I’m so glad you’re planning ahead. You see, lots of people tend to wait ’til the last minute. And at that point, I end up getting coffee mugs and gift cards. Not that those aren’t nice, mind you, but they’re not all that inspired. Instead, I’ll make it nice ‘n’ easy for you all. Possibly planned to coincide with my annual birthday celebration (which...
Making Internet Radio Work …
Internet-only broadcasters will soon be on equal footing with their FM brethren. In order to be successful, the quality of what's being broadcast on the Internet needs to equal or exceed what the big guys are coming up with. Here then, from my experience, 10 Commandments for successful Internet broadcasting...
RockGeek Fact of the Day #812
All the King’s Horses, Part II
So as Ian and I discussed the state of the industry, its cast of characters, and what kind of artists should be using Topspin (or Nimbit ... or Bandcamp ... or Audiolife ... ), it all became re-enforced by what I saw on the tv last night: style over substance, instant over earned, easy over challenging.
All the king’s horses, and all the king’s men…
Sometimes the best laid plans of musicians and men often go awry. As a music industry veteran (and still under 40 years old!), I’ve seen lots of artists and companies emerge with huge plans to revolutionize the industry only to see reality come crashing in. Most of the time it’s caused by a failure to understand the industry or by over-estimating their own abilities. But since not...
But he drives a truck…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #0026
Things I learned from a stripper…
OK, maybe stripper isn’t exactly the right word. I think “dancer” is the preferred terminology. Either way, I spent a couple weeks in southern Florida, and the cast of characters I encountered were a unique bunch. One in particular, a young gentleman named Blake, taught me a lot about his chosen profession, and the lessons learned are surprisingly adaptable to musicians...
MLK Day 2010: I Have a Dream
RockGeek Fact of the Day #33433
Happy 49th Birthday to Michael Stipe of REM! Listen to the song “Driver 8” and see if it sounds familiar. There’s a series of minor chords that guitarist Peter Buck would use again on “The One I Love,” “Losing My Religion,” and “Bang and Blame,” among others. Talking about “Driver 8” recently, Stipe said, “It’s like...