First and foremost, it’s the World Wide Web!!!!
Over the past couple of decades, we have heard politicians cry out, “It’s the economy, stupid!” They claim to have our best interests in mind. (Yea, right!!!)
My cry would be, “It’s the Web, baby!!!” Why? A simple search for information on independent music turns up more than 6 million places to look for such goodies. In the interest of true research, I went not to the first three or four sites on the first page of the search engine, but to page 5, page 10, page 15, page 20. Lo and behold, there is good stuff even that deep in the pile.
For instance, I came upon some print and online magazines that do a credible job of interviewing individuals in the music industry who are not billboard beauties or rock pretenders. These publications, electronic and otherwise, focus on the poets and musicians, you know, those men and women who really feel something and can tell the street people what it’s like. (And the street folks believe it ‘cause it’s true.)
So, in digging down into the search engine I discovered an old friend, creativecommons.org. I like this definition from their site: Creative Commons defines the spectrum of possibilities between full copyright — all rights reserved — and the public domain — no rights reserved. Our licenses help you keep your copyright while inviting certain uses of your work — a “some rights reserved” copyright.
I even read a blog there that asked where the music slump was. The point being that the big guys (bean counters etc.) aren’t making enough (greed) while the independent music scene is exploding with great music and truth.
Told you creativecommons.org was a good site.
Talking on the Web on MySpace
Tags: music, talking on the web, indie, indie music, independent music
Earlier this year a few of the listeners/critics of the entertainment industry called Where You Come From by Seth Adam the best music of the year and the best unsigned band around. Band marketing information calls the music “compelling, accessible, timeless rock music.”
Pretty strong stuff. So I thought I’d take a listen, now that the name has been put on my plate.
“Century” from this 2007 CD is a tune with a quick pace and a pop feel. It’s clean and very listenable. With this one song as evidence, the first-time listener might think Adam and his group are playing it soft and easy on purpose. But then comes “Misery” which puts the pedal a bit closer to the floor. These fellows are one thing for sure – tight. There’s almost a 1960s/1970s country-rock feel, in spite of the song’s title. “I Think I Like It Better” ain’t bad either.
Band members are Seth Adam – vocals, guitars; Gerry Giaimo – guitars, vocals; Lorin Pelligrino – bass; Anthony Bianco – drums; Fred DiLeone – keyboards on Rhodes, Hammond and Wurlitzer.
Catch the Connecticut-based group in New Haven, in Shelburne Falls, Mass., or in New York City. They’ll be somewhere around these locales until November.
While the music of Seth Adam didn’t knock me down right away, I have a feeling that, with time, there are going to be some folks looking for this CD (because they didn’t buy it right away).
Tags: independent music, indie, indie music, music, seth adam
This group has been around awhile, long enough to make some changes in personnel. When we reported on Archie Star in 2007 they relied on the musical talents of Omar. But he is not in the band at this point. In 2008, Archie Star includes John Carmichael Slatter (in 2007 he used a shortened form, Mike Slatter. Pat, from the original lineup, is Johnny D’Andrea, according to one fan (and relative of Slatter).
So, for those who want to keep up with the latest, the lineup is:
Ria D’Andrea – vocals and smiles; Johnny D’Andrea – vocals and guitar; John C. Slatter – lead guitar; Mike “Juice” Sauciuc – bass; Chris Eckstrum – drums.
Check out Carry Me Home (2008). The CD features “We Are The Weekend,” but, trust me, there are a few other nice tunes from these boys from Chicago’s north side. (I wonder if they are excited about the Cubs?) “Pull Down The Moon” is a good, young-fellow pop tune.
I like these influences: ALF (the TV show), Red Pills, Captain Silver, Johnny Walker, Tony Danza, Mr. Belding, Rachel McAdams. Some I get. Some I don’t. But as long as they get it.
Ria D’Andrea tells a story with her vocals and that is half the battle.
Check this out at www.smartpunk.com or some other sites that showcase solid young groups.
Tags: music, indie music, archie star, independent music, indie
It looked sort of interesting so I thought I would look into it a bit further. After all, the Web site does claim to be the future of indie music. No, this is not a brand new site, nor is it a completely new idea. The new Mixposure is reportedly not associated with the old Mixposure. The name/domain was purchased from a third-party vendor after the original Mixposure dude let the domain go.
Many of the features are the same, especially the “place for many musicians to hang their hat.” So it is the same, only different, I guess. New moderators, new musicians – that’s what they claim.
Sounds good to me. Here’s what I saw in a few minutes of casual browsing.
A featured label called “Los Bomberos de Monte Cruz” in the Latin genre. But wait! It’s based in Europe (founded 2005). Another Germany-based label is Jelly, which bills itself as “the little independent label from Berlin, Germany.” Since 1991, really? That’s nice. You may also want to check into Casino Gitano, also from Europe.
This site also has a menu item called “Mixing” which takes the viewer to some hints about dealing with mixing and recording problems such as mike setup, noise reduction, equalization and bussing signals. I haven’t shovelled my way into this section yet, but it may be worth the time it takes to sign up as a member – free, about two minutes.
You’ll also find gigs, events, reviews, music news, featured artists and more on Mixposure. Might be worth a second look.
Tags: indie, indie music, music, mixposure, independent music
Most of the songs from this Oklahoma City artist are certainly easy to listen to. The tunes are not overplayed. The treatment of such tunes as “Finding You” from Awake (2008 Braveh Music) leads the listener to believe this is a very personal statement from Priest.
Then come the songs “Never Ending,” and “Runaway Train,” which don’t sound less personal or intense, but the rhythms take a listener somewhere other than the “Finding You” world. There’s a bit of torch in Priest. I think the key to separating Priest from some other individual singers is in really understanding the lyrics.
Band members are: Marcy Priest – vocals, piano, Wurlitzer; Bryan Jackson – guitars; Fred Hanradt – bass; Brad Stone – BGVs, keys; Brent Burgess – drums. Priest certainly puts up an impressive list of influences. The list includes Patty Griffin, Jonatha Brooke, Shawn Colvin, Mindy Smith, Annie Lennox and The Weepies.
The album “Awake” was released in April 2008 and has caught some U.S. attention. Priest will be appearing in some Oklahoma venues in the fall of 2008 and in January 2009. She has honed her performance in Nashville’s live music cauldron, so she should be reasonably comfortable onstage.
I might be a bit partial to “Enough” if only because of the mid-range pace. The singing is rather strong on this tune. Keep your ears open for this gal.
Tags: independent music, music, marcy priest, indie music, indie
