A few months ago I attended a songwriters conference and learned about the mastering volume war that mainstream music has engaged in. Have a quick listen to some old tracks (60′s and 70′s) on your iTunes, then listen to something new (John Mayer). Notice a difference? Does it feel like the new music is screaming [...]
As a regular subscriber to various musical blogs and news feeds, I cannot help but feel inundated with press about the new U2 record. Hoover even wrote about it recently. But why? Could it be because the music is so good/bad? Is it because there are no huge rock bands that are filling the void? [...]
Since I’m going through a little nostalgic phase, I thought I should bring up Dashboard Confessional. Here’s a guy who recorded an acoustic 3 song EP, started touring with Hardcore bands, played in people’s basements, and now is headlining Madison Square Garden size gigs. I remember hearing about him from a friend when the emo/punk [...]
In case you haven’t heard, Blink 182 are back together. Back in the day I was a huge fan but I didn’t even realize they got back together until I saw the burst in traffic to our blog post about them. A lot of people are probably thinking, who cares? At first I thought the [...]
Want to distribute your single, E.P, or album? Want to get it on iTunes and Rhapsody and all of those other nifty digital distribution sites? Where do you go? For many DIY artists you have 2 choices: CD Baby & Tunecore. Many musicians take the classic route with CD BABY. With CD Baby you basically [...]
Did you watch the Grammys? How depressing was that. An all star circle jerk with what as the goal? More sales? More exposure? More air time? In the new music economy none of those things matter like they once did. The only thing that matters is the music and it’s connection to fans. The strange [...]
– An excerpt from The New Rockstar Philosophy book out in March 2009– Networking = Making Friends. Making friends with other bands can lead to further opportunities for everyone involved. If one band starts to break out, who do you think they’ll likely take out on tour?? Relationships are a give and take. They do [...]
– An excerpt from The New Rockstar Philosophy book out in March 2009– Showcases and music conferences can be spectacular ways to build upon momentum, create buzz, meet new bands, fans, and generally network with as many people as possible. Showcases are different from typical shows in that the show is probably the easiest thing [...]
I’ve been thinking more about the whole album vs singles debate and the idea of the concept album. Coheed and Cambria takes the whole idea of the concept album to George Lucas levels. This pop-prog-rock first got people’s attention with their Geddy Lee like lead vocals. Bursting out of the punk scene, this band stood [...]
The Power of the Niche
So I’m over at my cousin’s and somehow we start talking about the book and how I talk about old musicians no one cares about. It reminded me yet again how everyone isn’t into the same music. She’s into hip hop, r & b, and whatever is on the radio. She’s a casual music fan. [...]