All Good Things

Its been an interesting year to say the least. As i approach the midpoint of the year, many things i've spent sometimes years setting into motion are beginning to really pick up nice momentum. Here's a few good things.

John Legend has held the #7 spot on the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay charts for the last 2 weeks straight! He also resides at #30 on both the R&B Hot 100 Airplay and R&B Hot 100 Songs charts.

Small Town Sleeper is a band from Urbana, Ohio signed to my production company and also to Upper 11 Records. We completed the album in March (i produced and mixed) and the band is now opening the next leg of the Chris Daughtry Tour(American Idol guy). They opened a show for him last night in front of 23,000 people and will play a total (so far) of 9 shows in support. This is a perfect pairing musically and is hopefully a good omen for the upcoming single and album release!

Glass Intrepid, rockers from Houston, Texas that i recently produced and mixed, just opened up for Wind Up artist "Finger 11", and have also recently played several dates on the Warped Tour and well as opening for Fallout Boy! Lots of other great things are in the works with the band, and i'll tell you more when things shape up.

I recently produced a Riddim for the caribbean with fellow producers Ben Hudson and Brent Kolatalo. Featured artists on the riddim include Delly Ranx, Beenie Man, Sizzla, and several more very talented artists. We just serviced the first single from the riddim to radio in the Caribbean and its getting spins like crazy. I'll post the song up here soon when i know how well its charting. I think it has the potential to be a juggernaut of a song thru the island chain and who knows, maybe we'll hear it in the States as well. Like i said, these things take time.

I'm also producing another Caribbean artist named KK Alese. Ben Hudson is again sharing production duties with me. KK is a female pop R&B artist with an amazing voice. Feature guest performances on her album so far include Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, and Sizzla.

Sullee, the rapper from Boston featured on the VH1 reality show, "THE WHITE RAPPER SHOW" has signed a management deal with mega manager Johnny Wright (J Timberlake, Janet Jackson, etc...) They are currently in serious talks with several labels. Along with Brent Kolatalo, I produced 4 songs on the album, including the slated 1st single and I mixed everything. Hopefully the album will be out soon.

All good things!!!

-Ken Lewis

Vote for the UnderGround Music Awards

I'd like to ask a quick favor. a 30 second favor. Recently an amazing hip hop duo named "UE" mixed their album at my studio with mix engineer Brent Kolatalo. Its an amazing album and i'm proud that it was done here. UE has been nominated for "Underground Song of the Year" for their song "Things R Changing".

I would really appreciate it if you'd CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR UE

It'll take less than 30 seconds, and you dont have to sign up for anything. Things like this can really help change a career and these guys have the talent to really make it. Thanks!

-Ken Lewis

Glass Intrepid Music Sampler

Hi all. Below I've posted an MP3 sampler of the new Glass Intrepid album i produced, recorded and mixed. Also, the entire album was done start to finish at my studio, except a few overdubs recorded at Cooper Andersons studio, "346 Studios". Cooper did some engineering on the album and he's very talented. If you like what you hear, go to Glass Intrepid's website and BUY THE RECORD!!!! Their website is..... Myspace.com/GlassIntrepid

Listen to the slbum sampler by clicking Glass_Intrepid_Sampler.mp3

And here's a picture from one of the guitar tracking days of all the toys we got to create with!

-Ken Lewis

GreenDimes.com

This is just a quick follow up to my last blog post on the Environment. someone named Robert Shelton left me a comment suggesting i check out this website...... GreenDimes.com

I checked it out. It is in fact very cool and i signed up for it. For $36 a year, they work very hard to stop almost all of your junk mail from arriving to your residence, worth the $36 alone, even if it wasn't helping the environment. Imagine how much less paper a year would be made and thrown away if everyone did this! Thats alot of trees cut down. BUT WAIT, there's more :-) Included in that $36 yearly membership, they planet 12 tree saplings for you, one tree a month. That sounds like a nice proactive thing to do. Anyway, it was super easy and fast to sign up, I encourage you to do the same. And it costs you literally a dime a day for a year. Who can't afford that? Thats for the tip Robert!

-Ken Lewis

Doing my Part for the Environment

So i just spent 5 minutes on the phone with my Energy company and switched to all Green renewable engery! It was very easy. I'm very happy about switching, as this studio uses quite alot of electricity, and now i wont feel so bad about it. It will only cost me maybe $10 to $15 more a month for 100% Green energy, which i will gladly pay.

I have also been recycling aluminum, plastic and glass for as long as i can remember so if get a little preachy on the environment, at least i walk the walk for the most part.

I really think this Global Warming stuff is catching up to us in very real, tangible ways very quickly, and everyone should be doing their part to help. Its really easy to do the basics, swtch to Green energy, recycle, dont leave the lights on all night (or the gear!!!), Switch to florescent bulbs, use mass transit. I do all of these things. I even invest in Green Energy companies.

If you havent seen "An Inconvenient Truth" yet, i encourage you to. It changed the way i live for the better. and check out this website for easy suggestions on how you can live Greener. ClimateCrisis.Net

Hey, I know this is a mixing website, but this is everybody's problem on Earth. If the USA doesnt lead, how can we get the world to follow. Please do your part.

Sincerely,

Ken Lewis

PS. also check out the trailer for Leonardo DiCaprio's new documentary on the environment here The 11th Hour Trailer

And Another Again

John Legend Ascends again this week. His single "Another Again", which i produced jumped to...

#8 Billboard Adult R&B Airplay Chart

#30 Billboard Hot 100 R&B / Hip Hop Singles (up from #40!)

Keep it up John!!!!

-Ken Lewis

REMIX Magazine this month

I got my pic in the current issue of REMIX (with Bjork on the cover). Page 17. Just a pic from the REMIX Hotel NYC this year. I was on a panel with Vernon Reid and several other amazing musicians. Thats Vernon sitting right next to me, it was quite a rush sitting next to a guy like that and being able to talk to him before, during, and after the panels. Anyway, if your around a newsstand, take a glance.

-Ken Lewis

Billboard Top Ten for John Legend!

At long last, John Legend has broken thru on the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart! His current hit single "Another again" which i produced with him has been steadily climbing. Here's the latest charts from this week.

Billboard Adult R&B Airplay Chart - #9

Billboard Hot 100 R&B / Hip Hop Singles - #40

Go John Go! What a good feeling.

-Ken Lewis

Bigger in Iceland!

I blogged a couple weeks ago about an artist named BMV from Iceland that i'm currently producing. The first song i produced for BMV, titled "In My Place" has been steadily climbing the Icelandic Singles charts and this week is at #18 in the Country!!

The single has also been picked up by RecordExpress and serviced worldwide to radio. How bout that for indie artists making things happen! Congrats to BMV and lets hope you keep climbing!

-Ken Lewis