peter j stein - uneasy pieces - metro noire: LATEST ALBUM NEWS

Listen to the latest edit of "More Each Day", again proving the maxim that "less is more", working towards maintaining the simplicity of a song, finding just the right mix of 4 or 5 elements.

Stein continues to refine his 12th tune, "More Each Day", which inches closer to a final mix, following a 4 hour session today, when the vocals were carefully examined, followed by the addition of strings. The hard part is to know when to stop refining the project, but tune #13 has been conceived, now pushing to be born.

Folkstein riffs and screaming harmonica went public, when Stein performed 4 of his tunes live for a receptive audience in his hometown, on Sunday, December 21st. Hardly referring to his cheat sheets, having rehearsed the songs approximately 700 times each, Stein, using an acoustic guitar mic along with a small guitar amp, that made for a bellowing resonanace, was surprised by his own lack of anxiety and guitar deftness, despite a feeling that his fingers felt paralyzed. More live performances are planned.

"More Each Day", a love ballad, is in the works in the new studio. Listen to the short clip of an initial, rough edit, by clicking "My Music Clips", on your top left.

Following this 5 month gestation period, with today's delivery now in hand in 2 cardboard boxes, "Under An Open Sky" is now available in hard-copy, soon to be posted for sale on CDBaby.com

Hard CD duplication of Stein's 2nd Album, Under An Open Sky, with it's 7 original tunes, will be available for sale as soon as Tuesday, December 16th, 2008. After a slight delay in the photo layout, you can go to my photo gallery link, to see the album cover, front and back!

I will now be collaborating with audio engineer Rich Liegey, of VuDu Studios, Inc., in Freeport, NY, and we have already begun the production of a 12th Folkstein song, "More Each Day".

Due to the recent retirement of his audio engineer, Folkstein Productions, aka pjsteinsongs, will hopefully resume his recording goals of 1 or 2 original songs per month, with a new studio, aiming to reach the magic number of 180, the approximate number of songs released by the Beatles during the band's career.

The pjsteinsong website has registered just under 3,000 visits since its inception in mid-August, with nearly 20,000 hits on the various pages, clips, and links. Thank you to all my friends and interested listeners.

The recordings for Folkstein's 2nd original album, "Under An Open Sky", are finally complete, and are now being mastered. Once the 7 tracks are burned and the album cover is completed, 100 copies will be pressed for immediate distribution. It has been an intense and exciting 3 months, during which time a deeply personal quest, that has been gestating for 40 years, has come to fruition.

With a 10th original song in progress, the 6th for this project, and 1 or 2 additional surprises, a 2nd Folkstein album will soon be complete, and ready for world-wide distribution through iTunes, CDBaby, IndieRhythm Music, and Broadjam. Stein continues to work intensely, in his efforts to liberate the imprisoned musical ideas from his imagination, in order to share his songs of love and hope with you.

Dormant for 35 years, the lyrics and harmonies for this song have risen from sleep, and are now in production.

As a tribute to the everlasting presence of Beauty and Love, these mysterious forces have generated and brought this song to fruition within about 3 weeks. Using several acoustic guitar tracks, a G harp, a lead with 2 backup vocals, and a dose of percussion, the tune hangs together in a satisfying way.

"If My Love Were Untrue", and "Under An Open Sky" have made their iTune debut today; just type in 'peter j stein' on iTunes, and hear the clips, or go to Stein's SongCastMusic link, below, and click the album covers. The full album, "Under An Open Sky" is nearing completion, with at least 6 new, all original tunes, possibly punctuated by 1 or 2 instrumentals.

Songs are spinning out like galaxies flying towards the edge of the cosmos after the Big Bang! "The Wings of Time" is complete, and work has already begun on Folkstein song # 9, "Have You Ever Tasted"

Stein's latest tune, "The Wings of Time" is near completion, with a final mix almost in sight. One clearly hears Dylan's influence in this tune, and it is undeniably folkstein, with increasing reliance on acoustic truth.

"Somebody's Lover" uploaded to SongCastMusic this evening, for its month-long journey to iTunes; Go to youtube, to see a musical slideshow of "Under An Open Sky", which should appear on iTunes within 2-3 weeks. Two or 3 songs to go for the completion of Stein's 2nd album release, "Under An Open Sky".

Started recording Stein's 8th song this week, "The Wings of Time". Musician/Engineer interaction seems to be evolving into a deeper and purer acoustic sound, where less is more. This tune thus far includes 2 acoustic guitar tracks, harmonica, and lead vocal. Typical of Folkstein ambiguity, one is never certain whether or when the tune concerns itself with a Woman, God, Mother Nature, or Stein, himself. As long as the melody is sweet, nothing else really matters, anyway.

Click the 'music' link for a clip of Somebody's Lover, Stein's 7th song release, recently completed for publication. Stein's quest to publish his second album by the end of November, 2008, reflects a creative urge from deep in his gut that cannot be quelled by the usual defenses. The music and lyrics for song # 8 are complete, waiting to become actualized in the coming weeks.

Writing a song is relatively easy; getting into the studio and making a song into something that sounds groovy is another story. Have to publicly thank my audio engineer for believing in me, helping me with the confidence to get into the sound booth and lay down the vocals to "Somebody's Lover". We are almost at the mixing stage, and, as with each prior tune, this one is my favorite.

Stein's latest creation, "Somebody's Lover", a third song for his second album, is in production. The song presents a unique twist on Stein's usual themes of love, finiteness, and the puzzle of intimacy, interlaced with his attempts to create emotional highs between his guitars and vocals. Stein feels compelled to complete a new song every 3 weeks, in his efforts to release his "Open Sky" album in November.

"Under An Open Sky", the title tune for Stein's 2nd album, has finally been mastered and released, now availalble on this site. Initially loaded as a 2 minute clip for the listener, it will be gradually uploaded to the various commercial sites, including iTunes and Broadjam. An alternate version of the song, which includes the natural sounds of a Montana landscape, will also soon be available.

"Under An Open Sky" is nearly ready for public consumption, with backup vocals completed, reminiscent of CSN&Y. There is a great mix in progress, of vocals, harmonica, five acoustic guitar tracks, electric bass, percussion, and organ. The listener will be transported to a Montana landscape, and, hopefully, completely blown away by this rocking tune. I can't wait for my listeners to experience it!!

With his acoustic feet firmly planted on the ground, Mike, MREStudio's audio engineer, reminds me for this song, and for virtually every song, that there are still several intervening steps that require thought and work, before the vocals of the song, "Under An Open Sky", can be added. The magical wish to have the song completed and mastered within a few minutes clouds the songwriter's misty mind. There remain tom-toms and cymbals to be judiciously placed, before we begin the lead vocal. Damn! It don't come easy.

Having just added percussion, bass, harmonica, and keyboard, I cannot stop singing and tapping my foot to this almost completed, rhythmic, title song, which now only lacks the vocals, prior to the mixing process. The verses are tight and ready to go, and I'm geared up like a coiled spring, for my next recording session on Tuesday, as the song clamors for release from its prison inside me, within the next couple of weeks.