Indie News Press

A New Direction, Connection!

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 02:04:00 +0000

This post will be a lot like my last post, where I went into depth about potential revenue streams that artists could utilize to supplement piracy. Even though I am still a very strong believer in artists giving their records away for free.

People that "steal" music DO really want to listen to the album and support the artist, however with the way of the economy and the endless options for entertainment, paying $18 for an album you might only enjoy 2-3 songs on simply is a ridiculous thing to ask of a person, let alone a young person with minimal to no income.

However artists need to make money some how, I believe the concept of "connection" is the way to do so.

On one hand we have the cost put into creating and distributing an album, and on the other hand we have the people that are actually going to buy it... With out adding and numbers or considering and statistics we all know these two hands will be extremely out weighed. Because of this rather than attack the people "stealing" the music, since lets be honest they DO want to hear your music they just can't afford too, why not figure out how they CAN support you.

First step, give it all away! You are never really going to make that much off of album sales unless you own all your copy rights and have next to no debt that needs to be recouped, and even at that point you will also have to be self distributing the release to see a major amount of income. So why not just forget about making money that way, rather give the music out for free, this creates an instant bond with your audience and potential audience, making them more likely to keep up with the goings on in your life.

After a month of free music you can judge your popularity and see if releasing a "Limited Edition" version of the album would be worth it. This should include multiple bonus tracks, acoustic versions, studio/tour footage, and cool packaging or extras. The bonus to this is it can be sold at a very high price and since you gave everything else away people will buy it, since it's limited edition! The same thing can be done with a "Live DVD" or basically anything else, the point I am trying to make is that people want to support people they feel care about their fans.

One major source of revenue has always been live shows, yet once again, they are getting expensive and people are picking a choosing where/when/who they will pay to go see. Because of this artists need to stay on top of their Social Networks and reach out to fans in the areas they are touring to ensure attendance. But just reaching out isn't enough to make people want to spend $20 for a night of music, so once again rather than take it for what it is, artists need to think outside of the box, but how?

There are literally apps for everything now days, apps that let you tell people what you are doing and share it with the world. I feel the next big step for the entertainment industry is to develop and implement a new social network for bands and fans. One that would give the artist the ability to set up contests and prizes for each event they were having which would give fans a chance for free merch or a shot at back stage passes. Something along the line of...

"HEY-- We are playing the House of Blues in Orlando this weekend, the first 25 people that check in @HoB and send us a picture of our merch girl @Jessic1221 will be entered to win one of 5 BSP's and 1 of 10 free tshirts! Get First!"

This, although seemingly simplistic may be enough to add 10-30 more people at your show due to the mind set of, "Well I wasn't going to go out tonight but $20 for a shot at back stage passes??!!!?! I have to go now!" In addition to the obvious increase of ticket sales, artists can also start booking larger venues and asking for more money due to higher attendance.

This is just one of many things artists can do, however a new app doesn't need to be implemented just for this to happen with things like Twitter and Foursquare out there already it is something they can implement now for more money.

The Music Industry is one based on selling and then reselling the same collections on a different format, now that new formats aren't requiring people go re buy their entire collection, the income seems to have dropped immensely, when really it is the same based on new music. Rather than attack consumers for getting music the way they should, the Industry needs to evolve to a point where they can keep up with the way we are consuming music in this day and age.

These are my opinions and should be taken as just that! Thanks for stopping by!

Getting Back to Basics

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:21:00 +0000

With so much changing in today's "Music Industry" and the negativity surrounding it's future many may think recording artists could be deterred from moving forward. For some, piracy is a deterrence, however there are road blocks in all aspect of life and you can either sit around and do nothing, OR you can find another way around it.

I have previously written a post about Dave Melillo and his "Melillo Mondays"stream where he connects with fans, not for profit, but rather just to maintain relationships. However I feel there is more opportunity for many people, not just recording artists to use live stream sites such as Justin.tv Twitch.tv and UStream.tv as an addition source of income.

Live streaming is very much the same as regular television, you stream from home to your viewers and run commercials just like you would see on regular TV. The streamer then receives payment based on not only the amount of viewers that see each commercial, but also the amount of clicks from their stream. For some people, this can turn into a full time job and a source of revenue that can even support them.

