How Download Cards work............
I sometimes think that the download cards I sell confuse people. For 10 I sell, only 7 people download the songs(I can see the report).
I like the download cards verses cd's. Most people either make a playlist for their ipod or make a mix cd with other artists and songs. Why have 300 cd's in your car when you only like 100 of those songs?
When you buy any product, you pay for packaging. Cds are expensive! That is why I charge $10 for them as opposed to $5 for the download card. You get the same music for half of the price! The difference is, you download the music to your computer first as opposed to ripping the tracks from a cd.
If you have ever downloaded a song from iTunes (or limewire if you enjoy stealing music), download cards are a similar concept.
Look at the back of the download card. Enter the web address into your browser(Internet explorer, firefox, safari, ect). Then enter the code and you will see the available tracks. Download them to your computer and enjoy!
If you have any questions, you can always contact me through my website
Later,
Farris
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
#13
Maybe it is because I have been sick for over a week but I am beat!
I found that a combination of Excedrin Migraine, B-12 tablets and Red Bull help me get through the day when i am ill.
When I am tired(and/or sick), I feel like that is the most honest I can be. I write many songs on the verge of complete exhaustion. That seems to help me be honest with myself.
Maybe that is why I am writing this blog. After a very long weekend and a long drive today, delirious is a better word.
I have been thinking about 1991 a lot lately. There was this band called Guns n Roses. They had changed the rock world 4 years prior. They were rough and honest but on September 17, 1991 they decided to release "Use your Illusion" 1 & 2.
Of course, GNR was Rock and Roll. They decided what was good and what was bad for us. Every record label from 1987-1991 signed every band that looked or sounded remotely like GNR.
The problem was, those bands were nothing but cheap imitations of the real thing.
The 1991 incarnation of GNR was a far cry from the 1987 version. Where they were all poor in 1987, in 1991 they were all millionaires. That change in social class was reflected in the "Use your Illusions".
In the first week of it's release, GNR had sold around 750,000 copies. Thats awesome, right?
Seven days later, an unknown band from Olympia, Washington released an album on DGC(Geffen Records, same parent label as GNR).
The difference was, Geffen pressed a million copies of the GNR albums and less that 100,000 copies of "Nevermind" by that little unknown band called "Nirvana"
Also, "Nevermind" used a different reporting method than other labels used. They used this unknown company called "Soundscan" to keep track of their actual record sales. If you notice the bar code on the back of a cd, that number is registered with Soundscan.
When you see a cd in a record store, it is sold on consignment. The record companies(actually the artists) buy back unsold copies.
So before "Soundscan", record companies would pay "Kickbacks" to record stores to say they sold a ton of records from a particular artist. Many of which never left the factory or distributor and the unsold records would be charged back to the record company.
They would show that a certain artist sold 500,000 copies their first week when in actuality, they may have only sold 75,000.
The record companies would do that so that artist would chart high(Bilboard). The higher you chart, the more radio stations play your music. The more a radio station plays a song, the better the chance someone will go out and buy the album.
In 3 months, Nirvana made GNR and bands like them irrelevant. By January 1992, Nirvana knocked Michael Jackson off the top of the charts. That is HUGE!
Nirvana also made people want more music from their region. So people went out and found a band called Pearl Jam and their album "Ten", which was released 4 weeks before "Nevermind". The rest, as they say, is history.
On a side note, Jimmy Pasquill(the eldest brother of the Pasquills) introduced me to both "Ten" and "Nevermind" on the respective weeks they came out. I listened to both of those albums from start to finish in his Powder Blue 1974(i think) Mustang Fastback.
So why did I tell you all of that? The Excedrin Migraine, B-12 and Red Bull has run it's course and I am exhausted.
Things change, people change, music changes.
Bands like GNR, Winger, Warrant and Skid Row were on top the the world in 1991. One band basically killed them all. One album changed almost everyone's thought process, maybe even the world.
Trends that are hot today are the punchline of a joke tomorrow!
If you are a musician, be honest with yourself. Play the music you want to play.
Don't write a song you "think" people will like.
Don't play a cover song because you "think" people will like it.
Play it because YOU LIKE IT!
Write it because YOU feel it!
Don't follow a trend, start YOUR OWN trend!
Sweet Dreams!
Farris
I found that a combination of Excedrin Migraine, B-12 tablets and Red Bull help me get through the day when i am ill.
When I am tired(and/or sick), I feel like that is the most honest I can be. I write many songs on the verge of complete exhaustion. That seems to help me be honest with myself.
Maybe that is why I am writing this blog. After a very long weekend and a long drive today, delirious is a better word.
