Although it’s been almost 10 years since I released Alexander Keith, I was able to share it with new ears at a songwriting event this week. Receiving positive feedback from fellow musicians that this still stands as a catchy rock beer song a decade later was music to my ears.
Here is where you can give it a listen:
iTunes: Alexander Keith
Alexander Keith on Spotify
Fun fact: Alexander Keith beer company actually posted on their Facebook Page
Posted by Raito in Uncategorized and tagged as alexander keith, beer song
Hi All,
Just wanted to first apologize for dropping off the face of the earth for 6 months… life happens I guess!
The year after debuting an album like ‘Rock The Water’, probably should have been followed up with more radio interviews, begging to play any gig I could, trying to convince Manitoba Music I’m serious about International Exposure, coercing friends and family to buy t-shirts, CD’s and ‘Raito’ little key chains, etc. Not my style, I guess, and in the mean time I certainly let life get in the way of promotion and honestly stopped music all together.
FACT … the album is still here :)! Alexander Keith could still license my single (long shot I know)! I’m still here with 8 fingers, two thumbs, and capable vocal chords. I am slowly getting back my MOJO and starting to write again. I do still believe you and I can achieve anything we set are minds too.
Stay tuned!!!
In the mean time, hope you are enjoying May Long Weekend!
Cheers,
Lee
Posted by Raito in Alexander Keith, Misc, Rock The Water, Uncategorized and tagged as alexander keith, life, raito update, rock the water
Well, today is the day folks! It’s OFFICIAL. Rock The Water is now available worldwide (digital only for now)! Physical CD’s will be ready soon.
Thought it would be fun, as the last song on the Album is called Alexander Keith, to release it on his Birthday for all those folks I love on the East Coast. Happy Birthday Alexander Keith!!!
I’ll do a lengthier post soon with people to thank, studio stories, etc, but just wanted to break the news.
You can stream it FREE here: https://raito.ca/songs/
Here is the iTunes link: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/rock-the-water/id567759212
Rock The Water and have a great long weekend coming up!!!
Posted by Raito in Alexander Keith, CD Release, Press, Rock The Water and tagged as alexander keith, cd release, happy birthday alexander keith, raito, rock the water
FULL ALBUM #ROCKTHEWATER HAS BEEN MASTERED & SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS!!!
It seems like yesterday I picked up the guitar for the first time. For years I was just the ‘guitarist’, and I was always happy with that, but behind closed doors, from day one, I was writing songs and singing (when nobody could hear me of course). Ha… I still like to write in the bathroom 🙂 I always thought I sucked. Even to this day, it is hard to listen to my own songs with out being overly judgmental about not sounding like some of my favorite artists; Foo Fighters, John Mayer, Eric Clapton, etc.
Today it HIT me! Who cares!!!!! I’m an artist and I sound like ME!
I just scheduled a meeting Sunday night to go review my mastered album, with Polyphonic Mastering Labs, before I release it to the world. 8 songs that I wrote (should have been 10 but that’s another story). 8 songs that will soon be on every digital site online and a physical CD that will be my first, but not last, attempt at exposing my songs to the world in hopes that they will live long beyond what ever time I am granted on this planet! At the time of recording these songs they were the best I had in me. Today, I realize by recording Rock The Water it was just a spark igniting a flame. It has resulted in the inspiration for so many new songs I can’t begin to describe…
Thanks again to Scott Pinder, of Polyphonic Mastering Labs, for mastering my album Rock The Water and as well to producer & engineer Len Milne for making this possible!
Stay tuned! CD release date is coming REAL REAL soon!
Cheers,
Lee
PS. I may release the album on Oct. 5th (Alexander Keith’s Birthday) ….thoughts?
Posted by Raito in Alexander Keith, Rock The Water, Song Writing and tagged as alexander keith, alexander keith's birthday, cd release, len milne, mastering, october 5th, polyphonic mastering labs, raito, rock the water, scott pinder
As a small time artist you have to celebrate the small wins!!!! Out of the blue yesterday, the Alexander Keith Face Book page posted a Soundcloud link to my song which resulted in 100’s of people being exposed to the AK song. Very, very cool.
Alexander Keith's Facebook Page
Posted by Raito in Alexander Keith, Press and tagged as alexander keith, Facebook, Soundcloud
Hi All,
Had the amazing pleasure of getting a pic with Kenny Shields and telling him a story of how we are connected. After performing my newly released single ‘Alexander Keith’ I got to open up the conversation with Kenny saying , “Alexander Keith was recorded on some of the same equipment used to record many of the Streetheart albums!” Wow, Music in Winnipeg, and even Canada for that matter, is such a small circle~ one degree of separation!