In addition to the live stream, they can have a YouTube page set up to "archive" their past episodes or highlights from their stream. This allows even more income if the individual has partnered with YouTube, and can result in huge income with high subscribers/viewers. On average YouTube partners can receive between $0.50 and $6.00 per 1000 views on their videos, with a lot of views that income can really add up.

So what does this mean for today's recording artists?

In a time of low album sales and piracy, it is often difficult for an artist to make ends meet. I have often told bands that I have worked with to "give your music away for free," if people like it, they will not only buy it, but also spend money to see you play. With that in mind artists need another way to make money when not on the road, streaming is the next step.

Think about the amount of people that would log in to see behind the scenes of their favorite bands practice, or the number of people that would jump at the chance to get a sneak peek of a new album with "In Studio" stream updates. As a music fan myself I know the more I feel connected to a band the more likely I am to pay for a show or an album.

Is this the way artists will start making more in the next few years? No one knows for sure, however I defiantly think this a huge opportunity just waiting to be taken advantage of.

When Making A Business Plan...

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 04:23:00 +0000

There are many things that are important to take into consideration when sitting down and creating or refining a business plan for any future endeavor. Often I find myself worrying too much about formatting and numbers than they way it comes off to the person looking at it.

I understand there is defiantly a lot that goes into making sure a business plan has all the information and numbers or cost a potential investor would be interested know prior to buying into the idea. However, I feel as if a lot can be said for creating a document or presentation that gets them excited before they see any projections on the company's potential revenue. This is especially important for someone like myself who isn't necessarily creating this too pulling any sort of funding but rather to be considered for a partnership with a preexisting publicity firm.

Running an operation like the one I have outlined and wish to pursue further, there is virtually no over head, start up, or any other costs associated. Because of this the company can be active while not making that much money while it grows and becomes something that could support myself. With that being the case, I am more likely to show a publicity firm what I plan to do and how I plan to work in hopes of being associated with them and their existing relationships in exchange for a percentage of my earnings. With this in mind it is easier to stop worrying so much about exact numbers or projections and focus on something I hadn't even thought about prior to this class, presentation.

I hope to take what I have put together this month and expand on my current business plan to create something that showcases the feeling and direction of the actual company. A document that will interest people to take a look and read over, rather than the plain word document I currently have.

Dissecting the Teachings of Frank Foire and Mark Cuban

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:21:00 +0000

BUSINESS PLANS (image from 348_business_plan_cartoon.jpg)

As Karen Klein states, in her Bloomberg Businessweek write up Building a Better Business Plan, "A business plan serves two purposes: It's an organizing tool... And it's also a document that sells your business idea" (K. Klein).

Klein touches on the two very important points, the first is the most clear to anyone sitting down to make a business plan, and that is you need a plan. The BP acts as a fail safe guide to show you where you are at with your current idea, how well it will stand up in the industry, and what you need to work on to make it successful from day one. The other key point that is sometimes lost while drafting the BP, is that after completed, it is a great way to sell your company and yourself to investors or potential strategic partners. To get a better idea of what we can gain from a great BP we turn to two industry experts to hear what they have to offer op on the subject!

Image source: http://www.frankfiore.com/

Frank Foire is a "best selling author" for his work in non-fiction prints which include the book Write A Business Plan In No Time. "He has a B.A. in Liberal Arts and General Systems Theory from Stockton State College and a Masters Degree in Education at the University of Phoenix." (http://www.frankfiore.com/)

"A business plan also acts as a dry run for your business even before it starts. It's actually a written description of your business' future." - Foire

What Foire is stating here, is that a well thought out and honest BP can show a potential business owner how well they are doing in preparing for the launch of their business, as well as what areas they need to focus on before seriously considering moving forward. As we worked on our business plans for class this week, there where a number of areas that I realized I had taken little to no time to consider and that launch was quite a bit farther off than previously assumed. Although this is technically considered a set back, it is much better to be honest with yourself prior to starting the business than the jump in and realize you need to work out a few kinks.

Image source: mark-cuban.jpg

Mark Cuban is a self made billionaire from Pittsburgh, PA and is widely known as the owner of not only the NBA team, the Dallas Mavericks, but also Landmark Theatres and Magnolia Pictures. He also appears as a "Shark" or investor on the ABC television series "Shark Tank"

Even with all these major accomplishments, rather than sit back and let his fortune mass up, Mark has developed his own version of a Stimulus Plan which directly relates to the creation and distribution of business plans.

