News From the Music Biz - Indies Thrive While Majors Struggle and the Death of Liner Notes

Well as the tectonic shifts in the music industry continue it is interesting to see how some indie labels are thriving while their major label opposites are struggling. With news that Sony BMG lost a cool 49 mil last quarter indie labels Sub Pop, Merge and Matador seem to be doing fine according to the article Drowning Out The Big Labels. What explains the indies’ staying power? According to the article by Jon Fine:

For starters, the Web’s flattening of distribution, and the growing appetite for licensing less mainstream music. The Shins have provided music for ads by McDonald’s (MCD), Microsoft (MSFT), and Gap (GAP). “Advertisers realize: ‘I don’t have to get the Beatles to have a successful commercial,’” says Ira Antelis, former music director for ad agency Leo Burnett—and indie bands come cheaper, to boot. Other aspects of the indie world—small staffs, modest expense structures, and strong relationships with an audience and its musicians—are built for a music environment that’s shrinking even as niches become more important.

Now I still maintain that the key to any indie label success is the fact that the management actually love the music they put out. Every label that I have ever been impressed with are always run by music lovers as opposed to “business people” and music fans see that as a reflection in the music the label puts out. That’s not to say that business acumen is not important because it is but unless passion for music is front and center the label will suffer, period.

Ironically enough, one of the things giving indies some new distribution muscle is the Internet but all this digitization of music may in fact spell the end of the ubiquitous liner notes. Now if you are a music geek like me you always read the liner notes multiple times, usually while the CD is playing but according to Shout-Outs To Mom And God? See Online which explains how in the age of the MP3, there is just no room for liner notes anymore. This would be a sad development but as the article explains, there is such a volume of information available online that maybe it is another relic of days gone by. Do you enjoy reading liner notes or are they best left to the dustbin of rock and roll history? Let me know.

Later.

Mark

Matheson Interviews Mona Loring of MLC PR

When you have music you want to get into the public’s hands, there are several ways of doing it: You can look for a record label that would want to help you put the music out, you can do the whole production yourself and hope enough people find out about the music to at least make back the money you put into the release, or you can look for a publicity firm that will help you get the publicity that your music deserves with a label or on your own.

If you are interested in the publicity route, there are many publicity firms that are always on the lookout for talent that deserves to be exposed. One of those firms is MLC PR. What follows is an interview with the owner of MLC PR, Mona Loring.

1 How long have YOU (Mona Loring) been in the business?

I have been in business since spring 2006 and it’s been crazy how much the firm has grown! I can’t imagine where we will be in 2010. It is thrilling.

2 How did you get started doing the publicity thing? And what was your reason for getting into the publicity business?

It was rather serendipitous… My first job in PR was as a PR Director for a children’s book publisher called Playdate Kids Publishing. The president of the company owned a music video production company where I had interned at in college so she already knew my work ethic and liked how I could think outside of the box. After she read of the materials I had published, she called and asked me to work for her on the spot. I was already making a living writing freelance, but I always had an interest in PR– just never thought I could get into it without working at a large company first. I decided to take a chance and really go for it. Since my passion was always in the entertainment industry, soon after I was working as the PR Director, I sought after people in the music and TV/film industries. I offered them great rates and asked them to give me a chance. I simply explained how I was a smart girl who’d do them well—and they’d save a ton of money on the rate. Without hesitation many of them agreed… It just continued expanding from there.

3 When did you start MLC? (Different meaning and answer than first question)

I’ve been in the business just as long as I have owned MLC. It can be confusing to anyone who tries to trace the history though. You see, I started out as M. Loring Communications. It was the name of the company I had when I was freelance writing, copywriting, etc. When I started out as a PR Director and worked my way into other areas of publicity, I decided I’d rather be MLC PR. I applied for a new business name and branded the firm under that moniker. Later, when Jennifer Lyneis (my VP of Record Promotion) came on board to form a music services company, I went back to the M. Loring Communications Company (and name) and re-launched it as multi-service music firm. Luckily, I mapped it all out well and no one has been confused! It wasn’t easy changing it all around but I am glad it worked out. Both companies are within my corporation, Mona Loring Inc.

4 Where are you located?

Our office is located in Agoura Hills, California. We’re about 30 minutes north of Los Angeles and south of Ventura. We’re not in the hub of Hollywood, but we love the location!