I have been thinking about 1991 a lot lately. There was this band called Guns n Roses. They had changed the rock world 4 years prior. They were rough and honest but on September 17, 1991 they decided to release "Use your Illusion" 1 & 2.
Of course, GNR was Rock and Roll. They decided what was good and what was bad for us. Every record label from 1987-1991 signed every band that looked or sounded remotely like GNR.
The problem was, those bands were nothing but cheap imitations of the real thing.
The 1991 incarnation of GNR was a far cry from the 1987 version. Where they were all poor in 1987, in 1991 they were all millionaires. That change in social class was reflected in the "Use your Illusions".
In the first week of it's release, GNR had sold around 750,000 copies. Thats awesome, right?
Seven days later, an unknown band from Olympia, Washington released an album on DGC(Geffen Records, same parent label as GNR).
The difference was, Geffen pressed a million copies of the GNR albums and less that 100,000 copies of "Nevermind" by that little unknown band called "Nirvana"
Also, "Nevermind" used a different reporting method than other labels used. They used this unknown company called "Soundscan" to keep track of their actual record sales. If you notice the bar code on the back of a cd, that number is registered with Soundscan.
When you see a cd in a record store, it is sold on consignment. The record companies(actually the artists) buy back unsold copies.
So before "Soundscan", record companies would pay "Kickbacks" to record stores to say they sold a ton of records from a particular artist. Many of which never left the factory or distributor and the unsold records would be charged back to the record company.
They would show that a certain artist sold 500,000 copies their first week when in actuality, they may have only sold 75,000.
The record companies would do that so that artist would chart high(Bilboard). The higher you chart, the more radio stations play your music. The more a radio station plays a song, the better the chance someone will go out and buy the album.
In 3 months, Nirvana made GNR and bands like them irrelevant. By January 1992, Nirvana knocked Michael Jackson off the top of the charts. That is HUGE!
Nirvana also made people want more music from their region. So people went out and found a band called Pearl Jam and their album "Ten", which was released 4 weeks before "Nevermind". The rest, as they say, is history.
On a side note, Jimmy Pasquill(the eldest brother of the Pasquills) introduced me to both "Ten" and "Nevermind" on the respective weeks they came out. I listened to both of those albums from start to finish in his Powder Blue 1974(i think) Mustang Fastback.
So why did I tell you all of that? The Excedrin Migraine, B-12 and Red Bull has run it's course and I am exhausted.
Things change, people change, music changes.
Bands like GNR, Winger, Warrant and Skid Row were on top the the world in 1991. One band basically killed them all. One album changed almost everyone's thought process, maybe even the world.
Trends that are hot today are the punchline of a joke tomorrow!
If you are a musician, be honest with yourself. Play the music you want to play.
Don't write a song you "think" people will like.
Don't play a cover song because you "think" people will like it.
Play it because YOU LIKE IT!
Write it because YOU feel it!
Don't follow a trend, start YOUR OWN trend!
Sweet Dreams!
Farris
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
#12
What do dreams mean?
I have a reoccurring dream. I am in my old Chevy stepside(which is a 3 speed manual on the tree) and I have to go over a ridiculously steep bridge or overpass. If you can picture how steep a ladder is, you got the idea.
It is always a one lane road and by the time I see just how steep it is, I can not turn around. I keep climbing while almost having a panic attack. Wondering if the truck is going to make it up the hill or not.
There is always a car in front of me so I can't speed up. There is always several cars behind me so I can't slow down. I just have to suck it up and go up the hill.
The problem is, I never reach the top. I wake up before I get there.
I am not afraid of heights. I fly often and I enjoy it. That dream always disturbs me.
If you have any idea what that dream means, please email me at farris@chadfarris.com. You will have to confirm your email address(to keep the spammers away) but I am curious what your thoughts are.
Nite Nite!
Farris
I have a reoccurring dream. I am in my old Chevy stepside(which is a 3 speed manual on the tree) and I have to go over a ridiculously steep bridge or overpass. If you can picture how steep a ladder is, you got the idea.
It is always a one lane road and by the time I see just how steep it is, I can not turn around. I keep climbing while almost having a panic attack. Wondering if the truck is going to make it up the hill or not.
There is always a car in front of me so I can't speed up. There is always several cars behind me so I can't slow down. I just have to suck it up and go up the hill.
The problem is, I never reach the top. I wake up before I get there.
I am not afraid of heights. I fly often and I enjoy it. That dream always disturbs me.
If you have any idea what that dream means, please email me at farris@chadfarris.com. You will have to confirm your email address(to keep the spammers away) but I am curious what your thoughts are.