"Rather than trying to be a Venture Capitalist, I was looking for an idea that hopefully could inspire people to create businesses that could quickly become self funding." - Cuban

Essentially Cuban was offering his personal Blog "Blog Maverick" as a place where potential business owners could share their ideas with him in hopes of having him invest in their companies. The only catch that comes along with posting your business plan on an investors site is that now it is out in the public for anyone to try to emulate. This however may have been exactly what Cuban was looking for, yes there is a moral grey area about actively pursuing someone else's idea, however this gives the public that subscribes to Cuban's Blog endless ideas to not only make a life for themselves, but also to boost the economy.

The base of this idea is a well made, well delivered business plan that not only shows a clear outline of how the business is too be run, but also a creative and engaging portrayal of the direction the presenter hopes to go as well as how successful the company potentially can be.

After reading what these successful experts had to say about the importance of a well thought out and honest business plan, it has really changed my out look on my own plan and lead me to address potential flaws within it. Although it is important to be confident in the success of the business, it is also important to understand just how much of a chance you stand regardless of how confident you are.

I hope this has helped you to consider going back, dusting off that old business plan, and giving it another look!

Dave Melillo's MixTape is HERE!

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 02:24:00 +0000

The much awaited release from Dave Melillo is only hours away from releasing for free all around the web. This new style release, the "Thinking of You" MixTape is fully free and meant to showcase teh versatility and stylized abilities of Dave. Although mainly a love song based release, there is much more than simple guitars and four by four beats driving this as Dave shows growth from start to finish not just as an album but on a song by song basis.

Pulling a lot of the MixTape together during the creation and release of his recent EP "Future Focused" there is a simple flow to the complex dynamics featured one each and every track. While not featuring any of his more RnB // POP style tracks, Dave is looking for a shift in his music career and hopes by focusing his efforts on high profile remixes of the new songs will help his current fans grow and transition with him as he makes the jump from Acoustic Singer/Song Writer to a more POP focused individual. With projects such as Cute Is What We Aim For and Nocturnal Me Dave has a strong "Indie" following that he doesn't want to lose or upset during the transition. This is where the MixTape really bridges the gap, even though there are some songs that may not fit into his typical style, they still have the same voice and drive behind them. As remixes are created and passed around, Dave's current fan base can slowly develop a new idea of his potential and feel like they have been with him from the beginning. Just in business, it is easier to keep a existing client than to find a new one.

It will be interesting to see how the release goes over, as a personal project of mine I will be focusing on keeping Dave' old contacts up to date with everything while maintaining a constant effort to find and push the MixTape to new demographics.

A New Revenue "Stream"

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 03:17:00 +0000

With the economy in the state that it is, fewer people are as loose with their money when it comes to entertainment as they used to be. Not only that, but the decline in album sales in the past years and the trend in the youth pirating the music they do download, it is often hard for new artists to make ends meet. A lot of bands have realized the old model of doing things just simply doesn't exist on a small level anymore, you can not support yourself of music sales and need to find other ways to make money. Thanks to the Internet, there are a lot of ways for artist to share their music and promote shows, allowing them to reach more people and get "bigger faster." However with the majority of their income coming from concerts and tours, where do they make money while in the studio or writing or doing anything besides touring?

Well a few artists have found a very interesting way to "Stream" their revenue in the downtime. Online "Streaming" is becoming more and more popular in all fields of entertainment from music to video games. With multiple site options available virtually anything is available for view. Dave Melillo >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
is one such artist utilizing online streaming. He does a show every monday called Melillo Monday's during the time he asks from requests from viewers, answers questions and more or less provides his community with a "live vlog" experience. Streams provide the artist with the ability to manually run ads or have the run at certain times, the amount of viewers as well as clicks on the ads that run are what makes up the income for the artist. Depending on the amount of viewers this income can really start to add up. There are also options to "donate" to the streamer as well as the priceless ability to plug new shows/merch and releases. This one week show is just one way artists are making money with streaming, some bands could do studio/rehearsal streams or even concert streams, not unlike the Ben Folds ChatRoulette Concerts. Some streamers like Steven "Destiny" Bonnell II, a professional video game player, make the majority of their income from money made streaming. I hope we see a surge in the music industry a few months down the road as streaming begins to catch on, this is an amazing way to connect with fans while earning a little extra income.

