Posted: July 24th, 2012 | No Comments »
Bandmo interviews Michelle (i Hate The 90s) from http://ihatethe90s.blogspot.com
Introduce yourself to our readers. Who are you and what is your background?
—
My name is Michelle and I live in Pensacola, Florida. I currently work in the computer industry. I earned my BA in International Studies and went on to study Spanish and travel Europe for a few months back in 1991.
What relation do you have with music (past-time, passion, a business)?
—
Music is definitely a past-time for me as well as a deep passion. I cant get enough of music and always want to hear more. I played in a few bands back in the 90s at local clubs and had great experiences. Bars where new bands came to town were my favorite places to hang out where I saw and met numerous bands such as Green Day and Everclear, just to name a few.
I was also a college radio DJ and music director and had a wonderful and memorable opportunity to experience as much new music as possible and meet some great bands.
Business-wise, music is absent in my life but the passion of it makes up for the loss.
I currently am running a new internet streamed radio station called I Hate the 90s College Radio, where I am trying to emulate college radio that you would have heard back in the 90s, sans the monotone DJs. Its located here: http://myradiostream.com/ihatethe90s
I also run the blog I Hate the 90s which focuses on alternative/college radio bands that were playing and producing records back in the 1990s. I feel its important to remember the past and sometimes soak in the nostalgia it brings, and I try to evoke that from my blog. One thing that I think is humorous is that I am often taken for a guy so Im called dude, buddy, mate, and man. I get a kick out of it. LOL This brings me to believe there arent enough female music bloggers out there. Hopefully that will change in the future. Theres room for all out there in blogging land.
What do you think of the current state of music?
—
Im pretty picky about new music and am always looking for some new bands to dig. I do believe there are a lot of bands today that tend to have the same sound as many other bands. Others might contend that 90s bands also had some of the same type sounds and I can agree with that. Its always going to be that way when trends are grasped and followed. But what makes bands rise above others with my ear is something that will really grab me and blow my hair back! Anything that has a good beat and great guitar are good enough for me.
Some current bands I really enjoy listening to loud are Guyana Punch Line, Isis, Battles, Pelican, Fuck U Is My Name, Trend and Lavodrama.
Where do you think it’s heading?
—
Music is always evolving and goes through trends but I have to say Im a little pessimistic that many of these currently popular bands probably wont have staying power.
I hope that we bloggers will continue to play a big part in helping people discover new and old music as well. There are so many ways to access music now through different mediums that it can be overwhelming, but in a way fascinating as well. Were surrounded by innumerous electronic gadgets that are convenient to carry around and enable access to our favorite music at any time.
Compact discs, I believe, are on the way out. Vinyl has been making a huge comeback, however, even though it is relatively more expensive than CDs. People are still collecting vinyl and enjoying music through a very old medium thats been with us since the early 1900s. I find that amazing!
What are your favorite websites to discover new talent, any tips for our readers?
—
Occasionally I surf through blogs that offer newer music to try out. Also, Spotify plays a large part in what I hear. But Amazon works well for me by suggesting music to listen to and there are times when I will spend a couple of hours just checking out new bands Ive never heard of to see if there is something that makes me want to actually listen to the whole album. Once I find some bands, I head over to Spotify and check out the whole album.
Im still into punk rock and read magazines as well that focus on that genre and MaximumRockNRoll website and MRR Radio helps me keep tabs on my first love, punk.
What role will the internet play in the music industry future?
—
Without the internet, music industry will crumble and die a fiery death. Although thats a bit morbid, I do believe that is what would happen without the internet to bolster production and distribution of music and bands in particular.
Weve already seen how sites like Spotify, LastFM, and even more obscure Soundcloud can be a boon for bands trying to get out there and sell albums and promote their music. Today, its much easier to get your music out there and heard, and thats beautiful. The web has been a godsend for music. Currently, Ive personally discovered loads more bands than I ever would have discovered without having access to the internet. And just take a look at Discogs website where you can buy almost any album youre looking for and even hug nostalgia around the neck.
