ripple:FX news

Kirk Butler, another good friend

It is with profound sadness we note the passing of our good friend, Kirk Butler. He will be truly missed by his many friends.

Kirk Thomas Butler, 59, of Indianapolis, formerly of Elkhart, died at 4:10 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010, at his home.

He was born June 24, 1951, in Elkhart, to Thomas and Phyllis (Pipher) Butler.

Surviving are his former wife, Marie Butler-Knight of Spencer; daughter Jessica M. Butler of Indianapolis; mother Phyllis "Phid" Butler of Elkhart; and sisters Ann (Steve) Harrison of Burleson, Texas, and Lynn Butler of Elkhart.

Kirk was a freelance recording engineer and was sound engineer for WFYI in Indianapolis and the Zionsville United Methodist Church. He was a 1969 graduate of Elkhart High School and a graduate of Indiana University.

He had traveled in Europe with John Mellencamp and in Japan with Osamu Kitajima as a recording engineer, was a past president of the Bromeliad Society, member of AOMCI/MOB for antique motors and boats, and a member of the Recording Academy.

"Increasing Motion" has been released!

Joel Hutton has released his debut CD "Increasing Motion". It is the result of a talented singer/songwriter meeting a talented engineer/producer. After many years of writing and waiting, Joel's dream of his own CD was finally given flight after meeting Chris Lieber at a church in Carmel. Chris convinced Joel to invest in himself and complete the project that had been languishing in his sequencer for years. The result was a flurry of tracking, singing and mixing culminating in this CD of powerful music with a powerful message. One reviewer writes:

"Positive/eclectic/youthful/ engaging/meaningful/ modern: all these words describe the music of Joel Hutton. Although he delivers a sound driven by hardcore piano riffs and electric guitars that captivates the masses, his most powerful asset is still his story beautifully scripted within each song."

Check out Joel's new CD at joelhutton.com

rippleFX: wins Gold!

Congratulations to Indianapolis ad agency St. Claire Group for their 2010 Gold Addy award for the TV spot "We Thought About You" for St. Vincent Health System.The hauntingly simple score was written by rippleFX: composer Chris Lieber. The silver-throated Jack O'Hara wrote the copy and gave voice to it under Curt Chuvales' creative direction. Cinematography and editorial was handled by Caviar. Take a look at the campaign here. Thomas Productions and Scofield Editorial helped St. Claire Group create "This Place" for Peyton Manning Childrens Hospital at St. Vincent, which was awarded a Silver Addy.

Congrats to Indy's Favorite Local Musician!

We'd like to congratulate our friend and former ripple FX: staffer Jennie DeVoe for her recent distribution deal with Sony Records. Hooray!
DeVoe is a long-time Indy favorite due to her soulful voice, honest lyrics and charming stage presence. Her music has reached audiences far & wide whether it's live, on the radio, or on popular television show soundtracks.
She was recently voted by Nuvo's People's Choice Award as Indy's Best Local Musician. To read the full Nuvo article click here.

Forget "$5 Footlong." Check out "$3 Flatbread"!

ripple FX: was asked to come up with lyric driven musical content for the new Subway $3 Flatbread. We said "So... you want a jingle?" Bill really put himself in the place of a flatbread. Asking questions like: "How would a flatbread feel? What does a flatbread do all day?" And came up with tasty meal magic. Click here to check out the video. (Note the cowbell player in the background)

Ladymoon-Jammin' across the Midwest

Ladymoon is an Indianapolis based jam-band that has been called a "band on its way to becoming one of the most creative and influential groups to come out of the Midwest jam-band scene". They have recently received Runner-Up in Relix Magazine's "Jam-Off" and had an editorial piece in the November edition.
They are working on a new album with the basic tracks cut at Cedar Rock studios. Additional overdubs, vocals and pre-mix is being done by ripple FX's own Chris Lieber and keyboard recording/production by Bill Mallers. To listen to Ladymoon go to their myspace page or sonicbids.