Gold Coast Music Group and Renee Yohe!

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 03:11:00 +0000

As Gold Coast Music Group pushes forward looking to make a name for them in this industry it was apparent that focusing on small acts would only help get their name so far. By taking the time to consider their strengths as a publicity firm and evaluate potential cliental they were able to secure new campaigns that, with the pull of the clients, will hopefully push them into that next level and help not only bring in more business, but validate them within the industry. In the next two blog posts I will be talking about two up and coming opportunities, how they came about, and GCMG’s plans for the publicity campaigns. First we will look at the new project from “To Write Love On Her Arm’s” inspiration “Renee Yohe.”

Renee is known for her books as well as being the driving force behind a teen help program “To Write Love On Her Arms,” which is set up as a support program for troubled teens dealing with drug/alcohol abuse and suicide. Renee is now finishing a full-length project that blends pop style vocals with folk driven rock. The band is currently in the end stages of the project and hopes to be releasing with in the year.

Sean from GCMG is actually very involved with the project as he not only writes for the band, but also plays guitar in the band currently. This is the main reason for GCMG being able to pick the project up. With the press from TWLOHA as well as a movie based one Renee being released in the near future, securing features in online publications such as Pitchfork, Daytrotter, and PureVolume will be rather simplistic. Besides this GCMG hopes to push the album through soundcloud and as many “free” online publications for the most cost effective press.

Once interest has been made and features secured the print publications will be alerted for not necessarily “release” date interviews and features.

Gold Coast Music Group and Dave Melillo

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 03:10:00 +0000

Besides the Renee Yohe project Gold Coast Music Group also has been able to secure a publicity campaign for former “Cute is What We Aim For” bassist Dave Melillo. Apart from playing bass in CIWWAF Melillo is also known for fronting and writing for his acoustic project “Nocturnal Me.” NM released a new EP earlier this year, and Dave has just recently released a five song acoustic EP to help get his name back into the spot light for his upcoming Mix Tape release entitled “Thinking of You.”

Melillo came to Gold Coast Music Group with an interest in gaining press for the mix tape after seeing their work with the Iowa natives “The Anytime” and their March release “CRAVE” GCMG was able to secure multiple high profile interviews as well as features for the band in addition to gaining them a main page feature on PureVolume which translated into over 14,000 plays within the 3 day feature. Melillo will be releasing the entire 20-song mix tape for free and is looking for as much free publicity as possible.

The guys over at GCMG plan on targeting college music blogs and news sites as well as blogs that focus on mix tape based submission and news. In addition to searching for new publications and listeners, with the release of the new EP the also plan to send the mix tape to all the people talking about it as well as the places that supported Melillo’s original work in hopes of getting old listeners excited again! Because this will be a completely free release it is important to focus energy of sites that do not charge for feature placement, as well as push hard to get any fee based publication to cut the price as a sign for good faith. GCMG feels that the record is strong enough to stand on its own, and it is only a matter of time until it takes off!

Entertainment Law Podcast's

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 03:15:00 +0000

Initially I was going to interview an individual practicing law in the state of Illinois, however after realizing that I really didn't know enough about Entertainment Law in general to validate asking a professional to focus time and energy on myself, I felt it best to get some more information and education while figuring out what may be important to ask as a "student" before I have to pay to talk to an attorney. To do this I have researched and subscribed to a couple different podcasts that focus not only on law but mainly on "entertainment" law and will be discussing them here.

First we have a website known as Entertainment Law Update Podcast, which is more or less, exactly what the name states. Over all one will not be taught law, but rather updated on the goings on within the legal side of the entertainment industry. The blog spans all aspects of the entertainment industry from film and TV to music and sports etc. The show is hosted by two individuals Gordon Firemark and Tamera Bennett both whom practice entertainment law. I found this podcast to be very easy to listen too, as someone who doesn't have legal jargon down very well. The podcast flows very well and with pages of archives provides potential listeners with lots of topics. In addition to the podcasts, this website also provides a huge resource list for people visiting acting almost as a one stop shop for entertainment law information!