The music industry is doing well, I think, with the internet. Im excited to see what more the future will bring for music as a whole.
-end-
Bandmo would like to thank Michelle (i Hate The 90s) for taking the time to participate in this interview. Head to http://ihatethe90s.blogspot.com today.
Shameless plug: The Bandmo blog is brought you by Bandmo, the most awesome website generator for musicians. Need a website for your band? Create yours form start to finish in less than 5 minutes!
Posted: July 24th, 2012 | No Comments »
Bandmo interviews Jeffrey Tucker from http://ChantCafe.com
Introduce yourself to our readers. Who are you and what is your background?
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I’m Jeffrey Tucker and music is not my profession. I’m the executive editor of Laissez Faire Books, a service founded in 1972 that tends toward anarchism and pushes human rights and free markets. My formal education is in economics, but I come from a deeply musical background. Until I was 18 years old or so, I was absolutely certain that music would be the whole of my life. Then I changed. Or thought I did. It turns out that if you have a musical background, music is the whole of your life no matter what your official profession is. If you love music, music becomes the template for everything one does.
What relation do you have with music (past-time, passion, a business)?
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I’m the publications editor of the Church Music Association of America, the editor of the ChantCafe.com, and the publisher of many books on the topic of Gregorian chant and its polyphonic elaborations. My musical background is in jazz and classical. I was copying out Mahler scores from LPs when I was 12 years old and writing out the improvisations of Bill Watrous and Slide Hampton at the same age. These were my passions. I never thought I would do anything but be a jazz trombonist. Then one day I had an epiphany: I could actually do something else besides music. Economics enticed me. Long after I starting working in the economics field, I had a second epiphany: Gregorian chant is the purist form of music there is. Now I direct a choir that sings for Catholic liturgy. We sing chant (English and Latin) and polyphony (Renaissance and modern). What is the connection between music and economics? Economies work best in a world without despotism and power; chant and polyphony are types of music that have no master/slave relationships. This music is the perfect expression of universal human rights, or at least that’s the way my imagination sees them.
What do you think of the current state of music?
—
It’s never been better. There’s a greater variety of music available than ever before, and the industry has never been more profitable and universal. I’m thrilled to see services like Pandora, Spotify, Youtube, UStream, and so much more. It’s amazing to live through this period of phenomenal distribution. At the same time, this distribution is inspiring more and better performance and composition. It takes all forms from the most tactile to the highly digitized. It’s all wonderful. I’ve never been more excited about music and the arts than I am now. I speak more as an enthusiast and organizer than a creator, but it surely does excite me to see what is happening. My mind wanders and I imagine people like Guido D’Arezzo, Byrd, Brahms, Beethoven, and Bernstein looking down on us now and smiling with happiness at the range and universal reach of beautiful things in the world today.
Where do you think it’s heading?
—
It’s straight up from here, for all forms of music. Peer-to-peer is the theme of all things today, and it will be the same with music.
What are your favorite websites to discover new talent, any tips for our readers?
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I edit the chantcafe.com, and also have a strong affiliation with MusicaSacra.com. I adore Spotify and Pandora and can’t get enough of the live performances on Vimeo and Youtube. Can you believe all the amazing material that was once sheltered and now reaches such a vast audience?
What role will the internet play in the music industry future?
—
Once wonders how music survived before the Internet. What was once absent has now become the beating heart of the whole industry. It’s true that I’m romantically attached to the 19th century vision of music being played in every home, performed by absolutely everyone in some capacity. I worry today that people think music is for others to produce and for them to consume. But it is a temporary worry. As more and more opportunities become available, more people will be inspired to make music their profession or, at least, part of their serious study. I do believe that musical understanding is a gigantic source of wisdom in the world and part of the foundation for civilization. It can save the world.
-end-
Bandmo would like to thank Jeffrey Tucker for taking the time to participate in this interview. Head to http://ChantCafe.com today.
Shameless plug: The Bandmo blog is brought you by Bandmo, the most awesome website generator for musicians. Need a website for your band? Create yours form start to finish in less than 5 minutes!
