Indie Band Guru

Oct

Review – The Drums live at Webster Hall for The CMJ Music Marathon

By Indie Band Guru | Filed in Music You Should Know, Review

It was a tough choice after seeing almost too many shows but my favorite show of CMJ 2010 was The Drums at Webster Hall. Obviously I had heard The Drums record after all the buzz they had been getting but never saw any video of their live show. Not knowing exactly what to expect I decided to check out their show on Wednesday, Oct 20th. Let me tell you the full story….

Wednesday started with some CMJ panels and then the official press mixer at Hotel On Rivington. Good party, but I didn’t really know anyone so it was a little strange. Soon enough I met two other “lost souls” that seemed to not know anyone either. Alex, a writer for AOL Spinner, and Melissa, A DJ/writer from California.

cmj press mixer 300x230 Review The Drums live at Webster Hall for The CMJ Music Marathon

The music snob crew

It is great to meet other music snobs. We all wanted to check out The Drums/Surfer Blood show so off we went. We all assumed our press badges would get us into Webster Hall without a problem. Wrong! Seems we needed a seperate ticket to get upstairs to the main show. There were some lesser showcases that we got into on the lower floors but decided we must get into the show we wanted to see. We scoped out different ways to get upstairs but all were guarded by large security man. Until we discovered a back staircase with a velvet rope in front of it, but no guard. We went for it and made it, even strolling past some security as we got to the top of the stairs. Remember, just act like you belong! We were in and climbed to the balcony to get a better view right behind the sound board.

Now for the show. The Drums came out and the crowd erupted. The influence of 80′s new wave was immediate, as the band came out wearing satin jackets, converse Chuck Taylors, and rolled up jeans. Then they burst into music and the image was complete. Lead singer, Jonathan Pierce, slithered all over the stage, swinging the mic and singing on his tippy-toes. He made it hard for the audience to look away from him. Very engaging. He introduced the song It Will All End In Tears by saying “this is a song about a girl I hate very, very,very much.” I got a very ‘Joy Division’ feel from them, which is a very good thing in my opinion. Fun, upbeat dance music with semi-depressing lyrics. I recommend you go out and get their self titled album immediately and get to a live performance the next time they are within 100 miles of your hometown.

Here is a video of them performing their hit “Let’s Go Surfing”at KEXP’s day stage at the Ace Hotel, New York, as part of the CMJ music marathon 2010. Small stage with no room to move but hopefully you get the idea.

0 Review The Drums live at Webster Hall for The CMJ Music Marathon

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jasmincams posted on December 2, 2010
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Oct

The CMJ 2010 Experience For The Indie Band Guru

By Indie Band Guru | Filed in Indie Scene

Our Press badge for CMJ 2010

Ok, It’s time to catch our readers up on the CMJ 2010 experience. It has been a crazy week with no extra time to do anything. I attended a bunch of great panels and learned of some great new tricks for independent bands. They will all be shared in the coming weeks as I have time to sit down and transcribe my chicken-scratch notes. Prepare to learn so many new ideas to get your band to the next level that your head will spin. But just relax and take it 1 step at a time. If you put even some of these techniques to use your fanbase will grow.

We also made some great contacts throughout the music business and discovered some great new websites and services that can really help out your band and your career. I will introduce some great resources to you in upcoming posts. We also spoke to a lot of bands to get their take on CMJ 2010 as well as their experiences. They told us ideas that they have used that worked, and some that didn’t. All bands should share knowledge and help each other out. We are a community that will be stronger than the sum of our parts. That was an integral lesson of CMJ.

The other obvious great part of CMJ is all the great music. I got to see a ton of interesting bands playing at all kinds of venues. Some great shows, some not so great. It is always great to see a live performance though of a band you have heard but not seen. Sometimes the energy of a band will make me love them more (The Drums) but other times seeing a boring stage presence will reduce me to hardly even wanting to listen to a bands music anymore. The shows were exhausting though after a day of classroom panel learning, and left me no time to write, and barely enough time to sleep these past 5 days. Time to recuperate but keep on the lookout for great reviews, resources, and introductions over the next few weeks. Follow us now!

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Oct

Review – SEABEAR Live at The Royal Flush Festival

By Indie Band Guru | Filed in Review

Nowadays, music fans have become strange, uncategorizable beasts; to paraphrase Mr. Gump, you never know what you gonna get, especially at a music festival such as The Royal Flush Fest. When considering a prospective audience coming to see a three year old Icelandic indie-folk band, one might expect a small turnout of hardcore fans, maybe a handful of in-the-know bloggers tweeting as they sway to the rhythm of the music – I, for one, didn’t expect a full-capacity Highline Ballroom shouting back obscure song titles at frontman Sindri Már Sigfússon when, at the end of an exhilarating encore, he asked if there are any requests.