The next podcast comes from Law School Podcaster, and although this website generally focuses on preparing individuals for starting to coping with law school, they did have a very insightful podcast about the entertainment industry. The first thing that caught my attention with this podcast was a statement that often times I hear people at Full Sail state, it's not all glamor and not all about celebrities. Often times I feel people get into the entertainment industry just for the glitz and glam rather than a passion for the arts. This statement is brought back up mid way through the podcast as they begin to reveal the hard work needed to break out into the entertainment law field and just how much competition people will face on a daily basis. I really liked this podcast because I felt the contributors weren't trying to sell anyone on the idea of going to a certain law school, but rather cautioning them about the hardships they may face and the amount of time and effort needed to make something of themselves. I would recommend this website to anyone preparing for law school on any level not just entertainment.

The final website I would like to highlight is that of the Legal Talk Network, focusing on their podcast series Lawyer 2 Lawyer. L2L consists of practicing attorneys J. Craig Williams and Robert Ambrogi discussing various issues in the legal world. Often of the podcasts involve issues on the goings on in the entertainment industry. The podcasts are once again easy to listen to span various topics providing content for just about anyone interested in law. The particular podcast that I listened too was one involving the new battle over song royalties. This is something that I have been following since I started school at Full Sail over two years ago. I felt that not only the hosts, but also the guests brought on were very insightful regarding many issues such as was the music created as a work for hire, and does the artist still owe recoup funds to the label. Defiantly something I am glad I took the time to listen too and will keep an eye out for more music based topics in the future.

Over all the internet provides a vast knowledge base at anyone's fingertips. Whether they choose to indulge in pleasure or knowledge based activities is up to them, however I hope these three choices will help you out when you feel like being productive and learning a thing or two!

The Importance of Following Up:

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 03:02:00 +0000

The Importance of Following Up:

Whether you are after a new promotion, looking to secure a new job, or simply trying to get someone to listen to your client’s newest project or album many times your requests will be sent over email or the phone. For some people this is where the contact stops, they wait silently hoping that their one email, voicemail or phone call was enough to get what they wanted. The truth is 99% of the time, it isn’t. It may not be because you aren’t interesting or lack the “right stuff” to be remembered, but rather that you aren’t the only on trying to get the other person’s attention. Because of this it is important to give the person you are trying to get a hold of sufficient time to receive your message, and then if you haven’t heard back from them follow up.

Below I am going to list a few tips I have picked up that may help you on the road to getting that job or big break for an artist that you are working with. These aren’t secrets by any means, and you may very well know everything I am going to suggest, however just because you know what you should do doesn’t always mean you act on that knowledge, and I hope this can be a small mental check list to help you out next time you feel you may have been forgotten.

Getting Noticed:

1] Always make sure you have the most up to date contact information for the person or company you are trying to get a hold of.

- This may seem like a no brainer, but often times companies change internet providers or any other various thing and contact info can change day to day.

2] Dig a little bit to find out if there is an actual PERSON you can contact and not just an info@company.com

-Many times I have gotten phone calls or emails weeks after I sent out a press release or email saying, “Yes we are interested in running a feature, sorry for the delay an intern is supposed to check that email daily, next time just email me directly at jim@company.com

3] Never send something with an attachment unless the other party is expecting it.

- People in the Music Industry get a lot of mail constantly and running out of inbox space is something that is very real and very obnoxious, often if they don’t know the email address and there is an attachment they will just delete it.

4] Finally FOLLOW UP!

-Following up is not something that is considered annoying by any means, sometimes you just have to send a second email to get someone to remember your name or client. I suggest 4-5 days after the first draft sending your first follow up email and if you still get no answer wait a week and send another. Never follow up more than twice, at that time you can consider that the other person simply isn’t interested and you don’t want to run the risk of upsetting them.

5]Rejection is very real!

-Get used to it, learn from it, and use it to motivate yourself!

Publicity and PR with Miranda of PMA.PR

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:57:00 +0000

I recently had the opportunity of sitting down and chatting with Miranda Lange over at PMA PR in Chicago, IL. Miranda has been working in the music industry for nearly two decades and was more than willing to share her knowledge and expertise with me.

Publicity is something that I never intended on getting into, the opportunity just fell into my lap and after the first couple campaigns I realized it was something that I was not only passionate about, but actually rather good at. With out any formal training in the area of publicity and PR I found myself getting a lot of exposure for clients that were virtually unknown even in their local areas. Miranda got started almost the same way, she was working at an independent label when the publicity job opened up and was offered to her. Without any training or knowledge of the industry she started doing what made the most sense and really creating her own style of PR which ended up being exactly what the label and her clients were looking for.

