Tanks

Suspicious Skin Color (New video!)

August 10, 2017

Send In The Tanks – OFFICIAL Music Video

Proudly presenting, the official video for my new single, Send In The Tanks!

I had the idea to record this song in such a way as to entwine audio and visual.  In addition, I get tired of spending a lot of time in the editing process for song mixes, tweaking and splicing takes to make the best parts shine through.  To these two ends, here is what I did for Send In The Tanks:

  • I used my camcorder to video-record each audio take for each instrument track (that’s what you’re seeing in the official video)
  • Each music track in the final mix is a single, uncut performance.  I did no splices or “punching-in/out” for each take.  (Sadly, there are a few times where a note or two is off and it could have benefited from a little redo.  But I stuck to my guns and kept it in there.)

I thought I could save on editing time by doing only uncut takes.  This was achieved.  However, because I’m not the best performer, I ended up having to do a boatload of single takes to get one that was workable.  Backfire!

I suppose now is as a good a time as any to tell you about…

A collection of new songs!

I have a collection songs incubating of which “Send In The Tanks” is the first.  I thought this whole video/audio single take thing would be a cool theme for all the songs.  However, it ended up being pretty time-consuming, and I don’t think I’ll continue it for all the songs.  The songs are in varying trimesters of gestation, and the one that is closest the term is “Enlighten Me.”  Expect to see a demo on that one soon!  Another song you should expect to see soon is “Shirley, You Must Be Joking.”

All these songs have a common thread of anti-authority, anti-politics, anti-establishment, etc.  – those themes are not often sung about in in rock n’ roll, so someone has to!  And I know every singer who has ever sung says this, but I’m really excited about these new songs!

I’m not sure yet how I will release this collection.  I may try crowdfunding.  Who knows!

In The Earbuds: Drones by Muse

The symphonic-glam-experimental-art-synth-arena-hard rock band Muse has done it again with Drones.  Continuing their railing against the global power structures, this appropriately-titled album has a common theme of, well, drones.  The word “drone” probably elicits the idea of an unmanned aircraft used in the Middle East wars. Some songs address that definition (Reapers), but the album takes different meanings of the word drone and applies them to the situation of the West’s foreign interventions and intervention domestically.

Musically, the album is heavy on the rock riffs (Reapers, The Handler, Defector, Psycho).  This is a welcome characteristic.  Expect to get your skull pounded by an amalgam of Radiohead and Black Sabbath.  On the other hand, Drones still tests the limits enough to remind you it’s a Muse album – the 10 minute prog song “Globalist”, the Prince-esque pop of “Dead Inside”, and the acapella choir sounds of the title track.

These are the strongest tunes from Muse in a while, well worth your attention.

Coming attractions

  • Twitter contest
  • Enlighten Me acoustic demo
  • Surprise cover song!

Send In The Tanks Around The World

July 11, 2017

Send In The Tanks – the Single!

My new song, “Send In The Tanks” has been mixed and mastered and released to digital worldwide distribution!

Send in the tanks

Buy it now wherever fine music (obviously) is sold (iTunes, Amazon, etc.)!  You can also stream it on Spotify if you don’t like commitment (I’m a guy, so I understand that.  Am I right, ladies?).

(More parentheses here.)

If you dig it, here are a few ways you could help that would go a long way:

  • Write a review on iTunes, Amazon, etc.
  • Save it to your library on Spotify
  • Follow my Matt Bankert artist page on Spotify
  • Add it to a Spotify playlist
  • Share it with your friends, enemies, and everyone in between

I am most grateful!

“When they said you could do whatever you want, they never meant you could do that.”

In the Earbuds: A Different Kind of Truth by Van Halen

Many old-timer bands try to do a revamp album after being inactive for a while.  Few succeed.  Van Halen succeeded.  It’s been out for a few years now (since 2012), but the reunion album of the classic Van Halen lineup including David Lee Roth is a triumph.  Despite Roth’s voice showing some age, he can still belt out some eye-popping high notes.  Roth’s girl-crazy lyrics now have a degree of profundity and wit to them (Bullethead, Tattoo) that may not have been there in the more classic, less-philosophical Van Halen tunes (Hot For Teacher).  The rhythm section hasn’t lost any speed and if anything, has picked up some steam with the addition of Eddie’s own son, Wolfgang, on bass.  This means the band is now 25% more Van Halen.  Wolfgang has definitely inherited his father’s snaking fretboard gene (pardon the technical medical term).  Some highlights are the speed rock songs “As Is”, “Bullethead”, and “China Town”, as well as the raucous, heavy blues-rocker, “Stay Frosty”.

But of course the highlight of the album is the band’s namesake, Eddie Van Halen.  His scorching, serpentine riffs and solos are just as strong as anything from the late 70s.  Eddie is one of my favorite guitarists, because he sounds like a child with his favorite toy. You can hear in his music that signature smile he always has on his face.  His playing appears to be effortless.  He gives a command, and his guitar is helpless to obey – snarling, singing, crying, trilling, or bellowing in response.

Listen to this and you’ll be smiling like Eddie.

 

===Follow Matt’s Spotify playlist, “Give Me Liberty and Give Me Rock,” updated weekly!===