But that’s just the thing about Seabear. For whatever mysterious reason, there is something undeniably attractive in the kind of music they play. In fact, there is something almost too at home in their music: with prevalent 2/4 shuffles, sweeping violins and several traditional sounding song arrangements, they do Americana more easily and convincingly than many of their American equivalents.

This doesn’t go to say that Seabear are trying to be the next Byrds or Decemberists. In fact, it doesn’t seem that they’re trying to be the next anything at all. While it may be tempting to compare a song such as “Softship” to early Arcade Fire (what with the trumpet and violin, the chiming piano octaves, and the fact that there are seven people on stage, all of whom playing an instrument, most of whom singing as well) – other songs were just as prone to having entirely different arrangements, borrowing ideas from an entirely different source of inspiration. Sure, the occasional meandering, lulling xylophone sample was somewhat reminiscent of fellow Icelanders Múm. Sure, the dramatic soft-loud dynamic changes in “Warm Blood” endowed it with a poppier, less demented Pixie-esque quality. But none of that felt like copycatting; no influence was prevalent enough to easily pigeonhole Seabear.

Throughout the show – which was preceded by a well-received set from the spacier, slightly more energetic North Highlands – there was an air of expectation and engagement in the audience; it seemed peculiar because the band itself did not exude a particularly engaging atmosphere. Sigfússon joked around a bit (he has a marvelous Icelandic accent, which even more marvelously disappears when he beings to sing), and everybody else seemed intent on doing their job the best way they could; but as far as audience interaction goes, Seabear gave off a slight sense of arctic coolness (no pun intended). Regardless, they had the audience eating out of the palm of their collective hand. Perhaps the traces of Bluegrass in songs like “Wooden Teeth” felt instantly familiar; maybe “Cold Summer” brought back memories of the Gray’s Anatomy episode that ended with it; perhaps it was simply something in the air. Whatever it was, Seabear certainly delivered, giving the audience a long, enjoyable set of songs ranging from the notable to the obscure, the loud and indie to the hushed and unplugged, from the otherworldly to the band-next-door. And while their musical direction does not seem particularly set in stone at the moment, the songs themselves get the job done with flying colors.

-review and photos by Michael Hazani of Indie Band Guru

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Oct

Preview of Band Of Horses Album ‘Infinite Arms’

By Indie Band Guru | Filed in Music You Should Know

We know the latest Band Of Horses album Infinite Arms has been out for a little while now but we were able to secure the video for the song ‘Compliments’ as well as mp3 previews of ‘Laredo’ and ‘Factory’. There is also a Making of Infinite Arms video included. Take a look and listen and if you don’t own the album yet, go get it!

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Oct

Review – New Bronze EP is f**king fantastic

By Indie Band Guru | Filed in Music You Should Know, Review

Bronze is a new band, with a new EP and it’s fucking fantastic. A must have for indie pop rock lovers. Formed from remains of post-punk band Detachment Kit, out of Chicago, Charlie H. Davis and Ian Menard assembled Bronze in Brooklyn along with Jeff Birch and Ian MacDermut. Their debut show was at Brooklyn Bowl in early January of 2010 with Free Energy, who recently told Pitchfork Bronze was their “favorite new band”.

Bronze pic 300x300 Review New Bronze EP is f**king fantastic

Get a copy of the new Bronze EP free. Just click the pic

This five song self-titled EP has a tasteful balance of fleshed out electronic loops and live rock instrumentation. Influences range from New Order, Brian Eno and T. Rex- but their sound comes together in their own well-thought, multi-dimensional pop arrangements. With consistently strong vocal hooks and compelling harmonies on every track this is a no-skip recording.

Bronze opens with the track “Horses”, an enticing delayed electric guitar intro leading to the entrance of the ‘take action’ drumbeats. Another solid track, “Sunny Day,” has a wistful vocal break that seems to fade out down an empty urban street. “Count To Two” stands out on it’s own, containing more of a standard rock band format in the vain of the late Detachment Kit, but with some fresh, smart background ooohs and awwhs intertwined with lead vocals. The song ends and your body lingers, dangles between tracks, waiting for the next song to kick in so you can keep moving.

Bronze delivers a solid release here and the best thing about it is that you can down load it for free at www.bronze.bandcamp.com. Get some new music into your shuffle, you wont regret this one, Bronze also has some cool shows coming up at CMJ this year. You can see them live OCT 20 @ Public Assembly, OCT 21 @ Pianos or OCT 23 at the Deli Magazine Showcase @ Spike Hill. This is a great new band to follow, stay up to date here: www.myspace.com/bronzemusic or on Facebook.