Posted: July 24th, 2012 | No Comments »
Bandmo interviews Khal (rock The Dub) from http://www.rockthedub.com
Introduce yourself to our readers. Who are you and what is your background?
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My name is khal. I’m from New Jersey in the USA, and have been writing for a number of websites, although www.rockthedub.com is my main site.
What relation do you have with music (past-time, passion, a business)?
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My work with music started out as passion and has turned into more of a job. I used to write reviews to get pre-release music, now I have a few freelance gigs where I operate website content regarding different forms of music.
What do you think of the current state of music?
—
I think it’s great, content-wise, but the business of music is in a state of flux. Everyone is scrambling to figure out how to utilize the Internet to it’s fullest, and sometimes the views of the label don’t always work with the views of the artist. Interesting period, with a lot of opportunities for the right individual(s).
Where do you think it’s heading?
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I think the artist will have more options in terms of how they can/will be able to make a name for themselves. An artist could literally make their music and sell it on their own, without the need for a label or vehicle behind it. I could see more homegrown imprints and artists doing it for themselves, outside of the regular construct of the music industry.
What are your favorite websites to discover new talent, any tips for our readers?
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If you’re into Hip-Hop, I’d recommend sites like NahRight.com, 2DopeBoyz.com and others of that ilk. I’d recommend for readers to do some digging and find some sites that might not be on their radar, especially for new talent. Like rockthedub.com! 
What role will the internet play in the music industry future?
—
Huge. Videos and singles already premiere on YouTube and blogs, and with sites like Bandcamp, SoundCloud and other spots, it’s easier than ever to get your voice heard and your music sold – on your own. Artists will take the power back and either severely cripple the current structure or force the labels’ hands to make a better
-end-
Bandmo would like to thank Khal (rock The Dub) for taking the time to participate in this interview. Head to http://www.rockthedub.com today.
Shameless plug: The Bandmo blog is brought you by Bandmo, the most awesome website generator for musicians. Need a website for your band? Create yours form start to finish in less than 5 minutes!
Posted: July 24th, 2012 | No Comments »
Bandmo interviews Will Oliver from http://www.weallwantsomeone.org/
Introduce yourself to our readers. Who are you and what is your background?
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My name is Will. I live in Rockland County, New York. Its in the suburbs about 30 minutes out of New York City. I just graduated from Binghamton University, and have a pretty unhealthy obsession about music. I started running my blog after graduating high school, and am actually the only writer (for now).
What relation do you have with music (past-time, passion, a business)?
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I guess a combo of all three. Music has always been something Ive had a passion about. I just put my passion more to use one day when I was hanging out with a friend and decided that I wanted to find a way to share the music I was enjoying. I started a blog, and the rest is history. Its been nearly 4 years (the end of this month will be), and I havent looked back. Now I have a (small) hand in music, which is insane. But Ill always be a fan of music first. Its just the way it should be.
What do you think of the current state of music?
—
We live in a time where we can decide for ourselves what we like. If we choose to ignore all the generic mainstream stuff, we can. There is power to make smaller artists into big breakthrough acts. Sure, the popular charts arent great, and we seem to lack a generation identity, but you got to take the good with the bad. Everyone has a chance to succeed. This is something that wasnt possible even a few years ago. So theres plenty of potential out there.
Where do you think it’s heading?
—
Everyone is finally learning how to get along. With album streams, leaks being controlled, resources like Spotify, and labels offering digital services, its all coming together. Basically, the music world is learning how to adapt to the internet and the fast-paced needs of the consumers. I think we will see further progress with bands/labels working with the masses.
What are your favorite websites to discover new talent, any tips for our readers?
—
Good music message boards are great, as well as twitter. Find a good group of people who you trust, and build a network. Soon youll have a web of people that share youre taste, plus the ability to help you find new stuff that you wouldnt have necessarily found on your own.
What role will the internet play in the music industry future?
