnoy! Luckily the guys in Dream Theater gave me time to cool off and start thinking about their next album and maybe even think of giving it a chance. During this last summer they released their first single On The Backs of Angels. I listened to it with as open a mind as I could, but wasn’t sure what to think of it. I finally decided to wait until the actual album came out and see what else they had in store. All the while waiting I of course listened to many interviews with Mike Portnoy about leaving the band. One of the things he has said in many of those interviews is that he knew that something within the machine of Dream Theater had to change. He wanted the band to go on an extended vacation and recharge due the staleness of touring and that music seemed less inspired. I could agree with him on that. Though I love the last album DT had done, Black Colouds and Silver Linings, it was a stale album compared all their previous works. Portnoy wanted a break. The rest of the guys didn’t. Portnoy left. In these interviews Portnoy often says something in the Dream Theater machine had to change and that unfortunately it had to be him. After several months of anticipated waiting we the fans found his replacemnt was Mike Mangini, who I must say is a excellent drummer on par with Portnoy. But thats not to say I won’t be a Mike Portnoy fan and cross my fingers that he comes back to DT. All this sadnes and loss aside, A Dramatic Turn of Events is the recharge that Dream Theater needed. Though I didn’t take to On The Backs of Angels right away, the rest of the album is a different story. It is heavy, it is progessive, it is melodic, it has moments that are actually personal. The remaining members have finally come together the way they used to on this album. There are contributions from everyone in the music and on lyric writing. It is fresh. Though I miss Mike Portnoy and his leaving Dream Theater was a shock and sadness, this album is a true achievement. I hope Portnoy will one day play again with Petrucci, Rudess, Myung, and Labrie, but this is what Dream Theater needed to kick the staleness and make one of this years best albums. Tracks to listen to: Bridges in The Sky, Far From Heaven, Beneath The Surface, Lost Not Forgotten
Albums that I will listen to but have’t yet from this year: Neal Morse-Testimony 2, Steve Wilson-Grace For Drowning, Coldplay-Mylo Xyloto, The Black Keys-El Camino
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~ by the circus hippo on January 1, 2012.
LINK for article HERE
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MusicNowMagazine.com Dec. 2012 issue asks:
What is your thought process when working on new music?
Differs alot, sometimes it is a long process to "create a masterpiece"... Other times it just all comes out- lyrics, melodies, chord changes- all at once. If its actually "thought" out ever i suppose i would like to write something that is familiar, yet unique-
What inspires your music?
Everything can be inspiring, but i would say diversity in music, we are always tuned into the community radio and college radio stations, the stations that let the djs play what they want, i love all kinds of music, and its nice to get a constant injection of eclectic music.
How would you classify your music?
Alt/Jam Band
How would you describe yourself as an artist?
Very much a 90's kid. Loved the Seattle movement, and had a soft spot for all the 80s too. I would have to say we are pretty mellow people, Kinda rough on the outside, but warm and hippie on the inside.
What sets your music apart from others in your genre?
We are using alot of mixed meter still, while blending familiarity in melodies, and simplicity. Also we come as a pair. Jack+Jill are married =]
When you are working on a new song… Do you already have a concept in mind or do you rather write on top of music/beats?
We write all original music, no samples or remixes here- We usually write the music then words, melodies and harmonies, then start parting it out for other instrumentation.
What are some of your musical influences?
SoundGarden, The Cure, Days of the New, Bjork, Fiona Apple, Zepplin, AIC... Too many to name!
What obstacles have you faced in the music industry?
Musical independence while holding down jobs, and raising a family. We have been well received wherever we play, but its the getting there, and the making of time for everything.
What hard lessons have you learned while working in the industry?
You have to believe in your self, and your music, be determined, and always look for opportunities. Keep going!
Do you feel that people really understand the business aspect of the music industry?
Not in the slightest, It is very difficult to do what we do, and still maintain the daily grind as well. Its a challenge to figure out what the best direction to go, yet its a challenge worth doing, the rewards are great when you get them.
What changes do you feel that need to be made in the music industry?
Less corperate rock, more underground bands being truly "found" again. too many people are just grand fathered into the biz, or have the $$$ to make a much bigger footprint than deserved... Then poor people are just feeding the machine not knowing the damage they do. Vicious cycle.
What direction do you see the music industry going?
