Computer Edge Magazine 1/12/2007
Hot On the Web - - “Heading Into a New Year”
by Jim Trageser
Before we get too far into 2007 (and as I write this, it's a few days before Christmas 2006), it might be good to take a quick look at some neat things going on online, as well as bring a few stories from the past year up to date.
Video to the World
San Diego musician/songwriter Scott Wilson may not be on MTV—but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a following for his new music video.
With a savvy head for online marketing, Wilson has used links from his MySpace and Yahoo! pages, plus his own Web site, MetaLogic Music, to get 14,000 views of his music video "Coffeehouse 101."
It's a pretty fun folk/rock song, with the appeal of having more than 50 local musicians sing along and make cameos in the video.
I can't claim to know every San Diego musician, but I did recognize folks like Gregory Page, "Doctor" Dave Sawyer, Chuck Schiele of The Grams, Carlos Olmeda, Sven-Erik Seaholm and the Wild Truth, Sirens Lure and Marcia Claire, among others.
What makes this different is that the video is both very well produced, and yet made locally—but still able to find a global audience.
San Diego CityBeat
March 8, 2006 Locals Only Section
Gossip from the local music scene
by Scoop Stevens
Coffeehouse 50
It’s said there’s strength in numbers, but “Coffeehouse 101,” a new video from singer-songwriter Scott Wilson, takes that theory to extremes. Rather than make a standard video for the tune from his album Kaleidoscope’s End, Wilson invited 50 of his musician friends to each lip-sync a line or two.
“I wanted to approach the whole video idea as a filmmaker rather than as a performer,” Wilson said. “I think that the artist performance concept has pretty much been done to death in music videos, so I thought it might be an interesting way to turn it on its head.”
With so many musicians, Wilson described the project as a puzzle, trying to line up the right musician with the right line. For the most part, performers were given lines to sing at random, though there are a few exceptions.
“I intentionally had Doug Meyer in a cowboy hat and accordion sing ‘Guess I live slightly east of Eden,’ since I did live in El Cajon at the time it was written,” he says. “I would have people sing a whole stanza, and then pick the best line of the performance.”
Due to conflicting schedules, he wasn’t able to get certain performers he really wanted for the shoot. For example, he said, “The Locust would have been particularly great.” As it stood, the shoots for the video were time-consuming.
“I had to do a lot of driving to get as many people as I did in the video. But in the end, it lent an extra dimension… to have so many different locations and gave a bit of the feel of San Diego by traveling around to different clubs, studios and stages.”
On March 9, Humphrey’s Backstage Lounge will host the release party for the “Coffeehouse 101” video, featuring many of the acts who participated in the filming, including Jeff Berkley and the Citizen Band, The Grams, Dave Howard, Will Edwards, Cathryn Beeks Ordeal, Gregory Page and Deadline Friday. If you can’t make the show, the video will be available later this month on Wilson’s website, www.metalogicmusic.com.
Revolt in Style - Spring 2006 Issue
Scott Wilson: Kaleidoscope’s End
Genre: Modern Rock, Pop, Blues and Alternative
Anyone who likes the progressive sound of Dave Matthews is going to dig this cd. Don’t get me wrong. It is not Dave Matthews by any means but it has that edgy back beat and is unpredictable lyrically. It’s CD’s like this that make me love my job. It’s fun to listen to and touches the psyche and has a good vibe about it. I would really like to put a face to this sound but I wouldn’t do it any justice. Scott Wilson has accomplished the one thing that all musicians strive after. There is a guitar riff on the song “Van Gogh’s Ear” that totally fucking rips. On top of that Scott has an amazing vocal range. It is a CD that is eclectic by nature but maintains a constant good vibe. I hope the live show is as hot as his CD.
January 2006 issue of San Diego Troubadour Magazine
Scott Wilson - Kaleidoscope’s End
by Craig Yerkes
A funny thing happened to me on the way to work the other day. I popped in Kaleidoscope’s End, the latest release from Scott Wilson, and my reaction surprised me. I had been keeping my eye on my cell phone for an important call and about 20 seconds into the music, I involuntarily reached for the phone and turned it off. It was as if my musical sensibilities alerted my subconscious that this music merited my full attention.