MTV Airs Documentary About Teen Pregnany

MTV began airing a show called "16 & Pregnant". With all the glamorized hullabaloo surrounding teen pregnancy from movies like "Juno" and the hit show "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," MTV decided to show viewers the real struggles a teenage mom goes through. Episode 3 features a teen couple from Indiana, Amber & Gary. MTV turned to ripple FX: engineer (& Pitbulls on Crack bassist) Jason Rowland to record narrative voice-over for the teen mom and dad. Whether you think it helps or hurts teen pregnancy awareness & prevention, at least MTV is putting it out there and making it an unavoidable topic of discussion. "16 & Pregnant" airs on MTV on Thursdays at 10:00pm.

mmmmmm......Bacon!

The never-ending David Officer a.k.a. Mr. O project got an infusion of funk with some sizzlin' hot sax licks by the incredible Gregg Bacon. This powerhouse player is one of Indy's busiest musicians and we were jazzed to have him contribute to this labor of love. This Bacon is HOT!

A Touch of Class at rippleFX:

Finally! Some decorum and class at rippleFX: Chris was treated to an evening of beautiful music as he recorded demo tracks for harpist Melissa Gallant. Melissa has performed at The Chatterbox as well as with many regional orchestras and numerous wedding ceremony and reception gigs throughout the area. Melissa is also in demand as an educator. This demo will showcase Melissa's brand new Lyon & Healy concert harp.

Rumor? Or Fact

Recent rumors have surfaced that members of the supra-funky band Ebony Rhythm Funk Campaign were seen laying down tracks at the clubhouse. Based on the attached photo, we can confirm this rumor as fact. Seen here chilling between takes is Lammy Johnson, Robbo Hunter, Bruce Valance, and Ricky Jackson. Recording will continue throughout the fall and winter with plans for a Spring '09 release of an all-fresh EFRC CD. Let the Funk begin!

The Luke is open!

The spectacular new Lucas Oil Stadium a.k.a. "The Luke" celebrated is grand opening with an extravganza featuring a marching band, motorcross motorcycles, a monster truck, a cast of hundreds and a driving theme song called "It's Time To Play", written and produced by rippleFX: and sung by Jennie DeVoe. rippleFX: also scored the entertainiing video "The Work Is Done", seen during the show. ripple FX: Bill Mallers was the music supervisor and creative consultant whose duties included the coordination of many of the musical groups seen in the opening ceremonies including the Warren Central HS Marching Band, Marnee, and The Voices of Unity Youth Choir. The event was staged and produced by George Sechrist and his company, BMG Event Productions. After the show, George emailed "Thanks Bill for all your help. You guys are the greatest!"

Andrew Bean is rocking rippleFX

Rock super-front-man Drew Bean, formerly of Emerson Rose and currently with Vibe Dial, recorded the rhythm tracks for his new project at Cedar Rock Studios in Terre Haute, Indiana and then brought the project to Bill for further tracking and production and Chris' mixing expertise. Says Bill Mallers, "This is a musical leap for Drew. He has written some very interesting songs that will surprise his fans from Emerson Rose. The songs are filled with instruments and arrangements that you don't usually hear in a rock project." Other musicians contributing to the project are Ryan Brown, Nick Mallers, Andy Newell, Jim Kremidas, Jay Young and P. J. Yinger.

Marsh "Color" Campaign Casts A Pleasant Hue

Indiana grocery chain Marsh Supermarkets launched it's "Color" campaign and began seeing immediate positive responses. Marsh added a page to their website to answer all of the inquiries about "where these songs came from..." and "who is that singing on your commercial....", etc. See the spots here.

Mister O in the house

Indianapolis R&B singer David Officer a.k.a. Mister O has been in the studio recently laying down tracks for his new CD project. David can be seen here jamming with the legendary Sonny Broadus on drums (Expressions Show Band, The Spinners), bassist Lester Johnson (Ebony Rhythm Funk Campaign, Protocol) and on keys, Kenny Simms (Merging Traffic, John LaPlante). This is Old School funk meets New School soul. Tasty!