And don’t forget to tell everyone you heard about Bronze from Indie Band Guru first!

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steph posted on October 11, 2010
because they're siiiiiickkk love them!

Oct

Why Aren’t Your Kids Playing Musical Instruments Yet?

By Indie Band Guru | Filed in News

It has been proven over and over again, by more studies than we can list, that music lessons for children help them achieve more success than their peers that do not get musical training. So why isn’t every kid taking music lessons? Why are music programs being eliminated in schools nationwide?

The most talked about benefit is that music lessons help children in school. Numerous studies show children who play an instrument, score higher on both standard and spatial cognitive development tests alike. In IQ tests after a year of musical training, scores for the children learning music increased an additional 2.5 points, over children with the same schooling who were taking drama lessons instead.

Another often witnessed benefit of music instruction is increasing a child’s self-esteem. We all know learning to play an instrument is hard work and takes dedication. Not only does mastering a song increase a child’s self-esteem, but showcasing their newly learned talents at recitals can boost their self esteem as much as winning a game in a sports competition. Lessons also help kids to learn how to keep a positive outlook when facing difficult tasks.

I personally suggest guitar lessons. A guitar is extremely portable and a kid can practice and learn in all sorts of environments. We all want our kids to be popular, right? Lets face it, knowing how to play a guitar means that your child will always have a way to entertain and impress his friends, especially when he/she gets to be of High School age. Playing the guitar can be a real help in a teen’s social life, and it will give him/her the additional confidence that goes along with it.

Many music schools for children have been popping up ever since the Jack Black film School of Rock. This is great for everyone involved. One I have seen that looks phenomenal is Chicos School Of Rock in California. They are even in talks to introduce music lessons for kids right over the internet. What could be easier than that?

The bottom line is that we have to introduce our children to music and our love for it, at as early an age as possible. With all the benefits proven, how can we afford not too. I have a 1 year old at home and have been singing and making music with her since she could sit up. It is great fun for the both of us and a great bonding experience. We found a great show on Nick Jr. called Jack’s Big Music Show that I strongly recommend to anyone with kids. She loves it and it is actually not too bad to watch for an adult as well. Enjoy music—-with your kids.

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Jamie Frampton posted on January 28, 2011
Thanks for a useful article!
Scottie Blogg posted on January 25, 2011
I must express thanks to this writer for bailing me out of this particular scenario. Just after looking through ...
Acoustic Violin posted on December 15, 2010
Well, things are not so easy and free. Be ready to spend some of your time for your kid, and ...

Oct

How To Market Your Band with The Nico Blues

By Indie Band Guru | Filed in Knowledge To Get Known, Music You Should Know

Indie Band Guru wanted to introduce you to another hard-working band that has their shit together and seems just about ready to take off. We recently had the chance to speak with NY/NJ alternative rock band The Nico Blues about promoting themselves, gaining a fanbase, and their take on the independent music scene today.

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Here are their words that they wanted to share with the Indie band Guru readers:

-Basically, The Nico Blues strategy right now is to play as many shows as we can and sell our CD’s for $5 each at shows to get it in the hands of as many people as we can. However, unlike most bands we have our music up on our website for free download. As a relatively unknown indie band, this is the best way to gain fans. Get your music on their IPods and computers. The music can also be streamed so the only people downloading it are people that geniunely dig the music. Sometimes we’ll play two shows in a day. One time this summer the band played in Philly on Friday night, Queens Saturday afternoon, and Baltimore Saturday night. The reasoning for this is that for the most part we’re not playing any amazing places. Aside from shows in NYC and North Jersey, we’re usually playing dive bars or relatively dilapidated places. However, the more shows a band plays, the greater the chance of some of those shows being good. The truth is that we’ve played some amazing shows for crazy kids in dive bars, while in other dive bars we’ve played for practically no one besides the sound guy. Actually, the first song on our album “Three’s A Crowd” is about playing your heart out no matter how few people are there to see you. Any band that wasn’t born in to having some sort of connection in the music industry can certainly relate.

Bands also need to utilize social networks like Facebook and Twitter. We’ve actually gained a lot of fans from both and its a perfect way to stay in touch and relate to your fanbase. Showing that you care about them as much as they care about you will only benefit the band. Also, emailing music blogs and hoping that the people behind the blog like the music is a great way to get exposure. A lot won’t answer, some will say it’s not their thing, but, if you’re good, there will be some blogs that will promote the band. Music blogs have a HUGE impact on up-and-coming artists and 9 out of 10 times, they’re the ones who know about a great band first.