5 What are some of the services you offer through the company?

Through MLC PR, we offer public relations. This includes image consulting, press release writing and distribution, tour press, regional and nation press, new media coverage, music promotions, article placement, crisis communications, reputation management and much more. We basically have everything to do with someone’s career in the public eye. At M. Loring Communications we offer radio promotion (getting an artist spinning on FM radio nationally), artist development, corporate sponsorship, music licensing and endorsements. I am currently in the process of expanding to offer booking services as well. Basically, from independent artists to record labels, we can offer almost every service needed. All that’s left out is advertising, distribution and management (and booking FOR NOW).

6 Are there specific people you are looking for that can use your services? (Do you only accept certain people? Or if they can pay, you’ll take anyone on as a client?)

Definitely not. I am very picky about MLC PR clientele. Image is everything so why would I represent what I think is “bad” music? I don’t. So to answer your question, I am looking for indie and mainstream artists in ALL genres who are driven, talented and going places. To take a client on, they do have minimum requirements that need to be met. For example, an artist who doesn’t have at least an EP out should at least have a single and a decent tour lined up. We can’t make the media write about just anyone… we need a story… we need events, products, facts…

7 About how many clients are currently on your roster?

It varies. Some clients need a lot more than others. We typically represent about 13-15 clients at any given point. We book out ahead and plan for newcomers.

8 Some of the most notable names on your roster.

I’ve represented several notable names that have come and gone due to the nature of the business. I represented two knockouts from American Idol last year: Sabrina Sloan and Alaina Alexander. Most people know Shane Sparks (“So You Think You Can Dance” and “America’s Best Dance Crew”) well. I also rep Francia Raisa (actress “The Cutting Edge 3” and ABC Family’s new show “ The Secret Life of the American Teenager”), Crosby Loggins (son of Kenny Loggins and Jive Records recording artists), Chelsea E. (Paradise Hotel 2 actress and pop singer) and Montana Tucker (pop singer from “Step Up 2”). I have a feeling that by next year, people will know many of my lesser known artists as well! Notable or not, I love them all dearly!

9 Some of the most promising up-and-coming clients on your roster.

Oh nice lead in! Obviously I feel that everyone I sign is promising, so let me just give you a recent breakdown on some clients. Bag of Toys is blowing up. After just one press release Jen Lyneis was able to get the band licensed on both TV (Fox’s”Bones) and film (TBA). Kaitlyn Anderson is getting a lot of attention commercially due to both her talent and fresh faced appearance, Fiance is getting a solid buzz locally in Denver which we feel is about to ooze over nationally, Stanfour is already on Universal in Germany so it’s only a matter of time until they’re known in the states, Phoenix Block sounds like U2 and Coldplay—need I say more? Lastly, Stealing Jane is a band in New York that is getting a ton of buzz and has some serious potential.

10 Some of the up-and-coming things that will be happening to your company?

Anyone who knows me well is aware that I am always up to something new. At this time, I am in talks with a start up label. They want MLC for PR and record promotion. If we do this successfully, (which I know we will) it will be a start of something incredible. The music industry is changing and independent artists and labels have more power than anyone ever imagined they could. We’re here to push independent thinking—even major labels need this frame of mind.

11 Where do you see the music industry headed in 5 years from now?

I always kid that this topic could make an entire chapter in a book. The music industry has changed immensely because of the Internet. In the next five years, I believe the music industry will see a shift in music distribution and promotion, leading to more and more independent artists and labels legitimately competing with the majors. I can’t wait to see what happens. This newfound freedom is exciting. People with talent actually have a chance at making it independently.

If you are interested in the services that MLC PR offers, you can get in contact with Mona Loring by calling her at 818 706-8080. You can also reach her via e-mail at contact@monaloring.com. For more information, go to www.monaloring.com for PR and www.mloringcommunications.com for her music firm.

Matheson Kamin

The New Rock Biz Paradigm - Welcome to 2008!

The new music biz equation in 2008 seems to be touring + inexpensive recording technology + internet distribution - large record label = sustainable success at least according to Live Music Thrives as CDs Fade, an article that all rock and roll bands serious about making it today should have a look at. There are now so many ways to get the music out there that any musician should be familiar with as many as possible but touring still appears to be the best method to put the butter on the bread. The only fly in the ointment of that avenue is the insanely high gas prices that make going on a large-scale, many-miles tour a financial burden.

The effect of high gas prices on touring is hitting smaller bands and artists hard but even big name festivals like Bonnaroo are being affected. This brings up an interesting point that came up in a recent discussion with some musician friends. They argued that it was now becoming much less lucrative to travel hundreds of miles to play in a new town where they may not be able to guarantee a healthy gate, or play on the side stage of a festival (where even there they have to often pay to play) than to play locally where they can actually guarantee themselves fairly steady income. It’s not that they don’t want to tour outside their area code, it’s just becoming too damn expensive to do so.