Publicity is a service, and that service is promoting someone else's product, you can't promise it is going to get much attention but you still have to push as much as possible to get the right people hearing and talking about it. Miranda went through her normal day-to-day, and how she starts campaigns as well as how she ends them. A lot of the information was helpful and even more was very positive reenforcement to the process I had already been taking with my own campaigns. I learned more in the 50+ minute conversation with her than any book or class could hope to teach me. Overall I feel very positive about my future in the music industry and my abilities to provide a very solid service to bands in the near future.

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Talking Business with Sean Sheahan

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:15:00 +0000

Sean Sheahan is head of management for Gold Coast Music Group, a independent management/publicity firm based out of Orlando Fl, and took a few moments to sit down with me and talk about what goes into negotiating artist contracts. Sean represents Every You, Madeira, and The Anytime, as well as producer/engineer Jason Aaron Adams. He is a Full Sail graduate with a passion for new music and helping small bands get heard.

Over the last 6 months Sean has worked to develop his business into a model where bands get support and priority based on the quality of their work and the drive they show, not how much money they are willing to spend. Because of that the roster has seen a lot of press in recent months and have had many high profile features including sites such as PureVolume.com and Kings of A&R. Sean describes his job as a glorified babysitter to musicians, but clearly takes things more seriously than that!

After talking a bit about what goes on day to day for Sean, we got into the contract negotiation information and he talked about various problems and solutions that have come up along the way. "The most important thing to remember is that you are doing them a favor but you need to close the deal to get paid so both parties have leverage." Often times Sean would find himself in the middle of negotiations and a member of the band or family member of the band would say "15%? that sounds like an awful lot when you can't promise anything." which is true however the thing they are forgetting is that if no deal is made then no money is exchanged and therefore the determined rate is meaningless. The only time Sean's percentage means anything is when the band is getting paid. After making that point they usually follow with "Well still then you are taking 15% of our money." This is a very real concern for many artist as they feel like they are getting ripped off and Sean is making off with money from their music. But they are paying Sean to get them the opportunity to get paid, and often times this argument can be settled by simply saying, "The 15% is my payment for finding you work, if you feel like you can do it on your own, then management is not something you need. However since we are here I assume that you have tried and failed or just felt like it was too much to handle." As long as you keep a calm level head and always treat clients respectfully, they usually will come around and agree with you terms.

"A lot of the back and forth isn't because they think something is unfair, but because they think they can get away with a little less. Once they realize they can't, they more or less just give in."

New Release from BOY BLUE

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 01:08:00 +0000

The Milwaukee based band "Boy Blue" have recently put the finishing touches on their debut EP "I Liked You Better When," set to drop mid July 2011. The guys have been working non stop for the past year and a half writing, recording, and developing what some believe to be the next big thing to come out of the northern midwest.

Boy Blue is an Alternative/ElectroPop band comprised of five musicians from various conners of Wisconsin. The current sound stems from "newest" member Nicholas Schubert's keys/synth driven influences which have allowed the band to become slightly more mainstream and appeal to the current "dance" oriented fan base. "I Liked You Better When" will release mid July with five explosively catchy tracks ranging from folk driven guitar licks to dance floor bound sequenced beats and insanely catchy vocal and synth melodies. With the release of the EP the guys will begin to branch out into the world and hit the road for multiple dates mid-late summer spanning both east and west coasts. Although no dates are confirmed as of now, they have been on the horn setting up what the can while they finalize both artwork and packaging.

Fans for bands such as Passion Pit, Phoenix, and Rooney may find Boy Blue's style very inviting while giving them more than just another sound a-like act to dive into. With more than a few shows under their belts all over Wisconsin, as well as numerous radio appearances the growing anticipation for the release of the EP has just about reached a fevered pitch within the current fan base and seems to be infectiously growing through out the greater Milwaukee area. If you would like to have a listen to what the band as to offer, they currently have one song available for stream on their Facebook page.

The Electric Shoes

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 01:15:00 +0000

The Electric Shoes have just recently release their debut EP "Off To Save The World" and I would like to take a few moments to give my personal feelings about said EP.