Charlie Smith, a good friend

It is with great sadness we mention the passing of guitarist and philosopher, Charlie Smith, February 8th, 2008. Charlie was not only a phenomenally talented musician, he was a good friend of many musicians in Indianapolis and his hometown of Anderson, IN. In addition to doing session work for rippleFX, Charlie was a member of "The Bob and Tom Band" appearing on many CDs and live performances throughout the country. Among his many performances, Charlie was particularly proud of his appearance at The Montreaux Jazz Festival in 1997 with Steve Allee, Frank Smith, Stan Hillis and Chris Pyle. Charlie's own band, "The Charlie Smith Project" was a favorite at The Jazz Kitchen. Chris had the good fortune of being an original band member and played on Charlie's debut CD "Absolutely," selected as "Indianapolis' Best Smooth Jazz CD" of 1999 by NUVO Magazine. Bill also played with Charlie in the band "Smokehouse" every week for two years at The Slippery Noodle. Charlie was also a great conversationalist, speaking intelligently on topics ranging from music theory and composition to spirituality, physics, politics, psychology, philosophy and everything in between. He was truly a unique personality and will be missed by all who knew him. Read Charlie's obituary here and Bob and Tom's tribute here.

Funny White Room makes Top 10 list

The Star Press newspaper in Muncie, IN picked its' "Top Ten Albums of 2007" recently. The winners included Radiohead, Jay-Z, The White Stripes and Indiana's own Cory Hill. The review said "Funny White Room -- Some of the better pure country and rock that I heard in 2007. Hill & Co. do it all right and resist the temptation to overdo it." Read the article here. Way to go Cory!! Update: Chris will be joining with Jim Kremidas for two shows with The Cory Hill Band; Feb. 16 at Barley Island in Noblesville and Feb. 22 at Doc's Music House in Muncie.

Jazz at the Studio

Chris has completed production of a 4 song EP for local Indianapolis band, V and G Jazz Ensemble. Lead by the mother/daughter team of Dr. Virginia Jefferson (piano) and Ginger Jefferson (flute), the band features Ronald Walker on drums, saxophonist Joseph Heyward and Antonio Burks on the electric bass. Although this was their first time in the studio together, the session was smooth and tight as "Doc" Jefferson laid down some blistering solos. A great time was had by all.

Gigging With The Oldies

This Friday, Nov 30 Bill will be performing with Vibe Dial at SPIN (the old Patio) in Broadripple. SPIN is located at 6308 Guilford Ave. (317-257-0000) Fellow old guy and drummer Larry Sauer will be rocking and rolling with youngsters Drew Bean, Ryan Brown and Kris Potts, making the band 40% old. Vibe Dial plays from 10:00pm(ish) to 11:30pm(ish) as the opening act for 40% Steve.

Story problem: If a five piece band and two players named Steve, how many Steves are in the band, and what would you call the band?

Vibe Dial covers great classic songs from Deep Purple, Traffic, The Kinks, Small Faces, Vanilla Fudge, Cream, Jeff Beck, The Animals...and many more. Here's a sample.

Come if you can and bring a spare oxygen tank for Bill and Larry!

Oogles n Googles debut CD is a big hit

The first in a monthly series of CD releases for rippleFX: client Oogles n Googles sold out their initial run. The CD, entitled "Community Helpers" is part of the Enrichment Program offered to pre-school age children as part of the Oogles n Googles monthly program offered at over 35 franchises throughout the U.S. This first program helps kids identify the helpful people in their community, such as police officers, firefighters, doctors, dentists, etc. Other songs address emergency procedures such as dialing 911 in an emergency or to "stop, drop and roll" if their clothes ever catch fire. There are 11 songs and the styles range from pop to jazz to hip hop to marching band and everything in between. Mina was in charge of coordinating the orders and distribution. Owners Kevin & Donia Mendell along with Bill and Chris are currently in final production of the next program, "Wild Wild West" which will include such songs as "Wild West Dance Party" and "Up and Down in the Saddle". Yee-haw!!

