Patrick Lew started making music in 2001 when he finished a few weeks of guitar lessons. And other music courses at a music school in San Francisco. He began writing original rock music and recording home-made demos of his music with his former bands and solo. Interestingly enough, Lew recorded most of his earlier musical work on old analog recording equipment. Though not always the best guitarist, songwriter or musicians...He consider himself to be a very primitive musician. He has idiosyncratic and unique talent and creativity when recording music. Though his early songs and recordings were very lo-fi and primitive, from playing three chords and singing tributes to Japanese pop culture. He expanded his musical creativity as he was able to afford computers and digital recording equipment. Along with self-taught mastery of writing slightly decent songs and recording demos on his OLD computer laptop...Through music magazines and reading Guitar World.
Lew's first musical productions as an independent Hard Rock musician was playing Nu Metal. Though not the best musician alive, he tries his best to educate himself how to make music better and expand his musical interests. Because of this, he can play other instruments such as Keyboards and Bass. Not to mention, making exotic Electronica on FL Studio. He usually doesn't get discouraged what former music critics on Soundclick or anywhere else said about his music and him. Some great achievements Lew has done as a musician include:
1) He's been in 5 local bands, and recorded and toured with two of them in his musical adventure for FAME.
2) He earned a few spotlight awards and recognition on a few different websites for his music.
3) Patrick Lew was featured in the March 2008 issue of Recording Magazine advertising Patrick Lew's Band.
4) His music was played on Pirate Cat Radio once supposedly, and thanks for his speech instructor Sam Kudsi. His music landed airplay on City College's FM college radio for local bands.
At the moment, Lew is attending University and finishing up his college education at Cal State East Bay for a BA in Philosophy and Music. He's currently doing music in Patrick Lew's Band, a solo project which makes primitive Basement Rock and also compiles some musical work he done in his former bands. And also, Your Audio 2 Riot. An alter ego and rock band version of his music which is rearranged musically into a Glam Metal, Grunge and Punk fusion sound. He's been promoting music online since 2001, making music since 2001. And continues a long odyssey as an Internet and local musician, enjoying new experiences and staying true to his ART. Though he is at times controversial and edgy, he is an Underrated Sound Machine who is 100% legit as this local San Francisco rock star and misunderstood musical talent! Pure artist, primitive Hard Rock musician.
What is Patrick Lew's Band? 1) The music of Internet and local rock musician Patrick Lew. Who's been promoting his music online on a variety of websites since age 15.
2) Anti-Establishment and Pro-Musician.
3) The STORY of a young Asian rocker who stands out from the crowd as this Underrated Sound Machine musician, living the soap operas and big life. From alienation from school, romance and the music industry. To making 100% original Hard Rock music in his computer-based music studio of gear from the pawnshop. PRIMITIVE ROCK N' ROLL MUSIC FROM YOUR AUDIO 2 RIOT.
4) Fobby Asian Girls and Social Justice.
5) Anger, angst and in your face.
6) The history and musical franchise that is, Patrick Lew.
7) His University = CSUEB.
8) An angry young man fighting for justice and appreciation in MUSIC and ART locally and on the Internet as an independent music artist in Hard Rock.
9) He's rocking for Chinatown and everywhere you go, the Freak Show.
10) A Renegade music factory fusion of Glam Metal, Grunge, Thrash Metal and Pop. Straight outta' Patrick Lew's music box and anthology on the Internet and his laboratory.
11) F*** the music critics! F*** the haters! Screw you guys, Patrick Lew is doing music his way and what's best for him.
12) Patrick Lew's Band. Plain and simple. Google "Patrick Lew's Band" on your computer at home, library, retailer or where ever you're at. You'll find the needed websites of the music related to the Anti-Establishment Outlaw himself. The Underrated Sound Machine, Patrick Lew.
Why? My real name. BAND refers to the musicians and artists who had associations in making the music, or performing the primitive Rock And Roll and Electronica music onstage for gigs with me as Patrick Lew's Band. This project also is a portfolio and resume for all the music I've done in my life and part-time occupation as a local musician since 2001. Don't get offended or baffled if there's about close to 300 recordings of my music, unfinished or not, on Patrick Lew's Band's music page.
