I know this post is 6 months late, but the way I see it, it’s never too late to give Atmosphere some props. This song, “Guarantees”, off When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold is one of my faves. Plus, the video for the song is terrifyingly beautiful! Check it out!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoLxuyV9qz8[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MNA8CZjHnw[/youtube]
As is the case with most big companies, the major record labels just don’t understand promotions and advertising in the Web 2.0 world. They are stuck trying to apply 20th century advertising techniques to 21st century technologies. Basically, the game has changed, and the established record labels refuse to change their game plans.
Today I received an email from Columbia Records letting me know about a single being released by one of their multitude of artists. The email basically went like this:
“Check out this awesome musician’s tour schedule! By the way, he’s releasing a single soon, and you are stupid if you don’t write all about it! Oh! We almost forgot, whatever you do, don’t put a link to the mp3 in your review of the single.”
What these folks fail to realize is that most indie bloggers don’t give a damn about singles. We like albums. And we like posting mp3s on our blogs. We like to be the guy that tells our friends about track #12 on a band’s record. Put simply, we are not commercial radio. We aren’t mouthpieces of record labels. Oh! And most of us do this for fun and not profit.
Generally, we write about albums we like. Usually, we will listen to a record 5 or 6 times before we write an article about it. Only once or twice have I written an article having heard only a song or two, and that was only because the song moved me or blew me away And I should note for the record that I haven’t heard a mainstream single impress me for some time…
Us indie writers are trying desperately to create scenes and accept the few rewards that come with being influencers in our little corner of the internet: free records, free concert tickets, and access to bands. When a record label with all the power and funding of Columbia Records sends me a run-of-the-mill email with a link to an mp3 single that they then forbid us from sharing with anybody, it rubs me the wrong way. In fact, it makes me mad. They should be sending me physical copies of their acts’ records and offering me tickets to their shows (so that I can review their live performances). Instead, they are asking me to write up reviews of their second-tier artists’ singles! What world are these guys living in?!
It is clear that Columbia Records’ promotional department does not have any understanding of the most basic Web 2.0 ground rules:
It’s no wonder that smaller labels are pulling the carpet out from behind these big behemoths – They get it. They are asking me if I want copies of records, and they are asking me if I am interested in interviewing bands. Meanwhile, the Giants hide behind new releases from Britney Spears and Bruce Springsteen, offering nothing to the new scenemakers – bloggers. If the big labels want to regain any of the clout they lost since the 1990′s, they will need to start listening for a change.
Usually debut albums are rough gems. You might be able to see the shine, but only under layers of crusty stuff that will take years to polish off. Not so with Audrye Sessions’ full-length debut, one of the most startlingly good first albums that I have ever heard. A gem for sure, but far more one that comes off the neck of some young heiress than something you would find at the bottom of the alt-rock riverbed.
In truth, they have been around since the early 2000′s, possibly honing their wits in front of West Coast audiences from their Oakland neighborhood and beyond.
Perhaps this is a sign of the times, though: in a world so plagued with uncertainty, is it not smart to put the absolute best foot forward when emerging onto the scene? Audrye Sessions’ potent sound may be on the precipice of greatness — stadiums stand by, they are coming…
If you are wondering where their name supposedly comes from, this link to an old Sony Walkman commercial may clarify. A clever pop culture reference, for sure.
I just discovered this gentleman, Matt Latterell, tonight via a Facebook invite from my friend, Nathan (of Talking Tree fame). This guy, Matt, is really doing some innovative and fantastic things with the old recording machine. I’m not very good at gauging or creating buzz, but if anyone is buzzworthy, it is this guy. Check him out on Thursday at the 331 Club in Minneapolis!
This is a weirdly-entertaining video about our nation’s 43rd President and his graceful exit from the limelight.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9apHISRIzo[/youtube]
Rift Magazine is a great local music review and news magazine that has been going strong for 4+ years. They are holding the first in a series of three fundraisers to help keep the ‘zine afloat. Come out and support them while listening to some of the Twin Cities’ finest music on Friday, Feb. 20th at Stasius. With Supercollider (formerly ZibraZibra), Zoo Animal, Guante and Bill Mike (solo).
Black Keys fans, take a deep breath: they’re still together, and Auerbach is just doing a little soul searching outside the scrappy blues rock duo he forged with drumer Pat Carney. The change of format here isn’t so severe that your heart would seize up anyway – the sound is still Auerbach, and it hit
s that spot. (People, sit down!) Keep it Hid is rather an enlargement of Auerbach’s aura, and the aura is beautiful, I tell you. The songs have quite a range, some being more folk, while others smack of more southern rock with hints of rockabilly. It’s a delight, for sure, a testament to guitar prowess and the soulful crooning we already love him for.
Be sure to catch his upcoming First Ave appearance on Saturday, March 7th. Doors open at 6pm!