Feb 26 2008
Maybe the point of the Rock Band experience is that if I hadn’t already bought those Police songs long ago on CD, I’d go to iTunes and buy those two tracks. And in reality it’d be way more tracks than that. For people discovering music this way, it furthers the experience and obviously benefits everyone from iTunes on down the distribution chain.
Feb 24 2008
I’m pretty obsessive when I am really into something. Take for example a little video game called Rock Band. So when I realized I was one of the top drummers on one of my favorite Police tracks, i embarked on a mission to crack the top 20. Yeah, nerd, so what?
Well, it didn’t take long – i upped my score about 3500 points and that landed me at #15 out of 16,700 players. Super sweet. I think I can make top 10 next, just have to strategify when I am using the power-ups.
Feb 21 2008
So I finally logged on to rockband.com and looked at the leaderboards (score rankings) and learned that I am #33 out of over 16,000 on “Can’t Stand Losing You” on drums on expert. Pretty sweet! And I can do better, I’ve been practicing the two parts I tend to miss.. I thought I was excited about this game before, now the thrill of competition has arrived.
Seriously, this game is great – both from a gamer perspective, and a music biz one – I’ve read a number of stories about younger players getting introduced to artists they would never hear otherwise – critical artists that shaped music and influenced all the bands they thought were “the first to ever do this…”
It’s a great opp for new bands to get exposed as well, just need to play the music supervisor game with the people putting these titles together.. Easier said then done, but doable (and I imagine more and more opps moving into the future)..
Feb 20 2008
I am beyond addicted to the video game Rock Band. Lefsetz seems to dig it too. So many good songs, such a good outlet for my never-ending tapping of rhythms on any surface I can find. I love to play the drums but don’t get a chance too often, so this game has been a source of salvation for months now.
My favorite songs to play are both Police songs – “Can’t Stand Losing You” and “Roxanne”. Triplet kicks get me every time, I’m a John Bonham/Chuck Biscuits guy til the end. Copeland is also one of my favorite drummers, and playing the songs on the Expert level is remotely close to playing in real life, so these songs are a dream come true for someone who has been playing air drums to the Police for years.
I’ve almost got both of these songs 100% nailed, down to one or two notes on each I can’t quite get. Stupid (and awesome) Copeland hi-hat flourishes!! So here’s where I am at – 
And that name is Doucheé – it’s French or something.
Feb 19 2008
That’s a good question, and it’s a very long answer (and very different depending who you ask).
I personally find this study quite interesting. My marketing company uses iLike quite a bit to connect directly to an artist’s fans – this is one of the biggest advantages of using the Internet for music promotion. We have gotten quite creative and engaged users in many ways, from the viral nature of iLike to the street-team angle of getting your fans to evangelize.
Some info:
As part of a larger study, the research collaboration was conducted on data from a year-long period, from August 2006-July 2007. Highlights follow:
* Long-term users of iLike added nearly 250% more music to their personal music libraries within a month of registering on iLike versus the month before.
* Five months later, active iLike users continue to add nearly 30 to 50% more music per month than before joining.
* It is indicated that the iLike Sidebar may account for this dramatic increase in music purchasing among iLike users.
Feb 15 2008
I’ve always been a music hoarder. When I find a band I love, I want it all. I want the studio records, the official live releases, bootleg live stuff, demos, unreleased songs, alternate versions, rehearsals, and anything else they’ve laid to tape (of any kind).
It follows that I have a TON of bootlegs. It used to be that boots were hard to find and very expensive. It was always so exciting finding a live show you hadn’t heard or getting unreleased demos or alternate takes. When I couldn’t afford Misfits originals, bootlegs filled the space. When a 7″ was made 30 years ago and only in a pressing run of 200 copies, bootlegs allowed the rest of us to experience it.
Now keep in mind, if I bought a bootleg it was because I already had all the (available) official releases. I’ve never bought a bootleg in place of an official release – the artist should be paid first and foremost. And I see the argument from artists that others should not profit from their work. I also cannot condone bootlegs of material that is available officially. I can also see how some artists do not want demos/etc out there as they want to control the public image of the band to every degree. But having said all that, I still think bootlegs are an essential part of being a fan and that they help an artist far more than they detract.
In today’s music industry, we have to be creative in the ways we energize fans, get them to keep coming back, get them to live shows, etc. This is where I think bootlegs can be a very useful tool, either intentionally or not. There are blogs devoted just to live bootlegs, and forums where there are thousands of posts linking to sites like Rapidshare and Megaupload where there are certainly terrabytes upon terrabytes of live audio awaiting the fan who knows how to find them.
This does two things – it keeps fans energized about bands they already love, and allows savvy artists to seed the music community with “bootlegs” that they ultimately control.
If you’re a band with any semblance of a fan base, pick a live show that you think best exemplifies your live experience. Then seed the hell out of all the forums, blogs, and message boards that trade in this stuff. Post a link to the official site, maybe a sneak piece of promo copy in the text file that should list tracks and show info, etc.. It’s not rocket science here – fans want more and more and more, ultimate transparency. Give it to them and they’ll come back time and time again.