Nite Nite!
Farris
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Monday, September 07, 2009
#10
Check out Guitar Center's Labor Day Commercial........
I don't know how many of you have been to a Guitar Center. When you walk in, you hear at least 5 people playing guitar. And they are all playing different stuff, usually very painful to hear. It is way too loud and very seldom will you hear someone that can really play or afford the gear they are playing. Hey, one can only dream, right?
The last time I was there, I was trying to play "Hit Me Baby One More Time" while another guys was drowning me out with "Keep Your Hands To Yourself".... Not really, just a joke a few people will get! No harm, no foul!
Not a slam against Guitar Center but I really miss Mars Music. The gear was spread out and the buildings were at least 3 times the size of Guitar center. You literally could pick any instrument up and play it.
When I go to Guitar Center, I usually know exactly what I need. I always leave feeling like a sell out or something? I DON'T KNOW WHY! I never get that feeling using Musicians Friend(Who is owned by Guitar Center)!
Nite Nite!
Farris
I don't know how many of you have been to a Guitar Center. When you walk in, you hear at least 5 people playing guitar. And they are all playing different stuff, usually very painful to hear. It is way too loud and very seldom will you hear someone that can really play or afford the gear they are playing. Hey, one can only dream, right?
The last time I was there, I was trying to play "Hit Me Baby One More Time" while another guys was drowning me out with "Keep Your Hands To Yourself".... Not really, just a joke a few people will get! No harm, no foul!
Not a slam against Guitar Center but I really miss Mars Music. The gear was spread out and the buildings were at least 3 times the size of Guitar center. You literally could pick any instrument up and play it.
When I go to Guitar Center, I usually know exactly what I need. I always leave feeling like a sell out or something? I DON'T KNOW WHY! I never get that feeling using Musicians Friend(Who is owned by Guitar Center)!
Nite Nite!
Farris
#9
I posted this on myspace blog, so I am moving it here.
The world needs another Kurt...............or at least I do!!!!!!!!
The world needs another Kurt...............or at least I do!!!!!!!!
#8
Greetings!
Just so you know, I only have a bit of creativity so I decided to number my blogs instead of giving them a cute title. Most anything you would want to ask me you can find on Blog #4.
Later Taters!
Farris
Just so you know, I only have a bit of creativity so I decided to number my blogs instead of giving them a cute title. Most anything you would want to ask me you can find on Blog #4.
Later Taters!
Farris
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
#7
Boy, where do I start???????????
If you read my previous blog, I get in moods sometimes. Music can be a little frustrating at times. I guess i am just fed up with the lines being blurred.
I look on Myspace. Apparently you can put your friends in categories. I always look when someone puts me in a category. One guy, who apparently fancies himself a songwriter, put me in his category "People that make me who I am".
I don't know him.
Never met him and
never purchased a cd.
How did I make him who he is?
I listened to his songs, sounds like everything else in Texas and Oklahoma. Coon dog and coors light music is what I call it. Three chords and a capo(that would be a good title for a song).
He calls it "Rock-Southern Rock-Americana". What a joke!!!!!!!!!!
You don't rock!
I feel sorry for the people being force-fed this junk. I feel sorry for the person that thinks this is Rock and Roll. I wish I could open your eyes!
I often hear that Nashville sucks from all of these self-righteous wanna-be musicians. The funny thing is, they would change places with Kenny Chesney in a heartbeat!
Sell me out..........gently!
How do you know if you rock? If you have to ask, you don't!
Why not embrace what you are? There is nothing wrong with playing or writing country songs.
Everything is fake, all I see is fake!
If you want to know what Rock is, listen to Led Zepelin. It sure ain't Joe Blow and the Dirt Road Rangers!
Peace, Love and Empathy!
Farris
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
#5
You think you know me? Here are a few bands that you wouldn't think I would like but I do.
REM
B-52's
Letters to Cleo
Republica
The Verve Pipe
The Smiths
Sugartooth
N.W.A
Public Enemy
Monday, August 10, 2009
#4
FAQ's
Here are a list of the most common questions that I am asked either by email, myspace or in person:
Q. How can I buy a copy of your cd
A. chadfarris.com and click on Merchandise or buy one at a show
Q. Can I mail you a check or money order for merchandise?
A. No, not at this time. Pay Pal is fast, easy and secure
Q. Will you play bass for my band?
A. Probably not unless you are a good friend and/or I really like your music. Although if I say no, that doesn't mean you suck. I am just not into it and you would be better off finding someone that is actually a bass player. I am flattered that you considered me.
