When I was approached by NewIndieBands.com to be a part of a monthly posting, I couldn’t have been more excited, as I am a big fan. I immediately started thinking what am I going to write about that would interest people, musicians, artists, then thought am I even interesting??? When I asked NIB about if they were looking for a specific topic, the response was “whatever you want”, so I started thinking Ligers (Lion & Tiger mix), Fishing, Space Travel…. then I really sat down and thought about it and this is what I decided on.

The biggest questions I get asked on a daily basis are “How I write my songs?”, “How do I come up with my lyrics?”, “How do I come up with my sound?”, “How do I develop my brand?”, “How do I get into the industry?”. Basically, how does one find thier ARTIST? So in these posts we will be covering many of these points, but maybe not in the manner you are hoping. I promise we will get there if you stay with me.

All those questions can start being answered by first asking yourself who are you as an artist? Whether it’s being a musician, writer, painter, blogger, photographer, etc., you first have to find YOURSELF as an artist before you can be an artist. That is the true measure of what real artistry looks like, and start asking YOUR ARTIST these questions; Am I trying to be like someone else? Am I doing anything different that would make someone want to remember me 10 years from now? Am I making an influence in any manner or am I staying in the vein? Am I trying things out of the box and uncomfortable? These are all great questions to be asking yourself when on the road to finding YOUR ARTIST

I leave you with this haiku and exercise before we get into the artistry itself. The most important thing before anything else and, before you can call yourself an artist is this: What is your muse that drives you and are you willing to give up and sacrifice life for your art?

Cheers – Jer

It’s a Sunday morning and I find myself sitting with a freshly brewed cup of Sumatra while the sun attempts to peak through the shutters. As I fired up my laptop this morning I thought of how to best start a new blog. Truth be told I’ve been trying to figure out the perfect first post for the last few weeks, and the only conclusion I’ve come to is just to put the pen to pad and let it fly, or in this case the fingers to the keys. So here goes…

One of the most consistent things in the music industry is its inconsistency. Now before you jump up in protest at that last statement, take a minute and think about your favorite artist. How do you think they became what they are today? Maybe they were created in some dark lab like Frankenstein or maybe they were carefully raised from a young age. The question that we all face is simple— what is the magic formula to adhere to when wanting to be the next break out? Truth is, the music business is overflowing with new talent, so much new talent that no matter how great you are there is a big chance you may never see the outside of your garage jam rooms. Our modern age has brought the luxury of the recording studio straight to our living rooms, internet in the palm of our hand, transformed music from vinyl records to digital downloads and, in turn, has made the competition about as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.

As a lover of all things music and an avid follower of the ‘making it big’ dream since the ripe old age of my adolescence, I find my own journey to be taking flight as of late. So, I plan on doing some exploratory writing on the behind-the-scenes madness of building a band from the ground up as I walk this treacherous road. This blog will be seeking answers to the questions like: what is the key to a successful band? Is the way you are marketed more important than the way you network? Maybe it’s handpicking the right band mates and landing all the right gigs, or maybe it’s the sheer luck of all the planets aligning and presenting you with that elusive golden ticket. The possibilities seem endless and, most times, always just a bit out of reach.

So, grab your pens and pads, open up a new blank document and take some notes. Let’s dive into all things music business-related. Feel free to post your comments and send your questions. If you agree with something or better yet if you do not, let me know. I promise to always respond. I want this blog to be interactive to the max.

Everyone wants to ‘make it’ but only a few will ever survive. Maybe you’ll be the next ‘big thing’.

In our silence, we’ve been working on something that we hope can be a valuable resource to the indie band community. It’s an extreme rarity these days that a band secures a legitimate record deal, and even then, it’s often up to the band to truly make things happen.

On the blog, we’ve featured many bands who have made it on their own without the help of major labels. It’s a tough road, even for the most sought after acts. You’re not only trying to be a band, but you’re also an accountant, publicist, manager, roadie, sound guy, and about a million other things. No doubt that it’s a tough job, even if you are completely in love with the music.

So, to try to give bands a hand up, we’re going to be partnering with several experienced industry folks that will be offering some wisdom, and shedding light on many of the issues that bands just starting out will be facing; everything from wrangling your social media to finding inspiration for songwriting. Many of the tried-and-true basics have been covered before; while we’re going to recognize those where necessary, it’s our job to show you how to blaze your own trail. No one gets noticed by blending in, and this goes double for bands trying to get noticed.