—
As I said before, the internet is changing the way music is sold and shared. It makes music more accessible. Youre going to see a lot of smaller bands and labels making big moves, and hopefully I will eventually be one of those people. Keep an eye out.
-end-
Bandmo would like to thank Will Oliver for taking the time to participate in this interview. Head to http://www.weallwantsomeone.org/ today.
Shameless plug: The Bandmo blog is brought you by Bandmo, the most awesome website generator for musicians. Need a website for your band? Create yours form start to finish in less than 5 minutes!
Posted: July 24th, 2012 | No Comments »
Bandmo interviews Ilya Sitnikov from http://ihrtn.com/
Introduce yourself to our readers. Who are you and what is your background?
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My name is Ilya (pronounced as Ee-ly-ah), I’m 28 years old (going on 29) and I was born in Russia, but moved to US when I was 17.
I’m a web developer by day, but music is my passion – I go to shows, I write reviews, I compile music by artists that I love and while I don’t play any instruments, I surely would love to learn how to do it in the future!
What relation do you have with music (past-time, passion, a business)?
—
Definitely a passion of mine – I’m not a part of the music business, nor am I affiliated with any music magazines.
I think that its a good thing – I can’t imagine being told what to write or talk about and most of the popular music magazines (as well as blogs) avoid talking about a lot of things that I like.
What do you think of the current state of music?
—
Pathetic.
Haha – ok, I’m just kidding.
Its not all that bad (though I’ll do just fine without hearing another note of Justin Bieber’s, Drake’s or LMFAO’s music) and I don’t want to sound like an old geezer.
There’s still great music out there, it just takes some time to find it – see last.fm, bandcamp etc etc
Where do you think it’s heading?
—
Record stores and record labels will die slow death – or at least their role will be greatly diminished.
I hope that there will still be a good few left standing (especially smaller labels and specialized stores such as Weirdo Records that we have here in Cambridge), but such corporate monsters as Virgin Megastore…I’d say “Good riddance” to them.
As far as general atmosphere, I’d say that pop, dance and rap music will probably rule charts for awhile, while rock music will not (save for bands like Foo Fighters, Coldplay and Killers as well as already established acts from 80s/90s).
I also think that even in 2022 independent musicians will still have a hard time finding their audience. All the best of luck to them, nonetheless.
What are your favorite websites to discover new talent, any tips for our readers?
—
One word – Bandcamp!
I certainly am amazed at the amount of great music that I find in there – whether its avant-garde/experimental, pop, indie or anything else.
Recently I also got into turntable.fm – website which allows anyone to become a virtual DJ and play his/her favorite tunes. I certainly discovered plenty of music there that I wouldn’t have heard otherwise.
Then there’s last.fm, which is great for finding bands in different categories.
Last, but not least – blogs!
My favorites are – Brainwashed, Ampeater, Anti-Gravity Bunny, Built On A Weak Spot, To Eleven, Tome To The Weather Machine, Clicky Clicky Music, Bradley’s Almanac, Dysonsound, and Ryan’s Smashing Life. You should also check out IHRTN’s blogroll page
(http://ihrtn.com/blogroll/) to check out more of blogs that I love (too many to mention here, really).
Other sites that I’m constantly inspired by include Epitonic and Free Music Archive (I should also mention WZBC – our local radio station, which have some incredible playlists and shows).
What role will the internet play in the music industry future?
—
I still think that a lot of people download music via file-sharing programs – its no secret to anybody.
But hopefully more people will move away from downloading entire albums by artists that are just starting out – after all, there are plenty of places where you can download free music now and you don’t necessarily have to destroy people whose living depends on record sales (no
matter how dismal they might turn out to be).
Go to shows, support your favorite artists, support smaller labels and don’t feed the corporate ogre! That last part is a must.
Yes – its tough out there with the economy being the way it is right now (not everyone can afford to splurge $300 on Morrissey tickets – har har har), but at least you’ll know that you did your part in promoting your favorite band/artist.
-end-
Bandmo would like to thank Ilya Sitnikov for taking the time to participate in this interview. Head to http://ihrtn.com/ today.