Yes as a matter of a fact, I did. Duh! I mainly toured locally with my two former bands, Band of Asians and Silent Minister in my music career as an independent musician and sound artist. We played shows in recreational centers, bars, small nightclubs, Chinatown and EVEN. School. We did play a few gigs as talented yet starving Internet musicians in the Powell and Civic Center BART subway station in San Francisco and the streets of Downtown SF and Oakland at times. But we mainly promote our music via Internet and did focus on investing money into musical gear from the Guitar Center to make some rockin' music. Patrick Lew's Band along with OTHER former projects associated with my music career has been promoting our music and franchise via Internet since 2001. And we're passionate about music regardless what stupid music critics and corrupt music industry companies like major or indie record labels think about us. Fuck them! We are all about the music, NOT DRAMA!
My DREAM however after college, is to get a career and full-time occupation related to music. It could be working retail at a music store that sells musical instruments to children who want to learn music or working in an independent record store that sells a shitload of used CDs and Vinyl of all styles and sounds of music. I dunno. I can't imagine myself doing anything for a career other than MUSIC.
On the issue of mp3 and the music industry...Well think of it this way. 10 to 20 years ago, no band or music artist could get heard or famous that easily without the Internet and mp3 files. If they had to win a spot and get famous, they would have to play shows at clubs and hand out flyers and tapes to random people and places in their hometown. Even record deals were I noticed, a thing of luck to get your music famous. Basically if anyone has a computer at home, the Internet makes it easier for bands and musicians to get their work simply out there. So in many ways, it's a good way for them to get their music some exposure and to find a way to start their careers. I mean, I started promoting my work back in 2001 on my computer and 56K modem online. I started playing music around the time Napster hit.
There's also so much garbage to digest in the music industry as today there's so many good and bad things about the industry and Internet.
As far as record companies goes, it can be a big problem losing millions of dollars over people downloading mp3's online without buying the CD at a record store. It does affect me and doesn't at the same time. I don't do music for money, but I can understand when musicians and bands aren't making enough royalties through record sales. But then again, they are making their money off of other merchandise and concerts right? When I was in Taiwan and Hong Kong, it seems like flea markets are selling more pirated goods than the real thing...
But it can be a good thing too, money isn't what music is all about I think. If someone downloads a whole album off the Internet, think about it. At least musicians and bands and those music artists are getting heard. It's good resource and it helps people find out if the music is interesting or not. I do however, still buy CDs at second-hand record shops such as Amoeba and Rasputin. I don't think it's right for record companies to start suing teenagers for finding cool music on the Internet.
So I guess I am against the music industry sort of. I hate it absolutely! But I do love being independent and all. But it's a damn shame, the record companies and the music industry is ONE of the most corrupt people in this world. There's countless number of musicians and unsigned bands that's our friends on Soundclick that deserve to be signed to lucrative record deals by now, with indie or major record labels.
Will I sign with a major record company? Yes, I would. But maybe not. I've been promoting my musical work on the Internet on independent websites like SoundClick and PureVolume.com for many years already. I have the freedom of creating music at home and using my computer to make it or promote it via Internet. I do however, want FAME with my music. Not MONEY. I never thought of doing music for profit. I am against corrupt companies like Viacom in media.
I also, hated the fact if I get signed to a major record label and have myself earning FAME and EXPOSURE through my music. I would feel miserable and pigeonholed, because I never had much appreciation or felt special when I was younger as the independent music artist. It's because if the whole f***ing world now appreciated an Underrated Sound Machine, and you didn't had much of that in the PAST, you'll feel worse in your personal life and that's NOT always good. But yeah, I always wanted FAME and ATTENTION with my music and art. So it's yes and no.
Biography:
Born in San Francisco, California in 1985, Patrick Lew began his musical quest as this Internet musician at the age of 13. Though he previously played piano and violin from Chinese music school, he developed his interest in music at the age of 6 thanks to paying close attention to radio, music TV and etc. He went out and purchased his first guitar at a music store on his 13th birthday, and took 3 weeks worth of basic guitar lessons through a private instructor at his school.
Patrick's mother and father were big fans of The Beatles, and also! Lew was into hard rock, metal and grunge since getting into music. Dressing in band shirts from Hot Topic and growing his hair into a Beatles moptop.
He learned how to write music himself on his electric guitar by writing lyrics on a Word Processor on his computer and playing power chords. As well as listening to many bands and favorite rock music to get a sense of what he wants to create in his music. He learned how to record music on his computer through reading EQ and Mix magazines.Lew's biggest guitar influences were Steve Vai, Slash, Vito Bratta, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Nuno Bettencourt, Joe Perry, Mike McCready, Richie Kotzen, Tom DeLonge and Joe Satriani.Songwriting wise, Lew was influenced by John Lennon, Jani Lane, Mike Tramp, Wong Ka Kui (of the Hong Kong band Beyond), Kurt Cobain, Billy Corgan and Daniel Johns.