What does this all mean? Will it become too expensive for bands to tour and even if they do, too expensive for fans to get to their shows and festivals? Perhaps in the short term it will be an issue but rock and roll fans are if anything a resourceful bunch and whether they car pool it or bike to the show, they will need to get their rock and roll fix somehow. And bands are increasingly looking at viable ways to get to the gig by using things like bio-fueled tour buses and transport trucks with the help of organizations like Reverb so the tours will keep rolling. As with everything else in this day and age, the game is changing and you either adapt to what is going on or you fold up your tent and go home.

Luckily, despite the hardships for all involved, the rock will still roll, regardless of the bumps in the road. Thank God for that!

See you at the show.

Mark

Wanna Be a Rock Star? Matheson Takes a Look at the Michael J. Media Group

Nashville-based musician Mike Farley has always had a love for the “business” side of the music business. In fact, it was during his time as host of an open-mic night in Cleveland, Ohio that he found his own musical voice and started writing and performing his own music. The songs that he wrote have become 5 full-length albums and one acoustic EP. And although Mike loves to write and perform music, the “business” side of the music business is what ultimately made him move from Cleveland, Ohio to Nashville, Tennessee.

While living in Cleveland, Mike started helping other musicians with the promoting of their music, helping them move forward in their careers and getting them more exposure as far as radio play and larger venues to perform in.

And although Mike loves to write and perform music, the “business” side of the music business is what ultimately made him move. He took the part-time music venture he was operating and decided to go in full-time and start helping as many musicians as he could. And in 2003, Mike moved his company from Cleveland, Ohio to Nashville, Tennessee.

Mike Farley’s publicity company, known as Michael J. Media Group, features several different types of services to help musicians further their musical careers. Some of the services offered to clients include: creating and distributing press releases to local and national media outlets, follow up with press contacts, promote local or regional CD release parties or other events, assist in setting up radio and TV appearances or other promotional gigs, and solicit film and TV placements from music supervisors and publishers.

Currently, Mike has a large list of artists that are taking advantage of his publicity help. Some of his most well known clients include: Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, Badfish (the tribute to Sublime), and many others, including Tim Mahoney, the musician who was featured in the 40th Anniversary issue of Rolling Stone as a result of winning the Ray-Ban ‘Never Hide Your Music’ contest.

To find out the complete list of features and services offered by Mike Farley and the Michael J. Media Group, go to www.michaeljmedia.com. You can also contact the company by calling them at (615) 885-3652.

Matheson Kamin

Net Neutrality and Why Indie Musicians Should Care

If you haven’t already, you will be hearing a lot about the issue of Net Neutrality this year and while it might seem to be a esoteric, technical debate for geeks, the implications to independent musicians could be great. Or as a recent article in Exclaim magazine stated “net neutrality is about three seconds away from being one of the Most Important Issues Facing the Music Business Today.”

Future of Music Coalition Director Ann Chaitovitz ran a commentary in a recent issue of Billboard Magazine explaining how the open internet is absolutely necessary for creativity and commerce to flourish online and I urge you to read the commentary and educate yourself. You can read it at this link.

The Internet holds a lot of promise of what musicians can do with their music instead of being beholden to a record label. We are starting to see a lot of experiments taking place where the artists is regaining control of his or her muse. Some will work and some will fail but at the very least there is a legitimate chance for artists to make a living while being in control of the modes of distribution of their music. Net Neutrality in my opinion is essential to this. Make sure that you are informed as to the impact of things like network throttling can have on independent music on the net. Regardless of which side of the debate you may ultimately take, your future could well depend on it.

Later.

Mark

The Black Crowes Manager Issues An Open Letter To Maxim Magazine And James Kaminsky

(Ed’s note: I don’t normally publish syndicated material anymore but in this case I though it was important and highly enlightening to see how the mainstream press works…)

The Black Crowes’ manager issues statement:

In my thirty years in the music business, I have never once written a letter to any publication to discuss or oppose a “review” of my artist’s work. Any artist or manager who has survived a dramatically changing musical landscape, and experienced some longevity throughout, has a clear understanding that both good and bad reviews are part of the scenery.

However, this letter was not written to address a bad “review” but rather a fabricated album review that your magazine published even though your “music critic” had not heard more than one song.

In our business, a fabricated review is a serious concern that may ultimately harm all artists because it calls into question the credibility
of the entire review process.

