If you're anything like me, Halloween is your least favorite time of the year because it is, quite frankly, too spooky. If I see a Dracula, I lose my mind. A Frankenstein? See ya 'round. A Bewitched? You can bet I'm high-tailin' it. An Eddie Munster? Wait a minute, who was Eddie's real father? Herman was a Frankenstein, Lily was a Dracula, and this boy is half-Dracula, half-Teen Wolf? Where did he get the Teen Wolf DNA? What is Lily not telling us, and does Grandpa know? Or is Teen Wolf DNA recessive maybe? I have a lot of questions.
For Newsletter #33, prepare for a scare if you dare for your favorite SPOOKtacular BOO!sletter sections including "BOO!s," "Recent LURK!," "Trends SLASH! References" and "Q and SLAYS!"
|
|
|
linelinelinelinelinelinelinelineline
|
|
|
On this, the scariest of all months, we're thrilled to introduce the newest member of the SAS team, Michaela Frank. Michaela will be joining the business development team here, helping to expand SAS's reach in the industry and bring in new, exciting opportunities to pitch your music! Michaela had this to say about joining up:
Hello! It’s an absolute pleasure to work alongside the wildly talented SAS team as an Account Manager, representing such a diverse and inspiring group of musicians. My background is in advertising and PR and I’m excited for this new endeavor!
|
|
|
linelinelinelinelinelinelinelineline
|
|
|
The trailer for Netflix's new epic, space drama The Midnight Sky featuring a very snowy-bearded George Clooney also features a beautiful, soaring, emotional cue by composer Dan Rosen off of his album Gradient.
|
|
|
linelinelinelinelinelineline
|
|
|
This bright, orchestral piece by SAS composer Marcus Olgers was the perfect backdrop for a fun and breezy spot for Petco featuring at least one dog actor.
|
|
|
linelinelinelinelinelineline
|
|
|
linelinelinelinelinelinelinelineline
|
|
|
|
|
Luciano Michelini - Frolic - Now I'm pretty sure I've newslettered this in the past but it comes up so often in our inboxes that I figured it couldn't hurt to bring it up here every couple of years. More commonly known as the theme song to Curb Your Enthusiasm, this quirky, bouncy track features a plodding tuba and jangly mandolins to create a curious but cheerful sound that lends itself very easily to comedy.
|
Submit ideas inspired by this ref HERE with playlist name "#33 Sidewalk"
|
|
|
|
Daniel Pemberton - Take You Down - This high-octane track from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. soundtrack is a larger-than-life Arena Rock banger with huge, reverb-y drums, heavy distorted guitars and a 70s/80s era vocal wail with an almost spaghetti western flair. A track like this has some versatility as it could be in a heist or action film trailer just as easily as it could be in a car commercial.
|
Submit ideas inspired by this ref HERE with playlist name "#33 Auntie"
|
|
|
|
|
Little Dragon - Lover Chanting - With a hip, modern electronic palette, an infectious, danceable beat, and fun, effortlessly cool vocals, this track by Swedish electronic group Little Dragon has a dreamy quality to it accentuated by unique ear-candy layered throughout. The vocals are doing some heavy lifting here in terms of making some of the borderline-cheesy synth elements more palatable, so while you're building your track keep an eye on how the instrumental might come together without the vocals.
|
Submit ideas inspired by this ref HERE with playlist name "#33 Small Griffin"
|
|
|
|
Nu Shoos - I Can't Wait - This fun, goofy track was recently featured in a Google spot and a cover by Iconapop and Questlove was in this Target commercial a few years ago. The catchy, quirky vocal-sample hook is the clear signature element of the track but beneath it is a funky, feel-good foundation that makes the whole thing work. Max (our resident Gen-zer) also tells me this may be part of a cool, viral trend on TikTok but there is no way for an elder-Millennial like myself to ever know the truth.
Submit ideas inspired by this ref HERE with playlist name "#33 Old Socks"
|
|
|
linelinelinelinelinelineline
|
|
|
linelinelinelinelinelinelinelineline
|
|
|
"Are there any specific lyrical themes that are more useful than others?"
Generally speaking, the less specific the better, but for the most part it's always a good idea to keep your lyrics positive and fun. Clients always want tracks to feel like songs they'd hear on the radio so a strong hook can be helpful to give it a Top 40 feel. (I don't know who still listens to the radio, but so far that phrase doesn't seem to have been replaced so we're stuck with it for now).
We get requests for uplifting, inspirational themes a lot like "Working Together," "Getting Better," "Taking on the Day" as well as more fun and celebratory themes like "Best Day Ever," "Feeling Good," things like that. Some tracks can get away with a sort of flirty message where the desirable subject of the song can serve as a stand-in for the product. A lyric like "I want you" works as a believable popular song lyric but when paired with the right picture can also sound like the singer really wants that new Taco Bell meal.
Overall, just avoid anything too dark, sad, or upsetting and certainly avoid anything controversial or vulgar. Occasionally advertisers will be interested in taking a risk but most of the time they just want a catchy song that doesn't bum anyone out.
"Do I need to do anything special when submitting tracks with lyrics?"
Glad you asked! The only two things that are specific to lyrical tracks is 1) Please also submit a full instrumental version, as the bulk of our projects are for instrumental music and 2) Please provide a lyric sheet with all the lyrics written out so we can reference it if needed. This also helps us search for specific themes and key words in our catalog.
These additional assets can be uploaded to Disco in the same playlist as your submission.
|
|
|
linelinelinelinelinelineline
|
|
|
linelinelinelinelinelinelinelineline
|
|
|
How does the Crypt-Keeper do it? His puns were way better than mine and I have to assume his skull is full of maggots. I mean, seriously, he looks awful. To be fair, this is what I assume I look like writing a song after turning 28 years old, so... glass houses and whatnot.
Happy GOREing everybody!
|
|
|
linelinelinelinelinelineline
|
|
|
linelinelinelinelinelineline
|
|
|
|
|
11766 Wilshire Blvd., Ste 500
Los Angeles, CA 90025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