Shameless plug: The Bandmo blog is brought you by Bandmo, the most awesome website generator for musicians. Need a website for your band? Create yours form start to finish in less than 5 minutes!
Posted: July 24th, 2012 | No Comments »
Bandmo interviews James Eldred from http://www.lostturntable.com
Introduce yourself to our readers. Who are you and what is your background?
—
My name is James Eldred, and I run the music blog The Lost Turntable. I started it in 2006 as both a means to write about music on a regular basis, and to share out-of-print and hard to find songs from my own record collection. When I’m not writing for my blog I work as a freelance journalist and proofreader, the latter of which pays the bills.
What relation do you have with music (past-time, passion, a business)?
—
I don’t play music, but writing about music is a past-time, passion and a business for me. Its a fun past-time and a rewarding passion. Not a very profitable business though.
What do you think of the current state of music?
—
I’m not happy with it. Things have gotten far too stagnant. The bubble bursting on the major labels may have done more harm than good. Since no one with a budget is willing to take a chance on a unique or groundbreaking act, the major labels stick to what’s “safe.” That’s how a band like Shinedown can have a top 20 single in 2012. And with the indie marketplace so overcrowded, bands that would have had a real chance of establishing a sustainable audience just 15 years ago are getting lost in the shuffle.
Where do you think it’s heading?
—
We’re well overdue for a shakeup, but I don’t know if it will happen. I feel like I’ve been saying that since the late 90s. Honestly, wherever it’s headed now I can’t imagine it’s any good. But maybe I’m just an old man telling kids to get off my lawn. Who knows.
What are your favorite websites to discover new talent, any tips for our readers?
—
I would tell your readers to stop putting so much stock in what music blogs and magazines say…and I’m saying that as a music journalist. Go to concerts, check out the opening acts. Ask your friends what they listen to. Talk to the clerks at your local record stores. (Additionally, go to your local record stores and support the bands you like.) That’s how I discover most of the acts I listen to. The rest I find through my local radio stations. Pittsburgh is blessed to have three amazing independent, free-form radio stations.
What role will the internet play in the music industry future?
—
I think we’re finally starting to reach the breaking point in the ways that the Internet can affect/damage the music industry. Any additional ways that it does change the music industry will probably be bad for it though.
-end-
Bandmo would like to thank James Eldred for taking the time to participate in this interview. Head to http://www.lostturntable.com today.
Shameless plug: The Bandmo blog is brought you by Bandmo, the most awesome website generator for musicians. Need a website for your band? Create yours form start to finish in less than 5 minutes!
Posted: July 24th, 2012 | No Comments »
Bandmo interviews Nancy Lu from http://discobelle.net
Introduce yourself to our readers. Who are you and what is your background?
—
Hola! My name is Nancy and I’m from Austin, Texas but I’m currently living in New York City. I dabble in music writing for Discobelle (discobelle.net) as well as All Things Go (allthingsgomusic.com). I like frozen yogurt, gaudy jewelry, high-waisted shorts, and big hair.
What relation do you have with music (past-time, passion, a business)?
—
All of the above? Music for me started as a passion. I grew up singing and somehow down the road that translated into writing about music.
What do you think of the current state of music?
—
This is a great question and one that I actually like to ask artists in interviews. Social media and the Internet has made music more accessible than ever. People now can directly connect with artists through Facebook and Twitter and traditional media formats are becoming obsolete. Artists no longer are able to make a living solely off of single or album sales and now it’s more about promotions, tours, and branding.
Where do you think it’s heading?
—
I think we’re already seeing the beginning of the future of music in artist collaborations with ad agencies and CPG brands. Where once we would’ve seen industry folks shaking their heads at A-Trak doing a commercial for Grey Goose we now accept it as the new status quo. I think for most people it still comes as a surprise to see an “underground” artist on a mainstream platform, but nobody’s getting mad about it or questioning the artist’s “street cred” or legitimacy. In some ways, it’s now a marker of how successful the artist is. I see underground buzz band artists getting courted by more companies, whether it be for Nike, Absolut, or for scoring a new film. Music has become the new “cool factor” and everyone wants a piece of it.