A February 20th email response from a Maxim representative stated in part:

“On the rare occasion that we are not given music because of our lead time or unavailability of the tunes, we make an educated guess … Of course, we always prefer to hearing the music, but sometimes there are big albums that we don’t want to ignore that aren’t available to hear, which is what happened with the Crowes. It’s either an educated guess preview or no coverage at all, so in this case we chose the former.”

Read more

Sonicbids “Get A Gig Guarantee” Promotion

Sonicbids has kicked off a special year-long Get A Gig Guarantee promotion. Sonicbids’ mission is to help bands get gigs; based on the belief that independent music belongs everywhere –– on festival stages; in video game consoles; on film screens; in college theaters; on the radio; in advertisements; on club stages and at sporting events. The Get-A-Gig Guarantee speaks to how important this mission is for the company by giving artist members a free 6-month membership extension if they do not secure at least one gig over the course of the next 6 months – no strings attached. For more, visit www.Sonicbids.com.

The Rock and Roll Report is a Sonicbids partner and if you are in a band it is definitely an effective way to get your music heard. If you want to submit your music to The Rock and Roll Report through Sonicbids just click on the Sonicbids logo in the top right of this very website. Thanks.

Later

Mark

Rock and Roll Odds and Sods: Podcast News, Rolling Stone Boycott, The Return of Hair Metal, the Sad Tale of The Fags and Israeli Rock and Roll

Sorry for the dearth of stuff on the site over these last few days but things have been pretty hectic personally and I have learned to not write just for the sake of writing. I would prefer the content to be sparse but good as opposed to overflowing but shit. Of course the content could be sparse and shit but that’s beside the point…

Just received two essential components (finally!) for Rock and Roll Report Studios and will actually begin recording Episode 1 of the Rock and Roll Report Podcast (The Phantom Podcast?) this week. It’s been frustrating to say the least but I think that once I get going things will run a lot smoother. The plan is to have the first episode out the week of October 22, 2007 (probably the 24th) and then every week thereafter. The only decision I face is whether to produce a show the week Rock and Roll Report Radio is on. Since CKUT provides a podcast feed for the show for a week after broadcast I will probably only produce three podcasts a month and see how that goes.

The Day in Rock reports that Fox News columnist Roger Friedman is calling for a boycott of Rolling Stone Magazine. Now I have a love/hate relationship with that mag and I can see that if you are of a politically conservative bent you would have a lot to gripe about but Friedman’s reason is not due to the content of the magazine. Friedman’s complaint revolves around the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the fact that Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner essentially controls the nomination process for this ridiculous institution. Now if you shake your head at some of the decisions made for these nominations (why is Rush still not nominated again?) you will definitely want to read Friedman’s reasons for the boycott but really, why don’t we boycott both the magazine and the “institution” and get on with listening to cool rock and roll played in sweaty little clubs, you know, the way rock and roll should be celebrated.

Well if you thought the days of ‘80s hard rock and hair metal were behind us think again. According to Kris Osborn of Time.Com, some of the biggest concert draws of 2007 were reunion concerts by bands like Ratt, Tesla, Poison, Quiet Riot, Ozzy, White Lion and the like and the response to the semi-reunited Van Halen seem to bear this out. The interesting thing is that the shows seem to be attracting young concert goers who weren’t around for these bands’ first kick at the can. Can you blame them? Hard rock and metal have always contained a great mixture of sleaze, glam and fist pumping fun that makes it quite clear you are at a rock show and not a political convention. People want to lose themselves for a couple of hours and this stuff is a great way to do it. Cheap, fast and disposable. That is sometimes the best definition of rock and roll and I guess this just goes to prove that people want more than angst on stage, they want to rock!

One of the best CDs that I received last year and played quite a bit on Rock and Roll Report Radio was Light ‘Em Up! By The Fags and it was with considerable sadness that I learned this summer of the band’s demise. Billed as a logical successor to Cheap Trick, The Fags had what many thought was it all. Great hooks, cool songs, a great sound behind the vocals of main man John Speck, this was a band that seemed poised for great things. Unfortunately major label politics and other business mis-cues killed the band in its crib. Read all about Speck’s experiences with the Fags and their doomed run at the brass ring in The Fags Get Screwed. If you are interested in what John is up to now check out his new band HiFi HandGrenades.

Finally, if you thought all that came out of Israel was religious conflict and strife you will be happy to know that the Jewish Music Group has announced the release of “Israel Unleashed: The Best Rock And Metal From The Holy Land”. Featuring the very best unsigned rock and metal bands from Israel it is scheduled to be released November 27, 2007. For a full track listing check out http://www.jewishmusicgroup.com/album.php?id=131.