During his high school years, he joined and played rock music in a band called "Silent Minister" and promoted their music on various unsigned band websites on the Internet. And played weekend gigs at local bars and small nightclubs in San Francisco and Daly City. The music Silent Minister played was J-Rock, Nu Metal and Mall Punk. They played at "Battle of the Bands" once as teenagers for a music tournament at Great American Music Hall. Some clips of Patrick's years with Silent Minister can be found on Patrick Lew's Band's music website on the Internet.
By the time, Lew was in community college. He went into a band with schoolmates called "Band of Asians." Mainly an ambitious Alternative Metal band making music in the studio and sending their resume in a portfolio to A&R companies like TAXI to little success as local musicians. They did promote a load of their music and extensive biography and history to their music websites online. They went on a successful local concert tour for San Francisco recreational centers, theaters and playgrounds in 2007 with their musical peers from SF, Scarlett Bombs and Tinkture once.
He studied music for both colleges he attended, and earned a few accolades for his music on various resources on the Internet. After Band of Asians and City College, Lew got serious with college by transferring to CSUEB for University under the CSU school system. Studying Sociology and Music. He continues making music in the studio and promoting his work via Internet on various websites and sources. Despite not touring or playing gigs and little support from the music industry outlets.
All we can say is, Patrick Lew has lived a great odyssey and quest to become what he is today!
Google in "Patrick Lew's Band" on your computer to find other dosage of resources pertaining to Patrick Lew's music box. His Rock 4 Chinatown! He is currently recording music in the studio, going to college at CSUEB and making art. Enjoying life. He is planning to publish his first solo album as an Internet and local musician, "Curb Your Wild Life" on iTunes after paying for Digital Distribution of his music on ReverbNation.com!
Lew's hobbies are music, reading, writing, video games, sports, electronics, computers and art. He constantly reads music magazines and books. And continues writing stories and blogs about the franchise that is Patrick Lew's Band.
He is currently trying to make music to earn mainstream appreciation and doing what he loves best for himself and his audience.
Find out more at www.soundclick.com/patricklewsband for all the stories and treasured history of this Renegade Sound Machine.
What inspired my music? Mostly The Beatles, they are the first band I got into and their music really inspired me to do music and make music. I collected everything from Beatles magazines, books, videos and CDs from the retailer store. I got into Heavy Metal, Hard Rock and other types of music at age 6, thanks to paying close attention to the music magazines, books, radio and MTV. This was before computers and Internet in this technology. Bands I liked were Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Pearl Jam and OTHERS. Then, I went out to Guitar Center to buy a Fender guitar at age 13. And the rest is history!
And the equipment I use? I have $8,500 worth of musical instruments, amps, guitar stompboxes and home studio recording gear from the Guitar Hut. But here's a rundown!When I got my paycheck from FAFSA for my higher-level college education at CSUEB for University, I went to Target to either buy video game accessories Xbox 360, since I lack the 60GB hard drive because I went to GameStop or Fry's Electronics to get the Xbox 360 Arcade Kit. Instead, I got a few new guitar gear and accessories. Though I really hated the quality of the equipment I bought. I got a guitar USB cable to record with, but it sucks. And worse, I bought a $40 guitar distortion pedal by some weird company called First Class 222, and the tone and sound on my guitar through that is absolute shit.
I've been using also, a Digitech RP50 to get "chorus" or "flanger" tones on my guitar playing in some of the softer music I create with Patrick Lew's Band. I traded in my DOD Grunge FX pedal for $20 at Guitar Center and got me a BOSS DS-2 Turbo FX pedal which is good for the music I am creating in the studio. Making ART. I also use Guitar Rig 3 and Amplitube Metal software guitar amps when recording, though I don't have a recording interface for my computer to get a GOOD sound.
From my beginnings as an Internet and local musician, I recorded my music using an Analog 4-track Portastudio. Since 2007, after a crazy credit card debt with my former band in the recording studio to record the "Revenge" album, me and my schoolmate Zack built a primitive home recording studio in my bedroom at my old house in San Francisco. I bought several at Guitar Center or Best Buy and downloaded some recording software from the Internet on ProAudioTorrents.org to make music with digitally on my computer.
I also use FL Studio for making Game Soundtrack music and Electronica. Through MIDI files or on my shitty Casio MIDI Synthesizer.
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