Bandloop launches iPhone App

Bandloop announced today from SxSW the release of their iPhone app, a global, geo-located concert listings for bands and venues that allows music enthusiasts to quickly find live music shows - from local bars to stadium concerts.  I haven't tried it, but it looks really nice - congrats guys!  Here are some of its features:

• Automatically detects where you are, zooming into your vicinity without having to type in your location
• Fast-loading interactive map
• Represents as many artists as possible, no matter how underground they are
• Website links and MySpace images provided for almost every artist

Eddie's Attic on NPR

NPR Radio of Atlanta (WABE: 90.1 FM) produced a short story about open mic night at Eddie's Attic. It's a good quick listen for anyone interested in the history of this legendary venue that has helped launch the careers of several national acts for almost 20 years, like Shawn Mullins, Jennifer Nettles and John Mayer. If you're interested in performing and competing at the Open Mic Shootout, you'll need to contact them months in advance due to demand.

Indecision Live Stream: 02.07.09

One of the bands I've been working with for over 15 years, Indecision is performing in Atlanta at Smith's Olde Bar next Saturday, February 07 and I'm going to stream their show. So if you're into that kind of music, you'll be able to watch it live on Ustream. If you've never heard of them, you can sample their music here, or download some of their live shows here. Here's one from the Valentine Museum in Richmond, VA:

Rumblefish Agreement with YouTube is Most Significant Music Tech Deal of 2008

This afternoon I reflected a little bit on the last 12 months of news from the music tech industry, and I would submit that the Rumblefish Agreement with YouTube is the most significant music tech deal of 2008. A bold claim? Maybe, but hundreds of millions of people are watching billions of videos each month when you consider the entire global Internet population. That's a ton of potential revenue for artists and labels working with Rumblefish, and the deal will surely bring thousands of new artists to Rumblefish.

Another way to look at this deal is to conduct a simple search for videos on YouTube. It seems there are are currently about 360 million videos on YouTube. Even if you cut that number in half to account for duplicates, vlogs, channels, removed videos, erroneous search results etc., you're still talking about 120 million plus videos, and growing every minute, a trajectory that seems to be in line with Kansas State University's YouTube statistics from January through March of 2008.

It's easy to see that these numbers represent substantial revenue opportunities for the music industry, and I'm excited for artists, as this agreement will become an easy way for individuals to incorporate legal music into their videos.

So hats off to Rumblefish!

Live Concert from YouTube Tonight at 8:00PM EST

Another step towards the end of television as we know it will take place tonight as YouTube broadcasts its first live concert in about one hour.... Will Google be able to stream high quality video and sound with millions of simultaneous connections?  It should be interesting to watch... Commander Google, you have the Con.

Plastic Lennon Band: John Lennon Anniversary Show

December 8th, 2008 will mark the 28th Anniversary of the tragic death of John Lennon.  Atlanta based multi-instrumentalist, Lee Schwartz, who is a founding member/drummer of Outformation is fronting a tribute show to celebrate the life and music of the late John Lennon.  The show will be a snapshot of John's music with the Beatles and as a solo artist, performed by a stellar group of musicians for one night only:

Lee Schwartz (Outformation) as John Lennon on Guitar
Benji Shanks (Captain Soularcat, Last Waltz Ensemble) on Lead Guitar
Tony Giordano (Ancient Harmony, Tommy Talton Band, Captain Soularcat) on Piano/Keys
Shawn McCrystal  (Indecision, Wombat) on Bass    
Kevin Rustchman (Last Waltz Ensemble, Wombat) on Drums

When:  December 8, 2008
Venue: Smith's Olde Bar
City:    Atlanta, GA
Price:  $10 + 2 cans of food for the Atlanta Community Food Bank
Time:  doors open at 8pm, show starts at 9pm

Btw, I normally don't make these kinds of posts, but these guys are friends of mine with tons of talent, so it's going to be a very good show, one you definitely will want to see, and it's for a good cause.

Live Music Archive Revisited

Over the weekend, I re-explored archive.org and their Live Music Archive for the first time in over a year. I was impressed with some of the changes they've incorporated through their integration with etree.org (a lossless live show repository I've been using since 2000). For example, you can now stream most live concerts that have been uploaded, or even embed them on your site. That's a great free widget for bands trying to build a following, as you can introduce potential new fans to your live music directly on your blog with ease. Here's an example of a show from Gomez:



Your fans can also sign-up to receive RSS alerts for newly added recordings of your live shows by other fans. Here's an example for Ween (located under their photo). It's also a great way to see what your fans think about your live shows, like Jack Johnson's recent performance at Bonnaroo (scroll down to the bottom of the page).

There has certainly been a great deal of discussion about free music and the potential benefits it has on generating new listeners and larger audience attendance. For some bands, it does seem to have a positive impact, for others, little to none. So my only suggestion to Archive is that they allow an option for bands to sell their downloads if they like. But until that happens, Maybe the Live Music Archive is where you allow your fans to freely exchange your live shows, but not your studio work or commercial recordings - there are scores of bands on Archive doing just that. Not to mention, most recordings are in high-quality lossless formats like SHN or FLAC, even 24-bit FLAC, and most bands have MP3 files as well, so this should suit everyone from the general music enthusiast to the audiophile. However, with any music repository, there are some potential licensing issues to consider, so you may want to seek guidance from an attorney first.

To get started allowing your fans to record and upload your live shows, just send archive.org an email. To learn how to upload music, go here, or if you have additional questions check out their FAQ.

Separately, from a consumer's perspective, there are literally thousands of live shows from hundreds of bands you can download. Chances are, one of your favorite artists has a show there for you to download.