What are your favorite websites to discover new talent, any tips for our readers?
—
Well Discobelle and All Things Go of course. I also like blogs like Gotta Dance Dirty, Harder Blogger Faster, Too Many Sebastians, Disco Demons, etcetc. Just go for what you like. When you listen to it, you’ll just know.
What role will the internet play in the music industry future?
—
I think the internet is becoming more of a driving force in shaping the future of the music industry. Music blogs started mostly as a way for individuals to share with friends current tracks and albums that they’re listening to, but they’ve evolved into being the go-to source for people to discover new artists.
-end-
Bandmo would like to thank Nancy Lu for taking the time to participate in this interview. Head to http://discobelle.net today.
Shameless plug: The Bandmo blog is brought you by Bandmo, the most awesome website generator for musicians. Need a website for your band? Create yours form start to finish in less than 5 minutes!
Posted: July 24th, 2012 | No Comments »
Bandmo interviews Tim (the Blue Walrus) from http://www.thebluewalrus.com/
Introduce yourself to our readers. Who are you and what is your background?
—
I’m Tim, editor of music blog The Blue Walrus and more recently editor of digital newspaper The Descrier. I started music blogging whilst at university as a way to share my latest musical crushes and mixtapes with a wider audience and it has all exploded out of there. I thought I might want to do music law and did the relevant postgrad qualifications before deciding I actually had a passion for digital start-ups, which is why I founded The Descrier.
What relation do you have with music (past-time, passion, a business)?
—
I’ve been interested in the interplay between music and new technology since my early teens whether that is playing in bands or creating websites about producing music. I spend far too much time at gigs and festivals on the lookout for the next great band, writing about them on The Blue Walrus, putting together mixtapes, and putting on and DJing at the odd live show. It’s a passion, and I’ve built that into part of my business by getting some of my favourite other music bloggers on board for the music section for The Descrier
What do you think of the current state of music?
—
With anyone being able to record that song in their head with laptops, iPads, and the like we are seeing an explosion in the range and volume of music being recorded and shared. I think the quality of the best bands and artists is as good as it ever was, but we have a lot more musicians snapping at their heals and finding an audience. The music industry is a different matter – the indie labels are doing fine, but the value of the majors was always in distribution and that no longer exists as a problem. The shake-up is far from over.
Where do you think it’s heading?
—
I think the end of the super-rich artists is coming to a close and the market will continue to become more segmented as the wealth of music available within a few clicks means that everyone can listen to music they actually want to. I hope blogs and radio, such as BBC 6Music and Amazing Radio, continue to offer people a way into discovering new music so that they listen and discover outside their comfort zone. It is getting ever easier to keep your listening within your own bubble, especially with algorithms choosing your playlists, and we should fight to continue to find beauty in being surprised.
What are your favorite websites to discover new talent, any tips for our readers?
—
There are some fantastic music blogs about, but my daily reads include Breaking More Waves, The Recommender, Song, by Toad, Disco Naivete, Abeano and obviously all the music blogs involved with The Descrier as a source
What role will the internet play in the music industry future?
—
It will continue to make finding an audience easier and finding profits harder.
-end-
Bandmo would like to thank Tim (the Blue Walrus) for taking the time to participate in this interview. Head to http://www.thebluewalrus.com/ today.
Shameless plug: The Bandmo blog is brought you by Bandmo, the most awesome website generator for musicians. Need a website for your band? Create yours form start to finish in less than 5 minutes!
Posted: July 24th, 2012 | No Comments »
Bandmo interviews Electro Station Promo from http://electrostation.net/
Introduce yourself to our readers. Who are you and what is your background?
—
Electro Station site kicked off back in 2005 with its founder Miksa. Later came along Voodoo and
Alex with a few more writers like Abdelack and many contributors. We are all different in music taste
but our main moto is quality over popularity therefore we are not going posting mainstream tunes
unless they are quality by our standards.