It just so happens that when I was growing up, one of my friends Dad, John Hildebrand, was the owner of Century 21 Studios. I remember visiting Century 21 and dreaming of one day being good enough to record music. Flash forward to today, and in the process of recording my album at Len Milne’s Bedside Studio, I have discovered that when Century 21 Studios shut down in 1998 some of the equipment ended up at Beside. Another amazing fact is that when Century 21 shut down the AC-DC road crew apparently drove to Winnipeg to pick up the Neve Consoles… too cool. So as a result, on most of the songs hat I have recorded at Bedside Studios, including Alexander Keith, I have been doing so on some of the same equipment that Kenny Shields & Streetheart used back in the day! SO a big thank you to John Hildebrand of Century 21 Studios and his son Kris for giving me those studio tours. It is very, very cool that the experience is not just a memory, but in fact has had an affect on the recording of my album.
Ron Paley put together a great article here that talks a fair amount about the history of the Eternals and Century 21 here: http://www.mocm.ca/Music/Artist.aspx?ArtistId=94752&RoomId=54
Raito & Kenny Shields of Streetheart
Posted by Raito in Alexander Keith, Studio and tagged as ac-dc, alexander keith, bedside studio, century 21 studios, john hildebrand, kenny shields, raito, streetheart
Big news!
I’ll be performing Alexander Keith, and one other song off my upcoming album, live at Winn$tock March 15th (Cowboys Night Club). There are 5 bands battling for the title, of which I’m not one! Just there to entertain and perform for 10 minutes in between the 1st and second set. You can get tickets here: www.winnstock.ca This is a great charity event and a wicked time… Join us if you can!
Also, heading back into the studio today to start editing the rest of the songs on the album! Still a few songs left to record too… I’ll try and get some pics and new video up soon.
Cheers,
Lee
PS. Thanks for all the encouragement re: Alexander Keith! It’s been a ride commercially releasing my first single. Lots to learn about radio promotion, licensing, etc…
Posted by Raito in Gigs, Studio and tagged as alexander keith, bedside studio, winn$tock
Hey All,
I have written a cross genre beer song that I truly hope you will enjoy with your favorite pint of India Pale Ale! I will let ‘YOU’ be the judge on whether it rocks your music palate or not! To the music critics, “Bring it on!”
Click Here To Download The Song For Free If you do like it please buy on iTunes 
It has been way too long since BOB & DOUG MACKENZIE have dominated the musical beer related genre in Canada. (If that means nothing to you–then please just listen to the song, bob your head and ignore my written words. I’m an artist… enjoy the ear buzz and cut me some slack!) If you are remotely interested in HOW the song came to be and my motivation behind writing and recording ‘Alexander Keith’ then please do read on:
It was a hot summer holiday, and my wife…. just kidding sorta! It was the first week of July 2011, and I was enjoying a completely unplugged vacation on my deck drinking beer, jumping in and out of the pool with my daughters, and writing songs much to the annoyance of my neighbors. Magically I stumbled across a chorus, “I’d like a beer. Mmmmm please! Order me an Alexander Keith!” I then proceeded to spend an entire afternoon trying to rhyme different beer names with Alexander Keith and various other lyrics. I even shouted to neighbors asking what beer rhymes with ???? Yes, they know and accept I’m crazy. After failing miserably at the beer rhyming game, the rest of the Alexander Keith lyrics magically just came to me. I could literally see the pub, the waitress, people dancing and my friends as I was singing. There is not much more to it than that. At the time, I immediately knew I would be adding the song to my debut album, but admittedly didn’t know that it quickly would become one of my favorite songs, and be the single I decide to lead in advance of my album with. Life and beer works in mysterious ways!
Setting The Record Straight
YES! Alexander Keith is my my favourite beer. MGD is a close second.
NO! I did not plan to write the song just to try and get a deal with Alexander Keith. Although half way through recording the song in the studio I realized… they just might be interested 🙂
If you enjoy the song. Please do buy it on iTunes, Rhapsody, blah, blah and sign up on the email address thing on the right… so I can stay in touch when I release my album late this summer/early fall!
Here is the link to buy on iTunes
Cheers,
Lee
PS. If you love beer and rock and roll please listen responsibly!
Note: This song would not have been possible with out my producer and engineer extraordinaire Len Milne (Bedside Studio), 2nd engineer Mike Pascucci, and musicians; Travis Hauge, Todd Lesage, Darrell Lesage and the very, very patient women in my life!!!
Posted by Raito in Alexander Keith, Single and tagged as alexander keith, alexanderkeith, beer song, raito
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