Fire up Google, put in what part of the bootleg universe you are looking for (e.g. “punk bootleg blog”) and see what you can dig up. And send me links to late 70s / early 80s punk shows – bands like Black Flag, Fear, Dead Kennedys, etc…
Feb 11 2008
Ooooooooops! Guess it was a testament to how busy my Monday was – my earlier post was mistaken that none of the records I worked last year won a Grammy. Congrats to JJ Cale and Eric Clapton who took home the Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy for “The Road To Escondido.”
My marketing company did the online promo for this for Warner Bros. late 2006 / early 2007. Great record, well deserved award.
Sweet.
Feb 11 2008
A few artists I promote or work with in other capacities were up for Grammys, but none of them took any home. So it goes, not a huge shock, a lot of my guys are in the non-televised categories (instrumental, jazz, etc). Steve Vai is nominated nonstop (and has taken some home) but he was beaten by Bruce Springsteen this year. A couple jazzers I work with (Chick Corea, Kurt Elling) were nominated, and a bluesman (Robben Ford) also was nomiated but didn’t grab it. A few of my other clients (Carole King and Ringo Starr) presented which is always a good thing.
Speaking of Vai, his violinist Anne Marie Calhoun was the girl that won the Foo Fighters thing. She is awesome, no doubt. She also played with Ringo Starr recently, so I’ve seen her live a ton in the past few months.
The show was interesting this year, skewed very adult. Lots of historical segments, some were pretty cool. It’s always interesting to see who the Grammys are trying to speak to.
Kanye, Kanye, Kanye.
Good for Amy Winehouse. And I loved her shout-outs to Blake, especially the first one. Good times.
One of my first music industry jobs on the second time around was at NARAS, the association behind the Grammys. It’s always been interesting for me to watch the show knowing what goes on behind the scenes and the rest of the year that leads up to it. Whether it’s your type of artists or not, it’s a good organization that does a lot of work for the betterment of the music industry.
Feb 08 2008
Recently I received a CD I won on ebay, “John Peel Sessions” by The Chameleons UK. I had this on cassette when I was in college and I am amazed it didn’t end up permanently lodged in my car’s tape deck.
Listening to it, it takes me back to the day I stumbled upon the band. I was in college at WWU in Bellingham, WA (not far north of Seattle) and was in one of two great record stores that happened to be diagonally across the street from each other.
I heard a band come on the store stereo and was instantly interested. It sounded like so many bands I already liked but couldn’t figure out who it was. I thought it might have been Fields Of The Nephilim, but I was 99% sure I owned everything they ever released (and much they didn’t).
I asked the guy behind the counter if it was Fields (had to be cool and knowledgeable, couldn’t be seen as tuned out of course) and was informed it was The Chameleons UK.
Yeah there’s an American band named the Chameleons, hence the UK. Not the same band.
So anyway, I buy a cassette and head home. By the time the drive is over I know this will be one of my favorite bands for the rest of my life. The emotional connection was super strong – the music hit me, the lyrics spoke to me, the vibe was just right. I listened to it over and over and over, but when I got a new car w/o a tape deck, it went into a box.
I own many Chameleons UK records/CDs and have all the songs on the Peel Sessions elsewhere, so I’ve heard the music the entire time. However these Peel Sessions are so much different – the performances are early, raw, and solid. So when I heard them again recently, it was an exciting experience. It really took me back to what interested me in them in the first place. Also took me back to the college for a moment, and depending where that lands me, that can be a really great memory.
If you’re into darker rock, goth, post-punk, gloomier Manchester bands, or any genre near those, I suggest you check this band out. Here are a few CDs that I love in particular (keep in mind ALL their best stuff is out of print or UK Import only) –
The John Peel Sessions – Where it all began for me. Amazing band, amazing songs, amazing performance. Also an amazing price as this is long out of print and rare. Try ebay, about 20 bucks on average.
Script Of The Bridge – Considered by most to be their best studio album. Many of the songs on the Peel Sessions and other live CDs come from this (and the CD below).
The Fan And The Bellows – A collection of their old recordings. Classic, classic material.
Feb 07 2008
The rumors and partial lists have been out for a while, but here’s the official list of SXSW bands. We’re working with a few and hopefully after the conference will be working with even more!
SXSW 2008 Showcasing Artists
Here’s a very very very partial list –
Red Fang (Portland OR)
Abe Vigoda (Los Angeles CA)
Bitter:Sweet (West Hollywood CA)
Blue Cheer (San Francisco CA)
Bowling For Soup (Denton TX)
Supersuckers (Seattle WA)
The Meatmen (Lansing MI)
Sarah Borges (Boston MA)
Thurston Moore (Northampton MA)
No Age (Los Angeles CA)
Ice Cube (Hollywood CA)
Johnette Napolitano (Joshua Tree CA)
Naked Raygun (Chicago IL)
Sooooooo many more..