Our background size years back when we were young fellas. Ultimately we caught up together and
stayed for almost 7 years now.
What relation do you have with music (past-time, passion, a business)?
—
We are all music lovers. We spend more time listening to music than making it. There are so
many talented artists out there and theres something magically when you find talented 16 year old
producer (like Madeon few years ago) with great tunes and seeing him (and them) making success.
We also have DJ experience and all around label job therefore we are pretty packed up. Just lazy. 
What do you think of the current state of music?
—
As for house music, we are seeing deep house and soulful regaining its strength. It is almost
mainstream seeing deep house tunes getting more and more official videos and deep house artists
getting the spotlight on big events. On the other side the thing with Skrillex will for sure be interesting
to follow, even though dubstep is hated a lot, the fusion of dubstep, complextro, electro, reggae, hip-
hop and drumnbass that he posses and plays it his sets will for sure refresh the scene. Genres that
are already going down are tech house and electro-progressive. People are bored with that stuff.
Whatever happens it all goes in circles. One genre becomes more popular one year, other next one
and so on.
Where do you think it’s heading?
—
There are really talented young artists and fresh blood that already has history and taste in good
music. Where can all that go is a matter of their creativity. As we mentioned earlier main genres will
be deep house and fusion of dubstep with other genres. Also Iberican house is getting strong and nu-
disco can always surprise. Who knows really?
What are your favorite websites to discover new talent, any tips for our readers?
—
There are no particular pattern or place where you can find new talents. Just a lot of listening
to music, different radioshows, browsing around the stores, SoundCloud, sites like hypem and
even social networks. Remix competitions are also great place to hear many new talents. We
encourage talented artist to send us music and their work also on email. Therefore anyone can pop-up
anywhere. More important thing is to support that kind of artists when you find them and recognize
their potential. Dont listen just what is served as HOT PICKS or FEATURED ARTIST. Explore alone!
What role will the internet play in the music industry future?
—
Artists, labels, promoters and music fans never before had such an opportunity to
share and work together on different music projects. Internet is probably the greatest thing our
civilization invented. Whoever tries to limit it will fail in that.
-end-
Bandmo would like to thank Electro Station Promo for taking the time to participate in this interview. Head to http://electrostation.net/ today.
Shameless plug: The Bandmo blog is brought you by Bandmo, the most awesome website generator for musicians. Need a website for your band? Create yours form start to finish in less than 5 minutes!
Posted: July 24th, 2012 | No Comments »
Bandmo interviews Eric Vandenberg from http://ericvandenberg.net
Introduce yourself to our readers. Who are you and what is your background?
—
I’m a guitarist, it’s what I do for a living. Other than playing live and working solo and with different bands, I also teach a lot, have written an instructional book about lead guitar-techniques, I write reviews and an instructional column for a German guitar-magazine, and am an endorser for several companies that make guitar gear, doing clinics etc for them.
A few years ago, I also started a blog, which was, I guess, quite successful, but I eventually closed it down as it was tough to find enough time to post more often, and I just restarted it, trying to get it off the ground again. http://crankedguitar.wordpress.com/also, my website: www.ericvandenberg.net
What relation do you have with music (past-time, passion, a business)?
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All of that. Music and the guitar in particular has been my passion ever since I first picked it up at age 10, and since this is my job, the business-side is covered too. And of course, it’s a big part of my life, therefore it can be a past-time as well. Basically, it’s a huge and incredibly important part of my life, both being a musician and being a “consumer”, listening to music by others.
What do you think of the current state of music?
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There were a lot of sweeping changes, but I think it’s quite an exciting time, and if you love music, there are so many sources now to get it or find and explore new artists, styles, whatever.
There of course are always complaints and nay-sayers, but think about it… you have Youtube, Spotify,
all the stores, you can discover new stuff through social networking etc.
If you are are a musician yourself, you can record it much easier these days, and share it with the world.
I have heard a lot of great stuff created by someone in his or her bedroom with just a PC.