Keep watch for the first post in the series coming up later this week!

Once again, Ryan Booth has knocked it out of the park. Not too terribly long ago, a little band called Paper Route came through town while on Tour with Owl City and Lights. The guys involved with the SerialBox project took the opportunity to get Paper Route into the studio and shoot a pretty stellar performance video.

There’s a certain something…organic about The Black Rabbits. On the first listen, there’s no doubt that they could’ve stepped out of a time machine straight from the British Invasion.

After a few spins of their material, it’s apparent that it’s heavily influenced by bands like The Pixies, The Ramones, The Strokes, and perhaps (and I know I’ll get people mad because I’m drawing this parallel) the Beatles. Overall, it’s an easy, uncomplicated listen. Not overproduced, simple, yet solid harmonies, and the best part, no apparent auto-tune.

The Black Rabbits are one of those indie bands that has succeeded in not only capturing a timeless sound, but has also mastered the fine art of keeping it from getting dated. Even if you’re not a Brit-rock fan (I’ll be the first to say I am not a Beatles fan!), The Black Rabbits are a new band that will still catch your ear. Check them out on Amazon if you’re interested in purchasing.

The Black Rabbits – Hurry, Hurry:
The Black Rabbits – Hypno Switch:

These guys are a band that I’ve come to enjoy recently. Coming off of a win for Best Indie Artist at the 2010 OC Music Awards, and then an April 3rd full-length album release, The New Limb is working it hard to stay ahead of the game.

Referred to by some as “melodic indie rock”, Sounds People Can Hear is definitely an album that deserves hearing from front to back. If you only check out a couple of tracks, you’ll definitely miss out on killer keyboard work, orchestral movements, and harmonies so solid that you could build yet another Yankee Stadium on top of them. Between Joey’s croon, Lauren’s masterful piano/synth work, and Adam and Danilo holding down the rest of the arrangement, you can’t help but feel like that nothing short of the absolute best went into making this album.

The New Limb stands apart from other bands not only by their excellent musicianship, but by the hard work and dedication they put into connecting with their fanbase. From what I hear, it’s not uncommon to show up to a New Limb show to be greeted with cookies or hugs. They’re also active in the local music scene, supporting other artists in their hometown of Costa Mesa, California.

Check out one of my favorite tracks from the album, “Birds and Stuff”:

The New Limb – Birds and Stuff:

Today, I had the opportunity to spend some time on the set of CastleLight’s first performance video, shot by up-and-coming indie production company, SerialBox.

First off, if you’ve heard the first two singles from CastleLights, you know that they’re a driving, very Brit-rock influenced band. The setup today was a very different, acoustic-based performance. The band pulled out two new songs for the set, and finished off with one of the first singles, Paint The Stars. The version played today is a completely different animal from what has been released, but is in no way any less interesting as a song. The guys almost effortlessly translated their original ideas to fit into the folkier mold.

The location for the shoot was the bottom floor of an old warehouse-turned-lofts building in the downtown area of Houston. Lots of exposed brick, structural steel, and wood really set the tone and mood for the stripped-down performance. Ryan Booth and his team at SerialBox have essentially transformed a empty room into a soundstage ready for shooting music videos. If you’re a band in Houston, look them up for your next video. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

I hope that we’ll see this video out pretty soon. The setting of the band playing a few tunes for a few friends is one that always makes for good footage, and something that people can easily watch and feel like they were really there. It’s another way for indie bands to reach out and engage an audience that they not have reached out to yet.

ripped open my heart as a butterfly goes free from the jar
out into an edible distance
we ride like there is no too far – “Sycamore”

I’ve heard a lot of “world music” in my day. Too much, I would say. The one common thread between all of them is that even though they might incorporate elements of a few cultures, they’re almost always centered in one mainstay.

Songs Of Water‘s latest release, The Sea Has Spoken, thus far has surpassed that expectation for me. I started listening to this album expecting the typical Arabic and African percussion material that’s rampant throughout “world music”. And, while those elements are unmistakeably there, they skillfully have been incorporated in a way that only serves to strengthen the album as a whole, and not become the mainstay of the project.