Hipster Jingles - COMING SOON!

Hipster Jingles is the coolest way to create, discover and sell music for all media. Watch this space for more information. (That's what the RSS feeds are for)

Mina is here!

rippleFX: is pleased to announce the addition of Mina Keohane to our clubhouse. Mina (pronounced MEE-nah) is a 2002 graduate of the Berklee School of Music. Already she has composed and produced her debut CD entitled "Doppelganger", and is working on her second. Fortunately she is also a talented office manager and a very pleasant receptionist. Mina is in charge of scheduling recording sessions, bookkeeping, and just about everything else that keeps the studio running smoothly.

The new improved ripplefx.com

The fabulous folks at Small Box Consulting have been working day and night this summer designing, programming and tweaking our new website. We couldn't be happier with the results.The new site is super-easy to update and maintain. This was by far the best experience designing a customized site that we've ever had. Our hats off to Jeb Banner, P.J. Christie, Joe Downey and the lovely Lydia Whitehead for a fantastic job! You guys totally ROCK!!

The Boys are gigging August 4th!

On Saturday August 4th, Bill will be playing with his 60s band Vibe Dial at Spin (formerly The Patio) in Broad Ripple. Also on the show is Acoustic Flyer. And in Muncie, Chris will be performing with Cory Hill for his CD release party at Doc's. Opening the show will be Tony Marshall and special guest, Jennie DeVoe.

Acoustic Flyer working on new CD

One of the busiest and most popular area jam bands, Acoustic Flyer, has begun the recording of their debut CD with Chris. The band is Josh Oldham vocals and guitar, Charlie Morgan lead guitar and vocals, Chad Gavigan bass and vocals, and Jim Noble drums. The band loves the laid-back vibe of the studio, especially the deck. Projected release is late summer or early fall. Check out the band here.

Cory Hill debut CD - Funny White Room

Chris finished recording & mixing the debut CD for Cory Hill in May. The CD entitled Funny White Room was mastered by Doug Van Sloun, whose mastering credits include the band, Bright Eyes. Cory Hill - guitar/vocals, Cassius Goens III - drums, Ben Taylor - guitar, lap steel, Sean Patrick - bass, cello, Jim Kremidas - pedal steel, mandolin, dobro, and Chris Lieber - B-3, piano, mellotron. The CD release party is August 4th at Doc's in Muncie, Indiana. Find out more about Cory Hill here.

The Fynal Episode reunites

Chris played his mighty Hammond B-3 last weekend with the return of The Fynal Episode at his 35th H.S. reunion. For those who aren’t aware, a Hammond B-3 is 420 pounds of wood, steel, glass and soul. An original 122 Leslie was also involved. The band included many original members as well as a few hired guns, such as Chris, John Scofield (guitars), Jay Young (saxes & flute), Gary Grasiano (Trumpet) and Jeff Lieber (FOH mix).

Brian Auger has advice for Chris

Legendary Hammond B3 artist Brian Auger played at the Jazz Kitchen in late May. The Jazz Kitchen is a superb venue to see great musicians up close and personal. When Brian heard that Chris was in attendance, he insisted on meeting him. Fortunately, Rick Kingston was on hand to document the event. Fellow band members seen in the background are Savannah Auger, vocals, and Karma Auger, drums. Brian's advice to Chris, "Just keep doin' it, man."

Vibe Dial demo CD

Bill has produced a demo CD for the band Vibe Dial in studio A. In addition to producing it, Bill also plays in the band along with his son, Nick Mallers on drums, Kris Potts on bass, vocalist Drew Bean and guitarist Ryan Brown. Chris engineered and mixed the project.