Independant music is on the rise, not sure what the future will hold for the industry, but whatever it is we're on board.
What steps have you taken to market your music?
Our music is at most digital distributors, and available in most large retail chains, We have performed and gigged aggressivly all over colorado, and have a built a great fan
base bere regionally. Also we have been on the front page of the paper, as well as local tv stations.
If you can have any collaboration with an artist who would it be and why?
Chris Cornell, sheer versatility. The mans a genius.
If you can work with any producer who would it be and why?
Unsure- Preservation of original thought through the writing process is very important to us, and would most likely stay as independant as possible.
What song are you currently promoting? Who is the producer and how did the song come about?
We are self produced, and the song would be "Brightest Star in the Nightmare" the song is about our son, and the struggles of working constantly, never seeing him grow up.
What album/cd are you currently promoting?
"Brightest Star in the Nightmare"
What is your next album/cd that you are working on? What is the concept behind your next musical project?
Self Titled Demo, out late 2012.
What are your project plans for 2012?
Tour, record, write.
Do you have any major performances or tours planned for 2012?
Working on a tour Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah in June. Planning on playing Powellapalooza again this year, as well as Desert Rocks. We will do another circuit at the end of summer as well.
To veiw the entire magazine we were published in click HERE
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GRAND JUNCTION DAILY SENTINEL WRITES:
FEB.11-2011
In this story, it was Jill, not Jack, who fell first.
Fortunately, her crown remained intact. But her heart, oh, it was gone. Jill is actually Jessica Seibert, 26, of Jack+Jill, a band she founded with her husband Aaron, 31. “I’ve been in love with Aaron since I was 14 years old,” Jessica said. “It was like a heartache. I was so in love.” They met through mutual friends in the Grand Valley, and although Aaron would flirt with Jessica, he “would never take me seriously,” she said. In his defense, Aaron pleads “jailbait.” He was 18, and she was four years younger. Jessica just rolls her eyes. Years passed and Jessica moved away from the Grand Valley, returning in 2006. That’s when Aaron “caved” (another eye roll from Jessica) and they started dating. They married on July 9, 2007. They wrote their first song together, “In All Ways And Always,” for their wedding. Son Ezra arrived on April 3, 2009, and another little He or She Seibert is expected in March. Love isn’t in question for the Seiberts, but time for romance is rather tough to come by these days. Each weekday morning, Aaron is out the door early for work as a therapy assistant at the Grand Junction Regional Center. Jessica teaches violin and piano lessons and has 12 students who keep her busy, along with Ezra, who likes the piano and loves the drums, just like his dad. Aaron also has six music students and teaches bass guitar, guitar, drums and voice.
Then there’s Monday evening band practice for Jack+Jill with three other band members — Steve McGarry on drums, Allen Bradley on bass guitar and Jodi Mills on keyboard and backup vocals — and the various shows the Seiberts play as a duo or band. Oh, and Jack+Jill plans to release a new CD on April 1. No joke. The CD, name undisclosed, will have at least 12 original songs, including “Brightest Star in the Nightmare,” which Aaron wrote about Ezra. A CD release party will have to wait until after the family is settled with the new baby and the new CD, Aaron said. With all that going on, it’s fortunate that work, music and family mix for the Seiberts. “Our romance is playing music together,” Aaron said. Date nights are the third Friday of every month at the DoubleTree Hotel and the third Saturday of every month at Enzo’s, where the Seiberts play a duo Jack+Jill shows. Romantic time together is “snuggling on Saturday mornings,” Aaron offered. Never mind that Ezra might be snuggled between them watching a “Baby Einstein” program, Jessica said. But if it were just the two of them for a romantic getaway, no expense ... “Can we teleport somewhere? I don’t know. Where do you want to go?” Aaron asked Jessica. “Alaska?” Jessica suggested. How about going to Great Divide Studios in Aspen to record a song, while staying at a bed and breakfast, eating at fancy restaurants and snubbing celebrities, Aaron said. Jessica considered that. She liked the bed and breakfast part, but — “Oh, this is going to sound so cheesy” — the room would have a balcony with a hot tub and as it snows “you can feed me strawberries dipped in sour cream and brown sugar.”
It was Aaron’s turn to roll his eyes.
By Ann Wright
For the Entire Article Click HERE
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