Off To Save The World is a six song release that covers, in my opinion, a multitude of genres and styles which really show off the talent and potential of the band. When I say the guys have a multitude of genres I mean some songs have 8-bit electro rifts while others have very country inspired string parts. There is a strong PopRock/Punk tone to all the vocals which allow them to flow even when the music may vary track to track.

As you listen to the EP the simple approach to each of the songs is more or less to set up the vocals on their much deserved pedestal. The singer has an amazing amount of control, emotion and presence that can not be faked through autotune and melodyne. This gives the listener a better chance to really connect with each and every song, which to be honest is the driving factor in whether or not a song becomes a hit. The band is relatively knew and with the right people behind them have more than enough staying power. It will be interesting to see where the next 6-12 months take these guys and whether they will work hard to get heard or simply get lost in the sea of competition that seems to plagues every "up and comer" these days.

If you are interested in picking up the EP you can do so RIGHT HERE!

Take my advice and jump on this band before the bandwagon fills up!

The Power of Music

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Mon, 23 May 2011 02:07:00 +0000

Bobby McFerrin Hacks Your Brain... With Music!

Although this is not a speech in the traditional idea of what a speech it, it does speak volumes about the human experience and the power of music in our society. In this short 3 minute video, presenter Bobby McFerrin shows the power music has to connect everyone regardless of social barriers. It is more of a performance piece than anything where he uses his voice to indicate various positions on the stage and then using his body, and the vocal accompaniment of the audience, creates a simple yet powerful musical arrangement.

There is no language more universal expected than music, In a music theory class I had a long time ago my professor told me that the way I read music is exactly the same way anyone and everyone world wide reads it, other than one or two tribes that is. This is a concept that has really stuck with me, music although very different depending on where you are playing/listening to it, is comprised of the same notes regardless of composition. The same way that regardless of where a person is born, what language they speak, or the color of their skin, we are all the same and we can all relate to one another.

I strongly recommend that you take 3 minute out of your day to watch and listen to an entire audience of strangers coming together to create something timeless and beautiful. Then take a few minutes to think about your life and the people around you, and think what it would be like if you could connect that much with a stranger.

-Nic

PRSA

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Mon, 16 May 2011 02:29:00 +0000

The PRSA or Public Relations Society of America is an organization set up to not only outline or define Public Relations and what it means, but also act as a place for a individuals or companies operating within the field to meet and communicate. The organization is comprised of over twenty-one thousand individuals ranging from college grads just starting out in their PR careers, to seasoned industry professionals in charge of or representing some of todays top public relation firms nation wide.

PRSA focuses its efforts in five major categories, Networking, Professional Recognition, Learning, Intelligence, and the PRSA JobCenter. Each area of focus is a resource for those interested in bettering not only themselves but their careers and futures in the field of public relations. They are also places that seasoned individuals can pass on their knowledge and offer support for up and coming members. The organization offers seminars, webinars, and conferences to better education not only those interested in working in the field of PR but also those that are seeking help in the field and want to make sure they are dealing with what the industry considers to be professionals. The have extensive material and literature on ethics and what the industry and PR field feel is appropriate and professional behavior, this alone is a huge resource for an individual looking to get into the field. The entertainment industry is a very relationship based industry, if an individual is operating or conducting himself or herself in an unethical way, chances are not only will they lose respect and business of those they are working with but also create a name or reputation for themselves and the company they represent that will spread through out the entertainment community. This may mean that no one will want to work with them in the future.

Over all the Public Relations Society of America is an organization that offers knowledge and community for those looking to or already dealing in the world of PR. It acts as both an opportunity for new comers to learn and industry leaders to share!

Starting Over Fresh!

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:31:00 +0000

South Florida natives "Every You" have been hitting the indie rock scene on and off since their creation way back in 2009. Often compared to "The Dangerous Summer," the band has taken some time to sit back and rethink/develop their sound and overall image. Shooting for something a little more along the lines of early "Jimmy Eat World" or "The Foo Fighters," the three guys are looking to fill some big name shoes.

After less than a year together Every You released their debut EP - "A Change of Scene" circa 2009 which is where the band gets the majority of their press and following. After the release the guys of Every You were named one of PureVolume.com's "Top Unsigned Bands of 2009" and were added to the list over at AbsolutePunk.net known simply as "Top 100 of 2009." With all the hype surrounding the band and their current release they took the momentum to get out on the road and really push everything as far as they could.

