Jody Whitesides*
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Jody Whitesides*

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Press


"Music Review"

"Wouldn't sound out of place on a soft-rock radio station, especially the single "Fallin' In," which has a nice subtle chorus." - Nathan Brackett [Rolling Stone]


"Wood 'n' Steel"

"A proud partisan of the double-ought Apple generation, Jody Whitesides is armed and dangerous with his Mac, his looping programs, a boatload of effects plug-ins, and music editing software. Together with his rock-star guitar chops and creative instincts, the abundance of talent and tools could easily spell trouble — think runaway vanity project. But Whitesides sounds like he´s moved beyond the kitchen sink recording approach on his sixth outing, Practical Insanity, aiming to craft sticky melodies rather than simply strutting his skills.

That isn´t to say he won´t reach into his bag of tricks to juice things up with a backwards guitar solo, as he does in the opening track, or string samples, or a dollop of space-fuzz guitar. But even when Whitesides occasionally drops the hint that he´s a closet shredder, he leashes his impulses in order to give his songs a fighting chance for radio play. The payoff is a 12-pack of smartly groomed, inventive power-pop, fueled by grooves that lodge in your head and emit enough sonic coolness to invite multiple listens.

Whitesides covers vocals, guitar, bass keys, and loop programming on the record. His voice has an edgy soulfulness, and he steers it fluidly, using it to graft emotion and urgency onto his lyrics. One can hear shades of heavier rock influences reminiscent of Living Colour and King´s X in there, but Whitesides tends to stick with more of a groove-laden singer-songwriter approach.

Drum loops and his 615ce lay the structure for most tracks, with live drums added, as well. Among the album´s catchiest tunes is the upbeat acoustic love song Falling In, flavored with a bouncy slap-and-pop guitar figure and a benignly soulful refrain.

Elsewhere, Whitesides shoots for a crunchier electric-pop sound. He´s good at tinkering with familiar song structures and adding interesting sonic twists like an offbeat chord change to draw in the listener. Toward the end, he drops in a rock instrumental, Tracking Motion, and sinks into a meaty funk groove on Say Goodbye to close out the record. Whitesides´ disciplined approach pays off, helping to bring his talent into hi-res focus." - Jim Kirlin - Taylor Guitars


"Music Review"

"Whitesides is a singer/songwriter whose performances and material show lots of skill and craft without scrificing heart or conviction. the lyrics for All The Things and Days of Our Lives have a knack for depicting the imagery of everyday life in interesting ways. Electric guitar licks lend a hard rock backbone to the tunes, while the artist's soulful voice acts like fine-grain sandpaper that gives his rough-hewn subect matter some compelling contours." - Music Connection Magazine


Discography

Have had radio and streaming play in the past. I'm still getting streaming play on MusicMatch, MusicNet, Rhapsody and other internet methods. Currently gearing up for radio, video and touring promotion for 'Practical Insanity'.

"Practical Insanity" - 2006 (September)
"Ain't No Sunshine - single" - 2006
"Cruel To Be Kind - single" - 2006
"A Natural Leap Forward" - 2004
"Initial Spank" - 2003
"is this considered naked" - 2001
"E.nergy A.udio R.evolution" - 2000
"Delicate Stretch of the Seems" - 1999

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Bio

"I love that song [Falling In] Jody, that's commercial. That's a hit.” Frosty, Heidi & Frank 97.1 KLSX, Los Angeles

Digital music giant iTunes made a bold move that set a precedent for thousands when they uploaded the catalogue of singer/songwriter Jody Whitesides, their first non-signed artist, through the digital distribution program at CD Baby. After refusing a major label deal when they wanted him to compromise his style, Whitesides spent four months writing, producing and recording his sixth and most commercially appealing recent release, Practical Insanity. Early fan-favorite tracks like “Tabloid Affair” and “Falling In” reflect an overall theme of the psychological process of human relationships in reality and in fantasy, the latter tune already being dubbed the coolest love song never to mention the word love. Music Connection magazine recently praised his display of “skill and craft without sacrificing heart or conviction.” Whitesides simply calls it “Music that makes your soul happy!”

Nominated for four Just Plain Folks awards, Jody has shared the stage with Martha Davis & The Motels, Dave Davies (The Kinks) and had several of his songs placed in film soundtracks. When the A&R representative for Taylor Guitars caught Whitesides showcasing at the annual NAMM Show, his only comment before offering him a deal was “You should be playing a Taylor.” Fellow endorser Sennheiser microphones featured Whitesides in their online Sennheiser TrueSound Lounge with major label bands like Sugarcult. Joe's Guitars, Seymore Duncan pickups, Dean Markley Strings, Groove Tubes and Line 6 have all gathered around to support this humble and unstoppable artist in achieving his goal of being the most recognizable non-signed artist on the planet.

Although Practical Insanity was produced and recorded by Whitesides in his home studio, where he also played every instrument but the drums, there is no shortage of artists clamoring to work with him. He sang and played live with Danny Woods (New Kids On The Block), Talisman, and Jeff Scott Soto, and has produced CDs for Bob Karwin (Radio Margaritaville) and Throwing Toasters. He has also produced vocals for Seth Horan, formerly of Vertical Horizon, and rap artist Blk Diamond. Whitesides is currently the music supervisor and composer for “The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd,” nominated for Best Educational Podcast and featured on Apple’s education website.

Jody Whitesides is currently living in Los Angeles as a performing songwriter, sound engineer, surround sound mixer ("Kings of Hip Hop" DVD), video game music designer, soundtrack composer and Dancin Deer Studio owner. He’s putting it all on the line to promote and tour with Practical Insanity, and he’ll kick your ass in No Limit Texas Hold ‘em.

Jody is endorsed by Taylor Guitars, Sennheiser, Emagic Software (before the Apple merger), Seymour Duncan Pickups, Joe's Guitars, Dean Markley Strings, Groove Tubes, and Line 6.