Second Life, More than a Promotional Tool for Artists: Interview with Grace Buford (A.K.A. Cylindrian)

For several months I've wanted to interview an artist or band successfully using Second Life. A couple of weeks ago, Timothy Moenk sent me a link about a podcast that Rusty Tanton and Amber Rhea recently created on the Georgia Podcast Network with Grace Buford, an Atlanta based singer/songwriter. During this artist interview, Grace, A.K.A. Cylindrian, talks about her experience as a musician using Second Life to market her music. Her insight on how Second Life is helping her connect with new fans and promote her music is helpful, and so, I edited the original podcast and distilled it down to 10 minutes of her comments about Second Life, which you can  listen to here.

Not only is Second Life providing a global, real-time platform for showcasing her music, but Grace is also building a world-wide virtual following. This virtual audience interaction is also convenient and profitable, as Grace can perform on-line as much or as little as she wants, and when she wants, without travel expenses like food, lodging and gas.

Grace is primarily using Second Life as a way to build her brand, get new gigs and for broadcasting, like her IRL live shows and rehearsals. When Grace mentioned this, it occurred to me that Second Life is a great way to publish content to a potential fan community, as well as engage in one-to-one relationships with your existing fans, deepening your fans' loyalty to you. It's also a great way to get feedback on your new songs before you even release them. Who knows, one of your fans may just give you some feedback that's the difference between your song being average, and becoming a hit.

Second Life could also be a good avenue for artists to connect with one another in different parts of the country, helping each other with gigs in geographic areas where they have not yet played. You could also use Second Life to tap into fans that have never heard of your band by visiting the existing virtual communities in Second Life where people gather to listen, see and chat about other artists in your genre.

Towards the end of  this interview, Grace raises a great question... If Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Second Life, etc. are not increasing an artist's fan base or revenue, is it worth it to spend the time managing these promotional tactics? My response is that good music always finds a way to rise to the top, and if one is spending a ton of time marketing their music with little return, than it might be time to pursue another career, because if people don't like your music than marketing it is not going to help you sell it.

If you're an artist and have Second Life successes you would like to share on this blog, please contact me as I would like to post your experiences.

Increase Fan Participation with BackNoise

If you're looking to create on-line conversations on-the-fly that will enhance your band's live performances and build a stronger fan community, than check out BackNoise. Essentially, it's a free, ad-hoc backchannel service that allows you to create real-time conversations about anything in less than 5 seconds. All you do is either join a conversation already in progress or create one by typing out the name - it's that easy!

There are a number of ways to use this conversation app., from interviews to meetups and touring discussions, but here's an example of how to use it for your live performances:
1) Go to BackNoise and create your band's conversation. You can name it whatever you want, but it might be best to name it after your band to make it easier for your fans to find. For example,  http://backnoise.com/eels. Again, BackNoise does not require you to create an account, as the service is entirely anonymous, so this step should take less than 5 seconds to do.
2) Create an iFrame with your BackNoise URL and post it on your web site, blog, video streaming site, etc. so folks can access the conversation directly from your sites.
3) Send out an email with the URLs to your fan base letting them know you're going to have free, open conversations available during your shows for everyone watching online via sites like Synchronicity Live or Ustream. Also send them the RSS feed (e.g. backnoise.com/eels.rss), the iFrame code in case anyone wants to add the conversation on one of their own sites (nice viral aspect ), and for those attending the show, let them know that they can also access the conversation from their web enabled phone. That's it, but you may also want to remind your audience as you begin your show. Then watch the comments fly as anything goes in an anonymous no-login required environment.

Last week I used BackNoise at Startup Riot to discuss pitches that were being presented with others attending the event at the same time. It was a great way for us to interact, and I think you will see that BackNoise will give your fans something to talk about for days after one of your shows.

Sample Music from Wombat

The musicians with Wombat, an Atlanta based funk-jam fusion band sent over a 7 minute audio clip of one of their latest originals to give away here called, Sunburst. The track was written primarily by Shawn McCrystal, and was recorded live at Smith's Olde Bar on February 09, 2008. While it's only a clip, as the entire track is almost 20 minutes, I thought some of you might enjoy listening to it. Their sound is definitely not for everyone though, especially if you are not into improvisational music, but there's no denying that Wombat is comprised of some incredibly talented musicians. The Creative Loafing called their sound "tried-n-true rock jamming served with a side of greasy funk," and Jezebel Magazine said Wombat "combines high energy and funky rhythms with long improvisational jams."

If you would like to have the entire song, just send me an email. Also, if you're in a band or a solo musician and would like for me to consider posting a sample of your music here,  just drop me a note.

Musician Introductions: Bringing Back the MC

What happened to the practice of introducing bands and musicians before their live performances? In the 50s, 60s and 70s it was common practice, from Buddy Holly to the Who. The introduction was used then to build excitement between a band and their audience, helping to galvanize a high energy show. And typically, the introductions were given by either a local MC, or someone that traveled with the band.

While many legendary artists are still introduced at their shows, like B.B. King and Eric Clapton, the practice for the most part has vanished from the indie music scene. Why? A good stage introduction can not only bolster your live performance, but it also helps to cement your professionalism and dedication to your music. It can also be a strong calling card, something for your audience to remember you by. And let's face it, the first few minutes on stage sets the tone for the rest of the show, and with the right introduction, that first impression can help make the difference between a good night and a great night!

Here's one example of a great introduction. It's for the Greg Hester show by the legendary MC for James Brown, Danny Ray at The Mission in Augusta, GA this past New Year's Eve <Greg_Hester_intro_Danny_Ray12312007.mp3>. While it's going to be hard to find someone like Danny Ray to introduce your band, you get the point. Think about your style, sound, attitude, personality, etc. and find someone that will compliment you. Who knows, you may just discover someone that will become the voice of your band, like Bill Graham was for the Dead.