But wait, wasn't this all released years ago? Why am I talking about this? Well it is always good to know where a band came from before you check out what they are doing now. At least in my opinion!

With such early success, it is easy to lose sight of what you wanted out of a project or the direction you really wanted to take everything. Every You understood this and rather than push the project and end up where they ended up, they took the time to analyze themselves and because of that began to redevelop themselves musical and just overall. However it isn't enough for a band to rethink things and come out swinging, there has to be some sort of game plan, or everything will have been for nothing. Every You has been hard at work crafting their new sound and writing loads of new material which is slowly getting unveiled one song at a time via AbsolutePunk.net. They have set up weekly releases of their new music exclusively on AP to ensure both exposure, and maintained press. The new songs are only up for a week, and then replaced by the next. It is this kind of new thinking that will ensure people get a chance to see/hear exactly what the guys have to offer.

The three week campaign will end next Thursday with the third and final track going up. Only time will tell if this exclusive release campaign will pay off, but one thing is for sure, new and old fans will defiantly be getting just a taste, and left wanting more!

New Comer Releases Another HUGE Track!

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 18:07:00 +0000

Madeira is a relatively knew band based in Orlando, FL and although new to the music scene, they are in no way just getting started!

With the release of their first demo late last year, Madeira has gotten significant exposure and recognition from some of the heavy hitters in the industry. Purevolume.com has been long known for helping break new bands and give just about anyone a place to showcase their music. The team over at PureVolume really took a heavy liking to the guys in Madeira and after just short time voted them one of the top unsigned bands of 2010! If you follow the link provided Madeira was not only on the list, but actually managed to land a spot in the Top 5, ending up in the forth position.

The success of their first release has been felt all over the Florida music scene, with the band headlining the Daytona Winter Jam 2011, as well as making an appearance on Orlando Live, an online television show where they where voted to play an encore by the viewers. Madeira will be playing the Florida Music Festival April 7th where they will be debuting their new single "Enemies."

Madeira has taken account of the current trends in the music industry and rather than spend months at a time recording an entire album where only a handful of songs might be heard, they will be releasing singles to ensure that all of their music is heard!

Enemies is the first new single since the release of their first demo, and has already started to create quite a buzz around the industry. It is currently available for purchase on iTunes for only $1. If you are interested in the band I strongly suggest picking it up. The rest of their music can be streamed and downloaded via their PureVolume Account.

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The Anytime - CRAVE

noreply@blogger.com (Nic Warner) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 03:14:00 +0000

This Blog is going to be dedicated to new music releases from todays "Up and Coming" acts. I plan to bring you releases from various genres while focusing on the "Pop-Rock" and "Alternative-Rock" avenues. The initial post will be for a band that I am currently working with personally, and will discuss the their latest release. Thank you for stopping by, and remember to check in weekly for new updates about music you might have missed!

[The Anytime - CRAVE]

The Anytime is back with their sophomore release “Crave” which dropped February 19th, 2011. The band has been hard at work in the studio developing their “Club/Rock” sound with producer Jordan Schmidt (All Time Low, Quietdrive, Sing It Loud) pushing out one high energy hit after the next. Each track off of the record is a perfect blend of intense catchy vocals, huge drums, strong guitar, and just the right amount of synth to get you on your feet and hitting repeat.

The Anytime was recently featured on www.purevolume.com’s main page, driving enough traffic to push their single “Crave” into the top 10 of PV’s “Top Songs” chart and get the guys into the top 5 artists on the site. Aside from purevolume, The Anytime also has recent/up-coming features in Kings of A&R, Substream Music Press, Best New Bands, Unsigned + Unleashed, and The Sound Alarm. In addition to current press, the band plans to continue support for “Crave” by adding to their current tour history (Forever the Sickest Kids, White Tie Affair, Every Avenue, The Used, Conditions) with dates set in early and late spring.

The EP is currently up to stream on purevolume.com, and available for purchase via iTunes. If you like what you hear, I would also suggest checking out the bands first self titled EP which is also available to stream on purevolume.com. Although the sound has matured with the band, it is always a good idea to stop and listen to what an artist used to sound like if you really enjoy what they are doing now!

Thanks for stopping by, and make sure to come back for more music!