That’s it for now. I know I haven’t featured any blitz bands in awhile but if your jonesing for a rock and roll fix I suggest that you click on any of the band links from this week’s Rock and Roll Report Radio playlist and check out what they have to offer. I think you your ears will be amply rewarded.

Later.

Mark

Win an All Expense Paid Trip to Record at Real World Studios!

Have you always dreamed of recording your music in a professional studio? TuneCore, Eventful and Solid State Logic (SSL) have teamed up to send one band (up to five people) on a one week all expenses paid trip to England to record at Real World Studios, one of the top five recording studios on the planet. The artist or band with the most “demands” at leading online events site Eventful wins this grand prize, which includes studio time, round-trip airfare, ground transportation, food, lodging, an engineer and assistant and 100% unlimited access and complete lockout of “The Big Room” for five days. (Approximate retail value: $25,000.)

Thanks to SSL, TuneCore and Eventful, one lucky band will be able to record at the same studio and use the same state-of-the-art SSL gear as The Cure, Bonnie Raitt, Super Furry Animals, Beth Orton, Goldfrapp, Deep Purple, Robbie Williams, Paul Oakenfold, Sigur Ros and more.

“The Big Room” is world renowned for its 72-channel SSL 9000 XL K series analogue console, its large selection of vintage Neve modules, and its varied array of outboard equipment custom installed to take every advantage of this state-of-the-art facility, all in a room famous for its intoxicating view of the flowing mill pond. Real World’s team brings a wealth of experience, passion and commitment to help music artists realize the full potential of the studio.

To enter, bands will register as a Performer at Eventful and opt-in to participate in the competition. They then need only encourage their fans to “demand” them using Eventful’s Demand service. The unsigned band with the most Eventful “demanders” at 12:00 pm (Pacific Standard Time), October 31st, 2007, wins the grand prize. Bands with the second and third most demanders each win a Solid State Logic Duende DSP processing engine (ARV: $1495.00 each). The top ten (10) bands with the most demanders each get one album, with an unlimited number of songs (total not to exceed seventy-four minutes) placed for free into all digital stores they choose to which TuneCore delivers, including the first year’s maintenance and storage. (ARV: $45 each.)

Find out more at http://www.tunecore.com/realworld.

Odds and Sods: Popular Rockers Die Young and Rick Rubin Says Record Labels Don’t Get it

I was was roaming around the web trolling for music news I came across the usual assortment of crap but two things really stuck for me today but for completely different reasons.

It appears that the longevity of Keith Richards is a bit of an anomaly according to How rock stardom can take years off your life. It seems that the rock star lifestyle (you know the ol’ buggaboo of sex, drugs and rock and roll) that comes with the territory once a rock star becomes popular causes them to die pretty quickly. Citing examples of Kurt Cobain, Buddy Holly, Sid Vicious and Pete Doherty (oops he’s not dead yet!) as rockers who keeled over once stardom struck, British scientists claim that after extensive study they have come to the conclusion that “The results suggest that the most dangerous time for a star is during their first flush of fame. Stars are over three times more likely to die than ordinary people in the first five years after chart success, and in the first 10 years they are still at more than two and a half times the risk. And right up to 25 years after launching a career in showbiz, rock and pop stars are still more likely to meet their maker than the rest of us.”

What does this say to the young wannabe rock stars of today? What kind of a message does this send to them? I can just here the local garage band huddled in their rehearsal space with their collective finger poised over the “send” button of their email program- “Boys, this could mean we may become, you know popular and then we could die!” Rock and roll is a vicious game indeed!

At the other end of the spectrum you have Rick Rubin perhaps being a bit to honest when the recently named co-chairman of Columbia Records stated in the New York Times magazine that “I have great confidence that we will have the best record company in the industry, but the reality is, in today’s world, we might have the best dinosaur. Until a new model is agreed upon and rolling, we can be the best at the existing paradigm, but until the paradigm shifts, it’s going to be a declining business. This model is done.” I’m sure that the powers that be at Columbia didn’t expect this so quick in Rubin’s tenure but really, the man was just stating the truth. The old model is dead and right now everybody is staggering in the dark trying to come up with something that works in this Web 2.0 world. Until the major record labels face the fact that they are no longer the gatekeepers to the music anymore, the sooner we can figure out what will make both them and the artists they represent money, the sooner we can start promoting new and exciting artists without fear that taking a risk means the end of life as we know it. It is pretty cool that Rubin is so upfront and at least he is a “music guy” as opposed to a bean counter so don’t rule out the majors just yet.

Later.

Mark

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