The word “craftsman” comes to mind when I think of Wilson’s work on this disc. Not one aspect of this recording sounds like it was phoned in or rushed. Wilson is an artist who understands how to bring his songs to life, fully realized, through the hard work of matching creativity with meticulous attention to detail.
“Coffeehouse 101” starts it all off with a sly, catchy alt-pop rocker, featuring everything you want to hear on a tune like this. The driving guitars, powerful vocals, and grinding bass and drums provide the meat and potatoes that you would expect, but the sneaky chord changes, spacey breaks, sardonic lyrics, and funky production touches provide unexpected audio candy. “She Won’t Stop,” “Too Tired,” and “Nobody’s Home” follow a similar alt-pop rock template with equally pleasing results. In particular, “She Won’t Stop” packs a serious lyrical and musical wallop with a highly insightful take on the dangers of human ambition. “Marielle” and “Shade of Eden” stand out as the most effective softer offerings. Both feature beautiful melodies and hook-laden chord changes, which serve to bring the reflective lyrics to full life. Kaleidoscope’s End had me trying to decide if it reminded me of something I heard in the ‘70s or just last week on alt. radio. “Van Gogh’s Ear” provides a fascinating juxtaposition between a confident, almost arrogant sounding musical background and a highly vulnerable lyric (“I feel like Van Gogh’s ear, a useless appendage, stashed behind the mirror”). I love the choice of chords used as a backdrop for the guitar solo, which is itself a masterpiece of blistering aggression.
My only beef is a subtle point regarding the lyrics. While the CD’s heady, sometimes poetic approach works very well, the overall effect is somewhat impersonal. I would have liked to hear a tune or two that took a more personal, emotionally accessible approach in the lyrics.
The musicianship and vocals throughout this recording are stellar, highlighted by the fretless bass work on a few tunes, the consistently exciting guitar solos, and the powerful lead vocal on “Shade of Eden.” Wilson’s hard work make for a very compelling recording. Turn off your cell phone and take a listen.
Craig Yerkes, the author of this review, died in a car accident on Saturday, June 28, 2008. He is survived by family and too many friends to count....
Scott Wilson
Bass, Acoustic and Electric Guitar
Lead and background vocalist
Producer/Singer-Songwriter
VFX. Produced and played bass on two compact discs with the band. The first self-titled compact disc from VFX played on radio stations across the country, including heavy rotation on Salt Lake's City KBER-FM. A video for "Myriad Arising" was aired worldwide. The second disc: "the next step" hit Number 1 on the Imports Charts of Kerrang Magazine in England, and received rave reviews in the European rock press.
Cruel World. Released a self-titled disc, featuring Scott Wilson as lead vocalist/bassist. Cruel World toured Europe, playing in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. A live acoustic version of "Broken Chain" was included on a PopKomm cd-rom promoting the convention in Cologne Germany. Cruel World also played in clubs around Los Angeles.
Scott Wilson. In 2005, released a new solo album, called Kaleidoscope's End. Played bass with Seven Music in San Diego. Playing acoustic and electric gigs in Los Angeles and San Diego, where he recently relocated. Was one of the founding members of The Gandhi Method, a local San Diego acoustic vocal group. Also, he is a former member of The Cathryn Beeks Band. She Won't Stop from Kaleidoscope's End hit Number One on the KIAC Big 50 at iacmusic.com, and the video for Coffeehouse 101 has been viewed approximately 40,000 times on various sites on the web.
Scott Wilson has extensive recording experience, in various analog studios, in Pro Tools digital environments, and also in his own digital home studio. He is a prolific songwriter, having written and recorded over 150 songs. Scott Wilson is an versatile aggressive, and melodic bassist, and a heartfelt vocalist and performer.
He is radioactive and it looks like he's playing in front of at least 500 people. Who would have known that it was actually 12 people slurping on slushies and chomping on corn dogs.
Thanks for the add! FYI, you can watch old episodes of The Local Music Show for free on iTunes - look us up, or check us out online at SeattleChannel. org/TheLocalMusicShow
Hey Scott! Just wanted to let you know that when I moved down here to San Diego in September of last year, the "Coffee House 101" video was my informal introduction to a lot of the music scene people. Hope to meet you in person soon!