Q. Why do you hate Pat Green?
A. I don't
Q. Will you play a Cross Canadian Ragweed song?
A. No. If they start playing Chad Farris songs, I will play their songs
Q. What is your favorite place to play?
A. Earth. Although I hear Neptune is pretty cool.
Q. Do you consider yourself a part of the Red Dirt Scene
A. No, I am from Texas
Q. Do you consider yourself a Texas Music Act?
A. I am a musician and I am from Texas. That is about it
Q. Do you have a minimum amount that you must make to play somewhere?
A. The easy answer is YES. However, most things in life are negotiable.
Q. Will you play for free?
A. Yes, if the proceeds are going to help an individual that is down on their luck(illness, accident, ect). I will also play for causes that are near and dear to my heart.
Q. Can I use your PA for a gig?
A. Probably not
Q. Can I borrow your guitar/amp/ect?
A. No
Q. Who is your favorite band?
A. Led Zepelin
Q. What is your favorite Pat Green song?
A. Whatever the shortest one is
Q. When are you gonna play in Paris, TX?
A. I don't know. Sometimes you burn a few bridges along the way but you hope you can rebuild them someday.
Q. What do you think of {insert random band here}.
A. They are awesome!
Q. Can I buy you a shot?
A. No, but thanks for offering
Q. How about a beer?
A. Again, thanks but no thanks
Q. Are you too good to have a drink with me?
A. No, not in the least. I generally don't drink when I play.
Q. Can I play your guitar and sing during your break?
A. NO!
Q. If a tree falls in a forrest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
A. No
Q. If you are so Rock and Roll, why did you have a fiddle on your last cd?
A. Eric Peel is a good friend of mine and one of the best musicians I have ever met. I thought I would try something a little different.
Q. When is your new cd coming out?
A. Hopefully by Fall 2009
Q. Can I open for you?
A. Maybe
Q. Will you open for me?
A. Maybe
Q. What do you think about when someone says you suck?
A. Doesn't change anything in my life
Q. Do you have a Facebook page?
A. Yes, but it is a private and has nothing to do with music. I do not accept friend requests unless I personally know you.
Q. How much money did you make last year?
A. Not enough but I haven't missed any meals
I guess that is about it!
Good Night!
Farris
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
#3
Greeting form NOLA! That is New Orleans, LA for those of you keeping score. Sitting in the Airport. It is called MSY, Louis Armstrong International Airport. I have no I idea why it is called MSY. Kinda like Kansas City International is called MCI.
I wanted to take a few pics while I was here but Sony camera decided otherwise. So I can't post any at this time.
I have a few from the last trip I made here, I will post when I get home
Flight leaves in about an hour to DAL(Dallas Love Field)
Everytime I fly, I play "I'm on a Plain" by Nirvana on my iPod
While I am thinking about it, Solo Acoustic show this Thursday at Club Next in Texarkana, AR.
FarrisSaturday, August 01, 2009
#2
Whats up?
No more fighting with Myspace on content(among other things)! A few months back, I ran into Kyle Harris at Guitar Center. He made the switch to Facebook so we lost touch.
I told him I was still using myspace and he told me it was "Redneck" marketing. There hasn't been a day go by that I haven't thought about what he said. I don't even know what that means but he has street cred and seems to have his finger on the pulse of what is going on.....................
Not quite ready to switch social networking sites yet.
Not 100% done with Myspace..............................
Whats going on with me??????????????
I have settled on the tracks for the new cd. Still finishing up the vocals and fills.
This has been a long process. I have scrapped songs, rewritten a few and wrote a couple in the last couple months. Changed arrangements, had a HD crash(before I went to a Mac in the studio and purchased a stand-alone unit).
I am glad that Windows HD crashed. It allowed me to re-record Dusty Roads(which will be the first single, btw). Also taught me not to be lazy and back-up EVERYTHING! I always back-up everyone else's tracks but now I back-up mine.
Once the tracks are mastered, I will post a song per week here(and on myspace too) for 6 weeks. During that time, you can pre-order the cd for a reduced rate.
Also found new band mates and it has been great. The guys learned the songs uber fast! We will have our first show as a group August 22 at The Mud Bog with Michael O'Neal and Merrol Ray.
Don't know where the Mud Bog is gonna be but I can tell you it will be in the greater Paris, TX metro area. I will post the location(and hopefully a map) as soon as I get it.
Until next time!
Adios!
Farris
Thursday, July 30, 2009
#1
I decided to move my blog from Myspace to right here. Kinda fed up with those guys for a while. Sweet dreams!
Farris
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