Finally and perhaps most important, up-and-coming bands need to be nice to everyone they meet, for the most part. You can’t be a primadonna jerkoff and expect people to like you. If you’re nice to people and other bands, then they’ll ask you to be a part of their shows. It really goes a long way in booking yourself. Punk rock is freedom and you don’t have to play “punk rock” to share in its ideals. However, all DIY indie bands need to share in its idealism. In my humble opinion, anyone looking to start a band should read the book “Our Band Could Be Your Life” by Michael Azerrad. He’s a great writer and it is one of the most inspiring books I’ve ever read. Not to mention, every band mentioned in that book is amazing.

-The Nico Blues are an alternative rock band from New York/New Jersey. The band has just released their debut album on their own Tiny Giant Records imprint titled “Blame the Boredom, Blame the Basements”. This album was recorded, produced, and mixed by the band in their home studio. The Nico Blues are influenced by rock, folk, and punk bands from the 1950’s to 2010. All of their music can be downloaded free at their website TheNicoBlues.com

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Lloyd Seal posted on January 20, 2011
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Genie Leclaire posted on January 17, 2011
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Sep

Finding And Targeting New Fans

By Indie Band Guru | Filed in Knowledge To Get Known

We all know that building a fanbase is one of the hardest things for a new indie band to do. In today’s world it is no longer just make great music and the fans will come. There is too much competition. Not only in other bands, but in other entertainment opportunities. Let’s face facts, people do not just go to the clubs anymore without knowing which bands are even playing, hoping to find a gem. Many music fans will just sit on their computer, home alone, scour the internet, and listen to music in the comfort of thier own computer chair. This is the curse (of the otherwise great for indie bands) internet!

The main purpose of this article is to identify potential new fans. Take a listen to your music and try to identify the perfect fan. Why do they want to be a fan of your music? This is where you will find your target audience.

Take a good look at the current fans that you do have. What similarities do they have? Are they tattooed or muscular or shy? Where do they hang out when not at one of your shows? What other bands do they listen to? What do they do with their free time? These are the questions to ask yourself, and if possible, ask the current fans that you can speak with. They will be more than happy to answer your questions and in fact will feel special that you considered them important enough to value their answers. This is where you build a strong artist-fan relationship. Put them to work for you.

Using these answers determine ways to find people similar to your current fans that have not had a chance to hear your music yet. Find the niches where you will find these new fans. Define your buying audience as narrowly as possible. If many of your fans have tattoos, go to some local tattoo shops and speak with people there, especially the people that work there. Maybe the shop would play your CD in the store. Maybe you can play a show right in the shop to benefit both the tattoo parlor and your band. Find opportunities where everybody wins.

Now find media outlets that cater to your target fan. Which magazines or websites do your potential fans read? It does not have to be a music related media outlet, in fact it is better if it is not. This will make for less musical competition in getting your band featured in that magazine or website. Find the editors of these media outlets and pitch them your music. Have a story and explain how your band could be a benefit to them. Tell them many of your fans speak very highly of their articles and suggested you approach the magazine/website for a feature article. It is much easier than you think.

The bottom line is that there are opportunities to find many new fans in places besides the venue you play your Saturday night gig at. Use these sources and alternative venues to reach these fans and turn them on to your music. Then they will be at your next Saturday night gig and you will build the buzz you have been trying to.

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Sep

Is NYC Ready For CMJ?

By Indie Band Guru | Filed in Indie Scene, Knowledge To Get Known

Yes it is that time of year again. A great time to be a resident of the greatest city in the world, New York, NY. I recently told you about the Royal Flush Festival, which looks great, but then comes the behemoth that is The 30th annual CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival. In a span of only 5 days (Oct. 19th – Oct 23rd) there will be over 1200 live performances in more than 75 of New York City’s greatest venues and theaters.

Here is a small sampling of the bands playing:

Phoenix, GZA, UNKLE, Black Sheep, John Vanderslice, Cute Is What We Aim For, Justin Townes Earle, Black Label Society, Corin Tucker Band, Dan Black, Eli “Paperboy” Reed, Freddie Gibbs, Frankie and the Heartstrings, Adam Haworth Stephens, Cults, Oberhofer, Baths, Blood Red Shoes, Extra Lens, The Bogmen, Clutch, Francis and the Lights, Screaming Females, Franz Nicolay, Children of Bodom, Wild Nothing, Dom, Marit Larsen, Good Old War, Reggie Watts and BRAHMS.

as well as:

DeVotchKa, Surfer Blood, Two Door Cinema Club, School of Seven Bells, Bad Books (feat. Kevin Devine and Manchester Orchestra), Four Tet, The Drums, Ghostface Killah, Greg Dulli, Helmet, Lissie, Foreign Exchange, Kristen Schaal & Friends, Dean & Britta, Bayside, Senses Fail, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Salem, The Blow, Small Black, Big Freedia, Dominique Young Unique, Angus & Julia Stone, Frankie and the Heartstrings, Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr, and Langhorne Slim.