The bluegrass/Appalachian/newgrass influences, however, are one thing that cannot be ignored on this album. The Skaggs pedigree undoubtedly shines on tracks like “The Family Tree” (especially with the Ricky Skaggs fiddle/banjo contribution), but I’d be remiss to not mention Stephen Roach’s killer dulcimer playing on “Everything Rises” (among others). Roach also happens to be the talent providing the lead vocals on “Sycamore” and “Willow”.

Recently, there’s been a upsurgance (yes, I totally just made that word up) of indie bands with heavy Eastern European, Balkain, and Gypsy influences (DeVotchka, Beirut). While it’s a fun and interesting sound, an entire album’s worth just gets old. Admittedly, I’m not a fan of the style as a whole. However, “Bread and Circus” really surprised me in that regard. What starts out as a melancholy, almost epic-movie-soundtrack type of song slowly builds into a darkly comedic, upbeat, well,….circus tune. It’s morphed into something that would fit right into a episode of Carnivale, before retreating back to the the previous theme.

“Sycamore” is probably my most favorite track off of this disc. It’s a laid-back groove, saturated with Jason Windsor’s baritone guitar playing. It’s really reminiscent of something Nevada desert troubadouresque, like Chris Isaak. Stephen Roach lends a great lead vocal to this track; a bit whispery with a hint of delicateness. It’s a perfect recipe for a song about longing.

No matter what your flavor of folk or world music, I think you’ll probably find something on the new Songs Of Water disc that you’ll like. I know that I certainly did. Take the next step and check out Songs Of Water on MySpace or at the iTunes store if you’re looking to purchase some music. If you prefer a real CD, you can purchase those directly from the website at www.SongsOfWater.com

Meanwhile, check out “Sycamore”, one of the tracks from The Sea Has Spoken.

Songs Of Water – Sycamore:

This is the first of a few posts about my experience at South By Southwest in Austin.

I saw a bunch of different bands at SXSW. Every make, model, genre, and permutation of what could be concievably be called a “band”. Everything from polished radio-rock outfits to some guys hurriedly set up in the middle of the street with battery-powered amps, whatever your flavor is, it’s at SXSW.

Some of the bands did a great job at marketing themselves to the crowds, but those were very few and far between. Most made some critical mistakes that I wanted to outline. If your band ever gets the chance to play a festival-type gig, keep these things in mind.

1. Say Your Name! Say It! – If you don’t do anything else, do this. When you’re playing, say your band’s name every chance you get. More often than not, you’re only getting a person’s attention for 2, MAYBE three songs at the most. I saw at least 10 bands that I had no idea who they were because they NEVER SAID ANYTHING. (This means you, Frank and Derol!)

2. Let Me Leave With Something More Than A Memory – Send people away with something small, but that you’ll be remembered by easily. Sure, demo CDs are great, but not for music festival situations. I’ve already got my hands full updating Foursquare and texting people to find out where the next stop is, so it needs to be something I can fit in my pocket. If you’re a member of the Band Management Guide mailing list, I’ve got some ideas coming up for you soon that will catch people’s attention when it comes to handouts.

3. Don’t Be A Diva – You aren’t special. Everyone else is in line to see bands millions of times bigger than you, so be thankful and appreciative for the people who are listening…even if they’re just here for the free Shiner. You never know who might be in the crowd. Someone’s cousin/brother/neighbor might be that connection you need or that fanatic fan that gets you noticed. Before and after (especially after) your set, get out there and talk to people. Have a couple of friends who can take down your equipment, and get out and start squeezing some palms. Thank people for staying to listen to you, engage them in conversation, and most of all, mean it.

Do these three things, and I can almost guarantee you will be remembered by those who catch your show. There is no one better to sell yourself than YOU! Get out there and do it!

If you haven’t yet acquired the Broken Bells album, stop what you’re doing right now and get it. In my opinion, it’s the must-have album to hit the shelves so far this year. I’m wholly convinced that the reason this has happened is because everything Brian Burton (as known as Danger Mouse) touches turns to gold. I’ll skip his lengthy resume’, since you probably already know it anyhow, and concentrate on the Broken Bells album.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a huge fan of the Shins. They’re good, but, to me, nothing worth writing home about. However, James Mercer completely made this album for me. His vocal style is a perfect fit to the laid back, almost Chemical Brothers-esque tracks that Burton composed.

I’ll keep this short, but I’m going to leave you with two tracks that are favorites of mine. Enjoy!

The High Road:
Citizen: