There have been comparisons to Jewel, which is fine with Logan, apparently. There is something softer about Logan, based on “Write You as a Song” and “Lovely.” In addition to being on a couple of nice compilation CDs, Logan sent her own collection, Wallflower, out into the world. She is reportedly working on a second CD, which is much anticipated by those who enjoy her strong and melodic voice. For the listeners who haven’t experienced Paulina Logan, expect some Norah Jones and Sarah McLachlan (good company indeed). Logan is unsigned and should hook up with a good mid-sized label soon (opinion only).

Check out this lady in a couple of California gigs in May, including one in Ukiah. She’ll calm the nerves with the above-mentioned songs and then probably pick things up considerably with the rocker “Shut the Door.” Good stuff, Paulina.

Paulina Logan on MySpace

Tags: music, paulina logan, indie music, indie, independent music

This UK indie label was started by Chris Parry in 1978 and since its relaunch in 2003, sports a list of independent music artists including White Lies. One way to look for additional independent music is to check the indie labels of artists you like. We plan to have a listen to Fiction’s list.

Besides White Lies, Fiction Records is now home to Ian Brown, Snow Patrol, elbow, The Maccabees, Jacknife Lee, Stephen Fretwell, Delays, Kate Nash, Filthy Dukes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Check out Fiction Records on MySpace

Tags: music, indie, indie music, indie labels, fiction records, independent music

Is it the government’s responsibility to fund fine arts, especially music? The answer is no.

Many Americans don’t want to hear that at all but truth is truth. The government funds the arts when they have money left over from budgets. The arts are not a priority.

The governments’ mindset about a nation and how it should operate is in the U.S. Constitution. You will not find an article or amendment addressing the fine arts or welfare. Heck, they just barely have amendments in there that concern voting and civil rights.

The argument from artists is that Fine Arts programs enhance the spirit and the soul of people and music has an influence on all people. This is extremely true.

But the powers that be don’t spend their time listening to the radio. Some of these guys don’t know what a checkout counter is (see George Bush Sr). Their more concerned about running the country and charging you more taxes.

Stay tuned, there is a part two to this which examines why the government started funding Fine Arts programs.

The first area, of course, is money. Indie labels, like indie bands, will never and have never had a lot of cabbage. This means that they also generally lack clout within the promotional world, so any revenues must be generated solely through the work of the artists and whatever staff the label happens to have.

Another huge difference between an indie label and a big label is the type of music they put out. Now, it may seem like all the major labels are putting out the same type of music, but in fact what you mostly here are the more popular formats. In fact, major labels will have a variety of genres that include many artists, with some falling in importance according to the label’s definition of what is worth marketing at the time.

Indie labels, on the other hand, generally have the same type of artist. Not replicas, of course, but if you listen to a couple of the artists the label produces, then you have an idea of the kind of artist the label works with.

If that sounds pretty confusing, you can chalk it up to yet another mistake by the big record labels. Collective Soul is one of the many bands that have a high sing-along quotient, but no overall recognition. For that, they place the blame squarely on their former label, Atlantic Records.

What sets Collective Soul apart from the many bands that create meaningful, appealing music that fails to get out to the masses due to the poor management of the label is that they decided to do something about it. Shortly after releasing a Greatest Hits album, the band parted ways with the label and began their own project, the El Music Group. In the fall of 2004, the band released the Indie label’s first album, entitled “Youth”.

The mission statement of El Music Group is clearly in opposition to the principles of the big name labels. The band’s goal is to create an integrated approach to music production while also distributing the profits generated by the music equitably. It’s a project where success will only be determined by time.

Hardly words that inspire the independent musician to cry with joy, but another record label has been established by Corey Taylor, of Slipknot fame. Great Big Mouth Records even has their first act lined up and ready to go in the shape of local Iowa band Facecage. The aim of the record label, according to Taylor, is to promote bands local to the Iowa region and bring a little unity to the local music scene. He goes on to state that record labels are dubious about traveling to the Midwest because there are no direct flights. As such, there are a lot of really good bands waiting to be discovered. That’s where Taylor and his label step in to take over and lend a helping hand. While we would certainly agree that there are doubtless plenty of good bands in the Midwest it remains to be seen whether Great Big Mouth Records will go the same way as many other labels – to the bank with their artist’s money.

REM have, over time, proven to be one of the most popular rock bands on the music scene. However, many modern fans have yet to realize the real impact that the band had on the music scene during their early years. Before they became a globally popular rock band and succumbed to the pressures of signing a record deal they released all of there music on the independent IRS label. The compilation is titled “And I Feel Fine” and will not only be available in single and double disc format but will also feature a bonus DVD disc with footage of live tours and clips of live appearances. The band has put the footage and clips together themselves, so it is set to be a real treat for the millions of REM fans, new and old. REM relentlessly toured and played live gigs during their independent days, determined to hit the spotlight but it wasn’t until the release of “The One I Love” that the band broke onto the scene. They subsequently released several more records on IRS, including “What’s The Frequency Kenneth”, before signing with Warner Brothers Music. The album isn’t due for release until September 12th, when the band will also be inducted into Georgia’s Music Hall of Fame in Atlanta. These early albums greatly influenced a lot of punk and rock bands and are a superb sign of what can be done by independent musicians. Whether you like REM or not, they are an excellent addition to the independent music collector’s collection.