(I highlighted a few shows that I will not be missing)

Another awesome feature that I love about CMJ is the panels. It is great to sit in a classroom setting with ‘teachers’ that are some of my idols in the music business teaching lessons that I am excited to learn. (If only school had been that way).

Some of the Panels at CMJ 2010 are:

A Camera And Some Balls; How To Shoot Rockstars
American Hardcore and the Rise of Modern Rock
Combating Audience A.D.D.
Controlling the Pipeline; Net Neutrality and the Level of Access
Creative and Engaging Campaigns Around Your Live Show
Curmudgeons of Rock
Follow The Spot; The Music Industry’s Madmen
Get It Together: Real Life Strategies for Artists and Songwriters

How to Start a MovementHow To Sell 500 Tickets In 5 Markets
International Rational
Kickstart Your Email Marketing
L.E.S. Music Means More Indie Rock
Location Is Everything
Love What You Do; Never Work A Day In Your Live
Managing Without Borders
No Conflict No Interest
Reality Killed The Video Star

So You Want To Be A Music Blogger; Who Cares?

Start Me Up
Take a Left at the Label: D.T.F.
The Future of the Music Business? Really?
The Lean and Mean Label Machine
The Mindset of the Venue Booker
The Modern Day R.O.I. Rogers
The Power and Possibilities of Interactive Audio
The Zeros and Ones of Music Creation
Who Brought The P.A.?

In addition to all that there will be over 120,000 music fans crowding the city as well. This is a great chance to get out there and meet the people that will come to your shows and an even greater chance to promote to them all in one place. You should be there if you are reading this blog and have a chance to get to NYC.

Get in touch and let us know what shows you will be attending. Maybe we can get a drink together.

For more info on the CMJ Music Marathon and updated lines and schedules go to www.cmj2010.com

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Tyrone Wigelsworth posted on September 24, 2010
Hello This is my first time I come across to your website and sincerely, your website are amazing blog with surround ...

Sep

NYC Welcomes Another Great Indie Music and Film Fest, The Royal Flush Festival

By Indie Band Guru | Filed in Indie Scene

Yes, yes, we know there is some fantastic music festival coming to NYC at the end of October. But definitely don’t miss out on this one first. The Royal Flush Festival returns with another highly anticipated and eclectic lineup of independent films, live rock performances, and underground art events taking place October 11-18 at Knitting Factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and other venues throughout the city.

Named after Royal Flush Magazine, (the nationally-distributed rag that celebrates underground music, art, video games, pop-culture and indie movies), the Royal Flush Festival offers great value for a festival in New York. The full week of events are at a fraction of the cost of some other festivals. During the festival, Royal Flush Magazine will reveal Book 7 featuring on its two covers, rock superstar and horror movie director Rob Zombie, as well as the cast of FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, respectively. Zombie will sign copies of Royal Flush Magazine Book 7, and the bonus edition of Hellbilly Deluxe 2 at Forbidden Planet in Manhattan on October 11.

Most of the events will be at The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. I love that venue. “We’re really psyched to be taking over Knitting Factory this year. It’s the perfect spot to present our collection of both indie film and rock & roll,” said Jim Muscarella, Royal Flush Festival Film Programmer & Co-Director.

The film everyone must see is being screened at The Knitting Factory on Wednesday, October 13th. Downtown Calling, narrated by Deborah Harry, takes a look at NYC and the economic turmoil in the late 1970′s during which the underground music and art scene exploded. Here is the trailer:

0 NYC Welcomes Another Great Indie Music and Film Fest, The Royal Flush Festival

As for Music, Thursday, October 14th will feature an event we do not want to miss. The Royal Flush Indie Music Showcase at Brooklyn Bowl. Featured bands will be Black Taxi, Kid Savant, and Lifted Crew all for only a $5 cover. You can’t beat that anywhere in NYC.

For full details and to find out about all the other events that are part of the Royal Flush Festival check out the official site at www.royalflushfestival.com See you there!

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HelenHigh5 posted on November 28, 2011
Nice read! Your post is well put together. You get straight and to the point. I hate it when the ...

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