Sure, nothing is perfect, and of course, some things can go missing… the process of going to a record store, browsing through those records or CDs, taking home the album you just bought and listening to it for a while, giving it a chance to grow on you… that kinda thing goes missing when you have access to millions of albums that you can stream or purchase single tracks off, and it seems a lot of people are less willing to actually listen to full albums or give a song they might not “get” at first a few more spins.
But again… I think this is an exciting time, and even though the whole industry went through a huge change, I think there is nothing wrong with appreciating and enjoying the current state and just enjoy all those options to listen to old and new, major label or independent stuff that easily.
If your question is about music itself, like songs, hits, whatever… well, I really don’t check at Billboard a lot, but I do know there is a LOT of great stuff coming out all the time, whether you’re into “mainstream pop”, rock, country whatever. People wonder a lot about what the current trend is, or what the next hot trend will be (you know, how you had those different trends in the 70s, 80s, 90s etc), but I think maybe those won’t matter much anymore, because you can now have access to so much stuff, without having to rely on media sources (radio, TV, mags) only to tell you what is hip now.
Where do you think it’s heading?
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Style-wise, I assume it will be same ol, same ol…some hypes, some new trends which often are just a reoccuring thing, and of course there will always be artists who put out amazing, creative and heart-felt stuff, you just need to go out and discover it.
One of the side-effects of the current state of how things are, with the incredible amount of stuff available, is that sometimes, it can be tough to filter all those bands/artists, so sometimes, you have to be digging and searching a lot in order to find something that blows you away. But there ARE amazing people out there, and awesome new music…well-written stuff, good production, very heartfelt songs, even some trail-blazing things, you just have to go out and find it!
What I mean by that is, if you’re into, say, alternative rock, you fire up that MP3-store or Spotify or whatever, and you get gazillions of bands, so it will require a bit of searching until you find something new, unique or simply something that you really like, but it’s there!
What are your favorite websites to discover new talent, any tips for our readers?
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Actually, I love to get recommendations, so social networks are what I use… students bring in new stuff all the time (the first time I heard, for example, Animals as Leaders was when a student sent me a link. I went, listened to a few clips, then bought the album).
There are so many websites out there, and of course, you can use genre-specific ones (like album reviews on one of those) to find out about new stuff. That works too, but I don’t have a specific recommendation as I listen to a lot of different stuff.
FB and other networks can be a great source of fresh input, because someone might post a link to something you never heard of and it totally blows you away. What I DO recommend though is to always delve a bit deeper and check out more by an artist if you like one of their songs (this goes back to what I said about actually giving a whole album some time), listen to more of their music, and don’t just click through the first 3 seconds and go “Meh, don’t like”. It’s quite tempting to do that, of course, but a lot of songs I love, songs that mean a lot to me, I needed to listen to several times before they grew on me or before I really realized how great some of this stuff was.
What role will the internet play in the music industry future?
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A fundamental one, like it does already. I don’t want to give you a whole “You know, back in the day…” type speech, but I think it’s easy to forget how easy and convenient the net can be both as a musician and as a listener (and of course, in many other aspects as well).
The whole process of promoting yourself, getting your music heard, getting people to visit your show etc has changed so much, and so, if you are a musician, and you put in the extra work of spreading the word, you can go to a lot of places quickly.
I mean, look at it: You can record your songs at home, using all this recording software, and a lot of people actually make it sound great. You then share it on social media websites, you maybe make a video for it, nothing fancy or maybe something equally creative, and upload it on youtube. YOu can sell your song or album without having to go through a label, and some people really are quite successful that way.
As long as you are able to blend out and ignore the usual internet-rudeness (“armchair-snipers”, incredible rude comments putting down something that someone else put a lot of hard work and love into, is one of those bad sides of the web, and it’d be great if that’d go away, but I assume we will have to keep dealing with that, even though it’s a small prize to pay), you actually can get your music heard everywhere, and that’s wonderful.
-end-
Bandmo would like to thank Eric Vandenberg for taking the time to participate in this interview. Head to http://ericvandenberg.net today.
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